in search of a needle

Today I went on a walk in search of needle and thread…(Elisabeth borrowed a dress of mine and the flower came off in all of the wild partying, and it has remained unfixed since then.) But all I could find was a package of needles and a package of thread I will never use (for 7 Euros or something). So I kept walking and found an older woman (of foreign origins) in the Markthalle who has an Änderungsschneiderei (alterations shop). When I explained I just wanted a needle and a piece of thread, she smiled—apparently it’s just “Nadel” and not “Sticknadel” (an embroidery needle? what is that even?). She asked me, “Spanierin?” and I said, “Nein, Amerikanerin” and she smiled and gave me the needle and thread for free!  I guess there are some perks to being a foreigner in Berlin…the other foreigners have sympathy for you…

…Which reminds me of the other time someone was so randomly nice to me. In Vienna a few years ago I was buying cheese at the Naschmarkt (their big market) and only wanted a small piece, because I was flying that day. Making conversation with the guy behind the counter, I explained that I was traveling, and he asked me where I was from. He kept urging me to me more specific---US…Minnesota…Duluth… When I said “Duluth” he said “Bob Dylan!” and wouldn’t take money from me! He kept saying “Bob Dylan!” :) Very amusing...

And this brings me to one last aside: I had heard this year that there is somewhat of a “backlash” against tourists in Berlin. This year, for the first time, Berlin replaced Rome in the top European cities for tourists to visit: third after Paris and London. But the anger: Apparently tourists are driving up rent prices, not speaking German, and being a noisy nuisance, especially in “hip” neighborhoods where people hang out and party all night. On my walk I saw this sticker on a bike (right): “Berlin does not love you”, which is evidence of this phenomenon. I had heard about this, but it was strange to actually see. The whole thing is a bit crazy…As this city is crazy-poor and really needs the tourists. And it feels a bit xenophobic. On the other hand, of course, tourists need to be a bit more respectful…