2 Years of Living in Germany | How am I feeling?
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- Опубліковано 20 жов 2023
- It's been 2 years since we moved to Germany! We have had our ups and downs, it has been really hard at times, but we made it through and feeling quite settled down at this point. In this video I discuss language, finding friends and some of the things that I still think of as something negative in Germany. Thanks for watching!
We live in a super small village in Niedersachsen (originally from the biggest city in South Africa). It is hard to make German friends, but once you do they're yours for life! It took our neighbours a year before they would say anything except hallo to us, now we can't walk our dogs around the block without stopping at least one or two of the houses along the street for a chat or an invite to something. I've heard joining a Verein can help to get to know people but in our village the only one I saw available to me was a crochet and knitting one (which I actually prefer to do alone and quietly). 😂 Anyway, love the food (I do miss the variety of fruit from SA, we're not big on dining out so that doesn't really bug us), okay with the weather (each season has its own sort of beauty), absolutely crazy about the safety and availability of work, and very satisfied with the medical system too. Schooling would be phenomenal if there was enough teachers, but they are doing well with what's available. I hope that wherever you are or end up, you will feel at home.
Thank you for showing me your perspective! There are definitely many advantages in Germany, and sometimes I focus too much on the negatives, that's for sure 🤷♀
I wish you and your little family make the right decisions! Nothing is more important than feeling comfortable where you want to build your life. Privately, at work and also socially.
I agree!
Come to Berlin ! ❤
I agree with all your prons and cons.
Hello! I think it would be quite difficult to learn a completely different language. As I learned from the video, you are a native Russian speaker, but have very good English language skills.
Even people who speak English well (including native speakers) have problems learning German, but conversely it is obviously easier for Germans to learn English. Both are Indo-Germanic languages.
But the fact is that it will be even more difficult if you don't maintain contact with locals and remain trapped in their language and culture! That's why it's rather negative if children from such families would grow up, for example, in a special multicultural kindergarten where German is not spoken.
What I don't fully understand is why you would choose Germany as your adopted home if you speak English so well? Why not England or the USA? Nobody really gets along well for a long period of time in a country whose language you don't speak well enough! Especially for psychological reasons. Anyone who gets stuck in their language and culture will automatically never become part of a "new" society!
This is exactly the problem of all multicultural societies, where people who meet each other but exist completely next to each other and brings with it the breeding ground for all mistrust!
Yes, language is a big thing for integrating etc. We didn't really choose Germany, my husband was relocated for work and that's why we are here. We never thought of it as the final destination where we will live forever, we just moved because an opportunity arose. And I think we will have to see whether we want to stay on the long-term or we end up moving somewhere else. But I 100% language is a thing that makes a huge difference in terms of how comfortable you feel in a country, how you socialize, spend your free time etc.
If people with a certain level of education come to Germany and still have difficulty learning the national language, what can one expect from people from other, completely foreign cultures who are practically uneducated? How is such a person supposed to be able to interact "positively", which is essential for constructive, peaceful coexistence?! Integration (migration) must therefore usually fail!
Yeah, good point and I think its totally true, that is why there are so many people who move to Germany but still live within their closed groups or communities of their cultures
In Bayern lernt man Menschen entweder auf Arbeit kennen oder in einem Verein. Wenn Du von zuhause arbeitest, schließ dich doch einem Verein an der deinen Interessen entspricht.
Why did you leave Spain?
Полина, добрый! мы с семьей сейчас в ситуации, что после года жизни в Испании, Барсе, мне предлагают контракт в Германию. И все переживания, связанные с посиделками в кафе на улице и открытости людей, те же. Но с зарплатами странно, я искал в автомобильной промышленности и достаточно ответственная должность - это 35к в год, мидл сеньор - 45, при этом налоги - примерно 30%. в Германии же зарплаты заметно вкуснее и, хотя налоги ближе к 40% (хотя для семейных все таки примерно 35%), получается на руки заметно больше. Аренда квартиры с нынешними ценами в Барсе в Германии получается примерно также, продукты, согласно сайтам Aldi и Lidl, максимум на 10% дороже, если же ловить по скидкам, чем все занимаются, то даже ниже цены. Услуги - да, дороже.
