It is a glorious, sunny and warm Floridian morning. I am sitting on a terrace overlooking the game reserve area watching two giraffes enjoy their breakfast. The boys are still asleep exhausted from the previous night.

The rocking chair I am sitting in is made out of the African railway sleepers with the bolt holes still visible. I have a dinning table with 12 chairs at home made out of the same wood. It was handcrafted for me in Johannesburg by the local artisans. Indonesian teak was used in the colonial days to build the extensive rail network in what used to be Rhodesia. The trains transported gold, platinum, diamonds to the ships in Cape Town sailing back to Europe. As the railway is no longer used to such a degree, the sleepers are being pulled up and used for the unique furniture pieces.

As the day progressed, it got sunnier and warmer. There was no filming today, so we decided to relax around the swimming pool and enjoy the sunshine. For boys, that meant three hours in a heated pool. Later they were itchy from chlorine, as their skin got very dry. Some arnica oil remedied that quickly.

In the evening we headed over to the MGM Studios on our Disney guest extended hours pass. Quite a few attractions were closed, but we had a great time. We started with the Star Wars Flight Simulator. It was enjoyable for the boys, as they are fans of the Star Wars. This is a ride to be tried once for the experience.

Next we watched the 3D Muppet Show from the front row of the theater looking silly with our 3D glasses. Sebastian, who is 9, found the show very funny.

In Animation, a live actor was interacting with an animated character, Mushu and his designer. It was interesting to see how Disney creations go through many transformations from their inception to their final form. Before exiting Animation, we answered a few questions, and a computer came out with the perfect animated character match for each one of us. Sebi was pleased to be Buzz Lightyear, Marko was Lumiere, Ivan Woody and I was matched to Nala from Lion King.

For the final big thrill of the day, we went to one of our favourite roller coasters, Rock’n Roller Coaster. The pull at the beginning of the ride is so unexpected that we couldn’t resist purchasing a photo of all four of us in a car taken at that very moment. I am screaming my head off, Sebi is dead serious, Ivan is holding for his dear life, and Marko’s hair has taken a life of its own looking like something out of a cartoon. How is that for a family portrait?

It started as a leisurely day. We headed to the pool and I did some serious laps. Just as I was contemplating going back to take a shower, Marko, a 13 year old who could sleep all morning left to his own devices appeared. The Associate Producer called to let us know that we are going to be picked up an hour earlier.

We got ready and headed for the Mount Everest in the Animal Kingdom where the crew was waiting. The ride was exhilarating. Personally, it was one of my favourites. What I love about Disney roller coasters is that they all have a theme which is imagined and executed so well. This is what turns a ride from a thrill into an experience. It also differentiates it from the other Roller Coaster parks.

Mount Everest starts as a scenic ride through the tropical vegetation, but soon, the cars are pulled steeply up and a crazy ride comes to an abrupt stop at the broken tracks. We sat there wondering what next for a few moments, when we got pulled back into the complete darkness. After being ‘attacked’ by Yeti, we took a big plunge in the full view of the camera. In March when the show airs, enjoy watching us screaming our heads off on the national television.

We had some still shots taken at another location to serve as introduction later on, my hair gone wild from Mount Everest.

After that sequence we were free, and finally able to have our brunch at 2 p.m. Even for my European standards, that is considered late for brunch. I am very pleasantly surprised at the quality and the choice of food in all Disney parks. Our buffet was distinctly African filled with quality foods, from fruit to couscous, tofu curries, choice of roast meats and healthy salads. It isn’t cheap, but it certainly is very tasty.

We finished in time for the parade which was filled with animal contraptions resembling those we saw at the Lion King musical on Broadway, mixed with Disney characters in safari garb.

The walk by the lake through the tropical aviary filled with colourful Macaws, waterfalls and tortoises was a pleasant diversion from the hustle of the rest of the park.

Sebastian bailed out the very last minute from the Primeval Whirl, a classic coaster with spinning four seater cars with sudden turns and drops on a metal frame.

The boys felt like having another swim at the hotel’s heated pool. I decided to join them to burn some calories from a big lunch. Swimming is one of my passions. I loose myself completely in it (find myself may be the better word).

