How to go to Munich

It was February 4, 2001. At about 8pm, the plane landed at Munich Airport. It was the first time in my life that I saw such heavy snow. Because I couldn't bear the hundreds of marks a night in the hotel, I decided to wait at the train station for the 5 a.m. train bound for the East German town where I would eventually go. At about one o'clock in the morning, the train station began to rush people to lock the doors, and I had to go back to the snowy road. Looking up at the temperature display on the street, it was minus 19 degrees. I thought it would be warmer to exercise than to stay, so I kept walking on the streets that were unfamiliar to me. The cold wind howled in my ears, and because the snow was so thick, some of it melted into water and seeped into my shoes, making the icy ice very uncomfortable. I couldn't help laughing and felt like a little match girl. I happened to pass by a 24-hour automatic bank, and suddenly I had an idea: It would be nice to stay there for a few hours, as it would be warm and safe. At that time, I only had a China Merchants Bank card, so I swiped it in the magnetic stripe slot at the door with a sense of luck, and it opened! I didn't dare to sleep in it, because people came in sporadically to withdraw money late at night. At that time, I Pretending to withdraw money from another machine, I deliberately waited until the person left before feeling relieved. When I was leaving early in the morning, a security guard came to open the door. He mistakenly thought I was a customer who had come to withdraw money early in the morning. He smiled and said good morning to me.

When I returned to Munich again, it was already two years later, in March 2003. At that time, all the courses and examinations for the master's degree had been completed, leaving only the internship and graduation thesis. After successfully getting a three-month internship contract at the Munich headquarters of the famous electronics company Infineon, I took an overnight train and arrived at the Munich main train station at around 7 a.m. The reason why I took the overnight train was mainly because the contract stipulated that I should report to the company at 8 o'clock that morning, and I had not found a suitable place to live in Munich. Infineon's contract clearly states that only accommodation subsidies will be provided, and the house must be found by oneself. What is quite humane is that a table is attached, listing some housing agencies through which you can find a house more easily.

Munich is the city with the highest wage income in Germany, and accordingly, the living expenses are also the highest. Within the urban area, a private house of about 20 square meters, including water and electricity (called warm rent in Germany), generally costs more than 300 euros per month. If you have lived in Germany, you will know how difficult it is to find an apartment in a big city in Germany, especially for students who want to break a penny into two petals. I was fully mentally prepared before going to Munich and planned to stay in a youth hostel for a while. But I didn't expect that within 2 hours, I found a suitable accommodation through the Studentenwerk of the University of Munich. The homeowner, Mrs. Thurner, owns a three-story villa in the Waldperlach district of Munich, with four bedrooms and one living room, a yard and a large basement. She couldn't live alone, so she rented out two of them. Before arriving in Munich, I heard many people say that Munich people are so arrogant that even people from other parts of Germany look down upon them, let alone foreigners. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Thurner is the best landlord I have ever encountered. (Author's note: Studentenwerk, literally translated as student union, is very different from the student unions of domestic universities. Studentenwek is actually an autonomous organization in Germany and is not affiliated with any university. It manages the student dormitories and canteens of various universities in Germany. , as well as coordinating with the local transportation department to solve a series of matters closely related to the interests of students. In many cities in Germany, student dormitories are in short supply, so Studentenwerk sometimes takes on the task of providing students with private housing information. )

Mrs. Thurner was 59 years old at the time, but she looked much younger than her actual age. I have been divorced for 20 years and have two children, a boy and a girl, who are also divorced and live nearby. When she introduced this, she laughed first and said, "Do you think this is hereditary? The divorce rate in Germany is very high now, but it was not like this in our parents' generation. For example, my parents grew up in the same family. They were born in a small village and lived together for 62 years until their death!"

Mrs. Thurner is a very fashionable person. After get off work, she likes to eat and club with friends until midnight. She has a boyfriend who looks to be over 60 years old. He is chubby and very cute. He has mentioned to me many times that he wants to go to China to eat snake meat. Mrs. Thurner has a dog, which is white and fat. The first time I saw the dog I thought it was a sheep. I've always thought Mrs. Thurner's dog looked a lot like her boyfriend.

