Would you ever consider moving to continental Europe? And if so where?

Aongus Von Bismarck

I moved to Germany after completing my Masters in England. I loved German in secondary school, studied it extensively for my undergraduate degree, and considered myself pretty fluent before I moved to Germany. Knowing the language is very important if you want to truly integrate in a country. Otherwise you'll always feel like an outsider, or gravitate towards other expats who can't be bothered learning the language.

I know it's a bit of a cliché, but the Germans really are very organised people. Things tend to run really well over here. They are also very friendly people, and far less cliquey than the Irish. The food is pretty horrific though, and no one who complains endlessly about RTÉ has had to watch German television.

I'm very lucky to have moved from one of the best run countries in the world to a country that I feel is even slightly better run.

nicholasIII

I booked a holiday to Nice in the first week of July 2016 which I was supposed to travel to on the 20th of July. Two weeks later, disaster struck on the 14th and they had the the truck attack.

Even during the cities mourning, it looked 50x better than Dublin on its best day. What's worse is that Nice isn't even the capital of France and it puts Dublin to shame.

Does anyone know why the developers here can't get their act together?

Austria. I'd work in Vienna during the week and have a place by the lake for weekends. It's a beautiful country - I don't speak a word of German but it's never a problem when I visit and I'd be willing to learn :cool:

Mister Vain

Liechtenstein

ancapailldorcha

Deleted User wrote: »

Austria. I'd work in Vienna during the week and have a place by the lake for weekends. It's a beautiful country - I don't speak a word of German but it's never a problem when I visit and I'd be willing to learn :cool:

I don't think I've ever met an Austrian. They don't seem to emigrate that much.

ancapailldorcha

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I don't think I've ever met an Austrian. They don't seem to emigrate that much.

You can come visit me when I move and meet loads of them

Mister Vain

Austrians are actually very friendly. They have great grub too. Tad pricey though.

strandroad

nicholasIII wrote: »

Even during the cities mourning, it looked 50x better than Dublin on its best day. What's worse is that Nice isn't even the capital of France and it puts Dublin to shame.

Does anyone know why the developers here can't get their act together?

It's the continental tradition of proper urban planning and maintenance, while we have developer driven culture like most of the Anglosphere. Different culture, very different results.

Graces7

The Loire Valley; I speak fluent French... Would love Norway but it would have to be an island wherever it was.

Stovepipe

look at what you need:regular utilities that work, bins collected, good internet, civil service that works, schools that work, safe driving conditions,safe police (not scumbags in uniform that demand "fines"), good transport links (air,sea and land)and the ability to get out and earn a decent living.

rhonin

I've been living in Gdansk for over 3 years but will be moving back to Ireland in the next few months.
It's a beautiful area of Poland. People are nice and so are the food and drink. Nice warm summers and not too cold winters.
It is also relatively cheap although the cost of living is increasing. I work in IT so wages in this area are higher than the average wage here.
Reason I'm moving back with my wife and son is the educational sector is a mess and and the government are a little bit crazy.

Zascar

Does it have to be mainland Europe only? I moved to Dubai 2 years ago and couldn't be happier. Tax-free income, fantastic weather, amazing service, loads to do, rent cheaper than Dublin. It's incredibly safe, fantastic infrastructure and (Covid aside) a great place to travel to anywhere in the world from. Big Irish community out here and for good reason. I can't see myself ever coming back at this rate.

murpho999

Zascar wrote: »

Does it have to be mainland Europe only? I moved to Dubai 2 years ago and couldn't be happier. Tax-free income, fantastic weather, amazing service, loads to do, rent cheaper than Dublin. It's incredibly safe, fantastic infrastructure and (Covid aside) a great place to travel to anywhere in the world from. Big Irish community out here and for good reason. I can't see myself ever coming back at this rate.

Well yes, as that's what the thread is about.

As for Dubai, been there, ok for short term but long term for it it's too hot, tacky, money driven and I wouldn't like to live in a fairly strict Islamic culture and I also do not like UAE's regime and human rights record.

Also, about it being "safe". People say this all the time but I would argue that the whole of Europe is very safe and Ireland has a very low crime rate and is very safe despite what many people like to say.

McGiver

Tuesday_Girl wrote:

Same here. I still speak Dutch any time I go back and no-one responds in English. I have friends who've lived there for 25 years and they can't have even a basic conversation, they did try and they've spent huge money on private lessons over the year but somehow they can't master it and have pretty much given up now.

This is weird. I'm fully fluent in English (2nd language) and semi-fluent in German (3rd language) and I find at least elementary to intermediate Dutch incredibly easy. It must be very easy for an English native, especially if you have some German. It's literally the closest language to English, a West Germanic albeit with less Latin/French vocabulary than English but more than German.

strandroad

McGiver wrote: »

This is weird. I'm fully fluent in English (2nd language) and semi-fluent in German (3rd language) and I find at least elementary to intermediate Dutch incredibly easy. It must be very easy for an English native, especially if you have some German. It's literally the closest language to English, a West Germanic albeit with less Latin/French vocabulary than English but more than German.

