Shiny River

Madeleine, from under a blanket, pops up: "Dad, you know, I just thought of something. If you are blind, do you see things in your dreams ?"
Me: "That is a very good question. I don't know."
Madeleine: "I bet they would want to. See things I mean."
Me: "Yeah, I imagine they would."
Madeleine: "I hope they can."
Me: "You have a big heart, kid."

Madeleine: "This girl at school has been calling me Mad-uh-lae-an, which I hate."
Sonnet: "I can understand why."
Madeleine: "So I gave her a nick name and she totally exploded. And nearly cried."
Sonnet:
Madeleine: "And besides my nick name is MO."
Sonnet: "MO?"
Madeleine: "Madeleine Orenstein. Mo.
Me: "Know who would appreciate that?"
Madeleine: "I have no idea."
Me: "Moe."
(Madeleine and Sonnet crack up for some reason.)

Ze Fromage

Sonnet shows us a Vacherin

We are out until late late last night earning, even, the au pair's respect. Ramsey and Jennifer host a party at their home in Hamstead complete with 8 piece band (trumpet!) that kicks and an unusual number of middle-age models. So this is where they go - North London. The best part is sitting outside with Sonnet, under a heat lamp, drinking a cocktail and discussing various gossips and goings on. Eitan out late at a swimming gala and Madeleine watches a movie.

This morning Eitan to another football match - this time Elm Grove - and Sonnet and I take the dog for a run; she now addresses Xmas cards while Madeleine does some homework (grumpy) and I listen to Philip Glass's 'koyaanisqatsi.'

Sonnet on the pictured cheese: "It looks like an organ."

Game Day

Eitan all business before Hampton's home match against Wilson's in Surrey (this my first Hampton game btw and I am told by Eitan "to not do anything embarrassing". As if). The lads arrive in school uniform so change while the Dads chit chat about their boy's football talents - this as ever before.  Hampton win 5-1.

I am happy to be home from Zurich given a foot of snow on the departing side and flights cancelled. A highlight the Zunfthaus zur Waag, a restaurant in the 'old town' where I have the Zürcher Kalbsgeschnetzeltes mit/ohne Kalbsnieren und Butterrösti which is slaced veal, "Zurich style," with calf’s kidneys and “Rösti”.  My guests (a large pe investor and a limited partner in Astorg) and I discuss the usual topics : investment, tax, regulation . .. corruption, which is rare in private equity, perhaps surprising given the opaque nature of the industry.  Contrast this to hedge funds, like SAC, which, in theory, are transparent, investing in public stocks, and yet rocked by insider trading.

Madeleine: "Hi, Dad."
Sonnet: "That's not a very enthusiastic way of greeting your father."
Me: "Didn't you miss me?"
Madeleine: "You were away ?"

Lake Zurich

Diving platform, winter

I am in Zurich today and tomorrow for meetings and, since my afternoon otherwise free, I take my camera for a jog by Lake Zurich. My taxi driver (who hates the mountains and the cold) tells me that the lake freezes  over - a quick web search indicates this has happened 25 times since 1200, most recently in 1962.

Switzerland about the cleanest, most efficient, place in Europe or any where : I recall Geneva: The trains run to the second; the airports, highways and rail networks connect seamlessly. The swiss pride their exactness.  Of course the sacrifice is the mad creative chaos that fuels many big cities : London's mixture of cultures, sub cultures, languages, food, traffic, newspapers, noise, discos, theatre and everything else is what makes it a thrilling place to be.

Red

Madeleine at football

Catherine Middleton pregnant which disrupts Sonnet's schedule as she was to spend the day showing the Duchess the Hollywood exhibition.

Me: "You know that I will be in Zurich tomorrow."
Eitan: "For how long?"
Me: "One night."
Eitan: "One night? What a waste of time."
Me: "What do you think I do - sit around the hotel and watch TV?"
Eitan: "I don't know .. .I guess."

Barking

The dog in the habit of, well, barking. Only problem is that he does so whenever let into the back-yard and, worse, the front when we go running often at 6AM.  The neighbours hate us (Sonnet hates Rusty).  A dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do.

Madeleine to receive her exam marks and is unusually quiescent on the upper deck of the 337.  I hold her hand part of the way (until someone she knows enters the bus); it is a quiet journey.

Sonnet and I to the Emanuel hill form drinks in Clapham.  I spend thirty minutes talking to Lillian, with slight moustache, unable to make chitter-chatter.  Sonnet informs me later that Lillian is deconstructing the human genome with a particular focus on understanding the DNA sequencing of lupus.  Probably a good thing we did not reach this topic. She also rides a motorcycle.

Ginger

Redhead at Waterloo Station

Here is the morning : rain. Madeleine and I out the door in a rush, 7AM, me without my keys. Aneta shows up at my office before lunch having locked herself out, no mobile phone (hair a mess). Sonnet forgets her mobile so I coordinate Eitan's commute home from school. As his mobile turned 'off' Sonnet calls the school. Touch and go.

