Hermitage

We visit the Hermitage in Amsterdam which is the Amsterdam branch of the Hermitage in St Petersburg which owns an enormous collection of everything. Today's special exhibition displays Gauguin, Bonnard and Denis, French painters from the 1890s.  The Russians, of course, fascinated by Parisian culture from this epoch and the most sophisticated Russians owned apartments on the Left Bank where they would invest in the scene, taking it back to Moscow.

Me, I find an empty gallery and eagerly ask Sonnet to take photos before we are found out.

Sonnet: "Shall we go to the ballet?" (Editor's note: we walk by the Amsterdam Opera House)
Me: "Sure, I would love to go."
Sonnet to the box office attendee: "We will have two centre seats please."
Me: "What time does it start? What time does it end?"
Box office attendee: "It starts at 8:15 and ends at 11:30PM."
Me: "Um, maybe we should think about this a minute."
Sonnet to box office attendee: "We will go for a walk and think about it."
Box office attendee: "I'll be here."

Amsterdam

Sonnet and I in Amsterdam taking advantage of the kids final days of swimming camp. Funny how we feel five years younger.

We stroll along canals to the Van Gogh museum but it is really too nice an afternoon to be indoors so we sit at an outside cafe and people-watch. The cyclists are mad - no helmets - and it is unclear who has priority. Cars also drive too fast for the narrow roads and the sidewalks barely accommodate a single person. Oh, well - it is charming and beautiful and we enjoy the moment.

The Pigeons Of Trafalgar Square

Facing the National Gallery

Trafalgar Square once known for its 100s and 100s of pigeons that would climb on you for bird crumb purchased from vendors on the edge of the plaza. Inevitably family photos of the summer trips included laughing kids covered by the fucking birds.

In 2003 Mayor Ken Livingstone banned feeding the Trafalgar Sq pigeons and, in 2007, levied a £500 fine on the bird loving nutjobs who often brought 20 kg or more of seed, flaunting the rules.  Birds of prey were introduced in to eliminate the plague and now not a pigeon in sight. Good riddance, I say.

Baby Prince George Christened !

Sonnet in nature

Sonnet and I up for a morning ramble in County Surrey just outside the sleepy town of Ripley, whose pub dates to "circa" 1540 which, Sonnet points out, could mean a lot of things.

And, so, today, the Royal Baptism gets front and center. The seven godparents receive full page coverage (celebrities!), the Queen's very footsteps followed (BBC: "And now, Her Majesty the Queen, will lead a small family gathering to a separate chamber for the official photographs.. . " The Queen hobbles along) and Will and Kate looking marvellous (of course), making it all seem so damn easy. Man, I must have been inadequate when Eitan and Madeleine that age.

In other news, an infestation of venomous spiders closes a school.  Usual stuff.

Poolside

Madeleine and coach Camilla

Life sure is dull without the Shakespeares. Sonnet and I sleep later, do some house work. Read. Watch TV and have breakfast in our pajamas.  So this is what it is like.

Date Night

Eitan and Dakota (Eitan says age-6). Photo form Dana

Sonnet and I have a US mall experience at Westfields. One can really get into this. We shop, have dinner, see a movie ('Capitan Phillips' - I eat a $15 'medium' size box of popcorn). And further, there are couples everywhere - young and old. The mall has become a modern dating convenience. The perfect neutral ground : safe with plenty of entertainment. And more, Westfields like an airport First Class airport lounge - 5 star luxury all the way. Of course none of it comes for free (as our boxes and bags suggest).

We return home 11:30PM - late for a weeknight - and I do recall Manhattan when it was impossible to retire before 1AM.

Team Wandsworth

We receive a text informing us the kids arrive safe and sound.  Here they are, pre 7AM practice (the poor dears).  Sonnet and I to take a vacation week but I catch the blue meanies and we decide to stay in London.

Spirited Memory

I do some chores around the house including re painting the conservatory. The smell of mineral spirits always takes me back to the summers of 1987 and 1988 in Barrington and Providence, Rhode Island - a time of adventure and exhilaration even if stressful and very often overwhelming.  My memories shared with a number of friends relived whenever together. My parents knew maybe 5% of of it and now I must accept : Eitan and Madeleine on their own path and I am a passenger to their journey.

