Understanding Train Station

Whether you celebrate with lead pouring and fireworks or by watching the ball drop in New York while singing Auld Lang Syne, New Year's Eve is upon us! In this episode we discuss how we both celebrate New Year's Eve and talk about some of the traditional ways of ringing in the new year in Germany and the U.S. Get your pots and pans (or your fireworks depending on the country) ready and have a glass of champagne as you listen to this week's episode of Understanding Train Station. We wish everyone a Happy New Year and Guten Rutsch!

You can listen to this podcast/watch it on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio!

Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸[email protected] • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com

Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed

What's it like to grow up in both Germany and the USA? That's what we talked about with this week's guest Jay Samuelz, a successful Youtuber, filmmaker, and musician based in Berlin. Since he is half American and half German and moved back and forth between the two countries several times growing up, we were curious to find out what it's like to switch between the school systems, what role the two languages play in his everyday life, what his experiences with racism have been, and much more. We hope you guys enjoy the conversation as much as we did! :)

0:00 Intro | 6:58 Background Story | 12:32 Switching between school systems | 16:58 Cursing in the US vs. Germany | 19:21 Disciplining children | 21:20 Differences at school (Which is system is harder?) | 27:27 Adjusting to a new culture/Culture Shocks | 31:14 Missing out on pop culture | 33:33 Switching between languages | 41:51 Experiences with stereotypes | 48:38 Race in the US | 52:16 Experiences with racism in GER & US [German section w/ subtitles] | 59:58 Culture clashes within the family | 01:06:52 What do you miss from the US? | 01:08:52 Accents | 01:14:46 Jay’s content | 01:16:32 Outro

Check out Jay's content: • Jay & Arya YouTube channel • Among Us Short Film [English] • Jay & Arya - Podcast [some English episodes] • Jay Samuelz Music • @jaysamuelz on Instagram/Twitter/TikTok

You listen to this podcast/watch it on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio!

Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸[email protected] • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com

Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed

Lighting a candle each Sunday, opening a "door" every morning, and putting a shoe in front of your door on December 5th? These are some of many many German Christmas traditions that we talk about in this episode. And, of course, we talk about how Christmas is celebrated differently in the US where you'll see Santa Claus at the mall, stockings on the fireplace, and fake Christmas trees popping up everywhere as early as November. Grab some tea, eggnog, or Glühwein, and dive into the wonderful world of Christmas with us. :)

++We’d like to apologize for the echo that you can hear on the recording in some parts, we hope it doesn’t bother you too much while listening. Also, Feli got some of the dates wrong in this episode: Of course, Heilige Drei Könige is on January 6th (not Dec 6th) and the second Christmas Day is on December 26th (not 24th).++

0:00 Intro | 8:55 Advent time in Germany | 17:32 Christmas Decorations | 26:45 Advent calendars | 31:32 Christmas songs | 34:51 The Christmas Pickle | 35:58 St. Nikolaus & Krampus/Knecht Ruprecht | 45:30 Who brings the presents? Santa Claus/Christkind/Weihnachtsmann | 56:16 Other Christmas customs in the US | 01:01:19 Baking (gingerbread, cookies) | 01:04:56 Christmas Eve in Germany | 01:15:46 Christmas Eve & Day in the US | 01:27:01 Heilige Drei Könige (Three wise men) | 01:28:18 Christmas Markets | 01:33:33 Outro

Mentioned Videos: Christoph Waltz Explains Krampus to Jimmy Fallon ▸https://youtu.be/VbkGuCozc9MLast year's video on Christmas ▸https://youtu.be/dROdQIwRzKcVideo on Karneval ▸https://youtu.be/IVQL_70rBggQ&A video with question about the Christmas pickle ▸https://youtu.be/wUrNyaHuaj0

You can also listen to us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, and Amazon Music!

Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸[email protected] • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com

Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed

It’s time for another interview! In this episode, we expand our conversation beyond the U.S. and Germany and have our good friend Sheffi from India join us on the podcast. We discuss what it was like moving from a metropolis like New Delhi to a medium-sized city like Cincinnati, learning how to do laundry yourself, how friendships are different in different cultures and the effects stereotypes can have on day-to-day interactions. Stick around till the end to hear Sheffi's tips on not only surviving but thriving while living abroad for the first time!

You can also listen to us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, and Amazon Music!

Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸[email protected] • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com

Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Since Thanksgiving is such a major holiday in the US, we decided to dedicate a whole episode to this day. We talk about how people celebrate it here, what the history behind it is, if Germans celebrate it at all, why Thanksgiving was challenging for Feli's taste buds, and what's up with Black Friday. We hope you guys enjoy the episode and please stay safe everyone!

You can also listen to us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, and Amazon Music!

Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸[email protected] • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com

Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed

How did Josh become fluent in German? Why doesn't Feli sound like a typical German when speaking English? What are our tips for learning a second language and losing your accent? In this episode, we address all of the questions that you guys have asked us regarding our language skills.

You can also listen to us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, and Amazon Music!

Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸[email protected] • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com

Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed

30 days of paid vacation, making business deals on the golf course, and sending text messages instead of professional emails? These topics and many more were part of our conversation about work-life and office culture in Germany and the US with our good friend Niklas. Niklas is originally from outside of Hamburg and in 2018 his German company sent him over to Cincinnati to step into the position of CEO. Since his experience is different from our own, we were excited to get his perspective on the biggest differences in work-life in both countries. We also learned something about the relevance of sports in both the work realm and everyday conversation as well as more about his visa process for the U.S.

You can also listen to us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, and Amazon Music!

Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸[email protected] • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com

Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed

Since our last episode (EP3) on homes and household habits in Germany and the United States was a really long one, we shortened it a little. In this bonus episode, we wanted to share the parts we cut out, in case you’d like to hear them. We talked about eating habits, recycling, and cleaning preferences. The next regular episode (EP4) will be out on Thursday, as always! :)

You can also listen to us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, and Amazon Music!

Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸[email protected] • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com

Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed

Ceiling fans, air vents, and garbage disposals in the US vs. drying racks, missing doorknobs, and miracle windows in Germany. There are a lot of differences when it comes to homes and household habits in Germany and the United States. That's why in this episode, we're taking you on a virtual house tour through a typical German and a typical American home and talk about all the physical differences as well as those everyday household habits that might seem really odd when you first visit the country.

Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro | 00:09:26 House Tour | 01:09:35 Household Habits

You can also listen to us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, and Amazon Music!

Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸[email protected] • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com

Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed

Grocery shopping, driving, getting gas, or – once again – using a public bathroom all seem like simple, everyday tasks. Until you have to do them in a foreign country and feel totally lost. In this episode, we talk about those kinds of situations and share our personal stories of things that we felt like we had to "relearn" in the other country. And we talk about how even when you know a language in the classroom, it doesn't always mean you know how to communicate with the locals in an everyday situation.

You can also listen to us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, and Amazon Music!

Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸[email protected] • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com

Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed