vm for dummies

Ugh!
Just bought a cel phone for local calls in Germany.
Thankfully there's an English mode on the phone.
And how now to set up the voice mail??
Seeing as how, when you call to set it up,
they speak in German.
So lost...

Pretzel

So, I'm at the train station and I go to the Backeri (of course!).
My turn rolls around and I ask for a pretzel.
She thinks I want a bratwurst.
No, I say, "Pretzel", trying to enunciate a bit more clearly & point at what I'm asking for.
She asks if I want a baguette.
No.
Then she gets the other girl that speaks English and I say, "pretzel".
And the girl says pretzel to the other in German with a tone of voice that says I can't believe you didn't understand her, which made me feel slightly better. I really thought this was one word we had in common. However, I have since realized that they say "Breze" and roll that "r" and it really does sound different.
Ahh......all that for snack!