Week 46: Building Home, One Form at a Time: Simple Germany, Techno, and the New Rules of Belonging

00:00:02: Bienvenidos to another edition

00:00:04: of

00:00:04: plus forty nine.

00:00:05: I am your host, Sigrid Arteaga.

00:00:07: Muchas gracias for being here with us today.

00:00:10: This week we're bringing back one of my favorite conversations from last year.

00:00:15: This was with Jen and Yvonne, the two power women behind simple Germany.

00:00:21: They have a platform that helps newcomers navigate their lives here with a lot of laughter and a lot of humor and a lot of heart.

00:00:30: Their story is so much more than just a guide to bureaucracy.

00:00:34: It's about building a home in a new language.

00:00:37: We know how difficult that is, how to learn to laugh at the hard parts and finding community one challenge at the time.

00:00:46: We're also going to be talking about this week's news from new projects for migrants here in Berlin to coming changes in Germany's social and health systems.

00:00:57: And later in our cultural segment, we're going to be talking about something that connects generations, borders, and sleepless nights.

00:01:07: The beat of German techno.

00:01:09: There's a reason why Rosalia just came out with a single called back high.

00:01:14: So let's get started.

00:01:17: This week in Germany, several developments could have a real impact on migrants, expats, and anyone trying to build a stable life here as internationals.

00:01:27: First, in Berlin's Friedrichsheim-Kreuzberg-District, a new pilot project called Gutte Arbeit, Good Work, aims to help homeless EU migrants find fair and stable employment.

00:01:41: The district is working with a social organization, Gewebeau, to connect people who have fallen through the system with local employers.

00:01:51: Many are excluded from social benefits and faced serious challenges like poverty and exploitation.

00:01:58: The project doesn't just want to find any job but good jobs, one that can offer fair pay, dignity and a long-term perspective.

00:02:09: It is a reminder that even in a city as international as Berlin, inclusion in the labor market is still one of the hardest steps toward rebuilding stability.

00:02:21: Meanwhile, a major reform to Germany's welfare system is on the way.

00:02:26: The current Bürgergeld will be soon replaced by a program called Grundsicherung für Arbeitssuchende, basic income support for job seekers.

00:02:37: The change comes with stricter rules and tougher sanctions.

00:02:41: Anyone who misses two consecutive job center appointments could see their benefits cut by thirty percent and after repeated absences, support could even be suspended entirely.

00:02:55: Critics warned the reform may push vulnerable families closer to homelessness.

00:03:02: For experts who have lost their jobs or are transitioning between resident permits, understanding these new rules will be essential.

00:03:11: And finally, health insurance contributions could rise again in twenty-twenty-six.

00:03:17: Despite government promises to keep costs stable, experts from Germany's Public Health Insurance Association warned that most funds will likely raise their Susatzbeitrag, the additional contribution rate shared by employees and employers.

00:03:34: Currently, the average total contribution starts around seventeen point five percent, but some fear it could climb above twenty in the coming years if reforms don't follow.

00:03:47: Consumer groups advise don't choose a cranking case based on price alone.

00:03:53: Service quality and response times can make the real difference when you actually need care.

00:04:00: I must confess, I have absolutely no idea.

00:04:03: what techno is regarding.

00:04:05: If it's a good techno or if it's a bad techno, I just know that if you're in Germany, you know about techno.

00:04:12: And it is definitely a sound that defines modern Germany.

00:04:17: This one does not come from a concert hall or a marching band, but from the pulse of bassline echoing through an old industrial space.

00:04:28: Techno was born in the reunified Berlin of the early nineties.

00:04:33: It wasn't just music, it was kind of a liberation.

00:04:37: In the chaos that followed the fall of the wall, abandoned warehouses became dance floors.

00:04:44: East met west, strangers became friends, and for a few hours, everyone belonged to the same rhythm.

00:04:53: Today, Techno is both global and local.

00:04:57: from Berghain's world famous Sundays to tiny basements in Leipzig or Mainheim.

00:05:03: It is not about fashion or fame, it's about freedom.

00:05:07: It's the right to lose yourselves for a night, to exist without language, passwords or labels.

00:05:15: For many experts and internationals and Berliners and Germans, this is exactly what makes this very special.

00:05:23: In a country where belonging can sometimes feel very complicated, the dance floor offers a kind of democracy.

00:05:31: Everyone is equal.

