Klaus was born in Brazil before spending the first 12 years of his life in Germany. After returning to Brazil, he remained in touch with the German language and the culture. By the time he decided to move back to Germany in his early 40s, he was still fluent in German and understood what made the Germans tick. He thought this would make integration easy, but in fact, it did not. Klaus discusses finding a job in Germany, photoshopping CV photos, losing a job, why you should avoid German sensation...
Feb 23, 2020•35 min•Ep. 33
While recording the episode about Carnival in Germany, Nina told a story about the time she had to deal with the same office that foreigners know all too well: the Auslanderbehörde Amt (foreigner's office). SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Support the show Instagram: the.germany.experience Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience Contact me: info@thegermanyexperience.de Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran...
Feb 21, 2020•12 min•Ep. 32
It's the middle of Carnival (also known as Fasching or Fastnacht, depending on where in Germany you are). I am not a big fan of it, and so I got a real live German who IS a fan of it to come on the show and explain to me why she loves it. We brush up on the origins of Carnival, we discuss some of the traditions around it, and Nina tells me of her memories of Carnival. Oh, and I rant about why I hate Carnival so much... You'll also probably want to stick around for Nina's Döner story... Here is N...
Feb 17, 2020•34 min•Ep. 32
Amy is the host of The Expat Experience podcast. She has landed up in Germany after spending time in Vietnam and China, and in our interview she discusses how she's learning German, what it's like making German friends, and if she regards Germany as her final destination. The Elbphilharmonie building in Hamburg: https://www.elbphilharmonie.de/de/ Find Amy on Instagram and Facebook . Visit her website: https://www.theexpatexperience.org/ Vlad's Romanian expat podast: Diasporacast JOIN THE THE GER...
Feb 09, 2020•43 min•Ep. 31
(This is the podcast previously known as Expat Life Germany. In the first few years in Germany, things weren't always easy for Sindy from Hong Kong. As is the experience of many foreigners living abroad, she faced painful and difficult moments. And it was exactly these moments that drove her to not only adapt and learn the language, but also to thrive. Sindy's Blog: My Life In Germany Find her on: Facebook Twitter Instagram JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP Visit the official The Ge...
Feb 02, 2020•40 min•Ep. 30
The podcast will have a new name from 1 February 2020! Not much is going to change other than the name, so it'll still be the same show you subscribed to. Here's the announcement about why I'm renaming, and what the show will be focusing on in the future. Support the show Instagram: the.germany.experience Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience Contact me: info@thegermanyexperience.de Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bra...
Jan 27, 2020•3 min
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. Show notes: Dominik's history podcast (D...
Jan 20, 2020•25 min•Ep. 29
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. We also discuss a blog post that Audrey wrote called " Growing a Thicker Skin ", and she opens up about fitting ...
Jan 12, 2020•59 min•Ep. 28
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. Discover all of ...
Jan 04, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 27
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. Let's do it again in December 2020! Support the show Instagram: t...
Jan 03, 2020•2 min
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. Thanks for listening in 2019 a...
Dec 23, 2019•23 min•Ep. 26
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. What happens when the German dream becomes a nightmare? My guest this week (who asked to remain anonymous) is from India, and he has experienced rude government officials, losing a job because he wasn't a native speaker, difficult neighbors, and even blatant racism. Because of these ...
Dec 15, 2019•53 min•Ep. 25
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.com , who explains what the German Freelance Visa is, ...
Dec 07, 2019•36 min•Ep. 24
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 . Also in this episode: Introducing FEGEPADFO (First Ever German Expat Podcast Advent Donation Face-Off), where I go up against my sworn rival, Nicole from The Expat Cast, in a battle to see who can raise ...
Dec 02, 2019•41 min•Ep. 23
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. Subscribe to Liliana's YouTube channel: Lils Around Liliana on social media: Facebook Instagram Discuss your opinions on this episode in the Expat Life Germany Facebook group ! Visit the official podcast website: Expat Life Germa...
Nov 19, 2019•43 min•Ep. 22
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.com/p/BSvnfjflJgR0f4nq-mjwHYcNRVdXQFuVk7MqKA0/?igshid=uouuiaedbbd3 World Index tweet: most...
Nov 03, 2019•42 min•Ep. 21
Are Germans really efficient? Do they like order? Are they as punctual as everyone says they are? Nicole Palazzo, a US expat living in Germany and the host of The Expat Cast , helps me confirm or bust common stereotypes and cliches about Germans. Discuss your opinions on these stereotypes in the Expat Life Germany Facebook group ! And also: let us know of any we missed, or ones that might be common in your area of Germany. The cult British show that Germans watch every year on New Year's Eve: Di...
Oct 20, 2019•42 min•Ep. 20
Mari is a US expat living in Germany. She's also a writer and an avid pug fan. She discusses what it's like being an English-speaking writer in Germany, her book " The God Queen ", and how to bring a dog from USA into Germany. To win a signed copy of "The God Queen", find the episode post on one of the Expat Life Germany social media channels and follow the instructions: Expat Life Germany Facebook (share the episode post and message the Expat Life Germany account to let me know) Expat Life Germ...
Oct 12, 2019•37 min•Ep. 19
Discuss this episode in the Expat Life Germany Facebook group ! Vlad from Romania was tired of the political situation in Romania, and made the choice to move to Germany. But, unlike many Romanians who emigrate to western Europe, integration is easier for him since he's highly educated and already knows German. But is integration always a choice? We talk about why Romanians have a bad reputation in Germany and how Germany offers a better life for many eastern Europeans. We also look into the lat...
