Why Munich is so great - and I'm staying put!

Funnily enough this time after spending 3 weeks in England I didn't fancy coming back here this time. I suppose having been here so long I've experienced it all and don't reckon that the future lies here or in Germany.

Britain may be expensive and there's a fight every 5 minutes if you're out after midnight on a Saturday in London, but the people tend to react to how you treat them as opposed to being in one reaction mode regardless of how you approach them as is the case here.

Another drawback is that to form good friendships with Germans is an uphill struggle requiring often more effort than it's worth. It can take years to be on the basis one would be with a countryman in a matter on months. To filter out those natives who have attitudes that can cross national boundries is extremely difficult and for many Ex Pats simply not worth the effort.

The German government seems determined to destroy the Economy and the future prospects of anyone trying to make their way her with outdated and mindless policies, ignoring the interests of the German Nation which is mostly comprised of people whose politics runs to the benefits of politically correct washing up and rigourous recycing of houshold waste, with no knowledge or interests in the extent of the damage that is being done

Add on to that the fact that any of the few jobs here that are going will be snapped up by the New EU countries, whose citizens are now busy polishing up their German and English so that they can nip over the border and work here for half a salary the prospects seem pretty bleak.

My experience is all unmarried Ex Pats go back, it's simply a case of when and at what point wild nights in Murpheys the Shamrock or Bondis simply become routine stuff.

Hawk

Yeah, well, I suppose the same could probably be said that everyone dies, it's simply a case of when and at what point.

I can name off the top of my head a dozen people who've been here over 5 years, 10 years or longer and are all still single, myself included. And I take offense at the insinuation that the only reason I'm still here is because I like drinking in Irish pubs. Don't stick me in your pigeonhole, thank you very much.

I'm not sticking people into pidgeon holes. Going out and partying is what many Ex Pats enjoy. Others are here for the Job the skiing the language and culture or all of the above. If you think that I'm painting people as being shallow then you've missed the point. I've been here over 11 years still find myself doing those things.

So why wait until your under attack before being so defensive?

I can agree with that but have to say I can't think of any nationality that receives so much intense hatred from people who are totally unfamiliar with the people or culture. Everyone seems to think they know what Germany and its people are all about and I'm sick to death of friends who ask, "why would you want to live there?" and, "how can you be attracted to a German?" This from people born in America--a nation that to this day gives the German history of racism, violence, intolerance, and a thirst for world domination a run for its money.

Over the last couple of years, I've been contemplating the thought that if my yet to be born children are raised as Americans they may face the same stigma Germans have been dealing with for the last 60 years. And their gut reaction to foreigners will be one based on the assumption that they're already hated.

I'm really surprised when I hear expats express disdain for the country and culture they're living in. Yeah, complain about aspects--there's something distasteful and unpleasant to be found everywhere you go. But to dismiss a place and its people outright is only revealing something ugly about that person and their origins. I think, are they only here because they're making better money than they would in their home country? What is that if it's not exploitation?

As always--if you don't like it, leave.

I'm with michnic - yes there are some things that annoy me but there are things everywhere that annoy me, especially things about myself!
I love living in Munich.
Simple as that.
And to keep me living in Munich, I even worked for...Microsoft.
Now put those rocks and rotten tomatoes down. I was young and needed the money.
I have been very briefly unemployed twice during my in total nearly 6 years in Germany (and I'm not married - well Herr Indoors hasn't paid for me yet so to speak!) and did not once think about going back. No way. And the only time I go into an Irish pub is to meet other Toytowners to tell the truth. I have more German friends than ExPats, have been with Herr Indoors nearly 4 years and we speak German at home apart from when I get a bit teary/drunk/sweary/all of the above.
Yes I do have the language on my side and yes my job situation is very different to other people here (I now have a lifetime contract with a NGO and pay no income tax). Even so Munich is still a great place to live and work. It is clean, safe, I've only ever seen fights outside of the Shamrock, the people are nice in the places that I go to and you're close to the countryside and mountains (I don't ski but do hike). I see the Frauenkirche on my way to work each morning and it makes me grin, cheers me up every time I see it, I am happy to live in a place where other people go on holiday to.
I LOVE MUNICH
Katrina

I'll be in for the buying a pub bit. I'll run the kitchen side, and if you don't mind, I'd like to do the scoring for any darts matches in a great geordie accent.

