SU_B_09

[i] Today is March 2nd 2018. I am currently at home with [name] in Bochum Riemke. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity you gave, one to conduct an interview with you.
[r] Nothing to thank.
[i] I would like you to briefly introduce yourself. Who is [name]? Where do you come from? Just short.
[r] My first name is [name]. My last name is [name]. I come from Mardin, Nusaybin. I am 18 years old and now live in Bochum.
[i] Exactly, I saw that you just turned eighteen? [name] laughs] You turned eighteen at the beginning of the year. As a young man, what was your life like back home? Can you tell us something about your childhood?
[r] My childhood… I was born in Nusaybin. Um. I was born in 1999. But the year 2000 is written on the ID card. Um. Until I was six years old… If I know the name of the district, is that a problem? I have in the district Kishla lived. Then I went to school. My name School was Misaki Milli. I was there until fifth grade. After I finished fifth grade, I changed schools and went to Oguzhan. I was there until eighth grade. After that I went to secondary school. I finished ninth grade and just started tenth grade. After the first half of the year I went for a few more Months of school, then the curfew began.
[i] Curfew, can you explain what that was like?
[r] bans, that means curfew Um… in Kurdistan, what is also called Mesopotamia or the Southeast. Um It is one intimidation movement. Because they wanted to subjugate the people Keeping control, but it didn’t work. They acted as they wanted.
[i] The state of emergency and curfew lasted for a long time in your city, in Nusaybin. You could in this one case go to school? How did you during the Lived in a state of emergency?
[r] We have a lot of time Spent at home. Supposedly there were lessons, but there were no teachers left. Because they were sent via Text message informed. Some Kurdish teachers from Nusaybin and the surrounding area sometimes came to the school. But the teachers from other Turkish cities returned home. So basically there was no one in Nusaybin.
[i] How was your life there? Leave teachers aside. How has this affected your life or the lives of your family?
[r] Personally, I wanted to attend school. Unfortunately I had to drop out of school. Oh well.
[i] How was it with your family? How many siblings do you have? Can you tell us something about your family?
[r] We are five brothers. I am the oldest. After the curfew, my family was left without a house. Now my family lives in my grandmother’s house. This is very uncomfortable for all of us. I know this because it was uncomfortable for me too.
[i] You were even younger when you left Kurdistan and your family, you were under eighteen.
[r] Exactly.
[i] You were still a child, what difficulties did you encounter? How did you decide yours Leaving families there and why?
[r] I didn’t make this decision myself. If I had been able to decide for myself, I wouldn’t have gone. But that was it My family’s decision. I should leave to avoid being arrested or killed. My family made this decision. But I came…
[i] What was the farewell like for you when the family made such a decision? They said I should leave rather than be arrested. They said they’ll miss me.
[i] Living in exile or leaving the country, what does that mean for you? Was it easy or difficult for you?
[r] At first I didn’t understand it. Everything was easier because I was still a child. I wasn’t thinking. At the beginning it was easy. But then I went to Istanbul and was not allowed to go back to Nusaybin. From then on it became more difficult for me. Now I understood. And after I had left Istanbul, everything became clear to me. And I was confronted with a completely new life. When I arrived in Istanbul, it was very difficult for me.
[i] In Istanbul, Were you alone there or did you have someone from the family with you?
[r] No, I wasn’t alone in Istanbul. I have uncles there. There were some friends there too. I was with my uncle. Um I’m following him Went home. Sometimes. It would not be appropriate to stay with you forever. I went to Zeytinburnu [district of Istanbul], my uncle has a car dealership there. Sometimes I spent the night there with him. We sat together. Sometimes I was there, sometimes I stayed at my uncle’s house. That’s how it was.
[i] Have you worked in Istanbul? Or …
[r] No. I didn’t have a job. I have never worked in Istanbul.
[i] Didn’t you want to stay in Istanbul?
[r] It doesn’t matter whether it’s Istanbul or other Turkish cities. So… we say: Nusaybin and Istanbul are the same. Your identity is your identity For me it wasn’t possible to go to Nusaybin. That’s why I wanted to go abroad. Outside Kurdistan. Namely … Until I came to Istanbul, I have never worked. I attended school. My father had a shop. Sometimes I have mine Helped father after school. I worked in the store.
[i] What kind of shop was it?
[r] This is a hardware store. We say building material, we call it home goods. Namely: from pliers to… a door handle. We sold that.
