Mini-OE to German Day 2a

After a last free massage in one of the massage chairs we left this exciting airport in Singapore and boarded a plane full of – Germans! Yes I know, not really a surprise on a flight to Frankfurt. The good news is, the plane wasn’t even full. We had a complete row to ourselves. Yay. This made the second long distance flight way more relaxing than the first. We even slept for a couple of hours and I feel quite ok.

Now, since there is not much happening on a flight like this I might as well start writing about encounters and the emotions with my former fellow Germans.  I can be as positive as I possible be able to manage. The difference in mentality is there and you can’t ignore it.

I would assume that the majority of people on that plane are German tourists who spent some time in Phuket and other popular holiday destinations. So we forgave them their grumpy expressions and gave them the benefit of a bad mood because their holidays are over and they are heading back home. As opposed to us heading towards our holiday destination.

But there is still this edge to peoples behaviour. And I think it comes form a certain feeling of insecurity. You are in a foreign country after all. Having to use the English language which you are – especially if you are older, not that comfortable with. The people you converse with speak English with an Asian accent which doesn’t make things exactly easier. So all this together, combined with the prospect to head home and back into work and  school might make you a bit grumpy. Wouldn’t you be in a bad way either? I know I would be.

How am I doing so far with the positive attitude towards the Germans? Not bad, eh?

Still, let me try and give some constructive advice. The most important suggestion I would like to make is: Smile! I said it in other situations before. Just try it. Try it once and you suddenly feel it changes everything. It changes how you feel, your conversation partner, your environment – everything. And a plane full of smiling people looks so much nicer. The second probably less important suggestion: Learn to speak using whole sentences. It sounds so much easier to answer the question :”Which menu option do you want, sir” with “I would love to try the fish” Instead of just saying “FISH!” Especially if that question was put to you by one of those beautiful smiling Singaporean stewardesses.

Oh and something else. If you want the person in front of you to put his seat upright during the meal, why don’t you just ask him or her. And apply that strange “Smile Concept” I was talking about while you are at it. Instead of calling  the stewardess and complaining about the idiot who still has his backrest in the sleep position. And then the stewardess asks him in a friendly voice if he would mind to put his seat upright. And have you seen that, she smiled! It also makes the crew’s job much easier.

Let me close with a big thank you to all the people in the plane. I think you gave us a good introduction of what we have to expect in the next three weeks. And how to deal with this: With a smile, of course!