Ich bein ein fuckin' Berliner!!!

[WilliamPitt]

Kill me.

This is not a 'Europe trip.' This is not a vacation. Amsterdam, Antwerp, Amsterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Oxford, Paris, Amsterdam in 14 days - including travel between these places mostly by train and the recovery day when I got here - means I have less than 48 hours in each city. This ain' no party. This ain't no disco. This is some of the hardest work I've ever done.

I've seen some cool stuff. Drove by the Brandenburg Gate tonight on the way back from my event, and saw a bit of old East Berlin from the car window. But I'm on maybe 10 hours sleep in the last 72 with no end in sight. I haven't seen Europe. I've seen the inside of a few apartments, the view from their windows, and whatever stuff happened to be outside of the train.

Basically, I have to come back and do this again...for three months instead of 13 days. It's 6:30 here. Gotta pack (again) to get to the train (again) to get to London.

Not complaining, so much as homesick and exhausted. Go Red Sox.

[markses]

1. Check ESPN.com

I believe even loser Red Sox fans get that on the internet?

;-)
(Le's go "Jankees")

It's "Ich BIN" BTW.

[WilliamPitt]

5. Keep talkin', fucktoast

[markses]

16. Blah Blah Blah X 26

Aaaaah-choobosox.

[Bossy Monkey]

2. Get some sleep. If you've never been to Europe before,

you're learning a lot about it, even on the If It's Friday This Must Be Berlin plan.

Have fun, or as much as you can!

[DrGonzoLives]

3. You've been fucking a donut?

n/t

[cprise]

28. Here

[Clete]

4. Did I miss something?

Why are you doing this? It seems that everytime I have to go play with my compost and do some gardening, drastic changes occur at DU. MoPaul quits, NSMA quits and you're zipping around Europe for how many months?

[WilliamPitt]

8. Last leg of the book tour

Since July 16th I've traveled over 40,000 miles within America, and am now doing this victory lap across the continent. NOT COMPLAINING, mind you - I wouldn't trade that travel for anything. Just beat-down drag-ass dog fucking tired.

[Scaramouche]

6. Doughnut fucking...

kill yerself.

[WilliamPitt]

10. OK, that's twice

What on earth does that mean?

[Bossy Monkey]

12. Ich bin ein berliner supposedly means "I am a jelly doughnut"

Proper German, also supposedly, is Ich bin berliner. I'll give you the Straight Dope link on edit momentarily

Couldn't find Cecil's answer; here's the same thing from AFU: http://www.urbanlegends.com/faq2k/word_254.html

[WilliamPitt]

13. OK, right. I actually knew that

[Scaramouche]

17. That's OK; like a Kennendy moment...just a slip of th the tongue...

Thank God you weren't in Palermo...

[supernova]

18. This is true.

You can order a pastry called "ein berliner". It's very tasty. Will, try to have one before you leave Berlin.

Yes, Kennedy should have said: "Ich bin Berliner". But.. people knew what he meant. It's the thought that counts. :D

[Kellanved]

21. not in Berlin

The Pastry is called "Pfannkuchen" ("Pancake")in Berlin. Berliner is the name used in Hamburg. (although a Hamburger is still a Hamburger in Hamburg.)

[supernova]

24. LOL!

Thanks for the clarification, Kellanved. :thumbsup:

[Superfly]

29. A Berliner is also a beer

aka Berliner Weisse, a tart wheat beer, usually flavored with fruit syrups.

[Kellanved]

30. and a "Berliner Pilsener"

That one is actually called "Berliner" in Berlin.

http://www.berliner-pilsener.de

[Kellanved]

25. Nope

As I've already posted on this thread the pastry AKA "Berliner" has several names in Germany.
The name in Berlin (and supposedly the original Name) is "Pfannkuchen", sometimes "Berliner Pfannkuchen".
BTW "Ich bin ein Berliner" is OK; whatever a German would say it the same way is a moot point - it was correct, if strange, German and everybody understood what Kennedy had meant. Not to mention: a Berliner would say "Icke bin eeen Berlina" - Kennedy was pretty close to the local dialect.
This is probably no accident: he had the line written up in several languages (French/English/German/Latin/...) but used only the German line - he had them written up by his staff and it's a respected view that he wanted to send a "I'm with you", but to keep a certain distance, created by the "ein", at the same time.

Kennedy did NOT say "I'm a Jelly Donut"; Kennedy worship is alive and well in Berlin- so don't dare to joke about this with a Berliner (or practise with a jelly donut beforehand).

[greekspeak]

33. Yeah... einer Berliner is "a man from Berlin"

ein Berliner is a pastry called a Berliner. Like a frankfurter is a sausage from Frankfurt, A Wiener is a sausage from Vienna (Wien). "ein" is a neuter article, while "einer" is a masculine article.

[Kellanved]

34. not quite

"ein" can be neuter or male (ein Mann, ein Telefon, ein Berliner; BUT: eine Frau, eine Berlinerin...)
Grammatically "Ich bin ein Berliner" is 100% correct. And "Berliner" for a citizen of Berlin is correct too- that it may refer to other things as well doesn't matter. BTW: Although using only the city is common practise, the correct names are: "Frankfurter Würstchen", "Wiener Würstchen" (Those can be called Frankfurters in Austria) , "Berliner Pfannkuchen"...

[Wonk]

7. Hey, Will. Did you manage to catch the candidates debate tonight? If not

click my sig pic. You can download it to your laptop and listen to it on the plane :-)

on edit: I saw your other thread about you borrowing a computer where you're at. For some reason I thought you had a laptop with you. Oh well...

[Pert_UK]

9. Say Hi to London for me Will, I miss her.........

Have a great time!

On the plus side, you must have had the chance to drink some excellent continental beers, and will now be able to experience some London ales......much better than your US booze!

P.

[WilliamPitt]

11. I can't tell you how happy I am

to be going to a place where they speak the QUEEN'S ENGLISH.

:)

[Clete]

20. Umm, wouldn't that have to be with the Queen?

The Brits seem to have a variety of dialects for such a small island, yet it seems no one speaks the Queen's English except for a few palace stuffed shirts and some BBC types or so they tell me ;)

[T_i_B]

23. Oxford & London aren't too bad for accents

It's not like Will is off to Cornwall, Yorkshire, Liverpool or Scotland or anything like that.

London is of course home to cockney rhyming slang though but I can't see that being too much of a problem.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

14. London... cool!

I used to know this little side street where you could pick up some primo.... er, uh, on second thought, never mind. You'd be asleep for the next seven days....

:evilgrin:

[Maine Mary]

15. You're tired

and yeah I know there's more work then play involved in your trip, but look on the bright side...what a cool opportunity to see Europe! You can always catch up on your sleep when you get home.

Too bad you missed watching the Red Sox from Cambridge though. :evilgrin: Bet everyone in your favorite local bars had a blast that night. :P

[Don_G]

19. Screw You Too

And to think I've bought a TV tuner, recordable DVD's for my notebook and arranged for a motel room with all the available local channels just so I could mail your Sox "home."

I still caoght the Cubs serving "Fish" yesterday in Chicago though.

Ffffthhhhtttthhhh!

[Nlighten1]

22. I was in East Berlin 2 weeks before the wall came down.

It was a frightening sight so close to a capitalist mecca. It's no wonder the people tried so hard to escape.

[Generic Other]

26. Go Will.

Why don't you go see Tony while you're there?

Kick him in the ass for Skittles! Then go start a thread about it!

Missed ya around here of late.

[Elidor]

27. Amsterdam, Antwerp, Amsterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam

You seem to have a fixation for Amsterdam...

I suppose you'll claim you only go to the coffee shops for the great coffee. :hippie:

[SOteric]

31. I'm sure you're very tasty.

:hi:

[northzax]

32. sheesh Will

everybody has a complaint. the joys of international travel for business. Sure I've been to three continents, but conference rooms all look alike, from Cape Town to Tokyo, Sydney to Warsaw. it ain't all glamour, huh?

have some currywurst for us, eh?