April, 2012 // Posts published in April, 2012
The weight of words… in a foreign language.
When learning a new language, we spend most of our time focusing on word order, grammar and pronunciation. At the beginning, words in a foreign language just don’t seem to hold as much weight as they do in our native tongues. And then, gradually, our vocabulary increases, and we start to not just understand the ...
How to build your foreign language skill confidence
Sometimes it totally pays to be an American in Germany. And if you really want to build your language skill confidence, just start watching game shows in Germany… for children. Unfortunately, for these students, I was not in attendance to help out. As such, they answered that the city of Santa Fe is in state ...
We don’t dial 9-1-1 in Germany
Being an American, I have to admit that when I first saw this sign hanging outside a family member’s house, yes, I did laugh. I know, how American of me. But now that I live in Germany, I can safely say we don’t dial 911 here either. Not because of a gun, obviously, but because ...
The mind of Expat-Mom… Things go full-circle, I promise. Not like crazy coo-coo circles, just like Lion King circles.
Today’s post is brought to you by my indecisiveness… Because I can’t narrow down one thing to write about, today’s post reads kind of like Pulp Fiction or The Big Lebowski where nothing really makes sense; the ending is at the beginning, chronologically events aren’t in order, but it gives you a confused idea of ...
The Science Dummy is Once Again in the House – Flora and Fauna?
I’ve always found that any time I use the word “bug” (as in insects) when speaking with Germans, they seem to be a bit perplexed and always give me an, “I’m not sure I understand what you mean,” look. Eventually the conversation ends in them saying, “Oh, an animal.” And I am left thinking, “No, ...
Awkward Moments – Why do we self-inflict the awkwardness?
When a long-term couple separates, it is always difficult for everyone involved; the couple, their family members, and the children. And when you have children, these two separated people are actually still forever tied. Organizing overnight stays, vacations, and holidays can be done separately by taking turns. Ok, maybe a little rocky at times, but ...
Gatorade or Beer? – The Drink Choice of the Champions
If you just won your title championship game for the second year in a row, which would you prefer to celebrate with afterwords? Gatorade, as the US teams do… Or Beer? I think I would choose the latter. And with this large, estimated 5 liters of beer, do you: a.) Drink It. b.) Poor it ...
When do Stay-At-Home Moms get a sick day?
Have you ever read a self-help article expecting to get something out of it only to find that it simply regurgitates everything you’ve already known or read before? The one’s that get me are the dieting articles and about 98% of workout articles. The only reason I bother is if I am looking for a ...
Have you gotten your dose of Deutsch-placement in your Primetime TV lately?
How come I never realized how many references to Germany exist in primetime television? Once I moved here, I suddenly noticed… with a little help from my husband who gets overly excited any time he hears or sees a reference. As such, here are my favorite and most memorable references within the last 2 years. ...
It must be true… because my husband says so – Episode 1 (Not counting the Valentine’s Day incident, of course.)
This conversation took place last night in reference to last night’s Blog post, which also included a small bit about the possibility of Veteran’s Day in Germany and receiving chocolate chips as a gift. Me: Can you read tonight’s post and let me know what you think? I still have to take the chocolate chip ...
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