Sometimes Mrs. Thurner would come back late at night and see that the lights in my room were still on. She would bring me a piece of cake she baked for me as a midnight snack. Occasionally, I would cook some daily Chinese side dishes for them. Even though I was only as good as a three-legged cat, I still ate them to their satisfaction. This shows that the standard of Chinese restaurants in Germany is unflattering.

When I left Munich and returned to Darmstadt after my internship, I was really reluctant to leave. In addition to giving me a beautiful handmade souvenir as a souvenir, Mrs. Thurner also insisted on refunding me half a month's rent and told me to visit her next time I go to Munich.

My time in Munich was one of the most enjoyable years of my life. There is a bus from the company door to the residence door in 45 minutes. On weekdays, I go out at 8 o'clock, take a two-hour lunch break, and get off work at 17 o'clock. I either go around Munich city, or I go home to get some delicious food and go for a walk in the nearby woods. Sleep in on the weekends or visit scenic spots near Munich. I also spent an entire afternoon looking for the automatic bank that housed me near the train station, but there was no trace of it.

I believe I have been to more German cities than 90% of Germans, and Munich is my favorite among them. Although it is not a historical city, it has an inexplicable attraction for me. What I like best is walking through the neat streets in the afternoon on a sunny day. There are people sitting in twos and threes in the open-air cafes on the roadside or in the Biergarten (literally translated as beer gardens, German open-air beer houses), some old and some young, with bright faces. All with smiles on their faces. Under the sun, it gives people a feeling of always being carefree. People in Munich are not as arrogant as many people say, at least the vast majority of people I met are polite and friendly. Mrs. Thurner had a wonderful comment on this: We Munichers are a bit xenophobic, but this xeno refers to Germans outside Munich, not foreigners.

Sometimes Mrs. Thurner would go away for a week or two for a long vacation, and I would be the only one in the villa at that time. One night, I was lying on the sofa in the living room watching TV and fell asleep in the middle of the night. When I woke up in the morning, I found that the sun was quietly shining through the window and shining on the beautiful little garden outside the window. I really didn't know if I was in a dream or had woken up.

The internship process at Infineon was also a very pleasant experience. Infineon Technologies was founded in 1999. Its parent company is Siemens. Its semiconductor business was separated and formed an independent legal entity. Today, Infineon has approximately 36,000 employees worldwide. In fiscal year 2004, the company's turnover reached 7.19 billion euros. It is one of the world's top 500 companies and ranks fifth among the world's semiconductor companies. The main business is to provide advanced semiconductor products and complete system solutions for wired and wireless communications, automotive and industrial electronics, memory, computer security and chip card markets.

The engineer in charge of taking me, Mr. Tideya Kella, is an intelligent, friendly Cameroonian with a sense of humor whom I have known before. I remember the first day I saw him, he was wearing a black leather jacket, a beret crookedly, and chewing gum in his mouth. My first reaction was: United States Marine Corps.

The tasks he assigned me were basically half of what I could complete by working hard. The company's management of engineers is relatively flexible. On the premise of completing assigned tasks, working hours can be adjusted according to one's own needs every day. This is especially true for our interns. For example, today I am in good condition and can work for 10 consecutive hours. If I have something to do and need to leave early tomorrow, I can also work for only 4 hours, as long as the number of working hours per week reaches the 35 hours stipulated in the contract. However, on average, they have two paid days off per month just like regular employees.

