Josh and Feli

Understanding Train Station

Society EN ↓ 81 episodes

In our podcast “Understanding Train Station”, we (Josh and Feli) 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”. Similar to the English saying “It’s Greek to me”, it is used to express a lack of understanding which is an all too common feeling when dealing with another culture and living abroad. Feli (aka “Feli from Germany” on YouTube) is a German living in the U.S. and Josh is probably the most “Germanized” American you’ll ever meet.

Author

Josh and Feli

Episodes

EP5: Our Language Learning Stories 19.11.2020 1:13:06

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 !...

EP4: Work-Life & Office Culture feat. Niklas (and life update from Josh!) 12.11.2020 1:17:02

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 o...

Bonus Episode: Eating, Recycling, and Cleaning Habits 09.11.2020 20:45

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 u...

EP3: Homes and Household Habits (and what's up with those German guest slippers?!) 05.11.2020 1:34:41

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...

EP2: Adulting 2.0 - Life Outside of the Classroom 29.10.2020 1:25:13

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...

EP1: Introduction and First Culture Shocks (and way too much bathroom talk!) 22.10.2020 55:26

Who are we? Why does Josh speak German so well? Why did Feli move to the US? What’s the story behind all that? And what were our very first culture shocks when visiting Germany/the US? In the first episode of Understanding Train Station, we answer all of those questions, share our goals for the podcast, and for some reason, we talked surprisingly much about bathrooms, door handles, and onion sizes...