Get a 7-day free trial and 25% off Blinkist Annual Premium by clicking here: bit.ly/FelifromGermanyDecember23 👉Thanks so much to Steffi for sharing your thoughts and impressions with us! 😊Click here to watch them try Cincinnati Foods ▸ua-cam.com/video/xdUavDfB1kk/v-deo.html (Both videos were recorded in May 2023!)
I hope you didn't make them suffer through that abomination that they call chili in Cincinnati, lol. It's pretty durn hard to mess up chili that bad, but they managed it in spades.
Feli's American English accent has been on-point for years now but hearing it concurrently with others that have a stronger foreign accent really makes you realize just how impressive Feli's accent is.
@@michaelrmurphy2734 I don't know her personally but I doubt it. English will probably be intrusive as to how she speaks/thinks in German though. I had this problem when I lived in Japan. I certainly didn't lose my English fluency but it did rewire some stuff in my brain and screw up my English at times.
Oh, wow! So how fluent are you in Japanese? Canada is an "officially bilingual" country, so I can get some French. But what I do is translate in my head from French to English. Which slows down my "processing speed". I can understand somewhat but can't converse. After awhile it becomes too mentally taxing and I just have to withdraw. I admire people who learn a second language as an adult. Germans like Feli learn English from an early age in school. Aside from French, your average Canadian doesn't usually have a second language. And after French, the third languages here can be Arabic, Mandarin, Hindi and Tagalog. In a multicultural country like mine.
I listen to Jpop. And you know what? I can NOT learn Japanese now! If I did, it would take all the charm out of Jpop! Who cares what they are singing?! It could be "gaijin are scum, gaijin are scum" for all I care! ;)
Here in Arizona, it's the law for an establishment to give free water to someone who asks for it. Anyone who has spent five minutes here during Summer, will know why!
you can die in arizona if you come from out of state and dont pay attention to hydration you may think you are fine but you arent fine. you need to keep pounding down the water.
@@pilsplease7561It isn't federal law, it _is_ Arizona state law, for _any_ place that sells food or drink to give people free water if asked, even if they aren't normally allowed inside. This isn't just McDonald's or Olive Garden but also the convenience store or a random place with a vending machine or a country club or the like. Many places that _don't_ sell food or drink give out free water as well (bottled water usually costs money, but these places are sometimes an exception). I worked a job going door to door at one point and obviously people didn't want to answer, but when it was 108F/42C out, people would open the door _just to offer me water_ and they aren't bound by the law at all. The law exists primarily so homeless people can get clean potable water wherever they are and not die of dehydration and heat stroke. Typically restaurants in the US will give you free water, especially fast food, but I don't think it's the law most other places (possibly any other places, as I have seen it on "seemingly dumb laws explained" type sites, so it must seem weird to most people). The flip side of it is that washing dishes uses extra water and we need to _conserve_ water in a desert, so unlike much of the US, they won't bring you a glass of water at a restaurant unless you _ask_ first. They don't want to dirty a glass you won't even drink from.
I spent a little time in Germany some years ago and I really enjoyed it. What really struck me was the fact that other than local customs, people around the world are pretty much the same. I loved discovering that.
Not so. I lived in West Berlin FRG when I served in the US Army and Berliners are not very friendly. Everyone speaks english, but if you don't make an effort to speak german, you are screwed.
@@petahpunkThe father of the family I stayed with in Frankfürt had been a POW in US. He got US citizenship and taught his kids English, so they had the option to go there. When he was told my uncle was a British soldier captured in North Africa, where he fought, he embraced me as if I was family, despite being on the other side. Typically, I was all "Don't mention the war" in Germany and had not done so.
When our friend from Germany visited us in rural Kansas, we asked if he wanted to go clay target shooting. He couldn't believe that we could just do that whenever we wanted and he had such a fun time.
It's called FREEDOM,we need to protect.We are the only country on Earth to be able to do, that's why it's the GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH! When you see a person with an "open carry" you should feel safe,not scared...! Just remember the 3 American friends visiting Germany who stopped a massacre by a terrorist on a train...! The rest of the Germans on the train"were scared", and ready to die "heroically". That's what the "new German" generation is,ready to be controlled. It's sad!
@@ottogaher2805 Two American soldiers (!) their American friend, a French and British guy stopped a terrorist attack on a train in France back in 2015. Was that the incident you're referring to? And if you Americans are all so heroic as you seem to infer how come you cannot stop all those many many shootings in your GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH. Because according to you an American wouldn't try to hide but courageously attack the gunman and take him down. But it seems in most cases you just do as the rest of us and call the police.
@@knieperkohlunfortunately some criminals understand the laws and often decide to stage their attacks in areas where gun laws are more strict, giving the criminals an advantage.
@@knieperkohl The law abiding citizens prefer to defend themselves from thugs,because by the time the police shows up it might be too late.A recent case in Houston church with around 15.000 people,where a transgender entered the church with a little kid,armed with an AR 15(hidden under her/his coat),and pistol in the back bag trying to massacre many,and luckily there were 2 armed undercover police officers,who took him/her out.Unfortunatly the little innocent kid died also.Years ago,when you could find a gun in every corner of a house ,because that was the way of living of the law abiding Americans,but there were no shootings,and killings.It has changed mainly by the people that came here.They think guns are for killing others.Yiu can take away the guns only from law abiding people, not the criminals,and you end up with more people killed.Hiw many people got killed in Russia recently? I am sure they called the"police" like you suggested...!? How many people got killed in Paris,when the terrorist drove the dump truck into the crowed...? That was done also by someone who should've not ever enter France...!
He would probably poop his pants to see a flame thrower mounted on an AR, or a grenade launcher mounted on an AR. All perfectly legal, by the way? He would have a grin that he could never wipe off? lol. He would, rightfully so, think that we are the GREATEST COUNTRY in the world?
So many German immigrants settled in Ohio. We're all connected. Growing up, and till today, my family has so many recipes and traditions that are German and my family came here from Germany in the 1770's. Amazing how we still honor that heritage through food and tradition
In my home town, we are the Swedes. The Gothenburg Swedes. I'm Swedish, English, and Bohemian. Bo Hunk, lol. Grandma was full blooded Swede, still had the accent.
This video shows clearly that Feli is picking up Midwest American habits and pronunciatons of English. When she speaks, you can tell she's not a native, but when her brother and his girlfriend speak they have so much more of an alien accent.
@@BanjoSick I usta speak Bavarisha Deutch. Never understood high German. But I was there for only 18 months. In the late 60s. I do miss the Haufbrau House and the Mathaser. Real bier.
When she was talking about bears and nothing being all that dangerous in Germany, I am reminded of my frequent encounter with boars while we were in the field in Germany when I was in the US Army.They used to chase us up onto our vehicles to get away from them! LOL.
@@FelifromGermanyBoars are _far_ more scary and dangerous than bears. A bear will most likely not want anything to do with you, unless it's a mama bear and she thinks you might be messing with her cubs, but boars are made of muscle, spite, and tusks. Boar spears have these lugs behind the spearhead because otherwise they will work their way down the shaft to make sure they take you with them. I don't fear much in the way of wildlife here, I just give it a healthy distance and try to avoid looking like a danger. Boars, on the other hand, will murder you just because they're pissed off that you exist.
We have Bears and Wolfs specially in Northern Spain, Scandinavia, the Balkan and Carpatian regions haha be aware there as well. Boars and Stags are also quite frequent all over Europe.
I remember going to relieve a guy on guard duty, and he was up a tree. Claimed a boar chased him up the tree. 😂. I had boars run around me several times in Graf and Hohenfels, but never had any problems with them.
Well…it doesn’t always just happen to appear in our brains. Everybody has to take English classes at least from grade 3 to 10. If you want to go to university: 3-12. nowadays it’s easier because we have more exposure to English in social media. But most of us are only able to use that because beforehand we invested a lot of work studying it.
I feel like German and English are actually similar, now that I have been learning German, even though they don’t sound alike. It’s a different word order but it’s still similar somehow.
Feli, I have to salute your absolute mastery of the English language. I am a retired college professor who taught foreign languages, and I have many foreign friends. I am always shocked that people who have lived in this country for 20 years or more can barely put together a sentence in English, and even then they might not be understood. Others got to a certain stage of English, and since that seemed to work for them, that's where they stayed. I have been subscribed to your channel since you began, and your English was already very good, but now it's perfect, in both fluency and pronunciation.
I dated a Slovak whose fifth language was English. She spoke it better than most native people from the states. Some people are just wired differently. 😊
Of course living 20 years in any foreign country without learning the local language is proof of laziness. However, US citizens speak hardly foreign languages at all. I live in Europe and most American tourists only speak English (and think they can pay in US dollars). That's ignorant. I speak 5 languages fluently, get by in a sixth and master basics of a seventh language. That's not unusual among European academics, I don't think that I am especially skilled. The majority of American professors I have met (and there are tens of them) only speak English so even on the highest level of education the language skills can be poor. Probably that reflects American exceptionalism. Most Europeans think that the majority of Americans are ignorant - and I think for a good reason.
@@pekkaahonen5955 There's no reason to learn another language as an American. America is its own economy. It's enormous. And English is the most spoken language, anyway. Of course Europeans know several different languages. Going from one country to another in Europe is like driving to a different state in America. If different languages were spoken in our states, with people moving between the states, I'm sure many Americans would speak several languages, too. Many Americans are ignorant, yes, but not speaking more than one language is more of a practical decision than anything - it's simply not needed.
@@pekkaahonen5955 I didn't make your point. There is no LOGICAL reason to learn another language as an American. America is the world's largest economy. Few people ever leave - salaries are abysmal in Europe. If there were actually opportunity & high salaries in Europe, you would see American's making an effort to learn another language, but as it stands Europe is a great place for one type of person - someone who wants to live a comfortable, average life. No one is going to dedicate 1000+ plus hours to learn a new language when there is literally 0 upside to doing so.
First time I visited Bavaria, it was winter, with at least some snow daily, rain, and cold. As Im driving through the countryside and near forests, never failed to see germans (families and singletons) going for a walk on the forest trails. In the cities, outdoor restaurants and cafes full of diners enjoying as if it was 80° degrees outside...instead of pouring snow (at one point). Eating a sandwich and drinking hot chocolate at an outdoor cafe, next to a fireplace, under an umbrella while its snowing...a cherished memory!
As an German American as well, born in Munich. I prefer the skyline in Munich, so much more pleasant! I brought some cousins over to Tennessee, and we visited a casino in Tunica, Mississippi. I told the bartender that we were visiting from Germany and would like to try American beers He brought us Sam Adams, Yuengling (yes American) and Budwieser. Gave us them all for free, you get free beers if you play in the casino, but we were not playing, but he said, I think you are! We liked the Yuengling the best. Visited all over the south. Had a great time.
