Wired

After a 3-week wait (which by several accounts in quite short), Kabel Deutschland has finally deemed us worthy of giving them money in exchange for internet. Internet! In my home! Yayayayayay!!! I feel like doing a happy dance around the room, but then again that would require getting up from the computer. And I have a whole bunch of internet to catch up on.

I'd like to take this opportunity to profusely thank Zoozie'z, a fabulous bar and restaurant here in Munich which offers free internet. I have spent much time there these past few weeks.

Regularly scheduled blogging (and email replying, and commenting on other blogs, etc., etc.) to resume posthaste.

O2 rocks my world (a little bit)

So as I mentioned in the last post, we are keeping busy doing all those annoying little things one must do upon arrival in a new country: paperwork, set up utilities, paperwork, get insurance, paperwork, sign up for a cell phone plan, paperwork...

We decided to get contracts with the cell phone provider O2, since it seemed to have some of the less-offensive rates around (it's entirely possible that there are better rates out there, but processing any additional info might have made our heads explode before we even got around to choosing one). After offering up our passports and visas to prove that we were worthy of paying lots of euros for German mobile numbers, we were actually pleasantly surprised by two secret extra-special bonus features that came with our new plans:

1) My O2 phone has a mobile number and a home number.* So if someone wants to reach me but doesn't want to pay those crazy mobile-calling prices to do so, she can simply call my 'home' number, which will cause my cell phone to ring (but only if I'm at home). This means we don't have to bother to get a home phone at all (which we were hoping to avoid, anyway). It also means that my husband and I have different 'home' numbers.

2) For signing up with O2 I got 10 hours of FREE internet access (in an attempt to get us hooked before they jack up the price) - and not that lame trying-to-browse-the-www-on-your-tiny-ass-phone kind of internet, but fancy on-your-computer internet which magically works via tiny invisible fairies which travel at the speed of light between your computer, your cell phone, and the series of tubes. Such fancy newfangled things they've got these days. This internet thing is so very exciting to me since, as I may have mentioned before, we still don't have internet at home. (Note: I'm trying to use this fancy phone internet sparingly, so my excuse to still not be replying to emails in a remotely timely manner still stands.)

And after all these years, the German word "Handy" still makes me giggle.

* A little background for you Americans: unlike in the US, where mobile numbers look the same as landline numbers and cost the same to call, Europe differentiates between the mobile network and the landline network ('Festnetz') in some ways. Mobile numbers have certain prefixes, and cost more to call in most situations than landline numbers do.

I think we'll call this the interrogation room

Still alive, still unpacking, still no internet at home. A trip to Ikea is long overdue (at least Ikea sells the same furniture all over the world, so our new German furniture will go perfectly with our Italian, Swiss, and American furniture).

Another thing we need to take care of is choosing a German cell phone plan. They are much more expensive here than in Switzerland or Italy, so we're actually trying to pay attention to what we sign up for this time. Other than the cell phone plans, I'm pretty consistently amazed at how much less things cost here than they did in Zurich.

Every time I leave the apartment, I fall a little more in love with Munich. It has a great vibe, combined with beautiful architecture and interesting people. Our neighborhood seems more fun each day - new shops, restaurants, cafes... I find myself walking around with a goofy smile, bubbling over with excitement to get to know this city. And trust me, I am not normally a bubbly person.

Home at last

After two months of wandering the US, it's nice to be in a city I currently can call home: Munich. We arrived a couple days ago and have been sleeping on an air mattress in our new apartment since then. I sure am looking forward to seeing all our furniture and stuff next week! Until then, we are keeping ourselves busy mopping (a few rooms have brand new flooring - covered with a couple centimeters of sawdust) and shopping for odds and ends.

One of the big exciting discoveries thus far has been a gigantic Kmart-like store just a short walk from our new place. This type of store was sorely missed in Zurich (and Milan, for that matter). It's great for (1) when you don't know where to go to find something (because they sell pretty much everything... I mean everything) and (2) when you don't want to pay a fortune for said thing. Quality and service are great and all, but sometimes you just want to pick out something yourself and pay hardly any money for it, you know? It must be the American in me... but the best part is that I don't even have to go to a strip mall to find this stuff in Munich!

Another bit of fabulousness: the tram stop near our place has one of those live signs that tells you exactly how long until the next several trams arrive. This makes it super-easy to decide whether you want to wait around or just give up and walk. Efficient laziness!

Alas, it's not all sunshine and flowers here in Munich: it's going to take 2 TO 4 WEEKS to get our home internet access set up. What in the world am I supposed to do until then? I'm already wearing out my welcome at the one and only free internet cafe I know of. Anyway, if I owe you an email or something, um, I hope you're breathing normally until it arrives.

Despite all the hassles that a move brings with it, it's so worth it for all the fun I have getting to know a new place. Now if you'll excuse me, we're off to get acquainted with the world's largest Feuerzangenbowle. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

But how walkable is it?

