One month living in Germany! 🇩🇪 | Language, food, culture + our adjustment to life here!
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- WOOT WOOT!! We’ve officially lived in Germany for one month (that went by FAST!) In this video we explain how our adjustment has been. We answer questions you guys have been asking & let you know our feelings, thoughts, struggles & favorite memories of the past month. Watch to find out how learning the language is going, what our favorite German food is so far + much more!
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One important Tip for Germans is: We tend to speak english to you out of politeness - if you want to try your german or listening to german please ask us to speak german (for a while) - the fact that we switch to english when we notice that you are not native speakers does not mean that we are not willing to help you learn :) Greetings from Munich
I didn't have that problem in 1969! People of my age at the time (early 20s) were not nearly so adept at speaking English as young Germans are today. That's why my German/English skills were so sought after.
This is a frustrating thing..
You can try the following learning technique: Get painter's scotch/duct tape and an Edding marker and label everything in the house: die Steckdose, der Kinderwagen etc. (the article is important!)
That is a great tip!
Also, if you have netflix/amazon prime, watch movies you know well in german with the english subs. I do that all the time the other way around to learn english phrases and stuff..
@@rahmawndah "undertitle" would be "subtitles" or just "subs"
@@peter_meyer oops. 🤦🏼♀️My bad 🙈 corrected it 👩💻
@@rahmawndah you're welcome.
I came to Germany from England 33 years ago and didn't speak one word of German. I thought my head was going to explode just by listening to people having conversations but I found German TV really helped me, especially the German news. I emersed myself in the language as much as I could by asking everyone around me to speak German. I wish you both luck🍀 it isn't easy but very worth it 👍
Same here. I started to watch German TV with my little daughter, especially cartoons for children, cause they speak slowly, clear, and easy language.
@@AnnaK. Die Sendung mit der Maus was my favorite 😊
That's basically how I learned englisch properly, by watching movies and reading english books.
@@elaineretzmann7893 Die Sendung mit der Maus is everyones favorite.
@@swanpride My BF brought me a book Hogsfather by Terry Pratchett from England. This was my very first book in English and I felt in love. I laughed on the first page and really wanted to understand everything. It took me a while to finish reading this book with dictionary, but I did it!
Most foreigners I know watch an older TV Series called „Die Pfefferkörner“ to improve their German.
The Series is still growing so you will find a ton of videos.
It’s made for children so it is very easy to understand.
It’s about some kids in my hometown Hamburg. They are investigating against criminal adults. At the end the children always win and the criminals get caught by the police.
It is the perfect way to learn the language and phrases and a lot about the German culture. You should try it.
Id also recommend "Schloss Einstein" (its comparable to "Degrassi", somehow watchable for adults and takes up current topics besides school-drama)
About german bread: Try all the very different kinds of fresh bread from the bakery (or the fresh bread section of the supermarket, e.g. Lidl), most germans do not buy factory bread from the supermarket shelves, only the toast bread. A lot of bread is made of wheat, but there's also rye and spelt bread (which is more healthy). Simply try all kinds the next weeks. Small childs love the german "Breze" (plural "Brezen"), even in the supermarket. Slightly reduce the salt grains. At home, you can cut the Breze with a sharp knife (press it with your flat hand to a flat plate), put butter in it and put the two halves together again. In the intro image, I see our default bread "Bauernbrot" (farmers bread). But it also tastes much better if it is fresh. Most germans use a "Brotkasten", this is a box with few holes so there's only a little air circulation. If you don't eat bread regulary, you can buy fresh bread, put it to a plastic bag (it does not need to be completely airtight) and put it to the freezer for some weeks. People say that some bread tastes better if it has been frozen. You can unfreeze it by putting it to the microwave (it unfreezes very fast). To cut the Bauernbrot, most households do have a special cutting machine "Brotschneidemaschine" (use Google images search). We use a big knife, but only my wife can do it (I am left-handed, and I need a left-hand knife, but I have no practice).
Actually it is called "Brezel" or "Brezeln" ,plural, with long e and spoken with ts, "Brezn" is in bavarian dialect !
@@andreasstieniczka9565 I would guess those two will have a hard time making out Standard German from dialects and regiolects with that many speakers of said varieties being around. ;)
@@_vinterthorn You are right but avoiding to learn things "wrong" from the start should be useful also !
@@andreasstieniczka9565 In these cases, www.duden.de is the first address to look. Breze/Brezen (south of Germany) and Brezel/Brezeln (north of Germany) is both valid.
@@andreasstieniczka9565 Na ja Grafewöhr ist nun mal in Bayern so daß sie eher Brezn als Brezel lernen werden.
"like splattered little dots".......this is the way best explanation for how small rural villages in lots of German regions are situated! Love that!
