To the Australians: Why are you here in Germany?

[Hutcho 2,227]

 

For me what I love about Australia is the mulit-culturism and thank goodness for this because other wise we would be eating bloody stodgy pom food like baked beans, roast dinner, meat and three veg and so on...thank goodness that Aus has embraced the Turks, Italians, Greeks. Asians etc...the variety and quality of foods is simply amazing and that is something I do miss here in Germany is the variety and options..

You're talking about Melbourne, which is a rare exception and known as the culture captial of Australia. Brisbane is the far from a multicultural city in that sense. Here in Munich I can go to a restaraunt from any part of the world. I was at a Brazilian restaurant a couple of weeks ago and before that an Afghani place. Maybe Munich is the exception in Germany though, I don't know. Its the only place I have real experience with.

 

 

I also miss the ability to live in a house with a big back yard and being able to own it as an investment, where as here it´s too expensive to buy a flat, let alone a house..

This is one downside to Munich. However if you compare Munich (most expensive in Germany) to Sydney, which would be the most expensive city in Australia, I think you'll find they compare pretty favourably. In fact, I pay the same rent for my 80sqm place here that my friend does for his 100sqm place in Brisbane. I get 20sqm cellar space and underground parking though, and he doesn't. You can have a house here with a garden for a reasonable price, but you'll just have to move out to where there is no public transport - just like the majority in Australia. In fact, in the east property would be substantially cheaper than in most of Australia.

 

 

I loved been at the supermarket and having my bags packed and been treated with respect.

You've got me there. I never thought I cared about customer service before I got to Germany. I really miss that about Australia now.

 

 

I love our beautiful clean beaches, rainforests..I wouldn´t give that up for anything

True, but in my opinion, the lakes and mountains of Bavaria beat it. Personal choice on this one though.

 

 

I love Australians and our laid back way of life, but sometimes we can be stupid and crazy but who isn´t???

What does "laid back" mean? People always say this, but I'm not Australian's are really much more laid back than Germans. Maybe when you speak to an Australian, the way they talk seems laidback, but the lifestyle I think is quite similar to over here in Germany.

 

 

I don´t miss being stared at for dressing differently

Again, you're in Melbourne. Go to Berlin and you won't be stared at either. Go to Brisbane and you will be stared at.

[mightypies 7]

Hang about! This sounds like a vendetta against Brisbane, not Australia...

 

So far you've mentioned that you like Germany more than Australia. But the examples you've given are a tad skewed. You say that Melbourne is the exception to the rule, but Brisbane is not. Isn't Melbourne Australia as well (more so than Brissie in my opninion)? Cite differences for the whole country, not just select areas.

 

Maybe the differences between Munich and Brisbane should be discussed, not Australia and Germany.

[Hutcho 2,227]

I don't have too much experience with Melbourne so I can't comment. On the experience that I do have, I know that if I ever had to come back, that is the place I'd head to. Original poster talked about good weather though, so they probably weren't talking about Melbourne

 

Still, I'd be more than happy to hear from anyone that can chime in and say why their part of Australia is better than Germany.. really, I would like some solid advantages to Australia over Germany so that if I ever do get back there one day I can console myself with them.

 

Thought of some more advantages while I was out too:

 

* 6 Weeks holiday and loads of public holidays

* Low crime (Munich anyway)

 

I was out doing the shopping though, and thought of a positive about Australia - supermarkets. Man, what I would give to just have a Woolworths here. We all know that German supermarkets are appalling though.

[MadAxeMurderer 6,176]

 

Man, what I would give to just have a Woolworths here.

There are at least 2 woolworths here, but they're pretty skanky.

 

I lived a year in Sydney, visited Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin, Alice did the whole circuit. Often I wonder why I left, but except for the mult-culturism bit, I do agree with Hutch. Especially regarding the urban sprawl. Yes its nice to live in a house with a garden, but you have to drive miales and miles to see countryside. Here you can cycle to green fields.

[kimf 7]

Australia is absolutely beautiful, there is no question about that. But it is so isolated that it gets quite monotonous in the long run. Like someone said in a previous post, you have to fly for 8-10 hrs to experience a new culture. I left Sydney for Europe after my studies for what was only supposed to be 12 months, and here I am 14 years later, still in Europe! I especially love Munich! What I love about living in Europe is that you can escape your daily routine by flying to another country for a week-end; something which is impossible to do in Oz. I still love Sydney but everytime I go back to visit family, I get pretty bored after 2 weeks and can't wait to get back here.

