Tell me about living in Germany, please

[Spryte]

I think a few of you have lived in Germany?

Want to talk about the experience?

Especially interested in Munich.

[regentrude]

What exactly do you want to know? The question is a tad too open-ended.
I lived in Germany for 30+ years.

Edited April 20, 2022 by regentrude

[rdj2027]

Munich itself is very expensive, but most people I know like living there.  Do you have any particular questions?  I am originally from Germany; my family lives in the northern part though.

[Spryte]

I left it open-ended deliberately, to give room for any perspectives or thoughts. I’m absorbing any info at all, so am up for hearing a broad range.

We are considering a move, so I’m thinking about living there as an expat, and specifically thinking of kids living there, and the general adjustments. I know you have family there, and so your experience would be different, but would love to know your thoughts re: family life for transplants (we’d be in Munich).

Cultural differences? Things we should know or consider?

[Spryte]

1 minute ago, rdj2027 said:

Munich itself is very expensive, but most people I know like living there.  Do you have any particular questions?  I am originally from Germany; my family lives in the northern part though.

Thanks! I have all kinds of questions, but at this point it would probably be overwhelming to list them all.

I think my first concern/question is about our kids, and finding them a supportive, welcoming community. I’m making the guess that they would attend one of several American school options, and we would meet some kids through the company, but will need to connect with more than that.

We would be making the shift from a large-ish suburban house to a city apartment, too, so that right there is a big change. 😊

[rdj2027]

As an expat, you must still file a US tax return.  Health insurance is not free, your employer pays half of the premium, you pay the other (it is taken directly out of your pay check).  Housing is currently a bear, hard to find and expensive.  Schools depend, homeschooling is illegal.  Southerners in general are more extroverted but true friendships still take quite a while to form.  Public transportation while not what it used to be in the past still exceeds anything in the US.  Government offices are not fun to deal with and digital/internet leaves a bit to be desired. 

There are a couple of youtubers who moved to Bavaria, they may have some helpful tips.

[elinnea]

I think this is a really hard question to answer because everyone's experience will be different.  As with moving anywhere it sort of depends on how open minded and adaptable you are.  My husband is German and I lived there for about 12 years but I think there are differences when you are married to someone from the cultural vs. being sent there for work. 

[Spryte]

1 minute ago, rdj2027 said:

As an expat, you must still file a US tax return.  Health insurance is not free, your employer pays half of the premium, you pay the other (it is taken directly out of your pay check).  Housing is currently a bear, hard to find and expensive.  Schools depend, homeschooling is illegal.  Southerners in general are more extroverted but true friendships still take quite a while to form.  Public transportation while not what it used to be in the past still exceeds anything in the US.  Government offices are not fun to deal with and digital/internet leaves a bit to be desired. 

There are a couple of youtubers who moved to Bavaria, they may have some helpful tips.

I’ll look for those youtubers, thanks! If you think of their names, please let me know?

Housing would be the company apartment, so it’s already in place. Homeschooling is the reason we haven’t moved before, but the pressure is mounting. Health insurance, etc, will be handled by the company. DH will be hashing out details soon.

I have Celiac, and kids both have anaphylactic allergies. I’m a little concerned about sourcing safe foods and eating out, but DH has a colleague with similar allergies who manages, so I know it can be done.

We do have one wrench that could derail any moving for at least a year. DS is a senior, and taking a gap year next year. His plan was to live at home, work, and take online classes. He’s 18, but not ready to launch, due to some issues. Leaving him is a deal breaker, but since he’s over 18 that changes things. We have some investigating to do. 

[Spryte]

7 minutes ago, elinnea said:

I think this is a really hard question to answer because everyone's experience will be different.  As with moving anywhere it sort of depends on how open minded and adaptable you are.  My husband is German and I lived there for about 12 years but I think there are differences when you are married to someone from the cultural vs. being sent there for work. 

Yes. I think it’s doable, but difficult. DH has been going back and forth for 20+ years and has a built in support system of friends and colleagues (and a set of extra “adoptive” parents who adore him). But he’s never lived there. I have a few American acquaintances that live there, but no close friends. I’m imagining that it will be fun and exciting and scary for the first few months, and the inevitable homesickness will creep up around 7 months. That’s been my experience with other major moves, but I’ve always pushed through and had a good experience.

