Starting school is a big deal no matter where you are. I’ve been seeing my friends in the States post pics of their kids in front of the front door, backpack on and smile on their face. I posted my own proud picture of my first grader at the beginning of August when...
The GW Expat Blog
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Expat issues
Ice Cream in Germany
The German word for ice cream is Eis, pronounced similar to “ice”. This leads to countless renditions of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” by any North American English-speaker in Germany. In fact, it can be hard to get the song out of my head in summer because Eis is...
Why Does Berlin (BER) Have So Few International Long-Haul Flights?
Why is Berlin such an international flight provincial backwater? For a major European capital city, Berlin has very few international nonstop flights. Long-haul flights to and from other continents are a rarity in Berlin, Germany's largest city by far. (The Berlin...
School Supplies in Germany
After the uncertainty of applying for a Grundschule (elementary school) outside of our district, we have successfully waited it out. Our daughter got into our first choice! Considering how competitive finding a KiTa (preschool) can be, we had no idea if there was any...
Germany’s TV Tax: The Debate Over the Rundfunkbeitrag
Germany's Version of British TV Licensing North Americans newly arrived in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland are surprised to learn that they have to pay an annual fee to receive public broadcasting radio and television plus internet video streaming. Even if you don't...
Getting Tested for COVID-19 in Germany
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...
Exiles and Expats in Switzerland: From Albert Einstein to Tina Turner
Switzerland as a Refuge US-born Tina Turner lived in Switzerland with her German-born husband from 1994 until her death at 83 in May 2023. Albert Einstein did the same with his wife in Bern and Zurich about a century earlier. Both Albert Einstein and Tina Turner also...
Food Delivery in Berlin
In the USA, food delivery has always been an option. Whether it was pizza or the local Chinese, the American demand for convenience dictated you could get hot food delivered to your home almost 24/7. Even in my childhood home out in the wilds of Washington State, we...
Startups in Berlin
Recently I was conducting one of my first interviews, showcasing my new company and covering what it means to work in a startup. It struck me as a little surreal. This was a real "fake it til you make it" moment as I had just started in my first startup the month...
Sledding in Germany
Several years ago, we experienced our first white Christmas with our daughter. She was a toddler - a near perfect cherubic age - and we were staying in my husband's hometown. As the flakes began to fall and softly cover and quiet the landscape, we felt the wonder of...
Looking for Work and Starting a New Job in Germany
After a 2020 that threatened to end civilization as we know it, I allowed myself to be hopeful for 2021. Sure, Silvester (New Years Eve) was downsized to a quiet night at home (fireworks still blasting outside by people gloriously ignoring regulations) and we were...
COVID Vaccinations in Germany
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...
An ABC Cultural Manual for Germany (Part 2)
A Field Guide to Cultural Differences Between Germany and the USA (Part 2) Over time we at The German Way have covered the topic of daily life and cultural comparisons between Germany and the USA (and other places) very thoroughly. But it's a vast topic, and there's...
Superstitions in Germany
Since this post is sandwiched between Halloween and a truly terrifying presidential election in the USA, I thought this was the perfect time to go over some German superstitions, or Aberglauben. Every culture has them, but when you aren't raised around them they can...
Day Trips from Berlin that Deserve More Love
COVID-19 has changed a lot of things. Some things suddenly and drastically, while more changes are sure to continue happening for the foreseeable future. Life is different than it used to be just a few months ago. I am doing my best - like so many of us - to embrace...
What to Eat for Every Season in Germany
I walked into the grocery store last week to discover the seasons are changing once again. The proof? A colorful display of Kürbis (pumpkin and assorted squash). I welcome the change as this really is my favorite season, and the bouts of intense sweaty heat this...
Expat or Immigrant: Is There Really a Difference?
Beyond Dictionary Definitions: Expat or Immigrant Most foreigners living in Germany or other countries are faced sooner or later with the question: Am I an expat or an immigrant? At first glance it may seem to be a superficial matter of dictionary definitions. But for...
Oh the Animals You Can See in Berlin
If you missed the story about the wild boar who took a man's bag at the lake, only to have the nude bather pursue, you missed out. (Just kidding: a link to the original post or just google "Berlin", "nude", "boar" and it will come up). The man had been peacefully...
Park Life in Germany
We are fresh off our third weekend straight spent relaxing and socializing in the park. We have steadily shifted to life outside here in Germany as the number of Covid infections hovers and mostly holds steady and the weather warms. After months indoors, Germans are...
What Protests are like in Germany and the USA
Sometimes it feels like every day of 2020 can't get any worse...and then it does. Caught in the standstill of Covid-19 malaise, I find myself paying rapt attention to everything happening in the USA. Seattle, where I hale from, is one of the places at the epicenter of...
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