Charming or charmed?

There is something about Nicolas. He has quite a unique character and loads of personality. He wears his heart on his sleeve and his moods, the highs and lows, are very apparent. Nic has boundless energy and curiosity, is fearless and adventuresome. He is outgoing and loves introducing himself to people with a great big “HI!” and a broad grin. He makes the sullenest people smile. With his wit and happy disposition, his curly ringlets and natural charm, people are constantly telling me how gorgeous he is. These qualities also make it quite a task to keep an eye on him. Nic exhausts me. 

I took the boys downtown recently. We spent the whole day there: sliding down the big Picasso sculpture, ate gelato at Lavazza, took part in some summer activities specifically for children, attempted to listen to the symphonic orchestra practising in the Pritzker Pavilion, ran about, played in the Crown Fountain and visited the Institute of Art. Phew, what a day! 

The Crown Fountain was covered with children playing. I let the boys join in. Luc is extremely good at watching Nic – as far as a three year-old can be – and this allayed some of my fears at letting the boys play in such an open, public and inaccessible (for me) area. Fears were also allayed as there was a contingent of Millennium Park ‘people’ watching and observing and the boys were amongst a very distinct demographic – their white sun-screened skin ‘shone’ amongst the sea of ebony bodies. 

The large videoed faces on the two towers of the fountain occasionally close their eyes and pucker their lips. A well-orchestrated timing system ensures that the faces then spurt a stream of water from their mouths. This is followed by a cascade of water falling from the tops of the towers. The kids playing under the fountain are more than aware of the signs and timing of this process, so a line of kids congregate every so often under the impending stream of water. It is very amusing to watch. 

There were several different groups of people watching the boys and they commented upon Nic’s extreme energy levels: rushing from one tower to the other. They marvelled at the way he was able to ‘cheat’ the huge cascade of water… he would stand under the tower, and would just happen to move off to see something else, moments before the cascade would fall. It saved his skin every time. The observers couldn’t help but notice how Nic would rush about amongst a sea of other rushing bodies and remained standing and how he could crawl over girls lying in the water, and yet no one objected. They commented that he seemed to be surrounded by an invisible bubble that protected him: he was charmed. I noted that yes, this pretty much summed up Nic. His bubble burst a little later on and he was bowled over. I had to tear my shoes off and race through the water to rescue a sodden and crying little boy. His tears of pain soon turned to tears of desperation when he realised that I was not going to let him go back to play in the water. 

Another recent and big bubble burst occurred at the Zoo. We visited one of Luc’s favourite exhibits – the climbing tree. An intricate maze of multi-level suspended platforms, encased in netting, this is a fantastic indoor resource, particularly for the winter months where it allows children to burn some energy. Despite its recommended age range of 4 to 8 years, it is full of pre-schoolers during the winter months, and Luc really got into it at age 2 ½. When Nic, a natural climber, recently expressed interest in climbing it, I wasn’t too worried. 

On our last zoo visit, Nic decided he would climb further than the lower levels. A zoo official didn’t object to him climbing on it, so I let him go. He climbed almost all the way through, then turned around and came back (despite it being a one-direction path). Our friend William (same age as Nic), also made it through with a little help from a very capable young 8 year old girl. Nic played with the other exhibits then decided to give climbing another try. This time he got a little lost and ended up at a very high dead end. It was then that fearless Nic lost it. He started to cry. 

I sent Luc up to try and get him down. Luc prides himself at being able to help kids through (as he has often done with children older than himself). But in this instance, Luc couldn’t navigate himself to where Nic had trapped himself. The little girl that had helped William offered to help, but Nic would not let her hold him or help him down. The zoo official that had let him climb the structure then offered to go up. Upon finding that she had never actually climbed up it before, I knew I was going to have to save him. I then embarked upon a very humiliating rescue mission. 

The structure was not made for anyone over the age of eight, let alone a forty-year old mother that suffers from claustrophobia. I had to squeeze my way up, pushing against the tide of children on their way out. Nic was sobbing uncontrollably at this stage. I managed to get all the way up and was very grateful that I had not worn a skirt that day. I grabbed Nic who immediately clung to me and did not want to let go. I started on our way down, as far as Nic would let me. It was then that Luc decided he was going to lose it too. There I was, lying very dishevelled, and prone on my back, 10 feet in the air, covered with two sobbing boys. Nic gained some composure as he tried to push Luc away (after all, this was his rescue mission, not Luc’s), but continued to sob. It was then that Gabrielle took some photos for posterity sake. I wondered if life as a mother could get much better than this?! 

