Emma is a dancer who moved from New York City to Berlin. Even though Berlin is a big city, she still has to adjust to the slower pace of life here. She also discusses why there is more freedom to be adventurous with your career in Germany, why Germany is attractive to performing artists, the Visa that allows her to be here, and what you gain when you open yourself up to learning a new language. Follow Emma on Instagram . The 639 year organ musical composition: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...
Sep 14, 2020•35 min•Ep. 56
Shaked moved from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Germany to take the next step in her dance career: a move to dance management or production. But does she want to leave the actual dancing aspect behind? And how can she adapt when the German city she lives in doesn't necessarily give her the career opportunities she is looking for? Shaked talks us through the crossroads that she finds herself at now. We also discuss having a German partner as a portal into German culture, and how the Israeli culture might ...
Sep 07, 2020•50 min•Ep. 55
Originally released on September 4th, 2019 (episode #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 ...
Sep 01, 2020•48 min
Originally released on October 20th, 2019 (episode #20). Are Germans really efficient? Do they like order? Are they as punctual as everyone says they are? Nicole, a US expat living in Germany and the host of The Expat Cast , helps me confirm or bust common stereotypes and cliches about Germans. Find Nicole: The Expat Cast podcast The Expat Cast on Instagram Mail Nicole: theexpatcast@gmail.com JOIN THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP Visit the official The Germany Experience website. Mail me: i...
Aug 24, 2020•40 min
Originally released on July 2nd, 2019 (episode #6). Lori from USA has been teaching English in Germany for almost 40 years, so it’s not surprising that she has a thing or two to say about learning new languages. In fact, her language pedigree goes back to even before she moved to Germany, when she was a German high school teacher in the States. In this interview, Lori’s wisdom and wit shine through as she discusses how she got started teaching in Germany at a Volkshochschule, how speaking a lang...
Aug 17, 2020•34 min
I spent two nights in hospital recently, and during my stay, I recorded several audio logs about my experience. You can hear them in this bonus episode. Since I won't be able to edit the podcast while I recover, I will be putting out some 2019 episodes over the next few weeks. Thank you to everyone who has messaged me well-wishes! JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP Visit the official The Germany Experience website . Support the show Instagram: the.germany.experience Official podcast ...
Aug 12, 2020•14 min
In order to better understand the music tastes of Germans, Craig from Scotland joins me to look at the top 10 selling musical artists in Germany. This includes German and international acts who have sold the most albums since the BVMI started certifying albums back in 1975. You can find the list on Wikipedia . To better get to know the German acts on this list, I put together a YouTube and Spotify playlist: Top German acts playlist on YouTube Top German acts playlist on Spotify The bands and art...
Aug 03, 2020•47 min•Ep. 54
Tania was born in Kenya and has lived in five different African countries. After a short time in Thailand, she’s landed up in Germany, and she feels like this is somewhere she can stay for a longer time. Some of the reasons for this include feeling safer in Germany than in Kenya, and having the safety net of social help that is available in Germany. And yet, despite her contentment in Germany, her heart still belongs to Kenya. Talking with Tania, it’s clear that Kenya is still very much a part o...
Jul 27, 2020•46 min•Ep. 53
Amy always had a dream of living in Germany, and even happened to marry someone who felt the same way. So living here has kind of been a dream come true. And generally, Amy is really happy here -- she admits that she was "right" about wanting to live here. But making friends with Germans is one aspect that has been a challenge. Amy is sociable and outgoing, and has done everything you're supposed to do to integrate yourself: take part in local events, be open, and seek out social situations. Add...
Jul 20, 2020•41 min•Ep. 52
Being the spouse of a diplomat comes with a very specific lifestyle: you move around a lot, you don't stay in a country for long, and you never know where you'll be moved to next. Alexandra Paucescu is a Romanian married to a diplomat, and she has been based in Germany for several years. We discuss what a day in her life is like, whether or not she regrets giving up a management career for her current role, how she suffered from mild depression in her early time in Germany, and also gives some a...
Jul 13, 2020•46 min•Ep. 51
Sarah Jane Scott is an American who has had success as a Schlager singer in Germany. But how does an English-speaking "Ausländer" become a Schlager star? Sarah Jane explains her path to Germany and her Schlager success, talks about what it’s like to be a Schlager singer, and about how she is currently evaluating her next steps. We go into the unhealthy record label/artist relationship, and talk about systemic misogyny and exploitation in the music industry. Sarah Jane Scott's Instagram: Sarah Ja...
