BEFORE
- Before you knew you'd be coming to Germany, for whatever reason you originally came to Germany, truthfully how much did you know about the country?
I knew a good deal of the country's history and a bit about the culture. I had stayed with my husband's family several times before we moved here, which gave me some insight into everyday life here. I had also been to Germany twice before meeting my husband. - Did you learn about Germany in school when you were growing up?
Yes, but mostly in regards to WWII. - Do you have family who is German or of German heritage?
Yes, one of my aunts is German, although she moved to the US as a child and does not speak German. - Had you ever lived outside of your home country for longer than one month prior to living in Germany?
No. I had been to Europe before, but never stayed in any one place long enough to get more than a tourist perspective. - Had you learned to speak any other language than your own, even if only partially so, before coming to Germany?
Yes, I studied French for 8 years. Sadly, that was 10 years ago and I've since forgotten almost all of it. - When you learned you'd be coming to Germany, did you feel it was important to learn German?
Yes. While many people do speak English, especially in Western Germany, it just seems rude to live in a country without even trying to speak the language. - Did anyone prepare you with information of any type before you came to live in Germany, did you attempt to find information on your own, or did you come to Germany without preparing?
I am very lucky that my husband is German, so I was able to ask him and his family all types of questions before we moved. I also read a book about the cultural differences between the US and Germany. - How did your friends and family react when they learned you'd be moving to Germany?
They were very supportive and excited to have an excuse to visit Europe. - What did you think would be your biggest challenge living in a foreign country? Or did you feel you would face any big challenges?
learning German
AFTER
- Upon arriving, can you remember the overall impression you had in the first 48 hours?
I was beyond excited. I had always wanted to live in Europe and it seemed like I was in a dream. I hadn't seen my husband in a month and was so happy to be together in our new home. - Name three of your favorite things about the German culture which first come to mind:
I have to admit that these things didn't immediately come to mind. In fact, I had to think long and hard to find something I like. I go back and forth between liking and disliking Germany, and the past few months have been leaning heavily toward dislike. For those of you who have lived in a foreign country, I think you will understand; some days you love it and some days you hate it.
1. Farmer's Markets - I love wandering around the markets with a cup of coffee, buying fresh produce and flowers while people watching.
2. Castles - Living near the Rhine means there are castles all over the place. The goth nerd in me loves castles!
3. History - There is stuff here that you just can't find in the US. While walking in the woods near my in-laws' house, we found a Prussian stone border marker. - Culture shock. Does this ring a bell? [Not sure what culture shock is? Click here to learn more.]
DING DONG, the bells are deafening! My culture shock has been prolonged as I don't have much interaction with Germans. You're probably wondering how that can be when I have lived in Germany for two years. For the first 9 months, I commuted about 4 hours a day to a full time job where I worked with almost all non-Germans and spoke only English. Obviously, the commute left me no time for a life outside of that. Now that I work from home, the only interaction I get with Germans is while running errands or writing emails to German customers. I have found it extremely hard to meet people here and have yet to find the secret of how Germans meet new people. Like I mentioned before, some days I feel lucky to be living here and other days I want to punch everyone in the face. - How far have you come with learning German?
I'm at an intermediate level of German. I can understand about 75%, depending on the situation. I make a lot of grammatical errors, but can get my point across. - Has your view on politics or world issues changed from how you previously viewed things before living in Germany?
Not really. I was a liberal democrat who leaned toward socialism before coming here. After experiencing the wonders of universal health care, I am more in favor of certain aspects of socialism than I was before. - Since living here, have you learned anything new about yourself? Or perhaps have you learned anything else new? A new hobby or a new way of life?
I've always prided myself on being fiercely independent and am still coming to terms with having to rely on my husband for so much here. I started The Spotted Sparrow which has been going very well so far (knock on wood). I'm so used to having jobs that are just OK, so it is an amazing feeling to spend most of my days doing something that I really love.
7 comments:
interesting to read your responses - I'm off to read the other one now.
I've never been an "expat" as such - well, only for the shortest period. When I have lived abroad I was still studying or having a year out so the experience is probably different.
I so hear you -- twenty years ago when I lived there, it was hard to meet Germans and it sounds like it still is. Since you're married, you probably don't notice this but I was shocked at how little men cared to meet women, even, in bars, nightclubs, etc. It was like you needed a formal introduction before being approached! I enjoyed reading your answers.
Its a really interesting perspective. It must be pretty isolating sometimes to not be able to just shoot the breeze with the new neighbor..the store owner etc. I am such a small talk chatty kind of person..that would be hard for me. I also wonder about isolation. We experienced it first moving to Alaska..when it hits you, you are really really far from family, can't just pop home for a wedding or event.
I love your response regarding politics. We had some friends that moved back from England with the exact same response regarding health care. Too bad more americans can't develop that awareness.
I couldn't identify myself more. Even though Im southamerican and I live in NL, it seems that we all go through the same ups and downs when it comes to adapting to a new place.
I've been living here for 7 years and I think it took me at least the first 4 or 5 years to get a grip of the dutch culture, to feel that I was part of the society too.
It is hard to meet people here too, so I started joining any silly workshop or stuff like that i could find. I still don't have dutch friens but I know a lot of people... makes you feel a bit more conected.
Thank you all for the comments!
I hope I didn't come across as too whiny in my post. Germany is a great place to live; I'm just going through a rough patch right now. :)
Thank you so much for doing this! I really enjoyed reading your responses, and the rough patch you mention in your comment above I can also relate to. Just keep on the path you are on because you will one day turn the corner & be happily surprised that the culture shock has left for good. Keeping positive & keeping yourself around positive people helped me greatly.
And I have witnessed myself the growth of your Spotted Sparrow & happily taking flight. No pun intended ;-) Great work with all that you do! It's something to really be proud of, and I wish you very much success!
I so enjoyed reading this and can sympathize in so many ways... especially this one...
"some days I feel lucky to be living here and other days I want to punch everyone in the face."
Haha, I love that!!
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