Valerie has gone back to Leysin

The house is very quiet now that Valerie has already left for Leysin. We only have Isabelle left with us. It is going to be only me and Izzy next week after Franklin will be gone back to Brazzavilel. I got to go to Clive 's workshop in Scotland this year after sending Izzy to U.K. She really look forward to that and we are also excite about her first year in U.K. college. They are completely different from U.S. college though. The students are completely on there own. Thanks to mrs Duke she got this place secured in college. Hopefully she will like it and grow a lot from the experience there. She want to got o Thailand for a year to study thai and that coudl be arranged if she could get something organised but I can not find anything safe and sound enough for her. If she stay with a family in Thailand which family will she stay with. may be with Bu. Will that be o.k. to arrange or with Pi Aew. I feel better if she will be with Bu and may be I will call Bu about that. That is not too difficult. She cna go to study Thai at Chula everyday and come back with the car. That could be easy to arrange.I don't want her to be with Khun Pim because it is too far. Our house is really too far from teh university. She can definitely go for the 2nd year of college.

The girls and their freinds

Today Valerie went to shopping at Stoneridge Mall with Jasmine, her friend from elementary school. And Isablle went out with Marisa her friend from Charlotwood. They have a lot to catch up and Valerie will not have much time to prepare for her departure. The house felt rather funny with Benjamin gone. I always feel funny walking apst Benjamin's room. Knowing that he will grow more and more and be more and more independent. When he was with us we enjoy him but we respect his ideas and know that he is gettng bigger and bigger and will leave us totally soon. I remember when he was little and I can't wait for him to leave. Those time were really short thinking about it. When all of them are little and always have to run to mom for comfort and decision and security and protection. But I am so proud of him right now. He is fine young man. i am thinking again that he will eb staying in Bay Area or some where in CAlifornia. He prefer to be where he know not wiling to settle down in other country or otehr states.may be he like to be in Switzerland. it is one of the place where he feel the most comfortable.

Back from Humboldt county

We drove back from Humboldt after a weekend there getting Benjamin settled in his new home for his second year in Humboldt. He is now thinking of majoring in Kinesthesia or something along this line. I wonder if he will remain in Humboldt for the rest of college year. This is his sophomore year and he had already moved out to rent a place with 3 others friends out side of campus. He also took the Buick after paying 1000 dollars in fine to the court in Hayward for speed ticket, insurance and failure to appear or pay for one year. Everything is in order now for his insurance with the family for the car and driving and all. We are proud of him with his politeness and sense of sportmanship. I know he will go to do a semester abroard and will also come back to finish his school work next year. He did very well for his long summe job and he seems to enjoy his stay in Leysin this summer. His teacher from LAysin mr Mark Lentz will be teaching in Tobago the capital of the island of Trinidad and Ben might want to join him.I know I miss him now. My first born boy. Before focusing on my two girls who will be preparing for departure to their school and university respectively. I want to grief about the departure of my boy. He is so independant and conderate. Really a fine young man as we parted he thanks his dad for traveling up with the whole family to see him off for the second year in Humboldt. We are not too sure if we will do it the following year. We feel that he know his way around there already. It won't be long before Valerie will be a senior and off to university also. She has two more years in Leysin before moving on. She enjoy teh clarity of our decision to keep her in Leysin and also now we are relieved about Isabelle having a university to go to and get to do what she is interested in doing.I like to arrange the house accordingly. Valerie say she is comfortable everywhere but she feel the least comfortable in Danville. I can see clearly that finally it will only be Benjamin who will still be in California or Bay area. The girls will be in Europe and Thailand more. We have diner at Hurricane Kate in Eureka on Saturday while Ben went out with his fellows sophomores for the Saturday de la rentree. the girls starte dto draw thai alphabets on the table cloth and Valerie really love the food at Hurricane Kate. If I were to amke a will today. The house in Thailand 3/14 Amporn 1 in Pathumthani goes to Isabelle. Actually she has her name in that house already. The Picnic lane will go to Benjamin. And our house here to Valerie.

Not a typical Sunday

I stay home most of the day today only go to the dance studio with my daughter. She want to look for classes and gain more experience in driving. Actually today she should be doing the appointment for driving test. I don't want to be the one who drive her to dance class and have to stay there waiting for her to finish like when they were little. Now she should be able to drive herself tehre betetr still she should be able to pay for her own classes. Like most of her friends do.Anyway, she went with me to writing class just to check it out. It was nice to hear she read soem of her writing. Going to Africa with the school and the past 4 years travellinga dn boarding school really good for her. This time coming home she did not go out as much as before and more careful about calling friends. Off course all the interest and college life will be different . Teh friend who still here is Leila. She will be going for a break to South Africa from October to March 2008 before coming back to go to community college. My husband is also feel more relaxed and catch up with most thing he need to do. I feel a little bit settled into this house finally after 3-4 years of emptying the boxes.

