Pool fun

Storm Update #3

Hurricane Gustav passed over us the night between Friday and Saturday. I awoke just after midnight to the sound of winds howling. It was some very substantial winds, but I am guessing the sustained wind force was no more than 70-80 km/h, with gusts significantly above that (say 100 – 120 km/h). The palm trees were clearly taking a beating with their crowns flying in a ball with tail formation. Below is a satellite image showing Gustav passing over the Cayman Islands.

Only casualty in our complex was a snapped tree trunk. At the height of the storm we lost power in our area. According to one eyewitness there was a massive blue flash of lighting behind one of the buildings in our complex around midnight.

In the morning we were still without power. But the winds had died down considerably. For those of you familiar stormy weather in Denmark, it was like a warm version of a rough and gusty winter storm. By the time we had done some wave watching and beach combing to keep the kids occupied, the electricity company had managed to restore electricity and life was pretty much back to normal.

We were lucky on Grand Cayman avoiding the grunt of Gustav. The sister islands: Cayman Brac and Little Cayman were not as lucky and appear to have suffered more damage. Below is a picture of a fallen power pole.

However, the hurricane season is far from over. The Atlantic seems to be brewing more storms for the Caribbean region and the National Hurricane Centre in Miami is monitoring other weather systems moving westward from the African coast. Ike has a good chance of becoming a large hurricane showing a large and very intimidating circulation, with plenty of heavy thunderstorm activity. While Ike’s sister, Josephine (AKA 99L), looks likely to form just off the coast of Africa on Tuesday.

UPDATE: Below is a image showing all four tropical weather systems currently in our waters. Starting to the far left is the remainder of Gustav (TD), then we have Hanna (TS) close to Cuba followed by Ike (TS) and finally Josephine (TD).

Storm Update #2

Forecasts today have substantially changed. Apparently, the ridge of high pressure that was forcing Gustav to the west shifted positions and caused Gustav to dip southwest. The center of Gustav is now passing Jamaica, and predictions strongly suggest Grand Cayman will be hit. The latest predicted path (including IR cloud coverage) is shown below. Note that another tropical storm Hanna has developed to the north.For the moment we can hope that dry air to the north and mountainous Jamaica will inhibit Gustav’s development. Late Friday, early Saturday is currently the best prediction of a hit on Cayman, if Gustav indeed hits us at all. I for one have become a bit skeptical of these computer simulations that are constantly being updated. Obviously when a weather expert tells you that a hurricane is heading your way, it's a good idea to prepare for impact or get out of the way, even if the storm ends up turning. But the erratic behaviour of Gustav so far makes me less pessimistic on Cayman’s behalf.

Btw, our office closes early today and will remain closed Friday. We are well prepared with lots of food and water and hurricane shutters on our windows. Stores remain open and although they are slightly more busy at times, there is no panic. We have been told electricity will remain on as long as possible, while the Water Authority will turn off the water supply at some stage to prevent potential damage to the distribution network. At this stage the weather remains fairly good. It is blowing more than usual, but the sun is still shining.

Storm Update

As many of you probably already know tropical storm / hurricane Gustav is approaching. Computer simulations suggest it might very well pass over the Cayman Islands. It is currently over Haiti and appears to be moving slowly westward towards Cuba.
The latest computer simulations are shown below.
Jeff Masters’ Wunderblog is not optimistic on Cayman’s behalf.

I think it is plausible that Gustav could intensify further, to Category 4 strength, before hitting the Caymans. If you have plans to be on the northern Cayman Islands--Cayman Brac or Little Cayman Island--on Friday, be prepared to be stuck there for several days, as Gustav may heavily damage these islands. Grand Cayman Island is also at risk--the GFDL model predicts Gustav will pass very close to Grand Cayman on Friday afternoon.

We are fairly well prepared, but Majken and Christoffer are doing some final shopping this morning to gather the final pieces. Shopping is a lengthy endeavour as all people scramble to prepare for the hurricane.

