Interns Sprachen/Internationales – absolutely intercultural!

Between Cultures +++ Faith +++ Identity +++ Home +++ New Beginnings+++ Absolutely Intercultural 315

Hello dear listeners, and welcome to Show 315 of Absolutely Intercultural!
Have you ever wondered how much of who you are is shaped by where you are?
Today we’re diving into a fascinating question:
“Do we change our identity when we cross borders?”In a world that’s constantly on the move through study exchanges, remote work, or migration our sense of belonging can shift in surprising ways. Does home remain in one place, or can we collect new “homes” as we go?

As always, here on Absolutely Intercultural, everyone is free to think and say absolutely anything. And because identity can be a personal topic, you might notice yourself agreeing strongly with one guest… and feeling challenged by another. If that happens, it’s okay to pause, reflect, and come back.
My name is Lorena, and this episode comes to you from Germany.
So sit back, get curious, and maybe ask yourself: How would you define “home” today?In this show, we’ll hear from three guests who share how living in Germany transformed not only how others see them, but how they see themselves.

In our first story, Absolutely Rooted, we meet Asma someone who grew up in Germany in a Pakistani Muslim family and learned early what it means to live between cultures, without losing herself.

In our second story, Absolutely Transformed, we hear from Fouad, a 24-year-old student who arrived in Germany with strong stereotypes and then had to update them, one everyday situation at a time.

And in our last story, Absolutely In-Between, we listen to Ahmed who discovered that the longer you live abroad, the more complicated “home” becomes… because you start changing in both directions.

So here’s a question for you, dear listeners:
If someone asked you today, “Where are you from?”
Would your answer be a country… or would it be a journey?

Our next show will be coming to you on 6th of March 2026 from Anne Fox in Denmark. Until then – Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Lorena Peposhi (Albanian)

Chief Editor: Oleksii Tsapenko (Ukrainian)
Assistant Editor: Lorena Peposhi (Albanian), Eltun Khudiev (Azerbaijani)

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Modern Values and Religion +++ Marriage +++ Fasting +++ Progressive vs Conservative +++ Absolutely Intercultural 313

Hello dear listeners and welcome to show 313 of our podcast Absolutely Intercultural. Our topic today is one that touches the core of many societies: “Are modern values diluting religion?” We live in a time of rapid change, where new social norms often clash with centuries-old traditions. Does this mean faith is watering down, or is it simply evolving? Today, we will hear from three guests with very different perspectives on whether modern life and traditional belief can coexist.

As always, here at Absolutely Intercultural, everyone is free to think and say absolutely anything. However, we understand that today’s topic might stir up strong emotions. If you feel triggered by any of the opinions shared, please feel free to take a short break.

In our first story, absolutely faithful, we will listen to Matthias, a student and coach who believes modern values are indeed diluting religion. He argues that faith provides necessary direction but admits that fitting traditional values into today’s world is a struggle.

In our second story, absolutely secular, we will hear from Oleksii, a student who transitioned from believer to atheist. He shares why he doesn’t need religion, fasting, or prayer to be a good person, yet he maintains a deep respect for those who do believe.

In our last story, absolutely inclusive, we will listen to Louisa. She challenges the idea that modern values dilute religion. Instead, she focuses on marriage and the LGBT community, arguing that the Church must adapt its rules to be more just and inclusive.

In our first story, absolutely faithful, we have Matthias. Matthias is a student but, and for him, the dilution of religion by modern values is a real concern. He believes that believing in God is essential and that the Catholic Church is doing a good job guiding people.

What about you? Do you think modern values are a threat to religion, or are they saving it from becoming irrelevant? We’d love to hear your stories! You can leave a comment, send us an email, or even reach out for a follow-up interview.

On our web page, absolutely-intercultural.com, you can get more information about this show and previous episodes. And if you enjoyed the show, please like us on Facebook too.

Our next show will be coming to you on 2 January from Anne Fox in Denmark. Until then – Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Lorena Peposhi (Albanian)

Chief Editor: Oleksii Tsapenko (Ukrainian)
Assistant Editor: Lorena Peposhi (Albanian), Eltun Khudiev (Azerbaijani)

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Between Support and Struggle +++ Transgender People +++ Gender Identity +++ Misunderstandings +++ Absolutely Intercultural 311

Our topic today is about “gender”, the way in which persons recognize and identify themselves. Traditionally you could only identify as a man or as a woman. Today, however, we will focus on transgender people. A transgender person is a “transitioning person”, someone who does not feel comfortable with the gender they have been assigned at birth. As always, here on our Absolutely Intercultural podcast everyone is absolutely free to think and say absolutely everything they feel, but we understand that today’s topic might be a little unsettling for some listeners.