Lower bar than the one in Murphy's though please - wanna do loads of Dirty Den style vaulting the bar to throw out rowdy customers.

Yes Granny, 'The Quiet Man' was filmed all over the west of ireland: a lot of it Cong (which is ironic as Cong is a 'planted' town) which is one of my favourite places on earth. The mountainy stuff is connemara but I'm not sure about the cliffs: would have to watch the film again, but it could be the cliffs of moher. I have also tramped over every mountain in connemara, and being there over the christmas made me yearn for real wild trekking, no paths no people no huts (although I do like me huts now). Ahhhhhh, sigh, bad way to start the week

Fabulous idea Don, and in discussions I've already had this weekend, your name was mentioned continually regarding the food. And scoring the darts? No problem - remember though, you don't get anything in this game for two in a bed.

As for a lower bar, the one at Murphys is too high, but that's probably just as well - some dickhead was chatting to a few of us yesterday and I fear that some of the things he was saying would have made you vault the bar and attack him.

But anyway - so there's another good thing in Munich - a pub that doesn't actually yet exist except in conceptual form...for now anyway.

leider not. I have just paid 27 quid (just under €40) for a salad and 3 glasses of red wine (does include the service, mind. and at least the staff didn't bark at me...) and a single tube ticket for zone one is now up to 2 quid (€3.40) thanks to our raving looney commie mayor

PS re
again, leider not. you forget the killer effect of the rentenversicherung, arbeitslosenversicherung and krankenversicherung, which take about a 20% bite out of most people's PRETAX income off the bat - the income tax rate would have to go down to 0% on the first €30,000 a year or so to compensate for the difference... higher earners (over €150k or so) will be roughly on the same deal if they are married with children and gesetzlich krankenversichert. but of course the cost of living is lower...

Hey Jordigo - you may have paid 40 Euros for your scoff, but there are plenty of choices for less money. Every major city in Western Europe you can probably pay between £5 (McDonalds) and £200+ a head for dinner - but I reckon it is consistently on average cheaper over here for food.

And the disposable income per household stats from the BBC Website are:

UK: £24,407
France: £22,668
Germany: £22,665
Spain: £19,411
Italy: £17,051
Source: CEBR

I dunno who "CEBR" but I am assuming they are someone with half an idea to be quoted on the BBC website.

So in your defence that is about an 8% difference with regards to "disposable" income, but I reckon cheaper housing over here alone murders that 8% before we add anything else to the equation.

London Tube fares are here but it means nothing to me frankly:

http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/content/tickets/quickFares_2004.asp

having said all that, jimbo, if you have a serious and well-thought out idea for a bar I may be in the market for investing a few p in such a venture

Not yet at any rate do I have a serious plan, just a few ideas that I and a few others have been kicking around over a pint. When I have some time I'm going to do a little investigation work and get some sort of an idea of the costs and so on that would be involved.

I don't care how much public transport costs, I just know that my life improved tremendously the minute I stopped having to commute into London, giving me an extra 3hrs life in my day on average. I now travel 10mins to work, massive difference.
Katrina

But you cannot compare travelling in London to travelling in Munich. Munich only has 1.2 million people, where as London has 8 million. To really compare Munich to anywhere, you have to compare this with the likes of Manchester, etc.

I've lived and worked in London.
I've lived and worked in Munich.
I'll compare what I want to thank you but Birmingham, West Midlands has a similar population size to Munich and when I lived there as well I still had a 45 minute commute.
Katrina

@Katrina - Sorry

Hmm.. I've lived pretty much all over, Grew up in London, where I had a minimum 1 hr 30 to work and same back again, Birmingham, well the public transport in Birmingham just does not exist, but I found Manchester a little better, particularly as they have the trams there now !