The woes of hunting for an apartment

I still don’t have a flat yet!

This is proving to be more difficult than both my Sweetie and I thought.

People say they will call us but don’t; our calls don’t get answered or returned, and if they do, the result is inconclusive… It’s proving to be very frustrating!

So, I assume we are back on the hunt again. Last night we spent time wracking the internet for new listings, and my Cute Boy arranged some fresh new apartment viewings for this weekend.

I really hope we can firm up an offer soon. It’s almost February and I still don’t have a home in the city!!

English Trainer: My first day on the job

Funny thing, I thought I wouldn’t be able to celebrate this Chinese New Year with Chinese food, but when I went to my first teaching gig yesterday, my student gave me a Chinese coconut cookie!

When I saw it, I was like “Where did you get this?????!!!!111″

Apparently him and his wife went to Thailand for their honeymoon and learned how to cook Thai food. Ever since then, they’ve made it their hobby to cook Thai and Chinese food.

He also gave me the address for a big Asian supermarket in a nearby town, where he goes to stock his pantry!!! And I’m not just talking rice and soy sauce once in a while, I’m talking black tree fungus and vinegars (he showed me).

How awesome is that?? I haven’t been missing Asian food that much yet, but I know I will eventually. So it’s nice to know I can get Asian ingredients around here. Now I just have to learn how to cook Asian food, haha!

Teaching went well yesterday. I feel really glad to not be thrown into a class right away. I’m just teaching one on one right now, but am using the same course materials that I would in a class. This gives me the opportunity to get comfortable with the material first, so when I teach a bigger class, it will be easier.

Luckily the school I work for gives a thorough lesson plan including text books, so I don’t have to build a course from scratch. I just have to facilitate and keep things structured, which is fine by me.

I think I will really like this job, especially once I get comfortable/good at it. It’s nice to meet new people and to help them learn a language.

This whole week I will be commuting to a town that is 1 hour away from here by bus. My Sweetie is at work so he can’t chauffeur me around, and I was nervous to take the bus and buy my bus ticket (from the bus driver) by myself yesterday. It probably sounds silly but I don’t speak German and I find it harder to navigate through small towns, especially with public transportation.

But it worked out and I got there easily! Yesterday was the hardest, so each day after that will get easier. At least in terms of navigation.

I feel good. I also got up early this morning and was super productive with my research job. Since the work is independent, I have to make sure I structure my own time and pace myself. Otherwise I just end up working on it all the time and get overly stressed. It helps to live with my Sweetie because I make a work schedule that I am strict with, so that we can spend quality time together when we’re not working. It’s nice.

Alright, just wanted to check in and give y’all the update. Still no confirmation on that flat yet, but SOON we will know.

Year of the Ox

It’s Lunar New Year, so Happy New Year again!

The best thing I did to celebrate was to send my Grandma’s each a card. I have 2 Grandmas: My Dad’s Mom in HK and my Mom’s Mom in Canada.

My maternal Grandma just moved out of her large city house (the same house she’s been living in for 40+ years!) and into a 1 bedroom condo in the suburbs. It’s a big change for her. She hasn’t been getting any mail at her new place, so I decided to send her a Chinese New Year card from Germany (I brought it with me from Toronto). Apparently she’s been so happy about it ever since she’s received it. I also got my ridiculously Cute Boy to sign it too, which I think is a nice touch.

My paternal Grandma in Hong Kong should have gotten her card by now too. I send her a card every year with my family, and she also loves them. When I visited over the summer, she showed me all the ones I’ve ever sent her because she keeps them all! She says I am very kind to send them, but really I think she is very kind to keep them!

That’s as much as I’ve been celebrating. Oh wait, I’m also watching a K-Pop video my Aunt sent me as a CNY e-card. Otherwise I’m so far removed from it being away from family (I only ever celebrate it with family). My Mom did give me my Year of the Ox forecast, which involves needing to be careful of my health and potential traffic accidents. Things are positive in other areas, phew!

I still haven’t heard about the flat yet but I am positively hopeful. And I have my first teaching gig today. Wish me luck. XOXO

Hunting for a German Flat

Eeee!!

We found a flat today in Düsseldorf!

