WHY CINCINNATI?! Q&A About My Move to the US! 🇺🇸 | Feli from Germany
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2024
- In my last video, I told you the full story of how and why I ended up in the US ▸ • I Moved from Germany t... and you guys had a lot of follow-up questions, so here are my answers! :)
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ABOUT ME: Hallo, Servus, and welcome to my channel! My name is Felicia (Feli), I'm 28, and I'm a German living in the USA! I was born and raised in Munich, Germany but have been living in Cincinnati, Ohio off and on since 2016. I first came here for an exchange semester during my undergrad at LMU Munich, then I returned for an internship, and then I got my master's degree in Cincinnati. I was lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery and have been a permanent resident since 2019! In my videos, I talk about cultural differences between America and Germany, things I like and dislike about living here, and other topics I come across in my everyday life in the States. Let me know what YOU would like to hear about in the comments below. DANKE :)
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Feli is a national treasure (for both US and for Germany). I love your exuberance and your honesty when discussing your views of both countries. Moreover your videos are well researched when providing information. Keep up the good work!
I’m a Cincinnatian born and bred. Also a life-long Cliftonite, whose life revolved around UC before and after I retired. We live in a country known as a melting pot of cultures. We have an abundance of non-Americans living here because of UC. I’m happy to hear that you are welcomed by the citizens here. I would expect no less. And I’m extremely happy to know you are a member of our community. (I’m glad you are aiming for a dual citizenship. Both countries will be lucky to have you as a representative of both nations.)
Delightful, as always.. As a native Cincinnatian, I always get a chill when you do your introduction-how you mention Cincinnati. Your enthusiasm comes thru. You are so talented and personable. Cincinnati is very fortunate to have you as a resident.
Late on commenting but one thing that is great about Felicia's videos is the unbiased, straightforward answers she provides and her willingness to study her subject matter in-depth BEFORE she talks about it and keep it as real as possible.
As an american with German family, your accent is subtle but obvious to me. Crazy to hear how strong it used to be, thank you for including that snippet! 🍻
"Subtle but obvious" strikes me as hilariously paradoxical but also totally accurate. :)
I was blown away the first time I heard you speak. Your english is so good and you sound American. Hope that doesn't offend you. We had a German foreign exchange Student live with us for a year. She had an extremely strong accent. She didn't speak english even close to as well as you do. She loved it here & married an American guy so she has her citizenship. Cool vid!
Thanks, Feli, for bringing Germany and America closer together! 🇺🇸🇩🇪
Feli, I am always amazed how articulate and composed you are on your videos. They are a delight. You and media are certainly a good fit. I wish nothing but the best for you.
Feli - I am so glad you are here! We need more Germans coming to the U.S. - especially to Fort Worth, Texas. My family on my mother's side is German and so I have always been interested in my German culture and language.
Ah wow! Thank you so much for the shout out of our cost comparison video Feli! We enjoy your videos a lot and that kind of compliment coming from you means a lot. ❤
The retention of your accent is a reflection of your bicultural identity! That is an asset and frankly I think if more people had a bicultural identity, the world would be much more peaceful! You are perfect for a career in diplomacy!
Totally agree
My great-great grandfather also emigrated from what is now Germany at age 22. It was 1847. He had to walk 300 miles to Bremen and then- an eight week trip by sailboat! He began the five year process as soon as he arrived and became a citizen of Ohio and the USA in 1852.
I salute your goal to become a citizen. "Basst scho!" as great great grandpa might have said ( a hint of where he was from !)
Your great great grandfather was born in the early 19th century... sir you must be quite old already then.
Franconia! (:
@@tanyaflint5676 Genau! Mittelfranken...
o__SIE SPRECHEN OHNE EIN "ACCENT".
We have friends from the Netherlands and they sent their son to us when he was 11 or 12. He hardly spoke any English when he got here, but by the time he had left, he spoke perfect American English.
He got into quite a bit of trouble from his English teachers when he started taking English, because they were teaching British English (She was English) and he kept trying to correct them.
Most continental Europeans when speaking English as a seccond language do so with the American accent.They may have been tautht in school British pronunciatin but choose to use the American form.
Like Feli explains, it is a matter of input.
The babyboomers usually were taught solely British English. So if they chose professions where it was not put to use (Including getting American English input...) the remnants will be British English.
I do not know, when in the following decades that changed, but being a millenial I was not only taught British English (But I am not from the same German state as Feli. Education is the responsibility of our states (Bundesländer), so there can be quite many versions of this...).
In my case what was taught was a mixture. We started of with British English, later dived in American English and dipped in South African, Kiwi and Aussie English later on. British and American English were on par and probably made up 80% of the time in school.