Flickr Tweet

Eric Fischer's 'heat map' shows geotagged Flickr photos and Twitter Tweets. The orange dots are photos, the blue are Tweets, and white is both in the same location. The UK stands out for usage and density.

Hayward Gallery

Matilda

W'loo bridge facing West

We catch a train to Waterloo station and cross the similarly named bridge - pictured. Much more fun than driving.  We are again to Covent Garden this time to see the musical 'Matilda' by Roald Dahl. It is a wonderful adaptation, too, and a close mirror to the story right down to the character's appearances (in my imagination) including the perfect horrible Miss Trunchball, who is played with gruesome awesomeness by David Leanard : a highlight visual gag when Trunchball grabs an eight year-old by the pig tails and twirls her round then releases her into the audience. . . the kids howl with delight, as do we.

Afterwards we stumble upon food stalls behind The Hayward Gallery - a new thing, which offers some of the best creative new food in London.  We pick up some rice balls for the ride home and Sonnet buys salamis and cheese (I think fondly of Brown's "Silver Truck" where half the Freshman class lined up for an egg and steak sandwich at 3 or 4AM, post night out, lonely to bed)

Covent Garden Opera

Eitan orders a lemonade at the opera house

We join the Clarks at the Covent Garden opera house to see Donizetti's 'Elixir of Love' - the kids first full opera while Stan treated them to half of 'The Magic Flute' in Santa Fe. Ease them in, we all agree.  "Beautiful music in a grand setting" Sonnet says (she now sings una furtiba lacrima or 'the silent tear').  Michael (who gave us a tour of the Capital Building in DC when he was interning for Senator Shaheen) prepares his application for the Naval Academy. Since Michael aims for the Oval Office one day, and I think he will be a contender, he wants to beef up his military credentials. Smart kid.

Robot Love

Chrome Dinette a San Francisco synth band from the early 1980s or right about when I was tuning into music.  In 1982 they put out a 12” single (Robot Love and Can’t Live Without You) and tried to get a record contract. When the label didn’t come, the band broke up, never to be heard from again.

Chrome Dinette played Berkeley's long-gone Key Stone theatre, which I consider whenever driving along University Ave towards campus and my parent's house.  It was a big night when the band in town, across the bay, no ID for alcohol.  Robot Love a pretty good song, too, which holds up even now : there are traces of the Police's Zenyattà Mondatta or the Comateens.  But I was too young for permission to concerts so I listened to my friends' enthusiasms (they being sophomores and juniors in HS). Getting older couldn't come fast enough.

And now, thx to the Internets, I can listen to Chrome Dinette again. The music hasn't changed, either, but everything else has.

Sonnet, Friday night: "This is the centre of excitement. 45 York Avenue, rock'n out."

Run Eitan Run

1.5 Km course in Richmond Park near Pembroke Lodge

Eitan competes in the Richmond borough cross country race for Hampton School. He finishes second (of about 60) and the top nine runners qualify for county championships some time next year.

Madeleine has term-end exams and butterflies: first marks on the permanent record.  The school informs me (at the the parent-teacher evening) that the children not meant to feel "pressurised" but, rather, to enjoy learning. Me, I see the mums at the morning drop-off and they are here to compete.

I ease into Friday taking the afternoon to work from home; Rusty snoozes as I blog.

Madeleine text to Sonnet: "Exam was hell "

Oxford St

Young couple near Bond Street 

Oxford St the busiest High St in the West End and, indeed, the busiest shopping street in Europe.  Its 1.5 miles stretch from Marble Arch to Centre Point and hosts 300 shops mostly of the throw-away fashion : H&M, French Connection, HMV, Look and so on and so forth.  The road blocked to car traffic, excluding the double-decker red buses, and crammed with young shoppers from everywhere.  Me, I sometimes dip into Selfridges or Uniqlo but mostly I try to stay away : too much, too many.

F-35 And Primrose Gets It

This is what you get for $396 Bn

The Pentagon's all-in cost for designing, building and maintaining 2,443 F-35s fighters, to be delivered in the late 2030s, runs at $1.4 to $1.5 Tn. So far I and the US have committed $396 Bn to the plane. The F-35 program is 4X costlier than any other weapons system built or imagined. (source: NYT; photo from LMTAS).

Harvard University's Program on Education Policy and Governance reports in July that foreign students are outpacing their American peers academically. Students in Shanghai who recently took international exams for the first time outscored every other school system in the world. In the same test, American students ranked 25th in math, 17th in science and 14th in reading. Further, six percent of U.S. students performed at the advanced level on an international exam administered in 56 countries in 2006. That proportion is lower than those achieved by students in 30 other countries.

Related?

