Talk:2010-10-19 48 8

Feel free to tell Robyn how she should have done better, or to correct her German.

Better than Robyn? Impossible! It's a wonderful report. :)

"I'm guessing there are no request stops in Germany, where you pull down the signpost, or at night set out a flare, to get the train to stop to pick you up." - Yes there are. You have to push a button to make the train stop. There are stop request buttons inside these trains too. I find the concept of setting up a flare at night incredibly cute - At a station like that, I wouldn't even think of having to mess with the train signals! I have to visit Canada! -- relet 11:23, 21 October 2010 (UTC)

Note that passenger travel by train is pretty rare in Canada, except for a few commuter and interurban routes. It's possible that it's been ten or fifteen years since I rode an actual train in Canada. It may have been thirty years ago that I last used a request stop, and I was disappointed at the time that it wasn't night, so I didn't get to use a flare. -Robyn 12:35, 21 October 2010 (UTC)

I don't think words can describe how happy this report made me. It's like reading a summary of every geohash I did for the 8 months I was there. Heck, it's like reading a summary of every time I went outside fot the 8 months I was there! Thank you for putting into words what I could only feebly complain about to others! And I'm so happy you made it! -- [[user:thepiguy]] 17:19, 21 October 2010 (UTC)

The whole time I was out, I kept thinking, "Is this what it was like for pi?" I'm glad to be sharing your experience, albeit a little late. -Robyn 07:43, 22 October 2010 (UTC)

*cough* well, I remember this a little bit different for pi's stay. He wasn't able to ask "Bitte. Wo ... Bahn?" or something like that, I had to almost use brute force to make him say "My name is..." in German after a few months. A little more effort in learning German might have helped him a lot. ;-) Ja, so war es. Wehe, du versuchst, dich herauszureden!

I like this report very very much. It's great to see how things we take for granted and what we consider as "I don't know how else it could be done" are a mystery for somebody with a different background. I won't correct your German. We can understand most of it and it's a source of much good-natured amusement. I will take a look at the things I didn't understand the next time I see e.g. an emergency telephone. If the ticket vending machine looks like a Canadian income tax form to you, do you want so see a German income tax form? (answer at your own risk) - Danatar 09:54, 22 October 2010 (UTC)

Edit: I found the income tax forms online: this is a list of all forms including special cases like winegrowing or alimony. I had to fill out this, this, this and this form.

Great report :). Haven't been able to hash for ages so when a report as descriptive and engaging as this comes along you let me live vicariously :P -- Ephphatha 00:30, 22 October 2010 (UTC)

I'm so fascinated by the differences among countries. I'm glad you enjoyed the ride. -Robyn 07:43, 22 October 2010 (UTC)