00:05:32: Everyone is moving to the same beat.

00:05:36: So maybe you can be a seasoned raver or just curious about it.

00:05:41: Techno is not just noise.

00:05:43: It is

00:05:43: Germany's modern folk music born from history, powered by unity, and still teaching us how to listen together.

00:05:53: Let's have a look at what is happening right now and this week in Hannover.

00:05:59: First up, for anyone tired of swiping left and right, you all know that I am one of those.

00:06:06: So please go, since I'm not in Hannover, you might as well go and find someone very interesting because matching night Hannover is bringing together up to two hundred and fifty singles for one big event of real-life connections.

00:06:24: This event takes place on November the twenty-ninth.

00:06:27: Yes, it's still a long time, but you can already sign up.

00:06:31: And it is blending a relaxed bar atmosphere with a splash of gamified chemistry.

00:06:38: You have to do a short personality test.

00:06:40: Then the participants get color-coded wristbands showing who they might click with.

00:06:47: Add in a playful lock and key icebreaker.

00:06:50: Every woman gets a key.

00:06:51: Every man a lock.

00:06:53: And you've got an old school way to meet people face to face.

00:06:58: Prices are included.

00:07:00: You can find

00:07:00: more details or sign up at matchingknight.com.

00:07:05: If you prefer a little bit of nostalgia over New Romans, then head to the Café Glocomse on November the fourteenth for a night like this, the alternative eighties party.

00:07:17: Expect the best of the cure, the patch mode, and enjoy the vision.

00:07:21: A celebration of ready mood, magnetic sights of the eighties.

00:07:26: Think wave, pus punk, synthetic, eighthems that never really went out of style.

00:07:32: Dark, danceable, and timeless.

00:07:35: It is a night for the eternal outsiders.

00:07:39: And finally, something for the folk lovers.

00:07:42: The Irish Folk Festival is back in town with its twenty-twenty-five tour.

00:07:47: Different strokes for different folks.

00:07:50: It's a joyful dive into Ireland's musical traditions, from tender ballads to foot-stumping fiddle tunes.

00:07:57: The festival mission is simple, to celebrate diversity through the sound of the Green Island.

00:08:03: Expect masterful musicians, storytelling, and that unmistakable Irish warmth.

00:08:09: So, maybe your November mood calls for dancing, dating, or daydreaming about doubling.

00:08:16: Hanover has definitely something for you.

00:08:19: And that's all for this week's episode of plus forty nine.

00:08:22: A warm thank you to Jen and Yvonne from Simple Germany for inspiring us once again to see this country through curious and open eyes.

00:08:32: Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcast and follow us on Instagram for updates, culture and a little bit of behind the scenes stories from the expert life here in Germany.

00:08:43: I am Sigrid Arteaga and this has been plus forty nine.

00:08:46: Until next time, stay open.

00:08:48: Stay grounded and keep dancing to your own rhythm.

00:08:52: Hasta la próxima!

00:08:58: Two amazing women, power women, I'm gonna say.

00:09:01: One of them is also a Latina, which I'm always very happy to have here with us.

00:09:06: And the other one is a German cutoffel.

00:09:08: And the best sin ever.

00:09:11: And both of them, they are not only funny, but they also have this amazing portal called Simple Germany.

00:09:18: Today with us, Jen and Yvonne.

00:09:21: Thank you so much for having us.

00:09:22: Yes, I don't know, we're supposed to root.

00:09:24: Woo!

00:09:24: Yes, thank you very much for having us.

00:09:27: Love the intro.

00:09:29: The Deutsche Kartoffel.

00:09:30: Yeah, it's not often that I get called that, but I take it.

00:09:33: But I tell her she's a Deutsche Kartoffel with sazon, which is like Spanish for with spices.

00:09:39: Or actually I've been called a sweet potato.

00:09:43: That

00:09:43: is the sweetest.

00:09:45: Okay, so let's keep with the Kartoffel part with sazon and sweet potato also.

00:09:50: We're definitely doing something with it.

00:09:54: But for the part of the interview, we want to know what is simple Germany?

00:09:59: So simple Germany started in twenty twenty.

00:10:01: Ivan and I started simple Germany with the goal to empower internationals that recently moved to Germany or plan to move to Germany to settle into life in Germany more smoothly is our slogan.

00:10:12: And the purpose is to pretty much talk about all the unspoken rules in Germany.

