A lot of expats (expatriates are people who live in a foreign country) moving into a new country are often faced with difficulties most of us rarely encounter. Things such as getting legal advice, finding accommodation, updating a CV, etc, all take on a new dimension of difficulty when doing so in an unfamiliar language and city.
This is one way in which the Internet has been such a great help to expats, via the expat forum. In Munich, the population is expanding at a fast rate which includes over 50% of the new residents being of foreign descent. There is a huge market for those who don’t speak the language well enough to settle in easily. This is where ‘Talk Munich’ comes in. Talk Munich is an English-language expat forum that helps people in Munich and the surrounding Bavarian region to settle into life there. It can be a great resource for finding out all the little things which can be so troublesome if you don’t speak the language.
Will munich bavaria, expat forum, munich
The dating site has received a few updates and is now looking a lot more modern and Web2 aligned. Though I need to complete another section prior to launching it, I suspect that as soon as TalkMunich.com goes live, Clickinlove.com will follow shortly afterwards. Actually, Talkmunich is already live, but work is ongoing to complete some features and provide complete functionality to registered members. I will keep you all posted on how development is going. As it stands I am sure the dating site is into the final stretch and will soon be online and free for everyone to use.
Sorry for the delays caused whilst restructuring the site.
Will munich dating blog, dating site
The English-language expat forum for Munich, TalkMunich.com, is live and ramping-up. It will take some time for the Munich expat crowd to learn of its existence and to start using it. Once they do so however, it is my guess that many will find it a very useful resource and a friendly community. The trick is to make it an actual community and not just an online forum. Therefore real meetups and other events will need to take place to cement the relationships formed on TalkMunich. Hopefully the forum will grow quickly and work as a very real and practical support network/resource for all those English speaking expats based in Munich, Bavaria (or Muenchen, Bayern to give it its German name).
Will munich expat, forum, munich
The Munich Christmas Markets are just around the corner and one of the biggest actually starts on Wednesday 26th November. Tollwood is held at Theresienwiese where the Oktoberfest is held (though obviously at a different time of year) and is definitely worth visiting if you have never been before. Not only is it very large, but it also houses many stalls within large tents, which is quite nice to shelter you from the often icy weather that greets you around this time of year.
As usual the omnipresent Xmas Market ware is on offer, the same as with most other markets around this time, but Tollwood also specialises in alternative gifts and splits from the traditional crafts to include handmade products that have a slightly less than festive feel. If you fancy a skull-shaped candle, or a bone necklace, then Tollwood is the place to be.
There are also tents offering various types of exotic foods as well as the more common Currywurst and Pommes, half-metre hot-dogs and the like. Gluehwein is available in abundance and there is no shortage of bar stalls to provide you with a little something to help you wash down the Xmas indulgences.
Opening times are:
Mon-Fri: 14:00 – 01:00
Sat/Sun and holiday: 11:00 – 01:00
Tollwood runs from: 26-Nov – 31-Dec-2008
On Silvester (New Years Eve) there is a big party to close the 2008 Tollwood Xmas Market. Read more here.
Will munich Theresienwiese, Tollwood
In the next few weeks Munich’s Xmas markets will have been assembled and ready for the Christmas festivities. Already in places around the city, the characteristic wooden huts are being put up, wired for electricity and being decorated. Among my favourite of these markets in Munich, are those located at Weisenburger Platz and English Garden at the Chinese Tower. The one at Marienplatz can be a little too busy and consequently turns into something other than the relaxing/exciting atmosphere it should be. The Tollwood market is good if you catch it when it is less busy and it has the added benefit of many stalls being in tents and hence sheltered from the chilly weather.
Outside Munich, I would definitely recommend the Xmas market at Passau in the old city. Passau has a charm all of its own and this carries to the market as well. It takes about 2.5 hours to get there by train, but is well worth the day trip.
Will munich Christmas Market, Tollwood, Xmas market
On the subject of Munich dating, it has been noted that Munich is the singles capital of Germany, so why would there be any need for a dating site devoted to the people of Munich. The truth is that dating in germany is not a concept that makes much sense to those outside the English-speaking world. A date is such a foreign idea here. The reason is that people in Germany develop relationships and don’t aim for a ‘date’ – i.e. an evening spent with the intention of developing a relationship. I can see where the concept of a date does indeed sound a little silly.
However, there are a lot of foreigners in Munich and dating is normal for them. Consequently there is a difference in expectation between what they want and what they get. To clarify and clear up any cultural misunderstandings perhaps both parties shoudl make the effort to make it work. English-speakers should try to make friendships first before delving into something deeper, whereas Germans could try and embrace slightly the concept of a date.
Munich speed-dating could be a very big flop here. On the other hand, it could be just what the ex-pat population need.  Post comments here if you feel there is a need for speed-dating in Munich.
Will datingsite, munich
It is not always easy to remember all the places one needs to visit on a holiday, or all the details of one’s own city, hence why it is sometimes helpful to have a useful tool to assist. Google maps is just such a tool. On TalkMunich.com the Google map API is utilised to allow users to log in and set place markers with descriptions for any location in Munich. This can be useful to remember where certain buildings are located for both those who live in the city and those who wish to follow the tourist route and explore.
