At the Circus

This portrait of Henri might not have to do anything with the circus, although it might be an act. It's the classic "I'm cute and I know it"-stunt, a privilege of small boys, benignly used to get things done. Like get parents to deliver desired foods and toys and affection.



This act might of course also be the underlying reason, why Opa Paul braved snowstorms and Siberian temperatures to hunt down tickets to the circus. Which were very much appreciated. Karl was all old circus pro, hangin' out on Opa's lap, munching popcorn and watching the combined artistry of Eastern Europe and Asia, as if it were just another well-known episode of Barbapapa. Henri on the other hand got a real kick out of his first truly concious circus outing, shouting "bravo" and clapping in rhythm, whenever the circus band got the audience to follow their lead. He was highly impressed by all those animals and adults milling around the arena. Both had quite some showtime stamina, considering that the program lasted for almost three hours. It was just cynical dad who though that his childhood circus has somewhat reached the state of underwhelming. Most acts could be seen in any pedestrian zone. Minus the Eastern European disco outfits. Could it be that the almighty Cirque de Soleil has cleared the global market for circus acts of the top shelf talent?

Circus was followed by a leisurely hour at home and a rather rowdy reading session. Now Opa Paul is in high demand on Henri's toy phone. Always great to see how those intergenerational bonds just click.