It has taken me forever to get around to writing about these few nights in Frankfurt, partly because I was busy, and partly because I could not truly find the words to describe what I experienced. By now everyone knows the USA Women's national team lost to Japan in the World Cup Final. The game went through overtime and was settled with a shoot out. I do not feel I need to recap the game.
I have had many interesting and odd train experiences so far during my trip. In a sleeper cabin, someone had their dog, German teens getting on the train with 4 cases of beer, but taking the train from Frankfurt station to the World Cup Stadium, 6 hours before the game was the funniest. We pile into a rail car, most of the seats are taken to begin with so I go across to the far side doors, I figure with my ass against the wall that 1.) It is harder to steal my wallet (my back pockets do have fasteners but still) and 2.) the odds of someone trying to stick a finger in my bum are slim.
DO NOT LAUGH PEOPLE! The bum rapping finger bandits are real! Ask anyone in Frankfurt!!
As this rail car gets filled to capacity, the doors close, and everyone stops sucking it in, then a wonderful individual will push the open door button, and with no obviously place to go, they dive right in, like a rugger taking a penalty from 10 meters out, first was a middleaged man (ok no worries I thought), next was a woman.....With a stroller...Some how the stroller found its way to my testis. If it was legal to slap a woman, it would have happened. Finally the train is rolling and I look across the car at my friend. He gives me a knowing look (early in the day at the hotel room, I had the worst gas), and boy I wish I could have complied with what he wanted me to do. This gas was the room clearing kind, and it would have been deadly in an elevator!! The hilarity that would have ensued if I could have let one go on that train! If you could get that on video, you would have had over a million hits on youtube!
With my almost being fingered in the bum, I want to change subjects. What I would like to speak about is Pride. I would imagine it could be compared to going to an Olympic event when your Country is the host. In this city, filled with people from various countries, pride became very apparent. Groups of Americans sporting red, white and blue, Japanese women wearing kimonos. Faces painted with flags, it was very apparent everyone was proud to be there. The Germans who's team did not make the finals were all wearing their National team jerseys. I unfortunately was not able to get a ticket to the game, (they were a little out of my price range) so my friend and I went to a pub, that was filled with Americans. Cheers and curses filled the air through out the game. Shots went down, beer chased. I met many people that night, none of whose names I remember. There were the girls from Michigan, there was the guys from Texas, an American from Charlotte who happened to be in Germany on business, US Military stationed in Germany, Old and young. We watched intently, sometimes laughing, sometimes on the verge of tears as the shootout continued.
Game over, The U.S. lost. The pub emptied out quickly, most of the Americans going back to their hotels to sulk, or to pass out. My friend I was with had decided to take the midnight train back to Austria, so soon I was left there alone, with only a few other Americans. Then it happened. The first trains coming back from the Stadium started to arrive. It was the modern day WWII. There I was in Germany, as the pub was invaded by the Japanese. Their smiles bright, as they rushed the bar, laughter ringing out as they celebrated their victory. The pub closed down, and I wandered to the Brazilian bar to keep the night alive. The feelings, and experience was amazing.
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