Article in the Observer

So this Sunday I was in the Observer. Johann and I won the two person time trial over a week ago. To read the full article click here.
Some exerts:

One of the last teams to start was the potent combination of triathletes Johann Prinsloo and Jasper Mikkelsen. The reason for their starting position towards the end of the field was that Mikkelsen needed time earlier in the morning to complete a 12 mile training run before he could do the time trial.

I have started to run on Sunday mornings with a guy called Russel. He is a better runner than me, so it always makes for a good solid run. On the day of the time trial I did however, take it a little easier on the final kilometers to make sure my legs were not ruined before the ride. I have decided not to skip any runs. As I have written in a previous post it was my running that let me down in Florida for the half ironman and I don't want that to happen again.

Prinsloo readily admits that his partner in crime Mikkelsen had to do most of the work out on the course.

“Our TT race was more of a ‘Truck and Trailer’ than a Time Trial event. With Jasper being in peak condition leading up to his Ironman event and myself just having picked up the bike again after a two-month break following Florida Half Ironman, I found that I had to put in a lot of effort just to stay on his back wheel and only managed to slip to the front for a few short sections. It was a tough but fun and as always well organised event and I’ll be looking forward to the next one,” says Prinsloo.

Mikkelsen was delighted with the win, and very relieved that his legs could still put in a good time trial in spite of his training run.

“I wasn’t sure how my legs would react after the run, so Johan and I decided that it was probably best for him to lead the first mile. But already after the first minute I could feel my legs were fine, so I took the lead and let Johan know that I was good to go,” says Mikkelsen.

”I was a bit surprised that we could pull off a win, but we rode a good and strong race, keeping a consistent pace throughout the 10 miles. As a triathlete it is always a pleasure to beat the roadies on their own turf"

The last bit of the last quote is missing from the article.

I think Johann painted a picture that gives the impression that I controlled the whole ride. It is true that I probably dominated on the day, but Johann also did his part.

New camera

A couple of weeks ago we bought a new digital camera, specifically the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW. One of the main benefits of the camera is that it is waterproof (to 10m). Great for taking pictures when snorkeling and just hanging out by the pool. Below is Christoffer in an underwater pose.

Birthday secrets and a Transformer

Today is Tobias’ birthday – 6 years old. During the last couple days there has been a bit of a buzz around the house in anticipation. Christoffer has been keen to talk about his brother’s birthday and in particular about the content of certain presents.

More than three weeks ago Christoffer was Majken’s assistant present wrapper. As a result he saw the presents Tobias was getting. Majken told him very specifically that Tobias must not know the contents and if ever asked should reply that it was a secret (in Danish he would use the rather lengthy word “hemmelighed” which sounds funny when he pronounces it). He therefore diligently referred to presents as secrets every time the subject was part of everyday conversation, well, that was until yesterday morning. On my way to the kitchen I overheard the little rascal explaining to Tobias that he would receive a Transformer, a Dinosaur and a car. I am not sure, if this was Christoffer’s doing alone or Tobias somehow bribed him into spilling the beans. I am guessing Tobias had something to do with it. I was of course quick to interrupt Christoffer, but it was too late. Lesson learned, a 2-3 year old can not be relied on to keep a secret.

So today Tobias received the Transformer he knew he would get. Not unsurprisingly the first thing I had to do was transform Optimus Prime into a truck. No problem you say, when the package reads 5 years plus. You would be wrong, it took me at least 15 minutes. I still can’t believe it took so long. I am anxious to see how quickly Tobias will be able to transform Optimus Prime in a few days. Probably won't take him more than a few minutes!

Florida 70.3 in CayCompass

Fellow triathlete and friend Marius Acker is interviewed in todays CayCompass, where he gives an account of the 70.3 race in Florida. Click here to read the article. I am briefly mentioned. His experience is similar to mine (see post below). A major difference between Marius and I is running ability. Even though he was slow relative to his own ambitions he still posted for me a quick run split.

