SU_B_36

[i] Welcome, Mr. [Name], to the European History Program. Today, on the 24th of February 2019, in the city of Bochum, specifically in the Humanitarian Cooperation Association of the Middle East, in the city of Bochum. I am [Name], the speaker today in the program. Please introduce yourself and tell us what brought you here today.
[r] Welcome to the program. It is a pleasure to be here. I am happy and relaxed to meet you. I wish you all the best. I came from Syria. I only have my father’s photo with me.
[i] Show us your father’s photo.
[r] My father’s photo is in my pocket. After I left Syria, my father passed away.
[i] Show me the photo on the camera. Thank you.
[r] Thank you. I have my father’s photo with me from Syria. My father passed away after I left Syria. My father passed away and I have his funeral.
[i] May God bless you.
[r] May God bless you.
[i] May God bless you and your family.
[r] Thank you.
[i] Please tell me your name.
[r] I am from Syria. I was born in Aleppo.
[i] What is your name? My name is [Name].
[i] Welcome.
[r] I was born in 1972. In 1970. I am registered with my identity. I was born in 1972. Our history is not correct. We are registered with our nationality.
[i] No. Tell me something. Tell us about your life and your family. We started the program in a sad way. Your father passed away here in Germany. Tell us about your story.
[r] True. Two years ago, four days before the beginning of the year, I left Afrin for the Turkish border. I looked for someone to take me out of Syria. Of course. He was a smuggler. They took advantage of the world. They needed a lot of money to take you out. They told you a safe way. You have to trust them. I found someone. I agreed with him on a certain amount. He will take me out of Syria.
[i] We will talk later about this topic. I want to talk to you about your family. You are the son of a noble family. Who is your family? Your parents? Your brothers?
[r] I have a big family. The nature of the family in Syria. The members of the family. We are five boys and six girls. I am one of the boys. Three are older than me. One is younger than me. We are five. Six girls. Eleven people. My father and mother. Thirteen people. Thank God. We are all educated. But some of us are forced to discontinue their studies. I was raised in a village. A village. The name is Sheikh Shaqali. It is on the side of Sheikh Al Hadid. I stayed there until the fourth grade. After the fourth grade, I moved to Jenderis. I stayed in Jenderis until the day I came to Germany. I stayed there until the day I came to Germany. I studied until the eleventh grade. After the eleventh grade, I had a year of absence. I applied for a literary baccalaureate. After that, I went to the army. This is the level of my studies. But when we were in the village, we were young. We didn’t know about war and suffering. We didn’t know anything.
[i] Tell me about your village.
[r] My village is in the middle of a mountain. It is opposite the Turkish border. We are standing on the land of villages. We see the area of Iskenderun. It is more than the area of Syria. It is high on the border. There is another village about one kilometer below us. We see the whole village like a picture. We see the sunset on Mount Taurus. It is very beautiful. When I was a child, I wasn’t afraid. We didn’t know what fear was. All the mountains around us, the valley, and the plains, I walked on my feet. Even at night, before the dawn prayer, I used to leave the house. My mother sent me a trip. I didn’t know what fear was. When I was a child, I was afraid once. My brother was a student who was older than me. My mother sent me a trip. I remember the scene. I went to some villages. I didn’t know what time it was. Even my mother didn’t know what time it was. My mother told me to go and bring fruits for her. She said, your brother is sick. She said, I have to walk five kilometers. I said, bring fruits for your brother. He said, he is sick. I went to some villages. There was a valley. I heard the sound of dogs. At that time, I felt afraid. Where do they want to go? A group of dogs. I was alone. I didn’t know what time it was. I didn’t know the time. I hid behind the wall of the road. I hid behind the wall of the road. There were stones. I hid myself. A group of dogs came down from the mountain. They passed by. They passed below where I was hiding. They didn’t see me. I continued the journey. I didn’t go back. I continued the journey. My brother is sick. I have to bring fruits for him.
[i] You brought fruits for him.
[r] Thank God. I continued the road. I went and brought fruits. I brought fruits for him. After I continued the journey, the morning prayer was over. I realized that the morning prayer was not over yet. I brought fruits for my brother.
[i] Who would be open at that time?
[r] Before I reached the center, the morning prayer would be open. I was a child. At that time, I was studying the third grade. The third grade.
[i] How old were you at that time?
[r] I studied the third grade for nine or ten years. For ten years, I had to walk five kilometers in the valley, the mountain, and the hill to reach the center. That’s how it was. Our village was a little far away.
[i] What was the situation you were afraid of?
[r] This was the situation I was afraid of. I wasn’t afraid.
[i] But your mother was happy. Your mother was happy. But she saw the fruits.
[r] Of course. Of course. She came and said, Mom, this is what happened to me on the way. At that time, she was also afraid. She felt that she sent me at a wrong time. At a wrong time.
[i] How are you today?
[r] Thank God, brother. Good. We grew up. We had a home in the past. Thank God.
[i] Where do you live?
[r] My family now. We all live in Jenderes. We live in Jenderes. We live in their homes, their jobs, and their interests. Thank God. My sister is the only one who has a school now. She lives in Aleppo. The rest of them are in Jenderes. But the circumstances are difficult now, of course. The circumstances are very difficult. I talk to them from time to time. I mean, there is no security. It is not good to be safe neither for your home, nor for your car, nor for your life. It is very difficult.
[i] [Name], the rest of the family is still in the village. No one else left?
[r] No. All my family is in the village. But I left. I left because I sent my family to Germany. My wife has three children. I sent them. I told them to go. No. There is no life left. There is no future here. Go. I will complete the situation. I will fix the situation. I will fix my things. I will fix them. And I will follow you. They came. They entered Turkey. From Turkey. From Istanbul. Through the sea. They came to the Greek islands. From the Greek islands, they continued to the European countries. They came and reached Germany.
[i] Later, we will talk about this in detail. How your family left. And how you did it. And what you did. But I want to focus with you on your life. On your childhood. Did you have a good childhood?
[r] Thank God. Yes. We were relaxed. We were happy. We played. We played. We had fun. We used to play in the park with our neighbors. We didn’t feel like leaving. There was security. But the economic situation was a little difficult. Because my father was a worker.
[i] How could he live without you? How do you eat and drink?
[r] We didn’t spend much. We didn’t ask for money from my father or mother. Because we know that we don’t have it. We didn’t ask for money. Because I go to school. I want a pencil and a pencil. I want a pen and a notebook. I want a notebook. Two days before school, I ask my mother. My mother asks my father for money. How much money will you give me? To go buy a pencil and a notebook. Because I know that my father is in a difficult situation. And we are all in school. So it is very expensive.
[i] Of course.
[r] So we don’t ask for money.
[i] Yes.
[r] My father studied in the third grade. At that time. In his old days. So he liked to study. But he couldn’t complete it. So he wanted his children to be in school. And to complete his studies. But the economic situation was difficult. He was a regular worker. He worked in agriculture.
