Last night and tonight, we have some unexpected guests. We had a call on Friday from one of ther parents at BMS. He had arranged (partly with the school) a trip to the UK of a group of 14-16 year olds from Ukraine.
They are spending most of their time in London staying in a hostel in Russell Square and taking in the sights.
However, they are spending a day at BMS today and so they needed accommodation for a couple of nights. The group are dispersed amongst a few families. We thought we would get 2 girls but in the end we had 3 boys which was easier for Matt and Harry to acclimatise to, although they are all extremely easy guests to have.
Based on the ones we have, they are very polite, speak excellent English and are both interesting and interested.
Fact of the day: Ukraine is the biggest country in Europe by area - I would not have known this, but one of the boys told me (in fact he gave the actual area in sq.km). When we checked in the Times Atlas, he was indeed correct !
Monday, 14 April 2008
TTT update
Further to the Turning The Tables post, Harry has now upped his game so I can't beat him either. Most recently he beat me 6 games to nil in a best of 5 match.
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Turning the Tables
I wonder when is it that you stop having to let the kids win, and they have to start letting you win?
Well, with Tennis, for example, we are not quite there. With poker, I think we are still a way off as well although Harry does have a good record against me in heads-up play. This week for example we played and he was very solid. He won, in fact, when I attempted what I thought was a well-timed bluff. It turned out he already had the top full-house ! Oops.
Anyway, whereas in tennis both Matt and Harry have a bit to learn, it seems that in table-tennis Matt is already there.
We just agreed to buy an outdoor table and with some "help" from the boys, it was assembled on Tuesday night.
In the first few games, I did enough to stay in front. Then Matt figured out how to smash the ball. He's absolutely deadly and before long he had to resort to blatant point-throwing to allow Harry or I to keep up.
Since then, Harry has also learned the real-world equiv of the Wii-power shot and is catching Matt up fast. Only the fact they have exams is keeping them from practicing more and becoming unbeatable.
Well, with Tennis, for example, we are not quite there. With poker, I think we are still a way off as well although Harry does have a good record against me in heads-up play. This week for example we played and he was very solid. He won, in fact, when I attempted what I thought was a well-timed bluff. It turned out he already had the top full-house ! Oops.
Anyway, whereas in tennis both Matt and Harry have a bit to learn, it seems that in table-tennis Matt is already there.
We just agreed to buy an outdoor table and with some "help" from the boys, it was assembled on Tuesday night.
In the first few games, I did enough to stay in front. Then Matt figured out how to smash the ball. He's absolutely deadly and before long he had to resort to blatant point-throwing to allow Harry or I to keep up.
Since then, Harry has also learned the real-world equiv of the Wii-power shot and is catching Matt up fast. Only the fact they have exams is keeping them from practicing more and becoming unbeatable.
Monday, 31 March 2008
What's Up With That ?
I noticed yesterday, after 11 years, that the brake levers on my bike are fitted in a bizarre way - they sit above the gear changers and are pointing up at a ridiculous angle. I can't believe I have never noticed it before.
However, I can believe this happened in the first place. I have realised previously that the bike-supermarkets have absolutely no idea how to assemble a bike in a basically correct fashion. On mine, for example, the rear tyre has been fitted back-to-front. An easy mistake to make, and not that serious, but you would not expect a bike shop to do this.
On a previous bike that we bought for Harry, there were 8 obvious (albeit minor and only moderately dangerous) errors. I didn't bother to take it back as there seemed little chance they would do a good job of correcting them if they could let them happen in the first place.
Anyway, all 4 bikes went out yesterday on a family tennis trip to the park yesterday afternoon. Karen wasn't too sure at first, but turned out to be pretty good (at tennis) in real life.
No serious games were played, but we did invent one or two new variants: most significantly, ping-pong tennis in which the ball had to be bounced on one's one side of the net before crossing over. Quite tricky, but achievable once you're into the rhythm.
However, I can believe this happened in the first place. I have realised previously that the bike-supermarkets have absolutely no idea how to assemble a bike in a basically correct fashion. On mine, for example, the rear tyre has been fitted back-to-front. An easy mistake to make, and not that serious, but you would not expect a bike shop to do this.
On a previous bike that we bought for Harry, there were 8 obvious (albeit minor and only moderately dangerous) errors. I didn't bother to take it back as there seemed little chance they would do a good job of correcting them if they could let them happen in the first place.
Anyway, all 4 bikes went out yesterday on a family tennis trip to the park yesterday afternoon. Karen wasn't too sure at first, but turned out to be pretty good (at tennis) in real life.
No serious games were played, but we did invent one or two new variants: most significantly, ping-pong tennis in which the ball had to be bounced on one's one side of the net before crossing over. Quite tricky, but achievable once you're into the rhythm.
Saturday, 29 March 2008
Tennis Rules
We're fortunate to have a large number of tennis courts nearby, and Harry & I went up to play at short notice on Thursday.
It's very informal there. There is no booking of courts etc. In the summer they get quite busy, but on a cold March afternoon there is always plenty of space. In this case, two courts were in use (there are about 8).
Our method of play is also rather informal.
To even up the match, Harry can make use of a variety of rule modifications. These include:
- unilateral double bounce
- unilateral use of double lines
- self-select service position
- freestyle service stroke
- elective third service
- optional 2nd-party serve call-in
- multi-style Mulligans and score-correction facility
It's good fun, though, and a close match is assured by the self-correcting use of the rulebook. I won 3-2 on this occasion (match cut short by requirements to be back for tea: very nice - lamb cutlets).
I think it will not be long before I need to use the flexible rulebook to my advantage, or else I will need to improve my game rapidly to keep up with the boys.
It's very informal there. There is no booking of courts etc. In the summer they get quite busy, but on a cold March afternoon there is always plenty of space. In this case, two courts were in use (there are about 8).
Our method of play is also rather informal.
To even up the match, Harry can make use of a variety of rule modifications. These include:
- unilateral double bounce
- unilateral use of double lines
- self-select service position
- freestyle service stroke
- elective third service
- optional 2nd-party serve call-in
- multi-style Mulligans and score-correction facility
It's good fun, though, and a close match is assured by the self-correcting use of the rulebook. I won 3-2 on this occasion (match cut short by requirements to be back for tea: very nice - lamb cutlets).
I think it will not be long before I need to use the flexible rulebook to my advantage, or else I will need to improve my game rapidly to keep up with the boys.
Monday, 24 March 2008
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Which Season is it Anyway ?
Yesterday, when I was out on my bike, it was most definitely cold. And windy. Not summery, or even springlike.
Despite this, the ice-cream van was in place and there were short-wearing people in the park.
Today, we had all manner of precipitation - standard rain, sleet, vertical and horizontal snow, and - when I went out on the bike again - hail (I would describe them as ice-chips rather than hail-stones).
At the same time, it was definitely sunny.
What's going on ?
Despite this, the ice-cream van was in place and there were short-wearing people in the park.
Today, we had all manner of precipitation - standard rain, sleet, vertical and horizontal snow, and - when I went out on the bike again - hail (I would describe them as ice-chips rather than hail-stones).
At the same time, it was definitely sunny.
What's going on ?
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