I was disappointed with my run split in Florida and have devised a training plan for the next 3 months that is concentrated on running. The focus of the plan is speed work with one long run (>20 km) per week. Marius was kind enough to provide input to the plan and has also offered to include me in some of the speed sessions he has with the fastest runners on island. There is a saying that goes something like this: to become the best, you have to train with the best. We’ll see how it goes.

Race report from the 5th annual Ford Ironman 70.3 Florida Triathlon at Walt Disney World Resort 18 May

Awake @ 3:50 am, 10 minutes before the alarm. I eat my bowl of oats, drink a small cup of coffee and evacuate what I can from my body.

I am staying at the Disney World Resort French Quarter together with my old High School buddy from Denmark Mikkel Bondesen. By chance Mikkel saw I was participating in the 70.3 event half a year ago and decided he would give it go as well. Mikkel is one of most driven persons I know and he has spent nearly half a year training for the event, transforming himself from "couch potato" to a serious triathlete contender. He has averaged 18 hours of training a week and his physical appearance has changed considerably. In comparison I have averaged around 12 hours per week since around December last year, but with a base level of fitness.

At 4:30 am we leave for the race area in our respective rental car. Parking is at Magic Kingdom parking lot (Grumpy and Dopey sections) and buses provide transportation the rest of the way.

We set-up in transition and head down to the beach to see Pros start. This is no small event with around 2,000 competitors and with some decent Pro participation. The swim is 1.9 km and starts at Clementine Beach in Fort Wilderness and is pretty much out and back. It is a wave start with 3 minutes between each wave. There are 21 waves. The water is clear with a dark bottom giving it a tea like look. A bit depressing coming from Cayman with crystal clear waters. The 90 km bike course travels through western Orange County, with three aid stations spread fairly evenly on the course. There is local traffic sharing the roadway in few cases, but otherwise the course is well patrolled by local law enforcement. The 21.1 km run is a three-loop course on bike paths and grass trials (canal roads) of Fort Wilderness. Aid stations are provided approximately every mile. The total distance is covered is 70.3 miles (hence the name 70.3) or 113.1 km.

Being on US soil there are formalities to be observed before race start: a short prayer and of course the singing of the National Anthem. 6am, the cannon fires for the first time and the male Pros are off. 3 minutes later the women are in the water. After watching a few more waves Mikkel and I head away from the start and towards transition.

Mikkel wants to visit the port-a-john and we agree to meet in 20 minutes time. There is still an hour before my wave is scheduled to leave. I find fellow Cayman triathlete Marius Acker (in my age group) hanging around not far away. He is reluctant to get too close to the race start because of the onset of pre-race nerves. We talk a bit about the course and the day ahead. He encourages me to put the swim goggle strap under the swim cap, the idea obviously being to protect the goggles from being swept off by a stray hand. While it seems like the logical thing to do, I am not prepared to do it for this race. The cardinal rule of racing: never experiment on race day.

About 15 minutes before my wave start, final “good lucks” pass between Mikkel and I. Focusing on the day ahead I do some stretches before passing through the arches to the starting line. I see Simon Philips a fellow Cayman triathlete and we exchange a few words before it is time to get in line. Looking around I can’t see Marius, until out of the corner of my eye I catch him entering the start area. True to his word he has left his entry till the last minute. I ask him where he thinks a good spot for the start would be. He replies on the edge of the start area. I look around and decide on a place in the right hand section close to Marius. I give some thought to drafting Marius for the swim, but decide against it because he is a better swimmer and is easily going to drop me.

The Swim

The announcer gives us a 1 minute warning, 30 seconds, 10, and were off. I’m in the second line running behind this guy taking massive leaps in the water. He drives in and I do the same. Forgetting to close my mouth I swallow a mouthful of lake water, arghh…, I stand up again (it is still shallow), curse my stupidity for having an open mouth, take a few more steps and dive into the water again. This time my mouth is closed and I start swimming. I push pretty hard at the start, trying to stay on the tail of the swimmer in front of me. I feel uncomfortable, but this is expected, it usually takes me at least 10 minutes before I get into the rhythm. I negotiate my way round a few swimmers, and notably some that are already breast-stroking after less than 500m. About 800m into the swim I start running into some serious traffic. By this time I have already passed a lot of swimmers, but it just seems to get more and more congested. I’m nearing the first turnaround. We make the first 90 degree turn and head across the lake to the other side. Soon we will hit the second turn which will send us back towards the start. I’m loosing my patience with the swimmers in front of me and decide to take a more direct approach to overtaking. Anyone swimming slower is simply an obstacle to be avoided or negotiated as best as possible while continuing the forward momentum. Having tried to avoid swimmers by zig-zagging for most of the course, I now start to negotiate them more directly. It works. I am able to pass swimmers more easily. As a result I settle into a nice stroke which lasts until the end of the swim. My fingers hit the lake bottom and I stand up. The swim is over. I feel good. Visibility with my old Speedo goggles from Australia has been excellent all the way, no misting up at all.

Swim Time 33m39s
Overall 245/1995
Age Group 47/351

T1

Out of the water we’re running largely single profile towards our bikes. TJ Olivier a fellow triathlete from Cayman comes up beside me and we exchange a few words. I reach my bike fairly quickly. First thing I do is turn on my Garmin which is mounted on the bike. I put on my cycle jersey and load it with two small water bottles and put on a pair of cycle shorts. I have decided that I would rather have the comfort of cycle shorts than suffer any discomfort with my swimming shorts with limited padding. I fit my new aero helmet and start running out of transition towards the timing mat which will record my T1. As I approach the exit a line builds up and we end up walking single file. This is incredibly annoying and I consider running past those in front of me. As I contemplate this move, some guy speeds passed me on the inside knocking down the athlete two places in front of me. This causes the line come to a standstill while the idiot who caused the mess manages to get away. Probably a good idea I didn’t try anything foolish like him, but I am frustrated by time it is taking to get out of T1.

Transition Time 3m50s
Race Status 37m29s

The Bike

We mount the bikes and I manage to slot my feet into the shoes fairly quickly. We ride carefully through the narrow paths until we hit the road. I am feeling good and turn my left wrist to check my speed. I realize that my Garmin is still on the bike and that I haven’t put it on my wrist as planned. There is no way that I can put in on now, so I leave it as is. It is actually not too a bad disposition, the only thing is that the display is on its head, but that doesn’t really matter. I am going a comfortable 37 km/h. I take a few sips of my water bottle and gradually settle into the ride. I few guys fly past me and I consider increasing my speed, but decide against it. The swim was a little slower than intended, but is really not of much significance in the overall time and it is still early in the race so I think I am pretty well on track despite not going full throttle on the bike.

Before the race I had been reading about the optimal time trial pace. The general consensus centred on a negative split, i.e. to ride the last half of the course faster than the first. I still have plenty of time to increase my speed. My speed is pretty good about 5 km out of transition. I’m increasingly passing cyclists and also catch the guys who passed me at the start. Around the 20 km mark I pass a fellow Cayman triathlete Tony Watts waving my hand, he replies with encouragement ”Go Jasper”!

As I hit the fist aid station I dispense of an extra water bottle I have been carrying. The rules for the event are very clear with regard to littering and I don’t want to incur a penalty for throwing anything on the road outside the aid areas. I check my nutrition situation, I have two gels of about 100 calories each and a bottle with around 400 calories. By the 30 km mark I have probably consumed about 200 in the bottle. I decide to take a gel and make a mental note to consume the other one at the 60 km mark. I’ve taken some salt tablets with me on the bike just in case, but I don’t feel like I need them.

