We enjoyed the Sweet Seksie store at the corner. The owner, Kathy (I’m afraid I don’t know if that is the correct spelling of her name), is a friend of our landlord. She was delightfully friendly and kind to us, as were all the neighbors and shop owners we met.

We adored our neighborhood, with the lovely trees outside our windows, our balcony, the grocery and cafe, and so much to do and see close by. Conal walked south to work each morning. Pretty much every day, I walked all over the place, usually starting to the north along the Hoogstraat. Perhaps we crossed paths without realizing it.

As to the purpose of our visit, Anygma (a subsidiary of Nazooka) is developing software based on Conal’s research, and they were very interested in hiring him for the project. He’s pretty much *the* guy on the planet for what they were working on, and it’s not easy stuff, so his participation meant a lot to them. However, we were not prepared to move permanently, so we decided to come to Antwerp for the summer and then see what evolved.

The development team is located only in the Antwerp headquarters, not LA. Conal’s physical presence allowed him to work with the team far more easily than would have been possible remotely. Our home in California is served only by satellite internet. We cannot use Skype or video conferencing here because of latency issues, making it very hard to effectively lead a team nine time zones away. Even without the technical challenges, there just isn’t enough overlap in the business day for the kind of interaction needed. Face time was important at that initial stage of development, so off we went.

I can’t speak highly enough of Nazooka’s CEO, Rudy. He was somebody we met and had an instant rapport with, both Conal and me. More than our employer, he was host, friend, confidant, and kindred soul. If for nothing else, I’m grateful to have met him and know such a lovely guy shares the planet with me. Perhaps you’ll cross paths with him, too, one day, if you haven’t already.

Anyway, I hope that answers your curiosity a bit, Peter! Thanks for asking.

I know it may be kind of personal, but I’m just curious

Oever is near the basketball/antiques/etc square, next to the entry to the pedestrian tunnel under the river. I had been passing by your apartment (just two doors away from that lovely erotic sweets store on the corner) almost daily just a couple of months ago, and I still do.

If I’d known, I’d sure have rang your doorbell.

Before I forget: I’ve never known how you both ended up in Antwerp last summer, but I’m sure that one day you’ll let me know.

All the best,
Peter, Antwerp