One of the privileges of staying in Disney resort are extra magical hours in the mornings (which would never work out for my family) and at night. Every day, one of the parks is open before and after hours for the guests of the resorts. Yesterday it was the Magic Kingdom.

Without queues, we managed to see quite a few attractions in a short period of time. We started with Stitch’s Great Escape, an attraction for the very young audience with some squirting of the water, and burping into your ears with olfactory effects of a chilly dog. 9 year old boys find that very funny.

We moved across the road to do Buzz Lightyear. This time I scored double of what I did the last time. It was still half of what the boys did, but at least I am improving.

Then we headed for the Carousel of Progress, a narration about the changes affecting lives of American families through the 20th and this century. Although it was interesting to see the past, the present (or was that done with the future in mind ten years ago?) needs some immediate updating.

To wrap up the day, we headed for the big thrill Space Mountain. This time round I knew what to expect, but was never the less excited.

By the time we reached our hotel, it was past midnight. We talked about our fun filled day eating our Domino delivered super thin crust pizza (an option worth keeping in mind with the insane prices of the Resort food).

We have agreed on MGM Studios.

“It’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow and tomorrow is just a day away.”

What a busy day we had today!

We skipped breakfast all together and ate lunch in front of the cameras around 10 o’clock. Given the time of the day and knowing what was ahead, we kept it fairly light.

Test Track at Epcot was our next stop. We enjoyed it this time round as much as we did on our first day. How could anyone tire of the fast ride and some hair rising hair pin turns? Even the producer could not resist this ride and went for a spin.

As we were free for a while, we decided to try the new attraction, ‘Soaring’. The wait was long, but it did not seem that way, as there were five big interactive screens lining up the walls. Complete strangers, having in common only their desire to experience ‘Soaring’, would team up to play the games on the screen. The thermal heat imaging from our bodies was used to ‘grow landscape’ and spread seeds, or to fly a bird or pop balloons. But everyone needed to pull together in order for the game to work. The teams did get pretty competitive with each other. All the leaning and arms flailing proved to be an excellent aerobic workout

‘Soaring’ was a magical experience. This is a family show for all ages and a true celebration of the beautiful Californian landscapes.

To get to see ‘The Seas’, we walked through ‘Innoventions’ where the boys got hooked on various video games. Fast cars and football were predictably occupying most of their time.

After hearing the story about its inception, I rode a Segway. It is very simple to use, and I whizzed away, apparently quite fast. The boys were a little disappointed that no one under 16 was allowed to go on it.

With this interesting detour, we arrived at ‘The Seas’ attraction. This is a popular one for the younger kids, telling the story from the Nemo movie. What adds extra charm to it is that the animated characters are swimming in a real life aquarium filled with live fish.

To Sebi’s insistence, we went back to Mission Space: Orange Team, switching our roles around. There is a Green Team option for those who prefer an easier space ride.

We were just in time to be picked up by the Production Assistant and taken to the MGM Studios for some more filming. There it got really hectic, as it was getting darker and it started raining. Everything was first shot outside, which, with the weather that was coming, proved to be a good decision.

The Producer found some other ‘victims’ to sign the release and join us in the Tower of Terror twice. None of the stuff is shot just once to the delight of the boys who get to enjoy more rides that way.
This ride is not for the people with a weak stomach (or high blood pressure I would think). The theme is the TV series the’ Twilight Zone’. The cool voice of Rod Sterling and the vision of the hologram ghosts were calling us into the Twilight Zone. After some pretty amazing effects, we plunged into the dark abyss bellow us, just to be pulled up again. I have no idea how the cameraman climbed up where he was standing, but he managed to capture the terror in our faces at that very brief moment before we freefell into the darkness once again.

We finished filming at the Rock’n Roller Coaster, which we (yes you guessed it) rode twice. It was fun, fun, fun. After the countdown, we raced onto the imaginary Californian freeway into the fast paced adventure.

I have no idea where the boys found the desire to go swimming once we were back at the African Lodge, but they did. The water of the hotel pool is so wonderfully warm that a steam could be seen rising into a cooler air. I opted for a quick gym workout.

Tomorrow is a sleep in. We do not get picket up till 1:30. I am looking forward to it!

We were supposed to be picked up at 10, but I was not surprised when the Associate Producer called to tell me that we have been pushed back a little. Waiting for the crew appears to be part of the business.

