Who are you?
I am Rama, an Indian and a mom of a little daughter. I completed my master’s degree and worked in editing field for few years, later got married and came to Germany 4 years ago.I am an upcoming blogger now, enjoying my love for writing and sharing my life’s experiences through blogging.
Where, when and why did you move abroad?
In June 2014 I moved to Germany. My husband was already working in Germany, so I joined him after my marriage to start my life with him in Germany.
What challenges did you face during the move?
The main challenge was finding a house for rent. We found a unfurnished house and bought all the household items which was very expensive. Second thing is, in Germany most of the rented houses doesn’t have kitchens. We spent a lot to build our own kitchen.
Are there many other expats in your area?
There are English speaking expat groups on Facebook. You can easily join them. And they have frequent meet ups to socialise and have fun. Also there are expat mommy groups which will help mommies and their kiddos. Some good places to find other expats are:
• Internations
• Meetups
• Metropolitan club
• Mumabroadlife
• Munich Mom
• Mum Abroad
• Expats In Germany
What do you like about life where you are?
Even though I had bit of difficulty in settling down at the beginning, now I really enjoy the life here. The rich culture actually is very good for my daughter’s upbringing. The nature and peaceful environment are my favs.
What do you dislike about your expat life?
Missing my family is the only disadvantage here. We left our whole family back in India and came here. It’s the only hard thing but we slowly accepted that and started to live our life happily. We visit them once a year and even our parents come to meet us now and then.
What is the biggest cultural difference you have experienced between your new country and life back home?
Everything I would say (ha ha). From colour of the skin, language, food, lifestyle, renting a house, way of parenting etc. Language and food is the main thing I would say. I have discussed and will be discussing more in my blogs. That’s what my blog is all about.
What do you think of the food and drink in your new country? What are your particular likes or dislikes?
German food mainly contains pork and beef which I don’t eat. But salads in Germany are very good. Spätzle is a famous vegetarian food in Germany and it’s so good. Bratwurst and Currywurst (sausages) are great gifts for pork and beef eaters. Schnitzel is kids’ favourite in Germany, it’s a deep fried meat dish. Salads, Hähnchenschnitzel (deep fried chicken), Sauerkraut are my favs. Apple cakes are famous here as a tea time snack. Last but not the least as everyone knows Germany is famous for its beer.
What advice would you give to anyone following in your footsteps?
My first advice for people come to live in Germany is get to know the culture and language. Know about the town or city that you’re gonna live in. Language is a must on a day to day basis, even though many Germans know English, their primary language is only German.
Know about the housing system, either to buy or for rent; do some research before you arrive here.
Be ready for learning in each and every step you take. Stop comparing Germany with your home country, definitely it’s going to be different. Accept the differences, everything is going to be new but it’s a good experience to know and the end results are gonna be awesome.
What are your plans for the future?
My plan for my future is to learn more of the German language. Definitely I will concentrate more on my blogs and share my awesome life adventure with you all.
You can keep up to date with Rama's adventures on her blog, Rama's Zone.
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