What I miss

[karohemd]

susanofstohelit gave me an idea on one of her posts.



- German bread
You get some pre-packed black bread here (Schneider isn't bad) and Waitrose do a reasonable sourdough one. Still no comparison to fresh from the baker's shop at home.

- Sausages and other meat products
Again, you get pre-packed stuff here (and if you go to LIDL even original) but this is obviously not the same as from a butcher's.
Strangely enough, I don't really miss German beer as I quite like ale and bitter. Still, on a hot summer eve, there's nothing better than a cool Kellerbier ;o)

- Standard of living and quality of housing
The quality of housing in the UK is quite bad compared to Germany, at a higher price. Things I take for granted in Germany (mixer taps in the bathroom instead of two separate ones, double glazing, decent water pressure, insulation etc.) are difficult to find here. Somebody trying to sell a house like Robin's (especially in the state his was when he bought it) would be hard pressed to find a buyer.
And you can talk to pretty much anyone from Europe and they'll say the same. Even people from less well off (than Germany) countries like Spain or Italy aren't impressed. I know, I work with lots of people from around Europe.
What irritates me most is that I'd understand it if everything was cheaper than in Germany and it's not, by a long shot. Here, the standard of living is lower, people earn less and still things are more expensive. I don't understand it.

- Social security/Healthcare
Connected to standard of living, I guess.
Here, employees seem to be far less supported and secured than at home. The healthcare system is atrocious, the waiting lists endless and the quality of the service leaves a lot to be desired. To be honest, I don't want to become really sick while I'm in this country, too many horror stories from colleagues alone (incorret diagnoses, wrong medication and whatnot).
True, it's not as it used to be in Germany but I still would feel a lot more secure and safe.

- banking/money
Now with online banking, this isn't as important as a couple of years ago but some things I find strange. You can basically pay for the smallest thing with your credit/debit card but you can't (in a simple way) make a transfer of an amount from your current account to somebody else's if the receiving party has the account at a different bank (or at least it didn't when I tried 5 years ago).
In Germany, hardly anyone uses cheques, here it's the standard mode of payment for bills etc.
The concept of direct debit and standing orders is a quite recent one here, whereas it is standard in Germany for paying bills.
When I tell people at home that many people here go to the post office to pay their utility bills, they just laugh at me. From older people you get reactions like "That's what we used to do after the war", from younger people you just get blank stares or laughs.

I think those were the main things.