There are many things I absolutely adore about Europe. I have mentioned the food in a previous blog. The people are amazing. The food. The historical sights are breathtaking. Did I mention that the food is really, really good? The German way to say this (and I am not making this up) is lecker, lecker. This is prounced “licka, likca.” Again, I am not making this up.
There are also many things about Europe that confuse me. First, the whole bathroom experience here is quite new and unusual. You have to pay for public toilets. Sometimes, there is a machine to take your money, sometimes there is a person to take your money. At the truck stops, you get a bathroom rebate coupon for money off your food purchase. Sort of a “poopon coupon” if you will. Very nice. The lights are on the outside of the bathroom door. Several times during this trip I have entered the bathroom, shut the door, and began to look for the light. No matter how hard I look, the light switch is not there. To illuminate your business, you must first open the door and probe the outer wall with your hand. Fascinating experience, to say the least. Europeans also generally only flush after #2, an environmental notion of which I am really in favor. The flushing mechanisms are different, usually a very, very, very large button on the wall above the toilet. Again, confusing at first, but now I am beginning to “see the light.”
Computer keyboards are a unique experience. While this is being created from an American keyboard, I have sent my children several e-mails that looked like a font titled “caveman.” I have spent at least 45 minutes during the past week searching for the “y” key and for the “@” key. These 45 minutes have been nothing short of pure bliss……
Currently, the EURO CUP is occurring. Games are broadcast every night. Entire cities are stopping to watch TV or listen to the radio to keep track of their national team. People singing songs, loudly and in what resembles a unison pitch, that promote the athletic fervor. This is almost like the Super Bowl happening every other night – it is really pretty cool!
Finally, the money here is really confusing. I have decided that it is all just play money, and that I’ll reconcile with my bank when I return to Downers Grove. In the Czech Republic, the currency is the Cronin. About 1,245.327 Cronins equal one dollar. In Germany, the currency is the Euro. About 2.75 Euros equal one dollar. Don’t even try to get me to go from Cronin to Euro – sort of like transposing alto sax to French horn for me. There have been several times on this trip I have just held out a handful of change and asked the person at the counter to take the proper money. I am on my third wallet since being here, but people seem quite happy when I leave places. Anyway, I have to go to the bathroom right now, so this blog must end. I am looking for my .30 Euros to help meet my needs. In any case, I’ll wash my hand when I am done. I am planning on proposing a new band fund raiser upon our return – with nearly 5,500 kids at in District 99, that is a lot of bathroom money each day……………
