On Thursday I had volleyball again. I was originally planning on riding my bike, but it was pouring rain. Unfortunately, I could only be driven to, and not from, volleyball because my grandpa had a Rotary meeting. I would have to take the bus home.
GASP! That was my reaction too, buddy.
On the way to volleyball, my grandpa showed me the bus stops where I'd get on and off. He gave me a slip of paper with the numbers of the busses I could take and the name of my stop. I also had a few euros with me. Really, I was well prepared.
But first was volleyball itself. It was good; actually better, from a social standpoint. One girl named Fabienne (I think that's how you spell it) talked to me at the beginning of practice, and others overheard us talking during water breaks, so all of a sudden I was being pelted with questions. I couldn't understand all of them because they were talking too fast or mumbling, so sometimes I had to resort to my smile and nod response. (Trust me, do NOT use the smile and nod response! You will look like an idiot if it wasn't a yes or no question or if they ask you if you understood. I have learned this the hard way.)
The actual volleyball part of it was good too. No floor burn this time! I don't think I necessarily played as well as last time, but I wasn't bad by any means. I'm also the best at diving. :)
After practice came the moment I had been waiting for! Just kidding, I actually kind of forgot about the whole bus thing during practice. Anyway, wearing sweatpants, a big sweatshirt and flipflops, I looked utterly fantastic in public. Luckily, it wasn't raining anymore. On the way to the bus stop I saw a guy riding a bike with a cigarette in his mouth and a kid riding on the back. Seriously? SERIOUSLY?
As I reached the street where I could cross to the bus stop, I saw my bus. Unfortunately, I couldn't get over the street because the stupid light wasn't turning green and there were too many cars. So of course I arrived at the bus stop five seconds after the bus pulled away. Luckily, the busses come every ten minutes or so. So I waited, hoping no one from school saw me sitting at the bus stop with a sweaty ponytail, sweatpants, a too-big sweatshirt that really doesn't look bad unless it's paired with sweatpants, and flipflops.
Once on the bus, I kind of freaked out and forgot everything I was supposed to do. The bus driver probably thought I was the most idiotic person ever to ride the bus. I didn't know that the cost depends on where you go, so I asked how much it costed, to which we replied with asking me where I wanted to go. And then I froze and totally forgot where I wanted to go. <facepalm> I stood there for a few minutes going, "Umm.... Uhh.... Ummm...." and then blurting out "OPLADENER STRAßE!" when I finally remembered the stop name.
The next thing I didn't know about the bus is that there is a handy dandy machine to give you change. So when the bus driver told me that it costed 1 euro and 30 cents, I asked if I could give him a 2 euro coin. Idiot. He looked at me like, "Uh, duh" but of course he didn't say that.
I think the bus driver had figured out this was my first time, because he later told me when my stop was coming up (I was sitting right behind the driver's seat).
So I may have made a fool of myself once, but I have figured out how to ride a bus (who knew you needed to learn how to do that?) and also learned that I can overcome challenges! :)
P.S. Sorry there aren't pictures. Somehow I think the bus driver would have gotten ticked if I held up the bus even longer by taking a picture of the handy dandy change making machine. :)
If the bus driver looked at you like you were an idiot, it's only because your German is so good that he didn't realize you were a foreigner. He must have thought you'd lived there all your life and that's why you should know how to ride a bus by now. Next time try talking with a heavy accent or making lots of grammatical mistakes (yikes!!).
ReplyDeleteI already make lots of grammatical mistakes! ;) I'll try the accent next time. hehe :)
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