I always feel like somebody is watching me....

At some point during my mission, someone read this article to me: The Germanic Stare Down (do read it, it is quite funny). I laughed so hard that I cried because, from my experience, it is so true! I can't even count how many times as a missionary we would sit down in a train and it felt like everyone on the train was staring at us. At the time, I thought maybe it was just the long dress and the name tag. Now I know better.

There is an older single lady who lives in our apartment building. Her windows face the street (which happens to be where all the trash and recycling bins are). She has lace curtains and plenty of time to look out the window.

Today, I was taking out the trash and recycling... Now, I'm not sure what part of that chore is interesting to watch.... Was it me struggling to get the bin open because it was frozen shut? Was it me lifting the box where we store all our paper to be recycled up over my head to dump it in the bin? Was it me trying to get all the recycling dumped before the lid snapped shut on its own (it does that sometimes)?

Whatever the reason, this neighbor watched me the whole time. When I glanced up at her window, there was a sudden movement and the lace curtains fell shut...... hmmmmm, yeah, like I'm going to somehow not notice that tell-tale sign that someone had been watching....

Somehow it seems like a game - watch until you get caught. I don't know. However my solution is that the next time I see her watching, I can just wave up at the window. I'm pretty sure that will catch her off gaurd :)

Now, to be fair, not all Germans are this way. The ones who are, usually have some reason for it...

(the photo is from the article "The German Stare Down")