[i] My family’s financial situation was good. The motive to escape was not money.
[i] Probably more political reasons.
[r] Yes, politically, anyway. Not economical in any way, because of family or because of money. It wasn’t nice that I came here.
[i] How did you get from Istanbul to Germany? Was it easy how you came here as a minor under eighteen? Were there any difficulties? You needed a power of attorney. How did you manage that?
[r] After I arrived in Istanbul, it wasn’t easy. I came to Istanbul and I am in Istanbul approximately. stayed three months. After three months we had a tractor, someone who regulates things for the… To follow me to bring Germany we had to find one. My uncle took care of it. Um. My arrival. It was easy to leave Istanbul. Because … I’m about three to four Stayed there for months until I got here. I haven’t experienced any problems. If others have experienced any…
[i] As I know, you didn’t go alone. You came with a trafficker.
[r] No, I came alone. Because I… I came with a driver.
[i] But you are not legal, with a visa and a Turkish one Pass…
[r] No, I didn’t come alone.
[i] But smugglers organized everything for you, finished and then you came with it.
[r] Yes, I came in an illegal form.
[i] Because you were still a minor.
[r] Yes.
[i] When you came to Germany, which city came first? Where have you been?
[r] When I came to Germany, I came straight to Bochum. Um
[i] Why are you after Bochum?
[r] I have relatives here, my uncle and my aunt. In other cities I actually wouldn’t have anyone. Because I have family here. That’s why I came here.
[i] The first day you were here, in Bochum, how was that for you? Bochum or Germany, what kind of picture did you have?
[r] When I was new here, it was night. I ate and slept. After the second day it was, as they say, really a different world. The language was new for me. On the first day we went to a store. The language was not Kurdish and not Turkish either. It was a completely different language. At the beginning I didn’t understand anything. The people were strangers in my eyes. And if I have differences, then the differences are very big. The weather isn’t nice either.
[i] Can you explain the differences? What picture did you have before? Which Did you have any expectations? What had you seen? Can you explain it? The positive or negative sides?
[r] The good stuff is: Germany is really very beautiful. From the mindset side and from all sides. They say that where you grew up is very beautiful for you. That’s a difference for me. It was very cold there and it is very cold here. I can say that. The difference, the difference is big. I don’t know how to say this.
[i] You are a young person who is still very young and eighteen years old with its own culture and Native language grew up in a place. Your friends and your childhood And then you turned eighteen in another country. What does friendship mean to you when you compare your hometown to here? What can you say about that? When you arrived, did you encounter any difficulties? When you arrived in Germany, you were not yet of legal age.
[r] When I set foot on German soil, I was not yet eighteen.
[r]my first difficulty was language, I couldn’t speak language I couldn’t with anyone people speak. At the beginning it was very difficult for me. Thereafter, Friendships… In Nusaybin, in homeland itself, no matter where you go, everyone knows everyone. They greet and chat They do joint Walks and go for a drink. They gather. I’ve rarely seen anything like this here. The people here are rather strangers to each other. You don’t get to know each other so quickly. There are such differences, when it comes to friendship. Also from the school side… Even though the language was Turkish, our teachers were mostly Kurdish. We could speak Kurdish there, even if it happened in secret. Here you have to speak German, regardless of where you come from, whether Kurd or Turk. Because … As I said, my first problem was the language.
[i] When you first arrived here, where did you live?
[r] When I first arrived here, I lived with my aunt. For about a month. Until my uncle… Um an appointment for me Lawyer made. Um I stayed with my aunt. That was the first Place to live in Germany.
[i] Where did you go then?
[r] Then I applied for asylum. You have me to Ground vibration site 1 brought to Bochum. I lived there for about two weeks. Two weeks later I moved.
[i] What was it like there, can you describe it a little? What kind of place was that?
[r] The place where I lived, this was a three story building. Namely … three people, three children lived in one room. In some there were four or just one. I lived with someone else. There were two of us. From the dormitory side… there was a garden. There were very nice corners there where you could spend your free time. But …
[i] The place where you were at the beginning, who did you share a room with? Which nationality? How was your relationship? There were three or two people in one room. I assume you also ate and played together? You and others, have you played together outside? Can you tell us about that?
[r] At the beginning I felt strange. I didn’t play with anyone. And communication was rare. The person who lived with me was from Guinea, from Africa. I couldn’t speak German yet and neither could he. We were able to relax Converse in English. Our games… If I call him African, won’t that be wrong? They have completely different ones Friendships, going out together. I didn’t leave the house for about a week or two. My life wasn’t that good there because I was brand new there. It works. Maybe because I couldn’t speak the language yet. That’s why it could be.