As I very ungraciously made my way down, bra strap hanging out my sleeve as it decided to unattach itself, another zoo official decided to give me a serve about how irresponsible I was to let a 20 month old up in the first place. As if I had somehow failed to see the error of my ways or feel humiliated enough! Nic continued to sob inconsolably for some time. Only the offer of some food saw him cease. 

We ate lunch and spent the early afternoon walking around the zoo. I was later confronted by a little boy who announced “It’s you again!” I was a little puzzled as to who this boy was, and how I should know him: until he noted he had seen me on the embarrassing rescue mission. SIGH… I had now become a notoriously bad mother.

Photo: Nicolas having a babycino in our favourite local, Lincoln Perk

Cardboard Envy

I very much agree with children the world over – cardboard boxes make the best toys. We order a few things online here (as one does when one lives in America, and lives in a climate that can be inhospitable), so we regularly receive cardboard boxes. When a large box arrives, the boys become quite excited: Nic at the prospect of something to climb in / out of and to hide in, Luc with the prospect of creating some new form of habitation. 

From the larger boxes we have made a fort, castle and houses… These have a limited life span and once they start to disintegrate, we await the arrival of the next big box and potential plaything to take its place. 

Demise of a cardboard house. The house - that Luc decided should be red - in its final moments. 

Luc has an obsession with rocket ships at the moment. Wanting to be an astronaut when he grows up is part and parcel of that obsession. One morning we were lamenting the demise of our latest ‘house’ box, and Luc mentioned the prospect of building a space rocket. We had no suitable boxes available. When we walked out on the street to visit our local park, voila, sitting on the pavement was a very large, very lonesome looking box. Luc took one look at it and exclaimed “A space rocket!” we knocked on our neighbours door and asked if we might have the box if they had no need for it. That was no problem, so we claimed it and put it inside our buildings foyer. 

Nic examines our cardboard box find

The whole morning, while we were out and about, Luc wanted to go home to build the rocket. After his nap that afternoon, he was upset to find the box hadn’t transformed itself into a rocket. After another days disappointment, I was compelled to build a rocket. I ran out of cardboard for the ‘fins’ and knew this would be the first thing Luc would notice, and sure enough, after the initial excitement of seeing his very own space rocket the next morning, he exclaimed “I wanted a rocket ship with fins!” Another box, and the fins were attached. 

The rocket ship (with fins) showing some sign of wear and tear. Luc decided the rocket should be blue. 

The need to have astronaut attire was (partly) satisfied with the discovery of a small cardboard box that Luc promptly put on his head and pronounced a helmet. Luc wore this to the park. I must say, I had a number of quizzical stares from strangers, whilst pushing around a stroller with a cardboard clad child. I said “He’s an astronaut” to a bemused couple as we walked past. They called back “Perfect!” We arrived at the park. Gabrielle was amused, 3yo James impressed and 1yo William non-plussed. 

The next day we planned to meet Polly, Callan and Finn at the Green City Markets (a weekly expedition for us). Luc again wore his cardboard helmet. Upon seeing Luc, Polly exclaimed, “For goodness sake, buy your child a sun hat!” Callan was very impressed and wanted a turn wearing the box. Luc, not about to hand over his prized helmet, promptly refused. Quite a bit of tussling ensued and we had two 3 year olds in (sometimes physical) competition for a very simple, plain, unadorned, brown cardboard box. Polly and I couldn’t believe it. We had to institute a 2-minute-rule (Callan could wear the box for 2 minutes, then Luc for 2 minutes – alternating between the boys). Thank goodness that 2 minutes is still an arbitrary concept and can last for as long or as little as required or is necessary. 

Michigan

We returned from our journey to Northern Michigan a week ago. We had a magnificent time and thankfully all came back intact and (mostly) unscathed. 

It took us some time to get moving on Sunday June 24th: Paul had to wait some time for the hire car, we had to pack the car, then were caught in a traffic snarl. We missed our turn (due to recent roadworks and Google directions not complying), hit another snarl due to roadworks.. then finally made some headway. 

I do really like the simple directions that can be printed off from Google or Mapquest for road trips – but these really come unstuck when there are detours / roadworks, a turn is missed, alternative names are provided on signage or simple merging directions seem to carry as much importance as critical turns. As someone who is pretty map-savvy, I find these both helpful and frustrating. There is nothing like a good map! 

