Career Opportunities

After 10 long years, I’ve decided to resurrect my babysitting career. Admittedly there wasn’t much of a career to resurrect, nor is the current resurrection much to speak of, but it does exist.

Last night I was with Johanna (6) and Gregor (2). We played tag, read stories and built paper airplanes. A look of consternation crossed the mother’s face when she noticed bombs attached to one of the planes (the anti-war pledges begin in Germany at the youngest of ages. War is not a game) but she was able to quickly look past it. Gregor refused to go to bed and instead dozed on the couch. Johanna was up until 11 … as her mom put it, I’m like coffee to her. We read one of her favorite stories “Upsi” and the entire time she stared directly at my lips. She knew I was talking funny, but she understood every word. Accents are a crazy thing in a kids mind. All in all, one more unexpected twist to life.

In other news, winter may not have arrived in Berlin but winter time sure has. The sun will set this afternoon at 3.59. I can just feel the soul being sucked out of me with every setting sun. Winter time takes all the “lust” (desire) out of me. The amazing thing however, is the immediacy in which darkness envelops everything. Pitch black by 4.30. It’s hard to keep going when all you want to do is crawl into bed.