PODCAST · society
Understanding Train Station
by Josh and Feli
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.
Episodes
-
2 Years Later: Life Update on Dating, Citizenship, and Moving
More than 2 years after we recorded the last podcast episode, Josh and Felli finally sat down for a much-needed life update! 😊 RELATED PODCAST EPISODES https://youtu.be/ygbWAN-ZfTM https://youtu.be/u2_b2VPqw1g https://youtu.be/KpFrtKhfy6Q https://youtu.be/r0R2z-CW6us https://youtu.be/sfg4ApXqxMk...
-
EP78: The Final Stop
All good things must come to an end. Like many cliche phrases, however annoying they may be, they are often true. After over 70 episodes, Josh’s move to Germany, lots of back and forth trips between Germany and the U.S. to see family and friends, the time has finally come for UTS to pull into its...
-
EP77: Finding a Job in Germany vs. USA
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_BacktoSchool and use our code UTS25 for 25% off the first two months of your Lingoda subscription (after the free trial) and save up to 200EUR! #lingoda202308 ▸What's it like applying for a job in Germany and the US? How is the application process different? And...
-
EP76: In Germany, We Don't Say... ft. Liam Carpenter
You know him from TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts as the guy in the grey tracksuit, the crossbody bag, and the Birkenstocks. Liam Carpenter is originally from the UK but at the age of 18, he came to Germany to pursue a career in basketball. In today's episode, he tells us all about how he…
more -
EP75: A German Actor in Hollywood ft. Aramis Merlin
++German speaking part from 01:18:35 to 01:24:57++ What's it really like trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood? And as a non-native English speaker at that? YouTuber and actor @AramisMerlin moved from Hamburg, Germany to Los Angeles in 2014 to follow his dreams and in today's episode, he...
-
Message from Feli
*NO EPISODE THIS WEEK* Hey guys! Unfortunately, we didn't get to record a new episode for you this week (due to the time issue we mentioned last time) and I'll actually be on vacation next week so the next episode will come out in 2 weeks. Thank you for all of your kind comments and messages in...
-
EP74: Getting Nostalgic & Answering Your Questions
You guys submitted your questions for us on Instagram and we picked a wild mix of questions for today's Q&A episode! From funny curse words to questions about the podcast and a throwback to when we first moved abroad. We definitely got a little nostalgic! And we also had some news to share......
-
EP73: New Country, New Things
Moving to a new country also means getting used to new customs, different products, and doing a lot of things for the very first time. In this episode, we talk about some of the things that we had NEVER done before we moved abroad. Mentioned videos and episodes: 10 Things I'd Never Done Before I...
-
EP72: Growing up German in the Midwest feat. Lena
Almost two years ago, we got to interview Josh’s high school German teacher, Christine, about her experiences moving to the U.S., teaching German in an American school and raising a family in Cincinnati. This week’s episode is almost the sister episode (or perhaps it’s more appropriate to say...
-
EP71: On the Streets of Cincinnati - We Asked Your Questions!
+Unfortunately, Josh's mic sounds a little muffled in this episode, sorry about that!+ After a short hiatus, Josh and Feli are back with another episode and this time we are in Cincinnati! A few weeks back, when Feli was visiting Munich, we asked you all what you wanted to know from the people of...
-
EP70: Friendships & Social Life in Germany vs. USA
Living abroad can be one of the most amazing experiences, but it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. While the topic normally takes a back seat to amazing travel experiences with amazing food and landscapes, friends and social circles can make or break your experience while living away from your...
-
EP69: On The Streets of Munich - We Asked Your Questions!
If you follow us on Instagram (@understandingtrainstation) you know this episode has been in the pipeline because a few weeks back we asked you all what you wanted to know from the people of Munich. Armed with the questions we collected from you, we hit the streets and got talking to people. From...
