After 3 days of travel, I have finally arrived at my host family's home in rural France, about 45 minutes outside of Paris. I'm excited for a new semester to begin tomorrow morning, even if it means I have to get up and go to school/work like a real person again. It's been nice to have a month off, but reality has finally caught up to me.
My transatlantic flight was the best to date. I flew on Air India, despite a less than desirable first experience with them about 18 months ago. On the way home in the summer of 2006, I contracted whooping cough from a man seated next to me who didn't stop wheezing and coughing on me for the eight-hour flight. I was gravely sick for the following 8 months.
But I couldn't beat the fare, so I went again with Air India. This time around, I was on a newer 777 with a kind crew and delicious Indian food all the way over the pond.
This second impression made me think: how often do we really give things (or people) second chances? It's also interesting to note how quickly one faux pas can destroy trust that's based on much more previous experience. Just within the airline industry, I boycotted Delta after they didn't allow me to carry a guitar on a plane. I was ready never to fly Air India again if I had similar trouble.
Food is another example. I have never liked tomatoes. For many years, this might have been because somewhere in my mind, I had it in there that they tasted bad. Even years after those childhood recollections, I avoided tomatoes. I periodically tried them, but since I had it in my mind that I wasn't going to like them, it made it difficult to give them a fair chance. Recently, I've been trying to eat tomatoes. I reasoned that if millions (and maybe billions) of people around the world don't just eat them but LIKE them, there must be something to them. (Kim Chi was another nice experience in experimenting with interesting foods.) Tomatoes aren't my favorite food (yet--but then again, neither is Kim Chi), but I have tried to eat more of them.
This idea on first impressions has so many applications. I guess the questions I've been asking myself recently--especially in a new setting with so many people to meet--have been, among others:
1. How do people perceive me when they first meet me? Are their first impressions accurate?
2. Whom have I met recently, and to what conclusions have I come? Or jumped? I suppose only time will tell whether they're accurate.
3. Are we wrong to rely so heavily on first impressions, or does the price of being taken in outweigh the consequence of giving second chances? I'm going to keep thinking about this, so I don't think this is the last time I'll bring up the subject.
Well, what are your thoughts? Have I learned anything from this?
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
By the way...
Hello again all. Here I am, it's after midnight, and I'm at my parents' house in Connecticut thinking about my flight tomorrow. I can't believe I'm leaving again. It's going to be a great trip, but I have to admit, I'm going to miss my friends.
I'm at a time in my life of great transition. I enjoy change, but there are sure to be some big ones coming up soon. I'll be graduating, and my friends and I will be headed in different directions. Studies abroad seem to claim one of us each semester, and the prospect of getting the boys back together again lessens with each departure. We're all doing good things, and the good things are taking us down different roads.
Up to this point, this blog has been mainly a travelogue of my trips to Europe. While I still intend to keep you up to date on my journeys, I would also like to make this blog a forum for thought and reflection. I'll be posting some of what I'm thinking, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and reactions. I'm looking forward to a semester of progress, improvement, and fun. Peace.
I'm at a time in my life of great transition. I enjoy change, but there are sure to be some big ones coming up soon. I'll be graduating, and my friends and I will be headed in different directions. Studies abroad seem to claim one of us each semester, and the prospect of getting the boys back together again lessens with each departure. We're all doing good things, and the good things are taking us down different roads.
Up to this point, this blog has been mainly a travelogue of my trips to Europe. While I still intend to keep you up to date on my journeys, I would also like to make this blog a forum for thought and reflection. I'll be posting some of what I'm thinking, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and reactions. I'm looking forward to a semester of progress, improvement, and fun. Peace.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
A summary/recap
I've got facebook rigged to import my blog entries as notes now, so you'll be able to read up on things from there.
I'm just getting ready to leave for France. I can't believe that by the end of the week I'll be in Paris. It's going to be quite the trip.
I'll try to post at least once a week. Please keep up and feel free to comment on my posts. I'd love to hear from all of you.
Have an enjoyable semester!
Mike, the Euroscapader
I'm just getting ready to leave for France. I can't believe that by the end of the week I'll be in Paris. It's going to be quite the trip.
I'll try to post at least once a week. Please keep up and feel free to comment on my posts. I'd love to hear from all of you.
Have an enjoyable semester!
Mike, the Euroscapader
Thursday, July 19, 2007
An interesting day to say the least
Has it really been an entire week since I last posted? Sorry to leave you out of the loop for so long. It's been very busy here this last week, but I finally found some time to sit down and catch you up.
In summary, here's what you can look forward to reading about:
-taking 30 American teenagers to a gay bar in Nice (oops) for techno night and dancing
-excursions to Eze, Monaco, and St. Tropez
-the gardens and view in Eze
-cars, aquarium, and a palace visit in Monaco
-modern and contemporary art museum visits
-my day off in Italy
-para-sailing
-making cologne in Grasse...
...and...
-blues night!!!
Les deux frères
So you might be wondering why anyone in his right mind would willfully escort a group of 30 underaged Americans to a gay bar in Nice... I don't know that there's a good answer to that. It all started when Marion, our Activities Director on the program, told us about a techno night a local pub was hosting. There was going to be a guest DJ playing his own stuff, and it sounded like an enjoyable evening activity and a good chance for the American participants to hear some good European dance music. A great cultural experience, right?
When Marion told me the name of the club was "Les deux frères (The Two Brothers)," I didn't think anything of it. I just had it in my brain that that was the name of the club we were looking for in town. And even after getting there it wasn't immediately obvious that anything out of the ordinary was taking place. As we were among the first to arrive at the club that night, we didn't start noticing anything until some more of the club's patrons began to enter. It seemed like guys were coming with guys and girls with girls...and then it dawned on me.... As the guys started dancing with the guys and the girls with girls, and we started noticing their fashion and behavior, it became all too apparent.