Disclaimer: Be warned, this topic may cause brain heat 😉 and may trigger strong emotions in sensitive individuals. Try to keep calm and keep, above all, your sense of humour 😉 If any allergic symptoms arise during listening, we recommend a short break, perhaps a walk around the block and if symptoms persist to rinse off excess arguments with a shower ;-)

In our first story, “absolutely myself”, we will listen to Levi, a transgender man. A transgender man is someone born as a female, who realizes he does not identify himself as a woman, but rather as a man. He has a lot of first-hand experience to share with us, talking about challenges that transgender people face, tips on how to handle the topic and stories related to his transitioning experience.

In our second story, “absolutely struggling”, we will listen to Tea, a lecturer from Albania, who will share stories regarding her encounters with transgender students in the academic setting. She admits it’s still challenging, especially since she doesn’t have enough exposure to this topic. She shares how these moments feel in the classroom, how she handled making “mistakes”, and why she believes it’s important to keep on learning, even when the topic feels uncomfortable.

In our last story, “absolutely concerned”, we will listen to Alex, who shares a different perspective on the topic and raises an important concern about exposing people to this subject. Alex is a little concerned and asks himself: What if the transitioning person regrets their choice later in life?

What about you? What do you think about transgender people? Do you think society should adjust to their needs and change laws to make their transition easier and faster? We’d love to hear your stories! Feel free to share your opinion with us here on the podcast. You can leave a comment, send us an email, or even reach out for a follow-up interview in one of our next shows.

Write a comment or mail us, we could do a follow-up interview with you in one of our next shows. On our web page, absolutely-intercultural.com, you can get more information about this show and previous episodes, and you can leave comments. And if you enjoyed the show, please like us on Facebook too.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes or Apple Podcasts? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on November 7

Until then –

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Michele Varvara (Italian)

Chief Editor: Michele Varvara (Italian)
Assistant Editor: Era Meço (Albanian), Oleksii Tsapenko (Ukrainian)

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Cultural celebrations +++ Misunderstood traditions +++ Different holidays +++ Disappointing experiences +++ Absolutely Intercultural 307

Hello dear listeners and welcome to show 307 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural”.

Do you feel that the New Year celebration is too “boring” for you? Have you ever asked yourself if there’s a more vibrant holiday to celebrate instead of Halloween? Do you feel that something like Woman’s Day is “too political”? Then today’s episode is for you! Imagine spending a holiday in a foreign country and realizing that they celebrate it in a completely different way, and suddenly a familiar celebration is not so familiar anymore. It can be surprising discovering different celebrations in the world, and while some people like the alternative, that’s not always the case. People can also find the new festivals to be boring. In today’s episode, we explore how the same holidays and celebrations can be experienced in very different ways depending on the cultural context. What makes these shared events feel so unique from one country to another? Why do some people find a particular celebration meaningful and festive, while others might find it uneventful or even strange? Our interviewees will share personal stories and perspectives on how they celebrate their holidays in unfamiliar ways here in Germany.

absolutely misunderstood

In our first story, we will listen to Alvaro, who talks about “Dia de los Muertos”, a Southern-American celebration where people commemorate the dead around the same time as Halloween. He used to celebrate Halloween in Germany when he was a child, and he thinks that people who say that “Dia de los Muertos” is sad or morbid are just wrong.

absolutely disappointing

In our second story, we will listen to Nahidur, who talks about “Bengali New Year”, a new year celebration based on the Bengali calendar, a solar calendar used in the Indian subcontinent. Bengali New Year is celebrated in April, and he mentions how the western new year is boring compared to the Bengali one.

absolutely changing

In our last story, we will listen to Rozana, talking about Albanian Woman’s Day. In Albania, Woman’s Day is actually celebrated with parties, where women get their day to shine. Only recently it started to become more dedicated to gender parity and to promote women’s rights, due to global influence, and Rozana herself was surprised when she first discovered how different it was outside of her home country.

What about you? Do you also celebrate the same occasions differently? Do you think you do it better? We’d love to hear your stories! Feel free to share your opinion with us here on the podcast. You can leave a comment, send us an email, or even reach out for a follow-up interview in one of our next shows.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes or Apple Podcasts? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on 4th July.

