On the Way Home

The Wednesday afternoon class that I teach is so terribly afflicted by Covid restrictions - masks on all the time, everyone must stay in their seats, nobody can touch anything touched by someone else, everyone must work individually, etc. After a full day of school these nineteen 12-year-olds are to be commended for not going all Lord of the Flies on me during our 2 hours together, and I am learning what it is possible to teach under such circumstances.

When it's time to go home, the children find a renewed energy and burst out of the doors of the school. I walk home gently, carefully, saving myself for the three flights of stairs at the end of the journey. Today I stopped on the way, by the door of the now defunct Peccati di Gola (Sins of Gluttony) chocolate shop, and watched this cyclist practice the trick of riding along the wall.

The photo is a little out of focus (low light and an iPhone6) but I enjoyed watching, especially that he kept coming back to try again. I have a week to reset myself, and will try again at the school next week!

PS HMD Thoughts Update

Thinking of bikes, this is one of my favourite ones.

My last couple of posts were filled with fine words about Holocaust Memorial Day and my attempt to give it contemporary relevance for the students I am teaching. In fact, what probably had the greatest (if any) effect was an image that came to me in the middle of the class, while I was trying to make an intellectual presentation.

All the kids have bikes, and ride them regularly. I said to them, and as I said this I acted my words out physically using the aisle between the desks as my street, I said, so you're riding your bike down the street, and you want to make a right turn. You turn, and there is a gigantic hole in the road and you fall in and the bike is totalled and your legs are smashed ow ow ow ow ow! OR you're riding your bike down the street, and you see a sign that says WARNING gigantic hole if you turn right. So you don't turn right, and go on your way, with your legs and your bike intact.

What is the point of Holocaust Memorial Day? It is a giant warning sign for you, on your journey. That is why we teach you about the Nazi murderers and their victims. So you will remember what evil is possible, and not take that road. Your journey. Your life.

So that's the image that came to mind. I hope it helped make a connection for a bunch of teenage Italian boys who'd just been dragged by their school to see a documentary about Anne Frank, and had little sense of what that had to do with them.

Are The Boris Bikes Behind It All?

This weekend the World Triathlon for men and for women was held in Hyde Park. One event. One weekend. I hear that Brits won both races. Hurrah.

It is the plan that next year this will be an Olympic course. For these races Hyde Park Corner and roads leading to it were closed. That means Park Lane, Piccadilly and arteries towards Victoria, Chelsea and Kensington. Buses were diverted but no signs shared to where. People were prevented from entering the Underground because it was too full. Streets were gridlocked. Taxis? Feh! Mounted police patrolled Knightsbridge. Walking was certainly possible but the rainfall was severe and very wet.

Nu? This was just one summer weekend full of shoppers and tourists. What on earth is going to happen during the Olympics when sports fans join the mix? Currently, Londoners are being advised to make alternative transport arrangements for getting to work at that time. Unless we shall be issued with personal jet-packs, I fail to see what those alternative arrangements might be. Except, perhaps, to sign up for the Mayor of London's bicycle scheme?