Being in a gay bar does have its advantages, however. (I didn't think I'd ever hear myself say that.) One of the biggest things I worry about in France as someone responsible for the safety of 25 American high school girls, especially at night, is unwanted attention from the ubiquitous sketchy French male. Some of them are so inappropriate it's enough to make you sick. But at a gay bar, I didn't worry at all when some of the girls started dancing with a couple of guys (who were already dancing together). They all had a good time dancing together, and everyone in the bar was extremely considerate and polite. It was honestly one of the safest clubs to which we could have taken those girls. What a Friday night!
Eze
The morning of Saturday, July 14th was a festive one as our Peirani tour bus pulled into Eze, a medieval city on the top of one of the tallest and steepest hills on the French Riviera. The 14th is Bastille Day, France's Independence Day. A band played in the small town tunes of French patriotism including their national anthem, la Marseillaise.
It had been a very pretty bus ride to Eze. The views are amazing as you get out of Nice and begin to climb the hills as the coast gets steeper and steeper.
We arrived at the top of the hill after a short walk and entered the gardens arranged by the former princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, an American movie star. Princess Grace imported many varieties of American cacti which look slightly out of place.
The view from Eze is one of the most spectacular I've ever seen. It's probably second only to the view of the Bay of Fundy from the Fundy National Park where you can see Nova Scotia on the horizon. I don't know I'll ever see anything quite like it.
We grabbed a bite to eat and boarded the bus for Monaco.
Monaco
As we crossed the border into Monaco, I realized I have now visited three of Europe's five microstates. Fun! Monaco, The Vatican, and Lichtenstein. Just Andorra and San Marino to complete the circuit, I guess.
Almost all of the parking is underground in Monaco. The prince's palace is on a large hill, and our buses parked in the hill. We took the elevator the surface and came out right in front of the aquarium, which was the first place I visited. It turned out to be more than an aquarium. It was a nautical museum also and contained skeletons of whales, an original American Revolution submarine, and a life-sized polar bear, among other things. They had a great selection of sharks and Nemo-fish.
After I finished up at the aquarium, I made my way to the Prince Rainer III's famous car collection. Some rare gems and some WWII and Vietnam American Army vehicles were most prevalent. For a few photos, be sure to check out my Facebook photo album Pirates of the Mediterranean: Shiver Ye Timbers.
I also took advantage of the sales going on in pretty much every store in Europe and updated my wardrobe with a few strategic purchases. Much of what is on sale now will be better worn in the fall and winter, but I must admit I'm excited to wear some of these articles.
I concluded my stay in Monaco with an audio guided tour of the Prince's palace. Not a bad place to live if you don't have anywhere else to stay. But the 20-foot ceilings, gold leaf, art masterpieces, and private footguard might get old after a while.
St. Tropez
It's hard to come into St. Tropez on a boat, as we did, without noticing the big mansions just outside the downtown area and the ridiculously large yachts in the harbor. One of them even had a helicopter on the helo pad on the back.
Sunday was a slower day. I had really hoped to be able to attend church again this week, but I had no such luck. Instead, another one of the RAs and I had a great discussion about our common values and compared religious views for about an hour. I felt it was a good discussion and was worth the time. In lieu of attending church, I figured it was the best I could do.
We proceeded to the castle on the top of the hill for our modern art museum and 360-degree view of the city and its environs. My favorite display in the museum/castle had to be the 22-minute film about a family of ostriches played by humans. They work pink tights and ostrich costumes and walked backwards. It's amazing how much a human walking backwards looks like an ostrich walking forwards.
But the best part about St. Tropez was its amazing collection of Picasso at the Anociade museum. I had only seen a Picasso or two in real life before coming to this museum, but there must have been at least 30 of his pieces there. I couldn't believe how many there were. There was also a great collection of post-Impressionism and Fauvist art there too. It's wonderful to see the art I remember talking about in class and remember what defines each genre, then see how each painting fits the description or not. It was also fascinating to trace the development of an artist's style across his life and compare the early works with the later.
San Remo and my day off
So after a long weekend, it was nice to have my one day off fall on a Monday. I had been debating for quite some time what I wanted to do with the little time I really had to myself, and I finally came to the conclusion that since I didn't know the next time I'd be back in Italy, I should probably take advantage of my proximity to the country. So I hopped on a train, which was 10 € round trip, and went to Italy for the day.
I had been debating about how to spend the day, and I almost opted to stay in Nice and call my friend Kyle who's serving a mission here and in whose area I now live at the lycée. I love doing missionary work and thought it would be a nice change of pace from what I'm doing 24/7. But I couldn't turn down the trip to Italy, and so I left a little reluctant.
When I arrived in San Remo, I really had no idea where I was going or what I wanted to do for the day. So I started walking down the street from the train station, hoping I would make it to the old part of town or the beach or something. Having left the train station literally no more than 5 minutes previously, I ran into to the missionaries, Elder Olsen and Elder Pappas. I said hello, introduced myself, and made a u-turn to head back to the chapel with them. The chapel was right next to the train station, but I never would have known if I hadn't been with the missionaries.
After a brief district meeting (they were the only 2 in their district), we went out to lunch. We had real Italian pizza, cooked by a real Italian, in a real Italian pizzeria in Italy, with real Italian cheese (I think you get the point)! It was delicious.
Next it was onto some fresh fruit for dessert, and then we parted ways. It was great to see, as we rode the bus on the way to lunch, Elder Pappas finding wherever he went. Everywhere we went he was talking to people. (I could understand almost every word! I need to move to Italy for a few months and just pick up the language.) Elder Olsen is still pretty new and struggles with his Italian, but he was willing to make phone calls and do all he could.
As I thought about the work that was going on in this small city with a small branch and two missionaries, and as I heard the success stories in sharing the Gospel, working with the members, finding through their own efforts, and baptizing worthy converts, it re-confirmed to me what Elder Ballard said in an all MTC teacher meeting last fall: missionary work really is moving forward around the world, and there's no need for missionaries to think that just because they're called to France, or Italy, or Germany, or Spain, or Russia, or Canada, or Africa for that matter, that they aren't going to find people ready for the message. They will, they just need to have faith and work hard, and whatever happens will be as the Lord wants it to happen.
