Tuesday, February 09, 2010

The Audacity of Hope

What a difference a year makes in politics: from the audacity of hope via the frisson of exasperation to the familiar and comforting embrace of disillusionment.

Similarly, there are phases in acculturation: from the carnivalesque year of arrival through a protracted illusory phase during which you imagine yourself to be on the brink of understanding, thence to the conclusion that not only are you never going to have that epiphany, but your attempts to reach it are mildly offensive.

Of course, Ethan is undergoing his own acculturation process at the behest of yours truly. And for him, still the working assumption that he might one day come to make sense of it all. In fact, I find his scientific approach to the world refreshing; from an early fascination with simple electrics, his interest has blossomed into a preoccupation with plumbing and heating systems. For him, it is not sufficient to use one public toilet when five are available; nor one sink, nor hand-dryer neither. No, all must be sampled, compared and contrasted.

His intellectual curiosity much reminds me of a young self, long before I first plinked martini glasses with all those frightfully clever postmodernists – and is highly invigorating. It is embarrassing to admit, but until recently the subtle nuances that distinguish the superabundance of modern sanitary systems from one another represented a significant lacuna in my knowledge.

Then, just the other day, he informed me that the green Nerds™ are watermelon flavour. O brave new world!


Encouraged by Ethan's rapid adoption of "Hi Ho! Cherry O" I quickly migrated him to dominoes. Surely cribbage, canasta and contract bridge are but months away...


Hiding under the bed at toothy-time.


I expect you're not cool enough to have heard of the cult indie pastime of "Conker Tossing", but it's big in PDX.