Greetings from Ober lech. The weather is gorgeous...warm days and thunder storms at night. I cannot explain how thrilled the three of us are by these storms. Our first night we watch good ol Deutschland win third place in the world cup....it seems they almost always do pretty well...third in the last two world cups, and second in the European championship. Apparently organization and deep knee bends get you at least half way.
Anyway, we watched a great game and then were treated to a storm the likes of which none of us had ever seen. There was so much lightening that the sky was almost constantly lit up, but it was a storm so high up that there was almost no sound. Incredible. We stared in awe for a long time, until I said what we were all thinking: God clearly is a fan of Uruguay.
Today Thomas and I walked uphill a really long way, just to the edge when I was thinking I really hate hills and come to think of it..hate everything....until we got to the top and put on the ipods and just ran...I know..bizarre..but it is along a flat, flower filled mountain train with all of lech beneath you and the legs are so happy to be in fast motion that it is the best feeling...thomas cannot get over it...it is euphoria. That is what it is.
The funny part is you pass people who think you are some sort of crazed athletes...one old guy even mumbled "People are in such a hurry-no one has any time any more!
Then we went to lunch and dashing Gerold turned up in black on a vintage motorcycle. Katia is working unpaid for a few weeks at a restaurant in Copenhagen that was just rated the best restaurant in the world. They went for dinner I guess and were so impressed that they asked if people could hang around the kitchen and chop things..this is something people like Katia think is fun. So she and the head chef at the Schneider hotel are there picking herbs or washing herbs..who knows...but it is 12 hour days and we wont see her until August. Bad. But good is when we see her, she will sure as hell know her herbs.
tomorrow we will lay low, then go for dinner at the Schneiders where Gerold intends to cook for us. This I gotta see.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Ok where was I? We have left Sardinia, which was surprisingly sad this year, and visited Margaret and Gianluca and kiddies in Andora, then to Switzerland to hang with the Wehlens and swim in the lake. It is kind of paradise over there..the lake, the public swimming pool with: 2, 25 meter pools, and one Olympic sizes one, a diving pool with 1 meter, three meter and five meter boards, many many indoor and outdoor pools for swimming with really small children, and slightly bigger ones, ping pong, air hockey and foosball tables, the list goes on. Little town of Baar where the wehlens live is debt free and perhaps the richest canton in the country..money is piling up and they don't want to cut taxes any more than they have, so they invest wildly..it is like something out of a children's book: roads are constantly being improved, trains runs on time, new ice hockey rinks that Palin could only dream of...Zurich is a cesspool of debt and crime compared to Baar.
I must say a word about cake here. As many faithful readers know, the wehlens eat cake and coffee (like all Germans) in the afternoon, but because they also adopted the South African tradition of tea immediately upon waking, while one is gathering strength to get to breakfast (eva literally sets an alarm every morning to have enough time to drink all this-wakes at 6, breakfast at 9) the entire schedule is pushed back, so cake and coffee are at 6 p.m., dinner at 9. Well hard as I try I cannot squeeze it all in, breakfast at 9, lunch at 1 or 2, cake at 6, dinner at 9. Somehow, it just doesn't seem like the right time. Eva says I must force myself. Make an effort. (don't you love her?)
Anyway, for a few days in a row, my cake eating had been lazy, unfocused if you will. And it had not gone unnoticed. Little things with strawberries were left uneaten..and then when the best thing came..a local specialty called the Zuger-kirsch torte..a cake with kirsch in it..even though i usually hate booze in my sweets..I love this. The first few days it is in the house it is so strong it can get a small woman tipsy as eva discovered when she sawed off a big piece and then went to the airport to pick up a friend only to discover she was slightly hammered.
So she asks me one afternoon if I want cake and I say no thank you, i want to go for a run in the woods and one after the other is not possible. this seemed to depress her, so when I came back and announced it had been a bad jog-no pep, way too hot, blah, she made the calculus that enough was enough and i was clearly weak from lack of cake (that was the word she used) and needed nourishment. And she hands me a huge piece of cake with milky coffee at now 6 45 p.m. She is quite wonderfully mad that woman.
I must say a word about cake here. As many faithful readers know, the wehlens eat cake and coffee (like all Germans) in the afternoon, but because they also adopted the South African tradition of tea immediately upon waking, while one is gathering strength to get to breakfast (eva literally sets an alarm every morning to have enough time to drink all this-wakes at 6, breakfast at 9) the entire schedule is pushed back, so cake and coffee are at 6 p.m., dinner at 9. Well hard as I try I cannot squeeze it all in, breakfast at 9, lunch at 1 or 2, cake at 6, dinner at 9. Somehow, it just doesn't seem like the right time. Eva says I must force myself. Make an effort. (don't you love her?)
Anyway, for a few days in a row, my cake eating had been lazy, unfocused if you will. And it had not gone unnoticed. Little things with strawberries were left uneaten..and then when the best thing came..a local specialty called the Zuger-kirsch torte..a cake with kirsch in it..even though i usually hate booze in my sweets..I love this. The first few days it is in the house it is so strong it can get a small woman tipsy as eva discovered when she sawed off a big piece and then went to the airport to pick up a friend only to discover she was slightly hammered.
