On September 16, 2024, I took an easyjet flight from Milan to Berlin at 6:55 in the morning.

I sat in the second to last row of the plane.

I was drowsy and wanted to sleep for a while, and vaguely heard a young man in the seat behind me lying flat on the seat with the help of the crew because of physical discomfort.

The crew kept calling if there was a doctor on the plane to help see the young man.

I heard the young man talking to the crew and said that he had not slept and had not eaten last night, and he had just been seeing stars in his seat. The crew considerately brought him a bottle of Coke and snacks to replenish his energy.

After a while, the plane arrived at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. I asked the young man how he was, and he said he was fine, it should be hypoglycemia.

Later, I got off the plane with him and we left the airport together. At the airport gate, he taught me how to buy transportation tickets in Berlin.

It turned out that he was a Belarusian and had been a nurse in Berlin for 7 years.

We chatted happily on the bus. He asked me how old I was, and I said 46. He was surprised to say that I looked only in my 30s.

He also said that Berlin was cool, and no one would care if you were naked on the street. I laughed out loud.

Later we took the subway together, and he got off a few stops before me.

As soon as I got out of the subway station, I felt the coldness of Berlin, and it was drizzling. My mood was as gloomy as the weather in Berlin that day.

The purpose of my visit to Berlin this time was not to travel but to seek political asylum. The psychological pressure can be imagined. The uncertainty of the future and the cold autumn rain in Berlin made my second trip to Berlin full of challenges.

Fortunately, the hostel I booked was only a few steps away from the subway station. What made me happy was that the environment of this hostel was very warm, and the service attitude of the front desk guy couldn't be better, and he responded to every request. It made me feel the seriousness, carefulness and thoughtfulness of the Germans.

Before coming to Berlin, I had contacted Schwulenberatung Berlin, an organization that provides free consultation for foreign LGBT+ people seeking asylum in Germany. Fortunately their office address was very close to the hostel where I stayed.

After I left my luggage at the hostel, I went out to find a place to have lunch and check the location of the nearest police station, because I planned to seek political asylum at one of the Berlin Police Stations after consulting with Schwulenberatung Berlin.

I went to a warm-looking fast food restaurant near the police station. The male waiter's fluent English and enthusiastic attitude once again made me feel the serious work attitude of the Germans. Unfortunately, the cold sandwiches (maybe they can be heated but I forgot to ask) and mineral water made me miss the food in Milan.

On the way back to the hostel in the drizzle, I received an email from the staff of Schwulenberatung Berlin, saying that he suggested that I consult with them tomorrow (Tuesday) before considering going to the police station to seek asylum.

Back to the hostel, I waited until 3 pm to check in. There were a total of 5 beds in my room.

Because I was a little tired from the journey and the weather was cold, I slept in the room all afternoon.

In the evening, I went to Aldi to buy some salad, sushi, mineral water and bananas for dinner.