Published 2016-06-06 09:38:48

Hi! My name is Hor and I am living in Germany since more than two years ago. I came here due to professional reasons. At the beginning my plan was to stay in Düsseldorf one year. However, I fell in love with the entire NRW region since the first day I arrived in Germany.

1.    Why did you move abroad?
I moved to Germany because I received a job offer in a Spanish company located in Düsseldorf.  As I could speak a bit of German I decided to try it and I moved. Before moving I was expecting this experience to be something temporal (as my previous experiences abroad), however my mind changed the same day I came to Germany.

2.    How do you make a living?
As I decided to stay in Germany I started to look for another job. The first thing I did was to improve my German knowledge. I took language courses and I did the official exams (Germans love certificates…). Once I got all the German certificates I started looking for a job in a German company. No sooner said than done! Since almost one year I am working in a German company.

3.    How often do you communicate with home and how?
Thanks to Whatsapp and the Social Networks I can easily communicate with my family and friends. Although it is not a face to face communication we can, at least, keep in touch. Otherwise I tend to use Skype to have more important conversations.

4.    What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Düsseldorf?
I like the atmosphere of the city. People are really open minded and welcoming. Furthermore, the city is full of life the whole year. No matter if it is winter or summer there is always something to do. There are always people walking on the street, in the restaurants and in the movies.

5.    What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Düsseldorf?
I cannot talk about “the worst thing”. I feel here like at home and people have been always friendly to me. Maybe I could say that it is a bit weird for me (as a Spaniard) the lack of light in the streets and the highways during the night.

6.    What do you miss most?
I miss the food and the sea.

Although I am already used to the German food, it took me a while to get used to eat more sauce than groceries in the restaurants. I come from the olive oil part of the world, adding dressings to the food was hard for me at the beginning.

Regarding the sea, what should I say? During the hot summer days it is always nice to see the sea. In the NRW region we get along with the river.

7.    What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
My first decision to meet new people was to look for a shared flat with Germans. I thought it would be the best option to meet new people, to learn more about the culture and to improve the language. Once I got a nice flat with really nice roomies, I decided to go to a German school (not only to improve it but also to meet international people). In the German school a made good friends, who talked to be about Expat Meetings and I started to join them.

8.    What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
There is something I find really curious about German people: When they move they take all the furniture (also the kitchen) with them. One you look for a flat you have to be very careful to do not rent an empty flat if you do not have furniture with you.

9.    What is a myth about your adopted country?
The punctuality of the public transport. Unbelievable!! Sadly it is true. Most of the times the German public transport has delays. Not only the trains but also the buses and trams. I was really surprised when I found it out but after a while you get used to it.

10.    Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
The last country I lived in before coming to Germany was in of France. So prices are more or less the same. However, I find a huge difference in the flat-renting prices. The monthly price of a rented flat in Düsseldorf is twice expensive as in the south of France. This point has not made a difference in my life since I had a job but for people who are planning to find a job once they are in Germany I would recommend to have good savings.

11.    What advice would you give other expats?
My advice to other expats is to enjoy this experience, do not stop learning (from each person they meet in their way, from the culture of their adopted countries) and to meet new people. I think being an expat is an exciting opportunity that can change our way to understand the world and ourselves.

12.    When and why did you start your blog?
I started duesseldorfmoments when I arrived in Germany due to a promise I made to someone really closed to me. At the beginning it was just a small blog to share my daily life with my friends and family. After one year I found out that my blog was being a good tool not only for people who were already living in Germany but also for people who were thinking about moving abroad. Therefore I changed a bit my blog without losing the initial essence. I stop talking only about myself and I started giving some interesting tips that could help other people.
 

Hor's Blog, Duesseldorf Moments

 

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