• 从2024年1月17日第一个保姆到达我们家开始，每六周就会换一次。有时候因为下一个保姆不能马上接上，上一个保姆会偶尔多待几天。比如第二个保姆，她已经79岁了，因为不会德语也不会用手机翻译，所以来了第二天就让她回去了。

    到目前为止，我只见过其中三个保姆。第一个是40岁的安娜，来自波兰，又高又瘦，应该有1米7，长发飘飘，走起路来很飒。她年轻时在柏林生活过14年，离婚后回了波兰，所以德语很棒，也会英语。她有四个孩子，当时最小的孩子仅仅几个月大。撇下自己正在哺乳期的女儿出来打工，是一种怎样的心情和无奈呢？

    她喜欢站在门外抽烟。工作之余大部分时间都在讲电话。婆婆也抱怨她电话太多了。婆婆其实每天中午吃热菜热饭，早晚是几十年未曾变过的面包、奶酪、几种火腿、黄油、果酱、酸奶和一大壶热茶。她会动员婆婆做午饭时去厨房做点儿事，比如沙拉或汤。

    Since our first nanny arrived on January 17, 2024, we've changed nannies every six weeks. Sometimes, because the next nanny can't be there immediately, the previous one will stay a few more days. For example, the second nanny, who was 79 years old, didn't speak German and couldn't use a mobile translation app, so we sent her home the second day.

    So far, I've only met three of these nannies. The first was Anna, 40 years old, from Poland. She was tall and thin, probably 1.7 meters, with long flowing hair and a very confident walk. She lived in Berlin for 14 years when she was young, returned to Poland after her divorce, so she spoke fluent German and also English. She had four children, the youngest being only a few months old at the time. What kind of feelings and helplessness must she have felt, leaving her breastfeeding daughter behind to work?

    She liked to stand outside smoking. She spent most of her free time on the phone. My mother-in-law also complained about how many phone calls she made. My mother-in-law actually eats hot meals every day at noon, and her breakfast and dinner consist of the same bread, cheese, several kinds of ham, butter, jam, yogurt, and a large pot of hot tea that haven't changed in decades. She would encourage my mother-in-law to do something in the kitchen while she was preparing lunch, such as making salad or soup.

    第二个是波斯尼亚人，64岁，会一些德语，也就是第一张图里的那位。看上去性格温和。因为不是通过波兰的公司找的她，工资比以前的涨了些，每周550欧。饭后我把桌上餐具拿去厨房，婆婆说我不用管，没多少活儿让她做。人很规矩，每天院里的大核桃树都会落下很多核桃，用脚一踩就开了。邻居还拿个特殊工具来捞回家去，可是我不给她她就不好意思自己去捡了吃。我俩聊了一大会儿，她来自一个大家族，她的丈夫以及儿子都生活在德国。她给我看了很多照片和视频，包括亲属结婚现场，她家人颜值都好高啊！有一次她去扫过道，悄悄跟我抱怨婆婆有点儿不尊重她。

    第三个也叫安娜，也来自波兰，不到五十岁，身形很秀气，也吸烟。爱吃素食。也是第一次见婆婆午餐没有肉。印象深刻的是第二天中午我俩回去晚了，她好像没准备四人分量的饭，队友又下厨自己做了些。她以前跟一个意大利男人生活在一起，后来分开了再也没找(也许是没找到)伴侣。谈起很帅的前夫，我跟她说记得第一次从德国去意大利旅游，哇，立马感觉出这两个国家的男人很不一样。不知道她是不是除却巫山不是云了。她自己在波兰离父母家30公里的地方买了一个公寓，在一层有个阳台，屋里陈设简单比如床架子是跟货架一样的矮木板。她说回去就短暂住然后又出来工作了还没买好家具。她活的很自我每天化好妆都要出去散步一个多小时。

    有意思的是第一个和第三个安娜穿的都很性感。第一个安娜是在五月初，大长腿穿着耻骨部位都明显显形的紧身裤。第二个安娜是在10月初，露肩露两条白色内衣带。而我这个年龄的即使年轻时衣服穿的也很保守，年老了也只有感叹的份儿了。

    The second woman was Bosnian, 64 years old, who spoke some German; she was the one in the first picture. She seemed to have a gentle personality. Because she wasn't hired through a Polish company, her salary had increased slightly to 550 euros per week. After dinner, I took the dishes from the table to the kitchen, and my mother-in-law told me not to worry about it, as there wasn't much work for her to do. She was very well-behaved; every day, many walnuts would fall from the large walnut tree in the yard, easily cracked open with a foot. Neighbors would even bring special tools to collect them, but she felt embarrassed to pick them herself if I didn't give them to her. We chatted for a while; she came from a large family, and her husband and son lived in Germany. She showed me many photos and videos, including photos of relatives' weddings—her family members were all very good-looking! Once, while sweeping the hallway, she quietly complained to me that my mother-in-law was a bit disrespectful.

    The third woman was also named Anna, also from Poland, under fifty years old, with a slender figure, and she also smoked. She loved vegetarian food. It was also the first time I'd seen my mother-in-law without meat for lunch. What struck me most was that we got back late the next day at noon, and it seemed she hadn't prepared enough food for four people, so my partner cooked some for himself. She used to live with an Italian man, but they separated and she hasn't dated anyone since (or maybe she just hasn't found anyone). Talking about her very handsome ex-husband, I told her I remembered my first trip from Germany to Italy, and wow! I immediately sensed how different the men from those two countries were. I wonder if she's reached her limit. She bought an apartment in Poland, 30 kilometers from her parents' house. It's on the ground floor with a balcony, and the furnishings are simple; for example, the bed frame is a low wooden plank like a shelf. She said she only stays there briefly before going back to work and hasn't bought any furniture yet. She lives very independently and goes for a walk for over an hour every day after putting on makeup.

    Interestingly, the first and third Annas were both dressed very sexily. The first Anna was in early May, wearing tight pants that clearly showed her pubic area. The second Anna was in early October, wearing off-the-shoulder tops revealing two white bra straps. Even those of me who dressed conservatively when I was young can only sigh with regret now that I'm old.