Germany is seen as a land of punctuality and organisation. Although broadly accurate, there are areas where chaos is allowed to reign. Queuing is one such area. Why are German queues a contact sport and what does that tell us about the importance of timekeeping over organisation?
One of the most common questions for new arrivals in Germany is how to make friends with Germans. Having lived here a long time I thought I knew, but having children has changed my understanding. Why are the rules to making German parent friends so very different?
Learning to deal with direct communication is key to living in Germany, especially if you come from a culture that avoids brute force bluntness, but what happens when you adopt the power of German directness?
Learning to drive in Germany is no easy feat, but once you pass, the open Autobahn awaits. It can be exhilarating, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. What’s it like to drive on the Autobahn and why should you be careful when discussing speed limits?
Despite having all the essentials, Germany consistently fails to make a decent sandwich. This obviously comes as some surprise, given that bread is practically a religion. What’s the problem with German sandwiches and what do poorly constructed sandwiches tell us about work/life balance?
For expats, the question of home can be a contentious issue and can be a cause of an identity crisis. What is home and can we ever return to it?
Despite the chocolate and schools holidays, Easter isn’t really much of a celebration in the UK. Here, things couldn’t be more different. Whether it’s decorations, fairs or Ostermarkt, Germany seems to come alive at Easter. the only question is: Do you say Easter, Eastern or Ostern?
Tis the season to eat Spargel in all its many and varied forms and you better believe Germany takes Spargelzeit very seriously. This makes things difficult for the tiny minority of us who actually don’t like it, but is it worth incurring the wrath of the Spargel lovers?
Health issues can be alarming when they occur in a different country. There are various anxieties to consider, from language to insurance, but what is it like to have a medical emergency in Germany, and what is the German for "bedside manner"?
Despite the protests of northern Germans, Lederhosen are still considered to be the national dress of Germany. They might be a rather Bavarian peculiarity, but how common is it to see people wearing their Trachten out in the wild?
Bavaria holds the strange position of being both the source of German stereotypes, while also being considered the least German of the Bundesländer. Obviously this makes it hard to describe to non-Germans what it’s like living here. While some make comparisons with Texas, perhaps a better example can be found in the UK?
For much of my adult life, pubs have been deeply important spaces. While Germany has many bars, they tend to differ from the pub culture in the UK and Ireland in various ways. What are these small but important differences, and how do Irish pubs in Germany help or hinder a new arrivals?
On the whole Germans aren’t as socially awkward as the British. How might German grammar help avoid the worst aspects of social awkwardness and what does that have to do with a person’s first name?
Of all the things Germany seems to want, stability is top of the wishlist. It motivates ordinary people to hang homemade signs outside their homes, and it’s a central campaign promise from politicians. However, is it possible to have too much stability, and is that any different from simply standing still?
Random strangers correcting each other is just a part of the everyday in Germany. Unsolicited advice on all manner of topics can be surprising, especially for more indirect cultures, like the British. What drives the German society of auto-correction?
German isn’t so much a language as it is an umbrella term for hundreds of variations on a theme, and despite standard German or Hochdeutsch being taught in schools, dialects can still be heard across the country. However, are dialects under threat, and why might it be too late to save them?
Learning to drive in Germany is no easy feat, but once you pass, the open Autobahn awaits. It can be exhilarating, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. What’s it like to drive on the Autobahn and why should you be careful when discussing speed limits?
British and German food has a lot in common, namely a reputation for blandness, but there is a key difference between the two: spicy food. Does the food in Germany get a bad rap, and why is spice not always an indicator of quality?
Despite efforts in many German companies to create a “Zero blame” work culture, problems still persist. How does Germany deal with responsibility and does it have a problem with blame?
Despite a growing awareness, British food doesn’t have a good reputation in Germany. Why does mint sauce seem to exemplify this negative image in the minds of Germans, and why might Asterix & Obelix be to blame?
