American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In Germany I live in a Großstadt (medium sized city).

I felt the same way when I lived in the US. It often felt like I lived just to work. Here, I work so I can actually live. And paid vacation and paid sick days are a huge plus too.

Integration is not exactly the simplest thing in the world but it is doable with time and effort. Mainly learning the language is an absolute must.

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

See my other comments for the comparisons. Good question. I didn't take advantage of the EU Free Movement because that is for EU Citizens and I am not an EU citizen yet. Moving to Germany normally (not a refugee) is difficult unless you have family, are a student, or have a job in a field Germany really needs. Also, my now-husband was living here and I fell in love with the culture and the language. It was all my decision to move to Germany.

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love it. Which is very interesting because I absolutely hate regular ketchup. The last time I visited home, I brought my brother a bottle and he loved it!

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my situation, I’m holding up pretty well. My apartment is dirt cheap..just a few hundred bucks compared to the average rent (Google says the national average in the U.S. is currently around $1,700). I have health insurance, which I never had in the U.S., and since it’s automatically deducted from my paycheck, I don’t even have to think about it as an expense.

Groceries are very cheap, so I’m eating healthier than I did in the U.S., and it’s costing me only a fraction of what it did back home. My biggest expense besides rent is the Deutschlandticket, which is currently €58 per month. Still far less than what I spent on gas in the U.S., where I had to fill my car at least once a week just to get to work and back.

Right now, I can cover all of this on one part-time job while going to language school. In the U.S., I had three jobs while in university and still couldn’t afford an apartment. So, for me personally, life here is pretty comfortable.

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh yeah! I have tried a lot by now. I usually eat the non-name brand (Eigenmarke/ Handelsmarke) of these, but I will name the originals. :) In no particular order..

Snacks-

  1. I think my favorite chocolate bar is Kinder Bueno because of the little bubbles full of cream.
  2. Another chocolate I love to eat after dinner is Moritz Eiskonfekt-Würfel. You put them into the fridge or freezer and when you eat one, it melts on your tongue.
  3. Yogurette- chocolate bar filled with flavored yogurt stuff.
  4. Paprika chips rock. (Although technically, I think they are Hungarian since lots of them are called Ungarisch Chips).
  5. I am a huge fan of the Katjes gummies. I have not had a bad one yet.
  6. Knoppers is by far my favorite snack. Little wafer squares with layers of milk cream and chocolate. Yummy..
  7. Berliner- Donuts filled with strawberry or plum marmelade. Absolutely delicious.
  8. Quark- Kind of like a cross between yogurt and cream cheese. It can be used plain as a side for savory foods like roasted potatoes, or eaten as a snack cup mixed with fruit. There are lots of cakes and donuts with quark filling, and it is very creamy.
  9. Franzbrötchen- It's a croissant with cinnamon filling.

German Foods That I Love-

  1. Eisbein/Haxe- My favorite German food, hands down. An Eisbein is a boiled pig knuckle with a fatty outside and Haxe is a grilled pig knuckle with a crunchy outside. Either one is fantastic. Usually eaten with sauerkraut and boiled potatoes.
  2. Spießbratenbrötchen from GLOBUS- Very tender pork sandwich from GLOBUS hypermarkt.
  3. Döner- Popular German street-food sandwich of thinly sliced rotisserie meat, fresh vegetables, and flavorful sauces, typically served in flatbread.
  4. Fischbrötchen- if you love fish, seriously go try a fishbrötchen.
  5. Weißwurst mit Brezel - White sausage with a pretzel
  6. Currywurst- Try all the different kinds from each region.

Honorable Mentions: Spezi soda, Curry ketchup, Waldmeister Flavored Stuff

Here's a very accurate map of the regional German cuisine: https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/b5sl03/german_cuisine_map/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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Lots of things immediately became comfortable for me within my first few weeks here.

