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| Philosopher's Walk, Heidelberg |
In June, I got the fabulous opportunity (through my previous work with CDP) to attend a systems biology conference in Heidelberg, Germany (photo album here). I felt very comfortable in the country despite not knowing the language (yes, I'm useless in helping the boys with their homework), but I was really struck by the numerous bicyclists and my urge to jaywalk. Everyone, including bicyclists, actually stops for the red lights! The conference was very good, but perhaps the best part was the dinner dance on a riverboat. Sadly, I was one of the few Americans who actually danced. What's up with that?
My flight back was through Munich, which I never visited before. My visit didn't start auspiciously because I missed a scheduled tour of the city, and got lost on my way to the main square. Thankfully, hotels are very generous with their maps and toilets. Once I got my bearings straight, I walked around the old city with a guidebook; I especially loved the churches and the farmer's market. That evening, I met up with Saskia, my pen-pal of over 30 years. I had a great time having dinner with her husband and daughter, then chatting with her over a nightcap of plum brandy.
My one regret was missing the boys' piano recital. Thankfully, Igor was able to videotape their pieces, including a duet:
I didn't miss, however, Nikita's poetry recital, in which he recited (in Russian) two poems by Pushkin:
As you can see, the boys were quite busy this month. In addition to the recitals, Nikita did fairly well in a chess tournament in Tarrytown, NY (it helps not to tell him the rating of his opponent beforehand) and placed 3rd in a Y8 fencing tournament in NJ. Ivan watched more superhero movies with me (adding X-men), but Nikita and his friends came up with new Avengers: Zeus, Bulk (Hulk's bigger brother), Grenade Man, and Breath Woman.
We also celebrated Igor this month. His birthday gave me the welcome opportunity to remake (and photograph!) the Georgian roasted lamb we had for Easter, and we had bagels and plov for Father's Day. Otherwise, Igor had a stressful month. He somehow developed shingles, and while I was in Germany, he had to deal with backed up sewage.
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| No more birthday lasagne! |
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| Ready for the fall. |
As for me, I enjoyed attending the second half of TEDx Boston (catch the talks here) and teaching Ivan's class how to finger knit. Even the boys got into it, and one girl made 6 bracelets! I also came up with some good meals for hot, humid weather (chicken/almond/strawberry salad; corn, feta, and figs) and learned of new aural pleasures (Coffitivity and the jazz singer, Cécile McLorin Salvant). And, after many froggings, I finally finished my sweater (right).
