First piano test

Bea took his first piano test today. I guess it's comparable to the piano grades exams—part theory, part practical. We cycled down to town in a snow flurry a bit mythed that it was being held on a Saturday actually. . . . but all went well, and he didn't crumble under the grilling (the examiners were actually both very nice), so Bea now has his first Diploma. Congratulations smarty pants!

Papa arrives in Sabah

Looks like oil palm plantations. Papa has arrived in Sabah! 

Snow at the garden!

Took a walk up Zuriberg to the allotment which is under snow at the moment!

Girls - Theatre; Boys - Cinema

Stayed in Zurich for a lazy weekend as Chris is away to Borneo next week. Ili and I went to see a comical kiddie's performance this afternoon with a one-man circus at a cute little theatre in town, while Chris and Bea went to see Paddington at the cinema.

Beathan's piano

Bea played his latest piano pieces this evening at the parents concert. You can see them on YouTube here. He did really really well, and as usual even after a few nerves managed to play without any mistakes. His first piano test is at the end of the month. Really well done Bea!! xx

Sunday in the snow!

Before "we" start out on skis this year — Ili will start this season — it's always nice to get used to the snow/cold/ice with a little sledging, and grab some winter sun too.  So we tried a family-orientated resort about an hour away from Zürich, Klewenalp, near Lake Luzern that we haven't visited before. Bea sledged downhill for the first time on his own (think the run was about 3–4 km). He's now almost too big to squeeze on a sledge with one of us (I slid off the back once!). But as much fun as sledging is, the kids still seem to enjoy just messing around in the deep snow more than anything.

Zurich City Arthouse

A rainy afternoon so I took the children to see the English painter, Jenny Saville's exhibition at the Zurich Kunsthaus (city Arthouse) — big mistake. I took Bea to the Kunsthaus two years ago (see here), and it had it's interesting moments — I remember he was intrigued by the story of Van Gogh cutting off his own ear — but generally it wasn't that enjoyable for him. But the Saville exhibition was way too grotesque to be interesting for young eyes. She generally paints massive canvases of blubbery nudes, but the paintings in her latest exhibition were too disfigured for children (my children anyhow, there were other kids there). Bea was tugging to get out, and we flew around the exhibition in a matter of minutes. Spent some time looking at the Permanent Collection afterwards (again, we literally whizzed around). When I asked the children to find something that they did like, they both opted for a Canalleto. Nice choice. In fact, they liked anything without people in — perhaps we'll try the Monet next month. Bea didn't particularly like the Warhol, but it was the only one he'd stay still in front of without seaching for the exit.

They both liked the detail in this Canaletto.

Ili liked this seascape in the Permanent Collection.

Bea and a Warhol.

Warm walk in the woods

It was weirdly warm today, and we took a friend of Bea's with us up into the woods for some sun. We wanted to find the "pump track" — which is essentially a special section in the woods for mountain bikes— to see whether it would be any good for Bea to practice on. We were on foot this time, so in the absence of bikes, the kids pretended they were riding and burnt off tonnes of energy running here, there and everywhere.

Trip to the Spa/Thermal baths

Bea was on a school trip this morning to the Dolder Ice rink where he played ice hockey. This afternoon we took it a bit more leisurely. A trip to the Zurich Thermal baths/Spa was Ili's choice for an afternoon activity and quite frankly, I wasn't going to argue. . . . it was very nice.

Snow in Zurich

Back to Zurich, back to snow!

Bea's penguin colony in the bath made
with snow from the terrace.