I have spent the last 5 weeks back "home" in the USA after over a decade living in Berlin. This is far from my first visit back. Typically I close down my German household and go back to my home state of Washington every year and a half, with parents visiting in...
The GW Expat Blog
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History and culture
Barbie’s German Ancestor
Like many other Americans, the "all-American" Barbie doll has German origins. Barbara "Barbie" Millicent Roberts was born – as a fully grown adult plastic doll – in New York City at the American International Toy Fair on 9 March 1959. Her accessory boyfriend, Ken,...
Weather in Germany
I left a sweltering Berlin for an almost as hot Washington State. People always think of Seattle as rainy, but on the day my family arrived back in our home state it was over 80 degrees F (27 degree C) and clear skies meant the "mountain was out" as the locals say....
Unusual German Sports
After a turbulent couple of months, my husband's 40th birthday was swiftly approaching. As this is one of those big birthdays that end in a zero I wanted to pull out all the stops. I needed a venue that could accomodate a small private party, ideally something with an...
German Filming Locations: The Hunger Games Prequel
Die Tribute von Panem: The German Title for The Hunger Games The upcoming 2023 Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, is neither the first Hunger Games film nor the first major Hollywood picture to be filmed in Germany in recent decades. One of...
Berlin’s Quirky and Unusual Museums
Germany's capital city is famous for its museums – and with good reason. Berlin's museum offerings are both wide and deep, covering just about any topic or field you can imagine. And some you can't. Updated for 2024! Unfortunately, not all museums stick around...
Count Zeppelin Visits America and Goes for a Balloon Ride
I never knew that the German inventor of the rigid-frame airship named for him, Count (Graf) Ferdinand von Zeppelin, had spent time in the United States during the American Civil War. But it turns out there are a lot of things I didn't know about the illustrious count...
Lesser Known German Meals
When researching this post I came across other articles pointing out "Weird German Foods" or "Strange German Foods You Should Try At Least Once". That's not really what I am focusing on here. Most of us have heard of Schweinshaxe (roasted pork knuckle), Kartoffelsalat...
Ten Ways That Germany is Different
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...
A Love Letter to Berlin Photo Booths
One of my favorite parts about living abroad is that you get to make your own traditions. Deciding we really aren't fans of turkey, we still host an annual Thanksgiving party but usually buy a half dozen halbes hähnchen (half a roasted chicken) from the nearest Döner...
Texas: German Names and Connections
Texas Germans and the German Belt in Texas At various times in the past Texas was French (1684–1689), Spanish (1690–1821), and Mexican (1821-1836). From 1836 to 1845 it was the Republic of Texas – before becoming the 28th US state on December 29, 1845. But Texas...
Mark Twain in Berlin and Vienna
Mark Twain, whose passport bore the name Samuel Langhorne Clemens, crossed the Atlantic Ocean 49 times. In Europe the American writer visited many German-speaking cities, from Berlin to Vienna, and many points in-between. The future globetrotter's first foreign trip...
Realities of the Energy Crisis in Europe and How to Stay Warm this Winter
This weekend we held our annual Friendsgiving of Americans abroad (as well as other nationalities) at our home in Berlin, It also marked the first time we turned on the heat this year. This is a game we play every year of waiting til we really can't stand the cold to...
From Afri-Cola to Almdudler, Rivella and Beyond
The World of Germanic Soft Drinks Germany is famous for its beer. But it also has its own non-alcoholic drink brands. There's an entire world of carbonated fruit and cola drinks in German-speaking Europe that few outsiders have ever tasted. Yes, Coca-Cola and Pepsi...
The Crazy Bavarian and Kauai’s Russian Fort
Germans, Baltic Germans, and Native Hawaiians So how many German connections for a so-called Russian Fort on the Hawaiian island of Kauai could there be? More than you might expect. We'll start with a Bavarian/Franconian physician and adventurer named Georg Anton...
How to Celebrate German Unity Day
Today is a national holiday in Germany, Tag der Deutschen Einheit or German Unity Day. Like every year, I feel it is almost forgotten until it is upon us. It honors the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rejoining of East to West Germany. So it is strange that a day...
Louisiana’s German Names and Connections
Louisiana: The Pelican State, the Bayou State, the Creole State No. None of Louisiana's nicknames, official or otherwise, offer even a hint of how much of an impact German-speaking immigrants have had on the state. In fact, despite having lived in Louisiana as a...
Karl May: German Westerns, Winnetou and Old Shatterhand
If you've never heard of Winnetou, Old Shatterhand, Kara Ben Nemsi or Old Surehand, you probably didn't grow up in Germany or another German-speaking country. Those characters created by the German author Karl May (1842-1912) are as well-known in Germany and a few...
Bad Medicine: Germany and Homeopathy
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...
Driving a Boat in Germany
Last Thursday I left the freeways, conference center, and Funkturm of Messe Nord by bus and was swiftly whisked back into nature. Buildings gave away to tree lined roads and before long you could glimpse the water. Stepping off the bus I wandered by several...
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