Americans in Germany Drinking Whiskey

Our Personal Language Learning Journeys - EP 39

Learning a new language takes a lot of commitment and hard work. We all have such high hopes for a speedy road to fluency, but some of us unfortunately fall short. In earlier episodes, we’ve given advice on learning German and what steps we would suggest someone takes when they first arrive in the country. However, we didn’t dive deep into our personal experiences learning German and what we did wrong. This week, we’re going to give a very honest picture of our language learning journeys, in the hopes that all of you learn from our mistakes and improve your German skills faster than we did. Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

Forever Young: Growing Up in Germany vs. USA - EP 38

Everyone experiences growing pains, no matter where you may have called home as a kid. This week, we’re going to look into the differences between childhood experiences in the USA and Germany. Some of the major differences include the schools, the level of independence from parents, and of course, when a teen will be able to buy their first beer! To help give us the German side of the story, we are once again joined by Felicia, the host of the YouTube channel “Feli From Germany.” We compare her experiences growing up in Munich against ours in California and Rhode Island. Prepare to feel forever young!
 
Feli From Germany - YouTube Channel

Berlin, Berlin: Part 2 - EP 37

Berlin kommt wieder! We weren’t able to cover Germany’s capital city with just one episode, so here comes a sequel. One of the reasons the city is so different than the rest of the country is the international influence from the large population of foreigners. Over 777,000 non-Germans are currently living in the city! Join us now for the second instalment of our series covering the city that is, “poor, but sexy.”

Oktoberfest - EP 36

We're sure you've all heard of it, but what is it exactly? Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest and it all started over 200 years ago as a - not so simple - wedding celebration. Today, it's a massive beer festival in which 7 million liters of the bubbly stuff is consumed over a 2 week period, mostly in September (only a few days bleed over into October). It's a massive celebration people that brings people to Munich, Germany from all over the world. We'll give you details of the goings-on and some tips to help you survive if you ever attend yourself.

Making Friends With Germans - EP 35

This week's episode will focus on how expats can make connections with Germans and possibly create long lasting friendships. A lot of people who move abroad usually feel lonely and isolated when they first arrive. One of the first steps to making their new country a home is to connect with locals and find those you can spend time with. To help us, our guest is Shaun Behrens, the host of The Germany Experience Podcast. He moved to Germany many years ago from South Africa and lived in small German villages, not large cities full of other expats. Shaun has some insight into what will help you befriend Germans and what will result in a loud, “nein!”
 
The Germany Experience Podcast: https://www.thegermanyexperience.de/

Berlin, Berlin: Part 1 - EP 34

Hello Berlin! Throughout past episodes we’ve given little tastes of the city, but oddly enough, we’ve never given a full picture of the German capital. Did you know it was once just a giant swamp? This week we’ll discuss Berlin’s history, its districts, the cost of living, what makes it so special and more! This time we bit off more than we could chew, so we ended up making this a two parter. Join us now for the first instalment of our series covering the city that is, “poor, but sexy.”

It's Showtime! German Film & TV - EP 33

Lights, camera, action! This week we're talking about German media and more specifically, German film and television. The productions created within Germany have differences from their USA counterparts, however they have been improving in quality and international reach during the past decade due to online streaming. Did you know everyone living in Germany is required to fund all public TV and radio out of their own pockets? Did you know every year big American blockbuster movies are filmed in Germany because of the tax breaks and government incentives? Grab some popcorn and listen as we give you the inside scoop!

The Expat Files: An Englishman & the Berlin Music Scene - EP 32

The music scene in Berlin is legendary, especially for the unofficial punk and techno clubs that popped up around the city - East and West Berlin - during the 1970s and 1980s. Neither music style was born in Germany’s capital, however it was in Berlin that they were truly turned into movements that united the youth of Germany and helped them to express themselves during turbulent times. During this week’s episode we’ll discuss the history of Berlin’s music scene and also talk with our guest Matthew Conway, the lead singer of the indie punk rock outfit “The Roxies.” He’ll give insight into his passion for music and the journey that took him from England all the way to Germany.
 
The Roxies: https://roxies.bandcamp.com/