Over Here, Over There
A comparative culture podcast including panel discussions, interviews, short clips and monologues with leading professionals and commentators from around the world discussing how we see others and others see us.
Over Here, Over There
Come Back America: A Plea from a German Adventurer
'Come Back America - Don't Leave Us', says the German adventurer Dirk Rohrbach. Podcast hosts Dan Harris and Claudia Koestler caught up with the 'German Bear Grylls' to dive deep into the real America. Rorhbach, journalist, radio host and doctor of medicine, shares his insider views he gained on his many travels, from paddling 1000 kilometers on the Yukon to cycling 3000 kilometers along the Pacific Coast. Dirk's experiences offer an unparalleled view on the differences and similarities between the US and Europe. Learn about the true concerns of rural America, the often-overlooked voices of Native Americans, what makes the US and Europe so truly unique and discover surprising lessons for both sides of the Atlantic in this must-watch video podcast episode of "Over Here, Over There".
Don't miss this chance to see America through fresh eyes and gain a deeper understanding of its complexities. Hit that like button, subscribe to our channel, and turn on notifications to never miss an episode of "Over Here, Over There"!
🎧 Want more? Check out Dirk Rohrbach's captivating podcast "50 STATES – Eine Entdeckungsreise durch Amerika" and explore his adventures at www.dirk-rohrbach.com.
#RealAmerica #AdventureTravel #CulturalInsights #USAvsEurope #OverHereOverThere #DirkRohrbach #PodcastHighlights #AmericanCulture #TravelStorytelling #GlobalPerspectives
%20300px.jpg)
%20300px.jpg)
%20300px.jpg)
Dan Harris
Welcome to Over Here Over There, your podcast across borders. You can be part of this intercultural discussion on our website, overhereroverthere.org, or YouTube channel. And please don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast. A five-star rating would be handy and much appreciated. But let's jump right into it with a very special guest today. Welcome to Dirk Rohrbach Rohrbach, one of Germany's best-known adventurers. If you're American, think of possibly Bear Grylls, or if you're a Brit, David Attenborough. But Dirk Rohrbach's also a lecturer and podcaster with his 50 States, the America podcast, a radio host, a journalist, and a well-versed and well-travelled authority on North America and the USA in particular. In addition to being a Doctor of Medicine, is there anything you don't do, Dirk Rohrbach? I don't know. But thank you very much for joining us today on Over Here, Over There. So, Claudia, over to you.
Claudia Koestler
Dirk Rohrbach, very welcome. We're in safe hands with you as a doctor today, I guess. But you have also traveled North America extensively for decades and hosted several documentaries for German television, which I as a German, have all seen, and you have been a radio host as well. So what similarity between the US and Europe did you discover during your travels? And that might contradict the
Dirk Rohrbach
Sure!
Claudia Koestler
Common cliches. We all have our visions of the US in our heads as a European or somewhere else in the world. But what actually is out there that you think is not true? What contradicts it?
Dirk Rohrbach
I don't know if it doesn't contradict it. think that's the basic approach. Think we're all humans. We have the same desires. We're aiming for the same goals in life. We want to have a happy life. We want to protect our children. We want the best for us and possibly our country. So, those are the similarities. But the way it's played out is sometimes a little different. I think we might come to that later.
That's an approach that I find that Germans and maybe the Europeans don't understand because they think Americans are just like us. They're just overseas. No, they're not. You know, there's 400 years of history between the European immigrants coming to North America. And then that's a completely different culture that developed over that time. And I think that's sometimes something that we do not think about when we as Europeans think about America.
Claudia Koestler
Interesting.
Dan Harris
And you recently went on a grueling journey, like a 3,000-kilometer bicycle tour along the American West Coast. Some people would take a convertible with the top down, but you took a bike and went up the coast. Why did you opt for that? Just to get closer to the people and to the landscape?
Dirk Rohrbach
Sure. Yeah, that's my adventure that I've done in the past, like paddling the Yukon River, paddling on the Missouri and doing actually three bicycle journeys. This was the shortest, so it wasn't as gruelling, you know, in terms of length. It was gruelling as far as the profile goes, because, you know, the coastal mountains are like incredible, and you climb many, many hills to get to the destinations. I was choosing to go from the north to the south on this trip, which made sense because the winds usually prevail from the northwest. So, I had a little support in most days. But yeah, the idea is my adventures, my slow progress during these travels connects me to the people that I meet along the way. Because when you're slower, you pay attention to more details, you get in contact with people a lot easier as you know, driving in a vehicle. And I do love the outdoors. So that comes in handy.
