I come from Mexico, a place where social initiatives are not that big a thing, mainly because a great deal of the population has barely enough resources to keep their own heads afloat, but also because its mindset is infected with corruption and a cheating culture...
The GW Expat Blog
Category
Tips, advice, suggestions
The Great German Bake Off
Before coming to Germany I thought I was a fairly good at baking. Lemon drizzle cake, raspberry muffins, carrot cake, treacle tart, no problem. I'm not claiming to be Mary Berry (British baking legend), but I could confidently walk in to the office knowing my baked...
Pumpkins are here, and not just for Halloween
Pumpkin Time It's pumpkin time (Kürbiszeit) once again in Germany. Among other things, that means pumpkin items are again on the menu. This post has been UPDATED for 2024. I love food. In my opinion all the best people do. I look forward to trying new dishes and...
The Expat Crisis
There are typical crises that happen in every person’s life: the identity crisis of the teenage years, the mid-20’s crisis, and the famous midlife crisis. Of course there are also the financial crises. Sadly, it's common to have more than one of these, but they are...
Potty Training in Germany
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 -...
How to work remotely whilst living in Germany
A new employment opportunity or study is often the reason for people moving to another country. However, this is not the case for this expat. It was my partner's career which brought us to Bremen, I continue to work for a company I was employed with in the UK. I am...
Fitting in at festival time
The summer is almost over here in Germany. The weather is still warm but lacks the intensity of mid summer, sun kissed families are returning from their adventures abroad, small businesses are reopening and pumpkins are already ripening in the fields. Autumn is most...
The One Exception to the German Punctuality Rule
Have you ever heard about German punctuality? You surely have. Swiss people may have the best watches, but it´s the Germans who are recognized worldwide for always being extremely on time. As a newcomer, one of the first things you’ll get told by anyone who tries...
4 Ways in which Berliners are Actually Nice
I don't want to say Berliners get a bad rap, because they can be incredibly rude. They live up to the standard German reputation of shutting doors in your face, non-existent customer service, and refusal to engage in simple pleasantries - then up the ante with...
Bremen in Summer
Having passed my first year in Bremen, I feel qualified to say summer in the city is the best season to visit. Amongst the numerous festivals taking place, Breminale stands out. For five days in July the banks of River Weser are lined with open-air tents with music...
Exercise and wine? Count me in!
Germany has many compound words. Plenty translate easily and quite literally like Der Handschuh (hand shoes or rather gloves) and bittersuß (bittersweet). So when I came across a sign that featured the word Weinwanderung (wine ramble/walk), two of my all time...
Is Healthcare better in Germany?
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...
Taking Your Kids to the Beach Like a German
For the third year in a row, I have just returned from a fabulous beach vacation. Greece, Italy...we are apparently becoming European jetsetters (still fairly poor ones). Being in Europe allows you to make affordable vacation choices to unbelievable destinations....
Half-Timbered Germany
Having grown up on musicals and fairy tales I had a picture in my head of what countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland would look like. There would be cobbled streets, half timbered houses and castles around every corner. My first visit to Hamburg on a school...
What’s in Your German Basement?
Don't worry - this is nothing to do with Josef Fritzl...although mentions of basements seem to bring up that imagery. (To be fair, Fritzl was from Austria like another infamous German speaker). This post is about the German basements (Keller or Souterrain or...
Summer: an ongoing Berlin love affair
It always comes upon you suddenly, the Berlin summer. One day you’re shivering in your down coat at the playground, lamenting with friends how it is already May but barely 10 degrees celsius. The next day you’re sweating in your shirtsleeves, the powerful sun beating...
A smashing good time at a Polterabend
With the warm weather along comes another season, wedding season. The Rathaus (Town Hall) has been steadily getting busier the last few weeks; on Fridays and Saturdays the city steps are filled with heart shaped balloons, Sekt and brides. All German weddings having to...
The Truth About Tipping (Trinkgeld) in Germany
Much of the online English-language tipping advice for Europe – and Germany in particular – is wrong. This is understandable when you realize that even most native Germans get restaurant tipping all wrong. The Myth That Won't Die If you ask the typical German about...
Days for the Frauen and Männer
Holiday Alert! It is Muttertag (Mother's Day) this Sunday which means elegant brunches and bundles of flowers - no matter which side of the pond you are on. Mother's Day in Germany But the history of the holiday in Germany, Switzerland and Austria has a unique...
Playing tourist in Stuttgart
My day was brightened last week by an out of the blue email from an old friend; she was in town for six hours and wanted to see both Stuttgart and me. I don’t often play tourist in my own city and never with a time limit, so putting together a plan was necessary....
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