My first day volunteering, Sahara dust in our sky, and a pic of Mag playing in light

Never thought I'd see my first European football game like this, but after watching men kick a ball around an enormous field with little success....well, I'm glad I didn't have to pay.

It was pretty cool to park in VIP, as close to the stadium as you can possible park, in a long row of emergency vehicles, including the German Red Cross. In fact the Red Cross driver was getting out of his van as I tried to adjust my new safety boots, and he laughed when he saw how new they are - yes, it is my first day.

Most of the medics were really nice. Unfortunately for me and my new friend Ahmed, our leader, Julia,  was seriously lacking what we call common courtesy.

I tried to extend my courtesy to her on our drive to the stadium, asking her what her official title is, and how long she's been with this organization. She said, "I'm a Rescue Sanitaterin (EMT-2 in America)." She said, "I've been doing this for 18 years." Ah, that explains her jaded way of doing her job.

I imagine it isn't her favorite thing to take two newbies to a job; neither of us have awesome German skills, and she isn't the type that knows how to make herself understood to foreigners.

As we made our way to our area of responsibility, this guy approached and shook Julia's hand and saw the defibrillator in Ahmed's hand and said, "Hope you don't need that today, good to see you here!" Then he shook my hand, but strangely, did not say his name, as one normally does.  As soon as he left, Julia said, "That was the mayor of Wuppertal." Hm! Ahmed said, "Totally alone, without bodyguards?" She said he doesn't want them. I just noticed that he didn't shake Ahmed's hand - cuz Ahmed  is obviously a Syrian refugee?

We were assigned to the upper sunshine level, well, most of the stadium was in the blazing sun, so I sidled up to a bratwurst booth to enjoy its shade. That meant I could not see the goal to my left, but I was there to work, not watch balls not go into goals.

Of course soccer would be more interesting if you have even a vague concept of the rules; most Germans would be bored to death at a baseball game because they don't know the rules.

I was amazed when this trumpet sounded and then the audience sang a song I'd only heard twice in my life - the two times I watched the Aachen Arabian All Nations Cup whenever the stallions or colts would come into the ring. How funny, it's a football song!

I liked the audience chanting, section by section, it was different from what I'd experienced in America. It lacked the near 100% team spirit compared to a Storm game. There was less production, less audience engagement. In this stadium, there was only one part of the audience that was as fired up as I'd experienced back home - and they were the ones I watched.

I was on duty, and for the first time I was at an event where I might have to help one of these people.

I spent the game peering down at the audience, hoping I would be able to help asap.

Oh, two more things I noticed: 1. The audience was mostly men (I only saw 3 women in my entire section) and 2. Beer was served in clear plastic cups. I've never seen disposable cups used in Germany.

Ahmed and I got to know each other a little, whereas our leader, Julia, didn't care to speak to us.

In fact, during the two-hour game, she never said a word to us. Some guy in the audience joined her and she satisfied her need to talk on him. She's one of those people who talk, but do not listen.

I tried to reach out to her, going to her and asking for an explanation of the rules, a few times, because she told me (when I asked on our way) that she was a football fan. But the one-word answers she gave made it clear she didn't care to explain.

My new friend Ahmed possesses the typical level of courtesy and asked me where I'm from, where I live, if I have kids, etc.

In fact, the other two from our group today, Martin and Stefan, both asked the same questions. It was kind of funny (later) when Stefan had a huge problem with my name. Like most Germans. (Not Ahmed, apparently Arabic has the TH sound.)

Stefan said, "So I'll just call you (long version of my name, the one on my passport)." "OK, but no one else does." "Well?" *lol*

Finally the game ended and I had no idea what the score was. There was no scoreboard - how odd.

The mayor came by again to say goodbye. Later I asked my husband if he'd ever met the mayor, and he said, "Yes, but I shook his hand, he did not shake mine." *lol*

Wuppertal has 345K citizens, Seattle has twice that, but over much more land.

Julia led us back to the van.

I had texted my husband how exciting it was to dress up, and how bright I was, and he said, "Can you get a photo?"

I had never even seen myself in a mirror, so I had no idea how I looked. (See prior blog entry for the photo.)

Suddenly everyone, all the rescue people, stood up and started to move back to their vehicles. I knew it was my chance. I jumped up on the wall and said, "Ahmed, take my picture?!"

He did: )

Then he gave me his cell phone and said to type my email addy.

Then Julia wasn't very nice to us, I don't want to talk about it but now I am warned about her. I am not going to attend a class she's giving tomorrow, because I don't want to listen to her talk for 2 hours. So glad most of the people at this place seem polite and friendly. 

Back at the "ambulance house" we went down to the locker room.

And I suddenly realized I had to change clothes in front of guys I had just met that day. Ugh.

First time in my life that I've had to change in front of colleagues. Oh well, I'm sure it gets easier.

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Right now the sky is orange, and all day it was a strange yellow, because Storm Ophelia blew up from the Sahara and somehow our atmosphere is full of red sand. And ash from a volcano.  I could look right at the sun at 5 pm.

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I've been having fun playing with the few profi photos I have of Mag from Oct 2016. I hate that in most of the shots, he's too close to the photographer and she cuts off his legs in the shots. I changed this photo by cropping off the chest, because the photo is better with just the head, IMO. I also took away the yellow/reds from the shot, making it almost black and white. Mag looks tons cleaner in cool light. Photoshopped Mag is CLEEEEEAN: ))

Reminiscent of the last photos she took of Baasha, taken in the same location, same lighting, I can't locate the original photo, dangit.