When reading the other day in my favorite newspaper the headline:
A monument for "Apo," I was somewhat disturbed.
Apo, this is what my grandchildren call me, not
Opa, being the standard form for grandpa in German. When my oldest grandson started to speak, he used
Apo instead of
Opa, so the younger grandchildren adopted
Apo as well. Elisabeth is called in an even kinder way
Ami (French for a friend) instead of
Omi or
Oma. Our odd names help to distinguish us from the other grandparents.
What about the monument? Reading the article, it turned out that people from a community outside Freiburg had erected a statue for their defunct pharmacist (in German
Apotheker) called
Apo, who had rendered outstanding services to local clubs and societies.
Just to tell you, I am still alive!
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