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Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Just wanted to let you all know how cool it is to be here. If you've never had a chance to travel to Europe, Germany is definitely a place to put on your "must visit" list. I only regret that I am kind of tied down with the current situation (Baby is due Today), and that I didn't have time to learn some of the language first. As you may have noticed, I have still retained my connection with the OFC. There are some things that have to stay on the priority list. I DO wish I would have been able to hook up with some of our German members while here, but of course it just has not been possible. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | My first real overseas vacation was to Southern Germany in 2002. My wife wanted to go to Europe for our 25th anniversary and I compromised if we did a Porsche Club Treffen. Combining the scenery, culture and cars was just the ticket. We are going back on a similar trip the end of next year or beginning of 2009. Almost all the German people were very gracious to us ignorant Americans fumbling around with their language. Almost all spoke very good English. To them, speaking "a little" English seemed to mean being able to carry on a conversation. When I say I speak "a little" German, that means I know how to order beer. |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Vilcomen! Deutchland und Ovation Uber Alles |
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April 2006
Posts: 848
Location: Munich, Germany | Vince, great to hear that you like it over here.
For germans speaking english: Well, nearly everybody is "forced" to learn english in school, but that's not what makes you speak it accebtable.
You'll learn it by the songs you listen to, movies and DVDs in english, CNN or other news channels - and some of us try to improve their english in a forum like this one. English is all around, with a click on your receiver, TV or a computer mouse.
For americans it is much harder to keep on track with german:
You don't get german movies that easily, well known german music in America is reduced to Nena (and she sang not even in german over there) and Rammstein, a band that is not known for sophisticated lyrics - and by the way not worth listening.
Vince, enjoy your stay, and if you did, advertise for our little country, so we'll see some of you at the next EurOFC gathering.
Best regards,
Kurt, only some hundred miles away |
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August 2004
Posts: 709
Location: Germany | You Americans speak much better German than you assume: gesundheit, lust, angst, kindergarten, meister, hinterland, kitsch, poltergeist, schadenfreude, verboten, wanderlust, wunderkind, zeitgeist and so on. Vince, make a sentence out of these words and tell it some people on the Wiesbaden Xmas market. They will be surprised about the nonsense but they will understand you. Enjoy your time here - and all the best for your daughter. Hope you will post some pics soon.
Karl |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | then there's fahrvenugen and volkswagen and weinerschnitzel and budweiser... |
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March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | key, Koenig Kurt, i was on 7 Rammstein concerts and they're worth listening ;-) At least they was before their last album. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | German is easy, just add a enzie to the end of everything.
Habbenzie a guitarenzie for meenzie to playenzie?
See? simple. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Much like the "El" prefix and "O" suffix in Mexican Spanish. |
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October 2005
Posts: 4049
Location: Utah | My brief experience in Germany was traversing the southwest corner on the autobahn between France and Switzerland. The little Opel 4 cylinder econohatchback was shaking, screaming, and threatening to slide off the side of the road. Finally on a slight downhill straight section with the gas pedal to the floor, that little box reached 100 mph!
Then, three Mercedes passed on the left as if I were standing still. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. And they were gone again just like that.
One day it would be nice to go back and enjoy Oktoberfest, the local Fraueleins, and maybe rent a Mercedes to take out on the Autobahn. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Originally posted by Mauvais Beal:
German is easy, just add a enzie to the end of everything.
Habbenzie a guitarenzie for meenzie to playenzie?
See? simple. 'Xactly! That's when the Germans usually switch to english. Or as once said to me during one trip through the German countryside: "Perhaps we should speak English. I think my English would be less painful to your ears than your German is to mine".
Americanized German: "windshield wiper" ---> drizzleflippin. |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | americanized german: "brassiere" ---> schtopemfromfloppen |
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July 2007
Posts: 423
Location: UK | Ich liebe Deutschland und habe da gewohnt und gearbeitet in Schwarzwald in Felzberg und habe ski laufen gemacht aber das war seit 20 jahren und ich kann nichts mehr errinen aber das ist wahrscheinlich von zu viel schnapps da getrunken
Frohlicher Weihnachten !! |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | "got drunk on schnapps" is all i could make out there...
on second thought, you start out saying you love germany. and then you went skiing but got caught on the ski lift for twenty days and nights which is why they found you drunk frolicking around felzburg. how am i doing? |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Ich lieb den rock n' roll! |
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March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | - Wo ist koenige Schniewittschen?
