The Germany Experience
Shaun Behrens
159 episodes
Life in Germany, as seen through the eyes of outsiders. Featuring the stories of foreigners who moved to Germany - either temporarily or permanently - and tips and advice for life in Germany. Get an inside view of the joys, the frustrations, and the quirks of adapting to the culture and learning German. New episodes every second Wednesday.
Episodes page 2 of 4
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RERUN: Sandals and socks, making friends with Germans, and "selfishly" staying in Germany (Amy from the USA)
//This episode originally aired on 20th July 2020// Original Show Notes: Amy always had a dream of living in Germany, and even happened to marry someone who felt the same way. So living here has kind of been a dream…
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RERUN: Germany chose me (Sneha from India)
//This episode was originally aired on 16th November 2020// Sneha from India moved to Germany in 2011. A professional Indian classical dancer, she was expecting something similar to New York, where people knew about…
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The German dream, mental health as a content creator, and toxic positivity (Aspen from the USA)
Aspen is originally from the USA and has been living in Germany for 7 years now. She runs the Aspen Abroad YouTube channel. She joins me to discuss the topic of mental health as a foreigner in Germany, as well as the…
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From a big city to a small German town, and freelancing in Germany (Lara from Slovenia)
Lara is from Slovenia, and you might know her from her Instagram or TikTok channels, where she posts short, informative and funny videos about life in Germany. She made the move from Chicago, where she was living at…
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From long distance relationship to locked down together (Kaleena from the USA and Jan from Germany)
Kaleena is from the USA, and Jan is from Germany, and together they host the YouTube channel, Kaleena and Jan. Shortly after meeting each other, their relationship was forced to go through two phases by the pandemic:…
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Coping with depression in Germany, seeking help, and online therapy (Steffi from the UK)
Steffi is from the UK, and she describes herself as an "unexpected expat". In fact, as someone who experiences anxiety and who is a planner, life in a foreign country was not something she considered. When Steffi moved…
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Apologizing in Germany, sauna surprises, and making friends: an expat's guide to living in Germany (Fadi Gaziri from the UK)
Fadi Gaziri has written a book about life in Germany for foreigners called, "Ze Germans: An Expat's Guide to Living in Germany", and he joins me to discuss the book and some of his insights from his experiences in the…
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Advice for foreigners in Germany, taken from two years of The Germany Experience
The Germany Experience podcast is 2 years old and to celebrate, here is a compilation of some of the advice that guests have offered about everything from making friends through to preparing for bureaucracy. Thank you…
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Three amazing women from German history (Jasmin from HerStory)
Jasmin is the host of a podcast called Herstory, which tells the stories of strong women from history. Her podcast inspired this week's episode: a look back at incredible (and underappreciated) women from Germany's…
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Beer, digitization, security, and education: our preconceived notions of Europe (Lawin from the Philippines)
Before you move to a foreign country, you inevitably have a picture of what it's like in your mind. Maybe you got it from TV and books, or perhaps you've met tourists from that country. Lawin, host of the Pop Your…
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Planning a summer trip to the mountains (Ceri from the UK)
If things in Germany continue easing up, vacation will again be possible this summer. A very popular tourist destination is the mountainous region of Bavaria. Ceri, originally from the UK, runs a mountain tour and…
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Three key factors for making friends in Germany (Nadja from Germany)
Nadja Todt was born and raised in Germany, but spent 11 years abroad. She describes herself as a global citizen, change-maker, international experience expert, community connector and mentor, and a German and English…
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Feeling weighed down by the pandemic, and making the trip back home (Beth from the USA)
How are foreigners in Germany feeling right now? Do they feel like they want to pack up and return to their home countries? And what is it like to make the trip back home? These are all questions we look at in this…
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BONUS - My experiences searching for jobs and working in Germany (Lisa Janz interviews me)
Lisa Janz, who is a job coach for internationals in Germany, recently interviewed me in a live Q&A on her Facebook page. This is the audio of that video. She asked me about my experiences looking for jobs and working…
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What do you want from a job in Germany? (with Lisa Janz from Job Coach Germany)
Lisa Janz is a career coach for international professionals in Germany. She joins me to discuss the big question of how to figure out what you want from a job in Germany. New foreigners in Germany often just want to…
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RERUN: Being far from family when losing someone, making friends through team sports, and security in Germany (Rafael from Brazil)
