Schwelmo's Welt

Sometimes it would be good to have a tape recorder on you. Especially if you a bit drunk. That way, you would be able to recall all the wisdom and sophisticated discussions you had (or you probably just realize how much crab you are talking). We might be able to ask the FBI for our records anyway. However, I just discussed and solved all problems of the (developed and developing) world with my Islamic flatmate. We basically agreed to get rid off transnational capitalism and fundamentalism of all kind. But this sounds to simple and does not match the deepness of the discussion we might have had (@ pete: I think the world problems can be solved in a pub).

Yesterday I went for a beer with a guy from Duesseldorf I met here. It surprised me a bit that I didn’t mind that he was German and so didn’t he (also he was complaining that there are too many Germans around). I had to think again that Germans might have a problem with their own identity. Since I am living here for about 2 ¾ years I met truckloads of them. If you meet another German in foreign country it gets a bit funny. Everyone kind of expects to be the “only one” and is not very enthusiastic to meet a fellow country man. Well, that’s what I felt as well. I thought coming down here I would have an exotic bonus and all the girls would fall for me because of my funny accent. However, after two weeks I gave up on that, as everybody asked (usually after I said “Hello”) from which part of Germany I am from without me mention being German. So the accent isn’t exotic at all (nowadays I sometimes get asked if I am French, which is probably because my French flatmates spoiled my pronunciation). But back to the point: Germans seem to try to avoid each other (in the long term it doesn’t work anyway). Other Nations seem to be more delighted to meet each other. Spanish people even forget that they are Basque or Catalan and drinking together and talking about dancing. French, even when they say they are not that keen to meet other French, starting vivid discussions about cheese, wine and Gaenseleber which can and goes on forever. (US)Americans are a bit different as they always pretend to be Canadian and have troubles to explain each other where exactly in Canada they are from, without actually ever been there. The Irish, Scottish and Welsh meet to take the piss out off the English. The English do the same with the Germans and French. (By the way they are pretty obsessed with the WWII and keep talking about it. They usually shut up when I tell tell them I don’t care about WWII but I am proud that we won the World Cup 3 times without getting help from any Russian Linesmen. I actually met a Welsh guy who served his AirForce time in Weeze (Flughafen Niederhein). He told me that in the 80s when they made their low flight exercises over the Niederrhein and Ruhrgebiet they had sharp atomic rockets on. OOOh scary. I guess we are lucky none of them came ever down and I still hope he was just kidding…..)

Only we are like “Oh gosh, not another one”. “Where are you from?” “Germany.” “Oh yeah me too. Well, see you later.” Everybody seems to have a good reason why she/he is more allowed to be here more than the other. Well, it took me a while to get over it but I was very delighted to get to know that very cute one (Thank you!). We probably need to realize that our planet is inhabited by 6.5 billion traveling individuals. There are nice people and bad people everywhere so don’t make your mind about person from a meaningless citizenship. At the end my best mates are from Germany and I am happy if they come down here.

That’s just what I think to have observed between German, but it might be very biased by my own thinking and experiences!

# posted by Schwelmo @ Friday, December 23, 2005 1 Comments