Out of Italy (easier said than done)

This post describes events that occurred on the 10-11th of July, 2009.

For those of you reading this on Facebook, the original post can be found at www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com

The way out of Italy... This time, for real


Well I don't know exactly what to attribute it to this time. As per my other posts, my trip out of Italy was strained to say the least. The problems mostly arose from the inability of anyone in that country to speak English. Now, even though I'm a TEOFLer, I don't expect everyone to be able to speak English. My belief is that you should do what you want. If you want to learn English, then by all means, pursue it with vigor. It is quite obvious that the fact that you can speak English alone will reimburse you with opportunities and enable possibilities that were not possible otherwise. Though, I don't believe it is obligatory at this point to speak English.
This being said, I am of the opinion that if you work in any arena that is by nature of the occupation considered international (that is business, tourism, travel, etc) you damn well be able to get around in what is the emerging de Facto 'lingua franca'. How on earth can you have a position in the travel sector in a city like Rome, or Milan without being able to handle yourself in English. Even the police!!! Can you believe that? Tens-of-thousands of tourists in this city and the public servants have no way to communicate with them!!! Unreal!!! Anyway, my way out of Milan was a little dicey (or at least it felt that way). But I jumped on a train for Munich, figuring I would be able to sort it out from there. This was not without its own trails and tribulations. Nevertheless, I was headed for a place I understood, and that I could communicate with its inhabitants . Nice! The trip was pretty great, actually. Not having slept the night before for a variety of reasons (involving the hard bus station floor), I slept for a while. I woke up a few times along the way. The last time, I was greeted by the Tirol mountains, right outside of a town called Innsbruck (known for its university). It was breathtaking (think 'Sound of Music'). Needless to say, I did not go back to sleep. Instead, I treated my eyes to the wonderful view of the Austrian mountain range and let that keep me awake until arriving in Munich.

When I got to Munich, the travel-game had completely shifted. Within moments I could get my ticket to where I was going, change my money into Euros, and grab a bite to eat. It was great! It was the first time in the last week, where communication was effortless and easy. So, the moral of this story.... it's always a plus to be able to speak the language, or at least be familiar with some of the major aspects of the culture. If not, get a phrase-book (which I will do in the future if I know cases like this are going to come up). So, I am finally on my way to Frankfurt to meet my friend Issy and get on with the last-leg of my vacation. Hard to believe its two-thirds over! We will see what the fatherland has in store for me in the next couple of days...