SOUND ARTIST: ALICE ROSE

I am into the name 'Alice': Alice in Wonderland, Alice the philanthropist, Alice Tate, Alice (you name it). The other day, I was getting my espresso beans at the Cardullo's in Harvard Square when the cashier asked me if I had watched Woody Allen's movie 'Alice' after swiping my credit card. "I surely should!" I answered. I did watch 'Alice' the same day. Indeed, it is one of my favorites now.

It must be the Alice. But I am very sensitive and a good judge of true talent and beauty as well. Music-wise, I am in love with Alice Rose, a super talented Denmark-German musician whose music I encountered during my Berlin days. Back then, her music and videoclip was exhibited on the Little Red Riding Hood (Tara Kikkoman's -super gail- fashion store in Friedrichstrasse) website. Today, I am saluting her: introducing her impressive one-woman performances of her own unique compositions with abundant artistic talent and solid production, she tells her stories in the "Tales of Sailing".
Her dreamy and romantic yet naive Alice personality shines through the uncertainty posed in these hopeful tales. Her narration of her own journey from falling through an uncertain darkness to encountering many wonders and trivias, then seeing the beauty of it all, and inhaling starlight at the end of the tale.
www.alicerose.com

Music of the day:
Alice Rose' Tales of Sailing: Track 5 - RARE BIRD
(Also visit http://www.myspace.com/alicerosemusic for additional songs and videos.)

CHIC THERMOS

What's picnicking without a thermos?
KOKON introduces Thermoskanne "Andrews Picknick" 0,4 L for EUR 14. This is by far the 'must have' of the season!
http://kunden.www-internet.de/kokon/

HELLO GREEN!

Google has launched an earth-friendly spots in five of the U.S's top travel destinations: SF, LA, Las Vegas, NY, and Orlando. "This is important to us. One of the big objectives for Google as a corporation is to promote environmental protection,"
Google's creative corporation, Luanne Calvert, said last Tuesday.
The Earth Day Network which sponsors Earth Day every May, recommended the spots listed. Additions (spots, cities, countries) will be added in the future. Hello green spots!

WEEKLY FASHION CRITIQUE

CRITIQUES:
- It is true that Louis Vuitton makes much more interesting design than ever, but they better spend some serious money training those super clueless (unbelievably clueless) and obnoxious salesrats.
Oh btw, stop calling us, LV!! We are not interested in doing any kind of customer satisfaction survey of any sort.. your salesmen suck, that's all. (Hint: ask some advise from your across-the-street sister Prada. Start by improving your salespeople's knowledge of your own products, ie. in-house subscription to Vogue).
- What's hot: Louis Vuitton striped shift and stand-up-collar cream trench, Prada snap-front coat and origami dress, Badgley Mischka's embroidered floral-print gown, Rochas' watercolor-print gown in white and dark blue.
- What's lame or boring this season: Chloé (unless you're an everlasting wild flower babe or an organic hemp baker), Narciso Rodriguez (always borderline), Carolina Herrera (unless you are Renee Zellwager or the Herrera clan), Marc Jacobs (he definitely spends way too much time in Paris.. regardless, we love you dearly for those $1 Marc animal pencil sharpener goodies - XOO)
- Shoes (picture, left-right): Givenchy gladiator sandals, Liv washable crochet boots, Prada (of course), Louis Vuitton
- Swimming gear: unless you want to go for Dior or Chanel and be mistaken as an S&M provocateur agent fugitive, go Celine or bold summery floral print string bikini by Ralph Lauren for a fresh, true sexy look.
- Love those dots? Exchange Bill Blass polkadot-gone-nuts dress for a Balenciaga cute dotsy dress, or for you romantic circle-lover girls, Derek Lam.
- We'd say 'nay' to Balenciaga's blue halter gown... nice try, though, it's just no Halston
We scream 'HOORAHHH" to Balenciaga's metallic twinset and skinny pants.. now this is really nice!
- Watch out goliath! AKRIS is your new David for his amazing fabric play.

