Duolingo, language fun on the go

One of the disadvantages of being an international family spanning three continents and four languages is that the older generation loses contact with the younger one. My parents and wife don’t share a native language, and their communication is limited to a few acquired phrases. My recently divorced and happily dating brother once said that the secret to a good marriage is a wife and mother-in-law who don’t share a language. “Ideally,” he added, ”you’ll be the only translator around.”

Our parents didn’t get around to learning English, but nudged by the reality of potential Anglophone grandchildren, my mom picked up an English course and my dad downloaded Duolingo. The language learning app is quite a hit in our international clan. I use it to learn Spanish, my wife uses it to learn Portuguese, and now, my dad uses it to learn English, making it the most popular — non-communication app — used by my relatively small family, and one of the few things my wife and father share across thousands of miles.

The broad appeal is not accidental. Duolingo reinvented a whole category and built a multi-million dollar business by changing an old service into an eclectic activity. The vivid colors and gamified experience tap into our innate desire to play, vie for confirmation, and earn affirmation. Making learning fun makes it as engaging for a thirty two-year-old lawyer, who wants to explore Brazil, as it does for a septuagenarian who wants to connect with his daughter-in-law and future grandchildren. Useful products that bring people closer together deservedly grow in popularity, and our Duolingo story continues to expand as the upcoming generation learns to talk to their nana and grandpa.

The first sip

My addiction of choice is ‘special moments’. Moments that surprise, delight, and inspire. Authentic, simple, and pure. One of my daily “moment” experiences is the first sip of a fine cappuccino. Not the common morning coffee, but the actual first sip of a freshly prepared, quality espresso drink. I have a few of those a day, and I enjoy each one as if it were the only one.

My coffee of choice is Blue Bottle. Whenever I want to treat myself, I walk ten blocks, passing by other coffeeshops, in pursuit of the perfect cup.

From the clean and simple interior design to the traditional espresso menu, the Blue Bottle experience is about one thing: being the best coffee in town.

My favorite is the classic hot cappuccino. (I don’t think that cold espresso with un-frothed milk can contend for being a cappuccino.) A good cappuccino experience treats all the senses. The sight of coffee art on the surface, the smell of freshly ground beans, the unmistakable sharp taste, the warmth of the cup, and the sound of steam frothing the milk fuse into a symphony of delight. I take a moment to take it all in.

Blue Bottle’s trained baristas consistently craft the perfect cup. Ideal milk/coffee ratio, not as bitter as a macchiato and not as adulterated as a latte, served at the perfect temperature—not too hot, not too tepid—just right.
I bring the cup closer and inhale the aroma and sip from the narrow white strip of milk. (Coffee designs are made of curved shapes.) I tilt the cup, diving lip first into the foam, sinking deeper into the spume, and letting the silky-smooth cream cuddle my upper lip. (When I was a kid, I imagined what eating a cloud felt like and cuddling cappuccino foam with my lips was exactly what I imagined that would be.) Tilting further, the espresso rushes in from the bottom, the scent of pressed coffee hits the nostrils, and Blue Bottle’s signature aroma hits the taste buds a moment later. The flavors meet and mix to create a distinct bittersweet profile. I let it linger, but for too long. From the moment it’s served, a cappuccino starts to cool off and lose its charm. The creamy foam starts to flatten and mix with the espresso at the base, slowly morphing the fluffy delight into cold coffee with milk.

In many ways, life moments are like a cappuccino. They tend to diminish in emotional valence over time. It’s never as good as the first sip, and if you don’t take a moment to appreciate it, it will pass you by.
I try to enjoy my first sips of life as if they’re the only and best ones I’ll ever have (because most of them are).

Women’s Patek Philippe Watches
A Story of Familial Heritage

“The queen” My aunt accosted me, “the queen was wearing women’s Patek Philippe watches! Don’t you understand how unique it is!?”
I never gave it any thought. Every time I saw Aunt Marta, she was either talking about women’s Patek Philippe watches or looking at one in a magazine. Everyone knew it was her “thing”. Snacking on ice cream cake in the living room, I had a choice between two active and concurrent debates. On one side of the room were my dad and uncle, debating the prestige of their sports team of choice. On the other side, a very similar debate on watch brand exclusivity, conducted by my mom and her sister, Aunt Marta (or Mart, for short).

“Patek Philippe is elegance, generational wealth, and wrist candy, hun. It’s Switzerland’s finest, worthy of a queen,” said Aunt Marta, smiling. Not really interested in sports but curious about the watch debate, I joined in:

“So, Mart, what’s so special about Patek Philippe anyway?” What’s the difference between Patek and the other watch brands?”
“What’s the difference between coach and first-class?” she replied, “They both arrive at the same time. The difference is in the experience. Patek Philippe just took it to another level. How many watches do you know that were made with meteorite?” she asked, knowing what appealed to my interests.
Dialing up her zeal, she exclaimed, “The queen, the queen was wearing women’s Patek Philippe watches!” Don’t you understand how unique it is?! The Eclipse she had on during her royal photoshoot was perfection,” and then added lavishly, “haute horology is in the royal blood. Queen Victoria herself acquired a Patek Philippe watch pendant encrusted with rose-cut diamonds set in the pattern of a bouquet during a show in London. It had Adrian Philippe’s recently invented keyless winding mechanism. Watches back then were wound with a key. Could you imagine?”