Check out the map on Talk Munich and use it to save your favourite and important locations in Munich.
Will munich
A sitemap generator is a much needed tool for a website with a lot of content. Getting this right is actually more important than many people think as Google follows the sitemap and omits anything not included in it. For TalkMunich I will require such a tool but need to create it myself as I do not like trusting other companies’ software. Being able to tweak your own code is a big advantage and allows a level of flexibility that you would not normally get with code written by others. I suspect that writing your own sitemap generator is a useful process as it allows you to nicely parse those files which contain the links you really want to follow as opposed to unimportant links. I am aware of course that some sitemap generator tools allow you to use regular expressions to produce an exclude filter, but nevertheless, creating your own software tool means yo need to increase your understanding to a significantly more illuminating depth.
I can make my tool available for free to anyone who wishes to use it.
Will munich, website_technology
It is nearly that time of year again, when the big tents go up at the Wiesn and millions of people descend on Munich for just over two weeks of festival fun, i.e. drinking. The Oktoberfest, so-called due to the traditional start date of the festival in October, actually now always begins in September; the date was brought forward to utilise the better weather.
What can you expect from this festival? Beer. Loads of it. It is not known as the Munich Beer festival for nothing. However, there is lots to gain from attending even if you are not a big drinker. The fairground is absolutely massive and a big crowd pleaser, which makes the event family friendly. The traditional clothing worn by many locals and non-locals alike can be very beautiful and adds to the traditional atmosphere. In the beer tents, which can house thousands of people each, you will find live entertainment, food (usually roast chicken and bread are the favourites), dancing (usually on the seats after a few drinks) and good conversation. Anti-social behaviour is rare and dealt with very quickly, so a relaxed atmosphere is guaranteed.
At the opening ceremony at the start of the Oktoberfest, the 12 local breweries who partake (only Munich breweries are allowed to take part in the festival) all form a horse-drawn procession from their individual premises to the Wiesn, carrying huge casks of their beer on wagons. Once the first keg is opened by the Munich Lord Mayor, the beerfest begins. Just over two weeks later the festivities are capped off with a fireworks display. In-between, the stats are impressive; check out how many chickens are eaten, beer drunk, women impregnated, people too drunk to find their way back to their hotel, etc. Very interesting indeed.
All in all, well worth the effort to visit Munich during this period. Be aware though that hotel prices and travel over these weeks is very expensive, so book well in advance. Alternatively, bring some camping gear. Check out www.talkmunich.com for more information and discussions on the Oktoberfest, cheap accommodation, local advice etc. One last piece of advice… the beer is served in 1 litre glasses called a Mass and the alcohol content is a lot higher than normal beer, usually about 2 times the amount. So be careful as it goes down far too easily… before you know it you will be sleeping on a park bench wondering where your hotel is.
Will munich
At certain times of the year it is very difficult to get a hotel in Munich. One of the reasons is that Munich punches above it’s weight as a city of international reputation. With only 1.3 Million inhabitants, it still enjoys status as one of the best places to live in the world, as well as hosting some of the biggest festivals and events to be found anywhere on the planet. Not every city can claim to have hosted the Olympics and even fewer of these select cities have had such a small population.
The combination of having such a relatively small population and hosting massive events like the Oktoberfest (the Munich Beer Festival) means that what little accommodation available is quickly snapped up. So if you are planning to come to Munich, be sure to plan in advance and book your hotel. There are large festivals other than the Oktoberfest, so don’t be surprised if, when you try to book during an off-peak period, that hotels are still unavailable. Give yourself plenty of time and you stand a better chance of not being disappointed when you try to book accommodation.
If you find there are no hotels or hostels available when you wish to travel to Munich, then consult the www.talkmunich.com forum and post a request there for people renting out rooms or apartments. Often at busy times of the year, local ex-pats see the shortage of accommodation as a means to earn a little extra cash, so you may get a good deal if you post what you are looking for on talkmunich.
Will munich
There is a serious lack of English-language forums for ex-pats in Munich. Perhaps it is time to supplement the dating site with a sister-site in Munich for ex-pats. I shall call it TalkMunich. The problem with the sites which currently exist is that they are hopelessly moderated and fail to provide anything other than advice and chat. Whilst Chatting and advice are the cornerstone of any forum, there should be other things as well. For instance, TalkMunich has a translator on the front page which defaults to German to English translations. It also has a currency convertor, defaulting to Euro to Dollar. A map, centred on Munich, where you can save your favourite locations is on the site. A calandar of events is available, which shows public holidays (in English), as well as forum-specific events and local festivals etc (hard to get this information in English). Another handy feature is that there is Munich news on the front page, also in English and updated daily!!!! That is a great feature and one which is very useful. Not enough to tempt the ex-pat community to visit, then it also provides Munich weather reports. Now add to all these front page features, links to the latest forum posts and you have a winning recipe.