After leaving the missionaries to some of their afternoon and evening appointments, I went to the beach and did a little shopping before getting on the train back to France. I didn't actually buy anything, I just window shopped a little for some things I was unable to find.
In all, the day was very relaxing, and I came back recharged and ready for the last week or two of the program.
The last couple of days
Tuesday was fairly uneventful with the exception of going parasailing! I'd never been before, and it was a lot of fun. I'd recommend it to anyone who hasn't been. It's so peaceful and quiet once you get a few feet over the water. I was probably 50 to 100 feet above the water, and I was only out for a few minutes, but the experience was well worth walking to the beach and letting my company pay for me to go.
Wednesday (yesterday), in contrast to Tuesday, was very busy. I didn't know I could have so much fun at work, though. I had a pretty typical morning with the running and the breakfast and the staff meeting, and then I went to Grasse in the afternoon to make perfume. Grasse is basically the perfume capital of France, the perfume capital of the world. There's a workshop where they let you mix your own scents to make your own perfume or cologne, and I made a creation I called "Mike pour homme" (I didn't have much time to think of a name). All I know is that it smells good and the perfume guy liked it.
The bus rides out there and back were long but very inexpensive. You can really get around on just a few Euros.
And then in the evening I went on what was without a doubt my favorite activity of the summer. About a 5-minute walk from the lycée is a club where we went for the "Blues Jam Session." It was so much fun, and they do it every Wednesday. I'm thinking of applying for this job again next year just so I can go play again. If I had known the first Wednesday, I would have been there every Wednesday of the summer.
So you know how excited I am about this, but let me tell you about what it was. Basically, anyone who wants to can come to this club called "Le Volume" in Nice, bring instruments and friends, and get up on the stage and play. Nothing but blues improv for several hours, with me rocking out on the stage and singing, made me so happy. Not only has it been so long since I've played with a group, but blues improv is my favorite thing in the world to play on the guitar. The other musicians were also really into it, and we all took turns soloing and jamming. In the group: two drum sets, two guitars, a bass guitar, a singer or two, and two saxophones. We just improvised our way through the evening, taking turns playing rhythm, leading, soloing, and singing, and we just had an awesome time. I haven't had that much fun in a long time.
I made up words in English and in French, and people seemed to like that I sang in French. Who says the blues can't be in French? I'd love to go back next Wednesday, but it's the last night of the program and I might not be allowed out of the lycée.
I posted a bunch of pictures from the show on Facebook, so you'll have to check those out to get an idea of what we were doing there.
Which finally brings us to today. I was very grateful to have a slower day today. I went on a guided tour of the MAMAC (Modern and Contemporary Art Museum) in Nice and learned a lot about surrealism in art and the "new realists" of our time. Fascinating work, with some very interesting interpretations, representations, and themes for the art.
Aside from the museum visit, I sat down and read half a chapter of Harry Potter. I haven't made anywhere near as much progress on that book as I would have liked to. I have also spent a lot of time getting pictures up on Facebook and updating this blog, so I do hope you'll enjoy. Cheers!
In summary, here's what you can look forward to reading about:
-taking 30 American teenagers to a gay bar in Nice (oops) for techno night and dancing
-excursions to Eze, Monaco, and St. Tropez
-the gardens and view in Eze
-cars, aquarium, and a palace visit in Monaco
-modern and contemporary art museum visits
-my day off in Italy
-para-sailing
-making cologne in Grasse...
...and...
-blues night!!!
Les deux frères
So you might be wondering why anyone in his right mind would willfully escort a group of 30 underaged Americans to a gay bar in Nice... I don't know that there's a good answer to that. It all started when Marion, our Activities Director on the program, told us about a techno night a local pub was hosting. There was going to be a guest DJ playing his own stuff, and it sounded like an enjoyable evening activity and a good chance for the American participants to hear some good European dance music. A great cultural experience, right?
When Marion told me the name of the club was "Les deux frères (The Two Brothers)," I didn't think anything of it. I just had it in my brain that that was the name of the club we were looking for in town. And even after getting there it wasn't immediately obvious that anything out of the ordinary was taking place. As we were among the first to arrive at the club that night, we didn't start noticing anything until some more of the club's patrons began to enter. It seemed like guys were coming with guys and girls with girls...and then it dawned on me.... As the guys started dancing with the guys and the girls with girls, and we started noticing their fashion and behavior, it became all too apparent.
Being in a gay bar does have its advantages, however. (I didn't think I'd ever hear myself say that.) One of the biggest things I worry about in France as someone responsible for the safety of 25 American high school girls, especially at night, is unwanted attention from the ubiquitous sketchy French male. Some of them are so inappropriate it's enough to make you sick. But at a gay bar, I didn't worry at all when some of the girls started dancing with a couple of guys (who were already dancing together). They all had a good time dancing together, and everyone in the bar was extremely considerate and polite. It was honestly one of the safest clubs to which we could have taken those girls. What a Friday night!
Eze
The morning of Saturday, July 14th was a festive one as our Peirani tour bus pulled into Eze, a medieval city on the top of one of the tallest and steepest hills on the French Riviera. The 14th is Bastille Day, France's Independence Day. A band played in the small town tunes of French patriotism including their national anthem, la Marseillaise.
It had been a very pretty bus ride to Eze. The views are amazing as you get out of Nice and begin to climb the hills as the coast gets steeper and steeper.
We arrived at the top of the hill after a short walk and entered the gardens arranged by the former princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, an American movie star. Princess Grace imported many varieties of American cacti which look slightly out of place.
The view from Eze is one of the most spectacular I've ever seen. It's probably second only to the view of the Bay of Fundy from the Fundy National Park where you can see Nova Scotia on the horizon. I don't know I'll ever see anything quite like it.