HOT NEWS:
- Fashion duo Victor & Rolf were chosen as 2006 H&M designer collaborators succeeding Lagerfeld and McCartney. They'll hit select H&M stores worldwide in November. Sharpen those elbows, girls!!
- Target GO International has appointed another (this time, real) French designer, Sophie Albou (Paul & Joe). Arriving now, available in major Target stores and target.com for 90 days. No.. no... you don't really need your elbows here..

INDULGENCE: ROSEY BITS

SMS 2:43 AM, NYC: " Gd night babe. I m headed 2 bed now. U can call if you like 2 hear sweet whisper. Sleep well darling! I will c u tom. Night. Ciao ... bye. XxoOxxX"

Cellphone 2:44 AM, Boston: "Heeyy..."
NYC: (whispering so softly, almost inaudible) Darling...
Boston: (whispering too) Hahh?
NYC: (louder) Darling... I wish you a very sweet dream.. think of beautiful trees, sunshine, happy colors, wagon filled with fruits and vegetables...
Boston: (jumping heart!) Wishing you happy dreams too... :)... think ocean, water, swimming with beautiful fishes, waterplants, .... ngg... sea cucumbers...
NYC: (laugh ha..ha..ha..) Good night, Babe...
Boston: Niiighhhhtttt....

2:46 AM. Click. Return to the dreamland with huge smile on my face.

Hmm.. beautiful trees, sunshine, green, wagon with fruits and veggies... Are they hints to some kind of sweet surprise?
(The answer's going to be on August 5th on next week's indulgence!)

ps: Girls, treat yourself (or with your babe) with something homemade, something sweet, something sexy...
And for your romantic indulgence, IN CASA KITCHEN presents: Rose Petal Macaroons (rosey recipe from Carolyn Dunster of Simply Roses).
pps: Paul Smith's 'FLORAL', a new fragrance for women. Hmmm.....
Happy weekend! -AP

AWARD DAY: QT & BA-PE

AWARD DAY:
this week's award goes to... (ROLLING DRUMS)...

1. HO(s)TEL QT for being such a cutie!
Thanks for being so laid-back, for serving pretty cool complimentary breakfasts (although, cheese as part of the serving could actually be quite splendid), for taking care of us (we love our adorable room, on the very top of the building, overlooking Times Square and tall office buildings), for the nice amenities from sauna to fitness room to swimming pool (REALLY?! Yes! Swimming Pool!! Granted, they are out-of-order sometimes, but still..) , and for introducing such a nice, traditional hostel/ bathhouse concept to the luxurious "pretentious" hotels in NYC.
But don't get too hostel-ly there, QT; with those prices, you definitely cannot fool us!

2. THE BATHING APE (BA-PE)
Great brand behind great products behind great people behind the great mind of NIGO. Again, the strong concept is executed beautifully through solid designs and fine quality. And backed-up by solid business model and all those celebs!

CONGRATULATION HOTEL QT AND BA-PE!

SHOPSIN'S: I LIKE KILLING FLIES

Interesting. From all the online reviews we read, we conclude several important facts: 1. Over 900 menu items and the list is growing, 2. Started in 1982, 3. Waitress with T-shirt that says "Die Yuppie Scum", 4. Lotsa cursing, yelling, more cursing, 5. Will close their Greenwich Village restaurant of 35 years, moving to Brooklyn somewhere ("No publication, B#@** !!!!"), 6. Something about "Party of Five" (hint: read the last part of their online menu) 7. New documentary on the Genius A**hole Kenny, his woman, and their Shopsin's journey called "I like Killing Flies".