Yuengling is from PA, and for the better part of a century the company absolutely refused to sell to any store in Ohio. It was popular to bootleg it in for parties. @@kenardturner7173
I have visited Germany many times mostly for business but on several vacations as well. I found the people to be friendly and I was amazed how many Germans speak English with many I would though they were British and I met several who I would have believed they were American. The food was different, but I liked it all. I never did get used to the price of gas or buying it by the liter. My favorite places were Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Amberg, and Heidelberg. Germany is very scenic. Amberg looked like it hadn't changed since the Medieval times. Wonderful people. Heidelberg was quaint with lots of out door dinning and lots of people. I was surprised to see several palm trees there because it seemed to be too far north, but there they were. I did visit a small town called Moosburg (not far from Munich) for sentimental reasons. My dad was a B-17 pilot during the War and was shot down over Holtland on July 26, 1943 by Senior Lieutenant Decker flying a FW-190. Five of my dad's crew were killed and five, including my dad, bailed out and were captured. My dad told me that when he landed on the ground, angry farmers with farm tools wanted to kill him, but a German patrol looking for the downed crew actually saved his life. Decker was shot down and killed on July 30, 1943 by an unknown American P-47 pilot. Such are the whims of war. The Germans kept very detailed records. The Americans not so much. My dad was in Stalag Luft III until January 1945 when the entire POW camp was moved to Stalag VIIA outside of Moosburg where he remained until liberated by the advanced forces of Patton's Third Army in April 1945. So I was visiting Moosburg to see if I could find where Stalag VIIA had been. I found the old train station and the camp wasn't too far from there but it wasn't obvious where the camp had been. I went in to a local bar and asked if anyone spoke English. To my surprise and old man with gray hair spoke enough to understand that I wanted to know where Stalag VIIA had been and he took me to where the front gate to the camp had been. I had a map of the camp from 1945 that showed where the different nationalities had been kept. There were Russian, French, British, and American sectors. There were enough streets and other landmarks remaining that I could identify where the Americans had been kept. It was a housing area so I only knew the general area. I paid my respects to my dad and imagined where in that area he had been. It was February and bitter cold that day and I knew the camp was very over crowded and there were not enough barracks to house them all and so many lived and slept in the cold. I can't image it. There was one other city I visited for a few days: Frankfurt. I happed to be there during Octoberfest and very much enjoyed the street vendors selling sausages and beer. Later that night I walked across the bridge to what was called "Old Frankfurt" because the Frankfurt in which I enjoyed Octoberfest looked like it had been built in the 1950's and 60's and I wondered what Old Frankfurt was like. I ended up in what I would describe as a small rustic beer garden where everyone was celebrating the Apple Wine Festival and so I enjoyed a couple glasses of Apple Wine. There was no evidence of Octoberfest that I could see in Old Frankfurt. It was an odd experience for me. And one thing I really enjoyed was the fact there seemed to bakeries and coffee shops along almost every street. I liked everything about Germany and I would like to return but I'm now 77 and age is becoming an issue with regards to travelling long distances. Get your adventures and fun done while you are young and healthy.
I also agree, terrific story about your father. I was stationed in Germany in the '70's and no one spoke English. I go there often for vacation now and am amazed how many speak English.
I think a lot of the accent comes from the teacher. I know I met a Russian a while back that sounded like he was from NYC but he basically learned English watching American TV shows so guess that is where he picked up the accent. I am sure there has to be American or British teachers across Europe. Just like here when I took Spanish classes most the teachers were from either Spain or Puerto Rico.
When I was in Bavaria 30 or so years ago, I remember noticing that there were a lot of green spaces within cities. I'm a country boy, so at the time I didn't really make a note of that in my brain. After watching this video, I can understand and respect the planning that the government did to make those spaces available.
I am an old woman and we used to walk to schools, stores, etc...Yes sometime the walks were an hour long. American stopped doing that in the early 80's. It was a pleasure watching this video and how much you all enjoy each other. Thank you for sharing and I have subscribed and will continue to watch your videos.
When I was stationed in Germany me and my boys went on several Folks Marches. I still have little ribbons and trophies from that. It is a cool tradition. I wonder if they still do that.
The free tap water experience made me laugh because that was my biggest culture shock in reverse. As an American in Germany, I asked for a glass of water with my meal at a restaurant and was given a bottle of sparkling water. It cost as much or more than the soda my mom ordered, and I had never had unflavored carbonated water before (I didn't like it). I just wanted plain old water. LOL!
You're speaking American English like a true native now. You should be proud of what you've achieved in a relatively short space of time. Also, Steffi is such a lovely, sweet girl. She brings a lot to the channel and Timo is a VERY lucky guy.
so interesting! also, not only is their english really good, they use a lot of colloquialisms that a lot non native speakers dont get right. And they are quite expressive! i hope we get to see them again!
The wild boars in Wildflecken, DE are pretty intimidating. When I was in the U.S. Army we used to go there for weapons ranges. And at night we had to pull guard duty on the shacks where the ammo was stored. We'd regularly see 200-300lbs boars passing by within 5 or 10 feet.
I found it interesting that you, Feli, don't have an accent and speak English very fast! While your brother and his GF sound like typical Germans speaking English. It seemed they had to think about what they were saying, but had no problem understanding your fast English. I spent almost 4 years in Germany while in the U.S. Army and have been back a number of times since to visit. Danke for the excellent video!
Not only is their English really fluent, they are totally able to express very complex thoughts and ideas. I'm so impressed. Even though they seem timid about speaking English, they're really pros at making their complex thoughts understood. Prost!
@@terrylandess6072 English has been the primary science language internationally for many decades. I studied German in high school and college and was fluent for a while, but have really never needed it for science. Even on travel to Germany, unless everyone in the visiting party speaks German, the default language will be English. Even at conferences, all the presentations will be in English. If I were going to pick a second language today for science and engineering, I'd probably pick Chinese.
They start learning foreign languages from a young age. I looked it up and they start foreign languages in primary school. In the US, that is not a requirement. Hence, few become fluent in a foreign language.
@@jaym8257it's a myth though. I went to germany to live in 2019 from the Caribbean. While some people speak english majority does not, not like these on here. Not hing is available in English and I mean nothing!!!. They literally can't speak it at all. If yoy visit it feels that way but living there it doesn't. I left for the us because I couldn't find a mental health doctor fluent in English to help
The brother and sister in law speak English well especially for Germans. I have family in Germany that speak fluent English, and many don't speak as well as those two. The fact that Feli's English, especially American English, is SO much better really goes to show how exemplary her English skills are as a non-native speaker. I know Germans that have lived in the USA for 30 years that don't speak English as well as Feli. Her VERY minimal German accent is pretty astounding, you probably would never notice it unless you were specifically looking for it.
I spent 12 years in Germany. I spoke fluent German and always mastered the dialect for the part of Germany I was living in. That said unlike most Americans I dated German girls and spent 60% of my time around Germans. I was at the sports clubs, pools, in the parks, shopping, riding the rails with a Euro Pass and staying in youth hostels, mountain climbing, rafting, hiking, volksmarching, playing music at fests in the beer tent. My mom on the other hand almost never left the comfort of other Americans and never bothered to learn German. The more you invest in another countries laungage, traditions, culture and people the better the outcome. My Dad had really good German speaking and reading skills as well. He also had a lot of German friends. Most Americans where not willing to put in the time to really try to fit in and become more like the host country they where living in! It was an all or nothing situation where soldiers and their families where either all in 100% or could not be bothered!
As to parks, that is, obviously, in your city. Here, in Minneapolis and area, there are parks within walking distance of most houses. 5-6 blocks at most. Living nine miles from the downtown area we are likely to have coyotes, deer, wild turkey, eagles, hawks, opossums, and even, though rarely, cougars
Feli seems SO American in this video! She said the “merch” ball! I like that she’s based in Cincinnati, because it’s probably our most “Germanic” metropolis next to maybe Milwaukee
Ich bin alt genug um mich noch an Kneipen zu erinnern in denen man Arcade Spielautomaten hatte, oder auch jede Menge Flipper und so weiter. Seltsam, dass das in Deutschland so sehr aus der Mode gekommen ist!
Feli, you are *SO* perceptive!! Thank you so much for pointing out the often-missed aspect of American poverty: many of them own their own homes, or live with relatives who do, so it's much easier to SEE the poverty here; as opposed to many European countries (and especially their cities), where people living in poverty often dwell in apartments. (Of course, there is practically no such thing as "suburbia" in most of Europe, so it's pretty understandable.)
Germans learn English and other languages starting in elementary school. Almost everyone speaks English especially the younger people. They are fearless and adventurous
People forget European countries are about the size of many states or regions of the US. Depending where your are in Europe you can be in two or three countries in a few hours and each country has a different language and customs. Learning different languages is almost nessessary.
@BillDavis-d6v yes with our current adjenda America has doomed ourselves to be a 3rd world country. And the gop is not helping one bit. A bobo as president and putting other low brows in charge. I foresee nothing even approaching mediocre in our future. We are condemning our children to a life of poverty and ignorance. The dumbing of America. Trump and his minions are the poorest of choices.
I remember when I was stationed in Northern Germany, just East of Hannover between Rinteln and Hameln in a little town called Hessich-Oldendorf, we used to see these little rat-like creatures we called Hedgehogs. We'd never seen them before and thought they were cute. Loved my time in Germany, especially when we got to go to Bavaria! I love the houses with the painted scenes on the outside walls and the windows with flower boxes. They're so Bavarian! Especially around Garmisch and Oberramagau. Absolutely beautiful country!
Hedgehogs are NOT rat-like ! They are cute wee things, like miniature but more friendly Porcupines (from American point of view), or from an Australian point of view, I'd describe them as appearing like miniature Echidna. English hedgehogs were introduced to New Zealand back in the 1800's by British immigrant gardeners arriving on the wooden sailing ships (or steamerships), to control snails and insect pests on their vegetables. However Hedgehogs are now considered a pest animal as they can eat ground nesting birds baby chicks and eggs (NZ having no native land mammals and being a country with flightless birds filling available ecological niches).
The guy open-carrying the gun typically isn't about to do anything nefarious with it. Those with bad intentions tend to hide their guns until they decide to use them.
😂😂😂I loved this interchange between you all. The differences between the two cultures. My wife and i just spent two weeks in Germany. We were visiting our son in the army stationed in Ansbach. We went all over the place and really enjoyed ourselves, thank God our GPS worked everywhere we went because otherwise i don't think it would have been as good. We were in small towns, also Frankfurt, Nuremberg, and Munich. Most Germans spoke enough English for us to survive. I would go back again. The country areas reminded me of Tennessee around Chattanooga into Nashville. Munich was beautiful and the old park with the river running through it. We felt safe where went in Germany. I rented a car it was fine driving esp on Sunday s.
Yea native Brits and Americans of European decent are some of the least lingual in the world. I live in Spain and there are English who've lived here for decades and can't speak a word of Spanish.
I live in Vegas and struck up a friendship with a visiting English girl. One day she walked in on me cleaning my pistol on my kitchen table and did a mild freakout. It took some words to calm her down to the point where she was more curious than afraid.
@@southcoastinventors6583Being scared of machines that fire of 1000s of joules by the pull of a trigger is kind of rational to me. Strange times are when children have to learn drills in school other than fire ones.
