Mistakes expats make in Germany

Hello everyone,

Did you make any mistakes when you first moved to Germany? What were they?

How did you address your mistakes? Did you learn anything from them?

With hindsight, what would you do differently?

Are there any tips you could give future expats in Germany to help them avoid these kinds of mistakes?

We look forward to hearing from you!

Priscilla

My advice to others: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Fill in the blank.
Understand that I did not move to Germany to stay among so many people who show me every day, every time I & others who look like me have to move about in their midst, how much disdain they have over the very sight of me/ us.  My home teaching lessons included this, never stay any longer than you must in a place where you are not welcomed.   

How's that!? - - - Tshcuss - - Jeeez!!!

I foolishly believed discrimination & prejudice was a Western only ugly real aspect of human social practices.  On the way to this side of the globe, I learned through tell-tale experiences how false an assumption that is. In this part of the world it is conveniently build right into society.   

Now, you don't know my experiences enough to try & treat this like it is a matter of lack of maturity, insight, planning, or foresight.  If I can take your profile pic as a true indication of who you are, I can bet that when you were trying to understand why your parents were so right about so many things in life, I was advising my own off-spring on why she should graduate w/ her masters degree & go to work for a while before continuing on to earn her Ph.D, instead of dropping out of her graduate degree program of studies.  Today, I proudly call her Dr. (our family name). 

You wrote how did I address my mistakes: I told myself how fallous it was to actually believe one society of caucasoids would actually treat a very educated non-caucasian mature competent capable adult man fairly based on the content of my character and accomplishments not by the color of my skin and other informational aspects of my person that have nothing to do with my capabilities.

I have not done any significant mistakes apart from being late for a couple of minutes and receiving stick for it. 

I would say that nobody should be worried about making mistakes because in a new culture, you are like a baby,  as it learns to walk, it falls so may times, so it is with learning a new culture.  In fact make as many mistakes as possible, as earlier as possible, then you will get in the culture earlier and settle better.  BUT avoid to repeat the same mistakes.

Accidentally walking in the cycle lane! Never again!