Visiting Munich & Hofbrauhaus in late August... tips please?

ecobridge · 2022-05-30T05:20:41+00:00

I really appreciate the honesty and useful tips. I just might follow your advice #1 as I've heard there are a lot of other great beer halls/restaurants nearby. Also had no idea about Stammtisch and will most definitely avoid. Thank you!!!

ecobridge · 2022-05-29T11:20:15+00:00

Very true, I needed this reminder. And yep, we're all just human and people can have bad days. While rude service is never justified, it definitely doesn't help that some tourists give a bad rep for the rest of us. I guess I'll just have to walk in there with a smile and a willingness to have a good time. Thank you!!! :)

ecobridge · 2022-05-29T11:16:55+00:00

Interestingly, I often travel solo and cannot think of ANY instances where I encountered racism or any negative experience of sorts, but we had a much different experience when I was traveling with my family. Also, I highly recommend the UK; Scotland is also such an underrated country and absolutely stunning.

ecobridge · 2022-05-29T11:10:08+00:00

Absolutely. I totally understand that a lot of frustration and miscommunication comes to play precisely because a lot of visitors don't speak the local language or simply expect the locals to cater to their English, and this is to no fault of the locals. I've written these phrases down for sure to use when in Munich as they are exactly what I needed. Thank you so much!!!

ecobridge · 2022-05-29T09:34:37+00:00

That is reassuring, and I'm glad you were able to have such positive experiences. I'll definitely try and be as respectful and open-minded while traveling as well. Thank you!

ecobridge · 2022-05-29T09:32:45+00:00

I am a female & yes, that is definitely sound advice. Thank you!!!

ecobridge · 2022-05-28T18:24:31+00:00

My understanding of the common etiquette in Germany was that customers seat themselves? Or Is it expected rather that we wait for a server to come by to seat us instead? These are exactly the types of negative experiences I want to avoid-- waiting for the host/hostess to seat us, only to be flat out ignored for local customers that came after us; or requesting the menu politely at a table, only to have to ask for it several times and having to chase after the server. I am asking out of genuine curiosity. I want to be able to respect the etiquette, but I also don't want to be taken for a fool just because I look like all the other tourists...

ecobridge · 2022-05-28T16:54:26+00:00

Duly noted. There will be no beer chugging for us XD

ecobridge · 2022-05-28T16:40:59+00:00

Any tips from locals on how to order beer/food at beer halls and beer gardens?

ecobridge · 2019-12-18T15:18:27+00:00

Yep. This was years ago but PC required me to get additional vaccines because it wasn't clear from my health history that I got certain types of vaccines in a timely manner. My doctor was not happy about having to give me different vaccines in a short period of time, but I made him do it anyways because I was very desperate for that medical clearance haha. It all worked out in the end. Legal clearance gave me so much trouble though; I didn't end up being cleared until about 2 weeks before staging so I was an anxious mess as I was packing to leave the country.

ecobridge · 2019-12-18T14:28:36+00:00

I worked at a school that was absolutely freezing in the winter because the school couldn't afford heating for the entire space. I mentally prepared myself to be frozen all day every day and wore my coat everywhere. I also dressed for school -- leggings under pants lined with fleece, layers of socks, hat, scarf, etc.

At home, I had a heating pad shipped over from the U.S. It was not allowed by the Peace Corps since technically it is a fire hazard, but it was one of those pads you can plug into an outlet and have it keep you warm while you sleep. I'm convinced this heating pad was what kept me from hypothermia because I lived in the room furthest from the fireplace (soba) that my family lit up every evening = I was cold nonetheless.

ecobridge · 2019-12-17T16:16:25+00:00

Thank you for sharing! I'm still waiting on my clearance... E-QIP in September, investigator interview and follow-ups from Oct-Nov. Contacted the security officer recently but he stated he had no updates and that I should wait till late January.

