Germany, thinking about making it official!

[scooterscot]

ARGH


How could this happen? Mrs scooter and I were trying our best to find the down side of moving to Germany and failing. I'd never have thought I'd be thinking along those lines.

We live in a house that is twice the size of our Edinburgh pad yet costs 3 times as less. The social life we have and the friends we've made are fantastic, every other week eating out for a get together rather than getting slaughtered, there's usually some live music on the on.

My earnings compared to what I would need to have a home similar to that I'm living in (140 square meters) are, well one month's net income would almost pay the entire year.

No way could we imagine a similar ratio back home. Oh the food is a bit hit and miss but we can always fly back to the UK for a curry when we need too.

I've not been this confused since the day I got my first Rubik's Cube

[markinbrussels]

I've lived in Germany and I'd say it's very difficult to integrate if you don't speak the language. Taxes are higher and food horrible. Shopping hours are ridiculous. In some landern shops close saturady at 1pm.

However, housing is cheap. There was no housing bubble in Germany because Germans prefer to rent.

Overall, a very civilized and cultured country, although steadily destroyed by mass inmigration from the Third World.

[sasguru]

Nothing to be confused about. Germans have their priorities right - no property booms, no big celeb culture, a solid economy with an excellent standard of living.
There are flaws as everywhere but IMHO much less than here. Germany is still first rate in its infrastructure and healthcare, while Britain feels increasingly second rate.

Learning German fluently is almost impossible when an adult though.

[AtW]

Learning German fluently is almost impossible when an adult though.

[scooterscot]

I've lived in Germany and I'd say it's very difficult to integrate if you don't speak the language.

Maybe elsewhere in Germany but here in Berlin English is spoken everywhere... Although I'm learning the language because I feel is £$%@£ british

Shopping hours are ridiculous.

Bliss for us. The focus is on living not shopping.

[sasguru]

Bliss for us. The focus is on living not shopping.

Another aspect the Germans have got right. The reason their shops close is because their economy is not built on mindless consumerism.

[Sysman]

Another aspect the Germans have got right. The reason their shops close is because their economy is not built on mindless consumerism.

And that upsets Yank immigrants greatly.

[AtW]

The reason their shops close is because their economy is not built on mindless consumerism.

Their economy is based on making goods for export to countries whose economics are build on consumerism

[sasguru]

Their economy is based on making goods for export to countries where people write software to do meaningless marketing things on t'web.

FTFY

[Olly]

Nothing wrong with the plan to be honest. Though maybe don't just focus on Berlin, perhaps try out Munich too for a truly 'sorted' city.

I can't get my act in order when it comes to learning German, if I could then I'd most likely be over there. I went out for 3 months at the beginning of the year but it just didn't work out.

It's only a cheap flight away from home if you want to see relatives and stuff. Having said that it's also central to Europe and you can pop to Poland, Czech etc too.

Downsides are not knowing "stuff", all the stuff you take for granted here, jokes about childhood TV shows, knowing what shops are good for what, knowing laws, understanding people's character and, dare I say it, class from how they sound and speak. I'd find all that hard to cope with as knowing "stuff" is one of the things that makes me me.

British German speakers tell me their TV is rubbish.
There's no ale, and whilst quality lager and cheap wine from supermarkets makes up for it a lot I am getting very partial to ale.

But, all things said and done, I'd be out there. The other thing, which doesn't apply to you, is the girls are 'nicer'. By that I mean I've always seemed to punch above my weight in Germany whereas in the UK the opposite seems true.

I just wish I could motivate myself to learn the lingo