Die Damen auf dem Postamt bereiten uns eine großartige Weihnachtsüberraschung. Während wir in das Telegraphenzimmer abgeschoben werden, rücken die Mädels ein paar Tische zurecht, stellen einen geschmückten Tannenbaum mit brennenden Kerzen auf einen Tisch und bauen für jeden für uns dreien die Geschenke auf.Endlich werden wir hineingeholt. Wir gruppieren uns allesamt um den Tannenbaum und singen Weihnachtslieder. Dann bewundern wir die uns zugedachten Gaben und bedanken und herzlichst bei allen Postmädels. Jeder von uns hat Kuchen, Nüsse, Äpfel, Zigarren, Zigaretten, ein Andenken an Münden und sonstige Kleinigkeiten bekommen. Die Freude ist groß! Nun geht es an die Herrichtung der Kaffeetafel. Kuchen steht in reichlichern Mengen zur Verfügung. Leider kann ich nicht allzu viel von den schönen Sachen essen, da ich von meinen Quartiersleuten schon reichlich mit diesen leckeren Dingen verwöhnt wurde. Liebenswürdiger und anerkennender hätten sich die Damen gar nicht erweisen können.
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The post office girls gave a great christmas surprise to us. While we are placed into the telegraph room, they shove around some tables, put a decorated chritmas tree with candles onto one table and arrange some presents for each one of us three. Finally, we are let in. We all gather around the tree and sing christmas carols. Afterwards, we admire the gifts intended for us and heartily thank all the post girls. Each one of us received cake, nuts, apples, cigars, cigarettes, a souvenir of Münden and other small things. Joy is great amongst us! Now we put up the coffee table. Cake is available in large quantities. Unfortunately I can not eat a lot of all the fine things, since I have already been coddled a lot by my hosts with all those delicacies. The post girls could not have been more gracious and appreciative.
FRA
Le ragazze dell'ufficio postale ci hanno fatto una grand esorpresa natalizia. Mentre stavamo nella sala telegrafo, avevano sistemato alcuni tavoli, messo un albero di Natale decorato con cndeline su un tavolo e preparato alcuni regali per ciascuno di noi tre.Finalmente entriamo. Ci raccogliamo tutti intorno all'albero e cantiamo le canzoni di Natale. Poi ammiriamo i regali preparati per noi e ringraziamo di cuore le ragazze. Ognuno di noi riceve dolci, noccioline, mele, sigari, sigarette, un souvenir di Müunden ed altre piccole cose. C'è grande gioia in noi! Sistemiamo la tavola, il dolce è disponibile in gran quantità. Purtroppo non posso mangiarne troppe di quelle buone cose, perché i miei ospiti mi hanno già coccolato con i loro dolci. Le ragazze dell'ufficio postale non avrebbero potuto essere più gentile e premurose.
The post office girls gave a great christmas surprise to us. While we are placed into the telegraph room, they shove around some tables, put a decorated chritmas tree with candles onto one table and arrange some presents for each one of us three.
AntwortenLöschenFinally, we are let in. We all gather around the tree and sing christmas carols. Afterwards, we admire the gifts intended for us and heartily thank all the post girls. Each one of us received cake, nuts, apples, cigars, cigarettes, a souvenir of Münden and other small things. Joy is great amongst us! Now we put up the coffee table. Cake is available in large quantities. Unfortunately I can not eat a lot of all the fine things, since I have already been coddled a lot by my hosts with all those delicacies. The post girls could not have been more gracious and appreciative.
I find it very surprising that Dieter tells so much about having too much to eat.
AntwortenLöschenActually, since 1916, the nutritial situation of the people in Germany started to become really serious. Starvation was driven by the efforts being made to keep on fighting. There are numerous personal accounts how food was collected for the army or being used as industrial input, e.g. fat being used for lubricating machines and engines instead of giving calories to people.
As a result, almost 1 million people died from starvation in Germany during the war.
Why then does Dieter seem to live in the land of milk and honey? Here are my thoughts on it:
Idea 1. The war caused app. two million dead young men and the double number of wounded. People's happiness about the end of the war and the returning unscathed young men was so great, that they spent all their resources on making them feel good. It coudl imagine this for the Ludwig's who live with their nephew and might be happy that he is still alive, seeing Dieter as some kind of a "son".
Idea 2. With a total population back then of app. 50 million people, the war had caused a brutal decrease in the number of young men between 18 and 25. It was hard for a girl to find a healthy young man, so the post office girls might be especially glad about those educated and gently three guys. Hance, they try their best to be kind.
Any thoughts on that?