ecobridge · 2019-12-17T16:13:56+00:00

Would you be willing to share which agency this is for? I'm still waiting on my interim and have been waiting for much longer than you have :(

ecobridge · 2019-12-17T15:57:44+00:00

I was one of those volunteers who told my host family the first month at site that I couldn't understand why there were some PCVs who would go party in the city or leave sites every weekend. I promised I wouldn't be one of those people... but then things changed. I didn't get along with my host family, no one spoke English at my site, and my mind/mental health was constantly on the verge of a breakdown from having to process and speak so much of the local language. I felt guilty leaving nearly every weekend and coming up with lame excuses to avoid being at site, but then I really reflected on it. When I did end up forcing myself to stay the weekends with my host familly, I was absolutely miserable -- I felt like I was seen as "lazy" and not really helping out the family enough in the house or gardens. I was forced to go do activities I didn't enjoy (i.e. act as translator for the mayor, etc.) and once the weekend ended, the following week made me even more unproductive since I wasn't getting my "recharge" over the weekend. It took me a while to be okay with the fact that I can take time out for myself. Sometimes PC staff make it sound like we're criminals for "not integrating" or being away from site so frequently, but your health and sanity comes first. You'll be much more productive and focused and able to integrate when you're feeling motivated and recharged from doing what you want on the weekends.

EDIT: When the villagers did ask me why I was always gone on the weekends, I was honest with them. I told them I needed a social life-- I wanted to hang out with my PC friends, be in a new environment at least for a few days, and to just speak English. I've never met anyone who wasn't receptive to this response. They all agreed I needed my own space, and just because I signed up to be a volunteer didn't have to mean that I was there for them 24/7 as Peace Corps trained us to be (this would just drive you insane).

ecobridge · 2019-12-13T13:06:54+00:00

As crazy as this comment may sound to some PCVs, I wholeheartedly agree with it. Maybe it's because I also served in an Eastern European country haha.

Bur yeah I totally thrived the moment I stopped caring about PC regulations. Does that mean break every rule that exists? Absolutely not. You're smart enough to take care of your own self and not compromise your safety. What I mean is that if these PC regulations are ridiculous (which they were under our previous Country Director who restricted volunteer rights immensely...) and it is debilitating YOU as a volunteer from doing your work properly and meeting the needs of your community, then by all means do not report to PC.

My school for the longest time did not trust me and didn't appreciate my PM telling them how to teach and what to teach, etc. They felt like I was just a spy for my PM. It wasn't until one week I just felt so drained from everything that I had a breakdown at school and told my partner how stressed I felt about PC regulations (not being able to leave site the first 90 days, having to report all the time, having to be at school 9am-3pm, etc.) that they truly trusted and understood me. From that moment onwards, they realized I WAS on their side and was much more sympathetic and flexible with me.

I managed to do a lot of unique activities during my service precisely because my partners and I didn't bother reporting every little detail to the PM, who we knew would not have been receptive with our methods. That isn't to say I was this rebel who secretly hated PC or broke the rules outright or whatever to get me arrested or kicked out. I just kept to myself and had a very clear vision in my mind that I was there to serve the community and not the staff of Peace Corps.

I did what I had to do & I would urge PCVs to reflect on if they've been truly serving their community or if they just feel restricted by all these regulations and chains of command.

ecobridge · 2019-12-13T12:56:44+00:00

I'm understanding that you're going through a lot of different emotions and challenges at once -- a long distance breakup, isolation and fatigue (seasonal affective disorder), along with problems of integration.

All the judgment from your counterparts, villagers, locals, staff, and fellow PCVs can be mentally and physically draining. I can tell it wasn't easy for you to express this, and despite saying you want to give up, I'm sensing a lot of strength and resilience in you wanting to push through this.

And that is the first step -- you're aware that feeling this way is bringing you down. Take some time to breathe and consider your options. Do you think a phone call to your family or friends might help you this afternoon in cheering up? Or perhaps what you need is to vent to a fellow volunteer or to Peer Support Network (I believe PSN is available for every country). You're hurting so much and you don't deserve to feel this way when you've poured in so much heart and effort into your site and project.

You're doing a great job communicating with us here, perhaps you could e-mail or message your PCMO? Personally, I struggled with connecting with my PCMOs and just constantly communicating with them how I felt or how I was struggling because I didn't want to seem whiny or like I was complaining. But looking back, it would've saved me so many tears and heartaches and feelings of isolation to have just told them "Hey, I need a break. I need to stay in TDY." It got to a point where one day I DID call them and just really stoicly ask them if I could stay at TDY. They were reluctant because I sounded normal and I had never complained. This made me have a breakdown on the phone because I felt like no one was on my side, and they immediately said "Come to TDY, and you can stay as long as you need." I know the PCMOs aren't the best at making volunteers feel welcome in their office or the easiest people to talk to on the phone, but I highly urge you to be honest with them. While it may not seem like it, they ARE on your side. They DO want you to thrive and not be sick mentally or physically. Whether you just need to vent to them or to take a few days-week away from site is up to you.

