A busy weekend

Time to blog again. We've had a pretty busy week(end).

OrangeX was in Germany for the launch of a new product this week, we went to see a musical on Thursday evening (see previous post), then Orange had a meeting at 7 am (!!!) on Friday morning and I came home from work short after 7 pm on that same day. We sat down for a drink, chatted for a while and then around 9 pm, the phone rang and a male voice said: "What are you doing home on a Friday night?!". I scratched my head thinking: "I know that voice." Ahh, yes The Big Finn! We started chatting away and finally ended up taking a taxi to Mr. and Mrs. TBF's for a drink. When Mrs. TBF heard that we hadn't had dinner yet - which was what we were discussing when they called - she made her way to the kitchen while Mr. TBF got started on drinks. I felt a bit bad about Mrs. TBF standing in the kitchen for us, but she soon came back with a Finnish specialty of smoked fish and toast. I think it was a kind of herring, but Mr. TBF gave us the Finnish name that I can't remember. Shortly after that, Mrs. TBF appeared again with two big plates of delicious fettucine "al aglio e olio" (garlic and olive oil - and hot peppers!) that we gorged with the greatest of pleasure.

Then around 1am, I started feeling the strain of the week and all of a sudden had trouble keeping my eyes open. Of course that yummy Pinot Gris didn't help me stay awake. We had great fun at this unplanned get together but the need for sleep got too strong, so we called a cab, and I went straight to bed. Once more: Thanks for a delicious pasta and a great desert Mrs. TBF!!

It was difficult to get out of bed on Saturday. Not that much because of the evening before, but I had not slept very well the whole week and I had an appointment at the hairdresser's at 8.00 am. I kept asking myself: "Now why on earth did I do that?" After 2-3 cups of strong coffee, I felt half-alive and made my way to Markus' shop. I came back home around 10 am, checked my e-mails, read a couple of blogs - I was too tired to comment - and decided to go take a nap.

Around 3 pm, we left for Lucerne where we had been invited to a benefit concert given by the Symphony Orchestra "Nota Bene" and a special appearance by Christian Wenk, a pianist in a wheelchair. This concert took place in the KKL (Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern = Culture and Congress Center Lucerne), a magnificent modern building situated directly on the Lake Lucerne and known for it's incredible acoustics.

We took a nice walk over the Chapel Bridge (Kappelbrücke), Lucerne's landmark, into the old town to do a bit of window shopping - the stores were closed already - and back to have an early dinner at the "Au Premier", a very nice restaurant directly in the Lucerne Train Station, offering on one side a magnificent view of the old town, and on the other, overlooking the train platforms.

We walked over to the KKL and took our seats in the VIP area. We've both never been to a classical concert and didn't really know what to expect. I like classical music, but I prefer to be able to choose when I can switch it on and off, and who I'm listening to. The first part consisted of a piece from Anatol Ljadow (never heard of him) and the music was light and very pleasing to the ear. The second part was von Edvard Krieg starring Christain Wenk as solist on the piano.

Now, one would think "So what's so spectacular about that? He's got hands so he can play, right?". There's more to that than one thinks. We tend to forget that you have pedals on a piano. Aha. Right. No leg function. Ha! So how does he do it? Christian plays with a specially developped system consisting of a plastic tube that reacts to pressure - by clenching it with his teeth - via a probe that is linked to a pressure sensor giving an electronic impulse that regulates the position of the pedal. Okay, enough technical know-how. Furthermore, his high level of paralysis lead to a loss of belly and back muscles, therefore weakening his stability to sit. I don't know if you've ever seen a concert pianist play, but let me tell you that it must take a heck of a lot of energy to play for an hour. I was totally gobsmacked when I heard him play. He was fantastic. I couldn't withhold my fascination and when he finished, I was so emotionally taken by his incredible willpower and love for life that I could feel a lump in my throat and my eyes stinging with tears. This excellent performance was rewarded with a ten minute standing ovation which called Christian back on stage three times. Unfortunately, we forgot our camera at home. Really sorry that I can't post any pictures.

Note to self: "Stop bitching around about your little problems and find a solution instead."

The last bit was the Symphony Orchestra only playing Antonin Dvorak (never heard of him either). It was very nice, but I think that we had both had enough classical music for one evening and were looking forward to got home.

PS: After his accident, Christian Wenk also finished his medical studies and has been working as assistant MD for the past three years.