Me: "So have you finished the Hunger Games series?"
Madeleine: "Yes."
Me: "Tell me what happened ! I need to know .. ."
Madeleine: "It's too long to explain."
Me: "Please, I'm begging you."
Madeleine: "Primrose burst in to flames."
Me:
Madeleine: "And dies."
Me: "That's pretty cool."
Madeleine: "I guess."
Me: "Was it sad?"
Madeleine: "No, not really."
Me: "So it was a happy ending then?"
Madeleine: "Not for Primrose."

Merry Tills

The British holiday shopping season mirrors the US - Thanksgiving to Boxing Day.  Oxford Street and everywhere dolled up for the cash machine and no wonder : UK retail is 8% GDP and the year-end rush 25% of annual volumes.  Throw in Hanukkah from 9 December and life is looking rosy.

I introduce Astorg to Diageo regarding a portfolio company that makes premium glass bottles.  Diageo the world's largest producer of spirits including Johnie Walker, Jose Cuervo and Kettle One.  And also Captain Morgan rum, based on the 17-th century Welsh swash buckler Sir Henry Morgan who cheers "To Life, Love and Loot!" Afterwards I show one of my Astorg friends around Kew Gardens where we have lunch at the Orangery. A nice afternoon, even if grey, away from the 8e.

Three Photos Of Paris

Inside the Jeu de Paume

Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré

Hôtel Costes

Madeleine Cranks

Today the first time I see Madeleine in action with her new club the Barnes Eagles who take on Crystal Palace - tops in the league. The gals play with heart but lose 5-1 (2-1 at half) while three Eagles' strikes  should have found net. Madeleine the youngest on the squad by a year as this is U12s. She plays valiantly and physically: nobody notices her age.

I have never been at a hotel where everybody knows my name and that is how it is in Paris. There is a great scene in The Graduate where Benjamin takes Elaine to the hotel where he has been bedding Mrs. Robinson and Elaine notes that the staff know him (Benjamin denies it of course).

And, as I seem to be a preferred guest, I am upgraded to the player's suite complete with black animal skin lounge chairs, multiple media and a stylish shag carpet. Mrs. Robinson would be right at home.

Waterstone's

A dude at Waterstone's

No High Street in Britain without bookseller Waterstone's, which operates 295 stores across the island. The company's flagship on Piccadilly, where I am last week, reading Graham Greene, awaiting my next meeting, in the the Simpsons-Of-Piccadilly building.

Eitan, Madeleine and Zara race from the dinner table.
Me: "Stop! Dishes, please."
Madeleine: "What? We have a friend over!"
Me: "Zara you can help, too."
Madeleine: "That is so unfair."
Me: "Those are the breaks. You're mom and I have been working all day."
Madeleine: "Yeah, right Dad. Taking a nap."
Sonnet:
Me: "I walked right into that one."
Madeleine: "We just want to go and play. Zara: don't do any dishes."
Me: "In this house, if you are under 11, you are doing the dishes."
Madeleine: "What about Eitan?"
Me: "Sorry, kid, and if you keep complaining then I can think of some other things for you to do."
Madeleine (under her breathe): "Just wait until I turn 12."
Me: "And, as the maker-of-rules, I just may raise the under-11 to under-12."
Madeleine: "You are so cruel. You actually enjoy this, don't you?"
Me: "These are the best moments. By far."
Madeleine: "Just wait and see when I turn 12."

Simpson's

Joseph Emberton the architect Simpson's (now Waterstone's) a multiple-floor Modernism building and the first shop in Britain to have an uninterrupted curved-glass frontage. This new style made possible by arc-welding a wide-span steel frame, rather than earlier techniques that used bulky bolted joints. The interior designed with rooms conforming to domestic proportions arranged around an open staircase.

The building notable for the 42-foot spans of its welded steel framing, which produced one of the most elegant shop interiors of the decade or any time, although the purity of the concept compromised as a result of interventions by the London County Council. It was faced in Portland stone as required by the landlord to be consistent with the neighbourhood.

There was a men's toilet between the ground and first floors perfect for an emergency leak but, probably owing to popularity, it closed last summer.

Re Take

Eitan before Saturday football practice

Sonnet and the kids home from swimming - Friday night - to find me in the kitchen so we dance to MGMT.

Sonnet prepares dinner, Eitan gets a head start on homework; Madeleine watches TV.  How rare for our together on a week night.  Growing up my family nearly always at the table : Moe picked me and Katie up from the King Jr High pool (or, later, I would drive) at 5:30 or 6PM - he could do this since he was the first in his office (after dropping me and Katie off for morning practice, of course).  Grace there to greet us with dinner and a warm house. I think of these things often enough as my adult memories began to gel around Eitan and Madeleine's age now.  Family a big part of it.

