Regrets on making a permanent move to Germany

[silty1 3,635]

15 hours ago, Williamkane said:

I have to ask... what's being white got to do with anything? 

 

As a non white I had to try extra hard but it was worth it

Haven't you answered your own question here? 

 

There is massive discrimination in the rental market here, but it's the same all over.  For example, in supposedly open, friendly, multicultural Canada, my Haitian friend in Vancouver was denied rentals.  Guy has a PhD, steady job, but no, sorry, no flat for you this time, fella.

[msam 506]

A "move" only becomes truly permanent (as per thread title) when you're dead...
 

[PapaFox 2]

Interesting one for my first post. I've been hoping to move to Germany with my family for years and we are finally in a position where we could do so in the next few months. I have a masters degree in Engineering and can speak reasonable German (maybe somewhere between B2 and at a push C1) from having learned it for interest's sake, but i'm under no illusions that it will be all plain sailing. However, I'm a big believer in it being better to regret something you did do rather than something you didn't... usually  

[BradinBayern 1,647]

1 minute ago, PapaFox said:

Interesting one for my first post. I've been hoping to move to Germany with my family for years and we are finally in a position where we could do so in the next few months. I have a masters degree in Engineering and can speak reasonable German (maybe somewhere between B2 and at a push C1) from having learned it for interest's sake, but i'm under no illusions that it will be all plain sailing. However, I'm a big believer in it being better to regret something you did do rather than something you didn't... usually  

I would not make the decision based on people venting on the internet...

 

What kind of Engineering?  

[PapaFox 2]

6 minutes ago, BradinBayern said:

I would not make the decision based on people venting on the internet...

 

What kind of Engineering?  

No, it's pretty much a made decision assuming I can get a job, but still interesting to hear the opinions of those that have done it. Radio frequency engineering

[zrcalo 4]

On 7/23/2017, 1:56:29, garyh911 said:

 

I was sort of in a similar situation.  I grew up in a German-American family in New York; my father and grandparents and their friends spoke a lot of German.  My sister and I were told " You are Americans, Speak English.  You don't have to learn German"  Well now, I'm 66 and I have lived in Germany for 7 years with my German wife.  Even with my background, I find it difficult here with the culture and learning the language.  I always wondered why Germans in the US seemed a bit strange and rude - well they are the same here so it's hard for a New Yorker to get used to.  If I had it to do again, I wouldn't come here.  I can speak passable German (maybe B1 level) and my most interesting experience here was taking all my German classes with all the various foreigners that I met and still correspond with.  Try to learn at least advanced intermediate German (B2) before you come here.

 

So some other advice for you.  Unless you have a burning desire to come here and are prepared for a stressful experiece and looking forward to that kind of thing, I would stay in the US.  You might do better in a small city, a better climate and mostly English speaking people than where you are now.  The Southwest is the last place I would have gone to in the US.  But there are just as many problems here with illegal immigrants who just don't want to learn German, or integrate, and want to keep speaking their own languages.  I visited Germany back in the 80's with my father and it was a much better country then, even with the wall !  My wife is an East German so I hope she doesn't see this !  Ha !

 

aah, I was born in the southwest, so I know nothing different. 

also to people who say to take a class, there are no classes offered to people out of highschool that are not thousands of dollars. The local community college isnt bad, but I would lose all benefits if I decided to take a class there. 
I have no formal training in any field and I've only ever had a temporary job that wasnt self employed once in my life (and it was part time), as I just cannot work. 
I make a good living off ebay and being an artist (thankyou furries), and that's basically kept me afloat. I live off food stamps as well (though my girlfriend in germany that wouldnt be a problem) I also have a pre-existing mental condition. 
so it looks like I might just not be able to survive at all in germany without being an utterly useless dredge on society lol. As I refuse to make under $450 a month (I'm used to about $600-$900 and with my girlfriend helping I could probably push $1,000 a month or even more, which is the whole point of me moving there)
though it looks like private insurance wont cover me and public insurance wont cover me.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
here in the US I get 100% free healthcare that's covered through everything, which is the best I'll say. I'm 28, I'll add.

[optimista 5,934]

On 24/07/2017 à, Lavender Rain said:

...  what I said is about MY experience here in Germany, if you think that's shit-slinging so be it. 

LR you got the wrong end of the stick! I lived in Bavaria too long and my observations referred to what I experience there. I don't think YOU are shit-slinging. On the contrary, "challenging behaviour" is a very politically correct and measured term in contrast to the one I have used!

[Lavender Rain 7,859]

 

12 minutes ago, optimista said:

LR you got the wrong end of the stick! I lived in Bavaria too long and my observations referred to what I experience there. I don't think YOU are shit-slinging. On the contrary, "challenging behaviour" is a very politically correct and measured term in contrast to the one I have used!