00:10:18: When you come as a newcomer, there's a lot of things that are new, of course, because it's a new country, but culturally speaking, how things are done, especially if you come from parts of the world where things work in a completely different way.

00:10:30: So Simple Germany started as to guide the newcomers, and more than guide, empower to give all the information possible so they can make the right decisions, know the rights, find the right service providers, and feel empowered to navigate the jungle of the first.

00:10:46: Stint

00:10:47: stages.

00:10:48: I wouldn't

00:10:48: even give it like a certain time frame because everyone has different speeds in life.

00:10:52: Yeah,

00:10:53: that is also very important.

00:10:54: like everybody has very different speed times and sometimes you just want to arrive and know it all and then you see Actually that Deutsche Bürokratie or German bureaucracy is in German.

00:11:08: Yeah

00:11:09: What a surprise.

00:11:11: Indeed,

00:11:11: what a surprise, but I guess you probably have encountered a situation where a lot of people do not know how to start.

00:11:21: in Germany because they do not understand German and they have no idea what comes first.

00:11:26: To be honest, I don't think anybody of us knows what starts first because either you have the Anmeldung or you have the bank or you have the apartment or you don't know where to start.

00:11:37: So let's keep it simple, like simple Germany.

00:11:40: What would be the first things you would say that you can start with?

00:11:47: Let's just focus on the ideal world, because like you just said, there will always be deviants depending on your situation.

00:11:54: But in the ideal world, I would say, you know why you're coming, you have a reason.

00:12:00: In our case, a job is probably the most likely, but there's a reason why you're coming.

00:12:05: And then you land in Germany, you have already some place to live, most likely a short-term rental that is furnished, that comes with internet, that comes with electricity, where you don't have to worry, so you don't get overwhelmed.

00:12:15: where you can do your Unmeldung with, so you get your ducks in order.

00:12:18: Because of the Unmeldung, you get all the other paperwork that you need, for example, your tax ID.

00:12:23: You start your work, you find a grind, you get to know your neighborhood, you get to know public transportation, all those little things, the groceries, the recycling, all the things that are happening.

00:12:33: And once you overcome those first steps, then you can find your long-term apartment and actually look ahead, take a breath and say, wow, now what does this new world offer to me?

00:12:44: Maybe with that in mind, a new world.

00:12:47: Let's make a music break.

00:12:49: And then when we get back, we keep asking you a lot of questions.

00:12:53: Let's do it.

00:12:54: We're back with our friends, Jen and Yvonne from Simple Germany, and they are explaining to us a little bit about this new world.

00:13:02: Regarding

00:13:03: new world, what are the things that you have encountered during these four years with Simple Germany?

00:13:09: that people somehow always do mistakes?

00:13:13: like typical mistakes everybody does.

00:13:17: So I wouldn't call it a mistake for sure, but maybe like a learning curve that everyone goes through.

00:13:23: And that is the language.

00:13:25: So for example, my first years in Germany, I had, I was lucky that I had the support of my company to help me, not the company that I was working for, to help me with a lot of the bureaucratic processes.

00:13:37: So I didn't really have to deal a lot with German bureaucracy.

00:13:40: But once that support was gone, I was left in the open so to speak and everything was in German and I surrounded myself alone with international friends and colleagues.

00:13:50: so I neglected learning the language for a very long time which later because my goal was to stay in Germany long term.

00:13:58: later I kind of like aircoats paid the price because all these years had passed by And I was in a situation where all my international friends left.

00:14:08: I needed to make new friends, but I didn't speak the language.

00:14:11: I didn't really put much effort.

00:14:12: And also I was kind of waiting for my German to be perfect because I was taking some classes and I was never really taking the opportunity to practice it.

00:14:20: So... And then that chip kind of changed.

00:14:23: Also, Yvonne had a big impact on that because her family only speaks German, especially like her granny and father.

00:14:30: So they're also like, okay, now I really need to make an effort.

00:14:33: And I, even if it wasn't perfect, started speaking more.

00:14:37: And then I realized, wow, okay, now that I speak and understand German more, I understand the country so much more.

00:14:45: I understand a little bit more the German sense of humor.

00:14:48: I can understand the tone of.

00:14:51: Is that serious or a joke?

00:14:53: I can not understand a hundred percent because I will never have all the context because I never grew up in Germany.