We wish them well... and congrats on the movie. Looking forward to be seated on one of your hot seats sometime next week!
www.shopsins.com

INT'L DESIGN: PIET HEIN EEK

While everyone's making a big fuss about: a. the Bouroullec brothers (granted, their latest Textile Pavillion project for Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean in Luxembourg is pretty adorable), b. Musée du Quai Branly's Office within Nature-clad Box designed by the controversially deviant Jean Nouvel, or c. one of Madrid's newest superficial prides: Hotel Puerta America, we would rather focus on finding a small typo on a designer's webpage (e.g. TJEP Design's www.tjep.com> Interior> Nemo Science Center> Description> RenSo Piano).

Pardonnez-nous.

Anyway.
Call us flat; we are in love with Piet Hein Eek. There is only one word that summarizes the entire range of designs he does: Accurate.
Hein Eek's wooden series is all about balance-precision in basic design elements: material, skills, and expertise. In his pieces, one finds true beauty in the imperfections of man and nature. Every piece gracefully evidences an artistically robust approach that signals of an advanced design philosophy embracing flaws as part of an overall perfection: bare nails, joint gaps, surface holes; everything makes sense, everything is realistically accurate. It is a warm-blooded piece of furniture, made by one human for another.
In contrast, Hein Eek's industrial design involves many engineered materials like glass and steel among other metals, "glued" together in a structural manner, bringing skyrise technology into one's living space. Still, every detail and (im)perfection are accurately exposed, inviting our eyes to guide us and fulfill our desire for conceptual satisfaction through sensible design.
http://www.pietheineek.nl

Now we are back to square one, trying to find something new to top or at least to equal Piet for next week's article. Wish us luck!

photo credit: Piet Hein Eek

POLL: HOT OR NOT? "HOTEL NOMADE"

Seriously, we are interested in hearing your comments on this "Hotel" box design by Pure Nomade. Sorry, no link to their website this time. Let the pic be your guide.

SHORT INFO (transfered directly from their website)
"... The "Hotel" box concept is made of the finest quality paper ware from the United Kingdom. You buy them collapsed and sealed in plastic folio. Whenever you need them you take them out, fold them into boxes, zip them with a pair of rubber bands, and they are ready to go. They can safely be stacked in up to 10 feet towers fixed through a center screw at the top of the box and they can be set up as shelves crawling along the walls by using some joints supporters, and all in between. Finally a dust lid is snapped into place through the opening in front, making this the window for display."

HOSTEL, THUMBSUCKER, END IN TEARS

MOVIE
- THUMBSUCKER. An epic coming of age film: witty, funny, insightful, real.
- HOSTEL. Ouch Ouch Ouch... maybe not as gruesome if you watch it in the same manner you are watching a gross pulp animation.

IN CINEMA
- LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.

BOOK
- Ruth Rendell's END IN TEARS (Crown, $25): a little melancholic drama of a woman and a policeman and his challanged motivation in having their child. Heartfelt. Cry... cry alot, experience the emotion without having to experience the sorrow.
- Read your journal: last year's today.


THANKS
Thanks to office t's Toshi for Kiki's Delivery Service DVD. I heart Miyazaki! Definitely will watch it soon! xX, Alice

FUN NIC NACS OF THE WEEK

Top (l-r): Danish floral-pattern handpainted metal vase, tea light glasses, and organizer, $16-$38, all from www.lillehusonline.com
Middle: On/Off Light $7.50 each, 10 story selections, www.elburro.thinkystudios.com
Bottom (l-r): Organic Matatabi 6 Pack (Japanese Catnip, an indulgence for your cat) $5/pack, stuffed plush bird with organic catnip $28, all from www.orangelola.com

WALLPAPER PICK

Top (l-f): Blueberry, 1970, Biedermeier lila-blue (also comes in green-orange and blue-green), all from Tapettitalo Wallpapers www.tapettitalo.fi
Middle: Black & White Collection from Signature Prints, 100% cotton AU$143 www.signatureprints.com.au
Bottom: Funkis' Limited Edition Vintage Originals www.funkis.com

COLETTE CURRENT EXPO

1. Sophie Toporkoff: 3 July-26 August: "GO TO YOUR ROOM"
2. FAFI: 3 July-26 August: "OVERHEARD"

http://www.colette.fr

ps: Love Fujiya & Miyagi's "Collarbone" Colette Online soundtrack (taken from album Transparent Things).