[i] Yes.
[r] He planted in the orchards. He plowed. He grew potatoes. He planted eggplants. He planted peppers. He worked in agriculture. And we all helped him. In summer. In summer, there are no schools. We all they work in this garden. We all help him. So we get our money from school and home. In the post-occupation period, in schools. We are all young and young girls. We all work in agriculture. To make ends meet and help our father. Despite that, we were comfortable. When you grow up, you grow up with it.
[i] Tell me about your childhood. First you were a young man, then you were 14 or 15 years old. How did you become independent?
[r] My two older brothers were at home. My father was a worker. I considered my older brother and younger brother to be like my father. I didn’t want to talk to him directly. He was like my father. I should respect him like my father. Respect. I mean… Respect. We were committed. We were a family. We were a family. We had one house. Five or six boys. Five boys. Three or four girls. One house with my father and mother. Three rooms. We slept together. My father and my uncle. All the boys and girls together in one room. We considered this situation. We didn’t know what to do. This is our economic level. This is what we have to endure.
[i] Yes. Marriage. How did you get married? Tell me. Did you like your bride or did your parents choose you? Since you are a village girl. Tell us about these traditions. About what happened to you.
[r] After my studies, I went to the army. I served in the army. I got my air photography certificate. After my air photography certificate for two and a half years, I came to the army. I opened a private shop for me. A photographer. Two or three years later, I met my wife. The nature of work. I met her. She came to the shop. We called each other. Our phone number and phone number became new. After a while, I opened a new shop. I told her that I love her. I want to talk to her. What do you think? She said, I don’t have a problem. I told my brother, my mother and my sister. Finally, I told my father.
[i] Of course.
[r] Yes. At that time, my younger brother said, I want to get married. We were young. We were almost done with the military service. We were working. It was the beginning of our formation. It was the beginning of the formation of the capital and the economy. We stood on our own two feet.
[i] Yes.
[r] I told my younger brother, if you want to get married, I will not get married. I will give you my role. You get married. The older one than me is not married either. My father said, I saw someone for you to get married. He is older than me. He said the same thing to me. I told him, no. I am not ready to get married. I will give my role to my younger brother. My older brother saw someone. He engaged her. A week later, my younger brother is engaged. After six months, I told my father that I want to get engaged too. He said, my son, in six months, we will get married. We do not have money. We want to get married. At that time, six or seven months had passed after my brother’s marriage. I was working. I collected some money. I told him, I will not ask for money from you. I have the money for the marriage. Thank God. It is with me. I will take it from my pocket. He told me, if so, there is no problem. Of course, I agreed. After the marriage, I told my wife that we will get married. I told her, I do not have money. I started working. My capital is small. I will marry you two years later to get married. She said, there is no problem. I told her, we are in a difficult situation. I have to depend on myself. I do not ask from my father for money or my brother. She said, sorry there is no problem. For this reason, I proposed a marriage proposal. After the proposal, I asked him for two years to wait for me I waited several years for my family to get married. I did not ask for money, my two brothers. I got married. But I did not use money from my brother my brother, my father, and Syrian Lira. She relied on me in everything, Alhamdulillah. My wife was a coiffeur. During the speech, we agreed and bought a place in the area. She works in the area and I work in the neighborhood. She is a coiffeur and I am a photographer. While the wedding was happening, we had a place we bought together as coiffeurs. We agreed on one thing. She didn’t take Lira from her family and neither did I.
[i] I wondered where you got this early awareness, ambition, will, and determination from. Where did you get it?
[r] From the circumstances I lived in. I loved to study. I would go out and read books. I would sit in big assemblies. I would take ideas and advice from them. I would study in assemblies and listen to people’s conversations and experiences. My ambition was to rely on myself. I wanted to build something with myself. When I was 14 or 15 years old, I would walk down the street and be shy and go back to the same street. I would change the street and go home. I didn’t want to be told that this guy left the street and went back to the same street after 5 or 10 minutes. It was amazing. Why?
[i] Why?
[r] Because I was a guardian of my family and my name. I would walk the right way. I would not make any mistakes. I wanted to be right in my name, my family’s name, and my family’s name.
[i] You are a very honest person. Tell me, did you get married? Did you start a family?
[r] Yes, I got married. Thank God. A year later, I had my first child. He was a young man. His name was [name].
[i] His name is very nice.
[r] He was a Muslim. My wife and I agreed that we would not have many children every year. After two years, I had another child. His name was [name]. After two years, I had a daughter. Her name was [name]. I named them after each other. [name], [name], [name]. Now, thank God, they have grown up and become young. They are studying in German schools now. But in Syria, my eldest son studied in the 8th grade. My second son studied in the 6th grade. My daughter studied in the 4th grade in Syria. Of course, first of all, my wife has a great role. We have a special music institute. A music teacher opened a music center in Nahia. He is a music teacher. He knows the music. He made a school on his own. As Nahia, we all know each other. The world registered his children in this center. We registered our three children in the music center.
[i] What is the cultural, artistic and musical connection?
[r] Thank God. My wife is a coiffeur and I am a photographer. We registered my children in the music center. We have to take care of the music, the children and the future of the children. The child is young. He doesn’t know what his future will be like. The parents know that they have to draw and plan for their children. They draw a line for their children to walk on. They open a path for them. They guide them. A path they don’t know. They take the right path. When they grow up, they see themselves as musicians and artists. Thanks to the parents.
[i] Do you pay money for the institute?
[r] It’s a symbolic thing.
[i] Did you pay for the tuition?
[r] No, not at all. The center was private. We pay private money. The symbolic money is enough for the institute. It didn’t take much. My son used to play the bass. We call it tambour. My second son used to play the piano. My daughter used to play the violin. They had learnt to read music. They learned about notes. My son is in Germany now. We registered him in the music school. He goes to the music school. He takes classes. He gives a Turkish teacher an hour a week. He gives notes. Turkish songs, Kurdish songs. He plays the tambour on the notes. The teacher said to him, This is a good school. You are a good student. Because you know. You play. You know the notes. You understand the notes. He gives you a song. You know it. The same day, the second day, he plays the song. My second son didn’t register him in the music school. But the teacher of the law in the music school. He is in Germany now. His father is not there right now. They told us, As soon as the teacher of the law comes, We will send him away. The little one to come. My daughter. Excuse me. My daughter in school. She also plays with the group. Her friends. With the teacher. The note is there in the school. She plays. I mean. After the teacher plays. She also plays well.
[i] You have a lot of pride in what is said. And your right.
[r] Thank God. Of course. Man is proud of his children. When they are righteous and successful. The head of the human being. His children.
[i] Your life in your village. With your family. What were the circumstances in your life? Did you live like you lived? Was there a political circumstance? Was there a religious circumstance? Or how was the nature of your life? Were your family or your relatives in the village? Tell me about the nature of the village. This village that you lived in.
