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New Alternatives To Traditional German Garden Allotments

Monday, July 19th, 2010

It’s been a beautiful summer in Germany, and I have certainly enjoyed the fresh fruits and vegetables of the season. The farmer’s markets are full, as are the pantries of those lucky enough to have small garden plots.

Getting a small garden plot in Germany can be a bit of an adventure for those who don’t live in the countryside. Urban dwellers can try and join a Kleingartenverein, the Small Garden Associations which provide land for gardens. However, these well-established systems have long waiting lists and holdings are often kept by members for decades.

This doesn’t mean that German city dwellers have stopped looking for fresh greens and organic gardening options. Quite the contrary! Into this hungry market has stepped Meine Ernte (site in German), a company offering rental gardens for those who want to try their hand at having a garden.

Meine Ernte, which means “My Harvest,” isn’t a traditional garden co-op. Instead, they cater specifically to would-be organic farmers without a lot of time or even gardening experience.

The company has set up cooperative agreements with organic farmers near some of Germany’s largest cities, including Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Bonn, and Dortmund. The farmers provide swathes of land, which are planted by professional gardeners at the beginning of the season. A small bit of land is left for customized plantings, but the rest has a mix of 20 popular edible plants.

Renters have their choice of section size. Small gardens are for 1 – 2 people, standard gardens cater to 3 – 4, and large gardens cater to large families and groups. Prices range from €149 to €433 per season, with renewable subscriptions and the option to change as your needs change. Meine Ernte estimates that even small sections produce at least €600 of produce per season.

Each of the locations has a professional gardener on site to offer consultations and aid. Renters should plan to spend 1 – 2 hours a week tending to their garden allotment, which does make it rather easy to have a summer hobby garden.

Meine Ernte plans to expand to new cities in 2011 — so plan ahead for your garden share. Those Meine Ernte doesn’t have waiting lists like the Kleingartenverein, there is still just a limited amount of space available for those who want to try their hand at gardening in Germany.

—Marcus

Posted in Innovations, Reviews | 1 Comment »

A New Way To End A German Romance

Monday, July 5th, 2010

A German romance is a beautiful thing. My countrymen (and women!) are wonderful people, and you could just meet your soul mate here. Whether you use one of the German dating sites I told you about in February or meet someone in your travels, it is relatively easy to start a new dating life here.

How about ending a relationship? Well, this might be challenging… I remember some of my own dating adventures and wince, but I’ll spare you all of those stories!

At times, breaking up is hard to do, that’s a given. Add in the complexities of a multi-national or multi-cultural relationship and it can be even more challenging. So what’s a German dater to do?

Well, we Germans are nothing if not innovative! We like solving difficult problems, and a man in Berlin has created a special service to help people get out of their dating relationship more easily. I didn’t believe it when I first heard about it, thinking it might be one of my country’s famous April Fool’s Day jokes, but it seems that this is a very real service!

Known as the Separation Agency (site in German), this company was founded by Bernd Dressler. Essentially, you hire the company to go to your significant other and explain to them that you don’t want to continue the relationship. Though I wouldn’t think this would be much of a business, apparently the company has been thriving for three years!

They offer four levels of service: the basic phone break up with a “Let’s still be friends,” a “Please don’t speak to me again” phone call, a break up by letter, and a personal visit from Mr. Dressler himself to announce the end of the relationship.

The cost for the services ranges from about 30 euros for the basic to over 60 euros for the door stop visit. On personal visits, Mr. Dressler can also collect items left at a soon-to-be ex’s home.

Mr. Dressler, who carries the nickname “The Terminator” thanks to his work, has reported in various media interviews that the bulk of his clients are younger women, and that business is busiest on Monday’s and after holidays. Thus, my poor fellow men, watch out for a phone call or knock on the door from a stranger after a bad weekend or lousy holiday trip!

Though I find this service amusing — especially now that I am married and out of the game (at least for the time being ;-) — I can see where it would be useful to some.

However, I wish all of you the best in love and hope you never have to experience “The Terminator” or his services yourself! ;-)

—Marcus

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Language Camps And Schools In Germany

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Last week I talked about some of the different dialects of the German language, and where you can hear them in Germany. This prompted some of you to ask questions about learning German. Although you can get a new phrase each month from me in the G-Zine, you can also enroll in school in Germany.

