myGermany

Episode 24: Understanding German License Plates

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:36:24 +0000

You can tell a lot about a car and driver by knowing how to read their license plate and in this episode of the myGermany podcast, that’s just what I do! In this video I mention that the, rather than being registered in Federal States (like New York, California, Texas, etc.) German cars are registered at [...]

So Why is the FH Weihenstephan-Triesdorf Linking to this Site?

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:16:35 +0000

Ever so often I look under the hood of this site, you know, to check the stats, make sure everything is running well, and so on. I have a nifty little program in the back-end which shows me where people are coming from when they end up here. And it seems that in the past few [...]

Episode 23: Schulranzen

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:10:21 +0000

Each year thousands of German first grade students get their first school bag – Schulranzen, the bag that they will be using for the first 4 years of school. The bags themselves each cost upwards of €100 and are mandatory for children in elementary school. For years I’ve seen kids running around with these bags and [...]

myGermany Turns 3 Years Old!

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:11:13 +0000

Three years ago this month, I finally scrapped enough enough money, technical know-how and courage to call a web-site and audio podcast into life.In celebration of our 3rd birthday, I intend to post a lot more content to the blog this month, have some more videos and audio podcasts and to offer a special prize to a listener or reader of myGermany (more on that later).

myGermany Podcast 22: How German Windows Work

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:53:49 +0000

Okay, I know this seems like a funny topic for an episode, but you would not believe how many of our visitors to Germany comment on how odd German windows are…either that or they have problems figuring out how to work them. It’s wither that or they’ve somehow gotten the window off all hinges but [...]

Episode 21: Second Part of the Interview with David Meola

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:16:00 +0000

In this second part of David’s interview, he takes us through the details of his historical research into Jewish life in Germany in the early 19th century. It’s a fascinating discussion and I’m sure that even if History isn’t your strong suit, that you’ll enjoy listening to David. Please do leave your comments and questions for [...]

Episode 20: An Interview with David Meola

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:15:19 +0000

He's a student of German history and just happened to be back in Germany on a 3 month research tour financed by the DAAD (Deutsche Akademische Austausch Dienst or the German Academic Exchange Service). In this first of two podcasts with David, he discusses his life-long engagement with Germany and he gives some great tips about living and working in Germany.

Episode 20 Coming Soon

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:55:41 +0000

Hey folks, just wanted to let you know that the newest podcast will be coming soon. I’ll be talking about Nationalism, or lack thereof, in Germany as well as discussing the reaction to the shooting in Winnenden this week. Lastly, I’ve got a new band that I’d like to play for you, so it should be a [...]

Episode 19: How to Make Gluehwein

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:40:24 +0000

If you can’t be in Germany during the holidays, I’d suggest making your own Gluehwein, to replicate the atmosphere that you are missing. Gluehwein (mulled wine in English) is the traditional winter drink which you will find at all the Christmas markets throughout Germany. There are many different recipes for Gluehwin to be found, indeed [...]

Episode 18: Nudity in Germany

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:39:26 +0000

18_Episode_18.mp3 You voted for it and here it is, a podcast about nudity in Germany. In this episode, I’ll be talking about how the German sensibilities regarding the naked body as well as in what situations and circumstances where it might confront you in your visit to Germany. I do not take a moral stand here, as [...]

A Promise & A Reading Recommendation

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:45:48 +0000

The Promise: You’ve all be very patient with me and I do appreciate it. Believe it or not, I’ve actually done the first round of recording for the next podcast, so expect to hear from me again very very soon! And yes, topic will be, as promised in the last episode, Nude Germans…hey, you guys voted [...]

Things Germans Don’t Understand about Americans, part 1

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:43:24 +0000

Summer vacation is coming to a close and I thought that this might be an interesting one for my German and American readers. Stereotypes are still a big issue between the two cultures and it’s indescribable scenes like the one below which fuel them. This is a video of some American University Professors (not THE [...]

Summer Vacation

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:10:52 +0000

Hi Folks, I know it’s been a while since I got a new post out and that it will be a bit more time till I get the new podcast up. Many of you know that the months of July and August are traditionally the vacation months here in Germany and while the whole county doesn’t [...]

