Meeting the Neighbors... Ps. I've got flour.

Here some neighbors show their Swiss Pride in the run up to Euro 2008

The other day as I was leaving the apartment, I ran into one of our neighbors. Seeing as though we live in a 6 apartment building, you'd think this would be a common occurrence, but alas, it is not. A lot of bloggers have mentioned never seeing their neighbors so I took this opportunity at large and tried to make the most of it... however, I don't think my German skills really faired so well in this rushed exchange. Allow me to give you the translated version of the exchange, and what I realized I said only too late...

(Passing neighbor in stairwell...I'm going down, he up, as he's about a flight up, I yell after him..)

Me: Oh... hello! Do you live up top?

Neighbor: Yes.

Me: Oh! I am your neighbor! We live across from you. I know this isn't the best time, but I wanted to introduce myself.

Neighbor: Oh hello...(he says looking obviously scared for his life as I am now running up the stairs after him, with a bag of recycling, a garbage bag filled to the brim, and my purse swinging around, all of which I dropped at once onto the landing to extend my hand, he drops the 20 pounds of bottled water he is carrying to return the gesture... good start)

We exchange some small pleasantries about where we're from and how long we've been here... I can imagine this exchange is quite foreign to him, as I doubt he's met any of the neighbors before... who knows... all I know is I've run into a few other neighbors and they have only said 'Gruetzi' before shirking away. Let's skip ahead to the part I cringe over now.

Me: So feel free at any time to come over. I have flour. And butter.

Neighbor: Uh, oh, ok, thanks. Yeah, we'll have to knock.

Me: I mean, I know the supermarket is not far, but I have flour. If you need it. Just come on over.

Neighbor: Ok, thanks. (with a look on his face like, how do they let these people in... and why would I go over to her place for butter?!)

Now, let me explain. I was trying to do the average, neighborly (and as Jace explains overly American) thing and let him know that if he needed a cup of sugar or anything to just come on over.

But did I offer sugar? No. FLOUR of all things.

Did I try to explain that if he had an emergency or something or needed help to just ask? No.

Do the Swiss share their groceries here? Do they go a knocking for a cup of sugar or flour as it might be? No!

Does the only other person I know in the neighborhood think I might be nuts? Yes.

No doubt I came across as though I had some secret black market in my apartment. Great first impression. 'Come one, come all, get your flour! Great prices.' Who knows in this economy that might be exactly what he thought! I'll have bakers lined up around the block!

In the end, I think he understood what I meant to say and he said something like 'Ja, wir koennen uns nutzen' which roughly means 'We can use each other.' But whether or not he means 'use eachother' like in a neighborly way or in a 'if I need a quick hit because you've obviously got the goods' - flour included, I'll probably never know.