The mixture did quite a good job making aware of different accents and probable (hilarious mistakes), but when I left school I would probably have used a weird mixture of both.
But input since then has changed that since then; I lean much more toward the American accent now.
@@Never_again_against_anyone In the first postwar years, would it have mattered which occupation zone one was in? In daily life, I imagine that someone living in Munich or Frankfurt would have been more exposed to AmE, vs. BrE for someone in Bremen or Hamburg. But would that have been true of formal English instruction as well?
What about the French and Soviet zones? (I think I can guess about the latter -- no English, only Russian 😕)
And if I'm right about those differences, did they persist after the occupation ended and the Bundesrepublik Deutschland was up and running?
Obviously things have changed now, since Feli says she was taught BrE in Munich. Hmm, maybe the UK being in the EU until recently had something to do with that -- as in, until a couple of years ago, it was easier for Brits (including teachers) to work in Germany than it was for Americans?
But all of this is me guessing. I wonder what people who actually know about it have to say.
@@davorzmaj753 It might have made a difference in which part of the country you lived in early postwar years in regards to which English you were exposed to (But keep in mind that is decades before I was born. And history of language learning is not exactly something that is talked about very much.). But the bigger role probably played the question where you lived. People near bases surely got more exposure than others, those who lived in the cities probably also got much more exposure as most people in the countryside had less education back then, leading to less exposure as students and probably none in later life.
I am from Baden-Württemberg, which was in the French occupation zone. It is not like that boosted people's ability to speak french. According to my mother, other than the American soldiers (There is no shortage of documentaries and films that depict the early postwar years.) the French did not mingle that much. They were there, that was a given. But by the time her generation (She is a boomer.) were teenagers it did not play much of a role that they were there.
Regarding British vs. American English: The decades long membership of the UK might have played a role. But I guess it was also important which opportunities becoming teachers had, maybe it was easier to spend some time in the UK.
Feli, I LOVE your videos! Keep up the good work, and don't let naysayers spoil your enjoyment. One of my go-to life sayings is: "It is impossible to please everyone, so focus on integrity for youself." You seem to be doing exactly that.
As an American who lived one year in Germany(before reunification,) I very much appreciate your perspective. I find myself relating to and agreeing with nearly everything you say. Unfortunately some people are just defensive about their identity groups. They may even recognize criticisms as having some validity, but they don't want to hear an "outsider" stating it.
Too bad for them! 😁
I accidentally discovered your You Tube channel just a few months ago, and it has helped rekindle my interest in the German language. I was an exchange student and have a university degree from a modest U.S. German language department, but it has been over 30 years since all that! I have mostly settled for just watching occasional German films since then. Thanks to you, I am really starting to brush up and look forward to some future cultural travel....not only to Germany, but also to some of those U.S. based German heritage sites.
Hallo Feli! I can't thank you enough for your valuable time and effort sharing your wonderful videos to your audience like me on TH-cam. As a son of Chinese immigrants, I often think we need more German language teachers in this country because most American people consider themselves descendants of Germans but the people I know with family names that sound German to me often don't even speak basic German at all. Despite being born and raised in the USA, I grew up being taught that I'm still Chinese by blood and I "better know how to communicate in Chinese" which is what my late dad often nags. That's one reason why I paused my German courses in 2005 after 1 semester to focus on Chinese language skills. After learning and maintaining my Chinese language skills for many years, I finally decided to resume learning German again last year. Not A1 level yet but looking forward to learn enough German to communicate well when I travel to Germany again in the future. And I still think more American people, especially of German descent, can benefit greatly from learning German as well. Just my thinking.
Yeah, I learned German mostly because of my German American heritage and glad I did. I can read documents from our family history and traveled back to Germany to see family there. I can relate to the cultural mindset in the language, so it is overall very enriching, especially in a multicultural society. Good for you for learning Chinese and much success with German!
yeah I know people who don't speak or can't really speak Chinese, it's sad that they are losing that
My son attends school in Cincinnati (Cincinnati Conservatory of Music). He loves it there. He plays the horn (also called French horn). In an ideal world he would love to play in Germany. Munich or Berlin would be incredible.
It’s great that you’re really enjoying your time in Cincinnati. Best of luck.
Yay! A new Feli video--nice to brighten up Sunday evening! My cousin was stationed in Germany for awhile and she came back and told me how much better at speaking English most German kids were than most Americans! I do remember a line from an old WWI movie where a German POW finally reveals he speaks English and the American soldier from Tennessee replies, "You speak better English than I do!" I've often thought of that listening to your videos! 🙂Have a great week, Feli!
