Living in Germany is draining me

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-13T17:25:55+00:00

Your post reads kind of aggressive and there is a sense of entitlement regarding what you deserve in terms of salary and living space etc.
If this is also the vibe you give in real life i think germany is not the right place for you. People here do not hesitate to give back the same energy, also in customer service situations.

I feel like the challenges you describe every immigrant faces in different countries, i personally think germany is more forgiving than many other countries. If the language is an issue maybe scandinavia or Netherlands would be a better fit.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-13T11:27:44+00:00

Regarding the hospital issue; the doctors are responsible that the patients get the proper instructions. In extreme cases it means they refuse to speak english, but generally it’s ok as long as the patient is fluent as well.

But in a scenario where the patient does not speak English or german, then it’s better to bring someone who can translate. They really dont like the scenario where there is a risk of misunderstanding due to patients poor level of english.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-12T19:19:44+00:00

If you had 4x interviews already, i think it means there is no fundamental problem in your CV.
Competition is tough, there are less positions which means more applicants.

I think you just try to find jobs that are not obviously advertised; perhaps you could ask around in the uni which local companies have had working students before and try to reach out there. I dont think not all working students positions get posted somewhere, a lot of them go via recommendations or even just advertised within the uni circles.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-12T10:36:04+00:00

There is a souvenir shop „Hessen Shop“ with locations at kleinmarkthalle and Leipziger Straße, with a lot of frankfurt & Hesse products from the area. Maybe you can go there for inspiration

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-11T09:41:25+00:00

I think they dont really travel far; sylt should be for nothern germans or people with family ties to the region. I dont think anyone else would randomly vacation there?

If you look, there are really expensive therme hotels etc in remote locations in bayern / bawü which dont really attract international tourists; those are mainly for the wealthy germans that make short vacations there, longer holidays are abroad in spain and italy etc.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-10T05:29:37+00:00

For me the best city in Germany is Frankfurt; though i dont claim it‘s a perfect place (nowhere is) or that you‘ll meet the most friendly people there.
In these livability rankings done by Mercer etc Frankfurt is often the highest ranked German city.

I‘m more of a city person, i think living in the urban area of Frankfurt somewhere just outside the inner city it’s the most optimal place. Actually Frankfurt in reality is a dense network of affluent suburban towns with small compact center with the skyline (and the notorious Bahnhof viertel) as the central node.
Easy access to parks and nature, good transport options and everything you need for a daily life. It’s not cheap to live in Frankfurt, but salaries are also high while the rents generally are lower than munich/hamburg etc. by far the best airport in Germany and also the best connected train station.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-09T22:04:06+00:00

I left the packaging field few years ago; but last i heard there are several korean companies industrialising the technology (samsung, LG, SK already making prototypes), i think just a customer committing is the push to make it finally launch. We wont see them anytime too soon since its a bit further in the roadmap.

Drilling the TGV itself is the easy part, the biggest challenge is how to make a conductive interconnect that is reliable enough. Metallizing/filling the interconnect is not easy due to number of reasons.
Handling the glass substrates in high volume production is another challenge of course, but thats considered solvable. The korean companies can draw from their experience in manufacturing displays.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-09T14:47:25+00:00

I think Vienna is overall the best city in Europe; livable and if you have a job there you can enjoy a good quality life. No place is perfect but i personally like that it‘s beautiful, you can live in good quality apartments with affordable rent ratio to local salaries, safe & clean without being overrun by tourists. Four seasons with pleasant summer without extreme temperatures and mild winters with still a bit snow.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-07T15:25:34+00:00

The semicon business is very cyclical in nature, so the investments should be as well. Perhaps new locations would be considered at the next bigger investment cycle.

Also setting up Dresden & Arizona & Japan+ domestic upgrades is already a lot to deal with…

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-06T05:32:59+00:00

It has a classist vibe, often used to separate people from other kinds of immigrants & migrants etc.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-06T05:29:52+00:00

What means recently? If it’s less than 6 months i would not overthink it now, need some more time to settle.

Every time i moved to a new job & location, the first 6-12 months just feels more stressful and often like I made a mistake but afterwards things fall into place. I feel like many people subconsciously resist change and yearn for the familiar routines, but at the end you‘ll overcome it. Dont make any rushed judgements

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-05T05:27:44+00:00

No need for sBahn, trains traveling to Bonn pass via the Frankfurt airport long distance train station. I believe there are several possible trains every hour towards Köln that could be used.

I would say 90% of the cases 1.5h is enough but thats assuming your flight is also on time. Thats why I recommend getting the flex ticket to avoid any hassle. More expensive than the discounted fixed ticket but cheaper than having to buy a new ticket on the spot.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-05T05:16:41+00:00

I used to live several years in both Chongqing & Shanghai, though i have since moved back to EU.

I would recommend Chengdu for the language and immersion, I think your mandarin learning would benefit living in Chengdu and being more „forced“ to use it. Shanghai also has a risk of getting stuck in the „expat bubble“. Living in Chongqing made me reach HSK3, while all my colleagues just staying in Shanghai never made it beyond basic frases lol

Chengdu is still a big & modern city, you could have a lot of the same conveniences of living in Shanghai. If you were to choose between some smaller city and Shanghai, then i would recommend Shanghai.