“So it’s two separate people? I thought it was a guy with reverse names,” I blurted out.
Aunt Marta giggled.
“Who’s Patek, then?”
“Antoine Patek founded the original company with his first business partner, François Czapek. But in 1845, Patek partnered with Philippe. Patek was the determined and visionary entrepreneur, and Philippe was the brilliant inventor whose high watchmaking standards drove the company’s technical progress. Jobs and Wozniak of the 19th century watchcraft.” she chuckled.
“I had no idea watchmaking was such a common occupation. I don’t even know one watchmaker.”
“Back then, things had to be done by hand, and the really good things were crafted by masters. Each Patek watchmaker underwent rigorous, multi-year training, and a single watch could take up to a year to assemble. They still do. People wait years to get their hands on a Patek, even if they can easily afford it.”

“Mart, you know so much about Patek Philippe; they should pay you.” I interrupted.
“They should, shouldn’t they?”

Woman’s time tale

My aunt’s passionate preaching attracted my other aunts. Sensing the influx of female energy and ravishing in her long-awaited lamplight, aunt Marta calmly continued,
“It’s not just Patek Philippe watches,” she said, “It’s about women’s Patek Philippe watches. Did you know their first client in 1830 was a woman? Madame Goscinska. She bought three of their earliest watches. Talk about breaking glass ceilings!”, she smirked.
“Women needed to keep time too, but back then, proper etiquette ‘forbade’ them from checking their pocket watches in public. So, they wore them disguised as jewelry, like pendants and brooches. One jewelry timepiece caught on more than others. You know it as wristwatches, but back then it was known as ‘Montres-Bracelets’. Patek Philippe made the first-ever women’s Swiss wristwatch for a Hungarian Countess Koscowicz in 1868,” she said proudly, as if she were the watchmaker or the countess.

“But what has he done for me lately?” one of my other aunts interrupted, followed by a collective burst of laughter.

Aunt Marta took it as a challenge.
“The Nautilus was designed for men, you know, but women loved the bold, sporty, and aesthetic style, so they adopted it. And the Twenty~4 was luxury for the working woman. Board meetings, a night out, and all. Or take the Calatrava—classic, sophisticated, and timeless, like the Audrey Hepburn of watches, who wore a Patek, by the way. And how about the geometric designs and precious metals of the Gondolo? That was all Art Deco,” she said, drawing circles in the air. “It’s a conversation starter on your wrist.”

I stood there dumbfounded for a moment, melting ice cream cake on my plate as a testament to my fascination.
“I get it,” I finally said. “It’s like paying for Jordans to be part of the story.”
She smiled warmly, caressed my hair, and kissed me on the cheek. “I remember when you were a baby, and look at you now”.

Patek Prestige

Still under the spell of aunt Marta’s infatuation, I looked up Patek Philippe watches for women, and the first thing that came up were pictures of Cardi B, Cate Blanchett, Charlize Theron, Victoria Beckham, and Serena Williams (who wore Patek Philippe both on and off court). The women who wore the watch were known for their success, style, and taste for the exquisite. They chose to showcase their celebrity and success with the implied prestige and rarity of a Patek Philippe watch.

The prestige of the Patek Philippe brand is determined by the limited production of exceptionally durable and intricate masterpieces. The most expensive watches ever auctioned were Patek Philippe, and among them, the most expensive one ever sold.

The brand is renowned for its complications, which sounded bad at first, but as it turned out, it simply meant intricate mechanical functions or features in watch lingo. I can only assume that complications weren’t easy, and Patek Philippe was known for many of the more complicated ones, including “women’s complications”. None of them are required to tell time, but the moon phase indicators, perpetual calendars, minute repeaters, and other features added a touch of magic.

Through 180 years of craftsmanship, numerous patents, awards, and over 1,200 unique timepieces adorning royalty and celebrity—from Queen Victoria in the 19th century to Elizabeth Taylor in the 20th and the Kardashians in the 21st—Patek Philippe has transcended generations due to its ability to be a trendsetter rather than a trend-laggard.

The gift

It was weeks after I found out that Aunt Marta was sick that I was able to visit her. She smiled and waved me over.

“How are you, dear?” She asked me.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that, Mart?” I replied in what was intended to be sarcastic but came out in a sheepish tone, revealing my true feelings.
She smiled.
“I have something for you, Mart.”
“What is it?”
“We all pitched in and got you this. It comes with a stipulation, though: you have to get better.”
“What are you going on about?”

