Life in a foreign country
Life in a foreign country · 16. January 2021
At this time last year, most of us were oblivious to the horrors that 2020 was going to unleash on us. In this episode, my ten-year old and I look back on 2020. From Trump to Covid-19, it looked like nothing was ever going to beat 2020. But that was of course before 2021 arrived. With the insurrection in the US capital and the white supremacist terrorists, 2021 is already kicking 2020's ass.
Life in a foreign country · 31. December 2020
2020 is finally coming to an end and I could not be more relieved. Yesterday, more than 1000 people lost their lives here in Germany because of Covid-19. To call 2020 exhausting would be a huge understatement. Despite this, 2020 has taught me a few things that will guide my life going forward.
Life in a foreign country · 20. December 2020
At the beginning of the year, Germany was hailed as a model of how to contain the corona virus. Watching the current number of infections and deaths from corona virus in Germany, that glorious past seems like a bad joke.
Life in a foreign country · 31. October 2020
Every country has its own peculiar habits or things that are so commonly done there that no one pauses to wonder about them. For foreigners, this can sometimes be very baffling if not downright hilarious. In this episode, we talk of the peculiar German things or habits or if you like, the way of life.
Life in a foreign country · 03. October 2020
Today is the 3rd of October 2020 and it’s a national holdiay in Germany. On the 3rd of October 1990, two independent countries East Germany and West Germany reunified to form the current Federal state of Germany. 30 years later, what are the differences? Which places should you as a foreign looking person avoid?
Life in a foreign country · 31. July 2020
Don’t believe people who say it doesn’t matter. It matters a lot. Language gives one insight into what really goes on in the soul of a people; the assholery, the boundless generosity, the vindictiveness. What does the existence of the word “brinkmanship” say about English or “schadenfreude” about German?
Life in a foreign country · 14. April 2020
It has been four weeks since Germany was put in a lockdown because of the highly contagious COVID-19 virus. A lot has happened since then. People have gotten used to not knowing the day of the week. Unlike the neighboring European countries like France, Italy or Spain where so many have lost their lives, Germany seems to have come out almost unscathed. There have been mounting pressure on the government to ease the lock down and so yesterday, a group of experts from Leopoldina (National Acadmy...