An Expat Talks about Living in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Nordrhein-Westfalen

If a friend of yours was thinking of moving to this city or town from far away, what other advice would you give them.

I would have done things differently if I get to do it all over again. I would do my home work more thoroughly, like understanding the mental stages that I might have to go through. Although, if I know what I had to deal with, I most probably would not chosen to come here. Being able to understand and speak the local language is much more important than most expats think. I spoke simple german before I came here. There was a time when I regretted being able to understand the language. The down side is that if some people choose to insult me, I can't pretend that I am letting my imaginations run wild, that I am being oversensitive. However, I realised that speaking the local language does help me be more independent and if necessary, I could defend or protect myself.