We arrived in Ann Arbor in time for dinner. We met our friends David and Bernadette, children Aidan and Mikayla and David’s niece Rachel and boyfriend Mark downtown. After a quick tour, we visited the wonderful delicatessen Zingermans, collecting some provisions for dinner. We ate our dinner, while watching a bustling Arts festival. I love daylight savings! Ann Arbor is a university city, providing the site for the well-regarded University of Michigan. As it was summer break, the city was not as busy as it is normally (a third of the population is comprised of university students). The next morning, we did some grocery shopping, gas-filling, car packing before having brunch with Rachel at Café Zola. We were then bound for Mackinaw City. 

The name ‘city’ has completely different connotations to an Australian. No thriving metropolis, Mackinaw City was a modest-tourism based town. We arrived at the Mill Creek camping site and set up camp. This is an immaculate and well-planned camp ground with a mix of tent sites, on-site cabins and RV parking spots. A general store, swimming pool and toilets and hot showers available 24 hours a day, made for a comfortable camping existence. As for the pillows however, dispense with any notion of using blow-up pillows. Paul and I didn’t sleep at all and made a special trip the next day to K-mart to buy ourselves some sleep. Despite this, we did see a beautiful sunrise! 

Our first tourist destination was Fort Michilimackinac. This historic village outpost and former fort, was an interesting introduction to the significance and importance of Mackinac’s gateway to Lakes Michigan and Huron: a vital transport route and ground for the very important fur trade to Europe. A number of volunteer guides, in period dress from the 1770s, completed tasks and gave an insight into life as it once was. In the afternoon, we visited the Old Mill – a saw-milling operation using a water wheel for power. Again, guides in period dress gave demonstrations. Many of the guides share their time between visitor destinations – I think the majority are university students. This would be a fascinating way to spend the summer months. 

Wednesday, we caught a ferry to Mackinac Island. This island is entirely tourist-orientated – with only 600 year-round residents. One of its most redeeming features being that it has absolutely no cars. Horses, carts and drays and bicycles of all types (we witnessed people riding penny-farthings!), were the only means of transportation. I even saw a UPS delivery person on a bike with trailer. One other notable feature of Mackinac Island is the fudge. We had been warned of this, but weren’t quite prepared for the preponderance of fudge shops. Of course, we had to sample all that we could, and soon sussed out the ‘chain’ fudge stores from the ones that sold the more exotic and interesting flavours. A trip up to the fort (relocated from Michillimackinac), made apparent the more defensible (and desirable) location. 

Mackinac Island is approximately 8 miles in circumference. We witnessed this on a leisurely bikeride around the island. Some beautiful homes face the lake, nestled amongst the woods. We all agreed that this would be a great place to return to and spend some time in a B&B over the idyllic summer. Paul started dreaming about working remotely from the Island. With a limited number of snow or frost-free days (the island is covered in snow for a large portion of the year), I’m not sure if I would survive the resultant cabin-fever. 

We thought we might have dinner in the very aptly named Grand Hotel. As we approached, we read the dress code policy – “coat and tie for gentlemen, and dresses or pantsuits for ladies”. Other than this, there was an admittance fee for non-guests of $12 per adult and $6 per child! We decided our sweaty and weary selves would eat in the much lower-key Gate House instead. Thankfully we did as Nic had a rather nasty and embarrassing intestinal accident. Our brilliant waitress Marsha helped us to deal with this in a very discreet and proficient manner – she got a big tip! 

After our visit to Mackinaw, we made our way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (UP): destination, Sault Ste Marie (USA, not to be confused with the Canadian Sault Ste Marie across the water).

Michigan, like a few of the states in the USA, has a very unusual shape: a combination of natural boundary and the arbitrary straight lines of frontier state making. The northern, or upper peninsula (UP) that looks, to all intents like it should be part of Wisconsin, has its own special character – not unlike an island off a mainland. 

We arrived at Sherman Park camp ground, definitely located on the wrong side of town -  and were a little shocked to hear that there were no available showers, only pit toilets after hours, recent break-ins, vandalism and theft, with a very cold and strong lake breeze. Luc was rapt though as the park included space-rocket play equipment, complete with flight deck and long slide. We did a little reconnaissance of the other camp grounds in town (i.e. parking lots for RVs) and realised that this was by far, the most scenic campground. Promised locked gates at night, security surveillance and police presence helped to allay any concerns with security. 