It’s in my price range, in a good area, a good size, and the current tenant will throw in her furniture for free as well as sell me her kitchen for 100 €. (kitchens don’t always come with flats here – it’s a drag, I know!)

Really really hope I get it. The last flat I fell in love with (which was actually on the same street) I did not get, so fingers extra crossed this time.

Shifting my Goals: Torontonian Vs. Düsseldorfer

In Toronto, it’s easy to be on what I call the ‘Condo Path‘. Everyone my age seems to be looking to buy a condo in downtown Toronto, if they haven’t bought one already. Especially now that the real estate market is slowing and prices are projected to fall even more.

Downtown TO

That is exciting to me. To get in on the property ladder and to build some equity. Real estate also has that nice way of being tangible enough to understand as an investment. Like, you need to live somewhere, so why not live in your own investment and pay yourself rent?

I would most definitely fall into the Condo Path if I stayed in Toronto. Not necessarily a condo, because I prefer to live in a house, but I’ve always wanted to own my own dwelling. I think there is great satisfaction to be had in that.

So, question: Is it a Good Choice for me to be in Germany??

Düsseldorf

Sometimes I wonder whether it is or not. Not because I’m unhappy here (I am actually incredibly happy here), but because financially it doesn’t make ANY sense.

I’m moving from the least economically stressed G8 country to the worst! Not to mention I am hindered here in citizenship and language when it comes to finding and getting a job. Basically, my job prospects in Toronto, or anywhere in Canada, are much better and easier.

Like, what am I doing?!?!?!!!!!!!!!

I’ve been getting some inspiration off of Fabulously Broke in the City. The author is a 25 year old new-ish grad who lives in Toronto and dug herself out of $60,000 of student debt and created a net worth of $83,000 in 2.5 years! Even though I don’t know her personally, I feel very proud of her. She also accomplished her financial goals by not cutting out the things that were important to her, which is reflective of my own personal finance principles and practices. It’s a good read if you want to learn about personal finance and business, or to just read about the life of a 25 year old IT Consultant who lives/lived in Toronto .

See, FB’s financially forward movements are the types of movements I would strive for were I in Toronto. And I still want to, but it might not be that possible here in Germany . Here, my Düsseldorf priorities take over, and that is to live comfortably, enjoy time with my Sweetie, and learn German!

But that doesn’t alleviate my itch to make some money and to manage it. I worked so hard to come out of undergrad debt free. I know that affords me to have traveled and be in Europe now, but I also want to have some financial security too. It was very hard to live ‘poor’ for the last few years. I mean, it was totally worth it but living as a student is tiring.

Now I’m giving up the ‘Condo Dreams‘ (or at least pushing it back) to be in Germany, where I’ll not be making much, won’t have much… basically like a student again.

Mostly this doesn’t bother me, because I know the reasons I’m here: I’ve always wanted to be abroad and to learn another language. If anything, I think learning another tongue is worth the financial investment on its own. My Cute Boy being here doesn’t hurt the equation either. He is a big reason why I’m so happy here, if not the reason.

Cute Boy

Perhaps making money and chasing condos don’t need to be the priority right now. I will make money later in life, or maybe if I stay in Europe long enough, I just won’t care because it’s less rat-racey here! keke.

My long-time dream come true

So I’ve been in Germany for just over a week now, and I can barely believe it!

Everyday I think about how it’s so *neat* to finally be living abroad and living in Europe of all places. If you told me 4 years ago (before I started my new degree) that I would be living in Europe right after graduating, I wouldn’t have believed you. (I wouldn’t even believe you if you said I’d move to west-Toronto!)

At the same time, I feel like I’ve been here for much longer than a week. I mean, this is my 5th time in Europe (and my 3rd time in Germany) over the last few years, but what I mean is, it feels very comfortable and nice here.

I love it!!!

Things are not completely settled for me yet – I still need to find myself a flat, move into it, see how my job works out (and whether I can make enough money to support myself), look for more jobs, and learn me some German while at it.

But I feel very good. I don’t feel like any of this is beyond me, and I’m just looking forward to learning new things and expanding my horizons.

My Sweetie is also making me feel nice and comfortable here too. He’s really good, and is helping me out a lot. I feel like I’m cheating a bit, but am very appreciative of him and his help.

