Ich verstehe ein Bisschen Deutch

Yesterday was a banner day: I was right about directions. My friend Melissa and I were riding our bikes to German class. We came to an intersection and she said, "I think it's this way," indicating the right. "I thought it was to the left," said I, "so you're probably right." (It's always safe for me to assume my instinct is wrong when it comes to directions.) So we rode a little way and then realized we were going the wrong way. Melissa said, "I think I was wrong! I think we should have gone left." We turned around and headed back. Sure enough, when we got to the next intersection--there we were! Take a right across the park, past the shirtless German boys sitting by the roundabout in the park (seriously: every time I've passed this spot, there has been a group of at least 8 half-naked German guys just hanging out and showing off. They remind me of my neighbors The Keg Boys in college--do they ever go to class?), and straight up the hill to German class on the right!

Today I walked from the hotel to the downtown area by myself. On the way I was greeted (for no reason I could see except that I was smiling like an idiot) by a Vietnamese man. He spoke German to me, of course, and I had to answer with what is quickly becoming my favorite phrase: "Ich verstehe ein Bisschen Deutch " (I understand a little German). He asked me where I was from and told me he was from Vietnam. Then he said some other things I didn't understand, to which I smiled and nodded, and then we said goodbye.

At least I can carry on the beginning and end of a conversation, even if I miss the entire middle!

Today's highlight, however, was the snowman (der Schneemann). When I arrived downtown, I ran into Andrew, one of the pianists from our program. We both wanted to do some shopping and started to wander in that direction together. We had a sing-through of Suor Angelica this afternoon, but at that time we had about an hour before that happened. So we're just meandering along, looking in the shops (the few that are open! a lot of places close on Saturday!), and suddenly Andrew says, "Rachel, there's a snowman behind you." I turned around and stared. Indeed, there was a man in a very large snowman costume walking down the street. So I waved. "Allo," said the Snowman. "Allo," I replied. Then, of course, he said something I didn't understand. I of course brought back my signature phrase: "Ich vershehe ein Bisschen Deutch!" He replied, "Is ok, I am international Snowman!"

Well, you don't meet one of THOSE every day.

So we chatted with the Snowman a little, in rough English (on his part) and worse German (on mine). We learned that he was advertising the grand opening of a costume shop just down the street ("Two hundred meters! Only two yards!" "No, that's two hundred yards." "Vat? How many yards in a meter?") He also had coupons for us to get a free hat at the costume shop. Naturally we accepted--how can you refuse a free hat from a new costume shop when you're in Germany?

When we got to the costume shop, there was a cart, like an American old-fashioned ice cream cart, in front of it. But instead of ice cream, the sign said "Cocktails!", and he was selling drinks. I also saw a sign for soda, although I'm not sure that wasn't a lie. "Allo," I said to the man in the cart. "Allo," he replied, and then (again!) something I couldn't understand. "Ja," I smiled and nodded, "ein Coke, bitte?" 
So he poured me some champagne in a small plastic cup. It was 50 cents (all his drinks were 50 cents)...and I didn't have the heart to turn it down. Besides, how often will I have the chance to drink champagne for only 50 cents before lunch while wearing a free cowboy hat in Germany?  (At this rate, it might be every Saturday. I don't know.)

Those of you who know me know that I am a lightweight. The champagne was delicious and strong, and I had not yet had lunch. I got a little tipsy but had a Doner (a popular kind of sandwich) and a coffee and was almost completely sober by the time we started rehearsal. But it was long, and I really was sober by the time I sang.

Tomorrow we have the day off, but some of us are getting up to hear a Bach cantata in a Lutheran church (and Luther was from Saxony!) accompanied by an organ made by the company that designed Bach's organs. Guess I'd better get some sleep!