[r] It was a village. Of course. As Muslims. Each village has a mosque. Each village has a mosque. My father would visit the mosque on Fridays. When we were young. We would go in front of the mosque. Or around the mosque. We would wait for the elders. We would come together. In the village, there was a lot of entertainment, we did not feel the time, for example, in the morning or in the afternoon or in the evening, or the world was dark, there was innocence, there were no bad thoughts, we used to play at night, boys and girls, small of course, children together. We did not feel any social benefits, we did not feel anything, we went to the mountains, we went to the valleys, everything was normal. In the village, we lived on agriculture, my father was a farmer, we worked with olive trees, we had sheep, we had goats, we had donkeys, we would stay in the fields to get corn. It was easy for us to bring the sheep. I was small, our life was simple, humble, my brother and I, we would just go to the palm trees and get to bring the messed up of crops. Sometimes my mother would take us to eat with her, take my grandfather, with him to eat, and we would ask grandfather to bring some more food They filled us with a basket full of food for you, your brothers, and your mother. The atmosphere of the village was beautiful. The nature of our village was beautiful. You look up and see the mountain. You look down and see the valley. You see the Turkish border. You see about 15-20 km in the blink of an eye. You see the sunset behind the mountains of Taurus every day.
[i] It’s a pleasure to listen to you. It’s a pleasure to listen to someone who is listening to you.
[r] I lived through all the events. I hope to come back to my village and see this view again.
[i] How was the festive atmosphere?
[r] The atmosphere of the Eid was very beautiful as children. It was beautiful. We would go to the Eid mosque and the elders would give us sugar and money. We would wear new clothes. The nature of the village was when they would buy us new clothes and new boots. We would have Eid everywhere. So, they were very careful with Eid. Of course, there was new clothes. Eid means two Eids. One is new clothes and the other is Eid. Two Eids.
[i] What was the most important event in your year for the family? Something that makes you happy at home. For example, we have Eid in our country. We have a lot of Eids. We have Eids as a celebration and a celebration of Eid. Did your mind play a role in your life at the end of the week? Did you think that today is Sunday? Or was it only for Sunday in your life and you were not so focused on it? It was like today in Europe. Today it’s organized, everything is organized.
[r] Of course, I am telling you about 30 or 40 years ago. At the time, at that time, it was not as good as what we have now. On Friday, we only had Eid. Only on Friday we had a holiday. On the day we went to school, for example, on Friday we were very happy that tomorrow we had a holiday. We will sleep a little and go out to nature, to the beach or to the mountains. We used to go to the mountains, we are a group of children. On the day of the wedding, for example, at the time of 30 or 40 years, there were few weddings. In the village, for example, every two to three months, sometimes every six months there is a wedding in the village. When there was a wedding in the village, people would talk about it. Before, on the third day, the bride would come from the other village. And every family would sleep, before the wedding, on the third day at a specific family. That is, the bride’s family. At that time, the wedding was from 3 days to 4 days approximately. Even the guests would bring things to the bazaar. They would put the things there for 3 days. People from the society, or a lot of children, would buy things. Salty nuts, sweets. biscuits, and other things.
[i] Is there anything special?
[r] Yes, a melody has a flavour, just like food. We used to have a lot of fun at weddings. The adults were dancing folk dances; we had been playing earlier. We would run after the drum. We, the children, would run after the drum. And inside the drum we would play. We used to have fun in our own way. We didn’t know how to beat because we were young. So we used to play. We used to run after the drum.
[i] This is a part of our culture.
[r] That’s right.
[i] We came to Europe and we got a big part of our culture and traditions. But of course, we can’t do it because we are in a European country today. And we came from a foreign country. The difference is a little far.
[r] We are now guests in this country. It’s a beautiful country. People are nice. Our laws are nice. They serve the interests of people. The laws. We have to stick to the laws here and their traditions. We respect their traditions. And we can’t leave all our traditions.
[i] Yes.
[r] And people change. Little by little, people change their thoughts, their principles, their morals. Their relationships. Their age. Their view of life. The older they get, the more they change their view of reality. Little by little. Yes.
[i] Mr. [Name], we are talking to each other for the second time. And we continue your life in your country. You got married. You formed a successful family. You have children now.
[r] Yes.
[i] How many children were you planning to have?
[r] I was planning to have two children. Two children.
[i] Yes.
[r] But my wife likes to have children. So she said we will have three or four. There is no problem. I said no. Raising children is not easy. Raising children is not easy. Raising children is a responsibility.
[i] Yes.
[r] In terms of work. I work. My wife works. As a caregiver, she works. I am a photographer. We work. We don’t have much time. We don’t have enough time if we have too many children.
[i] No.
[r] We don’t have enough time for the children. And as long as I have the ambition for my children to be raised well and clean. And I can bear their responsibility. And raise them. Two or three children should be enough.
[i] Yes. In what year did you think you would leave your country and leave? And why?
[r] When the situation in Syria was in a mess. We were kind of far from the center of events. So gradually the circle of war expanded. And it moved from one governorate to another. We live in the desert. So the war came to us a little later. We remained, I mean, we persisted as much as we could. We said, the system and the opposition. There are problems between them. I mean, we are in the desert. No one approaches us. We are here in the village. In a way, we are kind of far from the problems. As it seems. When the fire starts, you don’t let anything burn everything.
[i] I see.
[r] I saw the fire gradually. Gradually the fire of war is approaching us. My wife also had the ambition to see Europe in the past. Of course. And when these circumstances became like this, I said to my wife, The future is not for the children here. We said, no problem. My wife and I, there is no problem. We live here or die. There is no problem. But the children, what is their fault? What is the child’s fault if there is a war? I mean, the little child is innocent. He doesn’t know the war. He doesn’t know why the war happened. And who is fighting who. He doesn’t know. I told him, take the children. And now the world is going. And there is a way to reach Germany. We decided to come to Germany. I met with my family. I told them that I want to send my wife and my children to Germany and Europe. They said they didn’t lack anything. I told them, okay, everything is fine. Yes, that’s right. I didn’t lack anything. But there is no security. I mean, I can’t secure my life or my children’s life. No one can secure himself in Syria. It’s all war. They kill everyone. They attack everyone. If you are on one side, the other side attacks you. If you are not on one side, they accuse you of being on the other side and kill you. I mean, it’s war. There are no laws in war. There are no laws.
[i] Yes.
[r] My parents, when I talked to them, they said, in our opinion, don’t go. Don’t send your family. But I saw that there is no future. I know. I kind of know. I see the news. International news. I see Arabic news. I hear stories, stories from the world, from the press, from the media. The future is dark. When the problems in Iraq happened, two or three years ago, until now, it continues and there is no stability. Stability is difficult, but ruin is easy. Yes. So we decided that my wife and my children will come to Europe. Later, they will do for me, not including my family. And I couldn’t come directly because the decision was made. So we decided to come quickly. And while I was doing my things there, at least, I needed a year to do my things. Until then, my family was in Europe. They settled here and made me papers, but I didn’t do it. After a year and a half, I left Syria. I settled my situation there.
