Waterfowl, probably the sanest creatures at the park.
As you may know, there's a rather large park here in northern Charlottenburg, formerly a pleasure garden for the Prussian royalty that romped around the palace (In German: Schloss) that gave this section of Berlin its name. The Hohenzollerns were chased off almost a century ago, but the park still happens to be a rather agreeable place for a walk. While there are numerous interesting species of plant and animal life there to observe and admire (ducks, for example), the real attraction of going there is, of course, as any one who has visited a Paris street cafe could explain, to observe the wide variety of humans there on display, a few of which I shall bluntly stereotype for you in the following paragraphs:
The Mismatched Couple. Hans still wears his hair at shoulder length, Jana is over 50. He needs her to provide some stability into his otherwise boundless lifestyle, she needs him to make her feel young again -- or just as a romantic escape from an otherwise dreadfully dull cubicle existence. Her co-workers gossip scandalously about her secret love; he cannot properly comprehend the concept of co-workers, because the most complicated job he has ever held for over a month was checking for subway fares on the U2. He loves the park because it's free and there they can get away from his roommates; she loves it because no one offers her a senior discount when she enters the grounds.
The Aspiring Musician. Friedrich comes from California -- even if it doesn't say so on his birth certificate. His instrument is an accordion, a guitar, or a saxophone (occasionally a keyboard, fiddle, or clarinet, depending on karma), and his hero is the martyr John Lennon, that great American who once said "give peace a dime." He does not beg for your change, but rather kindly and gently suggests that you support the arts. He loves the park because the tranquil setting greatly enhances the musical experience -- and because there he doesn't have to compete with the homeless selling the Straßenfeger.
The Pre-occupied Parents with Neglected Child(ren). Marlene needs to get out of the flat for a little while, why not meet up with the Müllers for a walk? The best Bundesliga matches were all yesterday, so Gerd doesn't have much of an excuse not to go along, even though Susi Müller drives him bananas. And little Fritz loves the park anyway, so let's make an afternoon of it. Somehow Fritzi gets his shoe stuck up in a tree, and the obvious way of retrieving it requires throwing sticks, rocks and other potentially dangerous projectiles in the hope of dislodging the wayward footwear. Which is fine by Gerd, because Susi is afraid of objects flying at her face (and patently distrusts Gerd's aim, perhaps with reasonable cause); she and husband Paul head down the path, promising that they'll "meet up later." Fritzi's shoe is eventually recovered when Marlene knocks it free with a well-aimed tennis ball, which evokes polite applause from the small audience that has gathered to watch the spectacle. The youngster's left sock, however, does not appreciate the charade.
The Dignified Lady with Dog. Georgette can't understand why people can't behave themselves properly at the park; after all when she was a girl they were just happy to have a park at all. Hmph. Shoes clearly do not belong in trees. That man is going to hurt someone by throwing that stick. Hmph. Now, what did Poochie do with his tennis ball?
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