We are glad you think it’s a good way to explain it! 😊
When you can move around, you‘ll love all the gorgeous places you can visit in Bavaria and beyond..... spring is so lovely
Okay, I'm going to pause this video right now, because you're talking about learning German. A quick run down on the approach I took in 1968. i've already explained how I moved to Germany and stayed for 12 years, but what did I do about German while I was still at home in England? I bought a book "German in Three Months" published by Hugo. This is a teach-yourself book. No teacher required! To hear German being spoken I tuned in on long wave every evening to NDR, a radio station broadcasting from Hamburg. I couldn't understand a word! But slowly, after a week or so I could kinda understand the weather forecast. What joy! Wolkig mit Schneeregen. Because of course any weather forecast is repetitive every night, so you begin to expect certain words to come next. Anyway, I moved on from the weather and managed to piece together the news headlines, using a dictionary and writing down what I heard as accurately as possible, so that I could peruse the dictionary later. Don't forget, this was 1968/9 and the Internet didn't exist! Over several months I got to the end of that book, then started again from the beginning. When finally I got to Germany about a year later, I was thrown in at the deep end. My workmates were all German, so I just had to practise, practise, practise. This is where my unofficial OCD came in handy! But after two years I knew enough German, both speaking and writing, to get a new job within the company as a technical translator and that's what did for the following 10 years. It helped that my late sister married a German doctor and I keep in close contact with my German relatives every week, right now through Skype. The language gets rusty when I haven't been there for some time, but it's like riding a bike. After a few days in Hamburg it all comes back, I stop stuttering and start talking! It'll be super awful after such a long time not visiting Germany because of the pandemic. Why not do an open house and invite your German neighbours for afternoon tea and cream cakes from the Konditorei? You must start talking German ALL the time!
We love to hear this! Seriously, it's very motivating to hear that you would listen to the radio every evening and write down phrases and words and that's how it all began. We've been doing little study sessions every day for 5 minutes or so and it's been helping quite a bit. I try to listen to the radio as well and have started to catch on as well. The speaking part is difficult since my coworkers are all from the US so its English all the time.
Great to hear the progress you made in relatively short time!
Welcome to Germany! I wish you a great time here in Germany.
Thanks Mek!
What a perfect video for a sunday morning. Relaxed laid back atmosphere and thinking over your (already!) passed first month in Germany. I really appreciate the way you share all your thoughts (and maybe inner struggles) in your adventure in a foreign contry with us, the community. Thanks a lot for that!
And since you can't really travel...
Look for the things in your Region.
There are castles, ruins from castles, beautiful nature sights and i guess many more unique things to this area.
Just because you can't have "touristic adventures" doesn't mean you can't go out and find special places right on your doorstep.
Or within 1-2 hours of driving
Yes, Alicia is completely right ! Oberpfalz and still more Franconia is a very beautiful region which is dotted wirh beautiful historic and nice places ! Why go far aaway when great things are so near !
Can’t agree more they should start with Bamberg or Nuremberg both are quite nice cities and only one hour drive away. If more nature is the choice they should see Pottenstein in the Franconian Swiss always good for a trip and a bit further away Regensburg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
I am looking forward to your Mettbrötchen-Challenge.
Don't do it!!!! The texture alone will haunt your dreams for years.
@@pablomax3045 I agree! 🤢
thought the same thing :D and the response: "WTF??? This is great!" :)
Sorry, they don't live in the right region for Mettbrötchen. But the best region of local beers :-)
@@pablomax3045 rubbish
It took me years to get to the level of english i have today, and i never was in a english speaking country. Hang on guys. One thing that worked out for me very well is consuming the language. Just recently i've watched a video from a language teacher who said, it is much more effective to aquire a language before you start to learn. Basically that means that you have to expose yourself to the language and absorb the feeling. Its like a child or baby is doing it at first. They dont study vocabulary, they absorb their environment. So dont be shy to sit around germans without the ability to participate in the conversation like you are used to it in english environments. It will pay off.
Oh great tips!! Thanks for sharing
@@OurStorytoTell and tell the other people to speak with you in german, for example in the grocery store - to improve your german. They will help you (if they have time, if the waiting line is not too long ;-)
And the tip with the movies and news in german is a good idea too!
Some news might even have subtitles.
Perhaps find a german radio station to hear even more german. But I know, radio stations can get ... painful ... after some time...
Well, then it's time to take a break ;-)
Maybe you find a tv series in german that you like. English series are dubbed with german, so you can't read the lips to help if you don't understand it (the lips say "noooo!" and you hear "neiiiin" ;-) , but there also are things like cooking shows in german.
Or the recommended children tv shows of course, for the easier language.
Or of course RUclips videos in german for the various topics with that special vocabulary and phrases for that topic if you are interested in a special topic or if you need to know words and phrases for your job.
Oder wir schreiben die Kommentare auf deutsch - aber die Videos sind auf englisch... ;-)
Bostonian here who went to school in Heidelberg and worked for the US Department of Commerce in Düsseldorf. Germans can seem distant and reserved. They don’t do small talk,social circles can seem closed to you and it can be difficult to make friends.I can’t emphasize this enough,don’t be put off by this.Once you get past this initial reaction, a German friend will be a friend to you for life.I ended up marrying one!The second thing I would like to mention is the bread. 50 years from now you still will be talking about the quality baked goods that can be found everywhere.I hear the beer is pretty good too! I just subscribed and look forward to future post:)
Thanks for your comment and follow! We are happy to have you here! Already we are in love with the bread...mmmmm!! I bet we will be talking about it years down the road too!
