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All Things German In California

Kate Müser

How Do I Raise a Bilingual Child in Germany?

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How Do I Raise a Bilingual Child in Germany?

(by Kate Müser)
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I was raised in Northern California by American parents (who hail from San Diego and can still hold their own in Spanish). My husband was raised by native German speakers in Germany. We may now speak multiple languages between us, but grew up monolingually – not counting the Ruhrpott dialect and the menu at our favorite Mexican restaurant – and we each possess just one passport.

Our son, who arrived in November 2017, may be a first-born child, just like both his parents, and have his mom’s chin and his dad’s eyes. But he is different from us. He is 100% German and 100% American. And he is stuck with a mommy and a Papa who use different words for the same things.

Before he was born, I did some research on raising bilingual children, by reading books and watching YouTube videos.

Now that he’s here, speaking English with him comes naturally of course, but I know that more questions will come up the older – and more talkative – he gets.

As “California Germans”, I’m sure many of you have bilingual families or were raised in one yourself. I would love to hear your story.

Watch the video below and share your tips and thoughts with me! I may just include your comments in a future video.

©KateMüser

Image: Pixabay.com

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Kate Müser, who grew up in Pleasanton, California, was surprised to discover that she feels even closer to her home state now than she did when she first moved to Bonn, Germany, over 14 years ago.

She is the creator of the successful YouTube series #thoseGermans and the portrait series #germany24. Visit Kate’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/katemuser and her website, justkate.de.

For over a decade, Kate has been a TV, radio and online journalist at Deutsche Welle, where she has hosted the feature documentary film Gutenberg in the Cyberstorm, the video series Meet the Germans with Kate and the TV show PopXport.

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Why Germany Is a Great Place to Have Kids

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Why Germany Is a Great Place to Have Kids

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by Kate Müser
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Parental leave – or rather its absence – has recently become a hot topic in the US. Will a sinking birthrate in the US lead to financial motivation for struggling parents?

In Germany, on the other hand, the birthrate has been rising recently, up just slightly from worrying lows. Here, generous parental benefits were implemented years ago.

Most Americans would fall out of their chairs to learn that new parents in Germany can receive around two-thirds of their salary for up to 14 months after the birth of their child – without going to work.

Meanwhile parents can plan the years after birth with a great deal of flexibility – taking turns working part-time or not at all, and with a high degree of job security.

With my first baby on the way, I’m about to experience the full extent of German family benefits first hand.

But are state subsidies and time off work the only reasons why German is known for being an ideal place to have kids?

I chatted with German YouTuber and mommy-of-two Charlotte from the channel MenschFrau to find out.

©KateMüser

Image: Pixabay.com

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Kate Müser, who grew up in Pleasanton, California, was surprised to discover that she feels even closer to her home state now than she did when she first moved to Bonn, Germany, over 13 years ago.

She is the creator of the successful YouTube series #thoseGermans and the portrait series #germany24. Visit Kate’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/katemuser and her website, justkate.de.

For over a decade, Kate has been a TV, radio and online journalist at Deutsche Welle, where she currently hosts the video series Meet the Germans with Kate and the TV show PopXport.

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German Cities with Different Names in English

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by Kate Müser

A native German speaker might struggle with the pronunciation of Connecticut, Tucson or my birth city, La Jolla. And I often hear them say Chicago with Tsch- rather than Sch-.

And, thanks to all the Germans who helped build the US, we have borrowed a whole number of Germany-inspired city names, like Germantown, Tennessee, or Carlsbad, California.

But the German language doesn’t contain alternative deutsche terms for US cities. Sän Diego? Nüjork? You won’t see those written anywhere.

English, on the other hand, has its own collection of anglicized references to many – though not all – German cities. Usually the English versions conveniently avoid the most difficult letters in the German language: Ä, Ö and Ü.

Here is a closer look at some of the German cities that have gotten revamped names, or pronunciations, in English.

By the way, this video was suggested by my YouTube viewers. If you would like to see a video on a particular topic, leave a comment below the video and let me know!

©KateMüser

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Kate Müser, who grew up in Pleasanton, California, was surprised to discover that she feels even closer to her home state now than she did when she first moved to Bonn, Germany, over 13 years ago.

She is the creator of the successful YouTube series #thoseGermans and the portrait series #germany24. Visit Kate’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/katemuser and her website, justkate.de.

For over a decade, Kate has been a TV, radio and online journalist at Deutsche Welle, where she currently hosts the video series Meet the Germans with Kate and the TV show PopXport.

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5 Ways Elections in Germany are Different from US Elections

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5 Ways Elections in Germany are Different from US Elections

by Kate Müser

Last year I had to register to vote in the state of New York, since that was the last state I’d voted in, which felt odd since I only lived there for 10 months. But given the absurd campaign in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, filling out my absentee ballot became all the more important to me.

I held out hope that some miraculously competent third-party candidate would pop up on the ballot – that is, until it turned up in my mailbox.