[i] How did it affect you, at your first sight, when you arrived and saw that you are in a home and the people who live there also children and were minors without family. Each from one country. What did that mean for you?
[r] The meaning… I’ve never seen anything like it. The meaning … I realized that I am not alone here. There are many like me alone here, have also experienced something similar. There are others besides me, I thought so at the beginning.
[i] Where were you assigned from there?
[r] After that… Um In our home there was a woman Afrin [city in northern Syria]. Her name was [name]. She told me that I would be assigned to a new home. At the beginning I thought, maybe it was a bad place. I’ve already gotten used to it. I’m looking for the new one Asked home where it is. She told me it was at Lohring [Street name in Bochum]. “When do I go?” “You will be next week.” Even before I left, I went there [Lohring] and looked around, to get to know the place. But I couldn’t find the place. The next day a woman and a boy came Man from the new camp I was supposed to go to. The boy was German and the girl from Kosovo. They took me to Camp Globus to Lohring. Yes.
[i] How long were you in this one Camp and how was it for you? Can you tell a little bit about it about life in the new home?
[r] I stayed for about six months in this camp, until the month of October. Life in the camp was beautiful, because it wasn’t like the other camp in terms of opportunities. Like the program, well, interests, how should I say. They were more interested in the children there. I was never bored there. Because those who worked there were also foreigners themselves. They came from other countries. Well… The relationship with the Children was very good. They loved me and I loved them too. This camp was very nice compared to the other one. It was better.
[i] Can you say something about life there? You said there were a lot of programs for children? How did you get yours? Spent a day at camp?
[r] There was discipline in the home. The discipline was, firstly, you have to go to sleep at 10:30 p.m. Um… we were asleep at 10:30 p.m. We woke up at 6:00 am. I stayed for about one week at home. Then they asked if I wanted to go to the German course. “Yes, I want to go.” They found a German course for me in the city of Essen. I left about three German course for weeks. My everyday life went like this: Five times a week I went to the city of Essen, until 12 p.m., then I returned at 2 p.m. at noon. I occasionally went out with friends. I went to mine aunt or to acquaintances. Was home in between. That’s how it went.
[i] The young people in Home came from which country?
[r] There were mostly black people there, African. When I came there were a lot of Kurds there too. Um, there were five Kurds. There were two of them Yazidis from Shingal and two from Rojava and one from Iraq, from the city of Suleimaniye. Including me there were six people. And there were two or three Afghan boys. They all came from Syria, from Turkey, from Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa.
[i] How were your relationships?
[r] Our relations were very good. There were no problems between the young people who lived there. Of course everyone is friends with their friend. We Kurds were among ourselves. We occasionally went out together, ate together. It wasn’t just like that for us, the other children were the same. Let’s say culture, the children got along well among themselves. I never saw any problems between them. They lived among themselves.
[i] You mentioned culture. What difference have you seen between cultures? Between your culture and them People from other countries?
[r] Culture is, first of all, singing. The songs I heard and the songs they heard one can say that there are very big differences. The food. The food we ate and that Food they ate is also different. As they say,… You can only eat rice. A day without travel is unimaginable. And we eat lightly, like at breakfast. Except dinner, it was special. Their culture was a bit different otherwise… but if I go into the topic, it’s too long…
[i] No problem, you can explain further. What is it for you? Difference and stuff… between your culture and the culture of people from other countries? Was it a problem or an enrichment for you? How did you see that? You encountered a foreign culture for the first time.
[r] When I saw everything for the first time, I was actually a little angry. Maybe because I had never seen it before. At the beginning it was harder for me. We then understood that there was a difference between us.
[i] You talked about the food, how did you cook? Did you cook it yourself or was it prepared for you?
[r] No, there were two Cooks in our home. There were two women from Poland. They cooked for us. The food was ready every day at 1 p.m. Um There were no problems with the food. If you didn’t like the food, Could you tell the employees? They are also called carers. I told them that I will cook something else for myself. They would open the door and ask you what you wanted to eat. If you don’t like the food, you take the food that you like. So you could get another meal. Well, because there was a list. There was a specific program. There was a specific one Food for Africans, another for Afghan children, there was some for. .. Kurdish ones people, for Kurdish children. Sometimes there were some meals, We couldn’t eat them. Then we did something else, that wasn’t a problem.