Me: "Did you take the bread out of the oven like your mother asked?"
Eitan: "No."
Me: "Did you put it in the oven?"
Eitan: "No."
Me: "How old are you?"
Eitan: "Is that a trick question?"

Happy Thanksgiving

Eitan recites (picture from Aisling)

We have hosted London Thanksgivings for as many as 25 American expats while this year it is us and the Shakespeares and celebrated on Sunday; we are grateful.  Of course we miss our extended family  in Berkeley, Manhattan, Montrose, Medina, St Louis, Portland, Santa Monica, Bronxville, Akron, Denver, La Veta and Atlanta and our friends, wherever you may be.

While Europe barely shrugs over the Second Biggest Holiday Of The Year, for me it feels like a slow-down day.  Half my emails won't be returned, no cross-Atlantic calls to make.  Home away from home though Sky not showing the Houston-Detroit, New England-NY Jets nor Washington-Dallas games (that would be real football, thank you very much).

Top Marks

View from Sonnet's hotel room in Florence

I attend Madeleine's first parent-teacher review at Emanuel and, since there are multiple classes each with a different teacher across various forms, the school hall filled to capacity with stations by subject : maths, sciences, history, etc.  Biscuits and tea dutifully served up.

I get five minutes per teacher and am impressed by their serious natures (esp. English : already Madeleine has had to redo an assignment).  Each encouraging and love our gal's intelligence and enthusiasm ("a pleasure to have in the class" and "always up for it" and so on and so forth).  Madeleine rather nervous upon my return home ("It was really bad, wasn't it Dad?") and more relieved than anything that her marks are more than sufficient. Me, I could not be more proud.

Bubblelicious

Women smokes outside the National Portrait Gallery

I am across London for meetings and find time to see the Flowers.  My afternoon ends with Jan at Dukes, always a dangerous thing, but we keep it to one martini.  Probably the right number.  

Walking to the 337:

Madeleine: "There is a candy store, Lundi's, where all the kids go to get their treats after school."

Me: "Oh?"

Madeleine: "They have everything, too."

Me: "I bet. What are your favourites?"

Madeleine: "Yesterday, Peter gave us these sour candies that almost made me cry. But nobody could spit them out."

Me: "Yeah, I hate that.  Do you know who Reggie Jackson is?"

Madeleine: "Who?"

Me: "Reggie Jackson. He was a baseball player who hit three home-runs in one game of the '77 World Series.  At one point he was as famous as David Beckham."

Madeleine: "Or Michael Jackson."

Me: "Exactly.  Any ways, when I was a kid, there was a "Reggie Bar" which was, like, caramel, nuts and chocolate. It was so good."

Madeleine: "Was that your favourite?"

Me: "One of them. I also loved the 'Marathon Bar'. They said it was so slow you would miss saving the girl from the train because you were eating it."

Madeleine: "Whoa. I also like Starbursts and gummies.  Didn't you have 'Now-and-Laters'? Weren't they sour?"

Me: "Kind of, depends which one.  And 'Bubble Yum,' in cherry or grape or regular flavor.  Some kids chose 'Bubblelicious'.  Half the kids chewed 'Bubble Yum' and other half 'Bubblelicious'.  Like Coke v Pepsi.  We were like "Ohhhh you chew Bubblelicous. You think you're so cooool."

Madeleine:

Me: "Fights would break out over this stuff."

Madeleine: "You sure like candy, Dad."

Pucci And Gucci

Eitan on iPhoto

I walk into the living room this morning, pitch dark, and am startled by Eitan : "Hi, Dad, I am having a nap." On some evenings he is home from swim practise at 9:30PM so with dinner and down-time, he may put himself to sleep at 11PM.

Sonnet visits Pucci (Emelio Pucci a Florentine Italian fashion designer and politician whose eponymous company are synonymous with geometric prints in a Kaleidoscope of colours. 2010 revs about $50M) and Gucci (founded by Guccio Gucci in 1921and today Italy's biggest selling brand with ca.€5 Bn of revenues per year).  Nobody does fashion like the Italians.

I pick up the original 'Twilight' from the library to watch with Madeleine - an unusual treat for a Monday night.  She has done most of her homework and Eitan at swimming.  Aneta joins us.  Similar to Harry P, I feel like this youthful phenomenon moved without me.

Early Bird

Madeleine commutes (Photo from Sonnet) 

I am on the bus with Madeleine - top level front offering a panoramic sweep of road before us and the dawn crescent : London comes awake in the most intense way.  Taxis, cars, people fight for any free space in the onward rush, rush, rush! to their work slot.

Being with Madeleine a pleasure and we practice spelling words, discuss the swimming gala, talk about play dates and school.  I tell her about my 6:00AM walks with Moe at around her age : he to the bus, me to swim practice.  Eventually I got wise and convinced my father to drive us and Katie to the pool (where Moe also swam laps).