So she asks me one afternoon if I want cake and I say no thank you, i want to go for a run in the woods and one after the other is not possible. this seemed to depress her, so when I came back and announced it had been a bad jog-no pep, way too hot, blah, she made the calculus that enough was enough and i was clearly weak from lack of cake (that was the word she used) and needed nourishment. And she hands me a huge piece of cake with milky coffee at now 6 45 p.m. She is quite wonderfully mad that woman.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
HELOOOOW
fair warning: there are spelling mistakes below...please forgive)
sorry sorry I hae been a naughty blogger. Martha Brigahm is concerned that I did not discuss the last night on the ship....or anything that followed and there has been some humor must say
Let's see...last night is always emotional for the wehlen trio...Hanna was stoic, but f fell on the bed in tears before dinner. Born agains were there, but going to bed very early so I did not have to fight with him thank god.
We were, as always, stopped a couple of times from people remarking on what adorable children we had owing to the fact they were a. the only children in the dining room and b. were walking everywhere arm in arm. We always copped to the cousin thing and this one really elegant couple from New Hampshire said OH! we so believe in cousins...!! of course we discussed Exeter and my family's less than stellar reputation there...they found this very amusing, said their granddaughter had (gasp) not gotten in the first time (depsite the fact her grandfather was an uber-alum and every other person in her family had gone there.) No matter she waited, applied again and was first in her class forever more. It was not the slightest bit braggy somehow. She is now at Oxford studying something like particle physics and they are going over to England for an award..a real loser apparently....They had a good sense of humor...when i said after listening to this...Yea, but how is her paddle tennis?
Handsome Turk and I are now BFFs he gave thomas his email and said let him know before we come on next time...red carpet will be rolled...or maybe we get a free bread stick..can't remember....
This was the first year we woke early early (5 am) so we could see the ship dock. Thomas was down with the Amish and i was in the front bar....really spectacular and easy at the same time....the Amsih were amazing..they want to know everything they dont know already..and that is a lot...they have been isolated but whenever people said something they hadn't heard about they said OH! what is that!!!
oh i know i am forgetting all..but I have to get to lOndon and Italy...this place is the best plact for blogging ever! to give you a sample..I am sitting amongst a pack of Italian socer players-good ones apparently and their girlfriends...that part is not so good...i cannot figure out how to get to the pool without anyone seeing me in my bathing suit. there are papparazzi in the bushes click click..but I feel part of the team now...the west side of the pool team-we are tight, have been through a lot together- and on their behalf I am outraged. also I am terrified a portion of my big white body will appear in a corner of the shot and the editors will stand over it wondering what that is....UFO? ham sandwich on white bread? so I am keeping all clothes on until my hero in tatoos (they all have tatoos and can be identified by the big thigh/tatoo combo) goes over to the bushes for a confrontation! Thomas and i are so excited...because the only possible macho Italian are these people...they are not the ridiculous kind sipping rose calling their mothers on a turqouise colored mini cell phone- these guys are rough, no education, poor, muscly...and into the bushes he goes for my honor!
And then what does he do? he just asks the guy what the f£$k he is doing and the camera man says, in English just taking a picture mate! and that was it...he went away.
ok there is more more...world cup, Brigham children in London, the list is long...but it is eight o clock and if I do not have a bellini in my hand by 8 30 i turn into a pumpkin.
so write me emails if you haven't and I promise to write tomorrow!
xoxoxoxox
fair warning: there are spelling mistakes below...please forgive)
sorry sorry I hae been a naughty blogger. Martha Brigahm is concerned that I did not discuss the last night on the ship....or anything that followed and there has been some humor must say
Let's see...last night is always emotional for the wehlen trio...Hanna was stoic, but f fell on the bed in tears before dinner. Born agains were there, but going to bed very early so I did not have to fight with him thank god.
We were, as always, stopped a couple of times from people remarking on what adorable children we had owing to the fact they were a. the only children in the dining room and b. were walking everywhere arm in arm. We always copped to the cousin thing and this one really elegant couple from New Hampshire said OH! we so believe in cousins...!! of course we discussed Exeter and my family's less than stellar reputation there...they found this very amusing, said their granddaughter had (gasp) not gotten in the first time (depsite the fact her grandfather was an uber-alum and every other person in her family had gone there.) No matter she waited, applied again and was first in her class forever more. It was not the slightest bit braggy somehow. She is now at Oxford studying something like particle physics and they are going over to England for an award..a real loser apparently....They had a good sense of humor...when i said after listening to this...Yea, but how is her paddle tennis?
Handsome Turk and I are now BFFs he gave thomas his email and said let him know before we come on next time...red carpet will be rolled...or maybe we get a free bread stick..can't remember....