-
EP68: Y’all Talk Funny! Guessing YOUR Accents and Dialects - Pt. 7
While we were both in Munich we tried to make the most of our time together and record as much for you as possible and that, of course, includes a dialect episode! We’ve been doing this series for a while now and after 7 episodes we finally made it through all the audio files you sent in! We love...
-
EP67: Expect the Unexpected - Culture Shocks That Surprised Us
Greetings from Munich! Even though Feli's trip came with some complications, she made it home and we got to record an episode in person for you! Granted, we're fresh off a sugar high from all the Krapfen from Fasching/Karneval/Fastnacht… you get the point! Just as a lot of people are surprised to...
-
EP66: Our Visa Stories (Doing It The Legal Way)
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_Sprint_Challenge and use our code UTS2023 to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202302 ▸Moving to a foreign country, even if just for an exchange semester, can be daunting and confusing. For many, it is the first time…
more -
EP65: "Work to Live" or "Live to Work"?
When it comes to adulting, one thing is inevitable - we have to work. Whether you have a 9-5, do shiftwork, or are self-employed, we all have our own ways of financing our lives. While it is something so fundamental to modern society, there are many differences between how work is seen in the…
more -
EP64: From U.S. Farm Country to the German Bicycle Mecca feat. The Black Forest Family
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_LanguageWins and use our code WINWITHUTS to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202301 ▸After a bit of a Christmas hiatus, we are excited to start the new year with some highly requested guests! Jonathan and Ashton are...
-
EP63: Christmas Live Stream
++Good audio quality starts at 00:07:02++ For the last episode of the year, we decided to make it extra special! 😊🎄 So we got cozy in front of the Christmas tree with some Glühwein and recorded the episode while we were on a live stream so that you guys could interact with us and ask questions!...
-
EP62: An International Love Story feat. Joss and Janik
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_Dec and use our code UTSWINTER to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202212 This week, we have a real power couple join us on the podcast! Some of you might already know them and for the rest of you, we think it's about...
-
EP61: Q&A - Midterms, World Cup, Celebrity Encounters and More!
You asked - we answered! It's time for another Q&A episode and this time, we covered everything from serious topics such as the midterm elections in the U.S. or the controversy around the World Cup in Qatar to lighthearted topics like our understanding of comedy and satire in our second language…
more -
EP60: South of the Equator. Brazilian Identity, Language and Travel Tips feat. Matheus
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_Sprint_Nov and use our code SPRINTUTS to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202211 ▸This week’s episode is a first for UTS! Not only have we never had a guest from Brazil on our podcast before, but we've also never had...
-
EP59: Oktoberfest & La Dolce Vita feat. Ben
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_SprintChallenge and use our code UTS2022 to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202210 ▸Although busy schedules normally slow down in the fall, Feli and Josh have been busier than ever. With Oktoberfest and then…
more -
EP58: Stars, Stripes, Soccer – Patriotism in Germany vs. the US
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_SprintChallenge and use our code UTS2022 to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202210 ▸Are you proud to be from your country? Are you patriotic? Why or why not? 🤔 We know this is a really tricky question and it's…
more -
EP57: Y’all Talk Funny! Guessing YOUR Accents and Dialects - Pt. 6
▸Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_LanguageSprint and use our code UTS09 to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202209 We’re back in person again and you know what that means… another episode of “Y’all Talk Funny”! We love doing this series as we get to...
-
EP56: Reverse Culture Shock - When Home Becomes Foreign
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_LanguageSprint and use our code UTS09 to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202209 After we had to cancel our last episode due to illness and travels, we're back with a new episode in which we discuss Josh’s recent trips...
-
EP55: How to Spend a Summer - Cincinnati vs. Munich
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/Sprint-UTS and use our code TRAINSTATION to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202208 With the sun beating down strong on Europe and Cincinnati being as humid as ever, we decided to talk about the ways we perceive summer in...
-
EP54: From Cincinnati to Vienna and Berlin - Stories of an International Student feat. Sarah
++German speaking part 1:37:47 - 1:44:25 - English subtitles available YouTube!++ Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_July and use our code UTSJULY to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202207 Although we try to include various perspectives in our...