@@markvoelker6620that’s just not true, that knives are just as dangerous as guns. Plus I assume you need your knives for kitchen-related things, so they have a purpose besides harming people.
As an American with German ancestors, its great to see these videos. The older I get, the more I am impressed by the German people and their perseverance. Not many nations have as much influence on America as Germany has/does, despite our hostilities in the 1910's and 40's.
I live in Vegas "Sin City" and I frequently come across coyotes. They are pretty chill creatures as long as you don't corner them. In fact there was a time when i was going to work at 3 am on an electric scooter and they would run alongside me for a bit before going back to finding food. I wouldnt advise getting near them they are very feral, but also very curious
I really enjoyed this video Feli. I'm glad that your brother and his girlfriend had a good experience. I live in a part of California that attracts people from all over the world. I always do my best to welcome them and give them tips as to what to see in this area. Macht's gut!
A really informative video, Felli. So many takeaways about our culture. One thing not mentioned, but was ever present and that is that Germans speak English nearly as well (sometimes better) than us Americans. Thank you for this format.
Almost every German tourist that I have ever met are so dang cute. They have a sense of innocence about them that perhaps we lack. They always seem to be happy too. Never met a German that I did not like.
Once I went to the Okefenokee Swamp which South Georgia. You’ll see alligators almost every 20 feet or so. Plus you have black bears and countless snakes. It’s a nature site where it’s not “you might see dangerous wildlife” it’s “you will see dangerous wildlife” really cool place in my opinion.
@@FelifromGermany Because you brought up wildlife, can you do a video about differences in our and Germany's fauna? How we'd each react to each other's wild animals?
First time in Germany for work and I can attest to everybody being out on Sunday. The train from Frankfurt to Nuremberg and then Erlangen was frigging packed.
I live in NY and people are always out in the parks and there are a lot of them. I’ve only been to Cincinnati once and don’t recall that feeling but then again, I was there in the summer and it was years ago.
I love the references to wild life. I grew up in Boulder CO, so bears and mountain lions were the occasional (but still rare) backyard visitor depending on which side of town you lived in. Pay attention to where your pets are!
The ironic thing about the guns, even though it seems a bit counterintuitive and it can feel uncomfortable seeing someone walking around with a gun, is that the people open carrying are actually the last ones to worry about - the fact that they are open carrying indicates that they are (very likely) law-conscious. They might believe in carrying to protect themselves, their family and the general public if needed but they are doing it the "right way." The people up to no good don't care about that and I would bet you guys have all come across more people secretly carrying illegally than open carrying and that's the more scary thing IMO
I was gonna say the same. Criminals being the cowards that they are, generally stay away from level confrontation. They only go after the weak and vulnerable. They are safest around law-abiding citizens who open carry.
@4erbuks Good luck telling that to the criminals. That argument is pointless seeing as guns were part of this culture since before any of us were born.
Heh, I'm 62 and still walk to and back for my shopping, it's only a couple of miles or so. If I have something that I want from the larger supermarkets, I'll take a bus. Got a nice riverside park right across the street from me, complete with a running trail. One big difference, in the towns, the roads in Germany are much narrower. Makes sense, as many such streets and roads were originally made for horse and horse carts (we shared that in downtown Philly and a few other older cities in the US). Pennsylvania has always been an open carry state (save in Philadelphia, where it's concealed carry with permit only). Few ever bothered. Louisiana was also open carry, the only time I did was when there was a cottonmouth moccasin in the yard - a highly aggressive venomous snake. Thankfully, never needed my gun, just being around 10 feet from the snake and not leaving convinced it to move off of the property. Found a molted skin from it in the garage, so I secured that a bit better afterward. A pro tip, if you want a more balanced diet or at least your greens and well, more than chicken or burgers, go to a diner. If you see one with plenty of elderly folks there, the prices and good are typically good. Before my wife died, we used to go to a local diner that had a wonderful fruit and salad bar, I terrorized the poor staff at that, as I can graze a *lot*. ;)
I love your channel, Feli! I had the extreme pleasure of visiting Munchen, Frankfurt and Austria so very long ago (in 2000) and, I would absolutely LOVE to go back and visit Germany and Austria again. Your Country is absolutely beautiful and, I just remember the people being so friendly. 23/24 years is a long time and, I'm so sure so much has since changed.
Absolutely love this gal! She is such an asset and amazing representation of Germany. I hope that she and her significant other find a wonderful place in both countries. Everyone I have met that have lived in Germany or are from Germany are nothing but kindness and amazing! You are a blessing to Germany. Extremely intelligent and just wonderful. I also used to live in Cincinnati and I think this is a perfect place to land. Great blend of the midwest with the south:)
I am a bit amazed that your guests did not mention how obese/overweight they found the average American to be. It was the first thing my daughter noticed when landing at the airport
Hi, Feli! I really enjoy your videos. I live in Greater Cincinnati as well, and I learned German for 4 years in high school. Thank you for your content.
I was born in the United States (father was an Albanian immigrant) I’ve always loved it here, the more I travel internationally even more so (I love Europe too!) Feli, your channel makes me appreciate it even more! Wonderful channel, you personally remind me of my daughter….maybe I’ve already said that in another comment, but it’s the highest compliment I can possibly give!!
Very cool video, nice to see when people visit you guys. I personally have never been one to walk places unless I really know the area. I still would love to visit Germany to see what it is like. It sounds like your family had a great time.
New subscriber here. Thank you Feli. I stumbled upon your channel by accident. As a person of German descent whose family has been in the USA since before it was a country, nobody in my family speaks German. I learned it 25 years ago in high school and like to hear it to dust it off. I like having a connection to my roots and have an interest in German culture. I find your material fun and interesting. Love the German connection, and most importantly you are a warm and charming host. BTW you have clearly mastered a great American accent. Best wishes on your continued success!
Loved this video. You and you brother look alike. It was also really enjoyable listening to your brother's and his girlfriend's accents. Sure enjoy your videos. You do a great job with them.
As an American, I would NEVER consider walking to any place that is an hour’s walk away. And, I’m not proud of that. But, it’d be hard, also, because most ways would be highways/interstate with no sidewalks.
An hour walk is about 3 miles. I seldom do that but think nothing about using my bicycle for that trip, At 10 MPH, it is a 20 minute trip. Less if I push.
That sucks. Do you you live in the projects or are you afraid of everyone? Im also a male, so perhaps thats my perception. Ive lived in many different parts of the US and have never been too afraid to walk anywhere.
@@tomifost I think they're referring to road safety. I can understand avoid walking when there's a lack of dedicated places for pedestrians especially on "stroad" style roads where it's hard to find a spot to cross the street and drivers tend to speed.
Depends on the city. Cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago people walk a lot. When my mom, her brother, my cousins and I visited my uncle a few years ago in Philadelphia, he wore us out. Walking was nothing to him, and he walked that extensively for nearly 40 years living there.. Thanks to an extensive underground and subway system where you can get anywhere without ever having to struggle through the snow in the winter. In my uncle's case you didn't even need to walk outside from his co-op in Center City to get into the subways. The first day he took us to the Terminal Market which he considered to be a short walk. His idea of a short walk took nearly 30 minutes and when we asked him what he considered a long walk, he pointed to this huge building way out in the distance that looked fairly far when viewed from the 12 floor of his apartment. We drove there the next day and it was nearly 15 miles away, and he would walk that far one way and sometimes round trip a few times a month. Also while my mom and I took the subways a lot when there, according to my uncle many people wouldn't take the subway to for anything less then a 15 to 20 minute walk.
@@gabriellegeorge2648 Correct I work downtown Columbus, and can walk quite a bit in the Short North, but there are other other areas where I consider it risky to walk due to the heavy traffic going at least 10 miles over the speed limit. The Sawmill Road area for instance has a lot of shops and restaurants, with apartments close by, but you would have to be insane to walk from many of the apartments to the nearest shopping center, let alone one shopping center to another, outside a few spots. There's also a huge lack of sidewalks in many cities.
Feli, this video with your sister-in-law and brother was viel spass! They are fun! Thank you for the informative video! When is your summer tour of Germany? I am interested in participating on the tour with you and Ben!
Thanks for sharing, Feli! It's always fascinating to see someone experiencing a new culture for the first time. Your sister-in-law's reactions were so genuine, and it's cool to get a fresh perspective on things like cars and guns in the USA. Looking forward to more videos and insights! 🌍🇩🇪🇺🇸
Hello Feli and family. My first memory, here in UK, was seeing on TV my dad kick in the door at an armed siege for armed officers to storm in. He was a police officer for thirty years without having a gun. After arriving in US, the open carry was really a shock. I saw someone in a baseball cap with a gun through the motel window in Nashville. My friend laughed and pointed out it was the security guard. Later, in Texas, it was clear that out in the desert, far from any help, you might want a gun, if only because there are huge animals, unlike UK. I was taken to a gun fair and offered a Chinese made kalashnikov cheap. When I said I was from UK, I was offered a hand gun on private sale even cheaper and with no documentation, which it was up to me to get later. The family in Texas had ancestors there before the English speakers. They taught me how to cook their "Tex Mex" food, that was more "Mex" and really good and not like the fast food version. In Canada, my friend's sister in law just stood taking photos of a huge brown bear, whilst we British sat in the car shouting "bear". She said they had large animals on the family farm all the time as kids. In the north of California, I skipped over to a lighthouse, from where I saw fishing with very large rods on the shore. I looked in the water, over which I jumped to see a huge fin. The "jaws" music started inside my head, like the loudest of earworms.
I'm native bilingual in English and German so am very sensitive to accents. She has a very slight German accent and sounds very American, but I would immediately think she was a native German and likely from Bavaria bc of the influence on the vowels sounds. It's very very subtle
Her accent is much more American now compared to when I started watching her videos years ago. She will lose her accent almost completely in a few more years
Steffi is so beautiful! I also watched the previous video of yours featuring her as well and thought the same thing back then. Gorgeous girl! Your brother is lucky 💖
I’m from Columbus,OH but have lived in the UK, France & even took a month-long stay in Germany. I wanted to say Ohioans love being outside when the weather is nice because we typically have unpredictable weather. We have some amazing metro parks and national parks (Hocking Hills, Wayne) here. It may have just been the time of day.
I live in Columbus, and you're absolutely right about Ohioans loving the outdoors when the weather is nice. However, that weather can change in an instant, especially up in Cleveland around Lake Erie. It could be 80 and sunny on the west side, and 60 and raining on the east side. You always have to be prepared for both, and wait it out for a bit just to get a sense of when to make the trip outside.
Great video, guys! I (a German) recently spent three months in Ontario, Canada. I experienced a lot of the things Steffi and Timo mentioned there, too. My sister came to visit me and we did a little road trip to go see all the bigger cities in ON. My sister being a vegetarian had a tough time finding vegetarian food when eating out, so exactly what Steffi mentioned. on the raccoon topic: of course we have raccoons in Germany! My earlier mentioned sister had a very unpleasant encounter with one that made a home in our garbage can (schwarze Tonne). However, you dont see them as often as in north america. Seeing skunks frequently (another kind of forbidden cat, they‘re so cute) was also new to me.
