Visiting Germany: An Australian in Berlin

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by Mark Tomich

Brandenburg Gate. Photo copyright dpa

Brandenburg Gate. Photo copyright dpa

Today’s guest post comes from an Australian fellow who spent some time in Germany and wanted to share his impressions.  You can finding him on Twitter @TomMark84.  Take it away Mark!

For a city perhaps best known for a wall, Berlin did not strike me as the most exhilarating of destinations for my latest overseas jaunt. As far as I was concerned, it meant cold weather, pretzels (of which I’m not the biggest fan), and stern-faced locals without much of a sense of humour.

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The Week in Germany: Fasching, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Berlin, Donuts

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Fasching Parade in Hessen.

Fasching Parade in Hessen.

Fasching happened. Thank god that’s over.

But I seem to be one of the very few people who don’t enjoy the costumed drunken fest that is German Karnival/Fastnacht/Fasching.  So I won’t rain on your parade.  Here you can hear Lehrer Werkstatt talks about her own experience with this crazy German celebration.  There are a lot of pictures.  No Apathy Allowed also has some photos and words on the subject.

Letters to our pre-expat selves.

“It didn’t take long before you realised the leading an expatriate lifestyle wasn’t always rosy. Starting all over again definitely was as difficult as climbing Everest. Society did not function the way you were used to for the past 26 years.”

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Lego Ergo Sum

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open book

Photo copyright dpa

C.S Lewis was a man after my own heart, he once said you can’t get a cup of tea large enough, or a book long enough to suit me. Tea, reading and writing are up there with German (and now Polish) as the loves of my life. This week is “Reading Week” at Trinity, and I’ve been doing exactly that. Assignments can wait, in the library I’ve buried my head in books about the European Parliament, the birth of “Modernity” in Europe and some German experimental prose. On the bus I’ve been catching up with Bill Bryson via Kindle, and I just finished a book documenting an Irishman’s adventures in Poland during the 1990′s. Both of the above leading to some very unashamed “laugh out loud” moments during the otherwise silent commute.

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German Bundesliga Podcast: Matchday 23 Reaction + DFB Chat

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Talking Fussball Podcast

Talking Fussball Podcast

Talking Fussball: The Bundesliga Show is back to highlight another action-packed weekend of Bundesliga action as James is joined in the heart of Bavaria by Jon and Alex to break down a Matchday 24 that was just as fancy and entertaining as the 2014 Oscars.

Did FC Bayern München’s thrashing of FC Schalke 04 underline the gulf in class between the league leaders and the chasing pack? What are the implications of VfL Wolfsburg suffering a 6-2 drubbing at the hands of 1899 Hoffenheim? Is Armin Veh’s impending departure positive or negative from an Eintracht Frankfurt perspective? Has Joachim Löw waited to long to introduce the likes of Matthias Ginter, Andre Hahn, Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Shkodran Mustafi to the national team and which Bundesliga all-star XI could beat the almighty FC Bayern?

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Expat Life: Advice to My Pre-Expat Self

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Photo courtesy From Casinos to Castles

Photo courtesy From Casinos to Castles

You know, I realize that I don’t write that much about being an expat. You don’t see envious travel pictures from me weekly. I don’t write that often about all of the great things here in Germany or complain too much (except for this time). If I had to give a reason as to why, I could sum it up in just a few words: being an expat is hard.

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The Week in Germany: Food, Comparisons, and a Historical Doll House

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84 on the rhein

Finding food from back home: A vegetarian in Germany reports

I never noticed as I never liked them, but apparently Germany never had a big selection of energy bars.  Until now.  A vegetarian in Germany reports on where you can get them.

It is apparently impossible to talk about wurst without making bad puns.

“I admit, I was sceptical about the sauce. I’m not a huge curry and sausages fan, especially from what I could see, in a less-than-discreet drowning sauce. To the absolute horror of the waiter, I asked for the sauce on the side. Nonetheless, he oliged me, bringing over a small dish of sausages and potatoes, and a large jug of sauce. I poured a little in the corner. A slice of sausage. A dip in sauce….and then… TASTE EXPLOSION!”  Read the rest of the blog here.

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