Decades From Home - A Podcast About Germany

After the highs of last week’s show, we resume normal service as we discuss having family come visit us in Germany, the complex dance of German and British politeness, and why it’s impossible to find an ice cream van when you need one. Although we can’t offer you a Mr. Whippy, Simon might be able to offer you something much better: the opportunity to win a trophy!After avoiding the chaos of British politics for a few weeks, we turn our attention to Boris Johnson’s resignation and the resulting Conservative Party leadership contest. We discuss the remaining candidates and why choosing a PM in Britain is often like voting in an 18th century election. Sticking with the exciting world of British politics, we recap the visit of Labour’s Keir Starmer to Germany and why a video angered some on German Twitter.Turning to the relatively tranquil world of German politics, the wedding of FDP leader Christian Linder was an opportunity for politicians to dust off their finery, and their private planes, to join the festivities on the island of Sylt. Is it OK for politicians to be flying around the country while the climate crisis ravages the country? To finish we look at a recent story from TikTok, where a young man attempted a very public 360 kilometer journey, but gave up after less than 24hrs.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 Kenny Eliason on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Well listener, aren’t you in for a real treat! We’re joined by the the most incredible of special guests, the definitive English language voice of the Bundesliga, Derek Rae. Derek is ESPN’s lead commentator for the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal, La Liga and the Deutsche Fußball Liga. He’s also, along with Lee Dixon & Stewart Robson, the commentator for hundreds of thousands of daily Fifa 22 games played across the world.In a delightful conversation, Derek takes us through his childhood in Aberdeen where he discovered a love for the German language and culture, his first big break commentating on Scottish football, and how he managed to listen to German language radio without ever having to travel. We learn what it’s like to record commentary for football games you can’t see, discuss why more British footballers should take the leap into the Bundesliga, and what aspects of German life and culture Derek would happily take with him if he could.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 3DVisu on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Simon returns after a week of avoiding a house full of Covid, and not a minute to soon either. Nic needs an answer to a burning question: why do Germans enjoy eating piping hot meals, even when it’s hotter than the mouth of hell outside? We try and find an answer to this puzzler, among many other important questions. A recent proposal to make English an official bureaucratic language gets us thinking about how life might change if we didn’t have to worry about Der, Die, Das, when we speak to the tax office. Are the plans realistic? We look into a recent decision in a Frankfurt court to fine SUV drivers more than normal for breaking traffic laws, and we celebrate as a small boy from Oldenburg is rescued from a sewer after going missing for eight days. Finally, we take a minor disagreement to the mat with our inaugural Schland Slam segment, as we argue whether Pineapple and ham is really worthy of being Germany’s third favourite pizza topping.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 Patrick CaseTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

We are joined by two very special guests this week, Marty and Marcy, who join Nic for a special Pride episode to discuss their experiences of life in Germany. We talk about culture bubbles, the price of Vegemite, and the glory of American convenience food. After a weekend of terrible news from the US, wevdiscuss the loss of established freedoms, and the threats to LGBTQ rights. We turn to Germany and question the perception of our adopted home as a bastion of liberalism, and whether there is a big difference between the north and south of the country.Our guests share their experiences of moving to Germany, civil partnerships, and why a translator can be the best of guests when tying the knot. Finally, Marty teaches Nic some useful German terminology, while Marcy explains what it’s like to go to Christopher Street Day.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 Steve Johnson on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

After a weekend heatwave, Simon has discovered the joys of wild swimming, but only as long as all the boats stay out of his way. Nic, on the other hand, made the counterintuitive decision to watch some horse jumping to beat the heat. He doesn’t like horses or hot weather, so this one will take some explaining.We tackle the myth of a modern Germany as we look at a celebrity businessman’s less than innovative idea for creating Germany’s Silicon Valley, we find out why German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had trouble getting his passport, and a genuinely life changing way for people to get prescription medication.We turn our attention to the recent AfD conference in Riesa that collapsed in acrimony, and we finish on why Nic hates shorts, even when he’s wearing them. Link mentioned in the show: Alice Weidel und die NazizeitungFor 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 Greg Rosenke on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