Wondering if you went to Toronto. I live in downtown and, not being vegetarian or vegan, I find that almost every restaurant around me has vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu. There are many that are only vegetarian and vegan. There are at least 50 restaurants in the four blocks surrounding me. I am sorry to hear that your sister was not able to find the food she wished to eat. That would not be fun for her. As for the raccoons, the closer to the downtown of Toronto you go, you will not find any. There are too many huge buildings for them to hang around there. The skunks, as cute as they are, aren't welcome. I haven't seen one in years!
00:00 🚶 Walking around in the US felt different; driving is more common, and the visible variety of cars was surprising. 01:21 🍔 They explored Cincinnati extensively, visiting various places from amusement parks to baseball games, trying local foods and activities. 02:45 🚗 Walking long distances felt odd; free water in restaurants was a pleasant surprise, a contrast to German practices. 04:07 🌆 Cincinnati's skyline impressed them; visible disparity between wealthy and poorer areas stood out, a contrast to German cities. 09:08 🍻 The nightlife experience in American bars felt more club-like compared to Germany; no entrance fees at bars in Cincinnati surprised them. 11:34 🕹 Enjoyed the presence of games at bars, finding it a unique and enjoyable aspect of American nightlife. 12:16 🌳 Noticed fewer people in public spaces and parks, indicating a difference in outdoor culture compared to Germany. 15:19 ⚾ Baseball game experience compared to European soccer games; noticing differences in fan culture and atmosphere. 17:22 🔫 Felt more safety concerns in certain situations due to the potential presence of firearms, a contrasting experience from Germany's safety norms. 19:02 🐻 Encountering wildlife like snakes and bears during hikes, contrasting with Germany's less dangerous fauna. 20:38 🦝 Feli compares wildlife in Germany to the USA, mentioning encountering raccoons and possums, which are uncommon in Germany. 21:47 🐱 Feli explains animals visiting their porch due to feeding a neighborhood cat, sharing experiences with raccoons and possums around the house. 22:28 🥗 Difficulty finding healthy food options on the road in the US is highlighted by Feli, especially for vegetarians or those preferring lighter meals. 23:53 🍔 Limited healthy food choices during road trips in certain US areas compared to more options in city centers or coastal regions discussed by Feli and Teo. 24:33 🍔 Indulgence in different restaurant experiences during their stayin the US, acknowledging a desire to return to healthier eating habits in Germany.
The idea that Germany has healthier food than urban America is kind of nuts. Most German dishes are studies in beige - hardly a vegetable to be found other than potatoes and cabbage. Only rural areas in the US lack healthy quick food options.
@@dameanvil I don’t agree that Germany makes less sense or is newer, although they seem to be emulating the US and drifting toward disintegration. There are countless interesting differences, including ways Germany is better. I just don’t think healthy food tops the list.
You must have loved having your kind brother and his sweet girlfriend visit you in Cincinnati. I love hearing the impressions, both good and bad, of first-time visitors to the U.S.
I know! Ben and I tried to take most of the time off so that we could spend a little "vacation at home" with them and do things the we don't ever get to do either 😅
Not sure what country you’re from, but one thing that’s important to note for the US is that it’s so massive. Your experience in one part of the country can be completely different in another. I imagine that exists in other countries too, but I’d say it’s a greater degree in America.
I'm glad your family's experience was a mostly positive one. I am quite close to talking my family into a trip to Germany later this year. I've been wanting to go for many years, and I'm very excited to finally make it happen. Of course that means I need to get back to work on my German.
Hello from Lower Saxony, Germany, thanks for this interesting insights. Here comes the German know it all 😅: we have racoons in Germany. Not naturally since they were imported some decades ago. Some of them fled and know there are more and more and it starts to develop like in the US where they comp the trash 😊. Then we have more and more wolfs. Here are some around the village where I live and they sometimes walk through the streets. It's not such a nice feeling when they follow you.
11 місяців тому
Just to let you know, the plural of wolf is wolves.
In the first 2 minutes of your video, I noticed some things. I live in Hartford City -in Blackford County Indiana and I did not recognize any of the restaurants or venues you went to. Not all Americans have money. In fact, 78% of us are just getting by.
As someone who lived abroad a good bit, I really enjoy hearing your perspective on living here in the US. I hope you really enjoy your visit/stay. I find it interesting that you hit on the wildlife aspect, I've got some fifty acres of woods behind my house and routinely run across small wildlife and occasionally deer and bears. lots of racoons and opossums. My dog caught a possum last night and wrestled it around on my back porch but it got away when she came in for the night, glad it wasn't dead this morning. Walking in the woods is something I enjoy every day, a real highlight in my life here in eastern N.C.
For the life of me I cannot imagine why an empty park would be considered a negative. That made me laugh out loud. Loved the additional input from your brother and sister-in-law. Very interesting!
I think you are on to something. When the weather is nice in Germany population density will tell you that German parks will be packed more so than American ones who often are also larger than German parks. As a German in the US I noticed the vast expanse of empty countryside between urban areas, especially on some road trips. Europeans have little to no concept of this.
Thank you for sharing your family's experience visiting you in the US. It is always informative and entertaining to hear others' experiences here. Great video!
Both very nice people and their English is great.One time your brother's girlfriend used "driveway" wrong.That's something that always confused me too, that you park on a driveway but drive on a parkway.😎
Hi Feli, it would be interesting to know if you have every visited Australia, which is a very similar, but slightly different English-speaking culture. It is often observed that Australians have become too Americanized, so it would be interesting to know what your impressions of Australia would be. I never cease to be be amazed at how good Germans are at picking up the English language.
Most of those younger germans. Landing in florida. Love the sunny warm beaches, clubs in miami and then going to outdoor festivals like edc in vegas or coachella in california.
@@gerhardma4297 most of those don't know the places to go to. Have you been to haulover or the florida keys. Did you rent a large boat to take out to the middle of the ocean in florida for a day?. These are most of the things. Most don't know coming from europe.
Somehow back in the 80s my group of friends adopted German nannies on temporary visas that circulated back and forth. What a fun time providing a fun safe place to hang and experience American hospitality. Many we have kept up with over many year. Texas is a must visit with a very long-time German history.
Your brother is so german he doesn't even smile in images next to beautiful nature ;) It's really interesting to see these videos. I'm originally from Sweden but live in Chicago now, and I almost learn more about how incredibly close Germany and Sweden is when it comes to how we are, how we see things etc. I never thought of that when I lived in Sweden, but now not living in Europe, it's so much more pronounced
Get a 7-day free trial and 25% off Blinkist Annual Premium by clicking here: bit.ly/FelifromGermanyDecember23
👉Thanks so much to Steffi for sharing your thoughts and impressions with us! 😊Click here to watch them try Cincinnati Foods ▸ua-cam.com/video/xdUavDfB1kk/v-deo.html (Both videos were recorded in May 2023!)
Feli did you end up watching Jo Jo Rabbit? Such a brilliant movie would love to see you react to it.
love your outfit feli its amazing
If you go hiking again, just be mindful of coyotes (song dogs)
Who let the SongDogs out?...🎤🎸🤣🤣🤣
I hope you didn't make them suffer through that abomination that they call chili in Cincinnati, lol. It's pretty durn hard to mess up chili that bad, but they managed it in spades.
Feli's American English accent has been on-point for years now but hearing it concurrently with others that have a stronger foreign accent really makes you realize just how impressive Feli's accent is.
But I wonder if she is losing her fluency in German as a result?
@@michaelrmurphy2734, NEIN, she isn't .. .
@@michaelrmurphy2734 I don't know her personally but I doubt it. English will probably be intrusive as to how she speaks/thinks in German though.
I had this problem when I lived in Japan. I certainly didn't lose my English fluency but it did rewire some stuff in my brain and screw up my English at times.
Oh, wow! So how fluent are you in Japanese? Canada is an "officially bilingual"
country, so I can get some French. But what I do is translate in my head from
French to English. Which slows down my "processing speed".
I can understand somewhat but can't converse. After awhile it becomes too mentally
taxing and I just have to withdraw. I admire people who learn a second language as an adult. Germans like Feli learn English from an early age in school. Aside from French, your average Canadian doesn't usually have a second language. And after French, the third languages here can be Arabic, Mandarin, Hindi and Tagalog. In a multicultural country like mine.
I listen to Jpop. And you know what? I can NOT learn Japanese now!
If I did, it would take all the charm out of Jpop! Who cares what they are singing?!
It could be "gaijin are scum, gaijin are scum" for all I care! ;)
Here in Arizona, it's the law for an establishment to give free water to someone who asks for it. Anyone who has spent five minutes here during Summer, will know why!
Thats in the US as a whole
you can die in arizona if you come from out of state and dont pay attention to hydration you may think you are fine but you arent fine. you need to keep pounding down the water.
I've been in Germany so long it was really hard for me but I tried it once and it worked, free water from a restaurant I just passed through.
ive been in Tuscon in September so I know
@@pilsplease7561It isn't federal law, it _is_ Arizona state law, for _any_ place that sells food or drink to give people free water if asked, even if they aren't normally allowed inside. This isn't just McDonald's or Olive Garden but also the convenience store or a random place with a vending machine or a country club or the like. Many places that _don't_ sell food or drink give out free water as well (bottled water usually costs money, but these places are sometimes an exception).
I worked a job going door to door at one point and obviously people didn't want to answer, but when it was 108F/42C out, people would open the door _just to offer me water_ and they aren't bound by the law at all.
The law exists primarily so homeless people can get clean potable water wherever they are and not die of dehydration and heat stroke.
Typically restaurants in the US will give you free water, especially fast food, but I don't think it's the law most other places (possibly any other places, as I have seen it on "seemingly dumb laws explained" type sites, so it must seem weird to most people).
The flip side of it is that washing dishes uses extra water and we need to _conserve_ water in a desert, so unlike much of the US, they won't bring you a glass of water at a restaurant unless you _ask_ first. They don't want to dirty a glass you won't even drink from.
I spent a little time in Germany some years ago and I really enjoyed it. What really struck me was the fact that other than local customs, people around the world are pretty much the same. I loved discovering that.
Not so. I lived in West Berlin FRG when I served in the US Army and Berliners are not very friendly. Everyone speaks english, but if you don't make an effort to speak german, you are screwed.
Feli, you are literally speaking english now with an American accent. Lol You are amazingly fluent, and english has a lot of nuances. Great video
In school the English language is given a lot of emphasis.
also the presence of the american military throughout Germany after the war reinforced its importance
@@anarac4445 I didn't even consider that....thanks!
@@petahpunkThe father of the family I stayed with in Frankfürt had been a POW in US. He got US citizenship and taught his kids English, so they had the option to go there. When he was told my uncle was a British soldier captured in North Africa, where he fought, he embraced me as if I was family, despite being on the other side. Typically, I was all "Don't mention the war" in Germany and had not done so.
