Expat Chatter

Any foreigner in Germany knows all about the country’s love of overengineering. All it takes is trying to fill out a single form to get a residence permit. Less talked about is how German mothers also overengineer. Are they just responding to the system? I found out when my daughters started school.  Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

Those of us who predate GPS know how to get around without using technology. Knowing the points of the compass is helpful for navigating in an American city, but in Europe, the streets often date from the days of footpaths and donkey carts. These willy-nilly labyrinths can dead end, disappear or lead you in a circle. So how does a North American get around a European city?   Support the show www.e...

I thought my French was good enough to get me around southern France. But a one-letter mistake in a word sent me off on a wild goose chase – if that’s what you can call missing your stop on a bus.    Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

My trust in native speakers was boundless, and it caused me to maneuver myself into an excruciatingly embarrassing situation. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

American companies have made serious inroads into the economies of Europe and elsewhere, but this has come at a cost. There have been some pretty big flops along the way as executives naively thought they could simply replicate the American marketing model in other countries without making any changes. Some of these misjudgments are rather entertaining, and with the introduction of a coffee/olive...

It’s corn! I thought I had left that behind me in the Midwest. Nope. Right there, just a ten-minute walk from my suburban Munich apartment, the path goes straight through two cornfields. But the sight of these plants was not as familiar to everyone in my family, I learned. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

If you are in Munich and see people jostling for a spot in line at a produce stand, you can bet they’re queuing for white asparagus. Don’t bother telling them that the green kind is better, because the white stuff has cult status here. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

There are grocery stores, and then there’s Aldi. In the decades since WWII, this discounter chain has not only won over the wallets of its customers but also their hearts. Faithful Aldi customers from all walks of life wouldn’t dream of shopping anywhere else. But behind the well-oiled Aldi machine, there is also plenty of intrigue in this family-owned empire. Support the show www.expatchatter.net...

Imagine bending over to tie your shoe. Now imagine that this simple act would earn you millions of dollars. Yet this is just what Pelé did. The shoe: a Puma. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

Eyeglasses and watches used to be mundane utilitarian accessories until designers were invited to the table. The ordinary sock has now joined in on the game and is no longer a simple stocking, but a formidable fashion statement. And, as it turns out, an opportunity to have a little fun with a perfect stranger. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

When is a snack a meal? It depends on what country you’re in, as Germans discover when they go to America to find potato chips on their dinner plate. Europeans brought foods with them across the Atlantic but many of them were transformed into something new.  Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

Germans are usually so logical, it’s hard to believe how that can make misjudge distances so badly when they visit the U.S. But to be honest, it’s kind of gratifying. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

I first published this two years ago. COVID seems like a distant memory but reading this brings it all back. Just as I was getting used to not being a mother, my COVID-harassed daughters came home - left - and came home - repeatedly. Now I'm trying to remember, what was it again that I always did for Easter? Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

I thought cowboy boots would help me develop my rodeo skills. An evening at the Grizzly Rose bar in Denver was enough to teach me otherwise. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

Language class is where you learn to speak a language, but just memorizing vocabulary and practicing dictations won’t do the trick. I found a surprising way to get our exchange student to talk. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

The German language is very precise and detailed, sometimes to the extent that it goes well beyond being descriptive and descends into hilarity. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most outrageous examples. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

On just a 10-minute walk through Munich, I passed by the places that witnessed three pivotal moments in the city’s history: the scene of the murder of the president of Bavaria’s first parliament just after the end of WWI, the site where the anti-Nazi White Rose movement came to an end, and finally, the site of Bavaria’s first parliament, which was obliterated in WWII.   Support the show www.expatc...

The U.S. is not just a large country, everything in it seems bigger, too. This includes the huge piles of garbage created from every restaurant visit that are not recycled. For someone living in Germany, a country that prides itself on recycling, it takes all your willpower not to separate your garbage and instead put the whole pile straight into the garbage can. In the end, I found I just couldn’...

Germany has become a land of immigrants but is still grappling with this new identity. Munich’s population consisted of 30% foreigners in 2023 and has continued to grow. The perception and treatment of different nationalities is altered by what happens back in people’s home country. Little did I suspect that this would change how people see me, too. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda A...

Do you speak English? This question is often answered with “Yes” all around the world. Why bother learning another language if everyone speaks yours? Apparently, this is what many U.S. universities are thinking as they eliminate their foreign language programs. But this language hegemony leads to cultural ignorance, perhaps not an ideal state of affairs for a world power such as the U.S. Support t...

Every language has its peculiarities, which should be respected. But when you translate into another language and aren’t careful, elements of the original one can remain. This can cause confusion or more often, simply make for a shoddy translation. To my horror, I recently spotted a peculiar strain of German called Beamtendeutsch creeping into English.    Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Br...

We train dogs, but they have much to teach us. Babies are fluent in body language but over time it is sacrificed to verbal communication. Anyone with a pet pooch will confirm that our fluffy friends not only manage to express a myriad of emotions – but they can read ours, too. Time we learned a trick or two from them! Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold

People’s identities are tied up closely with their names. But even when you are careful to pronounce it correctly you can still get into trouble. In Germany, some people with doctoral degrees have two “doctors” in front of their names—a doctor to the second power, perhaps. And then some people have “baron” in their name but aren’t royalty, while other royals are six years old and wear sweatpants....

The Krapfen is the best thing since sliced bread - or in Bavaria, since the monks began brewing beer. During Carnival season or Fasching, the bakeries explode with these delicious pastries. But there's an interesting history behind them, too. 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. Support the show www.expatchatter.net   Brenda Arnold