I don't speak any Dutch but when in the Netherlands I find that I can understand what some conversations around me are about. Not all of them and no details but for some of them I can get at least their main themes, the trick is to let it wash over you rather than listen closely. I had some limited exposure to basic German as a child but I agree that it seems to come through English rather than through German.

I see sheep

Zascar wrote: »

Does it have to be mainland Europe only? I moved to Dubai 2 years ago and couldn't be happier. Tax-free income, fantastic weather, amazing service, loads to do, rent cheaper than Dublin. It's incredibly safe, fantastic infrastructure and (Covid aside) a great place to travel to anywhere in the world from. Big Irish community out here and for good reason. I can't see myself ever coming back at this rate.

I'd rather live in Siberia.

seenitall

I’m from a place originally where half a day’s drive/Train will bring you to Venice, Vienna, or Budapest, to name just a few. I’ve lived in Ireland 20 years now, and as fantastic as life here is, of late I really get the call of the continent more and more. The climate here is killing me, it’s way too humid (it wasn’t always the case, but in the last few years I’ve had some slight breathing problems and cottoned on to the fact that they clear up once I’ve been away for my hols!?) and I’m missing my beloved Central Europe something awful now. The lockdown is probably exacerbating it.

So anyway; a chalet in the Alps (Salzburg region will do fine) for snow activities, a townhouse in Lugano or similar for a bit of urban living, a house in the olive grove on an island in the Adriatic for the summers (love hot summers!), and a palazzo in Venice for the in-between seasons. That’s the fantasy wish list and I’m sure I wrote about it before!!

The reality will be staying in Ireland til the child is reared and then leveraging some assets and hopefully a bit of inheritance to make a base of some kind on the continent a reality. May end up doing the full circle and going back home to live.

Sugar Free

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

What sites do people use to find jobs on the continent?

LinkedIn plus follow target companies on it. It’s what worked for me anyway. That said most other Irish people I know here in my city were pulled over internally by their company (I’m in a small city known for chemicals/pharmaceuticals so there are decent links to Ireland through satellite offices).

Brian?

McGiver wrote: »

This is weird. I'm fully fluent in English (2nd language) and semi-fluent in German (3rd language) and I find at least elementary to intermediate Dutch incredibly easy. It must be very easy for an English native, especially if you have some German. It's literally the closest language to English, a West Germanic albeit with less Latin/French vocabulary than English but more than German.

It’s quite easy to understand, read and write. It is not easy to speak though.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Irish people have a lot of peculiarities with how we speak English.

Th=d
T= h sometimes, as in water . Wa her
G gets dropped at the end of words

There are dozens more, which vary with with regional accents.

I really struggle with the Dutch R. The sound is completely unnatural to me. The G is tough, but it’s similar or the ch in Irish. The vowel combinations are a nightmare. I still don’t know if I’m say thuis, boer or Koop right.

Dutch people hear these difficulties and immediately switch to English. Makes it very hard to practice and get better.

murpho999

Brian? wrote: »

It’s quite easy to understand, read and write. It is not easy to speak though.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Irish people have a lot of peculiarities with how we speak English.

Th=d
T= h sometimes, as in water . Wa her
G gets dropped at the end of words

There are dozens more, which vary with with regional accents.

I really struggle with the Dutch R. The sound is completely unnatural to me. The G is tough, but it’s similar or the ch in Irish. The vowel combinations are a nightmare. I still don’t know if I’m say thuis, boer or Koop right.

Dutch people hear these difficulties and immediately switch to English. Makes it very hard to practice and get better.

I'll try and help you here.

Firstly when learning a language it's always easier to read and write as it's not live, you can take your time.

Then as you listen and improve your vocabulary then you'll find understand comes more to listening.

Speaking is always the hardest as you've to overcome hurdles such as pronunciation, grammar , real time etc. So that's not unique to Dutch it's part of learning a language.

I don't think is that hard though, and you should go back to the alphabet and vowel construction sounds that you're struggling with as they all follow rules.

Double O words like Boot is pronounced as boat in English.
Thuis is a bit tougher as the "ui" sound is not in English. I personally think it's like saying "ow" but elongated O and lips rounded for W. Not perfect though.

OE in boer is like the "oo" in pool but cut short.

As for people switching to English, do you mean shop assistants etc? If so then you're going about it the wrong way. You won't learn from them.

You need to get Dutch friends and colleagues and converse with them in Dutch if they know you're trying to learn they'll love to help you and won't speak English to you unless really necessary.
It's from proper conversations you learn not people in shops etc.

