It's currently a difficult time for traveling, but that doesn't mean we can't make it into an opportunity! I've been using this time to continue brainstorming for future travel and how to improve the experience. I noticed it can be pretty annoying to write out a packing list every time so I made these Ultimate Packing Lists. You can print them out or check them off right on your phone/computer as you pack. I even made extra slots for you to customize it into your own list! These lists will make sure you're relaxing on your trip instead of shopping for everything you forgot.

     For those who like traveling off the beaten path, or maybe you've just already seen the major stops and want somewhere new. Either way, I've gathered some amazing spots to see in Germany that you may have yet to hear of. I'll start closest to one of Europe's major airport hubs, Frankfurt, and work around.

          I wanted to write this post about the small city we live in because, albeit not the usual expat destination in Germany, Jena does get its fair share of international residents. So to those who may be planning to move to Jena and would like to know what the town is like, I hope this is insightful.

          When we first asked about the city, we were told things like "Jena is a nice small town with lots of people." "25% of the population is students so there is a lot happening." "It's very international." "There are plenty of English speakers so you don't have to worry." I would say all of those statements are more complimentary than accurate. We felt very differently when we moved here.

          As an Asian-American traveler, something I've been frequently asked is, "Is traveling​ to an Asian​​ country and dressing in their traditional clothing also cultural appropriation or ​ethically wrong?" Generally, I think there is a difference between traveling to a country, learning about their culture, and trying on their traditional clothing in a respectful manner VS wearing it elsewhere as a "fun​, exotic​ costume" or defacing it by creating "sexualized versions."

          BUT there are other aspects you ​should consider from country to country like colonization history​, the impact of western imperialist violence,​and the cultural meaning behind ​the clothing. True appreciation entails some level of understanding and respect. If you have the ability to travel to another country and try on the local clothing, you have access to google. It's so easy to do a simple search on the clothing or the impact of western imperialism in a country. If you can't dedicate such a small amount of time towards educating yourself on something you'd like to be involved in, are you truly respecting the culture?

Some things to make sure:

>> Do your research. Will the locals have an issue with you wearing their traditional clothing? Does the item have religious significance?
>> Rent/purchase from local businesses
>> Wear the clothing properly! Something as simple as draping one side over the other can be significant.

Example of something that is OK:

>> Traveling to Korea, learning about our traditional wear, renting a real hanbok from a local Korean business, and taking photos IN Korea WITHOUT racist posing (no 'slant eyes,' no weird praying pose, no chopsticks in hair, etc)

Examples that are NOT ok:

>> Wearing a hanbok and calling it a kimono - Asia is the biggest continent and made up of 48 different countries; it is ridiculous to lump us all in together and assume all Asian countries the same
>> Wearing a "sexualized" qipao/kimono/any other traditional clothing ANYWHERE - fetishizing and hypersexualizing Asian women/culture is already a gross, rampant issue; let's not perpetuate and participate in it
>> Wearing traditional clothing for parties, Halloween, raves, etc - our culture is not a toy; especially not something for someone to mock with cheap knockoffs, racist poses, and fake, inaccurate accessories
>> Dressing up as a geisha - Westerners glorifying geisha culture when many geishas were forced into prostitution due to Western occupation is weird




          And PLEASE don't wear it back at home! POC immigrants around the world are mocked for how we dress, talk, eat, etc and often criticized for not "assimilating." But when a non-POC tries foreign clothing on, they're praised for being trendy, unique, and "cultured." You can see how insulting it may be to the immigrants who have to witness the double standard.


          Well I hope this perspective from an Asian-American has enlightened some travelers! Never hesitate to ask me a question.

        Thanks to the wonders of Google Translate, it's no longer as intimidating to move to another country. So we assumed the groceries would be a breeze for Google Translate after pages of rental agreements, insurance documents, etc, right?  W R O N G!
        Navigating kitchen staples have actually been harder because some items translate literally instead of to the German equivalent. And there are some things just unique to Germany/Europe overall. So here's everything we've picked up over the year that should make your first time way easier~

Allergens

Allergies/Food restrictions have actually been amazingly easy to navigate in Germany. All common allergens are required to be bolded on food labels and the spectrum for common allergens is larger than in the US for more reassurance. So if you have some dietary restrictions, you no longer have to spend all day nit picking every food label~ It has been a godsend with my husband's Celiacs.

Dairy

Milk

Milk might be an overwhelming item for your first grocery trip 😂 In the US, it's usually just different levels of fat and then brands. But in Germany, there are also several levels of pasteurization to provide you with an overwhelming amount of options.
          Rohmilch - raw milk; only found on farms
          Vorzugsmilch - filtered raw milk that has not been heated or homogenized
          Frischmilch - pasteurized milk; closest to milk in America
          ESL Milch (Laenger-Frisch Milch) - longer-lasting fresh milk; should last about a month refrigerated
          H-Milch - long life milk; unopened, can last 6 months at room temp
Once you've decided which milk you'd prefer, you can narrow it down to the usual level of fat you prefer.
               Landmilch - country milk; no fat removed
               Vollmilch - whole milk; minimum 3.5% fat
               Fettarme milch - lowfat milk
               Magermilch - skimmed milk

Condensed Milk

This one will trick you! Germany has something called 'Kondensmilch' which is actually unsweetened evaporated milk and not the traditional sweetened condensed milk you think of in the US. To get the right thing, look nearby for 'Nestlé Milchmädchen' or a Russian/Turkish can label that translates into condensed milk.

Sour Cream

Another tricky item that Google will translate to Saure Sahne, but what you're actually looking for is Schmand. In the US, sour cream contains at least 18% fat so you'll want to select the Schmand accordingly. I've found Saure Sahne to be closer to Mexican crema.

Cheese

          Quark - a very popular dairy product in Germany; the texture/taste is if cream cheese and sour cream had a baby
          Emmental - what Americans call 'swiss cheese'
          Butterkäse - a mild, semi-soft cheese with a creamy buttery taste
          Tilsiter - a mild, semi-hard cheese with many small irregular holes
          Körniger Frischkäse - cottage cheese; don't listen to google translate, it's not hüttenkäse
          Edelpilzkäse - blue cheese
          Frischkäse - cream cheese; you may find the texture slightly different as Germans like it particularly spreadable and gelatinous

Baking

Brown Sugar

German brown sugar is closer to sugar in the raw and dry instead of moist like in the US. If this will interfere with your American recipes, you can find some brown sugar or molasses on Amazon.

Flour

Flour is numbered in Germany rather than labeled terms such as “all purpose." The lower the number, the more processed the flour is. The higher the number, the more whole grain. Here's a list of the equivalent terms:

Type 405 – all-purpose white flour
Type 550 – baking flour
Type 812 – bread flour
Type 1015 – bread flour, darker bread
Type 1050 – white, whole wheat
Type 1600 – bread flour, whole grain

This past holiday, I made sure to check out all of the drinks at the German Christmas Markets - just for y'all 😉🍷 So to my new expats, bookmark this post so you won't struggle to understand what's what when the Christmas Markets come back around!