- Ich habe keine annung
- Koenige Schniewittschen ist kaputt!
- scheisse. Sie hat meine apfel.
i think i should stop posting under influence.
Goodnight. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7224
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Germany is a great first-time to Europe stop. Great people, great food, and easy to get around. Learn a few customs, road rules, try the language and have a ball.
The big cities are a must, but maybe save them for the 2nd trip, and trust me. Stay at a Guesthouse anywhere from Bavaria to the North along the Czeck border or towards Hof or Nurenburg , and there will be a SECOND TRIP.
Some of the most fun I had was that when you at least try to speak German, you will get all the assistance you need, and most likely it will be in English. But if you start with the "Sprechen Sie Amerikaner?" you will get blank stares or answers in only fluent German.
I was looking for a resturant that was recommended in this small town near Alsfeld and couldn't find it. I saw an older man in a field plowing, so I stopped up the street, broke out my handy "how to speak German book" and figured out and practices how to ask for directions to the restaurant. I back up to the guys yard, and he comes over. I blurted out my well practiced phrase that even impressed me it sounded so good. And, pretty as you please, with a deep southern Georgia or maybe Alabama accent, he said "ya just missed it, Head up da street ya'll 'bout a klick (kilometer) and thar is a large apple tree that's blocking the sign to the Resturant, but that's it. Ya'll have a nice dinner, the wife and I are headed up later, hope ta see ya!!!!" He turned and headed back to his plow.
That was cute and funny enough, but at dinner, we hadn't seen them.... but they apparently were there because at the end of the mail the waitress brought us deserts, and a bottle of wine. It was compliments of the couple in the other room with wishes for a nice stay and visit to their part of the country.
Yep... when we get out of this financial slump, we need to head back. Christmas time is the best time of year to be there too!!! |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | my surname is dellinger. it is usually pronounced with a soft "g", however, my ancestors prononunced it with a hard "g". i traced my paternal ancestry back to a german town in bavaria, called dehlingen.
"dellinger" supposedly means from dehlingen. i must travel and see this place someday. |
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August 2004
Posts: 709
Location: Germany | Right, there is a "Dehlingen" in southern Germany. Well, not in Bavaria itself but very close to its border. It's a district of the town " Neresheim ". I know this region, it has a lovely landscape. It's a must for you to go there.
There is another town in Bavaria called Dillingen . Maybe it was this site were your ancestors came from.
Karl |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | karl,
thank you! i think john dillinger's ancestors came from dillingen. his folks settled in the state of indiana. my greatgrandfather x 9, and a few of his brothers left dehlingen, baden-wurttemberg in 1757 and arrived in philadelphia in 1758 aboard the ship, two brothers. i think they packed guitars for the journey, probably ovations.
i have seen a few internet photos of the area. looks very beautiful. |
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March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | my family has polish-german roots. German part of our family use the name von Armenruth, and polish Rochowski (because Armenruth which was in my family's possesion for centuries ended in Poland and it was renamed to Rochow, and by adding -ski they created our name.) |
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Joined:
August 2004
Posts: 709
Location: Germany | I read that 25% of today's Americans have their roots in the German-speaking parts of Europe. It's a pity (at least for me) that only a few words have survived in American English. So I have to learn your language to participate on the OFC board (which sometimes is very stressful and time-killing). My proposal is to switch to German as board language. You just would have to add the "enzie" :D .
Karl |
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September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | (: |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | True, germans are the biggest ethnic group. They (we)'ve integrated themselves. |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 841
Location: CA | Germany went up several notches in my book when I saw this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s10x38SMb-g
Have yet to visit, tho. Germany, I mean. Not Sandra. Although I'd like to visit . . . oh, never mind. |
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Greetings from Germany