I’m most concerned about our kids adapting. (Well, if our older kid can even come, but that’s a different beast.)

Edited April 20, 2022 by Spryte

[rdj2027]

A company move changes some things as your employer will probably help you get settled, help with taxes and facilitate school attendance.  As far as I know, there are only international schools in Munich but not a specifically American one.  More often than not companies also help with housing.  You may not live in the city center but somewhere on the outskirts where it is greener and more "suburbish".  Most people speak English but German nonetheless is helpful but if you children attend an international school, English will probably remain their primary language.  Traveling is easy to do.  I think most Covid measures have just been rescinded.

[rdj2027]

You are actually pretty well set up.  I do not know anything about the visa regulations for eldest son but there should be a way.  "My Merry Messy Life" is the youtube channel I was thinking of but there are many more.  Children in Germany are expected to be more independent than in the US so that may influence parenting.

[Spryte]

4 minutes ago, rdj2027 said:

You are actually pretty well set up.  I do not know anything about the visa regulations for eldest son but there should be a way.  "My Merry Messy Life" is the youtube channel I was thinking of but there are many more.  Children in Germany are expected to be more independent than in the US so that may influence parenting.

I will check out that YouTube, thanks!

I’m sure there will be more questions while we decide what to do. We will know more in mid-May, too, hopefully  regarding details about which apartment, health insurance and assistance getting everything settled. 

I do know that several Americans living there have their kids in international schools, so hopefully we can get some feedback before DD starts about the best fit. She has never attended a B & M school. 😬I think she could adjust, but I am anxious.

Ironically, this comes just as we were getting ready to downsize. Since the housing market is bonkers, we were pondering a beach rental for a year and billing it to the kids as a “year long vacation.” Possibly we will just change the “vacation” location and length. 🤣

[Harriet Vane]

I wonder why your ds would have to stay behind? A gap year in a foreign country sounds amazing. He could possibly still take online classes and just immerse in the culture. 

[Spryte]

39 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

I wonder why your ds would have to stay behind? A gap year in a foreign country sounds amazing. He could possibly still take online classes and just immerse in the culture. 

That’s what I’m hoping to do. Awesome gap year!

I think there may be hurdles because he’s over 18, won’t be a student (I think a student visa requires fluency in German), and can’t support himself. It’s not so straightforward as bringing our minor DD. There must be a way to make it work, though, we can’t be the first family in this position. DH’s co can do some legwork on this, I think, and hopefully find some options.

[Bootsie]

DH's father worked in Europe (Netherlands) while he was growing up; DH attended the international school while there; DH was used to moving and adjustments (they moved at least once every 2 years), but said that the time abroad was the best experience for him and that the international school was the best school he attended.  In his situation, there were other families who worked for the same company who were sent over at the same time, so there was "company family" that he knew.  

Munich is a nice place from which to travel.  Bavaria itself is beautiful to explore.  You are a couple of hours away from Salzburg and within a few hours you could be in Italy, Switzerland, or France.  Driving on the autobahn is much easier than driving on most interstate highways in the US; you also have good train connections out of Munich.  Depending upon where you have lived in the US, one of the things I think would be culturally different to many American families is the freedom that teens have to travel and explore and that they are much more independent getting themselves to school, etc.  

You mentioned a gap year and online classes--just remember that if your son takes online classes, universities will not consider the year to be a gap year and he will likely fall into a transfer student status if he wants to enroll in a university after taking online classes post-high school graduation.

Edited April 21, 2022 by Bootsie

[HS Mom in NC]

I enjoy watching Feli from Munich: https://www.youtube.com/c/FelifromGermany/videos

[Twolittleboys]

Unfortunately, I do not have time to read through the entire thread right now but I have lived most of my life in Germany (and am living there currently). I did live a number of years in Munich which I love. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have!

[Pam in CT]

If *coming with you* is the priority (and online classes are secondary bonus), your son might well be able to find a more-or-less volunteer internship that enables him to come with you for his gap year. Our eldest did that between HS and university. There are various European-based "gap year specialist" travel companies that can help both with matching kids' interests to different opportunities and to sorting out visa issues.