KIDS DAY: DESIGNER CHAIRS

From Eames to Mies to Rietveld to Panton, FOR ONLY 7 EURO EACH!!
Well, hear us out for a sec before you get a serious heart attack. They are just miniatures (no, not even a kids' version... they are real miniatures about 8 cm tall) of those super expensive vintage designer chairs. And nope, they are not even Vitra's, they are Inconnu's.
The good thing is, everybody can finally afford one in his/her own living room, even your little ones can! So have fun... aren't kids these days truly blessed with cool miniatures?

KIDS DAY: MUJI

Forget brand names, cry no more!
Muji (stands for 'no brand' in Japanese) creates very cool progressive-minimalist stuff for your little ones.
Above pictures: Pop Up Card - Tokyo, £2.95 (or $9), New York in a Bag £4.95 ($16) -don't want to mislead you with the pic, they are small; adorable regardless-, Windup Rubberband Plane £4.95, Mini Pencils £2.95, Re-Used Yam Covered Giraffe £7.50, Puzzle Cookie Cutter £6.95.
Available at: www.mujionline.co.uk or MUJI at MoMA Store SoHo (only select items).

ROZENSTROCH'S CURRENT FASCINATION

This time, Daniel Rozensztroch teams up with Shiri Slavin, brushes, a duckie, a sharp visual consultant, and a brilliant photographer; glamorizing the ever-forgotten, ever-germy, ever-scruffy BRUSHES (and an indifferent-looking yellow rubber duckie).
Passionately, Rozensztroch romantizes the object and as always, successfully narrates visual stories that put his readers in an elevated state of mind - "Don't we all just love grout brush?"

Also by Rozensztroch: Garden Tools, Glass, The (pick a culture) Style books from Japanese to Greek to Carribean, and more.
Brush is available in stores near you - $29.95+tax or less for used. Pretty expensive...

Brush links:
-Brush Types
-Brush School

ARTIST'S ARTISTIC KITCHEN

We love to appropriately mix-match vintage heirlooms, hi-tech state-of-the-art equipment, and artist/ designer collectible items. Placement is very important, given the basic spatial characteristics of the room. So for this cool, already-artistic vintage space with strong romantic personality, it is crutial that the high-tech equipment and designer items do not over saturate or dominate the space. Let the space be the designer of itself and let us be the consultant of the space.

On the picture: vintage dining table and chairs, Tord Boontje's silver garland, Kitchen Aid Professional Mixer with pasta maker attachment. Overall room aesthetic is complete thanks to the 1999 H.R. Giger's original print, vintage postcards, and "embroidered" tin ceiling.

photo credit: Alice Pringadi

ST. JOHN BREAD AND WINE

Fergus Henderson's: Nose to Tail Eating and The Whole Beast.
St. John Bread and Wine's books are nothing less than the dining experience itself. Summarized elegantly by Robin Davidson: "...Henderson serves up the inner organs of beasts and fowls in big, exhilarating dishes that combine high sophistication with peasant roughness. Nose to Tail Eating is a collection of these recipes, celebrating, as the title implies, the thrifty rural British traditions of making delicious virtue out of using every part of the animal."

