An Official German Post
Since Saturday, I’ve been in Germany. This will be my first official post. I’ve been lazy, sleep deprived; busy with work, and apparently, the only time I get to myself is when I’m in my room after sitting in the office for eight hours. I’ll go to dinner with my coworkers, head back to the hotel, and I find myself wanting to sleep instead of sitting up, reading, or writing. There’s not a thing on television. Well, there is, but it’s all in German. I brought movies with me but I fall asleep while watching them.
Saturday, after some serious resting, I headed over to a quaint little restaurant down the street from the hotel. The restaurant, named Bitburger, is a German pub with local faire. I met-up with a coworker of mine and we savored on currywurst and beer. After an evening of conversation, laughter, and watching a boxing match on television, we both headed back to our hotel. The seven-hour time difference was horrible, especially with beer in your system.
Much to our chagrin, Germany is closed on Sunday. We walked around our little town, saw a number of beautiful cars, and reveled at the architecture. The city is so green, and as I’ve come to know, it rains just about every day! You could almost call this “The Seattle of Europe” yet less depressing. After our five-mile walk, we headed back to our hotel and rested for a bit. About 2pm I headed downstairs, told the reception that I was heading over to “Bitburger” and to let my coworker know where I’d be. Both of the girls at the front desk questioned my English. “Sir, Bitburger?” “Yes,” I responded, “the restaurant down the street.” They both laughed. “Sir, Bitburger is a type of beer here in Germany. The restaurant you’re referring to is named Flair.” Two words came out of my mouth, “Oh, shit!” and both of the girls laughed at my expense. I walked over to “Bitburger” and discovered that they, too, are closed on Sunday’s. We went to an Irish pub, drank a few beers and ate good food.
Monday and Tuesday were identical. Monday, a number of meetings, then all the training and dialog began. We ate at a steak house. A coworker couldn’t finish his food and offered a few pieces of ostrich. It was the first time I’ve ever had it and it’s quite good. I find it extremely difficult without my family being near me. The eight-hour (Germany changed their time on the 30th) time difference mean less time for the family and I to converse. During the time I’m sleeping the family is awake and doing their thing. When I’m awake, they’re asleep. Neither the family nor I can win! I miss them a lot and want to see and hear the five of them. All the dialogs and opportunities to spend with my team out here definitely help pass the time but the thought of family still outweighs everything. On Tuesday, we headed back to the Irish pub. We all had more beer, more food, and a whole lot of rain on the return trip to the hotel.
We’re heading to a brewery in thirty minutes. Obviously, beer will be involved. I’m also hoping for food, as one cannot live on beer alone. I’m hoping to be back at the hotel at a decent hour so I can talk to Jessica for more than five minutes.