Usually Sonnet takes Madeleine to Emanuel en route to the museum (making Sonnet's inward commute sometimes two-hours) but today she is to Florence.  I (and au pair Aneta) solo with the Shakespeares so I receive emails and texts from Sonnet not yet at the airport (last night, we had a sit-down pow wow to overview the schedule).  Given the logistics of separate schools, multiple sports, teacher's conference (Madeleine), choir (Eitan) and trumpet solo (Madeleine) , work is like a holiday.

Me: "Have you ever missed the bus?"
Madeleine: "Yeah, sometimes, so we have to take the train. Once there was vasaline all over the poles and people were, like, that is so gross. They put bags on their hands to hold on."
Me: "Teenagers."
Madeleine: "Yep. Why would they do that?"
Me: "Who knows but it is kinda funny."
Madeleine: "I guess so, Dad, but you weren't on the train."

Me: "Are you looking forward to Christmas?"
Madeleine: "Yes. And seeing Gracie and Moe and Auntie Katie."
Me: "Me, too."
Madeleine: "It would be terrible to have your birthday on Christmas."
Me: "Oh?"
Madeleine: "You would miss out on all the gifts!"
Me: "Good point. But it would be the best Christmas gift ever for the parents."
Madeleine:  "No kid wants their birthday around Christmas, Dad. April is the best month since there is time between Christmas.  But Marcus has his on April 1 - April fools."
Me: "So, like, hey Marcus - here are your presents. April fools!"
Madeleine: "Yeah. That would be terrible. I feel sorry for him."
Me: "I bet, poor kid."

Red Blood Cell

Eitan spends the afternoon making a red blood cell for his biology class.  He uses red paint, CD discs, a sponge, super glue and "a pen to label everything".  All this laid out on his work space, the kitchen floor.

Sonnet prepares Thanksgiving dinner as she will be in Italy on Thursday and next week end the kids have a swimming gala. The tree leaves have finally turned, and fallen, and the colours are bright orange, yellow and red. Not quite as dramatic as New England but it is not as cold triggering the sudden dramatic colour changes (planetary factoid: A 27 year old has never seen a month of below-average temperatures. Source: Nature).

Eitan's All Stars clobber the Lyne Lions 11 or 12 to 3.  Both kids also compete at the Borough Swim Championships Saturday and Sunday : Eitan the 200 breastroke (3:26), 200 fly (3:15), 100 freestyle (1:08) and the medley relay; Madeleine the 66 meter free, 200 breast stroke and 200 freestyle (3:15 seconds).  Eitan was to run the London cross-country championships on Hamstead Heath but left his cc shoes at school.

Friziday

Sonnet writes Xmas cards while watching Mad Men

Another Friday upon us.  This an unusual week with Paris in the middle putting me off my rythme.  But not Sonnet nor the kids : up before dawn, out the door 6:55AM (Sonnet and Madeleine) and 7:25AM (Eitan).  Me, I catch the early train for a breakfast on Berkeley Sq, a smart part of town (Anchorman Kent Brockman on the Simpsons, which we watch now: "Childhood obesity: It's not funny anymore.")

I notice that most of the people in Mayfair are younger than I am or, at least, those bustling about the grey London streets.

Me: "How was school ?"
Madeleine: "Fine."
Me: "What did you do?"
Madeleine: "Not much."
Me: "Care to add more?"
Madeleine: "No."
Me: "Four words. That may be a new record."
Madeleine:
Me: "Don't lose your discipline kid."

Pre School

Eitan off to school.

I am back from Paris : the last two weeks, including Canada, Astorg and I have met with 18 investors representing private equity programs of $117 Bn. This is where the rubber meets the road. Fundraising by private equity firms remains well below the peaks of 2007 - last quarter was about 10% of Q2 2007 - but some partnerships, including Astorg, attract attention. This month Advent Intl closed their seventh fund at €8.5 Bn, the largest since Lehman flatlined, at the 'hard cap' - they turned away interest.

So what does it all mean? In France, investment has surpassed fundraising by €5 Bn for three years bringing the capital surplus 'overhang' to €19 Bn or about two years of deal-making which, in theory, should bring prices down for primary transactions.  So far, though, this has not been the case.   The market clinched thanks to Hollande's tax proposals where sellers need clarity on how their capital gains to be treated. For now it is a moving target.

Op-Ed Go

Katie's staff map out 2013

Katie's business continues to grow : in the next couple of weeks The Op-Ed Project has seminars with PwC, Arizona State University, Depaul and NYC.  Her ongoing programs are Yale, TWU, Emory, PwC, Dartmouth and Northwestern.  Then there are the various many success of Op Ed alum in Slate, Huffington Post and the New York Times.

The thing about growth for most businesses is that it is not linear but exponential : once it grows, it takes off.

Jog On

Madeleine reads in the kitchen

It is tough to arrive in Paris, late, and 'Alien' on the television.