St. John is an epitome of classic British eatery, including menus like Ox Heart, Ruby Chard & Pickled Walnut, Snails & Bacon, Calves Brain, Capers & Parsley, and for long-table celebrations, the whole pig from nose to tail served in a silver platter.
Located at 94-96 Commercial Street, London E1 6LZ. (Tube Liverpool Street or Aldgate East) and 26 St. John Street, London EC1M 4AY (Tube Farringdon Station)
Books are available in Amazon UK (Price: £16.99, £13.97). Also available, St. John dining voucher increments of £100.
(ps: don't forget to pick up those elegant matches on the way out)

KAMP K48

NY artists camp together in John Connelly Gallery, curated by the super talented Scott Hug (Editor, K48). Kamp K48 returned to NYC from Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Fransisco where it began its scouting journey.
John Connelly Gallery - 625 West 27th St. New York, NY 10001
August 4-30 2006

photo credit: Alice Pringadi

THIS IS M. SASEK

This is Miroslav Sasek's collection of This Is... Many are recently reissued, as fun and significant as ever. The newest collections on the racks are This Is Texas and This Is Edinburg. List Price is $17.95, you can get it for $10 from Amazon.com

Today, we are presenting you with our current garden picks, the fabulous:
1. Crack and Grow EGGLING. Comes in two sizes: regular and jumbo, five plants: basil, lobelia, mint, thyme, and phlox - Sprout Home, $8.95, $19.95
2. Nyokki! Japanese made, meaning "grow, grow, grow". You can style your Nyokki's "hair" however you like it - $9.95
3. Garden-in-a-bag. Comes in many plant selections from herbs to flowers - $7.50
4. The must-have garden kit: heavy duty gloves, light duty gloves, and handpainted Italian clay pot. $5.50-$15.50. Email: shop.incasa@gmail.com

DISPOSABLE COLORFUL SLIPPER

Super convenient, multi functional disposable sandals that are great for many occasions from insulating your guess' feet (and let them keep the sandals afterwards) to your own incentives (for travel or visits to places that require some bare-footness). Easy to roll and squeeze even in the smallest purse. Reusable and/or disposable after use. 3 sizes: super small, one size regular, super huge. Made of color felt, $6.50, $8.50 per 2 pairs. Email for inquiries: shop.incasa@gmail.com

PERSONAL ART COLLECTION

Related to today's question of the day: utilize your wall by juxtaposing paintings/ pictures to create an art installation. The side picture shows Barry McGee's Deitch Project where individual, postcard-sized drawings were juxtaposed off-side of each other without particular agenda (geometric, object, zig zag, photograph, graffiti, collage).

AHOY BRITISH-PIRATE CHILDREN!

What better translates the marriage between the pirates, the British, and the cool lifestyle? While a movie or a Keira Knightly could easily be forgotten over time (we hope not for Keira), this wallpaper definitely is not.
Also for those of you who love the RedStr/Collective's Costa Rica Wallpaper, here is another one to adore and MUST have.
Contact us for catalog and pricing info: shop.incasa@gmail.com

photo credit: Alice Pringadi

SMILE!

Found this cat pic sometime ago on the web, not sure where at. V cute, though!

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Question:
Do you have any idea on how to arrange or set a craft space for my toddlers? I have a double-height, plenty of light corner space that I can use for as the craft space.

Answer:
Let's divide the space into 3 functional areas: exhibition space (walls, table with art binders), working space (larger tables filled with working tools), storage space (shelves, extra tools).
We love to build an extra wall for exhibiting any type of crafts/ paintings (can be an unused large chalkboard).
As shown, paintings are exhibited in gallery manner, wall is painted in bold color, drawing attention straight to the exhibited art.
Working space can be divided into dry and wet areas: dry for writing, computer, books, wet for painting, silk screening.
Light is always good. Try to have plenty of natural and artificial lights (lamps, christmas lights) in the room. Be creative and have fun!

THIS WEEK'S MOVIE CHOICE

PROGRESSIVE JAPANESE FILMS:
* Anything from Studio Ghibli
We've been in love all over again with their movies: Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro. The new one is called Tales from Earthsea (director Goro Miyazaki), scheduled for release in Japan on July 29.
* Shimotsuma Monogatari
Rococo lolita Momoko meets moped yanki-girl Ichigo: girl vs. tomboy, Daikanyama vs. Jusco, peach vs. strawberry, frilly umbrella vs. hot rod bike. It is a great movie on two best friends living in different worlds - 2004
http://www.shimotsuma-movie.jp/trailer/asx/tok_2_500.asx

HYPNOTIC MONSTERS

Monsters, by Klaus Happaniemi, stories by Rosa Liksom, published by Gingko Press, $17.95
Available at major bookstores.

