Back in 1953 when my family came to Canada from Germany, my dad had a job in a stationery store where they also sold and repaired typewriters. Remember those?

You can see the stationery store front in this photo (which happened to be taken on the day of the Fall Fair parade).

My dad was very good at fixing typewriters and small office machines. He worked hard at his job, and the company he worked for encouraged him to go to night classes to learn English, which he did. He was doing his best to learn the new language.

One day, his co-worker suggested that they go to the New Palace Hotel and Cafe for their coffee break. It was just at the end of the block where they worked, and would be quick.

In this old photo, also taken on the day of the Fall Fair parade, you can see the New Palace, the lighter building on the left.

I just noticed the people on top of the hotel building. They’re there to watch the parade.

“They make the best pies,” he said.

“Yes, but mein English…. I not know vaht to say.” My dad’s face scrunched up with worry.

“No problem,” said his buddy. “You just say, ‘Coffee and good pie’.”

“Okay.” My dad nodded. All the way to the coffee shop he practiced. “Kaffee and kood pie. Kaffee and kood pie. Kaffee and kood pie.” He was already imagining how good it would be.

In the New Palace Cafe, they sat in a booth, and when the waitress came over, my dad said, “Kaffee … and kood pie.”

A few moments later, she came back with the cup of coffee. She slammed it down on the table, and stuck her nose in the air as she spun around and flounced away.

My dad sat there, stunned. “Vaht heppen?” he asked.

His co-worker winced. “I think she thought you said, ‘Coffee! And goodbye!'”