[i] You said your relatives live here, your aunt, your uncle lives in Bochum.
[r] Yes.
[i] What is it like? relationship between you? How was that? Did you visit them or did they visit you? Do you have children? Can you tell us something about that?
[r] My aunt and uncle live here. My aunt is quite old. You can call them old. My uncle is here too and he also has children. If I’m not mistaken, he has five children. My aunt also has children. We have each other without Difficulties visited each other. We are still in contact with each other, there was no separation.
[i] Well… Your family, your mother and your siblings, your father, what is yours like? relationship with you? You live in a foreign country. Now you can understand it better. How was it for you the time without family?
[r] Right, I’m far away from the family. At the beginning [the first three months] I had no way of contacting the family. After I got to know my surroundings better, I was able to talk to my family via the Internet and telephone. Sometimes we could see each other via video calls. We spoke weekly, every ten days.
[i] Your family is probably wondering what your new home is like. What do you answer?
[r] The answer I give them… To tell you the truth, I tell you that this place is not nice. It’s not as nice here as it is in my country, I tell them. I say this place ain’t nice, but the people are very good. As for my social life, I don’t have any difficulties. Maybe because I still feel like a stranger, this place doesn’t seem nice to me. I answer like this when they asked me. At the beginning I answered like this. Now, when I talk to you now, I say that it’s nice here because now I have the I know the people and the city better. Once you settle in here, everything seems better.
[i] You already have Contacts with Germans? As far as I know, most Germans are very helpful. They help people, especially young people, who came here without family. Do you have people here who can help you or who you are in contact with?
[r] I only have contact with the staff at the home. There were Germans in mine Camp that I had contact with. They worked there. I still see her. I visit her occasionally. Otherwise I have normal No German friends live. My friends were born here, but they are not German. I can say that they are also foreigners.
[i] Who are your contacts?
[r] I have good contact. For example, there is a boy from Italy who was born here. Occasionally we go out together. We’re in the same class. We go to the same school.
[i] Which school do you go to?
[r] The school I attend is called: Alice Salomon Vocational College. I’m in the 11th grade. This is a training class. The current school is my first school. I’ve been going to this school since the beginning. I already attended a different class at the same school. The 9th grade, around the to get closure. After I finished this class, I attended the 11th grade. Namely because I started working after training. I am currently in the 11th grade. And I have good contacts with my friends.
[i] What would you like to do in the future? What do you want to study?
[r] I’m making one right now Training to be a chef, I cook. I would like to continue. As soon as I finish my professional training, I would like to improve my language skills. As soon as I master the language properly, I would like to study at university. I want to continue. At the moment it is like this.
[i] What kind of subject do you want to study?
[r] How?
[i] Which subject would you like to study?
[r] I want something in Study the field of gastronomy. System catering. Good.
[i] You say that you have better contact with foreign young people who were born here. Is it easier for you to get in touch with young people from abroad? Or are there no Germans in your school? Why is it so hard for you to get in touch? Is the language a barrier or are there other problems?
[r] Even if it’s still poor, I’ve already learned at least a little bit of the language. The language problem is already fixed, as they say. Foreign children who were born here are considered German on their ID card. But they originally come from other countries. As man already knows, that he is from somewhere else? I think that’s why I have good contact with them. There are very few Germans in my school. Not many. I visit her twice a week, every Thursday and Friday. I don’t see any Germans there, I only see foreigners. 80% of students have one Migrant background, maybe that’s why.
[i] You go to school twice a week. What else do you do three days a week? Why do you only have two? Training days a week? You attend school for two days and practice for three days, right?
[r] What I do now I visit school twice a week. And I go to work for four days. I have a day off. Otherwise I go back to work four days a week. My professional training doesn’t just take place at school. There are various… they change. Some only learn at school, some learn at school and go to work. It’s the same for me too. According to the plan I received from the school, I visit school every Thursday and Friday. I have to go to the other one days work. I have to in week 35 to 40 Hourly work, practical work.
[i] Where do you work here?
[r] I work at Bochum-Extrablatt on Kortumstrasse. This is my third month. I’m done after the fourth month. And where I work, it’s good.
[i] Do you work in the extra sheet in the Kitchen or do you work as a waiter?
[r] No, because it is vocational training, I have to do it for three years. I worked in the kitchen for the first year. Next year I will work at the counter. And for the third year I will work as a waiter.