This was the first year we woke early early (5 am) so we could see the ship dock. Thomas was down with the Amish and i was in the front bar....really spectacular and easy at the same time....the Amsih were amazing..they want to know everything they dont know already..and that is a lot...they have been isolated but whenever people said something they hadn't heard about they said OH! what is that!!!
oh i know i am forgetting all..but I have to get to lOndon and Italy...this place is the best plact for blogging ever! to give you a sample..I am sitting amongst a pack of Italian socer players-good ones apparently and their girlfriends...that part is not so good...i cannot figure out how to get to the pool without anyone seeing me in my bathing suit. there are papparazzi in the bushes click click..but I feel part of the team now...the west side of the pool team-we are tight, have been through a lot together- and on their behalf I am outraged. also I am terrified a portion of my big white body will appear in a corner of the shot and the editors will stand over it wondering what that is....UFO? ham sandwich on white bread? so I am keeping all clothes on until my hero in tatoos (they all have tatoos and can be identified by the big thigh/tatoo combo) goes over to the bushes for a confrontation! Thomas and i are so excited...because the only possible macho Italian are these people...they are not the ridiculous kind sipping rose calling their mothers on a turqouise colored mini cell phone- these guys are rough, no education, poor, muscly...and into the bushes he goes for my honor!
And then what does he do? he just asks the guy what the f£$k he is doing and the camera man says, in English just taking a picture mate! and that was it...he went away.
ok there is more more...world cup, Brigham children in London, the list is long...but it is eight o clock and if I do not have a bellini in my hand by 8 30 i turn into a pumpkin.
so write me emails if you haven't and I promise to write tomorrow!
xoxoxoxox
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Reggae Amish
Two funny things said by children: Hanna announces happily she has "won third place!" great! how many teams were there? three.
and later as we were talking about the sun and planets she finally asks: why would the sun turn into a big red giant?
and Frederick told me with a strong sense of regret " Hanna never tells me her problems..she always wants to wait for you mommy" I think he was referring to when she is falling asleep and is worried about something.
The Amish really are an amazing sight. They are dressed exactly like whistler's mother. I am not exaggerating ....straight from 18th century (?) and they show up around the main indoor pool with the reggae band playing..in long black dresses and suspenders and hair cuts like one of the three stooges...straight forward plastered down bangs (on the men). Thomas who is at the end of his rope what with the born again Stanford guy prattling on that there is scientific evidence that Jonah could have been in the belly of the whale asks, why did they choose that century to live in? (the Amish I mean). Why not the stone age? or the middle ages?
The rest of us are living as if we are in an English colony in the great days of empire....shuffle board and what one wears to dinner are incredibly important...also drinking in the day and naps.
Handsome Turk was in rare form..never seen him so flirty and happy. He even invited us to watch the soccer in the crew area..they cleared out some luggage place and set up seats....we said But we are not allowed! and he suggested we simply tell people we are crew...told Thomas he should say he is one of the dancers....hahahahahhaha
There are people from New Orleans behind us that are real pros at the eating...put us to shame...they come for breakfast lunch and dinner and get secret things off the menu from tips before hand from Le Turk. They are not even fat..just pros.
Thomas is jogging around the deck, then massage...I have a body scrub. As I always say, it is a full life.
Hanna seems really happy and for the first time is worried about the trip ending....though she is really excited to see Andrew and Margaret.
The weather is so calm...great for sunning on the deck, but a drag for ocean watchers...so warm it is weird. Saw a huge school of dolphins..what a sight..jumping through the water, playing in our wake, they look miniature from where we were high up. So so pretty.
Tonight is last formal night...New Orleans people told us the menu is is crazy good the last formal night...must gear up to chat with the crazies....who by the way is a semi famous person in the born again crowd....big rich entrepreneur who is trying to bring Christianity to the call centers of India...and writes books on how to interpret the bible literally except that part about a rich person and a camel getting into heaven...he hates that shit...he says (we googled him) that God is totally into rich people (presumably as long as they are not Jews or Muslims) and not to worry...also he is vague on thou shalt not kill. I must muzzle Thomas......and Frederick for that matter..don't try to tell that kid the dinosaurs were here 5 000 years ago...
Only one more full day at sea (sniff)
xo
and later as we were talking about the sun and planets she finally asks: why would the sun turn into a big red giant?
and Frederick told me with a strong sense of regret " Hanna never tells me her problems..she always wants to wait for you mommy" I think he was referring to when she is falling asleep and is worried about something.
The Amish really are an amazing sight. They are dressed exactly like whistler's mother. I am not exaggerating ....straight from 18th century (?) and they show up around the main indoor pool with the reggae band playing..in long black dresses and suspenders and hair cuts like one of the three stooges...straight forward plastered down bangs (on the men). Thomas who is at the end of his rope what with the born again Stanford guy prattling on that there is scientific evidence that Jonah could have been in the belly of the whale asks, why did they choose that century to live in? (the Amish I mean). Why not the stone age? or the middle ages?
The rest of us are living as if we are in an English colony in the great days of empire....shuffle board and what one wears to dinner are incredibly important...also drinking in the day and naps.
