5+ years living in Germany pros/cons (American Perspective)

Hey there everyone! In today’s video I am talking about the pros and cons of living in Germany that I have after over 5 years of being here.

For those of you who don’t know me... my name is Neeva and I live in Germany with my husband Ben and our cat Blu. I make videos about what it’s like to live in Germany as an American, as well as other random things I want to talk about!

If you enjoy this video please like and comment what you think! Aaaand if you want to subscribe to my channel that would be amazing!

[peachysparkles]

As a Mexican, I don't think that having a picture of a Mexican wearing a sombrero is racist. Mexicans wear sombreros. That's part of the culture. So to show a Mexican person basically being Mexican on a Mexican food item isn't racist, it's just Mexican.

[wora]

Integration for Germans works through common interests I think. Join a club of people doing things you like: Wandern, Cooking, Soccer, Dancing, Chess and whatever else there is. Just about all my friends I met in such a way. Even when I lived outside of Germany that approach worked. Older Germans make friends over these shared interests and over longer time. People I only know for a short time ( say: a few years) are just acquaintances.

[BiG-JuPOO]

I'll say the hardest part is basically what everyone would go through moving to another country. That is educating yourself about the culture and learning to have respect for it's difference compared to what you're use to.

My personal perspective I wouldn't have an issues with Germans being reserved because thats how I am too. In America people expect you to be all bubbly and open up instantly. To me I've never trust people enough until I get to know them for at least a month to truly see who they are. A lot of people I've met in my life always criticize me for being to closed off oftenly but it's just my way getting to know people.

[jessicapilich]

Mexican American here, commenting about a year after you posted this. Just wanted to say we’re proud to have our tio (uncle) on them tortillas with his sombrero! He made it all the way to Germany! 🥳 Lol! So it’s ok to buy them! We encourage you! ♥️

[druidactual]

The cultural appropriation comment was very ignorant. Any iconography from a different culture isn't some racist call sign. It's communication that the product (tortillas) is Mexican in style. Your thought can also be applied to you buying German anything, as someone from California btw.

[thepurplesmurf]

Please don't understand it the wrong way, but I always find it funny to hear in American expat videos the complaint about no good mexican food and then incidentally mention they are from LA or California in general. Well, you most certainly have the same problem in Maine or Michigan when it comes to mexican food. The reason why you, as Californian, are used to great mexican food is, that California was part of Mexico before the US annexed it.
I don't mean this in an offensive way, it's just kinda funny to me to compare a specific/regional food this way. It's like if I would live in south-west Germany near the French border and are used to good french food and then move to Houston and criticize the lack of good french food. 😜

[nikomangelmann]

what americans allways get wrong. air condition is not a solution for the problem, its a part of the problem. there is so much energy waste with trying to cool down a room that leads to more negative effects for the environment.

[wora]

No air condition: You are mostly right but wrong at the same time. First, yes the weather has gotten a lot warmer in the last 5 - 10 years. Before that there was little need for a/c because the stone walls kept the cool of the night through much of the day. But times that's changed. I live in southern Germany in a village with many home owners. Many of us have installed a/c units in the last years, often coupled with photovoltaic so the power consumption would not get to expensive. But this is mostly done in privately owned and used houses, it will take some more time before rented spaces will be equipped as well.
Btw: My house has 3 floors in the summer the temperature goes up 2 centigrade for each level up. Currently I start in the morning with 22 in the bedroom/basement, 24 in the living room and 26 in my office in the attic. In the evening it will be 30 °C in the attic and 25/26 in the basement.

[lizzielusk]

I don’t think a Mexican with a sombrero on a tortilla package is appropriation😂

[gregorytidwell]

Honestly, half of your cons are your personal issues of you spending most of your life in the United States and having expectations of maintaining your old lifestyle. Living in Oklahoma in the summer, I wish for 90 degree whether.

[IIIOOOUS]

I just thought how beautiful it is here in Berlin from Mai to September. The Many lakes, beaches, swamps and hills ar (that remind me of ocean waves) around Berlin. The warm weather with a sun that is mostly not to hot and the northern flair with dusk until after midnight makes this time really special.

[kcjtl]

I have been also living in Germany almost six years and would have to agree with you on most things except the internet, I have fiber. You forgot to add that woke culture isn't as prevalent here causing the cultural polarization like it does in the US. However, then you made the comment about cultural appropriation on a tortilla package. Really who cares? The Mexican's don't, they put that kind of imagery on their own products. Is it cultural appropriation to put a German guy in lederhosen on a package of bratwursts or a bottle of beer? Leave that stupid crazy crap in the US.

[axelk]

culture appropriation...? I don't know what you mean by that, but you should think about your arrogant bias! Advertising a product must be simple, eye-catching and memorable. the best foreign goods are sold because they are presented in their native language and/or iconography. With this attitude you would have a difficult time at the "Japan Day" in Düsseldorf... by the way, the location of the only Shinto temple that was personally consecrated by the Japanese Tenno, which is not in Japan. With this attitude, I could say "I don't buy US products, because they always have the star and stripe on them!" Here in Germany

[XX-bnsf]

It is bad to have a Mexican person on Mexican food? How so?

[eisikater]

C'mon, please! Is it cultural appropriation if you show a little Mexican with a sombrero on a package of tortillas? I remember, when I was a kid, I laughed a lot about the Speedy Gonzales cartoons which were shown on German TV. Now THAT was cultural appropriation, but by America. I found that speeding mouse very entertaining, and still do.
I hope that whole "cultural appropriation" thing will be gone for good soon. As well as "cancel culture", because one thing is for sure: If that remains, it will cancel culture, it will cancel freedom of expression, it will cancel out all the multicultural achievements we used to be proud of. Don't we let it get that far!
But you're right, no decent Mexican food in Germany. But no decent Asian food either, except in cities where you have lots of Asians.

edit: German internet connections. Yes, we perform bad compared to other European nations. But sometimes, it's also a matter of geography. There are hills, and trees, and mountains, and still more trees, here in Bavaria and in many other states. And German houses are usually made of brick, or even concrete. You have reflections, deflections, interference, and even blocking of radio waves. That's a nightmare for every communications engineer. And then you have these "worried citizens" who get a headache from seeing a WiFi antenna even if it's not in use yet, so you have a nightmare of bureaucracy. My hope is that those people will slowly die out. -- But things like that you'll have to face when living in a densely populated country.

[urban_coyote]

I was also born and raised in the American southwest. The lack of Mexican food in Europe is always my biggest struggle during long stays 😂 worst Mexican food of my life was in Heidelberg. I always make sure to bring plenty of chili from New Mexico. Still, it's a small price to pay. Germany is a lovely country.

[c.norbertneumann]

If you once travel to Dresden, I can recommend you some good Mexican restaurants:
- Cantina Revolucion
- Enchilada Dresden
- Tex-Mex Santa Fe
- Mexi Taco
- House of Mexican Dresden
- Spexicano Dresden
- Espitas
- The Evil Burrito
Come and enjoy it. (The list is not complete.)

[helenannleeshung]

This was such an honest acessment of Germany!!❤❤🇩🇪 I loved your honesty and vibrant personality 👌🏽😃💯

[Larsen]

What is always with everyone complaining about Air conditioner! Just buy yourself one. Good God.

[Christisking]

The video is great until you had to virtue signal the race cards. I'm Hispanic and take pride in knowing my peoples faces are on the products we make. There is no such thing as cultural appropriation cultures are meant to be shared. Like how Germany is sharing their culture with you.