• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contributors
  • Work With Us
  • CONTACT US
  • Blog
  • Our Sponsors

CaliforniaGermans

All Things German In California

  • Life in California
    • German Food -Bakeries|Markets|Delis
    • Restaurants – German|Austrian|Swiss
    • German Schools- Kindergarten|PreSchools|GradeSchools|
    • German Clubs & Community
    • German Traditions in CA
    • CA For Kids
    • Tips & Guidelines
    • German Cooking & Baking
    • Events & More
    • KONSULATE
  • Education
    • German Schools SoCal
    • German Schools NorCal
    • Kindergruppen
  • Travel
    • Travel
    • Travel CA
  • Expat Stories
    • XPAT Spotlight
  • Lese-Ecke
  • JOB BOARD
  • Forum

Expat interview

Finding Her Muse in the City of Angels – Maria Loewenstein, Austrian born Artist & Author (Interview)

April 26, 2019 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

This month’s XPAT Spotlight Interview features multitalented artist Maria Loewenstein, who was born into the household of two music and art lovers in Vienna, Austria. After her parents built a house on a property they had bought in Klosterneuburg, the family of six exchanged busy city life for a quieter one in the outskirts of Vienna. Appreciation for art in all its forms and variations established then has remained an integral part of her life since childhood. Little did she know then, that she would become a multimedia artist in a city that’s full of inspiration: Los Angeles.

Maria, how has your childhood in Austria impacted your life, now far away from your original home?

Being raised in a suburb always left me wanting more, even though there was no lack of culture and diversity in our lives. Every weekend our parents bribed us with a promised McDonalds happy meal, which included a toy, to join them for Sunday mass followed by an art exhibit in Vienna and the occasional classical concert or play for children. It goes without saying that this might have been the main reason that turned the four of us into artists/musicians and awakened our adventurous side. [Read more…] about Finding Her Muse in the City of Angels – Maria Loewenstein, Austrian born Artist & Author (Interview)

Filed Under: News, XPAT Spotlight Tagged With: California Germans, Expat interview, Expatlife, Expats in California, Germans in California, LA artist, Life in California, Maria Loewenstein, Xpat Spotlight

Bringing the Purity of German Sausage Making to California – Carina & David of YouBite (Interview)

March 29, 2019 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

XPAT Spotlight interview with Carina and David Mohr, owners of the German butcher shop YouBite in Camarillo. Their traditional German Bratwursts and a variety of smoked products are all handcrafted and made according to German family recipes. Produced with the help of German machinery, which they imported to the USA – it can’t get more German than that!

Carina and David, both settled in California after having traveled the world. For Carina, life abroad is nothing new. Born and mostly raised in Cologne, she got already an early taste of living abroad when she was ten years old. Her parents moved the family for 5 years to Pune in India, where they opened a Turkey Farm. For David, however, who was born in Bonn and later lived between Cologne and Bonn, settling abroad is a new, exciting adventure.

What made you decide to leave Germany and move to California?  [Read more…] about Bringing the Purity of German Sausage Making to California – Carina & David of YouBite (Interview)

Filed Under: News, XPAT Spotlight Tagged With: Carina Mohr, David Mohr, Expat interview, Expats in California, food, Germans in California, Life in California, Xpat Spotlight, YouBite

Born an Expat. Always an Expat. – Tania Stappard, Voice Over Talent & Future Life Coach (Interview)

February 22, 2019 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Tania Stappard, who has been living the expat-life since childhood. Born to expat parents she learned early on to juggle two cultures and different ways of life.

At Boarding School, Baden-Baden

Tania Stappard was born to German parents, who raised her in Paris, France . Her mom was from Hamburg and her dad was from Munich (North meets South, this was a cultural experience in itself). Tania’s father, a diplomat, saw her mother, an actress, on stage in Munich and fell in love with her and “kidnapped” her to Paris. Growing up in Paris, Tania attended a German school in Paris (DSP) and spent the last four years in boarding school at the Pädagogium in Baden-Baden. After the Abitur, she moved to L.A. with her sister and spent her twenties in West Hollywood. Later, when she started a family of her own she moved to Santa Monica and now lives in Ventura County, about 37 miles from L.A.

