Job Discussion Forums

[JN]

Yeah, I understand how it is with a lot of commuting. I now understand why some Berliners I know just seem to want to stay home on days off. I'm starting to do that, too. I don't explore the city anymore. I just do all the necessary stuff.

That is great that you've got plenty of work.

[scot47]

I fell out of love with Germany when that "Other Germany" was taken over by the suits. Can I be unfashionable and say I liked the GDR ? "Trotz alledem !"

[Hod]

[johncoan]

So, in summary:

Prague (not Berlin)

Has Marks and Spencer/Iceland/Tesco
Shops open on Sunday
Doesn't block half of youtube
Downloading unlikely to lead to legal action
Public transport more reliable/doesn't break down
Streets bike-free/can stroll at ease
Rents lower/less paperwork involved
Health insurance costs low
Less BE/more GE teaching
People have a sense of humour

[Hod]

I can't comment on Prague having only been there twice as a tourist.

I've followed this thread as you know, even offering advice (although I got one of these emoticons for my efforts) and I have to say that wherever you were heading, you were always going to compare it to Prague.

Be honest. Prague can't have been the Hellmann's mayonnaise and Marks & Spencers on every corner utopia picture you've painted. You left.

You left and got Berlin on the rebound. Not Berlin's fault.

[JN]

@ scot - Yes, you can say you liked the GDR. I remember one lady saying it wasn't all bad in the GDR, but she certainly did love taking trips after the wall came down.

@ Hod - The Berliners I am thinking of are married with kids and they like to stay home. I'm sure there are many single and married people that do go out.

@ john - Hope you can find the bright side of life here in Berlin. I don't know anything about the stores you mentioned, but here in Berlin you can try the main train stations if you need to buy food on Sundays.

I've noticed that people on bikes on the sidewalk are very good bike riders, so I've never had a problem with them or with children, although I always watch out for the toddlers on peddle-free bikes.

It is very difficult to joke with Germans. Occassionally I am able to do this, but this is after years of knowing German and being in Germany.

[scot47]

Thet is nice of you to allow me to do that. My old friend and mentor, John Peet would be amused

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Peet_(1915%E2%80%931988)

May his memory be eternal !

I have never had the pleasure of meeting Victor Grossman, another GDR-fan :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Grossman

[Hod]

Only fair this ex-Berliner has a say, good and bad.

1. Has Marks and Spencer/Iceland/Tesco

Germany had M&S until 2002. Now I’m in the UK and not particularly poor, I can’t afford (choose not to pay) £5 for a crayfish and avocado sandwich which I can make myself for 50p. I thought you didn’t have much money?

2. Shops open on Sunday

Correct.

http://www.berlin.de/special/shopping/sonntag/supermaerkte/

I also lived near a Kaisers which along with all Kaisers opened 7am to midnight. Just how much money do you have?

3. Doesn't block half of youtube

Download ExpatShield.

4. Downloading unlikely to lead to legal action

Down do illegal downloads. You wouldn’t steal from M&S. I would, with those prices.

5. Public transport more reliable/doesn't break down

Prague must have jet-powered sedan chairs with a free minibar within. Berlin transport is unreliable? For €79.50 a month, you get unlimited travel in regions A and B, i.e. pretty much all of Berlin, on S-Bahn, U-Bahn, buses and trams, and a friend can travel free at weekends. I’m dying to know what’s up with Berlin transport.

6. Streets bike-free/can stroll at ease

As a car driver, I found immer korrekt cyclists insane. A German acquaintance used to say, “There are many such correct people in the graveyard”. On the pavement, though, they stick to the cycle lanes.

7. Rents lower/less paperwork involved

In Europe, I’ve only ever rented in Germany. I never found the paperwork daunting nor was I ripped off by a landlord. I joined Berliner Mieterverein who wrote all my legalese letters when I caused trouble (often). The decisions always went my way. Tenants get away with murder.

I should add that every law in Germany is written down and easy to read. The same isn’t true in the UK nor I doubt many other countries.

8. Health insurance costs

Yes. You get what you pay for. The UK NHS is very cheap. You can get German-approved health insurance from A La Carte (see a broker first) for about €100 a month. That’s small change for you with your Marks & Spencers loyalty card.

9. Less BE/more GE teaching

Don’t know.

10. People have a sense of humour

I think German humour is spectacularly unfunny. Germans think British
humour is spectacularly unfunny. I lost no sleep.

-------------

The above is for anyone interested in Berlin. If you’ve been to Prague or any M&S, it won’t apply.

[johncoan]

Good points, but most of them don't contradict mine.

You talk about value for money transport, but the U- and S-Bahn crawls or stops altogether quite a lot. And it's stuffed to the gills much more often than Prague's Metro.

And M&S is great for mature cheddar, bacon, sausage, cream cakes, cook-chill curries, hummus, cheesecake and donuts - many of which are reduced in price at the end of the day. I shopped there regularly for food and I'm hardly a big spender.

Ultimately, tho', of course it's down to personal preference. You're fond of Berlin. I was excited to leave dull old Prague and move to the big big city. Sadly, I find Berlin no fun at all.

[Shakey]

This conversation is very British-centric. I don't even understand a lot of the names and abbreviations used in the last few posts.

So what was the outcome? Prague or Berlin?

[johncoan]

It depends what you want, doesn't it?

I'm not trying to score points here, I'm just disappointed at my own lack of judgement. For years I would tell anyone who would listen that Berlin was superior to Prague in pretty much every aspect. Now I'm here, all I can say is that it's bigger and more expensive. And the people are more uptight.

[scot47]

When someone measures the quality of a city by the availability of Marks and Spencer, I reach for my Browning.

[Hod]

When I'm about to pass out from hunger, and the only option is a £5 Marks & Spencer* crayfish and avacado ciabatta, I need a Browning too.

Tesco's got a mention. Where I live has butchers, fishmongers and even greengrocers, which are also in abundance in Berlin. Despite all these, occasionally I end up in Tesco, and as I wait at the human-less checkout contemplating my 5% water content chicken from Thailand and taste-free apples from New Zealand, I feel I've failed somewhere.

Back to Berlin, to criticise the shopping possibilities there is a right laugh. What about all the weekend food markets, Turkish shops and even the Asian shops which match those of London or anywhere else in Europe?

* Yes, Marks & Spencers has ready-made meals. These ain't cheap by any stretch. A lot of people who complain they have no money spend loads on ready meals. Learn to cook, and then you can learn to live anywhere.

[johncoan]

M&S is a godsend for Brit expats - anyone in Prague will tell you the same thing. There's nowhere in Berlin that's comparable if you want to buy the things I listed - especially strong cheddar, bacon and sausage - as well as various frozen goods (their battered cod and haddock is excellent). It's not especially pricey for those things. I never buy their ready meals and rarely buy their sandwiches unless they're reduced. I cook a lot.

Berlin is great for food markets and restaurants, true. Some of those Asian supermarkets are fantastic. Many of these are reasonably priced, too. This doesn't change what I stated earlier. And this was just one of several things that I listed.

Just personal observation, nothing more.



Oh - you might know that David Bowie has a new single out. i'm excited about this as I'm kind of a fan. It's been covered by some of the media and there's a youtube clip which many friends have posted on Fb. Except it's blocked in Germany.

[Hod]