A heavy-set Mediterranean man with salt-and-pepper gray hair taped me on the shoulder and began asking questions about the Anmeldungs form. In broken German with a mottled accent he began pointing at the different portions of my form and mumbling his questions is a low voice:
“and this section, I am not moving with my wife, we’re separated, what do I have to do?”
“Ah, I really don’t know…”
“And here- I just put my new address here?”
“Yes,” When I had helped as much as I could, after glancing at my paper enough times he asked:
“You’re from California?”
“Uh, yes, I was born there.”
“Ohh.- What kind of man are you???!!! You left paradise to come here?!?”
“Well, it’s no ‘paradise’, people have the same problems there that they do here.” “Hmpf.— Really??? Hmm.”
His eyebrows bobbing and bowing as he processes this information.
“Ok, thank you very much.”
He returned to his seat and tells his friend
“This man is from Santa Frandisco in California and he came here, HERE – can you believe that?!?”