[i] Well, I have that Relationships asked, I know that the extra sheet is a There is room for young students. It is easier to establish contact with young people. It’s good for improving the language, that’s why I ask. I come to your memories, that you experienced here in Germany, what do you say about it? Are you saying that I came here lucky? Or you’re bored here and you still say, if only I hadn’t left my country…
[r] To say it now, Germany is beautiful, as I said before. You can express your opinion freely, you are free. What’s not good? If you want to go somewhere, if you want to do something, you always have to make an appointment. That’s why it’s not so good.
[i] You said that the bureaucracy is a little excessive [name].
[r] The bureaucracy is a bit excessive.
[i] Can you say what kind of bureaucratic difficulties you encountered? Why is having an appointment not good for you? If you have an appointment, you don’t have to wait.
[r] It is true, but if you are in Nusaybin or any other city in the country, in Mesopotamia, If you are sick, you can go to the doctor immediately [without an appointment]. After five to ten minutes After waiting you come in. But here you have to inform them beforehand by phone that you want to go to the doctor. For example, one day I couldn’t go to school. I was sick. I had to apologize for that Take me to school because I was sick. I went straight to the Doctor without calling. “Why did they come?” I said that I’m sick. “Why didn’t you call and make an appointment?” I said I didn’t have time and that my battery was empty. I said that. They said that I have to wait a bit for a paper When I got the [certificate], I had to wait two hours for the doctor. That wasn’t nice. But otherwise I haven’t had any trouble in Germany so far. Sometimes it’s social Life a little harder for me. Or even small things, otherwise it’s ok.
[i] Like what?
[r] [He laughs] Like traffic lights. Like traffic lights, for example. Man… No car came from this one side and from the other side. But if you go through the red light and someone sees you, you get a ticket. As the Germans say, well, you get a fine. There was no car coming from this side and this side, why do I have to wait?
[i] We can simply say that foreigners are very impatient with the Germans, that’s why…
[r] Absolutely. We are impatient. This doesn’t just apply to me. For my family and for many Kurds too. Very few of them are patient, they are also a bit hot-blooded. That’s why such simple things… I often went through a red light.
[i] There has to be a system, otherwise it will be harder when cars run red and Pedestrians walk on yellow. There are also children. If the If cars don’t stop at red lights, children have a problem. It’s a strange but good system.
[r] Such a system is already in place. You can say that they have a complete set of rules. Maybe, how should I put it, it’s strange to us. Oh well.
[i] The house you live in looks beautiful. How did you find it? How long have you lived here?
[r] The house I live in, I didn’t rent it myself. I wouldn’t be allowed to rent it myself either. because I don’t have a residence permit. The house I live in belongs to the youth welfare office. Before I came of age, so that I learn to take care of myself, That’s why you found this house for me three months beforehand. I’ll stay here until I turn eighteen. After that I either find a new apartment or have to go to camp. It’s still unclear whether I’ll go into a home or rent something new. I live here to learn to live alone. I’ve been alive for five months in this house. I would normally have to slowly leave the house a month before my 18th birthday. At the moment, because I mean Didn’t have a court date yet and I didn’t have one yet Residence permit. I still live in this house because I have already started my training. They told me, “Because you’re in training, you have to you’ll go soon because it’s not just for you.” New young people are constantly coming to this house. So the decision will be made because this house is currently rented out by the youth welfare office. I’m moving out next month. I have one for myself Found apartment in the center. The house is beautiful, has two rooms, a bedroom and a living room. The house is from Private and more beautiful.
[i] How is the new house?
[r] I’m moving into a student dormitory, the new house is only for students. Like, a one-room apartment. At Imbuschplatz. I haven’t seen it yet, but the one who found it said the apartment was good and within budget. I will next Move there for a month.
[i] I guess this is your first time living alone in a house!
[r] Correct.
[i] Before you lived with the family. In In Germany you live in a youth welfare office home. You’ve been living alone in a house for five months. If you want to compare your life, with your family, in a youth facility or to live alone? How would you prefer it? What is good? And what is bad?
[r] If I’m honest, if you live with your family, you never notice how time flies. Time flows like water. It was beautiful. “When do you want to eat?” You could have it immediately. The house is nicer than Home. In the house you live freely, You can live as you want in your own house. You can watch TV. You can listen to whatever music you want. Nobody says anything. The only problem is that there is no one who can cook at home. Sometimes you feel lonely. You are in a big house and you are alone. This is not good. Otherwise life is with her Family always better than here.
