Category Archives: Culture
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
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
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
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
The French girl who wouldn’t talk
Language class is where you learn to speak a language, but just memorizing vocabulary and....
Aug
On a train to everywhere – Germany’s €9 ticket and its surprising consequences
The next best thing to free is Germany’s €9 ticket. Apart from motivating even motorheads....
Aug
If this is punctuality, my watch is broken
Germany has the reputation of being punctual and reliable. But recent snafus in city planning....
Jul
Emotional baggage: why I pack too much on trips home
I used to feel sheepish whenever I took an overpacked suitcase home on a trip....
1 Comment
Jul
Kraut and about – what are all those Germans doing abroad?
German immigrants used to flock to the U.S. They still go there in droves, but....
Jun
The travails of travel, from Mozart to the moon
I was tempted to feel sorry for myself when my plane was delayed by a....
May
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
Think digital technology is a cure-all? Don’t bet your life on it
A WWII air raid siren startled me once while I waited for a train. Such....
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
Juggling work and family, German minister drops the ball
German minister for the family Anne Spiegel recently resigned after major errors of judgment. Did....
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
Aren’t you glad you got the orange car after all?
The sky was suddenly a muddy orange, but what was causing it. I had an....
2 Comments
Mar
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