Friday Shuffle - Second Advent Edition

I was standing near the street market today around noon chatting briefly to the building supervisor for my apartment building when we saw a Kindergarten group (in Germany Kindergarten is like pre-school in America and the kids can be anywhere from 3-6 years old) crossing the streetcar tracks and cutting through the street market and shops on their way back to their school. There were about 30 of them with teachers around all sides keeping them herded together like sheep. The kids were in lines of four, all holding hands and they were just adorable. It went well until they came up to a bike stand that sits just before a beauty shop. It was out in this more-or-less open area pretty much in the path of the children.

You could just tell that it has been drilled into these kids over and over that when they're out together on the street going somewhere that they are to hold hands and not let go for anything because when they came to the bike stand they just sort of walked into it. Some would try to raise their arms to get over it but it was nearly as tall as they are and they'd get tangled up. Some just sort of clanged into it and stood there very confused as to what to do next. The teachers and aids were running to each group telling them to walk single file by it or trying to disengage little arms from the bike rack and honestly, the whole thing was comical. Stuff may get in their way but by golly, they weren't going to let go of one another's hand!

All the adults around observing this look at one another and smiled. It didn't slow those little ones down one bit - they got over their obstacle and then went skipping merrily along, laughing and chatting and holding hands. You had to smile when you saw such dedication to a single purpose.

Bixente the iPods single purpose this month is to shuffle up some Christmas tunes. Go boy!

1. Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade
2. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
3. Merry Christmas Baby - Chuck Berry
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Ella Fitzgerald
5. Mary Boy Child/Oh My Lord - Boney M.
6. We Three Kings - Blackmore's Night
7. Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid
8. Stille Nacht - Roy Black
9. Up On The Housetop - Gene Autry
10. Driving Home For Christmas - Chris Rea

Have a fine weekend. Hold tight to those you care about.