I have to agree with Chris on this one. Germany is nice, has a lot of good parts but a lot of bad parts as well.
Taxes are a huge problem for me. I work as a freelance Business teacher and an oral examiner for TELC. Half of what I earn goes to the government each month. Plus, unlike other countries, as a freelance it is mandatory to pay into the pension system in Germany. Health insurance is also quite high for freelance individuals (269 euros a month for the basic insurance!). Sometimes I think Germany hates freelancers or the very best, discourages freelance activities.
In my job, I don't have a steady income, some months are slower with very few classes, some are ok. But every month I pay certain amounts to the government. There were times when I had to borrow money from relatives to pay my pension and health insurance. Rent is very expensive where I am, groceries too.
Also, the customer service is quite scarce. Sometimes, I enter a store to buy something and the sales person makes me feel that I am not wanted there. That I should just buy something and leave. Not to mention if I call the Internet provider to complain about the Internet going down every night. They shrug and tell me it's not their fault, it's the cables.
I do love some things though, for example the transportation. I can get anywhere with the S-Bahn or U-Bahn. You don't need a car here to get by. And trains/buses are usually on time, seldom you see 5-10 min max delays.
There are many good things in Germany, but they all come with a price. I know a lot of Germans who are very unhappy about the system here. You know that Germany helped Greece and France and all that. That help actually, comes from the people, the working class that gets taxed so much. There are taxes for everything. I own a dog and I pay an yearly tax for owning a dog. I have a friend that runs a coffee shop and a small terrace outside. He pays taxes for having a couple of plants outside next to the tables.