Claudia Koestler
And how did the West Coast differ to the other states that you've visited so far? Is it comparable to other states in the US or is it quite different?
Dirk Rohrbach
I mean, the landscape, of course, is very unique. That's what I love about America in the first place, the diversity of the landscapes, right? That's something that we don't have. America, as we all probably know but sometimes don't think about, is more of a continent and not just a nation. So just giving the land size and the different climate zones that we travel through, the different landscapes that we travel through that we don't have in Europe, we don't have a desert like the Mojave.
We don't have the Rocky Mountains. The Alps are completely different. The Pyrenees are completely different from the Rocky Mountains, for example. And we don't have a prairie. So, I like the diversity of the landscape. And then, of course, the West Coast is quite different than the coast in Europe, for example. Like the Pacific Ocean is an intimidating body of water. It's very rough. The waters are very cold.
But the rugged landscape there is amazing and very unique in that way. And the people who decide to live there, who settle on the coast, they're very special kind of people that look for that challenge. Sometimes, you know, weathering the winds, weathering the storms that come in, and sometimes just being covered in clouds and mist and this mystical atmosphere that climate creates is probably contributing to a lot of very creative people that sometimes look inward and reflect and then come up with a brand new great idea that eventually later maybe impacts the entire world.
Claudia Koestler
Mm-hmm.
Dan Harris
That sounds like Silicon Valley you're talking about. Both Claudia and I have spent time, Claudia up in Portland, me in California. When you mention the cold ocean there, I can attest that because when I was in San Francisco or San Jose working in Silicon Valley, I went to the coast and I thought the coast was warm. I was so wrong. I went charging in, and then I went charging out of the coast.
Dirk Rohrbach
Yes.
Claudia Koestler
It looks so intriguing when you're out there and think about surfing or something, but the ocean really is cold. So, brace for that. Brace yourself.
Dan Harris
It is ice cold, ice cold. Could I ask you, and we're getting an amazing amount of sun for Britain at the moment. So, I'll just enjoy it while I can. Please indulge me. It's not California sun, by the way. It's British sun. So, it'll go away in about five seconds. You were a doctor up until 2004. Why did you decide at that point to Dan Harris (07:09.459) take a turn and be an adventurer and a documentary professional, and a media professional? What drew you to the American culture? Which fascinates you? What part of that fascinates you the most?
Dirk Rohrbach
I think it all starts with my hometown. I'm from Hanau, which is east of Frankfurt. You know, we were surrounded by American culture growing up in the 70s and 80s. The military presence was very strong at that time. And Rhein-Main Air Base is still like the hub for the American military in Europe. So, I was surrounded by American soldiers. And then I started playing basketball. So, we had American coaches, we had American players as a young kid, like seven, eight, nine years old, I was for some reason intrigued by old time rock and roll music, classical rock and roll music, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent. So, through the music, I was kind of socialized with America in a way at a very young age. And I became so fascinated by it that I dug deeper and then I saw the movies, I saw the TV shows, and I saw the landscapes that were so exotic and different. And I thought, I want to be there.
So, it took me until 1988 when I was first traveling to America, the West Coast, Seattle to San Diego eventually. And then I was hooked. And in 2004, I decided to take a break, to take a sabbatical and circumnavigate the US on a bicycle. That was something I had on my mind for a long time. thought, travel slow, you know, take in everything that you see and just get a totally different perspective on the bicycle.
That was the idea. So, I circumnavigated the US. It took me six months. I started in Florida, went to LA, up the coast to Seattle to DC, and then down. And then I came back and I thought, damn, this (i.e. Germany) feels so small, so tight. You know, I just was missing the big wide open. I was missing the people. I find Americans to be extremely hospitable, friendly, and open. And that might be the biggest difference between the German approach. I sometimes think the Germans think the glass is always half empty and then becomes plain, and then nothing is ever great. And the Americans are like, you know, I think it's half full, and we'll see what's out there. So, let's try something and make it happen. And I like that. I find that uplifting and positive, and that attitude kind of got me interested in American people. And that became the focus of my work. And I was always a photographer. I was always traveling.
