Category: General Differences
A Traditional German Housewarming Present
I have lived in Germany now for two years, and have just learned about a traditional German housewarming present. My new awareness of this very longstanding tradition is because of a relocation into a new office building at work. The tradition.... is giving the new homeowner gifts of bread & salt, as well as one ...
See How German I Am Now After Living in Germany
After two years of living in Germany, I wonder to myself how 'German' have I become versus my American culture? The last time I visited home in the States was at Christmas last year, and I could already notice a difference after my first year. So, this got me thinking -- How German Am I ...
See the Differences of Celebrating Birthdays between US & Germany
So, with October 3rd being my birthday, I thought it would interesting to post the differences in traditions associated with birthdays between the US and Germany. Obviously this post provides general differences, but these can vary depending on the region of each country as well as the origin of the people involved. In other words, ...
I Have Learned Why in America that Sometimes It Is Necessary to Press #2 for Spanish
This is a follow-up post to my earlier one regarding the challenges of learning German. I wanted to have a separate post that related to that topic, as this topic warrants its own preaching moment from my soap box....so, here it goes.... There is a famous quote by Mark Twain that goes like this: “Travel ...
How to Obtain a German Drivers License? Study, Study, and Oh Yeah — Study!
Wo bin ich gewesen? Where have I been? That is a great question. When I started this blog, I either had downtime in an airport or hotel or was just starting the new job in Germany, so free time was a luxury.. With me now being 7 months into my new job and 9 ...
Frohe Ostern…Happy Easter! How Does Germany Celebrate Easter?
One quickly learns that "the church" is taken very seriously in Germany. A look through history books, you can understand why?! Germany, the area where Martin Luther posted his thesis against the Catholic Church starting the Protestant Reformation. Germany, the land where many significant battles (yes, battles) between Protestants & Catholics during the Thirty Years ...
Learn How Technology Has Helped Our Move to Germany as an American Expat – Part 1
Moving to another country that is about 4,000 miles away with a 6 hour time zone change can be a bit overwhelming, especially if it’s to a country with a different language than home. Without the technology of today, I cannot imagine how challenging a move like this would have been 30 years, heck for ...
Learn How Technology Has Helped Our Move to Germany as an American Expat – Part 2
Skype & Video Chat: It is so amazing to be able to Skype with family back home either though the desktop computer, laptop, or phone. With the laptop & phone, we can connect our family to anywhere we are (as long as there is an internet connection). Being able to see faces while talking helps ...
Learn the 10 Things to Know about Shopping in Germany
As Americans, we take so many things for granted. One of these is the super convenience of shopping in the US. Of course, the trade-off of this convenience is the bombardment of commercials and advertising as companies vie for the ever decreasing share of Americans' disposable income. However, with that being said, in Germany, we ...
Show Me Your Papers – See What Is Involved in Getting a Work Permit, Residence Permit, and City Registration in Germany
Moving to another country is challenging from the aspect of all the required documentation needed. You can't just simply show up and expect to stay indefinitely without the proper paperwork. Well, okay, you can, but we're talking about entering a country legally 🙂 I'm sure each country is different, but these were our experiences becoming ...
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