Like, Totally.
Was reminded of why I’m so embarrassed by Americans abroad today. Whilst on line at Duane Reade Boots Budni, a group of three-college aged girls came up behind me. Two were American, the other while not German was of some European country (my best guess is Russia). I had my headphones in, and the two Americans still seemed like they were yelling.
I mean like, I can understand German, but I can’t speak it. Ask me something! Oh. That’s the first thing we ALWAYS get asked. God it’s like such a weird and ugly language.
At one point, the cashier comes over the announcement and in German says her lane is closed and you should move to lanes 1 or 2. While I may not have completely understood the words she said, her body language and tone made it very clear what was happening. The girls proceeded to make a scene screaming “What is she saying!? Ugh, what?!”
Naturlich the entire store was staring at them. I made it a point to speak very quietly and only in the minimal German I feel comfortable speaking so as not to be associated.
Similarly yesterday I was on the train with a Russian girl and a girl from Belarus. They were speaking English to me. Everyone on the train was staring. We were surrounded by a German football team in their teens when one slipped and knocked in to the girl from Belarus. “Like, I’m sooo totally sorry,” he says. Everyone laughs. It’s just really embarrassing to be American sometimes.
