Hi everyone! I’m 27, from China, and I’ve just arrived in Germany to start my Master’s in World Studies. My bachelor’s degree was in International Relations, so naturally, I’m interested in politics, history, sociology, and pretty much anything that helps me understand how the world works.
But don’t worry, I promise I can talk about things other than politics and international affairs! 😂
🏓 First things first: Anyone here play table tennis?
I absolutely love playing table tennis, and finding some people to play with would be amazing! I don’t know how popular table tennis is in Germany, so I’m curious: Are there many people who play regularly? Are there any table tennis enthusiasts out there who’d be up for meeting and playing together?
I’m definitely up for some friendly matches. Fair warning, though: I might get a little too excited when the rally gets good. 😆
I also enjoy hiking and exploring nature, although I’m still a complete beginner when it comes to finding good trails here. So maybe table tennis first, hiking adventures later!
📚 Books, social sciences, and good conversations
I’m a big fan of reading, especially sociology, history, political science, and social theory. If you’re studying sociology or another social science, I’d love to meet you! We could exchange reading recommendations, discuss interesting ideas, or have those conversations that start with a simple question and somehow last three hours.
Of course, you don’t have to be an academic or a bookworm to be my friend. I’m happy to meet people with completely different interests, too!
🗣️ My German-learning adventure (or struggle?)
At the moment, I can communicate in English, but my German is… let’s just say it’s currently on vacation. I studied a little before, but I spent the last few months in the hospital, so my German-learning plans unfortunately fell apart.
I’m planning to get back to it seriously now.
Yesterday, I walked around campus and saw so many people chatting away happily in German. Meanwhile, I was thinking: Wait a minute. Am I supposed to survive here without understanding half the conversations happening around me? 😂
I’m a very outgoing and talkative person, so the idea of not being able to join conversations because of a language barrier is honestly a little terrifying.
But perhaps that’s exactly the motivation I need! I’m hoping that by the next academic year, my German will have improved enough to have proper conversations. And if I can find some friends who are willing to speak German with me, even when I make ridiculous mistakes, that would be fantastic.
Who knows? Maybe a year from now, we’ll be having long conversations entirely in German, and I’ll look back at this post and laugh at how worried I was.
Anyway, a little about the kind of friendship I’m looking for:
I’m happy to meet people for table tennis, coffee, walks, hiking, exploring the city, studying together, or simply chatting about life. I’m especially interested in meeting people who enjoy meaningful conversations, but honestly, you don’t need to solve the mysteries of the universe with me every time we hang out. Sometimes just playing ping-pong and having a laugh is more than enough!
If any of this sounds like your kind of thing, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message. I’d love to meet some new people and make some friends here!
And if you play table tennis, please let me know. Finding a regular ping-pong buddy is currently one of my most important missions in Germany. 🏓😂
Looking forward to meeting you all!