This time of the year many multicultural families struggle with finding a compromise: which tradition to maintain around Christmas, especially when you partner is used to other customs and you are living in a place where “things are done differently” from what you were used to when you were a child. I must […]
What growing up abroad as a German can feel/be like.
Learing a new language is always very exciting. Especially when the new language we’re learning is similar to one we already know. These similarities can be at different levels (phonetical, lexical, syntactical etc.). The Dutch language belongs to the westgerman branch of the indoeuropean languages and is actually […]
In many countries like Germany, Switzerland, Skandinavian countries etc. it is common use to take off the shoes when entering someone’s home (*). The custom of removing shoes is widespread also in Eastern countries like Japan, Korea and Turkey. In these countries it is considered a major faux […]
St Nicholas is celebrated in many countries of Europe, mainly in German speaking countries and throughout the territory of the Holy Roman Empire, and is usually accompained by helpers. This dark or threatening companion of St Nicholas is called Krampus in Austria, Bavaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Friuli (North Eastern […]
October is the “Buy nothing new month”. It is a “global movement for collective, conscientious consumption” and the idea started in Melbourne and spreaded to the Netherlands and the USA. The challenge consists in not buying anything new – with exception for essentials like food, hygiene and medicines. […]
Globally moving expatriates with school children often opt for international schools as they are designed to ease the educational transition from one country to another. Still, it is important to know the local education system as some international schools are linked to it. I did participate (successfully) in […]
This post is for this month’s Raising Multilingual Children Blogging Carnival hosted by Headoftheheard. This month’s theme is “Hidden Opportunities”. When you are multilingual and start having kids, you have to choose which language you’ll talk to your children. Linguists always recommend to talk your “mothertongue” to […]
Expat Since Birth – A Life spent "abroad" 