Enrolling in a German language course in Germany makes learning German a fun and memorable experience. You have two main options when it comes to coursework. You can come for an extended stay in German and take a course from a university, or you can come for a few weeks to a month and enroll in an intensive German language camp, which I recommend.

Either way, you have plenty of choices. There are more than 116 registered language programs scattered throughout the country. Prices vary, and many are concentrated in Germany’s bigger cities, with Berlin, Munich, and Frankfort serving as popular study destinations, especially for formal language study and intensive German courses.

However, there are also a number of programs in smaller cities. For example, Regensburg has a very famous language program with year round courses.

The key is to determine what you want to use your German for. If you are coming to Germany to start a business or live full time, you will want to take a more formal course. If you just want to be able to make very basic conversations on your vacation, a month-long intensive program may be sufficient.

Naturally, you may also want to consider your region. Learning High German is good for communicating all over Germany, but you may also want to study your local dialect if you are interested in living in Germany long term.

However much you learn, don’t be afraid to use your German whenever you can. Even after you go to a language school, only with practice will you be able to keep up your skills.

So practice, practice, practice . . . I want to be able to chat with you someday! :-)

—Marcus

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No Valentine? Here’s How To Find A Date In Germany

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Well, Valentine’s Day is here, and even though Valentine’s Day isn’t a historical holiday in Germany it has become popular to celebrate it here. Usually, couples will exchange flowers or other small love tokens. It isn’t as big of a deal like it is in the United States or France, but I know I’d still better get something for my wife!

However, if you are without a date for Valentine’s Day it can be a little depressing. Fortunately, there are many ways to meet single people in Germany. One method that is growing in popularity in Germany is online dating.

There are several different types of online dating sites in Germany. The biggest four German dating sites, based on paid membership models, are listed below. You can register for free and browse listings, but you need to pay a subscription to actually talk and/or connect with dates:

Neu.de is also good for listings across Europe and around the world, as it is affiliated with Meetic, a global dating network.

If your budget is tight, you can also try some of the popular free sites. Two popular free German dating sites are Freenet Singles, and Single.de. You can meet good, interesting people on the free sites, but you will need to have more patience than with the paid German dating sites as you will find there are more ads, junk, and poor matches to look through.

There is also one up and coming site for dating German academics, which is ElitePartner. They promise fast matches based on a scientific matching system, though I haven’t tried this for myself yet.

I have personally tried many of the other sites — after all, I met my wife online! ;-) So I can tell you truly that you can meet a wonderful date for Valentine’s Day in Germany by registering with the German dating site of your choice. Millions of my single countrymen (and women!) are waiting to meet you. And rest assured that your soul mate DOES exist!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

—Marcus

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Germany Ranks 4th Of World’s Best Places To Live

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Insiders know that Germany is a great place to live and do work, but it is always nice when outsiders recognize that as well. ;-)

This year recognition of Germany’s charms comes from the 2010 International Living Quality of Life Index.

International Living itself is based out of France, Ireland, and the US, and publishes a monthly magazine and that caters to expats.

Every January, International Living scores 194 countries across nine categories to determine which countries offer the best values and lifestyle benefits to residents. The categories are Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate.

The data for scoring each of these categories comes from the World Health Organization, United Nations reports, The Economist, and government websites. By using third party reports, International Living hopes to avoid bias and present the most accurate picture of the experience a new resident would have in the country.

In 2009, Germany was not even in the top 10 for places to live. This year, as the economic climate around the world has shifted and safety issues have changed, Germany has gained ground in several categories. Average earnings for workers have stayed up, the infrastructure continues to be excellent, and health services still provide remarkable care.

In awarding Germany the number 4 spot in the top 10 best places to live, International Living also cited the reasonable cost of real estate and rentals around Germany. You can rent beautifully appointed apartments in all regions for much less than in neighboring countries and buying real estate is also affordable as Germany was spared the housing bubble that plagued much of the rest of the world.

As ever, you know it is my opinion that there really is no place in the world quite like Germany. France, Australia, and Switzerland may have ranked higher on the list this year, but Germany is moving up! :-)

With this new recognition, it is just one more reason for you to give Germany a try.

