It’s the 1970s, and the teenaged Tim Howe is listening to the radio, just like many other teenagers across the UK. There is an important difference, however. While his contemporaries are listening to the latest chart hits on the BBC’s hugely popular Radio 1 station, Howe is tuned into what he describes as a “German radio station with a crackly reception”.
It is not just his taste in music that sets him apart. Howe also sometimes watches football matches live on British television, but “with the German commentary on the radio”. He even has a number of video tapes packed with German television shows. For as long as he can remember, Howe has been obsessed with all things German and, in particular, all things Bavarian.
Born in Hampshire, southern England, in September 1963, Howe studied German O level at school, and he went on to study the language at university. His recent book, Becoming Bavarian: In Six Short Steps, is based on his blog, a personal account of his life in Bavaria. He arrived in Munich in 1998 to work as a translator for the commercial vehicle company MAN. He’d previously lived in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and done an interpreting degree back in the UK.
Howe now lives north of Munich, in the rural Hallertau region, famous for its hops. He explained to us his passion for Germany, the challenge of becoming Bavarian and the intercultural differences between his native England and his adopted country.
How exactly did you listen to German music in the 1970s?
I listened to Radio Luxembourg, a German station that you could pick up in England quite well in the mornings and late at night. I listened to all the latest hits and I thought the songs were a lot better than what they were playing on Radio 1. This was my outlet and my way of expressing what I liked. It seemed exotic because nobody else was listening to them in England.
And did you also watch German TV?
I love German TV, but until the early 1990s, I had to get videos sent to me. And every time I went to Germany, I took a pile of video tapes to record. I love Thomas Gottschalk and Wetten, dass..? — and also Verstehen Sie Spaß? We had nothing like that in England. And I love German films, such as those of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, which they showed in art cinemas. I was always watching German movies.
What are your first memories of Germany?
My first exposure to anything German was Dad’s Army [a British BBC comedy about the Home Guard during the Second World War]. And I’m amazed they still show repeats today. It was one of those programmes you talked about at school the following day because everybody watched it. I find I can’t watch these things nowadays. I guess — as with a lot of those comedies — we’ve moved on, haven’t we? So, I’m surprised that Dad’s Army is still seen as funny. But maybe it’s still the British view of Germany, that people like to laugh at Germany. I don’t know. I find it difficult to understand.
Has Germany matched your expectations?
It’s funny because I couldn’t see anything wrong with Germany in the early days. I’m obviously wiser now, but in those early days, I couldn’t find fault with anything. If I had my time again, I would probably not be living in Germany. Instead, I would be living somewhere in the southern hemisphere, like New Zealand. I talk about this in the book. I’m enthusiastic now for everything to do with New Zealand. But in those days, I didn’t have that comparison. I just thought Germany was the best thing, the best place to be. I spent all my university holidays backpacking and interrailing all around Germany. I’ve been everywhere in Germany. But, of course, Bavaria has always been my favourite spot here.
Why would you prefer to be in New Zealand?
I recently spent three months there. The way people interact in New Zealand is more like England but with the sun shining. Some people talk about it as though it’s 1950s Shropshire. I think that’s an exaggeration, but there’s something very English, British, familiar about New Zealand, including the climate and the sea. But I’m too old for that now.
You sound disappointed with Germany nowadays.
I’m disappointed now in hindsight by the lack of community spirit. These Heimat films were misleading. The locals in Hallertau don’t want anything to do with you because you are a Zuagroaster and you don’t speak their dialect. They have their families and they don’t need other people. Life tends to take place more in the extended family, I find, here in Bavaria rather than with friends.
Your hairdryer story in your book was an eye-opener for you, wasn’t it?
Yes. I had brought this old hairdryer from England and it packed up. We had one of those communal grey bins outside and, the very moment I chucked it in, one of my neighbours was standing at the window. Instead of coming to me to say nicely, Das geht nicht, he reported me to the police. We’d actually been on really good terms prior to this and everything then went rather cold in this neighbourly relationship. I learned that many Germans don’t tell you directly. They go the official way, meaning to the police or local authorities, or both.
Is that different to the UK?
Somebody in the UK would just say: “Sorry, mate. I think you’ve accidentally put something in the wrong bin.” It’s more like the friendly policeman approach.
How do you feel about Brexit?
I don’t really have strong opinions. My parents voted for Brexit, for what they believed were the right reasons. My wife gets very touchy about this, so I don’t like to discuss it with her. But who knows? Maybe if I’d been living in England, I’d have voted for Brexit, too. Here in Germany, it’s had negative effects for me. I’m paying twice as much to send parcels to England. I find this very objectionable. The way Brexit was being sold was that it was the best thing for England. Obviously, this didn’t take expats into account, did it? It’s not the best thing for expats. I think for all Brits living in Germany, it’s been just negatives so far.
Do you visit the UK often, and what do you miss about it?
My family have been in Bath for a long time, and I visit at least once a year, though I haven’t been for almost two years now. It’s very important to see friends and family. Most things are replaceable, but friends and family aren’t. I just love wandering around Bath, watching people, going into shops, buying a newspaper and sitting down at a cafe and having a coffee. That’s what I like to do when I go back to England.
Becoming Bavarian: In Six Short Steps (independently published) follows the efforts of Munich-based business English teacher and trainer Tim Howe as he attempts to blend in with the locals. The book is an amusing and insightful depiction of cultural differences and strategies for cultural adaptation.