Decades From Home - A Podcast About Germany

On the show this week:Is mint sauce really a multipurpose condiment? Simons seems to think so, even if Nic is far from convinced. A discussion on condiments gives Simon a chance to introduce his new favourite segment, The Potato Quiz! Does Nic know the many types if British potato or is he correct in assuming there is only really three?Having moves to Bavaria for the beer, among other things, we’re slightly concerned by news of dropping beer consumption in Germany. Is the pandemic to blame, are Germans really changing their drinking habits, and what has China got to do with saving German brewing?We discuss a Munich museum that’s investigating the origins of it’s Cameroonian art collection and we ask why the British Museum seems so reluctant to return the many exhibits that come from the days of empire. We finish the show on the plight of the humble tattoo artist and discuss why recent laws passed by the EU are only making their lives harder.Image CreditPhoto by James Discombe on Unsplash

On the show this week:Nic has a strange experience while helping someone move house. While he kicks himself for not taking the opportunity to make more jokes about it at the time, Simon’s been playing the new internet sensation Wordle, even going as far as to try it in German!We talk about taking the opportunity to travel, especially since we’ve spent so long in our homes over the last two years, but we ponder why some young Germans prefer to remain closer to home than adventuring out into the wide world.We discuss public holidays in the UK and Germany, why masks might make you more attractive and we finish on a the first recorded image of UFOs coming from Simon’s home town of Nürnberg.

On the show this week:Following a suggestion from a listener, we dedicate this week’s show to finding the perfect football team for a new arrival to Germany. Football can be a great way to meet new people, but which team should someone choose? We look at the various ways people choose their football teams and how we chose our own German football teams. Is it better to be a winner, a glorious loser or the ultimate football hipster? Simon discusses why the colour of the shirt can affect a person’s choice of team and Nic explains why choosing a local team can be an important metric.We review the many different teams from all corners of the country, why lower league teams might help you get to know the country and,  most importantly, why you should never support Bayern Munich.

On the show this week:With his mighty beard and deep voice, Simon’s worried he might be mistaken for a Yeti when clearing the snow, luckily he’s found a way to soften his image. Meanwhile, Nic would happily hire a yeti if they were any good at childcare, given the issues of finding a nursery for his daughter in Germany.We’re talking hobbies this week. Nic takes us through the differences between Germany and Britain when it comes to choosing a hobby and Simon makes some suggestions for British hobbies that could be more popular here.We finish up on some worrying UK statistics from the NHS that outline the dangers of taking on new hobbies, while Simon celebrates some unconventional uses for military ordinance.

On the show this week:Well done, we’ve made it through the first week of 2022! We celebrate with some chat about three kings, public holidays and friends who bring the gift of beer. Nic wonders whether he’s old or if it’s only the pandemic that’s preventing him from clubbing, while Simon just wants to go to the pub with his mates. Thanks to a listener, Simon questions whether every kebab is really great after his forced introduction to Hawaiian style kebab, while Nic talks about his German family’s reaction to a humble PBJ sandwich. We check in on the new German government and talk about the obvious fault lines in the new coalition that the German media seem so gleeful to exploit. Is the criticism really fair or is it just a case of a slow news week?To finish, we talk about government plans to improve the quality of food production, how that may impact the price of the average shop and how this connects to a new law that protects millions of chickens from being destroyed. Image CreditPhoto by Fiona Smallwood on Unsplash

On the show this week:With festivities coming to an end, we talk about leisure drinking during Christmas, New Year’s cocktails and accidental impoliteness. Simon discusses the importance of winning video games against relatives and Nic reflects on his cheese and stollen fuelled nightmares.We chat about plans for New Year’s Eve and why fireworks bans have some major upsides in Germany. Traditionally it’s the time of year for resolutions, but Nic would prefer not to make so many big life changes and instead wonders if there is a place for mediocre New Year’s Resolutions.Finally, we finish the first pod of 2022 with a previously unheard conversation taken from our chat with Dr. Sandra Jansen, way back in episode 44. Is the Geordie dialect dying out and what can Bavaria teach us about saving it? 

On the show this week:It’s Christmas Day and we bring you tidings of beer world cups and how to celebrate Christmas when half your family are German and the other British. Is Christmas the 24th, the 25th or both? Can anyone celebrate back to back Christmases and hope to survive? Nic thinks he can, but one thing is for sure, if you bring a Raclette to his house, you’ll wish you hadn’t.Since it’s Christmas, we take the chance to talk about one of our favourite things, yorkshire puddings. We also delve deeply into the importance of food to British festivities and why the typical Weihnachtsmenü can often leave a lot to be desired. Simon has a suggestion for what to do with leftovers and Nic takes some tips on working off his dinner from a famous British convict.We finish the celebrations with an important experiment as we attempt to answer one of the most challenging questions known to humanity: which cheese goes best with a nice piece of Stollen?

On the show this week:After disappointing news from the UK, Nic and Simon survey what remains of their Christmas plans, for Simon that means finally buying a Christmas tree, for Nic it’s navigating strange shops in search of decorations. Christmas maybe cancelled in the UK, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out; Simon is here to help with his top plätzchen choices, while Nic happily accepts his new position as the  Lord of Christmas (Long may he reign!)We discuss forced Christmas traditions, why mince pies are amazing and misunderstood lyrics to Christmas songs. Joshua Kimmich makes another appearance as we talk vaccines in football and Simon takes the opportunity to mention Schalke’s big win against his German hometown Nürnberg.Nic explains why he’s now legitimately scared of German spiders and we finish with a German record amount of Christmas trees squeezed into one apartment. 

On the show this week:We’re joined by Tom the Abroad American to talk konterbier, turkey hangovers and why the British should be celebrating Thanksgiving. Nic does some emergency baking, Simon enjoys his new snow shovel and Tom tells us what it’s like to go to university in Germany.We discuss why Germans don’t enjoy spicy food, what German foods might be improved with the addition of a serious rate of Scovilles and where to find a decent curry, at least in the south. Nic shares his dream of buying a sword, while Simon wonders if it’s finally our chance to remake The Highlander. With Merkel finally stepping down after her caretaker Chancellor role over the last few months, we wonder about her leaving ceremony, why German soldiers were involved and what a Nina Hagen song sounds like when played by a military band.We finish by looking at a recent report on Corona protests in the East of Germany, and Nic takes us all through the favourites for the 2nd Deutscher Bier pokal.

On the show this week:We’ve finished sweeping up the confetti and recycling the champagne bottles from episode 50, so we turn our attentions to the future. For Nic that means cancelling Christmas and for Simon, buying a snow shovel. We talk the perfect weather for a crime drama and our recent appearance on The Expatcast. Simon takes us through the chaos of the recent Bayern Munich AGM and the limitations of the 50+1 rule in German football and we also discuss the discovery of a true breakfast kebab, complete with bacon and…salad?A shiny new German government is about to take power after some serious negotiations since September, so we finish this week with a look at some of the new ministers and the plans for their next four years.