Re Don't care I'm a cat's comment, I would echo all of that. Germans are a serious people, not flippant procrastinators like the English, who tend to think of themselves as very superior. It takes getting used to. But I do so admire German Fleiß. Within 10 years after World War II West Germany was enjoying its first Economic Miracle. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and West Germany was blessed with very good leadership after the war.
So happy to hear you've found your home!!!
little tip if you are on the road ... rule of thumb: house numbers always start in the center of naturally grown cities. if you no longer know where you are, always go in the direction where the numbers are getting smaller, there is usually a square, a church or a town hall / train station.
Happy to see you happy and enjoying Germany. From my experience I can tell you that you are going through out the “Honeymoon” stage of adapting to another culture. I am not trying to rain in to your parade. But again it is so interesting to see you as a family living this amazing experience. I am looking forward to the next videos. Please don’t hesitate to share all what is happening even if you feel overwhelm about all the new things in your life. It will help you to adapt and enjoy this new adventure.
Macht euch die Zeit so gut wie möglich, wird bald wieder besser.. Viel Spaß euch mit eurer hübschen Maus
Welcome to Germany 😊 If traveling is possible again, explore the Moselle landscape...wonderful places in every season.
"The other sixteen Bundesländer" Yes! You counted Mallorca into the regular 16 regions. You are getting real close to German mindset.
(FYI: We have 16 "states", but during vacation half the republic migrates to the spanish Island Mallorca, so much so that many expect the waiters there to speak German, so it's a running joke we consider that island to be our 17th Bundesland.)
Genau daran mußte ich auch denken :-)))
Don't forget to switch the display in the car from mph to kmh ;)
The best way how to learn a foreign language is a combination of lessons in a teaching-language-school, even by internet or TV (we have still corona) and daily practice. Do not be afraid of missunderstanding (that will happen a lot) or not be able to understand or talk correctly, the others will at least try to understand you and, if you tell them, correct you.
The beginning is hard but it will go better and better. You can only learn by practicing.
And don't be afraid of making mistakes grammaticaly or otherwise, to learn German really perfect ....... that is another thing, the American author Mark Twain was some years in Germany (Heidelberg) in order to study German and he wrote after: "It is easy to learn English, that can be learned in just weeks, French can be learned in month, but German you can't learn correctly in 30 years."
Thanks for the encouragement! We are trying, but you're right, it's difficult to understand the patterns and grammar. Either way, we are trying :)
My husband and I love watching your videos! We are from Germany. ☺️
If you want to watch and listen to German television, I recommend that you watch "Tagesschau". It is a news program that airs daily at 20:00 / 8:00 p.m. on many ARD channels (Das Erste, NDR, WDR, SWR, ...) and is the most watched and best news program here in Germany.
The Channel Easy German ruclips.net/user/EasyGermanvideos is a good source to learn german and the german "crazy" habits :-)
You should try and apply to get your child into the German Kindergarten right by the gate (if this still exists) it’ll help your child as well as you guys to adapt to the German language as well as meeting Germans ....plus a lot of American kids go there 😊
oh no let your child just watch german tv
like german netflix for kids or something
Kindergärten are corona spraders till you have been vaxxinated only do playgroups with people you trust
we have to get that numbers down we cant efford forigners to catch it as well ...so careless
In autumn with the beginning of the school year / kindergarden year it should be fine.
That's correct, but after covid will be better :-)
Regarding the language.
If you're really serious about it and want to get to a high level in German try to get as much input as possible. Whether that's through books, movies, tv shows, etc. doesn't matter that much. Using streaming services like Netflix or Disney is quite nice though, especially in the beginning, since you're able to add subtitles in both your target (German) as well as your native language. The more input you get the easier it'll be for you to make progress. If you want to do more research on this input focused approach you can read through refold.la.
Finding a tandem parter might also be a good idea incase you want to practice outputting. There's apps like hellotalk specifically for that.
Good luck.
So nice to see our country through the eyes of you guys. Try Schweinebraten mit Knödel and Krautsalat , my favorite Bavarian meal
Do you know the RUclips Channel “EasyGerman”? I think it would help you a lot to learn German cause they speak to people on the street and so you learn the “real” german how we speak it here and not the german from a book...
Another recommendation to improve Your German is the funny, and sometimes not so serious, YT-channel "Don't trust the rabbit" ...ruclips.net/channel/UC1-MpIG20o6kzsu1I5SLXpQ
I am pretty sure you will love the german summer. It is starting now and is always awesome.
With your mindset you will adjust to Germany soon and enjoy your life here very much. A hint for travelling: most well-known destinations are known for good reasons, but that does not mean that the lesser known places are boring. For example the Cologne Cathedral is famous, but the "Goldene Kammer" in the near-by St.-Ursula-Basilika will make a very special impression, too.
Do you know Rachel and her RUclips show "meet the Germans"? She's really funny and highlights the characteristics of German life . I think that would be a good way to learn a bit about Germany and the German culture while you can't interact a lot with German people yet because of Corona. In case you want some more tips on good German food: try looking for Spätzle and Maultaschen in the refrigerated part of the supermarket! I hope the weather will get better soon, that you'll be able to travel around and feel welcomed by your town!