Walkscore.com is a fun interactive tool that allows you to view the 'walkability' of a neighborhood: the density of shops, restaurants, and other points of interest. Walkability is a big factor for me when choosing a new neighborhood. I love being able to step outside and be somewhere interesting (rather than in the middle of suburbia or urban sprawl). If I can people-watch from my living room window, even better.

Our apartment in Zurich (walkscore of 48 out of 100) was a little too far into suburbia for my tastes, even though most of the basics (grocery stores, public transport, restaurants) were less than a 10-minute walk away, and the city center was about a 20-minute walk away. It also had the benefit of being a 15-minute walk from hiking trails, forest, and a gorgeous view of the city and the lake, features which don't earn it any points the way that the walkscore is calculated.

The neighborhood of our Munich apartment will be a move in the right direction, with a walkscore of 72. Ideally it would be even higher (and we did view a couple apartments in more happening neighborhoods), but this place was a good compromise when we considered apartment size, proximity to the city center, transportation options, and other factors that are important to us.

Our address in Milan had a glowing walkscore of 88, and it was definitely my favorite neighborhood I've ever lived in to date. But I'll try to keep an open mind and let our new Munich neighborhood (where we will be taking up residence in January) grow on me.

The walkscore technology is far from perfect (making mistakes such as categorizing hotels as grocery stores, for example), but it seems to do a good job on the relative walkability of all the neighborhoods I entered into it.

What's your neighborhood's walkscore?

Apartment hunting in Munich (and elsewhere)

We spent most of last week searching high and low for our next address. After hearing horror stories about how tight the market is right now for renters in Munich, we were pleasantly surprised to find that there were, in fact, a couple apartments (a) available, (b) in our price range, and (c) not located in the far outskirts of the city.

We were also really happy to find a place with a built-in kitchen. The standard German rental apartment traditionally comes with nothing in the kitchen - no cabinets, no oven, no fridge, nothing. It is up to the renter to purchase and install her own kitchen, and to remove it when she leaves (or to sell it to the following renter). Apartments also come without closets or light fixtures, unlike in the US where these things (and kitchens) come standard. Italian apartments are usually as bare as the German ones, whereas Swiss apartments often come with installed kitchens but no lights or closets (does any country besides the US understand the joy, convenience, and saved wall space of built-in closets?).

Our reluctance to invest in multiple major appliances severely limited our apartment choices in Milan, and somewhat limited them in Munich. On the complete other end of the apartment-stuff spectrum, the fact that we own any furniture at all would have caused serious problems had we tried to rent a place in Limerick. According to the relocation agent we spoke with there, almost all apartments are rented out not only with full kitchens and light fixtures, but they are fully furnished down to the beds, tables, wardrobes and chairs. Although I am happy to use a hand-me-down oven, I can't say that I was thrilled with the prospect of an apartment containing used beds...

Nice people, these Bavarians

As part of our search for the perfect apartment in the perfect neighborhood, we have spent a lot of time this week standing on street corners puzzling over maps. Trying to figure out which direction to explore next, which streets might have interesting stuff on them, which areas near the apartment we have yet to see...

On many occasions, a friendly local has seen us with our map and stopped to ask if they could help us find something.

I think I love Munich already.

The movers are here - random panic edition

Even when one has the luxury of full-service movers (paid for by a kind and generous employer), there's still plenty to stress about before they arrive and while they are packing. What can't we live without for 2 months? Is it all over in the "safe" corner? Where are my shoes? Don't let them pack up the trash! Or the shoes I was planning on putting on! Dammit, where's my cell phone charger? What the hell is he trying to say?* Did we run the dishwasher? Empty the tea kettle? Was that ceiling lamp here when we moved in? Help, that dust bunny is trying to eat me! Can blackberry jam be poured down the sink? Did he just say they broke the bed frame?


*This one applies particularly when the movers speak a version of Swiss German that you've never even heard before.

Getting ready for the movers

I'm obviously guilty of blog neglect these days. Most of my energy has been going into (1) getting ready for last Friday's art opening (which went really well) and (2) getting organized for the move. We're preparing to say goodbye to the vast majority of our belongings for about two months while we wander the world mooching off of friends and relatives.

International moves don't necessarily involve two months without stuff, but they often do. Especially for intercontinental moves. Not only can shipping take quite a while, but there can be delays in import paperwork, finding a new home, etc. (I believe "dock worker strike" was the official reason for an additional 2-week delay when we moved from the US to Italy, for example.) But clearly the short overland distance between Zurich and Munich should mean smooth sailing for us this time, right? Well, maybe, except we elected to do things the hard way. Goodbye, stuff!

We enjoyed some delicious fondue for our last dinner at home. It looks lovely with the flowers I received at my art opening, doesn't it?


OK, back to deciding what things I can't live without until 2008...

