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(January 2008) posted on Mon Dec 31, 2007

Sometimes, singular remarks tell a powerful story.

By Darek Johnson

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Writer Meg Bortin’s June 28, New York Times story said distrust of the United States has intensified across the world, but, overall, views of American remain very or somewhat favorable in 25 of the 46 countries surveyed. Her article reported on Pew Research Center’s April 6, multi-country survey of 45,239 people. The surveys director said anti-Americanism has deepened, but not necessarily widened.

At 10 o’clock on Saturday night, June 9, I was exploring Berlin on a European-style touring bicycle, riding through lower Charlottenburg, a shadowy, apartment-lined, suburb west of Mitte, Berlin’s downtown center. I’d consumed the afternoon, after having closed the FESPA tradeshow, touring the city on a 27-speed, Shimano-equipped, aluminum-frame, Giant Tourer GTS.

FESPA – The Federation of European Screen Printers Assn. – is a trade-association coalition, and a exhibition and conference organizer for the screen- and digital-printing industries. FESPA’s 2007 tradeshow, held in Berlin, June 5 to 9, was Europe’s principal digital- and screenprinting show this year. Officials said 24,232 visitors (not including exhibitors) attended, from 125 countries.

At this impressive mix of worldwide- built technology, machines, inks and software, you heard every language imaginable.

Berlin’s tree-lined boulevards, boutiques, sidewalk cafes and active, nighttime population validate its reputation as Germany’s Paris. The capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, Deutschland; Berlin has 3.5 million people, including drivers who, I found, were remarkably considerate of bicyclists. Even while riding downtown, I didn’t see myself in jeopardy.

I did, at times, however, feel like an American mediator, because, more than ever before, I heard disapproving, but not unkind, comments about the United States.

On Saturday afternoon, in Tiergarten park, while stopping to check my map after having turned north instead of west at Siegessäule column, I encountered Anna, a young woman who converses in English, French and her native German; also, she’ll soon graduate from medical school. Anna was walking an old, blind dog and, having once owned such a dog, I asked about this one. People are more trusting when you’re on a bicycle.

We talked for half an hour about dogs, Berlin, her previous visits to the United States and an upcoming internship in Houston. Anna was 10 years old when the Berlin Wall came down. “You Americans were the heroes,” she said. “We all loved you.”

“Not now?” I asked.