Swim Camp

Eitan shows us the butterfly

There is a scramble at the door then Sonnet and the kids off for the airport.  Eitan and Madeleine in Greece for one week of training.  The little dudes will see four hours of pool time, one hour of land training and further stretching and aerobics a day. Somewhere in there should be some fun but Madeleine seriously doubts it. Following a solo visit with Stan over the summer they are prepared and no drama. 16 swimmers plus Coach make the trip, no electronics allowed.

The Internets (source: Google)
1998 - 3.6 million Google searches and 26 million web pages
1999 - Jeff founds eZoka.com
2008 - 637bn searchs and 1tr web pages
2013 - 1.9tn searches and 60tn web pages

Eitan: "See you in a week."

Ear Stud

Madeleine plays Moon River

Madeleine: "What would you say if I got my ears pierced ?"
Me: "I would say it's your body and go for it. Mom might have a different view, mind you."
Madeleine: "Indeed."
Me: "They numb your ear then put a needle through the lobe. I bet it hurts."
Madeleine: "Not really."
Me: "And how would you know?"
Madeleine: "Reason."
Me: "Are you thinking about doing it?"
Madeleine: "Maybe. Did you have one?"
Me: "Yeah, in high school. My left ear."
Madeleine: "That is so cool. Can you still put an ear ring in it?"
Me: "I suppose, but it has been a long time."

Madeleine shows me a stud in her left her. Me: "You did it! That is so great."
Madeleine: "Do you think so?"
Me: "Where did you go?"
Madeleine: "In Putney, at a place. I was with my friends."
Me: "Did you feel pressured to do it? That's the only thing that would make me concerned."
Madeleine: "I decided to do it."
Me: "Do you want me to tell your mother or you?"
Madeleine: "You can tell her."

Dad's note: It turns out Madeleine has a magnet that looks like an ear stud. No piercing.
Me: "You so totally set me up!"
Madeleine, grinning: "Yeah."

Aneta walks into the TV room. Madeleine: "What would you say if I got my ears pierced?"

Own Goal

Texas republican Ted Cruz is a fool

Government opens and the debt ceiling raised despite the Republicans. It was always unwinnable.

Eitan: "I have to do homework."
Me: "You're not excused, we would wish your company."
Eitan: "Homework is more important."
Me: "Give us two minutes. You can put a watch on it."
Eitan:
Madeleine: "I'll do it."
Me: "So tell me something interesting."
Madeleine: "Ready, set, go!"
Me: "Ok, I'll ask you a question to get things going."
Madeleine: "15 seconds."
Me: "I'm feeling the pressure. Ok, what did you do in maths class? No, no. Who are you hanging out with these days?"
Eitan: "Joe."
Me: "Anybody else?"
Eitan: "Shaheen."
Me: "Anybody outside of East Sheen?"
Madeleine: "60 seconds!"
Eitan: "Fred."
Me: "Who's he?"
Eitan: "A boy."
Me: "Is he a good friend?"
Eitan: "I'm leaving."
Madeleine: "And he as thirty seconds left."

Self Portrait XXXI

Sonnet walks me to work, 7AM

Sonnet's exhibition will tour three museums in Minnespolis-St Paul, Nashville and Oregon once the show ends in London.

Me: "What are you up to today?"
Sonnet: "I am meeting a fashion film maker to review his proposal for my show. He's Canadian, residing in Paris."
Me: "That's cool, what's he going to do?"
Sonnet: "He's filming close ups of the V and A garments and is going to do a slow motion edit. I wanted something different from the usual catwalk footage."
Me: "Why don't you just put up "Godzilla Versus King Kong"? Now that would be different."
Sonnet cracks up.

Miley Pop

500 million youtube views in September 

Walking with Madeleine. Me: "So what do you think of Miley Cyrus anyway?"
Madeleine: "What do you mean?"
Me: "Do you approve of her behaviour? At the MTV awards?"
Madeleine: "I guess so."
Me: "When she was twerking."
Madeleine:
Me: "And rubbing her bottom in Robin Thicke's mid section."
Madeleine: "Ok, Dad."
Sonnet: "Your Dad is just winding you up, Madeleine. He's still 16 years old."
Me: "And her video, 'Wrecking Ball. "
Madeleine:
Me: "Where she sails around naked on a wrecking ball."
Madeleine:
Me: "And licks a hammer."
Madeleine: "She licks a hammer?"
Me: "Yep."
Madeleine: "I do not approve of that."

Friday Night

8th grade party

It all kind of starts in the 7th or 8th grade - at least, that was the way it was in Northern California. Hot tubs, make out parties, weed. I navigated, ie, avoided, ie missed the time of my life, as I was swimming.

