Lucy's Birthday and Trip to Venice

Now, back to our previously promised coverage of Lucy's birthday.

We began Lucy's birthday with a very early morning trip. We went to our nearest airport, Leeds-Bradford International Airport, which serves fine airlines like RyanAir and Jet2. Both of these airlines are famous for their low prices and lack of any frills whatsoever. They make Southwest look like British Airways. I can't complain, because we always have gotten where we were going with reasonable efficiency and no lost luggage or delays.

Anyway, we arrived at the airport and Lucy started demanding hot chocolate. We promised that we'd find some for her on the other side of security, just in case we ran into any problems. Amazingly, we had no troubles at all. On the other side, we discovered a Burger King that had a really long line. One of the airport workers said there was a cafe closer to the gates. We went there. The checkout guy was a Russian and asked if I wanted cash back from my £20 bill. For a £3 hot chocolate! It was the sort of joke he asked everyone using cash rather than a credit card. We didn't quite get the joke since we were still had early morning grogginess. Lucy did get her hot chocolate and a mustache too!

At least it's the right color for her!

We headed off to our gate. Our gate led us to a bus which drove us five minutes to our plane out in the middle of the airport. All four of us had to get off and over to the plane (a slow process with two toddlers) but we didn't have to fight to get seats together. We splurged on getting seats assigned (an extra charge on Jet2).

Actual flight time went quickly with minimal trouble from the kids. Jacob wanted to go potty, of course. The fasten seat belts sign was still on but he said he had an emergency, so I took him back to the toilet. We both managed to fit inside and got our business done.

Landing went smoothly as well. Since we only took carry-ons we didn't have to bother with baggage claim and could head right out to the bus to take us to Venice proper. Well, right after another potty trip.

We finally arrived at the Vaporetto, which is the public transportation system in Venice. If you know anything about the city, you know it is full of canals that are the main avenues to transport anything. Cars are absent. We got off at the bus station and figured out which dock had our boat, the 5.1.

Our first view of Venice

The hotel was the Don Orione Religious Guest House. It was a great favorite of Jacob's, because it has this fabulous staircase.

Winding Stairs!!

After he discovered it, he hardly wanted to take the elevator any more. He loved walking up and down. He loved the way his voice echoed. We were happy that the stairs were more or less shielded from the rooms, so loud noises were not a distraction.

Once we were settled, we headed out for a little lunch. We asked the front desk for a recommendation. They pointed us to a little place just down the street, on the Grand Canal right under the shadow of the Academy Bridge, or Ponte dell'Accademia as the locals call it. It is one of only four bridges to span the Grand Canal

We found it with no problems. I had my first Italian beer, which wasn't very good. Even serving it in a German glass couldn't help it.

The pizza was really good, though!

When we were done eating, Jacob and I headed up the bridge to see the view. The first thing Jacob wanted to see was where Mommy was sitting at the restaurant.

Not really visible here, sorry Mommy!

Though maybe he wanted her to see him up so high. We looked in both directions and enjoyed the spectacular view.

View from atop Ponte dell'Accademia

Other view from atop Ponte dell'Accademia

The bridge was reminiscent of the one in Hiedelberg. On the bridge were dozen upon dozens of padlocks.

Love-locked!

These padlocks all had names carved on them. Young lovers memorialize their love this way. I guess there aren't enough trees to go around in Venice.

Across the bridge was a very impressive building, the Instituto Veneto di Scienze Lettere ed Arti, or maybe the Instituto Europeo di Design. Either way, it is a pretty building.

Beautiful location with limited parking

We did not visit it. Instead, we walked back to the hotel for naps. On the way, we saw a massive cruise ship go by at the end of the street.

You can just see the top deck and smoke stack over the trees

Jacob had a hard time spotting it, presumably because a ship shouldn't be so tall. We were all impressed. Lucy then asked for ice cream. Italy is famous for its gelato, which is their version of ice cream. It is creamy and wonderful. Since it was her birthday, we took her for some green apple gelato. Her only complaint was we bought it in a cone and not in a cup.

Don't you wish you were our daughter and we'd take you to Venice for gelato on your birthday? Hopefully she remembers how well we treated her. Or maybe she shouldn't remember, so we don't have to constantly up the ante in future years!

Movie Review: Prometheus (2012)

Prometheus (2012) Directed by Ridley Scott

A lot of real and digital ink has been spilled over this film. For many, it was the most highly anticipated movie of the year, even over the likes of The Dark Knight Rises and The Hobbit. Expectations were perhaps too high, especially considering the result.

