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Germans are not best known for their sense of humour. An unwarranted prejudice in my opinion but admittedly German wit differs from that of the British. They love a good dose of slapstick and Freddie Frinton in Dinner for One will, even after almost ninety years, still reduce your average Teuton to a doubled up shrieking ball of eye-watering giggles.
At best, I break out in a wry smile.
I believe irony, sarcasm and.....timing to be the stalwarts of British humour. Despite her regular refusal to speak English and her penchant for sauerkraut, there is solace to be found in the fact that Finje appears to be developing a very British wit.
An episode at kindergarten yesterday I think demonstrated perfectly the stark fundamental differences in what the Germans and the British find laughable.
When one of the kindergarten teachers takes you to one side and asks if your daughter told you about an incident that happened the previous day, there follows a heart stopping split second when you are unable to do anything but fear the worst.
Apparently, the young teacher suffered what most of us have, unfortunately, at one time or another experienced. As she bent down to sit, her trousers ripped. This alone was enough, not surprisingly, to set the kids off in a seemingly unstoppable fit of the giggles. Finje, noticed another teacher, appeared to be less amused and sat watching the others somewhat bemused as to the cause of such jollity.
Thinking she had found a comrade in arms, the unfortunate owner of said lacerated garment turned to Finje for some sympathy and reassurance.
'Is it a big hole?' she asked, desperately attempting to twist round and view the damage.
'No no', encouraged Finje.
As the teacher was breathing a sigh of relief, Finje waited for her moment. A huge grin on her face she announced,
'It's not big....it's GIGANTIC!'
So proud.