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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

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Thyamath
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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

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Sandera
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Considering the fact that he wrote a book about a grumpy mole who needed to know who pooped on his head, that doesn't really surprise me. Love the book and the illustrations though!

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Charlotte
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This book is hilarious. I read it to my son (in Dutch) when he was younger and he found it absolutely hysterical.

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V-V
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a game? I have this book in Korean and I thought it was just a funny children's book

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AJu
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It teches children what poop is and how poop from different animals looks like

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SirWriteALot
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's actually very educational, because you learn all the poop shapes of your favorite animals. And the last image is hilarious.

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Benjamin Post
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That’s not correctly translated, though. The title doesn’t say anything about a hat. It’s “About the little mole, who wanted to know who had pooped on his head” (“hat” is “had” it German

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StinkyMonkey
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Grew up with the Dutch translation of the book, gave the English translation to my niece for Christmas :)

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Laura Mende
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Its a book: "The tale of the mole who wanted to know who s**t on his head" Was my favourite when I was young! My mom had read it to me and if she altered ONE single sentence, I mentioned it. I know, INSANE! 🙃😂🙃😂

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Roxy Eastland
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The English title for this book is a triumph of a pun "The Mole Who Knew It Was None of His Business"

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May Day
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've got the book! The illustrations are fantastic - very artistic, detailed and funny. The Swedish title is "Det var det fräckaste!" which translates something like "That's the nastiest thing" or "That's the worst". Both me and my children love it.

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

I'm in my 30s, I grew up in Germany, but I still don't know who shat on the moles head :( guess I gotta buy the book!

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nala simba
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4 years ago

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Teached? Wassat? Don't you mean taught? Actually, sorry, you went to university? Were you a janitor?

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Monika Soffronow
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is your German is better than Thyamat's English? You learn a foreign language to be able to communicate with other people who also understand that language! Sooo, I take it that you wanted to congratulate them on making a single, simple grammatical mistake that in no way interfered with what they were trying to convey, isn't that it? Aaah, life is so much nicer without insults...

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Wil Vanderheijden
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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.

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Night Owl
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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

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Falcon
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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.

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Vex Boxx
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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.

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Vicky Zar
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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

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Dynein
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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...

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Rissie
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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.

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Koalamonster
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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.

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Ellie Ragsdale
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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?

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Stimpy
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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?

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earringnut
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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.

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AJu
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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

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Caridina Japonica
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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.

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