No man should travel until he has learned the language of the country he visits. Otherwise he voluntarily makes himself a great baby, - so helpless and so ridiculous.- Ralph Waldo Emerson
I was nervous for Bill -- going to a foreign country by himself, not knowing the language. He said it was no problem. People would speak in German. He would say What?. They would say Oh (interpreted: you're not from around here) then begin speaking English (heavily German accented, of course).
Only in Bavaria! his work mates bragged as they all ordered beer for lunch in the facility cafeteria. But, the supervisor will send you home if you're drunk!
Bill ordered water. Later he emailed:
They don’t serve tap water here and no ice in any drinks. Work mates say the water may not be fit for consumption. Everything is in bottles that are returned for refund. No plastic bottles, no aluminum cans. Plus the water served is with “gas” or “no gas”. You can bet that threw me the first time I sat down for a meal and asked for water and she rambled out gasnogas with a German accent. I responded hu? Gasnogas she replied. I replied “tap water”. She brought me a bottle of water, w/no ice. Found out the water w/gas is carbonated. Ever tried drinking tonic water to satisfy your thirst?
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