Where are you from? Please tell us about yourself!
I come from Hungary, but I have been living here in Germany, in Munich, for 6 years. I work as an International Marketing Manager. I work 100% from home. The company sells premium home appliances such as vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, water filters, cleaning appliances, and mattresses. I am responsible for product sourcing, product launches, communication, and the creation of our brands, for example, Richter. I provide the marketing materials to the countries or distribution partners in English. I also develop our websites and manage the online platforms and webshops in Hungary and Germany on a daily basis.
In my free time, I like to ride my bike or go on trips to the mountains. I am married and my husband is also Hungarian. We moved to Munich together.
I love visiting museums. In the future, I plan to improve my German and learn more about German culture.
Where in Germany do you stay now? Why did you choose to move that city?
I live in Munich. We chose this city because my husband got a job here, and also the mountains are nearby, it's closer to Hungary, and our quality of life here is very good. We also applied in Italy and France because of our language skills, but we got the best offers here in Germany.
I was afraid that I would find language learning difficult because I have mild dyslexia, and although I have been learning English for 25 years, I also have difficulties with it. Although it's my working language, it doesn't sound nice when I speak it. The mountains, mountaineering, and nature were very important to me. We were really looking forward to the move.
What did you have difficulty with or like about the city?
The first six months were exciting, the challenge was the lack of German language skills. However, the Germans speak a high level of German and are extremely helpful and everyone in the offices was also very patient and friendly. My husband applied for a job, I work for an international company and the German head office took me on, so it was very easy for me.
We found many good restaurants, cafés and patisseries in Munich. Our favorite is the L'Osteria chain, and we also like the Viktualienmarkt. We also have some favorite pastry shops in Ismaning. Since my husband and I grew up together, our childhood friends are the same ones who now all live here in Munich, so we have a friend group of about eight people. Although we would love to have German friends, the language is an obstacle. We are very happy here, but we would like to get out of our own little “Hungarian world."
How is Munich's culture like compared to other cities you've been to?
As contemporary art is important to me, I was very active in this area in my home country and tried to participate here too. There is also cultural life in Munich, but unfortunately, the offerings are much richer in Budapest or other cities. The city is formal and conservative, perhaps because life here is very expensive and artists can't afford a studio. But I go to a lot of exhibitions and events.
I try to make friends, but so far this attempt has been unsuccessful. I like the buildings; architecture and history interest me a lot, so I've already read and explored everything I could. I've also joined a local road bike group, but unfortunately, I don't always have time to ride. So there are lots of opportunities here. The people are friendly and open, and the restaurants aren't bad, but my years in Italy have spoiled me so the bar is high.
How's the cost of living like in the city?
It's very expensive, we pay almost 2500 euros a month for housing, and on top of that, we have food and living costs of at least 1000 euros. Public transportation is also extremely expensive, as are the restaurants. What I like is that you don't have to pay for the highway.
The job market has changed a lot, unfortunately, the number of offers has decreased and the salaries have also decreased, while the positions come with more tasks and responsibilities.
Have you tried speaking German to the natives in Munich?
Unfortunately, I can only use the language with simple sentences in business. Everyone I know is either a foreigner or Hungarian. When I'm riding with a bike group or at an exhibition, everyone immediately switches to English when they speak to me, which is extremely pleasant for me.
I get the feeling that they don't want to suffer with me while I search for the right words in German. When I am not speaking in my mother tongue, Hungarian, I can mainly use my Italian alongside English, as many Italians live in Munich and are relatively more open to friendships, conversations, or joint activities.
How has your experience been like with DeutschGym? Has it helped your German?
This is my first month now, unfortunately the lessons are too early for me, so I can't always take part. So far I've barely been able to speak, but I've already improved a lot. I accidentally mixed up the date and signed up for a B1 exam in October, so I try to attend as often as I can.
I really like it because the participants are well chosen and their perseverance is motivating for me. Also, the people in the group are extremely helpful and friendly. Learning German has taught me many lessons not only linguistically but also humanly, and what is important, this group has already given me a lot. When the teacher is in our group, it's the best because he corrects our mistakes.
