Stick lived in Germany for a couple years before we met, but he was on an American base, so the only German he knows is Where is the train station? and potato. (Ed. note: Stick would like you all to know that he can ALSO say Mein auto es kaput) This is plot exposition more than second-language mocking, I mean, I lived in China for two years and my Mandarin taps out at reading a menu and ordering dinner. (But, Stick, Mandarin is MUCH HARDER! Compared to Mandarin, German is practically English!)
I love my walk to work, through Koreatown, commuting though tourists taking pictures of the Empire State Building. (Plot exposition. Really. Stay with me here.)
The other day, I was walking in, when a German man stopped me to ask if I was from here, and if I could give them directions.
“Could you tell us the way to….” The husband stopped here and turned to his wife, they had a rapid discussion in German. I recognised the facial expressions and body language from my years teaching ESL, they were stuck on the next word. Actually, now that I think about it, German isn’t practically English. I couldn’t make out anything they were saying…except….
Bohnhoff.
Which means train station, and is therefore, one of the four German words I could possibly know.
So I told them where to go, and then called Stick to ask if he just pulled a really elaborate prank.