Intermission in Italy

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:35:29 +0000

Yes, yes, we all know that this is a blog and podcast about Germany. However, business has me in Italy quite often recently, so I though that is might be fun to show you a bit about what it’s like traveling elsewhere. You’ll notice that I’m in the company of Germans, however, so I’m keeping [...]

You Have Spoken – and you wanted to hear about nudity in Germany…?

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:11:11 +0000

I had the poll for the next podcast up for about 2 weeks and decided to close it down after over 90% of you voted to hear about nudity in Germany. really. I never knew that about you guys… I have to admit, I was surprised. I figured that all of you would jump on the [...]

Second Place Ain’t So Bad

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:55:25 +0000

Well the EM has run its course and the better team won, Spain. Watching the game last night with my neighbors was, again, an insight into how different cultures see things, or better put, react to things differently. As soon as things started going less than perfect in the game for the German side, my [...]

myGermany Podacast European Cup Special Edition

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:00:44 +0000

The European Cup is in full swing in Austria and Switzerland and the German national team has made it into the semi-finals. The mood is reminiscent of the World Cup, which Germany hosted just two years ago. With the Germany National team doing so well the public viewing areas in most cities are starting to become [...]

Next Episode Coming Soon…no, really!

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:41:10 +0000

Hello Friends. It’ s high spring in Germany and the Football season is in full bloom. The German Ntl. Team has proven to be not completely reliable in thier performance thus far in the EM football cup this year. Their arch-nemeses from the World Cup, the? Italian Team, have also made it through the initial [...]

Episode 17: German Names

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:14:01 +0000

In this episode I talk about German names, some of which can sound very unusual to a native English speaker. You’ll get a chance to hear about some of the most popular boy’s and girls names over the past few years and I talk about German laws and practices regarding the naming of your children. It’s [...]

All Systems GO!

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:30:12 +0000

Thanks to the excellent support of my website designer milo, things seem to be back on track for the myGermany website. With Easter holidays coming up, I’ll probably be able to get a new episode of the podcast up for you pretty soon. Keep your eyes open and your RSS feeds ready! And I was going [...]

Techical Difficulties

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:01:21 +0000

Hey Everyone! As many of you have noticed, I’ve been having some problems with my website over the past few weeks. Thanks to all of you who have contacted me to let me know about it being off-line. It seems that I’ve had some problems with my super-cool new theme and some of the plugins that [...]

Episode 16: Reflections On Going Back to the US and Overnight Train Trips in Germany

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:40:29 +0000

Yes it’s been awhile, but I’m glad to finally be able to bring you another episode of the myGermany podcast. This time I’ll be reflecting on my experiences of being back in the States for the first time in more than 3 years. Sometimes it’s the not so obvious things which can sneak up on [...]

Episode 16 Coming Soon

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:31:00 +0000

The new year has come and gone and here we are, smack at the end of January. I wanted to have a new episode out by this time, but that just hasn’t been possible. However, I am working on getting somenew content up for you faithful listeners (there’s over 80 full-time subscribers now! and almost [...]

Back In the Saddle Again

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:50:47 +0000

Hi Folks! Well, the family and I made it back to Germany this week in one piece. It was a wonderful trip back to the states, despite some crazy travel problems (people dying on the plane, car breaking down on the Autobahn…). It is good to be back home, though. I hope that you had some [...]

Episode 15: Celebrating the New Year in Germany

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:00:08 +0000

My Brother Nathan , recently of Dubai – soon to be of Thailand, sits in with me on this one. We discuss and describe some of the German New Year’s (or Sylverster) traditions as we’ve experienced them over the years. One of the first things that Nathan remarked upon, when recalling his times celebrating Sylvester in [...]

Episode 14: Christmas in Germany

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:46:05 +0000

With the holidays coming so fast I thought that I’d better take some time to get out another episode to you right away. I love the winter holidays and I especially love them in Germany, where a lot of tradition, good food and a cozy atmosphere are always on hand. There is always something tasty to [...]