Dirk Rohrbach
But I decided I couldn't go back to my old life. And then it took me five years to figure it out. And then 2010 is when I quit everything. And then I became a full-time nomad and storyteller.
Dan Harris
I could say you could pass yourself off as a Californian with that accent. I couldn't believe when you started speaking earlier; I thought, wow, this is the first time we've connected. I thought, is he Californian? Where did you grow up? Anyway.
Dirk Rohrbach
Wait until you get me going on Country Music and then we'll talk about Southern Drama, friend.
Dan Harris
Very good, very good.
Claudia Koestler
Wow. Well, Dick, there is some talk about the differences between rural areas in the US and the metropolitan areas, that they are quite substantially different. What issues did you encounter between people that live in those very, very big cities and then again on those very rural areas? What were the significant issues you encountered?
Dirk Rohrbach
I think first of all, that is something that I didn't really notice when I was starting to travel in the US, that difference between rural America and metropolitan America. And especially on that bicycle trip on the West Coast, know, Washington, Oregon, and California are Blue States, you know, democratic majority for ages, right? But when you leave the metro areas and ride your bicycle across the more rural sides, you see all the Trump signs. And you notice, okay, this might not be as democratic as we thought this all is. It's not; it's a very diverse, mixed society. Even in the states that you think are predominantly democratic, you know, party voters. So that was something that I was not aware of until more recently, I think probably since the first term of Trump, that I started paying attention to it because that was a wake-up call for me. Up until then, I thought, I love this country so much, and it's just so great, and everything is better in America. And then here comes Trump, and I'm like, wait a minute. That's something I didn't notice before. Like, was I not paying attention? Was I living in a bubble? And then suddenly I was waking up and that has changed my, not my love for America, cause I love that country so much, but how I look at it and how I try to balance, you know, things that I observe and then try to deal with.
Dan Harris
So, you can still stay detached from it, even though you've been immersed in the society. I mean, I think I can relate to that as well, being over here in the UK over the decades and stuff. So in a sense, what you're saying is that when you first started, you didn't really notice the difference so much between rural and metropolitan areas, but now you do. And so, in a sense, you've seen this change over the decades.
Dirk Rohrbach
I don't know if it's a change over the decades. It's a change of my observance. Like I'm seeing it now again, which probably means I didn't pay attention. And, you know, to start with, I'm not a city person. I love the country. I love the rural areas. I love small-town America. That's my go-to because that is so different than anything that we have here in Germany or...
So I've always felt drawn to these parts of the country. And then when I had to acknowledge, wait a minute, there is another side of the metal here that I have to pay attention to. That kind of became challenging at times, but still, this is still something that I go back to, and I like to look for stories. When I do the podcast, when I take pictures, when I look for new adventures, I try to include small-town America because that's where the stories are, I think.
Claudia Koestler
So do you think that the US is kind of a divided society? And do you see similarities here in Europe, in Germany maybe even?
Dirk Rohrbach
I think America has always been divided. Like if we go back, even the founding fathers, how they fought for power and how they treated each other and how they blamed each other and how they called themselves out in names. I think that has always been part of American culture because coming from Europe, trying to escape oppressive systems and then trying to build something new, that's not an easy task. And you have to work through a lot of pain and a lot of lessons to get to a place. So, I think America has always been divided. Let's call it diverse and not divided. Even though some Americans don't like that term. I mean, if you look at Germany right now, you know, the election is just ahead, and look at how divided we start to become. And so I think it is more the evolution of social media and how people consume news these days that make it feel more audible, that division, you know, make it sound louder, more extreme. And maybe if we can take ourselves back and look from a distance and then compare different eras and history, we might come to the conclusion, you know, the basic fundamental values or interests of people have always been quite different in certain areas compared to others. But these days, we just see it on a bigger screen. It's much more accessible.
Claudia Koestler
Well, when I was actually on assignment in Oregon, I was there as a working as a journalist. So, I saw a lot of division in the media, of course, because I scanned it all. But when you're out there in the rural areas peddling along, do you pick up on what the media actually displays there or what social media actually puts out there? Do you get in touch with that at all?
