Ein Bisschen Verständnis: A Little Understanding

New Year's Eve, 1988. Edward Goldstein has been living in Berlin for a year. Half due to genuine interest, and half due to loneliness, he decides to hire a teacher of the language so he can learn a little for himself.

Enter Fritz Hoffmann, the man he trusts with his progress, and his perpetually racing heart.

The man is everything one could dream of. Understanding, patient, but never boring. In fact, boring doesn't appear to be part of Fritz's advanced vocabulary.

But then again, life in Germany has been anything but boring for about eighty years, give or take. Or at least, that's what Fritz says. And not in the fun, campy, wine soaked way either. Oh no, this is the way that includes poverty, gunfire, and the fear of atomic bombs.

Surely though, Edward thinks, things will start to look up. All they need is a little understanding. In the face of that, Fritz can only smile.

Because knows better. In the face of problems both in and out of his control, he's going to need a hell of a lot more than that.