Ridley Scott has returned to the Alien universe with a story set some 30 years before the first Alien movie. The movie opens with a striking scene of a pristine landscape. The camera flies overhead, eventually coming to a cloaked figure running to a waterfall. In the distant sky a space ship can be seen. The figure takes off his robes to reveal a very buff and very pale hairless humanoid. He takes out a cup which he opens. It's full of some black ooze that seems to have things swimming around in it. He drinks it and it has a devastating effect on his body. He fall into the water as his body breaks down into its DNA components. From there, the story jumps to a Scottish cave circa 2089 AD, where anthropologists discover a 35,000 year-old cave painting that points the way to the adventure ahead.

The opening scene is a bit cryptic. Is this supposed to be the Prometheus myth brought to life? Is it about the creation of the xenomorph alien creature? After seeing the rest of the film and thinking about it for a day, the most plausible answer finally occurred to me. It was a fun mystery to ponder because enough information is eventually communicated in the film for the pieces to be put together. If only all the other questions had a similar, satisfying resolution.

Part of the challenge is that the film makers are planning on sequels to continue the story and the exposition. While it's nice that they are thinking ahead, it does a real disservice to this film because it comes off as an incomplete work. A lot of the questions like "Who made us?" and "What is our purpose?" are mentioned again and again with little to no resolution or even an indication of what direction they are going to take.

It almost seems like the real theme of the film is not "who made us and why" but "what is the proper relationship between creator and created?" At the beginning of the story, the main character, Elizabeth Shaw, wears a cross and we see in a flashback/dream that her father was a Christian and believed in the Christian afterlife. She remains attached to her father's cross, though whether it is from sentimentality for her father or for true faith in the Christian God is ambiguous. Characters in the movie talk about her as a "believer" or one with "faith." The movie itself seems to lean toward the sentimentality. She is searching for her creators in the "Engineers" who left the cave paintings pointing to the remote planet where the movie's main action takes place. She assumes they created mankind and, through the cave painting, has invited us to come visit. She hopes to find out the answers to why we (humans) are here. It's a quest for ultimate knowledge, to be, if not an equal, at least an intimate with one's creator (what the gods were punishing the mythic Prometheus for). There's no explanation of how this fits in with Christian faith from her, anyone else, or the film as a whole. She is optimistic that things will work out well.

The other characters have a different view of things. Several of them say that children always want to kill their parents. Not replace, kill. The theme is ubiquitous: The android talks about destroying creators and the disappointment of finding out you were created just to see if you could be created. Another daughter wants to see her father gone for selfish reasons. Shaw can't get pregnant, which seems to grant her immunity from the pessimism of the others. In the end, though, she is brought down to their level. The finale has her taking off for another planet in pursuit of the "Engineers" not with hopeful wonder but more with demands for answers.

A lot of other ambiguities crop up with no logical explanation at all. The most inexplicable is the android David's motivation. At times he works for the corporation's interests; at other times he seems to be working for the "Engineers;" at still other times he seems to be working in favor of creating the Aliens. There's no suggestion that he is malfunctioning or that he is being reprogrammed. His actions seem quite random. I kept hoping for some reasonable explanation but another random alliance happens toward the end of the movie. The problem definitely is not with the performance. Michael Fassbender is the one unanimous point of praise in various reviews; he portrays the robot's actions with the sleek efficiency of an emotionless automaton. The problem is a script that doesn't know what the character is supposed to do other than to move the plot along.

All of the other performances were good. The design, atmosphere, and mood of the film were well executed, building up tension and horror. If only the plot were more coherent or the future plans had some sort of form the viewer could grasp onto, it would be a much more satisfying film.

I have to admit, I would watch a "director's cut" of this film if it ever comes available, to see if the many holes can be patched and the flaws fixed to create a more coherent and complete whole. It's an intriguing but seemingly unfinished film.

Oh, yeah--it's also super-gory, definitely for adults only.

Here's some other interesting comments:

Steven Greydanus quotes a great line from another review and gives his own thoughts.

Catholics in a Small Town talk about it around 25 minutes in on their 218th episode.

Interesting archeological/mythological perspective from Pop Classics.

Crazy pro-Prometheus blog posting here.

Crazy anti-Prometheus blog posting here.

The point of all these links is that the movie has so many blank spots that the viewer can fill in any number of possible interpretations or assessments.

Naughts and Zeds: Is That Really English?

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

There are plenty of products in America that have the "English" moniker stuck on them. Thomas's English Muffins are a popular breakfast treat with many knock-off brands sold as plain old "English muffins." English toffee is a popular dessert treat or topping. English Breakfast Tea is available just about everywhere in America, even in coffee shops. But are all these "English" things found in England? Do they call them "English?"

