We May Be About to Learn Some New German Curse Words!
It all started with our friend Carl (names changed to protect the innocent)…
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXPaizfumrAzj9XHT91cFTkuTatkPAmQy6iqEVczEtEiz/35906593690_67cd4b42f2_m.jpg)
Carl asked Doug if he could help him get a copy of his German birth certificate since it’s widely known that Doug frequently visits Paris. Carl was born in Germany to Polish parents, adopted, and raised in the US. He lost his original birth certificate in a fire set by his ex-wife. Since France borders Germany, and Doug doesn’t speak either French or German it should be fairly straight forward...
Doug found a German website that caters to this demand, clicked “translate” on google, filled out a request, and was charged the requisite 55 Euros. He quickly got a reply:
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmPnNAy8yuciw8eUuLQoMs7vC9wzRp7a514wPht5MdeaMf/email%201.jpg)
Which translates to:
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdpVnKkGw26Gewi8cGZBnWYkxMk4ku5PMxfGfBp5dJp3M/email%202.jpg)
The next day (before he could reply) a second email arrived requesting clarification of which of six different ways the last name was spelled since the name given wasn’t very Polish (and the small problem that the researcher believed that Doug was Carl and that Carl was living in Germany instead of the US).
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmegCshLLD3JfE6fLArCekJTnpVCRECFppg1Nq9p79aHFi/email%203.jpg)
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmaVb32BmRP5Vx4vU4Z3pCoNKMUGyt8KZtFX1sAkSfvPd7/email%205.jpg)
Then Doug waited… And checked the mail… He talked to the Postmistress…
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQme33T32QpvXUtyG27WhY5tMkRmW3ruh91bRGG355jg5e3/email%206.jpg)
Then Doug waited.. And checked the mail… And waited…
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmU6RkSYQKpepJYNSQAXoteF2yv5SGbCMyFgcbcET7sdHg/email%206Point5.jpg)
Still no reply. What would you think? A scam? Doug waited another month then he called his credit card company and asked that they cancel the transaction. He found the researcher’s address on Google and also a nice website for the German police. He reported the incident (once again using the assistance of Google Translate). Two days later, the long-awaited reply was received:
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmQMz16qNonznmcyxcaMpWsXk5KGuyUyNDzVzwm8PiNHKZ/email%207.jpg)
Hmmm… If a complaint was made against someone in the US from someone overseas the cops might try to call the the 'presumed innocent' but would have let it slide if the someone didn’t answer the phone so it was a total surprise that the German Police ended up standing on her doorstep. I think I may be in love the Germans! That’s efficiency.
Doug thought it was all finished; however the researcher wasn’t through (and she still was under the impression that she was writing to Carl). She waited 4 days then Doug received this:
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZqQTUsVzcJjAbWyGbPqaeK5CrZ3UnECuHm3yk3knsPGH/email%209.jpg)
A reply? Wouldn’t that be escalating a bad situation? He conscientiously returned her email the same day:
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmdupBmCfhcqf2DHXj84mSzqEhSsaXmswzhPGrauPuVKJB/email%2010.jpg)
I'd say that sounds reasonably and satisfactorily concluded, Yes? Maybe not. The same day he received:
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmaa6TQDSuQUtcxvy7YuKytNmTADyDvCFFZYjuzmdzDcNu/email%2011.jpg)
Oh! They wait 2 months before answering every email sent to them! That explains everything! The reply short, sweet, and oh so reasonable (as Doug is apt to do):
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmTrqbKyr5SGPg12ujubynqPgxq3UsTNg5dddVaLAgHq3v/email%2012.jpg)
Will it stop there?
Will she call our local cops?
Will she simply teach him some German foul language?
It’s been 10 days and Doug has yet to find out. The birth certificate is still in New York City for reasons known only to the US Postal Service.
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmS8UuF189zqjuuVGyrKMUcoREX4WgWegarRu6UPyH3BfZ/steemit.jpg)
she call our local cops
We've been lucky so far but she seems pretty angry!
It's obvious if happen with any one .
I'm kind of jelous of this birth certificate as it means dual citizenship. I would love dual citizenship as I go to the UK as often as I can but as an American we can only stay a certain amount each calender year. This annoys me as I am actual English ancestry, but because my ancestors came to the US in 1600's it doesn't count! Good luck with the certificate. You have to love bureaucracy ;)
I understand that! I'm dual Canadian/American. The first time I went overseas they seemed to have no stress with me using my Canadian status but coming back into the US they were quite upset that I didn't have a green card and that I was staying indefinitely!
Wow ... you got a good vote from @echowhale based on where he is in the vote list
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