We grabbed a bite to eat and boarded the bus for Monaco.
Monaco
As we crossed the border into Monaco, I realized I have now visited three of Europe's five microstates. Fun! Monaco, The Vatican, and Lichtenstein. Just Andorra and San Marino to complete the circuit, I guess.
Almost all of the parking is underground in Monaco. The prince's palace is on a large hill, and our buses parked in the hill. We took the elevator the surface and came out right in front of the aquarium, which was the first place I visited. It turned out to be more than an aquarium. It was a nautical museum also and contained skeletons of whales, an original American Revolution submarine, and a life-sized polar bear, among other things. They had a great selection of sharks and Nemo-fish.
After I finished up at the aquarium, I made my way to the Prince Rainer III's famous car collection. Some rare gems and some WWII and Vietnam American Army vehicles were most prevalent. For a few photos, be sure to check out my Facebook photo album Pirates of the Mediterranean: Shiver Ye Timbers.
I also took advantage of the sales going on in pretty much every store in Europe and updated my wardrobe with a few strategic purchases. Much of what is on sale now will be better worn in the fall and winter, but I must admit I'm excited to wear some of these articles.
I concluded my stay in Monaco with an audio guided tour of the Prince's palace. Not a bad place to live if you don't have anywhere else to stay. But the 20-foot ceilings, gold leaf, art masterpieces, and private footguard might get old after a while.
St. Tropez
It's hard to come into St. Tropez on a boat, as we did, without noticing the big mansions just outside the downtown area and the ridiculously large yachts in the harbor. One of them even had a helicopter on the helo pad on the back.
Sunday was a slower day. I had really hoped to be able to attend church again this week, but I had no such luck. Instead, another one of the RAs and I had a great discussion about our common values and compared religious views for about an hour. I felt it was a good discussion and was worth the time. In lieu of attending church, I figured it was the best I could do.
We proceeded to the castle on the top of the hill for our modern art museum and 360-degree view of the city and its environs. My favorite display in the museum/castle had to be the 22-minute film about a family of ostriches played by humans. They work pink tights and ostrich costumes and walked backwards. It's amazing how much a human walking backwards looks like an ostrich walking forwards.
But the best part about St. Tropez was its amazing collection of Picasso at the Anociade museum. I had only seen a Picasso or two in real life before coming to this museum, but there must have been at least 30 of his pieces there. I couldn't believe how many there were. There was also a great collection of post-Impressionism and Fauvist art there too. It's wonderful to see the art I remember talking about in class and remember what defines each genre, then see how each painting fits the description or not. It was also fascinating to trace the development of an artist's style across his life and compare the early works with the later.
San Remo and my day off
So after a long weekend, it was nice to have my one day off fall on a Monday. I had been debating for quite some time what I wanted to do with the little time I really had to myself, and I finally came to the conclusion that since I didn't know the next time I'd be back in Italy, I should probably take advantage of my proximity to the country. So I hopped on a train, which was 10 € round trip, and went to Italy for the day.
I had been debating about how to spend the day, and I almost opted to stay in Nice and call my friend Kyle who's serving a mission here and in whose area I now live at the lycée. I love doing missionary work and thought it would be a nice change of pace from what I'm doing 24/7. But I couldn't turn down the trip to Italy, and so I left a little reluctant.
When I arrived in San Remo, I really had no idea where I was going or what I wanted to do for the day. So I started walking down the street from the train station, hoping I would make it to the old part of town or the beach or something. Having left the train station literally no more than 5 minutes previously, I ran into to the missionaries, Elder Olsen and Elder Pappas. I said hello, introduced myself, and made a u-turn to head back to the chapel with them. The chapel was right next to the train station, but I never would have known if I hadn't been with the missionaries.
After a brief district meeting (they were the only 2 in their district), we went out to lunch. We had real Italian pizza, cooked by a real Italian, in a real Italian pizzeria in Italy, with real Italian cheese (I think you get the point)! It was delicious.
Next it was onto some fresh fruit for dessert, and then we parted ways. It was great to see, as we rode the bus on the way to lunch, Elder Pappas finding wherever he went. Everywhere we went he was talking to people. (I could understand almost every word! I need to move to Italy for a few months and just pick up the language.) Elder Olsen is still pretty new and struggles with his Italian, but he was willing to make phone calls and do all he could.
As I thought about the work that was going on in this small city with a small branch and two missionaries, and as I heard the success stories in sharing the Gospel, working with the members, finding through their own efforts, and baptizing worthy converts, it re-confirmed to me what Elder Ballard said in an all MTC teacher meeting last fall: missionary work really is moving forward around the world, and there's no need for missionaries to think that just because they're called to France, or Italy, or Germany, or Spain, or Russia, or Canada, or Africa for that matter, that they aren't going to find people ready for the message. They will, they just need to have faith and work hard, and whatever happens will be as the Lord wants it to happen.
After leaving the missionaries to some of their afternoon and evening appointments, I went to the beach and did a little shopping before getting on the train back to France. I didn't actually buy anything, I just window shopped a little for some things I was unable to find.
In all, the day was very relaxing, and I came back recharged and ready for the last week or two of the program.
The last couple of days
Tuesday was fairly uneventful with the exception of going parasailing! I'd never been before, and it was a lot of fun. I'd recommend it to anyone who hasn't been. It's so peaceful and quiet once you get a few feet over the water. I was probably 50 to 100 feet above the water, and I was only out for a few minutes, but the experience was well worth walking to the beach and letting my company pay for me to go.
Wednesday (yesterday), in contrast to Tuesday, was very busy. I didn't know I could have so much fun at work, though. I had a pretty typical morning with the running and the breakfast and the staff meeting, and then I went to Grasse in the afternoon to make perfume. Grasse is basically the perfume capital of France, the perfume capital of the world. There's a workshop where they let you mix your own scents to make your own perfume or cologne, and I made a creation I called "Mike pour homme" (I didn't have much time to think of a name). All I know is that it smells good and the perfume guy liked it.