A flicker of light bounced off a tear in her eye as she recognized the logo on the box I was handing her. “No…”
“Yes.” I replied, “It’s an Eclipse. We wanted to remind you how precious you are to us, so we got you the thing you consider most precious.”
A wave of emotions washed over her face, bringing back some of the familiar hue to her cheeks.
“We wanted to get you the one the queen wore, but it belongs to the queen. This one belongs to you.” I said, in a semi-joking tone.
Lost for words, she whispered, “I can’t believe you did that. Where did you even get it?”
“We got it at a jewelry store in New York.” “Fancy.”
“That’s the place to find unique pieces for unique people.”
A few drops appeared in the corner of her eye, and one of them ran down her smiling cheek. “Thank you, dear; thank everybody for me,” she said, choking up on the incoming tears. “But you really shouldn’t have.”
“Well, we did.”
“No, I mean, you really shouldn’t have.” She wiped the tears on her cheek with the back of her hand, approached an armoire in the corner of the room, opened the door using a key tied to the chain around her neck, and pulled out a box with a familiar logo.
“I didn’t want anyone to see it. It was supposed to be my gift to my family, my most precious possession.”
Flabbergasted, I said, “Mart, you’re something else. Patek Philippe should be proud to be owned by you.”
A wide smile graced her face. “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation. That was their slogan for a while. The reason I wanted one was to own something beautiful, unique, and remarkable I could leave behind for my family.”
After a pause, she added, “These should remain in our family for generations. Our own heirloom.”
“Don’t you want to wear it?”
“I don’t need to. I have love, family, and something valuable to leave behind.”

Beyond timekeeping

Aunt Marta never had children, but she was everyone’s semi-mom. Selfless, loving, and giving. When she passed, her heritage lived on through the Patek Philippe watches she left behind, along with the unique origin story that will outlive us all.
Patek Philippe isn’t measuring time; it’s keeping it.

Steve thought he had an idea that was truly unique: a pet costume rental business. People could browse his website, select a costume for their furry friend, and have it delivered right to their door. It wasn’t much, but at least it was original.

Working tirelessly, he spent hours perfecting his website and sourcing the costumes. He went on Doola to set up his LLC, forgetting to set up a bank account, but he received a notification reminding him that without an account, he wouldn’t be able to receive payments. One forehead slap and a few clicks later, he finished setting up his account and launched his website.

Steve spent some time waiting for the orders to start pouring in, but they didn’t. Finally, an order was received, but to his surprise, it was not for a pet costume rental order at all. It was a request for the delivery of a human-sized gorilla suit. At first, he was confused, but quickly realized that he used a picture of his old gorilla costume on the website, along with the other pet costumes, by mistake.

Alas, he felt he should fulfill the order since it was his first. Reluctantly, he got the gorilla costume from the basement, dusted it off, and headed out to make the delivery. As he approached the delivery address, he saw a large house and realized there was a party happening in the back.

He rang the doorbell, and the host, Lilly, answered the door. Seeing Steve holding a gorilla suit in one hand and his phone with the map app in the other, she quickly put two and two together and greeted him with a friendly smile. Inviting him inside, she asked Steve if he needed a room to change. Perplexed, he politely declined, only to realize that Lilly assumed that the gorilla suit came with the entertainer in it. The picture on Steve’s website indeed features the costume with a human (him) inside it.

Quick-witted and filled with confidence, Steve pretended that she was right and started putting on the costume right in front of her, with an “Of course, I was just waiting to be inside to put it on” look on his face. Lilly smiled, thanked him again, and left to join her guests in the outside garden. Steve watched her leave, then quickly opened the Doola app and adjusted his business settings and website. A few clicks later, he put on his gorilla gloves and entered the garden.

The guests were shocked at the sight of a six-foot-tall gorilla at first but warmed up to “its” personality. Steve acted the part, guests cheered him on, and he eventually became the life of the party. Lilly even paid him to stick around for longer.

He ended up meeting new people, handing out a lot of cards, earning lavish tips, and having a genuinely good time. When he was leaving the party, Steve realized that maybe his original business idea was not as unconventional and exciting as he thought; however, his new idea checked these and so many other boxes. Convinced, he decided to pivot from pets to people. Instead of renting delivery costumes, he would “be the costume”. He went back to Doola and adjusted his business for his new venture: a delivery service for human-sized costumes, with the option to add an entertainer in it.

A Broadway show tune erupted, silencing the humming servers at the FTX headquarters offices. It’s Professor Octie’s showtime. No one seemed to mind that the professor was a talking green octopus, clad in a tailcoat and top hat. They didn’t mind him erupting in sporadic dance routines in the middle of the office, flinging his tentacles around, and knocking off screens and coffee mugs.

His boss, Sam Bankman-Fried, jokingly threatened to take Professor Octie to a restaurant, where they would fry and serve him on a plate.
There was not much love between the two, and when the feds came to arrest his boss for financial crimes on that fateful November day, Professor Octie sneered at his boss when he was led away in cuffs and cried out, “Who’s the slimy creature getting fried now?!”
Morose sniggers could be seen on the faces of the now-unemployed staffers and some of the feds’. Such an entertainer, that Professor Octie.

Square Off
A series of unexpected rivals squaring off against each other in various comical situations. (E.g., A goat squaring off with LeBron for the title of the Greatest GOAT.)

Square world
When a lab experiment gone awry, two confused scientists find themselves transported into an alternative reality, where everything is square-themed. As they bid to return to their own reality, they navigate through a world of square-shaped architecture, and interactions with square characters who live the square lifestyle.