In Germany, politics are not like grocery shopping: Germans apparently appreciate choice, and, anti-Aldi-style, there are more political parties than the average German could name without googling. Admittedly, I had lost touch with just how few choices there are in the US.

Nearly a year later, it’s Germany’s turn to head to the polls. The result will eventually be the most powerful person in Europe and – considering the current global political climate – potentially even the world.

But Americans might be shocked to find out that no chancellor candidates will appear on Germans’ ballots, since the chancellor is chosen later by the ruling coalition formed post-election by the leading parties.

Instead, national elections consist of a local candidate for the federal parliament, the Bundestag, and a nod to a party of their choice. It seems fairly unspectacular for a vote that will help shape the future of Europe.

In fact, “unspectacular” can apply to elections in Germany in general. There is no mudslinging, no late-night Twitter rants, practically no merchandising, no big televised rallies – and only recently have the top chancellor candidates started holding debates.

Germany’s big 2017 election on September 24 is only weeks away, but if you were to visit Germany now, you’d be hard pressed to notice it.

In this video, I’ve gone into 5 big ways that German national elections are different from those in the US. Both systems have plenty of pros and cons – but not much in common.

©KateMüser

Image: Pixabay.com

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Kate Müser, who grew up in Pleasanton, California, was surprised to discover that she feels even closer to her home state now than she did when she first moved to Bonn, Germany, over 13 years ago.

She is the creator of the successful YouTube series #thoseGermans and the portrait series #germany24. Visit Kate’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/katemuser and her website, justkate.de.

For over a decade, Kate has been a TV, radio and online journalist at Deutsche Welle, where she currently hosts the video series Meet the Germans with Kate and the TV show PopXport.

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My 13 Years of Integration in Germany in Fast-Forward

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My 13 Years of Integration in Germany in Fast-Forward

(By Kate Müser)
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I used to think that adapting to life in a new country would be a life-long process. When I first moved to Germany in 2002 – and even after I’d spent a decade here – I never thought that the process might at some point shift gears and head in reverse.

I’ve since spent over 13 – nearly 14 – years here, and it’s only been in the past couple of years that I’ve started watching Netflix series in original language, attending an English-speaking church, googling the closet burrito shop – and even toying with the idea of relocating to San Diego or Silicon Valley.

It’s not that I don’t still appreciate the German lifestyle – their penchant for practicality, ecology and quality, not to mention comfortable car-free zones and the world’s best cakes and breads.

Rather I started noticing that the one American trait I’d always prided myself in – that naive but optimistic belief that you can achieve anything you set your mind to – was dwindling. And if I lost that, how American would I still be?

Most importantly, I grew up in California often feeling like I didn’t fit it: I sunburn easily, was a Francophile in high school, and studied classical piano. But fitting in – anywhere in the world – is drastically overrated. After all, there is SPF 70 sunscreen and – as you know better than anyone – plenty of Europeans in California, too.

Perhaps it was my German husband, who at times seems more like a Californian than I do (he tans and surfs!), or perhaps it was the structural changes at work that meant I now speak German 95% of the time.

Whatever the cause of my U-turn, cultural identity, I’ve found, is still in flux after 13 years – and it’s never too late to make a few readjustments.

In this YouTube video, I’ve summed up my personal ups and downs as an expat.

Are you a German in California? I would love to hear about your experiences, too.

©KateMüser

Image: Pixabay.com

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Kate Müser, who grew up in Pleasanton, California, was surprised to discover that she feels even closer to her home state now than she did when she first moved to Bonn, Germany, over 13 years ago.

She is the creator of the successful YouTube series #thoseGermans and the portrait series #germany24. Visit Kate’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/katemuser and her website, justkate.de.

For over a decade, Kate has been a TV, radio and online journalist at Deutsche Welle, where she currently hosts the video series Meet the Germans with Kate and the TV show PopXport.

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Discover the world with Adolesco.org

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How to Drive a Car in Germany

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How to drive a car in Germany

(by Kate Müser)
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My 16th birthday fell on a Sunday. I had to wait an entire day to complete my drivers’ exam in the beautiful state of California. Waiting has never been one of my strengths.

It was a “close call”, but I’m convinced that the driving examiner just made it seem that way to instil a sense of fear. Probably not a bad thing when it comes to a 16-year-old moving a massive piece of metal near other humans.

After that stressful day in 1996, I never would’ve thought that I’d have to repeat the scenario 11 years later. Complete with sweaty hands and a racing heart.
Americans are known for a lot of things abroad, as every expat very quickly learns, but strict driving exams are not one of them. At least not in Germany – the country with the most ruthless driving examiners, the freest freeways, the most well made cars (all recent scandals aside), and the most Fahrvergnügen (literally: driving pleasure) when in them.

