Category Archives: Culture

The French girl who wouldn’t talk

Language class is where you learn to speak a language, but just memorizing vocabulary and....

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....

If this is punctuality, my watch is broken

Germany has the reputation of being punctual and reliable. But recent snafus in city planning....

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....

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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....

The travails of travel, from Mozart to the moon

I was tempted to feel sorry for myself when my plane was delayed by a....

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....

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....

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....

Juggling work and family, German minister drops the ball

German minister for the family Anne Spiegel recently resigned after major errors of judgment. Did....

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....

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....

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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....

Think your vacation was spectacular? Don’t make me yawn

Germans take vacations every year without fail. If you need to know something about your....

Get that rotten banana peel out of the plastic recycling

Listen to Brenda tell the story Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash My muesli stuck....

The queen turns out to be a football

Languages often adopt foreign words, but this can cause some odd situations, especially when the....

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800 years of history found their way into my bike lock

I thought I had a foolproof way to remember my bike lock combination. But I....

The 10 kilometers that triggered Acute License Plate Trauma

The small Munich suburb of Zorneding may not be famous, but harbors a few surprises.

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Can your dog help improve your listening skills? Yip!

What can dogs teach us about communication? Quite a bit

I tried to escape the Oktoberfest. I failed.

Listen to Brenda tell the story For the second time, the Oktoberfest has been canceled....

Get those escargots out of my lawnmower

French culture impacted many countries' languages and cuisine - and even the front yard.

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Give us our daily bread, but please let it be German

Listen to Brenda tell the story A good friend of mine recently returned to the....

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Grave Thoughts Indeed – Part 4 – The Oktoberfest

26 May 2021  (Click here for parts 1, 2 and 3) Munich is known first....

Italian – no problemo

I walked into Italian class and saw a room full of pensioners. But I didn't....

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Spectators turned spectacle, thanks to corona

Theaters are allowed to reopen, but only if they leave several empty seats between audience....

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Oktoberfest canceled by COVID – but the party went on anyway

Munich's Oktoberfest was canceled due to COVID-19, but locals are celebrating anyway.

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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

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My baby understood humor – and now does stand-up comedy

If you raise your kids with humor, funny things can happen. My daughter understood my....

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The Secret Second Life of Balconies

Balconies are great in summer, but they can be useful in winter in surprising ways.

An in-tents experience – My Oktoberfest visit

The Oktoberfest is inextricably linked to drinking beer. But there's a lot more beyond the....

World War Window

When I was a student, air conditioning allowed me to sleep. But Germans open the....

The curious case of the X in the sock drawer

The old joke "I have to organize my sock drawer" as an excuse to skip....

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Of planes to Spain exploring new terrain

I was thrilled when my daughter decided to study Spanish in Spain, but so much....

The blossom butcher of Bavaria

If you see one balcony with dead flowers surrounded by houses with perfectly groomed plants,....

The ghost hand was a lost glove

What are all of these mittens, gloves, and scarves doing hanging from bushes, tree branches....

Squished on the train – but it was fun

Being stuck on a crowded train gives you a close-up glimpse of its multicultural inhabitants,....