—Marcus

Posted in Places To Live, Reviews | No Comments Yet »

German Photographers With Bottles On The Brain

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Leave it to Munich to give birth to Germany’s only photography service devoted exclusively to bottles. With Oktoberfest in its midst and the wine country all around, it’s no wonder that the locals have bottles on the brain. ;-)

The specific locals are Moritz Wurfbaum, Catharina van Delden, and Veronika Wurfbaum. Moritz Wurfbaum and Catharina van Delden are a part of innosabi, a Munich based consumer innovation and product development company. Veronika Wurfbaum is the main photographer.

The company they’ve launched together is called Flaschenfotos, and the premise is simple.

They shoot bottles.

Their goal is to provide outstanding service in their niche, so the only other product they offer is Flaschenfotos T-shirts.

The company was founded in August, and the online site was launched in September.

If you’ve been reading my writings on business in Germany, you know that you really can start a company that quickly, and that Germany is very friendly to start ups like this.

It has a straightforward pricing structure based on the number of bottles shot. Each bottle shot against a white background in high resolution. The bottles are then retouched (airbrushing is not just for models anymore! ;-) so they are ready for print and online media uses.

There is a discount for organic and fair trade products, and the target market is retailers, bloggers, and journalists looking for graphics to go with their products.

Given that Germany has more than 40,000 wine producers alone, the company certainly has plenty of bottles to go after even before starting in on the local beer masters!

It’s always interesting to me to see what my fellow Germans are coming up with for business ideas, especially when they target off-beat markets like this. It’s just another example of how creative German people really can be, and the possibilities available to you if you want to start your own business in Germany.

—Marcus

Posted in Innovations, Reviews | 2 Comments »

Stay Connected To Germany With Deutsche Welle

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

It can be very hard to keep up with all the news in Germany when you aren’t in the country. I remember in my early travel days trying to call home and get the latest information, or hunting down old newspapers for stories. I am glad those days are gone!

For three years, I’ve found myself depending on the main news network from Germany, Deutsche Welle. It provides updates for the international community from Germany. It is a service I have found invaluable for helping me stay in touch as I travel, and I know many others who also love it.

You can enjoy their updates in many different ways. There is the online portal, DW-World.de, which is available in 30 languages. There is also a DW-Akademie, which runs a radio broadcast and trainings. Last but not least is DW-TV, available on satellite and cable worldwide networks in German, English, Arabic, and Spanish.

Even though I am not an advocate of television in general, watching Deutsche Welle from time to time makes me feel more connected to my beloved homeland whenever I’m abroad. They focus on current events, and pan-European decisions that impact Germany. Unlike some of the tabloid and infotainment offerings you can find, Deutsche Welle is very well regarded as a credible news source.

You can also use it as a way to improve your German language skills or keep your ear in practice. Though you can watch it in English, Spanish, and Arabic, their German language programming is targeted at people learning German in addition to those who already have German language skills. This is much better than boring tapes or classes!

New programs and formats are added constantly as the network expands. They currently claim more than 100 million worldwide listeners weekly.

I like to think of so many other lovers of Germany out there tuning in with me, and I invite you to be sure to take advantage of all the free resources and information provided at your finger tips by Deutsche Welle. :-)

—Marcus

Posted in Culture & Art, Politics, Reviews | No Comments Yet »

Berlin’s Super Secret Supper Club

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Getting in to Berlin and its most secretive supper club takes a bit of finesse and forward planning. You can’t just show up and hope you can wait in line. You’ve going to need to reserve ahead and hope that you make the cut.

It’s not that this restaurant is exclusive — in fact, it’s not a restaurant at all. It’s the home of a master chef in Berlin who prefers to remain nameless. Going as “The Shy Chef,” this culinary gem decided that the best way to share her amazing food is in the privacy of a real home, and started putting on dinners in early 2009.

Up to 6 people each evening of operation will be sent the location of the dinner. Space is limited, and the club is quite often booked out for a month in advance.

It’s a home in the Kreuzburg district, in a building that’s more than 100 years old. When you get to the location, you’re in on the secret spot, but so far not one of the guests has spilled the beans, so you’d better believe this blog won’t either!

