Friday 31st January, 2014

As it’s Chinese New Year and therefore I don’t need to concentrate on delivering the usual deluge of huge value added to you today, I thought I would share some good news instead.  Yuji, one of my colleagues, has just become a father.  Yes I know, sweet.  He flew back to Tokyo where his wife gave birth.  Actually if you are one of his clients you may have received this news from him already, but in case you havn’t, his email is attached (taeglich it’s a boy.pdf ) and as you will read they are all well and he is very happy.  He was moved to poetry even.

 

“Tiny yawns and sleepy sighs

Nursery rhymes and lullabies

A brand new life has brought us joy

Oh, what fun to have a boy!”

 

I sent his wonderful message along with a poetic effort of my own to Sophie, but it was a bit of a schoolboy error on my part…..

 

"I think he’s lovely!” she snapped back at me “I wish you had played less golf and been a bit more of a doting Dad!"   

 

She may have been referring to when Hen was born ( at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee ).  This was well before paternity leave had been introduced, but nevertheless I had managed to wangle three weeks leave – we were living in Hong Kong at the time - and flew back arriving in Scotland two days before Hen did.  I hadn’t seen Sophie for 5 weeks and, it being my first brush with these sort of things, I was quite shocked to find her the size of a house.  So I was out onto the golf course within hours of walking through my parents front door….getting over the jet-lag.   The next day I went to an ante-natal class so don’t give me too much of a hard time, ladies.  Admittedly, if memory serves me right, I played golf on 19 of the ensuing 21 days I was in Scotland, but it was all for the good.  I got to the fourth round of the Calcutta Cup in the R&A’s Autumn meeting.  Hen’s delivery was a protracted process which kept me away from St Andrews for a couple of days.  To say I wasn’t a doting Dad??  Very unfair.  Humph.

 

Anyway, here’s the poem I wrote that Sophie took such exception to:

 

Dirty nappies, piercing cries,

Agony between the thighs.

Just one thing can bring me joy;

A piece of sushi dipped in soy.

 

In the holiday spirit, a quick update from Jimmy in St Lucia.

 

“Oh yeh it wasn't that great but we were only there for 3 nights and met some cool people. Met a rasta called Teerass and he literally was one of the most interesting people ever, I'll tell u at home. Also when I was walking past some real Caribbean dudes one guy said "hey rasta woman" massive compliment. Think it's cos my hairs gone so crazy now.. Xxx”

 

Hey ho.  KHayFC amigos.