There is a rough patch on the road. I lose my yellow sponge plug in my aero bottle. Too bad, there is no way I am going back for it. It starts raining heavily now, but only for a couple of minutes and road doesn’t seem to be affected. I reach the second aid station feeling great. I have made sure that I wouldn’t need to take anything from the stations by carrying everything I need. Unfortunately I am caught up in the traffic of people slowing to grab nutrition and water from the station. I make a mental note to avoid similar incidents in other races. At this fairly late stage on the bike leg I have only been passed three times by athletes that I haven’t managed to catch later on. I am guessing one of them was the age grouper in 30-34 who managed to place 9th overall. Otherwise, I have consistently been overtaking others all the way. Hitting the 60 km mark according to my Garmin I consume the final gel. The gel is quickly absorbed by my body and it provides a real boost on the rolling hills.

Compared to the first part of the bike leg I have increased my speed and perceived effort now, but I am not sure I am doing the negative splits I had intended. Marius all of a sudden materialises in front of me. He has been riding fast. There is only about 5 km left of the bike course. I thought I would catch him about half way. I wave as I pass him and he acknowledges with encouraging words. Shortly after, I pass another Cayman triathlete Johan Heath. It cannot be many more minutes before we hit transition. My Garmin tells me there are only a couple of km to go. I start spinning a bit in anticipation. My Garmin now shows we have passed the 90 km mark. Is the course too long? About another km, I’m there… it’s done… over with. Now let’s see how the legs run.

Bike Time 02h24m26s
Overall 74/1995
Age Group 16/351
Race Time 03h01m55s

T2

The moment my feet hit the ground after dismounting the bike I feel something is not right. My stomach seems to seize up. I manage to run to the bike rack, dump the bike and immediately try to stretch my stomach muscles. It doesn’t seem to help, so I start changing for the run. I also spend time readjusting my Garmin for the run leg. The stomach still feels tight. I empty my blader in a bush next the bike rack hoping that might help. Still feel cramps, but there’s really not much I can do about it now, so suck it up and start running out of transition. I don’t get it. I had a fairly easy bike leg, no pain at all and I could have gone faster. I’ve run 10 km in 45 minutes in training sessions following a fairly tough 3 hour bike and felt good, and now this? Is it dehydration, the water I swallowed in the lake, a poor bike fit etc…don’t know, but I will have to work on it afterwards.

Transition time 3m16s
Race Time 03h05m11s

The Run

At the beginning of the run I am in some serious discomfort. I have to drag my legs along. I sight Johan just outside the transition area and decide then and there that I will try and keep him in my sights. The first 5 km are extremely uncomfortable. Johan is gradually pulling away from me, but I can still see him once in a while. After about 7 km which about the first lap of the course, my stomach cramps seem to ease. I begin the second of the three laps. Now there are more athletes pouring on to the course. With more people on the course the aid stations are becoming increasingly congested. A lot are walking or barely running. I start noticing how hot and humid it actually is. Just out of transition, there was a massive downpour of rain for about 5 minutes or so. The sun is now out and the water is evaporating. The humidity and heat is especially bad on the grass trails which comprises more than half of the course. Even though I have been training in the hot and humid climate of Cayman, these are extreme conditions. Good my race preparation was not in the Northern States or Canada.

Feeling better on the second lap I increase my pace and catch Johan with ease. I decide it is probably not a good idea to push my luck on the pace and decide to run with him side-by-side for a while. Nearing the end of the second lap I gradually pull away from Johan. Psychologically it is really tough with a third and final lap. I would have preferred two longer laps. By this stage I am tired. More than four and half hours of racing has taken its toll. So far I have managed to run through the aid stations pretty much every time as I know walking will kill my run splits by adding about 20 seconds to each kilometre, but at this stage I don’t really care anymore. I decide it better to ensure adequate hydration and energy for the last 7 km. The legs feel heavy and negotiating the grass trail becomes really tough. I manage to keep some sort of form together for the next 3-4 km, but my pace has dropped drastically. I am stopping at every aid station and take on board as much as I can. With only 2 km left I try to pick–up the pace. Looking at my watch I realise that I will finish close to the five hour mark. I will never forgive myself if I miss the opportunity for a sub five hour finish. The last km is a killer, but I am determined to finish within five hours. I cross the finish line boxing the air with my right arm (not caught on camera unfortunately).