The menu varies and is tailored to meet any dietary restrictions of the guests for the evening. In terms of specific dishes, you’ll be getting at least 5 courses, including a dessert. The Shy Chef’s Blog is known to shop for organic local fare. Your meal will be a unique taste of real German cooking with real German ingredients, served together with carefully selected wines and beers.

It’s certainly understated compared to some of Berlin’s trendier options, but if you want a rare insider experience this is certainly one to try for while you are in Berlin. Some of the past guests have indicated the meal is worth a trip to Berlin all by itself — but you’ll have to be the judge of that! ;-)

You can make your reservation by emailing The Shy Chef through her blog. Dinners are available mainly on Friday and Saturday nights, with some Sundays and Thursdays depending on the month.

As an underground supper club a suggested donation of 50 Euro per person to offset costs is suggested, but no official bill will be presented. After all, how can you price an experience this unusually good?

Posted in Culinary, Regional, Reviews | No Comments Yet »

Find Berlin’s Unofficial Gems On Your iPhone

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Sometimes the most interesting things to see aren’t the officially licensed attractions. This is quite true in Berlin, which has been home to a vibrant art community for many years. The street art is there is really remarkable but not usually mentioned in any official guides.

The street art works appear in parks, on the sides of buildings and near train stations. Many are full-color masterpieces. Some are even done by legends with museum exhibits. But you’ve always had to be a local to know how to find them.

Now there is a new iPhone application designed to take you straight to the best street art and graffiti in Berlin. It’s completely free thanks to a sponsorship from Adidas. You simply download it onto your iPhone and put on a pair of comfortable walking shoes.

The link for the site to get the application is http://www.urbanartguide.de/. Click on the “English” link in the top right corner if reading German is not your cup of tea.

The download bar is obvious, but there is also a lot of other good content to be found. For example, the artist profiles are also worth reading. Click around there and learn about the personalities behind the paintings.

On the ground, you’ll find that the application is completely interactive. You can rate the art and upload new images if you discover them. You can also browse the Gallery to see a museum of your favorites.

Other useful features are the “Tour Guides,” which are pre-planned tours, and “Find artworks nearby” which gives you the closest sights. For every image on your iPhone, you can click to get background and reference data.

It’s quite a fun tool to play with in the hotel, on the ground, or back home with your friends. :-)

—Marcus

Posted in Culture & Art, Reviews, Travel Tips | No Comments Yet »

In The Stark Baltic Sea, 27 Square Meters Of Pink

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

A global surge in Barbie-related products is underway, with Mattel opening a 35,000 square foot flagship store in Shanghai in March of 2009. Yet in 2007, Germany actually pioneered its own Barbie-themed getaway on the Baltic Sea in the Schleswig-Holstein region. It was part of a joint venture between Mattel and the Maritim Hotel chain.

Maritim operates 37 hotels in Germany, but one of its showpiece sites is located in Timmendorfer Strand. The Maritim Clubhotel is a resort location, sitting right on the main beach. Newly constructed, it has space, class and a host of amenities.

Including the Barbie room.

Yes, it’s an entire room that’s shockingly pink from top to bottom. Launched in September of 2007, all the furniture is Barbie-themed and custom created exclusively for Maritim. The closet is full-size with a doll-size portion. All the linens, draperies and carpets are branded. Barbie magazines, theme items and movies are available on site to play with as well.

The room is pitched as a children’s getaway zone, and has an adjoining parents’ room that can also be booked as a package. At 27 square meters, the room is a bit like a suite. A typical overnight package includes meals although half-board is available, too.

For peak season, expect to have to book in 1- 2 months in advance, especially for weekends with the room. It’s become massively popular for birthday party getaways and girls slumber parties. However, the experience is still reasonably priced, and discounted rates can be had if you book it with the parents’ room package.

In addition to the only known Barbie suite worldwide, Timmendorfer Strand also offers 6km of beach and a sea spa. It’s been a locals destination for many years, with few expat visitors. This makes it a good place to go to experience not only real Germany as the Germans do it, but also a good place to experience the world-wide Barbie resurgence firsthand. ;-)

—Marcus

Posted in Dream Trips, Reviews | No Comments Yet »

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