First, let's look at the mouth-watering muffins that I treasured in my youth and still treasure today. The other day I was in the grocery store and found these:

Yes, these are definitely what in America are called "English muffins" and here are just called "muffins."

We did try making our own muffins following a recipe from the Stainsby Mill. It was a bit of work and we didn't quite have the knack for cooking them properly. The heat level is pretty vague in the recipe ("Warm a griddle gently and grease lightly with lard or oil then place the muffins [i.e. uncooked dough] carefully on the griddle and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on a moderate heat until golden brown underneath"). They turned out not quite so well. We may stick with the store-bought brands.

As for English toffee, we have found plenty of toffee here in England. It is definitely more popular than in America. But nowhere is it called "English toffee." Sure, there's sticky toffee pudding (which is the greatest dessert ever) and I've had a drink called hot toffee that is basically hot chocolate but with toffee instead. These cookies are pretty awesome:

Yes, these are just like Doctor Who's favorites without the jammie

As for English Breakfast Tea, that is indeed found here and is also called by the same name. Presumably to distinguish it from Irish and Scottish breakfast tea (why is there no Welsh breakfast tea?). All the larger tea makers make a version of this tea.

Local popular drinks

It is just as delicious here as it is in the States. Though I haven't found Irish breakfast tea like I have back home. Maybe when we go to the Emerald Isle we won't find English breakfast tea!

Game Review: Burger Joint

Burger Joint is a fun two-player game where each player tries to build up his restaurant empire. One person builds pizza parlors while the other makes burger joints. The parlors and joints can be upgraded to specialty diners. The diners can be upgraded to upscale bistros. Also, players can buy publicity, which increases the likelihood of winning and lets them steal resources from the other player. Whoever has the fastest growing food chain wins!

The game has a simple yet elegant turn structure. Each turn, the active player randomly draws out colored cubes equal to the number of diners and bistros on both players' boards (initially, a total of four). Then the players take turns drawing cubes from the middle board. The trick here is that if a player is the only one to control, for example, a red diner, then that player can choose that color cube first (assuming red is one of the colors drawn; there are six different colors). After each player has drawn a cube, the subsequent cubes are put in a common pool (the gray area in the middle) so the other player has a chance to get a color he doesn't control.

Then the active player can buy new joints/parlors for two cubes, upgrades to diners for four cubes (which allow for control of more colors), upgrades to bistros for six cubes (which give special abilities and/or more victory points), or publicity for three cubes (which can increase victory points and allows the player to steal a cube from the other player). The colors needed for each item are different; additionally, the colors are different for the burger player and the pizza player. For example, building a burger joint costs one black cube and one yellow cube. Building a pizza parlor costs one red cube and one green cube. So the strategy for drawing cubes is very important. Any unspent cubes must be kept in the warehouse, which only has space for seven cubes. (The seven cube limit applies to the passive player, too!) The player's victory points are recalculated at the end of the turn to see if they've made it to twelve points. If so, it's game over, dude! If not, the other player becomes the active player and a new turn starts.

The game and its components

We've enjoyed playing this game a lot since last Christmas. It plays quickly (about half an hour to an hour) and has many interesting challenges. Deciding which cubes to take, how to spend them for maximum results, which cubes to keep if you get too many/can't spend enough are all challenging questions. The random drawing of cubes makes the game different every time. One game made us certain that there were no brown cubes in the bag because it seemed like we never drew them. After careful counting, we discovered there were just as many as any other color. Little quirks like that also make the game fun and diverting.

Zombie Apocalypse Appropriateness: This game is small and portable, requiring no electricity and only one other player. It's pretty quick so if you have to flee suddenly you can. I think it would also make a satisfactory solo game, playing against yourself. Since there is no hidden information you won't have to keep secrets from yourself. Certainly trust is an issue in a zombie apocalypse, but if you can't be honest with yourself, who can you be honest with?

Lucy's Third Birthday

Today (June 21, 2012) is Lucy's third birthday. We have been celebrating since the weekend. Yes, it's been one of those long, happy days.

We started on Saturday night when we Skyped with my family back in the States. We had a fun chat and opened some of the presents that had arrived in time for the call. It was fun and Lucy was glad to get gifts...who wouldn't be?

On Sunday night, we Skyped with my wife's parents and opened more gifts. Lucy was duly gratified and loved playing with new things yet again.

