Settling into the Dorf

That dull view at the office.

Getting a German work permit isn’t so hard if you put in your time. Time spent lumbering through government offices. Time spent getting forms stamped, then signing here and here.  Of course, putting in your time waiting to do all of that signing and stamping.

While I was waiting to get some forms stamped or signed or whatever, I mentioned to the HR person with me that I had been affectionately calling my new city the Dorf among friends. She looked shocked. You can’t call it that, she said. Dorf means village, you see, and other Dusseldorfers, being very proud and posh people, would not appreciate having their city called a village.

So, here I am in a land with little sense of irony. That will be one of the biggest things I will have to adjust to, and watch out for.

Moving to Budapest was an adjustment, but it was not too hard for me in some ways. I liked the food, I found the people nice, and it was a beautiful city. I worked hard at the language and got to a level where I could function the basic day-to-day tasks. I went to punk rock shows, hiked in the hills, and drank fröccs on the patios.

Moving to Dusseldorf has been like hitting the reset button. Once again I am confronted with a befuddling language – I never thought I’d wish for the familiarity of Hungarian. That will likely be the first and only time you read that from a foreigner. It’s a different culture, both in the ad agency and out in the real world.

The upside is that Dusseldorf is pretty, and there's an old town that is essentially filled with bars and pubs and beer halls. It’s also a little cloudier here and a little colder, but the welcome from the people here has been warm.

Then there’s the job. I don’t talk much shop here, but I’ll take a moment to get into it because I came to the Dorf for a job. I will be working on a global account again, like the gig in Budapest, so it is a great professional opportunity. I’m three weeks in and I know it will have its fair share of challenges, but I am excited about it.

While I’m still missing my Canadian people and my new friends in the East, being in the Dorf opens up a whole lot of adventures in strange places. I can’t help but be a little excited about that.

A bit of sun brings the Dorfers flocking to the Rhine. 

The might Rhine!

The Stademuseum's backyard pond.