Never has Berlin seen so many polyglot visitors. Every hotel is crowded beyond normal capacity and all its best known restaurants spend most of the dinner hour turning them away because there are no more seats.
Conversation in Adlon Hall at Tea Hour is reminiscent of Babel, with English running German hard as the predominant tongue and the Polish, Czech and Scandinavian Languages drowning out the customary Continental French.
English beyond doubt if the Latin of the modern world. In the press box at the Olympic Stadium and at most of the information offices more English is spoken than German. Yet in comparison with the crowds of Scandinavians, who make up the largest part of the foreign contingent, relatively few Englishmen or American are here. The Scandinavians, however, seem to get along better in English than anything else.
Scandinavians in the stands have adopted American cheering tactics and shout "Rah! Rah! Rah!" in unison.
Anybody interested in his fellowmen has been able to get a kick out of noting the difference of these foreign visitors. There is a good deal of truth in a familiar story which purports to classify national characteristics under such circumstances.
The Frenchman enters a hotel looking around with a general air indicating he would like to own it.
The German walks in looking as though some day he expects to own it.
The Englishman strolls in as though he does indeed own it.
The American goes in with the general air which seems to say he doesn't give a damn who owns it.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
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