While backpacking in Europe I spent a week in France. I got in the habit of starting conversations with “parlez-vous anglais?”
Next stop was Germany. After getting off an early train and trying to book the next leg, I asked the ticket attendant, “sprechen sie anglais?” She stared at me for a moment and responded in crystal clear English, “You mean, do I speak English?”
You know those things people tell you “no one remembers that but you, so just relax”?
Well, I had a worst case experience where I was speaking to an acquaintance who said “haha remember when you [insert soul crushing embarrassing thing I did 6 years ago that only I am supposed to remember] ?”
That did, in fact, not help against my anxiety whatsoever.
Oh god, and Germans mostly won’t even pretend they don’t think you’re dumb. Americans would be like, “oh, no I totally get it (insert story about a time they did something similar), you’re fine!” Germans will say, “yes, I speak English” and stare at you while waiting for you to get to the point as you wish you could become one with the pavement.
For anyone like me who doesn’t speak German, and thus were unable to follow the implied humiliation: the German word for English is “Englisch” not “Anglais”
While backpacking in Europe I spent a week in France. I got in the habit of starting conversations with “parlez-vous anglais?”
Next stop was Germany. After getting off an early train and trying to book the next leg, I asked the ticket attendant, “sprechen sie anglais?” She stared at me for a moment and responded in crystal clear English, “You mean, do I speak English?”
That’s the type of thing that no one but me would remember, but it would keep me up at night for yeeeeeears.
You know those things people tell you “no one remembers that but you, so just relax”?
Well, I had a worst case experience where I was speaking to an acquaintance who said “haha remember when you [insert soul crushing embarrassing thing I did 6 years ago that only I am supposed to remember] ?”
That did, in fact, not help against my anxiety whatsoever.
That’s serious nightmare fuel. I’m so sorry. RIP your sanity. 🙏
Oh god, and Germans mostly won’t even pretend they don’t think you’re dumb. Americans would be like, “oh, no I totally get it (insert story about a time they did something similar), you’re fine!” Germans will say, “yes, I speak English” and stare at you while waiting for you to get to the point as you wish you could become one with the pavement.
For anyone like me who doesn’t speak German, and thus were unable to follow the implied humiliation: the German word for English is “Englisch” not “Anglais”