A taste of home

Last night Gemma, Andy and I met up with our friend Zach in Bamberg for a night out. The night included two reminders that home is still out there. The first was a sign of the harsh reality that awaits across the Atlantic, while the second brought back nothing but fond memories.


We'll start the night at the Irish Pub. We met up for dinner because it is a pretty authentic taste of home for Gemma. Unfortunately, as Bamberg has a big US military population, the Irish pubs tend to be filled with Americans. And even more unfortunately, they tend to be the loud and boisterous, bad-name-giving Americans that have ruined our reputation in the entire western world. On top of that, the throwback to bars like Buddha Bar and the Winery (the ones I tried my hardest to avoid in Athens), was a little more than I could handle. 


Of course, Gemma, in all her wisdom, reminded us (the three Americans) we had to look past our embarrassment and realize they, unlike us, are not in Germany by choice. They're not here because they want to learn the language or are interested in the culture. They're here because that's where work tells them to be, so they make their own little America however they can. 

True - but still giving the rest of us a bad name.

The second taste of home for the night was at a very "German" bar we went to compensate for our super American adventure in the Irish pub.  I would just like to put it out there that this bar was amazing! It was super tiny - probably only about 6 tables in the whole place, and it had the kind of atmosphere of a bar you would go to drink and maybe play some cards (which we, and several others, did) or chess (which they had available to use).  My kind of place (and as my friends so kindly reminded me, I have the drinking habits of a 90 year old man)


So Zach comes back from the bathroom: "Hey, Emily, I found a sticker for a beer from Athens, isn't that where you're from"
me: "OMG TERRAPIN?!!!"

Zach: "yeah, that's it"
me: "OMGOMGOMG! I WORKED THERE!" 


This absolutely made my night! And made me very thirsty for a Hopsecutioner! Definitely a good reminder of what's waiting on the other side of the Atlantic to cancel out the fact that it will be filled with its fair share of obnoxious people too.