The bus rides out there and back were long but very inexpensive. You can really get around on just a few Euros.
And then in the evening I went on what was without a doubt my favorite activity of the summer. About a 5-minute walk from the lycée is a club where we went for the "Blues Jam Session." It was so much fun, and they do it every Wednesday. I'm thinking of applying for this job again next year just so I can go play again. If I had known the first Wednesday, I would have been there every Wednesday of the summer.
So you know how excited I am about this, but let me tell you about what it was. Basically, anyone who wants to can come to this club called "Le Volume" in Nice, bring instruments and friends, and get up on the stage and play. Nothing but blues improv for several hours, with me rocking out on the stage and singing, made me so happy. Not only has it been so long since I've played with a group, but blues improv is my favorite thing in the world to play on the guitar. The other musicians were also really into it, and we all took turns soloing and jamming. In the group: two drum sets, two guitars, a bass guitar, a singer or two, and two saxophones. We just improvised our way through the evening, taking turns playing rhythm, leading, soloing, and singing, and we just had an awesome time. I haven't had that much fun in a long time.
I made up words in English and in French, and people seemed to like that I sang in French. Who says the blues can't be in French? I'd love to go back next Wednesday, but it's the last night of the program and I might not be allowed out of the lycée.
I posted a bunch of pictures from the show on Facebook, so you'll have to check those out to get an idea of what we were doing there.
Which finally brings us to today. I was very grateful to have a slower day today. I went on a guided tour of the MAMAC (Modern and Contemporary Art Museum) in Nice and learned a lot about surrealism in art and the "new realists" of our time. Fascinating work, with some very interesting interpretations, representations, and themes for the art.
Aside from the museum visit, I sat down and read half a chapter of Harry Potter. I haven't made anywhere near as much progress on that book as I would have liked to. I have also spent a lot of time getting pictures up on Facebook and updating this blog, so I do hope you'll enjoy. Cheers!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The Beach, Mini-Golf and Harry Potter: who could ask for anything more?
I have been running a lot since I've been here. I don't know if subconsciously I need to run to justify the vast quantities of delicious but calorific food I'm taking in, or if I'm truly doing in an attempt to get in better shape. In any case, running makes me feel better all day. I think I'm partly riding the coattails of my advantageous but fleeting high hemoglobin count due to altitude training in Utah, but I have decided to use my fortuitous circumstances as a springboard to continued and increased physical activity. I'm averaging around 6 miles 6 times a week, which might not seem like much, but I haven't run this much since cross-country in high school.
Running was just the beginning of a great day. Yesterday was all kinds of fun! After running, breakfast, and a staff meeting, I hit the beach with a few other staff members. I still can't get over how amazingly beautiful the beach and the water are here. I make a point of swimming every time I go to the beach, which is a good supplement to running in the morning.
After the beach and lunch, I lead an expedition to a mini-golf place here in town. The course was sub-par (worst pun ever) at best. On seventeen holes (we skipped one due to a traffic jam) I shot under fifty, so I was happy with my putting efforts.
Some ice cream and crêpes on the way back to the lycée put the kids in a cheery mood. Following a break of an hour or two and some dinner, I collected money for tickets and escorted a group of 35 American teenagers on an excursion to the Harry Potter debut at a theater some 25 minutes away on foot. What a logistical nightmare! Fortunately I was not alone: the 3 other RAs all helped with crowd control and ticket purchases, and we had thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I thought it was a great improvement over the previous movies in the series but a bit short. I would have liked to see more of the supporting roles in the movie, but I thought the flow of the plot went much better.
The walk home across town was even more exciting at 12:30 a.m. The kids behaved themselves fairly well, with a few exceptions, and they were really good about keeping it quiet as we entered the lycée again. That was my biggest concern, but they were good about it. After that, I was ready to call it a night.
All in all, it was a great day! I'm still looking forward to para-sailing and scuba diving in the near future, as well as excursions to Monaco, Eze, and Aix-en-Provence, a day off in Italy, and seeing some old friends in Nîmes and Montpellier after the program. I'll keep you posted!
Running was just the beginning of a great day. Yesterday was all kinds of fun! After running, breakfast, and a staff meeting, I hit the beach with a few other staff members. I still can't get over how amazingly beautiful the beach and the water are here. I make a point of swimming every time I go to the beach, which is a good supplement to running in the morning.
After the beach and lunch, I lead an expedition to a mini-golf place here in town. The course was sub-par (worst pun ever) at best. On seventeen holes (we skipped one due to a traffic jam) I shot under fifty, so I was happy with my putting efforts.
Some ice cream and crêpes on the way back to the lycée put the kids in a cheery mood. Following a break of an hour or two and some dinner, I collected money for tickets and escorted a group of 35 American teenagers on an excursion to the Harry Potter debut at a theater some 25 minutes away on foot. What a logistical nightmare! Fortunately I was not alone: the 3 other RAs all helped with crowd control and ticket purchases, and we had thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I thought it was a great improvement over the previous movies in the series but a bit short. I would have liked to see more of the supporting roles in the movie, but I thought the flow of the plot went much better.
The walk home across town was even more exciting at 12:30 a.m. The kids behaved themselves fairly well, with a few exceptions, and they were really good about keeping it quiet as we entered the lycée again. That was my biggest concern, but they were good about it. After that, I was ready to call it a night.
All in all, it was a great day! I'm still looking forward to para-sailing and scuba diving in the near future, as well as excursions to Monaco, Eze, and Aix-en-Provence, a day off in Italy, and seeing some old friends in Nîmes and Montpellier after the program. I'll keep you posted!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
The Man in the Iron Mask
It's been the better part of a week since I last posted, and, as you can imagine, much has transpired in the meantime.
