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I'm a South American who had the chance to visit and stay for a while in Berlin this spring / summer. Because, why not, travelling in Europe is something you have to do. First of all I was not impressed by the architecture it was really ugly but I get it, they try hard to show themselves to the world as hip and alternative, the newer parts are sort of nice but plain looking and not a lot of activity besides commercial activity like malls, etc. Second, the people. In one word, rude, the most rude people I've had to deal with. They had no repairs to assume tell me that I was being sponsored economically by Germany in some way, that I had income from the government. Which by the way is not possible. They never believed me that I was spending my own money, which brings me to... Third, money, Germans in Berlin were always so aggressive when I had to buy things and make transactions, like buying clothes, paying in cash (because in Germany credit cards are the devil apparently) going to nice places, renting a decent apartment/hotel and spending cash. Having money and savings is a sin in Berlin. One of them even asked me how much I make a year, when I told him how much, he even called me a liar in a public place and yelled, He asked, and I simply answered, I had no idea that money was such a sensitive topic. Fourth, obviously racism and xenophobia, I frankly I wasn't expecting this as Germans have all their history but it was a big surprise to experience that they still have a ton of their historical and emotional baggage present today. Clubs are poop and their door policies are ridiculous. In restaurants they would even move you to an isolated table, I cannot imagine what would be like to live there. I've travelled to many places in North America and Asia and I can confidently say that Berlin (and most of Germany) was sincerely a disappointment. I hope I never have to visit that stinky city again. (And this website kinda makes sense after visiting Berlin btw.)
Yeah, I wish I saw this site before coming here - a year ago. I would have at least been able to prepare myself mentally against the people here. Feel lucky that you've only visited here in the spring and summer - everything is 10x as bad in the Winter.
This know-it-all attitude always beats me. You will notice that as soon as they meet you, they being asking questions: what do you do? how long have you been here? Did you finish university? Which university? Then, having gathered this data, they will proceed to judge and teach you things. They will either give you the cold shoulder if you come from an Undesirable Place (middle east, eastern europe, balkans, most of Asia, pretty much 75% of the world) or they will begin to boast how much better Germany is than your country (if you're from western EU, US, Canada, etc.). Some of them will even try and teach you things - I've had one German show me an item (I think it was a bottle) and repeat the German word for it a few times. I was confused at that time until he enlightened me that he wanted to "teach me German, because I should know it".
Also, if you were to spend more time among Berliners, you'd notice that one of their favorite topics is how much they paid for stuff. You know how in other places you come hop out to get lunch and come back and people ask you what you got? In Berlin, Berliners will inevitably ask you how much you paid for that - and if it's >5 euro, they will shake their heads in disappointment.
I think this comes from the fact that they are essentially raised by their government. It takes care of them from the time they're born until they graduate at around 30-35. Then they have a brief stint in a highly regulated world between 35-60, and then they go back to the womb - spend their retirement drinking German beer and traveling the world (probably in order to tell other people back at home how everything else in the world is bad). I almost feel bad for them, but they make my life hell, so I don't really feel bad.
Had to job offers in Berlin and Prague...obviously chose the latter as I still have PTSD from living on Berlin....what can I say? Prague is 1 million times better than Berlin in every way: cheaper, prettier, no piss smell everywhere, courteous and friendly people, no bums everywhere...why people go to Berlin instead is a mystery!
When a Berliner, who always stares at me with that cold creepy blank look, one day suddenly tries to become my buddy. Like some kind of Napoleon Dynamite social fail.
The lack of emotional maturity of many middle-aged Berliners.
Someone firebombed a car on our street and seriously damaged the little van used by a local small business. Why? Because, 5 kilometers a way, some totally unrelated people were involved in a fight over a totally unrelated squat. The supposed last warriors for justice thought that they would "stand up for their rights" by threatening strangers in the city.
That isn't fighting back, that is attempted extortion. I was somewhat sympathetic to their situation before they started their car firebombing campaign. Now I can't wait for the property owners to clear them all out and make Berlin a better place.
I was just told off by the security of natural history museum. The reason: I charged my phone for 15 minutes. I paid 8 euros for this lame museum (where everything was only in German of course), you got to be f****g kidding me. I'm glad to know that while the stereotype of efficient Germans is bs, at least the stereotype about cheapness is true.
Ah, you are mistaken. Efficiency == cheapness.
See, when a German has had magnificent service at a restaurant, they want to leave a tip. But this has to be efficient, so they round up. If your meal was 23.75, they'll offer a generous tip of 25 cents by rounding up to 24 euros. Cheap _AND_ efficient. Best of all possible outcomes.
Or how about the boxes of "free stuff" that you'll see on the streets? Things like "half a vacuum pipe" or "old Germany D grade romance novels". The best that I've seen was a box of "free glass jars and lids". You know, the stuff that you throw away after you've eaten the jam inside. Ah, it's great to be surrounded by such generous and kind souls, don't you think?
Or, if you work for a German company, you might get a sweet secret santa deal where the agreed on price per gift is a staggering 5 euros. That's about 1.4 kebabs. And you'll get weird looks anytime you want to pay with a note larger than 20 euros. Filthy tourist.
