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So, I've been in Deutschland for a year now. But just how Deutsch have I become in this time? Here's some stuff I've noticed that I feel show that I am rather Germanified in some ways.
Rucola
Just this week at work I realised that Rucola is the German (well Italian) word for Rocket. I thought it was called Rucola in UK too. Whoops.
HB2U
Being an office worker now, I am mainly bombarded with German. But when I gathered with my colleagues to sing happy birthday to a coworker, I got a nasty surprise. Although they do have their own version of the traditional song, they seem to prefer singing the English version, with the most exaggerated German accents possible. The only bit they change is "dear" to "liebe(r)". Even an English colleague was singing it in this affected accent. I'm not that German yet!
Africa
Being in my favourite bar with Sadie, my English friend, and we spent the whole night having a conversation in German with a man from Senegal. When you are using German as a mutual language that is foreign to every speaker, it's a good sign. Well, until said men tries to burst in on you while you are in the toilet. We switched back to English to berate the perv.
Techno
Techno is very much a German specialty. And while I maintain that I can enjoy any type of music in the right circumstance, a year ago I would never have dreamt I'd have an absolutely amazing weekend dancing to techno music. OK so the company, the location, the vodka watermelon and the silver mullet probably helped, but still… technotechnotechnotechno!
Crossing the road
As I was telling Natalie I was planning on a "How German am I?" blog entry, we were crossing a road. Not at the traffic lights. She pointed out "not completely German then".
Tschußie
As Stephen Fry will tell you, Modern German is no longer the strict "RAUS! SCHNELL!" of war films. Instead it's kinda campy. When I first got here, the goodbye greeting "Tschußie" made me laugh, and I used to use it as a pisstake with other non-German friends. Now I have no qualms using it in my everyday interaction, and occasionally I even attempt the shortened yet neverending "Tschuuuu", which you also have to make into a two syllable word.
Na
"Na?" "Na!"
GAH!
OK this is my current biggest gripe with Germans. A German meets a German they know, be it at work or a gathering of friends, or even an accidental encounter with an old one-night-stand. One leads with the question (yes, apparently it is a question!) "Na?". The other responds with "Na!". Which even though being an answer, still has the sound of being a question a little. Maybe it's just the campy modern German language. Apparently this little transaction is a whole conversation in which they both say "Hello, how are you" and "I'm good, thanks". In two letters and overexaggerated facial expressions. It's not like "wie geht's?" or "alles klar (bei Dir)?" take much more time, and they actually sound like you actually give a s*** about the other person.
Though I aso fear I'll be using it frequently myself in 6 months. Nah!
UBahn
OK a couple of months ago I got on the wrong direction train once, but otherwise I'm pretty much a dab hand at the transport system. I've even recently taken to catching the occasional bus that isn't a night bus, and checking the proximity of two stations before I bother waiting so long for the train. And the other day my train was sitting at the platform when I was returning from work, so I jumped straight on even though I knew that my monthly travel card had expired. I stood there cautiously watching like a hawk at each stop in case a plain-clothes ticket inspector got on. They didn't. But Schwarzfahren gives a little bit of a thrill and makes you feel like a real (cheap) Berliner!
Jeanny
I love a bit of karaoke. And one of my current faves is Jeanny, by Falco. The chorus is in English, and it was somewhat of a hit in the UK in the 80s (though it's no Rock Me Amadeus!). It's a song about dragging a girl into the woods and having your wicked way with her or something. But the reason I like it is the verses, this strange mix of creepy whispered German "where's your shoe, you've lost it", "you're lipstick is smudged"…. And scary shouty German "No one will find you, you stay with me!!!" is fabulously OTT. Singing a non-Eurovision song that isn't "Neununeneunzig Luftballon" is something I am proud of. I'm also working on "Ich will keine Schokolade", and several others. But Jeanny remains my fave.
Döner
When I first arrived in Berlin, I plumped for a Türkischer Pizza on my first trip to the local takeaway. This remained my safe choice for many months. But at some point my preference changed, and I became a true Berliner with the Döner Kebab. If I'm not planning on pulling I'll go for the Knoblauch (garlic) sauce, otherwise the kräuter (herbs), and usually ein Bißchen scharf (spicy) to give it a kick. Salad is always "alles", and then the whole thing is eaten in a hopefully-not-too-mesy way. And before you worry, a German Döner is nothing like the English ones. It was invented here for starters, it tastes nicer - specifically the meat - and getting a complete and somewhat balanced meal for €2-3 is a bargain of epic proportions. They're gooooood.
Train beer
One of my favourite things about Berlin is the fact that you can drink on the train. Especially handy when going out somewhere that is half an hour away, it means no valuable drinking time is lost. Picking up a beer on your way out is always easy enough to do, and makes that train ride much less lonely and long. Also available is the Jägermate, for those upmarket nights. Grab a bottle of Club Mate (like Iced Tea), swig a bit of it, and then pour a small bottle of Jägermeister into it. Mmmm lecker!
So yeah, I'm becoming quite German. But the good Berlin-German way, not the bad countryside-German way! I hope!
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