Scott picked us up and after receiving a security clearance we ended up backstage at the Magic Kingdom.

We filmed at the Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster. The boys loved the VIP treatment of bypassing the lines, and riding the roller coaster three times. I think that they enjoyed even more the attention of the teenage girls who were keen on talking to them once they saw them surrounded with the TV crew.

We loved the realism of the Rockies and enjoyed going through the grotto filled with bats. To add to the thrill, as we got pulled up and out of the grotto, there was a water mist awaiting us at the top. The plunge that followed could only be described as exhilarating.

Once the ‘work’ was done, we were off to do fun things on our own.

First we headed to the Space Mountain. After being propelled through a tube of green and yellow light, we entered the darkness of the space. The feeling certainly made other senses more awake and the ride very thrilling.

To acknowledge the youngest one in our party, we chose to go to the Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger spin. I shall not reveal my shooting score. Let’s just say that it was half of my 9 year old son’s. (But then he does play video games regularly).

On our way to lunch, we somehow got caught in the Family Parade. And I do not mean watching it. We were asked to be a part of it. The oldest boys didn’t think this to be such a great idea, but a 9 year old and I had an absolute blast waving the American flag and walking through the Magic Kingdom with Pluto at the head of the parade. I think that the Queen (the real one in Buckingham Palace)would have been proud of our hand waving to the crowd skill.

After this little parade diversion, I had to take ravenous teenage boys to have some food. We headed for Epcot and had some Mexican inspired food at the San Angel Inn. The food was nowhere nearly as good or as authentic as the Moroccan the night before. I voiced my doubt over the meat on my plate having any connection with the filet mignon. The other small issue was that I happen to have visited the real San Angel Inn in Mexico City. The margaritas were to die for, and food was divine. Serves me right for having travelled too much!

We had tremendous fun filming today and have learnt a lot about the process. There were numerous people on the set. Apart from the producer and associate producer we met yesterday, today we were introduced to the show host, the owner of the production company, an executive from the TV channel that will be airing the show, Marketing and PR executives from Disney, a make up artist, a cameraman, a sound technician, and a couple of guys under the general heading of production assistants (read drivers and general help around).

The boys were in their element and loved every minute of the attention they were getting. No idea where they got that gene from?!

One thing we learnt was the enormous amount of waiting that tends to go on during the production. Moving the equipment, setting up, getting the right lighting, doing the finishing touches….

Once the filming was done for the day, we headed for Epcot. It was getting dark and there were no lines. We started with the timeless ride at the very entrance to the park, ‘Spaceship Earth’, which was enchanting taking us back to the past and into the future.

The big thrill was the brand new ‘Test Track’, an ultimate adventure for the car lovers. We made it in our car through hair pin curves, ‘endured’ some extreme drives through tough climates, ascended and descended with some interesting obstacles, and ended our adventure in a roller coaster style thrill ride outdoors.

Finally, we bravely entered a space rocket in ’Mission: Space’ classifying our team as more challenging Orange and bravely went where no man went before. Our team effort with Pilot Ivan, Navigator Marko, Engineer Sebi and of course me as a Commander (just like in real life) landed us on planet Mars. I have a feeling that we will be revisiting this one during our stay here in Orlando.

We took a walk through the ‘World Showcase’ and decided to have a Middle Eastern dinner in a Moroccan restaurant. The food was very authentic and the service was excellent. Lamb was slow cooked to a perfection, and the boys loved their baklava dessert and unsweetened mint tea. It reminded me of my life in Istanbul and I shared some fun Turkish stories with our Moroccan waiter.

It was such a great feeling to kick off the boots, peal off the layers and enjoy the humidity of Orlando. Back in freezing Newark, we arrived at the gate half an hour before the take off time to find our flight already boarded. It left on time and arrived 10 minutes early.

In Orlando, we headed for Disney’s Magic Express, and left it to them to pick up our luggage and deliver it to our room. All we had to do was step on the red carpet and be whisked off to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Authentic thatched roof over the entrance, reminiscent of so many hotels I stayed in on the African continent welcomed us. Having lived in South Africa, it feels a lot like being in Sun City, a ‘playground’ two and a half hours drive from Johannesburg. At times it is truly difficult to believe that we have not left the U.S. A. Animals are browsing around the property grounds, and today we saw giraffes, zebras, flamingos, wildebeest…

The boys were so ecstatic to be flying on 747 after two years of being grounded. They are very appreciative of staying in this phenomenal resort.

