Swimpy wrote:We were guests in your country and I tried my best to be polite.
I'm not surprised at all, and I'm also not surprised (if a teeny bit relieved) that the Germans reciprocated. I think Jane has a good point about the busloads of American tourists in Germany. It's the same the other way round. Sometimes when I'm in America, I see the equivalent German busload. Whenever it appears near the horizon, I try extra hard to hide my German accent so Americans don't notice I'm one of them. And Murphy knows that I, although a non-bus kind of tourist, have committed own my share of gaffes in America.
Talking of helpfulness to strangers, I will never forget my very first day in Chicago. After arriving at my hotel, I needed to exchange several rounds of emails with a friend. My hotel had no internet connection. So every two hours or so, I would walk back and forth between my hotel and a Kinko's about five blocks away. On my third round, a man walked up to me. He wore threadbare clothes and had gaps between his teeth. I thought: "U-oh, he's going to ask me for money. I only hope he'll merely ask me to volunteer it." Seconds later, he stood in front of me and said: "Excuse me sir, but I noticed you walking up and down Rush Street several times. I wonder if you might be lost. Can I help you somehow?" I don't usually blush, but that was one of the rare exceptions. This turn of events came totally unexpected to me -- I'm pretty sure a German passer-by wouldn't behave this way.
On the other hand, maybe it's just that the
really nice Germans have emigrated to America's Midwest, and that this Chicagoer was one of them.
(Although my cynical side suspects he was angling for a tip. :wink: )
