“You will leave in three days”, “The Germans are a cold and difficult nation”, “marriage is done by passport”, “you will cry a lot, I think you are leaving now”…
These thoughts were told to her by an Azerbaijani woman because she decided to marry a German guy. And he limited himself to listening to the voice of his heart: “I thank myself for listening to the voice of my heart and not that of those around me. I walked a path that very few people take. I never got tired of walking the same path “Sometimes we stopped, sometimes we ran, but we never let go of each other’s hands.”
He has currently been happily married for five years and has a son. She also shared this post on her social media accounts on the fifth anniversary of her marriage. The next guests of our “Family” column are the German Andreas Kroger and the Azerbaijani Gunay Kroger.
On the topic “Caspian” We present the newspaper article.
A relationship that begins with “Hello.”
Although our couple’s first meeting was thanks to their friends, it was the social network that brought them together. Gunay was studying in Germany at the time: “At that time I was studying in Germany. We met in a small restaurant in Recklinghausen. I went there with my friend. Andreas also came with his friend. My friend knew my friend’s friend. When we met in the restaurant, we greeted each other very briefly. I didn’t feel like he liked me. When I got home, he found me on my friend’s page and wrote “hello” in our conversation. “After a few days, he wrote again. “We started talking like that.”
Andreas says that at first glance he was struck by Gunay’s dark appearance, and then by the delicious food she cooked: “I liked her appearance at first glance. I was interested in the fact that she was a little dark. However, as we briefly saw We greeted each other, I didn’t think about anything serious, it was just the appearance. Thanks to him, I fell in love with the food he cooked, he also cooked my heart.
“I always felt your support”
Gunayi was attracted by Andreas’ support and his love for animals: “Andreas accepted me as I was. For example, at that time my German was very weak. Still, we tried to understand each other. We also overcame the problems in our relationship. Also, in Germany I was very supported in a foreign country. Although we lived in different cities, I always felt that I chose him as the person in my life… I was also attracted to his kindness. He has a special love for animals. way or we call him and hand him over to the special authorities.
“I couldn’t wait until the restaurant”
Gunay also spoke about the surprise of Andreas’ proposal: “My husband told me about the restaurant where we met for the first time to propose to him. He was planning to propose to me there. From the moment we got in the car, I felt something was very Exciting. He was so excited he went to the restaurant. He couldn’t wait until then. He proposed to me in the store parking lot.
Gunay wanted to marry a foreigner since she was little: “I always felt a special sympathy for blond and blue-eyed boys. When I was a teenager, there was a television series called “The Foreign Bridegroom.” I always watched it and said that I would like my husband. was foreign. When you want it, it definitely comes true. But in addition to wanting, you also have to act.”
A family of difference
According to Andreas, Gunay and him are different. But their love is also beautiful because of this difference: “We have more differences than our common characteristics. For example, although I like passive travel more, in Gunay it is the other way around. Thanks to our love, we overcome these differences. The opposite poles “They always attract each other.”
No matter how different our couple may be, thanks to their love they find activities in common: “We have activities that we do together every Sunday. Although we are both tired, on weekends, when time allows, we dedicate at least an hour to ride a bike.” with my partner and my son, or go swimming,” Gunay emphasizes.
“My mother-in-law is sociable like my wife”
Gunay has a completely different attitude to the idea that Germans are cold by nature: “Although it is said that Germans are cold, I have not seen this in my partner. Not only me, but also other people say this. For example, When I go somewhere, although at first people are not very friendly to me, they greet my partner first. We have seen him in our country, but they welcome him from the first meeting. They ask him why he is “German”, such. Maybe me. I’m colder than my husband. I haven’t felt any coldness from his family either.
Everything is difficult at the beginning
Although everyone loves Andreas now, five years ago not everything was so easy: “At first it was difficult for my family to accept our relationship. Because until then no one in our family had studied abroad or married a foreign citizen Why are there concerns? My mother didn’t want me to marry a foreigner. We grew up in different environments. But now we love Azerbaijan and everyone invites us and buys her lots of gifts.
“They can’t have a deep conversation or worry”
Gunay’s mother-in-law loved her Azerbaijani daughter-in-law very much from the first day and supported their relationship: “My mother cannot fully communicate with my mother-in-law because she does not know German. I always translate for them. They have a normal relationship between them. It is true, they cannot have a deep conversation and don’t get angry. My mother-in-law really wants her to come see Azerbaijan. “Very interested in our country. We send him a lot of photos from here.”
What Germany thinks about Azerbaijan
And Andreas says that he did not know Azerbaijan before Gunay: “I knew that such a country existed. But I had no information about it. I did not even know the capital, Baku. I only knew that it was previously part of the USSR.” and that oil was produced.”
But after meeting Gunay, the situation changed. Andreas has already visited our country twice. She talked about the features she liked about Azerbaijan that were strange to her: “It’s good to marry an Azerbaijani because we come here often. We’ve been to Nabran, Khizı, Baku and Sumgait. I really like Azerbaijan. Everything here, for example, In Germany the card system is easier. What I like most is that it doesn’t rain much. You always worry about your values. In Germany you don’t see the flag. Germany, a metro trip is very cheap.
But driving here is very difficult. What interests me are the lines on their roads. Because the drivers step on the line and move to another line. “It’s very unusual for you to drive.”
What Andreas likes most in Azerbaijan is our food: “I love the culture and food of Azerbaijan. My favorite of their dishes is the pilaf. The Lula kebab is also very tasty. The eggplant filling is also delicious. I I like the baklava in their desserts. Its fruit is also full. I think the taste of cucumbers and tomatoes is different.”
Thanks to Gunay they don’t forget our national holidays either
Although they live in Germany, thanks to Gunay, they also do not forget our national holidays: “We celebrate Nowruz on our holidays. I cook with our sweets. My son and I paint eggs and make them collide. Andreas’s family is also very familiar with our Nowruz sweets. My mother always brings them when she comes from Azerbaijan. We also celebrate Ramadan.
When the German groom visited our country, he also saw our weddings: “I have been to your weddings several times. The strangest thing for me is the presence of so many guests, as well as the abundance of food on the table. The food comes continually. The “Big cakes being cut at the wedding are unusual for me. I’m learning to play your dances, but I can do the hand movements more or less.”
“I want to learn your language more deeply”
In one of Gunay’s posts, Andreas stated that he wants to learn our language: I know the words “thank you very much”, “hello”, “I’m very good”, “very delicious”. I want to learn your language more deeply. We may even think about moving here when we retire in the future.”
Gunay says that at home they speak German and Azerbaijani: “I myself wanted Andreas to learn our language so that he could speak at least a little with my mother. Above all, when my mother comes, she is anxious, she wants to understand our language. I thought that when our son started talking to her, he would learn our language equally. We both speak our own language.
“Germans choose their friends from childhood”
Gunay, who has lived in Germany for almost eight years, tells of the strange things that happened to him there: “The most difficult thing for me at first in Germany was that everything was closed there on weekends. Because here we are used to going out for walks. and shopping on weekends. And there, on weekends, everyone found it very boring. On Sundays I open the window and listen to the birds singing. Only on Fridays and Saturdays do people have fun. “It is very difficult to find friends in Germany, for example, Germans have been friends since childhood. You can’t make friends there, most of them are made on social networks.”
