The GW Expat Blog

All Posts

Adventures on a First Class ICE to Munich

by | Jul 3, 2023 | , , | 0 Comments


My last post was about revisiting Berlin after a five-year pandemic-related pause. In that post I promised to later write about Munich, our next destination, and I will. But today my subject is Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the “adventure” of rail travel in Germany these days.

Despite being punctual, our rail journey was not without its problems. Although I am grateful we arrived pünktlich (on time) in the Bavarian capital, this was the second time in a row my wife and I have been thrown a curve by DB when traveling by ICE from Berlin’s main station.

The German Way advises rail passengers in Germany to know about and use the much vaunted Wagenstandanzeiger. It is a graphic that tells travelers where their particular rail coach will stop along the platform. It’s supposed to help you avoid trekking through the length of your train with your luggage in tow trying to find your car and reserved seat. It’s great in theory, but once again this feature proved to be a bad prank played on us by DB. The last time (en route to Leipzig), our train pulled in along the platform – with the car numbers running in the opposite direction of the car location indicator. That caused most of us to dash along the platform with our bags to the other end, attempting to find the right car number. Nice trick, DB. Thanks a lot.

ICE with wine and laptops

Wine and laptops in first class ICE. The wine helped us cope with our seating problems. And I even got some work done. PHOTO: Hyde Flippo

But at least we found our car. This time, the DB folks had something even more diabolical up their sleeve. We are standing in the section the indicator shows, and where a DB agent had also told us where our car would be. (Having been burned once, we wanted to double check.) Then what seems to be our ICE to Munich approaches our platform. But the overhead sign reads “Zugverkehr” rather than “München”! Basically “train traffic.” What? Although I would later realize what that meant, at the time it was just plain confusing. We began looking for the big number 1 indicating a first class car, since we had first class tickets. Normally, the first class car is close to the engine in front, but the numbers were in the thirties, and our car was No. 29. No twenties in sight. Maybe farther down, like last time, at the wrong end? But the 30 numbers were going up, not down. I knew something wasn’t right, but what? read more…

Unusual German Sports

by | Jun 19, 2023 | , , , , | 0 Comments

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 activity, and the more offbeat the better. First I looked for a roller rink for 80s childhood nostalgia but this is surprisingly not a thing in Berlin. There is only one pop-up rink that has intermittent events and then bring-your-own-skates locales like Templehofer Feld. (if you know of a rink – please let me know!) This led me to bowling and there are plenty of alleys…but it felt a bit basic. Enter the Kegelbahn.

I’ll get into the intricacies of this unique German sport in just a moment as I discuss some of the more unusual sports in Germany. It is not just soccer/football/Fussball that make up the sports world.

Kegelbahn

Wedding Berlin Kugelbahn

The Kugelbahn in Wedding, Berlin PHOTO: Erin Porter

read more…

Berlin: Then and Now

by | Jun 5, 2023 | , , | 0 Comments

Germany: Before and After the Covid Pandemic

Before this year (2023), my last trip to Germany and Berlin was in March/April 2018. It was a true European journey that ranged from Budapest, Hungary to Rotterdam, Netherlands (a river cruise), and also passed through Germany and then a flight to Berlin from Amsterdam. This post will concentrate on Berlin, but much of it also applies to Germany overall.

Cash and card payment sign

A “cash and card payment” sign at a Berlin laundromat (Waschsalon). No coins needed for the washer or dryer. Germans are now really into contactless payment in shops and restaurants, even on ICE trains. PHOTO: Hyde Flippo

The big trip in 2019 was Argentina, one of our best ever. Germany/Europe was on the calendar for 2020. We were used to a European trip every two years from the US. And then Covid-19 showed up. Most people have a similar story. Domestic and international travel soon ground to a halt. Air and cruise travel soon stopped.

Later the vaccines arrived, and people could travel to some places with testing and quarantines. Travel was not really an attractive prospect for a long time. So 2023 was the year we returned to Germany, following five years of involuntary isolation.