[i] Mr. [Name], in what year did you leave your family?
[r] Four years ago.
[i] In 2015?
[r] 2015. In the beginning of 2015, my children left Turkey. They stayed in Turkey for about a week.
[i] With your wife and children?
[r] My wife and three children.
[i] Did you plan for the road trip?
[r] I planned for the road trip and everything. My wife and I planned it.
[i] Did it cost you a lot?
[r] Yes, it cost a lot.
[i] How much did you pay?
[r] I paid 5,000 dollars. 5,000 dollars. I paid.
[i] How did you come here?
[r] I didn’t have any other simple things.
[i] How did you come here? Tell me about the road trip. How did you go?
[r] It was the most difficult thing when you leave Syria. The sea was the most difficult thing.
[i] Was the farewell the most difficult?
[r] The farewell was the most difficult thing. The farewell was a killer. When you leave your family, you don’t know if you want to see them or not. You are going to die. You have to connect life with death. If you stay in Syria, you will die. 90% of you will die. If you leave Syria, 50% of you will die. 50% of you will die.
[i] But hope is great.
[r] Hope is great. Hope and dream of the future. And to leave your family and children. This will make you go to death. You will go to the sea. You will go to the border. You will cut the borders. And the military will guard you with their hands and gunpowder. They can shoot you from a distance and you will die. But hope and salvation will be in front of your eyes. And you will say, Oh God. You will go.
[i] You left your family and children. Tell me, which way did you go?
[r] They entered Turkey. I was in contact with them immediately. I called them every five or six hours. I called them every six hours. I asked them where they had gone. From Turkey to the sea. Of course, through the terrorists. In the village.
[i] Do they know how to swim?
[r] No. They don’t know how to swim. It means a stroke of luck. Either you die or you are finished. It is the balm [boat]. It is the balm. It is supposed to be 15 people. This balm. I mean, they ride it. The smuggler is good. It carries only 35 people. They carry 45 people. 40 or 45. But it is supposed to be good. It carries 35 instead of 15. That’s it. My wife is conscious. So that the children don’t get scared. From the sea. Of course, they go out at night. So that the children don’t get scared. They put them in the middle of the village. And let them sit. And the adults around the balm are all sitting. On the edge of the balm. It happened. For the children. It became a wall. They don’t see what is around them. So that they don’t get scared. And at night. The one who is driving the boat. He doesn’t know how to drive. The smuggler told him. Do you know how to drive a fire bike? He said, yes. He said, this is what it means. They put him in. And instead of staying in the sea for an hour. They cut off the Turkish sea. To Greece. They stayed for two and a half hours. Because the boat was. The engine was broken. Two guys were holding the engine. And one was driving. They kept going around the sea. For two and a half hours. And one hour on the way. Of course. My wife. After they arrived. On the Greek island. I talked to her. She told me this story. She said, we didn’t tell you. We told you that it took half an hour. So that you don’t get scared there.
[i] Yes. It was Greece.
[r] They came back from Greece. and stayed on the island. for a few days. Then, a large ship came and carried them on the large ship.
[i] Was it the state or the government?
[r] The government. From the Greek island. The police. The Greek authorities. Gathered the immigrants and include them on the ship. They took them to Athens, the capital of Greece. From there, they crossed some of the borders by walking or by train or by car. People used to walk a lot. Hundreds of people used to walk on the roads. People used to walk on the roads. There were special cars. You would see families with children and so on. Of course, it was not a cold country in Europe. When it was warm, it would still be cold in Europe. They would wear light clothes. They would freeze from the cold. On the borders, they used to give them food and clothes. They would give them something they walked on the road and they would eat it. Special cars. They would carry families with them. They would take us to their destination. Of course. They would help them. It was humanitarian aid. Within a week, they arrived in Germany. Of course.
[i] It is considered among the displaced people, the lucky ones, that a week is different from the beginning of the month.
[r] Yes. Yes. Because people came before. They came. They stayed for a month or two on the road. They would walk in the forest. They would get lost in the forest. Some countries were under siege. The police would go to the borders. They would put these people in jail. They would walk on the roads for months. But in this period, Germany is a European country. They opened its borders for the refugees. In this period, my family came. I was one of the lucky ones to arrive in Germany within a week. When I arrived in Germany, I was a bit relieved in Syria. I was safe, Alhamdulillah.
[i] As they say, you breathed happiness.
[r] Yes, I was relieved there. I told them that I had taken care of them and that I was getting things done. I told them that I had taken care of them and that I was getting things done.
[i] Of course, it is not easy for a woman to come alone with three children. Your wife was a well-wisher and was one of the most active women. She was able to manage her own affairs. There was no language. There was no communication between Syria and Germany. I am telling you this so that you know how life is. We watch it on TV. We didn’t come here for a visit. We didn’t go to Europe. How did it go?
[r] My wife has a personality, will, hope and optimism. She is a strong personality. I trust her a lot. I rely on her. As they say in Arabic, the sister of men. I don’t fear her. In Syria, she used to perform on stage. She used to sing in local bands. There is a Syrian singer, Aram Dikran. His name. He sings songs. My wife sings behind him. He appears on TV until now. Aram Dikran is a famous Syrian singer. People know him. My wife is in a very good state. You know. She is in charge of her affairs and her children. She is also ambitious. She is ambitious towards the best. In my opinion, I am like a man. I don’t fear her.
[i] May God protect you. Your affairs went well here. You graduated from the University of Damascus.
[r] Yes.
[i] How did you leave?
