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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
I have a friend called Schmitt, true, who gets so down he lsitens to hitler speeches to pik up his morale, he lives in friedrichsheim Berlin. He wanted me to watch this film from the 20s with an awful theme made at Weissensee lake Berlin, it disturbed me for days. Theres parts of Berlin I like a barman told me he knew an architect who lost his job now picks stuff out of a bin, thats Berlin, a lot like it, i even liked it some. it gave me tinnitus dunno why, weird, it was commy state - a Thai girl in a bar chased me down the street to pay 50c for a glass of water. She wouldnt let up and I paid her. A girl also Thai I think in a takeaway joint for thai food also came running down the street for money. I said I paid, she swore at me in German, WTF
Presents itself as a city overflowing with a supportive arts community and such. I went to an open mic night (am a respected singer/songwriter back in North America) and because I wasn't awful--and I'm a pretty girl who bathes, works out, and wears makeup--all I could see was people smirking at me when I performed. They barely clapped when I was finished. This has happened on more than one occasion. Sorry I am actually making some organic music on an instrument and trying to share it with you, you reeking, jealous, untalented, dispassionate posers.
Just to add: I suppose if I had shown up with stringy hair, acne, and a machine that makes blip-bloop noises so the audience could fling their unwashed, doughy bodies around, I would have been a smash. Why is Berlin so averse to well-groomed women who express themselves through acoustic music? Ah, right. Because Berlin is WAY TOO COOL FOR ME! I'm suprised Berliners aren't using "dope" and "phresh" to describe themselves.
Its an island of dog turd and concrete, floating in an uninspiring, post soviet wasteland hundreds of miles from the next city, whose most famous architectural masterpiece was a wall. I for one am not surprised that it, or the people who choose to inhabit are not particularly great