Living in a city with budget

Destiny guided me to continue my doctoral studies in a country where the masters of urban and regional planning made their first experiments: Germany, the green land of industry, strong currency and punctual people. Here begins my new life experience in the capital of Bavaria, Munich's colorful and full of student life. Being in a city like this remind me from the first cultural and social metamorphosis that has seen a country like Germany in its last decades. Specially in the region of Bavaria, where the mountains and forests dominate the landscape and speed limits are canceled to give free rein to sports cars and their engines.

Historic center of Munich. Photography © Melissa Schumacher.

Munich is a rich and compact city where you can find the best definition of quality of life. Community Respect, its transportation system, proximity to culture, universities and excess green areas make this city a complete urban festival worthy of admiration.

Of course the quality of life costs and still the most expensive city in Germany (say those who know that in part by the automotive industry and services). But at least you can appreciate where the money from the taxpayers go, because the city is in permanent urban reform. And I mean this because where you turn you see people working on the improvement and reform of sidewalks, streets, facades and planning new residential areas. It even seems that the construction takes time to make new buildings beautiful with quality.

Englischer Garten. Photography © Melissa Schumacher.

There is no doubt that for a native of Mexico City and Latin culture, Germany in general is a parallel universe, both culturally and socially. And although the city where I used to live (Puebla, Mexico) are very familiar with the style of German labor (due to the VW plant), living across the pond gives you a perspective of how to handle parallel, plan and beautify a city.

It is true that here the budget is big and government will spare no expense in favor of improving the quality of life for its population. So it seems that every tree and planter has its reason to exist. In this respect the culture of Bavaria, juxtaposed between modernity and tradition has no room for improvisation. Even in the planning of their greatest festival called Oktoberfest.

Olympia Park. Photography © Melissa Schumacher.

This is where I begin my doctoral adventure through the land of beer and hops smelling across the streets. Start my cultural journey through a city that lives among the pretzels in the environment, where I meet again in another stage of my life. I just hope or expect to lose between people, between the "Latins of Germany" as they refer to the Bavarian people and enjoy the nostalgia that reminds me of Heidi for its mountains and goats.

IN TREATMENT - METALOCUS.

DIRECTOR: JOSÉ JUAN BARBA. COORDINATION: INÉS LALUETA. ORGANIZATION: INÉS LALUETA, PEDRO NAVARRO. GUESTS SECOND SEASON: JOSÉ JUAN BARBA, JAVIER SANCHO, FRANCISCO PELAEZ, MICHAEL MORADIELLOS, MELISSA SCHUMACHER, VERÓNICA ROSERO, AINHOA MARTÍN.