I'm once again visiting Hawaii, this time on the island of Maui. Since 2010 I've been on a continuing quest for Germanic-Hawaiian connections. Even here in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, 12 time zones away from Europe, there are many more than one might think....
The GW Expat Blog
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History and culture
Guide to Vienna
When I was last on the job hunt, I had two interesting opportunities. The jobs had some important differences, including different locations. One was in Cologne, the other in Vienna. This caught my attention as both options were remote so I could happily work from my...
A Love Letter to Berlin Photo Booths
One of my favorite parts about living abroad is that you get to make your own traditions. Deciding we really aren't fans of turkey, we still host an annual Thanksgiving party but usually buy a half dozen halbes hähnchen (half a roasted chicken) from the nearest Döner...
30 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall
About 5 years ago, on November 9th 2014, I watched from the hospital as Berlin put on a grand display to celebrate 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. I had been looking forward to attending the event - a spectacular display where thousands of lighted...
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...
A British Weihnachten
For the past three Christmases whilst living in Germany, my partner and I have spent the big day back in the UK. They say Christmas is the time of year for family and friends, and that is where the majority of them are and so that is where we shall go. Except this...
The 5 Questions I Always Get Asked About Germany
I have been slowly transitioning from my homeland to Germany, with baby steps that started with holidays a couple of years ago and evolved every time I came back getting more and more permanent. This means I have had the chance to come to Germany and then go back to...
Finding greeting cards in Germany
Valentines cards, anniversary cards, confirmation day cards, get well soon cards. In the UK there seems to be a folded piece of decorated card available to send to a recipient and recognise any and every occasion. The public invests in to whatever the greeting card...
More German Everyday Expressions You’ll Never Learn in School but Will Help You Blend in
Trying not to sound excessively formal in a foreign language requires practice and attention. It can happen that in your aim to sound colloquial you will pick up words and phrases that you think are everyday material you can use with your colleagues at work, in a...
German Everyday Expressions You’ll Never Learn in School But Will Help You Blend in
As every other responsible expat that moves to Germany with the intention of making of Goethe’s land their new home I briefly attended formal German lessons at my arrival. The teacher was nice, some of the people I met there were overly nice (if you know what I mean)...
What’s “Karlsruhe” and why is it in the news the whole time?
If you happen to watch German TV or read German newspapers or simply follow German news, you know that more often than not, notices either begin or end with words along the lines of "Karlsruhe will give an answer by the end of next week" or "meanwhile Karlsruhe will...
Konichiwa Germany
On a recent holiday to Japan I found myself comparing the people, culture and etiquette to what I have experienced and learnt about as an expat in Germany over the past two years. It started to make me think about how many of my German Way blogs posts have focused on...
The Month of May in Germany
After the long, dark winter and the uncertainty of April weather (April, April, der macht, was er will), everyone is ready for summer by the time May rolls around. No matter the first official day of the season is a month and a half away, Germans are reveling in the...
A Nine-To-Fiver in Germany – What’s in the Bag?
What's it like to be a nine-to-fiver in Germany? A very hard question to answer since everyone has had their very own experiences, but after a while in Germany, and more than one job in this land behind me, I feel like it could be safe to make some general comments...
How Kohl is that?
If you've recently moved to the north of Germany don't be alarmed if a group of people pass you in the streets playing Schlager music from a Bollerwagen (wooden pull along wagon). It won't be the last time you witness this. From the end of January to March, Kohlfahrts...
If You’re Happy and You Know It, Make a Demo
One of my first brilliant conclusions almost upon arrival on my first time living in Germany, was that Germans are undeniably active when it comes to politics. Of course all of my appreciations came from what previous first-hand experiences I had had in the past,...
Is it Germany or is it France?
If you like your French with a side of German, the Alsace-Lorraine is the region for you. Traded back and forth between the two countries as borders changed throughout time, France came out the winner with this lovely little territory. Alsace-Lorraine might sound like...
Goethe and Schiller in San Francisco
German Culture at the "Goldenen Thor" During a recent visit to San Francisco I got a surprising reminder of how truly widespread and important German culture once was in the United States – before two world wars drastically changed the role it played in America. My...
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...
Red Bull and the Richest Man in Austria
According to the Forbes annual tally, there were seven billionaires in Austria in 2016. (Only one of them female.) Dietrich "Didi" Mateschitz (1944-2022) was at the top of that list – the wealthiest person in Austria before his death on 22 October 2022 at the age of...
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