Café connections in Hamburg

‘Einen kaffee und ein gebäck bitte’

I repeated it to myself over and over again in the elevator, but still had to look it up again before I went in. It was my last morning in Hamburg, I’d been there for work. Across the road from the office is a fantastic bakery that I’d visited every morning. Not the healthiest of breakfasts I know, but their pastries were so good!

The first few mornings I sort of managed by pointing to what I wanted and smiling. Then one day I got a surprise. When I went in, the woman behind the counter, who so far I’ve only smiled at was fussing over something with her colleagues. She seemed nervous. Finally she handed me a crumpled piece of paper – she had written something in English! It was something very basic like her name and how long she had worked at the bakery, but the time and effort that she had put into it was clear. So the next morning I was prepared….I checked it on my phone one last time and went to the counter.

‘Einen kaffee und ein gebäck bitte’

I will never in my life forget the look of sheer joy on her face! She shouted for her colleagues to come over and made me say it again for them! I only asked for coffee and a pastry but those basic interactions were much more profound than ordering breakfast. Without being able to express it in a common language, we both understood the shared human desire to communicate and connect with each other. I haven’t been back to Hamburg since then, but when I do the bakery will be my first stop!

By learning just a few words in another language you can make someone’s day