Handsome Turk was in rare form..never seen him so flirty and happy. He even invited us to watch the soccer in the crew area..they cleared out some luggage place and set up seats....we said But we are not allowed! and he suggested we simply tell people we are crew...told Thomas he should say he is one of the dancers....hahahahahhaha
There are people from New Orleans behind us that are real pros at the eating...put us to shame...they come for breakfast lunch and dinner and get secret things off the menu from tips before hand from Le Turk. They are not even fat..just pros.
Thomas is jogging around the deck, then massage...I have a body scrub. As I always say, it is a full life.
Hanna seems really happy and for the first time is worried about the trip ending....though she is really excited to see Andrew and Margaret.
The weather is so calm...great for sunning on the deck, but a drag for ocean watchers...so warm it is weird. Saw a huge school of dolphins..what a sight..jumping through the water, playing in our wake, they look miniature from where we were high up. So so pretty.
Tonight is last formal night...New Orleans people told us the menu is is crazy good the last formal night...must gear up to chat with the crazies....who by the way is a semi famous person in the born again crowd....big rich entrepreneur who is trying to bring Christianity to the call centers of India...and writes books on how to interpret the bible literally except that part about a rich person and a camel getting into heaven...he hates that shit...he says (we googled him) that God is totally into rich people (presumably as long as they are not Jews or Muslims) and not to worry...also he is vague on thou shalt not kill. I must muzzle Thomas......and Frederick for that matter..don't try to tell that kid the dinosaurs were here 5 000 years ago...
Only one more full day at sea (sniff)
xo
Friday, June 11, 2010
Day three!
Correction to earlier post..the people in funny clothes on board are not Quakers but Amish..as I thought...and they are indeed on the boat because planes are not allowed. Speaking of planes, Hanna and I intend to look for the Brighams' plane from our position on the deck chairs. Needless to say some of the details of this plan have not been fully hammered out. But tell me what time your flight is Margaret and we can calculate.
Last night she said she did not get sad at all..and we put them in bed and had to rush to dinner, so they fell asleep on their own. Another 12 hour sleep they put in...
At dinner the born again's wife made an appearance! What I think is so fun about being born again is you get to be in the Queen's grill with a face lift for you and one for your wife and your wife is in sequins and there is no guilt what so ever about being rich and vain because the only thing that matters he told us is this business of thinking everyone else is going to hell. (I am paraphrasing) I did ask about the whole poor people and lonely people and are we thinking of them enough thing...and he said that being rich was proof enough you were probably on the right track, especially considering you believed the Jews were not chosen. So much more fun than my Amish buddies in bad bad clothes and cabins without windows. I intend to interview them soon. Also i have a dream of inviting them in their running shoes and paper hats to dinner and let my VC buddy Ken explain how Jesus would not approve of their lifestyle.
Other than that we seem to have reached a detente because he said he knew all of this because God visited him and told him so starting with Darwin being wrong, and I said God visited my father as he lay writhing losing his leg and God told him nothing about gays or Darwin, but a lot about walking the walk. This seemed to keep him quiet for a while. But boy they do love to talk about who is in and who is out...catholics by the way, are out.
Children are in the zone, Thomas is in a lecture on herbal medicines, I am here in cabin looking at sun and fog on this immense water. With all this talk about Jesus around here..I can say that it is hard not to see the divine in this enormous blue mass surrounding us...
We will have another busy day...really we are always rushing..most stress is when I have to pick up the children's tea sandwiches and get back to the room before they do....
There is another paddle tennis tournament! thomas refuses to be frederick's partner...he claims victory is cheap here. (Can you believe this guy?!) and i secretly suspect he throws out the tiny caviar canapes that come to the room...but until I catch him I must keep quiet.
XOOXOOX
Last night she said she did not get sad at all..and we put them in bed and had to rush to dinner, so they fell asleep on their own. Another 12 hour sleep they put in...
At dinner the born again's wife made an appearance! What I think is so fun about being born again is you get to be in the Queen's grill with a face lift for you and one for your wife and your wife is in sequins and there is no guilt what so ever about being rich and vain because the only thing that matters he told us is this business of thinking everyone else is going to hell. (I am paraphrasing) I did ask about the whole poor people and lonely people and are we thinking of them enough thing...and he said that being rich was proof enough you were probably on the right track, especially considering you believed the Jews were not chosen. So much more fun than my Amish buddies in bad bad clothes and cabins without windows. I intend to interview them soon. Also i have a dream of inviting them in their running shoes and paper hats to dinner and let my VC buddy Ken explain how Jesus would not approve of their lifestyle.
Other than that we seem to have reached a detente because he said he knew all of this because God visited him and told him so starting with Darwin being wrong, and I said God visited my father as he lay writhing losing his leg and God told him nothing about gays or Darwin, but a lot about walking the walk. This seemed to keep him quiet for a while. But boy they do love to talk about who is in and who is out...catholics by the way, are out.
Children are in the zone, Thomas is in a lecture on herbal medicines, I am here in cabin looking at sun and fog on this immense water. With all this talk about Jesus around here..I can say that it is hard not to see the divine in this enormous blue mass surrounding us...
We will have another busy day...really we are always rushing..most stress is when I have to pick up the children's tea sandwiches and get back to the room before they do....
There is another paddle tennis tournament! thomas refuses to be frederick's partner...he claims victory is cheap here. (Can you believe this guy?!) and i secretly suspect he throws out the tiny caviar canapes that come to the room...but until I catch him I must keep quiet.
XOOXOOX
Thursday, June 10, 2010
agony of defeat addendum
The children would like you to know that Hanna also won the treasure hunt and Frederick won the table tennis kids' tournament.
We are going swimming now, although hanna seems to be worried about sharks in the pool. The long detailed explanations by Frederick about how this is impossible are too amusing for words. (who showed her Jaws?!) They will go to bed early...we will go to a piano recital.
Also all waiters know her name..and Ali head waiter takes her arm when she comes to the Queens grill and walks her to her seat. The urgency with which he orders her chicken nuggets should be studied in hotel management schools.
New blog tomorrow!
xoxoxo
We are going swimming now, although hanna seems to be worried about sharks in the pool. The long detailed explanations by Frederick about how this is impossible are too amusing for words. (who showed her Jaws?!) They will go to bed early...we will go to a piano recital.
Also all waiters know her name..and Ali head waiter takes her arm when she comes to the Queens grill and walks her to her seat. The urgency with which he orders her chicken nuggets should be studied in hotel management schools.
New blog tomorrow!
xoxoxo
The Agony of Defeat
Perhaps the funniest thing I have ever witnesses aboard. F is paddle tennis obsessed this trip...he signs up for a tournament...all grown ups which usually makes him not want to play..but he is determined. Luckily he is seen practicing just before the teams are made, or the director would not have allowed him. Some English woman (Irene) vouches for him: says I want him as my partner! Ok the scene is a tiny, laughable court on the very top of a 12 story ship, with a huge net around it, like a cage to keep the balls from going into the Atlantic. Thomas, Frederick and faithful Hanna are courtside along with quite a large group of over age 50 English people in black socks and shorts. Sports fans. This is what I so love about this ship..things like the paddle tennis tournament become big deals. The crowd is into it. They clap and cheer and murmur. It is paddle tennis people....you could not get a smaller court! It looks like it was made for mice... and yet, no one seems to think this is not incredibly important.
Hanna, faithful cousin that she is, has her limits and asks if i will take her to the kids zone for a garbage bag fashion show...clearly she does not see the appeal of this sport. (By the way, when I take her, we see some poor English kid with the bag over his head. No no Alistair, not there, says the teacher. Darwin Darwin...oh which reminds me must tell you about our dinner companion, a VC guy from portola valley who is born again and wants creationsism taught in the schools. Why not BOTH?)
So I rush to a massage...Hanna is in the zone, F is waiting for a partner....when I come back I hear Frederick and his partner Michael (an American) have made it to the finals!! and alas lost to Irene a nice lesbian who seems to be in cahoots with the director of the tournament and line judge (I am thinking of launching an inquiry...) . Thomas is not a very good raconteur, but he told me this scene where F in his best roger federer imitation (if Roger were on a court the size of a bathtub) wacks a serve, Irene counters with a strong forehand return, F gets it back hard with big top spin, Irene's partner can only muster a feeble lob at the net, but Master F is at the net (remember it is a very short run up to the net, perhaps 2 kid steps) and he smashes a backhand volley winner...well the crowd goes wild. thomas said it was ludicrous..the clapping and whooping..remember these people are colonialists..they take sport watching very seriously...so F is so happy and embarrassed he cannot look up..but Thomas said he had this huge smile on his face. Then in what will go down as perhaps the most tragic miscalculation in sports strategy history, Michael tells F they must go both to the net at every point...but Irene seems to be a whiz at lobs and they go down in bitter defeat. f came away with 2 vouchers for some crap...QM2 prizes...but he is pretty happy. We really are stars..Hanna has won: the stair counting contest, and the Baggo tournament (english bean bag game) and been part of the winning all girl team for movie trivia. It is almost embarrassing our total dominance.
Last night we got dressed up to meet the commodore and they were so damn cute. they got ready with such care. Hanna wore the blue dress I got her in lech..washed and dried her own hair and then plastered it down under a head band with a strong middle part. F was clean in very expensive tie and shirt from upper east side but he has red eyes and bitten nails from all the excitement...we get a picture, and they get orange juices and we chat up the crowd...they are the only kids at the party and causing quite a stir.
They are really tired..think we might make them go to bed early again....we are trying to avoid our born again VC guy who says, nicely, that we and the dalai lama will go to hell unless we believe the bible literally...sad because we had this nice Jewish couple before but they complained to the handsome Turk about a window seat..so we got him.... His wife has not appeared for any meal..strange..says she is tired. Thomas thinks he has killed her and she is in the cabin rotting away.
Hanna is learning a lot: bow, stern, port starboard, and mini bar to name a few. frederick has appointed himself her personal tutor. Both of them seem to have given up using forks and knives...but they know the difference between euro style and american....just not that good at busting it out yet. All of our army of waiters from our dining room love Hanna...Ali..our Turkish head waiter saw her with her friends on a scavenger hunt and helped her cheat her way to victory on that as well. She really does have friends in high places.
