I’ve spent years telling you how great life in Frankfurt is. So when I read that my beloved home abroad was ranked second worst city to live for expats in a survey – better than Johannesburg but not as bad as Paris – I was shocked to say the least. Especially as the number of... Continue Reading →
Alisa: An extrovert with many long-standing friendships from different paths of life, including school, travels and work. Strong interpersonal skills, good at keeping in touch with people, and always, always socialising.Yep, that was me before I moved abroad. To be more accurate, you could even add a third 'always' before 'socialising.' I loved being surrounded... Continue Reading →
I initially sought out German platforms to help improve my German skills. For me, this was the most practical and convenient way to integrate language learning into my everyday life. If you've not yet tried it, I can highly recommend this. I would find one account that I could relate to, and then scroll through... Continue Reading →
Along with Beer, Pretzels and the Autobahn, Germany is well known for it's 'Ordnung', often translated as 'order'. However, when exploring the assumed order, organisation and efficiency of German culture, there seems to be more than what meets the eye. Before delving into the topic, I feel a definition is appropriate: Rumour: "An unofficial interesting... Continue Reading →
I was shocked when I first moved to Germany and people would tell me they couldn't meet up because they wanted to relax and just be at home. Like really, I was shocked. Why so honest? Could they not have at least made up a real excuse? It's not like they're actually busy. However, after... Continue Reading →
Sharing a bed is great for a cuddle until the other person rolls over and yanks the cover off you, leaving you with two options: Freeze Learn to strategically pull the cover back, and sleep in a way that reduces the risk of you losing it again. What happened to that peaceful 'people-don't-move-one-centimetre' sleep that... Continue Reading →
"Mit oder ohne?" (with or without?) is a question I had to quickly get used to when making my order at restaurants in Germany. "With or without what?" I would ask myself after ordering water with my meal. Would you also be confused? Drinking Water in Germany There are two instances of culture shock here:1)... Continue Reading →
British people are well known for over-apologising. We’re “sorry” for asking a favour, “sorry” for being late (even if we had no intention of turning up on time), “sorry” when we want to ask someone a question, and even “sorry” if someone else bumps into us. For people of British culture, "sorry" is not just... Continue Reading →
I hadn't thought twice about the fact that I didn't even know of any German furniture stores before I moved into my unfurnished apartment. I'd assumed I would buy everything from Ikea however, it turned out that Ikea is great for some items but not so good for others. I found myself having to look... Continue Reading →
I love spoiling my friends on their birthdays: making them feel extra special as they celebrate one more year of life. I love giving thoughtful gifts, writing nice messages in cards and making sure the person who's birthday it is gets spoilt. So yes, I was very surprised to find my friends buying me drinks... Continue Reading →
The stare I received as I quickly tried to get to the other side of the road in Germany in 2012 was so piercing that I've not forgotten it until this day. And it took a few of these unwelcoming stares for me to realises that I was being frowned upon for crossing the road... Continue Reading →
"Zusammen oder getrennt?" Together or separate asks the waiter/ess as you finish a meal with friends and request to pay the bill. If you're wondering what is meant by this, in Germany you are literally asked if you want to split the bill between the table or if one individual will be covering everyone. Honestly, I think... Continue Reading →
"What!? How can an apartment not come with a kitchen?" Is the exact reaction I had when I first found out that German apartments do not necessarily come with a kitchen. I mean, really, how is that even possible? It's like the bathroom coming without anywhere to wash, or like a friend of mine said,... Continue Reading →
Imagine being hungry, like really hungry and instead of offering you a nice, filling, savoury meal, someone asks you if you want slice of cake. Noooo, I don't want cake, I'm starving, I want real food! I recently went to a cafe with a group of friends (German and non-German) and given that it was... Continue Reading →
Being sick is a weak excuse in the London office. Unless everyone can see that you have dragged yourself to work that morning, are looking extra rough, tried to act as if you’re not ill, but still ended up nearly fainting at your desk, you’re either completely faking it, exaggerating or running out of annual... Continue Reading →
Essential organisation is required for the brutal 3 minute procedure of having your food practically chucked at you after being scanned, whilst you’re expected to pack, swipe your points card, sign after using your debit card (because apparently a PIN just isn’t good enough) and then maybe you’ll get a "tschüß" if you’re lucky as... Continue Reading →
Alisa Jordan Writes 