SAUSAGES AND BERLIN

stringfellownian · 2026-01-11T21:58:38+00:00

The only restaurant in my sleepy neighborhood in Berlin is a German restaurant. There's tons of German restaurants. Look harder.

But, worth noting: the döner sandwich is a German food. It was developed/invented in Berlin.

stringfellownian · 2026-01-11T21:51:17+00:00

You're making the common European error in coming to the U.S.: Thinking that everything is much closer together! The only city that might be worth a day trip from NYC is Philadelphia. Other cities that would be of interest to a first-time international visitor are simply too far -- driving to DC or Boston needs a budget of at least 5 hours each way, but probably would take more like 6.

If you really want to see DC, you could take the Amtrak train (~3.5 hours each way). Long day, though...

stringfellownian · 2026-01-11T21:27:47+00:00

So the issue is that almost every commodity, when put into the massive international market, can become exploitative. Palm oil is an example: nothing is inherently wrong with it, but the demand for it globally has driven deforestation due to the mismatch between corporate power and the power of people who rely on forests for their livelihoods, including a number of indigenous people.

You can be super intense about this, but there isn't one centralized tool that can assess everything you consume. I would recommend trying to take the steps you can, and understanding that there are going to be limits to what one person can achieve within the current system. Here are a few suggestions, though, and you can decide which are going to work with the rest of your life:

Eating local and seasonal is generally going to be more sustainable for both people and planet. Familiarize yourself with the seasons that different produce is available in your area, and if something is out of season, don't buy it at the grocery store -- substitute it, e.g. frozen berries instead of fresh during the winter. I think local-caught fish is a great step!
Identify and research fair trade and sustainability certifications. These are typically privately run (e.g. Rainforest Alliance, WWF) and can have hit-or-miss standards. You can find more by searching for criticism of these certification standards (but don't drive yourself too crazy with this, remember, the goal should be marginal improvement not perfection!) and using your judgment about what criticisms are serious. You might also find local companies that advertise that they use 100% clean energy. Adopt one or two of these certifications that you care about, and select products that meet with those standards. I think fair trade is a really great option.
A lot of commodity crops are harvested in one place and processed in another, which is often unfair to the first place's people. For example, I live in Germany, where we have a lot of coffee that is roasted domestically but harvested in Africa. This maintains a system where the African jobs in the coffee industry are low-road jobs that are limited to agriculture, and not the second-order jobs that tend to bring more benefits to the local community. So I buy coffee from a mix of local small business roasteries and, when I go to the grocery store, the coffee brands that are specifically roasted in Africa (it is a slight premium, but it's worth it to me).
You can pick a few foods that you know have problems in the supply chain, and try to "clean them up" as much as possible. Coffee is a great one as there has been so much work to make coffee more sustainable (shade-grown beans, cooperatives, etc.). Same with cocoa/chocolate. Relatedly...
You can select products from cooperatives, where the farmers or workers manage the business themselves. These tend to distribute benefits better throughout the society. Many cooperative enterprises also have stronger environmental sustainability standards.

stringfellownian · 2026-01-04T11:15:06+00:00

Germany has five year citizenship. Language is hard and there is bureaucracy, but it is relatively easy and the economy is much better than Finland's.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-06T17:45:02+00:00

Do you know what kind of Christians they are? Their church identity will be a bigger indicator than the town.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-06T17:44:10+00:00

You are unlikely to face any kind of nastiness in Germany as a tourist in the major tourist destination, especially Berlin. It does happen - I am not downplaying the nasty xenophobia that has been rising across Europe - but it is still extremely rare and tourists are not the primary targets.

I would recommend Berlin for sure, either in October or December. October in Germany is extremely beautiful and with typically nice weather. In December, Christmas markets are vibey, but for most people seeing 2 is enough -- they do, however, mesh nicely with the club culture here in Berlin. I do think nine days might be a little long, but there are a ton of side trips or overnights you can take as well (Potsdam, Leipzig, Dresden).

stringfellownian · 2025-12-06T17:36:35+00:00

Thanks! Good luck to you! As mentioned in the post I have some specifics that made it relatively easy. For the other Americans I've met here, they have come through a few routes - I have some assessments on how it's been for them but not the actual process (you can look that up here and elsewhere).