I think the only time that I would consider moving back to Sydney would possibly be when I retire and my body is too frail for snowboarding .

[Pleb 45]

Australia is beautiful but so is Europe, just in different ways.

 

There are bogans (uneducated, opinionated idiots) in every culture. (steering clear of the generalised vehicle centralised bogan).

 

The beaches and rainforests of Australia are absolutely unbeatable. But as always you need to get away from the population to experience them properly.

 

I love Australia for it's nature but can't stand it for it's Amercianised politics.

 

I miss my mates and had my own Business in Oz but soon these will develop here.

 

Life rocks no matter where you are... It all of your own making.

 

As far as comparing cities, it doesn't really work for me.

 

Every city has it's own particular feel, but in the end they are all buildings and boxes filled with shitloads of people. When I want to experience something beautiful, I head for the nature...

 

I REALLY MISS THE SURF!!!

 

but I've learnt to snowboard!

[boomtown_rat 629]

I'm not sure what's worse, expats criticising their new country compared to their home country or expats criticising their home country compared to the new country

[Pirulero 21]

I think the only common thing on both sides of that equation is 'expats'...we suck man!

[Yarra 60]

What to make of the Australian diaspora. There are nearly 1 million of us! http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/13/1041990218079.html

[don_riina 7,405]

 

In Australia you have to worry about shit biting you all the time

Indeed. So what is the national footwear of choice? Hardy, leather boots? Nope, flip flops. Snakes and scorpions and shit everywhere, but the aussies wear "thongs" on their feet. Brave, or ridiculously stupid, you decide...

[Tiggi 144]

 

I'm not sure what's worse, expats criticising their new country compared to their home country or expats criticising their home country compared to the new country

Actually, when it's done like this, I think it's very interesting. As someone who's never been to Australia, I've certainly learnt a lot from this thread!

[chocolatemouse 2]

This topic never ceases to stir up strong emotions for expats. I think Australia has many wonderful things to offer, just different things from what you will find in Europe and that is part of the fun of travelling and seeing the world. If everything were the same what’s the point of leaving home? It’s just a case of different people wanting different things out of life.

 

My comment on a few of the posts made here:

 

1.There are idiots, rought necks, uneducated types, whathever you want to call them everywhere you go and not being able to point out where Europe or America is on the map is not solely an Australian shortcoming. Besides, just because you don’t know where Europe is on a map doesn’t mean you can’t string half decent sentences together, some people just aren’t interested in what’s happening outside their backyard. Fair enough.

 

2.The cost of housing has gone up considerably in the last five years. There are houses within 5 to ten minutes of the city center in Brisbane (can’t say for the other cities) but of course you have to fork out the money for the priveledge. Some people complain about living in the suburbs like it’s a death sentence but isn’t NOT living in the city the whole point? So you have quiet, space for a backyard and when there isn’t a drought have decent greenery surrounding you instead of staring into one block of concrete after another?

 

3.We can’t do much about the distance but the cost of travelling to Asia and the Pacific Islands has dropped considerably in recent years and is significantly better than five years ago. Sure it’s not Europe but you have to take what your’re given and work with it.

 

4.The social welfare system is nowhere near as generous as Germany, nor are the employee rights so heavily protected. I think Australia has gone too far in the whole we can’t afford it so you have to pay for it yourself track and could do a lot more to make what money there is work (especially for the public health system) but but I also think that Germany will inevitably have to cut back on its handouts and loosen up its labour laws simply because it can’t afford it and the economy is screaming for reform.

 

5.Finally, people go on and on about the tall poppy syndrome that society is afraid of and resent others reacher a better economic/social station than themselves but I think it is not so much this but that Australians (like most other people) don’t like people who constantly point out their newly acquired status, making themselves feel better by putting down those around them. I think this behaviour is quite prevalent. I have met many people who came from working class backgrounds and have done well for themselves but have been unaffected by their new status. I have also met many people who come from middle class backgrounds who get accepted at a goodish university to do an acceptable degree, get a promotion at work, go overseas for a few years and crap on about how great they are and proceed to belittle everyone else around them these groups of people are treated rather differently as you can imagine. I think given Australia’s fairly flat social hierarchy some people, particularly the middle class, are dead set on creating a point of difference, often using superficial means such as going to private school, the right university, wearing it brands and knowing the places to be and the latest cool think to eat or drink etc...but I think this behaviour is prevalent everywhere.