Dirk Rohrbach
I think for daily life, the politics in Washington in the first place don't matter that much, right? The federal system in America seems to be even more strong and functioning than it is in Germany, for example. The states are way more independent. They make their rules. And then if you break it down to the community level, the city, the county, for example, that's what really matters. And that's where you can see people actually from different aisles working together.
They don't give a damn what's happening in DC. We have to deal with this right here. They don't know what we have to go through. So we have to make this work here on our communal, local level. And that's what matters. And that's refreshing and kind of, it gives me hope that, you know, there is a chance that America will survive.
Dan Harris
Well, so we've just been through the election, Trump won, which shocked some people, I think, after what he's been through over last four years. Were you surprised, given all your travels and things like that, were you surprised by the results of the election?
Dirk Rohrbach
I was surprised that he got the majority of the voters. I would have bet that Kamala Harris would have been able to pull that vote for her. I was surprised by that fact. I was surprised by how clear the election results in the end came out. And yes, I was surprised by how this is even possible. Not only because of his character, but he's a, you know, all the convictions and the felons and all the trials. And I'm like, why? And so far, I have been able to kind of block it out and just say it's four years, just stay calm. You know, we're going to get through this and maybe he can screw it up so much that eventually some of the people that who voted for him realized, I guess he was not upfront. And I guess he was telling us lies. So that's the best outcome.
Dirk Rohrbach
Hopefully, that'll we'll get from that. But it's still kind of tough, you know, because especially right now when he's thrown around with tariffs and economy wars, and it's just ridiculous how loud he is. I'm always trying to tell other people who ask me what's going on. Well, he's just, you know, screaming and shouting. He wants attention to stay calm and let's focus on what makes us strong here in Europe, for example.
Claudia Koestler
Speaking of Europe, how do you reckon the second term of Trump will change the relationship between Europe and Germany, for example? You've mentioned the tariffs, of course. That is one thing we have to watch out for in Europe. But in general, will this change the relationship we have with the US?
Dirk Rohrbach
I think it will for some of the people. Like when I give my lectures and I go out there and I talk to people, I've heard numerous times now, I'm not going to travel to America in the next four years, which I find kind of ridiculous. Like, you know, come on, this is politics. This is the people. This is the land. There's plenty to see. And that hasn't changed. It never will. But I have to acknowledge that, especially the younger generations growing up,
They are not as connected to America because they don't know it, and they're probably not aware of how important America was in the establishment of Germany as the Federal Republic, the democracy that it is today. So I think we're missing out on the opportunity to acknowledge the important role that America has played in the past to enable us the freedom that we enjoy today. And we're only looking at the crazy stuff that's coming out of Washington right now. And so.
We always I always felt like we want to look up to America as the bigger brother that take takes care of us that shows us how things are done that helps us manoeuvre through uncertainties and difficult situations and right now that brother has let us down it feels for many people I think so that will probably change the approach and the interest however if you look at tourism statistics I think they expect like record-breaking visitation numbers coming from Europe this year, from Germany, like over two million. America and North America, the US is still the most important and desired travel destination overseas for Germans. So, I don't know. Maybe it is.
Dan Harris
So, is it a morbid fascination then to go back?
(laughter)
So, how will you deal with that? Is it more fascinating given the environment that's over there now to go and do these trips?
Dirk Rohrbach
Yes and no. For me, I'm trying to live in my bubble for the next four years and just wait until it's over. On the other hand, again, as I've already mentioned, I think, and this might sound sarcastic, and I'm not meaning it that way, but let him do his thing. Let him just prove if what he actually thinks will work will work. I doubt it will. I hope it doesn't because that would be a tragic sign to the world if his policies would actually really work for everybody. So, you know, let him do his thing, keep him, you know, in the realm, in the frame of civil rights and human rights, you know, so there has to be some controlling here. But other than that, just let him do his thing and then see if he falls. I'm not going to laugh at him. I'm just going to say, maybe we can all use this as an example. This is not going to work. So, let's please come together and try to unite and then maybe create something that will actually benefit or will be a benefit for everybody.
Dan Harris
You're listening and watching over here, over there with your hosts, Claudia Koestler and me, Dan Harris. And we're speaking with our special guest, German adventure journalist, TV and radio presenter, and podcast host, Dirk Rohrbach Rohrbach. We'd to thank some of our partners and friends who helped make this podcast possible. Tim and Catherine Mountain at Evenloed Films and Productions, and Chris Davis at Chris D. Projects Web Design. Check out our website at overhereoverthere.org and our social media channels. And please don't forget to like and subscribe. We'd really appreciate it. Now, back to our show.