[r] She is the one who wrote the papers. She set a date in Turkey. Germany’s embassy in Istanbul. She set a date for me. She asked me for the required papers. I had lawyers in Syria. I had lawyers. I asked him for the papers. He brought them to me. I am a photographer. I have a computer. I have a scanner. I have a printer. I scan the papers that come to me with the scanner. I download it to my mobile. I send it to her on WhatsApp. She gives the papers to the government here. I send the papers that she asked from me to her. Here. All the people who traveled to Europe. I used to bring the papers to my home. I scan them. Once I joked with my friend. I told him that I am scanning the papers. The world is traveling to Europe. No one is left. I see that the country is going to collapse. People are getting rid of themselves. They are running away from war. I finally said this. I said that if no one is left like this, I will make my papers. And I will do the same. Indeed. The last thing I did was my papers. And I left. I left. Of course, at that time, I could not go to the airport. The door of peace. Of Syria and Turkey. Each door. Each side controls it. Certain sides. Certain militias. Certain armed forces. Certain. I mean. Each one. If you go to him. He wants to investigate you. He wants to put you in jail. Either he kills you. Either he makes you leave. Or he makes you leave. It is not clear. I mean. The destiny is vague. So the best thing. I said. I will escape. The closest border. I will do. Escape operation. Better. I will not give myself. To the one I do not know. Or a stranger. I saw a robber. Of course. Before I saw the smugler. After I completed my tour. I got a request. On my email. I got the embassy appointment. I have to be at the embassy. After the first of the year. Before the first of the year. Of course. I saw a smugler. He took me to the border. Of course. He gave me security. Borders. We. One. Comes with you. To the border. He takes you to the point. Inside the border. There is someone working with us. There. He greets you. And. There is a person. He takes you. He puts you. In the car. I mean. I swear. It’s a good thing. I mean. A story. The smuglers lied. And. They believed. It turned out. The story. Never. Never. Not like that. They brought us. To the border. They cut us. The border. And. They went back. They told us. You go. In a straight line. Turn right. Then. You go straight in a straight line. There is someone waiting for you. I mean. After a kilometer. One kilometer. We are seven. Of course. Three men. And four women. And there was with us a child. Relentless. He is two months old. And there was a child, small. He is a year and a half old. His father carries him. When we cut through the border, the wire edging. The woman gave her baby with the young man who was with us. And she is looking between the hay of course at night. At eleven o’clock at night, she searches among the grass. The bag for the baby that contains the milk. And the child’s things.
[i] Yes. After about one hundred meters there is a small valley. The Turkish soldiers sensed movement. Not the usual ones; there was a BTR, soldiers with a BTR. Military unit, they’ve spotted us. They started the car and began to drive off. They turned the projector on too, at the time. I said to the people who are with us, the woman. The bag you’re looking for has been removed from our collection. “Twenty metres in the dark,” I said to the men. Let’s go and get to safety so we don’t all get arrested. There is no problem if they are trapped on their own. One who sacrifices is better than seven who die. I have two bags on my back. My ears are wet with rain. My mouth is wet with soil. My body is wet with soil. With this weight on our backs, we managed to get out among the olive trees We were cut off by the Turkish border. The soldiers were close to us. We escaped and the soldiers came to us. We carried the little one in our hands. We went. We saw the trenches. The trenches were full of helicopters. There were 700 meters of trenches on the hill. The helicopters were running around. The soldiers were firing. The dogs were barking. The military alarm was ringing. We said, Either they catch us or we die with a gunshot. It was a divine power and we got rid of it. We came and walked.
[i] What about the child?
[r] The child was with us. The woman was behind us. What happened? I don’t know. Until today, I don’t know what happened to the woman. We came and walked for about 3 km. 3 km at night. Strange ground. Rain. Dust. Cold. Fear. Death was following us. We walked for 4 hours. We walked for 4 hours. We walked right and left. We walked left and right. Someone in a nearby village in Turkey had a laser to welcome us. We were talking to him and he said, Come here. We don’t know where we are. We don’t know the directions. Where are we going? I told him on the phone, When the laser is on, I don’t think it’s going to work. He feels it and he comes to catch us. I told him, When the laser is on, I want to see where the laser point is so that we can reach this point. We stopped. Everyone came and we stopped to see where the laser is going to come from. So that we can go in this direction. The laser was on. One time, I told him, Turn it off. He said, I saw it. I said, Guys, All of us, We have to go in this direction. We went on the road. With this man. The three of us We took off our boots. Without boots. Without boots.
[i] Barefoot.
[r] Barefoot. Barefoot. We started walking barefoot. Because of the heavy load, I can’t carry my leg anymore. I said, My leg is going to be cut off. It’s going to stay behind me. I can’t walk anymore. Two bags on my back. And this load. And this fear. It’s a problem. I mean, I walked barefoot. We walked, A man was there, He welcomed us. He gave us a car.
[i] The kid was with you.
[r] The kid was with us, When we got to the man’s place, They were two men. Two men. Of course, When I got to his place. I knew one of them. He was from our neighborhood. From the neighborhood. I knew him. I said, Is this you? He said, Yes. Hi. I told him his family name was [Name] and he was also called [Name]. I told him that this child was adopted by a woman who was two months old. The woman was coming to her husband in Turkey. Her husband was working in a village in Turkey. His father was adopted by his father’s son. He was adopted by his father’s son. His wife was killed on the border. She was beaten and lost. I don’t know what happened to her. You give the child to the father and the father goes to the border guard to ask his wife what happened. What happened? We went to the garage. We were surrounded. When I went there, I saw a lot of people. The border guard was also there. A lot of people were coming. There were people in the garage. They were all naked, without clothes. Children were shivering from the cold. I went to the washroom to wash my hands. I looked in the mirror at myself. I saw myself. I got scared. I was all alone. I felt like I was alone. I washed my hands. I washed my jacket. I put water on it. Otherwise I will die of cold. I washed my skin with water. It was in my bag. He brought me two pieces of cloth. I had to change my clothes, and with a red cross next to the Turkish garage, they made a big tent for the refugees. I went there, I sat down, I stretched my legs, I said to myself, I want to change my clothes, I can’t anymore. I sat on the chair all my life, and for four hours at night, with fear, I walked with my legs on my back and my waist. I reached there, broken from the inside. I was forced to change, so I told a friend to hold my hand and pull me up. I held my hand and stood in a position to change my clothes. I said to myself, I want to change my clothes, I can’t anymore. I was wearing a life jacket. A friend of mine was wearing something like this. He said, brother, if you have a life jacket, give it to me. I told him, I’ll wear it, don’t worry. I gave him a life jacket and a life jacket. I gave him a piece of clothes too. I gave it to him, he changed, and I changed. The next day, I didn’t have a coat, of course, I had a life jacket. The next day, in the morning, the driver came and gave it to another person. I told him, I want a boat, I don’t have one. I rode with him in a taxi. Early in the morning, we went to a place. I bought a boat in Turkey. I bought a boat, I put it on. They put me on the bus. I traveled for 18 hours. I traveled by bus until we arrived in Istanbul. I was tired. I was sick. I was sick and exhausted. I had nothing. We called the phone. They came to the garage in a taxi. They were close to me. I said, I want to get off the bus. I don’t have anything. They said, get out of the chair. I stopped at the entrance. I said, let someone help me get off the bus. He came and got into my house. He gave me this and that. He carried me slowly. I got off the bus. I had a problem with standing. He sat me in the taxi. At home, too. He helped me get off the car. I stayed with them for three days. I stayed with them for three days. I stayed with them. I stretched on the couch. Of course, my legs, when I was walking barefoot without a boat, my legs were all injured. I stayed for three or four days until the tumor was gone. This pain is gone a little. Then I had another fever in Istanbul, a little far away. I have three children and a sister. They were living there. They worked there. They took me in the car and took me to their house. I stayed in Istanbul for three months. After three months, I got a visa. I came by plane to Dusseldorf airport. I arrived here. My family welcomed me. I was happy. It was a dream. It was a dream to go out and meet my family for the first time and see my children. I used to talk to them on the phone. My children grew up after a year and a half. I used to hang up the phone because I couldn’t handle it. I used to hang up the phone so they wouldn’t see me. I used to cry. I used to miss them a lot. Not everything is zero. I want one person, his children and his family. My family, my safety and the future of my children and my family are the most important things in my life. Money is nothing. Safety, safety and optimism in life. These are what make a person live. Life begins anew.