Concur with pp that (unless your son has already applied to/gotten accepted into university, and is taking the gap with his receiving school's permission, as my daughter did) taking "too many" online or cc courses can force kids unexpectedly into "transfer" status rather than regular freshman status.  (Which could be fine if he's expecting it... but it's a different, more ad hoc process, and different schools have different timeframes for transfer so kids often have to commit to one school before hearing from another, so you just don't want to be surprised into that situation... this is happening right now with the good friend of my younger daughter, who didn't MEAN to be a transfer student but has taken "too many" for-credit courses in his gap year to be eligible to come in as a regular freshman, which is disappointing him.)

 

We've visited Munich and Bavaria; and I think it sounds like a totally awesome adventure and I'm confident you'd figure out all the moving parts.

[Lillyfee]

I am from Southern Bavaria.

If your move is with am American company it should be easy and all set up and your son should be completely fine to come with you as a family member.

I miss Germany. However, we sometimes seem kind of harsh for Americans but that's just our culture. We say what we think and are direct. We do not say "Excuse me" every time in the store. We kind of push our way through 

Gas is a lot more expensive but usually you can walk, take a bike or use public transportation. Health care in Germany is excellent.  Homeschooling is illegal but for US military families it is allowed as they fall under American law. I do not know how it would be in your case. 

The apartments are smaller and we do not have A/C usually (unless it's American and they put one in) but our houses are build different and stay cool. The weather can be rainy and gray sometimes but Bavaria has the most sun hours in Germany. 

Usually people like Americans. They are known as being fun. 

Germany is very liberal and even the Catholic and especially the Protestant church have liberal world views. 

The food laws are stricter than in the US. You get fresh food that tastes better and it is so so much cheaper than in the US (like 1/4 of the price). It is also common to shop on farms directly.

The culture is very different though and some like it and others don't. 

It is very safe, too.

 

 

[Lillyfee]

I forgot. Big topic for lots of Americans 

Yes, it's normal on pools and lakes that kids are naked and on lakes often adults too. Yes, it's ok for a woman to lay topless at a public pool and in the sauna all people are naked and it's usually men and women mixed. But nobody looks. 

You will see breast (like when breastfeeding)  in commercials.

The biggest shock for some Americans 

 

[Frances]

On 4/20/2022 at 7:25 PM, Spryte said:

That’s what I’m hoping to do. Awesome gap year!

I think there may be hurdles because he’s over 18, won’t be a student (I think a student visa requires fluency in German), and can’t support himself. It’s not so straightforward as bringing our minor DD. There must be a way to make it work, though, we can’t be the first family in this position. DH’s co can do some legwork on this, I think, and hopefully find some options.

I’d be very surprised if a student visa requires fluency in Germany. My son knew no German when he went for a year and many of their universities have some programs entirely in English. The prof who he did research with tried to talk him into staying for his MS. No German skills necessary.

[gardenmom5]

Do you have school age children?

are either you or your husband German citizens?

My niece has lived there for 25 years, her husband is Ukranian.   While both of them speak fluent German (and the nanny was german), - it's mandatory their born in Germany children are enrolled in a German speaking school as they are considered non-natives.  They are not allowed to take them out of school for any reason other than illness.  So traveling to the US for a US-family reunion during the school terms was not allowed.  they live near the Austrian border - so their oldest is now enrolled in school in Austria.

 

[Spryte]

25 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

Do you have school age children?

are either you or your husband German citizens?

My niece has lived there for 25 years, her husband is Ukranian.   While both of them speak fluent German (and the nanny was german), - it's mandatory their born in Germany children are enrolled in a German speaking school as they are considered non-natives.  They are not allowed to take them out of school for any reason other than illness.  So traveling to the US for a US-family reunion during the school terms was not allowed.  they live near the Austrian border - so their oldest is now enrolled in school in Austria.

 

Yes, she would attend one of the international schools which primarily use English. She would be taking German in school, it’s a mandatory part of the curriculum in the schools we’ve investigated. As I understand it, the attendance laws are stricter, even for temporary residents. We have always traveled while homeschooling so that potential loss is weighing heavily.

