Family Bayer

On Saturday evening, we cooked Yakisoba noodles and eggplant salad for Peter’s mom and grandma. We were glad that they both liked it. Pork in Yakisoba was delicious, and I was jealous how cheap and delicious meat is on the other side of the border. In Switzerland we became part-time vegetarians, which our vegetarian sisters appreciate.

After dinner we visited Peter’s former teacher Friedemann and gave Christmas gift to his 12-years-old son Timmy. When we first moved to Germany, Timmy’s height was just reaching my chin. After 5 years, either my neck grew longer or he’s grown taller than me! Both Friedemann and his wife Sabine are tall, so I think Timmy is going to be very very tall as well. I was disappointed that I did not grow even after I quit smoking. For 15 years I was smoking a pack of cigarettes and drinking 10 cups of coffee everyday and still managed to grow 4 cm. Now that I quit smoking and eat more, I don’t grow…

From the minute Peter entered their apartment, Timmy was all over Peter, showing off his new room and hobby. Despite his age, Peter tends to attract teenagers, because he can relate to them as if his teenage years was yesterday. He also likes to share his interest in games and pop music, because I am not so much interested in that kind of stuff.

When Peter and Timmy were exchanging their teenie information in Timmy’s newly renovated room, Sabine and I were blowing our noses and talking with nosy voices in the living room. She was sick, but my nose is running all the year round like Niagara Fall. In the mean time, Friedemann disappeared in the kitchen and came out with beautiful plates of dessert. I like it when people pay extra attention to the visual aspect of food. Maybe it’s a Japanese thing, but we tend to appreciate the presentation of food, although I am not successful with it myself.

While we were having dessert, Timmy asked how old our adoptee is going to be. He wanted to know if he can play with him. I said up to 3 years old, but Friedemann followed “No Timmy, their child is going to be 27 years old with stubbled cheek and smelly feet. He is going to earn money for the family, so Nemu and Peter don’t have to work their ass off any more.” To this we all had to laugh out loud. Sometimes when people ask us about our future adoptee, it sounds like a touchy subject and I give a serious answer like on the courtroom stand. So Friedemann’s joke eased the tension in my shoulders, and I told myself to be a lttile bit more relaxed about our adoption. I don’t have to act serious all the time, don’t I? I want to be who I am when our child arrives, and that thought cheered me up.