Weakness is often, to mangle a perfectly good cliche, in the eye of a beholder. People move to Germany for lots of reasons. Following a loved one who has had a transfer, caring for family, learning experience, new adventures and so on. It can be a dream come true. ...
The GW Expat Blog
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galitz
Germany vs The Internet
Lots of ruckus has been made over the past few months, including here on this blog, about Europe's reaction to Facebook, Google Streetview and the like. It finally took a self-promotional e-mail from a professional acquaintance to get my ire up enough to actually...
Living in Germany FAQ
For quite a while now I've been thinking that putting together a frequently asked questions (FAQ) list about living in Germany and other German speaking lands would be a good idea. Many questions come up time and again on the German Way forums and e-mail list. They...
A Different Kind of Food Fad
OK, maybe it is not really a fad. Not here in Germany that is. But almost 6000 years ago the Kosher food "movement" (everything is a movement now) started. It still exists but has a big brother, Halal. The two dietary systems have much in common which shouldn't be...
Getting Intimate with The Swedish Chef
I was warned about certain things, a lot of things actually, prior to my move to Germany. None of them prepared me for what I call Swedish Chef Syndrome. I am a native English speaker from the New England region of the US. My own way of speaking is also heavily...
Perceptions of Healthcare
Since coming to Germany as a permanent resident about 3 years ago, I've had the opportunity to experience healthcare here in its varied forms. Just so you get a good idea of what I'm talking about I'll give you a short rundown of healthcare events that have...
Politicans and Universal Constants
Whenever I am stuck for a topic to write about, I can always get myself fired up by just reading the newspaper. Today was no exception. Guido Westerwelle, in particular, is a great topic whether in a blog or at the pub. Mr Westerwelle is currently the head of the...
Earth to FDP!
We are about four months into the new government here in Germany. As so often seems to be the case in politics and people, the current government seems to have mis-interpreted what the voters wanted to say. It should not be so surprising, really. It is difficult to...
Going Native (on Sundays)
Oh my goodness... I always knew there was more than a little bit of European in me; but my conversion to the German Way was more subtle and insidious than I could have imagined. I, unlike most other red blooded, consumer oriented, individualistic Americans was...
The Decline of Journalism
It is natural to feel less informed about your country of origin when you've been gone for a few years. Such is the case with me. I still have access to most of the same news sources. My hometown newspapers are online, major news channels are available here in...
Make Prosperity, Not War
For Americans that grew up during the Cold War (like me) or are interested in modern history, coming to Germany can be an eye-opening experience. I'm not talking about the events of the Cold War itself, but the fact that so many threats that we were told about as...
An Oversimplified (Personal) History of Pilsner Beers
Like most Americans, my first exposure to German beer was to one of those mass produced brews designed for good shelf life and consistency... not necessarily for flavor or quality. Being lucky enough to have been living in San Francisco at the time, I was exposed to a...
Where a House is a Home
I've been living in Germany for about two years now. I knew things would be different here, but how things would be different was a big question mark. Although I had visited Germany a few times before, living here is a whole different ball game... as we Americans like...
Expatriate Eating Adventures 2
I'm a little late with this post because I was on the road this week. I spent a few days in Osnabrück near Hannover. This region is quite unlike the agricultural region where I live. Osnabrück and the surrounding cities are much more modern and integrated into the...
Furry Love Part 2
The big day had come. We were nervous. My wife was busy cleaning. The house was spotless, which is certainly not normal for us. Cleaning was something that we both hate doing. We had all the windows open to air out the place, even though it was only about 60 degrees...
Furry Love
She was about 5'6, of slight build, dark hair, black plastic rimmed glasses. She spoke English pretty well but spoke German to me as a matter of principle. The only visible clue about her visit to our home were the papers she was clutching. Otherwise she could have...
Where My House is My Home
Germany, like many expats, is seemingly caught between two worlds. Globalization and the new capitalism on one side with tradition and democratic socialism on the other. I am not going to write about capitalism vs. socialism, particularly... this is about how Germans...
The Expat Trap
As I write this, I've been living in Germany for about two years. From time to time I meet up with other English-speakers in cafes or restaurants just to get that "fix" of speaking my native tongue at full speed complete with cultural references and a chance to drop...
Expatriate Eating Adventures: Volume 1
Food, food culture and cooking has always been important to me. All three of those things are hobbies of mine. By extension I am also interested in matters of health when related directly to food and cooking. So my move to Germany a few years ago was, in part, an...
You Can Du Me: The Du/Sie Question
The question of du or Sie, informal versus formal "you," is a perennial one for expats in a place like Germany. Many European languages make a linguistic distinction based on interpersonal relationships. These distinctions have fallen out of use in modern English....
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