A month ago I moved to Germany for a new job. It should all be easy. Germany is my neighbouring country and essentially we are practically the same right? It’s part of the EU, so it should be easy to move. The culture isn’t that different. I’m familiar with the language, at least to some extend. I’ve been to Berlin many times. And yet, Germany is like that distant cousin that you don’t know all that well. I can’t even locate the salt.
The decision to take the job in Berlin and give up my life of freedom wasn’t easy. I struggled with it until the moment I moved to Berlin. And let’s be honest, I still don’t know if this is what I want for the rest of my life. But it feels good for now and nothing is permanent. The thought of living in Berlin had been in my head for a while and it still excites me. Berlin, to me, is a city that’s full of life and where anyone and everyone can find a place where they are comfortable. It’s a city with big opinions, many cultures and resistance against everything.
I left my home country with two huge bags and hopped on the train. I stared out of the window, looking out over the German countryside. I moved in to my new place, a flat I share with two others. Three weeks later my parents helped me move more of my things, so that it feels a bit more like my space now. I’m so happy to have a space! A place I can say is my home! I started growing herbs and bought plants. I have time for hobbies again and can go to the gym.
But moving also comes with a lot of paperwork. Especially in Germany! The first challenge was housing. If you want your own place, you need to be registered in the city. But… in order to register in the city, you need to have a house. So the only way to avoid this catch 22 is to find shared housing. And there are a lot of people searching. I was lucky enough to have a few days in Berlin in March where I spontaneously decided to go to some viewing. Within a few days I’d arranged a place to live!
I still needed to get an Anmeldung, a registration in the city, within 2 weeks of moving. However, to get an appointment you had to wait more than a month! On the day I had my appointment, the S-bahn train was late and I got so stressed thinking I was going to miss it. I rushed out of the train when it arrived in Hohenschönhausen, a suburb where I could get an appointment. When I walked into the Bezirksamt for my appointment I looked at the numbers on the screen. Mine wasn’t there. Two minutes later it appeared and I got my official paperwork.
But I’m not done yet. I need many insurances and a bank account. The bank provides a service where you apply online and then do an ID verification online as well. It was the most awkward thing, but the verification went well. However, I still haven’t heard from the bank! I also applied for travel insurance, but so far they have not deducted any money and I’m still not sure if I am insured. For all other insurances I need a German bank account. Even my new gym needs a German bank account, although luckily they let me pay cash for my first month.
It’s a struggle to get everything organised to say the least. But also I find that German habits are very different from the Dutch. Everything seems a lot more traditional and old fashioned. The city completely shuts down on Sundays and public holidays. So I now have to plan my shopping a bit better. And when I make it to the supermarket, I can’t find where anything is. They also don’t appreciate any noise in evenings and on Sunday. This leaves Saturday as your one day to do any fixing around the house. I wonder what they thought when I moved in a lot of boxes on Easter Sunday…
Everything is also so official. People use official titles and are way stricter with the use of language. It seems to clash with the grunginess of the city, especially in my area, where you find a lot of bars and clubs. Many buildings are covered in graffiti and people walk their dogs holding a beer in their hands. People live on the streets or are squatting because they don’t want to pay rent. There are demonstrations against increasing rent prices, immigration and politics. It seems Berlin is a clash of cultures.
Today I had another visit to my local supermarket. I planned on baking, so looked for sugar and there it was… the salt! Finally, after nearly 5 weeks in the city, I’ve found it in the baking section.