[i] Which TV channel do you watch?
[r] I don’t watch TV that much. I never look. I watch RTC every now and then … a television station. It’s called RTC. What’s the name?
[i] What is the name of the program?
[r]RTC Er-Tee-Ce, that’s a television station. German. There’s a series there called Game of Thrones. Otherwise I don’t watch TV. Or very rarely, when I go to my uncle’s house, I sometimes watch Kurdish TV channels. For news. Otherwise I don’t have one Interest in television.
[i] How do you spend your free time?
[r] My free time… I sometimes listen to music. I do sports, I spend my time doing sports. Sometimes I spend my time with my friends. We’re going for a walk. We go somewhere and sit together. I don’t know.
[i] What sport do you do?
[r] I’m doing kickboxing right now. I’ve been doing this for five months. Sport is good for the head, he drives away the thoughts. You forget them Loneliness, in the beginning. It is beautiful.
[i] Are you going alone or do you have friends?
[r] Now I occasionally go with a boy from Afghanistan. Sometimes I go alone … we talk to each other on the phone. Sometimes I wait for him, sometimes he waits for me, then we go together.
[i] Do you know that there are many in Bochum Kurds exist? Do you have contact with them? Most of them are young.
[r] I have a Kurdish friend. He is like a brother to me. He comes out too Mardin Nusaybin. He’s new here too. I came before him. That was about seven to eight months ago. Otherwise there are two Yazidis from Shingal. And two or three from Kameshli Rojava. Otherwise I have no other Kurdish friends.
[i] What is your contact with the Kurds who have been here for a long time and were born here?
[r] My contact with them… I have another one in my class called [name]. We also have good contact. We don’t go out together, but occasionally we meet at school. Otherwise I also have cousins ​​here. They are also like German. I have no relationship with them. Sometimes we greet each other, nothing more.
[i] You have a wristwatch, which is very valuable to you. You brought them with you from home. Can you tell me something about the watch? What does it mean to you?
[r] This watch gave me mine Brought uncle and my mother. They went to Idil. Should I show them up? It was a gift for me. I was very happy when I received this gift, so I brought it here. I still wear them to this day. For me it is a good memory. At least when I look at her, I remember them [the family]. It’s a beautiful one Thing, I like that.
[i] But you probably don’t wear them too often.
[r] No, I hide them. Only when I go somewhere. Otherwise I rarely wear them. I still have one or two that I wear often. I rarely wear these and leave them at home.
[i] Yes, I say them. That’s why it was interesting for me to ask.
[r] The other clock that is there is also a gift from home. My uncle brought them with him. He was at home. I don’t use them like this either. I very rarely wear them on my wrist.
[i] What are you doing to improve the German language?
[r] When I came new, I attended a German course to learn the language. I read occasionally Books. I write. By the way … But after a while I realized that it’s not something you can do alone Can solve books and tests. It works better through mutual dialogue. If the person is a Kurd or a Turkish is, with regard to the language. So if you speak the same native language, and then have to speak German with others. It’s easier than reading a book or taking a test. At the moment I have put that aside and am talking to people more. And I learn faster, when I talk to friends. By the way, because I’m currently doing the training and going to school, I don’t have time for the course. I’m just talking to people right now.
[i] Do you know that there is a youth meeting point in every district? They are called youth centers. Do you have contact? Are you going there? More young people, foreign and German young people, are coming. It’s a nice opportunity for language improvement.
[r] No, I don’t know a place like that. Occasionally I go to my old home. One or two [friends] that I like. Sometimes I go to them. We’re talking. I didn’t go anywhere else. I have this place [Youth center] never seen it.
[i] If I’m not mistaken, This house here is five stories.
[r] Um, yes.
[i] There are five floors here. Are there young people like you and families? How is contact with your neighbors?
[r] The neighborhood… In fact, there is no neighborhood here. Like I said, we talked about it a little bit before filming… A month ago I came home from work. It was estimated to be around 10 p.m. that night. I climbed the stairs. A German lives on the first floor. A woman about fifty to fifty-five years old. She lives with hers husband together. I heard her, she called me: “Hello, hello!” “Who are you going to?” I said I live here. And how you sit here while her face changes slightly I said that I live here. She asked me since when? “For three months,” I said. She stopped and asked me whether I’m joking. I said, no. “What, you’ve been living here for three months and no one has seen you?” I said that I’ve been living here for three months, no one has seen me yet and I haven’t seen anyone either. I only saw her. Nobody knows if I’m here. I do not know either, who still lives here. A young man lives opposite Man, if I don’t He’s crazy Arab. He knows I live here. Otherwise I don’t have any Neighborhood relations.
