the other day, i was with friends at the christmas market in munich. we were at the ice-skating rink. two teenaged girls were skating, twirling in the middle of the rink, curtsying slightly after each successful manoeuvre...like true performers. they were enjoying themselves.

as i watch them, i can't help but wonder how they will turn out. teenagehood- an age of innocence. what happens after that? will they go on to uni or will they get kicked out of gymnasium to a realschule? will they get a job at a supermarket, or will they work at some seedy establishment?

two people, one city, two different lives?

for the first time in my life, i realise how difficult it can be to be raising a family in a big city. to call it the "perils" would be exaggerating things a little, but the balance between protection and exposure is indeed hard to achieve. and as parents, it is always hard to feel at ease, even without being paranoid.

but what is positive, what is negative? what is good, what is bad? we all have a set of values, but do we really have the right to say that working as this is good, working as that is bad?

the world is that grey, isn't it? i don't have an answer as to what sort of values we should have, but i suppose as long as we are happy like this, as long as we would rather turn out like this, then maybe we should be satisfied with our lot.

on 18 December 2009, i suddenly realise how i have taken so much for granted.