So on Friday I left Maike’s family for Ellefeld. It was kind of sad. I felt like an adopted daughter already. Maike’s parents were incredibly amazing to me the whole time I was there. I’m glad that I ended up leaving earlier though, than I had planned, because I was starting to feel guilty about taking advantage of their kindness. I said my goodbyes to her grandparents the night before and her Oma told me that she hoped this wasn’t the last time we would see each other. How sweet is that? Her dad also said goodbye to me the night before because he leaves for work early in the morning. He gave me a big hug and also told me how happy he was to have met me, wanted me to keep them updated as to what I am up to, and if I ever have any trouble anywhere or need any form of help I should call them. He actually reminds me a lot of my own dad. A lot. And the next morning, Betina (Maike’s mom) dropped us off at the train station and she told me to stay just the way I am “weil ich wirklich sehr lieb bin”. Basically I’m awesome. Haha. Just kidding. She said “cuz I’m a really nice girl”. The connotation is actually a bit different, and completely non-patronizing, in German, but that’s basically the translation. So Maike and I took the train from her town to Frankfurt. I asked her to come that far with me, because I was a little intimidated of the Frankfurt train station. It’s an international one, so it’s pretty huge. And folks, let me tell you, asking her to come with me was the only reason I actually got onto my train to Nürnberg. This is the story:
So, when you buy your train tickets here you get a really really REALLY nice and helpful itinerary. It tells you exactly when your trains are going to arrive/leave, what tracks they arrive at, and which tracks you need to book it to in order to make your connecting trains. So we got to Frankfurt on the S-Bahn (city train), which comes into the “basement” of the train station, track 101. So you need to take the escalators two flights up to get to the “Fernzügen” (long distance trains). Well, no problem. Took, like, 5 minutes to get up there and find Track 6, which is where my itinerary told me to go. So there was an ICE train to Köln standing there, but it wasn’t my train (the ICE25) nor my destination. But we were almost 15 minutes early, so I figured this train would get out and mine would come in. All the tracks have these digital signs with the trains that are arriving shortly: the train number, the destinations, the time etc. So we looked at the sign for track 6 and it said ICE25 to Vienna, stopping at Hanau, Würzburg, Nürnberg, etc. So that was obviously the right one. Anyways, it’s 10:20 and my train is supposed to be leaving in one minute…but it still isn’t even there! All of a sudden Maike turns around, facing Track 7 and says to me “I think that’s your train”. We both looked at the digital signs and now all of a sudden it said ICE25 on the Track 7 sign. So we quickly walked up to one of those train attendant persons (the long distance trains have attendants like planes have flight attendants) and asked him whether this was our train. He asked where we wanted to go and then told me to hop on. Literally, I stepped onto the train, the doors closed, and off it went. If we had waited ten more seconds I would have missed my train. THAT IS NOT COOL. I REPEAT NOT COOL. I’M COMPLETELY NEW TO THIS TRAIN THING. WHAT THE FREAKING HECK?????????????????
So there I was, on this train all flustered and confused, hoping desperately that I actually WAS on the right train. So then I was standing there, had no idea where to go or what to do. But one of those train persons was standing there so I asked him if he knew where I had to go. He kind of looked at me and was all “I dunno, don’t you know where you’re going?” Let me just put this out there and clarify something for everyone. Over the last 3 weeks I have come to realize that the phrase “customer service” as we know it in English DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS COUNTRY. Seriously. I have not had one friendly cashier or receptionist. Except the guy who sold me my train tickets. But he wasn’t exactly uber-friendly either, just not rude. Anyways, honestly, no one here has to be afraid of losing their job if they act like jerks to their customers. It’s just not important out here. Which I find so funny because I’ve been working in customer service since I was….16, I think? And it’s SO BEYOND IMPORTANT in Canada. I mean, important to the extent of determining whether you keep your job or not. Now, it’s not like German people are all mean or rude. They are unbelievably friendly and hospitable when it comes to personal relationships and friendships. But don’t ever expect a store clerk to be friendly…or even helpful for that matter. I mean, it can happen, but don’t expect it.
So there I was, on this train all flustered and confused, hoping desperately that I actually WAS on the right train. So then I was standing there, had no idea where to go or what to do. But one of those train persons was standing there so I asked him if he knew where I had to go. He kind of looked at me and was all “I dunno, don’t you know where you’re going?” Let me just put this out there and clarify something for everyone. Over the last 3 weeks I have come to realize that the phrase “customer service” as we know it in English DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS COUNTRY. Seriously. I have not had one friendly cashier or receptionist. Except the guy who sold me my train tickets. But he wasn’t exactly uber-friendly either, just not rude. Anyways, honestly, no one here has to be afraid of losing their job if they act like jerks to their customers. It’s just not important out here. Which I find so funny because I’ve been working in customer service since I was….16, I think? And it’s SO BEYOND IMPORTANT in Canada. I mean, important to the extent of determining whether you keep your job or not. Now, it’s not like German people are all mean or rude. They are unbelievably friendly and hospitable when it comes to personal relationships and friendships. But don’t ever expect a store clerk to be friendly…or even helpful for that matter. I mean, it can happen, but don’t expect it.
That was my mini-rant for the day. And I’m allowed to say these things because a) I’m out here and these are my personal experiences plus b) I’m German so I’m technically slamming my own ethnicity. James, if you make a Nazi joke I’m gonna punch you when I get back.
So anyways, the train attendant guy was all “well I don’t know where you’re going. You should know that.” So I said, “I have a seat reservation in car 27, seat 71.” To which he replied “well, this is car 38 and you can’t walk through to car 27” because it was like 2 trains kind of stuck together with no door in between. So he made me follow him all the way to the front of the train we were in, which is not all that easy with a giant back pack and travel bag. Then I had to stand at the front there for 15 minutes til the next stop in Hanau. He told me to then get out and run to my car. Well, I jumped off that freaking train and booked it forwards when we got to Hanau, but I have no idea how this freaking train system and its cars work. So I’m speed-walking along, find car 28 (which was after car 38…go figure) and keep going but then it all of a sudden said car 26-11. And then someone yelled “Alle einsteigen” (all aboard), literally about 30 seconds after we had stopped, so I just ran for the nearest door and jumped back on. So whatever, I just kept walking and found a seat number 71 and sat down. It turns out I was actually in car 24, but it actually doesn’t really matter. As long as you have your train ticket and no one comes along saying “that’s my seat” you can sit wherever you want. Seat reservation is actually optional. So I just sat there til Nürnberg. But now I was all paranoid that this was going to happen to me all the time; that trains were just going to be randomly on the wrong tracks all over the place. Anyways, the train made it to Nürnberg and I now had to switch to the IRE 3089. So before you get to the train station they often announce, on the actual train, all the connecting trains around the same time that you’ll be arriving. So they said IRE 3089 to Dresden on track 19, which is what my itinerary predicted. I got off the ICE25 and found my way to track 19, looking at every single sign along the way. They all said IRE 3089 on track 19 to Dresden over Plauen (which was my final destination), so I got onto the next train and hoped for the best. Well, the person who comes along to check everyone’s tickets didn’t say anything like “you’re on the wrong freaking train, moron” so I figured I was safe. I made it to Plauen and hopped off, into the waiting arms of Tante Nancy. (She’s not really my “tante” (aka. aunt) but that’s what we always called her as kids cuz she was like an adopted aunt.) Anyways, I was just relieved. And the second I was off the train my brain just automatically switched to my old dialect – full-blown Vogtländisch. It was weird. I couldn´t believe how natural it is! Josephine was along too. She’s so grown up! I remember when she was born. I used to take her for walks in the park! Now she’s in, like, grade 6! But she actually recognized me, which was cute. She’s such a sweetie. But I was just beyond relieved that I was finally back in Sachsen with some familiar faces. So then we went for a much-needed stress-relieving ice cream. Mom, remember that Eisdiele in Treuen where we would go occasionally after piano lessons with Nancy and Sebastian (who by the way is all grown up now…what the heck? He’s 18!!!!!!!!!!!!!)? They have that same place in Plauen too, so I had my good ole Shokobecher. Oh yummy. You should see some of the creations they make. Why don’t we have ice cream parlours like that in Winnipeg? Or do I just not know about them?
So anyways, the train attendant guy was all “well I don’t know where you’re going. You should know that.” So I said, “I have a seat reservation in car 27, seat 71.” To which he replied “well, this is car 38 and you can’t walk through to car 27” because it was like 2 trains kind of stuck together with no door in between. So he made me follow him all the way to the front of the train we were in, which is not all that easy with a giant back pack and travel bag. Then I had to stand at the front there for 15 minutes til the next stop in Hanau. He told me to then get out and run to my car. Well, I jumped off that freaking train and booked it forwards when we got to Hanau, but I have no idea how this freaking train system and its cars work. So I’m speed-walking along, find car 28 (which was after car 38…go figure) and keep going but then it all of a sudden said car 26-11. And then someone yelled “Alle einsteigen” (all aboard), literally about 30 seconds after we had stopped, so I just ran for the nearest door and jumped back on. So whatever, I just kept walking and found a seat number 71 and sat down. It turns out I was actually in car 24, but it actually doesn’t really matter. As long as you have your train ticket and no one comes along saying “that’s my seat” you can sit wherever you want. Seat reservation is actually optional. So I just sat there til Nürnberg. But now I was all paranoid that this was going to happen to me all the time; that trains were just going to be randomly on the wrong tracks all over the place. Anyways, the train made it to Nürnberg and I now had to switch to the IRE 3089. So before you get to the train station they often announce, on the actual train, all the connecting trains around the same time that you’ll be arriving. So they said IRE 3089 to Dresden on track 19, which is what my itinerary predicted. I got off the ICE25 and found my way to track 19, looking at every single sign along the way. They all said IRE 3089 on track 19 to Dresden over Plauen (which was my final destination), so I got onto the next train and hoped for the best. Well, the person who comes along to check everyone’s tickets didn’t say anything like “you’re on the wrong freaking train, moron” so I figured I was safe. I made it to Plauen and hopped off, into the waiting arms of Tante Nancy. (She’s not really my “tante” (aka. aunt) but that’s what we always called her as kids cuz she was like an adopted aunt.) Anyways, I was just relieved. And the second I was off the train my brain just automatically switched to my old dialect – full-blown Vogtländisch. It was weird. I couldn´t believe how natural it is! Josephine was along too. She’s so grown up! I remember when she was born. I used to take her for walks in the park! Now she’s in, like, grade 6! But she actually recognized me, which was cute. She’s such a sweetie. But I was just beyond relieved that I was finally back in Sachsen with some familiar faces. So then we went for a much-needed stress-relieving ice cream. Mom, remember that Eisdiele in Treuen where we would go occasionally after piano lessons with Nancy and Sebastian (who by the way is all grown up now…what the heck? He’s 18!!!!!!!!!!!!!)? They have that same place in Plauen too, so I had my good ole Shokobecher. Oh yummy. You should see some of the creations they make. Why don’t we have ice cream parlours like that in Winnipeg? Or do I just not know about them?
Driving back to Ellefeld was so strange. Everything was so indescribably terribly familiar and yet so completely strange all at the same time. We even drove past my old school, the Wilhelm-Adolf-Trützschler Gymnasium (no James, the “Adolf” does NOT refer to Hitler….), which is no longer a “Gymnasium” (the kind of high school that goes til grade 12). It’s a “Mittelschule” now, which ends at grade 10. It was cool to see it again – like a dream almost. It’s hard to believe I used to LIVE here. Seems unreal sometimes, even now. And then we made it to Ellefeld. It’s like I’ve never left now.
my old elementary school
the next few are my view from my window at Nancy´s
Oooooooooooooooooooh, and I finally got FLEISCHSALAT for supper!!! (It’s basically mayonnaise with Lyoner sausage, pickles, and onions all mixed together in a “salad”, which you smear on bread.) It’s the greatest food discovered by mankind and I have been waiting five years for this. I ate the whole container full in less than a day - and I´m not ashamed. But no worries, Jürgen brought a fresh one home yesterday. Which I ate for breakfast today. HEY, DON’T KNOCK IT TIL YOU’VE BLINKING TRIED IT.
So I’m now taking up Jürgen and Nancy’s guest room, which has it’s own en suite bathroom! It’s strange, the kind of amenities that are capable of provoking squeals of utter euphoria these days. That’s what happens when you haven’t had a place of your own for 2 months. I can get up and shower in the privacy of my own room. No one ever has to see me with bedhead or racoon eyes. I’m preventing permanent emotional scarring everywhere! :) Luxury.
And yesterday I got together with one of my very best friends from Germany, Daniela M. It was all very exciting. Lots of hugging, giggling and exclamations of “I can’t believe you’re finally here” and “I can’t believe I’m here either!” All very estrogen-related. We were so excited I actually forgot to grab the house key on the way out, but Sebastian had noticed and since he was going to M.’s (I’m trying to avoid using last names on the Internet; when I think of it, anyways) later for Lydia’s birthday party, he brought it along for me. Awesome. Anywho, Daniela came by around 2 pm and we drove to her parents’ place in Dorfstadt. The home where I spent many many many happy hours as a kid; sleepovers, skiing, fort building. sigh. They have a giant yard full of apple, banana, cherry, walnut, pear, pine, and bamboo trees. Blueberry, raspberry, goose berry, currant, and many other berries-that-I-don’t-know-in-English bushes. Chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, cats, sheep. A hay loft. Ponds with the most ginormous lily pads and purple flowers you’ve ever seen. Everything a child needs. Especially because we didn’t have a yard while we lived out here. (Yards and gardens are precious commodities in such tiny country with a population that’s busting at the seams.) I was reunited with Gerd & Elke (Dani’s parents), Susann, and Lydia (Dani’s sisters), as well as Daniela’s grandparents – with exclamations of “what a tall young lady I grew into” all around; and I finally met little 4-year-old Gideon (Gerd and Elke’s surprise child) for the first time. It was amazing. I got two tours through my old stomping grounds. Once with Daniela and once with Gerd, who of course told me the name of each tree and told me how high they had grown in the past 8 years since I last played amongst them. The memories! I can’t even begin to describe. My favourite cherry tree is gone now, but THANKFULLY they have more. We just walked around eating everything right off the bushes. I could live off of the produce in that garden! And we practically did some days as kids. I ate some kind of leaf that tastes like licorice and the freshest blueberries of my life yesterday! Mom, your mouth must be watering right now. :)
Ok ok, I’m coming to my last paragraphs here. If you’re even still reading. ;P Around 5:30pm Daniela, her boyfriend Christian, and I left for the Zwickauer Stadtfest (basically a big city party in Zwickau). We met up with a bunch of their friends: Holger, Corinna, Micha, Franziska, and Konrad. They were all incredibly nice people. I’m always a little reluctant to go meet a huge group of someone’s friends at a big party like that cuz you never know what’ll happen. Sometimes they’re all really genuinely accepting and they readily ask you questions to find out who you are and what you´re all about; but other times they all just ignore you, pretend you’re not even there, and carry on with their own little conversations and inside jokes. But I was very pleasantly surprised yesterday. We all wandered through the hugest crowds I’ve ever seen in my life for about 4 hours. There were three giant stages set up in different parts of the city’s center with tons of live performances. Food booths with everything from the typical German Bratwurst to American mini donuts. I had a Hungarian specialty call a Lagos. Basically fried dough with herb-sour-cream, tomatoes, and mozzarella (but the soft, juicy stuff, not the mozzarella you buy in Canada). We eventually found a cool little bar where we could enjoy a drink and rest our tired feet for an hour or so. Coolest bathrooms, ever, by the way. They were built into the cave walls of the basement. By the time we left the festival (at 12:30am when all the crazy people start to get really wasted and annoying) I felt like part of the group. They were really interested in my life, who I was, why I came over from Canada, what it’s like in North America, etc. And mostly wondering how/why I speak perfect German with no accent! Whenever I get introduced somewhere it’s as "Julia from Canada" and then everyone kind of looks at me and they introduce themselves slowly and loudly, like I’m deaf or something. To which I reply that it’s ok, I can understand them just fine. :) (But it makes me happy every time someone tells me they would have no idea that I’m “a foreigner”. I still feel like I’m missing a ton of the vocabulary I used to have, but at least no one else can tell!)
Apparently the guy who won the German version of American Idol was signing on one of the stages and got egged! We were sad we missed it, but we were taking in this other guy’s concert a couple streets down. Good times. And after nearly 6 hours of a good ole German party we drove home. Hugs all around (the younger German generation has made it past the physical closeness phobia…) and lots of “really nice to meet you” ’s….and “hope we see each other again” ‘s… It was a fantastic day/night.
Well, Daniela should here any second. So much to catch up on. :) And so many people to visit this week! I’ll keep you all up to date. Hopefully with much much much shorter posts. I don’t blame you if you weren’t able to make it through this. You need some serious endurance to finish this record-breaking entry. I’m gonna steal all the pics Daniela took yesterday and post them on Facebook eventually too. The link will be up when I get around to it. :) Have a gooder!
xoxo Julia
3 comments:
you should be proud of me...i read every word:)
I read every word too. I miss you! But I'm glad you're having a great time.
i am unbelievably proud of both of you
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