Guten tag, Stuttgart

That’s about the extent of my German, for now.

Battling off the last remnants of jetlag, the reality is setting in of how lucky I am to have been given this opportunity. Not only is Stuttgart a beautiful place with a lot to do, it is so close by to so many legendary landmarks across Europe. I live 2 hours or less from Zurich, Munich, Frankfurt, and the French border. I am 6 hours or so from Prague, Vienna, Berlin, and the Italian border. Europe is now at my fingertips, and I can’t wait to grab hold.

The plane ride surprisingly had no hiccups. Lufthansa seems to know how to do it right, and its US competitors should take note. The airbus had spacious seating, individual TV’s with on-demand movies, two decent meals, great customer service, and even an additional cup holder! No delays, no lost baggage. I lucked out with the two seats next to me ending up vacant – one of which was eventually filled by a Salzburg native that provided some great conversation.

Coming out of the airport, the climate was starkingly similar to downtown San Francisco: a mid-50′s chill with an overcast. That chill is only going to get worse, but at least the sun came out today. As I was carted back to the hotel, I didn’t really feel the distance I had just traveled. While noticeably different from the States, it did not take long adjusting to my new surroundings. Even the language barrier is almost nonexistant: every person I have talked to can speak fluent English.

I will say though I am making an active effort to speak German. I hope to be fairly fluent by the time I return. The problem is, most of the people in my office stick closely to their American heritage: they rarely spend time with native Germans and hardly venture out of their Expat hang-out spots. Let’s see if I can break away.

On a search for a Deutsche Bank ATM (they are in cahoots with Bank of America and allow me to withdraw Euros from my BOA checking account with no charge), I ran into my friend and coworker Ty on the street. Worked out great as he spent the rest of the day showing me downtown Stuttgart! We stopped for dinner – cheese spaetzle and kaffee for about 13€… a little on the expensive side, but worth it.

When we entered the restaurant, I caught an older German women casting me a hard stare. As I walked by her, I noticed her hand clutching her purse on the seat next to her. When Ty and I finally found a seat, she had released her pursed and said something to cause her companion to stare as well.

First day in Germany and already racially profiled. Do Indians have a habit of stealing things from Germans? Maybe she noticed the holes in my sweatshirt and figured I was homeless. Or I could just be paranoid. Either way, I hope not all Germans allow themselves to succumb to such reactions.

To end my day, Ty and I went to the Hotel bar for my first German beer. I had a Dunkelweizen (Dark Wheat beer), and it was one of the best beers I have ever tasted. There is no exaggeration when people say having a beer in Germany makes everything in the US taste like a hospital bedpan. I’m afraid now that drinking beer in the US will never be the same.

This morning was my M.C. Dean-Europe indoctrination. In about two hours I was checked into my apartment (13th floor overlooking the city!), given the keys to a Mercedes Benz rental, and granted access to most of our client sites in the city.

I guess as this blog matures, you’ll find less of my day-to-day and more of the highlights of my weekend trips. Look forward to reading about Stuttgart, Munich, and hopefully Barcelona.

Auf Wiedersehen.