Decades From Home - A Podcast About Germany

It seems like everyone is coming down with something this week, as cold and flu season kicks into gear, we discuss homemade remedies, fear of the Apotheke, and why taking a day off from work isn’t as big a problem in Germany as it is in other countries.A scandal at Buckingham Palace sparks a discussion on why asking where someone is from isn’t always a friendly question, and how othering comes in various different shapes and sizes. Germany’s exit from the World Cup has brought on a bout of introspection in some quarters, we ask why Germany tends to default to pessimism, and whether things are really as bad as some think.We finish with a look at recent decisions to rename streets in Berlin, the connections to Germany’s colonial past, and how countries reconcile with their imperial histories. LinksNgozi Fulani tells of ‘horrific abuse’ after Buckingham Palace racism incidentWir erleben den relativen Abstieg einer Nation - nicht nur im FußballBerlin says goodbye to part of Germany’s colonial pastFor those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Kelly Sikkema on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

December is upon us, and with the arrival of Advent we discuss wooden Advent calendars, homemade calendars, and why giving chocolate to children at eight in the morning seems a terrible idea. We also chat German football terminology, direct translations, and our most used German words and phrases.After an email from a listener sparks a discussion on language learning, we compare notes on how we maintain our German, and offer some tips on some of the small things we do to keep improving. The recent announcement of proposed changes to citizenship in Germany leads us to talk about our own experiences of gaining citizenship, the pitfalls, and why taking a different passport isn’t simply a matter of paperwork.We finish on a study from the Kraftfahrtbundesamtes (Federal Motor Transport Authority) which has found that more traffic offenses are caused by men than women in Germany.LinksMen commit more traffic offended than womenGerman citizenship faster? Sounds like a good idea, but guess who’s against it?For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Elena Mozhvilo on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Dili and Nic discuss Simon’s recent announcement, the return of the DuetscherBierPokal, and why grapefruit beer is an acquired taste. After a conversation with his wife, Nic wonders if buying people alcohol for Christmas is acceptable in Germany, who doesn’t want a pint of wine around the Christmas tree? We also talk about boycotting the World Cup, celebrity activism, and the proposed changes to the benefits system in Germany.

Nic is joined by Dilini Algama this week to discuss the arrival of the NFL in Munich to play a one-off fixture, and the shadow cast by the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. Dilini is frustrated that more people don’t appreciate the wonders of quince season, especially Nic who is far more concerned with trying to shower in under two minutes flat.As the first festive season without Covid restrictions approaches, many German cities are already announcing plans to continue banning fireworks in certain areas on New Years Eve. While some welcome a less explosive end to 2022, many are upset that they won’t be able to enjoy the age old tradition. Is Germany becoming a nanny state or is this just sensible policy?Despite being far away from Berlin, Nic has become fascinated with the culture surrounding world famous club Berghain. Is any club really worth so much effort? Finally, we have another Boris Becker update as the champion tennis star looks set to return to Germany.Articles Mentioned:The firecrackers on New Year's Eve return - everywhere?What not to do at Berghain: How to avoid the biggest mistakesFor those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Simon Tartarotti on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

After almost two years of podcasting, we’ve finally reached the summit of 100 episodes! We’ve spent a lot of time wondering how we should celebrate such a massive milestone, and the only logical conclusion is to take a BFF quiz from Teen Vogue. Yes listeners, we’re going to share our deepest darkest secrets with you, and should we fail to answer, well the punishment will be a shot of something truly awful.What have been our most embarrassing moments, do we believe in ghosts, and what were our worst dates? All will be answered as we delve into the darkness of our own psyches, and share all the lurid details that we can remember. For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Claudio Schwarz on UnsplashPhoto by Markus Spiske on UnsplashPhoto by Marcel Eberle on UnsplashPhoto by Luis Morera on UnsplashPhoto by Markus Spiske on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

