It is birthday party season for us in Berlin. After my little girl's 5th birthday (5th!), we had two other kids' parties at some of the city's best museums. Apparently we are running with a fashionable kiddie crowd. In this season of cold weather and celebrations, it...
The GW Expat Blog
Author
Erin "ebe" Porter
30 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall
About 5 years ago, on November 9th 2014, I watched from the hospital as Berlin put on a grand display to celebrate 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. I had been looking forward to attending the event - a spectacular display where thousands of lighted...
How Germany Has Changed Me
As I wandered the rolling green hills of Ireland on a recent trip, I was hit with how Germany has changed me. Ireland just felt different from Germany, and then I realized it was me. I was perceiving these differences from a cultural no-man's-land. As to the...
Best Apps for Germany
I got a new cell phone (or Handy in colloquial German) shortly before our trip to the States, but didn't get around to putting on my favorite apps until our return. And many of those have to do with life in Germany. Some of these have to do with the language, a...
Questions I Get About Raising Kids in Germany
Even though I am American, I've never raised children in America. I was about 5 years into our German adventure when I had our first Berliner. Now we have two and I am often split between the two countries on my parenting-style; not quite American, not nearly German....
Long-Haul Flights With Kids
I am in the midst of my third trip back to the USA with kids. Along with questions about jet lag and reverse culture shock, one of the questions I always get is about taking kids - particularly a baby - on a long-haul flight. And it is a flight. I live in Berlin with...
German Names and Bureaucracy
One of the first questions people ask when you are having a baby is, "What's the name?" Rightfully so, as names play an important part in a person's future and say a lot about your hopes and dreams for your child. Are you raising a Sarah, or a Jasmine? A Hans or a...
Hospital Food in Germany
Being in the hospital is rarely a cause for celebration, and no one stays for the food. Happily, my recent experience with a German hospital was positive - even if the food was a classic disappointment. 10 days overdue, shortly after the arrival of my dad, our baby...
Questions about Having a Baby in Germany
Considering this is my second time having a baby in Germany, I expected to have fewer questions. In some ways, I do feel much more confident than the first time. My German is better, I am familiar with procedure at the Frauenarzt (OBGYN), and labor seems less...
Shopping for Furniture in Germany
It feels like yesterday that I was writing about moving furniture via the U-Bahn. But that was 5 years ago (!) and a lot of growing up has happened, including having a baby. A baby who has wrecked havoc on our furniture. Like the adults we apparently are, we are now...
Getting a Haircut in Germany
This is gonna sound a little crazy, cuz it is. I have never gotten a professional haircut in Germany. I have occasionally hacked off my own dry ends and taken the clippers to my husband, he has been to the Turkish barbers for a traditional buzz and ear hair burning...
Recycle Your Christmas Tree in Germany
I think we are good neighbors. We are fairly quiet (except for occasional tantrums from the now 4-year-old). We hold the door and carry bags for the people that live upstairs. We accept packages. We make proper German small talk about the weather and health (proper...
Finding a Hebamme in Germany
Living abroad has thrown me a lot of curve balls, and never more so than when I navigated my first pregnancy in Germany. That's right - first. As in... I am having another baby in Germany! We are now 5 months in and even though I helped compile a full guide for other...
Visitor Observations of Germany
My parents are visiting us in Berlin for their...sixth time? We are lucky that they have visited so many times and come to (grudgingly) love our city and our place in it. But even after all of these visits, there are still things that throw them off. There are still...
Turkish Markets in Germany
Berlin’s grocery stores can be a chaotic introduction to life in Germany. Discounters like Aldi and Lidl skimp on presentation for bargain-basement prices. Fancier chains like Rewe and Edeka have recently upped their games with fancy salad bars, fresh sushi, and even...
How to Pay Berlin Transport Fines
When I first arrived in Berlin I scrapped by, stretching one ticket to its full 2-hour limit. Then I learned the wonders of the 4 ticket (4-Fahrten-Karte) which offered slight discounts by buying 4 at a time. Finally, I caved and bought the 10-am ticket which offers a...
What’s Up with Wasps in Germany?
I forgot it was almost August until I walked up to the KiTa (daycare) where my husband teaches, and saw the sign on the front gate: Achtung! Erdwespen auf der Wiese. (Caution! Wasps in the meadow/garden.) Aw, yes. Just like the seasonal Eis (ice cream) stands and the...
German Salad
When you think of German cuisine, you usually think of Wurst (sausage), mountains of Kartoffeln (potatoes), and liters of Bier (I mean, c'mon. "beer"). Rightfully so. Those things are delicious and make up a good portion of the German diet. But that's not all... The...
Epic Places to Watch the World Cup in Germany
Short answer - EVERYWHERE. No matter whether you call it soccer, football or Fussball, almost everyone in Germany will be watching a few games in this massive tournament of skill. This is the 21st FIFA World Cup and there will be 32 national teams vying for...
The Month of May in Germany
After the long, dark winter and the uncertainty of April weather (April, April, der macht, was er will), everyone is ready for summer by the time May rolls around. No matter the first official day of the season is a month and a half away, Germans are reveling in the...
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