Towards a dictionary of words and phrases for the foreign traveler on German trains, and in German train stations
5 Minuten Verspätung: Time is an illusion. The truth is a chasm. Brezel: A large, misspelled pretzel. Vaguely nourishing. EinzelTicket: We pass this way but once. Essen Hauptbahnhof: A marvel of lights, commerce and humanity in motion. An elaborate mirage of Dunkin Donuts and Subways for which you will never have time. Fahrkarte: The straw to which you must cling. The road map to your destination. Also a document of dubious authority. Gleis: A raised horizontal surface on which to drink Lift (see: Lift) and feel ennui beating your psyche like an incontinent poodle. Hamburg Hauptbahnhof: An acoustic space where no sound is ever lost, thus no missive may be accurately understood. Lautsprecherdurchsage: Disembodied metallic voices. Their source or truthfulness is impossible to ascertain. Lift: The apples of Iðunn, tempered by a bit of fizzy water. Pünktlichkeit: The idea that things happen when they happen. Reservierung: The thought that, somewhere, there is a place for you. A frank...