She seems really happy-laughs all the time and sings to herself in the shower...but I have to watch her just before she falls asleep..because she has been known to be sad then.....it really is a big deal this ship....even for grown ups..it is hard to believe we are in the middle of this big sea.
Hanna, faithful cousin that she is, has her limits and asks if i will take her to the kids zone for a garbage bag fashion show...clearly she does not see the appeal of this sport. (By the way, when I take her, we see some poor English kid with the bag over his head. No no Alistair, not there, says the teacher. Darwin Darwin...oh which reminds me must tell you about our dinner companion, a VC guy from portola valley who is born again and wants creationsism taught in the schools. Why not BOTH?)
So I rush to a massage...Hanna is in the zone, F is waiting for a partner....when I come back I hear Frederick and his partner Michael (an American) have made it to the finals!! and alas lost to Irene a nice lesbian who seems to be in cahoots with the director of the tournament and line judge (I am thinking of launching an inquiry...) . Thomas is not a very good raconteur, but he told me this scene where F in his best roger federer imitation (if Roger were on a court the size of a bathtub) wacks a serve, Irene counters with a strong forehand return, F gets it back hard with big top spin, Irene's partner can only muster a feeble lob at the net, but Master F is at the net (remember it is a very short run up to the net, perhaps 2 kid steps) and he smashes a backhand volley winner...well the crowd goes wild. thomas said it was ludicrous..the clapping and whooping..remember these people are colonialists..they take sport watching very seriously...so F is so happy and embarrassed he cannot look up..but Thomas said he had this huge smile on his face. Then in what will go down as perhaps the most tragic miscalculation in sports strategy history, Michael tells F they must go both to the net at every point...but Irene seems to be a whiz at lobs and they go down in bitter defeat. f came away with 2 vouchers for some crap...QM2 prizes...but he is pretty happy. We really are stars..Hanna has won: the stair counting contest, and the Baggo tournament (english bean bag game) and been part of the winning all girl team for movie trivia. It is almost embarrassing our total dominance.
Last night we got dressed up to meet the commodore and they were so damn cute. they got ready with such care. Hanna wore the blue dress I got her in lech..washed and dried her own hair and then plastered it down under a head band with a strong middle part. F was clean in very expensive tie and shirt from upper east side but he has red eyes and bitten nails from all the excitement...we get a picture, and they get orange juices and we chat up the crowd...they are the only kids at the party and causing quite a stir.
They are really tired..think we might make them go to bed early again....we are trying to avoid our born again VC guy who says, nicely, that we and the dalai lama will go to hell unless we believe the bible literally...sad because we had this nice Jewish couple before but they complained to the handsome Turk about a window seat..so we got him.... His wife has not appeared for any meal..strange..says she is tired. Thomas thinks he has killed her and she is in the cabin rotting away.
Hanna is learning a lot: bow, stern, port starboard, and mini bar to name a few. frederick has appointed himself her personal tutor. Both of them seem to have given up using forks and knives...but they know the difference between euro style and american....just not that good at busting it out yet. All of our army of waiters from our dining room love Hanna...Ali..our Turkish head waiter saw her with her friends on a scavenger hunt and helped her cheat her way to victory on that as well. She really does have friends in high places.
She seems really happy-laughs all the time and sings to herself in the shower...but I have to watch her just before she falls asleep..because she has been known to be sad then.....it really is a big deal this ship....even for grown ups..it is hard to believe we are in the middle of this big sea.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Greetings!
First full day on board-sun is shining, children are in the “get to know you” hour in the children’s zone, Thomas and I are in the bar at the bow with the real drinkers-except they will never accept us as one of their own, because we have tea.
New York was mind bending wonderful as usual…we stayed a really long time at the Natural History museum-Neanderthals, pygmies, space center, bears, the list goes on..then after lunch went on the open air bus which I love but it was really hot, and I look over and little hanna is basically asleep. She was just done. Frederick finds this confusing and attempts to keep her awake…Hanna!. (in fact he is often doing that…so tightly wound, and she so loose… the difference in their natural tendencies always amuses me-he is so tense and wildly enthusiastic and she is a dreamer that he is always trying to wake from her reverie..) So we get off at the bottom of the Island..there is statue of liberty children, there is a new telescope that will be stronger than the hubble..then finally to Dylans candy store where they lose their little minds. It is something from willy Wonka..I even grab a bag and start stuffing: three floors of candy, and a man in the middle of it all selling marshmallows or rice crispy treats dipped in chocolate…so the little darlings won’t feel peckish while they shop. It is insane. We have had to put them on a ration.
Then Queen Mary day..which is so wonderful the anticipation..you can see the ship from the Empire state building (where we went quickly in the morning) and then again from the Brooklyn bridge and the kiddies start to clap and scream and the driver is getting into it and it really might be the best part of the trip..the sight of it.
