It’s been a rather hectic few months in my little world.
I’ve gone from working as a freelance translator and editor, based in Porto, Portugal to living in Trier, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and commuting to work in the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union in Kirchberg, Luxembourg City.
I’m still working as a translator and editor. That’s probably the only constant. That and my cats and partner who are with me in Germany! :)
Moving from a Latin, Southern European country in which I felt really relatively settled (settled is probably a bit of a stretch as I’ve never really spent longer than 2 years anywhere since leaving home 8 years ago) and comfortable to a Northern European country with a very different mentality and language and then commuting to a third country with yet another language is certainly stimulating but it is also challenging. Much of what I left the United Kingdom to escape from, on first glance, appears to be present in Germany and Luxembourg. Namely bad weather, a faster paced, more stressful lifestyle and seemingly less focus on food (!). I’ve spoken before about how I feel most comfortable in “Latin” countries, for want of a better term. Although I grew up in Northern Ireland and lived there until I was 18 and later studied in England I feel that I personally am more suited, emotionally and psychologically, in many ways, to living in Southern European or Latin American cultures. Overall I have felt most settled, happy, content and at ease when living in Buenos Aires and Porto. So, I was rather concerned about moving back to Northern Europe, after spending over two years in Portugal, the longest consecutive period of time I have ever voluntarily lived anywhere. However, as much as I do miss so, so many things about Portugal, I have to say that I have not found the move quite as difficult as I had expected. There are several reasons for this.
Positives
The people in the Translation Centre in Luxembourg have all been very welcoming, professional, friendly and helpful. This has undoubtedly helped significantly in my transition to life here.
Secondly I find Germany to be an incredibly well ordered, structured and refreshingly “straightforward” country in many ways, after living in Portugal. Essentially the only things I have ever missed about the UK, my experience of Northern Europe, when living elsewhere are the relative lack of bureaucracy, and the lack of the “mañana culture/mentality". There is simply more organisation and structure and things just work better. There is no other way to say it. It’s a massive stereotype and also a huge generalisation, but for the most part, it’s true! Nonetheless things are often taken to silly extremes in the UK. Common sense goes out the window and rules are ruthlessly and clumsily enforced. Despite the reputation that German people have for being brisk and sticklers for rules I have actually found people to be remarkably friendly, open, helpful and kind as well as highly efficient. There seems to be a great deal more flexibility than in the UK and I feel more like I am being treated as a valued individual than in the UK. There is more service and more attention to detail. People are also lovely in Portugal, of course, it’s just that they aren’t very good at overcoming their conditioning (and the system) in order to actually get things done! So, I have found things here to be very smooth and straightforward and simple to sort out. Which has been a huge relief after Portugal.
Food. Again, Germans really do have such a bad reputation and it is seemingly unfounded. I’ve been here for a month now and also spent a few weeks while at school in Berlin, Heidelberg and Cologne. And I must say that I have been, on the whole, very impressed with almost everything I have eaten. Yes, German traditional food is quite rustic and heavy and relatively basic. But, it exists. In the Uk traditional food has almost disappeared from menus; it is no longer "fashionable" In the UK it is also very difficult to differentiate between regions, based on food. Going from Belfast to Edinburgh to Manchester, you see the same eateries, the same menus and the same ingredients replicated across the board. In Germany respect for the seasons and for the produce and specialities of each region are key. As they should be! This is obviously something that is common throughout Europe but somehow seems to have dwindled in the UK. The traditional food here isn’t perhaps as sophisticated or complex as French or Italian cooking, but it is very tasty, fresh and filling. Coming from a country like Portugal, with such a rich and diverse food culture, and being someone who adores food and cookery, I was worried about moving here. But overall, although I do miss certain dishes (francesinhas(!), feijoada, picanha, seafood in particular) I have been impressed with both the traditional German food I have tried as well as with the Japanese and Indian restaurants I have visited. There is also a great variety of wines (advantage of being in a wine producing regions) which is another thing I was anxious about, given that Portugal produces such good wine, as well as beers, ciders and so on. And the cost of living is relatively low here (obviously significantly higher than Portugal but so much lower than Luxembourg!).
Weather. It is grey and cloudy, yes. But it isn’t wet! Which is wonderful. Porto in the Autumn and Winter is very, very rainy. I can cope with cold much better than with rain. The weather so far has been cool but dry and still. Not much wind and rain. Which is very nice. Of course I miss bright light but it could be worse.
Negatives
Tipping! In Portugal you only really ever tip in a restaurant if you have a very good meal and the waiter is extremely attentive and useful. And even then it will be around 5-10%. Here, it seems that one must tip for everything, and at least 10%! I would much prefer that it was just added onto the bill as a service charge as it really doesn’t seem optional. It makes me feel that the waiter in a cafe or restaurant, or the taxi driver or whoever, is only being friendly because they assume you will tip them! I believe that the customer should tip when and if they feel it is appropriate. Not, in all cases, almost regardless of the level of service received! Again, this is something that I got used to in Portugal: table service is the norm and is expected. It is not an additional service which requires additional payment. The very reason you pay an inflated price for food and drinks in restaurants, cafes etc is because you are being served them! This is definitely a major culture shock. Also, the way in which you are supposed to tip here is something I find odd. The waiter appears with the bill and a money purse and you are supposed to decide on the spot how much to tip and tell them how much you would like to tip when handing them your money. This is very un-British (actually telling the person how much you will tip them seems much too direct on a subject like money!) and unlike what I was used to in Portugal as well, where the tip is decided after the bill is paid and is generally left on the table. My residual Britishness makes me almost embarrassed to be so open about tipping (which is silly I know). And the expectation that you will tip and tip well grates on me, especially when the service is nothing special.
I’m sure with time I will come across many more things I’ll feel the need to point out, but for now I’m coping (just about) with the above!
The square beside our apartment building in Trier
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