ladies of negotiable affection

That's Terry Prachett's term.

I went to visit friends in Germany for Christmas. I took the train there. Perhaps not the best of solutions but I figured it would give me time to read some and perhaps study Swedish. Didn't do the latter. On the way back I changed trains in Berlin. I've never been to Berlin so I gave myself a few hours to walk around and see a bit of the place.

The train station there is new, and quite impressive. A multilayered station and mall. But it isn't near anything. Walk outside and you see Federal Germany. There's a park there by the river. It was dark (after all, it is winter) and the day after Christmas so few were there. Strange city, empty, dark. I decided to not walk to the Brandenburg Gate and instead walked to some place closer and more populated. Ended up at Friedrich Straß. Went to an Irish Bar. Felt like talking in English and getting a burger. So-so burger. Killians beer.

Had some time remaining before the train so I walked down the street and was propositioned. My German is good enough to understand "Haben Sie sex mit mich?". Hope I spelled it right. Realized the first time I used Swedish "mig" instead of German "mich."

I got asked several times (5 or 6) while walking. Including once by a pair of women. They stepped in front of me so I stepped aside. They stepped in the same way. Repeat. As I was walking away one said something which included "Weihnachts". I'm guessing they were offering a Christmas special. I didn't even know enough German to say I wasn't interested, and didn't want to ask them to repeat in English.

The uniform seems to include a white bolero jacket and high boots. I think in Germany that prostitution is legal. Wikipedia knows everything.

This is the third time I've been propositioned. The first was in Glasgow when I was there for ISMB. While walking to a salsa club a woman asked "Service?". I responded "Sorry?" "Sex?" "No thanks." Searching now that's because of "Prostitution Tolerance Zones" introduced 28 October 2002.

The second was here in Göteborg. I was walking back from tango at Språkkaféet and passed two woman in a car near Feskekyrkan. They looked in their late 40s, early 50s and, well, not much to look at. The woman in shotgun asked me something I I didn't understand. I asked for clarifiation. (Rather, I probably said "Sorry? My Swedish isn't very good.".) She asked the driver to translate. "Do you want to have sex?" "No, I don't." Prostitution is not legal in Sweden. According to Johann, offering is legal but accepting is not.

I've also once been offered drugs. Coming out from tango dancing in Cape Town a guy, who I thought was a car guy, came up to me. Wanted to know if I wanted cocaine. After I said no, "weed?" I left, and was happy that the car guys started coming. "Car guy" is *not* in Wikipedia. It's the guy you pay a few rand to to watch your car.

So do I look more like a coke guy then a weed guy? Perhaps it would have been different had I still long hair. Or perhaps the profit margin is higher in coke. That's Emily's thought when I recounted these stories last week.