Ok, Germany is a really nice place and the people I’ve met have all been terrific, yet as I walked the streets of Weimar today with Doga, I was dogged with the question, why am I doing this. I know no German, my language acquisition skills are rather poor, and I will be signing contracts and pledging to stay here with documents I do not understand.
Tomorrow I register with the police, and, hopefully, buy a German SIM card for my mobile phone (errr… Handy), and open a bank account with lots of money.
Tonight, after returning from Weimar, I met up with Rui and we went to a café-possibly the only one in town not showing the Germany-Czech Republic football (soccer) match, drank a little and talked about Europe. I was happy that I was able to recognize things on the menu – principally dessert, and to ask the very friendly waitress “Where is the bathroom?” in such a way that she understood. Unfortunately I didn’t understand her verbal answer, but the hand motions to go upstairs were clear.
Knowing how to get to the bathroom and order dessert are two of the more important things in life.
See, you’ve only been there a day and already can have dessert and use the bathroom. You’re going to be fine.
I live in a traditionally German neighborhood, and I find that one of the benefits is the easy access to Kinder Bueno chocolate bars and Wendler’s Nougat bar (in the green wrapper).
But I’m sure your dessert at the cafe was even better. 🙂
haha! I know german and you don’t…too bad for you! Maybe one of your friends will teach you…or not and watch you cry? Let’s hope it’s the first and not the latter…
Nothing like immersion to teach a guy with little ability to pick up languages a new language. Necessity is usually a wonderful motivator. 🙂
Hmm… By the time I find my way over to say hello (assuming I get an invitation at some point) you’ll likely be better than I am at speaking Deutsch.
Depends when you come… 😉