It turned out that we could get hot showers (phew): a glitch in the capacity requirements for campgrounds, means that Sherman Park can only be operated as a ‘primitive campground’. But, say, however… if we happened to be a beach visitor, get our feet a little sandy, and be in need of a shower, then we were entitled to use the shower facilities?!! Thank goodness, as it was really cold at night and I needed a hot shower before bed. 

The next day, Friday, was Engineer’s Day. This is the one day each year in which visitors are allowed across the Soo Locks separating Lakes Superior and Huron. The locks allow boats to cross a height difference of some 21 feet. This height difference had been taken up by St Mary’s falls. The boats that use the locks include many very large freight transporters – much larger than ocean freighters (as conditions in the lakes are not as rough as the open ocean). As you might imagine, these locks are huuuuuge! 

After visiting the locks and marvelling at the size of the boats, we had some lunch at local favourite Lock View Restaurant, before walking to the Valley Camp museum (located on a large ship) and taking a boat cruise from Lake Huron, through the locks to Lake Superior, then returning via the Canadian lock. A very long day outdoors, followed by a way-past-bedtime dinner for the kids and the prospect of packing up camp very early the next morning were deciders for cancelling a proposed bridge walk (across to Canada) the next morning. While disappointing, we were all very relieved! 

We said goodbye to fellow campers and headed towards Wisconsin. We stopped off to see Cut River Bridge and had lunch at a roadside diner. We made it to Green Bay, and spent the night. After breakfast, we tired the boys out in the hotel swimming pool before our next long car journey. We made a brief stop at the beach near Harrington Beach State Park, then drove through some local towns, including Port Washington (that I would like to explore more) before heading directly to Chicago. 

The boys were fantastic travellers. I was very impressed at their ability to cope with so much driving. Perhaps car travel is still a real novelty for them.

I had my reservations about Nicolas in an environment in which he could not be contained, that included camp fires and open water. Nic loves to run away – and seems to move the fastest when supervising eyes are diverted. David tried some ‘puppy training’ on Nic to prevent him from running away. Not surprisingly, this was the least effective when I tried it… but it has definitely curbed his enthusiasm for running away when cautioned “Stop!” Nicolas was definitely in his element camping. He loved roaming about and exploring all the smells, textures and tastes (!) of the great outdoors. I was getting a little nervous at how many changes of clothes we had (or hadn’t) brought!

Luc, possibly taking a lead from Aidan, started asking some very considered questions. Staring into the campfire one night, he asked “Aidan, how does fire burn things?” Aidan looked a little exasperated (as elder children often do at younger children’s persistence), but provided Luc with a very good explanation. Luc listened carefully and responded with an “Oh”.  When we were viewing the museum ship Valley Camp, Luc asked “How do boats move in the water?” We (simply) explained how this particular ship had an engine to drive a propeller - pushing it through the water. I think Luc was far more interested in posing an interesting question than listening to the answer… but time will tell in what he might regurgitate in the future. 

A great big thank you to David, Bernadette, Aidan and Mikayla for a wonderful week and all your planning and preparation. We all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and were so pleased to see some more of this big country. 

See the Snap Happy page for a few holiday snaps. 

Suburban-bound

Last Friday night, I planned to meet Deb and Ann for a long-overdue social drink and some dinner. Deb suggested we go and visit her family’s new home in Oak Park (a western suburb), as she needed to water some recently transplanted plants and drop off a few items before their future move. This was a great opportunity to escape the city and see a little more of Illinois. Deb picked up Ann and myself and we drove out to Oak Park. Oak Park is notable as it contains the “world's largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings and houses, with 25 structures built between 1889 and 1913”, and Wright’s studio. I look forward to exploring these sometime in the future.

Given my brief (and superficial) visit, Oak Park was much more ‘urban’ than I expected. There appeared to be a good mix of low and medium-density housing to provide the population needed to support services and conveniences such as restaurants and boutique shops. There was quite a bustling vibe in the main shopping strip, with abundant families taking advantage of the beautiful evening. 

Unfortunately, I developed a horrible migraine while having dinner. I later joked that perhaps this was an allergic reaction to the suburbs! 

On Sunday we went to John and Yoly’s son’s (Joseph) 4th birthday party. This was held in the Exploratorium in Skokie (a northern suburb). Paul hired a Zipcar to take us there. We were a little concerned as to how Nic might travel in a car – as he has had very little car-travel experience (save for taxis). I held Nic while Paul fitted his car seat. Nic meanwhile had a meltdown. We thought we might be in for a torturous trip until it dawned on us that Nic was not upset at the prospect of travel, he was merely showing his impatience with Paul! Once seated in the car, Nic grinned from ear to ear. His conversation on the journey consisted of repetitions of “Car!” and “What’s that?” as he had a new high-speed perspective on life. 