If you visit the northern part of Germany, a town or village on the baltic sea or north sea you need to try of course also the typical local seafood and fish bun. (Fischbrötchen)
Congrats to your home, and great that you now are able to explore the area a bit. 🙂
Bayreuth should be on your list soon. 🙂
Enjoy !!
Mettbrötchen: yeah, I totally get where you're coming from if you are squirming a bit. It's been drilled into Americans from birth to never ever eat raw pork.
But in Germany hundreds of thousands, if not MILLIONS of people each day eat a Mettbrötchen. The number of cases this has caused an infection can probably be counted on one hand in a year, if that much. The Mett, the minced, raw pork is super, super controlled. But you have to eat it fresh, possibly within hours, within 24 hours at the latest.
Finely chopped onions with it are a must, dito for a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Buttering the Brötchen / bread roll beforehand is optional, but I prefer it.
If you haven't got it on your list of foods yet: "Rheinischer Sauerbraten mit Klössen und Rotkraut/Rotkohl/(Blaukraut in Bavaria)" is insanely good.
It is a tangy beef roast marinated for up to a whole week in red wine plus a bit of vinegar, bay leaves, cloves, juniper berries, and a few spices. It is slow roasted and stewed in its sauce for over four hours, up to 24 hours.
"Rheinischer" simply indicates the regional version of it, pertaining to Rheinland-Pfalz. Klösse are dumplings, usually potato dumplings, but it can be the Semmelknödel /bread dumpling (Knödel being the Bavarian term for Klösse) of Bavaria. Rotkohl/Rotkraut/Blaukraut is a red cabbage, similar in consistency and thickness to Sauerkraut, but much much milder in taste. It has a strong redish-purplish color, and is usually served with a thick sauce of the same color. Often apple is mixed in to round out the tangy tasty with a bit of fruity sweetness.
Don't worry, the German will come, sooner rather than later, I presume in your case. And Willa will start gabbing at you in German before you notice it, should she go to a German Kindergarten.
If you are coming to Nürnberg, you have to try 3 im Weckle, this are Nürnberger Bratwürste in a bun. You will love them 😊
Wait another month and you will see that the "dead trees" will be lush and green again :)). Most trees shed their leaves to avoid being frozen in winter.
I am so jealous of you guys being able to eat all this good, superior German food. I am stuck over here in North America.
Gosh, I miss the German food so much - ALL of it.
It's pretty amazing:). In the States, we mostly love eating Thai, Indian, Greek, Italian, etc... so we can relate how some places dont have a great selection. Hamburgers and french fries and pizza normally aren't out first choices
Sounds like it's not yours either, right?!
@@OurStorytoTell Oh dear, ach Du meine Guete, you completely misunderstood. North American food is good (roast dinners, steaks, Hamburgers as well), however
one does not find too many restaurants in the cities with good American pioneer food anymore. In the country one still does. The bread is another topic altogether.
However, how can you compare Thai, Indian, Greek etc. to North American food, leave alone German food?!
You'd have to pay me to eat Thai etc. Please, value rustic North American food - I and my family do. However, nothing beats the food in Germany, Austria
and Switzerland. As well their bread, "Torten," pastries of all sorts, cakes, etc. are "einsame Spitze".
President Sadat's wife had a special plane flying cakes, pastries, "Torten" of all sorts DAILY from Munich to Cairo while her husband was president.
Anything eatable is unsurpassed in German-speaking countries. That's why we are jealous whenever we hear somebody talking or writing about German food.
As an alternative to Döner you can try Dürüm. It's more or less the same ingredients, but instead of a pita bread it's rolled in a flat bread. Makes it more compact and practical to eat.
For me, the most helpful ways to learn German are classes (there are probably some sort of integration classes you can take - also great for meeting people), a tandem language partner, the software from Digital Publishing, and using RUclips channels like EasyGerman. Best of luck on your new adventure ❤️
On the subject of food: Try some Rouladen, either the Kohlrouladen (these are with Cabbage) or even better the ones made just with beef... Maybe you can order some from a restaurant nearby. Rouladen are definitely my favourite dish!
Before I became allergic to pork (that is one layer of the olive/roll) the beef olives/roll were one of my most favourite meat dishes.
A recipe for you: www.quick-german-recipes.com/beef-rouladen-recipe.html Now you might have an idea what we are talking about... ;)
And with this recipe you have an idea of a cabbage olive/roll: mygerman.recipes/cabbage-roles/
You guys have the best attitude towards life! I hope C19 chills out a bit here so you can really explore and experience.
No worries on the pronunciations. I have been here 20 years now and I’ll never forget my husband’s best friend’s reaction when I pronounced the city of Mannheim, man-hime instead of Mahn-hime. He chuckled for 20 minutes straight before he could stop and correct me. It wasn’t meant in a mean way, he was just amused. And my best piece of advice there is to laugh at yourselves. It’s all good! I still can’t pronounce driver’s license in German and my two sons love to “help/tease me” on any word with a ü and if an h or r is near that ü....forget it. Like I said, it’s all good!