I speak enough German to make a German joke about Americans
I have nothing but respect and admiration for you Feli.You are a star and continue shining.love from North Rhine Westphalia Deutschland
May I ask where you live in NRW?
I enjoy watching your videos. You do a great job comparing the two countries and talking about their differences. I don’t believe you show any bias towards either country and it’s nice that you share your experiences. Keep up the good work.
I'm glad you're able to ignore the jerks and trolls Feli. You're positive attitude and general happy approach is always a welcome in my day. Thanks for your hard work!
I am so glad to have stumbled across you Feli your videos are so insightful into all things German. Ive said it befor and will say again you are an endless inspiration to learning German. I am two years strong learning and my journey is far from over! I hope to visit Deutschland one day. Keep up the content ! 😊
@Ulises Cabrera I agree! When I watch a video from Feli, I am inspired to jump in and do another lesson in my German learning! Thanks, Feli!
If you go up to West Chester, you can see an interesting relic of the cold war era, the site of the first large shortwave broadcast transmitting station from the US Voice of America, called Bethany Station. It is now a museum of broadcasting. This station was built in the 1940s as the US response to Hitler's broadcasts from Berlin as part of a propaganda war, and it continued until after the fall of the Berlin Wall as part of the propaganda war between the US and the Soviet Union. It is said that in its early days, Hitler referred to this station as "the Cincinnati liars". This station was originally built by engineers from Powell Crosley's WLW radio, whose tower is just a couple miles to the east. In the years after this, the US built shortwave broadcast stations around the world, the last major one being at Greenville, North Carolina, built during the 1960s. Now they are mostly decommissioned. But this museum is an interesting look, not only at the history of international broadcasting, but it is a repository of some of the history of local broadcasters in the Cincinnati area.
I lived in Germany for a few years and loved it. Watching your channel brings back very fond memories.
I love your energy; glad you’re here. You’re a great addition to the American experiment. Keep doing what you do.
I have never heard you hate on America? Sure, you have pointed out things that are less than ideal in the US, but you have good points there, so I don't think that counts as hating.
"less than ideal" ..or just totally suck.
@@hannahwalmer1124 depends on your experience. When my British friend got sick while here the hospital bill was more than a round trip flight to the UK.
That said every place has positives and negatives. We just have to find places where we can live with the negative and where the positive makes us want to live there
Some people are just defensive about their country. It’s good to take criticism and work to be better.
@@hannahwalmer1124 Very few places "totally suck"
Maybe the closest would be North Korea. But there may be positives to North Korea.
To me "total suck" means no positives at all, and there are defiantly positives to the US. For one, it's not North Korea.
Granted, it's like answering the challenge, "Name 1 good thing Hitler did." with, "He killed Hitler." but there it is.
@@sherlockwho5714 Indeed
Es ist echt interessant zu sehe, welche Erfahrungen du so gemacht hast als du hier her gezogen bist. Ich studiere in Knoxville Tennessee mit einem Sportstudium und das Thema mit dem Vermissen der deutschen Kultur kenn ich nur zu gut in manchen Situationen🥲😂
Are you enjoying your time in Knoxville at this time?
Don't let the haters get to you
Both countries have their flaws
What haters?
14:36 YES, I think this to myself all the time. I'm American currently living in the UK and have also lived in Germany and I'm constantly wishing there was a way to have a perfect world with a crazy mix of the good aspects from all of "my" various states and countries! I guess no one can have it all, but it would be nice. :)
i traveled the US & Canada as a sound engineer/lighting tech and whitewaterboater. My only other experience was Germany and Austria; amazing!!!
Regarding the National Parks question, when I was at UC Berkeley there were a couple of fellow postdocs from Germany who had visited more national parks than most Americans. A few times when a question about a park came up, I would say "I don't know; ask Hubert or Birgit."
Always so candid, thoughtful and well-spoken. 👏👏❤️✨
I love the informations your sharing with us. I’m from the Uk and about to move to US, never been so excited and confused lol.
Your videos are always great. Ignore the haters who just have nothing nice to say. You have a unique point of view and nothing wrong with your personal observations, likes and dislikes.
Feli has the best smile on the internet!
Hi Feli, I am a newer member of your channel and I do really find your videos interesting and also extremely well done. You do a very good job and I really enjoy them. When you grow up in the states, you don't realize that many things are different in Europe and other countries. An example is that I never felt that this country was friendlier than some European countries. Nothing to compare it to. I guess I am glad that seems to be true as many of the other cultural comparison videos mention that also. I think people in Europe are a little less warm to each other and that is probably not so bad, just different. In the spirit of one of your videos, you mentioned Americans are more positive and optimistic. I watch a lot of music reaction videos and often a TH-camr will add a music reaction video even if their channel is not necessarily a music reaction channel. Many music teachers, for example, will add a popular music artist and do a review to broaden and boost their membership and to solicit Zoom vocal lessons. . I will guess that after several years of your channel, it is probably harder to come up with new ideas ? Here is what I am suggesting. A Capella music is something that started here in the US in the years around 2000 to 2010 or about that time period. It did not follow suit in Europe that I know of , so you could use this as a cultural difference if you wanted. In 2011, there was a show on US television called the " Sing Off". It was like Britain's Got Talent , but for A Cappella groups. The winner each season got $200,000 and a recording contract. Several of these groups are still around and have been extremely successful and are very , very big on TH-cam. An example is the A Capella group, Pentatinox. They have a TH-cam channel with 19 million subscribers ? They have one video ( Hallelujah ) on TH-cam that has 701 million views ? They also have over 5 Billion views of their songs ? You can probably see that doing a few of their songs could add thousands to your channel. If you are wanting more channel membership, doing some videos of Pentatonix is the low hanging fruit. There is some navigating that has to be done on some of their videos as some will get blocked. Many of the video posts are often paused and commented on to qualify them as "Fair Use". It appears that if a video does get blocked, you then answer with a dispute and then it is ok'd. Once you figure that out, you can add thousands to your channel. If you search Pentatonix reactions on TH-cam , you can see many, many TH-camrs have figured it out. This comment is a bit long-winded, and I apologize, but it might be worth a bunch of money so, in the USA optimistic spirit , go for it. I will leave a link to Hallelujah and you can easily see why this song has 701 million views ? Thanks Feli, I love your channel. With love from Florida th-cam.com/video/LRP8d7hhpoQ/w-d-xo.html
As a kid, I always had the idea, that other cultures are fascinating to learn from, and was a rich awesome experience! (Early trips into the interior of Mexico for example) Great episode and the early recording was awesome! Easy to hear EARLY Fili! Best wishes! Thanks for sharing!
Always a delight to see and hear you, Feli, and you do both countries proud. I say that as a German-speaking viewer living in Australia. I don’t why but I lost sight of your videos for a while and one of the last I saw was when you had that nice boyfriend from Kansas, I think he said he was from, and he was making all those sterling efforts to learn German using, I think, that app Babel. I don’t know how successful he was but you were doing a very good job not being too hard a task master. I hope I won’t now miss any more of your videos and every best success for the future. Dein Angebot ist was ganz besonderes, heiteres, erfreuliches und wohltuendes, man freut sich auf jede neue Sendung! Viel Glück und Spaß wünsch‘ ich Dir, Jens
Feli's boyfriend is, like me, from Kentucky. But I believe he grew up in Northern Kentucky which is considered a de facto Cincinnati suburb.
@@kenhenderson1762 Thanks, Ken. I’ve caught up on a few more episodes of Feli and Ben together and realised how much Ben being from northern Kentucky and just across the border from Cincinnati is the case, just as you say. He’s been delightful and played it just right, appearing often enough to charm us but not taking over Feli’s channel. And, as some else said, she is a national, and international, treasure!
One of my other favorite YT content creators is a Korean American dentist. His parents were very sad when he said he wanted to move to the U S to go to the best dental school in the world. They said they wanted the best of success and wealth for him even though he was moving so far away from Seoul, South Korea.
That seems to be a more extreme situation than moving from Munich to Cincinnati.
Never understood the hate for Cincinnati. I lived abroad for 3 years and came back to Cincy. It’s great. But, I don’t want any snobs moving here so I’m fine with them thinking it sucks. We are happy to have you here Feli!
Hello Feli, if you ever find yourself in the beautiful state of Washington, please do consider our incredible Olympic National Park and Mount Rainer National Park! We have such a beautiful combination of mountains, ocean, and even desert in the eastern part of the state.
Additionally, a two hour drive east of Seattle gets you past the mountain range that splits western Washington and eastern Washington. One of the first few towns east of the mountains is called Leavenworth. It is a small Bavarian-style village that is known by all locals here, and is considered a must see location. Authentic German Beers and food as well as great street performances and even a horse-drawn carriage ride (maybe more of a Vienna experience, but still cool regardless).
Ich hoffe du kannst eines Tages meinen Staat besuchen!
You definitely had a stronger accent back in 2016, and it does sound like British English. Today, I don't think you have ANY accent at all!
I think she definitely has an accent, it’s just not all that strong nor does it sound like a German one. She sounds more American than foreign but without it being that general American accent.
No accent? not really, I definitely hear it in certain vowels and her cadence in some words.
yeah bro she sounds latina
She definitely has an accent, but less than many people who have lived in Ohio for decades.
I definitely hear an accent when she says certain words.
You have less of a noticeable accent than a lot of Americans do! If I had ever met you in person without knowing anything about your TH-cam channel, I would have been quite unable to determine where you came from, and never would have guessed Germany. You actually don't sound a lot different from me, and my accent is a mishmash of a father from New York City, a mother who moved around a lot when she was growing up, rural upstate New York, two grandparents with *very* thick German accents (hmm, I never thought of that before, because I didn't notice my grandparents' accents until we moved away from them and I wasn't hearing it every day), and a dash of Boston and Chicago twangs thrown in for good (?) measure. I think both English and German sound beautiful when you speak them.
Cincinnati looks nice I’ve heard it’s is the best city in Ohio alongside the capital Columbus . I felt bad for the Bengals last week 😞. You should go to baseball or football game with Ben and make a video about it Feli .
Greetings and hugs from Mexico .
Re: How I Met Your Mother. I listened to the Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri give a brief Q&A session a few years before his death. He told an anecdote about how, when he studied with Frank Lloyd Wright, Wright would give a lecture after lunch every day, but Soleri always missed it, because he was there on scholarship, and had to help with the washing up. Anyhow, someone asked him if he learned English from Wright's lectures, and he said no, he'd learned it from listening to Paul Harvey. [Harvey was an institution in US broadcasting, but he was something so utterly quotidian compared to the god of American architecture.]
Love your videos! I totally relate... but in the other direction... I am an American who moved to Switzerland (in 1987!) and understand lots of your comparisons. One additional thing that you will find decades later.. the country you remember no longer exists! Nothing stays the same, your home country included.
Very interesting ❤🇺🇸
I loved your Q&A. Like your viewer, I am amazed you have an almost perfect American accent. Ironically, the only word I noticed in this video with an accent was the word "accent", somehow off.
I loved your prior video on how Hitler affected Americans impression of German. It's so true at least among people like me growing up with parents in WWII. Absolutely hilarious, your spoof of spoof on language. I visit Germany regularly (before COVID) so know your soft pronunciation is pretty real.
Maybe you should do a spoof of German newscasters who describe world calamities with no emotion. Kind of the opposite of American commercial TV.
I live in Cincinnati, and I detect a very slight accent. My college age kids have exchange student friends from Germany. I am also of German descent: all my ancestors came from there in the 1800's.
Feli someday go to Alaska. Go by way of the Alaska Highway through Canada. Stop in Whitehorse in the Yukon Territories, where the third language is German, then turn off at Haines Junction on the Haines Highway (My vote for the most beautiful undiscovered road in North America.), then go to Haines Alaska. Then spend a week or two there and you can experience the best of Alaska in one place. (Also ask around for any Germans, I know two German women who live there.) Glaciers, bears, five kinds of salmon, bald eagles, moose, mountains, fjords, rivers, mountains, and fine summer weather all in one place. Just planting the thought as a seed for the future.
I like when people from other countries come to the US, i like learning direct from a different country's resident, how its like to live in such n such location. And i enjoy their true opinion on being in the US. (I say true opinion because i really would like to know. Like if they are struggling with something, like paperwork, finding a job, needing resume help. Even something simple, like which is the cheapest place to shop, vs. a nicer place and if they are the same. Or the best place to eat out if your on a budget.)
I enjoy your channel because I've learned a lot about Germany from your videos. I liked the ones about the home differences. The German bathrooms make me jealous, because they just seem smarter/more efficient.
Thanks for sharing what you do.
I am a Finn who came to Australia and had my 7th birthday on board the ship while travelling here. As in Finland school starts at 7 years of age so I had No schooling before coming here. A frightening experience when there are about 40 kids in class and none speak English , but I didn’t speak their languages either. I learned very quickly luckily and now have the true Aussie accent. My cousin who came here about the same time was 2 years older and lived with a very strong accent all his life. Yes, some people do retain their Accents no matter what they do or where they choose to live.
You have a very small hint of an accent, but you really have to pay attention to pick up on it. I wish learning another language was taken as seriously in the U.S. as it is in other countries.
Though I don't live there anymore, I grew up in Cincinnati. My childhood soccer coach (on the est side of Cincinnati) had grown up in Hamburg, Germany. He and his wife moved to this country as adults. His German accent was very slight. His wife, on the other hand, had a strong German accent. I asked him why he had mostly lost his German accent but his wife hadn't and he told me that he never worried about having an accent, but his wife was really self-conscious about her accent.
