Expat Chatter
It's true. Even after years of living in Munich, Germany, I find funny stuff to talk about. Language gaffes, cultural confrontations, and life abroad. It's an ongoing adventure!
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 8 minutes
- Episodes
- 162
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Look here, U.S. election deniers – Berlin bungled it big time
The press and social media are still abuzz with deniers of the U.S. elections in 2020, despite the lack of proof. Yet across the ocean – in Germany of all places, that paragon of efficiency – Berlin …
Even better than bread: the best excuse to fatten up, complete with cream filling
January is when Germans confront the fact that Christmas is over but winter is just getting underway. They console themselves by getting an early start celebrating carnival, which involves consuming …
The new, improved me – courtesy of the EU-conform driver's license
For years, I suffered from the lousy picture I had taken for my German license, not knowing I would have this document for decades. Trying to rent a car, get into a night club or bar, or even just ha…
Catapulting the plague into Europe and other viral tales
The coronavirus isn’t the first disease that jumped from animals to humans. This is historically the way that many of the communicable diseases that plague humankind have spread, beginning with the p…
Belt out “Walk the Line” all you want, but walking in the U.S. is not an option
Long gone are the days when you could walk down to the local five-and-dime store to buy anything. These days, no matter what you want to buy, you’re going to have to drive.
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Blasting our way into the New Year
Germans are so careful about maintaining their cars and 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…
Christmas cookies: good, better, and German
I loved Christmas cookies growing up and thought they were pretty good, but have since discovered that German holiday confectionary is in a league of its own – the premier league.
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The best show the World Cup has to offer is outside the stadiums
The news is all abuzz about the World Cup games in Qatar, but the coolest action is taking place outside the stadiums.
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Brenda Arnold
What happened to my pumpkin pie?
It wouldn’t be a holiday without pumpkin pie, but what I bake today is a far cry from what my mother used to put in the oven.
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Brenda Arnold
The 100 meters between fascism and democracy in Munich
On just a 10-minute walk through Munich, I passed a murder scene leading to the end of Bavaria’s first parliament, an infamous chapter of WWII and the rebirth of Bavaria’s democracy.
Led astray by my naïve trust in a native speaker, but I should have known better
My trust in native speakers was boundless, and it caused me to maneuver myself into an excruciatingly embarrassing situation
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Brenda Arnold
In not-so-hot pursuit of the Way of St. James
Somehow I keep coming across the camino or Way of St. James, leading to surprising encounters on rural country roads in Spain and urban squares in Munich.
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Brenda A…
What is the Inquisition doing in 21st-century America?
Looking at U.S. politics over the past few years, Germans recognize many patterns from the Third Reich. One of these is the banning of books.
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Brenda Arnold
No Halloween? No way. My sneaky plot
Some Germans celebrate Halloween, but not all of them. I was determined to find a way for my kids to enjoy it the way I did, spurring me to take some unusual action.
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Noise in the modern world—from cacophonous to carefully controlled
It’s that time of year again: The leaf blowers are back! They add to an increasingly noisy world, but it’s also possible to create pleasant sounds or eliminate them altogether.
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Three cheers for English: Concise, neutral, to the point.
English has its downsides. But when you compare it to German, French, and Spanish it suddenly looks surprisingly efficient and user-friendly.
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Brenda Arnold
Welcome back, fleas! The Oktoberfest is on
Following a three-year hiatus, Munich’s favorite party returned. Corona didn’t dampen people’s spirits, but I wondered if the fleas survived the long stretch.
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Bren…
When life gives you lemons, it helps to recognize them
I thought my French was good enough to get me around southern France. But language skills were not enough.
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Brenda Arnold
Germans put the fun in fungi
My experience with mushrooms was confined to cans as a kid. In Germany, collecting them is a cherished hobby – but don’t bother asking anybody where to find them because they aren’t telling.
50 years later – Triumph and tragedy of the Munich Olympics Part II: Tragedy
The 1972 Munich Olympic Games brought many long-lasting improvements to the city, but they were overshadowed by a tragic terrorist attack.
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Brenda Arnold