Monday night we had a party with the local kids we know, along with their parents. We cooked hot dogs and sausages and had a wide variety of chips, veggies, and fruit for side dishes. We made cupcakes for the kids and cheesecake for the grown-ups. I think one or two of the older kids managed to sneak in a slice of cheesecake as well. When they weren't distracted by the bouncy castle at the other end of the room. The children had a lot of fun and their sugar intake was offset by their jumping and running in the bouncy castle. Lucy had another round of gifts that were greatly appreciated. I did remember to bring my camera but forgot to take pictures, alas.

Tuesday was a night off from celebrating.

Wednesday (last night) we had another celebration for Lucy. We had some more boxes come in from Amazon and opened yet another round of gifts. I finally had my camera and used it.

Jacob helps Lucy get stuff out of the box (thanks, Auntie Regina!)

Many hands make light work

We had a nice dinner and Lucy had ice cream for dessert (her request). She enjoyed it more than opening our presents to her, as you can clearly see.

And, yes, we are ashamed of our brown wrapping paper--there was a sudden shortage!

It was a great celebration and we have more planned for today, but you will see that in a later posting.

Olympic Torch 2012

The Olympic Torch has been making the rounds here in England. I read in the local paper that the route has been crafted so that the torch passes within 10 miles of 90% of the population. We live much closer to this particular part of the route and I was able to walk over and see it. And take some pictures for the blog!

As I walked, I saw many patriotic places and people. Some were decorated a few weeks ago for the Queen's Jubilee celebration. The decorations have stayed up for the Olympics, and probably also for the Euro 2012 soccer/football tournament.

Patriotic Restaurant, nowhere near the route, so no customers

Patriotic Hotel, with most of the revelers cropped out

Patriotic Boy (not Captain America's sidekick)

In addition to Patriotic Boy, the route drew quite a crowd, including some local military as well as American soldiers from a nearby base.

Crowds to my left

Crowds to my right

Troops marching in!

The troops at attention

The first part of the convoy we saw was the police on motorcycles, waving the ever-encroaching crowd back to the curb. One officer gave high-fives to the crowd from his bike, which was cool but too quick to get a picture.

Won't miss him in a crowd

Then we had a fake-out as these runners came by sans torches.

Though I do like the dominant Union Jack in this picture

The next part of the convoy was the corporate sponsors. Yeah, that's right. The carrying of the torch has some support from big companies. I guess it's better than using tax payer money for expenses.

The Torch, brought to you by Samsung,...

...Coca-Cola, and...

...Lloyds TSB (a bank, for all you non-Brits)!

After a long wait, the shining star of the show showed up. The crowd went wild (well, as wild as British folks get) when the runner came by with the torch.

The Olympic Flame!

Close up of the runner

Yes, that was a young fellow carrying the Olympic torch. He had a bunch of other runners with him in the same outfit, though clearly they were of little interest to the onlookers. It was very exciting. The crowd dispersed pretty quickly afterwards, with the military leading the way.

Retreat!

I have two closing comments. First of all, if any corporations want to sponsor my blog, I would be happy to stick your logo on for a nominal fee. I'll be around a lot longer than the Olympic torch!

Just imagine zombies endorsing your product!

Second, if you'd like to see the torch and you are in England and it's still June or early July in 2012, check this map and the various web sites for your chance to see the flame pass you by!

Apparently, the torch runners can walk across water!

Thanks to Cheryl Goble for some of the pictures above (the troops at attention, the motorcycle, the Coca-Cola logo, the Torch Relay Map).

Guitar Prodigies

We bought an extremely inexpensive guitar for the children. It's one of those PaperJamz things. The guitar doesn't have strings or nobs. It has a lot of touch-sensitive surfaces that allow the musician to strum or to play a note or chords or new songs. The instrument is as electronic as can be, including a USB port for uploading and downloading songs. It's a lot of fun, as can be seen by its use.

An unconventional grip

The helmet doesn't fit as well as it used to

You may be wondering, "Why the space helmet?" Two causes are at work here. First, the children know that a singer needs to have a microphone in order to perform properly for a crowd. The astronaut's helmet includes a small black bit--the communications microphone. It lets a guitar player sing without a hand-held microphone. This is something they've learned from The Beatles: Rock Band.

The second cause is also related to The Beatles: Rock Band. Several of the songs you play feature the Fab Four in rather unusual outfits. "I Am the Walrus" is particularly troublesome as the animated John, Paul, George, and Ringo dance around in animal costumes. So why not wear a space suit to play for an adoring crowd? So I blame the Beatles for the crazy inspiration.

By which I don't mean to say that I did not get in on the act. There are no pictures of me with the helmet (I wasn't allowed a turn) but I was playing guitar while Jacob played the violin.

It's a nifty trick to play a violin with no strings!

Here's a video of the kids in action: