Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Not Yet Fraulein Maria

Forget learning German or even Swiss German, I need to learn 'baby,' pronto. I started my job as a nanny caring for two little girls. The two year old attends daycare three days per week so most of the time it will be just me and baby. She has a routine with which I am not familiar and different cries that alert her parents of her various needs. Giulia truly is an angelic seven month old (in fact, she has the roundest, most perfect head you've ever seen), but at one point I could not get her to stop crying. If I understood 'baby' I would have known that that particular cry meant 'hold me in your lap while sitting in the chair by the window singing the entire score from The Sound of Music.' Until I become the Doctor Doolittle of babies, trial and error (and Rodgers and Hammerstein) are my method.

Overall, Giulia and the other members of my host family are fantastic. Paola, my employer assembled a welcome package that made me feel just that and then some. It contained an unintimidating book on Swiss German, Swiss chocolates, an invitation to have a traditional raclette dinner with Paola and Lionel and a phone so fancy that it may even have 'gaydar.' This family makes me question everything I have heard about the Swiss being cold or difficult to get to know. Paola is incredibly organized, yet warm and flexible. Yes, Google, I'm feeling lucky.

1 comment:

Nan said...

It is amazing how babies communicate. Before words there is language! I expect that you and the baby will begin communicating and that you are already developing your own language with one another. I find it interesting how the aura or "vibe" of a person, location or situation can be felt by the little one and how their discomfort is expressed. I used to call it "playing Margaret Mead" when I would put you on a blanket on the floor and "observe" you. Babies are absolutely fascinating! Imagine what you feel when they are from you!