How to meet people in and around Heidelberg

Hallo!
I live here for a few years now and very good friends of mine have just moved away. I somehow have the impression that the Germans are not very open and outwardly not friendly on the whole. By now I have the feeling that I have the plague :blink:
Has anybody got any suggestions as to where one can meet some poeple, or should I join a convent...
I'm quite sure that maybe the people in Heidelberg are shy and that it is I that is making a mistake

Any suggestions from like-minded people?

Buy the "Meier", look for "Freizeitgruppen" or something like that.
Check out some of the groups.
For me that worked.

Vereine Heidelberg ...

Hi,

thanks a lot for your help. I'll have a look if I can find anything in the 'Meier' Magazine...:-)

I noticed that the poeple in southern Germany are much more friendly than here...sometimes I think the have a banana in their...

You could try reviving the fortnightly drinks in Heidelberg event.

Heidelberg is Southern Germany

Keep an eye to the pub quizzes in Heidelberg and Mannheim Murphys Law.

We still meet once a week (normally tuesdays) and are a very welcoming group.

The fortnightly drinks that Editor Bob spoke about has kinda died until the good weather comes back. But if you know of anything going on in Heidelberg post in that section and we'll normally come along.

hope to meet you soon

Jodiejo

--> Heidelberg is Southern Germany

Well,I think that one can go a little more south, think about the County Bayern

But otherwise thanks for the idea Jodie Jo. I would love to join you for the pub quiz thing :-)...

So, probably see you next Tuesday

hey! A few of us might be meeting up on friday night in Heidelberg for a few drinks and something to eat!

if your interested in coming along check out the fortnightly drinks thread.

Fortnightly drinks Heidelberg and Mannheim

hope to see some of you on Friday.

Jodiejo

I have been here nearly 3 years and have not made many friends. Of course it wasn't much different in the US when I moved to a new State. Some places just aren't as easy to get to know people. I have met many Germans and I have the utmost respect for their culture, however my language difficulties really slow things down. I know, I should get of me arse and learn the language but it just isn't happening and I don't think it is going to happen. I put myself in the position of the Germans and things make good sense, for example: If I were a German moving to the US, how would the locals respond to me if I did not speak English? Not well, I tell ya. You are expected to speak the language of the country inwhich you are living if you expect to fit in well with their society.

Here in the Heidelberg area, we have plenty of English speakers. If you are associated with the US military, you can have your own social life without worrying about learning German. It is too bad. I think there was a time when Germans welcomed Americans better, let us in to their hearts and homes, helped us learn the language. The attitude has chilled substantially given world events. We Americans need to work hard to get the respect we want. Of course, our politicians make that very difficult -- ouch did I say that?

I still love Germany, the sights and the people. I wish I could be more intimate with the culture, but I guess that just isn't in the cards for me.

BEST BEER IN THE WORLD,
Rick

I don't understand, why some people allways want to get respect. Why not having a nice time time with some beer and nice talks?

I think there was a time when Americans welcomed Germans .. in Patrick Henry Village.
Nowerdays there is a double fence, remembering me in the former GDR fence. "You are now leaving the democratic sector.."
People told me that in former days they had an Octoberfest with American ice cream and other nice memories.

In my opinion the reason why Germans are not as much interested as in former times to get in touch with Americans is the fact, that Germans now travel more.
In former times the only way to get in touch with people outside Germany were American (or British, Canadian and French) soldiers.
.. and the fences don't make it easier. I remember four years ago the American playground was accessible from the Rohrbacher Str.. Now it's behind a fence.

When were those "former times" ?

MTV has turned into a "zoo" really (that's what those fences remind me of), especially in comparison to the 80s/90s. PHV always was sorta "closed-off", even back then. Part of that of course because PHV is in the middle of nowhere out in the fields behind the A5. Back in the 80s/90s, there were still Americans living in PHV and in particular MTV who sent their kids to German schools, and who got into regular contact with German parents around their neighborhood. German and American kids playing on the same playgrounds, etc.
PHV also held their annual German-American Volksfest, and MTV was pretty much halfway integrated into German neighborhoods really. I think there were even a couple Germans using the service at the American church in MTV.

That all changed, significantly, within 48 hours after 9/11. It started with military patrols roaming the streets - yes, including the immediately adjacent German areas -, German police roadblocks around the neighborhood (my route to work back then ran by both MTV and the PX - i usually was checked on 2 or 3 roadblocks per day), even tactical positions being dug out for sentries on some corners in MTV, and the ground floors of all US housing in MTV being closed.

The really ridiculous thing with the playgrounds in MTV btw was immediately before the fences were built. They planted signs in the sandboxes (!) of the playgrounds reading "Military Area. Do not enter." with the usual warning about firearms in use. These playgrounds are in a small street with US housing on one side and German houses on the other side.

I agree with rokitrik...I've been living here for more than three years :-), but can't really find any friends either. Unfortunately I'm not American, so I can't go into the PX or anywhere around there.
I know I should learn German, but somehow it won't work, even after several language courses. Well, my German isn't that bad :-) but I still can't really have a long conversation with somebody German speaking. And it is very hard to hold a conversation with somebody who has very little English!
I really think it's a pity that the Americans have blocked themselves off from the rest of Heidelberg to such an extent. I used to live in Worms and it was not so. Everybody could walk in and out of the Patrick-Henry-Village whenever they wanted to...
I like Germany as a country, otherwise I wouldn't have stayed here for such a length of time, but somehow the Germans are not very open...I don't know why!

Why don't you go to O'Reillys or the Dubliner, you'll soon get to know people.

or come along to one of the fortnightly meet ups.

your also more than welcome to join either pub quiz group Mannheim or Heidelberg. I know from the Mannheim side we always need extra help! No knowledge is too stupid for us

We also have quiet a mixture of age ranges in our group.