#SharingSession (2) How to Adapt to the New Study Environment Abroad
What about daily life in Europe?
This is the second part of these writing.
Masduki also talked about the difficulty in worshiping in Germany rather than in Indonesia. This is about the weather and Muslims, who are in fact a minority. According to him, the most difficult was to implement the third pillar of Islam: Fasting with long days and extreme heat, “Fasting is the most severe, because in Germany it is dawn at 3 a clock and break the fasting at 10 p.m,” said Masduki.
About the pilgrimage that Masduki traveled directly from Germany, there were indeed many questions from colleagues and friends. Masduki explained, indeed the pilgrimage from Europe was easier, the waiting list was faster. “But it is rather more expensive,” he said. But don’t think you can just travel to Germany and then go straight to Hajj. “The conditions must have a minimum residence visa at least 1 year, and of course only those who work permanently or further study,” said Masduki based on his experience some time ago.
Masduki said, it must also be difficult to find a mosque. Mosques in Germany are not like in Indonesia where the call to prayer (Azan) is heard or can be seen from the dome physically. The mosque does not appear physically and only seen on Google Map. There are no call to prayer through loudspeakers like at Indonesia. Its physical form resembles an ordinary building or house. If you open the door, then the room is spread out like a mosque. “If in the UK it is disguised as an Islamic Center,” he explained.
In addition to food that is certainly not all halal, adaptation to extreme weather now due to climate change is also a problem. For example when undergoing fasting earlier. Adaptation with a completely new environment like this does need strategy and endurance. Masduki was greatly helped by, for example, city orientation workshops, networking with Indonesian Student Associations abroad, and also asking many advisers. Even so, he also helped a lot by Germany people who turned out to have more attention on Indonesia, for example in his art, culture, and others.
