Breathless in Berlin: Recent Episodes
Hanson & Izzy
Hanson and Izzy are two Chinese expats living in Berlin. This podcast is about all the things that they are trying to understand and deal with. Expect second-hand confusion, drama, random wisdom, and unconventional perspectives.
What started as a discussion on the hidden cost of freedom turns into an intimate conversation about the stories of our Chinese parents, how far we have come since then, and how to reconcile two different kinds of values for a better future.
Hanson and Izzy talked about being Chinese in Berlin before and during COVID-19 with personal stories and perspectives. We talked about our racially charged encounters, second-hand horror and brave stories, the G7 summit, U.S and China relations, politics, the scarcity mindset, and how to build solidarity in a time of crisis.
Shownotes:
What will it take to vaccinate the whole world by the Economist on YouTube
With Izzy's incoming birthday, Hanson and Izzy discussed their different birthday experiences in China, the U.S, and Germany. Also includes discussions on gift-giving strategies, party customs, and money-as-gifts outrage.
You can watch the SNL sketch mentioned in the show here
We are back with a new season!
Since we left off, Izzy got covid, we both got new jobs, Germany starts to loosen up the lockdown, you can hear all about our life updates and our thoughts on recovering from covid both literally and figuratively.
Topic includes hair loss, social awkwardness, " lying down" being censored in China, work-life balance, the future of cinema, frustration with the German bureaucracy like always, and our new insights for our new lives.
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To uncover the myth of "early love" ("Zao Lian") in Chinese, we dived into our adolescent experience to heal, improve and redefine our self-esteem and social identity. Topics covered: sex education, love as a taboo, self-image, "PUA" (gaslighting), etc.
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We discussed marriage as an institution and the challenges it faces in the modern age. We took a deep dive into issues like being raised in China, DINK, divorce, power structure, communicating to our Chinese parents, gay marriage, open marriage, and what the future might hold.
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We talked about the difficulties of learning during corona time, online classes and zoom, different learning styles, importance of active learning and encouragement, and how to stay curious.
Books mentioned
Stop Reading The News by Rolf Dobelli
Ultralearning by Scott Young
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Timestamp
1:13 Izzy's new class under corona
2:33 Hanson's class under corona
7:35 Online classes VS zoom
12:07 Different learning styles
17:57 Active learning and testing yourself
21:11 Importance of encouragement
25:11 Transition to internal validation
30:48 Choice and pain
40:50 Closing thoughts
We talked about Izzy's vacation to Greece, different attitudes toward COVID-19 in different countries, and what does it mean to stand together and build a better world.
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We talked about navigating Mandarin Chinese, growing up with British English, transitioning to American English, building confidence and identity through accent, and finding ways to understand ourselves and others.
Resources:
- A nice Youtube video on comprehensible input and effective language learning
- Learn language with Netflix plugin on Chrome. A terrific resource if you have Netflix. With this plugin, you can easily listen to realistic dialogue over and over again to improve your real-life listening skills(and your accent). This article on their website has helpful instructions on how to use it effectively.
- Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner. A very helpful book Hanson read before he came to Germany. Concepts like using minimal pair to train your ears, using IPA when learning new vocabulary, and utilizing space repetition benefited him to this day. It can help you to have as little accent as possible from day one. You can find out more about learning a new language in this straightforward book written by an experienced polyglot.
Any questions or suggestions? We love to hear from you!
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Timestamp:
1:29 Growing up with British English in China and converting to American English
6:35 Accent as part of your identity
9:11 You can't reproduce a sound you couldn't hear
12:14 Mindset and intention
15:06 Accent and sense of belonging
21:52 Accent and confidence
28:37 Shame and judgment
31:12 Tips for improving your accent
We talked about our experiences learning German and English, some tips and tricks, and the importance of treating speaking as your number one priority.
Correction: "comprehensive input" mentioned in the show should be "comprehensible input."(Verzeihung!) According to Krashen's theory of language acquisition, giving learners this kind of input helps them acquire language naturally, rather than learn it consciously.