Wow - Great job! I just want to let you know that I love your content - I may not always agree with certain things that you say, but that's ok. I really like the way you compare and contrast Germany and the U.S. people, language, traditions, quirks and so on. Keep it up! Please don't let any of the negativity from trolls and fools ever take away your incredible attitude! I always enjoy the vids where you are out and about showing sights, entertainment, food and people in different settings, whether in Germany or the U.S. Thank you for what you're doing here and with Train Station!
I love your series and admire anyone who speaks multiple languages
I really enjoy your content and presentation and your sharing about your experience in both cultures and countries. Having studied German and German culture, and world history and involved with many from other international friends it is crazy how blind we are regarding the rest of the world. Yet we celebrate ethnic cultures in our communities such as the German, Swiss, Polish, Hmong, and other cultures of our ancestors, here in Wisconsin and across the country, and yet treat some people badly because they aren’t like us. Thanks for honesty sharing your perspective and experience, I look forward to hearing and seeing more.
I love all your videos. My parents took me the other way at 16. To Europe [and Germany]. I got to drive part of the time, it was great. I had an international drivers license [had to learn what all the different signs meant]. Even brought home toy replicas in metal and well painted of all the signs-kind of a collection.
Hearing your accent when you were younger is amazing. Thanks for sharing.
I like this - and all your videos - because you offer a real perspective about the US and Germany. You are honest, but you seem to try hard to be fair and balanced. Always, you are interesting and engaging. Well done!
14:24 I have nothing but admiration for you. Thanks for sharing everything.
Love it.
I live just south of Cincinnati in northeast Kentucky. I just found your channel! Very cool.
I moved here from Wiesbaden when I was 9 (1973) and I actually worked very, VERY hard to lose my accent. Went to a speech therapist and everything. (we moved to Wyoming, and folks there didn't really like the accent, so I heard about it all the time) Now, a full 50 years later, I have managed to not have much of one, but it still shows up in words like "can", "and" and a few others (the German "a" sounds a little more like a soft "e" sometimes) or if I'm really tired. Anyway, I am super jealous of the fact that you did manage to lose it naturally, and in my book that does make you rather exceptional.
❤I'm American and a German accent is honestly my favorite French second lol I can't believe people said something about it. DONT CHANGE
Thank you for a pleasant video
Feli, the one thing that I have often wondered about as it pertains to your "adventure" and decision to move over four thousand miles from your ancestorial home is, "Do you have what would be considered a regular job, or do your on line efforts support your life sytle?
I can totally relate to your moving experience. 15 years ago I immigrated from Germany at the age of 23. And yes, I did indeed pack pretty much everything into 2 suitcases (which were free back then) and 2 carry-on, everything else I got rid of or left at my parents' where it still is to this day. Honestly, I didn't have all that much I really cared for anyway. As for English, initially I had a British accent, but that faded pretty quickly. Within a year or two my English became quite similar to yours, people often assume I'm a native speaker. But the accent does come through here and there ;-) I ended up becoming a dual citizen, which means my children are also dual citizens.
Thanks! Awesome job Feli!!
Wow! You had quite the language transformation!
I don't know how anyone could hate you. You're always smiling and happy. Keep it up. I'm Canadian living across the river from you in KY. Ever been up to Canada? If so, do you see any difference from the US?
Thank you for the highlight! A pleasure as always to listen to your story.
My wife was from Monterey, California. You must visit the Monterey Peninsula sometime.
Yes, you have a good American, midwestern accent. The German only peaks through from time to time. 👍 Idioms, slang, phrases, don't count! I was born here, West Coast and young moved to East Coast and I still learn phrases and such in American English that I have never heard before.
Your slight accent is great totally agree with you there is no need for you or any foreign speaker to "lose' their accent Its charming
So darn cool over 400k subscribers
Feli we would love to have you as an American. Love your content.
My German was learned when moving to Germany at age 18. I speak with the particular accent and dialect of region where I lived. Native Germans have told me I sound like a native. Immersion is the key I think.
Always be yourself everything you do is you, learn, live, enjoy but always be you. That's what makes you unique, a beautiful person, to the whole world.
Feli,
I mentioned before I totally appreciate your diction as you speak on your videos. Now that you have been immersed in US culture have you caught yourself picking up slang terms outside your accustomed speaking that brought you to this point? Are you grounded in your morals and/or sensibilities that pressures creeping into today's culture won't bother you? I hope the only way is up for you and your time on this planet is always rewarding. America is a better place with you among us. Any parent would be proud to have raised such an adventurous young lady willing to brave the world in such a measured fashion. I know I would be.