I think my questions would be different if either of us were German citizens, or at least I’d know better what to ask. But one bonus appears to be that because we are not, she won’t be required to attend a German speaking school — I think that would be a tough transition. Thanks! 
 

34 minutes ago, Frances said:

I’d be very surprised if a student visa requires fluency in Germany. My son knew no German when he went for a year and many of their universities have some programs entirely in English. The prof who he did research with tried to talk him into staying for his MS. No German skills necessary.

That’s good to know! Did he enjoy his time there?

Edited April 22, 2022 by Spryte

[gardenmom5]

32 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Yes, she would attend one of the international schools which primarily use English. She would be taking German in school, it’s a mandatory part of the curriculum in the schools we’ve investigated. As I understand it, the attendance laws are stricter, even for temporary residents. We have always traveled while homeschooling so that potential loss is weighing heavily.

I think my questions would be different if either of us were German citizens, or at least I’d know better what to ask. But one bonus appears to be that because we are not, she won’t be required to attend a German speaking school — I think that would be a tough transition. Thanks! 
 

 

If you're there for an American/other company that might/would allow you to do the international school.
My niece and her Ukranian husband both have German employers and they aren't allowed to do an international school.  He's now primarily employed across the border at the same school as their oldest daughter.  tbh when we visited them - I was much more comfortable on the Austrian side of the border.  It was weird - we went back and forth multiple times.

She also told us that flats don't come with kitchens you can buy it from the seller, or install your own.  (they bought a used kitchen and installed it in their flat.) Things may be different in a larger city.  (they're not near a large city.)

[Hilltopmom]

Not In Germany, but I attended an international/American school (technically an American school but there was no international school in our area so it functioned as an international school- the kids from all the embassies attended) overseas & it was a pretty interesting experience. In my graduating class of 14, only 4 were American. 
The school provided all of my socialization & extra curricular needs. Plus lots of cool “field trips” to other international schools around Europe- for sports tournaments and Model UN. 
It certainly shaped my view of the world.
Good opportunity- I’d go for it 🙂

[Spryte]

12 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

If you're there for an American/other company that might/would allow you to do the international school.
My niece and her Ukranian husband both have German employers and they aren't allowed to do an international school.  He's now primarily employed across the border at the same school as their oldest daughter.  tbh when we visited them - I was much more comfortable on the Austrian side of the border.  It was weird - we went back and forth multiple times.

She also told us that flats don't come with kitchens you can buy it from the seller, or install your own.  (they bought a used kitchen and installed it in their flat.) Things may be different in a larger city.  (they're not near a large city.)

There are a few other Americans working in the company and living in Munich — their kids attend the international school, so I’m imagining our kid would, too. I will get more details soon, and will definitely keep this in mind as a potential issue. Thanks.

Oh, the kitchens! Ha! Yes, I’ve heard some crazy stories about kitchens! I thought it was just our friends’ idiosyncrasies, but sounds like it’s not! We will be in a company apartment, I think — either an existing one, or a nee one rented for our stay, so fingers crossed that they’ll fix that up prior to our arrival! Kitchen is a must with LTFAs, right?!

DH will get more details soon. And we will make some decisions. I’m on the fence because of the kids at this point. This move has been a vague possibility for ten years or so, now that it’s a more concrete option I’m just not sure what’s best for out kids. If it were just DH and me — I’d be 100% on board.

 

[Spryte]

5 hours ago, Hilltopmom said:

Not In Germany, but I attended an international/American school (technically an American school but there was no international school in our area so it functioned as an international school- the kids from all the embassies attended) overseas & it was a pretty interesting experience. In my graduating class of 14, only 4 were American. 
The school provided all of my socialization & extra curricular needs. Plus lots of cool “field trips” to other international schools around Europe- for sports tournaments and Model UN. 
It certainly shaped my view of the world.
Good opportunity- I’d go for it 🙂

Love hearing that, thanks! DD would be going to a B&M school for the first time ever, but I think it might be an incredible experience! Did you find the kids welcoming to new students?

