Vespa PX: Presidential Parenthesis

 It took me almost two hours instead of the usual thirty minutes to get home last week. This week, it was Barack Obama's turn and I was expecting worse. It didn't turn out as bad though. Largely because I had learnt my lesson and was more sure as to where I needed to go to escape all the madness. The lack of protests also helped. I was half-expecting there to be some form of protest from the anti-war/anti-globalisation/anti-everything combo but it was all quiet on that front. Maybe there were too exhausted after last week or maybe they just couldn't be bothered because Ireland's infamous sideways rain (normally seen on Paddy's Day) had made a return the morning of Obama's visit.

Maybe the rain has a thing for visiting American tourists.

Whatever it is, I took the precaution of leaving two hours in advance to make it to wherever I needed to be on time. Unfortunately, the plan worked all too well and I was at my intended destination about an hour ahead of schedule.

It wasn't the worst thing that could've happened to me. The sun was shining that afternoon, I had some delicious sambal ikan bilis buns in the glovebox to keep me from starving to death and if I listened carefully, I could've probably heard the live music blaring out of the speakers as a warm-up to the President's speech a couple of miles away on College Green. And, if that wasn't enough, I could always keep myself entertained by trying to decipher the pieces of modern "art" that was spray-painted on a wall close to where my Vespa was parked.

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The 25th of May represents a historic landmark in my life...

On this day, six years ago, the miracle of Istanbul stunned the world (especially the Milan players on the pitch of the Atatürk Olympic Stadium) and brought joy to the 30,000 or so Liverpool supporters in the stands that night as well as thousands upon thousands of others like myself who were glued to their tellys.

But seriously and more importantly, nothing (bar two other similar events) could beat my own personal miracle a couple of years later. The 25th of May was also the day my third child was born so, Happy Birthday boy! Daddy made a balls when ordering your birthday present. It's not going to be around at your wee birthday party but rest assured it will be worth the wait.