Christian and I get one last run in - which reminds me of our final loop in Central Park when he left NY for Chicago and Sonnet and I split for the unknown.  That was 15 years ago in May 1997.  Christian and I (with Adam) jogged along the waterfront in San Francisco before my first date with Sonnet in June 1993.  We ran the NY Marathon in sub-freezing temperatures listening to the Smashing Pumpkins to get fired up - 1996.  He and I have logged countless miles on Wild Cat Canyon Road and Nimitz Way in Tilden park.

Sunday Evening

Madeleine devours "The Hunger Games"

Christian and I take Eitan to his match against Melbrook FC, with their Inter-Milan kits, who travel from "Croydon way" to join us. The All Stars win the non-league, Surrey Cup match 9-2.

Madeleine begins her career with the Barnes Eagles and, while her side loses 11 to 3, our gal plays the second half with enthusiasm.

Christian brings gifts : Cal swimming and soccer t-shirts for the Shakespeares, Peet's coffee for Sonnet and Michael Chabon's "Telegraph" about Berkeley, purchased at Moe's bookstore, a Berkeley institution for over 50 years. Moe's across the street from the once-great Cody's Books, which closed in 2008 leaving a physical and emotional hole on Telegraph Ave. Cody's , founded in 1956, " a pioneer in bookselling, bringing the paperback revolution to Berkeley, fighting censorship, and providing a safe harbor from tear gas directed at anti- Viet Nam War protesters throughout the 1960s and 1970s" (says KQED).  

Betty Draper

Sonnet multi-tasks

Paul and Camilla over for lunch and we reminisce about our walks. Eitan returns from a Hampton match in school coat and tie, though Saturday, as required for away-games (1-1 draw, school undetermined); Aggie picks up Madeleine (hereself home from football ) to practice netball in the common while Christian checks out M83 on youtube.  Aneta pops into the kitchen and does a turn-around given the crowd.  Rusty jumps up and down on Camilla with excitement until I let him in the backyard where he leaps after a squirrel. It could be a song by the Beatles.

Seduced By Art

Christian and Sonnet on the lower-level of the Sainbury Wing

We join Scott and Cindy for Friday late-night at the National Gallery. On show : a view of the old master paintings through the camera lens, the first time the museum has exhibited photography .

Afterwards we have dinner at the National Cafe which has a series of Friday night socials , mostly for young Londoners, showcasing a renown chef. Last night, it is Chef Patron from Michelin-Starred Murano and Angela Hartnett MBE, one of Britain's most successful chefs, serving tagine, family style (at closing Angela mingles with the singles).

Scott and I recall, amongst other things, a dinner from ten years ago in Belgravia where we were seated, by coincidence, next to Sean Connery and his wife who, we thought for a blissful moment, was Ursula Andress for the ultimate Bond Reunion.  Alas it was not but fun nonetheless.

Christian And M83

Post concert, Brixton Academy

Christian arrives from San Francisco and we converge at 45 following my return from Paris to pick up Sonnet and Lorena to head to Brixton (I say a quick 'hi' to Eitan, who is buried in homework while Madeleine at swim practise).  We see M83, a French electronica band, which is de la mode : a big concert that opens with a goblin-like monster emitting green lasers from its fingers before a sonic blast of sound overwhelms the crowd. Levitation.  It is mind bending.

Sonnet, mind you, up at 5:55AM this morning to ensure the kids to school and this afternoon speaks at a conference.  Christian counts the minutes to the first martini at Dukes.

President

Obama by Terry Richardson

Remarkably the elections down to a razor's edge.  Europeans don't understand it but my sister explains: Americans own their individualism which is more Romney than Obama.  Nobody wants to be associated with a handout.  Owning a gun enters the equation, as does gay marriage and Wall Street. Religion, too, but weirdly there has been no exposee on Mormonism which would not be so if the Republican a Jew or Catholic.  As Bill Clinton notes, it also about the arithmetic - Romney lies about balancing the budget while cutting taxes and increasing military spending and etc.  Trickle down hasn't worked since Harding and it didn't work very well then, either.

Ever since I started wearing cufflinks 15 years ago, it is 50:50 that I get the outside cuff link correct, which means taking off my shirt and re-threading the damn thing (usually when running late).  But now it strikes me : match the forearm button to the outer button and, voila, problem solved.

Back-To-School Monday

Belated Hallowe'en

Sonnet at Buckingham Palace for a cocktail soiree honouring Judy Kelley whose recent book about Her Majesty's jubilee wardrobe.  Since Monday, the Queen not in residence, which makes plenty good sense to me.  Sonnet sashays with fashion historians, book publishers and members of the Royal Household inside the Royal paintings gallery where hangs Reynolds, Ruebens and van Dykes.  I have chili con carne with the kids.

