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coming to Germany from Istanbul

 
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elliot_spencer



Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 495

PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 9:47 am    Post subject: coming to Germany from Istanbul Reply with quote

Hi guys,

I am in my second year in Istanbul and I love the city, have a great job, good money and have a good life - life is pretty good. Although I like it the future scares me... I mean the political future - when I first came I thought this would be a place I could stay long term but now I don"t know. The city is becoming more conservative etc. And the thought of the earthquake scares me to death.

I have the possibility to go and work in Germany from next year. I am unsure if this will be a good move.. has anyone moved from Germany to here or vice-versa and have any advice? I am worried life in Germany wont be as easy as here and it will be harder to near impossible to make friends. And my life wont be as comfortable as here.. The salary will be around 3000 euro gross. Does anyone regret moving to Germany?

The school is in a med size city 40 mins from Stuttgart.

Thanks
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jaffa



Joined: 25 Oct 2012
Posts: 403

PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Never worked in Germany but it sounds like anywhere but Berlin, which is a shame because it's such a cool city.

However if you do go from Istanbul it could be a great journey there by land through Bulgaria, Romania (avoid dodgy Serbia, especially if you're an American), Hungary (do NOT avoid Szeged as it has the best looking chicks in Europe, for some reason) then through Austria/Czech/Slovakia. I've traveled most of it and it's not only a great ride but relatively cheap.

Sorry no work info, but for me the journey is always more important than the job Wink
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Hod



Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 1613
Location: Home

PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Earthquake? Are you serious?

Is it really €3000 gross? if so, that's good. I don't know anyone who has a poor lifestyle in Germany. OK, the people have a certain reputation, but that's due to shyness. Germans are the most patient people on the planet when it comes to newcomers mutilating their language, and as a result you'll learn easily. I have to add that whilst Germans are different and hard to get to know, they're very genuine and willing to help.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Germans won't become friends with a newcomer in his/her first week, but when you do make friends, they are for real.
3,000 gross is quite ok.
I'd personally jump on it, if I were comparing Turkey. Turkey's awesome for a holiday, but to live in I'd personally pick Germany every time.
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Hod



Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 1613
Location: Home

PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well yes, and for most people this never happens.

I love Germany as a country and acknowledge that its people and social systems are second to none. But as someone who is by nature of his current job quite popular, did I make any real German friends in six years there? Nein.

That's not a boast, but I did make lifelong friends of other nationalities there. The point is, as you've made, Germany's a fantastic place to live, but don't expect to have any real German friends.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmm. I've got several.
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Hod



Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 1613
Location: Home

PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well done. You're the exception.

I like Germans and have plenty of good acquaintances but friends who understand how I feel and I would lend €5000 to if need be, no. Have you really?
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah.
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Hod



Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 1613
Location: Home

PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 8:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're lucky, the exception or married to a German.

I'm not bashing the Germans, but you only have to visit a mainline train station there on a Sunday evening. You'll see hundreds of young Germans with suitcases heading off for their working week away from home. The German tax office even gives allowances for these second homers. So why don’t these people just move nearer their workplace? Because they’ll be away from their friends and will struggle to make new ones. Germans don’t make new friends easily once they pass into adulthood.

Of all the UK people I know now in Germany, and that’s quite a few, not one has a genuine German friend. They have acquaintances as I do, but that step up to friendship isn’t going to happen.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not married to a German. Germans aren't the only ones who trek 'home' for the weekend in the region, either; it's fairly typical for the whole area.
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JN



Joined: 17 Jan 2008
Posts: 214

PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 4:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For 3000 euros, I'd take the job, even if it is only gross. I don't have any experience with Turkey, so didn't write earlier.

I also have many German friends, though most of them I have had since my early 20's. I have known a few people that traveled to their jobs and came home on the weekend, but these people were all singles, not that married people don't travel, too, though.

It can also be extremely difficult to find a good place to live, so, besides keeping their friends, many would want to keep their apartment or house.

I haven't met very many people from the UK and have none that are friends of mine. I actually don't have much contact with foreigners here in Germany, except for 2 good friends from Russian-speaking countries.

These are some of my experiences.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hod, Germans might be less wary if you changed that uniform of yours. It makes you look a little.......................eccentric.

Last edited by scot47 on Tue Oct 14, 2014 2:46 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Hod



Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 1613
Location: Home

PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Germans love priests. They pay enough tax for the priests' wine and BMWs.
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