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The only way to make Berliners move faster is to make them think you’re trying to get in front of them.
This city has shattered my soul. I used to always think the best of people - it was up to them to keep that status. After two years of staring, dirty looks, snarky attitudes and the honest belief of possession of all knowledge (and that I am obviously stupid and therefore require thorough explanation of, say, how to dial a phone), I have changed. Now, with a permanent scowl on my face, I hate everyone I encounter. Yes, this city has turned me into one of them. Be warned - leave as soon as you can.
A few thoughts:
Deodorant and shampoo don’t make you a capitalist. Looking nice (long hair, clean clothes, shaved legs) doesn’t mean you live within the life-sucking-white-cis-male system that controls it all.
Since when is biking for 4 hours in cold, rain and mud a fun-filled activity? And why oh why must I tolerate condescending looks when I say "I would rather stay at home and watch a movie"?
A cold lake with sand around it is not a beach.
Ice cream when it’s 2 degrees outside “because it’s spring and it’s sunny” is stupid.
Drinking alcohol is not a free pass to propose that I touch your penis. Just because you’re drunk after one beer does not mean you can behave like a primate.
Close your legs in the U-bahn, there are other people in the world besides yourself. And (gasp!) not only when they’re in your way.
Don’t expect me to respect you because you have a Dr. in front of your name. I will too in a few months, and I expect you to respect me for being a PERSON, not for having an academic title. (BTW, the subject of academia in berlin is a whole other potential website on its own, I’m open to rant and hear rants).
Berlin (old and young berliners, expats, whoever you are): free yourself from this jail of a mind you have. Try having your own opinion for a change, just to see how it feels.
I have been here for 3 years doing a masters. I wanted to get an academic job at a university or a research center, but i don't want to be here anymore. Apart from all the reasons already heard, i slowly realize that the re is a heavy hierarchy in academics and if you are an inmigrant from a 3rd world contry like me, you will always probably have the stigma. I know everybody has to start from the start, but i also don't want to like some professor doctor's balls. what can you tell me about this? Like, i am up to work hard , but not the additionally bare the sense of superiority and the condescendence of this guys.( I mean yes, i am late, i don't speak perfect german, y can't write a perfect text in academic german , and i don't plan, and i am slow, fair enough)?
grey, lifeless, cackhole of a place. I came here because of a girl.. thought she was a woman, turned out she was a heartless, cold, vindictive b?tch that likes to use children to push her selfish agenda... saddest thing is they are her own children... and mine... Now I am stuck in this horrible place around these horrible ugly, emotionless, cold, carbon footprints fighiting every day to instill the smallest glimmer of humanity in my children that are regularly taught to discount me and all that I stand for. I so want out but can't leave my kids to become Berliners... what do I do!??!
I'm in the exact same situation, or I should say my son and I are. Hang in there and remember that the kids need you and never give up. Just be the best dad you can be. As they grow up, they'll see right through her. Well, that's my plan, anyway. I have at least 10 years ahead of me here. As for the people who tell me that Berlin is a great place to raise kids: Berlin is a great place to teach kids how to smoke cigarettes.
Hi there,
after having read all the previous posts, I am really impressed how accurate the descriptions are and would like to share my own perspective with you. Very fortunatelly I have never been to Berlin, but I have lived in various locations in Bavaria instead, which is supposed to be the high-class area of Germany.
In fact, you may easily get impressed by the polished surface. But, if you stay for more then a few months, you will inevitably get the odd feeling that things are not what you assumed them to be. The good looks of places, people and stuff stop matter because that's not what matters. What matters are your interactions with people and you will find out that there is a severe lack of.
Germany is a very feminist society (although the level of hatred may be lower then in english-speaking countries) so that most local guys will not stand for their opinion but instead always support the opinions of women in a given social setting (their very low standards to woman reflect this reality). You are basically dealing with female hierarchies anytime and anywhere. Good luck climbing the social ladder if your origins are supposed to be low-value.
On top of that, Germany is a social circle game. Any non-mechanic social interaction happens exclusively in a social circle and, again, good luck getting in as a foreigner. Generally, don't expect to be welcome anywhere. There is an incredibly widespread feeling of collective superiority of Germans which is why people won't even bother listening to your opinion no matter how long you have been living in Germany.