[Spryte]

14 hours ago, Lillyfee said:

I am from Southern Bavaria.

If your move is with am American company it should be easy and all set up and your son should be completely fine to come with you as a family member.

I miss Germany. However, we sometimes seem kind of harsh for Americans but that's just our culture. We say what we think and are direct. We do not say "Excuse me" every time in the store. We kind of push our way through 

Gas is a lot more expensive but usually you can walk, take a bike or use public transportation. Health care in Germany is excellent.  Homeschooling is illegal but for US military families it is allowed as they fall under American law. I do not know how it would be in your case. 

The apartments are smaller and we do not have A/C usually (unless it's American and they put one in) but our houses are build different and stay cool. The weather can be rainy and gray sometimes but Bavaria has the most sun hours in Germany. 

Usually people like Americans. They are known as being fun. 

Germany is very liberal and even the Catholic and especially the Protestant church have liberal world views. 

The food laws are stricter than in the US. You get fresh food that tastes better and it is so so much cheaper than in the US (like 1/4 of the price). It is also common to shop on farms directly.

The culture is very different though and some like it and others don't. 

It is very safe, too.

 

 

Thank you! So helpful!

On the food laws, do you recall anything about labeling for allergies? (It’s probably better than US, honestly!)

I am Celiac, and both kids have life threatening food allergies. It makes eating out very hard, so we mostly cook at home, but have found a few safe restaurants. I did find a few GF places in Munich, so those are leads, at least. More importantly, I have to be able to make sure the kids don’t exposed to their allergens. We have crazy long lists, ugh. 

DH has two colleagues with allergies, in Munich, one of whom has an allergy kid, so hopefully we will have some guidance on that front!

[Spryte]

On 4/21/2022 at 9:33 AM, Twolittleboys said:

Unfortunately, I do not have time to read through the entire thread right now but I have lived most of my life in Germany (and am living there currently). I did live a number of years in Munich which I love. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have!

I have many questions, which are varying day by day, so if you don’t mind sharing info, we could be at this a long time. 🤣 Mostly, I’ve had questions about my kids adjusting.

My random question of the day is about living with food allergies on Munich. I have Celiac, and both kids have multiple life-threatening food allergies. It’s a pain in the neck here, and I’m sure it will be anywhere we go, but I’m curious if you’ve ever noticed labeling for allergens or restaurants that mention allergens? We do know a few people in Munich with similar anaphylactic allergies, so it must be doable.

[Lillyfee]

I do not know how good the food is labeled when it comes to allergies but I am sure that this is something you will figure out over there. However, I assume that the US is better with stuff like that. 

You should not have problems in restaurants. When it comes to allergies they are educated about what is ok to serve then.

I am really sorry that I am no better help for that.

About restaurants... We do not have free refills for drinks. When  your glass is empty and you ask for more you will  need to buy a new drink. That was a surprise for some Americans. You also can ask for free tap water like here in the US but it is not that common and they expect you to order a drink you pay for too a lot of times as they make their most money with the drinks. There is also no ice in the drinks and you need to ask for it (that's how they also know you are American  ). Our waiters and waitresses get a living wage and you don't need to tip that much. You should definitely still tip but a couple of euros is more than enough.

Also on a 4 way stop it is not who comes first goes first but right before left. The car on your right hand can go first. 

Otherwise I want to say that sometimes the police is a little strict with foreigner but you do not need to be scared of them at all. We do really not have a lot of police violence. We do have these little cameras on the street sometimes that take a picture of you when you go to fast or run a red light and then you just get a letter and need to pay. A lot of Americans are really surprised about that.

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Lillyfee

[Hilltopmom]

32 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Love hearing that, thanks! DD would be going to a B&M school for the first time ever, but I think it might be an incredible experience! Did you find the kids welcoming to new students?

Absolutely welcoming- everyone was used to moving all the time (state dept or military kids for the US families, embassy kids for the others, or a few private foreign companies whose kids went to the school). A ton of languages were spoken but English was used in classrooms and sports/ clubs or hanging out, for the most part- at least at school, to include everyone. 