Claudia Koestler
Dirk Rohrbach, Donald Trump is dominating the headlines globally so, so, often. But just recently, there were other news dominating globally from the US, and those were the wildfires in Los Angeles destroying so many houses and lives. When you traveled there, did you see any environmental problems that you were kind of surprised by or did you notice something where you're surprised by the wildfires and the devastation that came with it? And what do you think that America can actually do about that?
Dirk Rohrbach
Actually, I was driving past these areas that were affected the day before it happened. I was on my way down the coast, and I drove past it. I was on my way to Palm Springs for a convention that I attended. And then the next day I saw the images on the news on TV and I was shocked by the extent. I was shocked by the force and the power, like they were live broadcasting and you could see there's no way any firefighter team, even with the most water pressure and the most people on the ground, would have had a chance to withstand and fight this fire back. The wind and the force it had was just incredible. I mean, if you look at the landscape, if you look at the map, you'll notice this is a desert, right? Nature pretty much screams, we're not here to host human beings, but people decided to build.
So, they will always have a challenge in making it work. I have never seen, again, the extent of it. I was shocked. I was looking at in some of the interviews and just watching the footage was so painful. But then what was interesting was, and that is something that is maybe specifically unique to America, how people come together. Like, I mean, all the people are united, probably globally, you know, and in case of emergency that they come together and help each other out. But the way that Americans deal with this is very inspiring, how they come together, how they support each other. And at that point, you know, if you can block out all the defamation and the blaming that comes from DC, from the government, and you see people locally helping each other and supporting each other, that's what moves; that's what gives you hope and humanity, right?
Then the concerts. And I was listening to a radio piece of one of our colleagues that she did for the local NPR station about the symphony in Pasadena. And they were trying to collect instruments for young children and young students who lost all the instruments in the fire. And when you heard what they were saying and then you heard the violins playing.
I was like choking several times because it was so moving to just listen to these small events, these local efforts to bring back normality, to stand together. That's, I think, what makes America strong. And that's why America will probably always come out of any disaster more colourful, more beautiful on the other side, even though we have to go through all this pain for maybe some time.
Dan Harris
Yeah, I would just add to that that there's also a feeling of self-reliance that Americans have because we don't have a social safety net like other countries do, like in Europe. And so we internalize that from a young age and just know that if your neighbor doesn't help you, you're on your own sometimes because the government will not necessarily be there for you.
But in the response that I've seen, at least on television and the reports, the Biden administration and hopefully the Trump administration will follow through with the support to the LA area. But still, generally it's that feeling of, you've got to help your neighbour because frankly, we're kind of on our own in a way. But that's just the feeling I grew up with. I think maybe that could be validated by some of the people that they want to comment on the website or on the episode here. having said all that, as far as environmental protection goes, what can Europe learn from what you just saw and as far as how it can take care of itself through the floods and various disasters that we have here in Europe? What can we learn from what you saw in California
Yeah, 13. Derek, having said all that, what can or should we do here in Europe regarding environmental protection? mean...
Claudia Koestler
Euro 13.
Dan Harris
With this podcast, we say what we can learn from each other across the divides. And in this case, you've experienced it firsthand and seen the devastation. We've all seen the devastation, but you saw it close up in LA. But what can we learn from your travels in LA in particular?
Dirk Rohrbach
I don't know how to answer that question. I think one thing I always struggle with, as much as I love America is the concept that we are the greatest in anything. How can one nation be superior to another? How can someone think there's nothing I can learn? These people don't have a clue because I have everything. So, I question that concept a lot. And just be open to listen; maybe that's something that sometimes Americans can learn. We in Europe we have to deal with our neighbors, whether we like it or not. They're right in our face, and we have to come to an agreement. We have to work with each other. We are so close. What we do here in Germany will affect our immediate neighbors and vice versa. America doesn't really have neighbours. Yes, they have Mexico in the South and Canada in the North, but again, it's a continent.the vastness, the space that America enjoys is sometimes probably leading a lot of people to the conclusion, you know, we can do what we want because nobody cares other than us and we have enough room. And these days, just acknowledging the fact that we are all connected as human beings, as living beings on this planet. So whatever we do anywhere in the world will eventually have on somebody else. And you may not be the first person to suffer from it, but down the line, everybody will. And just to be aware of that and accept that and then come to maybe a smart solution for everybody and not just for yourself, that might be a lesson that not only America can learn, but everybody, because we in Europe forget that sometimes.