Until then – Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Michele Varvara (Italian)

Assistant Editor: Era Meço (Albanian)

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Culture Wars +++ Food Cultures +++ Vegetarianism +++ Food Choices +++ Absolutely Intercultural 305

Hello dear listeners and welcome to show 305 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural”. Today’s topic is “culture wars” and more specifically “fights between different food cultures”! There are those who decide to not eat a specific category of food perhaps because of health reasons or for ethical reasons, and things can escalate pretty quickly when food is the main topic at the table. Words like “vegan” or “vegetarian” are used to categorize some of those people who may be different from us: a “vegan”, for example, is someone who refuses to eat anything related to animals: meat, fish, eggs, milk, even honey. Today the focus will be around this life-changing decision, how choosing to limit yourself to not eat a certain kind of food can drastically change your usual interactions with friends and family.

absolutely vegetarian

In our first story, we will listen to Natalia, a dedicated vegetarian. A vegetarian doesn’t eat meat, or seafood like grilled fish, but does eat animal products like milk or eggs. Today Natalia is sharing with us her journey and the challenges she faces in a world that often prioritizes meat-based diets. Natalia used to eat meat when she was younger, but she has changed the way she feels about animal food.

absolutely traditional

In our second story, we will listen to Camilla, who eats meat on a daily basis and buys it from the supermarket. She is aware of all the problems around the meat industry, but that doesn’t stop her from following her traditional diet.

absolutely pescatarian

In our last story, we will listen to Jakob, who tried to be vegetarian for some time but then switched to a “pescatarian” lifestyle. A pescatarian does not eat meat, a bit like a vegetarian, but does eat seafood like fish or mussels. Jakob tells us how he feels about his new fish-based diet after years of sticking to only vegetarian food.

What about you? Do you have a strong opinion on your food? Have you ever changed your diet to accommodate certain needs? We’d love to hear your stories! Feel free to share your opinion with us here on the podcast. You can leave a comment, send us an email, or even reach out for a follow-up interview in one of our next shows.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes or Apple Podcasts? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on 2 May

Until then – bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Michele Varvara (Italian)

Assistant Editor: Era Meço (Albanian)

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Dynamics of Religion +++ Passion +++ Guidance +++ Religious Freedom +++ Absolutely Intercultural 301

Hello dear listeners. Before introducing the main topic, today’s episode is not hosted by Laurent Borgmann. This is an experimental episode, made only by students from Hochschule Koblenz Germany, and we hope that this experimental episode will be as enjoyable as the others. Without further ado, let’s start!

Hello dear listeners and welcome to show 301 of our podcasts “Absolutely Intercultural”. Today, we are going to talk about a topic that many of you might have strong feelings about, which is “Dynamics of Religion”. It is a topic that produces diverse perspectives, depending on cultural background and lifestyle choices all around the world. When we first brainstormed the subject, we were afraid of touching a very sensitive subject like religion. We realized how everyone in our team had diverse beliefs, coming from different cultures with respective approaches, but we still feel the same way towards the concept of belief, whether that might be related to a religious devotion or a strong passion. As always, our goal in this episode is not to support one perspective over another but to offer a platform for a range of voices to share their stories and perceptions. This is the Absolutely Intercultural Podcast – and we seriously appreciate cultural diversity and different views on the same subject and absolutely everyone is welcome to think absolutely everything about this topic! By listening to this episode, we hope to encourage a deeper understanding and promote a more thoughtful and respectful dialogue on this topic.

Through these conversations, we want to show you different perspectives shaped by beliefs, values and experiences. By listening to this episode, we hope to encourage a deeper understanding and promote a more thoughtful and respectful dialogue on this topic.

absolutely suppressed

In our first story, we will listen to Nicole, a nurse from Germany. Nicole talks about how she helped patients to move on and recover, and she saw that people with a goal in mind were recovering much faster.

absolutely passionate

In our second story,  we will listen to Serief, a practicing Muslim, who tells us about how much effect religion has on his life, even changing what he is willing to eat.

absolutely motivating

In our last story, we will listen to Matilda from Albania, who experienced her country as it went through a dictatorship and became an anti-religious nation. In her story, she tells us that people continued to practice their beliefs, even when they had to hide it.

What about you? Do you or someone you know have a strong passion about religion or something else, like a concept or a hobby? Do you feel there’s no need for humans to believe in something, or do you think there is something to say about beliefs that we did not touch here in this episode? Get in touch, feel free to share your unique story with us here on this podcast.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Spotify? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment. 

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on 3 January.

Until then –find out what would you do if you were sexually harassed at the university or in your business –and above all, BleibenSie absolutinterkulturell!

The team behind this episode are: Michele Varvara, Xavier Sutton, Iryna Krupa, and Abdual Serief Mehboob Bacha

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Sexual Harassment +++ Consent Culture +++ Prevention +++ Accusation +++ Absolutely Intercultural 299

Hello dear listeners and welcome to show 299 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural”. Today, we are going to talk aboutcultural aspects of “Sexual Harassment”, which,is a subject that touches on deeply personal beliefs, cultural values, and societal norms. It’s a topic that holds strong feelings and diverse perspectives, depending onpersonal experiences, cultural backgrounds, and even different legal frameworks around the world. When we brainstormed the subject we found that even within our team we got a glimpse of very different views from Australia, Albania, Turkey, Portugal and Germany. As always, our goal today is not to support one perspective over another, but to offer a platform for a range of voices to share their stories and perceptions.This is the Absolutely Intercultural Podcast –and we really appreciate cultural diversity and different views on the same subject and absolutely everyone is welcome to think absolutely everything about this topic!

Through these conversations, we want to show you different perspectives shaped by beliefs, valuesandexperiences. By listening to this episode, we hope to encourage a deeper understanding and promote a more thoughtful and respectful dialogue on this topic.

absolutely consentual

In our first story, we will listen to Jonas from Germany. Jonas talks about a friend who was in a relationshipin which he desired more intimacy than his girlfriend. Can sex between people in a romantic relationship be called “rape”?

absolutely unacceptable

In our second story,  we will listen to Ana, who is an exchange student from Albania. Ana tells us that the topic of sexual harassment should not even be called controversial because no matter in which case the assault happens if there wasa “no”from one of the partners -then there is nothing to discuss.

absolutely accused

In our last story, we will listen to Xavier. He is from Australia and tells us a personal story in which he has been in an uncomfortable situation, because a girl touched him in an inappropriate way. The girl categorised this interaction as “normal”, whereas Xavier concludes if the same thing were to happen the other way around, and that he, as a male touches the girl in the same place, then this would have been called an “assault”.

What about you? Have you or someone you know ever faced sexual harassment? Get in touch, feel free to share your unique story with us here on this podcast.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Spotify? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment. 

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on 1 November.

Until then –find out what would you do if you were sexually harassed at the university or in your business –and above all, BleibenSie absolutinterkulturell!

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Sebastian Berg

Assistant Editors: Oljana Haskja, Stella Fischer and Xavier Sutton

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Legal Cannabis: Triumph or Tragedy? +++ Decriminalisation +++ Intoxication +++ Passive Smoking +++ Absolutely Intercultural 297

Hello dear listeners, and welcome to episode 297 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural.” Today, let’s dive into another cultural topic that many of you might have strong feelings about: the legalization of cannabis. Germany has partly decriminalised marijuana use as of 1 April 2024. So, have we experienced a cultural change as a result? Does legalisation mean that in the evenings, we Germans now smoke weed on our sofas in front of television instead of drinking our traditional beer? I’m afraid personally I’m a little old-school and still stick to my red wine, but then some of my friends claim that alcohol is worse than weed, so perhaps I should join one of the new Cannabis clubs?

Using drugs touches on cultural values and societal norms, but also on personal beliefs shaped by our own experiences. Our aim today is clearly not to endorse one viewpoint over another but to create a space where different people can share their diverse experiences and personal opinions.

absolutely economic

In our first story, we will listen to Nika. Currently, Nika is an international lecturer from Georgia at RheinAhrCampus, and he speculates on how the future legalisation of weed could impact the economic development of his home country.

absolutely intoxicated

In our second story, we will listen to Ani, who is an international exchange student. Ani does not give us a clear yes or no for legalization but she shares with us what happened to her and her teenage friends in Georgia where cannabis is not legalized.

absolutely disrespectful

In our last story, we will listen to Sebastian, a German Student at RheinAhrCampus. Sebastian will be sharing with us one of his biggest concerns regarding the legalization of cannabis, especially the connection with smoking and passive smoking. Have cannabis smokers ever heard about the human right to clean air? Well, we found one of the best advocates for keeping the air we breathe clean.

What about you? Do you see the legalisation of cannabis like a triumph or a tragedy? Have you or someone you know ever smoked weed and faced unexpected consequences? Or do you use it reasonably like others consume alcohol? Get in touch, feel free to share your unique story with us here on this podcast.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Spotify? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on 6^th September.