[i] Do you feel safe now?
[r] Praise be to God. I feel safe here. I feel safe with my children. My children are safe too.
[i] Did you ever regret leaving this country?
[r] No, never. I didn’t regret it because there is no safety. My country is not safe now. I don’t regret coming here. My country is safe. I will return as it is and hopefully we will see the time. I will go back to my home country. I will visit it and see if it’s safe or not. It depends on the future.
[i] Have you been in touch with them? Do you contact them?
[r] Yes, I do. I talk to them nearly every week for 10 days. Sometimes for 15 days. I’m not free. Some of them are busy. I am free. It is the right time. I talk to my mother. After I left Syria, my father was 75 years old. 77 years old. He was sick with rabies. After I left Syria, when I was in Istanbul, I came back in a year and a half. My father died. I talk to my father, my brothers, my sisters. I talk to them. There is no safety. You have a car in the street. Either you find it stolen in the morning or they blow it up for you. Life is hard. There is no work.
[i] Mr. [Name], let’s continue our beautiful talk that doesn’t end with you. You arrived in Germany. You left Turkey by plane at Jami Shamir. You came to Syria.
[r] Yes.
[i] You arrived in Germany. Tell me about the first moment you welcomed your family and the joy you felt.
[r] When I arrived at Dusseldorf airport, my family was waiting outside with my children and my wife’s brother. They were waiting for me outside. When I arrived, I saw them. I didn’t believe myself. I didn’t believe my eyes. I saw my children and my family. I didn’t believe I was in another world. I was in another world. I didn’t believe it. My children were a little older. I didn’t know them for a while. If it wasn’t for the means of communication, the phone, voice and video, I couldn’t believe my eyes. My children were that old. They were as young as my eyes.
[i] How did you see them?
[r] When I saw them, I couldn’t describe how I felt.
[i] You saw that they were happy.
[r] Yes. Thank God. I saw them. I gave them haircuts. I saw them wearing clean clothes. I saw them wearing fashionable clothes. They were happy. I was happy. I was happy for them. I was happy for their safety. I was happy that I was able to save my children from hell. I was able to join my family. It was an indescribable feeling.
[i] Did they invite you to the house?
[r] Yes. We came to the house. The house was ready. I didn’t suffer in the future. I didn’t suffer in the future. I didn’t go to the camps. I didn’t go to any camps. I came to the house. My house was ready. All the house’s things were ready. The job center was ready for the house’s things. My wife bought the house’s things. Thank God. The house is not very beautiful. But thank God. It’s acceptable. Thank God. Since then, we’ve been looking for a new house to live in. Thank God. After two and a half years of searching, we found a new house. In a few days, we will move to our new house. A house that will help all of us.
[i] Yes. Why did you choose Bochum?
[r] When my family came to Germany, they weren’t here. They were in the southern part of the country. In a city called Landshut. Landshut. My family talked to me on the phone. They said they wanted to move from this province. Because there is no one around us. We don’t know anyone. There is no one. There are no Syrians here. So we are, as you say, lost. When we see a Syrian family or Syrians. So that we don’t feel so strange. So they said they want to move to Bochum. There are people we don’t know. We don’t know them. We know them very well. I told them, sorry, move there. I came to Bochum. Bochum is nice. It’s safe. It has connections. For every point in Bochum, there are connections. Either U-Bahn or S-Bahn or Bus. Or work in S-Bahn. So wherever you want to travel, you can walk 200 meters. You will find a public transportation. The weather is nice. There is not much cold. As we used to think. Europe is always snowing. There is spring. There is summer. There is autumn. There is winter. The weather is nice. The people are nice. Thank God. So far, I have met a lot of people. Germans. All of them are good. Nice. But one time, by chance, I met a German woman. She changed her face. She said, we are not satisfied with her. By chance, we came from a pool. In the garden. In the evening. All of them were almost Syrians. A German woman came out. She sat like this. She came out like this. She sat like this. She did like this. She did like this. She was afraid. We were looking at her. We were just sitting. Nothing. We were just sitting. She was afraid. She did like this. She said, am I in Germany? Or in Syria? Then, I came again. A girl. She knows how to speak German. I was standing next to her. When she made facial expressions. Bad. I was like, what? I also spoke. She also spoke. She heard the girl. So, I replied to her. She said, we are in Germany. What do you mean? We are here and you are in Germany. Do you have a problem? So, she kept quiet. She kept quiet. She didn’t speak. But the only situation that happened to me is not good. I say, when you are good, the world around you will be good.
[i] Yes. How are you doing with the language?
[r] Praise be to God. I stayed for 3 months, about, 4 months in the house. I got a post from Job Center. Do you have an appointment to go to the Job Center? When I went to Job Center, in the appointed appointment, I found a full theater. They are all like this. They all have the same appointment, the same day, they have an appointment. We spent about an hour in the theater. There was an interpreter, and a woman was speaking, and there was a device that drops the line, and pictures appear, and it explains that we want to send you to a course and to a museum. Each person has his own circumstances. There is someone who does a course with a tattoo artist, there is someone who does a tattoo artist alone, there is someone who does a course alone, it depends. She explained to us that there are several specializations. You do a specialization, you do languages, you do integration, you do contact. We said, okay, no problem. I was ambitious to go to the course. As soon as I came, it was a month of time, I would relax a little, or 15 days, no problem. I was excited. I love science, I love language, I love learning. I love learning a language because I love to take and give to people. I make contacts with the world, I stand with the world, I talk with them. I love to talk with the world. My nature is that I am sociable. I love talking to neighbors, I love talking to my friends. I communicate with my friends. I see my friends every day, we meet every two or three days to talk. I am a sociable person. They gave us a paper with the title of the museum. The next day, because I was busy, and I didn’t want to be late for the museum, I called a friend and told him that I had a new school, and I didn’t know where to go. He told me that there are three means of transportation, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and Bus. I told him that I had a difficult time, and that I had to go with him. He had been here for two years. The next day, we went out, and he gave us a paper with the title of the museum. He knew that I didn’t know. We saw the title, and we saw the school. The next day, I went to the museum. I arrived at the school early in the morning, and I was late. The next day, I saw the title. I stayed there for three days, and I didn’t know what I was signing. But this is the system, and this is the protocol that I have to sign. We signed. I stayed there for two whole years. I took a language course, Alphabet, A1, and Mathematics. I worked in Mathematics. The work was not difficult, and the course was good, beautiful. Our number was small, about eight or ten. Our teacher was very good. He was nice, calm, generous, respectful. His teaching was good. I learned from him. I benefited from him. Within one year, I was only bored for two days. I like commitment, and I like to learn. I am ambitious, and I like to learn. I have the patience to study for three or four hours a day at home. I don’t give up on studying. The more I memorize and learn a word, the more ambitious I become. Thank God. I stayed for a year, and I was bored for two days. I had three appointments at a job center in Ausländer. Once, I went to a company to see a house. I had three appointments, and I was tired for two days. I couldn’t go. Despite that, a post came to me at the end. It said, you are missing out. You have shortcomings. My friends were missing out every four or five days a week, apparently. I am very good. I don’t have a chance.