[i] Neighborhood comparison. The current and old neighborhood, then and now.
[r] As I mentioned, the Neighborhood here very superficial. Back home, neighborhood cohesion is stronger. The children played together outside. I don’t know. The men gathered. The women met among themselves. I don’t know if everyone understands Mevlid. Maybe they don’t understand. If you invite people to Mevlid, everyone comes Neighbors get together and eat together. They cooked together, ate together and cleaned up together. The neighborhood, like I said, the children in our district went to school together and came home from school together. We played football together. That is, the Neighborhood there and here… There are none here Neighborhood. There are big differences.
[i] The neighborhood is not in the hands of people, now when you cook something or when you make tea or coffee and your If you invite your neighbors, he won’t come. When a few people get together on Saturday or Sunday to build a relationship, what kind of obstacles are there?
[r] That’s a right thing, but if the If you look around, the whole world isn’t beautiful. Now when I have a meal or a coffee and I go to him, you think, why did he come? That’s the truth. He thinks, why did he come here? That’s definitely a good idea. I’ve done it so far and they haven’t done it either. That’s true and it’s not a lie. The neighborhood is in the hands of man but…
[i] You have been in Bochum for about a year.
[r] Yes.
[i] What can you say about Bochum? Or do you know except City of Bochum other cities?
[r] I was in Hamburg once before, once in Wedemark and in Cologne. Otherwise I was also in Aachen. Among the cities of Hamburg and Wedemark: No [?] That’s what I mean in relation to this Weather. The weather is very cold. Between these three Cities I was in include Aachen and Cologne, they are both beautiful. The city of Aachen is more beautiful than Bochum. I visited the city center. Aachen was nicer than here. Among the others Bochum is more beautiful in cities.
[i] What do you like in Bochum? Or which part of the city is very nice for you?
[r] There are Hustadt in Bochum. Maybe for my family. There are Kurds and many other people there from our community. When you go there you feel like you are at home. How should I say a scent hits your nose. Sometimes when I go there I see Children play and scream, just like at home. I see a similarity. Sometimes I see the same thing. That’s why I like Hustadt.
[i] There are them in Hustadt People you like best know and most of them come from the same place as you. How do you see contact with Germans there? What does this mean for society?
[r] I rarely observed the relationship with Germans there. That means only foreigners, the Turks, Kurds and from other countries who live there talk to each other. But I have yet to see any relationship between Germans and foreigners.
[i] Anyway, there is hardly any Germans in Hustadt.
[r] [laughs] That’s funny.
[i] I don’t know if this is a good thing or not? What is it like to be with people who speak the same language and have the same culture? Is that positive or negative for you?
[r] There are good and bad sides. Good…, Özlemek in Kurdish?
[i] Missing.
[r] Yes, if you miss someone. Or when you miss your home and go there. Like I said, then you remember your homeland. It’s beautiful from this side. For the people who came before, I say. They’ve been living for ten, twenty years here. But for one Newbie like me… But the bad side is, when you go there, you speak the native language with them. You’re not making any progress. That’s it. You can do yours Not improving language. The others are improving and you will be left behind. Um. That is the case
[i] What do you understand by culture? The culture, what is the culture like?
[r] My culture or German culture.
[i] Your culture with the Germans, yours alone. What was it like before? And what is it like now? You mentioned music. You mentioned music, that you go to your uncle’s house to listen to music. You went to your uncle, to watch Kurdish television. Culture is not just that!
[r] The culture exists. I hear mine Music, there is a difference. So one more to mention the difference what can I say, holidays… Um. For example, Christmas holidays. So with them… um… the birthday of Jesus is celebrated. Um. How do you say?
[i] Celebrate.
[r] Celebrate. With us there is a festival in March. We call it Newroz [New Year], on March 21st. For example, they have a completely different story. This is different. In our story we tell, when we say, what do we say? The leader Öcalan. The day Öcalan was delivered to Turkey and his birthday, We celebrate it differently. We celebrate it, for example: Those who used to fight for Germany they remember. Among these cultures there are … only the name is different. Personalities vary. Um. Otherwise … What can I say? There are churches here but in ours Country, yes ok, there are also churches in Mardin. The Christians and the Assyrians have a place. If you go anywhere else you hardly see churches, only mosques. I haven’t seen a mosque here yet. Among people Religion also plays a role. There is a mixed people there. For example, there are among the Kurds Muslims and Christians, Assyrians, Circassians and Yazidis or Aramaeans. Here it is culture or religion, I messed that up. But there is a difference, when we talk about clothes. We have Kurds a scarf and the shapik [traditional Kurdish clothing]. There are suits here.