Resources:
- Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten Podcast by Deutsche Welle ( you can use slow German to practice your listening. Also great for shadowing)
- A nice Youtube video on comprehensible input and effective language learning
- Hammer's German Grammar and Usage, a very comprehensive grammar reference book. Definitely one of the best ones out there. It's thick though, so don't expect to read it in one go. You should use it to find great example sentences to make flashcards and look up your weak areas.
- Grammatik aktiv: Ubungsgrammatik A1-B1, Hanson's favorite beginner's German grammar book with cute pictures and nice tables. All the other grammar books seemed daunting with too many details. This one is succinct and to the point. When you are more comfortable with your progress, the advanced version has great exercises to try out.
- Learn language with Netflix plugin on Chrome. A terrific resource if you have Netflix. Worrying about not understanding people because Germans in the real-life talk too fast? With this plugin, you can easily listen to realistic dialogue over and over again to improve your real-life listening skills. This article on their website has helpful instructions on how to use it effectively.
- Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner. A very helpful book Hanson read before he came to Germany. Concepts like using minimal pair to train your ears, using IPA when learning new vocabulary, and utilizing space repetition benefited him to this day. You can find out more about learning a new language in this straightforward book written by an experienced polyglot.
Contact us through these channels:
Instagram: @wdwdnpod
Twitter: @wdwdnpod
Facebook
You can buy us a coffee to support us!
Timestamp:
1:12 Izzy's experience
3:17 Treating speaking as a priority
4:10 A research study on hearing and cognition
7:57 Key to comprehension
14:00 Embrace making mistakes
22:15 The myth of German as a "harsh" language
24:37 Advice for learning German from scratch
28:06 Advice for improving your German
We talked about the origin of this podcast, why we chose English as the language to go, and some hopes and dreams.
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The transcript of this episode can be found here
This is our most information-heavy episode to date. We talked about your rights and obligations in Germany, contract, tax, medical care, German bureaucracy, and the key to decision-making: find out if you are willing to eat the shit sandwich.
A helpful website on tax deduction in Germany:
https://lifeinduesseldorf.com/deductible-work-expenses/
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Timeline:
0:38 Travel regulations in Germany
3:20 Registration obligation
4:18 Izzy's accidental expulsion from school
6:20 German health insurance
7:53 Bonus program for insurance
9:11 Return policy
10:12 Free legal counsel for students
11:30 Honor the contract
13:01 Hanson's moving out story
16:17 All about (un)employment
17:15 How to get unemployment benefits
18:30 How to get a voucher for further education
20:57 50 shades of bureaucracy
25:21 All about German tax
28:49 The special pain of applying to German schools as Chinese
32:24 (Horror) stories of getting resident permits
37:47 "Eat the shit sandwich"
38:54 Medical drama
42:54 Closing thoughts
This is an episode all about traveling and the desire to get away. We talked about our travel experiences and shared some personal stories. Including Izzy's one person journey in Spain, Hanson's travel with his parents, and a distressing encounter in Disney World.
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We discussed the food and cultural differences between China and Germany, and how food, memory, and identity collide.
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We discussed our experience coming to Germany and the U.S as students from a foreign country and dealing with what freedom entails.
The New Yorker article mentioned in the show:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/21/the-art-of-decision-making
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We talked about the cultural stigma of video games, the great potential of the medium for innovative storytelling, conscious consumption, and Hanson's inability to shut up about "The Last Of Us."
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Hanson and Izzy discuss their thoughts on friends. Key topics include friendship as identity, sense of belonging, the importance of being true, and some strategies for introverts.
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You can buy us a coffee to support us!
Hanson and Izzy share their thoughts on therapy, the cultural stigma that comes with it, and leaving shame behind to start the journey of self-discovery.
We talked about Izzy's plan to find a therapist and her skepticism, Hanson's therapy experience in New York, and why we need social interactions to feel sane.
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Twitter: @wdwdnpod
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