 

I left home and came to live in Berlin three months ago and whilst I ejoy living here I have yet to make up my mind about staying here permanently and am trying to maintain an objective view. There’s no point in ragging one place or the other, they both have their benefits and their drawbacks. Like comparing apples to oranges really.

[Johnny English 3,071]

My tuppence worth - Australian TV and newspapers are pretty bloody awful as well.

 

My last trip was in 2003 for 5 weeks. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane. All nice in their own way but did not give me a really burning desire to live there. I reckon Perth must be worse 'cos that really is miles from anywhere so even more isolated.

[Timmeh 828]

I like Australia enough...just not the weather

[nixe 9]

I left home (Sydney), not because it is a bad place to live but rather, because you only live once and there is a whole world out there to see and experience. I simply don't want to be one of those people who gets to the end of their life and has never left home. Some people are satisfied with living like that and goodluck to them if that makes them happy but I am not one of those people. At the moment it suits me to live in Germany and as a country I think it has a lot to offer (apart from the pain-in-the-arse bureaucracy that is). Life is no better or worse here than in Sydney - just different and that's what I like.

[TheSwedishChef 654]

Spot on there Nixe.

[miss e 0]

haha its funny, so many Germans have asked me the same question! For me it was a mix of reasons, but basically there were things I didn't like about Australia, so I wanted to leave it, whereas my experiences with Germans and their culture inspired me to live there instead.

 

I'm not saying Australia is all bad, but the problem for me was that a lot of its good points were wasted on me, for example I am quite a bookish city-slicker type, so I didn't appreciate the chance to surf or play sport outdoors like lots of people do in Australia. In fact I hated the beach because with such pale skin I just get burnt anyway!

 

In Australia my personality was seen as unusual, and at school I suffered some of the 'tall poppy syndrome' that other users have talked about, but when I went to Germany I made friends easily because us bookish types are less stigmatised in Germany I think. On top of that I found that Germans were more open to new and unusual experiences; so being different wasn't such a problem as it was in Australia. For me Germans seem to be less superficial, and I appreciated the depth and sincerity of the friendships I made.

 

In Germany I really love the public transport system and the fact that I can ride my bicycle to work- the combination means I don't need to run a car which saves me money, forces me to get fit and helps the environment. I've always been interested in social issues and politics and so I appreciate the Germans' concern for social welfare and the environment, but in Australia I notice an indifference or even hostility to action taken on these issues.

 

So for me the reasons for moving were predominantly personal ones, but actually I have met a number of Australian and American expats who came to Germany for similar reasons, so I guess I am more typical than it might seem at first.

[InvestorClass 19]

Australia over the past decade has become too Americanized, in every Australian city you could honestly think you are in Southern California(sprawling suburbs, malls, fast food, fat women), look at the rush hour traffic in Sydney, it is nuts. Oprah Winfrey has invaded the country and a result Gen X and Gen Y Australian women are as messed up in their brains as American and Canadian(Canucks are American ass lickers) women. Having a penis and a strong desire for sex, Germany is a much better country than Australia.

[InvestorClass 19]

Another thing two simple words about Australia's future: China and Indonesia. One is going to own the country(China owns about 20 percent of Australian mines), the other is genuine security threat to Australia. Indonesia has over 270 million people, one of the largest bases for Islamic radicals(Abu Bakar Al Bashir, the spiritual leader of the Bali terrorists is running free). Australia's once white policy is going to be Asian only real soon. About ten percent of Muslims worldwide subscribe to extremist ideology( Kill all White people etc.) so there are 27 million potential suicide bombers living just North of Darwin. There is trouble brewing in the Australian paradise.

[nixe 9]

Wow you sound like Pauline Hanson.

 

Oh well, if I go back then at least maybe I'll finally be able to put those years studying Chinese language and politics to good use (and they say studying humanities subjects at uni is useless. Pffft !) :ph34r: