Understanding Train Station
Understanding Train Station
Welcome/Willkommen!
“Understanding Train Station” is a podcast hosted by us, Josh and Feli (aka Feli from Germany), in which we explore the intricacies and pitfalls of living between cultures. The title is derived from the German idiom “Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof” which literally translates to “I only understand train station”. It is used to express a lack of understanding - a common feeling when dealing with another culture and living abroad. Feli is a German living in the U.S. and Josh is probably the most “Germanized” American you’ll meet. We share our personal experiences, opinions and tips about living abroad to help listeners grow from only “understanding train station” to becoming excited about different cultures. While the main focus is on cultural differences between Germany and the U.S., we frequently have guests from all over the world to broaden the conversation and share their experiences to see where there are similarities and interesting differences.
Josh & Feli
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Thanks for this interview. I am watching all of them with Rachel Stewart and Black Forest Family. I disagree with the tea comment. After 5 years I’m still bringing 1000 tea bags from England each year and drink it with fresh milk. German black tea is too weak, sold in boxes of 40 at the largest and the milk is often UHT.
Josh is low key German 😂😂😂 his voice sounds somehow so suitable for German even when he speaks English 😂😂😂
I know this video is over a year old so no one will be reading this, but because of Brexit, as a Brit living in Germany, I applied for German citizenship and after a 5-minute conversation with the lady dealing with my application, I was exempt from a language test or certificate. She literally just said (in German) “Well, I think we can skip the language test.” Now I have a German ID and am legally German. Thank you to my home country for having me. For giving me my home.
fresh squeezed lemonade also, many companies fingerprint and do other tests - -especially if you have any involvement with kids, the US government, healthcare. and in healthcare, from the people i know, very few people have true matching for 401K.
I have a ahort idea to ESC: Someone on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter 😅) suggested, to have the competitors compete with a song in their own language and I remember when it was still "grandprix de la chanson d'eurovision", that was broadcasted eurowide as one of the few broadcasts at all, that we as kids tried to riddle out the language, that they sang in and it made the whole thing kind of cool. I mean, that brought diversity to the whole thing. It doesn't make much sense to make each country perform in a musical style.from their homecountry, but at least the language made it distinguishable instead of the Einheitsbrei (is there a word for this in English?) that they have now. Yes sure most people understand English, but there are stiil grandmas and grandpas sitting in their chairs who do not get any of it and they would maybe at least in their own language. Designation of points and rating system aside, rhis is really one of the things I would wish for the ESC, I guess then I would watch it again. Just my 2 cents.
With regards to Munich restaurants, upon my return to the US, I found myself asking, “Did I miss something?” Upon return I researched Yelp to see why I was so underwhelmed with Munich dining. Other than ubiquitous doner/kebob and German restaurants I found the options lacking. Then Feli spoke. There isn’t much fast food or casual dining in Germany. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but Americans are more on-the-go and don’t spend 2-3 hours on a meal - that’s for special occasions. The spectrum of dining options in a mid-tier city like Cincinnati is greater than Munich, and I would argue that would be the case even if all the fast food and chain restaurants were removed from the list. There’s just more variety here. It sounds like Feli spends most of her time in lower-end joints.
Measured at KZread standards I am an ooold German (53), but I understand Liam's humour a 100%!!! Just saying.
Harry Po'er😂
I'd like to hear an episode in German one time!!!
The way Josh said "Bonjour" makes me think that he is a talent in ALL languages, not just in German. No wonder that he collected compliments for his pronunciation as grains of sand by the sea.😂 (I hope so) I bet his Spanish as well is meanwhile as fantastic as his German. You go, Josh!!!👍
even though darn has the meaning to mend, it's separate from the use as euphemism for damn.
in NYC not all schools have air conditioning. they open windows and have fan.
It's called an egg cup. and they have different types, 3 minute, 5 minute eggs. that's what egg timers are for.
I love this podcast episode. Do you have other episodes completely in German?
the window thing is so interesting. i grew up in the US, without it - my parents' home still doesn't have it. we always had windows open - and my husband and i always fight about airing out the apartment.
if you want to live in NYC (manhattan, rather than the five boroughs) I'd say you need at least 100K to have a decent apartment and enjoy going out, etc.
in spanish, and it is the culture i was raised in, it's called sobremesa which is that lingering time.
the collab i never knew i needed!!!!❤
Just for your information: Germany is the current World Champion in Basketball!!!