On the show this week: We’ve been enjoying the halloween spirit this week, to differing degrees of success. Nic accidently watched the scariest horror movie of all time, while Simon rewatched an old favourite which he’s sure had significantly less nudity the first time around. We also chat about a day trip to one of the weirdest, and most Bayrisch, tourist attractions in Germany.We have a special guest this week, we’re joined by William Noah Glucroft, a freelance journalist based in Berlin. We talk trick or treating in Berlin, controversial beer opinions, and favoured pieces of German culture. Of course, we didn’t just, bring William in to chat about the niceties. We break down the first year of Germany’s traffic light coalition government and find out whether life after Angela Merkel has all been downhill. To finish, Simon & Nic have another Boris Becker update, as we find out how the Tennis playing hero of Germany is staying fit while serving at His Majesty's pleasure.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Tim Simon on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Even though we’ve been here for two decades between us, we still can’t get the hang of German pillows. Simon knows this better than most, especially after suffering a pillow related injury. Never let it be said we don’t suffer for this podcast! Neck pain aside, Simon did manage to get out of the house to forage for mushrooms. He must be pretty good at telling his champignons from his deathcaps, because he’s still here to tell us all about it.The results are in for the Jugendwort des Jahres 2022 and it’s a smashing result, although we do wonder why so many new English loan words seem to be decades out of date. Turning to less pleasant news, we look at Adidas dropping Kanye West and why it took so long for the German sports giant to drop a celebrity that’s willing to spew anti-semitism. Finally, we look at a recent potato based protest by climate activists who attacked an $110 million Monet painting with lashings of Kartoffelbrei. To Nic’s surprise, Simon is far less concerned with the protest itself and much more annoyed by what Germans consider mashed potato. For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Rachel Loughman on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

On the show this weekWe have a bundle of updates from last week, with Union Berlin still flying high in the Bundesliga, among other news. We discuss the recent debate on keeping three nuclear power plants open until 2023, which is a good chance to learn some interesting new German vocabulary. Additionally, we also have to look across the channel at the ongoing idiocy of British politics.With shops setting out their festive displays as early as possible this year, we look at the most wanted toys this Christmas.Is a rollerskating Peppa Pig or a vaping Buzz Lightyear really worth the money or should we be looking at more sustainable options?Changes to the law in Germany mean religion will no longer be recorded for individuals when they get married, which seems to be a positive step, but has also annoyed conservatives. We talk about the continued influence of the church in people’s lives and why it can have a big impact on your tax. We finish with a story about companies forcing people back to the office, and why not turning on your webcam can be a sackable offence.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Tite Zobaran on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

On the show this week:Growing up is tough, especially for parents, as Nic discovers when his daughter gains the freedom to wake him up at all hours of the night. Of course, Simon is very sympathetic, although perhaps his suggestions on how to resolve the issue lacks a certain level of nuance. We welcome episode 96 with a trip down memory lane, to the year 1996 and the exploits of a certain Geordie footballer. We review the results of the local election in Niedersachsen, and consider what it might mean for Germany and Christian Lindner’s FDP. We discuss the worrying story of apparent sabotage on rail communications in the north of Germany, and a scandal concerning Russian infiltration of cyber security infrastructure. Given the story was broken by the comedian Jan Böhmermann, we talk about other examples of satire being ahead of journalism, and whether it’s a good thing if the news is communicated in a funny way.Simon brings us a story about copycat chocolate as a Swiss court rules against German discounter Lidl over a suspiciously familiar chocolate rabbit, and we finish off the show with a look at the impact of raising prices in German supermarkets. For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Hello I'm Nik on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

We’re back from Bonn, but we still have some important things to discuss, namely how did all that Haribo taste. Simon might be putting off trying the cake flavoured Gummibärchen, but Nic has been glorying in the wide open spaces of novelty flavour country. Nic has also been to Bamberg recently, which gives us a chance to talk Rauchbier and whether one of Bavaria’s most famous cities is really “the Venice of Germany”.Oktoberfest ended this week, and despite many expecting it to be the busiest for years, numbers were actually down, as were beer sales. More disturbingly were the numerous reports of inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment directed towards women working in beer tents or stands throughout the Wiesn. We look at some of these reports and what it means for Bavaria’s most famous festival.We travel back in time for the second part of our Bonn meetup, where Simon shares his experiences of being in Britain for the Queen’s funeral, the chaos enveloping the British government, and why Britain has such a problem talking about its history. We finish the show with Simon’s recollections of being thrown out the famous Heide Park Resort.Oktoberfest Articles:Die fremde Hand am Hintern"Verschwinde, hau ab!", hat die Chefin mir nachgerufen„Wenn es abends voll wird, dann ist es nur noch eklig“„Ich habe zehn Tage gekellnert und 100 Euro draufgezahlt“For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Itai Aarons on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß