June 2005
Letters
From our readers
I wanted to commend you on the brilliant feature about shopping in Munich in the last magazine. Over the past four years of living here, that has been my number one gripe about Munich, having left behind 24-hour supermarket shopping in London (sob, sob!), with many of the big stores also offering online shopping. My hubby mentioned a while ago that I could order online from supermarkets here, but I did not dare to try it considering how awful I thought the shops were run (exactly as you described!). With your recommendation I will try the online shopping. I will also try the last-minute online shop and see how that goes—the thought of getting milk delivered for the kids on a Sunday night is just too exciting!
Lara Kroll
I have just been looking through the last issue of Munich Found and saw that on the letters page you recommended buying the book Bavarian Cooking from Amazon. Why did you choose Amazon and not the stores that advertise in your magazine? You should be getting visitors and newcomers to Munich acquainted with the shops and businesses in the city.
Sigrid Stehle-Dörner
Editor’s note: Many apologies. You are quite right that we should be endorsing local businesses. So, you can also buy the book Bavarian Cooking at Münchner Romantix’s (Pfisterstrasse 6), Wordsworth (Schellingstrasse 21a), Buchhandlung am Gasteig (Rosenheimer Strasse 12) and Hugendubel English Bookshop (Salvator-platz 2).
I moved to Munich from the United States about 2 ½ years ago. I am starting to realize that you need to be German, white and have a college degree to get a good job here. If you are an “Aus-länder,” you are basically screwed. If you are lucky, you can move from job to job, work long hours, rarely see your family and earn a small amount of money. I speak some, but not fluent German. As a result, I get the same answer when interviewed or responding to a job offer: “You need to speak fluent German.” In the US, I was a Facilities Manager. I had the opportunity to interview many people and was a major player in the hiring process. It never mattered to me whether the person was black, white, a different nationality or spoke little English. Character was always the major factor. I am not sure what hiring procedures are being used by companies here.
Carlton Arbeitslos
Editor’s note: There is little doubt that a good command of the local language will improve your chances of getting a job anywhere in the world. But fear not—learning German has never been easier. There are now numerous language schools in the city, offering a variety of flexible courses. Check out our classifieds section under “language training” for contact details. And good luck!
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading “Grime Time” in the last issue of Munich Found. I had heard a lot of fuss about Feinstaub in the media, but my German is still not at a high enough standard to grasp exactly what was being said. So I really enjoyed the opportunity to read about it in English and found the article very informative. It sounds to me like this is a good reason to make Munich non-smoking, like many other European cities. I know I would enjoy living here a lot more if I could go into a bar or a restaurant without having to smoke passively and come out stinking of cigarette smoke. Thanks MF!
Cindy McMahon
Editor’s note: What do you think? Should there be more non-smoking restaurants in Munich? Have you a favorite smoke-free bar? Write and let us know!
I thought your feature on unusual things to do in Munich was a really good read (“May Days,” May issue). Whenever our relatives come to visit from the UK, we always end up doing the same old things—the Englischer Garten, Viktualienmarkt and a stroll round town. Having read your article, however, my family is in for a whole range of new treats when they next come to stay. I’m sure my two teenage nephews in particular will be thrilled at the thought of abseiling off the Olympic Stadium. Now all I need do is pluck up the courage to have a go with them!
Josie Lucas
Thanks for the article on the Art Nouveau exhibition at Villa Stuck (“Bing Bang,” May issue). We spent an afternoon there the other weekend and were really impressed by the place. Not only was the exhibition well thought-out, but the building itself was very impressive. There’s something here both for art enthusiasts and those who simply appreciate beautiful things. The collection of vases was particularly worth seeing.
Alison Barry
Editor’s note: Been to any great exhibitions that you’d like to recommend to other readers? Contact us at the above address and we’ll pass your tips on!
