Expat Chatter

We are accustomed to seeing cemeteries full of tombstones honoring the dead from both world wars, but this cemetery stretches even farther back into the past. The French Revolution, 

the ensuing Napoleonic Wars, and even the 30 years’ war left their mark on this historic cemetery. French generals have French Republican dates on their tombstones, now illegible to non-historians, and the woman who warned of Hitler’s evil intents—who went unheeded—is buried here, too.

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Brenda Arnold

An almost nostalgic story, written during the pandemic. Remember all those strange projects we took upon ourselves for lack of anything better to do? I discovered the strange parallels between my wardrobe and the methods of the famous German scientist and explorer, Alexander von Humboldt.

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Brenda Arnold

You might think that Germans would mostly miss the beer when they go to the U.S. - but you'd be wrong. What they really pine after is German bread, which is so hearty you might want to refrain if you've just had dental work done. But foreigners living in German grow to love it, too, and woe to those who have to leave the country!

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Brenda Arnold

Germany is the land of soccer, especially in Munich, home of the world-famous FC Bayern. But American football has gain in popularity. Across the country, fans are gearing up for the Superbowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. 
I spoke with two Munich football fans, Stefan and his son Ben, to hear how they fell in love with this sport, despite the huge success of the local soccer team.
 

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Brenda Arnold

Germans are now confronting the fact that Christmas is over but winter is just getting underway. They console themselves by getting an early start celebrating carnival, which involves consuming large quantities of a special pastry, called Krapfen, to prepare for a period of fasting for Lent. True, hardly anybody fasts anymore, but no matter – Krapfen are delicious. Not only are these pastries popular, but their numbers also keep growing and more varieties are created every year. 

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Brenda Arnold

We train dogs, but they have much to teach us. Babies are fluent in body language but over time it is sacrificed to verbal communication. Studying the behavior of dogs gives clues to body language that will serve us well.

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Brenda Arnold

The New Year means more than resolutions. All of Germany sets off firecrackers at midnight on December 31st. This has a huge negative impact on animals, people, and the environment. Calls for restricting or banning fireworks entirely are getting louder every year. 

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Brenda Arnold

On a trip to a Christmas market in Munich, I was inspired by The Night Before Christmas. Many parallels sprang to mind, but with throngs of last-minute shoppers, Christmas markets, and packed trains, I found myself wishing to be whisked away in a sleigh.

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Brenda Arnold

I loved Christmas cookies growing up and thought they were pretty good, but have since discovered that German holiday confectionary is in a league of its own – the premier league.

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Brenda Arnold

Santa Claus, St. Nick, or the Christ child? The figure we associate with Christmas takes on many shapes and forms in different countries. In Germany, he also travels around with a partner who isn’t quite so nice named Knecht Ruprecht. The whole holiday is more complex than you’d think.

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Brenda Arnold