Kopfhoch

旅德的日子近了，身邊的朋友同事紛紛詢問：「旅行準備得怎麼樣了？」請原諒我實在答不上來，因為學校工作太忙，除了日常體力的鍛鍊，好像真的沒怎麼認真在為這趟旅行做「準備」。

學期末本來就忙，加上家裡早已沒有網路，我甚至連利用課餘時間上網查詢旅行資訊，都顯得捉襟見肘；或許只能等待暑假到來，才有充足的時間，然而屆時卻出發在即。

不過，這幾天倒是解決了一項令我頭痛許久的問題：寫信給已事先訂房的法蘭克福旅館，拜託他們讓我寄放一個月的「腳踏車紙箱」。

【上圖：法蘭克福 Hotel Adler 地圖】 

話說我的旅途將從法蘭克福開始，逆時針繞中、北德一圈，再回到法蘭克福搭機離德。我早在幾個月前便預訂了抵德後的第一夜，以及最後兩夜在法蘭克福的旅館，是同一家，名為 Hotel Adler。這是一家商務旅館，擁有免費無線上網的服務，距離法蘭克福火車站不到一百公尺，地點很不錯，而一晚單人房要價45歐元，在交通這麼便利的地方，價位還算合理。

原先我盤算著在法蘭克福機場便將腳踏車紙箱丟棄，直接組裝腳踏車，並從機場騎到市區，等回國之前再到法蘭克福街上尋覓腳踏車店，乞討一個紙箱來打包。不過與德文老師討論後，她認為德國的腳踏車銷售不似台灣蓬勃，因此「乞討紙箱」這個任務未必能順利達成，最好還是寫信向旅館詢問，若能讓我寄放從台灣打包過去的舊紙箱一個月，等回程抵達同一家旅館，用這只舊紙箱重新打包，就不會有尋找新紙箱的麻煩事兒困擾我。

另外，老師還建議我從機場扛著這「箱」腳踏車包輛計程車到旅館，會比較順利，而計程車車資也可以順便向旅館打探打探。本來我想這是一個商務旅館，這麼多的私人請託，他們未必會搭理，心裡覺得難以啟齒，於是遲遲沒有動筆寫信。直到端午節前，覺得是時候該解決問題了，免得到了當地還要解釋半天，於是下定決心去信請託；當然，我的德文沒有好到可以寫封長信暢所欲言，所以還是只能用英文。

【上圖：每天騎車到學校上班，簡單盥洗後將衣物曬乾。】

這是我給旅館的第一封信：

Dear Sir/Miss,
My name is Ernest Wu, and I come from Taiwan. I had booked several months ago for a single room in your hotel for 3 nights (that will fall on July 15 and Aug 12-13, 2009) by the online hotel reservations "Booking.com".

I will ride a circle this summer around the middle and the northern Germany with my bicycle, and the first and the final stops will be in your hotel. I'll then take a taxi and bring my bike (which will be packaged with a paper box) with me from the Frankfurt airport to your hotel. So I would like to beg you for two things in the followings:

The first one is that if you can store my bicycle box in your hotel when I leave Frankfurt for the next city on July 16? I'll come back to your place when I finish my trip on Aug 12. That is, this paper box will be stored in your hotel for about one month, if you agree to my request. I'll try my best to contract this paper box and let it be flattened. So it won't occupy too much space in your hotel. Could you do me a favor for this? The second one is that if I want to take a taxi with my bike from the Frankfurt airport to your hotel, how much it will cost about?

Thanks for answering me about my request and question. If you could help me to solve these problems, I'll deeply appreciate for your kindness! Hope to hear from you soon!

Best regards,
Ernest Wu

其實才半天光景，旅館就回信了，但我沒及時看到；接著隔了一個四天端午節連假，等我回到學校上網收信，這封回信已在信箱裡躺了好些天：

Dear Mr. Wu,

Regarding your email - we need the exact size of your Box (length, breadth, depth), because we have only a limited storage capacity.

The only possibility will be to put the box at our outside court - but we will not take any guarantee for it.

