Skandia Cowes Week 2008

I’m still adjusting to walking on flat land. Today I spent a long day sailing on “my employer’s” yacht in the Solent’s turbulent waters on the last day of Skandia Cowes Week 2008, an annual British regatta sporting event established in the early 19^th century. From Lymington Marina we sailed into the Solent; the heavy rain, misty horizon, and choppy waters made for a dramatic introduction to the sport of sailing. While the optimal racing speed is 4.5 knots, the average speed we ran our course today was 8.2 knots. The salty water sprayed our faces, we braced the rails and steered according to a swiftly-moving compass on the yacht’s mast. Steering the boat required a surprising amount of energy and strength; my biceps still ache. The waters rose and fell, often tipping the boat to a sixty-to-seventy-degree angle. Passengers slipped from one end of the yacht to the other if they weren’t holding on, and it was “normal” that we were facing the Solent’s cold, powerful waters at a dangerous angle which is why walking on solid, steady ground after nine hours on the water feels a bit disorienting.

My host apologized for the challenging sailing conditions; I told him that the stakes were high and made for an exciting, adrenaline-filled day. Looking at the water I thought of Ernest H.’s novella The Old Man and the Sea, the writer’s final novel that was published posthumously, and could appreciate that there are few experiences which focus one’s attention on the present and the now like sailing in forceful waters where it’s do or die.

Fortune Cookie’s 10th Birthday Celebration

Last night we celebrated Fortune Cookie’s 10th Birthday at the beautiful Bayham Hall in Kent.  We also toasted JC’s most recent success:  “The Tyra Banks Show” wants to put the Muks on their show!

http://www.fortunecookie.co.uk/

 

Cafe Boheme

This weekend was Part I of my birthday celebration.  Friday night we went to Cafe Boheme in SOHO for drinks with the other foreign-born corporate-ladder climbers we’ve met since moving here.  Last night M took me to our favorite sushi place (Sumosan) for dinner followed by the almandine at the Wolesley for desert (yummy, delicious).

100 Years of Car Parade

Sunday was the British International Motor Show 2006’s 100 Years of Car Parade. Each decade was represented by vehicles from that time period. The cars were usually accompanied by music popular at the time (jazz in the ’20s, Madonna in the ’80s).

The Sultan’s Elephant

This weekend was the Sultan's Elephant, an outdoor theater event inspired by Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days."  We watched as the larger-than-life mechanical  elephant sprayed onlookers with water from its trunk as it slowly made its way down Piccadilly. 

London Marathon 2006

Today was the London Marathon.  Runners finished the event at Buckingham Palace where they were cheered on by hundreds of supporters.  Although yesterday was the first genuinely warm day of the year, today was damp and drizzly, making it uncomfortable for viewers like myself but keeping the runners cool as they crossed the finish line.  

Anti-War Protest

This afternoon we watched an anti-war protest against British and American involvement in Iraq.  Almost like in a parade, various anti-war groups waved banners and sang protest songs to the beat of loud drums as they made their way towards Trafalgar Square.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

We watched men and children on stilts, uniformed cops, and half a dozen marching bands make their way towards Piccadilly Circus today during the St. Patrick’s Day parade.  It was a truly festive occasion for marchers and spectators alike.

The Protest

M and I watched British Muslims protest the Danish cartoons this afternoon as marchers made their way from Trafalgar Square. Although the Times Online described the city’s concerns that violence might erupt, the protestors, though loud and impassioned, marched peacefully. Many of the marchers called for dialogue on a more serious level than cartoons can provide whereas other more misguided protestors argued that a “War on terror is a war on Islam.”

The Blizzard

I can’t believe we missed the worst blizzard to hit New York in recorded history (almost 27 inches). I asked VK to send us pics– here’s two she took of the West Village.