Mein letzer Tag in Berlin

Yesterday I took it easy. I started to do a little shopping and such. I stopped in at an Imbiss and there was a young American couple ahead of me in line. They were a very typical American couple. They didn't know or even try a word of German. They asked for a hot dog. The attendant at the counter asked "Would you like to try something different? Something a little bit outside of the usual?" The guy ended up getting the wurst, but the girl stuck with the hot dog. I just kept thinking to myself, man, I'm having such a better time than they are. They were just pointing at things, and you could tell it was a scary experience for them. I thought, why on earth would you go to some place and not attempt to enjoy it? And I realized why I love Germany so much, so much more so than many of my American friends, and especially those who don't speak German (although there are a number who don't and still love it).

Sidebar: By the way, I'm typing this in Berlin-Schöneberg airport sipping a Beck's. I love Germany.

So last night, I tried to find this bar a friend told me about. Mind you it's a Tuesday night. I didn't have my map with me, and I got a little off the beaten path. I ended up walking by a local supply shop for, who? Emergency service workers. Firemen, ambulance drivers, etc. They had the real deal, the suits, and jackets, everything. And in the window, I see it: Ein Berlin Feuerwehr T-Shirt, complete with the Berlin bear logo. I.... must.... have it. So my flight the next day isn't until 6:30 PM, so I have plenty of time to run out and get it before my flight.

So I do. I head right there and walk in. I go over to the t-shirts. I don't see any. A man comes up to me and asks, "Kann ich Ihnen hilfen?"

"Ja. Haben Sie irgendein Berlin Feuerwehr T-Shirts?"

"In Ihre Große?" In your size? he asks.

"Ja."

He starts looking. He can't find any other. And then he stands up and says, "Ein halb Stunde." This is one of those moments when I understand exactly what he says, but no idea why he says it.

"Wie bitte?" I ask.

"Dreizig Minuten?" OH!!! He can have one made for me in 30 minutes!

I think a second. "Ja, gerne!" So he picks out a blank T-Shirt in my size. "Ich gehe um und komme zurück," I say. I'll go around and come back.

"Okay!"

"Okay!"

30 minutes and zwolf Euro later, I'm the proud and happy owner of made-to-order official Berlin Feuerwehr T-Shirt.

And one annecdote richer. I walked out about high as a kite. Now whenever I wear it, I got one helluva story to tell about too!

Blogdatum: Dienstag, 05.09.2006