Yes. One could listen to her and think she's a native US citizen.
When our friend from Germany visited us in rural Kansas, we asked if he wanted to go clay target shooting. He couldn't believe that we could just do that whenever we wanted and he had such a fun time.
It's called FREEDOM,we need to protect.We are the only country on Earth to be able to do, that's why it's the GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH! When you see a person with an "open carry" you should feel safe,not scared...!
Just remember the 3 American friends visiting Germany who stopped a massacre by a terrorist on a train...! The rest of the Germans on the train"were scared", and ready to die "heroically". That's what the "new German" generation is,ready to be controlled. It's sad!
@@ottogaher2805 Two American soldiers (!) their American friend, a French and British guy stopped a terrorist attack on a train in France back in 2015. Was that the incident you're referring to? And if you Americans are all so heroic as you seem to infer how come you cannot stop all those many many shootings in your GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH. Because according to you an American wouldn't try to hide but courageously attack the gunman and take him down. But it seems in most cases you just do as the rest of us and call the police.
@@knieperkohlunfortunately some criminals understand the laws and often decide to stage their attacks in areas where gun laws are more strict, giving the criminals an advantage.
@@knieperkohl
The law abiding citizens prefer to defend themselves from thugs,because by the time the police shows up it might be too late.A recent case in Houston church with around 15.000 people,where a transgender entered the church with a little kid,armed with an AR 15(hidden under her/his coat),and pistol in the back bag trying to massacre many,and luckily there were 2 armed undercover police officers,who took him/her out.Unfortunatly the little innocent kid died also.Years ago,when you could find a gun in every corner of a house ,because that was the way of living of the law abiding Americans,but there were no shootings,and killings.It has changed mainly by the people that came here.They think guns are for killing others.Yiu can take away the guns only from law abiding people, not the criminals,and you end up with more people killed.Hiw many people got killed in Russia recently? I am sure they called the"police" like you suggested...!? How many people got killed in Paris,when the terrorist drove the dump truck into the crowed...? That was done also by someone who should've not ever enter France...!
He would probably poop his pants to see a flame thrower mounted on an AR, or a grenade launcher mounted on an AR. All perfectly legal, by the way? He would have a grin
that he could never wipe off? lol. He would, rightfully so, think that we are the GREATEST COUNTRY in the world?
So many German immigrants settled in Ohio. We're all connected. Growing up, and till today, my family has so many recipes and traditions that are German and my family came here from Germany in the 1770's. Amazing how we still honor that heritage through food and tradition
In my home town, we are the Swedes. The Gothenburg Swedes. I'm Swedish, English, and Bohemian. Bo Hunk, lol. Grandma was full blooded Swede, still had the accent.
Americans are, in a larger part, from German descendants. particularly from the center to the east coast, outside of the larger cities.
If you’re white in America there’s a very high chance you have German DNA. The settled like crazy
Missouri also.
Northern KY and Southern OH
3 Bavarians all talking to each other in English😄
This video shows clearly that Feli is picking up Midwest American habits and pronunciatons of English. When she speaks, you can tell she's not a native, but when her brother and his girlfriend speak they have so much more of an alien accent.
I mean that can’t speak german, so.
Sounds like the lead up to a joke
LOL I was going to say if they spoke Bayerisch we wouldn't understand them at all!@@BanjoSick
@@BanjoSick I usta speak Bavarisha Deutch. Never understood high German. But I was there for only 18 months. In the late 60s.
I do miss the Haufbrau House and the Mathaser. Real bier.
When she was talking about bears and nothing being all that dangerous in Germany, I am reminded of my frequent encounter with boars while we were in the field in Germany when I was in the US Army.They used to chase us up onto our vehicles to get away from them! LOL.
True! Those are probably the most dangerous animalsin Germany. I've never had an encounter with one though.
@@FelifromGermanyBoars are _far_ more scary and dangerous than bears. A bear will most likely not want anything to do with you, unless it's a mama bear and she thinks you might be messing with her cubs, but boars are made of muscle, spite, and tusks. Boar spears have these lugs behind the spearhead because otherwise they will work their way down the shaft to make sure they take you with them. I don't fear much in the way of wildlife here, I just give it a healthy distance and try to avoid looking like a danger. Boars, on the other hand, will murder you just because they're pissed off that you exist.
We have Bears and Wolfs specially in Northern Spain, Scandinavia, the Balkan and Carpatian regions haha be aware there as well. Boars and Stags are also quite frequent all over Europe.
We opened military coolaid packages for the boars. They just loved these non sugar coloring coolaid. Turned them green and red
I remember going to relieve a guy on guard duty, and he was up a tree. Claimed a boar chased him up the tree. 😂. I had boars run around me several times in Graf and Hohenfels, but never had any problems with them.
Every time I hear someone had a good time in the US I feel proud! Great hearing about your adventures here!
It never ceases to amaze me how easily the English language comes to Germans. They speak it and understand the inside jokes easily.
Well, both are germanic languages. Structure and even words are pretty similar so it's rather easy for us to understand and speak English.
Well…it doesn’t always just happen to appear in our brains. Everybody has to take English classes at least from grade 3 to 10. If you want to go to university: 3-12. nowadays it’s easier because we have more exposure to English in social media. But most of us are only able to use that because beforehand we invested a lot of work studying it.
@@winterlinde5395 Prima!
I feel like German and English are actually similar, now that I have been learning German, even though they don’t sound alike.
It’s a different word order but it’s still similar somehow.
@@AKayfabeyes but with case/number and gender there are 16 ways to say “the” 😂😂
Feli, I have to salute your absolute mastery of the English language. I am a retired college professor who taught foreign languages, and I have many foreign friends. I am always shocked that people who have lived in this country for 20 years or more can barely put together a sentence in English, and even then they might not be understood. Others got to a certain stage of English, and since that seemed to work for them, that's where they stayed. I have been subscribed to your channel since you began, and your English was already very good, but now it's perfect, in both fluency and pronunciation.
I dated a Slovak whose fifth language was English. She spoke it better than most native people from the states. Some people are just wired differently. 😊
Of course living 20 years in any foreign country without learning the local language is proof of laziness. However, US citizens speak hardly foreign languages at all. I live in Europe and most American tourists only speak English (and think they can pay in US dollars). That's ignorant. I speak 5 languages fluently, get by in a sixth and master basics of a seventh language. That's not unusual among European academics, I don't think that I am especially skilled. The majority of American professors I have met (and there are tens of them) only speak English so even on the highest level of education the language skills can be poor. Probably that reflects American exceptionalism. Most Europeans think that the majority of Americans are ignorant - and I think for a good reason.
@@pekkaahonen5955 There's no reason to learn another language as an American. America is its own economy. It's enormous. And English is the most spoken language, anyway. Of course Europeans know several different languages. Going from one country to another in Europe is like driving to a different state in America. If different languages were spoken in our states, with people moving between the states, I'm sure many Americans would speak several languages, too.
Many Americans are ignorant, yes, but not speaking more than one language is more of a practical decision than anything - it's simply not needed.
Thank you for making my point 😂😂😂😂😂
@@pekkaahonen5955 I didn't make your point. There is no LOGICAL reason to learn another language as an American.
America is the world's largest economy. Few people ever leave - salaries are abysmal in Europe.
If there were actually opportunity & high salaries in Europe, you would see American's making an effort to learn another language, but as it stands Europe is a great place for one type of person - someone who wants to live a comfortable, average life.
No one is going to dedicate 1000+ plus hours to learn a new language when there is literally 0 upside to doing so.
First time I visited Bavaria, it was winter, with at least some snow daily, rain, and cold. As Im driving through the countryside and near forests, never failed to see germans (families and singletons) going for a walk on the forest trails.
In the cities, outdoor restaurants and cafes full of diners enjoying as if it was 80° degrees outside...instead of pouring snow (at one point).
Eating a sandwich and drinking hot chocolate at an outdoor cafe, next to a fireplace, under an umbrella while its snowing...a cherished memory!
As an German American as well, born in Munich. I prefer the skyline in Munich, so much more pleasant! I brought some cousins over to Tennessee, and we visited a casino in Tunica, Mississippi. I told the bartender that we were visiting from Germany and would like to try American beers He brought us Sam Adams, Yuengling (yes American) and Budwieser. Gave us them all for free, you get free beers if you play in the casino, but we were not playing, but he said, I think you are! We liked the Yuengling the best. Visited all over the south. Had a great time.
So, did you play in the casino after all?
I prefer a Miller Genuine Draft myself.
The Yuengling beer is more of a regional beer. It's mostly in Ohio, but I have found it as far west as Kansas City, Missouri.
Yuengling is from PA, and for the better part of a century the company absolutely refused to sell to any store in Ohio. It was popular to bootleg it in for parties. @@kenardturner7173
My papa loved Yuengling, Uber German he also loved Genesse beer since he lived in Rochester when he first moved to the states!
I have visited Germany many times mostly for business but on several vacations as well. I found the people to be friendly and I was amazed how many Germans speak English with many I would though they were British and I met several who I would have believed they were American. The food was different, but I liked it all. I never did get used to the price of gas or buying it by the liter.
My favorite places were Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Amberg, and Heidelberg. Germany is very scenic. Amberg looked like it hadn't changed since the Medieval times. Wonderful people. Heidelberg was quaint with lots of out door dinning and lots of people. I was surprised to see several palm trees there because it seemed to be too far north, but there they were.
I did visit a small town called Moosburg (not far from Munich) for sentimental reasons. My dad was a B-17 pilot during the War and was shot down over Holtland on July 26, 1943 by Senior Lieutenant Decker flying a FW-190. Five of my dad's crew were killed and five, including my dad, bailed out and were captured. My dad told me that when he landed on the ground, angry farmers with farm tools wanted to kill him, but a German patrol looking for the downed crew actually saved his life. Decker was shot down and killed on July 30, 1943 by an unknown American P-47 pilot. Such are the whims of war. The Germans kept very detailed records. The Americans not so much.
My dad was in Stalag Luft III until January 1945 when the entire POW camp was moved to Stalag VIIA outside of Moosburg where he remained until liberated by the advanced forces of Patton's Third Army in April 1945.
So I was visiting Moosburg to see if I could find where Stalag VIIA had been. I found the old train station and the camp wasn't too far from there but it wasn't obvious where the camp had been. I went in to a local bar and asked if anyone spoke English. To my surprise and old man with gray hair spoke enough to understand that I wanted to know where Stalag VIIA had been and he took me to where the front gate to the camp had been. I had a map of the camp from 1945 that showed where the different nationalities had been kept. There were Russian, French, British, and American sectors. There were enough streets and other landmarks remaining that I could identify where the Americans had been kept. It was a housing area so I only knew the general area. I paid my respects to my dad and imagined where in that area he had been. It was February and bitter cold that day and I knew the camp was very over crowded and there were not enough barracks to house them all and so many lived and slept in the cold. I can't image it.
