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Jeenias Podcast
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In this episode, the two try to disentangle Christopher Nolan's complex sci-fi-action-movie "Tenet". The plot is hard to comprehend, involving diverse themes like entropy, inversion, and overlapping timelines. Characters meet themselves from the past and even fight with their own selves. Locations are changed frequently. The main character, portrayed by John David Washington, is not a classic hero. Jeanine and Tobias compare Tenet to other movies from the same director, they liked to watch. Interestingly the movie theater was almost empty. Many other blockbusters have been postponed due to the pandemic. We would like to know if you still go to the movies once in a while. If so, what have been your best movie experiences lately?
Tobias and Jeanine discuss their strategies on how they cope with the pandemic. Jeanine stays mostly at home, avoiding social encounters and getting more and more experienced with her streams on Twitch. She enjoys spending time with her friend circle on Discord or plays video games. Tobias, on the other hand, still seeks to go out, doing his outdoor workout with a bunch of hobby-athletes. He misses the social aspects of his former lifestyle. The two talk on their contrasting strategies. How do you deal with stress during Corona?
Jeanine and Tobias have recently watched the movie "Undine", a very ambitious artistic movie with lots of hints on the German Romantic movement. The fairytale-like flic puts a water nymph into our modern society. A curse forbids Undine's boyfriend to leave her, otherwise, he would be killed. The story unfolds with dramatic underwater imagery. Both found this movie to be inspiring but also identified some plotholes and implausibilities.
Afterwards, the two share their observations on the current Corona situation in Western Germany.
On the day of the recording, Tobias celebrated his birthday! After initial greetings, the two talk a live stream they did together as part of Duolingo's #DuoTogether campaign. They baked a cake, played games and had some casual conversations with the online language learning community.
Eventually, Tobias and Jeanine discuss what they've been learning regarding the Black Lives Matter movement in the US, for example, how they might affect the upcoming US elections. Tobias has still some hopes regarding how strong American democracy has proven to be. He is currently reading "The Narrow Corridor" by Acemoglu / Robinson, which explains how different states choose different paths towards democracy or despotism.
What are some important facts or stories that you've learned from the recent events?
Jeanine and Tobias talk about the current Corona situation. Jeanine lacks some motivation. She wants to become better at many things and has accordingly set high expectations for herself. Tobias feels rather motivated, reading books, doing outdoor workouts and watching streams. Staying motivated they refer to studies and discuss different methods people used in the past and present to boost their energy. In the end, the two discuss the three seasons of the Circle, comparing them and their most memorable characters. Jeanine liked the American version, for its lack of drama and conspiring. Tobias favoured the French version, especially due to the emerging of the trio that marched from the first season straight to the finale.
(Recorded: March 24, 2020) Jeanine and Tobias talk about the latest developments regarding the spread of the Coronavirus. Nobody saw this sudden outbreak coming, they even joked about the virus during the last episode. The two then discuss certain measures like lockdowns and how they continue their daily lives under growing isolation. Jeanine hasn't noticed much change in the way she socializes, as she had already been socializing with her friends online. Tobias on the other hand misses the social contact, doing sports with other people, going to the movies or cinema. Then they discuss the Circle Brazil, a great parody on the chances/threats of a purely lead online life.
(Recorded: March 9, 2020) Jeanine and Tobias start off talking about the latest developments after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hit Germany. Jeanine thinks that the media might play a role in spreading mass hysteria. She is especially afraid she might infect other people. Tobias witnessed empty food shelves and hoarding mentality for the first time. He thinks that viruses might become more prominent due to globalization. Both talk about the effects of hoarding and discuss the phenomenon of the so-called German Angst, somehow anchored in German history. The two even observed the impact on their own behaviour, like frequent cleaning of their hands or raised awareness of their own gestures. Share your opinion: How does COVID-19 change your life and behaviour? How do handle the anxiety that comes with it?
Tobias and Jeanine talk about the show Sex education. They reminisce about their own how high school experiences especially concerning sex education, both having visited catholic schools. The show sheds new light on typical tropes, like cliques and the longing for popularity. Jeanine draws parallels to movies, like High School Musical, and shows, like Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. The two also discuss how the show uses the asthetics of the 80s, while taking place in the modern world. If you have kids or plan on having them: How would you educate your children about sensitive topics?
Jeanine talks about one of her passions, dancing hip hop. After months of intense training she experienced an overwhelming performance in front of a big audience. She talks about how dancing became a part of her life and how she handles stage fright. But what is more important - skills or talent? Does the 10k hour rule also apply to dancing skills? What does it demand to master a craft? In the second part Jeanine opens up about another hobby she's picked up: tarot reading. She describes tarot as a way to interpret peoples lives by giving advice and looking closer at your own interests, motivations and desires. Also, isn't it a great tool to kickstart a conversation with strangers?
