Back from foreign parts

Just back from an exhausting but really interesting trip to Zurich. I was speaking to teenagers in the Zurich International school - 12 hours of brain workshops over two days and then a parent talk to a packed hall on the next day. The school had put a huge amount of effort and resources into the whole trip and I am very grateful to them for making me so welcome. I was really impressed by the youth, energy and commitment of all the teachers too, but special thanks to Marge Schreier, the middle school librarian, and to Laurie Watt who organised the parent talk. And to all the parents who made Brain Cake in advance of my visit! The school also bought every pupil a copy of Know Your Brain and it was fantastic to see all the pupils eagerly reading it during the breaks.

I discovered something extremely unsurprising - teenagers are the same the world over... Something that was given extra truth when I stupidly switched on my phone during my first break and found a voice message from my own teenager (19 tomorrow) saying that she'd had her phone stolen the night before and what should she do? PHONE TO GET IT BLOCKED, you silly girl. So, I had that stress, including worrying whether the thief (who'd already been abusive to her when she tried to phone the phone) would rack up hundred of pounds worth of foreign calls or downloads (something which happened once before, luckily AFTER we'd reported it and so the phone company had to pay £300 for its mistake). Anyway, it was fine, but I didn't know that till I got home 4 days later. ERGHHHHH. I know I wrote a book about them but honestly!


I will calm myself down with this gorgeous view from
hotel window, looking over Lake Zurich.
Marge had especially asked for a lake view room.


Meanwhile, I've just been invited to an international
school in Paris next May. Hold me back!



On the other hand, I am SUPPOSED to be saying no to everything at the moment, to try to make space for writing. But I've just had a rush of lovely invitations for places far and wide and I'm not very good at no. Which could possibly be why I don't have a book coming out till next June. And a whole load of writing deadlines looming ...