If you were to exit our apartment building, the first business you would find would be
Ley Ley's, a hamburger restaurant that serves beer from the local microbrewery,
Hammerton. Bobby is a fan of their french fries and cheeseburgers. Were money and calories no concern, we would go to Ley Ley's every day. In addition to the delicious food, we've been having fun watching the World Cup there this summer.
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| Bobby, cheering on England, in their 6-1 win against Panama. Bobby likes cheering when everyone else was cheering, but he was also cheering when no one else was cheering. I think he gets excited when he sees any team kick the ball far. He often points to the TV and exclaims, "Ball!" |
Soccer, as you may know, is very popular in Europe and the U.K., and England is competing in this summer's World Cup, Russia 2018. Bobby hasn't had much screen time since he was born. Now he's older, and we've been together watching sports on TV, especially soccer. Bobby has also been taking soccer classes. Every day we kick the ball back and forth in the apartment. We bought him a junior FC Barcelona ball this spring when visiting Barcelona. I'd say Bobby is an aspiring Lionel Messi, but since Argentina is not doing well, he will settle for England's star, Harry Kane.
Despite their valiant attempt, Singapore's national team once again did not qualify for the World Cup (having never qualified in history, in fact). Young Singaporeans like Bobby pin their hopes on Iceland, another small island country, doing well in the tournament. The perennial Asian competitors, South Korea and Japan, are also proxies for the absent Singapore. If Bobby keeps practicing his kicks, maybe he will make the Singapore national team and help the poor lads finally qualify.
There are many young kids living nearby us, many in our same building. Many of them also go to the same nursery as Bobby. Often times after nursery, Bob just strolls into Ley Ley's for some french fries, Mum following behind to make happen the french fry dream. The venue is enticing for youngsters: the atmosphere is casual and out front is a large paved square where kids can run (relatively) free. Ley Ley's has tables on the square. During summer, it is quite inviting for adults as well.
I don't know whether the owner knew he would be running a children's cheeseburger and community center when he opened Ley Ley's last winter. This neighborhood is just overrun with young families -- where do the older families live? In the suburbs, I guess. Anyway, we're at Ley Ley's quite often, so sometime I will ask the owner if he realized what he was getting into!
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| From here, you can see out the front door and can see many families from the neighborhood, gathering at Ley Ley's for cheeseburgers and french fries in the afternoon. Bobby is lost somewhere in the scrum. |
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| This is a good burger. |
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| Bobby watching a World Cup match, on the first day of Russia 2018, at home with his monkey friend Jacko. We are without TV these days but can do it all with computers, modern family that we are. |
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| About to give his Barça ball a mighty kick in our living room. |
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| Helping to change the keg of Hammerton at Ley Ley's. Maybe Bob is destined to be a Big10 college boy with those keg skills. |
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| Sharing french fries with Dad at Ley Ley's after work. |
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