by HF | Dec 26, 2011 | History and culture, Red tape and bureaucracy
A couple of days ago I opened my local newspaper here in Reno and turned to the “Nation & World” section. Wow! A huge headline jumped out at me: “Germany links serial killings to neo-Nazi sympathizers: Turks are outraged by slow action.”...
by Jane | Nov 15, 2011 | History and culture
San Diego kicked off its first German Film Festival, German Currents in 2011. It seemed to be a long time coming considering that there are an estimated 100,000 Germans living in the San Diego metro area and Orange County. The festival opened with the screening of...
by HF | Jun 27, 2011 | Daily life, Expat issues, Tips, advice, suggestions
Apartment or house hunting in Germany can dramatically reveal some of the more important cultural differences between the US and Germany. One of them is what I call the “four bare walls” tradition. When prospective buyers or tenants are house or apartment...
by JessicaL | Jun 8, 2011 | German language, German vocabulary, learning German
The first time I had ever heard of “Swiss German” was when I was preparing to move from Düsseldorf, Germany to Rapperswil, Switzerland. My German neighbors had me over for a farewell barbecue and they said to me: “Whatever you do, don’t come back and visit us speaking...
by HF | Jun 2, 2011 | Daily life, Expat issues
German compartmentalization comes as a shock to most Americans. This rigid compartmentalization is both physical (floor plans, closed doors) and mental (friends vs acquaintances, business vs pleasure). It is a cultural difference that usually becomes obvious to expats...
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