Category Archives: Uncategorized
The 37 Days of Christmas
Germans don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but they celebrate Christmas half the winter. Starting at the end....
Nov
If this is punctuality, my watch is broken
Germans have a reputation for being punctual, but trains are a different story. During a....
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
The nightmare of motherhood in Germany
School has started, a good moment to consider the burden on mothers with children in....
Oct
The library, the monk, and the sandals
This stunning Baroque library tucked away in a monastery in a Bavarian village is the....
2 Comments
Oct
‘Tis the season of the Wiesn: The Oktoberfest for locals and tourists
What some probably don’t realize is that while the Oktoberfest is the biggest folk festival....
4 Comments
Oct
Spicing up an e-mail is as easy as 1-2-3
Every language has its peculiarities, which should be respected. But when you translate into another....
3 Comments
Sep
The tiniest stars of the Oktoberfest live in a drawer
The Oktoberfest is synonymous with beer for most people. Yet half of the fairgrounds consists....
2 Comments
Sep
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
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
Hitchhike to work? You bet – and in the most powerful city in the world
Gridlock is a word often used in connection with legislators in the U.S. Congress, but....
Jul
Munich comes full circle: From putsch to Rabbi Conference
The hand of history has done its work on the city of Munich. Named after....
2 Comments
Jul
Landshuter Hochzeit: The most theatrical wedding this side of the 15th century
Imagine if your wedding were so spectacular that people would want not just to reenact....
Jul
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
To Bavaria with love, infused with dialect for language nerds
It is best to learn the standard version of a language, but what if you....
4 Comments
Jun
Quit the tomfoolery – I’m sure I don’t know you
The pandemic is over, but its effects continue - sometimes in strange ways. I got....
Jun
A fortune for footwear, or my kingdom for a sneaker
There was a lot of hullabaloo when Adidas dropped its sponsorship of the rapper Ye....
Jun
Watch out! Augsburg joined forces with the Swedes
Companies sometimes use shady tactics to gain the upper hand in a market. But this....
2 Comments
Jun
One foreigner is not like another – here’s why
There are varying grades of foreigners in Germany, with subtle nuances between them. People instinctively....
May
Munching my way to Munich, one chaotic airport at a time
There’s a lot to be said for approaching challenging situations with the right attitude, which....
2 Comments
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
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
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
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
Football – the sport known everywhere but America as “American football” – has become popular....
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
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