 

optimista, thanks for the clarification. I appreciate it. 

[Williamkane 22]

I'm still picking my lungs up off the floor. A new yorker on about rudeness holy shit. That's like a harmed robber complaining about crime. Lol

[Tammodar 100]

When I first came to Germany in 1983 I was in my early 20s and had the 
specific intention of learning as much about the German langugage,
culture and life as I could and as quickly as possible, but never 
thought I would spend the next 30+ years here. The original plan
was to finish my university degree and move on after about 5 years
to see something else and get to know another country. 
At the beginning it was a bit rough, as I had no previous knowledge 
of German, but I managed and was able to speak the language resonably 
well after about two years - and then everything else just seemed to
fall into place. Now I am fluent in German and feel very comfortable 
here. Many of my friends are German and some are Brits who have also 
been here for years, I work for a German company and I have a wonderful
German wife. All in all it has been a remarkable and rewarding experience 
and I have been witness to many changes in German society and culture.
I think Germany is a much more open, friendly and tolerant place to 
live than it was 30 years ago. I cannot imagine returning to the UK 
now, especially in light of the recent developments there. I think
that if you are open to cultural differences without immediately 
judging them to be good or bad and are willing to put a good effort 
into learning the language, Germany can be a very nice place to live.
To sum it up: I have no regrets moving to Germany.

[Williamkane 22]

I am in total agreement, when I first went to germany I had literally no experience of the language, luckily I have family there who can also speak English better than me lol. 

I spent 5 years there on and off throughout my teens and twenties. 

I made a real effort to learn the language. My family after a few months, once I got a grasp of a few words, would only speak to me in German. so I had to put the effort in after about 6 months I was quite fluent. I found as well if you are willing to put the effort in and Germans know you are trying, they will help you. 

I would give my back teeth to move back. 

[jibberJabber 44]

22 hours ago, Williamkane said:

 

I would give my back teeth to move back. 

 

Why, if I may ask?

[ballygobackwards 97]

We moved here from norniron in 1970 and never regretted it. Our kids soon adapted to the language and way of life and we cannot imagine returning Thanks to them we were accepted early into the community but each immigrant must be prepared to  change his way of life and accept we are the newcomers not the natives.  A holiday in Northern Ireland is OK but the highlight for me is the return flight to Munich.

[Uncle Nick 6,245]

On 25.7.2017, 14:33:25, msam said:

A "move" only becomes truly permanent (as per thread title) when you're dead...
 

 

and buried in the place you moved to.

[Williamkane 22]

5 hours ago, jibberJabber said:

 

Why, if I may ask?

The quality of life is had. Work life balance. Friends and family. Plus the fact if I wanted to go on holiday to Italy for example I could just drive across the border. 

And the quality of the women. I could go on.

 

Here in the UK. 

No work life balance I.e my average working week is 50 hours plus for a fraction of the pay.

My rent and living costs are extortionate 

And the women on average are awful.

Again I could go on. 

Oh did I mention brexit? 

 

If I get the slightest opportunity to move bacloser to germany you won't see me in the UK for dust.

[Williamkane 22]

On 25/07/2017, 05:29:34, silty1 said:

Haven't you answered your own question here? 

 

There is massive discrimination in the rental market here, but it's the same all over.  For example, in supposedly open, friendly, multicultural Canada, my Haitian friend in Vancouver was denied rentals.  Guy has a PhD, steady job, but no, sorry, no flat for you this time, fella.

To answer a question about being non white. In the UK. Growing up in felt I had to work twice hard as my white country men. 

In Germany however I had to work doubly hard I.e learning the language, the culture and my way around. I never once in Germany felt I was working hard because I am non white. Or maybe I ignored it don't know the point is I had other issues other than what colour my skin is. I hope I cleared that up.

[cybil 1,465]

I love Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken.' It means so much more to me now than it did when I first read it in high school. Today, staying in America is the road not taken by me. Had I never come to Germany, Germany would be the road not taken. Now I am here but I could still go back there, maybe not now but somewhere down the road. I don't see Germany as permanent for me, at this point, but it could end up being permanent. The days go by and I'm still here after all. 

[BayrischDude 2,080]

2 hours ago, cybil said:

Now I am here but I could still go back there,

 

Quite often Germans ask me if I would.  Go where, is often my response.  I have traveled the world for work, lived here for more then 30 years.  Grew up in the US, Mexico and Scotland.  I've been back to those countries of childhood, but it is not the same.  It feels oddly foreign to me.

 

A few years ago, I opted to be German.  The passports in English are now gone and mine is in German. 

 

I suppose I am here to stay.  It has become home and I am quite happy with it.

[LukeSkywalker 7,662]

On 24. August 2017 um 18:51:45, Williamkane said:

And the quality of the women. I could go on.

Uhh. Uhh. Just uhh.