Grüßgott, ya'll: A guide to life in Germany
Postcards from Germany: 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall
11/17/09
While Germany still battles the divisions created by what Washington Post journalist Anne Applebaum calls "invisible walls", celebrations of the fall of the Berlin Wall drew everyone's attention this past week.
German writer Herta Müller wins Nobel Prize in Literature
10/10/09
The Romanian-born German Herta Müller is the winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature. The academy describes Müller as a writer "who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed."
"The Berlin Wall: what really made it fall" by Elizabeth Pond
10/09/09
As Germany - and the world - prepares to celebrate the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, journalist Elizabeth Pond discusses the central role of East German civil courage in bringing about political change.
Postcards from Germany: German National Elections
09/25/09
As Germans prepare to elect the next leader of their country this weekend, there's no talk of mavericks, Joe the Plumber or "lipstick on a pig". Germans view elections very differently than Americans with around 78% turnout.
Postcards from Germany: Dutch-German, German-Russian, or Russian Mennonite? How Europe – and wheat – came to the American Plains
08/22/09
You'd never know it from my decidedly English-sounding name, but one of the many reasons for my interest in Germany is my Dutch-German heritage. This is the story of how Mennonites, swiebocks, faspa and wheat made it to the Midwest.
Tough decisions ahead as PC manufacturers deal with Chinese censorship
07/06/09
My new article about Chinese internet censorship and American PC manufacturers for Mainstreetok.com is up here. If you're interested, have a read!
Postcards from Germany: July 4th and "authentic" German potato salad
07/06/09
I've seen healthy -- and sometimes heated -- debates on American recipe websites about what "authentic German potato salad" really is, but one genuine version doesn't exist, just like most things "authentic", including Americans.
New articles on Mainstreetok.com
06/26/09
As of this week, I've begun writing articles for the Daily Oklahoman's online newspaper for the Oklahoma Panhandle, Mainstreetok.com. The first is a feature piece on traveling to North Korea.
Postcards from Germany: Birthdays in Germany
06/12/09
After attending several birthday soirees in Germany, I started wondering whether German kids wished for the same things that I did as a kid and found a whole new set of birthday traditions and "rules".
Postcards from Germany: Schloss Neuschwanstein, or "The Disney Castle"
06/12/09
As home to the western world's most popular children's storytellers ? the Brothers Grimm ? it should come as no surprise that the world's most famous fairytale castle is found in Germany.
Inglorious, indeed.
05/09/09
Am I the only one bothered by trailers for Tarantino's mysteriously misspelled latest, Inglourious Basterds?
Mandated German Religion Courses Voted Down in Berlin
04/27/09
Although many Americans see Europe as largely atheist, you'd be surprised at the level of influence that both Protestant and Catholic churches have in many parts of Germany.
The lines a German won't cross: German stereotypes about rules
04/14/09
My German friends and students might laugh at stereotypes about Germans and rules, but only because they are willing to admit that they actually DO wait for the green light to cross the street in the middle of the night even when there's no traffic.
Postcards from Germany: Easter Traditions in Germany
04/12/09
As with Christmas stockings and trees, many of the American holiday traditions surrounding Easter have their origins in Germany.
Making schnitzel, German-style
04/11/09
People who know me know that I love food, so I'm sharing the rather shallow "wealth" of my German food knowledge. Today, schnitzel. Coming soon ... Käsespätzle!