Something that is not on many visitors' bingo card is a trip to the hospital. But life just happens and sometimes the unexpected becomes a reality. That has been the case for my family this last month. As I neared my due date for Berlin baby number three, my parents...
Spring (or Frühling) is in the air! If you have been following German-Way on Instagram, you may have noticed these tell-tale signs in our stories: Frühblüher (early bloomers), Easter chocolates, and even the swarm-like appearance of Feuerkäfer (fire-coloured beetle)....
Germans have their own way of doing things. True, not all Germans are alike, but... The German way of life is not the same as the American way of life, nor should it be. But US Americans (that's a German influence I've adopted as a US American) and other foreigners...
I recently spent a week semi-anxiously waiting tests results from my doctor. They had told me it was going to be 4 or 5 days (business days) and the test was on a Tuesday, so I kept an ear out for a ring through Tuesday - just to be safe. On Wednesday I assumed I was...
Samuel Hahnemann and "Like Cures Like" If Samuel Hahnemann had remained a linguist and translator, or even a physician, rather than moving into experimenting with a new type of medical treatment, he and the world could have saved themselves a lot of headaches and...
After 2 years of not seeing my family, I was back in the USA twice at the end of last year. In October we booked emergency tickets and were back visiting a sick family member within 72 hours. A Christmas trip was planned. Both trips were a low-key shock to the system....
Christmas has passed and we are entering the truly dark days of winter between Weihnachten and Silvester, waiting for the weather to finally warm again in …. May? I was on a call with a new colleague from Turkey and she visibly blanched at the news that we have months...
Perhaps this post will be a bit of a time capsule, a reminder of a time when you needed to get a swab shoved up your nose to enter a store, but I still thought it would be interesting to share. In these strange times of a world-wide pandemic, my kids have looked to me...
The first vaccinations have been administered in Germany over the weekend with a flurry of publicity. The Local.de reports that a 101-year-old woman in a retirement home was the very first person to be inoculated against coronavirus on Saturday, December 26th. Though...
When we first heard the rumblings about quarantine due to the COVID-19, there was a rush of information on how to fill your days. Facebook groups touted their favorite resources, memes were prevalent, and many people looked at the long days of isolation as an...
We are far from the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Germany's fatality rate from the disease is at this point far below that of the United States and most other countries. Let's take a look at some possible reasons for this. (Also see our comparison chart for...
I have a cousin from Arkansas who recently moved to China with her family. I admire their adventurous spirit as I can't imagine a much more drastic change for them. Moving from Seattle to Berlin as two footloose and fancy-free twenty-year-olds is one thing. Moving as...
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...
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...
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...
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...
For years as a freelancer, I survived on the bare minimum of private insurance. I am now on public insurance in Germany and taking full advantage. Yearly check-up? Yes please! Eye exam? Why not? And the dentist? Sign me up. So, clearly, it had been some time since I...
I've talked about raising a child in Germany and I've talked about toilets. Now these two things have combined as I attempt to potty train in Germany. Give me strength. History of Potty Training in Germany Germany has an interesting history with potty training and -...
Sometimes "home" feels a lot further than a 10 hour flight away. My old college roommate was just diagnosed with colon cancer and I don't know how to express my worry, my concern - all the feelings I am having for her - better than in a facebook message. She is not...
It wasn’t until I came down with my first cold in Germany that I realised the remedies I usually buy weren’t available at the supermarket check out or the corner shop. More surprisingly they weren’t available at the Drogerie (drugstore/chemist) either. I’m not simply...
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