Driver's licence in german: Führerschein.
Try 'fyyrarshine' ;-) (which is close!)
Split it in parts: "fyy rar shine".
Try the parts and then after some time put them together piece by piece. They are seamlessly together.
("Führerschein").
"yy" means here for me, written in a completely inofficial way, a somewhat longer ü or y if that helps ;-)
And to hear it pronounced look at RUclips videos with that topic or search the internet for "leo org" and you will come to a free translation site with spoken pronounciations which you can listen to (with the little round or boxy play buttons).
That button says "Der Führerschein".
So they added the article to it, which is a good thing.
Fyy rar shine ;-)
Führerschein.
"the Others 16States" Technical no Germany have 16 Bundesländer in total and that includes Bavaria, but for fun we like to call Majorca our 17th Bundesland and from that viewpoint you hit the point. About the differences between Bavaria and the other Bundesländer Bavaria is our Texas.
Il be here a lot. Lol love you guys. Its fun to see someone go to live where i was born and raised.
You already can make day trips. There are beautifull cities Nürnberg, Regensburg, Bamberg, Würzburg and hikes Bayerischer Wald, Fränkische Schweiz, Maintal nearby
Welcome to Germany. Great videos. It's a lot of fun to watch you getting to know my home country. Please do more of them. If you ever come to Munich and need someone to show you around, get in touch. Best regards, Hans
Oh your so nice! Thank you! 💛
Welcome to Germany! Enjoy your stay!
New subscriber here :) i´m really excited to see how your lifes are going to develop here in germany . i really hope you don´t feel too isolated during this pandemic and make great new friends ! greetings from your neighbour-state baden-württemberg ( you should travel here when it´s possible! )
Ina, that's so nice of you! Thanks :). With comments like this we feel welcomed and at home, so thank you. It's great to have another friend and subscriber here on our channel!
One day we hope to make it over to your state! Wishing the best for you during these crazy times!
Welcome to my beautiful country! Welcome to Germany. You have to visit the area where I live. Ostfriesland. I live in a small village at the North Sea coast. We have the Wattenmeer an UNESCO heritage. For 6 hours we have water and then for the other 6 hours we have no water. Here you can see the northern German culture. I was born in the southwest of Germany and it‘s a big difference between these areas. My hometown is in a whine region and it’s so beautiful to see the vineyard in Fall when the colors change. It‘s so colorful and a perfect time to visit. The first new whine is ready (called Federweiser). You drink it with onioncake or Flammkuchen. Food and beverage are a huge part of our culture.
There are 16 states total, so it's Bavaria plus 15 :) Btw: The region of Franken (Frankonia in English, I think) is legally part of the state of Bavaria, but you will often hear both Franken (people from Frankonia) and Bayern (people from Bavaria) emphasise the fact that Franken does not belong to and is not Bavaria ;) Germans just love their little regional rivalries, much like Düsseldorf and Cologne (the area I am from).
Weiden is in a very rural part of the country which is typical for a lot of German communities. If you want to check out more urban surroundings, your neares big city is Nuremburg (or Nürnberg, as we call it). It has about 500,000 inhabitants (more than 10 times that of Weiden) and is one of the older cities in Germany (first settlement around 850 A.D., founding of the city itself probably in the 11th century). You will find lots of medieval sites and information there. Of course it is also associated with the Nuremberg tribunals after WW II.
What you said about Franconia and Bavaria is accurate. However, they are living in Grafenwöhr, which is situated in Upper Palatinate not Franconia ;)
@@LaBellaPiccolina Thanks for pointing that out, I wasn't clear enough here: Franconia came to my mind because I referenced Nuremburg :)
It is really nice to see how open minded you guys are about all new thinks here in Germany! I am already waiting for a "German snacks and candy tasting" video :D
In a previous video, where you were in the supermarket and were disappointed by the low choice of peanutbutter, you were right.
It is very uncommon in Germany. I live close to the dutch border and we are used to shop in the Netherlands, where eating peanutbutter is normal. When you want to buy good peanutbutter in Germany, try your local Africa Shop, if there is one. Normally they sell Calve Peanutbutter, which is pretty good. You can also buy this one on the internet, but it is pretty expensive for some reason. Better to support the next Africa Shop.
Greetings from the Niederrhein.
Regarding Calve, it is not to my taste, to be honest. I could get it at the supermarket here, and I did once, but I prefer others like La Comtesse, for example.
You guys seem super nice. I'm very happy to have you guys in Germany!We always need more people like you here. 🌻
Subsribed to you nice guys, wish you all the best, little family ❤👍💯
when we moved to germany from russia, the thing, that helped us the most to learn german, was to surround yourself with german. Watch German Movies/shows with subtitles, read german books. speak as much german as possible to each other. it doesnt matter if you have to describe things or show it with your hands. Its very hard, time consuming and sometime frustrating at the beginning, but it gets fast easier. Of course you need to know some basic german to do it. there are german classes (Sprachkurse) that are offered at the most places, often at the "Volkshochschule". You will learn the language quite fast if you force yourself to speak, listen und read as much german as you can.
