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.