Recently, I have been in contact with some recruitment groups from China, and I found that a common misunderstanding is: If I hire you with a high salary, you have to bring me immediate results. In fact, this is unrealistic. I personally think that German companies and even the entire country are machines that rely on sound systems and coordinated operation. If you take them apart, each component may not necessarily be the best, but it is definitely qualified. When chatting with several Chinese engineers who have worked in Germany for many years, I once had the same sigh. In companies like Siemens, Infineon, and SAP, even if one-third of the engineers resign at the same time, the company will not be affected. A fatal blow. Recruit a group of qualified college graduates, give them a short training, and they will be back to normal immediately. It is rare in Germany that many domestic companies rise overnight because of certain people or things, and then decline overnight because of certain people or things. What we want to learn should be such an advanced system, and we should not pin our hopes on poaching one or two talented people.

For future work, Munich will be my first choice city if possible. From Munich to Munich, I have been traveling in this first circle for two years. I don’t know how many more years I will be traveling in this second circle?

Attachment: Munich travel recommendations (excerpted from various places on the Internet and travel Books, select reviews based on your own experience)

Recommended website:

www.germany-tourism.org.cn/pages/670.html

www.go2eu .com

ladypabbit.dictworld.com/bavaria.htm

Munich is the preferred tourist destination in southern Germany and the capital of Bavaria (also known as Bayern). Before being merged by the German federal government in 1918, Bayern was an independent kingdom with its own unique cultural characteristics. Munich, the capital of the kingdom, is on par with Paris and Rome and is regarded as a capital of culture and art. When talking about Munich, everyone will think of the famous Oktoberfest. It is held every year from the end of September to the beginning of October for two weeks in Theresienwiese.

Tourist Spot Recommendation

Marienplatz (Marienplatz)

Marienplatz is the center of Munich’s ancient city. At 11 o'clock every morning, Marienplatz must be crowded with tourists in order to see the Glockenspiel show on the bell tower of the New Town Hall; the Glockenspiel show built in 1904 AD is about the wedding of a marquis in 1568 AD. story. The traditional Munich lunch here includes white sausage (Weisswurst) with sweet mustard sauce, Brezel bread (locally called Brezn, a knot-shaped bread with fine salt on top. Author's note: Chinese students often call it eight-character bread, You will know the reason when you see it).

New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus)

The New Town Hall was built from 1867 to 1908. It is a neo-Gothic style building. There is a live musical puppet show on the bell tower, which is life-size. The performance time is 11:00 and 12:00 every day (except November 1st). Visitors can also take the elevator to the top of the 85-meter-high tower. The opening hours are 9:00-19:00 from Monday to Friday, and 10:00-19:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The fee is 1.5 euros.

Fraukirche

This Gothic-designed church has two towers of 98 meters and 100 meters that resemble half an onion, becoming a landmark in the center of Munich. logo. Climb up the South Tower and get a clear view of Munich's cityscape (open from April to October, Monday to Thursday, 7:00-19:00, Friday 7:00-18:00, closed on Sundays and public holidays, the fee is about 1 euro) .

Royal Palace Museum (Schatzkammer der Residenz)

*** There are ten exhibition halls displaying 1,250 pieces of jewelry belonging to the royal family (opening hours are 9:00-18:00, Thursday to 20:00, cost approx. 4 euros).

Munich Beer House (Hofbruehaus)

Walk eastward from the Old Palace (AlterHof) to a square called Platzl. This is also the favorite place for tourists to gather, probably second only to Marienplatz! So some people call it the Little Square (Der kleine Platz). One of the reasons why this place is so popular among tourists is the Hofbr?uhaus.

The beer house has been popular since 1644 and is still famous for its beer, dishes, tourists, authentic music, booze-filled atmosphere, and the short leather pants (Lederhosen) worn by the locals. World. Hofbr?uhaus is very famous. Compared with other German restaurants, it is full of the rough and warm feeling of the south because of the large number of people, noisy and crowded. It is said that this was where Hitler launched the Beer House Riots.