Once Covid is under control... join a sport or other hobby (culture) club (Verein) if you want to immerse yourself into German culture (be it "Eltern-Kind Turnen" or learning martial arts). Usually they are pretty cheap and definitely cheaper than fitness studios.
Because usually people in the supermarket are not there to talk or chat... that's what friend groups and those clubs (Verein(e)) are there for. Maybe also you can do playground explorations and meet other young parents.
Your local "Volkshochschule" (Adult Education Centersmight also offer German language classes and other interesting courses that could help you to get to know people.
Im happy that you like it here 😊
If you need someone to practice German. I would be very happy to help.🙂 I live in the north but would be happy to jump on a video call!
An American friend of mine commented to me, that German is so hard to learn cause every German is so excited to improve their English and want to speak in English to you xD So don't despair if your German improves slowly. If you have time, you can try out the tandem app in combination with duolingo. The tandem app pairs you with another German (or any language) speaker to practice face to face (or face to screen). A friend told me about it a few years back. I just don't know if it's still free. I should look into it and finally start getting on improving on my Netherlands courses... And download Duolingo too. Okay, thanks for starting my motivation again :) [edit:] I should really find myself a partner to speak English, too. My pronunciation got worse since school.
In the eastern federal states (except Berlin) it becomes more difficult to find someone who speaks English. They speak German there, as well as Russian or Polish.
But that is also one reason why Germany serves as a bridge between West and East.
English is spoken a lot in Berlin and even as a German you are forced to speak English there.
@@jensschroder8214 Not true anymore. Since the Wall came down in the east, it is over 30 years ago. Young people, and people of around my age (42), also speak sufficiently fluent English. And I don't know anyone in the east of Germany, who speaks Polish. Polish might be spoken only at the border to Poland by some Germans and is very seldom.
Regarding seasons you can look forward to spring when everthing is getting green. I love spring the most.
The beauty of spring is: It's not only green...it's almost 50 shades of green ;-) So beautiful to see trees coming out green, bushes in white, yellow and pink, plus small flowers coming out in all colors...
It's for me a toss up between spring and fall/autumn. Love the green and the colourful flowers in spring, and the blooming tries, but I also love the colourful foliage in fall, especially when the sun is shining through it.
I Love spring too. The Summer
is Most so hot.
@@swanpride absolutely right... I'm with you on that
@@petereggers7603 it's thousands of green...
Just to help you with your efford to learn German: Döner is spoken with the same Umlaut like Mettbrötchen. It's not Doner. Just speak a regular "o" and drop your jar. It automatically becomes an "ö" in that case. Good luck and enjoy your new surroundings. :-)
Hey guys, welcome to germany :) I recommend going to a german restaurant and try a "Zwiebelrostbraten mit Spätzle und Soß".. i personally love it and i already know you will as well. I think it is swabian/austrian. Or try a receipt from Google singe restaurant ate closed atm
Oh, you just moved here, when I discovered your channel I thought you were here longer by now :D
Schön das es euch hier gefällt 😊
Come to Hessen and visit the Edersee in Summer 🙂
If you lucky you may see the parts of Berich,the village submerged 1914 .
It sounds like you and your family are well on your way to being settled. I am looking forward to seeing your house video :). I am also looking forward to maybe one day seeing your "Spaghetti Eis" reaction video lol. I talk about Spaghetti Eis a lot on my channel, I even have a playlist of spaghetti Eis lol :).
You have to try "Weisswurst mit Brezel und Hausmachersenf" espescially when you are in bavaria! this is one of the most typical small dishes there. go to a local butcher and try - it is worth it!!
With you two learning German whilst it's being thrown right at you, just make sure you don't fall for false friends in vocabulary use - especially with local varieties of German (i.e. Franconian, Bavarian and the regiolect of the Upper Palatinate) being around. There's a huge amount of words in Standard German already that sound similar or have a common root with the English lexicon entry but is being used totally differently in Germany. That said, we Germans also tend to make up English words for things - you'll probably have heard someone use a Handy by now (the use of the word Smartphone is slowly becoming more popular, though). Good to hear you're getting accustomed with German foods - it's fun to see you react to what our country has to offer on the culinary side.
I used to work for a british base here and I know of a lot of young families that sent their children to german schools and kindergartens instead of the english ones they offered inside the base. That way they got involved in the german society much easier, made friends with other parents and most of their children turned out perfectly bilingual which will benefit them for the rest of their lifes. Highly recommend to consider that for your little daughter too once she´s old enough :)
Yes we want to immerse her in the German programs!! We think it would be great!
Your move to Germany was a great decision - standard of living, quality of food, and quality of life are excellent. As a language tool, have you tried Germanpod101?
You should try a Bratwurstsemmel. 😋
I’m so happy for you that you found a home.
Hopefully the world opens up soon, so that you get to explore more spaces. I’m from Regensburg...It’s a very nice old town. You should really go there one day.
Like "Drei im Weckla", three "Nürnbergerla" bratwursts in a roll. Now I'm hungry!