[i] Is there a lot of support here? Is it done by the bureaucracy?
[r] That’s right. Here, every day, considering that I have a family of three children, and my wife and I are fifty, every day, we have a post, a post. And the post, there is a kind of difficulty. When I get a post, I open the post, I look at it, of course, I don’t know what is written, what, what, what. Thank God, there are also charity organizations here. There is an alliance organization. We know a person, an alliance organization. He helps us, or he sends someone, he helps us with appointments, or with letters. I tell him what he has. He translates it for me. He tells me, this letter, this and that. You have to go. Or, he sends you an appointment, or you pay, or you attend an appointment, and so on. This is what relieved us a little. We were relieved. With your organization, thank God, it helped us.
[i] Translators have the right to money. There is no money for translators.
[r] Of course, there are translators who work. You go to them. They go with you to the appointment. They need money. You go to them. You show them the letter, the post. They want to read it and tell you what it is. They also want money. This money is considered a lot of post and a little money. If we pay for the appointments and the translation, there is nothing we can eat.
[i] Yes. In your life, you tell me that you are very interested in language. How is your social life? How is it in the city? Do you feel at home? Do you feel that you have reached the level you are looking for?
[r] Yes. I have friends here. I know them from Syria. There are 5 or 6 families. I know them from Syria. They live in Bochum. We go on visits every week. They should come to us or we should go to someone on Saturdays or Sundays. I liked Bochum. It is beautiful. Small but not big. I mean, a person does not lose in it. In the big cities, a person loses in the big cities. Its nature is beautiful. Its people are beautiful. It is small. I have friends who I know. The course, I benefited from the course, of course. And now, I registered. Of course, after a year, they gave me three months of rest at home. After that, I went to the Job Center. I also received a letter. It said, what did you do? What did you do? What did you not do? I told him I worked for a year. A1. And a workshop. Together. Every day. Eight hours. An hour to go. An hour to go. Ten hours. So, I rested at home for three months. After that, I went. He said, no problem. You were supposed to be another employee. Change your time. My employee. He said, you are supposed not to do a workshop. You were supposed to do a course. And that’s it. This employee is upset. He is upset with me. He said, you are supposed to do a course and a workshop together. Ten hours a day. I told him, that’s it. That’s it. The employee said, I can’t refuse. Go. Go. I went. Now, I am studying at A2. I am studying at A2. I am studying at Ifak. Our institute is good. Our course is good too. I am benefiting. Our institute is a bit like this. I am speeding up with the explanation and the course. I told him, excuse me, I haven’t been here in Germany for two years and those who are with me in the course have been here for four years.
[i] Yes.
[r] So, I am studying with them like them together. I told him, you have to do it slowly. He said, no, it’s good if you are here for two years. They have been here for four years and you are studying with them. So, this is good. So, so, so, step on the gas a little bit.
[i] Yes.
[r] Good. Yes.
[i] In your social life, you told us that your friends are here to participate and make programs. I mean, you are taking care of your culture.
[r] Yes.
[i] Cultural programs.
[r] Yes.
[i] You participated in cultural programs.
[r] Yes.
[i] How do you spend your time? What do you love? What are your hobbies? Tell me what you love.
[r] Yes. I consider my children to study music. Of course, I let them play music every day And there is one of my friends who also plays and sings from Syria. He plays and sings. He comes to us. He and my children play together. So, this is a good thing. I go to the garden on Saturday or Sunday. I let my children play. I give them football. We make barbecue. We meet two or three children. We listen to music. We have fun. It is nice. And the gardens here are very nice. And it is safe. And the centers for children to play and play are very interested in it. It is very nice. It is excellent. I mean, it is rare to find such things in our country or in our region. I, I, for the universe, I like to meet people and make contacts. I benefit and learn. I mean, my ambition towards the best. When I went to register in the IFAC school, I was asked about my address, hobby, and so on. The employee asked me and I said I am a photographer. I am a photographer for 23 years. I had a shop and I was working until the day I came here. Before I came to Germany, before I entered the Syrian borders, outside the Syrian borders, I stopped a week ago. I stopped my work in Syria. I have a lot of with people. I know a lot of people. When someone walks in the street in front of my shop, I look at him and I know who he is. I have a lot of friends. According to the people, there is a newspaper. “Neuer Deutsch” I don’t know if that’s what it’s called.
[i] “Neu in Deutschland”
[r] “Neu in Deutschland”. Since I’m a photographer I can work with him and I am comfortable I have my community and I like my job. I don’t like staying at home. Staying at home is really difficult The social level goes back, the speech goes back, instead of developing it goes back. I told her I don’t have a problem, so she gave me an address. I went once or twice or three times to the address, but it didn’t work. Then I worked in the same organization, but with another person. Music concerts happen, they send me the address, the schedule. I take my camera and go to the concerts. Whatever the concert is, I take pictures and send them to the website of IFAK. I work as a volunteer.
[i] This is very nice, the social activities. This also gives you the opportunity to stay in touch with others. Do you have any advice for the Germans?
[r] The Germans are kind of… If… If they don’t take care of you, they won’t approach you. One… Two… If… They don’t have time. They all have full time. So when they have a little time, they want to relax. Until you meet a German, he must know you, take care of you. Then he will make a contact with you. Take a date from them. Take a date and see if it’s empty. If it’s a day or an hour. It’s a bit difficult.
[i] Is there a difference between a contact in this country and a contact here?
[r] Between who?
[i] How was the contact in the village?
[r] There are no dates. In the shop, my friend calls me. In the shop, I tell him, of course, I’m always in the shop. My friend comes to me. As long as I work immediately and more than 8 hours. I used to work 15 hours. From 8 to 8 in the evening. After 8 in the evening, I have a wedding. Sometimes at 6 o’clock, I close the shop. At 6 o’clock, I go to the wedding party. I stay until 12 o’clock. It will be 15 hours. 18 hours. I used to work. I was happy. I was relaxed. Because when I work in the shop from morning to evening. And from evening, I go to the wedding. To the wedding party. Wedding. I work. And I earn. I was relaxed. We used to work a lot. But, thank God, we used to depend on ourselves for everything. And we used to earn. We used to earn well. But, not everything worked out. The contact with the Germans was little. Very little.