Olympiapark

This is the venue for the 1972 Olympic Games. The architectural design is very modern and its main hall can accommodate 80,000 spectators (opening time 9:00 -16:30, free entry around the park, and the cost of visiting the stadium is about 1.5 yuan). (Author's note: It is recommended to climb the TV tower in the park. Not only can you have a panoramic view of Munich, but you can also see the huge BMW logo on the roof of the BMW headquarters next to it. If the weather is good, you can also see the Alps, which are only a hundred kilometers away from Munich. Mountains)

BMW Museum

BMW's headquarters is located next to the Olympic venue, and its museum is located next to the headquarters, which is well worth visiting. It allows visitors to better understand the development history and technological level of this famous automobile factory. (Opening hours are 9:00-17:00 from Monday to Saturday, 16:00 on Sundays and public holidays, the fee is about 3 euros).

Deutsches Museum

With 55,000 square meters of exhibition space, it is the largest natural science and industrial technology museum in the world. The exhibition content is very rich, including more than 30 items such as mining field exploration, starry sky world, etc., which is dizzying. (Opening hours are 9:00-17:00, Monday to Sunday, and the fee is about 6 euros)

(Author’s note: Highly recommended, I have never seen such a fun museum. Like the Louvre and the British Museum Different from the strong historical atmosphere, the Deutsches Museum is a completely interactive museum that shows you the history and current situation of various industries. I spent two weekends in it and still couldn’t get enough of it)

Nymphenburg Palace (Schloss Nymphenburg)

Located at the northwest end of the city, Nymphenburg Palace was built from 1664 to 1728. It is a splendid Baroque palace. The stone church in the middle is called the Steinener Saal, which has beautiful ceiling murals and rococo decorations. There is the Gallery of Beauty in the south wing, with a total of 36 beauties.

Amalienburg is a hunting lodge, and its circular Hall of Mirrors is the most unforgettable.

Badenburg has the first hot tub and a mural of the Sun God on the ceiling.

In addition, the palace also has large Baroque gardens, pools and museums (including the Marshall Museum, which contains the royal carriage.

Opening hours from April 1st to October 15th at 09: 00-18:00, 10:00-16:00 from October 16 to March 31, package ticket is about 7.5 euros

Englischer Garten,

Munich's largest park, located on the banks of the Isar River, stretches for several miles and covers an area of ??350 hectares. It is probably named the British Park because the garden is modeled after the British, with open grassland, winding paths, and minimal artificial carvings. The lawns in the garden are thick and green, and the trees are densely shaded. Happy wild ducks play in the river with people, and charming swans bathe in the sun with people on the lawn. There is a simple pavilion-style five-story wooden tower with hanging eaves. It has a small bell and is named China Tower. It was built 200 years ago. However, this tower can only be said to be somewhat similar, but not very similar. At that time, Europeans were yearning for oriental art, and they probably built it partly based on legends and partly based on imagination. There is such a tower.

There is a world-famous celestial sunbath in the British park. It is next to a small river called Glacier. The water is so cold that people jump into the river when they feel oily from the sun. Go for a swim and then climb up to bask in the sun. There is a large green grassland by the river. Anyone wearing clothes will be regarded as an alien and must take off their clothes.

There is a place over there. There is a small road, known as the Tourist Road. Many people want to see this nudist bathing beach, but they dare not take off their clothes and go in, so they have to sneak past there, holding a map in their hands, and pretending to be tourists.

Pinakothek (Pinakothek)

Located in the center of Munich, next to the Technical University of Munich, the Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek and Pinakothek der Moderne are adjacent to each other. Adjacent, it forms an art museum complex. The collection of art here ranges from medieval times to contemporary times, including many works by world masters.

Munich Tourist Center

Sendlinger Strasse 1< /p>

Tel.: 49 89 233 03 00

Email: tourismus@ems-muenchen.de

Website: www.muenchen-tourist.de

In addition, you can use Munich as a center to visit many nearby famous scenic spots, such as BERCHTESGADEN (German National Park, where Hitler's Eagle's Nest was located), Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany's highest peak Zugspitze, and Augsburg on the Romantic Avenue , as well as many beautiful mountains and rivers in the Lake District. It only takes more than an hour to take a train to Salzburg, Austria.