The Diary
of
Anne Ku

12 February 2001 Monday

DUSSELDORF TO ESSEN

For all the reknowned Germany engineering precision and efficiency, Dusseldorf (or Duesseldorf, as I don't know how to configure the umlau) Airport is a navigator's nightmare. I got out pretty quickly at Terminal A and followed the arrows to Terminal C, where a shuttle was supposed to be waiting.

Seeing no signs of a special shuttle to Essen, I used my best German to ask the Information Desk. The nearby bus driver confirmed the verdict: there is no such thing. So I got on a bus at Terminal C to get to the train station. We stopped at Terminal A before Terminal E where I disembarked.

Essen was pretty easy to get to. However, once I got off the train, I didn't know which of the two opposite exits to take. The Information Desk helped me choose the correct exit for my hotel. Once I got outside, I had to ask another person how to get to Huysenallee. If I only had a map, I thought.

It is said that men do not like to ask directions as it's considered unmasculine. I ask questions so that I can get a feel for the local culture and flavour. However, having to ask six different people before getting to my hotel in Essen was not at all German practice or precision!

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