If you’ve ever lived in Germany, especially if you were simultaneously learning German, you’ll be nodding along and cringing with empathy while you read Firoozeh Dumas’s article “Foot Fungus Is Better in America.” I recall some immensely frustrating conversations with pharmacists there, trying to understand what medicine they wanted to give me and trying (but of course failing) … Continue reading Getting Medicine in Germany
Last year, before leaving Germany, we received a book of recipes as a gift. Not just any recipes — each of my husband’s colleagues contributed a handwritten recipe of their own to share with us. In the move, I somehow tucked that book away with non-cookbooks, and it wasn’t until the day after Christmas this year that … Continue reading Apfelstrudel
I think it’s official: I took the bakeries in Germany for granted. That’s not to say that bakeries in Wales are hopeless — they are just different. The desserts here are more likely to be cakes and muffins and cream puffs, and the breads are less varied. I miss walking past croissants and Apfelberliners in … Continue reading Kaffee und Kuchen
What the hell, Aachen? I thought we were done with winter when the temperatures got into the 60s last week. Well, that photo is actually from two weeks ago — it hasn’t snowed quite that much today (yet) — but you get the idea. When I went out for groceries this afternoon, giant, wet … Continue reading Interminable German Winter
There is something magical about standing somewhere and being able to see the past all around you. Imagining someone else standing there, in that same spot, hundreds of years ago. I had a taste of this as a child, visiting the Living History Farms in Iowa. At these farms, I was immersed in a visual, … Continue reading Experiencing the Past in Heidelberg
Expat Linguist 