Originally release on 3rd November, 2019 (episode #21) One of my best friends in Germany, Rafael from Brazil, experienced loss when his father passed away, and talks about how he coped dealing with that being far from…
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Finding an apartment in Germany: tips, advice, etiquette, and other things you need to know (Madalina from Relosophy)
Madalina, originally from Romania, is a relocation agent who helps foreigners find accommodation in Munich. And as she says, if you can make it in Munich, you can make it anywhere in Germany. Madalina joins me to…
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Job search and working in Germany: expectations vs. reality, work contracts, and corporates vs. start-ups (Jana from Meetra)
Many foreigners have a picture in their minds of what it will be like finding a job and working in Germany. For example, it seems that the perception is that there are many opportunities in Germany, that salaries are…
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Common things Germans say and do, and what they mean (Nina from Germany)
The Germans have certain words, sayings, and gestures that they do very often, often without even thinking about it. And some of these things can be very confusing to people new in Germany. For example: you'll often…
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Making long-term German friends, reverse parking, and origins of German idioms (Q&A session)
I answer your questions about life in Germany, and also some personal questions. Plus, I read some insightful YouTube comments. This was recorded during a Facebook live stream. Watch the full video on my YouTube…
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Sparkling wine receptions, digitization, WG living, and coming to Germany on a scholarship (Alex from the USA)
Alex is originally from Nebraska, USA, but is now living in Hamburg. She joins me with a glass of sparkling wine to discuss, among other things, her love for "zu verschenken" culture, how scholarships offer a world of…
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How German changes your identity (Geoff and Alex from Americans in Germany Drinking Whiskey)
When you move to Germany, like with other countries, you might find yourself needing to re-invent yourself due to the language and the culture. For example: if you were funny and outgoing in your home country, you…
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The job application process in Germany: Misconceptions, insights and tips (Ivan from Bulgaria)
What are common misconceptions that foreigners have about the job application process in Germany? What makes a good CV? What are assessment centers? We try to answer some of these questions in this episode. To do it,…
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The gender expatriation gap, trailing spouses, and the expat skill pool in Germany (Amaia from Spain)
Amaia, originally from Spain but now living in Düsseldorf, Germany, started the Expats and Spouses Monitor with Dr. Carlos Morales. Their goal: it is a research project that aims to understand the living and working…
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Cost of living in Germany in 2021 (Jen from Simple Germany)
What are the standard costs of living you can expect in Germany? Do you really need so much insurance in Germany? And why pay the Rundfunkbeitrag if you don't watch German TV? Jen is from Guatemala and is the…
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SEGEPADFO charity challenge wrap-up, and when The Germany Experience will be back
The SEGEPADFO charity challenge, where I went up against Nicole of The Expat Cast to see who could raise the most money for a project by Über den Tellerrand, is over. Who won the challenge, and how much we raised, is…
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Learning assertiveness from Germans, and growing to love a city (Jenna from Canada)
Jenna is from Canada who is living in Düsseldorf. She is the creator of Life in Duesseldorf, has just started the Life in Germany YouTube channel. We discuss why she moved to Germany, her recent bout of COVID-19, and…
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Coming to Germany during a pandemic (Cassie from Australia)
Cassie from Australia wanted to continue her music studies in Germany, and her plans were already underway when the pandemic struck. It put her plans on hold, but Cassie was still able to push through and move to…
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Singing soul in Germany, and BLM from a distance (Alicia from the USA)
Alicia is a soul and blues singer currently living in Germany. She moved from Texas, USA to Germany complete her studies just over a year ago. I discuss with Alicia what her mindset is after moving countries in such a…
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Antoinette Emily from New Zealand
You probably know Antoinette Emily from her YouTube channel. Originally from New Zealand, she moved to Germany to be with her then-boyfriend (now-husband) over 10 years ago. We discuss the story of how she came to…
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"Germany chose me" (Sneha from India)
Sneha from India moved to Germany in 2011. A professional Indian classical dancer, she was expecting something similar to New York, where people knew about the artform of Indian classical dance. Instead, she found…
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Teenagers' perspective: Life in Germany & traveling with family (Anna & Alex from the USA)
Back in May 2020, I had Linda of the Travelteening blog on the podcast to talk about moving to Germany and traveling around with teenagers. Now, I have the teenagers on! Anna and Alex talk about their move to Germany,…
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Ask a German: Bureaucracy, German pillows, standing in line, and recruitment through fruit (Dominik, Jürgen & Philipp from Ach?)
