We have had some nice snow fall and we live by a small hill where kids go sliding…. so I thought I'd go downtown to buy a sled ... m. and I take the metro without the stroller so we can return in the sled ... but the little one does not want to walk, then I take her in my arms and she’s crying that wants to get off when the metro is jammed with people ... you know, where it's less convenient!
So first store, sold out, store n°2 only has models for adults , at the 3rd store they’ll be arriving next week ... all the while she screams like a mad woman(seems crazy because all the other children who are German, are quiet and still) .. . m. keeps yelling SCENDE, SCEEEEEEEEENDEE (down) or BRACCCIO BRACCCIIOOOOOOOO (arms ) and then when I let her down she’s throwing down everything from the shelf! I keep mustering under my breathe…’why do I bother’? So the following day as m. and I were talking a quiet (she had already thrown the cappuccino on the floor in the café we had just been into) stroll (she’s in my arms and the stroller is empty) in the neighborhood I notice some toboggans at a bike shop – go figure! It cost me 100 € for a wooden sled so I hope that at least we have fun!
day n° 1 ... going no problem, m. seems to enjoy sitting back. .. I get on with her and she’s not scared to go down ... but she doesn’t seem to understand when we get to the bottom of the hill…she’s shouting ANCORA ANCORA (again) . that we must go to the top to do it again! So then she does not want to walk up, but BRACCCIO BRACCCIIOOOOOOOO ... ok .. we go on like this, I carry her up once we get down. Every so often she begins to cry MALE MALE (hurt) as she sees some boy fall from his sled ... then at some point starts to cry BRUCCI BRUCCI, (burns) I think that her hands must be frozen because she does not want put on her gloves, EVER. but no, she points to her behind, saying CACA CACA (no translation here) ... she doesn’t want to know anything about returning in the sled (obviously, if your bum hurts ...) so I take her 10kg in my arms while she continues to cry the whole way back (which seems to never end ).. . while the sled is empty . arrived home, no poo!
day n° 2 m. seems enthusiastic ... even when she sees other children fall ... we go even higher this time and she likes to squeal out like the others ... and this time she lets me pull her up the hill! seems almost perfect ... I decide to make a last run but while we are going down there’s a group of children in the way, for the life of me I can’t remember the word for 'GET OUT OF THE WAY’' and after 2 seconds I start to scream ACHTUNG (danger) thank god for U2! the first guy moves in time but the girl who was behind him, does not see us and I wasn’t able to maneuver in time…and then .... BOOM ... the girl went down. At first silence then WAAAAWAAAWAAA nothing happened to the girl (what a sport), but m. got scared ...I tried to calm her down ... but nothing to be done ... needless to say back home in my arms with any empty sled!
So if day n° 3 doesn’t get better ... by day n° 4 I'll have a sled for sale!
Most of us have preconceptions (BORING, fat lady etc..) when it comes to opera ...
And opera doesn't have to be expensive, Oper für alle, is a festival of opera free for the public to watch at the Max-Joseph Platz, just in front of the National Theater. This year, stage was set up, and hundreds of fan come with blankets and set up picnics as they watch and listen to the live broadcast of Puccini's Tosca being played inside. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me, but let me tell you that a great calm realms over the atmosphere and makes it even more stunning.
