Expat Chatter

Imagine if your wedding were so spectacular that people would want not just to reenact it, but turn it into a month-long spectacle. Introducing: the Landshuter Hochzeit, the recreation of a wedding that took place in the 15th century, complete with a bridal couple in a gilded carriage pulled by noble steeds. But don’t bother getting dressed up – costumes are reserved for the knaves, damsels and knights. You can console yourself with a mug of the beer that is specially brewed for this event.

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Brenda Arnold

I fully expected a lot of cultural differences when I moved to Germany. They speak with lots of umlauts and guttural noises, their cake is superior and the coffee twice as strong. Make that three times as strong. They also have the supreme luxury of public transport and some people don’t even own cars. But I never thought that as an American suburbanite, I would be considered a country girl. A series of unrelated incidents showed me why.

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Brenda Arnold

It is best to learn the standard version of a language, but what if you can’t differentiate between what is dialect and standard? In a bizarre twist of events, I speak more German dialect than my daughters even though they were born here. A close look at Munich’s and Germany’s history reveals how this could happen. 

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Brenda Arnold

The pandemic is over, but its effects continue - sometimes in strange ways. I got used to wearing a mask and seeing others wear them but didn’t realize that taking them off would have some unexpected consequences.

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Brenda Arnold

There was a lot of hullabaloo when Adidas dropped its sponsorship of the rapper Ye for his antisemitic and racist remarks, a deal worth hundreds of millions of euros. But people might not realize that such sponsorships have a colorful history.

On this episode of www.expatchatter.net, we delve deep into the fascinating backstory of two of the biggest sports brands in the world - Adidas and Puma. Join us as we explore how a family feud caused the split of the two companies, leading to a bitter rivalry that lasted for decades. We'll also discuss how the town where they are both based became divided, with people using shoes to determine which company they supported. From sponsorship deals with famous athletes to ties with Nazi Germany, this is a complicated story of family politics, business acumen, and the power of branding. 

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Brenda Arnold

Companies sometimes use shady tactics to gain the upper hand in a market. But this is nothing new. In the past, one city even went so far as to burn down their competitors’ town. Cutthroat competition doesn’t get any worse than that. 

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Brenda Arnold

Germany has become a land of immigrants but is still grappling with this new identity. Munich’s population consisted of 28% foreigners in 2021 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.

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Brenda Arnold

There’s a lot to be said for approaching challenging situations with the right attitude, which is called reframing. On a recent trip across the Atlantic, I had my reframing capabilities put to a serious test, but I passed with flying colors. Although I’m not 100% sure of this, because by the time I got home, I was no longer able to think straight.

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Brenda Arnold

Signs are there for the express purpose of helping you find your way. They tell you where you are or which direction to take. But signs in a foreign country, even or especially when you think you understand them, can get you into a lot of trouble.

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Brenda Arnold

Everybody has their idea of a perfect vacation. I enjoy the ocean, but I don’t have any particular need to get down into it and rub elbows with the creatures of the deep – or fins, as the case may be. So how did I wind up snorkeling in the Atlantic Ocean, looking for sharks, of all things?

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Brenda Arnold