Seeing Germany after a five-year break invites comparisons. Some things have changed, some rather dramatically. Other things have either not changed much, or have gotten worse. Let’s start with the good things.

Credit Card and Digital Payment
This is perhaps the most dramatic change of them all. While card payment in Germany was already improving in 2018, it was still spotty and not as common as in the US or even in many other European countries. For years Germany took pride in being a cash economy and shunned card payment. Not ideal for non-EU visitors. read more…

Applying for first U.S. passport from Germany

by | May 22, 2023 | , , , | 0 Comments

I recently made the trek to Clayallee in Dahlem, near the border with Brandenburg, to register my new baby as an American born abroad and apply for a passport. Considering this is my third child born in Berlin you would expect I would be better prepared, but I am embarrassed to say this was our worst performance yet. With all the turmoil of having my father in the hospital at the end of my pregnancy on top of the typical stressors of actually having a baby and now managing three kids, maybe it isn’t that surprising.

Whatever the case, I thought I would share my insights on applying for the American CRBA (Consular Report of Birth Abroad) and passport while they are fresh in my mind so you are more equipped than I. Because even with official guides and wizards supplied from the State Department, the process can be confusing and – just like the Germans – it is best to be over-prepared. Here are my top tips for applying for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad and first U.S. passport from Germany.

Note: Obviously I am no expert here, just a friendly American abroad happy to share my recent experience. When applying for your American child’s first passport, you should rely on the official resources and wizard as well as the guide to U.S. Passport Applications under 18 years of age.

USA Embassy in Berlin

NOT this embassy PHOTO: Jörg Zägel, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Attempts at a child's passport photoAttempts at a child's passport photoAttempts at a child's passport photoAttempts at a child's passport photo

read more…

German Filming Locations: The Hunger Games Prequel

by | May 8, 2023 | , | 0 Comments

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 the first Hollywood productions to film extensively in and around Berlin was the 2005 science-fiction picture Aeon Flux, starring Charlize Theron. That film prominently featured an interesting Berlin filming location that also appears in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the Veterinary Anatomy Theater, originally constructed in 1790.

Twitter - Rachel Zegler - Veterinary Anatomy Theater, Berlin

Rachel Zegler stars as tribute Lucy Gray Baird in the 10th annual Hunger Games in the new “Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” prequel set for release in November 2023. On Twitter, in November 2022, she posted two pictures taken during filming at the Veterinary Anatomy Theater in Berlin. The same location was used in the 2005 sci-fi film AEON FLUX starring Charlize Theron. Unlike many Berlin film locations, you can actually visit this one yourself. More below. PHOTO: @rachelzegler/Twitter

Germany and Berlin as Hollywood Filming Locations
Germany, Berlin, and the Studio Babelsberg facility in Potsdam have long been a popular for Hollywood and other international film projects. In addition to actual, real-life locations in various German cities, the sound stages and other production facilities at Studio Babelsberg have attracted German, Hollywood, and international moviemakers for decades.

OTHER HOLLYWOOD FILMS MADE IN GERMANY
and at Studio Babelsberg (Potsdam)
Aeon Flux (2005), Atomic Blonde (2017), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Bridge of Spies (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Hanna (2011), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015), Jason Bourne (2016), John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), The Matrix Resurrections (2021), Tár (2022)

Some films, such as Tár, featuring an outstanding performance by Cate Blanchett (speaking German as part of her role as a philharmonic conductor), are shot in Berlin, with the city playing the role of its authentic, contemporary self. But in most cases, productions use authentic Berlin locations to represent a fictional place and time. A good example is the last two films of the four Hunger Games pictures, Mockingjay – Parts 1 and 2. Tempelhof Airport, which closed down as an airport in 2008, and is now a park, was the location for some battle scenes for Part 1. Part 2, which premiered at the Sony Center in Berlin on 4 November 2015 before opening in the US on 20 November, also filmed in Berlin and at Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam. read more…

