Over a year an a half ago, The Wife and I experienced a hyper stressful time in which I was pulling the plug on my life in America and moving to Germany, and how she was simultaneously starting her new career in Hannover while trying to find us a place to live and get everything moved-in prior to my arrival. She was a real trooper about it, but — like I’ve said before — Germans are downers.
My wife searched through countless listings and talked to a wide variety of contact people in the hopes of finding an apartment in Hannover. She was so desperate she even considered hiring an ‘Immobilienmakler;’ a ridiculously expensive apartment broker agency which charges the equivalent of two month’s rent plus fees. We didn’t need to do so, thank Christ, but we did need to know exactly what our budget was, and in which part of the city we wanted to live; no small task for a clueless American and a jet lagged German. So we were talking on the phone late one night, discussing our options, when a fundamental difference between our two cultures revealed itself in a moment of perfect clarity:
ME: “What? Everything will be fiiiiiiine. No worries, yo. I mean, why don’t you think we’ll find something under €800 euros? Is it because we don’t know the neighborhoods? Or like, because of the competition or something?”
THE WIFE: “Because I’m a pessimist.”
Oh God, My Wife Is German. 
Here in munich the apartment hunt is hell !
LikeLike
That’s what I’ve heard! Munich and Berlin, depending on the region of the city.
How did you manage it?
LikeLike
I gave up and went with an agent and paid her entirely way too much money to “show” me an apartment that we HAD to take because we had no other choice. We’re now looking to move into something bigger/better and have been looking a full year – alas
LikeLike
Oh man, that blows. I wish you the very best of luck, Passports! I’m sure 2014 with bring you a new apartment.
LikeLike
You know what they say here?
Optimists learn English, pessimists learn Russian – and realists learn Chinese.
LikeLike
Haw! That’s great, Fran. Thank you for the comment. :)
LikeLike
This made me smile. She is too cute.
>>> “Oh God, My Wife Is German.” 2/10/2014 12:01 PM >>>
Oh God, My Wife Is German posted: ” Recently, I talked about the hyper stressful time when I was pulling the plug on my life in America and moving to Germany, and how The Wife was simultaneously starting her new career in Hannover while trying to find us a place to live and get everythi”
LikeLike
I’ll pass that along to her, Chi. Thank you!
LikeLike
I think if history is taken into consideration, it’s pretty easy to see why Germans might be pessimists, especially compared to Americans. That’s why yours is probably a good match: Your job is to look at the bright side; hers is to inject a dose of reality . . .
LikeLike
I couldn’t agree with you more, PolkaDot. Well said.
Have a great day!
LikeLike
I believe this is a genetic trait. Both my parents were German but I was born & raised in the US. However, I completely understand your wife’s statement since, well, I think the same! So, despite being raised among optimistic Americans that little genetic pessimistic German still stands tall :)
LikeLike
Haw haw! That’s good to hear, Indigo Spider. I’m glad the tradition is still going strong. :)
LikeLike
Sounds not unlike being in a relationship with a Czech!
I swear most Czechs heads would explode if they couldn’t find at least one thing to be pessimistic about in every situation. :-D
LikeLike
Really? Nice! :) I’ll have to get my wife’s take on the Czechs.
Have a great day, Pickled!
LikeLike
You got a point on it that many germans are downers, but this is not the complete truth.
While we like to complain too much we are also good in realizing problems which need to be solved. This focus on problems could lead to paralysis and every now and then we need a little kick in the back…e.g. by a positive American.
Well, Americans like to ride too fast in direction of a cliff, sometimes even don’t realize that there is a cliff! Germans have a tendency not to ride at all, in fear of a crash: ”Oh, look at all these problems!”
Like so often the best way is somewhere in the middle.
“Because I’m a pessimist.”
Reminded me very much to a talk of our parents (both germans).
Mother:
“You’re so pessimistic you make everybody miserable!”
Father:
“Yes, I expect the worst but I’m an optimistic pessimist!
Everybody will be happy cause it will become better than expected!”
Good luck with your Apartment Hunting!
For sure it will become better than expected! ☺☺☺
LikeLike
Hi Marlies! Thank you for the great comment! The apartment hunting was a while ago, but it was very trying.
Thank you for reading and commenting!
LikeLike
My wife tends to be a pessimist, while I’m an optimist. Of course, she’s an American, so she doesn’t have an excuse. :) Good luck apartment hunting. I don’t envy you.
LikeLike
Hi David!
Oh, the apartment hunting ended a year and a half ago, thankfully. That post was in reference to the time just before moving.
It all worked out, but it was very stressful for a while there. How are you doing?
LikeLike
That’s true, I should have realized you’d been there for a while. We’re actually planning to move from Korea to the US this year which should be pretty stressful, though hopefully not too much.
LikeLike
Oh nice! Whereabouts in the US are you moving?
LikeLike
I guess wherever I can find a job, but hopefully somewhere near the northeast, near family. You’re from the Pacific northwest, I think I remember(?).
LikeLike
Nice. I hope you find something awesome.
Yes, I’m from Portland, Oregon.
Have a great day!
LikeLike
*giggle*
Good reason too! LOL
Apparently it wasn’t reason enough since you’re having a roof over your head! :-)
LikeLike
Totally. :)
LikeLike
When we moved to Stuttgart there was an apartment crisis. AFRICOM moved people to Kelly Barracks from various locations in Africa. Heidelberg was closing down and starting to move Americans to AFRICOM or EUROCOM in Weisbaden. Then there was Mercedes bring home people from their short stint with Chyrsler in the states. In one month there were only 3 apartments we could view. Maddening. I don’t think Americans can really get the picture of a world where most people rent for life and there are very few places to live. 100’s of people would show up to listings for apartments.
LikeLike
You’re totally right. Especially about the renting for life part.
I’m glad you found a place though!
LikeLike
I have long suspected that there might be something wrong with me. Now I have the confirmation: I am not a German. I am an optimist. Through and through. Thanks for the clarification :D
LikeLike
Are you really? How did you manage this? Optimism seems so rare here in Germany… :)
LikeLike
See, that’s why I had to get the hell outta there :)
LikeLike
You’re in the UK, right? How long have you been there?
LikeLike
Ah, wrong. I was in the UK for 3 years but moved to Cape Verde in December 2012.
LikeLike
I try to explain this cultural difference to my American boyfriend all the time but he refuses to believe me and calls me “the only pessismist” he knows. Pff!
LikeLike
Haw haw!
Oh man. “Boyfriend of Laura4NYC, please believe me; you are not alone! There are hordes of these people! They are very good-looking, but they have no sense of hope at all!”
LikeLike