A night to remember.

It was, for all intents and purposes, a fantastic event. Last Saturday, a combined birthday and retirement party and a resounding statement that we seniors still know how to shake things up. The journalistic approach to my work, of course, means that if it can be used in the Brida Community, it will. Luckily, Céline & Alexandre were there too and last Thursday, they willingly obliged to tell Walter what he had missed. And, ensuring that nobody else misses the story, you can read about it, and share your perspective on how parties are organised and celebrated here in France. The hosts were Guy & Geneviève, who are members of Brida as well. But, sadly, their year has been also intensely challenging, I sincerely hope things will return to normality in the autumn.

A deeper dive into AI.

Earlier in the week, Nathalie, Niki and I played, “AI ping pong”. But as the match continued, the atmosphere seemed to get colder. I could feel the temperature drop towards the end of our discussion. There is a lot of fear or discomfort when this subject comes up. We need to face it, so that we can learn to control it, or, more, those who wish to use it to the general disadvantage of humanity. But, with my last post on the subject, I too was happy to let it drop over the horizon.

Rising Stars: Cléa and Maxime.

Cut. Let’s move to more positive news. He who knows no fear, aka, Maxime, seems to have taken a lesson out of Cléa’s book. Or shall we say, video? The overall praise for her Vlogs was loud and clear. Maxime joined the bandwagon and produced and then shared a video of his gymnastics development. The difference between the two is stark. While Cléa made us talk, Maxime left us speechless, or at least lost for words. But not everybody has had a chance to see it yet. When we meet, you can try and find the words. Nevertheless, Maxime is an inspiration. He clearly shows that if you stick to your vision, and have the necessary support, you can achieve a lot.

Bon Voyage, Igor & Mari

This, too, is something that Igor and his partner Mari seem to be experiencing at the moment. They decamp to Los Angeles later this month and are currently on a farewell tour visiting family and friends. On Friday, I managed to catch him in São Paulo, where we shared an exciting 50 minutes talking about where he had been and what we should do and see if ever we went there. I really recommend you watch the video. It comes with subtitles.

In praise of Grandfathers

Speaking of family. A little series is rumbling in the background. Grandfathers. Maxime described his grandfather, now 81 years old. Fit as a fiddle, he seems to be. The stuff we can learn from each other. Fantastic.

Getting fitter

Speaking about being fit as a fiddle, Walter’s topic about sports has gained traction, with more comments being posted. Perhaps, we’re just warming up

Looking forward.

And that brings me to my final thought. Summer has arrived, and the focus is on fun, relaxing, packing bags and going places, having new experiences. For those of us left looking after the fort, it means that it’s going to get very, very quiet for the next two months. Brida will continue to gently move forward because you know what? When nothing happens, it is still something. And we can still talk about that.