The Exploratorium consists of a large play area with abundant toys, a water play area, dress-up section, library, and a large climbing frame with slides, bridges and tunnels. This would be a fantastic resource for the winter time. We had some free play-time before adjourning to a private party room upstairs. Spiderman was the theme – much to Luc’s delight. Pizza and juice were followed by some superb spider cakes. The boys had a great time. We were concerned about the journey home with sugar-hyped boys and the potential for car-sickness (particularly from Luc), but needn’t have feared – they were fine. We took the opportunity to drop in at Trader Joes on the way home to do a bit of grocery shopping.

Paul and I agreed that we so loved the freedom of having a car for the afternoon – we would now love to get one! 

Photo: Joseph, the birthday boy, and Luc, involved in a duel with Spiderman blowers

Five, four, three, two, one.... Luc is go!

I was chastising Luc for complaining to me that he couldn’t do something “It is too hard for me” I told him “Rubbish! It is not too hard for you” Luc responded “It is not rubbish!” I responded that yes, indeed it was. He told me “No! It is not rubbish. It is trash!” 

Luc started singing the Hokey Pokey to me “Put your wrong hand in…” I corrected him “Put your right hand in...” he laughed and continued to sing with a cheeky grin, “Put your wrong hand in, put your wrong hand out!” 

Paul and I were chatting about the movie the Exorcist. Although I haven’t seen the film, I am aware of Linda Blair’s character speaking in tongues with a strange voice. I did my best imitation of this…. and then stopped abruptly when Paul and I heard Nic, standing up in his cot doing his impression of a demonic /possessed child. We looked at him, and he just laughed. He is not interested in repeating words so much, but if a strange voice brings about a laugh…! 

Luc is crazy about rocket ships at the moment. Coupled with his love of robots and space, this has spurred an obsession with building rockets. The boys were given a set of Builders and Benders that are an excellent brick building system and are perfect for building rockets, houses, whatever is the obsession of the day. Having given up on me saying “just a moment…” when he has requested me to build things, Luc has really started using his imagination and has built some complex and inventive shapes himself. 

Paul bought a compilation DVD of the Thunderbirds TV series. This ‘supermarionation’ sci-fi puppet show has been parodied by everyone from the D-Generation and Trey Parker and Matt Stone of SouthPark fame. Luc adores the shows and has been requesting these frequently. Luc told me the other day that “Nic is scared of the man with the glowing eyes” - a ‘bad guy’ character from one of the stories.  How Nic manages to closely watch these ‘glowing eye’ sequences while Luc is in the bedroom, tentatively  peeking out from behind the bed toward the TV screen, is beyond me. 

The Thunderbirds episodes begin with a countdown of the Thunderbird spacecraft “Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Thunderbirds are go!” We have had to incorporate this counting into many routines with Luc - including counting him out of the bath.

When we were at the doctors a couple of weeks ago, Luc pointed at an occupation poster and said “OH, that is what I want to be!” I looked at the page of children dressed in occupational attire (firefighter, doctor, construction worker, teacher…) and saw his choice, an astronaut! Look out NASA! 

I am SO supportive of the cardboard box school of toy design. The most inspiring toys the boys have are their blocks, random cardboard boxes, and the things I make for them out of cardboard and construction paper. These home-made toys disintegrate approximately the same time (sometimes a little before) their usefulness has worn out… but by then, another obsession is taking root. 

We were members of a toy library in Brisbane. This was an excellent resource as we had access to a new toy on a monthly basis. We sought toys that were bulky or outdoors in nature and these were returned at the end of the month or when interest waned. Slides, pedal cars, houses, trucks…. were all things Luc was able to play with – without us having to purchase / store / dispose of.  I haven’t discovered anything similar to this in Chicago. 

Chatting and charming

We had a certain vocabulary for items we brought with us from Australia. Now we have moved to the US, we have had to use alternative names for certain items. To ensure that Luc has a grasp on the dual names for items, we play a game with him to ask him “what is another name for nappy” “diaper”, what is another name for dummy?” “pacifier”, “what is another name for  rubbish bin?” “trash can”. 

