Expat Chatter

The word “retire” means to rest, but in Germany, retirees have got it backwards: once they stop working, they’re busier than ever before Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

It has been six years since the world came to a standstill in the grip of the coronavirus. I wouldn’t want a repeat performance, but there were some positive aspects to it. One of them was how I no longer had to jostle for space. All at once, my American need for personal space – a lot more than what Germans need - had become the law.   Picture by Anna_Kovtun on Pixabay Support the show www.expatc...

The Munich public transport system has long since lost its good reputation. Even if you check the schedule, you may wind up standing for an hour on a platform when your train is canceled. But being stuck on a crowded tram offers a close-up view of a random sampling of its diverse inhabitants. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

What’s so strange about singing in Spanish? We all learned the lyrics to “Feliz Navidad” back when the only Spanish speaker around was José Feliciano. Foreign languages are fun, folks, and besides, it’s really about the music. Bad Bunny also sings in Puerto Rican slang, so it could very well be that Latinos don’t understand everything, either. A bit of a cultural adventure never hurt anyone. Suppo...

Germans are now confronting the fact that Christmas is over but winter is just getting underway. They console themselves by getting an early start celebrating carnival, which involves consuming large quantities of a special pastry, called Krapfen, to prepare for a period of fasting for Lent. True, hardly anybody fasts anymore, but no matter – Krapfen are delicious. Not only are these pastries popu...

You’re not supposed to use birthdates for passwords or combinations, so I used important historical dates. But as an American who lived in Spain and now lives in Germany, many dates stand out. Which led to a lot of problems when I tried to reconstruct the thought process behind my bike combination after returning from vacation… Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

I was brimming with confidence that my French was good enough to navigate around southern France. But not only was my French not suffisant , my lack of botanical knowledge also got me into trouble. Merde! Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

The windy city, indeed! But why windy? And who really caused the Great Fire - if you think it was a cow - then guess again! Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

Germans are so careful about maintaining their cars and they build their houses so well that they are practically airtight. But on New Year’s Eve, their sense of caution quite literally vanishes into thin air in the form of fireworks. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore kicked off so many holiday trends, like the idea of a white Christmas (with a little help from Charles Dickens) and the idea (I mean revelation of course, for all of the six-year-olds reading this) that Santa brings toys at night in a sleigh. I couldn’t resist rewriting it was a not-so-subtle Bavarian twist. I hope you enjoy it!   Support the show...

Nuremberg is world-famous for its Christmas market but every German town worth its gingerbread has one, too. It isn’t just tourists who flock there but locals, too, all hoping for a white Christmas to create the perfect mood. But this rarely happens. One contributor to the mystique of holiday snow is Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers and the iconic classic, A Christmas Carol . Both featured har...

Christmas is confusing enough with Santa, St. Nick, and Father Christmas. In Bavaria they also add the Christkind, the Christchild to the mix. Oh yes, and let’s not forget the three kings who arrive on Epiphany. It took me quite a while after arriving in Germany to figure out exactly which of these Christmas representatives would be bringing the presents. Of course, in the end it was me all along....

Germans could never afford to celebrate a big holiday like Thanksgiving at the end of November the way Americans do. But there’s a good reason for this: They’re already getting all revved up for Christmas! Germans invented the car, truly a great achievement, but making Christmas last half the winter is at least on par with that. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

After moving to Germany, I was excited to recreate Thanksgiving the way I knew it from my childhood. But then I learned that the traditions I wanted to recreate were not as traditional as I thought. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

It's not a holiday without pumpkin pie, but what I bake is a far cry from my mother's version. I was shocked to discover that Germany  didn’t have ready-made, canned pumpkin mix. This was followed by the equally shocking prospect of having to make pumpkin pie from scratch. Is that even possible? I was about to find out. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

Americans celebrate fall with Halloween, but Germans have St. Martin. Children carry lit lanterns in processions through the dark, singing. It sounds so lovely, until you’re the one out there battling the cold wind to keep the lantern lit. After freezing to death a few times in icy November winds, I decided that this is a festival best enjoyed indoors. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brend...

If you’re just settling in on the couch, then don’t let any Germans into the room. They’ll open up all the windows to let in fresh air – regardless of the outside temperature. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

Some Germans celebrate Halloween, but not all of them. I was determined to find a way for my kids to enjoy it the way I did, spurring me to take some unusual action.  Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

My experience with mushrooms was confined to cans as a kid. In Germany, collecting them is a cherished hobby. But don’t bother asking anybody where to find them because they’d rather sacrifice their first-born before revealing their secret mushroom spot. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

School has started, a good moment to consider the burden on mothers with children in German schools. The extra work required to support their children in German schools  – or rather systems of schools - is so great that women from other countries literally do not believe it. Until reality hits. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

Oktoberfest may be famous for beer tents and oompah bands, but hidden among Munich’s festival rides and parades is a rare treasure: one of the world’s last flea circuses. From lederhosen and lively crowds to tiny insects pulling wagons, this unforgettable glimpse into Bavarian culture proves there’s more to Oktoberfest than a stein of beer.  Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

Raising a family in Germany was a golden opportunity to raise my kids bilingually. I initially thought this meant just speaking to them in English, but reality proved to be a lot trickier. I discovered I had quite a few tricks up my sleeve. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

German immigrants used to flock to the U.S. They still go there in droves, but now they go back home again, as I discovered during my trip to New York. The Tenement Museum revealed how deep German history is woven into the fabric of the East Side of NYC Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

I fantasize about taking my kids back to where I grew up to show them the real America. Except when I arrive, it’s often to discover that many things have changed. Shops have disappeared, new restaurants have sprouted up. I may wax nostalgic, but were the old ways really better? Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

I used to feel sheepish whenever I took an overpacked suitcase home on a trip to the U.S. But when I thought about it more closely, I realized there was a very good reason for doing this. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold