St Pancras

I catch the first commercial train from rebuilt St Pancras station, the London terminus for the Eurostar high-speed train connecting us to Paris and Brussels (as if we care about Brussels). The station is termed the "Cathedral of the railways" and includes two of the most celebrated structures built in Britain from the Victoria era. The main train shed, pictured, was completed in 1868 by the engineer William Barlow and was the largest single-span structure built up to the time. In front of it is St Pancras Chambers, formerly the Midland Grand Hotel (1868–1877), one of the most impressive examples of Victorian gothic (architect: George Gilbert Scott). The station also services East Midlands Trains which take us to Cambridge or north and places otherwise not worth seeing excluding Hadrian's Wall, which is worth seeing. The French Connection now takes two hours flat versus two hours and twenty minutes from Waterloo station (which, I might note, is way more convenient to Richmond). The train house was opened by HRH, The Queen, on 7 November following ten years of build and £8.5 billion or costs - the largest project in Britain, which will be surpassed by our 2012 Olympics (Her Majesty doesn't get out of bed for anything less than £5 billion). And the ride? Smooth, baby -- smooth. That is, until Paris where a strike forces me to wait an hour for a taxi. Leave it to the French to ruin England's special train day.

"Competence is a narrow ideal. Competence makes the trains run on time but doesn't know where they're going."
George Bush, El Presidente

I am late taking Eitan and Madeleine to school:
Madeleine: "Dad, we can be either early, late or on time."
Me: "I think we've covered all the options, no?"
A pause, then Eitan: "Well, we could be super late."

Last night's discussion at grocery store Waitrose regarding Ben & Jerry's Caramel Chew Chew or Fish Food:
Eitan: "Fish Food is my favorite, Madeleine, it has everything in it."
Madeleine: "Have we ever had it, Eitan?"
Eitan: "No. But I just know."
Madeleine: "Well, I want Caramel Chew Chew."
Eitan: "Madeleine! You're just saying that because I want Fish Food!"

Eitan informs me matter-of-factly that I had told him he could have a large bowl Caramel Chew Chew, which is not true. When he starts to whinge, I tell him: "You can have what I give you or nothing. You decide." He ponders this a moment before going for the Chew Chew.

Giant Peach

Madeleine's "James and the Giant Peach" from last year when Sonnet read Eitan and Madeleine Raold Dahl's1967 classic (did you know that because of the book's content it has been the frequent target of censors and appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 at fifty six?!). Madeleine's "Portrait Of Peach" has hung on my office wall until this weekend when, out of the blue, she asks for it back. Madeleine draws me a replacement and tells me earnestly: "this one's for you dad - but I want the other one" which I scan for you now, dear reader. It is intriguing what sticks in the kid's minds - for instance Spider Man, who has been out of favor for two years, returned during story time just recently. When asked who Spidey should "do battle with" Madeleine instantly asks for "The Giant Green Cricket" or the "Blind Black Mole"- both characters I made up on the fly. Eitan wants "The Spider Killers" which are three Spider Man destroying robots he imprinted from the television cartoon. Violence is always fun-and-games when a Super Hero (or now a "tactic") is involved.

The kid's morning squabble escalates:
Madeleine: "Well, that is mine, Mister."
Eitan: "Smelly Pants!"
Madeleine: "Poo poo head!"
Eitan: "Ugly bottom!" (which gets a perplexed look from all of us before we crack up)

Meetings all day yesterday in Paris go well, but we shall see by Thursday, fingers crossed. I return again tomorrow and will be the first passenger from Eurostar's new St Pancreas station (build cost: £8B).

Norman Mailer

1923- 2007

"There are two kinds of brave men: those who are brave by the grace of nature, and those who are brave by an act of will."

(photo from the Mailer Family Archive)

Footie

Though the picture is Eitan, Madeleine steals the morning with two goals in her side's 2-1 victory. They were legitimate too - one a powerful strike from the penalty line following a tackle and the other a surprising break-away where she crosses the pitch with her mind determined. She has a vision of the thing before it goes off - boom! - passing freely into the lower right corner of the goal box. Madeleine is chosen "Player Of the Match" and bubbles about how she loves football in the car-ride home. Bravo!

Following football, Eitan and I work in the garden and he is now actually useful instead of a distraction. I tell the boy he should expect to get paid for his work - and we agree to £5, which is equal to one "tactic" action figure. It goes straight into the piggy bank, though Sonnet will take him to the local toy store this afternoon. Speaking of toy stores, Berkeley has Mr. Mops, founded in 1972 and still on Martin Luther King Blvd (formerly Grove Street) near King Junior High - where of course Katie and I went way back when. Somehow Mops has survived the shop-lifting from the after-school teenagers. I recall the place exactly and buying all sorts of cool junk - like the "Space 1999" Eagle 1. Gracie and Moe go there now for their grand-kids. Ah, the Circle Of Life.

