Something funny happened to me on Friday. I was walking down the street toward our apartment when a woman nearby looked at me, smiled, and started to speak. This doesn't happen very often. I had an old man make a joke about how many empty bottles I was carrying back to the liquor store once (at least I think that's what he was doing), but generally strangers won't talk to you here unless they want... directions.
This scares me on multiple levels. First, I'm not sure I will understand what the people are asking. Second, I probably won't be able direct them to where they want to go. Most importantly, I won't be able to say in German that I don't know how to direct them where they want to go and the whole thing is just awkward for them and embarrassing for me.
So this lady, who had a husband and two daughters walking with her, stope to ask me for directions.
I can just imagine the discussion the husband and wife had moments before,
"Why don't we ask for directions?"
"We can find it. It's around here somewhere."
"If we just ask someone so we don't have to keep wandering around lost."
"Go ahead then, ask for directions if you want to."
Some gender roles are universal.
But this time, it was a little different. First, I understood what she was asking. Second, I knew which street she wanted and where it's located. It helps that the street is about a block from our apartment. Most importantly, I was able to tell her how to get there.
Don't get too excited - it's not like I had a full on conversation with her. I was able to say something like, 'it's the next street, that one where the stoplight is.' It was neither awkward nor embarrassing.
Score a point for me and my rudimentary communication skills. This does not mean I am going to walk around and seek out strangers to talk to, or offer directions to people who don't ask for them. If I did that, the Germans would think I'm insane. But maybe the next time an old man makes fun of me as I walk around with empty crates of beer, I will at least know what he's saying.
About Me
- Julia
- Thanks for coming to my blog. It started as a way to keep in touch with family and friends, and now has become an ongoing project. I'm an American living in Germany and trying to travel whenever I can. I write about my experiences as an expatriate (the interesting ones and the embarrassing ones), and about my travels. There are some recurring characters in this blog, particularly my husband Brian and several of our friends. The title comes from the idea that living in a foreign country means making a lot of mistakes. So the things you used to do easily you now have to try over and over again. Hopefully, like me, you can laugh at how idiotic it feels. If you have happened upon my blog, then welcome. Knowing that people are reading what I write makes me keep going. Feel free to write comments or suggestions for future posts.
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