Mayo 31, 2007

Ich Bin Ein Gringo

I'm typing this as I sit in the dining car of a high-speed train from Frankfurt to Berlin. I'm not online as I type this, but I thought it would be nice to jot down some thoughts while I'm having them. Or re-jot, as I 've already been jotting in my journal. [I'm editing this, slightly, by the way, as I sit in my friend's apartment in East Berlin 2 days later].

This is train is fast clean and efficient. Germany seems like a very efficient, clean, but wet place, at least today. Germans seems very quiet, proper, well-mannered, and concious of others personal space and boundaries. Maybe I'm just projecting that after hearing the story my friend Jose told me yesterday about his experience years ago in Germany, getting scolded by a train conductor for having his walkman turned up to high. Jose told that story to me over lunch in LA, which I took with him because I had a 7 hour layover on my way to Germany. The experience ended up being extravagantly expensive, mainly because I had to take a shuttle from LAX to Beverly Hills and then a taxi back to LAX. But it was a good prelude to extravagantly expensive Germany ( I just spent about $1.40 to go to the bathroom at the Frankfurt train station, for example).

I'm definitely jetlagged. I'm on hour 26 or so of a 28 hour total transit time from Tucson to Berlin. But I don't feel much worse than if I'd stayed up too late and drunk too much.

no political borders depicted.
Air India was an interesting experience and made me wish I was taking the plane all the way to New Delhi rather than getting off in Frankfurt. There was Indianesque food served for dinner last night, probably the most flavorful airplane food I've had, and cheesy (though with high-production values) Hindi movies playing on the screens, which also frequently reminded the viewer that the map of the plane's route that it displayed showed "physical features only. no political borders depicted."

Ah, it looks like we're pulling into Hannover. Another nice city surrounded by green.

I'm feeling frustrated....

... frustrated to not know anything more of German (the language they speak in Germany) than how to say thank you and hello. Even "excuse me" is too hard to remember, so far. ["Enschuldigen Sie Bitte," I think] … And as usual, my brain defaults to thinking in Spanish at times like these, as if my "foreign language lobe" just automatically comes on and starts saying "perdon" and "disculpa, no entiendo"…

I sort of wish I was in Spain instead, and I definitely wish the woman I'm in love with was travelling with me, and I wish the G8 wasn't happening in Germany this year. Just to be clear, I would never travel thousands or even hundreds of miles just to go to a G8 protest or probably any other big activist "megamobilization." I have such mixed feelings about them, which I will go into later. But no, the timing of my ticket purchase was such that both my current romantic relationship and my awareness of the G8 this year had not yet kicked in.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I'm here, and I'm excited to be travelling again and having an adventure. But all I originally wanted to do is visit my brother and his wife in southern Germany, and my friends the Tape-beatles in Prague, and some other friends in Berlin. But now I'm on my way to what might be the biggest activist wad-shoot in years. [Will it make a difference in the big picture? Will any folk singers even be inspired enough to write something half as enduring as Against Me's popular anthem, "I'm an Anarchist, Baby" (a song which I detest)?]

Suspira.

Posted by steev at Mayo 31, 2007 03:09 AM
Comments
I don't think Germany is extravagantly expensive. Food and drinks are, in my opinion, cheaper here than in, say, France or Italy. But I suppose that is partly because I know where to look... And I am not in one of the big, expensive cities. As far as pay toilets, they are disappearing in Germany, but they are still common in train stations or places where there are lots of drinking people (sports events or biergartens on busy days). The train station bathrooms are a last resort, in my opinion. Try to use the bathroom on the train. Of course, train toilets can get nasty as the day goes on, especially on the cheaper, slower, trains. Though even ICE toilets get disgusting. I don't know what it is with people... I know the train can be bumpy and wobbly, but is it that hard to clean up after yourself. Or not make a mess to start with. Posted by: allanimal at Mayo 31, 2007 09:56 AM
OK - this was actually a comment on your previous post that I was too late reading to write, but consider it part of a "welcome to Germany" comment. --- Wow! I went to BICAS site and it sounds really cool. Do they have two-day workshops so that I can build a bike or two if we come visit for the weekend? Oh - and I was going to replace a flat on my spare bike so you could use it, but now that I know you are the expert, maybe I will just keep the tools ready ... Hope the first part of your trip goes well! See you soon. Posted by: Jeannette at Mayo 31, 2007 10:04 AM
Oh yeah! One more thing that I forgot to say. I totally know what you mean about the foreign language lobe being occupied by the wrong foreign language! Whenever we visit another country, I know the basics before I go (at least I try),, but always start spewing german instead. And it is really bad in france, since I supposedly know a lot of French. It just takes 30 minutes before it comes to the surface, and then it is too late. I think it shares a neuron or two with my "snappy comeback" lobe. Of course German looks hard, because the words gat get pretty long. eventually it starts to work. Except for today. For some reason I could barely form a coherent word this afternoon when I was talking to a guy on his last day. Posted by: allanimal at Mayo 31, 2007 01:01 PM