Dan Harris
Yeah, those are great points all around - the geography, the political positioning, everything else. I mean, what I was saying before was America grows up with this concept that we're told that we're the best, you know, and we use the word superior almost. Well, we don't use the word superior, but we say we are the best, which means obviously that we're superior. Whereas in continents like Europe.
You don't usually use that. In fact, that's de rigueur, especially since World War II, that the concept of superiority is shunned. You don't say you're better than your neighbouring country, whatever, for a variety of reasons. So that's a very good point, which Americans really just don't. They just don't get that concept at all. A good part of America doesn't get it. think a good many do get it. But still, those are great points. Claudia.
Claudia Koestler
Yeah, I can just emphasize on that, actually, because as good as you think you are, you can always be better. And that comes by learning and by looking across, you know, and learning from others. And even if you are in the US, what makes it so intriguing is its eclectic mix, in a way. You know, you have Americans there, but they can tell you about their Italian heritage or their Irish heritage, and you go to restaurants that have the entire world on a plate, you know, and all this wonderful mixture is something we kind of need to embrace in the world. Doesn't, I mean, we get so many wonderful things from other places and can make it our own in a way, you know, but still interact and get the best out of the world into your own world in a way. It can only get better. Even if you're already
Dirk Rohrbach
Yeah, I mean, just look at the music in America and how it came about. People from different parts of the world brought their instruments, their ideas, their concept of music, rhythms and put it together. And look what we got. We got blues, we got country, we got rock and roll, we got pop, we got all the music that today is something that appeals to everybody globally. And it all came because of a fusion, of people coming from different parts and just joining in and creating something wonderful and new. And that's the basic concept of America as far as I want to understand it. And you know what maybe humanity on this planet means.
Dan Harris
Yeah.
Claudia Koestler
Ha.
Dan Harris
Well, we're all getting up more isolationist. So, we're going to lock into those musical modes for a long time now because they're not going to change.
Dirk Rohrbach
Yes, that's right.
Claudia Koestler
But Dirk Rohrbach, you alternate between Germany and the US. We've talked about fusion, the melting pot, and that this is something intriguing. But there is also something else in the US that you're taking care of, and that is the language of the Native Americans. Why does it need saving, and by a German?
Dirk Rohrbach
I'm not saving the languages, and I'm not really taking care of them. I may be able to contribute a little bit in certain areas. I stumbled upon this when I first came to America in the 90s to South Dakota and I was able to meet a lot of people from the Lakota Nation, which is the Sioux Indians as we know them in Europe.
We started actually, my photographic journalistic journey started by producing two stories on the Lakota Sioux Indians of South Dakota. And when I started giving these presentations in Germany, and you, Claudia, know, and maybe you, Dan, also know by now that the Germans are fascinated by Native American culture.
Probably mostly because of Kamai, this infamous German author that created that fictional character and the friendship between this white guy and the Apache chief Winnetou. Anyway, so the Germans are fascinated by this. And then, when I started giving these presentations in Germany, people came up to me and said, is there anything we can do to help? And at the time, I didn't know really what to say. And over time, we ran into a descendant of Chief Bigfoot who was killed at Wounded Knee supposedly the last chapter in the tragic story and disaster of what happened to the Native American people in North America. And he had this vision of creating almost like a village set up, but the core of it was preserving the language. There have been or there was like probably around 500 different native languages at one point in North America. More than half of those languages are extinct because it was not allowed to speak them. So, they were not passed on from generation to generation. And what we have learned by talking to these amazing people is that language is not just a way to communicate with each other, but it's part of the culture. And you can express certain things only in your native tongue. There is no translation that transcends everything that's actually in that word, everything it means.