[Twolittleboys]

1 hour ago, Spryte said:

I have many questions, which are varying day by day, so if you don’t mind sharing info, we could be at this a long time. 🤣 Mostly, I’ve had questions about my kids adjusting.

My random question of the day is about living with food allergies on Munich. I have Celiac, and both kids have multiple life-threatening food allergies. It’s a pain in the neck here, and I’m sure it will be anywhere we go, but I’m curious if you’ve ever noticed labeling for allergens or restaurants that mention allergens? We do know a few people in Munich with similar anaphylactic allergies, so it must be doable.

No worries, I am happy to answer any questions you have (as long as I know of course).

Noone in my family really has any food allergies so I don't personally pay a lot of attention but I do know that stores have all kinds of glutenfree/dairy free products (let me know if you want me to check on anything in particular). There are allergen warnings on products (i.e. may contain traces of....). I would assume it is similar to the US but there may be differences of course.

 

[MEmama]

As you already know, Munich is an exciting, dynamic city. My aunt and uncle and cousins live there and we love it. Everyone we have met there has loved Americans and always want to speak English to us (whether to practice their excellent English or because our attempts at German are so atrocious, idk lol). In general I think Bavarians are considered more open than northern Germany, where my mother is from.

I have no experience living there but I’d say if you have the opportunity for your kids to live in a different country, do it! We were able to give DS that experience when he was young and combined with lots of travel, it’s benefitted him enormously already in his life, helping him decide to move overseas for university and planning to stay in the EU after. Your kids will gain *so much* living there—they’ll be more independent as others have mentioned, and travelling around Europe is cheap and easy. Growing up immersed in another culture is an opportunity not to be missed IMO— I hope it works out for you! 

[Twolittleboys]

As to Munich, the only real negative is the price for housing but if the employer takes care of that you should be good.

Great city with lots on offer - museums, parks, concerts etc. You also have many lakes nearby and the mountains are only about an hour to the south. Most everybody will speak English but I do still advise to learn as much German as fast as possible as it will just make it easier to meet people, take part in activities etc.

[Spryte]

3 minutes ago, Twolittleboys said:

As to Munich, the only real negative is the price for housing but if the employer takes care of that you should be good.

Great city with lots on offer - museums, parks, concerts etc. You also have many lakes nearby and the mountains are only about an hour to the south. Most everybody will speak English but I do still advise to learn as much German as fast as possible as it will just make it easier to meet people, take part in activities etc.

Thanks! 
 

None of us speak German, unfortunately. Well, DH does a little bit.

I think if we decide to do it, we will do an intensive family private class before going, to at least kick off learning.

[shawthorne44]

As a complete language-dunce, I highly recommend the Michael Thomas CD's.   I learned more his first CD than I did from 2 years of foreign language in High School and three college classes (both not German).    His personal history is pretty cool too.   

The Culture Shock book on Germany was good too.    Where I learned one of my favorite jokes.   The trouble with German food is that in a couple of days you are hungry again.    Speaking of which, the meals are different than I as an American was used to.   The middle of the day is when the big meal happens.  I worked for a large company and they had a really nice company cafeteria with large, nice, heavy meals.   My problem was that the other time for a heavy meal was in a restaurant.  I didn't live there but I would spend several weeks a week there in hotels.   But, for you living there, that should be less of a problem.    I'd recommend switching to a light evening meal.   Another thing with restaurants,  the assumption in non-tourist areas is that a restaurant table will be used once per evening.  So, if you go early the restaurant might be 90% empty and they'll tell you that they are full and can't seat you.    Note, this was in a non-tourist area in the north.   

Since I didn't live there, I don't have much to offer.  

[Spryte]

38 minutes ago, shawthorne44 said:

As a complete language-dunce, I highly recommend the Michael Thomas CD's.   I learned more his first CD than I did from 2 years of foreign language in High School and three college classes (both not German).    His personal history is pretty cool too.   

