you dogs!
that’s what I kept threatening to shout in Frankfurt at the customs officers when Tina and I had to go through separate booths. OK, it was a lot funnier if you were there and hadn’t slept in 20 hours. Tina breezed through the EU citizens customs while I got grilled by a humorless German. Actually, droll is more like it.
But revenge came when we touched down in Graz, Austria, and the customs officer there plucked her out of the crowd to ask a few questions.
Him: Are you bringing any goods in?
Her: No, just clothes etc.
Him: No cigarettes?
Her: No.
Him: Really?
Her: No.
Him: So, you don’t have any cigarettes?
& etc.
Tina’s brother Gregor was there to pick us up, and a half hour later we were finally sitting in her family’s apartment in Maribor, which does, as she promised, look exactly like the buildings in Decalogue, chatting and having dinner with Nona and Momma and Gregor. And we feel a lot better today…
Cigarettes, huh? Gues that’s a convenient way to support a habit. Just herd Michael Moore mention Slovenia on Jay Leno’s show last night. Apparantly we rate between Slovenia and Costa Rica in quality of health care.
Do many of the people in Slovenia speak English, or are you temporarily dealing with a language barrier?
Keep us posted.
So I assume you weathered whatever ailment was threatening before you left. Samuel is still improving at a snail’s pace.
Be sure to go and have beer soup at Stajerc.
SW
i think i’d be toast without tina. i just nod and smile a lot. she was embarrassed today because i wore my rain jacket — yes, it’s raining here, too… people do tend to dress up a bit more.
steve, it’s weird, but i felt better starting on saturday. maybe i was just exhausted or something. not sure i’m ready for beer soup, but i’ll definitely have to try it.
hope samuel feels better by the time you leave.
I’ve often told potential Fulbright applicants that one of the many benefits of teaching abroad in a country whose language you do not know is being unable to speak well. As a professor, one relies on words and subtleties of expression. It’s good to find yourself reduced to near infant status. Humbling.
Seriously! Do I look like a cigarette-smuggler? You should’ve seen the look that officer gave me when I had told him I didn’t have any cigarettes. I swear he thought I was lying.
David, that “unhand my wife” routine actually was funny; but yes, probably because of the lack of sleep.
Micah and Steve, David’s doing fine, actually. He’s been saying dober dan to people, ordering his own coffee etc. I wish I could take David down to Lent, but it’s been raining off and on today. This weather is weird. And I’ve heard about the floods in Texas. Hopefully, nothing like this will happen in San Marcos. Am a bit worried about the house and the animals.
he wanted her.