On Language Gaps

True Loves,

One of the unique experiences I'm having to a lot of my friends is I am not a native speaker in the country I am studying in. Though I've improved greatly there are still times where if not better comprehension, at least quicker comprehension could be useful.

Andy (my number one lover) was here for the week. It was wonderful having him here and I felt pretty secure in my German leading him around Freiburg and translating for him. After dropping him off at the train station this morning I headed up to the platform to catch my tram, throwing my bag over my shoulder to hold my dress down in the breeze.

I walked around the platform, feeling melancholy as I had just said goodbye to my boo when a rather sketchy looking man (there are a lot of these in Freiburg, and in most cities I imagine), who started to talk to me. I simply said "Nein" or "No" before he got very far, assuming he wanted a cigarette oder Etwas (or something). He walked away hastily. It was only later that I realized what he had been trying to tell me was that my dress had gotten caught up under my bag leaving my butt cheek exposed to the world. Good news is I was wearing solid unmentionables and I will probably never see these people again.

One of those "don't judge a book by its cover" stories.

With Love,

Emily