home with the piano

In Danish language there is a great expression: to come from a home with the piano. This means to be raised in a (prosperous) home with cultural interests.
Music is all over us in our house.
David and Masha are playing violin. Masha sings in Childrens Choire. The youngest has been called partly after one of my favourite violinist Jascha Heifetz. (Funny but already many years ago I was convinced that my kid would be called Jascha)

We attend numerous concerts, even taking the kids and us to the icon of violin Itzhak Perlam and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
And now we actually having a real piano in our house. Finally, a real one.
When I was a kid, growing up in an intelligent family, I had to take music lessons. This is something come being a part of the childhood description, goes from generation to generation. This is something one can't choose but just does it. I hated those piano lessons, while my friends were going out, I was either going to lessons or rehearsing. At the age of 14, I was about to throw it out of the window (12th flour). But now.... Oh, I love it. I love playing by myself, playing with kids. Finally our house is full with music.
And at the end of the day, when I work from home, this is the best way to get him occupied for 30 minutes a time.

Taxes

The time has come....
Living in one, working in another one, have ties to the third country makes our life just a bit complicated.
Funny enough - Denmark makes it quite easy to file our "income" as one can't possible make a profit on the rent of the house, if one wants to keep paying the mortgage (that is a post by itself). Everything resulting in negative numbers with all those property taxes, ground taxes, etc. that one ends up getting money back. Not a lot but enough for the ice-cream...
Then comes Canada.... Oh, Canada. That is quite simple. You keep all the receipts for all the cat food, oh sorry, medicine, you ever purchased, for all the bus rides, child activity, donations to support orcas, belugas, while buying a ticket to Aquarium. And then you file, file and wait. Interesting observe how many place their economy on tax return. There is even an after tax return sale. So how about that?
And then now there comes the US. The best document ever written, in my opinion, is U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, or Dummies, just like me. There it is clearly states every possible scenario one can imagine, like what is .... I live on a boat, that is floating about a mile away from an American soil? Or what if I live underground in a literal sense of that? Or under which category should I file entertainment and gifts expenses?
Just remember....

Children and drunken men speak the truth.

We try to teach our kids good value, good manners, and good behaviour. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes not. 

We believe in God and we try to teach our kids the value of faith, forgiveness and honesty. However, how do you deal with the kid, announcing you that he/she doesn't want to go to church anymore? Not because he/she doesn't believe in God but there is something else! And how do you deal with the fact that you actually agrees with their explanation. 

We teach them to treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. But what if it is only one way street? What if it is that you try very much, but at the end of the day, you are the only kid who is left behind? Not once, not twice but all the time. The church is not for social network of friends but a temple of God, but for a kid, it is a place where you want to go, because there are other kids like you, who share your ideas and believes, but also who treat you with respect and accepts you. 

Today I got that: "Mum, we are different". I know that! What can I say? I can swallow the fact that we are not invited, I can say to myself, we are not a part of the group. But how can I explain that to my kids? They are not friends with the other kid? But so is not a 2 year old toddler but their parents are. 

We believe in God and even with the busy schedules we have, we are trying to attend church as often as we can. But how on earth I can look into my kids eyes and say to them, let's do it again. How can I look into my kids eyes and say that it is a good idea to go to a place where they are not welcomed! This is a place of worship, so never mind the other stuff!
I guess, we are such people, that we will never say that to each other. Everyone keeps smiling, asking how you are doing, and continuing with their lives but I never thought that I should teach my kids some wisdom tricks on that early stage of their life. 

Customer service - airlines

The time has been flighting as we constantly fly between two countries and two megapolis. During this past year we have gained a lot of experience on how to deal with the different airlines.

One thing it is fine to fly on short distances with no comfort but when it comes to the long distances then it is a different story. 

Recently I was booking a 15 hour flight and was trying to make our transition to the other side of the world easier. As we booked tickets with United (I know, I know, but thank goodness we will use it only on the shortest leg - 11 hours), I gave them a ring to talk about my booking.  Just to get through a real person is hard, and then the first thing one gets "we can't help you". It turns out to be that as we will be flying with 3 different airlines in the same alliance, so United claimed that I have to call each one of the airlines and speak to each one of them. 

I did so. Funny, how european and asian airlines at least trying to keep the standard of customer services and do what ever then can to make the customer come back to them, while United, just like Bell, thinks that it is a monopoly, behaves like one and doesn't care if you use with them next time or not. 

I managed to book bassinets on all three flight, however for United, I had to swear that Jascha will not be more then 22 pounds by the time of flighting. On my remark then in that case they should weight every passenger before boarding I was accused on not behaving in a proper manner.