Posted 13 Sep 2022 On 9/12/2022, 10:49:45, Gambatte said: Our child has two nationalities, not four. When started school could speak 4 languages but couldn't write any. BTW I know a guy with 3 nationalities. Why 3? Because he gave up one. No kidding. I know a guy born with 3, and now has 4. Reddit has a thread with people who have more. Very frustrating. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 13 Sep 2022 1 hour ago, kaffeemitmilch said: Reddit has a thread with people who have more. Very frustrating. Why frustrating? 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 13 Sep 2022 50 minutes ago, Gambatte said: Why frustrating? I WANT! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 13 Sep 2022 1 minute ago, kaffeemitmilch said: I WANT! You want some more nationalities? 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 13 Sep 2022 1 hour ago, Gambatte said: You want some more nationalities? Well to be fair I just want German at the moment, but yeah why not. The more the merrier :) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 13 Sep 2022 Did the Germans change the rule yet, that allows foreigners to have 2 passports? 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 13 Sep 2022 58 minutes ago, yesterday said: Did the Germans change the rule yet, that allows foreigners to have 2 passports? Yes, at least long ago 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 13 Sep 2022 1 hour ago, kaffeemitmilch said: Well to be fair I just want German at the moment, but yeah why not. The more the merrier :) Fine with a Germany resident wanting German citizenship, but this you can have it fairly easily after long enough residence (of course, language test, bla bla). But why wishing even more nationalities, I don't get it... Never mind. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 13 Sep 2022 Could get complicated if you have lots of nationalities and are eligible for military service. I am very happy with two😃 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 13 Sep 2022 7 hours ago, kaffeemitmilch said: I know a guy born with 3, and now has 4. Reddit has a thread with people who have more. Very frustrating. Best I can do is that at one time, not too long ago, I had a British passport, a Swiss driving license, a Maltese ID and lived in Germany. Imagine the German burocrats confusion. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 13 Sep 2022 I only have two passports but when I moved here I had the choice to swap my Canadian drivers license for a German one or get my Icelandic license renewed. Icelandic license was less hassle although at the time a German license was tempting because they did not expire at the time. That ended up changing though. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 14 Sep 2022 In Dresden at least, people usually stand by the side of the doors leaving a space. A couple of years ago I saw a British couple on a tram, standing opposite but not near the doors. When it stopped, they didn't make any signs of wanting to leave so everyone started getting on and they got all flustered trying to battle against the flow. If they'd looked like they were leaving they'd have had no trouble. Probably blamed it on The Germans and their lack of queuing ability. I feel more integrated these days. It's just been 30 years Didn't have as much chance to go out and meet people when I was bringing up the kids; my then husband was a workaholic so I had to look after them alone until late at night. Now the kids are in their own places and I just have a live-out boyfriend with whom I speak only German (spoke English to ex-husband). Can go out and do more, so now meet up with other Germans and do different activities several times a week - and the boyfriend is very much into a work/life balance so we spend much more time together chatting. My German was already good but now I find I'm coming up with more complicated phrases, or saying stuff that's hard to translate into English. Still meet up with an international group; some are old friends who've lived here decades and some are German so it doesn't feel much of a foreign bubble, though. During Covid it seems quite a few of them have made decisions to break up with their husbands etc. and/or go back to their native countries. I didn't intend to stay here when I first came and wasn't too happy about the idea of staying here "forever" as that became a possibility. But nowadays I feel happier here so it's not such an issue. Still can't stand 80% of German TV programmes, though 😂 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 14 Sep 2022 I wonder what would happen if we who have been in Germany many years went back to live in our country of origin😉 Many things have not changed (landscape?) but many have, no M+S on the High Street anymore, lots more houses where there used to be fields. Ubiquity of Polish people in the UK would be a Plus for me, I have met lots of nice Poles in Germany. Lots of nice Germans too of course. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 14 Sep 2022 54 minutes ago, Fietsrad said: I wonder what would happen if we who have been in Germany many years went back to live in our country of origin😉 If one travels back often, then changes seem mild and slow. But if you have not returned for some years, then it can be very unsettling! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 14 Sep 2022 I know my home country has changed a lot. I don't think I'd want to go back for good. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 14 Sep 2022 I came to the realisation some years ago that I don't fit in back home any longer. I love to go there to visit family and friends, but I'm not sure I could live there today. Not only has Ireland changed a lot, but I have too. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 14 Sep 2022 Us expats change more than those who stay at home. We learn to adapt and meet a more varied population, with work and social life. Can be hard initially, but can make us stronger. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 15 Sep 2022 On 13.9.2022, 21:23:19, LeonG said: a German license was tempting because they did not expire at the time. That ended up changing though. You have to differentiate between the "Fahrerlaubnis" (which doesn´t expire) and the "Führerschein", the document proving that you´re allowed to drive (which does). Driving without the former may land you in jail, driving without the latter will cost you €10. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 15 Sep 2022 The population of the UK has increased substantially since I fled. Where do the millions of extra people live? 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 15 Sep 2022 In people s back gardens apparently... loads of sheds, garages, semi permanent buildings gone up without planning permission. In London they occupy beds 24/7 on a rotating shift basis. And pay a fortune for it. Makes Dickens look cushy. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
