Sorry for hijacking the thread, but did you read what I said?

Politicians with overtly racist platforms getting into office when they stood no chance earlier means that there's been a general shift in the public's views. Your examples are ridiculous. When did I say that Haider being chancellor means that anti-racist people can't exist in Austria?

The right and the views that go with it have had a recent resurgence in Europe. That's not really contested.

Yeah i read your generalizations about Germans. So did the other poster. So get a grip. Europe has not become racist.

What generalization? I said that I generally haven't liked the Germans I've met as much as, say, the Dutch. OMG lock me up.

Ugh. You've got a problem with reading comprehension or something. Sorry for having helped make this thread boring.

Thats cute how you went and edited the posting at the top of this page. Why? Look at my quoted text... LOL. Nice try. Now you get all bent out of shape because somebody calls you on it. Bye.

die Turken...

I edited it for clarity. No meaning was changed. Like I thought...reading comprehension.

(What exactly did you call me on again? I'm just confused by your reactions. 'Bent out of shape' kind of describes you better.)
(And take this to PM if you really still care.)

Bexley, your own words:

^^So Germans are racist?


^^Meaning... Germany hasnt gotten rid of it's bad traits? Racism?



^^Germany and Europe is a bunch of racists? Totally incorrect generaization based on ignorance and fear.


I comprehend your posts just fine and they are plain wrong. Germany has the biggest anti-racist and anti-facist music and cultural scene anywhere. http://www.antifa.de/cms/

Find out about it before you post your ignorance. This thread is about a guy moving to Berlin and is excited about it. You tried to portray Germans in a bad light by using unfounded generalizations. So I call you on it. Bye.

Holy***** captain overreaction. How you twist what I said into hyperboles like "Germany and Europe is a bunch of racists" from my "the right...has had a recent resurgence in Europe" is pretty unexpected.

I simply never said that Germans are more racist than any other nationality. The "it depends on where you come from" bit goes for pretty much everywhere on this planet.

Do you realize that all your hysteria os over me saying that I've not had the best experiences with German people (I lived 30 mins. away from the country for 5 years). My experience isn't absolute fact? No *****.

I'm sure that plenty of the people that you feel are leading the racism-stampede in Europe would also claim that they simply have problems with the actions of some Muslims/Pakistanis/Turks they've encountered, so of course they're not racist.

Hey, lets get back on topic.
My friend is moving to Berlin in May.
I'm getting back to the states for the summer in June.
This means I don't get to see Jes for at least another year.

The purpose of this thread is to talk about how much it sucks for me that my friends are doing interesting things with their lives that don't coincide with the interesting things I'm doing with my life.

I mean, seriously. I was forced to move to Thailand because I applied for a really great job in an awesome city. This is tough for me. It it really too much to ask that you all put your lives on hold for two short years until I get back?

:( :( :(

You were supposed to move back this summer! I was supposed to graduate in another year! Things change...

Someone, back when the thread was on topic, asked if I were at Emory--sadly, yes. I recommend the school to no one, but they have a ton of resources, so yay for me.

I appreciate everyone's input...even though mostly negative. I realize that I could have gone about this differently--flown into Poland, take a train to Berlin, escape the evil eye of the authorities that way--but I didn't so I'm making it work.

If anyone does magically find any bike resources, let me know! I'm going to be staying with folks who run the coop there, so I know I'll find people when I arrive, but I want to keep myself pumped!

One way to do it is to have a changeable return ticket... that way you have something to show German customs. Theres a 50% chance they will just wave you through, but they will always ask you a "how long is your stay" question. Just be prepared to act like a tourist. Your made up reason for no return ticket could simply be that you plan on traveling all of Europe for an extended period and will buy your return ticket later. Good luck in Berlin. Prenzlauerberg is my favorite neighborhood.

if your're wanna share an apartment with other room mates (a so called Wohngemeinshaft or short WG) this is the site to look at LINK

This thread is of interest to me too, I plan on moving to Berlin in late April!

I have been there a few times and I have a bunch of friends there already through a different hobby.

It really is the most exciting and alive city I've ever been to, I can't wait to spend years there!

I am trying to do things all legit, I looked up the list of requirements that they want you to submit to get a residence permit, which will then allow me to work legally. The list of things they want you to get is pretty easy, it's like a scavenger hunt.

The fixed gear scene is pretty thriving, I know they have regular bike polo, alleycats and track bike boutiques so you can't go wrong. Oh, and they have a velodrome, which I intend on looking into further.

I need to keep working on my German, but in time I will get there!

sorry, but the generalizations thrown around here are idiotic. one can NOT generalize a whole nation as having one character trait.

One CAN say that there are more racists/neo-nazis in America than in germany.

And from my personal experience of living in germany, i can say that i have met better/nicer people here than i ever found at home. none of them are racist.

You will find ****ty people in germany, in america, and all over the world, but you will also find tons of amazing people too. You cant say that a whole population is unfriendly or something. just like you cant say that every american likes bush, or every german eats Weißwurst and wears lederhosen.

who ever is coming over to the fatherland will love it.

Come on, how can you compare one of the biggest *******s in history to awesome leather shorts?

Yeah, I said it. I'm a vegan and i think lederhosen are awesome.

Jes, you should totally get some and wear them all the time. I heard all the cool Germans are doing it. The Berlin branch of Trackstar sells special ones that have a pocket just the right size for your lock.

yah there is a rising right wing neo thing going on in the fatherland. So whatch who you hang with. if you read german you will find that some people think the people that run farradcourier forum are neonazi, keirinberlin people would not be caugght dead hanging with the operators of farradcourier forum

I was planning on getting you a pair, actually.

I'm spending a month in Krakow, Poland getting my CELTA. I may be singlehandedly starting the fixed scene there from what I've heard. ha.

If you go through FGG subscriptions, you'll find there are people from Poland posting their bikes, and from Krakow too. I'm just wondering about riding a track bike on those steep cobble stone streets...

concerning the return ticket thing:
i too had the same situation when i moved to germany. as i was reading
this post, i was trying to remember what i did. i had applied to a language
course and i think you can apply to get a visa over the school. apparently
whatever it was it worked, because i smuggled myself in. currently, i'm
living in switzerland and my studentvisa ran out in september and the new
visa in still in some sort of bureaucratic paper jam. i just got back from
berlin and at the border (in the berlin schoenefeld airport) they asked me
what i was doing and how long i was staying, but didn't ask for a return
ticket. i would go for the 'traveling through europe, buying return ticket
later' thing if i were you.

for those in berlin at the moment:
there is currently an exhibition at the visual-research gallery
(kastanienalle in prenzlauerberg next to the kwik shop)


maximal reduction, minimal boundaries

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2031/...e8b47aa046.jpg

some nice bikes. some borrowed from locals, some built up for
the exhibit by visual-research. there is also an exhibition under
the same name by the same people in los angeles at the moment.

Talk to Dustin of Cicli Berlinetta. He's Canadian.

Regarding the Lederhose: **** wear them.

Is your friend an amazingly homophobic bigot as well?