June 23, 2015

Saturday Morning Markets

June 23, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

We have been pretty busy this year already - from dog sledding in Sweden to diving in Iceland, spending time with my grandparents and my sister, visiting Paris with friends - we decided that we needed a couple of weekends at home to regroup. Whenever we are home on a Saturday morning, there is one thing that I always like to do: go to the market. Each Saturday, no matter the weather, farmers, butchers, chicken keepers, and flower growers come from all over the region to sell their produce, meat, eggs, cheese, and flowers. The produce is always super fresh and the quality is fantastic. Not to mention, I love that I am supporting local farmers and am able to eat locally and seasonally.

April 28, 2015

7 Germans Words That Sound Inappropriate in English

April 28, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Ahh, the German language! With it's famous compound words, umlauts and the guttural ch sound, the German language is not necessarily easiest language in the world to learn. Mark Twain has even written an entire novella about it. Despite it's difficulty to learn, let alone master, there are some amusing aspects to the German language. Over time, we have come across some....interesting....words that sound funny, inappropriate, or both, to an English speaker. The list below highlights some of the more colorful ones we have found. Enjoy!

February 27, 2015

9 Habits We Picked Up When We Moved to Germany

February 27, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

We have had no less than 5 people either share, comment, ask, or send us the link to this article about American habits that one girl lost when she moved to Germany. Most of the questions revolve around, ''Is it true?'' And both of us would say yes, especially regarding the parts about small talk and public nudity. We have pretty much lost all of those habits while living over here. Perhaps they're just in hibernation until we move back to the States. Only time will tell if we will eventually regain them.

February 20, 2015

5 Tips for Drinking With Germans

February 20, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Just in time for the weekend! Germany is generally thought of as the home of beer. Whether or not that is true is up for debate, but the fact is, Germans like their beer. And if you're in the western part of the country, in the wine regions, you will find that they also like their wine. Since we have been here, Aaron and I have been in multiple scenarios that involve Germans and alcohol. And it is from those scenarios that we have learned a few things that we would like to share with all of you, should you find yourself drinking with a German.

February 18, 2015

American Expats Experience German Karneval

February 18, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Well folks, this weekend was definitely one for the record books. Friday after work, we boarded a train and headed north to Südlohn, a small town almost in the Netherlands, to participate in a weekend of Karneval festivities with some new German friends. The first parade was on Saturday and they continued through Monday. One of Aaron's coworkers and his friends built probably the most elaborate floats I've ever seen.

October 29, 2014

German Garbage Separation - A Futile Task

October 29, 2014/ Meghan Oaks

Going ''green'' is not a new phenomenon, nor is it uniquely German. In the US, well, at least in Michigan, returning your pop cans and other forms of recycling are common. However, recycling is usually limited to aluminum cans from preserved foods, perhaps glass, and old newspapers and boxes. Composting is becoming more common, but it still rarely seen. In Germany, they recycle, quite literally, everything. And learning how to do it properly can take years to master. Here is the 9 page document for Mannheim on proper garbage sorting. Yes, 9 pages. On garbage. Did I mention that Germans also tend to love paperwork ;)

October 27, 2014

German Sports - Handball Edition

October 27, 2014/ Aaron Oaks

Since Meghan and I both have siblings that are involved in sports, we felt this recent experience is one that they all would have enjoyed. On Saturday we found ourselves without any concrete plans, but we had recently seen an advertisement for the Rhine Neckar Löwen (Rhein Neckar Lions) handball team. Neither of us had ever seen this exciting game so we decided to get some more details. The internet told us that there was a game at 16:15 at the SAP Arena. So, off we went.