I listen to Katie Melua's soulful interpretation of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" which so perfectly captured college's lost first love. A sample:

"Daylight licked me into shape
I must have been asleep for days
And moving lips to breathe her name
I opened up my eyes
And found myself alone alone
Alone above a raging sea
That stole the only girl I loved
And drowned her deep inside of me."
- From The Cure's "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me"

Paul

Here's Paul at the Arctic Monkeys (this week we saw the Fray at the Hammersmith Apollo with Tilly and Eric for a Big Tuesday night out). Eitan asks for an Arsenal, Liverpool or a ManU kit for football practice (but not England as "I have two of them" plus, I might add, England will most likely miss the '08 European Cup. It's a wing and a prayer 21 November against Croatia and other stars must align). It's Saturday morning so Sonnet runs and the kids write letters to Auntie Katie, who has laryngitis. Eitan bangs out the NYC address with pride and Madeleine scribbles some letters which make sense to her. Madeleine tells me: "poor Katie- I never knew anybody who got laryngitis." Natasha gives Madeleine a stuffed dog who looks like Disney's "The Shaggy DA" - she names him 'Stella.

The Horror

Well, here's a story. Photo taken at Marcia and Larry's red house in Vermont this summer and found by me as Sonnet and I search for a suitable holiday print. Not so easy a task BTW despite my volume of photos. Unfortunately most of my suitables have an irritating something like a scrap of paper or mis-placed doo-dad. Less than two months and I am feeling under the gun.

I buy a special Hermes "closing tie" for a final-final meeting in Paris Monday with my fund. Sonnet and the kids each touch the cloth to ensure that it is activated. I will catch the Eurostar Sunday afternoon returning in time for dinner Monday. Otherwise, the weekend is filled with the usual sports and run around. Erik, who is back in London, will visit Saturday afternoon for family style.

Big Trees

Here is Wawona, one of the most famous in the Northern California grove not far from the Orenstein family cabin, which Katie is doing a wonderful job managing. This photo is from 1953.

As for the Mighty Tree: sierras are the largest in the world and many redwoods grow to 250 feet or more - the tallest being about 325 feet high. While their height is impressive, the real wonder of a sierra redwood lies in its bulk. Many of these giants have diameters in excess of 30 feet near the ground, with a corresponding circumference of over 94 feet. The largest redwood in our Calaveras Big Trees State Park is the Louis Agassiz tree located in the South Grove. The tree is "only" 250 feet tall, but it is over 25 feet in diameter six feet above the ground. The largest tree in the world BTW is the General Grant tree, located in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park It stands 271 feet tall and is 28 feet in diameter at six feet above the ground.

Most trees have their diameter measured at breast height, which is considered to be four and a half feet above the ground on the uphill side of the tree. Sierra redwoods however, are measured at six feet above the ground. This is because of the major increase in circumference at the lower end of the tree. This "butt swell" helps the redwood in a couple ways. It adds stability to the tree, just as a wide stance adds stability to a football player. Also, it helps deflect falling vegetation away from the base of the tree. This decreases the chances of the redwood being injured by fire when that debris eventually burns. It is difficult to imagine the size of a sierra redwood. You often read or hear stories like the fact that a sierra redwood may contain enough wood to build 40 five-room homes; a tree may weigh 4,000 tons; they are as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

Caramel Chew Chew

I awake this morning with Eitan six inches from my face: "You ate the Caramel Chew Chew," he accuses. A bit taken aback, I go into defensive mode. The boy gives me a hard pinch before walking out in a huff. I stumble downstairs to find a freezer note: "No Dads Allowed To Eat The Caramel Chew Chew." For those outside the know, Caramel Chew Chew is a Ben & Jerry's "international flavor" meaning it cannot be bought in the states (I'm not sure if it is being tested, pre-launch, or doesn't match the Walmart palet - whatever). The ingredients, from B&J's website: "swirls of caramel and chocolate-covered caramel chunks swimming in a sea of caramel ice cream." One can see why Eitan is pissed off that I'm eating the stuff after hours. So we compromise: I promise not to pig out in return for morning peace. We stair at each other across a great divide....

Winter?

It is another unusually warm start to the British winter evidenced by the kid's school attire which lacks coats, caps and gloves - sometimes only polo's are seen on the playground. I recall last year's strangeness when the cold temps arrived in January. As a positive consequence, we enjoy a rather lovely autumn as the wet summer and dry late season allow the trees to retain their foliage, which are in colorful repose since the loss of the Northern sunlight. Without the chill air, however, the chlorophyll which gives leaves their green (and vital for photosynthesis) does not break down dramatically resulting in bright reds and hues found in New England - though warmer temps also there are threatening Vermont's tourist season, as reported recently in the NYT. Mostly oblivious to climate change, Madeleine clutches a pumpkin which, in my book, is the friendliest of the gourds. Their color, shape and simple goofiness demands attention - while more practically Sonnet makes pumpkin soup and roasts the seeds in chili oil and sea salt.

Madeleine: "If I were a bird I would fly away to California."

Eitan, very seriously, to Madeleine: "You just don't know how to play with a tactic." (recall, dear reader, that a tactic is a mini action figure anchored to a stand with special powers like moving arms or shooting darts).

Eitan yesterday receives a Participation Certificate for his inter-school football tournament (five boys are picked for play from a larger traveling team). Eitan's side wins 3-nil and 2-nil. While he does not score a goal, he proudly describes several passes and a tackle.

Multi-Tasking Mum

British sport's hero Paula Radcliffe wins the NY Marathon this weekend after two years and a baby in January (photo: sportinglife.com). Radcliffe set the women's standard in the 2003 London Marathon with 2:15:25 - a feat some say will remain on the books for a quarter century and a miracle to watch, as I did. Unfortunately, Radcliffe has under-performed at her Olympics, where she has yet to meddle despite being one of the world's most consistent distance runners and the only credible Western threat to the African nations. Most recently, she failed to complete the Athen's marathon, a race she was heavily favored to win, due to stomach ailments. Consequently, Radcliffe does not get the kudos she deserves in England. The British punter roots passionately for its sports teams, who are perennially the Bad News Bears of world athletics. No sport is more disappointing than our star-studded football squad, who have yet to deliver a World or European Cup since 1964 when we won it all. The Brits, you see, will accept nothing less than a full championship from their athletes - perhaps this is a layover from the Empire, who knows? Rather than celebrate its world-class athletes in running, rowing, ruby, football and etc., the water cooler condemns the same for finishing second (rugby, World Cup this year); fourth (Radcliffe's 10K, '00 Olympics) and the finals (football and cricket, many, many, times). England understands the sympathies of the under-dog, but also wants the glory of victory. She is conflicted, no doubt, but I am used to the sentiment thanks to the Cal Bears which somehow have the same bull-dog determination but just cannot pull out the Big Win when it counts (our loss to Oregon this year, ensuring Cal's first #1 ranking in six decades, was heartbreaking). A collective Heavy Sigh accompanies the anthem: "Just wait 'til next year, Goddamnit!"

Madeleine does a trade with Eitan - her UK pounds for his U.S. dollars. When I ask if she got a good deal, she happily says: "Now I can buy more ice cream!" (Eitan remains perfectly still at the other end of the table)

Madeleine complains of a head-ache, telling Sonnet matter-of-factly that she will stay home from school. I give her a choice: school or home-work with me all day. Her indignant, teary-eyed reply: "Dad, that is so not what I want to do!"

Katy

Here is Katy Janda who I have known since August 28, 1985 - the day I moved into Poland House in the West Quad at Brown University my Freshman year. Katy was a Resident Counselor, a year older and presumably many times wiser - which indeed, has turned out to be the case. Katy majored in English Literature and Engineering - one of five women (if I recall correctly) in an otherwise large program. After Brown, Katy headed for the East Bay where she earned her MS and PhD in Berkeley's Energy Resources Group also serving as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies. From there, Oberlin College offered a tenure track but Katy left Ohio for Oxfordshire and Oxford University this summer - happily enough for us. Katy and I compare notes on life in our 40s (egad), family dynamics and, of course, gossip about long lost (and disassociated) Brown alumni. Katy has maintained her integrity pursuing environmental concerns and teaching energy policy to some of America's - and now England's - brightest. Academia may be frustrating and under-paying - but frankly, baby, it is where it all starts if we have any chance of addressing global warming or the energy demands of our future.

Eitan rattles 13 pound coins in his zipped front pocket walking to the toy store to buy "tactics" - plastic action figures each with special "skills" like an arm punch or shooting rocket. The kids trade them on the play ground. I tell Eitan that "money finally has some meaning" as he skips home smiling.

Fawkes

We celebrate the burning of Guy Fawkes last night on the school grounds - bonfire and fireworks, comprehensive. As last year, I'm responsible for the BBQ and Eitan and Madeleine lend a hand setting up the pit. I've pre-ordered 350 sausages and 450 beef burgers, buns, onions and etc. We have two spanking new cookers and I have lassoed five volunteers to help me service our 1500 guests. The evening nets the school around 20 grand and I'm left with a wad of twenties in my back pocket. Afterwards, me and the crew drink Guinness at the local and toast England and the Queen. Cheers!

Joe-Y-H

Joe-Y-H is one of Eitan's fast pals - the boys share a classroom and yoga, among other things. There are three "Joes" in the class each beginning with the same late name initial (go figure) - hence Joe-Y-H. Any case, he is fabulously expressive and this photo is not a one-off. 

Unfortunately I pull an amateur move and let the batteries on my Canon run down so I don't capture the full chaos of the sugar-fueled evening. I apologies to you, my faithful readers (ok- Moe !).

Eitan wakes up today and counts his candy score. We've been through this number before - last year, the boy nailed me red-handed for flagrant candy pinching. 

When I ask Madeleine why Eitan doesn't otherwise enjoy the candy, Madeleine tells me conspiratorially: "He eats it with his friends- when they are not allowed" and more: "he only shares it with the boys!"  She is fascinated by her older brother and clearly.

Hallowe'en

Sonnet organises a Trick-O-Treat at our house and we pick up the kids and their guests for the afternoon. With Martha Stewart as her guide, Sonnet takes the kids through their steps: bobbing for apples, story-telling (me - frightening - ignored), dinner and finally dress up. Parents arrive at 5:30PM and off we go. I learn from Ashling that Hallowe'en was born in Ireland, where the early Celts believed that it is one of the liminal times of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world, and when magic is most potent (according to, for example, Catalan mythology about witches and Scottish and Irish tales of the Sidhe). The kids could care less about the history of course: it is all about C-A-N-D-Y and who has the MO-OST. The neighborhood is clued into the festivities with lighted pumpkins, cob-web decorations, witches and the like. Some go as far as speaker systems which blast haunting noises (think cackles and so forth). Finally, it is a joy to see the hundreds of kids dragging their parents around including us. It's all over by 8:30PM and Eitan and Madeleine busily count their loot: Eitan scores 52 pieces while Madeleine, mouth full, reports 47.

Yoga This Morning

Madeleine, pictured, during a self-imposed interlude - it doesn't look particularly relaxing, does it? Our morning is filled with Halloween and Sonnet prepares herself for a Martha Stewart styled assault on the pre-Trick 'O Treating party at our place. The kids are allowed three friends each who will join them today post school pick-up to put on their witch-ghost-Spidey outfits (Joe-Y-H confirmed on the playground this morning that blood is allowed in our house). Otherwise we are loaded up on Smarties, Milky-Ways (Eitan's pronounced fave), Twix bars and the like. Our neighborhood is Big on the Night and many houses are decorated Haunted House style. There's a large turnout in past years and we expect the same this evening given the unseasonably mild temps and no rain (thank goodness). In an interesting move, Eitan pulls out his candy stash from last year and notes: "I can eat it now because I will get more tonight." Unfortunately, many of the chocolate bars, and etc, are hard as a brick. We discuss the idea of "having your cake and eating it too" -- Madeleine is focused on the eating.

Flytrap

I snap these happy snap traps at Kew. Did you know tat the Venus Flytrap is a small herb forming a rosette of four to seven leaves, which arise from a short subterranean stem that is actually a bulb-lik rhizome? Each leaf reaches a maximum size of about three to seven centimeters, depending on the time of year; longer leaves with robust traps are generally formed after flowering. Flytraps that appear to have more leaves are generally colonies, formed by rosettes that have divided beneath the ground. We also oggle a 10cm millipede, tree plant and Tanzania scorpion which crawls on the hand, sans stinger. It feels like fifth grade all over again.

A large potential client interested in my French fund decides not to commit. It's a roller-coaster for sure. Locally, there has been a run on Star Wars action figures (recall that the kids barter for the things) and I am left with one choice: Darth Vader! I score the Best Figure Of Them All and Eitan shouts "Hurray!" when I hand him the toy (to balance, I give Madeleine a special writing pen for her Top Secret Diary - she still feels cheated). Both kids now back at school and Eitan over his ear-ache, no problem.

Beautiful Green

Beautiful Sonnet yesterday morning at Kew Gardens. It's a wet day and after a visit to the Princess Diana glass house to see the Lilly pads, poisonous frags and cacti we head home for an afternoon inside as Eitan is feeling under the weather. With us Saturday night is long-time college friend Katy Janda who is now teaching at Oxford - but more on her interesting subject later. Poor Eitan misses Elliot's birthday party which only makes the boy even more miserable. It's a rough life sometimes. Sonnet cheers everybody up with jumbolia and books - currently, she reads the kids the "Narnia" series whose first book - "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" is most famous. Thanks to British daylight savings, the kids are to bed at 6PM and we not much later.

Henry Moore

Madeleine does her own interpretation of a Moore at Kew Gardens yesterday. She forgives me my photography and in fact, will ham it up on occasion including this image. Eitan, on the other hand, is very serious about my snap shots. He finds it bothersome and worse- embarrassing should other kids be around. Still, I persevere with the knowledge that any proud father does the same. At dinner, we play "faces" and I ask Madeleine to show me her perfectly bored look: she immediately rolls her eyes heavenward presenting an otherwise hung face. Perfect. Eitan practices his grumpy and mean looks - and we all agree, "it's good practice for being a teenager."

Daffy Duck

Daffy first appeared on in "Porky's' Duck Hunt" in 1937. While the cartoon, I read, is a standard hunter/prey kind of thing for which Leon Schlesinger's owner-studio was then famous, Daffy represented something new: an assertive, combative protagonist, completely unrestrainable. Irreverent. As the then short's Director Clampett recalled, "At that time, audiences weren't accustomed to seeing a cartoon character do these things. And so, when it hit the theaters it was an explosion. People would leave the theaters talking about this daffy duck."

The early Daffy is short and pudgy, with stubby legs and beak. The Mel Blanc voice characterization, and the white neck ring contrasting with the black feathers, are about the only aspects of the character that remained consistent through the years.

The origin of Daffy's voice is a matter of some debate. One oft-repeated "official" story is that it was patterned after producer Schlesinger's tendency to lisp. However, in Mel Blanc's autobiography, That's Not All Folks!, he contradicts that conventional belief, writing "It seemed to me that such an extended mandible would hinder his speech, particularly on words containing an s sound. Thus 'despicable' became 'desthpicable'."
Photo, thank you, from Warner Bros.

The Zone

Who would know that the T.V. is turned on? After morning 'tunes, we head for the common and play footie for a couple of hours before returning to London. Eitan has an ear infection from the pool which upsets his afternoon. Sonnet greets us with open arms following two nights apart. What a nice weekend.

Joseph

Here is Joseph pulling his best sword-in-statue (we have just visited the Elgin Marbles at the British Museum). When not portraying a Roman, Joseph helps private equity funds raise money. The Elgin Marbles, BTW, are a collection of marble sculptures that originally decorated the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens. Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1799 to 1803, obtained permission from the Ottoman authorities to remove sculptures from the Acropolis. From 1801 to 1812 Elgin's agents removed about half of the surviving sculptures of the Parthenon. The Marbles were transported to Britain, and were purchased by the British Government in 1816 after public debate in Parliament. They were placed on display in the British Museum, where they are now on view in the purpose-built Duveen Gallery. Should they be here or there, one debates.

I give Madeleine our room-key for safe-keeping. She promptly loses it. On the way to the front desk for a duplicate I tell her we may have to sleep in the lobby. She, bug eyed to Eitan: "Is it true?"

Bronze

Here I am the other day at the Greek antiquities inside the British Museum. I report, dear reader, that the BM was established in 1753, opening with the collection donated mostly by Sir Hans Sloane (yes, of Sloane Square, South Kensington) in Montague House in Bloomsbury. The collection today numbers more than 13 million objects of which less than 2% are on display at any given time. In the archives are wall paintings from Central Asia's' Caves of Bezeklik, which Sonnet and I visited in 1997. The cave retreats were once inhabited by Buddhist monks near the Turpan Peninsula in the Taklamakan desert (translation: "those who enter do not come out)" and remain a testimony to the heyday of Chinese Buddhism. The caves were hidden for hundreds of years buried in sand or riverside cliffs. Upon their discovery in the 1920s by British explorer Sir John Younghusband, portions were carved out and delivered to London in straw and rope, leaving gaping holes where once there were horse-heads, weapons and painted men. In London I contacted the Curator of Central Asia to see what I missed, but never did she return my communication.

Earth Audit

1,400 scientist submit their report to the United Nations today, concluding our planet is in peril. According to them, thirty percent of amphibians, 23 percent of mammals and 12% of birds are under threat. The report was drafted and researched by almost 400 scientists, all experts in their field, whose findings were reviewed by another 1,000 of their peers. Findings show that the world's population has grown by 34% to 6.7B in 20 years; 73,000 hectares is lost annually (3.5X the size of Wales) and 60% of the world's major rivers have been dammed or diverted. Ten million children under age 10 die each year and more than half of all cities exceed WHO pollution guidelines. Photo from AirFlow.

Bucks

Chipping Marlow in Buckinghamshire - the town name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'land remaining after the draining of a pool'. In the Doomsday Book in 1086 it was recorded as Merlaue, though previously it was known as Merelafan. Otherwise, Marlow has been an important town for many years. This is because of its location on the River Thames. It has had its own market charter since 1324 at the latest but ownership of the charter has been lost and no market has been held since at least 1940. As early as 1299 the town had its own Member of Parliament As for the pictured bridge, it has been there since the reign of King Edward III. The current bridge is a suspension bridge, designed by William Tierney Clark in 1832, and was a prototype for the nearly identical but larger Szecheni Chain Bridge across the Danube in Budapest. Cool.

Marlow

Rest assured, dear reader, that we are up at 0600 for a swim (last night, following two movies and dinner on the bed, we are asleep at 8PM. I can't remember the last time I've done that). After the pool and breakfast we head for the Marlow town center and find a fabulous, well-populated playground where the kids let lose. I chase them around their pretend space ships pretending to be an evil invader. Other kids join in and soon its a free-for-all and I am somehow happily in the center. This beats swimming laps any day. From there we go to lunch with a stop at the book shop where Madeleine pleads for a "secret journal." I give in telling the elderly cashier "It's a game of endurance and today they have won." She accepts this with a smile. At lunch, Eitan writes "Top Secret" and "Confidential" in his notebook while Madeleine scribbles her name and today's date.

Another Tooth

The Big News this week is Madeleine's front tooth, which fell out Tuesday while at Kew Gardens (pictured). "Dad! There was blood everywhere but I wasn't scared" she tells me breathlessly. The tooth had been wobbling for the past two weeks and it seemed she was playing with it ALL THE TIME or at least WHENEVER I AM LOOKING. So happily the Tooth Ferry delivers £2, which is the going rate on the playground.

In the pool, I tell Madeleine I will give her one M&M if she swims a lap: "No way, dad" she replies.
Two?
"No."
Three?
"No."
Four?
"OK- but it's not because I want to."

While driving, I ask the kids to keep their eyes open for the hotel. Madeleine from the back: "What will you give me?"

Half-term

This week has been school half-term, which basically means 10 days of holiday or hardship for working parents like us. Happily Natasha has a busy program and the kids have been to the movies, had play-dates and visited Hampton Palace where the hedge-row maze kept them entranced. Today, while Sonnet works away, I take Eitan and Madeleine to Marlow on the Thames next to Henley and nearby Oxford. Marlow is charming but it ain't Italy or Spain where most of these Brits seem to go this time of year. That said, we're staying at a five star hotel complete with pool and room service. And limitless movies! I tell the kids we're going to Hollywood and they have been abuzz since Monday. We arrive and head straight for the pool - no disappointment there following two hours and pruny hands. The Little Shakespeares now watch the movie "Mr Bean" and wait for their cheese burgers and chips. Yum!

I wonder aloud where the traffic is going on the crowded M40. Eitan replies "they must be going to our hotel" and Madeleine: "We will have no where to stay!"

Madeleine is motionless in the pool. I ask if she is peeing and she replies, guilt all over her face: "No dad."

And more: "Remember that time on holiday when I peed in the Jacuzi?"

I overhear a conversation in the bathroom about peeing. Madeleine insists girls have it better off because they sit down. "Well" counters Eitan "that doesn't work very well if you are away in nature."

Practice Makes Perfect

Eitan is a serious footballer, and so we practice at a nearby common Saturday afternoon. I have him running all sorts of drills including fast-breaks, ball control and one-on-one's with me. When I tell him his shoe's untied and steal the ball, he is pissed off: "No trash-talking dad!". 

Later walking home I ask him what kind of an office he imagines for himself one day and without missing a beat: "Old Trafford" which, of course, is Manchester United's stadium. 

Our weekend is otherwise routine: swimming practice Sunday morning for Eitan; performance and singing for Madeleine. Sunday is spent with friends Ramsey and Jennifer in Hamstead on a beautiful autumn afternoon. Ramsey used to work for the Prince Al Walid of The Kingdom and the fifth wealthiest person on the planet. The Prince is a night owl who arrives at his offices after noon then works until 2AM. Ramsey and he shuttled from meetings in a private jet - in this case, one of two 747's housed next to the office and private run-way. Jennifer is from up-state Michigan and their children are about the same age as ours. In other words, just your normal London family.

Tower Bridge - 1892

Ah, the Tower Bridge. The crossing opened in the twilight of the 19th century following 8 years of construction work. Prior, over 50 Tower designs were submitted, including one from Sir Josepth Bazalgette who built London's sewer system, before Horace Jones took the cake (Jones was one of the judges). Two massive piers, containing over 70,000 tons of concrete were sunk into the river bed to support the construction. Over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the towers and walkways. This was then clad in Cornish granite and Portland Stone, both to protect the underlying steelwork and to give the bridge a pleasing appearance. The original raising mechanism was powered by pressurised water stored in six hydraulic accumulators which were replaced by new electro-hydraulic drive system in 1974. The longest span is 61 meters while the total length is 244 meters. It's not the Golden Gate but is equally iconic as a working architecture: over 40,000 cars pass daily.

"It represents the vice of tawdriness and pretentiousness, and of falsification of the actual facts of the structure"
H. H. Statham"Bridge Engineering", Wiley, 1916.

"A more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river"
Brangwyn, F., and Sparrows, W.S., "A Book of Bridges", John Lane, 1920.

Photo thanks to Creative Commons Attribution.

Dave Ellis - A Self Portrait

Dave Ellis models his inner Storm Trooper, sent from London via me. This is a nice seguay to Eitan's schoolyard where the kids trade action figures. Eitan gets a free start when neighborhood pal Jackson gives him Luke Skywalker which is then traded up for Venom (from Lucas) and then Thumper (from Harry). The ultimate prize is Spider Man and the boys huddle around an outside table and share notes on value. Thumper BTW is one foot and has a wind-up arm that destroys any standing plastic. Of course: No Girls Allowed.

Cal vs UCLA at the L.A. Coliseum and England vs South Africa in the World Cup Rugby championships. Another Big Day of sports.

Madeleine plays "LeapPad" (a touch-and-sound game) telling me her favourite instruments are the Drums and the guitar - she will begin lessons shortly though not the drums.

