It is official. We have a winner for the book title:

“SOLOMAN”

The further I get into the book the more it is a story of sailing alone but making many lasting friendships along the voyage.

I have registered the domain names for the Dutch version as www.Soloman.nl and the English version as www.Soloman.us

The name works in both languages. If it will ever make it into German it would be Solomann and in Spanish Solomán.

I had in mind to have little fun with the name and wordplay as:

“Soloman”

Soloman’s Wisdom

according to

Jack van Ommen

Sailing the oceans in social solitude (or sailing solo around the world in good company)

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De Hollandse versie zoiets als:

‘SOLOMAN’

Wijsheid van Soloman

volgens

Jack van Ommen

Solo Wereldzeilen in goed gezelschap

Please, give me your honest/frank feedback. I need your help. I have tested it on just a few and the younger of them tell me that Salomo/Solomon do not register at all. So, I may need to drop that part.

But I feel reasonable good about the title. It has not been used in any other books.

I went to mass this morning at the Haarlem cathedral, Sint Bavo. There was a baptism of a lovely baby girl. The mother and her twin brother and parents had been housed in the cathedral’s rectory over twenty years ago as political refugees from Syria. Hart warming. The cathedral’s boy choir sang. Sorry girls, but they are much better than the girl choir of the previous Sunday.

Next Sunday I sing with the Augustinus church choir. They are short on tenors for this service. I will rehearse this Wednesday. The mass choral part is from Missa Pontificalis of Lorenzo Perosi. This is brand new to me. Wish me luck, please. But from what I have listened to in audio it is gorgeous and excited to do well.   For the communion we sing O, Salutaris Hostia from Edward Elgar which I have sung before. Then on Monday evening I show slides of part of the 9 year voyage and the shipwreck to my friends in the choir and possibly some of the Parishioners.

The first reading in today’s service is from Isaiah 58: 7-10

verse 7: Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter? 

So, remember this when I come knocking. God, placed me homeless in your midst so that you can shelter me. But, jest aside, it was another service that makes my week. The little girl’s name was something like Lucinda or Lucera, meaning Light, and the gospel was from Matthew 5. “You are the Light of the World”.