Tania, what made you decide to move to California? [Read more…] about Born an Expat. Always an Expat. – Tania Stappard, Voice Over Talent & Future Life Coach (Interview)

Filed Under: News, XPAT Spotlight Tagged With: coaching, Expat interview, Expats in California, film, Germans in California, Life in California, media, Tania Stappard, voice-over talent, Xpat Spotlight

Cherishing Her Love for Two Countries While Helping Fellow Expats – Barbara Kempen (Interview)

January 25, 2019 by Cornelia 2 Comments

Barbara KempenXPAT Spotlight – Interview with Barbara Kempen, business owner, and nature lover, who manages to combine the two cultures she loves in her daily work while helping fellow expats. 

Born in Cologne, Germany, Barbara Kempen has moved to Los Angeles about 30 years ago. She arrived in L.A. as a young student and was fascinated by the magic of the American dream. She decided to stay, raise a family and start a business of her own. She knows life in Los Angeles inside out and can tell you a story or two on what it takes to make it or break it here in California. 

What made you leave Germany and choose California as your new home?

I was 24 years old when I finished my Diplom Kauffrau (similar to MBA) at the University in Cologne. As I was very young I wanted to gain some work experience abroad. During that year I worked for Lufthansa in Marketing and Controlling in Los Angeles and met my ex-husband. Instead of returning to Germany I started a career in the fashion industry and was a successful fabric sourcing specialist for several LA companies and often traveled abroad. [Read more…] about Cherishing Her Love for Two Countries While Helping Fellow Expats – Barbara Kempen (Interview)

Filed Under: News, XPAT Spotlight Tagged With: Barbara Kempen, Expat interview, Expatlife, Expats in California, Germans in California, health insurance, Xpat Spotlight

The Desire for Adventure Across the Pond made Rita Reiff leave Berlin for California (Interview)

December 28, 2018 by Cornelia 1 Comment

Rita Reiff GASA

XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Rita Reiff, an integral part of the German speaking community of Southern California.

Rita, originally from Berlin, is a well-known member of the German community in Southern California. German speaking families with children especially appreciate her engagement as president of GASA, the local German American School Association. As an indispensable part of the German community in Southern California, Rita Reiff was awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz) in 2014.

Together with her husband, Rita came to the United States as a young woman. They courageously left everything in Germany behind, ready to live the American Dream! [Read more…] about The Desire for Adventure Across the Pond made Rita Reiff leave Berlin for California (Interview)

Filed Under: News, XPAT Spotlight Tagged With: Expat interview, Expatlife, Expats in California, Germans in California, Rita Reiff, Xpat Spotlight

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us Online

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Join us on Facebook

Join us on Facebook

Featured Sponsors

Notice

Please note that CaliforniaGermans is not affiliated with the California Staatszeitung. Thank you!

Featured Post –

GASA Summer Camp June 2023 - CaliforniaGermans

German Immersion Summer Camp for Kids is Back!

Plan for the Summer. It's Camp Time! It's only January, but guess what? It's never too early to … [Read More...] about German Immersion Summer Camp for Kids is Back!

Featured Posts – Travel

Traveling in Times of Covid-19: Regulations & more

Are you unsure if you can travel to Germany this summer? What about your … [Read More...] about Traveling in Times of Covid-19: Regulations & more

  • Travel As a Dual Citizen. Do You Know Which Passport to Use When?

More Posts from this Category

Advertisements

Global College Advisers Logo

Follow us on Twitter

My Tweets

RSS DW-Top News Germany

  • How do Germany and the EU fund military gear for Ukraine?
    Germany and its EU partners have channeled billions of euros worth of military equipment to Kyiv. That aid comes from a range of different sources.
  • Germany train attack: No sign of terror motive, says prosecutor
    A 33-year-old man of Palestinian origin is accused of stabbing multiple people on a train in northern Germany. Authorities say a 16-year-old female and a 19-year-old male were killed in the attack.

Footer

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

important links

Privacy

Terms & Disclosure

Copyright

©2009-2023 CaliforniaGermans. All Rights Reserved

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy Policy

Categories

Archives

Work with Us

RSS Links

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Newsletter

Follow Us

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · Log in

 

Loading Comments...