"Before I headed for a reporting trip to Saxony, I mentally prepared for a hostile reception," writes Berlin-based reporter Hui Min Neo.

"After all, the eastern state has gained a reputation for xenophobia after numerous violent demonstrations staged against refugees. Being Asian, I am obviously a foreigner, even if I speak German. And I was going to report on the refugee issue. The makings of a chilly welcome at best.

"Go with a big, burly photographer, colleagues said, only half-jokingly. In the end, I went with a regular-sized photographer, also a foreigner, but less visibly so than me. And encountered the unexpected."