The forum itself is better than most other competitor forum software and has the advantage of supporting Karma, i.e. the ability of users to rate other users’ posts. This helps to self-moderate and reduce the likelihood of unpleasant posters ruining the atmosphere on the site. I think TalkMunich.com stands a good chance of becoming a serious resource for the Munich English-speaking ex-pat community.
Will munich
Running from the 20th – 28th June, this years Munich Filmfest conincides with the 850th anniversary of the founding of Munich. This is Germany’s second largest fim festival and offers the following program:
- Nouveau Cinéma Français
Many venues throughout the city are utilised for the festival. For a full timetable and listing of the various events, see the official Filmfest Munich site.
Will munich
Die Lange Nacht der Musik (The Long Night of Music) for 2008 is upon us and it really is worthwhile to make the effort to visit the events on show. For one evening/night on the 31st May (8pm – 3am), venues across Munich will host various shows, cabarets, bands and music festivals. These shows will continue throughout the night and will be hosted in around 100 places such as bars, churches, concert halls, etc… just about anywhere really.
In addition, as 2008 is the 850th anniversary of the founding of Munich, you can expect a bit more for your money this year. Munich is well worth a visit for this event.
Will munich
Munich is a very multicultural and ethnically diverse city. The student population alone reaches 100,000, yet the total population is only about 1.3 million. For a city of this size, the transport network is second to none and boasts an underground system (U-Bahn), trams, surface trains as well as a fast intra-city train system (S-Bahn) and of course the ubiquitous buses and taxis which every city has. Add the English Garden (the biggest inner-city park in Europe), a multitude of galleries, museums, restaurants, bars, cafes, shopping areas and an enthusiastic lively attitude by the Munich City Council (which organises free street festivals, concerts and the like) and you end up with an excellent place to live.
Throw in the high quality of life here and low crime with the affluent status Munich enjoys and the only thing left to make it a dating mecca are the single people. Luckily, Munich is the singles captial of Germany. What more could you ask for.
With that in mind, ClickInLove shall organise various dating events throughout the year. Things like Speed Dating, excursions (both city and county-wide), relaxed social evenings, etc. In such a lively, vibrant city with such a fluid, diverse population, it should make dating that much more enjoyable and accessible for all those interested.
Will datingsite, munich
I have finally started to learn how to speak German. Using an online web tool I am increasing my vocabulary and learning how to pronounce words. The pronunciation is actually easier than in English. I think the problem with the German language is the large number of ‘exception to the rule’s’. However, at my stage I need not concern myself with this yet… first I should actually learn the rules.
Will munich
This is a collection of short comments about life in Munich. It forms part of the larger dating site, Click in Love.
read more
Now this is unexpected. By placing a link in digg.com to my Munich Life blog (as well as clicking an ‘add to blog’ button), I find that Digg has posted my original Digg comment on my blog!!!! I never knew Digg could do that.
digg story
Will munich
If you ever make it to Munich, one of the major attractions and most pleasant aspects of living here is the English Garden. Designed by Benjamin Thompson (an interesting cad if ever there was one), it is one of the largest inner-city parks in Europe and indeed worldwide. The nice thing about this park (besides it’s size and location) is the peaceful ambiance to it. There is a large beer garden as well as a few restaurants (such as See Haus) and even though it is usually quite busy, going for an early morning run there is very relaxing. I particularly like the river which flows through it, the Eisbach. As it’s name suggests it is quite a cold river and it flows quite fast through the park. Nice to dip your feet into after a long walk in the sun… not to mention whilst eating a nice ice-cream.
Will
Will munich
If you ever make it to Munich, one of the major attractions and most pleasant aspects of living here is the English Garden. Designed by Benjamin Thompson (an interesting cad if ever there was one), it is one of the largest inner-city parks in Europe and indeed worldwide. The nice thing about this park (besides it’s size and location) is the peaceful ambiance to it. There is a large beer garden as well as a few restaurants (such as See Haus) and even though it is usually quite busy, going for an early morning run there is very relaxing. I particularly like the river which flows through it, the Eisbach. As it’s name suggests it is quite a cold river and it flows quite fast through the park. Nice to dip your feet into after a long walk in the sun… not to mention whilst eating a nice ice-cream.
Will
Will munich
Once a year in Munich is ‘The long Night of Music’ (Die Lange Nacht Der Musik). Many venues across Munich play host to live music throughout the night. This is a yearly event that attracts many thousands of music lovers. All on the same evening as the Eurovision song contest (in 2007) – how unfortunate.
Will munich
The Starkbierfest has started again in Munich. This is a beer festival which runs during the lent period. The name means ’strong beer’ and is a reference to the heavy ingredients monks used to add to their beer during the fasting season leading up to Easter. Monks were not allowed to eat much during this period, but by adding many nutritious ingredients to their beer (they were allowed to drink) they were able to effectively ‘bypass’ their requirements to fast by drinking their special calorie-laden brew. As it happens, the beer is quite strong in terms of alcohol content, rising to nearly 8%!
Will munich
