EUROPINOY PERSPECTIVE

LOST IN TRAiNSLATION
By AnP
Source: PINOY EXPATS

It all started at the bus station around the corner. I had a sense of foreboding the moment I stepped out. But, protected by my blue winter jacket, I braved the cold crisp winds and my apprehensions to set out on a journey to conquer Frankfurt for the first time. Alone.

I had thought that taking the bus would have been a no-brainer. But a closer look at the schedule got me confused. Should I take the 59, the 58 or, the 601? Which ticket should I ask for? Einzelfahrt? Tageskarte? Gruppenkarte? Which bus stop? So many questions unanswered. So, I took the easy way out. I walked for 6 blocks.

Twenty minutes of brisk walking and I finally reached the train station. I chose the ticket machine farthest from the crowd and took my own sweet time figuring it out. Thank God, it had an English language option. It would have been child's play but the green monstrosity refused to take my Deutsch Marks. Pfennig coins, preferred. A Manong German took pity on me and helped me change my paper money. I swear, had I chosen the other machines, the unfriendly Krauts would have tsk tsk'd behind me.

Heady with success and with a ticket in my grasp, I followed the crowd and boarded the train headed down South via the Hauptbahnhof. Easy enough, any pocket Germany guide has that under Travel: Main Train Station. Right train but... where do I get off? Which exit should I take? Taunusanlage? Hauptwache? Konstablerwache? Suedbahnhof? None of the schedules posted on the board made any sense. How could they if I do not even know exactly where I wanted to go? I had no idea but there I was already on my way. Help! Aide! Tulong! Lintek, wala bang marunong mag-Ingles?!

Bahala na nga!

There wasn't much to see on my way to the city. Graffiti adorned the buildings around the train tracks, and after the first 2 stops, the S-Bahn went underground. I had nothing more to stare at. So, I zoomed in on the people around me. Lots of foreigners like me. I may have had the tell-tale signs of someone who is lost but, at least, I did not stick out like a sore thumb. With fear and uncertainty in my eyes, I stared at the train routes drawn on the ceiling of the train like there was no tomorrow. "Patay!", I thought. Map-reading and orientation never were strong points of mine.

I finally decided to get off where the vast majority did. It looked like an underground mall. Dirty, but alive with people and loud shop keepers. The path to the side looked even dirtier and there were dubious-looking characters standing in the corners. The sight of 2 policemen with a big German Shepherd (what else?!) gave me a bit of comfort. Still, I hurriedly went up the steps leading to the city to leave the chaos of the Hauptwache train station.

It certainly was quiet for a city. Not so many wanderers like me. Perhaps, I walked in the wrong direction? I realized my error a couple of blocks later. I was compelled, perhaps by habit or mostly because I had no choice, to trace my steps back. I walked on and on, recognizing some names but not enough to know where I really was. Neue Rothhofstrasse. Boersenstrasse. Steinweg. Finally, when I turned a corner, I saw Kaufhof. It's like SM, sa atin. It wasn't exactly where I wanted to go but at least, I finally had an idea where I was. The Zeil. And, it couldn't be that bad. It was like being home again. I was surrounded by malls.

My foray into the city in the succeeding days got better and better. Thanks to my new bus/bahn/tram map, a Frankfurt guide and my improving German. Bahala na just doesn't work in the land of Wuerstchen and Bier.

For the inexperienced, commuting in Europe can easily turn into a nightmare. Everything is not how it should be. And, unless you are in an English-speaking country or you are a walking polyglot, none of the signs or the people around makes any sense. But now, I do not even have to look whenever I have to punch out the numbers for tickets. When faced with a different machine in another country, I am confidence personified. Heck, I even give directions to tourists. Nothing like the confused, young Filipina who braved her first train ride in Europe 7 years ago.