Going to the Hospital in Germany

Going to the Hospital in Germany

by | Apr 24, 2023 | , , , , | 0 Comments

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 arrived from the USA to help with the older two kids. There was a rush of emotions seeing them at the airport, anticipating the wild ride we had in store. Little did we know it was almost more than we could handle. My dad has said this would be his last trip to Europe every time he has visited and I can guarantee this trip will be the last as it nearly killed him.  Health issues he had at home were exacerbated by a surprise infection and while we toured Berlin’s Technical Museum it became clear he was experiencing a serious health crisis. After trying less extreme measures like rest and over the counter meds, my dad was heading to the hospital.

My dad is out of the hospital now (pressing my thumbs he stays that way) and I can say it has been a learning experience for all of us. My family has been very lucky to be  fairly healthy and the only time I have experienced hospitals in Germany is to give birth. Here are some of the takeaways I have from this experience in case you find yourself or a loved one in this unfortunate situation.

(Please note: I pointed out the accessibility of English-speaking services as that was a major concern for my visiting, non-German speaking family. However, of course there is no expectation that services in another country should speak English. This is purely our experience to help provide info for other visitors in crisis.)

Hospital Bed in Germany

Double Hospital Room in Berlin Photo: Erin Porter

read more…

Berlin’s Quirky and Unusual Museums

by | Apr 3, 2023 | , | 0 Comments


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!

German Spy Museum - Laser parcourse

The German Spy Museum is highly interactive, as seen in this view of the museum’s laser light parcourse. Learn more about this unusual Berlin museum below. PHOTO: Copyright © Deutsches Spionagemuseum Berlin

Unfortunately, not all museums stick around forever. One that we would have liked to include here, the Currywurst Museum, opened in 2015… and closed down in December 2018. It was devoted to a unique German culinary item that Germans (and foreigners) either love or hate: curried sausage. But Berlin still has roughly 200 museums, large and small, odd and normal. Also see Erin’s GW post about the Best Museums for Kids in Berlin.

Berlin’s numerous museums are devoted to art, history, archaeology, science, technology, and much more. Museum Island alone has five of the city’s grandest, most notable museums, and you definitely should see them. (Note to archaeological fans: The Pergamon Museum, one of Berlin’s best and oldest, will close for construction for four years on 23 October 2023!) But you won’t find those “normal” museums on this list. This list includes only the odd, unusual, weird, and quirky museums in Berlin. Read on.

Berlin Story Museum (Berlin Story Bunker)
How many museums are located in a former World War II air-raid shelter (Luftschutzbunker)? The Berlin Story Museum is located in a historic bunker near the ruins of the former Anhalter train station – not far from today’s S-Bahn station of the same name (lines S1, S2 or S25). (A tunnel connected the station to the bunker.) The location of the museum is what really makes it a curiosity. Designed to take visitors on a journey through 800 years of Berlin life with 30 different displays, admittance to the Berlin Story Museum includes an audio guide (in English, German, and other languages). read more…

Prepare for a Hospital Birth in Germany

by | Mar 20, 2023 | , , , | 0 Comments

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).

For me, there is an additional sign of spring. I am welcoming German-American baby number three this season!

After two births in Berlin you would think I don’t have any questions left…but you’d be wrong. With a few years gap between each pregnancy and the welcome amnesia that seems to set-in concerning the more painful parts of pregnancy and labor, I feel myself preparing afresh for each baby. As I’ve had luck with my previous pregnancies I am sticking with the previous game plan and preparing for a hospital birth. Birthing centers and home births are other perfectly acceptable (and publicly insured) options, but – like I said – third times a charm. I have about a month to go before my entbindungstermin (due date) and am preparing for this last, final push (forgive the pun). Here is info on hospital infoabend (information evenings), what I pack in my hospital bag, plus hospital registration in light of Covid rules.

Hospital in Berlin Photo: Erin Porter

read more…