I can’t stress to you how much I’ve wanted to live abroad for so long. How I’ve spent countless hours dreaming about it when I should have been studying instead. It all started when I went on a 4 week trip to Hong Kong back when I was 15. Since then, I was hooked on the idea of an ‘international life’.

Me in HK

The trouble was, I loved Toronto too much. Like, I reeeaaallly reeallllyyy reaallllyyyy love Toronto. The city I was born and raised in has treated me well, so why would I ever want to leave it? Or more importantly *how* could I leave it?

This was probably the biggest challenge, but in addition to loving Toronto, I also know I love being somewhere new. Especially being immersed in a different culture than what I’m used to. I love how it makes me grow, challenges me, and changes me as a person. These lessons are something I value in my life.

Another roadblock to moving abroad was that I had commitments in Toronto like finishing up my degree, and aiming to graduate debt free. Timing and money, those are always big ones too.

But the timing and money just seemed to work out perfectly. By the time I graduated, I paid off my student loans so I wasn’t limited in that way. I also had to travel to Hong Kong and stay for a solid chunk of time for personal family reasons. This shifted my focus away from looking for a full time job, and instead made think about traveling!

Me + Cute Boy

After Hong Kong I went back to Germany to see my Sweetie, and happened to find a job while there. I didn’t actually want the job, since teaching English was never my interest (I would rather teach Science or something involving numbers, only because I think I am better at it). I went for the interview anyway where I just felt *right* about it. So I accepted the job to be an English Trainer, and here I am!

Who knows how it will all work out, but I’m just excited to see what happens!

This is so incredible!

btw, I know I mustMustMUST post new pictures soon. To be honest, I only have a few. But will getter done.

Flats and German

Things are happy here!

The hunt for a flat continues, and I keep falling in/out of love with flats and locations etc…

I’m still torn between whether I should get a small flat at the low end of my budget, or splurge a little and get a bigger place at the high end of my budget (or over my budget!).

I just want to get something that I like and is good value. That’s why sometimes I’ll consider spending more, if it’s worth it.

Oh and I decided to live in Düsseldorf. I liked it there.

I already have 1 new friend in Düsseldorf and am hoping to get into his same German class. I’ve also been picking up some German words through watching TV, listening to the radio, and searching for flats in German!

Eeeee!

The potential for good sushi is greater

I’m leaning more towards Düsseldorf now!

After reading up about it and looking at flats online, it seems like a place for me.

Düsseldorf  is the capital of the province, the hub of fashion, advertising, and telecommunications in Germany, and has the 3rd largest population of Japanese people in Europe! I could perhaps get some good sushi here, ja? Here’s hoping!

In terms of flats, the prices in Düsseldorf are better than in Köln. That means I can get a nicer flat for my price range, and live more comfortably!

I’m still deciding though. keke.

The Cute Boy and I are planning to visit Düsseldorf this weekend and hopefully also see some flats while we’re there.

Black Music

On the local pop station here, there is a segment called “Black Music“.

That threw me off at first, but now what’s throwing me off is Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, and Nicole Scherzinger also make it onto Black Music.

Does this mean White Music and Off-White Music are full?

Düsseldorf vs. Köln

Yesterday I went to sign my contract at the school I’m working with (yay!), and my boss suggested I live in Düsseldorf instead of Köln.

She says Düsseldorf is a dynamic art city whereas Köln is more a shopping/residential city that lacks culture. She herself commutes in from Bonn, because she dislikes Köln.

Now I’m torn!

Another reason my boss gives for living in Düsseldorf is that there are fewer trainers there and I could potentially get more jobs (although she couldn’t promise anything, and admitted that there would be no problem getting jobs in Köln either). Since I’m a freelance English teacher, proximity to the job matters. The school chooses trainers based largely on location because they cover transportation costs.

I think now I have to look into apartments in Düsseldorf and compare that with prices in Köln, and then make my decision. I’ve never been to Düsseldorf but have heard good things about it, and I do like that they have an international airport. Köln has an airport too, but it’s more a domestic airport, which means there’ll always be a connecting flight between Köln and Toronto.

I like Köln though. I’ve been there 4 times and feel comfortable there. That is a big plus! I also have to consider which city has more potential for finding another job, and my feeling is that it is Köln.

Well, I’ll keep thinking about it.