Episodes
Helping families to meet like-minded families (Dzhangar from MatchFamilies)
June 15, 2022
During Dzhangar's first years in Germany, he noticed what many foreigners notice: how difficult it was for his family to meet other like-minded families. And making friends is crucial. It helps to make you feel more at home,…
German traditions or superstitions? (Nina from Germany)
June 8, 2022
If you've ever wished a German "Happy birthday" before their actual birthday, you will no doubt have quickly learnt that it's just not done. It's just a tradition based on superstition, but many Germans abide by it. So, is i…
Eurovision Song Contest 2022 recap, the importance of community, and redefining your identity (Beth from the USA)
May 17, 2022
Beth comes back on the podcast to discuss how she recently found herself post-pandemic in a world that had shrunk to just her job and her family. While this isn't a bad thing, Beth was lacking a feeling of community. She als…
Using your own culture to integrate in Germany (Saehee from the USA)
May 12, 2022
When Saehee, a Korean American, first moved from the States to Germany, she struggled to adjust for many different reasons. This led to her feeling depressed and lonely. But that would all change once she started getting ba…
States of Liberation: gay rights and discrimination in Cold War Germany (Samuel Clowes Huneke)
April 20, 2022
It's conventional knowledge that West Germany was more liberal and progressive than East Germany. Then it stands to reason that West Germany was more accepting of gay rights. But was this really the case? Of course, these th…
Language barrier problems, and overcoming the challenges involved with reporting sexual assault (Mei Chi from Hong Kong)
April 6, 2022
When Mei Chi arrived in Germany, she faced several challenges caused by the language and cultural barrier. Not understanding German can result in some minor inconveniences that make funny stories later on, but other misunder…
Writing a Eurovision song, and traveling to the Arctic and Antarctic (Fadi from the UK)
March 2, 2022
Fadi Gaziri returns to the show to talk about writing a song for the Eurovision song contest. We talk about why we love the Eurovision song contest so much, what makes a good Eurovision song, and how countries select their e…
Choosing a rural life, coming to Germany as a lawyer, and a giant tea cup (Rachel from South Africa)
Feb. 23, 2022
It only took 106 episodes, but Shaun finally has a South African guest on the podcast! Rachel is a lawyer (also a first) who has only been in Germany for a few weeks. She discusses her first impressions of Germany, choosing …
Visa struggles, escaping the pandemic on an organic farm, and being a musician in Germany (Laura Osburn from Canada)
Feb. 16, 2022
Laura Osburn is a singer/songwriter from Canada who came to Germany in January 2020 to work on her album and play live shows – and both those plans have been derailed by COVID. We talk about her struggles to get a long-term …
How to be a good dinner guest in a German home (Nina from Germany)
Feb. 9, 2022
Getting invited to a German's home for dinner is difficult enough, but if it happens, you're probably nearing the German's "inner circle". But how do you behave? What is good etiquette? Are there unwritten rules you need to …
Podcasts, why we love them, and how they help foreigners (Marina and Greta from Buongiorno Bitch)
Feb. 2, 2022
Marina is from Spain and Greta is from Italy, and together they host a podcast called Buongiorno Bitch . They join me to discuss our love for podcasts, and how they can help foreigners. We also talk about how both of them en…
Charity challenge wrap-up, and when The Germany Experience will be back
Dec. 29, 2021
The 2021 charity challenge between Nicole of The Expat Cast and I is done, and we have a winner! We were able to raise a combined total of 1065€ for Kinderlachen, a charity that helps children in need. Thank you to everyone …
2021 lows and highs and a charity challenge update with Nicole of the Expat Cast
Dec. 22, 2021
Recorded as an Instagram Live on 21 December 2021. Nicole of The Expat Cast joins me to discuss our low and high points of 2021, and to give an update on our annual charity challenge, this year called ThrEGEPADFO. I also rea…
Making German easier with “-chen” endings, a PhD as a job, and Germans take long to say goodbye (Jeanette from the USA)
Dec. 15, 2021
Jeanette from the USA moved to Germany to continue her studies, and ended up in a PhD program in Aachen. She discusses her experiences making friends while studying, learning German, and her life as a PhD student in Germany.…
Episode 100: Funny and memorable The Germany Experience moments
Dec. 7, 2021
DONATE in the ThrEGEPADFO CHARITY CHALLENGE! It's the 100th episode of The Germany Experience! To celebrate, I take a look at just a few of the many memorable moments I've had on the show. Including clips from the following…
The leaving Germany episode
Dec. 1, 2021
Not every Germany experience ends with permanent residency or German citizenship. For some, the plan was never to stay for longer than a few years, or things change during the stay, or some other unforeseen occurrence (cough…
Anatomy of a German job interview (Lisa Janz from Job Coach Germany)
Nov. 24, 2021
What can you expect in a German job interview? What's expected of you? Lisa Janz , the woman behind Job Coach Germany, joins me to explain what the five phases of a typical job interview are, and gives some insights into wha…
Health insurance in Germany Q&A, with Techniker Krankenkasse
Nov. 17, 2021
You sent in your questions about health insurance in Germany, and this week a representative from Techniker Krankenkasse, Nina, is here to answer them. You can also get an idea of what to expect from a health insurance fund…
"Was guckst du?": A 20 year love/hate relationship with Germany (Elizabeth from the USA)
Nov. 10, 2021
Elizabeth first spent time in Germany as a student, and she fell in love with the place. But, by the time her year was up, she was ready to return back home to the States. However, when she got home, she immediately started …
The Expat Spouses Report - the results are in (Amaia from Expats & Spouses Monitor)
Nov. 3, 2021
How educated are expat spouses? How do they feel about life in Germany? What word would they use to describe Germany? A new study by Expats & Spouses Monitor answers these questions, and more. Back in February 2021, Amaia, …
Shopping habits, my German nemesis, problems with dialects, and more: Q&A episode
Oct. 27, 2021
From new shopping habits through to being scolded by Germans, here are the answers to the questions you asked about life in Germany! The Instagram users who asked me questions: @Lilo_hlt06 @Sscomstoc @Alyssa.savs @Soundinglu…
Working in tech in Germany (Yotzín from Mexico)
Oct. 20, 2021
What's it like working in tech in Germany? What do foreigners need to know about finding a tech job in Germany? Yotzín, from Mexico, joins me to answer these questions and discuss his experiences working in the tech field i…
German culture: Der Struwwelpeter and other horrifying children's stories (Nina from Germany)
Oct. 6, 2021
After watching the Calvin & Habs duo do a reenactment of a German children's story called "Paulinchen", I decided to buy the collection of stories it appears in. It's called Der Struwwelpeter, named after one of the characte…
Foreigner friendships, moving back home, and “F**k it” moments (Beth & Amy from the USA)
Sept. 29, 2021
Both Beth and Amy have appeared on The Germany Experience before, and now they come back on together after having forged a friendship here in Germany. But, as often happens with foreigner friendships, Amy moved back home. We…