ICE CREAM NATION

July is the national ice cream month! To celebrate, we made the easiest vanilla ice cream ever: no cooking, no hassle, as silky and as yummy!


1.5 cup whole milk (or reduced milk)
Dash salt
.5 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond or mint)

Combine milk, sugar, and salt. Stir with a wire whisk until sugar is dissolved (we use our Kitchen Aid professional mixer, control 6-8 for about 5 minutes). Stir in half and half, whipping cream and vanilla. Pour into your ice cream maker (we have the one with a Freezer Bowl, no salt and ice needed), let your machine do the rest of the job. Refrigerate further for 2 hours.
Serve with fruit or condiments.

FAIRY LOLITAS

Designer Oscar Marquez y Astiz ditched his prestige high-fashion job (having worked for John Galliano and Paco Rabanne) and decided to make haute-dolls instead. Modèle Taste is inspired by neo Japanese fairy tales; somewhat innocent, somewhat creepy (in elegant ways). This doll beauty certainly does not come cheap; available at artoyz.com for $720

MOMMY: SWIM SLIM

SUMMER IS HERE! (and for all of us in the East Coast, summer has arrived around 10 times now)
Either case, this is the time to have fun with water, both you and your little ones.
Your kiddie will have fun regardless of their outfit, so our suggestions for them are: spend as much time as you like in the water, wear sunblock and sunscreens, drink a lot of water, wear swimming shoes for those of you swimming at beaches (careful for those occasional broken glasses or sharp objects), play and swim close to your parents, have fun!

But today, we are going to share the coolest, amazing swimming gear to all our hip and playful mommy readers who cannot settle for less than the best: SPEEDO and Comme des Garçons swimwear collection ($100 + tax).
Trust us, it will make you feel like the coolest water goddess, looking super sexy and very in shape (do you see the pics?? it does clad our tummy flabs and stretch marks while exposing our fab backs and sexy shoulder blades)

"I wanted to make real swimwear for people who like swimming for pleasure or for training their bodies. I chose Speedo because of their tradition and authenticity and because they simply make the best swimwear. The collection is for all those that love creative design... and swimming!" REI KAWAKUBO (Comme des Garçons)
We trust her with all our hearts. This is by far the best investment in our entire swimming life time. It does make us just as excited as our toddlers to go to the neighborhood's jungle jim that has all those wonderful kiddie fountains. And soon enough, you will see us blend seamlessly in the midst of water-happiness-soaked children... oh, it is not us, it's just the outfit we are wearing...

TUKADU ROCKS

We frequented Tukadu when we lived in Berlin not long ago. This is one cute hidden place where any female would enter, get lost in their own idea- and creation-land, and leave in ectasy of glitters, colors, and eye-candy rocks. And whether you are a student or a drag queen or a kid or a sophisticated well educated lady, you will find one thing your fingers will quickly crochet into a masterpiece according to your creative minds.
And the great news is, they finally open their online shopping this summer

TUKADU
Rosenthaler Str. 46/47
10178 BERLIN - MITTE
Kollwitzstrasse 72
10435 BERLIN - PRENZLAUER BERG
http://tukadu.com

PLAY COOKING

Now on fun activity:

Let your kids help out in the kitchen, or for younger ones, encourage them to play cooking just like you.

TODDLERS:
You can set up a corner at your kitchen for your little one's stove or cooking corner (far from stove, oven, or any hazardous instruments or ingredients).
Be creative! You don't have to break your bank account buying all those expensive miniature tools or ingredients. Anything could be toy: plastic or paper containers and bottles, tea or plastic spoons, dry beans, pasta, medium moving box painted as stove (supervise your kid), small mittens and apron, ...

