The Germany Experience

You can learn a lot about a culture by watching its movies, which is why I've decided to start watching some classic German movies. I'll discuss why the movie I have chosen is important to German culture, whether it's a good movie for learning German from, and whether or not it's worth your time.

The first movie I am covering is Loriot's Pappa Ante Portas. Loriot was a cartoonist, a sketch comedian, and a movie maker, and he was a giant in German comedy...

Audrey and Zach met while in the USA. When Zach, a cartographer, moved to Germany on a SOFA status (Status of Forces Agreement), they first attempted a long-distance relationship before Audrey joined him later in Germany. Take a listen to their story, which involves cuckoo clocks, a ride in the back of a German police car, and how to watch a TV show together on different continents...

Travis J. Dow is a host of the History of Germany podcast (and several other podcasts, too). Originally from Oregon, USA, he spent his formative years in Bavaria, Germany. Later he moved to Prague, Czech Republic for 10 years, before moving back to USA. He's a third culture kid, history nerd, and has an affinity for Germany. I caught up with him in Hamburg to discuss his plan of learning how to make candy in Germany, as well as what it was like growing up as a third culture kid...

Nicole from The Expat Cast and I went head-to-head in December 2019 to see who could raise the most donations for our chosen charities.

Together we raised 350 euros...140 euros went to Nicole's charity of choice, Women's Worth Inc., while 210 euros went to my chosen charity, Lebenshilfe in Bad Windsheim. 

I'll let you do the math (*cough* I won!) :)

Thanks to everyone who donated, and thanks to Nicole for being such a great sport...

For foreigners living in Germany, the holidays are a time that we recreate traditions from our home countries, adopt German traditions, and start new ones. I take a look at how my Christmas experience in Germany has been, and compare it to my summer South African Christmases.

Luminaria: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminaria

Wherever you might be, and whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, something else, or nothing at all, may your holiday season be peaceful...

Donate to my cause in the expat podcasters charity challenge (aka #FEGEPADFO): Donate to Lebenshilfe Bad Windsheim

Germany offers a lot of opportunities, but it's also known as a difficult country to integrate into...

Donate to my cause in the expat podcasters charity challenge (aka #FEGEPADFO): Donate to Lebenshilfe Bad Windsheim

For many people who are planning to come to Germany, the Freelance Visa might be the way to go. It allows you to provide freelance services in Germany, and you don't need an official job offer to get it. But how do you get it? And is it suitable for your goals?

I am joined by the very knowledgeable James Meads of LiveWorkGermany...

Jibran runs the Desi in Wonderland YouTube channel. He's originally from Pakistan and has been living in Germany for 5 years, so we decided to discuss how Germany has changed us. In the process, I learned a lot more than I expected about Pakistani culture. Find Jibran on Instagram and Facebook...

Liliana is from Naples, Italy, and has lived in Germany for 7 years. She recently got her citizenship, and discusses how that happened. We also cover her reason for choosing Germany, why she'd struggle to return to Italy, and she compares Hamburg and Berlin with Naples...

One of my best friends in Germany, Rafael from Brazil, experienced loss when his father passed away, and talks about how he coped dealing with that being far from his family.

He's also a handball player, and he had the chance to make German friends through his love of the sport.

We also discuss learning languages, Bulgarian wedding dance traditions, and more.

Majestic handball Rafael:
 https://www.instagram...