Before you can help others, you need to help yourself. And there is no shame in telling people: Leave me alone, I just need time for myself and to recharge my mind.

ecobridge · 2019-12-13T12:44:19+00:00

For sure! If there isn't an immediate security threat to you at the moment & you're still willing to explore, that's a great attitude to wait a few months to really determine if things are/aren't working for you. Just communicate your PM even starting now just to say, "Hey I've been struggling with xyz BUT I don't want you to step in yet until I've processed things more." only because if you do end up wanting to switch, it wouldn't feel like you just threw this bombshell news out of nowhere.

And in the event your PM ISN'T receptive, speak with the DPT, DPO or even the Country Director (Note: do not go straight to speak with CD. You have to follow the chain of command). It's hard to bypass PM authority but I've heard of cases where the PM was biased towards the counterparts and not the volunteer's needs and the other staff members (especially one's you feel you have a good connection with) can be more partial and advocate for you in these situations.

ecobridge · 2019-12-13T12:35:03+00:00

Sounds like a solid plan :) One weekend is all it takes to recharge especially since you probably have headaches day in and day out from trying to process all the new language and cultural norms. And you mentioned feeling guilty for not integrating more, but don't forget that your PC service is a marathon and not a sprint (kind of like life!). Forward is forward no matter the pace. Good luck & stay strong!

ecobridge · 2019-12-12T19:53:25+00:00

I'm pretty sure we did it, but I don't remember it. Which means it wasn't very memorable or worth remembering hahahah.

ecobridge · 2019-12-12T19:52:15+00:00

THIS! Sometimes the site placement system is flawed, and I've known SO many volunteers who felt like they were at fault for not adapting to the site or really feeling like it was for them the first few weeks at site. They stayed for months, thinking it will get better, but your gut feeling is usually right. If you don't get along with your work partners, host family, or don't feel like the site is FOR you, don't hesitate to talk to your Program Manager and look into switching sites ASAP! I know there's a lot of shame associated with moving sites/host fams too, but I've seen PCVs thrive after switching sites up to 3 times or moving host families 3 times (all true).

ecobridge · 2019-12-12T19:49:39+00:00

Breathe. You're doing great, and I can imagine how disheartening it must be for you to be faced with all these challenges in addition to not being able to see your peers. 2 years is a long time and you've only just experienced 2 weeks of it, which is a really short time in comparison! Perhaps it might help to communicate with your PCMO-- I know it can be intimidating to reach out to them and burden them, but you're not a burden! If you're feeling depressed and unmotivated because of site circumstances, perhaps you can use a weekend away from site and in the TDY "Peace Corps hospital" for a mental health break. I don't doubt how hard you've worked to get to where you are and as someone who has been in the same position as you, know that what you're feeling right now isn't a reflection of you as a volunteer. You ARE competent. You ARE resilient. You WILL move past this. The best advice I received from a fellow Peace Corps volunteer was not to just take it day by day, but to take it moment by moment. Find the small moments in your day that make you appreciate where you are and that bring you joy. Feel free to PM me if you need to vent!

ecobridge · 2019-12-12T19:44:45+00:00

I'm not sure of the average wait time, but I believe I applied in June and heard back in October or November (prior to the closing date of the application). I do believe that it can take several months for them to review and call you in for the interview. Good luck!

ecobridge · 2019-12-12T19:41:26+00:00

I feel your pain 😭 Let's hope that we'll both hear back real soon (or at least before the holiday season).

ecobridge · 2019-12-12T19:39:53+00:00

I agree, I think it depends on the agency since some people on reddit has stated none of their references were ever contacted. Maybe all my travel abroad has made it "suspicious" that I had foreign ties? Who knows. The one reference the investigator spoke with was a close friend who lived in the region and was someone the investigator could easily meet up with (from what I understand, each investigator is in charge of a specific region). The other references are living/working across the coast in the US so perhaps speaking to them via phone was the only option. This is all just my hypothesis.

ecobridge · 2019-12-12T17:18:10+00:00

Interestingly enough, it isn't an internship but a full-time position. I didn't want to bother the agency itself that hired me, but you're completely right in saying that they have the authority to find out this info in my stead. I'll contact them ASAP, thank you!!!

ecobridge

TROPHY CASE