Liam's such a great actor.. I genuinely forget that both characters are him... (plus the old guy + beehive lady :) Great to see his wife and dad involved now too :)
I agree with you. So far I have not seen his father. Do you by chance remember which episode he is in?
the "illegal" immigrants that josh is referring to, aren't even working class. these are poor, sometimes illiterate people. and they're not looking to immigrate in the legal term, they are here to see asylum, and the legal way to do this is to get on US soil and say you're seeking asylum. and many of these people are seeking asylum as a result of our policies in this country. and believe me, it's much harder for people of color to get here legally than it is for white, northern european immigrants. this is true even for those seeking asylum. see how we treated ukranian asylum seekers v. those from central america. or africa or asia.
kzread.info/dash/bejne/jI2fpMhplMXZZaw.html
i don't think anyone thinks germans are lazy. i think many americans are just jealous of the vacations. FMLA - family medical leave act, but your company has to have over a certain number of people in it. if you have a smll company, you're not obligated to give this.
complaining about the weather is one of the germanst things you can to. it will never fit your favor XD
even though I see him speaking English in his videos, it's still difficult for me to picture him as anything else than German. He is that good :)
let the chips fall, or let the cards fall where they may
dulce de leche is different in different countries. it's not always boiled condensed milk.
yourguys's mastely :)
verdura is not the general word for vegetable, it's like the leafy green. vegetal is vegetable.
Guy who has 3 children and works in the factory, have to pay for someone else to study 5 years at university - social studies - that will help the civilization.. that is fair to whom exactly. Pay for your own education.
on the east coast, a lot of people go north to Maine, NH, VT, MASS and CT - the berkshires, or the finerglakes.
Do Ohioans have three months off? my kids are off for July/Aug, and depending on labor day, sometimes the second week of September. But we finish up school the last week of June.
In NYC and even some suburban areas have many immersion schools, in French, Mandarin, Spanish, and other languages.
27:20 In my experience this is not current anymore. You do not have to use the British spelling. You just have to be consistent with the one you do chose and don't change it up in the same text. Which I think is pretty reasonable
Liam is cool!!
... respectfully, ♥️ can you let Ben answer, Josh asked his perspective, you seem to unintentionally interrupt everyone a lot, but I know it's well meaning... When you do that, people forget their thoughts, because your comments are extended.... Just a thought, keep up the good work on both your channels...
re latino v white, it's because people here catagorize you. in latin america, my cousins consider themselves peruvian or ecuadorian, not hispanic. and you can be white and latino or asian and latino. it's a way to catagorize people who look different or the same but speak a different language. i have redheaded and blonde latin cousins. latin america is as mixed, or more than the US.
also, i want to add that hispanic did not start being used till the 1970s. my great grandparents came from ecuador, and my two grandfather's from south america. but there was not a hispanic check mark on anything till the 70s. it was either white/black/mulatto/indian (native american) and asian. my parents never remember being "boxed" till the 70s.
a strand of hair.
Should've is the English version some American spellings are strange i.e. phenitically.
(:
Josh 😍
i live on the east coast. the harass/harass is more generational, i think. and i think it's the same with the two finance pronunciations. i've never heard finances with short i. but maybe it comes from the word financier. i find a lot of people live up to their paychecks, rather than keeping their budget like it was when they were making little money and saving the rest, they just up their spending. which is very scary to me. darning is used to repair woolen garments - not always socks. and i do it too. it can make some clothes fun. there's a whole new thing now of visible repair. my dad's motto was use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.
Auf Prime Video, "Die Therapie" ist auf jedem Fall zu empfehlen! (Nach einem Buch von Sebastian Fitzek)
Not all US schools have marching bands, dance teams, or friday night football. our games were on saturday mornings, and the "band" sat on the hill to play. but half the band members were on the field. maybe that's because we were a small school. the games i see on tv, to me, seem so foreign.
so funny about spotting the americans when traveling. although both my parents were super proud to be from the US, my brother and i were taught to travel so that no one would ever guess we were americans. and that is something i have always managed to do. but we look very european. harder to do now with my family, as my husband screams american. but we try.
the US did not allow dual citizenship until 1967 - and even though we allow it, it is not really encouraged. and the DNA tests are never wrong, but lebanon does have a lot of italians. i also have a friend who is lebanese but has italian dna.
it's all hallow's eve and halloween. i have never heard anyone pronounce it holloween.
i'd say that's how the US is getting - there's a lot of faux patriotism, and now when i see the US flag up, I think that it's someone who is very right wing. And when I travel, I'm always embarrassed if there are other "americans". because hey always behave badly, and make me feel ashamed of being from the US. I try and prove, I'm not one of those "americans".
Thank you Josh for mention Würzburg! One of the most underestimated cities. By the way, I really love your german. Awesome channel. I wish I had explored much earlier. Grüße aus Würzburg 🙂
those two songs are super popular in sweden too. and brownies are super easy to make. and better.