Welcome back to How I Met America, the podcast where we break down all those American customs, traditions, and little-known facts that make you go, “Wait, what?!” I’m your host, Maï, your trusty American English coach, and today, we’re diving into one of the most intriguing, behind-the-scenes roles in American politics – the Designated Survivor.…

Welcome back to How I Met America, the podcast where we dive into American culture, from the quirky to the iconic. I’m your host, Maï, your go-to American English coach, and today we’re talking about two of the most famous acronyms in the world of U.S. politics – POTUS and FLOTUS. That’s right, folks, we’re getting into what it means to be the Pres…

Welcome back to How I Met America, the podcast where we dig into the good, the bad, and the downright complicated parts of American culture. I’m your host, Maï, your go-to American English coach, and today, we’re diving into a topic that’s a little less glamorous but super important – Student Loans. That’s right, folks, we’re talking about that thi…

Welcome back to How I Met America, the podcast where we dive into all those American traditions and moments that make you go, “So that’s why they do that!” I’m your host, Maï, your friendly American English coach, and today, we’re talking about a day filled with excitement, nerves, and probably way too many trips to Target – I’m talking about Movin…

Welcome back to How I Met America, the podcast where we break down all those quirky, iconic, and sometimes downright strange traditions that make America… well, America. I’m your host, Maï, your go-to American English coach, and today, we’re diving into a world that’s all about brotherhood, and sisterhood. That’s right – we’re talking fraternities …

Welcome to “How I Met America,” the newly rebranded show formerly The Maïwen Podcast! Though our name and logo have changed, the content you love is still the same. We’re here to dig into those quirky American habits you’ve heard of but never really got—like why everyone says “you’ve been served” like it’s a big deal. That’s just one example of the…

Welcome back to How I Met America, the podcast where we dig into all those American cultural gems that make you go, “Oh, that’s why they do that!” I’m your host, Maï, your go-to American English coach, and today, we’re diving into something sugary sweet and oh-so-American – the Sweet 16! That’s right, folks, we’re talking about the birthday bash th…

A prenuptial agreement, commonly referred to as a prenup, is a written contract that you and your spouse enter into before your legal marriage. Prenuptial agreements are not sexy, but they can be romantic in a way, that's purely American, and that's the new topic to discuss in TMP.

The Super Bowl, the final championship game of the sport, is an American event like no other. It combines the drama of sports, the universal appeal of music, the power of advertising, and a healthy dose of patriotism. For Americans, the Super Bowl is more than just a game, and that's the subject of this new episode of TMP.…

Tailgating takes many forms across the U.S., before high school soccer games on Friday nights, on college campuses on Saturdays, or in stadium parking lots on Sundays. Tailgating is a classic part of American culture and it's the topic of the day in this new episode of TMP.

Many Americans have dreamed of their prom night. The vision of a night filled with dancing, limos, tuxedos, chaperones, romance and booze is as American as apple pie. Countless movies, books, and television shows bring prom to life, and that's the topic of the day in this new and final episode of 2023 of TMP.…

Three buildings housing major U.S. government institutions have made national and international history: the White House, the Capitol, and the Pentagon. In today's episode of TMP, we'll focus on the one that represents a rock of security, the Pentagon.

If you know an American lady who is expecting her first child, chances are she'll throw a wonderful baby shower or gender reveal where her friends and family members give her gifts for the most part. But outside of the United States and Canada, baby showers don't really exist (or at least didn't). In today's episode, we're going to talk about those…

Do American companies have the right to fire anyone they want? Most Americans would agree that they do. In today's episode, we're going to talk about the firing culture that is so American.

Over the past 60 years, the Barbie doll has been positively mass-produced all over the world. Since the beginning, Barbie has had a major impact on the world and America. The doll had such an impact on American culture that is the topic of the day in this new episode of TMP.

It’s undeniable that if there is a garment that carries in it all the American sports imaginary, it’s undoubtedly the letterman jacket also called the varsity jacket and it’s the American reference of the day in this new episode of TMP.

Playboy, an American magazine aimed at men, is the first to present female nudity and sexually oriented material in a relatively sophisticated format and it’s today’s topic in this new episode of TMP.

Cults have always captured the imagination of Americans. Cults are a way to control people, and Americans tend to be susceptible to the toxic appeal of cults. Waco, the Manson Family ... In today's episode, we're going to talk about a very American vice in the name of the cult.

I once received a gift from my American friend Fabi, who attended Duke University. She offered me a long-sleeved shirt from Duke that I still wear today. College merchandising is a thing in America. Not only do you represent your school, but you also show that you are part of a community with other students who proudly wear the same clothes as you.…

The American yellow school bus is a worldwide institution. Those outside the US who don’t see it on the street certainly see it on TV and that’s the topic of this new episode of TMP.

It seems like there's nothing moderate, or friendly, about the way many Americans drink, especially when you watch American TV shows. So in today's episode, let's talk about this very American problem in the name of alcohol or booze.

Every summer, millions of marshmallows are roasted over fires across America. Many of them will be used to create the quintessential American summer snack: the s'more. In today's episode of TMP, we're going to talk about one of the unhealthiest, yet most delicious American snacks I've ever tried!

While in school, you will always want to keep track of your grades. But, depending on where you go, the grading systems can be very different. In the United States, they use a letter grade system. We've all seen that big red A+ written on a student's assignment in American television shows and teen movies. That's what we're going to talk about in t…

Congratulations! Whether you've graduated from high school or earned a college degree, it's graduation time. America's graduates line the stages across the country to celebrate years of hard work and receive their degrees and academic credentials wearing a now-famous gown and hat, also known as a mortarboard, and that's the topic of the day in this…

Summer camps - a staple in the United States. Consider this: hordes of lonely, parentless children supervised by barely older camp counselors. It's the season, and it's time to talk about a very American summer tradition in this new episode of TMP.

Eating Contests could not be more authentically American – it is excessive, dangerous, and pointless. Eating contests, whether you watch them or enter them, are not for the sensitivity of the stomach. A professional eater can put away enough food to feed a family in a matter of minutes. Some competitors focus on speed, while others train for quanti…

There is no more evocative setting in American storytelling than the motel. It is loaded with cultural connotations. And that's today's topic, in this new episode of TMP.

Most Americans know about Route 66, but sometimes it seems that non-Americans know it better. The "Main Street of America", Route 66, has become a myth and legend in American culture and that is the topic of the day in this new episode of TMP.

Geeks, nerds, fanboys/fangirls, outsiders, weirdos, the pop culture mecca is about to return on July 20. I'm talking about Comic Con, an event primarily focused on comics and comic book culture, and that's our topic of the day in this new episode of TMP.

Spring break is a common feature of college life for many American students, and some consider it one of the highlights of the college experience. While spring break traditions sometimes vary from school to school and region to region, the experience itself has become a symbol of modern American college life and is the subject of this new episode o…

The sound of an ice cream truck is a familiar tune to most Americans. It's summer, the ice cream truck makes summer cool and that's the topic of the day in this new episode of TMP.

Mar-a-Lago has been in the headlines for the past few months, thanks to the now-infamous FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Florida residence. In today's episode of TMP, we're going to talk about this iconic location for American presidents.

It's as American as apple pie, the paperboy is undoubtedly one of the most popular references when you think of America and that's our topic today on TMP.

Naming a boy after his father is a familiar tradition. Why do parents do it? And why is it so American? The answer is in this new episode of TMP.

Forty years ago, the culture of American sports took a new turn. An idea driven by a former sports communications executive, along with his son and other partners, would transform the way we consume, analyze and interpret the world of athletics. ESPN was created. And in today's episode of TMP, we're going to take a look back at this American refere…

Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvénia, and Yale. Those are the names of Ivy League universities that are often considered the best America has to offer and that’s the topic we’re going to discuss in this new episode of TMP.

More than 15 million lawsuits (2 lawsuits per second) are filed each year in the United States. These facts leave no doubt about America's great obsession with lawsuits, and that's the topic we'll be discussing in this new episode of TMP.

We all know that Americans have a unique relationship with the fast food landscape, especially when it comes to the drive-thru experience because drive-thru windows are as American as apple pie. In today's episode of TMP, we'll try to find out why.

At first glance, this seems more of a Nerd World topic. But Dungeons and Dragons or D&D has had a big influence on pop culture. So in today's episode of TMP, let’s talk about D&D.

On August 1, 1981, six words changed American culture forever: "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll!" With that short statement, a new generation was born - the "MTV generation". And that's what we're going to talk about in this new episode of TMP.

Family: for many Americans genealogy is the most popular pastime in the U.S. In today’s episode of TMP we'll find out why Americans are so obsessed with genealogy.

Long before Covid and Amazon, department stores have always been part of American cultural consumption. America’s most popular department store is without contest Target. In today’s episode, we’ll talk about it.

For many decades and many generations, Sesame Street has given people of all ages a reason to smile, while serving as a popular educational tool for parents and educators in America. Sesame Street is the subject of today's episode in The Maïwen Podcast.

Beer Pong. It's a game beloved by all American college students. if you are at a college party in the USA, you can't miss it. Beer Pong is to college drinking culture what apple pie is to American culture. And in today's episode of TMP, we'll learn about this very American tradition.

We’ve all heard the phrase “Houston, we have a problem,” which comes from the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. But what most of us don’t know is that it’s actually a misquote. Today, in this new episode of The Maïwen Podcast, we’ll revisit one of Hollywood's most iconic lines.

If you've ever heard of the Golden Globes, the Oscars, and the Grammys, this new episode of TMP will help you differentiate between all these great events and explain their importance in American pop culture.

"Show me your ID" if you are in the United States and you are young, you have heard this phrase a lot. If you are not American, television has done it for you. I've lost count of the number of scenes in American shows and movies where you see some poor kid showing a fake ID to get alcohol for his friends. In today's episode, we're going to talk abo…

At one time, Las Vegas was a place for outcasts and outlaws. Later, it became a place to go for live entertainment. Then it became the place where families came to spend their summer vacation. Since 2003, Las Vegas has established itself as a paradise for adults with its nightclubs, pool parties, and the world-famous tagline "What happens in Vegas,…

Former First Lady Michelle Obama is admired for many things, such as her stunning wardrobe, enviable athletic silhouette, and passion for issues such as women's empowerment and health and wellness. She is also known for the motto "when they go low, we go high," which she uttered in 2016 during her speech at the Democratic convention. So, in today's…

Gym classes are torture. You can see it portrayed on American television. There's dodgeball and running, but the worst of all these horrors is the infamous rope climb that involves getting to the top and ringing a bell. We've all seen this awkward and funny moment in our favorite American TV shows and movies. So in today's episode, we're going to t…