Episodes
Dealing with depression in Germany (Deenara from Russia)
March 30, 2020
How do you recognize that you are depressed? How do you seek out therapy and other help for depression in Germany? And what if you are from a culture that has a stigma towards mental health issues and therapy? Deenara, who is from Republic of Tatarstan in Russia, is a tech professional and poet liv…
Being a TV anchor, online weirdos, and stereotypes about Russian women (Daria from Russia)
March 23, 2020
Daria, originally from Moscow, Russia, is working as a freelance journalist in Germany. She helped me put an upcoming episode about mental health together, and I wanted to introduce her first. We discuss her role as a TV anchor for OstWest TV , online critics, stalker problems, and stereotypes som…
Coronavirus and COVID-19 in Germany (with Nicole from The Expat Cast and Steph from Geopats)
March 16, 2020
Since COVID-19 in Germany got "real" on Friday 13th March, I felt I had to discuss it. And who better than to discuss it with than two other podcasters: Nicole from The Expat Cast and Steph from Geopats . We cover our personal situations, fake news, coping with the heaviness of a pandemic, how peop…
Leaving Germany after a decade (Natalie from the UK)
March 9, 2020
What is it that makes someone who has lived in Germany for over a decade decide that it's time to go back "home"? Natalie is originally from the UK, and is now making the decision to leave Germany after 11 years. She explains how she got to this point. She also discusses the importance of using mee…
Finding yourself in a second language: language and identity (Steph from Germany)
March 2, 2020
How being bilingual can influence your personality in different languages.
Moving after 40, sensationalist media, and loneliness in Germany (Klaus from Brazil)
Feb. 22, 2020
Klaus was born in Brazil before spending the first 12 years of his life in Germany. After returning to Brazil, he remained in touch with the German language and the culture. By the time he decided to move back to Germany in his early 40s, he was still fluent in German and understood what made the G…
A German experiences the Ausländerbehörde (Nina from Germany)
Feb. 20, 2020
While recording the episode about Carnival in Germany, Nina told a story about the time she had to deal with the same office that foreigners know all too well: the Auslanderbehörde Amt (foreigner's office). SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST
Carnival/Fasching in Germany: "pomp and splendor" (Nina from Germany)
Feb. 16, 2020
It's the middle of Carnival (also known as Fasching or Fastnacht, depending on where in Germany you are). I am not a big fan of it, and so I got a real live German who IS a fan of it to come on the show and explain to me why she loves it. We brush up on the origins of Carnival, we discuss some of t…
A serial expat in Germany (Amy from Canada)
Feb. 9, 2020
Amy is the host of The Expat Experience podcast. She has landed up in Germany after spending time in Vietnam and China, and in our interview she discusses how she's learning German, what it's like making German friends, and if she regards Germany as her final destination. The Elbphilharmonie buildi…
Motivated to adapt by painful social moments (Sindy from Hong Kong)
Feb. 2, 2020
(This is the podcast previously known as Expat Life Germany. In the first few years in Germany, things weren't always easy for Sindy from Hong Kong. As is the experience of many foreigners living abroad, she faced painful and difficult moments. And it was exactly these moments that drove her to not…
Announcement: Renaming the show to The Germany Experience from 1 February 2020
Jan. 27, 2020
The podcast will have a new name from 1 February 2020! Not much is going to change other than the name, so it'll still be the same show you subscribed to. Here's the announcement about why I'm renaming, and what the show will be focusing on in the future.
Classic German movies: Loriot's Pappa Ante Portas
Jan. 20, 2020
You can learn a lot about a culture by watching its movies, which is why I've decided to start watching some classic German movies. I'll discuss why the movie I have chosen is important to German culture, whether it's a good movie for learning German from, and whether or not it's worth your time. T…
SOFA status, growing a thicker skin, and tracking a stolen phone with the Polizei (Audrey & Zach from USA)
Jan. 12, 2020
Audrey and Zach met while in the USA. When Zach, a cartographer, moved to Germany on a SOFA status ( Status of Forces Agreement ), they first attempted a long-distance relationship before Audrey joined him later in Germany. Take a listen to their story, which involves cuckoo clocks, a ride in the b…
Making German candy, learning German history, and growing up as a third culture kid in Bavaria (Travis J. Dow)
Jan. 4, 2020
Travis J. Dow is a host of the History of Germany podcast (and several other podcasts, too). Originally from Oregon, USA, he spent his formative years in Bavaria, Germany. Later he moved to Prague, Czech Republic for 10 years, before moving back to USA. He's a third culture kid, history nerd, and h…
FEGEPADFO Charity Challenge - Final Wrap-Up
Jan. 3, 2020
Nicole from The Expat Cast and I went head-to-head in December 2019 to see who could raise the most donations for our chosen charities. Together we raised 350 euros...140 euros went to Nicole's charity of choice, Women's Worth Inc. , while 210 euros went to my chosen charity, Lebenshilfe in Bad Win…
Missing holiday traditions from home, making new traditions, and fireworks on New Year's Eve
Dec. 23, 2019
For foreigners living in Germany, the holidays are a time that we recreate traditions from our home countries, adopt German traditions, and start new ones. I take a look at how my Christmas experience in Germany has been, and compare it to my summer South African Christmases. Luminaria: https://en.…
Unhappy in Germany (S from India)
Dec. 15, 2019
Donate to my cause in the expat podcasters charity challenge (aka #FEGEPADFO): Donate to Lebenshilfe Bad Windsheim Germany offers a lot of opportunities, but it's also known as a difficult country to integrate into. What happens when the German dream becomes a nightmare? My guest this week (who ask…
The German Freelance Visa (James from LiveWorkGermany.com)
Dec. 7, 2019
Donate to my cause in the expat podcasters charity challenge (aka #FEGEPADFO): Donate to Lebenshilfe Bad Windsheim For many people who are planning to come to Germany, the Freelance Visa might be the way to go. It allows you to provide freelance services in Germany, and you don't need an official j…