Back in 560 Rolling Hills

I am now in Danville for summer sitting at my rosewood dinning table. So many things have settled now. Benjamin is still in Leysin working with Tim Sloman supervising summer camp. Isabelle is now home from 6 weeks in Africa. Finally she is settled about university. She is going to Northampton U.K. and Valerie is working on her U.S. history credit in NMH prep school in Boston. All of teh trio seems to have their summer well spent this year and we will re unite for a brief catch up mid August before all of the go each their way again till Christmas. I am glad to practice teh light body meditation almost finished teh volume one. SO much has happened in my life. Franklin will have to move now September 1st. We will have to go to Brazzaville by then. I have been watching so many movie from blockbuster and Global DVD in Oakland. I need to watch everything now because when I go back to Africa will not be able to watch any more.I notice so many new habit I adopted from living in Pointe Noire the past 4 years. For example shopping for food. I slow down a lot more than before and choosing everything with care. Also I don't like to get too many things at a time and loose interest to shop at Costco even for our shipment to Africa.I enjoycooking from scratch more and more and don't mind doing that while I am in Danville. may be because I know that this is temporary. Tomorrow I will go to farmer market with Izzy in the morning and will join writing class with Selene for the first time.I was a little bit annoyed by the remark of Eva , participant in Clive's Thursday workshop about reading newspaper but that was a mild comment. It is my personal view that reading newspaper in this country or even watching CNN american version is a waste of time. People are not well informed here at all, But I am not interested to be well informed about where Britney Spear spend vacation or what's going on in the home of Brad Pitt andAngelina Jolie.Realisticly, I ahve no time for that.Luckily my kids' eyes are opened now about this junk people here don't mind to consume on a daily basis.

At the college counselling office in TASIS

I finally obtained an appointe with Mrs Duke who is Isabelle's college counsellor. I almost miss teh appointment while I was in town to buy a few new summer cloth and went into teh chruch to pray for my daughter's college entrance. With Mrs Duke ,we found out about the letter from the U.K. unversities sent to my daughter way back when. She did not act on it and did not show it to her counsellor. Mrs Duke ask for some minimum organisation on her part and we did teh step for her to take. She need to produce the dance tape within this Friday and DHL them out to the colleges. I did call my husband and report teh progress to him. But I also ask for personal appointment with Miss Brokel to report to her what happening with Izzy's application. How I felt that Saint Mary of teh Abondio church ahd help us. Had I not been in Mrs Duke office today thing would get late and the UCAS system will be frozen forever for my daughter. How it was so important that parents meet teachers and counsellor from time to time to hear first hand about teh progress of teh kids and les etate des chose. I also find out about two otehr schools in cacana that were great also.

Sunday 20 May in San Gottardo

Last night I came back so late. It was past mid night when I got on the internet trying find out about Concordia university and I got teh idea of having Izzy do french translationa nd music as teh way to open the door into college. Anyway, we did have a good time. I went to teh schol's library and check out teh book Ladies detective agency. It was so great and I enjoy it so much that I finished it in one day. Today I will bring it back to teh library. Then I stay at school the whole day. I arranged with Edward Hashke about family portrait and went out to wait for Elana and CArolina at the parking. WIth the Gala festivities going on for fund raising for teh school performing arts building that need to go on through the night. We finally left the school at seven thirty to go to Villa d'erst on the lake Como. We all took our passport with us to be wure that we can come back in case we can not pass the Italian border. I did try the cocktain in the villa d'erst called cosmopolitan and we walk around the beautiful hotel and I promise myself that I show it to Franklin and Michel and Roseline before they leave.
We took some pictures and went down to Lagio to see the front gate of George Clooney house, Then we go down the narrow road to the crotini Platino with teh full parking lot. We ahve to park by the street and there is no walkway so we have to walk very carefully down the narrow tiny highway to get to teh grotto rstaurant. It was not that great especially teh food but I like teh fish from lake and the salad. CArolina like champagne and I make a note to myself to chill at least two bottles of California champagne beforehand when tehy coem visit us in Brazzaville.We have a nice meal and nice converstion and Isabelle still worry about her future after the graduation. We didscussed about some liberal arts option taht she can do come September but it still not sound right to all of us. And all of a sudden we discovered that both of us had fogotten Dad's birthday almost two days ago on MAy 17. We feel so embarrassed and immediately call him. Dad want to have his BD dinner in August during summer holidays. He did not feel liek doing anything in Africa far from teh family. And , as usual teh one who never forget family occassion like this is our little Valerie.
I need to work on myself to just let go of control and anything about my daughter. I wonder if I can ever do that. Last night , I still find myself calling Isabelle at 2 am in teh morning.While I was on the computer. It is going to be 11 am now may be I can make a call or go to the school to return the book and rent another one. I'd already finish this two books during the trip may be I can check out one more or read the book written by the wife of the new headmaster. And right now I need to check my laundry that I sent down to wash this morning.