And the winner is...

Munich! Congratulations to Munich for being chosen as the home of our next expat adventure. It was a tough decision, but we are really looking forward to getting to know Bavaria a little more intimately. The beer gardens, Oktoberfest, the drunken tourists, the drunken locals... and I'm sure the city has some non-beer-oriented stuff going on, too. Doesn't it? I'll have to get back to you on that one.

I'm a wee bit sad we won't be going to Ireland, at least not this time around. I'm sure I would have loved getting to know that country, too. The one way in which Munich is really a let down for me is the fact that I've already lived in Germany before, so the culture doesn't have the shiny newness that Ireland would have had. Although I suppose one could argue that the deep heart of the former GDR can hardly be considered to have the same culture as Bavaria...

And thanks to everyone who chimed in on my Munich v. Limerick post. It was fun to hear others' impressions of the two choices.

And the countdown begins

Our days in Zurich are numbered. What is there left to do before we move? What places do we want to go one more time? What things to do, foods to eat, people to see? What are we forgetting? How much chocolate do we need to buy before heading to the US for the holidays?

My impending art opening is keeping me distracted from thinking about moving logistics, for better or worse. Although It's not quite as big an event as, say, having a wedding a week before you leave the country, which happens to be what we did right before our move from Milan to Zurich. We like to go out with a bang.

By the way, if you'll be in Zurich on November 2nd, please feel free to drop by the opening. It should be a good time.

Which country would you choose?

So our two possible destination cities are Limerick, Ireland, and Munich, Germany. We have made our choice, but it wasn’t easy. I’m interested in hearing what you guys would have chosen before I tell you what we decided.

Munich has a lot of obvious benefits, including…

• Large, dynamic city with plenty of cultural activities and groovy neighborhoods (no, I’m not counting Oktoberfest as a cultural activity)
• Decent public transport
• Proximity to Alps for skiing and winter frolicking
• People speak real German there (well, it’s closer to real German than what we hear now, anyway)
• Pretzels, Weiβbier, oompa bands and Lederhosen
• Beer gardens
• 6 weeks starting vacation

But Limerick, although less glamorous, has some very tempting attributes, as well…

• Cute little city centered around a lively walking district
• Lower cost of living (meaning we could afford, among other things, a brand new apartment with a giant, American-sized kitchen. Goodbye, shoebox freezer!)
• 24-hour shopping
• Gorgeous nature nearby – especially ocean!
• Cool, mild weather (remember – I’m not a fan of the sun or summer)
• People speak English, and with adorable accents, to boot
• The Irish are incredibly friendly, especially compared to the Germans
• Cozy, smoke-free pubs serving delicious Irish ales
• People named Seamus
• Cheddar cheese!!

So which one would you choose? I have a feeling the responses will be a landslide, but let’s see if I’m right…

Ask the serial expat

I’ve received a bunch of questions, both here on the blog and in person, related to our decision to leave Switzerland for yet another expat adventure. Below are some of the most common. Think of this post as a serial expat FAQ.

Why do you keep moving? Don’t you want to settle down?

I always assumed I’d get the urge to settle down sooner or later, but so far that just hasn’t happened. If anything, the opposite has become true – each new city reinforces my love of living in new places. Daily life becomes an adventure when you’re somewhere new – new foods, shops, languages, restaurants, streets, and so on and so on. Yes, there are some negative aspects to a move (leaving behind friends, move logistics, etc.), but to me the stress is more than worth it for the chance to intimately get to know another new city and country. I’ve very, very lucky that my husband feels the same way.

Why leave? What’s wrong with Switzerland?

It’s not that there’s anything particularly wrong with Switzerland. Life here has its share of good points and bad points, just like anywhere else. We’re not leaving because of some intolerable situation, but more out of a desire to move on to something else. Overall we’ve really enjoyed our time in Switzerland, and it will always have a place in our heart. (Is that the sappiest thing I have ever said? I think it might be…)

How is it that you can work in Europe? Aren’t work permits hard to get?

Getting a job in a foreign country is not as hard as many people think, especially if you have certain qualifications (such as a degree in something useful – for example my husband is an engineer, and I have an MBA in international management) and are willing to be flexible. The legal process for an American looking to work in Europe is usually pretty painless*, as long as you can find a company that wants to hire you enough.

I could never live in a foreign country.** I have kids/ a gerbil/ rabies/ acute xenophobia/ lives to save/ asses to scratch/ something important going on in my life that you obviously don’t have.

Nobody’s asking you to move. You don’t have to tell me your reasons or excuses. Really, it's perfectly fine for you to make different life choices than I do. [I know this one isn’t actually a question, but it’s something I hear all the time.]

So, any more questions?

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* With the exception of Italy. Anything involving Italian bureaucracy is by default extremely painful.

** If you really, really wanted to, I bet you could. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a legitimate excuse from someone as to why they can’t.