Полина, почему я решил, что вы Ольна - непонятно. сорри
Да, наверное, с зарплатами у меня сложилось такое впечатление, потому что в Испании я работала на фрилансе и получалось очень хорошо по зп, а в Германии наоборот нашла работу junior и получился такой даже downgrade.
Да, а в плане времяпрепровождения, в Испании 100% жизнь активнее и интереснее, но если в Германии жить в большом городе, то наверное, тоже можно много чем заниматься) жизнь в маленьком городе в Германии, к сожалению, очень скучна)
Однако приведенные Вами 40% включают в себя "все", не только налоги, но и страхование по безработице, медицинское страхование и страхование долгосрочного ухода. Не надо объединять все вместе как "налог". Кроме того, вы получаете детское пособие в размере 250 евро в месяц на каждого ребенка, оплату больничного листа и, как правило, 30 рабочих дней отпуска. Также часто выплачиваются премии к праздникам и Рождеству.
Working from home is a real socializing killer. Not knowing the language the other. Common interests are a good basis for getting to know other people. The easiest way in Germany is probably joining a club but that requires usually some language skills. So the most important task is to escape the language barrier cage. The small town cage has an escape vehicle called car.
Germans often make the impression of being cold, but the more open you meet them the easier it is to socialize. Good luck!
Thanks so much, 100% agree, language is the most important thing to build a life in a small German town!
Change the city. I lived in the most boring city of Germany - Hannover. And even there you had good food from all over the world and decent night live. Get socialised in clubs - you have thousands of them in every posssible colour. You can play cards, swim or sing or hike. This way you get friends.
By clubs you mean something like a Verein?
@@realandfree Yes. Sorry for my english.
I'm gonna look it up, thank you for the tip! At first I thought you meant clubs like night clubs and I was very confused 😀
@@realandfree Well, the apparent similarity of our languages is my curse. When I was young it was worse. My first order in English was like the famous joke - "can I become a steak?"😅
Was ist denn mit deinem Mann? Findet er Anschluss?
Great video!😊👏🏻Only one thing about Germany: You live in Bavaria which is overall quite save and clean. But there are places and cities in Geramany that are not clean/ safe. But great video, I agree that many people don't consider how much you have to pay tax in Germany!😊
Thanks for sharing, I didn't know!
Yes, that is true, but it is much less common than in most countries on this planet! And who commits the most crimes here should also be known. Germans are much rarer! That is also part of the truth, which some people don't want to believe. Which ultimately leads to more and more people of German origin rejecting the fact that more and more foreigners come in here, which is of course immediately compared to general racism!
Sad but true, because everyone suffers from this, including the decent migrants and refugees!
@@realandfree Of course there are also less beautiful and safe places in Germany, how could it be otherwise? But they are still exceptions and compared to almost all countries in the world, they are still nowhere near as bad!
It seems obvious that the lack of social contacts limits your activities. You can also go out to eat somewhere with a small family or a small circle of friends. Invite each other out or meet at a restaurant. If that is a problem, including the choice of restaurants, then you obviously really live in the outback of Germany and if you don't like the food in general, then you probably actually live in the wrong country! Sorry if I have to say it like that.
Is an entire society to blame if you get bored or if you even feel socially excluded and don't like the food?
I never said I don't have any social contacts, I only said that I don't have german friends, but I have international friends with who I sometimes go out to eat etc :) But for example, in winter time everything is pretty much closed after 5 on a saturday, streets are empty, everyone is chilling at homes. It's just a different way of life than for example in Spain. And of course, I don't blame German society for anything, again, its just a different way of living and I'm still trying to figure out whether its worth it to stay here long-term
Hi, have a nice Sunday! Right, yes you mentioned that you know some “foreigners”, which of course are also “social” contacts. I expressed myself incorrectly and actually meant "social contacts among the locals", because otherwise you will just remain a stranger among strangers, which would then be met with little understanding. Of course, Germans also have a certain environment with which they have more contact, but they don't have any language problems to find new ones and to master their everyday life.
