Cheryl: Adventures in Munich-Part 1

The workshop is in a little old hotel called the Hotel SchreiberHof,outside of Munich in the little town of Aschheim.We got into Germany Wed morning and were met at the airport by the client's driver and were taken right to the hotel.Hotel room is tiny although we do have our own bathroom (my only actual "must have" so that worked out well).Wed was a killer day- had to stay up until night and we were really dragging by lunch.We made it and should be able to have a pretty normal schedule for the rest.Thursday class went well so tonight we decided to go into Munich.Armed with 120 Euros, a bus schedule, a train schedule and a willingness to ask for help...off we go.We got on the bus (right number, right direction) so far so good.The bus driver did not speak English but he understood that we want to go to Riem to catch the train and we get that his train ticket machine is broken so we need to buy tickets at the station.He drops us near the train station and we figure out how to get to the correct train as well as the machine that sells tickets.While I am trying to figure it out a young woman walks up to me with her Euros in hand asking me something in very rapid German.I was relatively sure she wasn't asking to pay me for sex...so I took a chance and asked "Do you need change?" She said "Yes". She was holding a 5 Euro bill (I know because I had several of those myself) Back in the US, neither Nick nor I carry change.We automatically dump our pockets onto the dresser. Good idea in the US where the biggest coin is a quarter.Bad idea in a country that has a 2Euro coin. At that moment I realized not only did that lovely young woman need change...SO DID WE! We were stuck. But I did to get pet a tiny Persian Kitten in the arms of an Arab woman. I said the universal "OH" that "tiny kitten"alert and approached her asking "Can I pet it"? She nodded and as I petted the kitten I asked "How old is it?" to which the woman answered "Cat". Then I asked "Persian?" and her face lit up and she said "Persian Cat". At that moment I learned that animal lovers recognize animal lovers in any language!