New Episode Coming Soon – Promise!

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:51:15 +0000

Hi Folks, it’s been almost a month since I got something new out to you so I just wanted to leave a quick message and let you know to keep your eyes and ears out for a new podcast very soon! here is something similarEpisode 16 Coming Soon (0)Episode 12 Coming Soon (6)Oktoberfest (0)Coming Soon: Episode [...]

Episode 13: Superstitions in Germany

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:37:04 +0000

in recognition of this 13th episode I thought that it might be fun to talk a bit about some common superstitions in Germany. I wouldn’t really consider Germans more superstitious than any other nationality, indeed many of the same superstitions about good and bad luck that we English speakers have are to be found in [...]

Episode 12: 10 Safety Tips for Driving on the Autobahn

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:02:32 +0000

Back again for another “cracking” episode of the myGermany Podcast! Well…perhaps “cracking” is a bit exaggerated. It is a pretty good one, though. In this episode I give you 10 tips for driving safely on the famed and, in some cases, infamous, German Autobahn. Plus there’s a few interesting facts about driving in Germany in general: like [...]

Episode 12 Coming Soon

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:57:08 +0000

This is just a short note to let all you faithful readers and listeners know that the next episode of the myGermany Podcast is coming very very soon. This time I’ll be giving you some (lifesaving) tips about driving on the autobahn. Stay tuned! here is something similarEpisode 16 Coming Soon (0)New Episode Coming Soon – [...]

Episode 11: Starting School in Germany

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:26:10 +0000

The first day of school is a big deal for any family, I’m sure. I was surprised, however, at the amount of tradition and effort that went into the first day of school in Germany when my son Simon started school a few weeks back. It seems that no longer how long I live here, [...]

Oktoberfest

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 11:44:45 +0000

This is a nice guest articel for you to read. The podcast episode 11 is coming out soon. Talk to you soon! -Taural? Germany Is Expecting Several Million Visitors At Oktoberfest By Iuri Tarabanov The scale of Oktoberfest is just grand: Bavarians and guests of Bavarian capital drink about 6 million litres of beer, consume some 1 million chickens, [...]

Coming Soon: Episode 11

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:12:20 +0000

Greetings and Salutations folks! It’s been a busy few weeks in my neck of the Black Forest (Schwartzwald). My oldest Son, Simon, started school about a week-and-a-half ago. Two other children in the village also started school too and I was really surprised what a big deal it was here. Despite the many years that I’ve [...]

Excellent Mail From A Listener About German Stereotypes

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:23:25 +0000

Servus! Moin Moin! Gruess Gott! Last Friday I received a wonderful mail from a listener, Mrs. C. Neumann, who contacted me on the myGermany Podcast MySpace Profile. In her mail to me she discussed her experiences and point of view about the 9th Episode: German Stereotypes Revisited. I found it a fascinating read, as she has [...]

Episode 10: the German Beer Episode

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 20:11:59 +0000

Featuring music by the Beatsteaks Episode 10 is here! I’m really proud to have made it this long, since so many folks pod-fade once they realize how much work is involved. I don’t pod-fade, baby, I procrastinate! So, yeah, it took a few weeks to get it together but I was sick, had vacation, the [...]

A Short Intermission

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 09:12:58 +0000

Hello everyone! It’s been quite cool these past few weeks watching the subscription numbers on the rise and hearing from new listeners. And I’ve been surprised at the broad distribution that we’ve gotten: Australia, Singapre, Dubai, UK, USA, Taiwan, etc.;?( reads like a list of places that I’d like to go visit). As?earlier posted,?I had planned [...]

Welcome to myGermanyonline.com

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:51:33 +0000

This is a little video that I just put together which will eventually act as a kind of welcome message for the homepage. I’ve had a few bugs in getting it to work in the sidebar (to the right) as I had origionally intended, so I thought that I would just post it as a [...]

Next Episode Coming Soon!

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:49:32 +0000

Hi everyone! This is just a brief announcement to let you know that the next podcast (number 10!!) will be coming soon. If you are a regular reader of this website you’ll have already noticed the design change. I’ve been working with an excellent designer called MILO 317. She’s a designer based out of Munich and [...]