If I were to move permanently to another country, even in a completely foreign culture, I would do everything I could to master the local language as well as possible and contact with locals is always very helpful. I think I can judge this very well because I live in a large family that is very multicultural, with many foreign family members. These include Americans, Welsh, Italians; Serbs. One of my nieces is even married to a Cameroonian (who now speaks almost perfect German). Although English is spoken almost exclusively in the family. Also in my American brother-in-law's family, although they have now lived in Germany for well over 20 years. Here, just contact with other Germans can lead to an improvement in the German language, which fortunately does happen.
Conclusion: If you want or have to live permanently in another (foreign) country, you must have the best possible command of the local language. Otherwise he will never really feel comfortable there! It would be a huge loss of quality of life.
A small town in Baveria is not Germany. Maybe there is not the country in the world, where differences are bigger. That living in the provincr also means a different lifestile, that is luniversal fact. So Cologne, a city of music and media, where Tina Turner meat her husband, a producer for EMI, or Reeperbahn in Hamburg that are different Germanys. But province in Baveria nowerdays is much more openmindet Than Some decates ago! But if they spend a lot of time at home you only have the chance to find friends who invite you Home. So what I see in front og my eyes is making food for each other knitting in wintertime and share a car to Muenchen Airport for a flight to the Canaries.
I Also want to regiment you three youtube channels: Hayley Alexis, a girl from Florida, who lived close to Munich for many years, Fill fram Germany, a girl from. Munich who lives in the USA
I think not speaking/being able to speak German is the biggest problem. After 2 years in a foreign country? Sad for a grown, educated person.
Sounded to me like she played down her knowledge of German a bit. And with the visits of other children and their parents coming up, (and her own kid learning German in Kita) things will change a lot. I remember not knowing any neighbors. Then our first daughter was born and three years later we definitely knew LOTS of neighbors.
I said I speak German, but I don't consider myself fluent enough to build friendships and deep connections in German, as I can do in English or Russian
@@realandfree Isn't that what I said/wrote? I rather think you underestimate your knowledge. You are probably right about missing practice. My children practiced their language skills abroad, my wife started talking English when we had an American house guest for a month. All of us were simply forced to use the 'new' language, because that was what our environment at that time did.
But I also understand, that sticking to the known languages is a lot easier. When I lived in the French part of Switzerland it was a lot easier to rely on everybody speaking German as well as putting a lot of effort in learning the local French. And I am rather certain your current Geman is a lot better than my French was at that time ...
@@realandfree Practice, practice, practice! Reading books in German, watching TV, films... My daughter speaks english fluently, she has read her favorite novels in the original (English) and she has NO native speakers around her!
@@wora1111 yes, my comment was a reply to the upper comment to @nelerhabarber5602, because I never said I didn't speak German at all :) A lot of people told me the same about kids! And yes, it's been 1 week of Kinderkrippe now and I'm already practicing German much more now :)
Sorry, what I also don't understand is why it should be so difficult to pursue special activities in Germany, or why they wouldn't even exist here?!
I think it depends on where you actually live! Just take a look at a few videos, for example from Americans who looked for a place to live here, and some found it. Where I live (and in many other places in Germany) I don't know what (activities, cultural or sporting) I should choose in my free time. There are so many ways to kill your time ;-))
You must also not forget that the Corona pandemic still has its after-effects. Although not as much as at the beginning and two years ago. I notice that too, the frequency of social contacts is still reduced. I have no idea whether you will get a different impression of your current home again.
I advise you to change location, inside or outside Germany!
You shouldn't stay in Germany because the mentality and culture don't suit you
14:50 "....the diet is terrible...90% of the restaurants in our German town only serve fries with sausage and schnitzel..." That's what you say while sitting at a table in front of a sumptuous coffee with cream and a cake that looks very delicious. Your kitchen at home also looks fantastic: you could invite some acquaintance to try one of your dishes. An acquaintance is the first step to friendship.
Yes, actually I think the cakes here are great and there are usually many options! as I said in the video in many summer terraces you can get a coffee and a desert, but lunch/dinner options are still mostly German food, which is not my favourite. And yes, we have been getting HelloFresh lately and just enjoying the food at home :)