[i] You mentioned Newroz, can you say something about Newroz? What is Newroz? How is it celebrated?
[r] Newroz, um, the story is, that changes from person to person.
[i] According to your opinion.
[r] In my opinion… Once upon a time there was, um, a king. There was a ruler. A snake grew out of each shoulder. Two snakes grew. These snakes fed daily on the blood of a young man. If not, they would kill the king. So every day they kidnapped a boy from the people and sacrificed him to the snakes. Um. They sacrificed one Boys from the people. Like a meal. Later someone called Schmidt Kawa came. He did iron work. The blacksmith Kawa learned that his son was next in line. The blacksmith Kawa prepared his sword and said to the people, if I kill the king Dehak um… I’ll be a big one Start a fire. Then Smith left Kawa went to him and, to make it short, he killed the king and then he lit a big fire. These fires are called the Newroz fire. And on March 21st we celebrate Newroz.
[i] You have been in Germany for about a year. Where do you see yourself in twenty years? How do you want to live? What plans do you have for the future?
[r] How should I say? Just keep running… I wish that I can be with my family in twenty years. But mine I want to spend my youth here. I want to live here for the next twenty years. But I hope that I will be able to visit my family in the next twenty years. So I want to finish my school and learn a profession. Um. Well, if someone helps me, if I can do it, that would be good for me. […]
[i] Should your children later grow up here or in the country where you were born?
[r] It’s still too early for this matter, but what can I say. If I have children, I will do everything to ensure that they don’t experience what I experienced. I don’t know yet, but if I have children, I would like you to be here Go to school and live here. You should with two Cultures grow up and speak both languages.
[i] You have lived with many strangers. You were first in a camp for two months, then you have five Lived somewhere else for months. Are there friendships and contacts there? Do these people come to you? Are you going to them?
[r] We see each other, but not all the children. I don’t see any children that I knew in the first home. I see her sometimes in the city. People say hello. The second home was the Globus. There are two or three friends, that I am currently speaking. Come to me every now and then. Or I visit her. There is one there Friend from Shingal and someone from Afghanistan who lives next door and was also in the old camp. We both go to sports together. So there are four, five such friends.
[i] Do you have contacts with yours? Childhood friends?
[r] My friends from the Childhood, what can I say? I couldn’t find friends or the friends couldn’t find me. I only had a few friends. My childhood friend is my uncle’s son. We are the same age and he grew up with my brother. I have his phone number, occasionally we talk on the phone.
[i] Where does he live?
[r] He currently lives in Idil. And I have one Cousin in Istanbul. These two are my childhood friends, cousins.
[i] Are you now wondering whether it is nice here or not?
[r] My cousin says: “I will come to you.” And my cousin tells me that I should come to them. They ask me what it’s like, I say this is a strange place and you don’t know the language either. They don’t know what it feels like because they’ve never been here. When we talk to each other, we talk about our childhood, which is nice.
[i] When you came to Germany to the city of Bochum, you didn’t speak any German at the time. And you didn’t leave the house for three days. Everything was strange, language, culture and people, everything was foreign. You’ve been here for over a year now. If you compare then with now. You can now also speak a little German. What do you say about the first day in Bochum?
[r] When I arrived, I didn’t know any German, only a little English, so we communicated in English. When we meet with Germans, Some people can speak German, others can’t. Imagine you can. .. Loading just say hello and goodbye. I remember that I was a Product for two euros with one paid a twenty euro bill, just because I didn’t know the language. It was difficult back then. The Learning a language has made a lot of things easier.
[i] Do you think life is easier if you know the language?
[r] If you know the language and stick to the rules, you can enjoy life here, you are supported and you are free. That’s a beautiful thing. If you want to attend school, you have many options. It’s a good thing. There are no difficulties here, if you know the language.
[i] True. Thank you very much…
[r] Nothing to thank.
[i]… for the open conversation and the interview. It took about an hour and a half. This interview was a bit difficult, it wasn’t easy, definitely because you are still young.