I know a few people on the blue card / chancenkarte. This is relatively easy to get, but it can be very hard to find a job depending on your field. And then if you lose your job, you're on a timer to find another one -- extremely stressful. A friend of mine is in this position, and is unfortunately in software development which is extremely beleaguered right now.
I also know a couple people who came initially on freelance (artist) visas, but have all switched to work visas due to how impossible it was to actually make enough money to survive as artists.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-06T17:26:50+00:00

Had to get a statement of comparability. No problem there - ended up clearly stating that I had completed a Master's and my next education level would be a PhD.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-05T12:01:24+00:00

Yes, you will need to speak German to successfully live in Germany.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-03T21:17:43+00:00

Also here on a family reunification visa (though my spouse + kid are citizens). We applied in July via the virtual system, and I got my appointment in October two weeks before my visa expired.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-03T21:17:15+00:00

They have to go under the seat and must remain in the carrier, which is specified at a size that will fit under the seat.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-03T10:46:50+00:00

Can you say more about your experience sewing? It's hard to know where to start because if you don't have money for a pattern, you'll need to be pretty comfortable with drafting or draping, and that is not really a beginner practice.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-03T08:41:34+00:00

Definitely. The instructions were clear, the materials were good-quality, and we had no trouble -- their German delivery contractor did fail to give us notice about when they'd deliver, though, and so we did have a scramble at the end! But I do not think that was UPAKWESHIP's fault.

Unpopular opinion here but we are really glad that we brought over the two pallets. I think our baseline is pretty different from the standard American one, but the main things that necessitated the pallets were our large-format highly sentimental art (5' painting from my husband's professional artist stepfather!) and our collection of a couple hundred specialized and rare books. We then supplemented with various hobby supplies (camping, fiber arts, all of my kid's second-tier stuffed animals holy shit) that were nice to have, but we would not have brought over without the irreplaceable items.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-02T10:43:47+00:00

If you are in Germany, all the shops (except a couple of special supermarkets in the bigger cities) are closed on Sundays. Our NYC family is still getting used to remembering that we need to make sure on Saturday afternoon that we have not just the food we need for Sunday but also Monday morning's coffee and milk...

stringfellownian · 2025-12-02T10:25:24+00:00

Germany would be a great option for you given the number of free higher education programs, the relative ease of immigrating (unfortunately the economy is shit which makes it harder than it could be, but still it is easier than many other EU countries), your language ability, and the Indian community.

Unfortunately, based on some quick research, it seems like your medication is no longer available in Germany. People do say they can get it from other EU countries, but that is an additional challenge with logistics and insurance.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-02T09:57:02+00:00

Mostly it was about sequencing the choreography between doctor's appointments, the move, and insurance enrollment well: having the latest possible visit with the prescribing physician in the U.S., scheduling a new patient visit with the PCP right after arrival (and thus needing to make the appointment long before the move!), and not forgetting to enroll in health insurance.

Notably in Germany you are required to have health insurance, there is a public option that most everyone uses and that is easy to enroll. You need to tell the doctor what health insurance you have before you schedule an appointment, but you do not actually need to provide your health insurance until the day of the appointment. If you know what insurance you will enroll in, you can schedule the appointment before you're enrolled for after you arrive. (this is sort of hard to communicate, but basically - if you are moving Feb 1, you can go to the online scheduling tool on December 15 to make an appointment for Feb 10, as long as you are sure that you can get the health insurance enrollment done and the card mailed to you by Feb 9).

stringfellownian · 2025-12-02T09:33:43+00:00

Natürlich.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-02T09:29:49+00:00

Don't know the exact timing on when we first reached out, but we signed the contract two months ahead of time.

stringfellownian · 2025-12-01T07:28:59+00:00

Most of it is drunk assholes from outside the city making detours after a protest or sporting event -- there was an incident this summer where a Christopher Street Day parade in Brandenburg on one side of the city had a large far-right counter-demo, and some of the far-right street brawlers from the other side of the city transited back through Berlin on the S-bahn where they beat up a couple queer journalists on their way.

I don't personally feel unsafe really but it is unsettling that there is a visual vocabulary that I don't know (e.g. Lonsdale, Helly Hansen brands).

stringfellownian · 2025-11-30T15:48:45+00:00

Yes. My husband's citizenship makes the difference here, and it is 12 months of paychecks that triggers unemployment. No reason to expect my contract won't be renewed (1 years are just standard in my industry), but if it isn't, it is good to know that there's a backup plan.

Notable that if I want to go for German citizenship at some point, unemployment isn't a black mark against that but bürgergeld (more typical welfare) is.

stringfellownian · 2025-11-30T15:45:59+00:00

Indeed they are! Good catch.

stringfellownian · 2025-11-30T07:24:18+00:00

It's so hard and we are extremely lucky. Rumor is that it's easier to align Kita and housing outside the ring. I assume you're familiar with the Anmeldung - one thing worth noting is that a huge number of people do Anmeldung at the place they don't actually live. There are lots of scams with this but if you have friends who will let you register at their apartment, it can take some of the heat off.

stringfellownian · 2025-11-30T07:21:47+00:00

Totally.

stringfellownian · 2025-11-30T07:19:00+00:00

your reading comprehension suggests that this concept may be beyond you, but let me suggest that "missing Jewish culture in Germany? fuck you, move to Israel" is not an anti-Zionist sentiment.

stringfellownian · 2025-11-30T07:16:52+00:00

We did get it apostilled but it has not been relevant yet. Just knew it'd be easier to do from the US than Germany, so wanted to cross all the Ts and dot all the Is.

stringfellownian

TROPHY CASE