Category: General

Last week I was on tour with the MAIS and the MIK. That is on the one hand the Ministry of Labour, Integration and Social Affairs of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, MAIS for short, and on the other hand the Ministry of the Interior and Municipal Affairs of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, MIK for short.

This involved the project Feuerwehrsache, which deals with the support of voluntary work in fire departments. MAIS is involved in this project to promote the integration of, as they say, people with a migration background (I am by definition one of these background migrants) in the fire departments.

On this day, the Secretary of State for integration visited the voluntary fire department in Kall, which has an interesting member to call its own: a native Bulgarian with training as a puppeteer. This very active lady then had the hilarious idea to develop a puppet show on the subject in order to get more people interested in the voluntary fire brigade.

Overall the day was very interesting and there were many funny moments. And at the end of the day I (the reason why I was there in the first place) took the photo, which is now published on the official MAIS website.

The year is drawing to a close – and after the self-sawn tree has been carried up into the apartment, so is my own energy. The tree is decorated, (most) presents are packed and now the last preparations for the next days are being done. We will go to the Christmas market shortly to enjoy some Christmas spirit despite the lack of snow.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to everyone!

Now it’s happening. This is the first entry in my blog. Ok, the first official one after what felt like 200 previous test entries to test the blog. This one will stay and marks the beginning of (hopefully) many more entries. I’m not really sure yet what I’m going to write, but at least I know that I don’t want to write about every detail of my life or create a video tutorial on how to unblock a clogged drain (just stumbled upon it by accident). I want to report about things that are fun or interesting. At least that’s the ambitious plan. And I’m not a typical blogger, so I have no obligation to write about anything by hook or crook. Also I will write whenever I feel like it and that will probably happen in all irregularity. That’s how it’s been buzzing around in my head. What comes out in the end? I am curious myself and just let it happen.