As a newcomer to this country, you’re allowed to partake in that Fahrvergnügen for precisely six months after your arrival. On the first day of the seventh month, any driving skill you may have brought with you – or even amassed during your experience on the world’s only true Autobahn – suddenly evaporates into thin air and your license is no longer valid.

Those who would rather not hand their transportation fate over to the strike-loving train service must make a trip to the drivers’ license authorities to have their now invalid foreign licence converted into an official German one.

(No) break for California

For American licenses, it must be said that not all 50 states are created equal in the eyes of German authorities. If you have a license from the “right” state, you can go straight to the local authorities, pay the necessary fee, and come out with your German document.

If you’re unfortunate enough to come from the “wrong” state, you’re treated like any other German teenager and are required to pay thousands of euros to complete hours of theoretical and practical driving training before passing the German exam. The rest of Germany can say three Hail Marys that you didn’t cause any major damage during your six-month grace period.

California falls into the third category. Its weather, beaches, Baywatch girls, mountains, wine, and movie stars may be the dream of many Germans. But in terms of driving skills, Californians are apparently mediocre at best. That’s why I was required to pass the German driving exam. I didn’t have to fulfil the other requirements of new drivers (a specified number of hours in class and behind-the-wheel with an instructor). I just had to pass the test – any way I could.

Since I didn’t want to screw this thing up, I studied the books. I hired a driving instructor. And I realized I’d underestimated not only what it takes to drive in this country, but also German logic. The two don’t always go together.

These three things defy logic – and make driving in Germany a challenge for anyone who thinks they don’t need to go to a German driving school.

1) Guess whether you have right-of-way

There are more different signs for right-of-way than you can count. At every intersection, you encounter a different one and have to make a split second decision: Keep going full speed ahead or yield to the car on the right? Germans have so many different street signs that they even have a word for it: Schilderwald – sign forest.

Nevertheless, they use stop signs very sparingly. Instead of stopping at a four-way intersection, you have to search for the right-of-way sign, determine whether it applies to you, register whether any other vehicles may be approaching, guess what they will do in half a second, and hit the break or the gas. Sound like a lot at once? That’s why it’s tempting just to keep driving and hope the car on your right sees you in time to yield.

2) Don’t pass on the right

In theory, it’s a good idea to only pass on the left when driving at high speeds on the freeway. But in practice, there’s always that swerving granny who insists on driving 120 km/h in the far-left lane. When you race up behind her at 200 kmh and have to slam on your breaks because she can’t drive and look in her rear-view mirror at the same time, things can get dangerous, particularly if the dozen Porsches behind you are also doing 200.

As a second-time beginner, I was admittedly the granny more often than the Porsche, except that I constantly had an eye on the mirror so that I could hop into the middle lane as soon as a speeder approached me from the rear. But that middle lane wasn’t always available, which led to a few stressful situations in the beginning.

Sure, passing on both sides American-style can be dangerous, too. But that’s better than slamming granny’s bumper at the speed of sound. The alternative would be to introduce a speed limit on all sections of the Autobahn, not just some, as is the case now. But even though unlimited speed freedom is rarer than foreigners think in Germany, Germans cling to it as if it were a constitutional right (we Americans can relate to that).

3) Wanted: Two lanes

In most German cities, the streets were created centuries before cars were invented. Horse-drawn carriages were probably wider than your average Audi or VW, so you’d think the streets would be wide enough for two carriages to pass each other. But, alas, in residential areas they usually aren’t. This is exacerbated by the fact that, unlike horses, cars are parked on the street without regard to the narrowing effect that has.

Germans may be well used to it, but for American drivers it’s a nightmare to constantly have to pull up on to the curb to let the other cars pass to the left. Often the other driver has a very different perception of the width of his own car than you do. Let’s just say you could make a pretty penny if you started a mirror repair business. Suddenly that Smart looks more attractive than the SUV you always wanted.

The back seat driver 

After twice as many behind-the-wheel hours as I’d budgeted and countless hours with the books, I passed the German driving exam. It was a “close call” – but again, I have my theory about that. My driving instructor was in the front seat, the examiner in the back, and the instructor saved me with a few secret hand signals.
Back at the city office, I went to claim my prize. To my chagrin, the administrator demanded I relinquish my California license to him.

“But why? In my country that’s my ID,” I said.

“But you can’t have two valid licenses at the same time,” he countered.

“If my California license were valid, I wouldn’t be sitting here,” I replied.

Sometimes logic has to take a back seat.

 

©KateMüser

Image: ©Dominic Müser

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Kate Müser, who grew up in Pleasanton, California, was surprised to discover that she feels even closer to her home state now than she did when she first moved to Bonn, Germany, over 13 years ago.

She is the creator of the successful YouTube series #thoseGermans and the portrait series #germany24. Visit Kate’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/katemuser and her website, justkate.de.

For over a decade, Kate has been a TV, radio and online journalist at Deutsche Welle, where she currently hosts the video series Meet the Germans with Kate and the TV show PopXport.

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