I couldn’t agree more with Timothy Snyder these days: it’s not only the grand gestures but also the small ones that hold a very unique importance at certain times.
The actual origin of my blog post this week, again, traces back to a conversation between Sarah and me that happened a while ago. During that exchange, the hilarious idea came up that I might dedicate a blogpost to all the amazing Special Characters of the German alphabet one day, as they might seem pretty exotic and strange to people from English-speaking countries. Naturally, I was captivated by this so obvious yet somehow undiscovered idea instantly – the only practical question that remained was when and how to bring it to life. Of course, a lot could work – from a photo of a German Duden (the most common German dictionary, by the way) to a snapshot of a German QWERTZ keyboard (with all those charming extra keys for Ö, Ü, Ä, and – let’s not forget – the sharp S, ß). But then things took, again, a whole different turn and I stumbled upon a new approach, one that could potentially allow me to address that topic from a fresh angle and even refine it further. Could is the word I want to put an emphasis on because in this world nothing is ever entirely certain.
It all came together here at Zö’s snack stand, not far from my workplace, where all these special letters unite in the best possible way – through human interaction, conversation, and, of course, the menu. As a matter of fact, the German and Turkish languages share some of these Special Characters completely independently of each other. Whereas in German the Üs, Äs, and Ös are called Umlaute in Turkish they are known as Trema. Therefore I love how all of this comes together on the menu there: you’ll find dishes like the classic Döner Kebap (the well-known kebab in a bun), the cleverly named Dürüm “with a migration background” (a kebab wrapped in flatbread, featuring three sauces from three different nations), Käse-Sticks (cheese sticks), or even Austrian-style Hühnerschnitzel (chicken schnitzel). It’s all there. Combined, in a most delicious fashion.
For the sake of thoroughness it would certainly be fitting to include a phonetic representation of these special characters (which would undoubtedly be entertaining) as well but that might be content for another future blog post.
My warmest thanks this week go sincerely to the two souls who run Zö’s stand: “Mr. Muscle” Furkan and his boss! Only through their openness and cooperation did that “could” become something concrete. For me, it was a grand gesture, especially at a very particular time. This past week – with the U.S. election and all – was quite an intense one for me. Sharing tea with the guys at Zö’s, chatting about good food and life, and laughing together about how menu items can also have politically-charged names was exactly what I needed right now! What a beautiful afternoon! Once again: Thank you, Furkan & Chef! It was truly a joy and honor for me to be with you guys – or might I say – Special Characters! See you soon again!