Run Time 01h53m52s
Overall 327/1995
Age Group 58/351

Final Race Time 4h59m02s
Overall 171/1995
Age Group 38/351

Post-race

For a first time effort on the 70.3 distance, I am very satisfied with sub 5 hours, however, it also fair to say that 4h59m02s did not meet my time objective for the race, but on the day I gave it all I had and that was the time I was awarded. I probably lost around 10 minutes dealing with stomach cramps, and a little on the transitions. The bike leg was a moderate effort for me and I guess I could comfortably have ridden 5-10 minutes faster, but there is always the trade-off with the run. Would a faster bike pace have ruined my run even more? I don’t know. I might also have been able to swim a little faster without all the traffic. One thing is certain though, I need to improve my running. Good fitness and speed on the run is crucial for a fast finishing time. I also need to do more workouts at race intensity to figure out how I successfully manage the transition from riding to running without cramps.

UPDATE: Mikkel found out that he placed third in his Clydesdale division when he got a plaque in the mail. Great work Mikkel!!

Cayman from above

About time

Today I read a news item that I have been waiting for for a long time: Skype for your mobile now out in beta. It is a so-called mobile “thin“ client that works on about 50 of the most popular Java-enabled mobile phones (most newer mobile phones). There are some geographic restrictions on features, but Denmark is one of the countries with full support. A problem I'm bound to face in Cayman is the archaic mobile data speeds (there are no 3G networks), but at least I will be able to use wifi.

Monster tegning

Tobias har endnu engang fået publiceret en tegning på borneliv.dk. Denne gang er det det en af hans mange monstertegninger. Nedenfor er hvad eksperterne skrev om værket.

Krokodille Monster hedder denne tegning af Tobias Bang Mikkelsen. Ifølge Tobias bliver krokodille monster angrebet af "Lille" monster.

Tobias fortæller selv følgende historie om motivet i tegningen:
"Når krokodille monster sover kommer der nogle små monster og renser tænderne. De spiser monsterbiller og grøntvat og drikker sodavand og løber stærkt."

Det er en rigtig god historie med masser af indhold og dramatik, handling og udtryksfulde ord. Ofte er den tegning, et barn tegner, en erstatning for den fortælling, som barnet ikke selv kan fortælle på grund af manglende ord og sprog, som kan udtrykke barnets følelser og viden. Tobias har imidlertid en god forklaring på den smukke tegning med de mange flotte farver.

Farverne hvid, sort og grå er udelukket som bærende farver på figurerme. Gul er desuden heller ikke en vigtig farve hvilket fortæller os, at Tobias ikke selv er med på tegningen. Fortællingens eller historiens sprog i form af ord (vises med den lilla farve) er en "naturhistorie" (med den grønne farve i midten). Fortællingen eller historien er om en fantasinatur, hvor de "levende" monstre (vist med farverne rød og lyserød) forholder sig symbiotisk, intuitivt og eksistentielt til hinanden (vist med blå nuancer).

Tobias har sikker ikke viden om malerne Asger Jorn og Carl Henning Pedersen, men det er lige før, at tegningen "måske kunne" være en "tidlig" Asger eller Carl Henning.

Rigtig flot tegning, Tobias.

Flock

If you haven't tried Flock, it's about time....
Downloaded it yesterday as an alternative to Mozilla's Firefox and it seems to work really well. This post is written use the Flock blog editor. Flock also allows you to upload photos, share photos by drag-n-drop, keep up to date with Facebook, etc. A must try for social networking people. Download it here.

