March 18, 2005

Proud to be a Dieburger

Hmm...every one at Haus 5 is excited about the notice from Studentenwerk Darmstadt, which announces the closure of the Haus 5 by the end of the semester (October 1). Did I say every one? Well, not exactly. There are a few who aren't. And there are quite some, like yours truly, who are feeling downright depressed!!! Yeah, you will never know what it feels like leaving this place that has been my home for the best part of 4 years now. I pride in calling myself a Dieburger. It has been the butt of many a joke over the past years, but believe me man..I have been one of the very few people who liked staying at this god-forsaken place in the middle of nowhere. Or should I say at the end of everywhere? There is a joke going round here...Dieburg begins where sanity ends!!! And not without some truth...

It is tradition (if I may use the term) for people to use Dieburg as a temporary stop, a way-side motel where one stays till he gets a 'proper' accommodation in a more civilized place like Darmstadt or Frankfurt. Or should I say it was? No one save me dared to stay for long in this place, let alone love it. I may sound stupid, but I have never known how it is like to live at another place. May be that is the precise reason why I love Dieburg.

Time and again over the past 4 years I have been advised, both in friendly and not-so-warm tones, to get the hell out of this place, for various reasons. Like for example saving time travelling in buses and trains, walking a long way to the Bahnhof or bus-stop, etc. to name just a few. But I took these things as just a part of life. I am one who thinks that life must be dealt with in its real form - with all its inherent and unavoidable trifles. I bet there are many who would not agree with me - that is the part concerning my belief. I may not have stayed true to my belief in other things, but concerning Dieburg, I have held steadfast to the belief that I must learn to enjoy the minor troubles that complement my stay at Dieburg. Yes I mean it when I say complement, because those discomforts consummate my life, and it is this very fact that has added spice to my life here as a student in a foreign land, in a totally different culture, a strange language, sombre people, and the like. It has helped me face life in its entirety, helped me with improving my German, whatwith all those converstaions I used to have with old ladies and gentlemen walking their dogs on the roads who seemed only too eager to engage me in a conversation but were unable to speak much English. With a little German from my side and even lesser English from their side, I have conversed with such people many a time, some times the 'conversations' extending as long as half-an-hour or so on otherwise-deserted roads.

These are but a few of the valuable things that I have gained as a result of my stay in Dieburg. Sure I agree that I may have gained some other things, however different they may be, if I had moved to Darmstadt, but I still feel that my decision to hold on to Dieburg come what may, has been a fruitful one. I have faced the ups and downs of my German stay with a common denominator - Dieburg. The best of my times I have enjoyed at Dieburg. The worst of my times I have reminisced alone at Dieburg. Dieburg remains the place that holds many a secret about me, good or bad it might be. Be it my Altheimer Strasse room (# 34016) or my Max-Planck-Strasse room (# 5524), I would give anything to hold on to Dieburg, if I have the slightest of chances.

Many things - good and bad - have happened during my stay here. Friends made and lost. The four seasons enjoyed to their fullest four times over. But behind all this din lies the eternal hum of the one place on earth that I would pride calling my home away from home - Dieburg. As the saying goes:

Kennedy (1963): Ich bin ein Berliner.
Bhuvan (2005): Ich bin ein Dieburger.

Times change. Personalities change. The pride remains the same. PROUD TO BE A DIEBURGER !!!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Bhuvan,
Read the text posted under the title "Proud to be a Dieburger", and one could deeply feel and sense how much you liked your stay at Dieburg since you landed in
this country, the country with different culture and customs, the country with different language and
dialects and probably how you will eventually experience
when asked to leave the place so called "your home away from home". The home where you had seen the good and bad days the happy days and days of contentment, the days full of ecstasy and bliss, the days of accomplishment and triumph and the days which taught you many thing along the way, the way on which you are moving sturdily and swiftly for last four years.


Kushal

Anonymous said...

Boy, what a HYMN!

Anonymous said...

I think u have been in dieburg for such a long time not becuase of ur love for the place, but more out of ur laziness to find accomodation somewhere else. and NOW u might have started loving it becuase DIEBURG has become synonymous with laziness for u .

Tatiana von Tauber said...

Beautifully said. I feel the same about my town...only 30 minutes from you. Maybe its just Germany and its charming towns, each one so individual. Check out heissescheisse.blogspot.com - an American expat who lives in Darmstadt and travels to Dieburg often.

Anonymous said...

He Bhuvan,
This one reminded me of "days in Deiburg". Surely altheimerstr is one end of the world, other end is Schuetzenweg in Oldenburg ;-)

Anonymous said...

Here's the charm of living in Dieburg!!

An abode for students & the retired,
That creates a blend of humanity isolated.
This active society leaves deep impact on lives.
Some seek to elude it,some to embrace as it is.

It is remotely situated,yet close-by for shoppers,
With timberland that fascinates joggers & skaters.
Wild roses disperse their perfumes and spread apart,
Their bloomy attires for each one to admire.

Students out there glued to their books,
Seeking to fulfill dreams within their nooks.
Exams coming to an end,
It's time to get together and unwind!!

Cheers