I needed to go to the main post office today to send off a document to my client. Which could only mean one thing; i had to try and speak German. I could already feel my stomach churning with anxiety. But i say "try" because i am nowhere near confident or have enough vocabulary to string enough sentences together to have an impromptu conversation.
After many years of playing The Mute; the girl who doesn't speak so-and-so dialect or language, i am still able to tune out almost like a pro no matter which country i land on. It's frustrating because i don't understand... yet. And alienating because well, it sucks being the only one not laughing when everyone is rolling on the floor after someone tells a story. And i'm standing there like a dumb arse wishing i had on a pair of red ruby shoes to click my heels out of there.
But today i made every effort to try and speak a language that is not my mother tongue and i can only hope i used grammatically correct sentences.
Like a school girl preparing for a test, i scribbled down my questions in German in case i got temporary amnesia when i got to the counter and rehearsed them over and over. Questions such as, Can i have this letter registered please? How long will it take? How much does it cost by DHL? And stating that i needed the letter to arrive before the end of next week and whether that was possible.
And with the help of an online dictionary to confirm the words, i was semi-confident that my sentences were grammatically correct. I then folded the square piece of paper and off i went to the tram stop.
My worry was that Anxiety would get the better of me and instead of asking what i wanted to ask, i would chicken out and simply shove the slightly larger than A4 brown envelope through the gap in the window and leave without finding out the information that i came to ask.
I tried to memorize the sentences so i wouldn't look like too much of an arse reading off a piece of paper. I was expecting her to look at me confused after i tried my best to pronounce the words with accuracy but i was pleasantly surprised when she answered my questions and we both understood one another. She was unable to answer my DHL question though, so she suggested that i go to the Packages Area.
After following her directions, i guess i was so overjoyed that she actually understood me, that when i got to the Packages Area i forgot to ask the man behind the counter how much it would cost by DHL and ended up just sending it by registered mail. Here's hoping that it arrives in the 6 days that they had estimated.
But at least i did it... never mind the one or two stutters in between. *Pats her own back*
I knew the public library is really near the main post office and just outside was a square where people can sit. I knew the afternoon sun would be there and so i made my way there after. I had brought along my book and found a vacant spot by the moldy coloured green fountain water.
J offered to pick me up after his work so i spent 2 hours under the cloudless sky with the sun shining down. There i sat alternating between people watching, reading page after page of my book and avoiding being caught in the fast overtaking shadow.
By the time J arrived i was busting to go to the loo. I wasn't going to risk waiting till we got home in fear that any slight bump in the road could result in me peeing on myself and in J's car. And as much as i tried to hold it, i just couldn't. J reassured me the toilets were extremely clean, as i'm quite skeptic over the cleanliness of public restrooms especially at the train station.
But if ya gotta go, ya just gotta go!
And after much relief i have to add that was probably the most expensive pee i've ever had to make; 80 cents [RM3.80] and i didn't even stay that long!
On our way out of the carpark we noticed quite a number of taxi's outside waiting for passengers. Not only do Duesseldorf taxi drivers cruise around in a Mercedez-Benz but some even advertise for a 24 hour club that promises table top dancing AND more.
Then i was thinking, what a great place to advertise! My guess is the club owners give taxi drivers an extra big Christmas stocking at the end of the year for bringing in customers.
WooOooh.
After many years of playing The Mute; the girl who doesn't speak so-and-so dialect or language, i am still able to tune out almost like a pro no matter which country i land on. It's frustrating because i don't understand... yet. And alienating because well, it sucks being the only one not laughing when everyone is rolling on the floor after someone tells a story. And i'm standing there like a dumb arse wishing i had on a pair of red ruby shoes to click my heels out of there.
But today i made every effort to try and speak a language that is not my mother tongue and i can only hope i used grammatically correct sentences.
Like a school girl preparing for a test, i scribbled down my questions in German in case i got temporary amnesia when i got to the counter and rehearsed them over and over. Questions such as, Can i have this letter registered please? How long will it take? How much does it cost by DHL? And stating that i needed the letter to arrive before the end of next week and whether that was possible.
And with the help of an online dictionary to confirm the words, i was semi-confident that my sentences were grammatically correct. I then folded the square piece of paper and off i went to the tram stop.
My worry was that Anxiety would get the better of me and instead of asking what i wanted to ask, i would chicken out and simply shove the slightly larger than A4 brown envelope through the gap in the window and leave without finding out the information that i came to ask.
I tried to memorize the sentences so i wouldn't look like too much of an arse reading off a piece of paper. I was expecting her to look at me confused after i tried my best to pronounce the words with accuracy but i was pleasantly surprised when she answered my questions and we both understood one another. She was unable to answer my DHL question though, so she suggested that i go to the Packages Area.
After following her directions, i guess i was so overjoyed that she actually understood me, that when i got to the Packages Area i forgot to ask the man behind the counter how much it would cost by DHL and ended up just sending it by registered mail. Here's hoping that it arrives in the 6 days that they had estimated.
But at least i did it... never mind the one or two stutters in between. *Pats her own back*
I knew the public library is really near the main post office and just outside was a square where people can sit. I knew the afternoon sun would be there and so i made my way there after. I had brought along my book and found a vacant spot by the moldy coloured green fountain water.
J offered to pick me up after his work so i spent 2 hours under the cloudless sky with the sun shining down. There i sat alternating between people watching, reading page after page of my book and avoiding being caught in the fast overtaking shadow.
By the time J arrived i was busting to go to the loo. I wasn't going to risk waiting till we got home in fear that any slight bump in the road could result in me peeing on myself and in J's car. And as much as i tried to hold it, i just couldn't. J reassured me the toilets were extremely clean, as i'm quite skeptic over the cleanliness of public restrooms especially at the train station.
But if ya gotta go, ya just gotta go!
And after much relief i have to add that was probably the most expensive pee i've ever had to make; 80 cents [RM3.80] and i didn't even stay that long!
On our way out of the carpark we noticed quite a number of taxi's outside waiting for passengers. Not only do Duesseldorf taxi drivers cruise around in a Mercedez-Benz but some even advertise for a 24 hour club that promises table top dancing AND more.
Then i was thinking, what a great place to advertise! My guess is the club owners give taxi drivers an extra big Christmas stocking at the end of the year for bringing in customers.
WooOooh.
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