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It's true. Even after years of living in Munich, Germany, I find funny stuff to talk about. Language gaffes, cultural confrontations, and life abroad. It's an ongoing adventure!
173 Episodes
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Nuremberg is world-famous for its Christmas market but every German town worth its gingerbread has one, too. It isn’t just tourists who flock there but locals, too, all hoping for a white Christmas to create the perfect mood. But this rarely happens. One contributor to the mystique of holiday snow is Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers and the iconic classic, A Christmas Carol. Both featured harsh winters like those experienced by the author in his childhood in mid-19th century England. Snow...
Christmas is confusing enough with Santa, St. Nick, and Father Christmas. In Bavaria they also add the Christkind, the Christchild to the mix. Oh yes, and let’s not forget the three kings who arrive on Epiphany. It took me quite a while after arriving in Germany to figure out exactly which of these Christmas representatives would be bringing the presents. Of course, in the end it was me all along. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
Germans could never afford to celebrate a big holiday like Thanksgiving at the end of November the way Americans do. But there’s a good reason for this: They’re already getting all revved up for Christmas! Germans invented the car, truly a great achievement, but making Christmas last half the winter is at least on par with that. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
After moving to Germany, I was excited to recreate Thanksgiving the way I knew it from my childhood. But then I learned that the traditions I wanted to recreate were not as traditional as I thought. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
It's not a holiday without pumpkin pie, but what I bake is a far cry from my mother's version. I was shocked to discover that Germany didn’t have ready-made, canned pumpkin mix. This was followed by the equally shocking prospect of having to make pumpkin pie from scratch. Is that even possible? I was about to find out. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
Americans celebrate fall with Halloween, but Germans have St. Martin. Children carry lit lanterns in processions through the dark, singing. It sounds so lovely, until you’re the one out there battling the cold wind to keep the lantern lit. After freezing to death a few times in icy November winds, I decided that this is a festival best enjoyed indoors. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
If you’re just settling in on the couch, then don’t let any Germans into the room. They’ll open up all the windows to let in fresh air – regardless of the outside temperature. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
Some Germans celebrate Halloween, but not all of them. I was determined to find a way for my kids to enjoy it the way I did, spurring me to take some unusual action. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
My experience with mushrooms was confined to cans as a kid. In Germany, collecting them is a cherished hobby. But don’t bother asking anybody where to find them because they’d rather sacrifice their first-born before revealing their secret mushroom spot. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
School has started, a good moment to consider the burden on mothers with children in German schools. The extra work required to support their children in German schools – or rather systems of schools - is so great that women from other countries literally do not believe it. Until reality hits. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
Oktoberfest may be famous for beer tents and oompah bands, but hidden among Munich’s festival rides and parades is a rare treasure: one of the world’s last flea circuses. From lederhosen and lively crowds to tiny insects pulling wagons, this unforgettable glimpse into Bavarian culture proves there’s more to Oktoberfest than a stein of beer. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
Raising a family in Germany was a golden opportunity to raise my kids bilingually. I initially thought this meant just speaking to them in English, but reality proved to be a lot trickier. I discovered I had quite a few tricks up my sleeve. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
German immigrants used to flock to the U.S. They still go there in droves, but now they go back home again, as I discovered during my trip to New York. The Tenement Museum revealed how deep German history is woven into the fabric of the East Side of NYC Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
I fantasize about taking my kids back to where I grew up to show them the real America. Except when I arrive, it’s often to discover that many things have changed. Shops have disappeared, new restaurants have sprouted up. I may wax nostalgic, but were the old ways really better? Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
I used to feel sheepish whenever I took an overpacked suitcase home on a trip to the U.S. But when I thought about it more closely, I realized there was a very good reason for doing this. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
Any foreigner in Germany knows all about the country’s love of overengineering. All it takes is trying to fill out a single form to get a residence permit. Less talked about is how German mothers also overengineer. Are they just responding to the system? I found out when my daughters started school. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
Those of us who predate GPS know how to get around without using technology. Knowing the points of the compass is helpful for navigating in an American city, but in Europe, the streets often date from the days of footpaths and donkey carts. These willy-nilly labyrinths can dead end, disappear or lead you in a circle. So how does a North American get around a European city? Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
I thought my French was good enough to get me around southern France. But a one-letter mistake in a word sent me off on a wild goose chase – if that’s what you can call missing your stop on a bus. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
My trust in native speakers was boundless, and it caused me to maneuver myself into an excruciatingly embarrassing situation. Support the show www.expatchatter.net Brenda Arnold
American companies have made serious inroads into the economies of Europe and elsewhere, but this has come at a cost. There have been some pretty big flops along the way as executives naively thought they could simply replicate the American marketing model in other countries without making any changes. Some of these misjudgments are rather entertaining, and with the introduction of a coffee/olive oil concoction by Starbucks in Italy, we witnessed yet another product derailment. Support the sh...
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