Jul 06, 2020•52 min•Ep. 50
Christy is a southern liberal who opened a coffee shop in Germany. Over a Pfälzer Weinschorle, she discusses how she tried to integrate herself the “right” way, how Germany is not the best country for special needs children, not going back to the States for 10 years, and how Germans are racist in a “I didn’t mean anything by it” kind of way. We also talk about her coffee shop. Find Christy on Instagram: ChristyTheExpat and ChristysCoffee.de Durian fruit causes evacuation of a post office: https:...
Jun 29, 2020•42 min•Ep. 49
Carmen is a trilingual Italian living in Munich, Germany. She speaks Italian, German and English fluently, and joins me to discuss her path to becoming trilingual, how she balances three languages, and the effects of learning multiple languages on her native language. We also talk about Italian words that German has adopted - and subsequently used in different ways to the original Italian meanings. Carmen also hosts two podcasts. She has an Italian one called Crucchi o Terroni siamo tutti Fannul...
Jun 22, 2020•52 min•Ep. 48
Beth from the USA moved to Germany to be with her husband, and she found that her adjustment period resembled the 5 stages of culture shock very closely. We talk about how she dealt with each stage, and where she is now on the curve. We also talk about how fencing is actually the perfect coronavirus sport. And, her cat makes an appearance. Read the blog post that we reference in the interview: The 5 phases of culture shock and how to go through smoothly Follow Beth on Instagram . Links to more T...
Jun 15, 2020•44 min•Ep. 47
Jessica is a German African American who has lived in Germany since she was in kindergarten. She joins me for this episode to discuss the recent events that started with George Floyd, and the racism that she deals with on a regular basis here in Germany. Follow Jessica on Instagram . The Trevor Noah video I mention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4amCfVbA_c Links to more The Germany Experience episodes, my newsletter, and my social media : thegermanyexperience.de/subscribe JOIN THE THE GERMANY...
Jun 09, 2020•34 min•Ep. 46
Recorded from a Facebook live stream to celebrate one year of The Germany Experience podcast. I answer listener questions, list my top 5 highlights of having a podcast, and talk to previous guests on the show. Dwight's YouTube show: I, Skylab Follow Nina on Instagram . Follow Sisy the Hamster on Instagram . Links to more The Germany Experience episodes, my newsletter, and my social media : thegermanyexperience.de/subscribe JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP Visit the official The Ger...
May 30, 2020•33 min
Dana Newman from the Wanted Adventure YouTube channel joins me to discuss her book, "You go me on the cookie!". The book (written in German) describes Dana's adventures (and misadventures) learning German, and also highlights the quirks and beauty of the German language. It was written for German native speakers, but it is definitely relatable for anyone who has learnt German at any level. So I got Dana on the podcast to discuss her book, the German language, and her YouTube channel. To see the ...
May 25, 2020•55 min•Ep. 45
Montana Showalter was an American high school student who went on an exchange program to Germany (called CBYX ). At around the same time, she started a YouTube channel intended to document her experiences in Germany. Little did she know that her channel was about to blow up. In our interview, Montana discusses the differences in culture between the US and Germany, how coronavirus cut her Germany stay short, how Germany changed her, and of course, her YouTube success. Watch her videos: Montana Sh...
May 18, 2020•38 min•Ep. 44
Thomas Cartwright is originally from the UK, and landed up in Hamburg working for a video games developer called InnoGames . He explains why a company like InnoGames is a good fit for foreigners looking for opportunities in Germany. He also discusses his path to Germany, learning German through Memrise , and receiving angry letters from German neighbors. Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn and Xing . Look at opportunities at InnoGames: https://www.innogames.com/career/ Links to more The Germany Expe...
May 11, 2020•44 min•Ep. 43
Travelteening is a blog that gives travel advice for traveling with teens. The blogger behind it, Linda from the USA, joins me to discuss the value her family sees in traveling, their three-year-plan to give their children the chance to experience travel in Europe, some insights into traveling with teens, and how they're dealing with the loss of travel freedom that the coronavirus has caused. Linda's blog: Travelteening Practical tips for traveling with teens: How to (Nearly) Master Traveling wi...