-
EP53: Q&A - Tricky Words, Fashion Differences, Gun Control and More!
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_July and use our code UTSJULY to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202207 You asked and we answered! After having some heavier topics in the last episodes, we wanted to interact more with you all and answer some of your...
-
EP52: Getting Settled Smoothly (& Happy Pride!) feat. Jen & Yvonne from Simple Germany
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_June and use our code UTSJUNE to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202206 Meet Yvonne and Jen - founders and co-creators of Simple Germany. We are super excited to have them join us for our last episode in June - also...
-
EP51: Where We Come From - Ancestry, Ethnicity and Racism in Germany and the U.S.
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_June and use our code UTSJUNE to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202206 Do you know where your ancestors came from? Josh did a genetic ancestry test a few years back and found out that he's mostly German and Irish!...
-
EP50: From Ukraine to Germany - When War Forces One to Leave Home feat. Anna
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UTS_June and use our code UTSJUNE to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202206 This week, we head east to discuss and learn about the devastating situation that currently exists in Ukraine. Our friend Anna - a Ukrainian who...
-
EP49: The Mystery of Eurovision & German vs. American Restaurant Culture
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UnderstandingTrainStation and use our code UTSMAY to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202205 ▸After last week’s intense German episode we thought we’d take the opportunity to explore some of the finer things in life - like...
-
EP48: Let's Speak Some German!
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/UnderstandingTrainStation and use our code UTSMAY to get 20€ ($25) off your deposit when signing up for the Lingoda Sprint! #sprint202205 You guys asked for it and we made it happen! No more short segments where we say a few sentences in German. This week's episode…
more -
EP47: On The Road! Driving in Germany vs. USA
.What's it like to drive on the Autobahn? What's up with all those stop signs in the US? And why does the German driver's license cost so much? In this episode, we talk about the biggest differences in regards to driving in Germany and the US and share things that you should probably know before...
-
EP46: Y'all talk funny! Guessing YOUR accents & dialects - Pt. 5
You guys know the drill! It's mandatory for us to record at least one dialect guessing episode every time we get to record together in person - even though we ran into a few technical issues with our audio setup this time (sorry about that!). We LOVE including you guys in the podcast by listening...
-
EP45: 100k Dollars Debt After College?! Money & Finances in Germany vs. USA
Josh was back in Cincinnati for two weeks, so we got to record a couple of episodes in person 🥳 And we finally got to talk about a topic that we've been wanting to cover for a while now: Money and finances in Germany and the US. While many Americans are probably shocked by the fact that a lot of...
-
EP44: Friday Night Lights in a Quaint German Town feat. NALF
Moving to Germany to play American Football? Might sound crazy but our guest NALF did exactly that! Originally from Portland, Oregon, he now lives in the small (and beautiful!) German town of Schwäbisch Hall, plays football for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, and documents his life and everyday...
-
EP43: From Sunny Australia to Running in Shorts in Munich feat. Lachlan
Do you miss Vegemite? How have you been dealing with German weather? Do people mistake you for a Brit? These are just some of the questions that you guys submitted on Instagram for this week's guest Lachlan who recently moved from Australia to Munich to pursue his master's and ended up becoming…
more -
EP42: The Super Bowl & American Sports Culture
For the first time in over 30 years, the Cincinnati Bengals made it to the Super Bowl and are going to play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, February 13th! The city of Cincinnati is going crazy over this and even we, two people who don't usually follow sports, are super excited which is why…
more -
EP41: Y'all talk funny! We react to YOUR dialects - Pt. 4
It’s dialect guessing time! You guys sent us a voice recording of YOUR German or English accent/dialect and we're going to guess what you’re saying and where you’re from. And of course, you can guess along! 😊 This is the fourth episode in this little series but don’t worry, there will be more!…
more -
EP40: Josh in Germany - One Year Later
One year ago, Josh packed up his things in Cincinnati and moved to Munich for work. Just a few days after he arrived, he and Feli sat together in this very spot and talked about the logistics of the move, the obstacles he was about to face, and what it felt like starting this new journey (watch...