Until then – find out what you think are the pros and the cons of legalizing weed und

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Sebastian Berg

Assistant Editors: Oljana Haskja, Fikret Küey , Diogo Vital Maia and Xavier Sutton

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Abortion +++ Freedom of Choice +++ Ethical Dilemma +++ Absolutely Intercultural 295 +++

Hello dear listeners and welcome to show 295 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural”. Today, we are going to talk about “Abortion”, which is a subject that touches deeply personal beliefs, cultural values, and societal norms. It is a topic that produces strong feelings and controversies, informed by very diverse factors from personal experiences to religious beliefs, legal aspects, and more. Our goal today is definitely not to favour one perspective over another, but to offer a platform for a range of very different voices to share diverse thoughts and perceptions.

absolutely my choice

In our first interview, a Moroccan student will share her friend’s story who faced severe challenges after marrying and becoming pregnant. Her friend’s husband was an alcoholic, and his addiction created a very unstable and toxic environment, affecting her friend both, emotionally and physically. Diogo asked her how abortion is generally perceived in her home country, Morocco.

absolutely personal

In our second category, Ada supports pro-choice policies and thinks that women should have control over their bodies. However, personally, she would never have an abortion. Oljana asked her to explain to us the context of her home country Albania, where abortion has been legal since the dictatorship ended in 1990.

absolutely pro-life

In our last story, we will listen to Edmond who is generally against abortion, believing it should only be considered when the woman’s life is in danger. This belief is rooted in his personal values and his own experiences. He will share a personal story from his own life where his pregnant wife was in serious danger.

What about you? What are your personal beliefs or values and how do cultural, religious, or societal influences shape the way you perceive abortion? Have you or someone you know ever faced a decision like that? We would actually love to hear from people who completely reject the whole idea of abortion but could not find anyone in our bubble! Get in touch, feel free to share your unique story with us here on this podcast.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Spotify? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on 5th July.

Until then – try to imagine how you would decide in the situations which were described by our guests today. And –

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Sebastian Berg

Assistant Editors: Oljana Haskja, Fikret Küey and Diogo Vital Maia

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Paradox of Freedom +++ Freedom vs. Safety +++ Artistic Freedom +++ Absolutely Intercultural 293 +++

Hello, dear listeners, and welcome to episode 293 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural”. Today, we’re exploring the “Culture of Freedom.” We’re asking a big question: Is there such a thing as too much freedom in some cultures? We’ll look at how freedom affects our own cultures but also how our own cultures have an influence on the freedom we are granted. We will focus on aspects of safety, creativity and even romantic relationships. This is the Absolutely Intercultural Podcast –my name is Laurent Borgmann, and I’m here to guide you through this journey around different aspects of freedom.

Is true freedom about choosing whatever we want, or is it simply about creating a good life within agreed limits? What is the role of freedom during a war, an outbreak of repeated terrorism in a country or a world-wide pandemic? Will total freedom really spark our creativity, or is it the boundaries and limitations that actually fuel our most innovative ideas? Is choosing your own life partners the ultimate freedom, or do arranged marriages offer a kind of family safety net, deeply valued in many cultures?

absolutely safe

In our first story, we will listen to Xavier from Australia. He shares with us how he thought a lot about the paradox of Freedom vs. Safety during the Corona Crisis down-under where the freedom of movement was much more rigorously restricted than in most parts of Europe. When faced with extreme challenges, Xavier noticed in himself that he actually preferred lockdowns over predicted anarchy, no matter how strict and unprecedented the new Corona regulations were

absolutely independent

In our second story, we will listen to Raghavan from India. He talks about his niece in the United Kingdom who, like many young Indians abroad, is now enjoying an unexpected window of freedom to build a career and find a life partner by herself. These young expats often have the opportunity to choose someone they love, a freedom they would perhaps not have in their own country. However,if they can’t find someone quickly, their parents will jump in and help by arranging their marriage, even from a distance of 8.000 kms.

absolutely creative

In our last story, we will listen to Figo from Turkey who does not feel free to express his artistic freedom. He feels that social biases and narrow-mindedness discourage him from sharing his music, particularly on social media.

What are your thoughts on freedom? Do you think we have all gone too far with personal freedom? Or do you think more freedom would make your country a better place? We’re eager to hear your perspective.

Share your story with us via comment or email, and you can feature in one of our upcoming shows. For more information and previous episodes, visit our website at absolutely-intercultural.com. If you enjoyed the show, please give us a thumbs-up on Facebook.

And did you know we’re also on iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Spotify? You can subscribe for free, leave a rating, and drop a comment there.

Our next show, hosted by Anne Fox in Denmark, will be out on 3rd May.

Until then – find out whether there can be TOO much freedom in a culture! and

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Natalia Obikhod

Assistant Editors: Sebastian Berg

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