And me being a writer, being an author, and how important language is for me to tell a story, I thought this is an important task to tackle. And again, we have limited time because the speakers who grew up on this are all dying. They are very old. And the new generation has not picked up the language yet. There are some efforts, and the people in Hawaii, They started this whole thing where the language is basically extinct, and now they're speaking it. They were able to revive it from the ground up. And so that is kind of a role model situation for a lot of tribes on the continent in the US. And Lakota has several very interesting programs and projects. We started falling in love with the idea of a childcare in Pine Ridge where everybody who was taking care of the little children was only speaking Lakota the entire day they were surrounded with the children. And even though these children weren't able to speak yet, that was the time where in our brain we start to get an idea of the concept of language, what it means. We develop language in our brains. So Lakota was the first language they were exposed to. So maybe that generation will be the first to look at Lakota as being maybe the mother tongue again. And
That project has grown, and now it's also applied to the elementary school of the former Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, to the middle school, and beyond. So, seeing this project grow is very inspiring. And that's why we have decided with our nonprofit called Khatran Karate, which means Buffalo Nation in Lakota, to at least help a little bit with journeys that we do. bring people from Germany, from Europe to the US, we travel to these areas. We have some adventures with them. We also get to know these projects. And then if they would like to support, of course, they can through our nonprofit. And then we give these funds to the people on location.
Dan Harris
How's that going? How's that going? That nonprofit? Yeah. Sounds fascinating.
Dirk Rohrbach
Our nonprofit? Good. I mean, we've established it over 20 years ago and we have been able to collect some significant funds also through our donors, through our sponsors, like some brands that support my projects have also been contributing for quite some time. So, we're very thankful for people who help us and then help them. And yeah, we have amazing people on the ground that work with the children and are very passionate about preserving the language.
Dan Harris
And that's very positive. That's very uplifting, which is great to hear. I'm going to combine a few things here as far as positive aspects of what we, you and this podcast, as I said before, learn from each other across borders and divides and adapt to our needs. I know we can't be, you know, someone what the Germans are or what the Brits doing or whatever, but we can adapt to it. We can see what's working and maybe see if it works for us. What positive aspects do you think that we could take from America that you've seen and use it here in Europe, in Germany or maybe in the UK?
Dirk Rohrbach
I think most of it is, and I already mentioned that, is the positive outlook on life. think Germans especially, and I can only speak for my fellow countrymen and women, the Germans are very grumpy people sometimes, right, Claudia? We're not really happy about life. Yeah, we're like, everything is so bad. And then look at us. I mean, even right now, you know, the economy of Germany is struggling, but on what level?
Claudia Koestler
No comment.
Dan Harris
Hahaha!
Dirk Rohrbach
Like we are still the most powerful economy in Europe. So, get your act together, stop whining, and do something about it. And that's an attitude I find in America. I know, okay, here's a problem. Let's talk about what we can do to make it work and not figure out why it might fail. That doesn't lead us anywhere. You know, don't be afraid to fail. Just do something. And that's something that I think Germans can learn a lot from America. Dream big, and don't be afraid to do so.
And sometimes it might be naive, and sometimes it might not be achievable. But if you don't start dreaming, then you don't get your butt off the ground. So that attitude is something. I like to quote a former basketball coach from America, Terry Schofield. I don't know if you both remember him. He was coaching the championship team of Göttingen back in the '80s, I think it was. And they asked him in one interview, so what's the main difference between your German players and your American players? Terry Schofield said.
Like if in practice I say jump, the American players come, okay coach, how high do want me to jump? And the Germans come and say, why?
(laughter)
Dan Harris
Right. Why do you need to? Yeah, yeah. Little bit more introspection there. Yes, exactly.
Claudia Koestler
Hahaha
Dirk Rohrbach
Right? That pretty much sums it up. Yes.
Claudia Koestler
The can-do attitude. But yeah, absolutely. Conversely, what could Americans learn from us here in Europe? Are there any European approaches? Maybe in politics or everyday life that you think could inspire an US American.
Dirk Rohrbach
Yeah. Be a little bit more humble, America. Acknowledge the fact that you're not the only nation on this planet. Yes, you're great, and we love you. But other nations have a lot to contribute as well. So, if you just stop talking all the time and maybe listen to other people and validate their opinions, and maybe apply some of those ideas too, and have the basic concept that right now in the 21st century, we're all cool, globally connected. is no island of America that can just survive by itself. She needs everybody, and we need her. So please come back America. Don't leave us.
Dan Harris
Yeah, that's right. I like that island of America that puts it into context and that nice puts us in our place, which I think we that's well deserved. But also, what are the things that like, misunderstandings that you can see between the two that
Claudia Koestler
Yeah.
