Soho

We park the car on Soho Square and walk several blocks south to Chinatown where we meet Ferdie and Lizzie and their children for lunch. Sonnet and Lizzie once worked together at the V and A in the textiles and dress department before Lizzie departed to write her PhD dissertation on dress at Medici Court in Renaissance Italy. Both her parents are Oxford professors, surprise, surprise. Ferdi is responsible for risk at a major European bank and we discuss where the world is heading (to hell in a hand basket, we agree). Tomorrow is back to work and for me that means a plane: this time, to Dublin with my friend Ramsey who raises some dough to buy luxury hotels in Western European capital cities. Ramsey spent nine years doing the same for Pince Al-Walid ben Talal of the Kingdom creating several billions of net asset value. Before professionally, we got to know Ramsey and his wife Jennifer, from Michigan, socially. He has put together a strong team including principals from the Four Season, Savoy Group and Blackstone, the investment firm.

Sonnet notes that the white flowers in my prior blog are not Jasmine, which are smaller and fragrant. If you know, let me know.

Eitan: "Dad, when I am a professional footballer, I will give you 1% of what I make."
Me: "1%? How about 90% ..."
Eitan: "Are you mad? When I am making £90,000 a week that will be £900 to you. For doing nothing."
Me: "Doing nothing? You are, like, so much hard work."
Madeleine: "Do you give Gracie and Moe money?"
Me: "No, but as a parent, all we want is to see you kids launched."
Eitan: "Well, I am not giving you anything more than 1%."