Pop Your Cultural Cherry

Making friends is a big and very important topic, when moving to a new country. In some countries it could be a bit easier, but in some countries it's really tough. It gets even more complicated when you're older and don't speak the local language. This is a challenge for a lot of people and it does not have one single answer.

In this episode I try to share my impressions in making friends in Germany, more specifically making friends with the local people.  Let's say I've been living here 2 years and I'm only beginning to scratch the surface. The pandemic obviously did not make things easier. 

Join me in this episode as I explore this important aspect of life as an immigrant in a new country.

If you've had your own experiences, do share them in our Facebook page and Instagram  at Pop Your Cultural Cherry. 

Moving to a new country is always tough.  Especially when you have to say good bye to the customs and surroundings you were used to in your home country. Things get exponentially more difficult when you're older, have no network and don't speak the language in the country you are moving to.

In my case the move to Germany wasn't easy, especially in the beginning. Culture shock is real! And in this episode I talk a bit about some of these unexpected challenges that caught me off guard.

At the end of the day, they are differences that we need to learn to live with if we want to embrace our new environment

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After spending more or less 2 Christmases in Germany with a German family in a small village, the country's way of celebrating Christmas is starting to grow on me. In this episode find out what makes celebrating Christmas in Germany unique compared to the other parts of the the world.

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My amazing time in the Netherlands  had come to an end, because of a pleasant surprise in the form of job  in the nearby city of Aachen, Germany.  In this episode I retrace the whole process of looking for an apartment in Germany, and physically moving there.  Moving to a new country  with a new culture and language is never easy. After having slightly adjusted to the Dutch culture, my adventure takes a new unexpected turn. For me this transition wasn't easy, but it was a learning experience. 

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After a year and a half of living in the Netherlands and having visited different cities there, I've compiled a few things that make the Netherlands an ideal place to live or study.

1. Cycling - From having safe lanes, to urban planning that is centered around cycling and abundant bike parking, it  remains a paradise for people who love to cycle.

2.  Tolerance and open mindedness of Dutch society 

3. Dutch fondness for traveling and knack for learning languages - they are all pretty fluent in English

4.  And of course the wonderful variations of high quality beer and cheese

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In the third episode, Lawin talks about his time living in the Netherlands and the biggest culture shocks he encountered. Moving to a new country is never easy, especially if you come from halfway around the world. The host highlights the differences that exist in Dutch culture versus Filipino culture.  From gong Dutch, raw herring to Dutch directness, various topics are covered in the episode. No matter how different things may be, living with these cultural differences just make life more interesting. 

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In the second episode of Pop Your Cultural CHerry, Lawin talks about his preconceived notion of Europe. What contributed to that preconceived notion. And most importantly  what those notions actually were. 

He shares his thoughts on interesting topics such as beer, food, travelling, technological advancements, expenses and safety. 

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The first episode of Pop Your Cultural Cherry is meant to introduce you to what this podcast has in store for you. Lawin talks about why he wanted to start podcasting and what to expect from his succeeding episodes. He also gives you a brief background of himself and where he comes from and a several experiences that have helped shape his perspective. Most importantly you will learn exactly why you should start listening to this podcast.

What to expect in this episode:

1.      Setting the premise of how stark the differences are between Europe (Germany) and the Philippines

2.      A brief summary of how & why Lawin moved to Europe

3.      How he ended up in Germany

4.      Various reasons why Lawin’s perspective is unique

5.      A hint on content for the following episodes 

If you’re new to Europe and want to listen to how other people are doing in terms of integrating into society here, then this might be interesting for you. If you have plans of moving to Europe and want to have some hints of how life is here, then you might want to listen to this podcast.

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