00:14:58: But I was able, I felt like something unlocked that I'm like, okay, if I would have done this earlier, maybe this unlockness would have come at a sooner stage.

00:15:09: I think what you just said is super important.

00:15:12: And one of the key things here is just learn the language and just start talking, even though if it's not the right way to say things, because sometimes we want to be so perfect that we forget that it's just about speaking.

00:15:27: But for the moment, we're not going to be speaking, we're going to be listening to this next song.

00:15:33: This is our last segment with Jen and Yvonne from Simple Germany.

00:15:37: And for everybody outside who has no idea what Simple Germany is, but has heard this to beautiful woman talking about what they are doing, just go to the website.

00:15:50: That would be simplegermany.com.

00:15:52: And what are we going to be finding there?

00:15:55: On the website per se, let's call it our hub.

00:15:58: You will find all the information that anyone that is about to or recently moved, maybe even it's already a few years in Germany, has questions about life, all kinds of topics.

00:16:10: And the website per se is a little bit more how to and really nitty gritty.

00:16:16: And it's the hub because it also guides you to our other presences, let's say, where we are able to talk a little bit more fluid and give a little bit more personality and personal insights, which we do on YouTube and on Instagram with a little bit more also our own life stories and challenges and losses and wins.

00:16:37: And with this, you have your own YouTube and your Instagram where you talk about all of these topics.

00:16:43: What has been one of the key segments or videos that you love?

00:16:50: There's multiple and I would say the beauty of being able to create simple Germany is the diversity of topics because we can literally go from something that is super unsexy and boring from the outside perspective like talking about taxes or electricity.

00:17:10: and I get super excited.

00:17:12: for whatever weird reason, but I realized I get super excited to break down complex topics into simple terms.

00:17:19: But then there are those videos that go deeper, especially on the part of Jen, because Jen is sometimes extremely vulnerable and open of sharing her path.

00:17:29: And I'm just so extremely proud of that because that is the inspiration that so many of our listeners seek and follow to build their dream lives.

00:17:42: talk with us today, but we really hope that they will stay with us and they will come back to our show and explore with us not only more about their paths, but also the paths of those who are just arriving to Berlin or Germany and try to understand why are we here and how can we make this our home.

00:18:04: And we want to thank you, both of you, so much for being here.

00:18:08: And of course, I invite everybody to go to their socials and watch their insightful videos and Instagrammers.

00:18:16: They're really not only hilarious, but they're really, really inspired.

00:18:21: Thank you so much for being here with us today.

00:18:24: Thank you so much for having us.

00:18:26: And for

00:18:26: this very, very warm welcome.

00:18:28: Yes, it's been a pleasure.

00:18:35: My name is Jen and I'm from Guatemala.

00:18:37: and I've been living in Germany for twelve years and I have noticed that whenever I am walking publicly or I'm in public places, I turn around and I see a German looking at me and staring and I'm not sure if they want to ask me something, say something, they're just looking at my cool jacket.

00:18:58: So my question to you Yvonne as a German is why do Germans stare at me?

00:19:03: You pretty much answered your own question right now.

00:19:05: Maybe they're looking at your cool jacket.

00:19:08: Maybe, and I would say in my case that's, because I also catch myself staring sometimes, even though I have the awareness that that's maybe a little bit awkward for the other person, out of curiosity.

00:19:19: Literally out of curiosity.

00:19:21: Like why you brought you here?

00:19:23: If you, depending on how you look like, like you said, a piece of clothing or something that you carry, I'm intrigued.

00:19:32: Like to observe.

00:19:33: That's just what Germans like to do.

00:19:34: We like to observe.

00:19:35: Should I be scared?

00:19:37: No, on the contrary.

00:19:38: If you smile, they might be like, ooh, shit.

00:19:42: However, if you don't smile and you frown, they'll be like,

00:19:45: mm.

00:19:47: I frown, and that's the answer that I've gotten, actually.

00:19:50: And if you really want to surprise them, you'd be like, can I help you?

00:19:55: Or wave.

00:19:56: Exactly, or wave.

00:19:57: That's fantastic.

00:19:58: Because then you'd be like, the Germans will be super confused.

00:20:01: probably super shy and not meet your gaze again

00:20:05: or

00:20:06: wave back and that might be the start of a beautiful conversation if you both have the guts to go there.

00:20:11: Okay, so maybe I will smile and talk next time.