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Swimming at the Lions Pool with Tobias

Today I took Tobias with me to the Lions Pool for some morning swim training. We had agreed the day before that he was willing to give it a try.

For his age Tobias is an excellent swimmer and has always had a natural way with water. Already at the age of 2 he was jumping off the 1 meter diving board and swimming to the edge. This was back in 2004 at the Whitehorse Aquatic Centre, while we were living in Melbourne. Nowadays he is in the water nearly every afternoon, playing with Christoffer (whose swimming is also coming along well) and the other kids in our complex. Miss Rosy, his swimming teacher, has recommended we enroll Tobias in a class for older children to take advantage of his potential.

Anyway, when Tobias and I arrived at the pool at 6 am he didn't want to jump in. He is careful by nature, so this was expected and after 30 min of watching me and others swimming he decided it was time to join in. He did the first 25 m breaststroke and then proceeded to do freestyle breathing on both sides, as he has been taught. I swam with him, taking a small break every 25 m, doing about 200 m in total.

He manages a 40 second 25 m which I think is excellent considering his age. For comparison I can swim a 33 second 50 m which is a lot faster than him, but ridiculously slow compared to the world record. I am sure Tobias will be able to shave at least 10 seconds of his time before his 6th birthday if he keeps practicing.

UPDATE: Today Tobias managed to swim 25 m in 34 seconds - an improvement of 6 seconds. I think he will soon break the 30 second barrier. With a bit more stamina, he will be able to keep a good position in the water all the way. Currently he loses speed during the final 10 m, which would appear to be lack of good form in the water causing excessive drag.

DHL Duathlon

Below is a snapshot of an article in the Netnews here in Cayman (click on it to enlarge it). It is describes the 2008 DHL Duathlon held last week. As a member of the Committee of the Triathlon Association in Cayman, I assisted in organizing the event. You will see me at the start line (in the left hand side of the picture) and crossing the finish line (I was not being directed to the transition as stated).Majken and I participated as a team (the Great Danes). I did the 2x2 mile run and she the 20 mile bike ride. Overall we placed 3rd in a time of 56 minutes and 43 seconds. Majken had an amazing ride on the bike and managed to keep most of the chasing riders behind her.
You can see more pictures from the event here.

Eksperternes kommentar til værket

For nogle måneder siden sendte vi et billede af en af Tobias' tegninger til børneliv.dk. De specialiserer sig bl.a. i analyse børnetegninger.

Her er hvad de skrev om hans tegning:

Tobias på 5 år, fra den smukke ø Ærø, har tegnet dette flotte og fantasifulde billede.
Motivet er vanskeligt, nærmest umuligt at tolke, når vi ikke har fået nogle kommentarer med på vejen.
Noget ganske andet er det så, at en dreng som Tobias har valgt at benytte nogle farver, som drenge på hans alder faktisk sjældent benytter, såfremt de har muligheder for at vælge mellem mange farver. Rød, lyserød og orange, som vi mener at genkende på det scannede billede på skærmen, er fysiske og rytmiske farver.
Vi tror derfor, at Tobias både er fysisk meget aktiv - og musisk interesseret.
De grønne nuancer udtrykker normalt interesse og talent for natur - så Tobias leger måske meget langs stranden eller på øens strandenge. Det kunne forestille et fabeldyr med et sødt øje - det kunne være en historie med et handlingsforløb - men vi finder billedet både interessant og vældig smukt.

En meget smuk fortolkning .... men faktisk er det en Monster Octopus, med skarpe klør i højreside og en klapperslangeagtig hale i venstre. Men det med farvevalg, natur og aktivitet passer nu meget godt. Vi har sendt endnu et billede ind. Denne gang har vi givet lidt forklaring med på vejen, så må vi se hvad de siger.

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