The Culture Shock book on Germany was good too.    Where I learned one of my favorite jokes.   The trouble with German food is that in a couple of days you are hungry again.    Speaking of which, the meals are different than I as an American was used to.   The middle of the day is when the big meal happens.  I worked for a large company and they had a really nice company cafeteria with large, nice, heavy meals.   My problem was that the other time for a heavy meal was in a restaurant.  I didn't live there but I would spend several weeks a week there in hotels.   But, for you living there, that should be less of a problem.    I'd recommend switching to a light evening meal.   Another thing with restaurants,  the assumption in non-tourist areas is that a restaurant table will be used once per evening.  So, if you go early the restaurant might be 90% empty and they'll tell you that they are full and can't seat you.    Note, this was in a non-tourist area in the north.   

Since I didn't live there, I don't have much to offer.  

I will check out the Michael Thomas CDs, thank you.

Culture Shock! We have that on our bookshelf, unless it didn’t survive my semi-recent purges, I’ll go look for it! Too funny. DH read it way back when he started visiting often. I hope we still have it, I remember holding it in my hands fairly recently and debating about donating it, aaack!

[Bootsie]

5 hours ago, Spryte said:

I have many questions, which are varying day by day, so if you don’t mind sharing info, we could be at this a long time. 🤣 Mostly, I’ve had questions about my kids adjusting.

My random question of the day is about living with food allergies on Munich. I have Celiac, and both kids have multiple life-threatening food allergies. It’s a pain in the neck here, and I’m sure it will be anywhere we go, but I’m curious if you’ve ever noticed labeling for allergens or restaurants that mention allergens? We do know a few people in Munich with similar anaphylactic allergies, so it must be doable.

DD lives in Austria, a couple of hours south of Munich.  I have spent a fair amount of time in Munich with a friend with significant food allergies.  Items were typically marked with pictures to note common food allergens.  In addition to no wheat, my friend cannot have potatoes or beef--which meant many of the traditional foods were off limits to her, but she said it was not too difficult to navigate and that she found restaurant staff very accommodating.  

[shawthorne44]

31 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

potatoes or beef--which meant many of the traditional foods were off limits to her

I love German food and we had it as often as possible when I was growing up.   There is a family joke (but true) that I was made in Germany.   
I was once visiting extended family and we ate at a German restaurant.   The older teen decided to skip it.   When I saw him at the house afterward I asked why he didn't eat with us.   He said he didn't like German food.   I was nonplussed, I said, "What's not to like?   It is meat and potatoes"     
I get that many people probably don't like it but those that "only eat hamburgers" shouldn't have a problem with it.  The next year he went with us and liked it.   

Now if someone also couldn't have vinegar, then they'd be SOL.   
 

[Lillyfee]

Germans also eat a lot of Mediterranean food nowadays.  We have excellent Italian and Greek restaurants.

The Mexican restaurants are not that great,  at least not in the country.

Germans also eat a lot of organic and fair trade food. 

Our McDonalds is a lot fancier than the US one with more Vegetarian options and healthier kids options and the Mc Cafe has great coffee (Cappuccino and stuff) of high quality, freshly made and very nice seating on lounge couches and with fire place. I was very disappointed when I saw the first US McDonalds.

Out packages are smaller. I could not believe the huge milk packages and the huge trash cans in the US.

That's another topic. We are very particular about using the right trash can for the right trash . One for plastic, one for organic waste, one for glass, one for paper and another one for the rest. And please bring your plastic bottles back to the store (cans too). You get 20 to 30 cents back per bottle.

[Spryte]

I’m pretty excited about the food options!

And very excited about better packaging and disposal!

But … No Mexican food will break my heart. That is going to be tough. Green chile is my comfort food, and it’s hard enough to find on the east coast! 

When my parents lived in the Netherlands, there was a lot of going back and forth with an extra suitcase. Coffee, chocolate, and some coveted spice mixes came this way, and things they could only find here went that way. Now I’m wondering if I can pack a suitcase full of green chile? 🤣

[Bootsie]

49 minutes ago, Spryte said:

I’m pretty excited about the food options!

And very excited about better packaging and disposal!

But … No Mexican food will break my heart. That is going to be tough. Green chile is my comfort food, and it’s hard enough to find on the east coast! 

