Schwarze Family Update

Hi Everyone,

Thanks Robin for the photos, your kids have certainly grown but WOW! They are unmistakeably little Wickli's, sooooo cute - even if they look like Robin's clones :) - sorry Heidi! I have to admit though I think it is great that we hear about the family news from Robin, oh sure Matti would also give you our family news more often if it came in the form of a football score or a captain's log! So without further adieu, her is the short version of our life in god ol' dim sum country.....

MATTI: still with Dragon Arilines and despite it being bought by Cathay Pacific is going strong. He is now a TRE which stands for something I cannot remember but he is essentially a Training Captain both on the plane and in the simulator - the latter he assures me is more fun as he gets to push buttons to cause engine failures and other fun emergencies to make the pilots feel like they should have chosen accounting instead of flying school (its like a live Xbox game that Matti is controlling - what can I say my boy is finally learning to play nicely with the other boys!)

XANDER: he is 13 going on 35! We have officially reached our teens. He has traded in his pokemon cards for some gel and Dolce & Gabanna aftershave; his game boy for a Gillete Mach II shaver; his Lara Tomraider for a REAL girl in Klasse 8 (BTW he is in Klasse 7); his Nike for Converse; his classic guitar for a black electric Yamaha. Matti and I sure have our work cut out for us for at LEAST the next 6 years before we ship him off to some obscure University of his choice.

MAX: "The player" at 10 years old, true to form he is quickly following in his older brother's footsteps because we ALL know the second child learns a LOT faster than the first. He's got the gel, he's got the (cheap Manning's) aftershave, he's got the grirfriend (the 3rd in 3 months - he claims he gets bored of them easily!!!!! And he answers the phone: "Talk to me" OY VEY! One thing is for sure with Max: NEVER a dull moment!

TASHA: Our little princess has graduated from Kindergarten and will be starting Primary 1 in August but NOT at GSIS. (I can hear most of you gasping!). The short of it is they have raised the fees (again) and also the debentures from HK$40,000 when Alexander started in 1998 to the present price of HK$120,000 PER CHILD! Does not really justify the other costs. Anyway, Natasha will be going to the Peak School (part of ESF) and is really proud to be attending the "big girl school". Matti calls her his little cash cow as she has dabbled in a little modelling and earning her 'toys' money. Look out for her ads on the internet with Clipsal lighting, Henderson Land and Properties, and Walmart in the U.S.

SEAN: Our little baby has turned 1! Taking after his brother Max, started to climb and walk at just 11 months! He is huge and has already 10 chompers in his expanding mouth to match his expading gut! He loves to dance - his FIlipino blood coming out, and to play with his big sis who makes him laugh. A very happy and easy going baby whose personality matches his father's.As for me I am still doing property and sometimes even making a "fun" money for myself. WE are going to the see Coldplay with Xander and Max this week (I better listen to the album otherwise I won't recognise ANY song). In September we are going to visit Carsten and Yuko in Japan and Matti bought tickets to see Madonna in concert in Tokyo around the same time. We are off to the US this Summer but are planning to to go to Europe in the Summer of 2007, so watch out you people living in Germany, France and Scotland, we might just show up at your doorstep.