You sent in your questions, and I put them to Germans to get the answers. It's Ask A German time! The three German guests are the always funny and entertaining hosts of the German podcast, Ach! They answer the…
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Learning about "Mittagsruhe", integrating through a "Kinderladen", and the impact of Brexit (Fiona from the UK)
Fiona and her husband are opera singers from the UK who moved to Germany for work. I first met her when she appeared on the episode about Parkrun in Germany, and I wanted to find out more about her path to journey and…
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Wurst/arsch/schwein idioms, why “Der/Die/Das” is weird, and sitting down to pee in Germany (Ricardo from Brazil & Ivan from Bulgaria)
Ricardo from Brazil and Ivan from Bulgaria are the people behind the Can You German? Instagram account. They met by chance in Germany, where they became friends. Later, when Ivan was stuck in Brazil due to COVID-19,…
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Things to know before learning German (Elysse from Elysse Speaks)
Elysse is the host of Elysse Speaks, a YouTube channel about her experiences learning multiple languages (including sign language). One of the languages she speaks is German, and I invited her on the podcast to talk…
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The attraction of Munich, the versatility of “Doch!”, and environmentalism in Germany (Sarah from Canada)
Sarah from Canada came to Munich 4 years ago to get her Masters degree. At first the plan was to stay two years (which at the time she felt was too long). But soon she fell in love with Munich and found many reasons to…
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German youth words of 2020 (Nina from Germany)
Every year, the Langenscheidt publishing house searches for the youth word of that year. It's happening again, and Nina from Germany (who previously appeared in the Fasching episode back in February) helps me explain…
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Germany and climate change (Patrick Niedermayer from Germany)
For foreigners living in Germany, you might be thinking that you live in a country that is doing a lot to combat global warming. After all, Germany signed the Paris Agreement, and it put together the Klimapaket…
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BONUS - Recent German history, and escaping East Berlin by pretending to be a swan (Emma from the USA)
In this outtake from my interview with Emma from the USA, we discuss recent German history, and how to win freedom by pretending to be a swan. Follow Emma on Instagram JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP…
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Emma dances here (Emma from the USA)
Emma is a dancer who moved from New York City to Berlin. Even though Berlin is a big city, she still has to adjust to the slower pace of life here. She also discusses why there is more freedom to be adventurous with…
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Everything changes all the time: finding your place in Germany (Shaked from Israel)
Shaked moved from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Germany to take the next step in her dance career: a move to dance management or production. But does she want to leave the actual dancing aspect behind? And how can she adapt…
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RERUN: Living abroad teaches us the power of connections (Anna from Canada)
Originally released on September 4th, 2019 (episode #14). Anna Noakes Schulze from Canada presented a TEDx talk called “Living Abroad Teaches Us the Power of Connections”, and in it she tells her own expat story to…
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RERUN: Discussing German stereotypes with Nicole from The Expat Cast
Originally released on October 20th, 2019 (episode #20). Are Germans really efficient? Do they like order? Are they as punctual as everyone says they are? Nicole, a US expat living in Germany and the host of The Expat…
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RERUN: Teaching English, Learning Languages, and Raising Bilingual Children in Germany (Lori from USA)
Originally released on July 2nd, 2019 (episode #6). Lori from USA has been teaching English in Germany for almost 40 years, so it’s not surprising that she has a thing or two to say about learning new languages. In…
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An update on my hospital visit, and audio logs from my hospital room
I spent two nights in hospital recently, and during my stay, I recorded several audio logs about my experience. You can hear them in this bonus episode. Since I won't be able to edit the podcast while I recover, I will…
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German culture: The top 10 selling musical artists in Germany (Craig from Scotland)
In order to better understand the music tastes of Germans, Craig from Scotland joins me to look at the top 10 selling musical artists in Germany. This includes German and international acts who have sold the most…
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African abroad (Tania from Kenya)
Tania was born in Kenya and has lived in five different African countries. After a short time in Thailand, she’s landed up in Germany, and she feels like this is somewhere she can stay for a longer time. Some of the…
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Sandals and socks, making friends with Germans, and "selfishly" staying in Germany (Amy from the USA)
Amy always had a dream of living in Germany, and even happened to marry someone who felt the same way. So living here has kind of been a dream come true. And generally, Amy is really happy here -- she admits that she…
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Just a diplomatic spouse (Alexandra from Romania)
Being the spouse of a diplomat comes with a very specific lifestyle: you move around a lot, you don't stay in a country for long, and you never know where you'll be moved to next. Alexandra Paucescu is a Romanian…
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