OLDER KIDS:
You can start by introducing food names, how to tell if an apple is fresh or not, how to clean vegetable, or how to set a table for family dinner.
As far as cooking, we are thinking of salad because it is easy and can be a great and fun way to start in the kitchen.
Also, assign them their own mittens and apron.

Always remind them to clean up after playing. This will promote strong sense of responsibility and accomplishment.
Supervise them at all time.
Have Fun!

note: we love wooden kitchen toys by Haba, Erzi, Melissa & Doug
-AP

ORIGINALITY

Original Effort is Golden, Unique, and Which Shine. At least that's what I think.

Is it ok to not be original?

A girl in my undergraduate program would come to everyone's desks just to monitor on projects, snoop on progress, and be very resourceful and creative on how she could top her rivals' projects, by any means: from crying for sympathy to tailgating one's design process, and to throwing someone's finished model out of the window and shuttered it to pieces a day before class presentation. Nothing she produced was original although all the work were presented better than many of us who own the original concepts.
At the end she graduated 4.0/4.0.
But is it worth it? Are ambition and goal-oriented tasks really teaching and educating?
Or is originality dumb and so yesterday?

Now. Is it then ok to not be original as long as one is not causing any damage?

Kids were born to follow. Fortunately, at one point, they will grow and be comfortable with their own ideas. And it requires adult's efforts to assure, to guide and teach, to correct, to set precedence, and never to 'compare'.
And for parents to accept, embrace, and respect your kids' talents and to praise their project outcomes starting now are crutial steps to build your children's confidence. They also allow them to be creative and proud with their own ideas, ideology and consequently be true to and happy with themselves in the long run. Once they feel secure and valuable, it is much more like that they will produce many original ideas and solutions, effectiveness aside.

Originality is always fabulous, no matter what others might say.
And while it is not necessarily wrong to not be original, it definitely is not requiring any sense of pride to be in.
Above all, NO, it is never acceptable to damage, no matter what, no matter how.
-AP

HERO

Yesterday, I walked down the street to the parking garage three blocks away just to be fully distantly-engaged with the conversation of a father with his two girls who were sharing the same path as mine. He "lectured" them in how corporate law works, when and how to sue and to get the sue reversed.
Definitely impressive! The enthused girls were like 6-8 and they were learning about corporate law. I am sure these girls were dreaming of becoming either a lawyer or someone in law practice, just like daddy.

It is not that hard a parent or any adult to be adored by a child. It is what an adult can "offer" to make the child feel wonderful and accepted, whether it is warmth, good relationship, advises, teaching, wonderful meals (inspires the kid to be a chef), insider tactics (eg. in law practice, like the above story, or business ventures). I learnt it's never too much or too early for them to share our knowledge.

note: Happy World Cup 2006: Italy vs. France! May parents spend some (extra) quality and educational soccer moment with their kids.
-AP

CASE STUDY #1

Austin treated us very well!
We finally returned to Boston yesterday. During the (loooooong) airplane ride, towards the end of the journey I was encountered with dilemma that I am sure most people will find it as bothersome from every depth and perspective.

A woman and her daughter sat nearby, the daughter next to the window and the mother, next to the aisle. The whole time, she "showered" the girl with both the extreme treatments: either kissesessess or slap-slap-hit-slap-hit. The girl was ordered to stay under her pink blanket and sleep, and when she refused, another hits and finally she surrendered and hid inside the blanket.

I know I should be able to step up to the plate and say "stop". On the other hand, the situation was really confusing. It was really sketchy, once I thought for sure she's abusing the girl, she would shower her with so much loudly-proclaimed kisses and I-love-yous. And when I try to convince myself that the mother was just having a horrible day and immediately recognized her fault for hitting the daughter, she slapped her again.

What if I stood up, gave her this "I know you are abusing her" kind of look, or even said something to her how can I deal with an angry woman, sitting really close to me and other kids nearby, in a plane 10,000 miles above the ground?

What should I do?