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....
The GW Expat Blog
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cultural comparisons
Applying for first U.S. passport from Germany
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...
Going to the Hospital in Germany
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...
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...
Going to the Movies in Germany
As Berlin steamed with temperatures in the mid to high 30s C (90 degrees F) over much of the last month, I looked for ways to cool down. My family hit a lot of the classics, including copious park hangs, elaborate ice cream sundaes, visiting the pool, and even...
Weird in the USA: Things That Foreigners Find Odd
Cultural Differences in Reverse You never fully understand your own culture until you leave it and experience a different one. When US Americans (more about that term below) travel to Mexico or Europe for the first time, they immediately notice the differences in...
Comparing the Covid Response of the USA and Germany
After 2 years of not seeing my family, I was back in the USA twice at the end of last year. In October we booked emergency tickets and were back visiting a sick family member within 72 hours. A Christmas trip was planned. Both trips were a low-key shock to the system....
Differences Between School in Germany in the USA
We’ve been on a short visit back to the USA which has luckily coincided with Halloween. Our kids, 2 and 6-years-old, have only experienced the Germans’ half-hearted embrace of the holiday before. Our American friends and family have been fascinated by the differences...
Different Appliances in Europe and the USA
Last month I met my parents in Iceland for a week of travel and an epic reunion. We hadn’t seen each other in over two years; since my 2-year-old was a baby, since we used to travel, since Corona was just a beer you drank on Cinco de Mayo. At the end of June 2021,...
Starting School in Germany
Starting school is a big deal no matter where you are. I’ve been seeing my friends in the States post pics of their kids in front of the front door, backpack on and smile on their face. I posted my own proud picture of my first grader at the beginning of August when...
Food Delivery in Berlin
In the USA, food delivery has always been an option. Whether it was pizza or the local Chinese, the American demand for convenience dictated you could get hot food delivered to your home almost 24/7. Even in my childhood home out in the wilds of Washington State, we...
Sledding in Germany
Several years ago, we experienced our first white Christmas with our daughter. She was a toddler - a near perfect cherubic age - and we were staying in my husband's hometown. As the flakes began to fall and softly cover and quiet the landscape, we felt the wonder of...
Superstitions in Germany
Since this post is sandwiched between Halloween and a truly terrifying presidential election in the USA, I thought this was the perfect time to go over some German superstitions, or Aberglauben. Every culture has them, but when you aren't raised around them they can...
What Protests are like in Germany and the USA
Sometimes it feels like every day of 2020 can't get any worse...and then it does. Caught in the standstill of Covid-19 malaise, I find myself paying rapt attention to everything happening in the USA. Seattle, where I hale from, is one of the places at the epicenter of...
Dreaming of a Move to the Netherlands
I have heard this period between Christmas and New Years described as Zwischen den Jahren, or "between the years". It is a quiet time where Germans spend quality time with friends and loved ones, chatting and drinking and eating at homes as many restaurants and shops...
An ABC Cultural Manual for Germany (Part 1)
A Field Guide to Cultural Differences Between Germany and the USA We have written a lot about daily life and cultural comparisons between Germany and other places here at The German Way, but it's a vast topic. Just when you think you've covered it all or experienced...
How Germany Has Changed Me
As I wandered the rolling green hills of Ireland on a recent trip, I was hit with how Germany has changed me. Ireland just felt different from Germany, and then I realized it was me. I was perceiving these differences from a cultural no-man's-land. As to the...
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....
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...
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