Blending in with the Neighbors

The mess hall is on brunch hours again. Harumph. We ate breakfast at home then had the brunch for lunch, though, so we did get some of the yummy breakfast foods at least. Then we played for a while on one of the playgrounds on base. It was a good playground. Great toys, but also several big trees interspersed with the toys. Not as many as you’d really want, but several. Which is way more than you usually see on a playground, at least if you only count the areas where children actually sit & play.

Wee Laddie had a bit of trouble going down for his nap. It might be easier if we didn’t live next to Bob the Builder. And speaking of ol’ Bob, they (our noisy, shouting, construction-addicted… but very friendly neighbors) had a party tonight. Wee Laddie and I had gone out to the garage to put some recycling stuff there, but while I was doing that he started talking to a girl from next door’s party.

It made me a little uncomfortable. I don’t know enough German to chit-chat with her. And, as Americans in a foreign country in these times, we try to keep a pretty low profile, especially where we live. These particular neighbors are Turkish, and I really don’t know how the Turks feel about America in general and about George W. I think I’d feel less nervous about it if I knew enough German to actually converse with the neighbors, so that it wasn’t immediately obvious that I’m American.

And speaking of that, it’s very odd: AFN (Armed Forces Network, the English-speaking TV service we get here) is always running ads advising you to blend in… sort of these “if the locals can spot you, so can the terrorists” kinds of ads. And yet, in all the stores on base, they sell all sorts of American flags, clothing with obvious American logos or styling, etc. And they don’t make a big point of encouraging people to learn the local language. I think there’s one course on base (not counting the colleges that offer courses there… I mean stuff that’s accessible to everyone on base) and it’s a one- or two-week part-day course. How the hell do you blend in w/o learning the language?

Today, Wee Laddie was apologizing to Abigail (from Friday).

Mom read in the obits that my dear Uncle Joe died on April 18. I’m so sad… he was truly a great man. I will miss him. (And when I manage to get caught up on photos, there will be one here of him and Aunt Ruthie from just before we left Denver. That day he showed me a photo of his wife from many years ago—they’d been married for over 50 years—and he looked so very proud to still be with her. Now that is good love.)