Guten abend!

What is your nightly bedtime ritual? Schauen Sie gerne Fern? Oder vielleicht lesen Sie ein bisschen. If you were a child in Germany, you would watch “Das Sandmännchen” (the Sandman) Als kind, freute ich mich immer auf diese Sendung. I used to watch it with my little Schwester, it was part of our nightly bedtime routine. Jeden abend, at 7 o’clock sharp, we would sit down in front of the TV and anxiously await the return of our little Freund. Since we only had three channels, this was about as exciting as it was going to get!

I hope you enjoy the Sandman and his story as much as I did as a child — actually, I still do. Of course, I might add that the melodie ist unvergesslich and is forever embedded in my brain. Just don’t blame me if you can’t get it out of yours!

Note: There are (or there used to be) two Sandmen: a West Sandmännchen (the one I grew up with and that I am sharing with you) and an Ost Sandmännchen. Ich bin mir nicht ganz sicher, aber ich glaube that, after Germany reunited, the Ost Sandmännchen became more popular, and so eventually it was decided, in 1991, that the West Sandmännchen would be retired (such a shame, I miss my Jugendfreund) I guess there was just not enough room for the both of them.

Vokabel:

• Schauen Sie gerne Fern? – Do you like watching TV?
• Oder vielleicht lesen Sie ein bisschen – Or maybe, you like to read a little.
• Als kind, freute ich mich immer auf diese Sendung – As a child, I always looked forward to this program.
• Schwester – Sister
• Jeden abend – Each evening.
• unvergesslich – Unforgettable
• Ich bin mir nicht ganz sicher, aber ich glaube… – I am not sure, but I believe…
• Jugendfreund – Childhood friend.

Tschuss, und alles Gute!

Nathalie