What's Wrong with Berlin? I have lived in Berlin. I have explored Berlin. Like most Berliners, I love Berlin. But it's more like a love/hate relationship. Berlin is a city that doesn't really know what it wants to be when it grows up. More than seven years after BER...
The GW Expat Blog
Category
History and culture
Is Bavaria the Texas of Germany? Comparing the Freistaat Bayern with the Lone Star State
Bavaria is the Texas of Germany. A valid comparison? Despite what many North Americans believe, any German will tell you that Bavaria is not "Germany." Lederhosen and dirndls are not even worn by everyone in Bavaria, much less by all Germans. On the other hand, many...
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....
Two Songs, Two Flowers: “Edelweiss” and “Erika”
With Lyrics in German and English Both of these songs refer to a flower. But they are otherwise as different as night and day. One was written in English for an American musical production. The other was written in German as a military marching song. But both songs...
Donald Duck in German
Germany's More Erudite Donald Duck and "Donaldism" He still looks pretty good for an 88-year-old duck (as of 2022). The German Donald Duck lives in the town of Entenhausen (Duckburg) with his nephews Tick, Trick and Track (Huey, Dewey and Louie). His wealthy uncle...
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...
A culture of correction
Right now I’m preparing for my Einbürgerungstest (Citizenship test). Part of which revolves around the German culture, the psyche and what it means to be German. I've not studied Psychology since school but my latent interest has been well and truly piqued. Whilst the...
Hidden Sights in Berlin: Schloss Tegel or Humboldt Palace
Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt and Their Home in Tegel Berlin is a vast metropolis that no one can ever fully explore, but it can be a lot of fun trying. I have spent a lot of time in the German capital, with many visits over several decades and even living there...
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...
“No one goes on holiday to Germany”
Yes that title is a direct quote, and one that came with a great deal of agreement from a room of non German people. I could hardly say I was shocked to hear what I’d thought a few years ago voiced out loud. Though most of the commenters didn’t consider Germany a...
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...
UNESCO sites in Germany
As a relatively small city in Germany, Bremen has quite a significant amount of tourists coming to visit. Last week, as I walked into the Marktplatz (market square) I could tell spring was here as the blue skies and the slightly warmer temperature had once again...
Market day, the alternative shopping experience
Hell might possibly be a German supermarket at 10am on a Saturday. Well that may be unfair, it’s probably true of supermarkets the world over, but the German supermarket experience is one which stands out to most foreigners, and not in a good way. I’m sure you’ve...
The School Trip
One chilly Friday evening a few weeks ago I found myself sitting in the middle of fifty British teenagers giving a talk. This was a group of students from my old school, over from Yorkshire on a school trip to Berlin, and my former teacher had asked me to talk to them...
Spending a penny, the cost of your shortest visit in Germany
So the title is a little unfair to those readers who aren’t British, if you aren’t already aware the phrase ‘spend a penny’ refers to using the toilet. Harking back to the Victorian era when health, hygiene and sanitation were hot topics, the introduction of public...
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...
10 things I find weird and wonderful about Germany
The week between Christmas and the new year beginning is often a 'no man's land'. No one knows what day it is or what to do as normal service is out of sync. It's not helped when you're driving between different locations, unpacking one day and re-packing the next....
The Bavarian Breakfast
A recent wave of visitors, thanks to snow topped, Glühwein filled Christmas in Germany meant that a few big breakfasts needed to be made. As much as I love the full English or the full German meat, cheese and all the bread there is usually one which is either...
Days Off
I assume our family is not unusual in using the few days of peace and quiet between Christmas and New Year to start planning our holidays for the coming year. In this uniquely pleasurable endeavour, our predictable starting point, as for many working parents, is...
The “Feuerzangenbowle” Story: The Drink, the Song, the Novel, the Movies
Introduction Besides being a popular hot beverage that warms your body and soul in the chill of winter, Feuerzangenbowle, also known as Krambambuli, is featured at German Christmas markets, and has a long Germanic university student tradition that dates back to the...
Recent Comments