Expat Chatter

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 oil concoction by Starbucks in Italy, we witnessed yet another product derailment.

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Brenda Arnold

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.

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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.

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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.

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Brenda Arnold

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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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?

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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.

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Brenda Arnold