Oct 06, 2019•38 min•Ep. 18
Michael Silberman lives in the USA, but Germany is certainly intertwined with his life over there. His parents left Nazi Germany (and were stripped of their German citizenship) to start a new life in the States, and this heritage led to a fascination with Germany. Michael spent some time in Murnau am Staffelsee and Augsburg back in the 80s, when he studied German at the Goethe Institute. More recently, he became a German when he got his dual citizenship through Article 116 , which restores Germa...
Sep 29, 2019•32 min•Ep. 17
The parkrun concept is simple: you turn up on a Saturday morning and you walk, jog, or run 5km. The best thing? It's free. Since it started in 2004, it has become a global phenomenon. And it's a great thing for expats, too: get out and exercise, and meet new people! In this episode, I talk to the organizers of the Wöhrder See parkrun in Nürnberg about the concept. The parkrun website: https://www.parkrun.com/ The parkrun Germany website (in German): https://www.parkrun.com.de/ The Wöhrder See pa...
Sep 22, 2019•27 min•Ep. 16
What exactly is an "expat"? Turns out this question is not as straight forward as Shaun used to think. He goes into some of the problems surrounding the terminology, and also defines his interpretation of it for the podcast. He also reads out Apple Podcast reviews for the show, talks about some blog posts on the Expat Life Germany website ( 5 Cultural Things to Expect in a German Workplace and Germans Are Weird About Birthdays ), and discusses the traditions around the first day of school in Ger...
Sep 15, 2019•27 min•Ep. 15
In the last episode , Anna Noakes Schulze dropped so many insights about expat life that I had to edit some of it out. Since it'd be a shame for it to go to waste, I decided to put it in a bonus episode. Here is more Anna, and we go into detail about social media, how to help others by first taking care of yourself, and why she is not afraid to make connections with people who might be moving on in the future. Visit Anna's website: https://www.sunflowerux.com/ Ask Anna questions in the Expat Lif...
Sep 11, 2019•13 min•Ep. 14
Anna Noakes Schulze from Canada presented a TEDx talk called “ Living Abroad Teaches Us the Power of Connections ”, and in it she tells her own expat story to demonstrate how those that we make connections with shape our lives and who we are, even if we don't live near them. This will resonate with many expats, and so I invited her to come on the show. In this interview, she expands on the TEDx talk to reveal her wisdom and insights that describe the expat experience. She discusses the question ...
Sep 04, 2019•50 min•Ep. 14
For all the links mentioned in the episode (there are a few!), go to the Finding and Getting a Job in Germany blog post . I go through some of the ins and outs of getting a job in Germany. To help me, I got Cheryl Howard of cherylhoward.com to discuss her experiences as a job seeker in Berlin (she's interviewed for dozens of jobs). Then Abi from IamExpat.de joins me to discuss what goes in a German Curriculum Vitae, as well as some general tips for writing the document. I also give you some advi...
Aug 27, 2019•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 13
I first interviewed Sarah back in July for a bonus episode , because she'd almost been caught by a scam. We had such a great discussion that I wanted to have her back on the show, and here she is. Although Sarah is new in Berlin, she is by no means new to the expat way of life: she has lived in Syria, Canada, Dubai, Malaysia, Japan, and now, Germany. She discusses how her international background has made adapting to new cultures easier, and how she views her identity. She also gives her initial...
Aug 12, 2019•38 min•Ep. 12
Tim Bourguignon is a French citizen who moved to Germany to be with his wife. He describes himself as coming in four flavors: Agile Coach, Chief Learning Officer, Mentoring Advocate, and Public Speaker. He also hosts a podcast called Software Developer’s Journey . After bad experiences learning German in school, Tim picked up German again years later when he actually moved to the country. In our interview, we discuss how his learning was aided by his colleagues, the Volkshochschule (adult educat...
Aug 06, 2019•47 min•Ep. 11
There are a lot of people—expats and Germans alike—who are not pleased about the e-scooter situation in big cities since it became legal for them to share bicycle paths and roads. E-scooter riders are apparently fast, reckless, and they just leave them parked anywhere and everywhere. But surely it can't be that bad? I decided to ask around in forums to get a feeling for the zeitgeist at the moment, and it turns out most people are, in fact, annoyed. Very annoyed. I also discuss how communicating...
Jul 29, 2019•17 min•Ep. 10
When learning a new language, it takes a long time before you're able to express yourself and articulate your thoughts, and so it's easy to feel like you're coming across as dumb. This is just one of the topics that Natalie, a stay-at-home mum from Australia, discusses about her time in Germany. She also discusses her approach to her toddler's language learning, who is a child with an Australian mother and an Italian/German father, and who is growing up in German culture. Plus, Natalie has alway...
Jul 24, 2019•50 min•Ep. 9
Meet Shannon from the USA, whose family were expats in Germany from 2009 until 2013. When they returned to the States, they realized their hearts were still in Germany, and so they immediately started making plans to go back. Shannon talks about falling in love with the German way of life, making compromises for the greater good, and getting out of the expat bubble. Follow Shannon on Instagram: @churchbellsandbicycles If you're a woman and an expat living abroad, Shannon would love to hear from ...
Jul 16, 2019•30 min•Ep. 8