@@ThePixel1983 ME TOO 🤤
I my give you my personal advise since i traveled the world. Just try to be yourself. Be friendly, open minded und talk. Young Germans speak English.
I wish you luck. Stay healthy. Greetings 👍🍀
Welcome to Germany, hope you feel well. Definitely can recommend the "Sächsische Schweiz" near Leipzig. Beautiful place. Hope you don't have fear of heights ;D
If you don't work (for whatever reason) try to find volunteering work with small children. You will learn German very fast.
I manage a project where immigrant mothers bring their child in a care center while they are in a German class. And they stay longer or come earlier to help watch the children of the next class or the class before.
They all say that they learn more listening to me speaking to the children and themselves trying to speak to children than in class. A combination is probably the best.
That is amazing you do that!! How cool. 💛 Thanks for sharing!
You should try all off the vegetables you don't know. Schwarzwurzeln, all the different things named Kohl... Also: Kartoffelpuffer are great.
You could try cooking German recipes yourselves since you're also trying to learn the language.
Ooph then you will see about 150% even more green as of now in a few weeks. Hope it won't kill you 🙏
Watch a simple show/sitcom you know really well (like Friends or whatever) and watch that in German or with subtitles. That always helped me. Or find a soap opera on RUclips, there are several, some are even with English subtitles. Yes, they're mostly silly but it's always these easy to understand every-day situations and conversations so it's easy to follow.
Or read what's on the news (so you have an idea what went on that day) and then watch the news in German either on TV or all channels put stuff online these days, like ARD, ZFD, arte.de and so on.And of course there are many documentaries, series and films there as well!
Also in every German Landkreis ("county") or even smaller cities are so-called "Volkshochschulen" (folk high school) which offer language courses
Sorry, unfortunately not a good idea, Volkshochschulen(VHS) are ok, but the pace of learning is often extremely slow, it's more suitable for pensioners or housewives with a lot of time.
@@m.bresser1398 Yeah, for the beginning A1 or A2. It's good to have a structure first - what to learn - before you speed up. VHS alone isn't enough!! I don't know their current level.
I love your Videos & never get bored🥰🤗
Germany is so perfectly located for travel 🙌🏿 . Love that abt it here ! & girl YES VEEEERY green ! So far this is nothing lol in the summer it’s insane , very nice !
So glad that you found a house already! :) If you are willing to share, I'd really be interested as to which small town surrounding Grafenwöhr you chose because my parents don't live to far away from Weiden. So chances are high you are living like 20-30 minutes-ish away from them, which is so cool! I am so excited to see my home region through your eyes. :D Also because (unfortunatley) I don't live in Bavaria any more. I chose to study outside of Bavaria and also have been working and living in the state NRW for a couple of years now. Also, you might have already noticed, but the "German" spoken in Bavaria has almost nothing to do with the "regular" German spoken (because most native people are speaking a bavarian dialect, duh!). Especially the region you are living in (the Oberpfalz) comes with lots and lots of different kinds of dialects which vary ever so slight almost in every town. Also, the Upper Palatinate-dialects are in parts considered as it's own language (because of some grammar and time phrases bavarian native speakers are using).
I also visited the army base in Grafenwöhr once when I was a kid for a German-American-Volksfest. It was so much fun because of all the American sweets and foods!
Hope you have a nice time, I'm looking forward to your next videos! :)
So nice to have your comments and hear your connection to Bavaria! We are close by Graf still so I'm sure we are close to your parents!
We are loving it here so far and hope to keep having great experiences a little bit every day. Yes! We have heard the dialects are different and it's kind of true. When we are at stores, we hear people talking and it doesn't sound like other German we have listened to 😂. Hoping we can learn German alright with the differences!
@@OurStorytoTell I’m sure you’ll get used to the dialect. 🙂 sometimes compared to “normal” German people might sound a little bit more rough when speaking Bavarian but they usually mean well. Bavarians just have a harder outer shell metaphorically, once you get through that they are the nicest people.
Also, in case you haven’t found that: maybe Dana’s yt channel called “Wanted adventure” might be helpful for improving your German skills. She is also American and came to Bavaria a couple of years ago. She did lots of videos on language differences between German and American.
The most important thing when you are in a foreign country is communication. Of cause speaking the language is a big advantage but being a German travelling to Greece, France, Romania etc it was always ok to 'speak' with hand and feet and rolling eyes. I even remember a deep conversation with an Italian teacher about the differences between German and Italian school system. we had no common language - she knew French and my one is more than lousy she did not know English and any German.
It was 1992 in a cold night at a pool in Tuscany (that was the only place where the tv could receive signals)
Germany lost against Denmark
Flying to a far away country and driving your own car there is something almost nobody will experience ever. That''s crazy! Enjoy it!
The experience might even be better as we have the Autobahn in Germany with many parts without speed limit.
I miss graf/Vilseck So much stuff to do and such a beautiful place
Learn the noun!!!!!! Grammar less (this will come later) use flash cards, watch german TV .... and # 1 rule don't let someone else practice their English while talking to you !!!!!! Enjoy your time here.... ps I'm an xpat here for 35yrs
Brötchen, Bienenstich, Amerkaner. Heinz curry ketchup. Kartoffel Puffer mit Apfelsoße. using the little forks with French fries.
