While searching for something in a box of souvenirs I brought back from Italy (I went in 2007), I found this baby bar of chocolate. Although it looks like a typical fun size candy bar, it has such a deep symbolic meaning for me. I got this bar of chocolate while flying from Rome to Frankfurt on a Lufthansa airplane. It was during this time (and during our layover at the Frankfurt airport) that I was first exposed to German. I was fascinated by these incredibly long words and the funny dots over some letters and the fact that "Dusche" meant "shower" and that the McDonald's served something called a "McRoyal." I also thought it was wonderful that the stewardesses wished us all "Auf Wiedersehen" as we exited the aircraft. This short exposure to German language and culture has defined much of my life and my future plans.
When I received this bar of chocolate, I never thought that I would major in German or even that I would return to Europe (much less move there for a year!). Since this product expired in 2008, I believe I will keep this forever in my shoebox of memories, untouched as the day I decided to keep it because I wasn't hungry for chocolate at 9 am.
This is beautiful.
ReplyDelete