Drawn by the sounds of the drums, we joined the drum circle. There is something so primeval in that rhythm. I had a blast. It turns out that the drummer was from Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. How many times have I driven past Pietermaritzburg on my way from Johannesburg to Durban and the resort of Umshalanga further North? We had a little chat about the forthcoming Soccer World Cup in S. Africa. It is sending the entire country into the frenzy.

My cheering ‘Bafana! Bafana!’, a S. African soccer team was well received by the ex pat S. Africans.

We dined at Boma restaurant and were shown to our table by an Africans hostess from Cape Town, one of the most beautiful cities in the world in my opinion. The other hostess who soon joined us in our conversation was a Zulu from the tropical Durban.

‘Nkosi sikelele Africa’, I said. Zulu guy who had joined us raised a power fist to my greeting. ‘God bless Africa’, I raised my fist in reply.

Eating Bobotie, desserts made with Amarula and some other African specialties was like going down the memory lane.

My watch reminded me that we are down here on business. Well, sort of business. So we went to meet with the producer and associate producer of the travel show we will be filming while here. The briefing went well. It is always interesting to meet in person someone you have spoken to over the phone and have an image in your head of what they would look like. The producer is at least 10 years younger than what I imagined. It is encouraging to see a woman getting a gig like this.

Thanks to my boys, I ended up going for a late night swim. The hotel pool is open 24 hours. The pool temperature is a little warmer than the air outside. Absolute bliss! I power swam quite a few laps and felt so invigorated afterwards. I wrapped myself in a towel and with my wet hair spilling over my shoulders made way to my room where a warm shower was awaiting me.

A Prince and a Frog, originally uploaded by Incurable Optimist.

At the first glance it looked like an ordinary English assignment sitting on the Daredevil’s desk. Then I realized that this 13 year old boy who has been struggling with his parents’ divorce, has found a way to open his heart. This is his essay.

“My mom had now been married for 18 years. It seemed like everything was going fine, but my dad just had to spoil it. On September 24th 2005, a couple of weeks before my parents’ anniversary my dad was moved out of the house and into an apartment. They had decided to get a divorce. A few days earlier my mom found out that my dad had a secret admirer. It hit her when she was driving back from food shopping. She was in pain mentally and physically.

Every day my mom would get into arguments with my dad. My dad was though “shy” to admit he had pondered on another woman, and that was how it was until my mom moved him out of the house. My mom and dad were now officially “separated”.

My dream was broken. I always wanted to have the perfect life with two great parents standing there for me, when I got into trouble or when I aced a test. It seemed not from now on. Only one parent would be there for me mainly and the other only sometimes. I realized though my mom had made the right choice for her and us. Things would be much harder now and some days I would cry with tears dripping down enough to fill the Delaware canal. I was in total denial and shock for the next week.

My mom had been fighting for our custody and money. My mom had made the choice to follow my dad around the world wherever the business took him. She had been betrayed and back-stabbed. We were now alone and stranded on an island. Trying to find a way out of this mess, the only hope was to believe that everything would be all right. That is the only way to succeed. Everything started to get better. We were now breaking through!

Just a couple of days ago we got all the home equity. I felt better in my heart and really do believe and feel I’m a much better person. I have gone through a lot in my life, but this is one that would be the hardest for me to overcome, but I know I can do it. We know we had fallen for the magic trick, but we now know it was never real.”

With Tessa Souter, originally uploaded by Incurable Optimist.

It was so moving listening to Tessa Souter’s sultry and distinctive voice past Friday. I sat on the grand stairway of the Philadelphia Art Museum with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon in hand, her music deeply penetrating into the very soul of my being. Her jazzy rendition of Sting’s ‘Fragile’ touched my core. I felt mellow and salty tears ran down my cheek. Perhaps it was a hint of the Middle Eastern influence making me feel the deep rhythm in my belly, very pronounced in songs such as ‘Caravan.’ Maybe it was the lyrics, some sad, some touching and all beautiful.

