What is it like to live in Stuttgart, Germany?

Which is a better country to live, Germany or South Africa?

• Hello. I currently live in Fort Lauderdale, FL but my husband and I are considering a move to either Germany or South Africa. I am originally from Cape Town, South Africa, and he is originally from Stuttgart, Germany. We don't have any family in America and would like our children to be raised around family. However we're not sure which country would be the best for us, or offer our children the most opportunity. I am an Anesthesiologist and my husband is an Orthopedic Surgeon. I have two daughters aged 8 and 14, and two sons aged 10 and 16. And they were all taught German and Afrikaans. Also, my 16 year old son is gay, so we need an area open to homosexuality. We would also like an area that has good education standards. And also a place where we will both be able to find work. So, South Africa or Germany? Thank you all!

• Answer:

  Better for the kids: Germany. Possibly better for you: South Africa. It is not a good idea for medical professionals to come to Germany. Lousy pay, long hours, lots of unpaid overtime. Thousands of medicine students and doctors decide to leave Germany forever each year and with good reason. Your husband should know all about this - it has not changed a bit. As for your kids, the best places to be gay in Germany are Berlin and Cologne. http://wikitravel.org/en/Germany#Gay_and_lesbian_travellers Berlin is a mega-hip city, lots of things are happening there right now. If you can afford it, I highly recommend buying some real estate in Berlin. Compared to other capitals of the same size in Western Europe Berlin is still very cheap. But with so much happening right now prices for innercity estate are going to skyrocket in the next 5 years or so, so it is hard to go wrong. Hollywood stars have discovered the studios at Babelsberg and are moving over to get away from the paparazzi. Berlin is also known for its party scene, lots of young people go there each year to party. Your kids will love it! The thing that also works in favour of Germany is that the crime rate in Germany is much lower than in South Africa. White people in South Africa live behind high walls with barbed fences - you won't need this in Germany at all. For your kids - Germany is in the EU, so it offers them plenty of opportunity. Since you speak Africaans you could also look into moving to the Netherlands or close to the Dutch-German border. The German education system is also very good. Your kids are bound to have a hard time adjusting to German "Gymnasium" - teaching is tough. The "Abitur" after 12 years of "Gymnasium" that allows entry to university is equivalent to a genEd college degree from the USA. It is practically government-paid prep-school.