I hope that helps. be persistent and you'll get there, I think it' s a great language once you get your head around it.

Brian?

murpho999 wrote: »

I'll try and help you here.

Firstly when learning a language it's always easier to read and write as it's not live, you can take your time.

Then as you listen and improve your vocabulary then you'll find understand comes more to listening.

Speaking is always the hardest as you've to overcome hurdles such as pronunciation, grammar , real time etc. So that's not unique to Dutch it's part of learning a language.

I don't think is that hard though, and you should go back to the alphabet and vowel construction sounds that you're struggling with as they all follow rules.

Double O words like Boot is pronounced as boat in English.
Thuis is a bit tougher as the "ui" sound is not in English. I personally think it's like saying "ow" but elongated O and lips rounded for W. Not perfect though.

OE in boer is like the "oo" in pool but cut short.

As for people switching to English, do you mean shop assistants etc? If so then you're going about it the wrong way. You won't learn from them.

You need to get Dutch friends and colleagues and converse with them in Dutch if they know you're trying to learn they'll love to help you and won't speak English to you unless really necessary.
It's from proper conversations you learn not people in shops etc.

I hope that helps. be persistent and you'll get there, I think it' s a great language once you get your head around it.

I know how the vowels are all supposed to be pronounced, the problem is getting the sound to come out of my mouth.

The oo in Koop, is not pronounced the way I say boat in English by the way. I say bowh, because I'm from Tallaght.

Switching to English is everyone. My Dutch colleagues have straight up told me they don't care if I learn Dutch and would prefer to speak English to me. I think it's funny you assume they'll love to help me, when the complete opposite is true. I've met people who have been extremely rude about my attempts at Dutch, not direct, really rude.

I keep persisting, but i wonder why sometimes when the Dutch would prefer it if I didn't.

When I was overseas I found all my colleagues wanted to talk to me in english, as I was a native speaker, particularly the ones not so confident/fluent.
My Bulgarian workmate asked me to stop him anytime he said anything a little wrong and correct him!

ancapailldorcha

Sugar Free wrote: »

LinkedIn plus follow target companies on it. It’s what worked for me anyway. That said most other Irish people I know here in my city were pulled over internally by their company (I’m in a small city known for chemicals/pharmaceuticals so there are decent links to Ireland through satellite offices).

That makes sense. I work for a University so I don't have that option. Think I'd like the Netherlands but their always speaking English sounds annoying.

I can't stand LinkedIn.

Brian?

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

That makes sense. I work for a University so I don't have that option. Think I'd like the Netherlands but their always speaking English sounds annoying.

I can't stand LinkedIn.

There's an app called LinkedIn jobs. You can use it only to search for jobs and forget about the rest.

It's good to have a well updated LinkedIn profile when searching as it's the first thing I read when hiring

murpho999

Brian? wrote: »

I know how the vowels are all supposed to be pronounced, the problem is getting the sound to come out of my mouth.

The oo in Koop, is not pronounced the way I say boat in English by the way. I say bowh, because I'm from Tallaght.

Switching to English is everyone. My Dutch colleagues have straight up told me they don't care if I learn Dutch and would prefer to speak English to me. I think it's funny you assume they'll love to help me, when the complete opposite is true. I've met people who have been extremely rude about my attempts at Dutch, not direct, really rude.

I keep persisting, but i wonder why sometimes when the Dutch would prefer it if I didn't.

Well in fairness if you know how boat is pronounced, which was just an example. then you know the sound and you need to use that and not how you'd say it with your Tallaght accent.
It's similar to the sound of moat or vote.

I'm surprised at what you say about your Dutch colleagues as that was not my experience when I was there. Dutch people speak Dutch together and like their language and even know if I go back , having moved away in 2005, people just speak Dutch to me even though I clearly have what they'd call a "engels" accent.

ancapailldorcha

Brian? wrote: »

There's an app called LinkedIn jobs. You can use it only to search for jobs and forget about the rest.

It's good to have a well updated LinkedIn profile when searching as it's the first thing I read when hiring

I have a LinkedIn. I just hate the endless "Look how great I am" and "Read how I triumphed over adversity" nonsense posts.

Alaninwondeand

Alaninwondeand wrote: »

If I was single id live in Lithuania.

And stay that way?

I think Malta would be a good option for Irish. Speak English, drive on left, warm and sunny

Turbohymac

I'd be happy for the rest of my days in Germany.. been there many times and haven't found anything negative so far.
But loads of positives compared to this lawless island

Fran has a bone

Deleted User wrote: »

I think Malta would be a good option for Irish. Speak English, drive on left, warm and sunny

Why don't many Irish go there? Way more on the Spanish islands, canaries etc.

Few posts about Malta earlier don't make it sound great. Had family wedding there once.