ADVERTISEMENT

Living abroad is amazing for so many reasons - it opens your heart and mind to new people and different cultures, languages, climate, food... the list goes on. The things that seem mundane at home, going to work or running errands, for example, take on a whole new meaning as you have to figure them out from a fresh and exciting perspective.

Getting used to local customs as a foreigner is not only a fun challenge, but it can also be a good laugh too. Misunderstandings and funny things are bound to occur as you try to get to grips with a complicated new language and way of doing things, and the best way to deal with them is to try not to take yourself too seriously!

American English teacher and blogger Jessie Meier knows this all too well. Her witty and erudite observations about life in Germany encompass things like the endless joy and beauty of the German language, some lighthearted complaining about slightly odd local habits and the German culture, and the funny everyday sightings and occurrences that living as an 'expat' can throw up sometimes.

Scroll down below to see what we mean for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments!

#5

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
thyamath avatar
Thyamath
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a very popular childrens book from Wolf Erlbruch. He taught illustration at our university. Considering most of his stuff aims at kiddos, he was a very... let's say difficult person! :D

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#10

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
wil_vanderheijden avatar
Wil Vanderheijden
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But you do need a lot more education to be a busdriver then to be a blogger.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#12

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
bpbperic avatar
Night Owl
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love the animals ready to eat with knifes, forks, napkins and everything LOL

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

#16

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
stonewoodoo avatar
Falcon
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

clever sentence, the design on the other hand still requires a lot of work.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
vexboxx avatar
Vex Boxx
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe she's just tossing them all up in the air and then smiling as she walks off, not catching them but setting herself free.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#22

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
veni_vidi_vicky avatar
Vicky Zar
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Itts just a name. Doesn't mean anything. Look up Hella von Sinnen

View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
susannaental_1 avatar
Dynein
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel the need to add that the sign says : Will by gold fillings (also with teeth). Never seen that specification...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
wianjama avatar
Rissie
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well F**k in this context doesn't need to be blurred out, since it's not used as a profanity. And it's pronounced f**k anyway.

copper-fractions avatar
Tiny Dynamine
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

BP like to wrap us up in cotton wool. None of us here can take seeing a swear word without bursting into tears.

Load More Replies...
marieluise75 avatar
Mimis Nachbarin
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Baby, calm down, "Fucke" is just a name in a different country where they speak a different language and Fucke means nothing... "Fick" would be funny in Germany. I guess it would not in the US.

christian-crisetig avatar
ADHORTATOR
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the town where I am from lives the F**k Family - they have even a nice family grave only with their name on the gravestone :-)

1998-mende-laura avatar
Laura Mende
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a small town in Austria: F*****g. They have a beer brand: F*****g Hell. In German/Austrian nothing's wrong with this... 😂 (Because Americans were constantly stealing the entrance sign, the city was renamed Fugging. Same pronunciation in German)

chrisdifonso avatar
Chris DiFonso
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Q. Why did the Germany baker call the police? A. Because his Christmas bread was stollen!

meinespammailadresse1 avatar
A B C
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Braunschweiger Altstadtviertel. Das ist bei mir um die Ecke. :D

bronmargaret avatar
Magpie
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Again with the google translate it is something like fox. ... yeah i don't think "i don't understand their language at all - so i'm gonna laugh at words that look like rude words in my language " is funny....yeah i got my hat imma go now.

uwetheiss avatar
Uwe Theiss
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is not a fox. You write that "Fuchs". "Fucke" is just a name. It's origin is from a special kind of net that was used in the past. This old german word isn't used anymore but the name survived. You know it is common to use proffessions as family names like "Smith".

Load More Replies...
lucy_jennings_1967 avatar
marieluise75 avatar
Mimis Nachbarin
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is "Fucke" (the family name of the the bakery's founder Kurt Fucke. The "s" is only the German genitive case and is needed as the possessive grammatical construction here. Like f.e. in "Katz's Deli". For any further investigations: http://www.fuckes-baeckerei.de/chron_1.html

Load More Replies...
View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#25

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
jksimm515 avatar
Koalamonster
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can't get past that face... the other 2 the eyes are just kinda cute but THAT one creeps me out.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#29

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
ellieragsdale avatar
Ellie Ragsdale
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I immediately thought of dank in another context... I guess this business is fine while people ar high?

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#33

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
stimpy avatar
Stimpy
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

... But even in America "bang" has other, more dominant, meanings than "f*****g", right?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#37

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
earringnut avatar
earringnut
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The grammar is humerus but let's take a second to appreciate the punctuation.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#39

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
anne_juergens avatar
AJu
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honoré de Balzac is a Frech writer. As far as I know, this chain of coffee shops was named after him

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#40

German-Funny-Things-Jessie-Meier

oaeblog Report

Add photo comments
POST
falkedesaladil avatar
Caridina Japonica
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some kids play firefighter because they are big fans, some play family because they repeat their experienced family life, some play nurse or doctor because themselves or a kindergarden fellow is sick, there's nothing wrong with giving your kids (non-functional childproof) doctor toys.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda