15.07.11 Alone in Berlin
Day 1 of 365 in Berlin. Weather: 27 degrees and sunny. Lindsay: collapsed on a sofa after a long day of walking, stuffing her face with Vollkornbrot.
So far, today, I have:
-gotten so excited about ordering my first coffee in German that I forgot to eat breakfast
-caused a lady to roll her eyes and say “whatever”
-accidentally walked into someone’s private office
-seen a young woman covered in fake blood, lying atop a Canadian flag on the sidewalk
-fashioned my cardigan into a makeshift bag in order to carry my groceries home as punishment for blanking on how to say “can I have a bag, please?” in German at the supermarket till
This afternoon as I strolled eastwards across Unter den Linden, sweat pouring down my face, it struck me:
I am a complete stranger here.
It’s amazing how a language can have the ability to both include and ostracize; in my case, the latter. I remain lost in my English thoughts, internally rejoicing each time I spot a word or phrase I understand, drowning myself in children’s books, determined to master this language and survive.
I know more German than I did yesterday. This can only mean one thing: by tomorrow, I’ll know even more. Bring it, Day 2 – the phrasebook and I are ready.
Yes, but I am sure if you had tried telling them “das kliene crokodile” they would have given you a bag….
Hahaha! (I know who “Wendi” is, by the way – no need to explain!)