Alisa Jordan Writes

Alternative things to do in Frankfurt

Got friends visiting but don’t know what to do as you’ve already been up the Main Tower 3 times and quite frankly, you don’t fancy doing it again? Or maybe you just want to do something different but Google isn’t bringing up anything in particular? I’m about to have my 7th round of visitors since…

Where do you call home?

Back in London and ready to tell my friends from home the story about a disastrous yet hilarious car sharing experience in Germany, I asked “Do you have a car sharing website?” Which was responded to with a strong “you!?” and a lot of laughter as we realised I hadn’t used the word ‘we’. Oops!…

Shaking hands and getting naked: Culture shock at its finest

So you’re at a social event and there are a few friend’s of friends who you’ve not yet met. As usual, you introduce yourself and oh.. err.. this suddenly becomes seriously awkward as you dive in for a hug whilst the other person politely offers their hand. “What!? Have I missed something?” Nope, this isn’t…

The first and (hopefully) last time I missed my flight

After uploading a picture of myself on Facebook with a huge smile and windswept hair at Heathrow airport, I checked-in, dropped my baggage and swiftly went through security. Well actually, not so swiftly as my hand luggage was absolutely rammed with stuff that couldn’t fit in my suitcase after being home for nearly three weeks but anyway,…

Why joining a community has made a huge difference to my time abroad

After spotting a small group of people doing yoga in the park, I politely interrupted to ask if I could join. My current attire wasn’t appropriate but I turned up in my gym clothes the next week and was ready to get involved. The ‘I might as well ask, there’s nothing to lose’ moment has…

Leaving everything behind

When someone mentioned that they viewed moving abroad as leaving everything behind, it really did make me think twice. I hadn’t thought about it in this way at all and I guess it has opened my eyes to other people’s experiences. Moving abroad has it’s ups and downs and I can imagine that for people…

Friendships that change

Reading Metropolife’s post on friendships and relationships with a due date, left one person at the front of my mind and a lot of reflection on a friendship that developed so quickly yet changed so fast. I smiled when I got that “Sollen wir dann morgen frühstücken gehen?” Shall we go for breakfast tomorrow? text…

Here’s why not investing in trust can prevent you from feeling settled

Imagine how much you have going on when you move house or start a new job. It’s stressful, right? Can you imagine doing both simultaneously and in a new country? It was crazy: Numerous buys from Ikea, remembering everyone’s names at work, numerous returns to Ikea, forgetting everyone’s names at work. Ahh! I met an…

How to perfect all 16 ways to say ‘the’ in German

“Memorise the definite article table!” Yes, everyone says that, but the question is how? At first, I avoided learning the ridiculous number of definite articles in the hope that I’d just pick it up over time, but I soon gave in when I realised that my optimism wasn’t getting me anywhere! 15 years of speaking…

There’s nothing wrong with ‘changing’

Do you ever look back and think about how much you’ve changed and how you’ve got here? Changing often has a negative connotation but for me, change is about growth. Sometimes it’s just a quick moment of reflection, or being in a new situation that allows you to recognise development and progress. I recently to…

Over one year abroad and I’m still experiencing ‘firsts’

A few weeks of avoidance, finding the most convenient inconvenient time and getting to work late, all to be elevated back in a fancy chair and have random metal tools prodded around your mouth. Does anyone actually like going to the dentist? No, me neither, especially not when I’m abroad but I thought it was…

Why have people stopped questioning my dark skin?

If my accent doesn’t give it away (which it usually does) since living abroad, people often ask me “Where are you from?” and I obviously answer with “London.” People usually then mention the much loved British accent or ask why I moved from London to Frankfurt. This is normal, right? Well yes, I come from…

Do you dream in German?

To answer simply – yes. But what I actually find interesting is how I dream in German. I work in a bilingual environment, meaning there are some words that I only really use in German and others that I only really use in English, depending on what I am speaking about. Sometimes I even have to…

The world’s biggest book fair

Hundreds and thousands of pages of knowledge at the Frankfurt Buchmesse (book fair) this year! Not only was everyone spoilt for choice with new reads, but it was also a great opportunity to attend talks and presentations if you were lucky enough to get an industry ticket (which I wasn’t), and if not then it…

How to learn a language from beginners whilst working full-time and maintaining a social life

How long have you wanted to learn a new language? How many times have you wanted to start but never found the time? How is it actually possible to accomplish such a big task with so little time? One word: integration By this, I don’t mean that you should integrate into the culture or integrate…

The most life-enriching thing I’ve ever done? Study abroad

Was I excited? Well a bit, I guess. I was beyond gutted (meaning a lot of tears) to find out that I would be the only student from my UK university studying at my German university (which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere), but equally excited to know that my friend and I…