[i] Today, do you consider yourself a person who achieved your dreams? Did you walk the right path?
[r] Thank God, I walked the right path. Because after that period, I didn’t contact my family. The situation is getting worse. The situation is getting difficult. I can’t describe how difficult it is there. Very difficult. Thank God, I think I made the right decision. I sent my family here. And I came to join my family here. Now, I am relaxed. And my family is relaxed. And we are all happy and relaxed here. And thank God. And there is security. And the state doesn’t affect our rights either. Thank God.
[i] If a decision came and said that today you would leave after a very long journey that you have cut. And it said that there is peace in your country. And we made peace agreements. And the Syrians wanted to return. What would you decide?
[r] By God, according to the situation that we see. If there is security. I don’t think there will be security. And if there are still job opportunities. And if our home is still there. My wife and I can make a decision. We can go back. But I don’t think the children who were raised here. And grew up here. On the services that are available. And the peace here. And the comfort. And everything is taken by hand. I don’t think the children will return.
[i] It is hard for them to live in the village.
[r] It is hard. They live here.
[i] And they live as you say. And this is a normal thing.
[r] That’s right. When I tell them about the things that I lived. When I was their age. They don’t believe it. They don’t believe that I lived in these events. And the situation was like this. And they buy me a boat every six months. My father bought me a boat. And for the Eid, he bought me clothes.
[i] You changed your job. What did he buy you?
[r] That’s right. My children don’t believe this. The one who doesn’t believe this is his father. He was raised here. And he grew up here. So how can he live in this area? It is hard.
[i] You feel that the future of your children. You protected them. And they have to take care of them. But you. You care about them. You respect our customs and traditions. You say that I raise my son. It means that you respect the past.
[r] Yes.
[i] What does your history mean to you? What does your body mean to you?
[r] A person. Every person. According to his customs and traditions. And his society. And his culture. It must be followed. Because if they all forgot. There will be no more societies. There will be one society. And the world is beautiful in its diversity. In its formation. In its different cultures. The world is beautiful. When I am like you. And you are like another person. They are all like each other. A world without colors is not beautiful. The world is beautiful with colors. With culture. With customs. Formated. Different. Everyone must keep their customs and traditions. And take care of the customs of others. This is my opinion and this is how I see it.
[i] What is important for you to teach your children?
[r] My children want to learn music. They want to continue the journey of music they have learned. They want to have ambition, hope and optimism in the future. They want to be themselves and depend on themselves as I depend on myself. I want them to have a strong personality. And they don’t need anyone and don’t depend on anyone else. They depend on themselves. They want them to have a strong personality.
[i] Today, you are loyal to your parents and your love for them. You rent your house and tell your mother to take her rent and live from it. You also need money even if you live in Germany.
[r] That’s right.
[i] Do you think that your son who wants to live in Europe will have the same need for money? Will it be the same feeling and generosity for you, or is there a big difference?
[r] No, I feel that it will be the same as what I am doing with myself, because the education and care that I am giving to them, I think they will not do anything good. Because every day, my son is older than me, and the other one is almost the same age as me. Every day, I tell them, come here son, sit down and love me. I kiss him every day. I have three children. I give them a kiss. Every day, I love him like this, I pat his back, and I kiss him every day. I love my children. I plant a kiss for them. I say, son, what happened to you? Tell me. There is no problem. Thank God.
[i] What is the habit that you brought with you from the village, and it is always necessary that you do it every day?
[r] Aha. When I was young, I learned to drink Maté. Here, I drink Maté every day. In the evening, I drink Maté every day. I enjoy it. I don’t smoke. I don’t drink drinks.
[i] That’s wensi.
[r] Yes. Yes, it’s not that I don’t like it. I don’t like the substance of the drink or the cigarette. But I know. As long as a person makes a mistake. Sometimes, I smoke for 10 days a week. I smoke a cigarette with my friends in the garden, at the gathering, at the evening. I smoke a cigarette for 10 or 15 days. Or for 10 or 15 days, I breathe heavily. I know how to smoke. I can drink. But I don’t smoke. But I know. And if there is a problem during the evening, I drink a glass. I have no problem. But every day, I like to drink the same Maté. The same Maté.
[i] What is the difference between food and drink?
[r] My wife knows how to cook as much as the food she eats. She knows how to cook everything. All the food is heavy, and the country’s work is to cook everything. Once someone helped us a lot, and he came to us for 10 days. My wife said let’s invite him. My wife cooked several dishes. A man came, and another person, two persons. When he came, he saw what was on the table and the food. He asked why we invited 20 persons. We said no, you and another person are not equal to 20 persons. My wife’s name is [name]. When I saw you for the first time, I said you don’t know how to do anything. You went to a factory, a company. You know how to cook. You walk the papers, you walk the children, you walk the dates. You do whatever you want. You buy things for your husband. You buy household items. You buy things from the market. You make sweets. We gave him sweets. It’s all handmade. You know everything. I told him I have a company.
[i] You help your wife?
[r] Yes. I help my wife with everything. I used to help her even in Syria. Even in Syria. Because the people around me were not like me. The street. The street is in front of the door. At night. We used to go out to drink water. She used to spray water and I used to clean the place. We cleaned the street. We used to clean the street. Our house was on an angle. 20 meters by 10 meters. My house was 200 meters long. So I had to clean the whole area at night. because the neighbors thought that it was a shame for a man to clean the street, so we had to clean at night. And every day, on the ground floor of the village, there was water and I cleaned the area, or vice versa, every day. Even the studio that I was working in, the studio, my wife’s place, Kouaffera, my brother’s place, the electrician was next to me, and the door of my brother’s house was next to me. Every morning, I used to clean the sidewalk and the street. 10 meters of the sidewalk, 10 meters of the street, I used to clean it every day. I love cleaning. It’s a shame to be in front of my house or a dirty place, but it’s not a shame that I clean.
[i] Your speech is beautiful and your words are beautiful.
[r] Thank you.
[i] And God willing, you will succeed in your life in Europe.
[r] Thank you.
[i] We wish you all the happiness and success for you and for the future of your children and the future of your family. And stay as you are, with this beautiful mentality.
[r] Of course.
[i] And we wish you to achieve many of your dreams and ambitions, because what you said is still more than what you told us about.
[r] Of course. Thank you.
[i] Thank you for your words. Thank you for allowing us to share with you at a stage of your life. Welcome to the European Oral History Program.
[r] Thank you. Thank you.
[i] Do you have a last word you would like to add?
[r] Thank you. I love Bochum. Bochum is beautiful. The people are beautiful. I love to learn the language and work. I love to work. I love my job because I love to work in my profession. And as much as the hours are, it does not matter to me. I am convinced that if I work in my profession, if I have a lot of work, I sleep at work and do not go home. Because I love my job. It is my hobby and my job at the same time.
[i] I wish you success.
[r] Thank you.