As a student, I can tell you how German students spend their time. They go out in locked-up groups to an as-cheap-as-possible place, get drunk and return home. Repeat once every few days. That's it. If you dare to communicate your criticism of this kind of „culture“ in any way, prepare to become a very lonely student. And I haven't event touched all the xenophobia yet. If you dare to introduce the slightest change to anything, you will be seen as an enemy to the group immediatelly.
Ultimately, if you are a man of your own and unique character, you won't miss anything if you avoid Germany altogether.
If Berlin is any reflection of how typical Germany society was in the 1930-40's, I'm not surprised one bit how what happened was able to happen... It takes a certain type of disconnected zombie like people.
If someone actually does his job and wants cheers for it.
God I love this site.... so nice to know that I am not going out of my frickin mind...
After having lived 2 years in the Berlin for some reasons I don't wanna mention I finally left the city, lucky now I live happily in San Diego, but during my time in Berlin I used to be denied entrance to places because I wasn't "white enough" (ok, that's cool) and even got attacked once by two (+6'2") college students acting all like wannabe gangsta who surrounded me (5'11") and attacked me with no provocation on my part as I was just walking on the street. So they started calling me names and saying things like "muslim go home" (I don't even, I'm an atheist), they started throwing punches and stuff and one of 'em even tried to break a club mate bottle onto my head, what they didn't know was that I had been practing MMA for quite a while then so they took the greatest damage, broken noses a few broken ribs and a dislocated elbow. The worst part for me was when they were attacking me no one around freaking did or say nothin' but when I counter and starded kickin' dem butts people around worried about the attackers! beacuse the attackers were germans and I wasn't! (people said it out loud by the way, I heard it). And people came to their aid (though they didn't do poop beacuse they were scared as poop as the fuckers they were). I grew up in the freaking South near Lynchburg (it even has lynch in its name) and not even there I felt as much racism as in B.
Enjoy San Diego! It will be such a difference from boring, grey, unfriendly Berlin. Sorry you went through that, Germans always claim to be accepting and "Multi-Culti", but as a Black Brazilian...I beg to differ. Thats why I stopped learning the Language. even if I spoke perfect German I'd never be "White Enough" as they say.
Yes you are right @Anon, of course it could be worse and I don't wanna be there to see it, just look at the Greeks, that's a whole new level of retardation (Golden Dawn and shite like that happening right now. I recently watched a video on Vice where they go ask the PR of Golden Dawn whether they were facist or not to which she replied: "we cannot be facist because facism is an italian word and we're greek hence we aren't facist"). Although I am not quite sure if it could get any worse than: Greece, Poland, Ukraine (they are at war pls) or Russia. I mean, according to that logic Berlin would be 2nd from the rock bottom in the east. Maybe I'm exagerating a little bit, though I'm not completely sure of that. A trip to Kashmir would maybe help me appreciate how blessed I was to live in Berlin. *sarcasm* * sarcasm*
PD. Thanks to the admins of this site for letting us vent all this Berlin-related-frustration. Also I'd like to thank to you guys for listening since I won't be replying anytime soon because to me my Berlin experience was really, really toxic and I want it to be over and forgotten. Best wishes to y'all beautifull people, hang in there. Peace.
Anonymity + Audiences = Trolls, Psychos, and Haters
Ever notice how they use their History as a crutch for...EVERYTHING? "We dont have jobs, we are Racist and dont bathe often...its because of the WAR!" "I'm 32 and Depressed...it's because of the WAR!" And that THEY were the victims of that War they can seem to shut up about?! Is it just me?!?!?
Dont bother learning the Language...you'll just end up making crap Wages anyway.
LOVE AND HATE IN BERLIN
Hi. I'm a Berlin girl (please don't hate me, I'm ok. Really.) I met this guy last year. Of course he is not from Berlin: he is sociable, super hot, funny, tall, great style, 100% my type - I will NEVER MEET A MAN LIKE HIM AGAIN.
I love him - he hates Berlin. We often check this website to get some support from other Berlin haters, but he just can't take it anymore. He hates Berlin so much that he actually thinks about leaving this craphole.
Thank you Berlin, I hate you, you're about to ruin my life.
“If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.” - Woody Allen