Shamrock

I enjoy a day-trip to Dublin and sneak a visit to the National Museum next to Trinity College. The museum enjoys Western Europe's largest collection of gold casts dating from 1200 B.C. There is also a gallery dedicated to the 795 A.C. invasion of the Vikings, who had a lasting influence on the island's civilisation: the Nords introduced modern weapons (many gruesome devices like the two-sided axe with nail-like thruster), farming techniques and eventually currency which was used to trade with bits of Europe. Dublin herself is a Viking city and today is one of Europe's fastest growing capitals - evident by the traffic and property value, which makes even London blush. The city looks rich - not the case as recently as two years ago - with a new highway tunnel connecting the airport and an inner city tram system. The BBC surveyed 11,200 residents of 112 urban and rural areas in 2003 and Dublin was found to be the best capital city in Europe to live in, and Ireland the most content country in Europe. I pinched this photo from the WWW and unfortunately cannot spot a four-leaf clover.

Ireland's recent wealth BTW has accumulated from 1986 when Ira Magaziner, who famously created the New Curriculum at Brown University, advised the country to reduce corporate taxes (today, 12.5%) to attract Big Business from Dell to Pfizer

Georg Baselitz

I visit the Royal Academy to view a retrospective of the German artists work. It is dark, gorey, confused, bleak and angry and includes well known paintings "B for Larry" (pictured), "Oberon" and "Big Night Down the Drain" which is a gruesome self-portrait of a boy masturbating. The painting was seized by the police at its showing in 1961 and kick-started Baselitz's career, which began in earnest in the 1950s. He was otherwise trained in East Germany before moving to West Berlin. During his formative years, Baselitze was profoundly effected by Germany 's wretchedness during and following the War - and his work seeks to communicate its deprivation shockingly. And he succeeds.

Joey Turns One!

Joey Junior celebrates numero uno and Joey Senior serves up the cake. It is always even odds as to who is having the most fun at the party. This morning is Harvest Festival at Eitan and Madeleine's school and the children march into the Tim Bernard Lee Hall full of joy and vigor - Head Master Elaine England does a fine job settling them down and orchestrating a number of autumnal songs like: "red, orange and golden brown - see! the leaves are falling down." Madeleine in the front row is wonderfully off-key and Sonnet and I are delighted as her voice soars across the auditorium. Sonnet gives her a secret double thumbs-up, which makes her glow. From the festivities I assist Eitan's teacher in the class-room and today's lesson focuses on imperatives which, the teacher explains, "are bossy instructions." The kids get this one pretty quickly, especially the girls who have younger brothers.

Sweetie Pie

Moe and Grace's cat, photographed by Katie, relaxes in Berkeley. Madeleine fell in love with SP at first sighting two summers ago and chased the cat around the house. Now, when we call home, Madeleine asks about SP and to talk to her. This has fuelled her desire to own a cat (or dog) and we have promised when she is a teenager: and so she saves away. Sweetie Pie replaced beloved Pootsy ("stinky" in Italian - thank you, Katie) who was feral and the runt of the litter. Grace found Pootsy in a vacant Oakland lot befriending her with tuna before throwing her into a pillow case and bringing her home to Euclid. She led a good life, as does SP today.

FAD

Here I am in Madrid next to the Prado museum during the Great Internet Bubble (yes, the Internet has outlived the title of this blog). For those lucky enough to experience the thrill of it all - the world was, and is, at your finger tips quite literally. While I founded eZoka.com too late in Cycle I to earn the spectacular windfall of many of my West Coast brethren, the experience was nonetheless rewarding and positive. I learned, for instance, that there is love in action: and no regrets doing a thing with conviction. The momentum from then carries me today.

Snapper

Eitan shoots away at Kew; skull courtesy of Aunt Martine for the early Halloween. I'm up at dawn to do my power-walk, check email and listen to the Stereophonics. Power walking, for the record, is not a replacement to running but easier on the bod. Afterwards I shuttle the kiddies to school bumping into the usual suspects on the way. It's a good community vibe and the children chat about who knows what? while the parents compare notes on nits or the moment's passing subject. Today Eitan has Spanish which he looks forward to. "I also speak Italian!" he exclaims.

Shai

Shai is a friend from Columbia Business School though we met in London. Before CBS Shai procured weapons for the Israeli government. Now, he invests in clean-tech for Sir Richard Branson. He is a serious guy. This morning I sit in Madeleine's class and smile as Mrs. Reynolds takes the children through their steps. The kids are asked to draw the various ways they got to school - walk, scooter, car, plane - which are then used to create a pictorial. We compare which methods are most popular, counting the totals and the differences. Mrs Reynolds explains that a pictorial is an easy way to see the difference between things. From there, it's indoor pe then lunch. Fun!