-
EP39: Return of a Legend - Interview and Life Update from Niklas
Try Lingoda with an exclusive discount of up to 40% off with our link: https://try.lingoda.com/Dec_UTS #lingoda202112 All good things must come to an end… but don’t worry, we’re not talking about this podcast! In this week's episode, one of our most requested guests, Niklas, returns to answer…
more -
EP38: Q&A - German Dating Services, the Lottery, Visas, and More!
+++Subtitles available for German part at 39:17-41:16+++ Try Lingoda with an exclusive discount of up to 40% off with our link: https://try.lingoda.com/Dec_UTS #lingoda202112 Christmas time is here so we went through YOUR wish list aka questions for us and tried to answer them! We talk about…
more -
EP37: When Kiwi Culture Meets Germany feat. Antoinette Emily
Try Lingoda with an exclusive discount of up to 40% off with our link: https://try.lingoda.com/Nov_UTS #lingoda202111 A German and a Kiwi meet in a bar in New Zealand. Numbers are exchanged and 11 years later they’re still together with three kids and are living in Germany. Although it may sound...
-
EP36: No Humor vs. Fast Food? We react to the biggest clichés about Germany and the US
Go to https://try.lingoda.com/Nov-UTS and use our code UTS30 to get 30% off the Lingoda Marathon course or the first months of your monthly subscription! #lingoda202111 Americans are loud and eat nothing but fast food? 🇺🇸 And Germans have no sense of humor and are overly punctual? 🇩🇪 We asked...
-
EP35: Halloween
Go to https://bit.ly/UTS-Lingoda-Oct and use our code UTS30 to get 30% off the Lingoda Marathon course or the first months of your monthly subscription! ++German parts at 14:29 -17:41 and 01:06:41-01:08:27++ Americanization of existing culture or a childhood tradition? No matter how you view...
-
EP34: La vie avec les boches - From France to Munich feat. Laetitia & Chloé
Sign up for the Lingoda Sprint here by October 15 ▸ https://bit.ly/Sprint-UTS and use the code CHAMP21 to save 20€/25USD on the deposit! (Terms and conditions apply. Make sure to read the rules of the Sprint.) #sprint202109 In this week‘s episode we head west from Germany (at least mentally if…
more -
EP33: Y'all talk funny! We're guessing YOUR dialects - Pt. 3
Sign up for the Lingoda Sprint here by October 15 ▸ https://bit.ly/Sprint-UTS and use the code CHAMP21 to save 20€/25USD on the deposit! (Terms and conditions apply. Make sure to read the rules of the Sprint.) #sprint202109 We're back at it! You guys sent me voice recordings of YOUR English or...
-
EP32: The Name of the Game - How German Federal Elections Work
Sign up for the Lingoda Sprint here by October 15 ▸ https://bit.ly/Sprint-UTS and use the code CHAMP21 to save 20€/25USD on the deposit! (Terms and conditions apply. Make sure to read the rules of the Sprint.) #sprint202109 September 26th is going to be a big day for Germany! The German people…
more -
EP31: Q&A - German patriotism, living expenses, how our parents reacted to us moving abroad & more!
+++German-speaking sections: 00:35:32 - 00:42:26 and 00:50:15 - 00:54:08. English subtitles available on YouTube for that part! Just activate them on YouTube.+++ Do we think that Germans should be more patriotic? Was it difficult to have our university degrees recognized in the other country?…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
Josh and Feli
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Understanding Train Station have?
Understanding Train Station currently has 80 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Understanding Train Station about?
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...
How often does Understanding Train Station release new episodes?
Understanding Train Station has 80 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Understanding Train Station?
You can listen to Understanding Train Station on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Understanding Train Station?
Understanding Train Station is created and hosted by Josh and Feli.
URL copied to clipboard!