Category Archives: German-American cultural divide
Living in Germany as a foreigner makes you aware of many things about your own culture. In my home country of the U.S., we don’t air out, sort our garbage into 10 categories, and we only have one kind of bread: soft, squishy, and tasteless.
Cozy? Let’s sabotage that by opening a window
Once you're comfy and cozy, a German is bound to open the window to air....
Apr
The Superbowl is super in Germany, too
Germany is the land of soccer, especially in Munich, home of the world-famous FC Bayern.....
Feb
Ring in the New Year and fire the firecrackers
The New Year means more than resolutions. All of Germany sets off firecrackers at midnight....
Dec
Christmas cookies: Good, better, German
I loved Christmas cookies growing up and thought they were pretty good, but have since....
Dec
What happened to Santa Claus?
Santa Claus, St. Nick, or the Christ child? The figure we associate with Christmas takes....
Dec
What happened to my pumpkin pie?
It's not a holiday without pumpkin pie, but what I bake is a far cry....
2 Comments
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....
2 Comments
Oct
Not teaching foreign languages will make America more insular
Do you speak English? This question is often answered with “Yes” all around the world.....
4 Comments
Aug
What’s in a name? More than you think
People’s identities are tied up closely with their names. But even when you are careful....
2 Comments
Aug
Getting lost the old-fashioned way
Those of us who predate GPS know how to get around without using technology. Knowing....
4 Comments
Aug
Germans delight in overengineering, taking helicopter mothering to new heights
Any foreigner in Germany knows all about the country’s love of overengineering. All it takes....
2 Comments
Aug
Knee-high by the 4th of July
I fully expected a lot of cultural differences when I moved to Germany. They speak....
2 Comments
Jul
One foreigner is not like another – here’s why
Read by Brenda There are varying grades of foreigners in Germany, with subtle nuances between....
May
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
A kindness repaid, 40 years later
After an overnight trip from Spain, I was thrilled to finally arrive at the doorstep....
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
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
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
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
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
Follow the Narrow Brick Road – and hope for the best
A man was recently caught on camera driving a Maserati down the famous Spanish steps....
May
Ukraine on the train – from a military to a cultural conflict
Taking the train home from Berlin, some Ukrainians boarded the train. Watching their interactions with....
Apr
That map might just quash your travel plans – so focus on fun instead
Germans are usually so logical, it’s hard to believe how that can make such planning....
Mar
The 10 kilometers that triggered Acute License Plate Trauma
The small Munich suburb of Zorneding may not be famous, but harbors a few surprises.
1 Comment
Jan
Give us our daily bread, but please let it be German
Read by Brenda A good friend of mine recently returned to the U.S. after several....
2 Comments
The Race for Space is Over (but not the way you think)
Shopping pre-corona in Germany used to be a contact sport - that changed overnight
4 Comments
May
The Secret Second Life of Balconies
Balconies are great in summer, but they can be useful in winter in surprising ways.
Jan
World War Window
When I was a student, I thanked my lucky stars when I could finally afford....
Jul
The Curious Case of the X in the Sock Drawer
Remember the old standard joke that people use when they don't want to go to....
2 Comments
Jun
Studying in Germany is nothing like the U.S.
Nothing prepared me for when my daughters set off for German universities. They have little....
Oct
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