Last week was a nice time to visit Germany--fall has arrived with leaves changing color and crisp weather. (Well except for that one night when the weather was freakishly warm, above 20 still after the sun went down and we drank wine on the Balkon.)
I'm very lucky to be able to stay with a work colleague who has a very nice kitchen so I can buy foods and properly cook, instead of having to eat heavy hotel foods. I also consider myself to be blessed, my direct and indirect work colleagues are very nice, so the week was spent doing work while being invited multiple times for a coffee, lunch, etc.
While it was all pleasant enough to visit, I wouldn't really want to live there again.
One night, on the way home, I stopped off at Lidl in Leverkusen. (Leverkusen locally has a reputation of being a bit rough around the edges, working class.) In line behind me was a gentleman wearing the blue overalls of the working class uniform, and a dyed blond mohawk, perhaps 50 years old. As I'm past the queue and at the counter arranging items in my recycled box, he is then next to me doing the same.
He then says to me (in German): Pfui! It's too early for Christmas chocolates!
I have 15 items--pasta, tomato sauce, lettuce, etc. and he's commenting on the one Christmas item I have, a Milka Santa.
In my first few years of living in Germany, I probably would have felt affronted. Even in year three or four I may have stumbled along a response. After year five I think I got into the flow, and apparently, I have not forgotten this necessary attitude even after leaving.
Heather response: Ah yes, I used to lived in Germany, but now I only get to visit from England, and I will not return before Saint Nick day.
(To his credit, he managed to understand my less than perfect German. It's what I always liked about Leverkusen, the people seem a little friendlier to me than Cologne or D'dorf where they seemed personally offended by incorrect grammar.)
Leverkusen man: Ja, but you cannot buy a chocolate Santa Klaus in the UK?
Heather: Yes, but not such nice chocolate like Milka, and not so big, only little Santas.
Leverkusen man: Hmm! Then this is ok that you buy your German chocolate to take back to England...but this is not ok for normal Germans, this is too early.
*****
Well then. In addition, you'll be pleased to know that due to careful packing and AirBerlin's delicate suitcase handling, Milka man survived the trip back fully intact. :-)
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5 comments:
If you are interested in a postal exchange: Refreshers (my Trebor products addiction) for sundry German goods, say, I would be very interested. Happy to send X-mas stuff your way, perhaps in exhange for Chanukah stuff(which does not exist here).
Too funny. Typical German behavior. Blunt to the core. At least you got the chokolade.
lol, you should have pointed out to him the irony of the store selling them then, if "it's too early for Germans"
Maybe he was just joking?
Oh, I see, of course not, he was a German.
G: will send you an email.
rhonalala: someone besides me must be buying it that they stock it so early.
Kristin: no thanks, i didn't want to take on that discussion too. ;-)
anonymous: there was definitely no joking there. i checked in the office the next day and it was confirmed by the germans there--it's definitely too early to be selling christmas things...
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