We are also not sure that the regular taxi will take you with a big box from the airport to the hotel! A big van will charge you between 50-75 EUR, but there is no guarantee for this information.

We are waiting for your answer!
Best regards

Hotel Adler
Mark Awad/ Reception

旅館的回信直接而坦白，他們願意幫忙的態度，也的確讓我鬆了一口氣。原來他們只有一個小儲藏室，所以得先問我箱子大小；萬一裝不下，還可以讓我放在院子裡，只是並不負責保管它。至於計程車車資，一趟箱型車從機場到市區，要價不斐，看來我得好好考慮考慮要不要花這來回 150 歐元的車資。於是我繼續問道：

Dear Sir/Miss,
Thanks for your message, and sorry for answering late.

The size of my bicycle box is: length- -130cm , breadth- -75cm , and depth- -25cm. I've attached a picture file below, and I can let it be flattened, so I think it won't occupy too much space. 

I also want to thank you for the taxi information that you had offered me.

Besides, I do worry about that my box will be damaged after a long flight, so my last question is that if I throw my box away when I arrive at the Frankfurt airport and ride my bicycle directly to your hotel, do you think it is easy to get a new paper box from a bicycle shop nearby your hotel? If I can get a new one easily before I come back, then you don't have to store my old box for me.

Thanks again for your kindness for answering my question and solving my problem. 

Best regards,
Ernest Wu

【上圖：我將入住的旅館單人房，照片取自 Hotel Adler 網站】

我想，除了拜託寄放箱子的可能性，或許應該問問找到新箱子的難度，或許旅館旁便有腳踏車店，乞討個箱子很容易也說不定。至於保管，他們雖然願意把紙箱放在院子裡，但不知道那是個什麼樣的「院子」？若是個露天的「院子」，紙箱經過一個多月日曬雨淋，大概不損毀也很難。此刻只能默默祈禱他們的儲藏室夠大了！第二天，想像著不同的可能性，忐忑地打開信箱，回信迅速地來了，並且有了一個美好的結果：

Dear Mr. Wu,

We urgently advice you to keep the box although it could be damaged. You will not be able to ride your bike to our hotel since the only way you could take would be over the highway, which is dangerous and not allowed by bike.

We advice you to take the train S8 or S9 to the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). We are only 100m away from the station.

We will do our best to store your box in our hotel.

In case of any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

We are looking forward to welcome you in our hotel.

With best regards

Hotel Adler Mr. Liran Gordon / Reception

天啊，還好他告訴我：法蘭克福機場並沒有一般腳踏車可以走的道路連接到市區，否則小弟這下子騎上高速公路被警察逮捕，恐怕人還沒到旅館，就要先上德國新聞了！所以，看來我只能乖乖拎著箱子，搭 S-Bahn 地鐵或計程車到旅館；所幸箱子尺寸塞得進他們的儲藏室，他們也承諾要好好幫我保管，真是幸運！

看著信，我心裡想著：住三個晚上，他們也不過賺我 135 歐元，卻願意一封一封信與我溝通，這份誠意真是令人感激；或者我應該說，這就是一個「先進國家」該有的樣子──在任何小事上，多用了一點心──而話說回來，那份信件背後服務客人的用心，豈是區區金錢可以換得？

於是，我決定硬著頭皮，以回報的心情，用德文寫一封感謝信：

Lieber Herr Liran Gordon, (親愛的 Gordon 先生)

Vielen Dank!! (非常感謝)
Sehr behilflich ist Ihr Rat für mich, (您的建議對我非常有幫助，)
und ich freue mich auf Sie! (期待與您見面！)
Herzliche Grüssen!! 誠摯祝福您！

Ernest Wu

我想，我對認真教我德文的老師感到非常抱歉：這封短信應該有不少用字或文法的錯誤，不然就是讀起來很拗口吧，呵呵~~可是這樣也好，這是我對他們誠意相助、用心服務客人的小小回報：但願他們也能讀出我努力地使用他們這種艱難語文寫信的「誠意」－－當然，我今後會更努力學習德文的 ^^