Me: "Good day back at school ?'
Madeleine: "They gave us loads of homework.  I had to write an essay about a Roman who was, like, 90 years old, and he died. It was 200 BC which is ages before the Tudors."
Me: "What was his name?"
Madeleine: "I don't remember."
Me: "You don't remember?"
Madeleine: "Yes, Dad, I don't remember."
Me: "I'll give you two treats."
Madeleine: "Cornelius Nepos."
Me: "Well done."

Eitan has trouble setting up his iPod.
Me: "Didn't it come with instructions?"
Eitan: "What good would that do?"

"E-eee-eecchCHH!"
--Rusty, in the office, while I am on the phone

Richmond Pk Ferns

Beowulf

Madeleine wants a family walk and here we are Sunday afternoon. It is properly autumn - cold and blustery also wet.  The dog happy.  Tomorrow Guy Fawkes and, for the first time in eight years, I am not manning the BBQ pit.  There are not too many things I have done for so long.  The times are a-changin.

Madeleine: "I finished my book."
Me: "Oh? What are you reading?"
Madeleine: "Beowulf."
Me: "Cool, tell me about it."
Madeleine: "It was about a man named Beowulf."
Me:
Madeleine: "Okay. Okay. It is an old English story about this guy Beowulf, and he fights Grendel, a monster, who has been killing all of Hogarth's men in a big hall."
Me: "And then what happens?"
Madeleine: "He tears off Grendel's arm so he bleeds to death and so Grendel's mom seeks revenge and pulls Beowulf into an underground cave below some water but Beowulf kills her too."
Me: "Sounds fierce."
Madeleine: "It was. Then, later, Beowulf is King and he has to fight a dragon after someone stole the dragon's goblet and gave it to Beowulf as a gift. Beowulf didn't know it was the dragon's goblet but it didn't matter because the dragon scorched everything. So Beowulf had to kill him."
Me: "That was excellent Madeleine. And what do you admire about Beowulf?"
Madeleine: "I admire that he was brave and killed lots of people."

Marcus And Adrianne

Sonnet in East London

In Toronto I see Marcus and Adrianne who cross the border for dinner at an excellent hole-in-the-wall Chinese : Toronto has one of the largest Chinatowns in North America, second to San Francisco. The honeymooners enjoy themselves : Marcus takes classes at Niagra University where Adrianne oversees grant writing and development; next year Marcus will take a course on this subject taught by .. Adrianne. We each agree : interesting.

Three Essays And An iPod

Madeleine does some homework

Today the last day of the two-week half-term and so the kids scramble to do what they have put off : my three essays.  They cry, complain and bemoan their circumstances which, in the end, requires a direct command - sit! - at the kitchen table and get it done.  It takes maybe 45 minutes work and, for the amount of resistance and procrastination misery, it seems hardly worth it. But oh yes it is, boy.

And with one-click^tm of a mouse, Eitan has an iPod.  He cracks his safe-box (disguised as a photo book) and hands me his hard-saved allowance.  The boy has done his research and knows what he wants : white, 8 gig and wi-fi. We discuss Spotify, iTunes and ripping CDs.  . . This is how a middle-aged man bonds with his son these days.  Moe and I used to toss a football.

NB : Our policy on computers is downstairs only and no gaming. Eitan's purchase catches us out. I am more liberal - trust the little animals - but Sonnet knows better: "I don't want to be the bad guy telling you that you cannot play on your iPod" and of course she is right.  The rules stand.

Montréal

Montreal's Olympic Stadium (photo from the web)

I return from several days in Canada starting in Montreal and ending in Toronto.  I travel with AFIC, the French venture capital association, to convince Canadian investors of the merits of French private equity.  Despite the European crisis, questionable Euro and Hollande tax scheme which initially aimed to tax carried interest at 95% in France, we put our best chin forward, meeting with a number of the Canada's largest institutional investors.

Montreal a French city (the French drop the "t" from the city's name so "Monreal") and I am happy with my tongue which holds up through travel fatigue and multi-course dinners. I enjoy speaking to my friends in their mother language.

Europeans love Montreal for its size, aethetic and sensibility.  It is like Boston and San Francisco : a managle place.  Once Montreal the city of Canada but when the seperatists took control in the '70s, wanting to split Quebec from the country, Big Business split for Toronto, which has grown to five million people while Montreal has stayed about the same size. The '76 Olympics didn't help much, either, bankrupting Montreal and taking taxpayers 30 years repay the debts.

Madeleine (after we watch the film Litte Big Man): "Are there any Indians left?"
Me: "Yes. Do you remember New Mexico? 
Madeleine: "Do they kill rabbits?"
Me:
Madeleine: "To eat. Do they?"
Me: "I guess so. I had not thought of it."
Madeleine: "Yeah, I thought so."

Three Zees

We get some sunny weather while the rest of the world concentrates on Sandy which hits the Eastern US with energy equivalent to 10,000 nuclear explosions.

