I’m an English teacher and trainer in northern Germany. I write about my life here, and turn those stories into lessons for English learners. You'll find a few other interests along the way too.
Stories from my life in Germany and beyond.
On the 11th of November, the UK fell silent, Singles Day sales filled my inbox, and Carnival began in Germany. A post about remembrance, the losses that come with moving abroad, heartbreak, and the grief we hardly ever name.
November might be dark, but it’s one of the busiest months of the year. From Remembrance Sunday and the start of Carnival to sparklers on Bonfire Night, here’s how my November traditions have changed since moving to Germany, and why fireworks are on my mind.
Germans take data protection very seriously. So why does the same country expect me to publish my home address, just to write about life here?
The clocks go back, the evenings draw in, and in Germany the winter tyres go on. Here’s how I get through a month of change, and the German winter nobody warned me about.
English lessons built from my stories in Germany and beyond.
Why is a small red flower so important in the UK, and why did it cause problems in China? Learn vocabulary for remembrance and symbols, and practise should, must, mustn’t and don’t have to. Level: B1–B2.
Learn the phrasal verbs and idioms we use to talk about hard times, heartbreak and moving on, then upgrade your English to B2 level. Taken from my ink studies post, Sad Old Me.
Who was Guy Fawkes, and why do the British light bonfires on 5 November? Read the story and practise the past simple.
From scary safety films to a supermarket condom joke. Why did the UK and Germany choose such different ways to keep people safe?