You will also get laughed at if you like craft beer. I mean, you have got to be a batshit crazy tourist to pay above 1 euro for a beer if you can get a beer from Aldi for 40 cents. Also, this craft beer tastes funny, so it's bad. It's not as good as our beer, all of which tastes exactly the same.
they paid 11 euros entry. In the UK museums are free. Why do people have to feel guilty for tap water here or using a plug for 15 mins? Why were the museum management too cheap to translate the captions? No I made a mistake, German is the commerce language of the world. Yes we should all learn the language of modernism and progress...
I live here all my life and i can say that I rarely meet a decent or nice person here,I always want to travel to another countrys because everything here is negative.Someday I leave this city forever.
I just really hate all these freaking guys from Paderborn, Hannover, or other dull, rancid German small towns that walk around in Neukölln and think they are the shit. You're not, you are just peasants.
Innovation? Where for art thou innovation?. In the workplace.NO. In the streets NO. In the culture NO. You just have to look at this city to realise its all a bullshit. It is the most boring freaking dead place on earth.
Just wait until winter rolls around ;). Berlin is 10x more Berlin-y in the winter than it is now. More piss, more drunken german hobos, more gray (why do they paint new buildings gray as well?), the locals scowl even more (yes, it's possible), and the worst thing -- most expats/tourists leave so you're pretty much stuck in a cage with a bunch of cold psychopaths.
Looks like people are waking up big time about the nasty truths in Berlin....i still get flashbacks including smelling piss...f.u.c.k that shithole...for real.
I have never meet so many creeps..I mean really creepy fuckers as I have in Berlin.The troubling thing it was in every strata of society. From encounters with corner shop owners to christmas with middle class folk or the wealthy .Always some creepy poop going on.YUCK and fornicate THIS PLACE.
I hate how these folks give me dirty looks when I put trash in the wrong bin BUT: arstechnica.com/cars/2016/07/regulator-says-volkswagens-3-0l-diesel-recall-plan-is-substantially-deficient/
ahh yes!!!! German efficiency, it applies to everything! Except Volkswagen, The Airport of Brandenburg, Deutsche Bank, etc. etc. etc. After having worked with them I can say that they are the least innovative people in the world are Germans and their mythical efficiency is just a myth.
THIS. All of the rules that matter, be it following environmental regulations, not smoking in bars or not treating bike lanes are fine for others to break. I show up at 5:45 to pick up something that was promised by 6 and I"m a failure of a human who needs to understand the rules.
It's because you are an auslander. No matter what you do, you are human garbage.
See, when some German is lazy... erm, I meant TIRED, and he has to deliver your package, he'll just fornicate it and leave it at the depot for you to pick up. It's ok though - he's a German. His people have worked hard for thousands of years and he deserves a little rest. You, on the otherhand, subhuman tourist, come from a lazy country and you are expected to atone for your lazy ways.
Why phone lines have queues! Call the doctor, get an engaged tone, call 115 for the burger amt, get a "everyone's busy please call later". I even got the engaged tone calling 112 once. Wtf, automated phone lines are not a new thing!
It drives me insane, it's so easy to get through to the tax people, driving licence people, either by phone, online or in person in the uk, yet it's impossible here.
Phoned up the dvla to renew my British licence this morning, took two minutes to find out I couldn't. So I try to call birgeramt 10 times. Engaged each time.
Try to make an online appointment, but they are booked out for as far as the calendar allows you to book, tried to go in person, but there were so many people waiting that it's not possible today. Of course, only after a queueing at the "information desk" for an hour and a half did I discover that.
They said if I come tomorrow an hour before it opens and start queueing, I'll probably be able to get a "spontaneous" appointment.
Weird thing is, that in the birgeramt they can do everything, even print and produce a passport on demand. They just do it slowly.
I cannot believe these people have a reputation for efficiency.
I called the private health insurance line for the best clinic in the city for the illness I had (it could have been worse. I would have had public insurance. Then I could only call for one hour a day). I waited on hold for 50 minutes. I waited on hold for so long I actually got on my bike and biked to the office to make an appointment in person, all while still on hold. Someone finally answered while I was at the front door. When I told the appointment lady that I had been waiting 50 minutes and then biked while sick, she pretended that I didn't even say it and proceeded with the appointment. I then went to my appointment, and they agreed I should follow up in two weeks. Fine, but the next follow-up appointment they would offer was in six weeks.
What is the point of luring so many young professionals if you're gonna make them clean dishes at a restaurant. Yeah Berlin is a city with prostitutes with PhDs no wonder why. Run away from that place.
I do speak fluent German and have thousands of Euros. A German company hired me to grow capabilities in Germany that the country doesn't currently have. I'm a walking example of the type of person cities try very hard to attract.
I still get hate, because I do have money for a decent apartment in a fun area, and I spent some more doing nice things like getting good health insurance and buying luxuries like a plastic spoon rest for my stove (I was genuinely told off for the excess of getting a little plastic spoon rest rather than just put the spoon on the countertop and then wash the countertop later).
You can't win, whatever you do become, they'll hate you for whatever you aren't.
Oh joy, the kid is playing football again upstairs and there is nothing I can do. I'm not angry, I'm rather saddened, due to his Hartz IV parents and weight problem. 95% chance he becomes one of those incoherent people on the U Bahn who pissed their pants.
Don't forget - they're Germans. Whatever it is they're doing, it's The Best Possible Way of Doing Something. You, silly Auslander, cannot comprehend the full utility that their activities bring to their glorious society.
Sarcasm aside, I've got some glorious care free Berliner youth putting German hip hop and I too cannot do anything about it. Too bad these kids will never work a day in their lives until they're 30 years old.