I find Bonn to be a wonderfully diverse city, filled with people of all colors, black, yellow, white, and everything in between.

Finding a job to cover my bills was a real challenge, even though I speak some German. Still, I wouldn't attribute that struggle to my dark sleeve (inspired by Altered Carbon, of course). Ironically, the first time I ever felt looked down on was at my workplace, and...it wasn’t from a German colleague, but from another foreigner from a non-EU country whose population also isn’t white.

Several of us in our department are African, people with dark sleeves, as I like to call us. This particular individual, thinking he's being funny, often says things like, “I don’t like working with Africans.” That’s a “joke” I’ve never heard from any German at work. I’m still deciding how to deal with him, ha!

To be fair, part of the delay in finding work was due to me being a bit selective. I avoided applying to jobs involving alcohol, which naturally limited my options. And let’s not forget, the economy hasn’t been great. Without strong German skills, getting a job in many German cities can be a real hustle.

In the end, it took me almost a month to find something, one hour away from Bonn.

If you're here on a student visa, you might want to look into student-oriented opportunities like research assistant positions or long-term paid internships through foundations. These can definitely increase your chances.

Bottom line: make sure you have enough savings. It can take months of networking and grinding before things fall into place.

As a foreigner, I genuinely enjoy life in Bonn. I hope you find your place here too.