May 04, 2020•37 min•Ep. 42
A good way to explore Germany's culture is through its movies. And what better way to do that than to look at the German movies that have had the most success in Germany? But you'll be surprised at the movies that the Germans have flocked to see at the cinemas! In fact, think of the most famous German movie you know. I can almost guarantee that whatever movie you're thinking of is not in the top 10. Dominik, one of the hosts of the German podcast Ach! , joins me to discuss the list, to explain h...
Apr 28, 2020•37 min•Ep. 41
The guest in the previous episode, Greg, is a homebrewing enthusiast, and he talks about his adventures and misadventures brewing beer. He also discusses his website, Brew Wizard , that helps you create recipes and gives detailed instructions on how to brew beer. https://www.brew-wizard.com/ Connect with Greg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cainde9 Links to more The Germany Experience episodes, my newsletter, and my social media: thegermanyexperience.de/subscribe JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE ...
Apr 23, 2020•12 min•Ep. 40
When Greg and Brigida decided to move from California to Germany, they did it with just a small amount of money and two dogs. And they were met with adversity from almost the moment they arrived. This is their story of how they made their time in Germany work. We also talk about life with small kids, what it's like to move to another country when you suffer from anxiety, and German beer. Connect with Greg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cainde9 Greg's brewing recipe site: https://www.brew-wizard...
Apr 21, 2020•45 min•Ep. 40
Deenara from Russia appeared in episode 38, about mental health in Germany. However, her original interview with Berlin-based journalist Daria Sukharchuk also included her talking about her time in Germany. Here is the rest of that interview. Interview recorded and edited by Daria Sukharchuk. Deenara's Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/snumri Daria also has her own podcast: Crafts and People Support the show Instagram: the.germany.experience Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperi...
Apr 13, 2020•17 min
Steph Fuccio, host of the Geopats podcast, is new to Germany and to the German language. So as a new learner, I thought it would be fun to throw some German idioms at her and see if she could figure them out. If you're new to the German language (or even if you are not), it's fun to listen along and see if you can guess them, too. STEPH'S NOTES: Visit Steph's website for all her projects: stephfuccio.com Steph's Podcast Review Day initiative: #PodRevDay The Geopats episode about Steph queuing ou...
Apr 06, 2020•36 min•Ep. 39
How do you recognize that you are depressed? How do you seek out therapy and other help for depression in Germany? And what if you are from a culture that has a stigma towards mental health issues and therapy? Deenara, who is from Republic of Tatarstan in Russia, is a tech professional and poet living in Berlin. In an interview with journalist Daria Sukharchuk, she gives some insights into these questions and more as she describes her experiences dealing with depression after arriving in Germany...
Mar 30, 2020•44 min•Ep. 38
Daria, originally from Moscow, Russia, is working as a freelance journalist in Germany. She helped me put an upcoming episode about mental health together, and I wanted to introduce her first. We discuss her role as a TV anchor for OstWest TV , online critics, stalker problems, and stereotypes some people have about Russian women. Connect with Daria on Facebook . She is also on Twitter . Links to more The Germany Experience episodes, my newsletter, and my social media: thegermanyexperience.de/su...
Mar 23, 2020•39 min•Ep. 37
Since COVID-19 in Germany got "real" on Friday 13th March, I felt I had to discuss it. And who better than to discuss it with than two other podcasters: Nicole from The Expat Cast and Steph from Geopats . We cover our personal situations, fake news, coping with the heaviness of a pandemic, how people should stay home, and just our general feelings about what is happening. Things are changing pretty fast right now, so this discussion was recorded just before Germany ordered a lot of institutions ...
Mar 16, 2020•42 min•Ep. 36
What is it that makes someone who has lived in Germany for over a decade decide that it's time to go back "home"? Natalie is originally from the UK, and is now making the decision to leave Germany after 11 years. She explains how she got to this point. She also discusses the importance of using meetups to learn German and meet people, the things she won't miss, why people have to give way to the right on the roads here in Germany, and...jousting. Natalie is Prattilicious (!!!) on Instagram and E...
Mar 09, 2020•39 min•Ep. 35
Steph is from Bavaria, and moved to the UK when she was in her 20s before ending up in Austin, Texas. She learned to speak English at a native-speaker level, and found that it just suited her. Because she's got a fantastic command of both German and English, she has a lot of insights about being bilingual and about expressing one's self in different languages. In my chat with her, we discuss how it's possible to have different personalities in the different languages we speak, how German isn't a...
Mar 02, 2020•41 min•Ep. 34
