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Fasching/Karneval | Celebration in Germany
Even month we spent here in Germany comes with another surprise and this month we found out that Carnival is celebrated, in a very different way of Carnival in Brazil, where we grew up. Those days around Carnival celebrations are called Fasching or Karneval here in Germany, similar to another countries in Europe. The terms also differ depending of each region, so you might hear karneval, fasching, fastnacht among other names. The celebrations are usually concentrated from Friday to Tuesday and here in the Frankfurt area, most of the parades are on Saturday, Sunday or Monday (Rosenmontag) with decorated floats, bands and lots of people in costumes (ones that are…
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Speaking German in Germany | Expat life
One of the most common questions we get since we moving to Germany is about the language barrier. How are you guys moving to Germany without speaking German? So here in this post, I share some of our experiences in this “long” 6 month journey and insights about it. Well, I must say that although it is our situation at the moment (not speaking German in Germany), we are not comfortable nor would recommend it. For those who have the time to learn the official language of wherever you are moving to, I strongly recommend. Our preparation time before the big move to Germany was relatively short , so with…
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Public Pools in Germany | Family Activities
When in Germany, do as the Germans! And Germans like their “Schwimmbads”. This post describes our experience with three different public pools in Germany in the Taunus region, where we live. When we arrived and it was still hot outside, we went to two different ones. Then the “cold” started, and we stopped visiting pools. But last weekend we went to a new one and loved it. They all had similarities (like pools, of course!), but also offered different activities, depending on which season of the year you decide to visit them. In the summer, the outdoor pools are freezing (at least for me and in the ones we went).…
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Is Ottawa the best city to live in Canada? | Expat life
Ottawa, Canadian capital, is becoming more and more popular as a destination in Canada among expats from all round the world. But then the question pops up: Is Ottawa really the best city to live in Canada? Here in this post, I’ll try to share our personal experience as we lived in the city for 12 years. Ottawa has already been on top of rankings throughout the years, for example as the best place to live in Canadá and also runner up on best cities in the world. Today, Ottawa holds the 19th place of best cities in the quality of life category (Mercer) e o 2nd place in best…
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Expat life | Bringing our dogs to Germany
Today in this post I will share our experience and process of bringing our dogs from Canada to Germany with us, as part of our expat experience. There will be two posts, this first one about the trip itself and then the second with all the paperwork involved. And heads up, it’s no simple task. Well, I believe that everyone who ever moved abroad knows how labor intensive and how many steps to actually get to live in a different country. There are more steps back than forward in the beginning, confusions and misunderstandings, and with us, it was no different. One of the main conditions for our move become…
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School in Germany | Adaptation of our daughters
One of the questions I get the most is about how it’s being the adaptation of girls at the new school in Germany. So today is the day I am talking about how their school adaptation in Germany is going. I imagine that many people with families who decide to become an expat here in German lands have the school situation as one of the main concerns. It was no different for us a few months ago, before we set our little flag here. Well, in Canada, Alice and Diana attended a Catholic public school in Ottawa. Public schools in Canada have a great level of education and most children…