"I brushed my teeth with gun powder!"
Eitan uses my sodium bicarbonate toothpaste

"It just takes me longer to chew!"
Madeleine wales, always the last at the dinner table

"Chips! Cookies! Chocolate! Sweeties! Coffee cake!"
Belt Eitan and Madeleine when asked their favorite school lunch

Sunday at Kew

Yesterday morning we meet Shai and Ada Weiss and their boys Yuval and Ynon. Photo of Madeleine at Climbers and Creepers, an indoor play area which, among other things, has a living bee-hive where the insects enter and exit via a system of see-through tubing. C&C is experience oriented which means the kids run amok and here I chase Madeleine to her delight and my exhaustion. Otherwise Kew is the temporary home to 32 Henry Moore bronzes which spread across the grounds like something from the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine." Several years ago Sonnet and I visited Moore's work at a sculpture garden in West Yorkshire which was by itself cool but the scale and farm-like setting made it more so. Any case, the kids love climbing in and out of the sculptures which seem to welcome their participation.

"The secret of life is to have a task, something you devote your entire life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for the rest of your life. And the most important thing is, it must be something you cannot possibly do. "

and

"To know one thing, you must know the opposite. "
Henry Moore (1898-1986, England)

Poppy

This is Camilla's dog Poppy, which the family picked up Sunday morning. Camilla has been anticipating the family addition for some time and Paul has prepared her for this new responsibilty with a play-game offering pointers on pet care. Very 21st century. Madeleine is jealous (of course) but we have promised her an animal when she is a teen-ager. Madeleine is saving her allowance. Coincidentally, Poppy is a dead-wringer for Paul in the back seat driving home from Natalie and Justin's dinner party late Saturday night.

Augghh!

England football defeats Estonia 3-nil. England rugby defeats France 14-9. But Cal, number two in the country, can't get their business done against unranked Oregon State in Berkeley. Worse, top team LSU is upset by Kentucky so if the Bears had won... we would have been Number One for the fist time in six decades. Well of course the season is not over and a Rose Bowl appearance is still a possibility (we haven't been there since '59) but Cal is out of the hunt for the best team in the nation and the Championship Bowl in January. I am resigned to a sense of inevitability but thought we would have another week or two before our history came crashing down on the Bad News Bears. One Boiler Maker please!

But wait: the Bears fight back! In one minute Cal scores, recovers the ball and moves to Oregon's 12! But red shirt freshman quarterback Riley doesn't throw the ball away! He takes a sack! the clock runs out - no equalising field goal or game-winning touchdown! Stunning. Fuck. I'm bitter and going to bed with a head ache.

Cone

Photo from the La Veta, CO, country store (elevation 7,100 feet) in July. I walk the kids to football at Palewell Park and Eitan and I discuss cement. He's curious to know what it's made of and why it "sticks" (there is construction work on Vicarage Road as the Victorian water pipes are replaced). Madeleine is in the first group so Eitan and I play tennis - he's keen to learn and why not? From there, I watch Madeleine hustle back-and-forth during a mini-tournament: No goals from her but not for want of effort. Eitan jumps onto the pitch following Madeleine, who is picked up by Sonnet to go to "performance class" in Richmond- acting and singing lessons with her fellow blue Jaye's. Eitan's group plays other teams and he is no longer the best kid on the field now that he is one of the youngest. Still, he's skillful and thoughtful with the ball and the new grouping raises his game.

This is a BIG day for sports: England versus France in the semi-finals of World Cup Rugby; England versus Estonia in a European Cup qualifier and #2 Cal versus Oregon at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. All are key games but the rugby has captured the country's attention since England are World Champs from '03 (the rugby cup is played every four years). France is the better and bigger team but England pulled off an upset against Australia last weekend so who knows? Personally a Bears defeat would be a greater set back as Cal has not been ranked like this since the early 1950s. Enjoy it while it lasts, I say.

Maxïmo Park

Last night Sonnet and I catch the utterly cool Maxïmo Park, whose name comes from Maximo Gomez Park, a Havana meeting place for Cuban revolutionaries. Despite this, the band formed in in the Midlands' Newcastle. Their 2005 release "A Certain Trigger" was one of the best Brit-pop albums of that year and rose quickly on the charts. Last night's show was energetic.

Madeleine is still fixated on global warming and asks: "will it kill the rain deer?" (her thoughts on Christmas).

This pretty much sums it up:
"The Nobel Committee's recognition of Vice President Gore shines a bright light on the most inconvenient truth of all -- the selection of George Bush as president has endangered the peace and prosperity of the entire planet,"
John Edwards, the 2008 White House contender

Franz West

While we are on modern art, I've been invited to Franz West's opening at Place Vendome in Paris next week. West was born in Vienna in 1947 and here is what he as to say from artseensoho.com:

"Early On I realized that the purely visual experience of an artwork was somehow insufficient. I wanted to go beyond the purely optical and include tactical qualities as well. My works aren't things one just looks at, but things that the viewer is invited to handle. There have been many theories of art that try to break down the border between art and the world, but I don't find such attempts to be particularly meaningful. Art remains art. I really see my work as quite compatible with the l'art pour 'lart philosophy. One may think that I try to bring the art object out into the world since my works sometimes appear to have a practical function, but really it's the other way around: things in the world can, under certain special circumstances, enter the realm of art. And, in fact, once they have entered this realm they are art."