I think we're lucky to have you here you seem like a very nice young lady. I drive truck for a living and drive through the Cincinatti. area on an almost daily basis from New York State to Indiania, and have thought it would be funny if I happened to see you but I don't get into the city just drive around it. I bought some of your I'll just call them beer mugs I know thats not the proper term but I'm an old man so hopefully you'll forgive me. I enjoy your video's. Hang in there you're alright in my book. Have a great life!!
Dear Feli you videos are always very personable and instructive, i think they`re great. I also thought it was good that you had learned english at school , so you communicate internationally when you were traveling in europe. My favorite subjects at school were, english, geographie and history. I took english classes from 5 to 10 and loved learning the different word differences in american , british and australian english and there country. Lovely Greetings from northern Germany.☺💚
To hopefully counter the negative replies, I like your videos a lot. I appreciate the perspective. I've been to Germany several times and even lived there for awhile and still did not see enough of it. The places I spent the most time were in a small town near Bremen and also just outside of Bonn. There is nothing wrong with contrasting the US and Germany. Too many Americans never travel out of their own state, let alone internationally and they do themselves a huge disservice which often leads to awful xenophobia. Travel is one of the best things anyone can do to educate yourself and expand your perspective. So welcome Feli, or should I say welcome back to the US.
*Fraulein, your accent is a part of your charm.*
Hello Feli. A question from one who is new to your channel. After living in this country, and seeing the many changes in attitude, in the political and ideological climate, as well as the growing intolerance of some groups, do you find yourself having second thoughts about moving or staying here?
Wow, thanks for the shout-out! 💜 oh yeah US immigration officers can be quite intimidating 😅
I can't advise on an organisation to study at a university in Germany, but for Highschool exchanges, try YFU (Youth for Understanding). I did my exchange year with them and it was pretty amazing. And they do exchanges all around the world, so not just USA/Germany, but Asian countries, South America etc. Dunno about Africa, but I'd guess they do.
As to being home sick: When I went to the US for a year, the first few days were so packed with excitement, that I did't have time to get homesick. And after that, I felt so at home (which is something happening all the time, at least for me, even on a weeks holiday!), that I didn't miss anything. My host family still feels like family to me, they have been from the start. And school actually was way better for me, as people didnn't mob me (which I did experience in Germany). Me being different was most likely attributed to me being German and not to me having had bad experiences. So, I could just be myself and relax.
While I kinda miss my American family, I also couldn't imagine moving to the US on a permanent basis. But then, doing an exchange year was something I decided upon spontaneously - like sitting down for cake and coffee with my family and saying: I want to go to the US for a year. - and never having entertained any such wishes before. So, you never know. It's been one of the best experiences in my life and I can only encourage everyone to visit another nation for an extended period of time.
9:00 When I think about the people who immigrated to America before about the mid 19th Century, travel was so hard and so expensive that once people left they likely never came back, and because of low literacy it was likely they never wrote.
You could hire people to write or read a letter for you, but this service was probably somewhat expensive. So not only would people never come back, they would never be heard from again.
Just very sad.
Let's see, what has happened to you since 2016....you've become a successful entrepreneur and internet personality with TWO YT channels (counting UTS) bought a house, opened an online merch shop, became an online German teacher, met a boyfriend (Ben) and a best friend (Josh) are able to travel freely between the US and Germany, taken some cool trips (in both the US and Europe).....yeah, I'd say things worked out pretty well for you! 🍻👍
So adorable how when you say "slang" you do so with a drawl.😃
You have consistently been willing to discuss what you like and dislike about both countries, and my take has been that you have been fair and balanced in your assessments. You have stated your opinion with some criticism of our gun culture, but you have been very complementary of our friendliness. While I don't always agree with all of your assessments, I appreciate that you are willing to express them. I have spent a great deal of time in Germany and Austria and I think a lot of the time you are spot on with your judgements. I would be disappointed if you weren't willing to state your opinion. The people who think you are too judgemental or not judgemental enough are incorrect and frequently unfair. I am a big fan!
I grew up learning that you inform yourself and then form an opinion and articulate it. Not having an opinion implies that you haven’t thought about the subject.
As a German language student, WOW! Thanks for "jein"
Where else would I ever have learned that?
I do remember a lot of short expressions having my German grandparents watch me during the day. Sehr gut, hasenpfeffer, ach mine gut in heben, liebshön, danke, bitte, etc.
(sorry for the battle between autocorrect and my spelling!)
I like your "Feli 101" videos... 😀 Sorry to hear you got such negative comments... but fortunately there are plenty of supportive comments on your channel as well. Some are unwilling to grasp that one can like more than one thing and even not like parts of a thing, but still appreciate the rest of it. No reason you can't enjoy aspects of both cultures. I have a good friend living here from Germany (Berlin), and he has been nothing but positive. 🙂 If you and Ben haven't seen it yet, I have a movie recommendation for you both --that you can critique the (East) German aspects of and hopefully find it funny. It is a parody/comedy called "Top Secret", and is a lot like the "Airplane" movies.
