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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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New Germany Skilled Immigration Act
Come to Germany!! That is the message the German government is trying to convey with the Germany Skilled Immigration Act. It is a new law that enters into force on March 1st. It opens access to the German labor market for skilled workers from countries outside the EU. According to estimates by the Federal Government, this should bring an additional 25,000 skilled workers to Germany each year. So what is changing? The new law should make it easier for qualified professionals from non-EU countries to come work in Germany. The key changes are as follows: The new law includes all occupations, not only the ones defined as “shortage occupations”. The…
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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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Insurances in Germany | Overview
In this post I give an overview of the different types of insurances in Germany. Although there are many available, I will focus mostly on the ones we have taken. We did not have a whole lot of time to do research moving here as we were busy with things in Canada. One of the first things we discovered is that we were going to need a printer. For pretty much everything you do related to services, you receive letters in the mail. As a result, you need a printer to scan, print and send them back. I guess that’s one of the reasons Deutsche Post is still profitable while…