Once there, we rush to our entrance where I see what appears to be a woman with a sort of homeless-ish joie de vivre in a pink sweat suit, pulling a cart behind her, and wearing what are obviously adult diapers. I keep wondering how long she will keep this up..this dream of going on the QM2 in her pink sweats and diapers…when it seems she IS going…and I think..wow…social security must get you a windowless room in the bottom of the ship…but no, she is in front of us in the first class line. I can’t wait to see what she pulls out for formal night.
So all is in order..our rooms connect and H and F are so so excited by the little bathtub, and the chocolate covered strawberries in the room and just every little thing. Hanna is of course making us look good- we are all so excited by her girl stuff-the little dresses and shoes..even Frederick has gotten into the act…”I thought she was going to wear the pink tank top !”. We are of course worried she will wander off somewhere and get stolen, so we test her constantly: what is our room number? How do you spell Wehlen? Which is bow and which is stern? She plays along, but I think she wonders what our problem is exactly. She told me You know what I like about Frederick? What? That he always knows where everything is and what time to get there. She is less into the minutia, and it cracks me up to see Frederick try to get her to get the details Just So. He announced the other day that the two funniest things Hanna had said were when she asked if there were robbers on the Queen Mary…she seems concerned about crime…at the Carlyle, on the ship , wherever..i think she wants us to be vigilant. And the second was when we were driving to the ship and we went through a tunnel that was under water..something the Wehlen family gets reeeaally into, being the engineering types..they are… So we tell Hanna, and she says: What!? I don’t see any water!!! And this just kills F..he is torn between the obvious need to explain this to her..and his desire to gape in silence at the walls holding the water back…his little head almost explodes…I think she does it to amuse me and her..because his reaction is so predictable….
Yesterday she came to the gym with me because she said she liked that “thing where you walk…” and F is yelling: TREADMILL HANNA!! Yea-treadmill….and she is great!! Wants to get to 20 minutes, but at 15 the very confused English “trainer” ( I know I know-there is an oxymoron joke in there somewhere) comes up and say, uh no, an 8 year old can not run on the “thingie where you walk”…and you can just see the bubble over his head, like what will these freakie Yanks do next? Making children jog indeed.
F is constantly on the paddle tennis court, which she pretends to care about…but really I think she just likes the view.
Oh there are Quakers aboard…so fantastic…they are up early and drink lemonade and seem to be enjoying themselves greatly. I just went for a 40 minute run and they were walking around there before me and still there when I left….also they are fat.
Took the kids to the planetarium and the Bridge and later they are getting a tour of the ship that grown ups are not allowed on because of security. Thomas and I are incredibly envious. Then we will swim while uncle Thomas gets a massage…I think the markets are getting to him.
Tonight is formal night…handsome Turkish head guy is still here and even bigger job than ever…he gets to have his wife and 2 year old come aboard for a week or two! Sooo many people screaming about not getting this table or that…he seems to have his hands full.
Children each got a formal invitation to have a drink with the Commodore..We are already discussing what Hanna will wear. At the last minute I bought F a new shirt in the upper east side and hanna was with me and so I got her this headband that is insane on her…so cute. She intends to pull it out for the Commodore tomorrow.
Weather is warmer than I have ever seen it..people are on the stern in bathing suits sunning themselves..too weird.
Kids went on a tour of the boat and they were told to count the number of stairs going down from the 9th deck to the 1st and only 2 children got the answer correct: hanna and her friend. Hanna said to me:. Can you believe it was not Frederick? and then Thomas said, what was the correct number? and she said 206…and he asked F what number he got, and he said 199..and Hanna actually said_ OH! You were so close!!! and Thomas and I said, we need to seriously speak with you before you start to date honey..do not compliment men when they don't deserve it
Tonight they seemed so tired, we told them we would put them in bed, go to dinner and they could read until 8 15, and then they had to turn off the lights. They were so excited. The honor of it all. I am quite certain with those two the lights were off at 8 14. Hanna even said she was soo tired. Must get beauty sleep before meeting El Commodore. The commie as Thomas calls him.
Ok that is it for now…tonight Frederick and I will write a Things you did not know about Hanna list. For one, she does not like Sprite...and absolutely loves chocolate covered strawberries..she says she only misses mommy and daddy when she falls asleep which is good because she falls asleep faster than anyone except maybe Nana..we have timed her...she seems in good spirits.
pictures soon!
First full day on board-sun is shining, children are in the “get to know you” hour in the children’s zone, Thomas and I are in the bar at the bow with the real drinkers-except they will never accept us as one of their own, because we have tea.
New York was mind bending wonderful as usual…we stayed a really long time at the Natural History museum-Neanderthals, pygmies, space center, bears, the list goes on..then after lunch went on the open air bus which I love but it was really hot, and I look over and little hanna is basically asleep. She was just done. Frederick finds this confusing and attempts to keep her awake…Hanna!. (in fact he is often doing that…so tightly wound, and she so loose… the difference in their natural tendencies always amuses me-he is so tense and wildly enthusiastic and she is a dreamer that he is always trying to wake from her reverie..) So we get off at the bottom of the Island..there is statue of liberty children, there is a new telescope that will be stronger than the hubble..then finally to Dylans candy store where they lose their little minds. It is something from willy Wonka..I even grab a bag and start stuffing: three floors of candy, and a man in the middle of it all selling marshmallows or rice crispy treats dipped in chocolate…so the little darlings won’t feel peckish while they shop. It is insane. We have had to put them on a ration.