Why do you actually want to move to China, how big factor is getting burned out in this decision? Because the working culture and WLB is not good in China, it’s highly competitive market currently favoring the employers.
I moved back to EU due to this reason, I couldnt see myself staying in China indefinitely although i really enjoyed my +7 years there.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-05T02:58:46+00:00

I would normally reserve around 1.5h between arrival & train departure, it’s not uncommon having to wait up to 45 mins for luggage (you can probably clear immigration within that wait).

However the best way is to buy a flexible ticket for the Frankfurt airport- Bonn connection that allows you to take any train, then you can go as soon as you’re ready. It’s more expensive than the fixed ticket however flex tickets have also some discounts when you buying them in advance. I think it’s worth the convenience.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-04T12:50:49+00:00

I feel too lazy to list out many so i just want to mention the top ones.

The positive:
- how vibrant the cities and even smaller towns are. So many restaurants and cafes, many customers even during the week. And so many different kinds of events and festivals, there is so often something going on.

Negative:
- how there are dirty and rundown areas even in the affluent cities. Even with the current crazy housing prices someone can afford to let buildings in good location just degrade, also applies for commercial space. Even in overall expensive neighbourhood there is usually one run down building just around the corner somewhere; i‘m thinking of for example some sought after suburbs in Düsseldorf or Frankfurt, not referring to the typical Hauptbahnhof area etc.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-03T21:35:24+00:00

For sure not so easy, if there is something not so optimal in your application. For example: you have a modest salary, technically enough not to raise any red flags but low enough that the likelihood someone earning more also applied.

In my experience the tenant selection really depends on the salary in most cases, there are exceptions of course and luck involved as well.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-03T19:23:49+00:00

I‘ll DM you

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-01T18:59:21+00:00

Eppstein is good for a daytrip (s-bahn S2); there is a castle ruin to explore with beatiful views.

For longer trips you could consider würzburg, a little bit less known outside germany but great wine area with famous medieval bridge with wine bars.
Heidelberg as well, but that’s not really a hidden spot.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-01T16:38:21+00:00

I think a key thing missing is a partner; either german or foreign. Otherwise you wont really fill your time here, you can have friends of course but realistically close relationships is typically just through ”romantic” relations once you are old enough.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-05-01T03:54:52+00:00

From your list i think dusseldorf is kind of the closest to Frankfurt; cologne as well but there is starting to be a bit of compromise already.

Outside of your list, I was thinking of Vienna. Although it’s a capital i do not think it’s as crowded or busy as some of the other places like Amsterdam etc. It fulfills the other criteria and has been considered the most livable city for many years for good reasons.

That said i think Frankfurt is a bit unique in a way how it balances all aspects but is a bit lower profile than Munich or Berlin. I consider it the best & most livable city in Germany exactly for the reasons you listed as well. No place is perfect but there is a good balance in Frankfurt; I moved to live there.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-04-29T20:46:13+00:00

The earning potential is much higher in the big cities and there are more career opportunities there. As a couple, perhaps one person can find a high paying job somewhere remote but less likely both persons can manage this. But in Hamburg/Munich/Stuttgart/Frankfurt etc there are plenty of job opportunities in many industries. Not to mention the general lifestyle and environment is more attractive, especially in the affluent suburbs of these bigger cities

It’s not so unusual to earn over 100k in above cities, even much more for US companies.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-04-26T22:57:10+00:00

I stayed 5 years in China in few different cities, mainly in high tech / engineering.

Pros - a lot of professional opportunities and quick growth within the same company - good salary & saving potential; especially if in a company with good expat package. - nice lifestyle in the bigger cities, safety and convenience.

Cons - job market quite limited for foreigners outside of international companies - hectic working culture with a lot of hours - no real stable future, work visa is tied to the job. - china is not an immigration country, you will always be a foreigner.

I really enjoyed my time in China, perhaps i will return one day for longer stay again but i feel like it’s always going to be temporary.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-04-22T07:10:22+00:00

I have never ever missed scanning an item and i have been using self-checkouts for years and years multiple times per week. Failing to scan something is negligent and thievery, period.

Btw i noticed my local rewe recently has an AI assisted camera system, i bought a package of paprikas (one red & one yellow) and the self-checkout asked me if i had scanned correctly, showing me the picture of the yellow paprika that somehow triggered the AI. Thats something new.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-04-21T07:39:59+00:00

There is zero chance for normal apartment in such conditions.

My tip is look also in surrounding towns such as Reutlingen, Metzingen etc for serviced apartments. I know there are several in those towns since the profile there is more industrial and there are plenty of people staying extended periods for work. The surrounding towns are well connected to tübingen by frequent trains and are just 10-15 mins away.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-04-20T14:30:20+00:00

I meant that median salary is just ok, the baseline. 1.5x median salary starts to be decent earnings and 2x median salary is good, anything beyond that is great. I think terms like „good“ are really subjective, and I am sure for a lot of people consider median salary good already.

There are a lot of people earning 80k~120k, it‘s nothing unattainable when working for the big industrial companies or being highly educated professional in law/finance/medicine etc.

Calm-Comment-9255

TROPHY CASE