Hi friends, it’s Sara again. This time though it’s not to talk about me, but about another lovely member of our group – Maike. If some think of me as mom, you might think about her as the cool auntie with a cute dog (if you meet Maike, you will sooner or later also meet this little cutie) and a great collection of Gins. We met on a beautiful summer afternoon to have an interview while eating ice-cream close to the Rhine.
Sara: So, let’s talk about you, where do you come from?
Maike: Well… I come from the REAL north of Germany, meaning everything north of Hamburg. And if someone heard of the city of Lübeck – which is where the best marzipan is made (editors note: the brand is called Niederegger and it’s the only one worth trying IMO) – I grew up in a small village nearby. Later I went to the same school where the so-called “gold-achter” trained.
S: That was a rowing-team, right?
M: Yeah, that was a looong time ago.
S: Oh, when rowing was just a normal way of transport, right?
M: Exactly. They were very successful back then and their team of eight used to train on the lake of Ratzeburg. After some detours across Spain, and then various German places including Paderborn, Frankfurt and Wiesbaden, I made my way to Düsseldorf in the fall of 2017.
S: So, you lived in Spain and I guess that’s why you’re always so excited to speak Spanish, right?
M: Correct, the first time I went was after school for nine months, to Malaga. Back then people said Malaga was “el culo d’Espana” so the butt of Spain, but I heard that the town has developed quite nicely over the years. And later, I also spent two semesters of my studies in Alcalá close to Madrid, where Cervantes was born. For those that like to read – it’s the author
of Don Quixote de la Mancha.
S: That guy with the windmills…
M: That one. I just recently learned that we also have the saying “to go against windmills” (aka fighting an impossible fight) and that originates from that story.
S: Good to know. Do you want to talk about your coming out?
M: Yeah sure, I am completely out nowadays. A friend in university made me realise what was going on when she told me: “I could totally imagine you liking girls,” and that made me think and yeah I think that was the spark, but then my first girlfriend was hetero…
S: Yeah, most of us had that totally hetero girlfriend… 😉 Speaking of us, meaning the group, how did you come across the Düsselqueers?
M: During my time at the company Monster I worked also as a diversity ambassador and connected with the UHLALA Group, that certifies companies as LGBTQ+-friendly workplaces. And this group also hosts PROUDR-events for speed-networking. At my second or third meeting I met Juan, was was totally surprised that I was living in Düsseldorf for so long and didn’t know the scene – so he decided to change that and introduced me to the group. And this is
how I joined you.
S: He did a good job here. And from the start you involved a lot. What’s your mission with the group right now?
M: I really love networking, even as I see myself more of an introvert. But coming from my job experience I would really like to build a professional network with other queer initiatives and associations to support each other. Also it would be cool to check if local companies have LGBTQ+-groups that we could connect with for expat-support and maybe even sponsorship-deals. Another thing that I would like to push forward is welcoming new members and help them connect to the rest of the group through events and such.
S: I have already mentioned your Gin collection, how many different bottles do you own right now?
M: I think there are 15 or 16 different bottles right now.
S: Another thing that you like to collect is books by Walter Moers (note: very popular German author, whose works have also been translated). I believe the count is even higher with those right?
M: No, I don’t own all if his books, because I don’t like the “Little Asshole” comics. But the collection will soon grow when the next book comes out. So the count is lower – though if you count the booknook as 10 books it would be more.
S: What’s a booknook?
M: It’s a miniature 3D-Artwork depicting a scene that takes place in the books and that is built to perfectly fit between the books. It is designed by Carsten Sommer, a prop designer that also built all of the things you see in Captain Bluebear and the other Movies made from the works of Walter Moers. In my shelf you see the wyvern “Hildegunst von Mythenmetz” (the fictional author of “City of the dreaming books”) walking in some very detailed catacombs. It’s a very nice piece of art.
S: Anything else you would love to share? Maybe some of your favourite or secret places in Düsseldorf?
M: Well, depends on what you want. If you’re looking for a nice small bar to have a beer in, it’s “Kassette” at Hügelstraße in Oberbilk. I love the Kiosk at my corner which is a very nice place for an evening beer at the fountain – if the doves come they of course get priority access to the fountain, when they’re thirsty as well. Also the “Covent Garden” in Bilk, close to Palmengarten, has very tasty sandwiches, you should try the “Garden Special” – so tasty! And the coffee is also good. Of course “La Grillardine” in Oberbilk, if you like Moroccan cuisine.
S: Definitely, I had the best Tuna steak there!
M: I could definitely bring even more recommendations but nothing comes to mind right now.
S: Well, maybe we shouldn’t spill all the secrets in one go, maybe we even create a separate spot for recommendations on our website later. For now thank you for the chat. 😃
M: Oh, you’re welcome. 😃
By the way, if some of the wording seems off, it’s
most likely because of my skills as a translator because we had the
talk in German. 😇
