across the centuries
London, 1951

My father, while staying in a hotel in the center of London, comes downstairs one morning to find the clerk being confronted by a furious little old man who was literally jumping and down with rage. He was railing about the fact that it was intolerable how the clerk did not speak German. My father, speaking the language fluently, offered his help. He translated and was able to get the man served but his fury was unabated as he keapt leaping up and down. Detecting an odd accent, my father asks him where he came from. At the height of another leap of anger, the man shrieks: 'AUS ISRAEL!!!!!' Remember this occurred in 1951.


France and Austria, 1995
Much more recently, we were visited by some American friends of ours. The husband was a delight but the wife did suffer from some stereotypical misgivings. We met them in Paris as they returned from a trip to China. Beverley, the wife, railed against Paris and asked my very French mother: 'Why does nobody hear speak the language?' (meaning English). A week later, crossing from Liechtenstein to Austria, her husband's passport seemed to have some trouble. Four plainclothes policemen stepped forward to inquire as to the trouble which sent Beverley reeling back, shrieking GESTAPO! Bless our American cousins!
(chrisdalby, Thu 14 Jul 2005, 7:25, Reply)