There was one other city I visited for a few days: Frankfurt. I happed to be there during Octoberfest and very much enjoyed the street vendors selling sausages and beer. Later that night I walked across the bridge to what was called "Old Frankfurt" because the Frankfurt in which I enjoyed Octoberfest looked like it had been built in the 1950's and 60's and I wondered what Old Frankfurt was like. I ended up in what I would describe as a small rustic beer garden where everyone was celebrating the Apple Wine Festival and so I enjoyed a couple glasses of Apple Wine. There was no evidence of Octoberfest that I could see in Old Frankfurt. It was an odd experience for me.
And one thing I really enjoyed was the fact there seemed to bakeries and coffee shops along almost every street.
I liked everything about Germany and I would like to return but I'm now 77 and age is becoming an issue with regards to travelling long distances. Get your adventures and fun done while you are young and healthy.
Great story that I appreciate much!
@BMF6889 Greetings from Heidelberg! (obv the most beautiful city in Germany 😄) Great story from you!
No big mystery, English is a Germanic language albeit with much simplified grammar.
I also agree, terrific story about your father. I was stationed in Germany in the '70's and no one spoke English. I go there often for vacation now and am amazed how many speak English.
I think a lot of the accent comes from the teacher. I know I met a Russian a while back that sounded like he was from NYC but he basically learned English watching American TV shows so guess that is where he picked up the accent. I am sure there has to be American or British teachers across Europe. Just like here when I took Spanish classes most the teachers were from either Spain or Puerto Rico.
I am a truck driver and have seen the skyline of many cities. The Cincinnati skyline is by far my favorite.
NYC has a better Skyline by far !
@@Nightwish1773 Maybe I should have said the nighttime skyline. The way Cincinnati is lit up is what I like about it.
I see .@@jeremyw2331
@@jeremyw2331what about the Miami skyline?
dallas was actually voted number 1 or 2 by usa today somehow lol
When I was in Bavaria 30 or so years ago, I remember noticing that there were a lot of green spaces within cities. I'm a country boy, so at the time I didn't really make a note of that in my brain. After watching this video, I can understand and respect the planning that the government did to make those spaces available.
I am an old woman and we used to walk to schools, stores, etc...Yes sometime the walks were an hour long. American stopped doing that in the early 80's. It was a pleasure watching this video and how much you all enjoy each other. Thank you for sharing and I have subscribed and will continue to watch your videos.
When I was stationed in Germany me and my boys went on several Folks Marches. I still have little ribbons and trophies from that. It is a cool tradition. I wonder if they still do that.
Outstanding. As a former Cincinnatian of German descent, loved this video! Living in Texas now.
The free tap water experience made me laugh because that was my biggest culture shock in reverse. As an American in Germany, I asked for a glass of water with my meal at a restaurant and was given a bottle of sparkling water. It cost as much or more than the soda my mom ordered, and I had never had unflavored carbonated water before (I didn't like it). I just wanted plain old water. LOL!
Yeah at meetings in Germany it’s either sparking water or mineral water. Not a fan of either.
Oh man. Every time I asked for ice, they stared daggers at me. Especially when I asked for an iced mocha.
Yes, I almost died of dehydration on my latest trip to Europe. Our daily mission was to find bottled water. It was hellish.
As I recall, you should ask for “stille” wasser or you can say “no gas” or something to get plain uncarbonated water.
@@MrDubyadee1 lol…the hotel has beer in the vending machine so we good.
You're speaking American English like a true native now. You should be proud of what you've achieved in a relatively short space of time. Also, Steffi is such a lovely, sweet girl. She brings a lot to the channel and Timo is a VERY lucky guy.
@mikem5573 She has a strong American accent to me with a slight German one!
Proud of speaking our mutt language ? I wouldn't be that crazy about it.
How refreshing to hear from you and your family experiences
so interesting!
also, not only is their english really good, they use a lot of colloquialisms that a lot non native speakers dont get right. And they are quite expressive! i hope we get to see them again!
The wild boars in Wildflecken, DE are pretty intimidating. When I was in the U.S. Army we used to go there for weapons ranges. And at night we had to pull guard duty on the shacks where the ammo was stored. We'd regularly see 200-300lbs boars passing by within 5 or 10 feet.
With tusks?! They could do damage if they gored you.
I found it interesting that you, Feli, don't have an accent and speak English very fast! While your brother and his GF sound like typical Germans speaking English. It seemed they had to think about what they were saying, but had no problem understanding your fast English. I spent almost 4 years in Germany while in the U.S. Army and have been back a number of times since to visit. Danke for the excellent video!
Not only is their English really fluent, they are totally able to express very complex thoughts and ideas. I'm so impressed. Even though they seem timid about speaking English, they're really pros at making their complex thoughts understood. Prost!
I was under the impression German is used in scientific circles as an exacting language which would require an equal mindset.
@@terrylandess6072 English has been the primary science language internationally for many decades. I studied German in high school and college and was fluent for a while, but have really never needed it for science. Even on travel to Germany, unless everyone in the visiting party speaks German, the default language will be English. Even at conferences, all the presentations will be in English. If I were going to pick a second language today for science and engineering, I'd probably pick Chinese.
They start learning foreign languages from a young age. I looked it up and they start foreign languages in primary school. In the US, that is not a requirement. Hence, few become fluent in a foreign language.
@@jaym8257it's a myth though. I went to germany to live in 2019 from the Caribbean. While some people speak english majority does not, not like these on here. Not hing is available in English and I mean nothing!!!. They literally can't speak it at all. If yoy visit it feels that way but living there it doesn't. I left for the us because I couldn't find a mental health doctor fluent in English to help
@@moniho6907 Well you sure can't write it. You will do fine for millennia without any help from the US. You survived for many millennia before the US.
[Walks]
"Are we doing this right?"
🤣
The brother and sister in law speak English well especially for Germans. I have family in Germany that speak fluent English, and many don't speak as well as those two. The fact that Feli's English, especially American English, is SO much better really goes to show how exemplary her English skills are as a non-native speaker. I know Germans that have lived in the USA for 30 years that don't speak English as well as Feli. Her VERY minimal German accent is pretty astounding, you probably would never notice it unless you were specifically looking for it.
I spent 12 years in Germany. I spoke fluent German and always mastered the dialect for the part of Germany I was living in. That said unlike most Americans I dated German girls and spent 60% of my time around Germans. I was at the sports clubs, pools, in the parks, shopping, riding the rails with a Euro Pass and staying in youth hostels, mountain climbing, rafting, hiking, volksmarching, playing music at fests in the beer tent. My mom on the other hand almost never left the comfort of other Americans and never bothered to learn German. The more you invest in another countries laungage, traditions, culture and people the better the outcome. My Dad had really good German speaking and reading skills as well. He also had a lot of German friends. Most Americans where not willing to put in the time to really try to fit in and become more like the host country they where living in! It was an all or nothing situation where soldiers and their families where either all in 100% or could not be bothered!
As to parks, that is, obviously, in your city. Here, in Minneapolis and area, there are parks within walking distance of most houses. 5-6 blocks at most. Living nine miles from the downtown area we are likely to have coyotes, deer, wild turkey, eagles, hawks, opossums, and even, though rarely, cougars
I'm wondering what part of Cincy they're in because we have parks all over the place.
I loved this video Feli! It was interesting hearing your brother and Sister in law’s impressions on America.. seems like they enjoyed themselves!
Feli seems SO American in this video! She said the “merch” ball! I like that she’s based in Cincinnati, because it’s probably our most “Germanic” metropolis next to maybe Milwaukee
Ich bin alt genug um mich noch an Kneipen zu erinnern in denen man Arcade Spielautomaten hatte, oder auch jede Menge Flipper und so weiter. Seltsam, dass das in Deutschland so sehr aus der Mode gekommen ist!
You guys make me miss Germany! It's neat to see my country through the "fresh" eyes.
Feli, you are *SO* perceptive!! Thank you so much for pointing out the often-missed aspect of American poverty: many of them own their own homes, or live with relatives who do, so it's much easier to SEE the poverty here; as opposed to many European countries (and especially their cities), where people living in poverty often dwell in apartments. (Of course, there is practically no such thing as "suburbia" in most of Europe, so it's pretty understandable.)
Germans learn English and other languages starting in elementary school. Almost everyone speaks English especially the younger people. They are fearless and adventurous
People forget European countries are about the size of many states or regions of the US. Depending where your are in Europe you can be in two or three countries in a few hours and each country has a different language and customs. Learning different languages is almost nessessary.
Everyone in the world learns English, so there's less incentive for English speakers to learn other languages.
I wish our education system was as important to everyone as it is in alot of other countries.
@BillDavis-d6v yes with our current adjenda America has doomed ourselves to be a 3rd world country. And the gop is not helping one bit. A bobo as president and putting other low brows in charge. I foresee nothing even approaching mediocre in our future. We are condemning our children to a life of poverty and ignorance. The dumbing of America. Trump and his minions are the poorest of choices.
I remember when I was stationed in Northern Germany, just East of Hannover between Rinteln and Hameln in a little town called Hessich-Oldendorf, we used to see these little rat-like creatures we called Hedgehogs. We'd never seen them before and thought they were cute. Loved my time in Germany, especially when we got to go to Bavaria! I love the houses with the painted scenes on the outside walls and the windows with flower boxes. They're so Bavarian! Especially around Garmisch and Oberramagau. Absolutely beautiful country!
Yes, we love our Igel here. So cute 🦔
Hedgehogs are NOT rat-like ! They are cute wee things, like miniature but more friendly Porcupines (from American point of view), or from an Australian point of view, I'd describe them as appearing like miniature Echidna. English hedgehogs were introduced to New Zealand back in the 1800's by British immigrant gardeners arriving on the wooden sailing ships (or steamerships), to control snails and insect pests on their vegetables. However Hedgehogs are now considered a pest animal as they can eat ground nesting birds baby chicks and eggs (NZ having no native land mammals and being a country with flightless birds filling available ecological niches).
The guy open-carrying the gun typically isn't about to do anything nefarious with it. Those with bad intentions tend to hide their guns until they decide to use them.
Yes, this.
You still come as weirdos to every non gun nut.
Agreed. Let's try to change their minds.
@@JohnAlbertRigali How about be take cues from the country with MUCH lower crime rates across the board?
We have bears, mountain lions, bobcats, wild boar, elk, gators, boa constrictors, wolves, rattle snakes, etc. We will be keeping our guns.
😂😂😂I loved this interchange between you all. The differences between the two cultures. My wife and i just spent two weeks in Germany. We were visiting our son in the army stationed in Ansbach. We went all over the place and really enjoyed ourselves, thank God our GPS worked everywhere we went because otherwise i don't think it would have been as good. We were in small towns, also Frankfurt, Nuremberg, and Munich. Most Germans spoke enough English for us to survive. I would go back again. The country areas reminded me of Tennessee around Chattanooga into Nashville. Munich was beautiful and the old park with the river running through it. We felt safe where went in Germany. I rented a car it was fine driving esp on Sunday s.
Blows me away how well they could speak such fluent English!