Luc played this game with me a week ago. He directed me “Ask me what another name for ‘work’ is”. “What is another name for work?” I dutifully asked. “Problem!” he responded with a big grin. I am not too sure how he arrived at this one…. Perhaps Paul mentions the ‘problems’ he has at work when he arrives home? Or perhaps it is just due to this being Luc’s word of the week. He often announces, “Mummy, I have a problem”. I then have to ask what his problem is. It is usually a problem with Paul or I going out, and him not liking the idea, or him not wanting to go for a nap. 

We were speaking recently about our favourite foods. Luc predictably states sushi and hotdogs as his favourite. I was asked what my favourite food was. I couldn’t pick one but said I liked French food. Luc thought about this for a moment and asked “Like French Toast?” I couldn’t argue with that. 

Nic charms people in the park, doing nothing other than being himself (and of course, his curls just draw people). I often hear from carers and other mothers that ‘he is just so gorgeous’. When told this the other day, I responded “Yes, but he is very naughty”. The mother responded ‘Ah, but yes, that is a good thing’. I thought about it for a bit and realised that yes, this trait, while driving me insane at times, often provides a great deal of entertainment. It also adds inordinately to Nic’s cheeky appeal and should hold him in great stead for the future – he has definite wit and personality and can already hold his own when amongst others. He is no shrinking violet – he just doesn’t give a damn and does his very own thing, life-threatening, dangerous or not. 

I spoke to my sister Jenni about Nic’s disinterest in speaking the English language. Jenni (a speech pathologist) came to the conclusion that he has absolutely no need. Luc anticipates many of Nic’s needs (as do Paul and I), and Nic creates his own fun and games and therefore has little need to use language. If Nic wants something, he doesn’t wait for us, he goes and gets it – this includes carrying around his small chair and using it to climb up anywhere. When he is hungry, this includes climbing onto the kitchen bench to reach the fruit bowl. Nic also goes through my bag as he knows I keep snacks there. Nic turned 18 months yesterday. 

Finding Inner Peace

We had such a wonderful experience yesterday. Our friends Joanne and Philip gave Paul and I tickets to see the 14^th Dalai Lama with them (as a birthday present, back in March). Yesterday was the long-awaited day. We organised respective sitters for our kids and caught a cab downtown together to the Pritzker Pavilion. After standing in line for some time (thanks to Philip for finding the shortest line) and going through a security check (metal detector, physical search of all bags, no cameras allowed, etc.), we sat ourselves on the lawn and made ourselves comfortable. We ate our fantastic shared and impromptu picnic lunch, while we witnessed some traditional Tibetan dancing, singing, music and chanting. 

The Dalai Lama then came out and proceeded to chat to the audience in the most selfless, calm yet thoroughly charismatic and engaging way. The talk itself must have lasted well over 2 hours but seemed to fly – despite lying in the sun with full bellies. 

The Dalai Lama spoke of the most basic tenets for leading a peaceful existence – achievable by everyone regardless of policital / socio-economic / religious background.  He laughed that some believed he was capable of healing or had some mystic powers and reminded everyone that those in power or with a strong and influential voice were merely human. He spoke of his dealings with Mao Zedong in a disarming and personable way (I assumed he would really dislike the man!) 

The most important lessons I took away with me were: the importance of providing children with a ‘dialogue’ for life; the need to feel compassion for others; the necessity of a good nights sleep; the need to ‘physically’ remove from oneself, the anger / envy one might feel, (while appreciating these are human emotions).

                “When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us. 

                  In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher” 

I had a basic understanding of the role of the Dalai Lama, but didn’t have an appreciation of the life of the current Dalai Lama and the calm manner in which he deals with what can only be an incredibly frustrating and difficult period for the Tibetan people. He deals with the vilification from the Chinese government with incredibly good grace and humour. 

The Pritzker Pavillion is a fantastic venue. The stage and seating area are under another wonderful Gehry statement piece while the lawn area has the most subtle acoustic system – in the form of suspended yet unobtrusive speakers – meaning that everyone could hear out in the open, without either straining to hear or having large speakers blaring in their ears. 

I love his philosophy towards life, his humility and calm and gentle demeanour. If asked whom I would like at my ‘ultimate dinner party’, I would have to choose the current Dalai Lama to be one of my guests. If you ever have a chance to hear this man speak, do it – he is way cool. 

Photo at top: At the moment, there is not much that comes any where close to being more exciting for Luc and Nicolas than earth moving equipment. Size does not matter.