If you are not already a fan, I hope that you discover her latest album ‘Listen Love’, and let her unique voice and her music, reflecting a wide range of influences reach you.

Willow
(Lyrics: Tessa Souter)

What if I became a willow tree
On the banks of you – a wild river
What would you do if I fell into the dark of you
Would that be too deep
And if I touched the very heart of you
Would you let me keep the tender moment
When a part of you loved me too
I’m yearning for a deeper blue
Please let me run away with you to the sea
And if I should let a tender leaf
Go floating over you – a pale green dancer
Would I just sink or would you hold me
While you danced with me
Lead me to the brink of falling deeper
In romance with me
Would you let me drink of you until you were
entranced with me, dance with me
I’m yearning for a deeper blue
Please let me run away with you to the sea

Tequilas, originally uploaded by Incurable Optimist.

It is such a wonderful feeling to walk into a fine dining restaurant with the boys, knowing that they will know how to enjoy the experience and not worry about their behavior. These are truly treasured moments where we talk and laugh and have fun as a family.

To celebrate Daredevil’s birthday, we went to Tequilas, one of my favorite Philadelphia restaurants. Please note that I was asked to omit Mr. from the name, on the request of Daredevil himself, who thought it was too starchy and not appropriate for someone under 18. Who am I not to respect those wishes?

Tequilas is a very welcoming Mexican restaurant with a warm atmosphere; flowers and copper tea lights at every table, large pewter mirrors hanging on the walls together with other interesting Mexican decorations.

Shortly after we were seated, we were addressed in rapidly spoken Spanish by one of the busboys. I am certain that my son’s Argentine Polo shirt I bought in Buenos Aires earlier this year contributed to this. I asked the birthday boy to deal with that one, as he is studying Spanish at school.

The waitress was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful in describing the dishes and making suggestions to the boys making their choices easier.

Chef Carlos Molina prepares fragrant, colorful, beautifully presented dishes reminiscent of the restaurants I have eaten in San Angel suburb of Mexico City. The food was, as always, very authentic and thoroughly delicious. Langustines I indulged in were as good as in the best Portuguese restaurants in South Africa. Daredevil still raves about his chicken served in a beautiful cast iron pot.

We did have some fun when Mr. Responsible decided to test the heat of a chili pepper. One of those natural teenage boy passages, I guess. I have a sequence of photos showing his face from the moment when the idea occurred to him until he is glugging down the water in an attempt to drown the heat.

The most touching to me was how thankful the boys were for the experience, as they are all painfully aware of how drastically our circumstances have changed.

At home, we presented the birthday boy with a funky green cake in the shape of a frog I bought in Wholefoods, with 13 candles like hedgehog’s spikes protruding from it. After “Happy Birthday” song, making a wish and blowing the candles, at 9:36 p.m. London time, where he was born, Daredevil became a teenager.

Now I need to prepare for the big party on Sunday.

The incredibly warm weather for this time of the year has brought everyone to the streets of Philadelphia. On Saturday night, it took me as long to park the car, as it did to drive from the Bucks County to the city. Small tables lining the pavements in front of the cafes and restaurants were full of people catching up with each other’s news or simply watching the world go by. If only Rittenhouse Square and a few surrounding streets were to become a pedestrian zone, it would have been even a more pleasant experience.

My girlfriend and I were still standing in front of Rouge, wondering where to sit down with all the tables taken, when a gentleman invited us to share his table. Why not? Over a glass of deliciously sparkling Bellini we found out that he was a property developer with Greek roots, a taste for Champagne and Jaguars.

He asked us if we wanted to join him at his friend’s night club, and we thought how that sounded like fun. We walked to the club where, shortly upon our arrival, I met the Italian owner who kissed my hand. “Mio piacere,” I responded.

I did not exercise the offer of any music requests, but I did have a blast drumming. During the songs that had a very heavy beat, a drummer came out with one of the African drums. He played some interesting variations on the beat, and I tried to copy after him. Just as I would get comfortable with one, he would switch to another. That was a unique experience. There is something primeval in the drum beat that appeals to all of us.

However, I do not think that I will be dialing any of the numbers from the business card I was given as we walked back to my car.