Yea native Brits and Americans of European decent are some of the least lingual in the world. I live in Spain and there are English who've lived here for decades and can't speak a word of Spanish.
@@jayclarke6671unfortunately our governments in the US and UK stopped investing in multilingual education a long time ago.
I think English is required in German schools.
@@utcnc7mmyep but many jobs also require that you can speak English fluently
German and English are both part of the same language family 🙂
You are all adorable! Really enjoyed this! We are proud to have you in America!
I live in Vegas and struck up a friendship with a visiting English girl. One day she walked in on me cleaning my pistol on my kitchen table and did a mild freakout. It took some words to calm her down to the point where she was more curious than afraid.
It funny how some of the most warlike countries now freak out about guns. Strange days indeed
@@southcoastinventors6583 I know. The 8” knives on my kitchen counter were just as dangerous. People have been conditioned.
@@southcoastinventors6583Being scared of machines that fire of 1000s of joules by the pull of a trigger is kind of rational to me. Strange times are when children have to learn drills in school other than fire ones.
@@markvoelker6620don't you think there's are reason why militarys don't use swords anymore
@@markvoelker6620that’s just not true, that knives are just as dangerous as guns. Plus I assume you need your knives for kitchen-related things, so they have a purpose besides harming people.
This was SO fun listening to you folks talk about your experiences here. Thank you for sharing.
As an American with German ancestors, its great to see these videos. The older I get, the more I am impressed by the German people and their perseverance. Not many nations have as much influence on America as Germany has/does, despite our hostilities in the 1910's and 40's.
Up until recently German was the largest heritage group in the US at 19%. Probably surpassed by Hispanics now.
And even then, in the 1910‘s and 40‘s, Germany had a lot of influence on the US, though admittedly not good ones …
Love when the family joins in! Hopefully the first of many times! :-)
Thank you to Steffi and Timo for an entertaining video. This was fun.
I live in Vegas "Sin City" and I frequently come across coyotes. They are pretty chill creatures as long as you don't corner them.
In fact there was a time when i was going to work at 3 am on an electric scooter and they would run alongside me for a bit before going back to finding food. I wouldnt advise getting near them they are very feral, but also very curious
We have a larger sub species in the Midwest. And they are definitely not friendly or curious!
@rickieoakes5267 the ones in the urban Las Vegas area are probably more socialized to people than the ones in your more rural area
I really enjoyed this video Feli. I'm glad that your brother and his girlfriend had a good experience. I live in a part of California that attracts people from all over the world. I always do my best to welcome them and give them tips as to what to see in this area. Macht's gut!
A really informative video, Felli. So many takeaways about our culture.
One thing not mentioned, but was ever present and that is that Germans speak English nearly as well (sometimes better) than us Americans.
Thank you for this format.
"We Americans" not "us Americans''.
Native speakers speak their own language variety correctly by definition
Almost every German tourist that I have ever met are so dang cute. They have a sense of innocence about them that perhaps we lack. They always seem to be happy too. Never met a German that I did not like.
Once I went to the Okefenokee Swamp which South Georgia. You’ll see alligators almost every 20 feet or so. Plus you have black bears and countless snakes. It’s a nature site where it’s not “you might see dangerous wildlife” it’s “you will see dangerous wildlife” really cool place in my opinion.
My dad, my brother, and I actually went there in 2019 on that graduation trip we briefly referenced!! 😁
@@FelifromGermany oh that’s awesome. I haven’t been since I was little but I loved it
Check the Everglades some time!
@@FelifromGermany Because you brought up wildlife, can you do a video about differences in our and Germany's fauna? How we'd each react to each other's wild animals?
Just don't pet the fluffy cows! (AKA bison/buffalo.)
First time in Germany for work and I can attest to everybody being out on Sunday. The train from Frankfurt to Nuremberg and then Erlangen was frigging packed.
I live in NY and people are always out in the parks and there are a lot of them. I’ve only been to Cincinnati once and don’t recall that feeling but then again, I was there in the summer and it was years ago.
I love the references to wild life. I grew up in Boulder CO, so bears and mountain lions were the occasional (but still rare) backyard visitor depending on which side of town you lived in. Pay attention to where your pets are!
The ironic thing about the guns, even though it seems a bit counterintuitive and it can feel uncomfortable seeing someone walking around with a gun, is that the people open carrying are actually the last ones to worry about - the fact that they are open carrying indicates that they are (very likely) law-conscious. They might believe in carrying to protect themselves, their family and the general public if needed but they are doing it the "right way." The people up to no good don't care about that and I would bet you guys have all come across more people secretly carrying illegally than open carrying and that's the more scary thing IMO
I was gonna say the same. Criminals being the cowards that they are, generally stay away from level confrontation. They only go after the weak and vulnerable. They are safest around law-abiding citizens who open carry.
better to not have guns at all like in europe so this kind of thing never happens 🤷♂
It's the idea of living in a society where you need to carry gun, is probably the scary part.
@@4erbuksthat’s why the government steps on them
@4erbuks Good luck telling that to the criminals. That argument is pointless seeing as guns were part of this culture since before any of us were born.
Heh, I'm 62 and still walk to and back for my shopping, it's only a couple of miles or so. If I have something that I want from the larger supermarkets, I'll take a bus.
Got a nice riverside park right across the street from me, complete with a running trail.
One big difference, in the towns, the roads in Germany are much narrower. Makes sense, as many such streets and roads were originally made for horse and horse carts (we shared that in downtown Philly and a few other older cities in the US).
Pennsylvania has always been an open carry state (save in Philadelphia, where it's concealed carry with permit only). Few ever bothered. Louisiana was also open carry, the only time I did was when there was a cottonmouth moccasin in the yard - a highly aggressive venomous snake. Thankfully, never needed my gun, just being around 10 feet from the snake and not leaving convinced it to move off of the property. Found a molted skin from it in the garage, so I secured that a bit better afterward.
A pro tip, if you want a more balanced diet or at least your greens and well, more than chicken or burgers, go to a diner. If you see one with plenty of elderly folks there, the prices and good are typically good. Before my wife died, we used to go to a local diner that had a wonderful fruit and salad bar, I terrorized the poor staff at that, as I can graze a *lot*. ;)
Love your family joining you!
I love your channel, Feli! I had the extreme pleasure of visiting Munchen, Frankfurt and Austria so very long ago (in 2000) and, I would absolutely LOVE to go back and visit Germany and Austria again. Your Country is absolutely beautiful and, I just remember the people being so friendly. 23/24 years is a long time and, I'm so sure so much has since changed.
Absolutely love this gal! She is such an asset and amazing representation of Germany. I hope that she and her significant other find a wonderful place in both countries. Everyone I have met that have lived in Germany or are from Germany are nothing but kindness and amazing! You are a blessing to Germany. Extremely intelligent and just wonderful. I also used to live in Cincinnati and I think this is a perfect place to land. Great blend of the midwest with the south:)
I am a bit amazed that your guests did not mention how obese/overweight they found the average American to be. It was the first thing my daughter noticed when landing at the airport
Hi, Feli! I really enjoy your videos. I live in Greater Cincinnati as well, and I learned German for 4 years in high school. Thank you for your content.
I was born in the United States (father was an Albanian immigrant)
I’ve always loved it here, the more I travel internationally even more so (I love Europe too!)
Feli, your channel makes me appreciate it even more!
Wonderful channel, you personally remind me of my daughter….maybe I’ve already said that in another comment, but it’s the highest compliment I can possibly give!!
Very cool video, nice to see when people visit you guys. I personally have never been one to walk places unless I really know the area. I still would love to visit Germany to see what it is like. It sounds like your family had a great time.
I really enjoyed this. Their reactions to everything and the banter was good fun. Thank you for sharing. 🫶
New subscriber here. Thank you Feli. I stumbled upon your channel by accident. As a person of German descent whose family has been in the USA since before it was a country, nobody in my family speaks German. I learned it 25 years ago in high school and like to hear it to dust it off. I like having a connection to my roots and have an interest in German culture. I find your material fun and interesting. Love the German connection, and most importantly you are a warm and charming host. BTW you have clearly mastered a great American accent. Best wishes on your continued success!
Loved this video. You and you brother look alike. It was also really enjoyable listening to your brother's and his girlfriend's accents. Sure enjoy your videos. You do a great job with them.
As an American, I would NEVER consider walking to any place that is an hour’s walk away. And, I’m not proud of that. But, it’d be hard, also, because most ways would be highways/interstate with no sidewalks.
An hour walk is about 3 miles. I seldom do that but think nothing about using my bicycle for that trip, At 10 MPH, it is a 20 minute trip. Less if I push.
That sucks. Do you you live in the projects or are you afraid of everyone? Im also a male, so perhaps thats my perception. Ive lived in many different parts of the US and have never been too afraid to walk anywhere.
@@tomifost I think they're referring to road safety. I can understand avoid walking when there's a lack of dedicated places for pedestrians especially on "stroad" style roads where it's hard to find a spot to cross the street and drivers tend to speed.
Depends on the city. Cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago people walk a lot. When my mom, her brother, my cousins and I visited my uncle a few years ago in Philadelphia, he wore us out. Walking was nothing to him, and he walked that extensively for nearly 40 years living there.. Thanks to an extensive underground and subway system where you can get anywhere without ever having to struggle through the snow in the winter. In my uncle's case you didn't even need to walk outside from his co-op in Center City to get into the subways.
The first day he took us to the Terminal Market which he considered to be a short walk. His idea of a short walk took nearly 30 minutes and when we asked him what he considered a long walk, he pointed to this huge building way out in the distance that looked fairly far when viewed from the 12 floor of his apartment. We drove there the next day and it was nearly 15 miles away, and he would walk that far one way and sometimes round trip a few times a month. Also while my mom and I took the subways a lot when there, according to my uncle many people wouldn't take the subway to for anything less then a 15 to 20 minute walk.
@@gabriellegeorge2648 Correct I work downtown Columbus, and can walk quite a bit in the Short North, but there are other other areas where I consider it risky to walk due to the heavy traffic going at least 10 miles over the speed limit. The Sawmill Road area for instance has a lot of shops and restaurants, with apartments close by, but you would have to be insane to walk from many of the apartments to the nearest shopping center, let alone one shopping center to another, outside a few spots. There's also a huge lack of sidewalks in many cities.
Feli, this video with your sister-in-law and brother was viel spass! They are fun! Thank you for the informative video! When is your summer tour of Germany? I am interested in participating on the tour with you and Ben!
Thanks for sharing, Feli! It's always fascinating to see someone experiencing a new culture for the first time. Your sister-in-law's reactions were so genuine, and it's cool to get a fresh perspective on things like cars and guns in the USA. Looking forward to more videos and insights! 🌍🇩🇪🇺🇸
Hello Feli and family. My first memory, here in UK, was seeing on TV my dad kick in the door at an armed siege for armed officers to storm in. He was a police officer for thirty years without having a gun.
After arriving in US, the open carry was really a shock. I saw someone in a baseball cap with a gun through the motel window in Nashville. My friend laughed and pointed out it was the security guard.
