Thinking of packing your suitcase and becoming an expat? Here are some tips on how to make it happen. Photo cc flickr user Jonas Design & Photography

Ever since I started blogging about my expat life in Germany, I’ve gotten questions from readers asking for help.  People wanted to know more about my decision to come here, about getting a job or a visa, and about learning the language.  As I often get the same questions again and again, I’ve put together a few of the most frequently asked so that it is easier for you to find answers.  If I haven’t touched upon something you’d love to know more about, leave your questions in the comments, and I will include them in future Q&A blog posts.

Welcome to our new YG blogger Jesse! Photo (c) Jesse Woods

According to Wikipedia, the term Military brat “describes people who spend their childhood or adolescence while a parent (or parents) serve full-time in the armed forces.”

I have lived in Germany for most of my life, but I feel like I have really only lived in Germany during the last two years working for a small German Internet company and hosting a weekly talent show at a local German night club.

Many foreigners think about living in Germany after studying an interesting university language course, visiting on a family vacation, discovering a foreign job opportunity,  or even after seeing a movie with scenes of Germany’s beautiful castles and countryside.

Hamburg Weihnachtsmarkt, Photo: (cc) flickr user mawel: Marc Wellekötter

There’s nothing like the German Christmas market atmosphere. I remember the first time I had the chance to experience it back in 2009, when I found myself immersed in the wonderful Christmas market of Hamburg. I remember that evening like it was yesterday because it was then that I really started to fall in love with Germany. After this experience, I tried to spend all my holidays and time in this country, as well as learning more about Germans and their culture.

An event at the Mainzer Fastnacht celebrations. Photo (cc) flickr user thenunchuk

The “fifth season” starts today.  You see, the seasons work a little differently in Germany—particularly in the cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Mainz.  Instead of the usual Spring, Fall, Winter, Summer rhythm, the monotony of a chilly fall and a colder winter are broken up by a season not related to the weather at all: Fastnacht (also known as Fasching or Karnival).

Fastnacht (what you might know as Mardi Gras) is the season of parties.  Of costumes.  Of sanctioned letting loose and public celebration.  This year the start of the season will be celebrated with a special furvor.  Fastnacht traditionally begins on November 11th at 11:11 am.  Which means that this year’s celebrations will start on 11.11.11 at 11:11.

A slightly ambiguous photo of a park sign… "Please BBQ dogs" (Flickr: bleicher)

If I said to you barbeque, you’d say to me: America! After all, it is the land of BBQ sauce, rib and steak cook-outs and, oddly enough, a variety of grilled “dogs” – which, I have to confess, I always had the Koreans down for, but whaddya know?

Anyway, I’m not the only one who’s a little limited in his range of associative thinking when it comes to barbequed food: after all, how many of you would instantly think of Germany when you smell charcoal and singed sausages?

For my money, the biggest disappointment is Eintracht Frankfurt. You name it, they’ve done it wrong, and so they deserve what is looking likely to be the fourth relegation in club history. I mean, just look at them: the worst second leg to a season ever and a disastrous attempt at something approaching football against Cologne this weekend – which, needless to say, ended with them losing 0:2.

So Borussia Dortmund is now the Bundesliga champion 2010-2011. Despite there being another two match days this season, BVB’s 2:0 win against Nuremberg on the weekend put them beyond the reach of their closest rivals, Leverkusen, who lost 0:2 to Cologne. Even if the Leverkusen boys had won, though, their chances of claiming this title this season would have stayed slim.

Dortmund’s statistics speak for themselves: they have the most wins, the least defeats, and the lowest number of goals conceded – they’ve been at the top of the league table since the tenth match day without even the shortest interruption. They are a young, dynamic team, headed by great players like Götze, Großkreuz, Hummels, Sahin, Schmelzer and Barrios – and I think they really deserve their victory. Well done Dortmund!