Author Archives: Expat chatter
Are you sure that’s what that sign means?
Signs are there for the express purpose of helping you find your way. They tell....
1 Comment
May
Don’t look now, but there’s a shark at your feet
Everybody has their idea of a perfect vacation. I enjoy the ocean, but I don’t....
May
A kindness repaid, 40 years later
After an overnight trip from Spain, I was thrilled to finally arrive at the doorstep....
May
This cheap ticket is amazing, but I missed my connection
Germany already experimented with a cheap train ticket last summer. People loved it so much....
May
Land of the free, home of the waste
The U.S. is not just a large country, everything in it seems bigger, too. This....
Apr
How to get a stranger to voluntarily show you their socks
Eyeglasses and watches used to be mundane utilitarian accessories until designers were invited to the....
2 Comments
Apr
Bring out the Easter eggs – the kids are coming home
Just as I was getting used to not being a mother, my COVID-harassed daughters came....
Apr
9 things you didn’t know about Chicago
Chicago was named by French fur traders who founded the city, which was destroyed by....
Apr
Home sweet home – only better
I fantasize about taking my kids back to where I grew up to show them....
Mar
A knack for snacks
When is a snack a meal? It depends on what country you’re in, as Germans....
2 Comments
Mar
If an alien landed in New York, would he know where he is?
New York feels like another world compared to Munich. Many elements are obvious and in....
2 Comments
Mar
Just ‘cause it’s American, Europeans ain’t buyin’ it
American companies have made serious inroads into the economies of Europe and elsewhere, but this....
2 Comments
Mar
When a fight with your mom costs millions: acrimony at Aldi
There are grocery stores, and then there’s Aldi. In the decades since WWII, this discounter....
Feb
The nightmare of motherhood in Germany
Germany has the reputation of having generous social programs, with vivid descriptions such as "cradle-to-grave"....
1 Comment
The Super Bowl and other American sports make a touchdown in Germany
Read by Brenda Football – the sport known everywhere but America as “American football” –....
2 Comments
Feb
Look here, U.S. election deniers – Berlin bungled it big time
The press and social media are still abuzz with deniers of the U.S. elections in....
1 Comment
Feb
Even better than bread: the best excuse to fatten up, complete with cream filling
January is when Germans confront the fact that Christmas is over but winter is just....
Jan
The new, improved me – courtesy of the EU-conform driver’s license
For years, I suffered from the lousy picture I had taken for my German license,....
Jan
Catapulting the plague into Europe and other viral tales
The coronavirus isn’t the first disease that jumped from animals to humans. This has been....
Jan
Belt out “Walk the Line” all you want, but walking in the U.S. is not an option
Long gone are the days when you could walk down to the local five-and-dime store....
Jan
Blasting our way into the New Year
Germans are so careful about maintaining their cars and build their houses so well that....
Dec
‘Twas the Night Before Weihnachten
On a trip to a Christmas market in Munich, I was inspired by The Night....
Dec
Christmas cookies: good, better, and German
I loved Christmas cookies growing up and thought they were pretty good, but have since....
Dec
The best show the World Cup has to offer is outside the stadiums
The news is all abuzz about the World Cup games in Qatar, but the coolest....
Dec
What happened to my pumpkin pie?
It wouldn’t be a holiday without pumpkin pie, but what I bake today is a....
Dec
The 100 meters between fascism and democracy in Munich
On just a 10-minute walk through Munich, I passed a murder scene leading to the....
Nov
Led astray by my naïve trust in a native speaker, but I should have known better
My trust in native speakers was boundless, and it caused me to maneuver myself into....
Nov
In not-so-hot pursuit of the Way of St. James
Somehow I keep coming across the camino or Way of St. James, leading to surprising....
Nov
What is the Inquisition doing in 21st-century America?
Looking at U.S. politics over the past few years, Germans recognize many patterns from the....
Nov
No Halloween? No way. My sneaky and successful plot
Some Germans celebrate Halloween, but not all of them. I was determined to find a....
Oct
Noise in the modern world—from cacophonous to carefully controlled
Read by Brenda It’s that time of year again: The leaf blowers are back. They....
Oct
Three cheers for English: Concise, neutral, to the point.
English has its downsides. But when you compare it to German, French and Spanish it....
Oct
Welcome back, fleas! The Oktoberfest is on
Following a three-year hiatus, Munich’s favorite party returned. Corona didn’t dampen people’s spirits, but I....
Oct
When life gives you lemons, it helps to recognize them
I thought my French was good enough to get me around southern France. But language....
Oct
Germans put the fun in fungi
My experience with mushrooms was confined to cans as a kid. In Germany, collecting them....
Sep
50 years later – Triumph and tragedy of the Munich Olympics. Part II: Tragedy
The 1972 Munich Olympic Games brought many long-lasting improvements to the city, but they were....
Sep