Later, in Texas, it was clear that out in the desert, far from any help, you might want a gun, if only because there are huge animals, unlike UK.
I was taken to a gun fair and offered a Chinese made kalashnikov cheap. When I said I was from UK, I was offered a hand gun on private sale even cheaper and with no documentation, which it was up to me to get later.
The family in Texas had ancestors there before the English speakers. They taught me how to cook their "Tex Mex" food, that was more "Mex" and really good and not like the fast food version.
In Canada, my friend's sister in law just stood taking photos of a huge brown bear, whilst we British sat in the car shouting "bear". She said they had large animals on the family farm all the time as kids.
In the north of California, I skipped over to a lighthouse, from where I saw fishing with very large rods on the shore. I looked in the water, over which I jumped to see a huge fin. The "jaws" music started inside my head, like the loudest of earworms.
😂
I'm sure it was so nice to have ur brother & sister-in-law come to visit u! How lovely!
Wow! Maybe this is in comparison to your family, but it really seems like you don't have an accent any more Feli. Amazing!
I noticed that too!
It is definitely faded but you can hear it in some of the pronunciation
I'm native bilingual in English and German so am very sensitive to accents. She has a very slight German accent and sounds very American, but I would immediately think she was a native German and likely from Bavaria bc of the influence on the vowels sounds. It's very very subtle
Her accent is much more American now compared to when I started watching her videos years ago. She will lose her accent almost completely in a few more years
Steffi is so beautiful! I also watched the previous video of yours featuring her as well and thought the same thing back then. Gorgeous girl! Your brother is lucky 💖
Excellent show. Great interview. - Carl from Canada
I'm impressed with how fluent your brother and his girlfriend are in English.
I’m from Columbus,OH but have lived in the UK, France & even took a month-long stay in Germany. I wanted to say Ohioans love being outside when the weather is nice because we typically have unpredictable weather. We have some amazing metro parks and national parks (Hocking Hills, Wayne) here. It may have just been the time of day.
I haven’t been to Hocking Hills Park for many years. It isn’t far from me & yet I don’t go there. It is nice and so is Cedar Falls.
I live in Columbus, and you're absolutely right about Ohioans loving the outdoors when the weather is nice. However, that weather can change in an instant, especially up in Cleveland around Lake Erie. It could be 80 and sunny on the west side, and 60 and raining on the east side. You always have to be prepared for both, and wait it out for a bit just to get a sense of when to make the trip outside.
I always love to hear people out of the country that come here for their experiences I went to Australia and New Zealand and loved it
Great video, guys! I (a German) recently spent three months in Ontario, Canada. I experienced a lot of the things Steffi and Timo mentioned there, too. My sister came to visit me and we did a little road trip to go see all the bigger cities in ON. My sister being a vegetarian had a tough time finding vegetarian food when eating out, so exactly what Steffi mentioned.
on the raccoon topic: of course we have raccoons in Germany! My earlier mentioned sister had a very unpleasant encounter with one that made a home in our garbage can (schwarze Tonne). However, you dont see them as often as in north america. Seeing skunks frequently (another kind of forbidden cat, they‘re so cute) was also new to me.
Wondering if you went to Toronto. I live in downtown and, not being vegetarian or vegan, I find that almost every restaurant around me has vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu. There are many that are only vegetarian and vegan. There are at least 50 restaurants in the four blocks surrounding me. I am sorry to hear that your sister was not able to find the food she wished to eat. That would not be fun for her. As for the raccoons, the closer to the downtown of Toronto you go, you will not find any. There are too many huge buildings for them to hang around there. The skunks, as cute as they are, aren't welcome. I haven't seen one in years!
One thing you would not have experienced in Canada is guns.
By the way, did you get familiar with any Canadian accents? A boot A boat About
00:00 🚶 Walking around in the US felt different; driving is more common, and the visible variety of cars was surprising.
01:21 🍔 They explored Cincinnati extensively, visiting various places from amusement parks to baseball games, trying local foods and activities.
02:45 🚗 Walking long distances felt odd; free water in restaurants was a pleasant surprise, a contrast to German practices.
04:07 🌆 Cincinnati's skyline impressed them; visible disparity between wealthy and poorer areas stood out, a contrast to German cities.
09:08 🍻 The nightlife experience in American bars felt more club-like compared to Germany; no entrance fees at bars in Cincinnati surprised them.
11:34 🕹 Enjoyed the presence of games at bars, finding it a unique and enjoyable aspect of American nightlife.
12:16 🌳 Noticed fewer people in public spaces and parks, indicating a difference in outdoor culture compared to Germany.
15:19 ⚾ Baseball game experience compared to European soccer games; noticing differences in fan culture and atmosphere.
17:22 🔫 Felt more safety concerns in certain situations due to the potential presence of firearms, a contrasting experience from Germany's safety norms.
19:02 🐻 Encountering wildlife like snakes and bears during hikes, contrasting with Germany's less dangerous fauna.
20:38 🦝 Feli compares wildlife in Germany to the USA, mentioning encountering raccoons and possums, which are uncommon in Germany.
21:47 🐱 Feli explains animals visiting their porch due to feeding a neighborhood cat, sharing experiences with raccoons and possums around the house.
22:28 🥗 Difficulty finding healthy food options on the road in the US is highlighted by Feli, especially for vegetarians or those preferring lighter meals.
23:53 🍔 Limited healthy food choices during road trips in certain US areas compared to more options in city centers or coastal regions discussed by Feli and Teo.
24:33 🍔 Indulgence in different restaurant experiences during their stayin the US, acknowledging a desire to return to healthier eating habits in Germany.
Wow ❤
The idea that Germany has healthier food than urban America is kind of nuts. Most German dishes are studies in beige - hardly a vegetable to be found other than potatoes and cabbage. Only rural areas in the US lack healthy quick food options.
@@dameanvil I don’t agree that Germany makes less sense or is newer, although they seem to be emulating the US and drifting toward disintegration. There are countless interesting differences, including ways Germany is better. I just don’t think healthy food tops the list.
You must have loved having your kind brother and his sweet girlfriend visit you in Cincinnati. I love hearing the impressions, both good and bad, of first-time visitors to the U.S.
2nd ammendment baby !!!! love to have yall glad you had a good time
You guys did a LOT in nine days, more than many of us do in a year!
I know! Ben and I tried to take most of the time off so that we could spend a little "vacation at home" with them and do things the we don't ever get to do either 😅
You guys are so fun to watch. I'm glad that you enjoyed America.
Comparing cultures is so interesting. ❤❤❤❤✌🏼💜
Great content. I like knowing the differences between countries and cultures, so I love hearing their experiences
Not sure what country you’re from, but one thing that’s important to note for the US is that it’s so massive. Your experience in one part of the country can be completely different in another. I imagine that exists in other countries too, but I’d say it’s a greater degree in America.
I'm glad your family's experience was a mostly positive one. I am quite close to talking my family into a trip to Germany later this year. I've been wanting to go for many years, and I'm very excited to finally make it happen. Of course that means I need to get back to work on my German.
Hello from Lower Saxony, Germany, thanks for this interesting insights. Here comes the German know it all 😅: we have racoons in Germany. Not naturally since they were imported some decades ago. Some of them fled and know there are more and more and it starts to develop like in the US where they comp the trash 😊. Then we have more and more wolfs. Here are some around the village where I live and they sometimes walk through the streets. It's not such a nice feeling when they follow you.
Just to let you know, the plural of wolf is wolves.
In the first 2 minutes of your video, I noticed some things. I live in Hartford City -in Blackford County Indiana and I did not recognize any of the restaurants or venues you went to. Not all Americans have money. In fact, 78% of us are just getting by.
As someone who lived abroad a good bit, I really enjoy hearing your perspective on living here in the US. I hope you really enjoy your visit/stay. I find it interesting that you hit on the wildlife aspect, I've got some fifty acres of woods behind my house and routinely run across small wildlife and occasionally deer and bears. lots of racoons and opossums. My dog caught a possum last night and wrestled it around on my back porch but it got away when she came in for the night, glad it wasn't dead this morning. Walking in the woods is something I enjoy every day, a real highlight in my life here in eastern N.C.
For the life of me I cannot imagine why an empty park would be considered a negative. That made me laugh out loud. Loved the additional input from your brother and sister-in-law. Very interesting!
I think the point they were making was that German people would be outside in a park on good weather days. Americans, not so much.
@@jago76 Well of course german parks are packed they have 80 million people in an area we would have 10 million!
I think you are on to something. When the weather is nice in Germany population density will tell you that German parks will be packed more so than American ones who often are also larger than German parks. As a German in the US I noticed the vast expanse of empty countryside between urban areas, especially on some road trips. Europeans have little to no concept of this.
I didn't think they thought of it as negative, just surprised at how empty of people.
I don’t think they meant it as negative, just something they noticed
The weather is a little nasty. I hope she has a great time during her visit. Merry Christmas!
This was back in May and we actually had AMAZING weather! :)
Thank you for sharing your family's experience visiting you in the US. It is always informative and entertaining to hear others' experiences here. Great video!
There are places that have signs saying bathrooms available for paying customers only.
Both very nice people and their English is great.One time your brother's girlfriend used "driveway" wrong.That's something that always confused me too, that you park on a driveway but drive on a parkway.😎
Excellent interviewing skills Feli!
Hi Feli, it would be interesting to know if you have every visited Australia, which is a very similar, but slightly different English-speaking culture. It is often observed that Australians have become too Americanized, so it would be interesting to know what your impressions of Australia would be. I never cease to be be amazed at how good Germans are at picking up the English language.
She studied it in school and college!
Most of those younger germans. Landing in florida. Love the sunny warm beaches, clubs in miami and then going to outdoor festivals like edc in vegas or coachella in california.
What do you want to tell us with this? They are like young people from all around the world. What did you expect?
@@gerhardma4297 most of those don't know the places to go to. Have you been to haulover or the florida keys. Did you rent a large boat to take out to the middle of the ocean in florida for a day?. These are most of the things. Most don't know coming from europe.
Somehow back in the 80s my group of friends adopted German nannies on temporary visas that circulated back and forth. What a fun time providing a fun safe place to hang and experience American hospitality. Many we have kept up with over many year. Texas is a must visit with a very long-time German history.
I always wonder how Germans would react to some of the things we experience every day. Thanks for this!
The blacks are moving to Germany in large numbers now too, they will see it soon with their own eyes!
@viperpit-lr2rp I mean pretty much all ice tea is sweet tea so not really a southern thing. Sugar in tea should always be optional
Your brother is so german he doesn't even smile in images next to beautiful nature ;)
It's really interesting to see these videos. I'm originally from Sweden but live in Chicago now, and I almost learn more about how incredibly close Germany and Sweden is when it comes to how we are, how we see things etc. I never thought of that when I lived in Sweden, but now not living in Europe, it's so much more pronounced
That's why we german love scandinavia.❣️
Greetings from Berlin 😎
Red river gorge is such a beautiful place. Natural bridge is amazing also.