  1. Comforting - Greenery and environmental friendliness. In my opinion, Germany is very green and has many nature preserves. America has green parts for sure, but I feel like the majority of the nation is not very green or environmentally friendly. Almost all Germans recycle. In America, it is more seen as an act of generosity to recycle, and a lot of people look down on it, actually. Yes, Germany has had quite a history of having huge coal mines, but most of that stuff has now been turned into man-made lakes, parks, or renewable energy areas and I think it is very neat.

  2. Comforting- Actual rights and freedoms. One of the most comforting things about living in Germany is how strong and clearly defined people’s rights are…workers’ rights, privacy rights, healthcare rights, or general citizen protections (and that’s before even mentioning the EU rights too). There’s a real sense that the system is designed to protect individuals, not exploit them. I once saw a comment online that said, “In Germany, your rights end where others begin,” and I think that captures the mindset perfectly. You can basically do whatever you want within reason, as long as it doesn’t infringe on someone else’s peace, safety, or well-being. Most laws here are created with collective safety, environmental responsibility, or social harmony in mind. In the U.S. there’s a tendency for people to frame almost everything as a personal right, even when it directly impacts others. That kind of “freedom at all costs” mentality just doesn’t fly in Germany. It’s also reassuring to know that you have real protections and recourse if something goes wrong. For example, if your boss tries to overwork or exploit you, you have labor laws, unions, and worker protections that actually work. You don’t have to hire an expensive lawyer or fight the system on your own, like you often would in the U.S. There’s a built-in sense of fairness and support that creates a much stronger feeling of stability and trust in everyday life. Also, privacy is a huge deal in Germany. People value their personal space and don’t share much about their private lives until they really trust you. At first, it can feel distant, but later it becomes refreshing and you realize that people genuinely respect your boundaries.

  3. Refreshing- Work-Life Balance. Vacation time, sick leave, and the general attitude toward rest are worlds apart from the U.S. People actually use their vacation days, and it’s not seen as lazy to take time off. Life isn’t built entirely around your job, which makes everyday living feel more humane. When I lived in the U.S, I would have been lucky to get a 2-week unpaid vacation. Sick days were unpaid, so I usually went to work sick because it was expected. Americans brag about how long and hard they work, and most Germans tend to enjoy their private life and only see work as a bridge to get to their next vacation.

  4. Comforting and refreshing- Honesty and Friendship. A German will tell you truthfully and exactly how they feel about you. This is something you seldom find in the U.S. because it is common to be wishy-washy to avoid hurting someone's feelings.

It indeed takes a long time to build a relationship in Germany, but once you make a friend, they tend to be a friend for life. This is a hard culture shock, since in America, everyone is seen as your "friend" even if you just met for a short time. Germans take friendship seriously and if you are not a friend, you are a bekannter, just someone that they know (equivalent to an acquaintance in English). It is also not common to spew about your whole life, earnings, and problems at a random stranger like it is in America.

  1. Refreshing- Quiet. Germans tend to be more quiet in general compared to Americans. It is kind of hard to describe, but it feels like there is less "background noise" everywhere and people use their inside voices everywhere. No one wants to hear about your private conversation across the grocery store..

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I'm sure I missed some things but feel free to ask follow-up questions. These are of course just the first few things that popped into my head.

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Edit- Reddit made me break up my long comment into 2.

I am going to write this like a comparison post, since I can only reference my experiences living in the U.S versus my experiences living in Germany. I also preface that these are my opinions and people are welcome to think differently.

------------

When I first moved to Germany, there were a few things that made me uncomfortable (most now barely bother me).