When my parents lived in the Netherlands, there was a lot of going back and forth with an extra suitcase. Coffee, chocolate, and some coveted spice mixes came this way, and things they could only find here went that way. Now I’m wondering if I can pack a suitcase full of green chile? 🤣

I was in Mainz with a group of Texas college students who kept telling me I had to go to the Mexican restaurant they found.  I told them that we were in Germany and I was going to eat German food.  Finally, I broke down and went to the Mexican restaurant--to find out that the owner was from San Antonio!  So, there is some TexMex food in Germany.  

[Spryte]

Just now, Bootsie said:

I was in Mainz with a group of Texas college students who kept telling me I had to go to the Mexican restaurant they found.  I told them that we were in Germany and I was going to eat German food.  Finally, I broke down and went to the Mexican restaurant--to find out that the owner was from San Antonio!  So, there is some TexMex food in Germany.  

Going to need the name of that place!

[Laura Corin]

Third Culture Kids was a good read for us - it helped with transitions.

[Twolittleboys]

I would agree that there aren't many Mexican restaurants - we have gone to a Mexican fast food place before that was quite tasty and seemed mostly authentic. However, you will feel many, many Greek and Italian restaurants (both somewhat different from the US counterparts) as well as plenty of Asian (especially Chinese/Thai), Middle Eastern, and Indian restaurants. We live in a smaller suburban town and have about 5 Italian, 2 Greek, 1 Turkish, 3 Thai/Vietnamese, 1 Indian, as well as various German restaurants. Munich will offer a lot more. At the moment both sushi and burger places are very popular.

I do think though that Germans tend to go out less for dinner than many people in the US (depends of course on individuals). It seems to me that the price for eating out is higher compared to cooking than in the US (partly because grocery prices in the US always seem very high to me).

Anyway, I don't think you will have any problems with food, especially in Munich. It shouldn't be a problem to find most ingredients to cook what you are used to. You might have to make some substitutions (e.g. until a couple of years ago cheddar was very hard to get/expensive but it is fairly easy substituted with gouda or similar). 

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Twolittleboys

[Lillyfee]

Yes, in Munich you should really not have any problems eating out.

You need to keep in mind that I grew up in a little village with more cows than people  and going Munich was a one time every 3 years thing and my whole family felt intimated there and and we looked like coming from another time zone between the city people 

My family ate out like 2 or 3 times a year and just last week my mom complained how expensive it was in our local Pizzeria. I asked her what they paid and she said "We paid 30 Euro for 3 people. It was 28 Euro but of course we gave 2 Euro in tips. That is something we can really only do once or twice a year."

My mom is super dramatic. My dad was a war child and my mom grew up in the mountains with 8 siblings.  They are not poor but are so used to growing up turning every cent around 3 times before spending. 

[Spryte]

We don’t eat out a ton, because of all our allergies. We are pretty limited in our choices of safe options, unfortunately. DH and I might enjoy going out some, and once in a while we find a place whose owner decides to “adopt” our kids and take on cooking for them as a challenge. But, really, we will mostly eat at home — though I’m sure DH will be out quite a bit with work stuff.

I’ll just have to make our own Mexican, and pack that chile with us! 

[Lawyer&Mom]

1 hour ago, Spryte said:

We don’t eat out a ton, because of all our allergies. We are pretty limited in our choices of safe options, unfortunately. DH and I might enjoy going out some, and once in a while we find a place whose owner decides to “adopt” our kids and take on cooking for them as a challenge. But, really, we will mostly eat at home — though I’m sure DH will be out quite a bit with work stuff.

I’ll just have to make our own Mexican, and pack that chile with us! 

Twenty years ago I was able to find the green jalapeño Tabasco sauce in my German university town.  I’m sure you can find what you need in Munich!

[Bootsie]

In recent years, it has become easier to get Mexican food ingredients there.  The stores will have a small area with salsa, tortillas, corn chips, taco shells, etc.   I don't remember about chile--I'll ask DD to look.  One thing I had not realized until a few years ago when a friend mentioned it was that boxes of baking soda are not sold in the stores; I have only found it in small packages like yeast packages.  

[Bootsie]

You can expect a much smaller refrigerator than Americans are accustomed to, no garbage disposal, a small washing machine--which will take much longer to wash your clothes, but they will be CLEAN, and no clothes dryer.