There were certain errands that I needed to accomplish today. However, waking up at 12:30pm doesn’t exactly help things. So we were rushed from the get go.
I had to get a new converter, because in a stroke of pure genius last night I plugged an American power strip into an Austrian converter. I just about killed myself. I mean, an idiot would have known better, but to me this looked normal.
We did however get a first hand look at the “local flavor.” (FWG Eats, Fried food is transcontinental!)
My first impression was that the language barrier might not be that big of a deal. After all, the four players I had met so far all spoke fluent English.
Turns out I was wrong.
While our waiter did understand our English, monetary matters are a completely different story. I wasn’t breaking down economic policy with the guy, but you would have thought that I was seriously trying to explain to him quantum physics. You see, one of the sponsors of the team gave us “coupons” to eat for free at his restaurant. The coupons were for 7 Euro. When our meals were somewhere around 10 Euro. He didn’t understand that we were only trying to pay for the difference (in this case 3 Euro).
I mean, you get it right? Well he didn’t. Then of course, our German teammates take over.
Have you ever seen those old, grainy videos from WWII? Angry talk. Very Angry talk. This was something like that. So then Ryan, our Tight End from Holy Cross (below)
looks at me and goes “Geeze, he’s mad” The waiter’s English all of a sudden takes a turn for perfect when he proclaims, “I vas NOT mad!”
You cannot tell someone you are “not mad” with out not coming off as actually mad. Add in the frustration over the bill, his Austrian accent, and well…I expected his next move to be a march on Paris.
I zee notzing wrong vit the coverter arrangement, except that der iz no rug over zee cords!
Ze Landlord
As an American living in Austria, let me just say, ” I feel your pain”