War Movies - What is it good for? Jeanine and Tobias just watched Sam Mendes' movie 1917 on World War I. They explain the main plot, character choices and historical background. Jeanine discuses the movie's seemingly single-shot style, and also compares the 1917 to other movies like Dunkirk. Tobias mentions some historical aspects of the time period. He admired the beauty of some of the scenes like chopped, blossoming orchard trees or the strange beauty of the burning chapel and compares "1917" to "Deer Hunter", which concentrates more on psychological effects of warfare. What kind of movies do you watch? Have you had enough of war movies? Both talk about the genre of war movies and the upcoming Oscars.
Jeanine and Tobias discuss Netflix's The Circle season finale. Both had positive reviews. Joey was especially interesting to observe, since their perceptions of him changed so much throughout the season. Another topic that raised their interest is nostalgia. Tobias used to like watching The Simpsons and reminisces over subcultures like the 2000s Hip Hop and movement. Jeanine liked Sailor Moon, but is worried she might be looking at the past through rose-colored glasses. Do you have any nostalgia you would like to share? Or what were your favorite shows growing up?
Tobias and Jeanine start off talking about the recent bush fires that devastated huge parts of Australia. Tobias observed that younger generations, Gen Z and Millenials, are more aware about environmental damages, sustainability and climate change within their country. The "OK Boomer" meme already popularized the generational gap through social media. Subsequently, the two discuss different generations and their specific upringings, their socialilization, cultural influences, behaviors and norms. What are some of the factors that shaped the boomers? Why do they regard Millenials or Gen Z as vulnerable? And what is the actual stand of Gen X? In the end they predict how future generations might deviate from previous ones.
Jeanine just came back from Amsterdam, where she educated herself on the more taboo scenes the Dutch city is known for: weed and prostitution.
Her first stop was the Cannabis Museum. Jeanine and Tobias talk about different components of marijuana and their effects. From a medical perspective marijuana (CBD) might help people with anxiety, chronic pain and sleeping disorders. Some people view weed as a gateway drug, whose psychedelic properties make its consumers lazy and unsocial. Is good or bad to criminalize it? How does its consumption effect society?
During her stay in Amsterdam Jeanine also visited the Museum of Prostitution. She and Tobias talk about the pros and cons of the industry, including discussions concerning forced prostitution vs self-employment.
Jeanine and Tobias just finished watching the first eight episodes of "The Circle" on Netflix. They explain the principles of this reality show and what characters they like most and why. Jeanine likes her "doppelgänger" Sammie and Chris. Tobias is cheering for Joey. They go through the most memorable and cringeworthy moments of the show, then comparing it to other reality formats. In the end they deliver their bets. Jeanine thinks Shuby is gonna win, Tobias believes in Sammie.
Jeanine and Tobias talk about their experiences after having finished watching the Witcher. Jeanine talks about different motives like the sacrifice, destiny and chaos. Tobias elaborates on the retelling of different ancient, norse and medieval mythologies and monsters. They explain the main character arcs of the show: Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri. Both discuss how they were confused by the timeline, especially the Law of Surprise, a central element of the story. Jeanine liked the Witcher and compared it to Lord of the Rings. Tobias highly recommended it, especially compared to Game of Thrones. (Side note: Next time we'll be better at pronouncing names)
Jeanine and Tobias talk about horror movies and why they like them or not. What is the special thrill of watching scary stuff? Why are we drawn into these films? Jeanine suggests it could be a biological training mechanism. Then she elaborates on her skin condition, which got worse. She hopes it will get better after going through light therapy in the next month. Tobias recently reread a German classic "Effi Briest", and the discussion continues over honor and duels in different books and movies.
In this episode Jeanine starts talking about her recent experiences with Duolingo. Right now she is learning Dutch, Chinese, French and German. Tobias talks about his motivation to learn Greek and Russian, arguing that you need a personal reason for diving into a foreign language. In the end they talk about their current and future language ambitions.
Thanksgiving has come and gone and people are already jumping into Christmas mode. In this episode Jeanine recalls the story of how her family and Tobias surprised her last year. We also talk about our own family traditions during the holidays, and discuss the question: is Christmas overrated? Let us know what you think!
In this episode Jeanine and Tobias talk about their experiences with university and how hard it was to find a special someone. Another interesting concept is the potential role of heroism. Is it an outdated concept? Or do you have any role model that you still idolize up to this day?
Jeanine and Tobias talk about past tragic and comical injuries. The conversation then goes to different experiences with hospitals - in Canada, Germany or even Prague. Why Prague? Find out!