Episode 9: German Stereotypes Revisited

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 10:56:21 +0000

In this episode I am joined by one of my brothers, Tom (just back from Thailand via Dubai), and together we tackle the topic of German stereotypes. Tom has lived and worked in Germany before as well as in Asia, so he brings a unique view to the subject. The stereotypes about Germans that we discuss [...]

Episode 8: Eating Out in Germany

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 15:46:27 +0000

Sorry for the long wait folks. We’ve had a full house for several weeks now and I’ve been doing some serious business traveling. But here we are, back for another episode! This time we are talking about eating out in Germany. Yes, there are fantastic restaurants to enjoy in Germany, and yes, there are a few [...]

Episode 7: A look at the the German Press, an introduction to the German school system

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sun, 20 May 2007 13:12:00 +0000

myGermany podcast episode 7 features music by the excellent German band Spherical who are based in Hamburg. Spherical’s Oliver Fischer was kind enough to allow me to play three of their songs for this podcast: “decision”, “feeling everything” and “I wonder”. OLIVER FISCHER is the composer, plays Keyboards and adds atmospheric guitar licks to the [...]

Episode 6: Mayday in Germany, an Intro to Hamburg

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sat, 05 May 2007 14:15:06 +0000

This episode of the myGermany podcast deals with my recent experiences in celebrating Mayday in Germany as well as giving you a taste of Hamburg. The coat of arms forthe city-state of Hamburg The City of Hamburg is a very exciting place to visit, with lots of nordic and nautical charm. Hamburg is the second largest city [...]

May Day in Germany

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Wed, 02 May 2007 15:30:49 +0000

Well, May Day has come and gone and I have to say that it was really a lot more fun than I had been expecting. This was the first time in my many many years as an expat in Germany that I got a taste of the rural traditions associated with this holiday. I will [...]

Episode 5: Six Odd Things about Living and Studying in Germany

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:28:43 +0000

In this episode, which I’ve subtitled “Random Musings”, I give you the top 6 list of odd things you notice when you live, work or study in Germany. Having done all three over the past 12+ years, I’ve been able to gather up a list of the weird, the odd and the randomness one finds [...]

Episode 4: an introduction to the State of Bavaria

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:23:16 +0000

the Bavarian Coat of Arms In this podcast you will find out all about Bavaria, including the four major travel regions in Bavaria, some special places to visit like Nuremberg, the wine growing region Franconia and the lovely medieval walled citry of Rothenberg ob der Tauber. And I tell you bit about the Bavarians and how [...]

Episode 3: Working with Germans and an introduction to the State of Baden Wuerttemburg

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:18:35 +0000

Three Tips for Working Successfully with Germans, Travel to Baden Wuertemberg, Music by the Boss Hoss In this episode of the myGermany podcast, I will be discussing a business topic, working with the Germans and I will give you three business characteristics that you should be aware of and know how to [...]

Episode 2: Public Transportation in Germany (Part 1 Trains), Music by Leave Earth

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:06:33 +0000

In our second podcast I deal with a travel topic: Trains, Buses and Trams, the World of Public Transportation in Germany. Germany’s Fastest Train – the ICE 3 Listen to find out about the 3 different types of trains you can take and to help you decide which train (and price category) is right for [...]

Episode 1: Stereotypes about Germans, Music by Leave Earth

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:36:27 +0000

Stereotypes about Germans, Music by Leave Earth the typical German? This is our first episode of the myGermany Podcast. In this episode I discuss some cultural facts about Germans which account (partially) for some of the stereotypes that we English speakers have about them. Also, I talk about some of the stereotypes that the Germans have about [...]

Welcome to myGermany Online, Home of the myGermany Podcast

tauralstravels@gmail.com (Taural Rhoden) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:23:45 +0000

In the spirit of keeping it short and sweet, let me get right to it! My mission is to provide you with the best insider information about Germany. Whether you are planning a vacation, travelling to Germany for business or if you live, work and study in Germany, our insider information will help make your stay [...]