Hannah and Grace helping me blow out my candles
My birthday this year was a relatively low key affair – with Rocio, Grace and Hannah celebrating it with me (my mum and sisters popped in to see me through the week). Rocio and I went out to dinner in the evening and then went to a concert at the Opera House (The Whitlams were playing, not that I’m a fan, but it’s what happened to be on December 3, and it was a great concert).
Merry Christmas 2009 from the Pospisils – my, what a year…
I started writing this short story in May last year, and never really quite knew how to finish it. Back in July and August this year I was travelling for a few weeks, and when I got back home, I rediscovered this almost finished story. Those of you who know me personally, will understand this story’s significance, especially considering most of it was written last year.
Chapter 1
I was tidying a drawer full of old CDs when I came across one labeled “Music for a late night”. Finding that CD took me back several years to when my then business partner Tom and I had a small office in the beachside Sydney suburb of Coogee, where we put together our magazine FREE ACCESS.
Both my father and I owe our existence to one young man’s quick thinking and luck on the morning of March 31, 1937 (or perhaps 1936). Below is a translation of the clipping pictured at the bottom of the page:
Crew of burning plane: Courageous landing at Olomovc Airport
At Olomovc Airport on the 31st of March, 19 witnesses described the fearless courage and skill of training plane pilot Lieutenant Frantisek Pospisil and his observer Corporal Josef Pipal.
My partner in this exercise, Hannah Pospisil eating a banana we had just bought during our morning walk in Lima
When the Pospisils were in Lima in November and December I would often take Hannah for a walk early in the morning. Going for a walk in Lima is an entirely different experience to talking a walk in say Sydney.
We got back from Lima on the 13th of December, just in time for the all-important Santa pic. Completely jet lagged for five days, the first chance we got to go to Broadway Shopping Centre was on the morning Saturday the 20th. Fortunately, we got there early so there wasn’t much of a wait. We were there for when Santa arrived – he was a very cheery fellow indeed.
It’s official – Santa prefers Coca Cola over Pepsi, as evidenced by the above photo.
While at the Circuito Magico de Agua, we came across a magical area where you could see where Santa makes his toys, as well as visit his house, and even get your photo taken with him.
Ever since we arrived in Lima everyone’s been asking us “have you seen Circuito Magico de Agua”?
We were a hesitant, since we wondered how exciting can some fountains with lighting really be?
Boy, are we glad we went – the Circuito Magico de Agua (magic circuit of water) at Parque de la Reserva was simply amazing. It was something I would never expect to see in Lima.
While in Lima, we thought it might be nice to get a family portrait taken. From left to right, my beautiful wife Rocio, my one-year-old daughter Hannah, my three-year-old daughter Grace, and of course, me (that balding, but still very youthful looking guy on the right).
We had the photographs taken at a small studio in San Isidro, and were surprised at the studio’s brisk business- they were booked solid.