Hi Risa & Tanner, nice to see you soooo happy. There's no doubt you'll make it ;-).
One hint for you: language open doors. Once you will realize it, so try hard. It will be a long way, but when you get forced and willing to learn you will be proud of yourself when you achieve your goal. I am watching Montana Showalter videos from time to time and she as an exchange students speaks german very very well after a short time of period. Dont worry about incorrect pronounciation and ask people to correct you. Well, there will be always a certain accent left but thats no drama. Which native german speaker can ever repeat the following correctly: In Bacharach am Achenbach da machten mich die Wachteln wach. :-D Go on and enjoy your stay in Germany even in this times. Once travelling will be possible again there are so many things to see and enjoy in Germany, also beside all the main touristic spots
Yes we are already trying to get out and explore as much as possible!! So far we are loving it! Where in Germany are you from?
@@OurStorytoTell Missed to mention that there are so many other areas worth to travell and see such as the Blackforrest, the Allgäu with the King Ludwig Castle(everbody know this tourist spot), as a spot also Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the Rhine and Mosel Valley, along the shores of the north sea area and Baltic sea, MVP Mecklenburg Vorpommern along the shores to and including the isle of Rügen, as well as the isle Usedom, in the former part of GDR the Spreewald, the Lausitz with the minority of Sorbian living from Cottbus to Bautzen, the saxionina city of Dresden and the Elbe valley direction to Checheslowakia, the Erzgebirge. Lots to see so google what might be interesting for you. Cross fingers this times will be over soon and you can go around with a campervan. In case you need some info/hints to point out just let me know. Appreciate things even they are not bigger than in the US
Do you know the RUclips channel Wanted Adventure? Dana Newman is from the US herself and explains the many differences and similarities between her home country and Germany.
You should watch the german dub version of movies/shows that you've already seen (a lot). It might be weird, but I think it could help.
My english got better after school, through watching movies/shows/videos in english.
Good idea! We've started doing that a bit so we'll have to keep it up.
Can't wait for a house video :) i'm glad you're enjoying your time in germany
Thanks! That’s on our agenda!
Wow ! So many experiences within only the first month! Congrats on your new car AND new house - really looking forward to seeing that.
Yes, German is a difficult language to learn, not only the grammar but also the pronunciation ( especially the vowels ä, ü and ö like in Döner as well as double vowels like eu, ei or au as in Nahkauf ). I hope you'll soon find more people to talk to who can help with that.
Too bad that the vaccination process is so slow in Germany right now but I do hope the EU will finally order more vaccine so we all don't have to wait too much longer. Best wishes from Lübeck
Hamburg is nice. I love eating fish rolls (Matjes). You habe a beautiful view from the balcony of the Elbphilharmonie. I recommend a harbor cruise.
:) I like your videos. Welcome to Germany. Mettbrötchen are one of my favorites. To get the best experience you should get it fresh from the local butcher, a little bit of salt and pepper and some fresh raw white onions. Very delicious 🤤
another food you can try which you will probably love is Schäufele (pork shoulder). it's a typical bavarian dish, just like pork roast, but so much better in my opinion. it's the most tender meat with a delicious potato dumpling and gravy. you can get it at some german restaurants here in the area but in almost evrry german restaurant in nuremberg for example :)
Regarding learning german AND learn more about german food...maybe some channels on RUclips can help... ;-)
I recommand two channels for enhancing your language skills. They both have the same apprach: Grammar of course...but also learning expressions in special situations...
Look out for "Learning german with Herrn Antrim" (US german teacher who has been living in Germany and has therefore awesome skills in the german language) and Easy German (germans who teach in english "everyday german").
If you're interested to learn more about german dishes and recipes how to cook strange german veggies (that you've found in your local grocery store), go find "All tastes german", "Cooking the world" or "German Recipes"... all of these channels present their content in english.
Hey, regarding learning German, I have been at it for a while with Duolingo, but recently I found this other program call Busuu, I found their lessons much more structured and practical. I feel I actually progressed way more and they also offer the official level tests. May want to give that a try!
Maybe it will help you, to listen to german radio station every day, for example for 15 Minute every day. The news will be hard in the beginning, but some news are the same in the US, as here in germany. By listening every day, only some minutes, you will get the sound and some words, i think. But you will find your way anyway ;-)
Döner is a must.
You are such a sweet couple. Don’t stress about the German. I know people who‘ve lived here for 20 years, who hardly speak a word.
In germany there is a big number of ancient small towns which often are much more attractive than the big cities concerning historic buildings and overall beauty !! So in some regions to should simply take a car and taketo the country roads or along a river for example the Main river that runs from Your area all the way through Franconia and Frankurt to the Rhine at Mainz. With a little child it is not so easy but worth it !
If you like sweets trie the Black Forrest Cherry cake. You can buy it in every Supermarket frozen. Take the Coppenrath &Wiese brand. It's to die for.
Oooh we will have go try it! Thank you!