Blog - Inside Culture Shop

Translating Conflict

Have you ever had a conflict with someone? I have more than once. And I bet the way I solved it is different from how many of you would approach it. Conflicts are part of…

The Price of Freedom

In collective cultures, you are born into a community.In Germany, you have to build one. A friend said this to me recently. For her, it was one of the hardest part of arriving here. The…

Where are you from?

“Where are you from?”I have often asked this question.And I know that it can hurt people. For me, it was never meant to be derogatory.It was an attempt to place the other person, to understand,…

Be honest with yourself. Looking for a job in Germany can feel like following a straight path.Applications, interviews, contract.Step by step, one after the other. But the reality is rarely that simple. What makes the…

Where do I Stand?

Everyone asks this question at some point,in their career, in their life, in their family. But for me, it was never a question of arrival.I never had to locate myself in a country that calls…

Milestone achieved – State-Approved!

We thought we were just building a good training.In the end, it became our state-certified bridge into German culture. We worked hard to make the invisible visible:the small cultural rules that decide whether you are…

You can’t understand.

“You can’t really understand that.”I hear this sentence often.Not as a direct reproach, more between the lines. And it is true.I have never started over in a foreign country.But I do know what a new…

German Friendship

I’m not an expat. I don’t have a migration background.I grew up here. I speak the language, know the codes, and fit in without trying. That’s why it took me a long time to hear…

Hierarchy in everyday working life – How do you see your boss?

Imagine a manager: Does she wear an Armani suit or jeans and a T-shirt?Do they come in a company car or by bike?Do you address them as Sie or as Du? For me, the picture…