LesBellansOfLondon

Dear All,

In 2021 - we EXPLORED THE UK AND FRANCE, escapING in between lockdowns. WE became expert at testing and tracing…coMparing the NHS apps and ANTI-COVID. CROSSING THE CHANNEL MULTIPLE TIMES. FILLING FORMS. WE STUFFED OUR POCKETS WITH MASKS AND GELS. WE TRIED FUNKY MASKS UNTIL EXPERTS TOLD US IT WAS NOT SAFE. WE THEN BOUGHT SP2 MASKS AND WALKED AROUND LIKE STRANGE BIRDS. FOR THOSE WEARING GLASSES IN OUR FAMILY, THE WORLD WENT ALL FOGGY. WE GOT VACCINATED, 3 TIMES…ALICE, LIKE MANY OF HER FELLOW MEDICAL STUDENTS, GAVE HUNDREDS OF VACCINES.

IN 2021, We conTinued to discuss COVID with data and logiC, read the news and when we thought we knew how to navigate a world under COVID, we LOST FRANCIs (MY DAD) to COVID. And COVID WAS NOT LONGER A SET OF METRICS and charts …IT WAS SADNESS AND ANGER AND LOSS. LIKE FOR MILLIONS OF FAMILIES. IT STILL IS.

THIS YEAR AGAIN, WE CANCELLED DINERS, THEATER SHOWS, WEEK-END AND TRIPS. WE DREAMED ABOUT TRAVELS IN CHILE, SPAIN, JAPAN, ISRAEL and the neetherlands. WE MISSED DIVING AND SKIING. WE CYCLED AND WALKED. WE SELF-ISOLATED. WE KEPT OUR DISTANCE. GOING OUT AGAIN MASK FREE AT THE END OF SPRING FELT STRANGE AND EVEN UNSAFE AT TIMES. But LIFe seemed to go back to normal for a while, we went to the theater and visited museums again. terRasses sprawled all over london & PARIS and restaurants filled up. new restaurantS & cOFFEE PLACES opened close to our home. PEOPLE went out again and masks disappeared even where they were required. PEOPLE started to travel again and EUROSTAR’s BOOKINGS PICKED UP.

WE CROSSED THE CHANnel again AND SPENT some of THE SUMMER IN FRANCE, WORKING AND HOLIDAYING, BETWEEN BRITTANY (FOR THe WeDDING OF our DEAR FRieNDS BeRNARD AND VALeRie), THE CHEVALLON (GRENOBLE), CASSIS, AND LA TOUR D’AIGUE IN LUBERON. IN LUBERON, we RENTED A HOUSE AND WERE HAPPY TO WELCOME FRIENDS AND FAMILY, VISIT LOCAL MARKETS, and COOK. WE HAD WONDERFUL DINNERS OUTSIDE, STRETCHING UNTIL LATE IN THE STARRY PROVENCE NIGHTS.

AND LIFE & work continued, virtually and hybrid between home, office/university and ‘real’ places …Laurent at EUROstar, working on a mergeR with Thalys, thomas studying anthropology and cooking, and alice medecine in TRURO/EXETER. at amazon, i moved to a new rolE in prime video in october, going back & forth between london and paris.

elllpha.io Continued to gain momentum, winning A COGX21 AWARD in JUNE and launching TALENTUUM.IO, aimed at accelerating diversity in organisations by increasing fairness in talent management with smart technology.

In DECEMBER - like everywhere - COVID PICKED UP AGAIN with a vengeance AND TRAVEL TIGHTENeD. masks reappeared. WE CANCELLED CHRISTMAS & New York PARTIES AND STOCKED UP ON LATERAL FLOWS. eurostars train emptied again.

2021 was ANOTHER STRANGE YEAR - IT MADE US WISER, CARE ABOUT THE WORLD MORE AND CHERISH our TIMES TOGETHER. WE WISH for a better 2022 for our families, friends and the world.

Brigitte, Laurent, Thomas & Alice