Zebulon (far left) has discovered programming : he spends his free time making computer games and describes a creation where squares appear on-screen in various places and the player must "tap" each to disappear; their speed increases with the user's skill. Another applies a gravitational formula to mimic lift.  Zebulon did not sleep for three days while doing this.  Zakkai and Zephyr hold their own : the former into theatre and drama; the later football.

Theirs a suburban family that bicycles everywhere so I am surprised that none of the boys own a "chopper".  In my day, this was the ride : small front wheel, banana seat, "U" handlebars and back support with orange fiber-glass pole and flag attached (for the blind corners). Baseball cards in spokes optional.  No, today's yuf own mountain or racing bikes as sleek as their parents' SUV or hybrid. They might be more functional but where is the thrill in that ? Left in the 70s, no doubt.

Monday Morning

Madeleine at Starbucks.

Sonnet and I start the day at Cafe Nero, something we rarely do, and it is a good way to sync the various activities. The kids engaged in Week Two of their half-term break and so far neither has submitted to me their reports on various selected activities (museum visits, Kew gardens and etc).  The three Zs ("zeds") over for the night.  I am off to Canada tomorrow and shall miss the pumpkin carving.

Sunday Run

On my Sunday morning loop of Richmond Park, Rusty jumps on a guy, Alex, in a high-tech lyrcra outfit  with dual water packs and sipping straws. He is on his way to 3X the park, 21 miles, in preparation for the April Marathon des Sables, a six day, 151 mile endurance race across the Sahara Desert in Morocco.  I learn 900 athletes driven by army trucks one full-day into the barren sand - no roads exist.  Runners carry their equipment - sleeping bag, vaccinations, gear - all this weighing 7 kgs before water.  Aid stations are 14 km as the crow flies and "the drip" for dehydration a disqualifier.

Four years ago Alex picked up running and completed his first marathon in 4:15 minutes, dropping 20 kg.  His next was 3:45 and a couple of weeks ago he finished Berlin in 2:55.  He is my age and encourages me to take another swing.

Elm Grove defeats the Fleet Colts 5-1, placing the All Starts tops in their division.  For reward, Eitan zonked in front of the TV for Manchester United v. Chelsea.

Beserker

The Enterprise faces a "beserker," a planet-eating machine made by a long-dead alien race

"Doomsday Machine" : my all-time favorite Star Trek episode including the movies which, other than "The Wrath of Kahn," are bunk, and excluding Next Generation and Deep Space 9, which I never got in to.

Episode: TOS 35 - Doomsday Machine
Season 2, Ep. 6
Air date: 10/20/1967
Stardate: 4202.9

NCC 1701

USS Enterprise NCC 1701

Star Trek hit hard in the 3rd or fourth grade, introduced to me by neighbour Todd.  The iconic, dual-phaser firing USS Enterprise was the perfect after-school pre-supper show. Todd and I drew the Enterprise in various battle scenes on printer paper (perforated side strips for 'grip') pinched from the earliest computers at UC Berkeley where Todd's dad worked in the sciences.

The Enterprise BTW designed by Matt Jefferies and no kid ever questioned its ability, with those gigantic thrusters, to zip around galaxies at 'warp speed' (I did sometimes wonder about 'Space 1999' whose out-of-orbit moon arrived, every week, at objects many thousands of light-years away).

The NCC 1701 registry, according to Jefferies, from "NC" being one of the international aircraft registration codes; the second "C" added for differentiation while the "1701" chosen to avoid ambiguity: according to Jefferies, the numbers 3, 6, 8 and 9 are "too easily confused". It also suggests the ship the 17th cruiser design with the first serial number of that series.  The "USS" should mean "United Space Ship" and the "Enterprise" a member of the Starship Class (all this explained in 'The Making of Star Trek').

"We've got to risk implosion. We may explode into the biggest fireball this part of the galaxy has seen, but we've got to take that one in a million chance. "
--Captain James T. Kirk in 'The Naked Time'

St James's The Divine

Eitan catches the 33 bus to Hammersmith where he meets Sonnet for the afternoon. Here he is at St James's cathedral to listen to pianist David Schofield  (photo from Sonnet).

St James's and St Martin-On-The-Field offer noon-time concerts which is one of my favourite things to do in London. The performances a tune up for an evening orchestra or students seeking an outlet for their hyper talent. I listen to Bach, Beethoven and Wagner in this fashion and have been introduced to the alphorn and the oboe, which has a clear and penetrating voice.

St James's bracketed by bustling Picadilly with its red double-deckers on one side and Jermyn Street  the other (Jermyn St famous for its shirts including Turnbull & Asser where Bond buys his - a classic two fold sells for £315). A stone's throw is Simpsons (now Waterstones) which offers five floors of books in a modern art deco building and Fortnum & Mason for a quick lunch (or late breakfast).