Then Queen Mary day..which is so wonderful the anticipation..you can see the ship from the Empire state building (where we went quickly in the morning) and then again from the Brooklyn bridge and the kiddies start to clap and scream and the driver is getting into it and it really might be the best part of the trip..the sight of it.
Once there, we rush to our entrance where I see what appears to be a woman with a sort of homeless-ish joie de vivre in a pink sweat suit, pulling a cart behind her, and wearing what are obviously adult diapers. I keep wondering how long she will keep this up..this dream of going on the QM2 in her pink sweats and diapers…when it seems she IS going…and I think..wow…social security must get you a windowless room in the bottom of the ship…but no, she is in front of us in the first class line. I can’t wait to see what she pulls out for formal night.
So all is in order..our rooms connect and H and F are so so excited by the little bathtub, and the chocolate covered strawberries in the room and just every little thing. Hanna is of course making us look good- we are all so excited by her girl stuff-the little dresses and shoes..even Frederick has gotten into the act…”I thought she was going to wear the pink tank top !”. We are of course worried she will wander off somewhere and get stolen, so we test her constantly: what is our room number? How do you spell Wehlen? Which is bow and which is stern? She plays along, but I think she wonders what our problem is exactly. She told me You know what I like about Frederick? What? That he always knows where everything is and what time to get there. She is less into the minutia, and it cracks me up to see Frederick try to get her to get the details Just So. He announced the other day that the two funniest things Hanna had said were when she asked if there were robbers on the Queen Mary…she seems concerned about crime…at the Carlyle, on the ship , wherever..i think she wants us to be vigilant. And the second was when we were driving to the ship and we went through a tunnel that was under water..something the Wehlen family gets reeeaally into, being the engineering types..they are… So we tell Hanna, and she says: What!? I don’t see any water!!! And this just kills F..he is torn between the obvious need to explain this to her..and his desire to gape in silence at the walls holding the water back…his little head almost explodes…I think she does it to amuse me and her..because his reaction is so predictable….
Yesterday she came to the gym with me because she said she liked that “thing where you walk…” and F is yelling: TREADMILL HANNA!! Yea-treadmill….and she is great!! Wants to get to 20 minutes, but at 15 the very confused English “trainer” ( I know I know-there is an oxymoron joke in there somewhere) comes up and say, uh no, an 8 year old can not run on the “thingie where you walk”…and you can just see the bubble over his head, like what will these freakie Yanks do next? Making children jog indeed.
F is constantly on the paddle tennis court, which she pretends to care about…but really I think she just likes the view.
Oh there are Quakers aboard…so fantastic…they are up early and drink lemonade and seem to be enjoying themselves greatly. I just went for a 40 minute run and they were walking around there before me and still there when I left….also they are fat.
Took the kids to the planetarium and the Bridge and later they are getting a tour of the ship that grown ups are not allowed on because of security. Thomas and I are incredibly envious. Then we will swim while uncle Thomas gets a massage…I think the markets are getting to him.
Tonight is formal night…handsome Turkish head guy is still here and even bigger job than ever…he gets to have his wife and 2 year old come aboard for a week or two! Sooo many people screaming about not getting this table or that…he seems to have his hands full.
Children each got a formal invitation to have a drink with the Commodore..We are already discussing what Hanna will wear. At the last minute I bought F a new shirt in the upper east side and hanna was with me and so I got her this headband that is insane on her…so cute. She intends to pull it out for the Commodore tomorrow.
Weather is warmer than I have ever seen it..people are on the stern in bathing suits sunning themselves..too weird.
Kids went on a tour of the boat and they were told to count the number of stairs going down from the 9th deck to the 1st and only 2 children got the answer correct: hanna and her friend. Hanna said to me:. Can you believe it was not Frederick? and then Thomas said, what was the correct number? and she said 206…and he asked F what number he got, and he said 199..and Hanna actually said_ OH! You were so close!!! and Thomas and I said, we need to seriously speak with you before you start to date honey..do not compliment men when they don't deserve it
Tonight they seemed so tired, we told them we would put them in bed, go to dinner and they could read until 8 15, and then they had to turn off the lights. They were so excited. The honor of it all. I am quite certain with those two the lights were off at 8 14. Hanna even said she was soo tired. Must get beauty sleep before meeting El Commodore. The commie as Thomas calls him.
Ok that is it for now…tonight Frederick and I will write a Things you did not know about Hanna list. For one, she does not like Sprite...and absolutely loves chocolate covered strawberries..she says she only misses mommy and daddy when she falls asleep which is good because she falls asleep faster than anyone except maybe Nana..we have timed her...she seems in good spirits.
pictures soon!
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