The Germany Experience

Life in Germany, as seen through the eyes of outsiders. Featuring the stories of foreigners who moved to Germany - either temporarily or permanently - and tips and advice for life in Germany. Get an inside view of the joys, the frustrations, and the quirks of adapting to the culture and learning German. New episodes every second Wednesday. 

https://www.thegermanyexperience.de/

Eine durchschnittliche Folge dieses Podcasts dauert 40m. Bisher sind 163 Folge(n) erschienen. Jede Woche gibt es eine neue Folge dieses Podcasts.

Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 4 days 9 hours 20 minutes

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episode 76: Common things Germans say and do, and what they mean (Nina from Germany)


The Germans have certain words, sayings, and gestures that they do very often, often without even thinking about it. And some of these things can be very confusing to people new in Germany. For example:  you'll often hear "Oh je" or "So!" in a conversation.

Previous guest and resident German Nina joins me to try and explain some of these mannerisms to help us understand what they mean.

Watch this interview on YouTube to see all the gestures...


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 March 15, 2021  45m
 
 

episode 75: Making long-term German friends, reverse parking, and origins of German idioms (Q&A session)


 I answer your questions about life in Germany, and also some personal questions. Plus, I read some insightful YouTube comments. This was recorded during a Facebook live stream...


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 March 8, 2021  38m
 
 

episode 74: Sparkling wine receptions, digitization, WG living, and coming to Germany on a scholarship (Alex from the USA)


Alex is originally from Nebraska, USA, but is now living in Hamburg. She joins me with a glass of sparkling wine to discuss, among other things, her love for "zu verschenken" culture, how scholarships offer a world of opportunity for coming to and staying in Germany, and how living in a WG has given her an insight into German life that she might not have had otherwise...


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 March 1, 2021  56m
 
 

episode 73: How German changes your identity (Geoff and Alex from Americans in Germany Drinking Whiskey)


When you move to Germany, like with other countries, you might find yourself needing to re-invent yourself due to the language and the culture. For example: if you were funny and outgoing in your home country, you might suddenly feel like you're introverted and "boring" in social situations in Germany...


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 February 22, 2021  46m
 
 

episode 72: The job application process in Germany: Misconceptions, insights and tips (Ivan from Bulgaria)


What are common misconceptions that foreigners have about the job application process in Germany? What makes a good CV? What are assessment centers? We try to answer some of these questions in this episode.

To do it, I'm joined by Ivan from Bulgaria (and previous guest on the show), who has extensive experience working as an HR consultant in Germany - and has also applied for jobs in Germany himself. He shares his insights gathered from several years of experience...


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 February 15, 2021  1h0m
 
 

episode 71: The gender expatriation gap, trailing spouses, and the expat skill pool in Germany (Amaia from Spain)


Amaia, originally from Spain but now living in Düsseldorf, Germany, started the Expats and Spouses Monitor with Dr. Carlos Morales. Their goal: it is a research project that aims to understand the living and working conditions of expatriates and their spouses or partners living in Germany. With this data, they hope to help stakeholders, such as German employers, implement policies and measures to improve integration of expats...


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 February 8, 2021  37m
 
 

episode 70: Cost of living in Germany in 2021 (Jen from Simple Germany)


What are the standard costs of living you can expect in Germany? Do you really need so much insurance in Germany? And why pay the Rundfunkbeitrag if you don't watch German TV?

Jen is from Guatemala and is the co-founder of Simple Germany. She joins me to discuss her story, and the cost of living in Germany. As a basis for our discussion, we use her blog post, The Cost of Living in Germany in 2021 (Real-Life Case Study)...


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 February 1, 2021  1h25m
 
 

SEGEPADFO charity challenge wrap-up, and when The Germany Experience will be back


The SEGEPADFO charity challenge, where I went up against Nicole of The Expat Cast to see who could raise the most money for  a project by Über den Tellerrand, is over.

Who won the challenge, and how much we raised, is all in this update episode. Plus: I'll tell you when I'll be back with new episodes...


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 December 28, 2020  6m
 
 

SEGEPADFO charity challenge update, and the truth about Nicole of The Expat Cast


Donate in the SEGEPADFO charity challenge: https://www.thegermanyexperience.de/charity2020/I'm going head-to-head with Nicole to see who can raise the most money for Über den Tellerrand - specifically, to help them raise money for a portable kitchen...


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 December 21, 2020  7m
 
 

episode 69: Learning assertiveness from Germans, and growing to love a city (Jenna from Canada)

[transcript]


Jenna is from Canada who is living in Düsseldorf. She is the creator of Life in Duesseldorf, has just started the Life in Germany YouTube channel. We discuss why she moved to Germany, her recent bout of COVID-19, and why she loves German barbecue culture...


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 December 14, 2020  41m