Sadly, as of Saturday, the two RAs I was closest to, Lily and Sara, are no longer with ASA Nice. They went home under some circumstances that still aren't clear to me. So we're a couple staff members down, which sometimes means we're stretched a little thin. I still have down time, but it's been more difficult when the whole program is going somewhere or in different directions to keep things under control.
On a more positive note, I have had a lot of fun over the past 5 days.
Friday, July 6, 2007
ICE SKATING
Friday evening I escorted a group of participants to the ice rink about 15 minutes from the lycée for an evening of skating. It had been several months since my last time on the ice, and it was good to put on some skates again. In all, about 15 people came. It was a good time, but many of the students left after only skating for 30 minutes or so. I stayed for about an hour and a half with a couple of the girls that wanted to skate longer, and I was grateful for the workout. I didn't get to go running on Friday morning.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
CANNES
L'Ile Ste. Marguerite and the Man in the Iron Mask. After an hour on our Peirani tour bus, we got off at the ferry dock in Cannes. We got on a boat for l'Ile Ste. Marguerite, a small island off the southern coast of France. The island was once a stronghold for France's coastal defense, but it was also built with a prison. In this particular prison, the legendary Man in the Iron Mask was held. While the prisoner's identity is debated, there was a prisoner held on the island by royal decree who was to wear an iron mask as part of his sentence. There were some great views from the island of Cannes and the Mediterranean. I've posted them on Facebook for those interested.
Le Musée de la Castre et la Malmaison. After a couple hours on the island and at the fort, we returned to Cannes for an evening on the town. I already visited Cannes a couple of weeks ago to see Guillaume, my friend from my mission, so I decided to devote the two hours of free time I had to visiting some museums and other parts of the city. I ventured off on my own, walking up a hill to a museum with an excellent collection of old instruments. In addition to its ancient instruments, The Musée de la Castre is a museum containing artifacts from early human civilizations In South America, Africa, and Australia (or was it Europe?) as well as a collection of authentic Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. Some of the paintings dated back to the years when impressionism was big, while others mimicked the Impressionist style with great skill. Still others were obviously inspired by and contained elements of Impressionism but varied in their execution.
The exhibit on instruments, however, was undoubtedly the best part of the museum (at least it was in my mind). It appears as though part of the museum is converted from an old church, and the chapel of the church is the room housing the instruments. There were predecessors to the harp, the violin, and many stringed instruments, as well as interesting percussion pieces. Some of the instruments looked more like farm equipment than instruments, but they were all clearly labeled as instruments.
After the Musée de la Castre, I made my way down the hill and across the main part of town to the Malmaison, another museum which supposedly contains Picasso exhibits from time to time. Since I knew the big Picasso museum in Antibes is closed this year, I had really hoped to see some Picasso in Cannes. No such luck. The collection of paintings was small (not more than a dozen or two in all), and there wasn't a single Picasso in the whole place!
Although I appreciated the contemporary art on display, I didn't necessarily agree with the artists' messages or style. The paintings were all done in a single style where thick black lines were used to give shape and depth to the cartoon-like pictures. Most of the paintings were mock movie posters, and they were all politically charged. The thick black shaping lines of the images gave a geodesic appearance to the forms represented. The handwriting in the caption boxes and lettering appeared to be that of a kindergartner, and some of the subject matter was questionable at best. What was interesting to me was to see what artists today are doing. This seemed to be a new and unique style. There were certain elements of cubism, but the school of painting had something novel about it. When people are studying art history in a few years, they might just learn about what I saw while the paint was practically still drying on the canvas.
I had a nice dinner across the street from the Palais des Festivals where the film festival takes place each year. I could see the red carpet from my table. The food here is so good. I had a wonderful salad, steak, and dessert. Panna Cotta, I think it's called. It was amazing.
After an uneventful evening bus ride home, I decided to call it a day.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
CHURCH
After missing a Sunday at Church on the 1st, I was very excited about going to Church. Knowing several missionaries in the mission also got me thinking I might no someone serving in the ward. I was not disappointed.
My first experience on the Nice public bus system was quite pleasant. The bus driver refused to let me buy a ticket on the way to Church, so I got a round trip to Church and back for the price of one trip on the bus. Also, I was able to stay for all 3 hours, much to my surprise.
As I walked into the chapel (a beautiful white building on a hill with palm trees in the yard), the Elder playing the piano quickly stood up and came excitedly toward me. I soon realized it was Elder Kyle Hamilton, one of my roommates my first semester back from my mission. He was excited to see me, and I was excited to see him. It's almost like I can't travel around France without running into someone I know at Church. We had a great talk and discovered I live in his area. How weird is that?
When Sacrament Meeting came, Elder Hamilton's companion pointed out an American family that didn't speak French. I offered to translate, which they reluctantly accepted. They wanted to hear the talks in French. At first I only gave them an idea of the topic and let them try to pick up a word here and there. But by the time the counselor in the Stake Presidency stood up to speak, they were ready for me translate the whole talk. It brought back some memories from the mission, except that I was translating from English to French in Canada. It's much easier to translate into one's own language, but it was still hard to keep up. The talk was great, and I felt the family and I were both edified.
I took a few pictures after Church (check Facebook) of the building and with Elder Hamilton, and bid him 'til next week. I thought when I left I'd also have next Sunday morning off, but it sounds like I won't. I'll just have to catch up with him when he gets back to BYU in 6 or 7 months, and I'll have to try to get to Church in Aix-en-Provence when we're there in a couple of weeks.
ANTIBES and JUAN-LES-PINS
I made it back to the lycée just in time to eat lunch and get on the bus for Antibes, a resort town between Nice and Cannes but right next to Cannes. The ride was about 40 minutes. Our first mission upon arriving in the city was to find a restaurant or a bar with a TV so the guys in my group could watch the Wimbledon Final. Since the majority of those wanting to watch the match were guys, I was chosen to head up the activity.