You mentioned German directness and honesty. These are characteristics that made me fall in love with the place. When an American calls you friend, he is being polite. When a German calls you friend, he means it.
And yet, I've lived in Germany for 10 years and still struggle to make friends with Germans. Sometimes, I really miss that American friendliness regardless of whether it's superficial or not.
@@newasblue1981 I am with you on that one. Daily kindness means a lot more to me now that I have become a bit introverted. Daily coldness between people would probably be a bit worse for my mental health.
Glacier National Park in Montana, is the best experience of a National park. Nicknamed "The Crown of the Continent", and featured in the film Forest Gump (when he speaking on hot being able to tell where the sky ended and the water began, that's Glacier). Words cannot do it justice, truly mountain majesty. Yellowstone, as another European put it, Eva, is a glorified parking lot. It is fascinating in the sense of standing in a super volcano that will shatter a continent when it erupts, but otherwise, it is my sincerest of recommendations to put Yellowstone lower on your list of visiting.
I appreciate the honesty here its also extremely fascinating for others to come here to cincinnati. I would love for more Germans to come here and feel welcome. I would definitely want to help if others would want to come here
I am from Cincinnati. I now live in Miami. I remember the hofbrau house came to Cincinnati area. I also remember Oldenburg brewery in Northern Kentucky. It was rated the finest beer in America and they had a German brewmaster. Sadly it is gone. II was a visitor to the Black Forest German restaurant in Pisgah, oh. Mainstrasse village Kentucky once had my favorite German restaurant Gastoff Zur Linde . I believed in all things German, we had our own Oktoberfest at multiple sites in Cincinnati area. And remember over-the-rhine was a German village. The German brewmasters everywhere. Prohibition destroyed these things. Prejudice against the Germans destroyed over-the-rhine German village. Look at it now.
If you haven't already it would be great if you could do a video of American German, like heritage but the differences.
How America views Germany and the German culture.
Here in Michigan we have so many German, and other European immigrants and ancestors. We even have a little Bavarian city called Frankenmuth. They are known for their chicken, Bavarian soft pretzels and the world biggest Christmas/holiday store called Bronner's.
They also have pirogies, which I know are technically Polish.
But it would be fun to find out the difference in foods, such as dumplings and noodles.
Also the names in the city like how German they are and if you've heard of them before.
If you want to come to Frankenmuth for a visit it would be a good time to come during a festival such as Bavarian festival, Oktoberfest or the VW Bugs in the park.
Although they have tons of festivals and activities throughout the year.
My fiancé is HEAVILY German. He traced his ancestry back to the 1500s STILL in Germany. His last name is Hammis but we know that is the americanized version as in Germany it was Hammes or Hames.
Is that name still prevalent there?
I believe he is from more southeast Germany.
German #3 I've known? Professor's wife from Pomerania. Along with U-boat funker from Chemnitz and Ostfront General's daughter. They all still remembered the Hitlerzeit.
You are very eloquent and interesting to listen to.
Don’t lose your accent, my grandfather had it I miss it,love your videos, I am going to Munich ( visiting family ) in June
Yosemite is stunning. Do the Valley Rim from above Bridal Vail Falls to Yosemite Falls and back down to the Valley Floor. Maybe 7 miles or so
Hi, Im Rod from Australia. You have a wonderful accent. It says a lot about your character. 😁🙏
7:40 I’m in the process of explaining this to my parents haha I already live 14 hour drive away from them but they’re really sad I’m moving to Ireland soon. There’s even a direct flight from Dublin so I feel like it’ll be similar!
I had the same discussion with my family a little while back. I've been living in another country for almost 4 years now. I moved from a small town to another medium-small town so no flights, no direct trains, and by car it takes 8-10 hours one way. But my parents are fine with that. Then, there was a suggestion I might move to another continent and they were 100% against that. But the funny thing is, if I were to move I would have a direct 7h flight from my new town to my home town, so I would in theory be able to get back home faster and with less of a hassle than now.
I didn't move there and wasn't really intending to at the time, but I thought it was funny how much of a difference one ocean makes in the general perception.
I was born in the USA, but I have ancestors from Poland and Germany. I like how you compare the two countries as each country has its own culture. As for your accent, the USA has many accents, like people from the south, the Midwest, Texas , New Jersey etc. Welcome to the United States; you are an amazing person and I hope you decide to stay!