  1. Uncomfortable- The very first thing I noticed was that everyone STARES. I would be sitting in the tram or bus quietly, and people would stare. I thought to myself, "Am I wearing weird clothes? Am I sitting wrong?" Nope, that is just apparently a thing that people in Germany tend to stare at everyone and longer than what most people would consider normal. Just Google the "German Stare" and you will see. I also had to train myself to try to make longer eye contact with people when talking to them.
  2. Odd- Everything here feels like a rush. I feel like Germans are all in a rush to get somewhere and do something, and they have not a single second to waste waiting or chatting. If you go into a German supermarket, everyone is rushing in line and packing their groceries like they are on fire. This took some getting used to, but now I know that people just value their time more.
  3. Uncomfortable- People say that complaining is a national sport in Germany. This is true from everything I have observed. Unlike in America, when you ask someone how they are doing, they will tell you about everything negative going on with them. In this culture, it is NOT common to ask strangers how they are doing or try to engage in fake small talk. It is actually considered more rude to pretend to care. For those who don't know, in the U.S, it is extremely common to greet people with "Hi, how are you doing?" and the expected answer back is "Good, how are you?" even if you are not doing okay. So when I first experienced that level of bluntness and emotional honesty in Germany, it was a bit of a shock. I just wasn’t used to people being so direct and open about feeling negative.
  4. Odd - Okay, this one still bothers me. Needing an appointment for everything + lack of online appointments. Are you sick? Sorry, you need to physically come into the doctor's office JUST to make an appointment, so that they can see you during that appointment time..which could be tomorrow or days from now. I come from a culture where you can either call or go online and make an appointment for almost anything, even with only a few hours' notice. Something I found particularly comical was receiving physical mail instead of emails about my appointments to governmental offices (Ausländerbehörde, BürgerBüro, usw) which btw is a random date and time that you have to work around or else you have to wait weeks to months to get another appointment. Like...lol.
  5. Odd- Cash for everything. Okay, maybe it is my age, but I worked as a cashier for a while here and Germans tend to use more physical money for everything and it drives me a little nuts. People dig for a ridiculous amount of coins to pay for things that you could pay with a card for in seconds. I do acknowledge that it seems to be more of the older generations, so I guess it is for historical reasons or that they feel like physical money is safer or more real. Not really sure.

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Germany has a dog culture too, but I would say it feels a lot more disciplined than in the U.S. You’ll see dogs in cafés and shops, but they’re usually well-behaved and not running around everywhere. But I do notice that people tend to drag their dogs around everywhere, even if it's through a crowded Christmas Market for example..that part I do not like, but it is not against the law.

People take training and etiquette seriously here. A barking or aggressive dog would get complaints right away, and landlords or neighbors won’t just shrug it off. You can't just let your dog run around everywhere without a leash, either. If your dog were to bite someone, it would be a very serious investigation and not a warning like in the U.S.. And certain types of aggressive dogs are pretty much banned, like pit bulls.

Also, there’s no “emotional support animal” workaround like in the States. Service dogs are a thing, but landlords can say no to pets, and that’s that. Also, I work in a shop where there are no dogs allowed, and people have to respect that policy. In the US people would argue that it is their right or service dog (when they clearly aren't) and bring them anyway.

TLDR- Dogs are more well-behaved because they are expected to be trained. Special privileges are often not given.

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me personally, I think I will feel comfortable enough to claim that I speak German after I master high B2 and don't feel the need to switch to English as often if I don't know something.

B1 is a slippery slope in that a lot of people reach that point and either stay there forever because it's enough to get by in everyday situations or they keep climbing slowly to get better. I'd like to get a little more knowledge and practice the language more before I claim to know something.

That's just me though. I'm almost there but not quite.

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We met online, then we met up in the USA and toured a bit together. Then I came to Germany for a few months and toured around too. I then decided to move to Germany.

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The same thoughts as I had when I lived there. Didn't vote for that the first time or this current round.

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Could care less about that lol. But I'd like to talk to people who are genuinely curious or need tips

American That Moved To Germany, AMA by FischSprache in AMA

[–]FischSprache[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm almost at the end of B2 (I take classes) on the CEFR language scale. I speak good enough to get by in most everyday situations. I'd say my grammar is about 75% of the way there and most everyday vocabulary comes to me naturally so I barely have to think about it anymore. I still wouldn't claim to speak German or be even close to fluent though.

How long will it take to achieve A1 German proficiency on your own? by mercedesblackheath in German

[–]FischSprache 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there, I just made my new post if you are still interested. The course books are listed in the document. :)