Americana

Bring on the hugging*

A funny thing happened to me today. For the first time in eight years of living in Europe, I walked around wishing that everyone around me knew I was American. Thank you America. Well done. * The title is in reference to this fab video

are we done yet?

It‘s almost 3am here in Old Europe, and CNN (our main source of news) just called Pennsylvania for Obama. Can I go home to bed now?

It’s here!

I was starting to think election day would never come. If you need me, I’ll be here flipping between N24, N-TV, and CNN. And this evening, I’ll be here, partying with Democrats Abroad Munich. Hopefully we’ll get some meaningful news starting around 1am (and hopefully I’ll still be away by then). Have you voted yet? … Read more

Obamania sweeps through Germany

Germany is all abuzz today as Obama prepares to speak in Berlin. He is on the cover of magazines such as Der Spiegel and Stern. The Sueddeutsche Zeitung is chronicling his every move throughout the day. The televised pre-game show began hours ago.

He will be speaking in front of the Siegessäule, a good 2 km away from the Brandenburger Gate, his first choice of venue. This move was supposedly to appease Merkel, who was not happy with Obama’s first location choice. As much as I love Obama, I too found myself questioning the idea of this speech. Presidential performances in Berlin are the stuff of legends, but Obama isn’t exactly president yet. Why is he trying to trick me into believing he is?

Regardless of my initial skepticism, today I find myself eagerly anticipating this evening’s speech.

Read moreObamania sweeps through Germany

Chocolate chips for expats

As ubiquitous as they are in the US, chocolate chips are practically unheard-of in the rest of the world’s supermarkets. Sometimes the clever expat must improvise:

1. Unwrap a bunch of dark chocolate bars (extra bonus step – freeze them first)
2. put them in a ziplock bag and seal it
3. break up the chocolate in the manner of your choosing (drop the bag on the floor several times, take a wooden mallet to it, etc. etc. Be creative!)

This little tip isn’t new… in fact American expats have been making their own chocolate chips using this method for decades, if not centuries.

Read moreChocolate chips for expats

One last Gatlinburg t-shirt post

As you’ve already seen here and here, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is obviously one of the world’s most thrilling t-shirt shopping destinations. Here are a couple more of the gems we found. Poor guy must have a hell of a time getting through airport security.       OK, this isn’t technically a t-shirt. But still, isn’t … Read more

More southern vittles

OK, I promise, just a few more posts and we’ll be back to our regularly-scheduled blogging about the fabulous expat life in Zurich. But I still have a little bit of my trip to the southern US to make fun of share with you. As usual on my trips to the US, Mexican food was … Read more

More signs you may be in the Bible Belt

The southeastern US is known for its militant vocal Christianity. This manifests itself in all sorts of signs and displays, some of which I shared here. Here are a few more I spotted on my recent trip: This motel sign tells us not only whether they have vacancy, but when we should trust Jesus (only … Read more