We quickly located a bar with a TV and then went our ways. When the Final started, we all met up again at the bar. I don't like watching sports on Sunday, but when it's part of your job, what can you do? (I don't like working on Sunday either; this job is the first time I've ever had to work on Sunday.) Despite the less than ideal circumstances, I have to admit the match was great. The players were very evenly matched (a Spaniard named Nadal and the famous Swiss player Roger Federer), and the match went back and forth. These were the same two finalists in the French Open, where Nadal beat Federer. We watched the first three sets in Antibes, followed the fourth by Blackberry on the bus, and found a restaurant to watch the fifth in Juan-les-Pins. Federer won the match in the fifth set 6 games to 2, I believe.
After the match, all the staff met for dinner at a wonderful restaurant on the way out of the downtown area. We then got on the bus, and headed back to the lycée, completely exhausted.
Monday, July 9, 2007
SHOPPING
Nothing exciting happened yesterday, with the exception of a few wardrobe acquisitions. This might not be exciting for all my readers, but it was to me. After a slow day around the lycée, it was nice just to get out.
I got a cool retro-looking track jacket from a sporting goods store and pair of flip flops from another sports store. I'm happy with both purchases. I've decided I need some more European-looking clothes for when I'm in Europe, so you might never see me in some of these things in the States.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
NOTHING
Today has been even less eventful than yesterday, but I have some amazing plans for the next few days, including mini-golf and the Harry Potter debut. I'll keep you posted.
Sadly, as of Saturday, the two RAs I was closest to, Lily and Sara, are no longer with ASA Nice. They went home under some circumstances that still aren't clear to me. So we're a couple staff members down, which sometimes means we're stretched a little thin. I still have down time, but it's been more difficult when the whole program is going somewhere or in different directions to keep things under control.
On a more positive note, I have had a lot of fun over the past 5 days.
Friday, July 6, 2007
ICE SKATING
Friday evening I escorted a group of participants to the ice rink about 15 minutes from the lycée for an evening of skating. It had been several months since my last time on the ice, and it was good to put on some skates again. In all, about 15 people came. It was a good time, but many of the students left after only skating for 30 minutes or so. I stayed for about an hour and a half with a couple of the girls that wanted to skate longer, and I was grateful for the workout. I didn't get to go running on Friday morning.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
CANNES
L'Ile Ste. Marguerite and the Man in the Iron Mask. After an hour on our Peirani tour bus, we got off at the ferry dock in Cannes. We got on a boat for l'Ile Ste. Marguerite, a small island off the southern coast of France. The island was once a stronghold for France's coastal defense, but it was also built with a prison. In this particular prison, the legendary Man in the Iron Mask was held. While the prisoner's identity is debated, there was a prisoner held on the island by royal decree who was to wear an iron mask as part of his sentence. There were some great views from the island of Cannes and the Mediterranean. I've posted them on Facebook for those interested.
Le Musée de la Castre et la Malmaison. After a couple hours on the island and at the fort, we returned to Cannes for an evening on the town. I already visited Cannes a couple of weeks ago to see Guillaume, my friend from my mission, so I decided to devote the two hours of free time I had to visiting some museums and other parts of the city. I ventured off on my own, walking up a hill to a museum with an excellent collection of old instruments. In addition to its ancient instruments, The Musée de la Castre is a museum containing artifacts from early human civilizations In South America, Africa, and Australia (or was it Europe?) as well as a collection of authentic Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. Some of the paintings dated back to the years when impressionism was big, while others mimicked the Impressionist style with great skill. Still others were obviously inspired by and contained elements of Impressionism but varied in their execution.
The exhibit on instruments, however, was undoubtedly the best part of the museum (at least it was in my mind). It appears as though part of the museum is converted from an old church, and the chapel of the church is the room housing the instruments. There were predecessors to the harp, the violin, and many stringed instruments, as well as interesting percussion pieces. Some of the instruments looked more like farm equipment than instruments, but they were all clearly labeled as instruments.
After the Musée de la Castre, I made my way down the hill and across the main part of town to the Malmaison, another museum which supposedly contains Picasso exhibits from time to time. Since I knew the big Picasso museum in Antibes is closed this year, I had really hoped to see some Picasso in Cannes. No such luck. The collection of paintings was small (not more than a dozen or two in all), and there wasn't a single Picasso in the whole place!
Although I appreciated the contemporary art on display, I didn't necessarily agree with the artists' messages or style. The paintings were all done in a single style where thick black lines were used to give shape and depth to the cartoon-like pictures. Most of the paintings were mock movie posters, and they were all politically charged. The thick black shaping lines of the images gave a geodesic appearance to the forms represented. The handwriting in the caption boxes and lettering appeared to be that of a kindergartner, and some of the subject matter was questionable at best. What was interesting to me was to see what artists today are doing. This seemed to be a new and unique style. There were certain elements of cubism, but the school of painting had something novel about it. When people are studying art history in a few years, they might just learn about what I saw while the paint was practically still drying on the canvas.
I had a nice dinner across the street from the Palais des Festivals where the film festival takes place each year. I could see the red carpet from my table. The food here is so good. I had a wonderful salad, steak, and dessert. Panna Cotta, I think it's called. It was amazing.
After an uneventful evening bus ride home, I decided to call it a day.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
CHURCH
After missing a Sunday at Church on the 1st, I was very excited about going to Church. Knowing several missionaries in the mission also got me thinking I might no someone serving in the ward. I was not disappointed.
My first experience on the Nice public bus system was quite pleasant. The bus driver refused to let me buy a ticket on the way to Church, so I got a round trip to Church and back for the price of one trip on the bus. Also, I was able to stay for all 3 hours, much to my surprise.
As I walked into the chapel (a beautiful white building on a hill with palm trees in the yard), the Elder playing the piano quickly stood up and came excitedly toward me. I soon realized it was Elder Kyle Hamilton, one of my roommates my first semester back from my mission. He was excited to see me, and I was excited to see him. It's almost like I can't travel around France without running into someone I know at Church. We had a great talk and discovered I live in his area. How weird is that?
