Any foreigner in Germany knows all about the country’s love of overengineering. All it takes is trying to fill out a single form to get a residence permit. Less talked about is how German mothers also overengineer. Are they just responding to t...

Those of us who predate GPS know how to get around without using technology. Knowing the points of the compass is helpful for navigating in an American city, but in Europe, the streets often date from the days of footpaths and donkey carts. The...

I thought my French was good enough to get me around southern France. But a one-letter mistake in a word sent me off on a wild goose chase – if that’s what you can call missing your stop on a bus.  

My trust in native speakers was boundless, and it caused me to maneuver myself into an excruciatingly embarrassing situation.

American companies have made serious inroads into the economies of Europe and elsewhere, but this has come at a cost. There have been some pretty big flops along the way as executives naively thought they could simply replicate the American mar...

It’s corn! I thought I had left that behind me in the Midwest. Nope. Right there, just a ten-minute walk from my suburban Munich apartment, the path goes straight through two cornfields. But the sight of these plants was not as familiar to ever...

If you are in Munich and see people jostling for a spot in line at a produce stand, you can bet they’re queuing for white asparagus. Don’t bother telling them that the green kind is better, because the white stuff has cult status here.

There are grocery stores, and then there’s Aldi. In the decades since WWII, this discounter chain has not only won over the wallets of its customers but also their hearts. Faithful Aldi customers from all walks of life wouldn’t dream of shoppin...

Imagine bending over to tie your shoe. Now imagine that this simple act would earn you millions of dollars. Yet this is just what Pelé did. The shoe: a Puma.

Eyeglasses and watches used to be mundane utilitarian accessories until designers were invited to the table. The ordinary sock has now joined in on the game and is no longer a simple stocking, but a formidable fashion statement. And, as it turn...

When is a snack a meal? It depends on what country you’re in, as Germans discover when they go to America to find potato chips on their dinner plate. Europeans brought foods with them across the Atlantic but many of them were transformed into s...

Germans are usually so logical, it’s hard to believe how that can make misjudge distances so badly when they visit the U.S. But to be honest, it’s kind of gratifying.

I first published this two years ago. COVID seems like a distant memory but reading this brings it all back.Just as I was getting used to not being a mother, my COVID-harassed daughters came home - left - and came home - repeatedly. Now ...

I thought cowboy boots would help me develop my rodeo skills. An evening at the Grizzly Rose bar in Denver was enough to teach me otherwise.

Language class is where you learn to speak a language, but just memorizing vocabulary and practicing dictations won’t do the trick. I found a surprising way to get our exchange student to talk.

The German language is very precise and detailed, sometimes to the extent that it goes well beyond being descriptive and descends into hilarity. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most outrageous examples.

On just a 10-minute walk through Munich, I passed by the places that witnessed three pivotal moments in the city’s history: the scene of the murder of the president of Bavaria’s first parliament just after the end of WWI, the site where the ant...

The U.S. is not just a large country, everything in it seems bigger, too. This includes the huge piles of garbage created from every restaurant visit that are not recycled. For someone living in Germany, a country that prides itself on recyclin...

Germany has become a land of immigrants but is still grappling with this new identity. Munich’s population consisted of 30% foreigners in 2023 and has continued to grow. ...

Do you speak English? This question is often answered with “Yes” all around the world. Why bother learning another language if everyone speaks yours? Apparently, this is what many U.S. universities are thinking as they eliminate their foreign l...

Every language has its peculiarities, which should be respected. But when you translate into another language and aren’t careful, elements of the original one can remain. This can cause confusion or more often, simply make for a shoddy translat...

We train dogs, but they have much to teach us. Babies are fluent in body language but over time it is sacrificed to verbal communication. Anyone with a pet pooch will confirm that our fluffy friends not only manage to express a myriad of emotio...

People’s identities are tied up closely with their names. But even when you are careful to pronounce it correctly you can still get into trouble. In Germany, some people with doctoral degrees have two “doctors” in front of their names—a doctor ...

The Krapfen is the best thing since sliced bread - or in Bavaria, since the monks began brewing beer. During Carnival season or Fasching, the bakeries explode with these delicious pastries. But there's an interesting history behind them, too.

Germans are so careful about maintaining their cars and they build their houses so well that they are practically airtight. But on New Year’s Eve, their sense of caution quite literally vanishes into thin air.