From Vada Pav To Vegan Wraps: A Jain Mumbaikar’s Survival And Self-Discovery In Germany

For an aspiring mechanical engineer, Germany is the dream place to study and work. Though many of my family members, relatives, and acquaintances suggested I go to the USA or other English-speaking countries, I was clear about my goal right from the second year of my bachelor's—to study in Germany, the global pioneer in automobiles, machinery, and technology.

But learning a new language was no joke. I started learning Deutsch (German) in 2020, making the best use of the COVID-19 period. Honestly, the language still tests my nerves. There were multiple highs and lows—juggling college, student clubs, and social work meant I couldn’t focus as much as I wanted on German.

Yet, I managed to reach A2 level by the end of 2022, which gave me the hope to keep going.

International Students Face Homesickness

Yes, of course, who won’t experience homesickness, or as we say in German, ‘Heimweh’? I still try to talk to my family almost 3-4 times per week, and a few of my close friends 2-3 times a month minimum. This not only reduces the FOMO on the ongoing recent affairs and gossip but also can reduce the stress after a long day at uni/work.

Born and brought up in Mumbai, eating freshly made street-side food almost every other day at any time of the day, and then seeing reels on Instagram, makes my mouth watery and ignites late-night food cravings within every expat, and as everything closes here by around 10:00 PM local time, this is indeed a moment where homesickness strikes the most for us.

Initially, homesickness was very frequent for me. For a recent instance, I felt major homesickness when the Indian cricket team won the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and there was a victory parade through the streets of Mumbai and a ceremony in the Wankhede Stadium on the 4th of July, 2024.

Till my third semester, the majority of my course subjects were completed, and I had a lot of free time in hand. And I was getting a lot of boredom from continuously binge-watching OTT content the whole day. And opposite to that, during my Bachelors Degree College days I was very active in Student Clubs throughout. This motivated me to join the ICC Chemnitz (Indian Cultural Center, Chemnitz) to organise a grand event for Diwali 2024 where I was a part of Event Planning, Logistics, Decoration and Tickets Distributor. I did not stop here, I also re-ignited my long-lost interest in dancing and performed a set themed ‘Punjabi Dance’ on stage after 10+ years in my life. When I heard the whole crowd of 650+ people clapping and cheering us throughout the performance, it was a mesmerising experience indeed.

Challenges of International Student

Accommodations: I consider myself very lucky that I was able to find a room in the Student Dormitories well in advance before I arrived in Germany. The accommodations in small cities like Chemnitz are cheaper compared to big cities. But still, I have seen a lot of students struggling to find a place with a perfect balance of reasonable rent and other requirements. Some even have to shift every 6 months due to short lease periods.

Food: Food is one of the most important things in my life. Being a Jain (Pure Vegetarian), living in Germany can be very shocking as Indian Vegetarian and International Vegetarian is a very different concept. Initially, my grocery shopping would take hours to translate the ingredients of food items and I still had to look sometimes at the ingredient lists of new products before buying them. When eating out or during a trip, we have the famous thing in Germany called ‘Dürüm-Döner’ or a Subway Wrap or anything which says Vegan are my Outside Food options.

I was the Maggi cook for my elder brother in House when my parents were out for the night. I used to always taste and correct my mother’s awesome recipes just to claim that “I cooked half the meal as tasting gave the Dish its life” but I now realise how wrong I was in saying that as it takes a lot of effort to prepare a meal.

When we cook together in a group, there’s an unsaid rule: One who cooks wouldn’t do the dishes… which is fair, to be honest! Cleaning Utensils is a task which I never liked but have to do it anyway.

I prepare a lot of my favourite Indian dishes like Pav Bhaji, Bhajiyas, Vada Pav, Sev Puri, Misal Pav, Pasta, various Indian Sabzis, Desi-style Pasta, Noodles, Manchurian, Rajma, Chole, etc. right from the scratch.

I also have Lunch at our University Canteen (Mensa) as it is very reasonably priced but they have very few vegetarian options overall.

Miscellaneous: People here, irrespective of their age like to be involved with some or the other Sports activities like Cycling, Swimming, Sports, Running, Trekking, etc. The cultural differences are sometimes very crazy and even though I had heard of this before, I was shocked to see a man going fully naked to the shower room from the changing room in front of everyone casually which was astonishing for me to see.

Advise prospective students to manage their finances

Part-time Jobs

- Recommended only if you don’t get anything at the University.

- Sometimes necessary for a residency permit extension.

- Avoid if your studies get hindered or delayed.

- Many students extend 4-semester courses to 8-10 semesters, which is catastrophic for careers.

Saving Money

- Use apps from various supermarkets for deals.

- Buy in bulk for long-expiry items.

- Deutschland Ticket is a life-saver — covers unlimited public transport, included in semester fees.

Managing Expenses

Divide expenses into:

  • Fixed Expenses: Rent, Insurance, Radio Tax, Mobile Bill, Gym, OTT, etc.

  • Variable Expenses: Groceries, Food, Trips, Laundry, Shopping.

Use Unidays & student deals for discounts at museums, zoos, etc.

Miscellaneous Spending

- Keep Trip, Travel, Furniture, Electronics, and Extra Shopping in a separate sheet.

- These are optional and can be avoided when needed.

Track Your Spending

- Maintain an Excel sheet and keep bills for every purchase.

- Update monthly — helps you understand where the money goes and where to control it.

Best Time to Shop

Black Friday, Christmas, Easter, and Summer holidays — best deals available.

Last but not least, I would like to say Germany is the ideal location for you if you are a Mechanical Engineer. But life is not ideal and so aren’t we. What seemed to be a promising Job prospect is turning out to be a headache nowadays, be ready for 1000s of rejections, be ready for “Sprechen sie auch Englisch?” (Do you also speak English?), be ready to be patient, away from Family and try to be a learner, observer, communicator and try to bring the best out of yourself!

The author is pursuing a Master's in Advanced Manufacturing from Technische Universität Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany.

news