After a weekend of adventures up north in Hamburg, Nic returns with tales of Disney musicals, art oggoling, and riding on Mississippi Riverboats. Simon has a lot of questions, most importantly of all, how was the fish? Moving on from holidays, Nic quizzes Simon’s knowledge of German ice cream, while Simon returns the favour with some curious ice cream flavours. Anyone for fried chicken ice cream?Always concerned with our listeners finances, Simon brings some serious economic news as we go through the newly released Oktoberfest beer price list. Which tent has the most expensive beer, who has the cheapest, and what about the Spezi? We look at where visitors can save a bit of money, and discuss why we should be thankful Oktoberfest isn’t in Britain.We finish this week with a story of pissed up plans, millions of euros of fraud, and a non existent Covid test centre. 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 Caroline Hernandez on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Sadly Simon is out sick this week, but Nic battles on by inviting the listeners to join in on the conversation, pity he forgot to mic them up. Instead of wasting an hour of your time and his sanity, Nic and our lovely, shiny new producer have complied a themed clip-show for your listening enjoyment!We go back to Christmas to revisit our brave experimentation with cheese and stollen, Simon loses his mind after learning from a listener that Hawaii Kebap exist, but he quickly recovers his composure to celebrate the arrival of a new kebab shop at then end of his street. We engage in the fun and frolics of a potato quiz, learn about the horrors of Fish Finger Pizza, and ask why Germany seems to be so rubbish at takeaway food.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 Freddy G on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Simon surprises us all by announcing he’s become a Lord in the UK. No one has any idea why, but he’s making demands we all use his new title. To celebrate this sudden elevation to the ranks of the aristocracy, Simon has been binge watching Downton Abbey. Between that and his new title, Nic is beginning to worry about his podcast pal.Of course, there’s a reason for all this indulgent Britishness, it’s only the bloody Queen’s Platinum Jubilee! Granted Nic is a republican and Simon is monarchy agnostic, but surely a parade of pensioners on mobility scooters will liven up proceedings. We talk all things jubilee, ask what the hell is the point, and even find some time to talk about the perfect celebratory lunch (hint: it includes a trifle).We also find some time to discuss the top 9 Brexit benefits that for some reason weren’t printed on the side of a bus, recent technological problems with credit cards in Germany, and we finish with a sneaky Boris Becker update.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 CreditBild von Jhoan Cordoba auf PixabayTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Things are heating up in the podcast cave, so much so that Simon has shaved his beard. Now looking more man than bearded beast, Simon discusses being reunited with his neck and why you should always be careful around a beard trimmer.Luckily for Nic and everyone else in Nürnberg, Simon did keep his beard long enough to display it a the recent Punk in Drublic music festival. We talk about a wonderful sunny Saturday of punk music, beer and diffusing arguments at the bar. The €9 train ticket has finally gone on sale, allowing Germans to travel the rails around the country for next to nothing. Nic wonders why Bayern always has to complain about nice things, while Simon is just happy to ditch his car. We finish on a similar theme by looking at where you should go to get the most out of all this public transport with some of the best rail journeys in Germany. 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 Alexander Bagno on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

It wouldn’t be the podcast if we didn’t at some point talk about the weather. While Nic was enjoying the sun in a beer garden over the weekend, Simon was slightly concerned at the chunks of pollen that could be seen all over the place.While the sun is out, it’s probably a good time to reflect on the end of the football season in Germany as we ponder the curious delight some German football fans get from invading the pitch after games across the country. Perhaps that’s not such a bad idea, after all, it’s far better than sitting as we learn from football legend Philipp Lahm that sitting might be as dangerous as smoking! We talk sitting, smoking and how best to approach geeting fit.To finish off the show, we return to the almost weekly topic of struggling food companies, this time it’s one of Britain’s favourite dishes, the wonderful Fish and Chips, which is under threat from lack of suppliers and the cost of living crisis. 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 Adrian Diaz-Sieckel on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß