Weekends, German Class, and Rude People.

The weekends find Michael and I off discovering little things about Upper Franconia. We explore Bamberg, trying to get to know our new hometown. It is so exciting to mingle with the crowds of other saturday shoppers.


We pull our little phrase book to find the right things to say when the florist at the street market tells us that Nein. She does not Sprecht Englisch.

She smiles and waits patiently as we stumble through telling her how main Stücks of this flower, or that flower we'd like. Nodding when we get the words just right, or even kind of right. She presents us with our bouquet almost like it's a gift, and not something we're paying for.

She's chubby and short and reminds me of an elf. I decided, even when stumbling through our communication that I liked her. I liked the way she looked at us, trying to size the two of us up.

We sit at outdoor cafes drinking Spezi, most times with a dog panting at the table beside us. Sometimes the old dog will raise his head lazily and give a bark, just to add his two euro cents into whatever conversation...

We walk around cathedrals amazed at the beauty. Sometimes honestly, we went in not caring about the beauty, but seeking relief from the heat. The giant Cathedrals are cool inside, like G-d turns on the A/C for His Holy places. We were just happy to be in the sweet coolness, and we missed the most famous of all Bamberg's statues. Bamberger Reiter (the Horseman).

I stood right under him my perplexed gaze finding more interest in another statue. I didn't realize this until weeks later, when I was looking at a guide book.

I said, randomly, as if Mike should know exactly what I'm referring to, "What! We were right under that famous statue and I didn't bother to look up!"

He looked up from what he was doing and said "what are you talking about?"

I said "The Bamberg Horseman, we were standing right under him, but I was too obsessed with the grown man that was baby sized sitting on a woman's lap."

He said "Hmm..really?"

Some saturdays we are walking around old Castles, or palaces. My words alone could never capture the absolute thrill of standing on such historic sites. The age and history behind the buildings..incomprehensible to me. I'm standing in a Castle where ages ago, men held look out for intruders! or Kunigunde probably summered here.

Kunigunde, by the way, is my most favorite of Bambergers. I even LOVE her name. Any lady in history who proved her innocence by walking over hot coals has my admiration.


Saturdays, for the two of us, are filled to overflowing with excitement. We come home tired, bags in tow, Spezis in hand, grinning from ear to ear. Proud of ourselves for speaking German. Or astonishing over the fact that the sample lady at Tegut (our favorite little grocery) was giving out wine samples. While I'm handing Michael butters and cheeses to put away into the fridge I smiled, "Can you BELIEVE we shopped in a grocery while I drank wine?"

To which He responded "I know! That would never happen in the states!"

Every Saturday evening, we hurry inside our little apartment to pour over our loot like trick-or-treaters late halloween night. Or we rush into the kitchen to make dinner with whatever goodies we found in the outdoor markets or in the markt. Rosemary butter chicken, fresh veggies. Cheese. We are always about the cheese. In fact one of the first words we learned in German was: Käse. We barely get the front door closed before we are desperate to sample our findings.

But during the week....there's not much going on. Michael goes to work. I clean, I go to the library. But my favorite is German Class. I look forward to it.

The instructor, Heike, is a sweet woman who reminds me of a Garden Gnome. She says "Ja. Ja" in a deep voice. Or when someone says something correct she says "SUPER!" or "Ja wohl!"

Our class had a Brotzeit. (Brut-zyte)Which is a picnic. There were little breads or "brotla", spreads, various ham, radishes, pickles, polish tomato salad and pickled green beans. Our instructor and her Schwiegermutter prepared all of this for us. I was surprised by the kindness, and the excitement she had at sharing a Brotzeit with her class.

We sat around a picnic table and did baby german. "May I have a plate?" and "Can I have a fork?"

It was fun.

Except for...if you've ever wondered "well, why DO people hate Americans?" and you've probably thought this, based on yourself... You're nice. You have manners....etc...What could be so bad about Americans, right?

I say this because I felt the same exact way. I had no idea why anyone would hate Americans...

Well, here's the reason. I will tell you because I think you should be made aware.

There was a woman at our Brotzeit. Her brassy cluelessness made her annoying and highly rude.

She interrupted our "May I have a spoon, please?" exercise by saying "Yeah. But how you ask for a napkin?"

The tone she used made everyone stop talking.

We all looked at her.

She continued, without noticing that we've all got our eyebrows raised against her rudeness, "Cos I was at a restaurant and I ask for a napkin and no body know what I was wantin'. I had to act it out. Still they didn't know. So finally I say 'Gimme a KLEENEX.' And they know what I want then."

Hieke said "You only have to say 'Haben Sie eine Serviette.'"

The woman purses her lips, raises her eyebrow and says "I have to say all that? Can't I just say 'kleenex'?'"

And I couldn't help but think....The people at the restaurant, they knew exactly what you were wanting, they just didn't like how rude you were asking. That's why they made you act out what you wanted. Just to make you feel stupid. I kinda wanna high five the waitress.

This wasn't the only time she made herself seem like a rude/mannerless/idiotic American. She announced that no one would help her find her way from Schweinfurt to Bamberg. So she yelled "WHY no body WANNA help ME?"

Well, honestly, if I was in my hometown, and someone was yelling in her native language...well, I'd just keep walking, too.

My husband had huge eyes and just looked at the table.
It was like a fart in church. All the people in the class were dead silent.
 Here we were, surrounded by the kindness of a lady trying to assist us in learning the language and customs of her home..and this rude woman is so full of ingratitude.

She sat there with an air of entitlement, not of graciousness.

Sadly, It is not an isolated case, either. I am often shocked by the sheer rudeness of our own people. It makes me want to apologize. It would mortify you. You'd think, these people are going out every day representing our good country.

It makes me feel terrible, especially when someone is going out of his or her way to make friends or show kindness to us Americans.

I can say with honesty that when my husband and I go out into town, we try to use the language, even if we say things wrong, we are greeted with smiles and nods. We have met more friendly people than rude. Never once have we ever had to stand in a street and yell "WHY WON'T ANYONE HELP US!" We never have had to play charades for a napkin, either...

I think cultural differences are harder for some to learn...but I think it's a good idea to learn about them before you ever step foot aboard your plane to your foreign destination.

Your trip will be less frustrating and you'll get to see how friendly the people can be....

It is my sincere wish that people like the woman in my German class would understand that this is NOT America, and many things will be different.

There are differences that I find difficult, too, like the staring. Germans stare very hard at people. And trust me, it feels weird, and awkward, but for the most part, we smile or nod and it ends the stare down.

I don't feel the need to scream at the top of my lungs in the middle of Schwienfurt.

I'm not perfect, I know I probably do things inadvertantly that offend Germans...but I try to be friendly and I try to speak their language...and I find myself greeted with more smiles than blank stares.