I didn't just learn German! Part One

In 1966, I was selected to be an exchange "student" in Germany---I was 20 years old, had never been in another country, had never been on an airplane, had never lived outside of Missouri.

My parents were very proud of me, BUT didn't have the money to fly me there eventhough my expenses would be paid for once I was there. My dad's American Legion Post awarded me a "scholarship" which paid for my airfare and the city of Bellefontaine Neighbors made me an "ambassador." I was "on top of the world" brimming with self-confidence!

My last day at SEMo before coming home and going to Germany, I discovered that I had a library fine. I had no money, but I did have postage stamps. So, I took the postage stamps to the purser's office and paid my fine with the stamps. My Speech professor witnessed the transaction, shook her head and said, "I guess we don't have to worry about how you will manage in Germany." I was flabbergasted---how hard was it going to be to live in Germany? Were there others who thought I couldn't do it? I later found out she wasn't the only one who worried about me.

I was pretty naive---remember I had never lived outside of Missouri. The things I learned in that year have stayed with me long after my knowledge of Beowulf, interpretations of Romantic poetry,and diagramming sentences have gone. While I learned German and can still speak it fairly fluently, the education I got that year. . .

Lesson #1 Being fluent with one phrase, wasn't going to get me very far. Sure I'd studied German for years, but the only phrase I knew was one I learned in high school "Koennen Sie mir sagen wo ich mir die Haende waschen kann?" (Can you tell me where I can wash my hands?) Thank you,Mrs. Rangel, for giving me perpetually clean hands!

Lesson #2 Never nod and smile when you have no idea what two nice-looking young men in Munich said. When in doubt, I learned to shake my head no, shrug my shoulders and say, "Can you tell me where I can wash my hands?" At least a trip to the Damen Toilette (Women's room) gave me time to look words up in my dictionary.

Lesson #3 Don't ask what you're eating. I was pretty sure that the soup I was served at someone's house the first week was Brain Soup, but I convinced myself it was some sort of dumpling which kept me from heaving.