Dan Harris
One of misunderstands that I find that I found in business was Americans would come over and think that a lot of the time, they could just roll across Europe and roll out their business plans and not adapt them to various countries and just think that whatever the Americans have produced should work in Europe and that sort of attitude. And, of course, having worked on both sides of the Atlantic, I realized, no. No, that's not the case. But what do you think? Any misunderstandings that you can see that stand out from your travels?
Dirk Rohrbach
I think that's the bottom misunderstanding that both sides, and maybe people globally, have that, okay, this is how we are, so we assume that why isn't everybody else thinking the way that we do? Like we're all humans, and especially with Americans, as I mentioned earlier, like we look alike, you're descendants, you're like almost half of America has some German roots. Why are you wanting your guns? Like, why are you so obsessed with big trucks and all this stuff?
Dan Harris
Yes.
Dirk Rohrbach
Because we here, aren't and it works well, yes, but again, there's 400 years of separation. And in this time, that's a long time, even, you know, in like overall standards. And in this time, was a chance to develop a completely different culture in America. And even though we may look alike, we may have the same names, we have the same ancestry, Americans are not Germans, and they are not Europeans and vice versa. So if we would be able to reflect and acknowledge the fact that there is differences and we need to educate ourselves about this and maybe that helps us to understand why people do things the way they do in certain countries and then apply that to our approach that might be able to come to an agreement to first of all understand each other and understanding I think is the basis for them coming you know to live happily together after, right? So, if we take the time, yeah, right, yes.
Claudia Koestler
That is exactly what we're trying with our podcast.
Dirk Rohrbach, you've published many books and are currently touring Germany with lectures, but you also have your own podcast, 50 States. Is there any content available in English, or will that be coming soon? Because we have a mainly English-speaking audience, of course, and they might be curious.
Dirk Rohrbach
Yes, yes. Right now I'm working on the fifth season. So, the idea of the 50 States podcast is to travel to all 50 states and portray them through the people that I meet. So far, we have launched four seasons, all German, and then we have the fifth season that we work on right now. That'll focus on the Rocky Mountain states. And so, there are three more seasons to come. I wanted to conclude and finish it in 2026 for America's big birthday. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to make it. I'll try.
But so, there's good and bad news. The good news is all the protagonists that I meet are not dubbed. So, my narration is in German, but I want the audience to be able to hear the original voice of the person that I met. And so that's something that Americans might be able to enjoy. They can learn some German at the same time, but still understand the story. There's no English version so far, but one of our documentaries, the most recent one that we did, that is available in English. I was the first European to paddle the America's longest river, the Missouri, from the source in Montana all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, excuse me, America. That was turned into a TV documentary, a five-part documentary, and we also launched an English version that is available on YouTube for free, or if you don't want to listen to ads, you can download and stream it on Vimeo. It's called Flow. And if you type in ‘Flow’ and then my name, you'll find it. That's all English.
Dan Harris
Well, we still on this podcast, we still say Gulf of Mexico. Yeah. Well, that's great. Well, Claudia and I would like to thank our special guest, Dirk Rohrbach Rohrbach for joining us and giving us his perspective on North America. It's, I tell you, it is badly needed now more than ever, Dirk Rohrbach. So, keep traveling, keep commenting. We love your perspective and you're welcome back here anytime on this podcast. So.
Claudia Koestler
Fantastic.
Dirk Rohrbach
Okay.
Dan Harris
So thank you very much. And you can find his website at Dirk Rohrbach-rohrbach.com, which I'll put in the show notes. And his 50 States podcast is on all major platforms. Correct, Dirk Rohrbach?
Dirk Rohrbach
That's correct, yes, even in America.
Dan Harris
Great. Even in America, fantastic. Check out our website at overhereoverthere.org, where you can become an OHOT member, acronym O-H-O-T member, and pick up some cool merchandise in the process. Please don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast and give us a five-star rating if you feel so inclined. We very much appreciate it. We're on social media channels like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, as well. So tell us about your adventures in North America like Dirk Rohrbach and any standout moments or perspectives you have. Polite, insightful, humorous, and constructive comments are always welcome in any language. So, please be in touch. So, tune in again for another unmissable episode. Until then, thank you very much for being over here, over there.
(Outro music and motion graphic sound)