Me, driving the kids to the pool: "So do you have any friends or suggestions on who might help me with the  yardwork?"
Eitan, Madeleine:
Me: "I would pay them of course. Don't you know anybody who wants to make some extra money?"
Madeleine under her breathe: "Don't do it Dad."
Eitan: "It would make us look lazy or something."
Me: "What's the big deal? I will be working with them."
Eitan: "It's just weird. Other families don't ask for help."
Me: "So I have to do all the outside chores by myself?"
Madeleine: "We kids have lots of other things to be doing other than chores."
Me:
Eitan: "Can we talk about something else?"

The Deal

Thibault in action

And so it is Friday. My feet are up and watching Law & Order. Madeleine opts out of swimming having been at morning practice. She now quietly reads a book in her bedroom.  Eitan off to a disco party at the Richmond Hotel. He sneaks out the door, no dinner, hair slicked and looking smooth (I text Aneta that I will pick him up in the cow suit and she thinks I am serious).

Sonnet is speaking at Columbia and arrives in Manhattan yesterday. She is with Katie, who she joins at work (Katie gets a grant from the Ford Foundation, woo hoo!).  I speak to Sonnet 4AM NY time. She tells me it's dark and everybody asleep, my least favorite time of day. Blue meanies.

Freedom

School pitch, post match

I arrive home after Madeleine in bed so I tip toe in to her room and give her a kiss on the forehead, which wakes her for a moment. I get a hug then she rolls over and is gone.

Madeleine's netball team takes on Wimbledon and the gals crush their opponents, 15-1. It's a real confidence booster.

Me: "The thing about getting older, is at some point you stop caring about what other people think."
Madeleine: "Where's this going Dad?"
Me: "The funny thing is, you spend your whole life being embarrassed or uncomfortable and just as you think it's behind you.. . "
Madeleine: "Yeah?"
Me: "I have you guys on my case."
Madeleine: "Like the cow suit."
Me: "Yep."
Madeleine: "Or singing whenever my friends are around."
Me:
Madeleine: "Or that time you were dancing when Billy came over."
Me: "Ok, I get it."

Erect(ion)

One final picture from UAE and it has to be of the Burj Khalifa.  At 165 stories, it dwarfs anything nearby, making 50 and 60 story buildings seem petite.  The thing shoots up from nowhere and, standing underneath her, it is straight sci-fi. I stare up, up, up 2,722 feet with the odd sensation that I am looking at a spacecraft.  The 40 degree temperatures add to the weirdness of it all. I mean, why ? It's the dessert.

Insha'Allah

Sunset over Arabia

And here is what I learn about the Middle East from Jose Fernandez, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs for THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (this is how his business card reads. No, really) : the 15-29 year age bracket accounts for ca. 30% of the population.  Youth unemployment is around 40% and unemployment for those with a university degree is twice as high as those without. This means higher education preparing young people for jobs that do not exist. It is not surprising to learn that, when polled, 80% want to work in the public sector. Already it is around 60%.

Thibault from Astorg and I wade through a number of meetings, lectures, coffee sessions and general riff raffery at the Super Return conference. It must be done. 

Grand Mosque

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The Grand Mosque can take 40,000 worshippers, making it one of the world's largest. It features 82 domes, over a 1,000 columns, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers and the world's largest hand knotted carpet. The main prayer hall is dominated by one of the world’s largest chandeliers –10 metres in diameter, 15 metres in height and weighing twelve tonnes. The mosque's first ceremony was the funeral of its namesake, Sheikh Zayed, who is buried at the site. It dominates the skyline, day and night.

There is not one human figure or animal to be seen on the walls nor engraved in the architecture, making it strangely uninteresting to me. The wailing call to prayer both haunting and beautiful.

Abu Dhabi

Emirates Palace, now a 7 star hotel

I am in Abu Dhabi for an investors conference. First time here and an easy observation : hot as hell. And the infrastructure is totally new - the highways and bridges are pristine (no concrete rot so evident on the London flyovers), the hotels and buildings gleam in the sunshine. The men glide through the hallways in white ankle-length thawbs undifferentiated as individuals yet contrasting totally with those around them in modern or western wear. Like ghosts.

Eitan and Madeleine run a 2K road race to qualify for the borough championships only I forget to give them their race day bar code so the effort for not. Stabbing sensation in .. heart . .. Eitan wins his age group, fourth overall; Madeleine in the top 30. Both would have qualified for Team Richmond.