When Sacrament Meeting came, Elder Hamilton's companion pointed out an American family that didn't speak French. I offered to translate, which they reluctantly accepted. They wanted to hear the talks in French. At first I only gave them an idea of the topic and let them try to pick up a word here and there. But by the time the counselor in the Stake Presidency stood up to speak, they were ready for me translate the whole talk. It brought back some memories from the mission, except that I was translating from English to French in Canada. It's much easier to translate into one's own language, but it was still hard to keep up. The talk was great, and I felt the family and I were both edified.
I took a few pictures after Church (check Facebook) of the building and with Elder Hamilton, and bid him 'til next week. I thought when I left I'd also have next Sunday morning off, but it sounds like I won't. I'll just have to catch up with him when he gets back to BYU in 6 or 7 months, and I'll have to try to get to Church in Aix-en-Provence when we're there in a couple of weeks.
ANTIBES and JUAN-LES-PINS
I made it back to the lycée just in time to eat lunch and get on the bus for Antibes, a resort town between Nice and Cannes but right next to Cannes. The ride was about 40 minutes. Our first mission upon arriving in the city was to find a restaurant or a bar with a TV so the guys in my group could watch the Wimbledon Final. Since the majority of those wanting to watch the match were guys, I was chosen to head up the activity.
We quickly located a bar with a TV and then went our ways. When the Final started, we all met up again at the bar. I don't like watching sports on Sunday, but when it's part of your job, what can you do? (I don't like working on Sunday either; this job is the first time I've ever had to work on Sunday.) Despite the less than ideal circumstances, I have to admit the match was great. The players were very evenly matched (a Spaniard named Nadal and the famous Swiss player Roger Federer), and the match went back and forth. These were the same two finalists in the French Open, where Nadal beat Federer. We watched the first three sets in Antibes, followed the fourth by Blackberry on the bus, and found a restaurant to watch the fifth in Juan-les-Pins. Federer won the match in the fifth set 6 games to 2, I believe.
After the match, all the staff met for dinner at a wonderful restaurant on the way out of the downtown area. We then got on the bus, and headed back to the lycée, completely exhausted.
Monday, July 9, 2007
SHOPPING
Nothing exciting happened yesterday, with the exception of a few wardrobe acquisitions. This might not be exciting for all my readers, but it was to me. After a slow day around the lycée, it was nice just to get out.
I got a cool retro-looking track jacket from a sporting goods store and pair of flip flops from another sports store. I'm happy with both purchases. I've decided I need some more European-looking clothes for when I'm in Europe, so you might never see me in some of these things in the States.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
NOTHING
Today has been even less eventful than yesterday, but I have some amazing plans for the next few days, including mini-golf and the Harry Potter debut. I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Mike and the 4th of July
I came to the realization yesterday that, in the last 5 years, I have only spent one 4th of July in the United States. As much as I miss the fireworks, festivities, family fun, and feasts, I have come to the conclusion that I enjoy traveling. There's too much to see in the world to be stuck in one place all the time, and traveling during the summer is by far the most convenient for students. Unfortunately, it's also the most expensive and most tourist-infested. What I love most about traveling is meeting natives of the country and getting to know them. This is a difficult task in a tourist trap like Nice, especially when the vast majority of my time is spent chaperoning American teenagers.
Lest I sound critical of the experience, allow me to explain. Nice is a phenomenal city. The weather has been nothing but exceptional, and we have had more fun exploring the city and eating at great restaurants than I would have believed possible before arriving. The setting for my morning run each day is beautiful. Running along the Quai des Etats-Unis (Nice's boardwalk) only makes me feel more at home, and the climate resembles that of southern California.
For dinner yesterday evening, our French cooks at the lycée humored our patriotism. We enjoyed a French interpretation of the American cookout. The banner attached to the window near our picnic tables explained it all. It read (in English): Happy 4th of July!
Over a wood-fire grill (no charcoal, I guess), the chef cooked French bifteck haché, which has the approximate appearance of a hamburger patty. Usually the French will serve this on the plate without a bun, but for us they purchased American-style hamburger buns, complete with sesame seeds. After all the delicious French bread and pastries I've been consuming for the past two weeks, the hamburger buns didn't taste so hot.
They grilled merguez sausages to give the appearance of hot dogs, but merguez is thinner and longer than a Ballpark frank. They must not make hot dog buns in France, because they served our sausage sans pain. The potato chips here have a slightly different texture, too.
Despite some subtle differences in its representation, the consensus view was that the American barbecue was a success. For just one evening, it was almost like being back in the States....
So the RAs got together and went out dancing on the town. We went to a square in the middle of town (complete with carousel and everything) to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Garibaldi, who was born in Nice. A great funk/salsa/polka band entertained us, and, as usual, I made a complete fool of myself (in front of many French people and my co-workers) dancing the night away. Let's just say I let the music take me away. I was dancing so much like a mad man that the singer of the group came down off the stage and started dancing with me as he sang. A few incriminating photos are forthcoming. Suffice it to say I had a great time.
While there were no fireworks on the fourth, I felt like I celebrated at least as much as I would have if I'd been at home. Happy Birthday, USA!
Lest I sound critical of the experience, allow me to explain. Nice is a phenomenal city. The weather has been nothing but exceptional, and we have had more fun exploring the city and eating at great restaurants than I would have believed possible before arriving. The setting for my morning run each day is beautiful. Running along the Quai des Etats-Unis (Nice's boardwalk) only makes me feel more at home, and the climate resembles that of southern California.
For dinner yesterday evening, our French cooks at the lycée humored our patriotism. We enjoyed a French interpretation of the American cookout. The banner attached to the window near our picnic tables explained it all. It read (in English): Happy 4th of July!
Over a wood-fire grill (no charcoal, I guess), the chef cooked French bifteck haché, which has the approximate appearance of a hamburger patty. Usually the French will serve this on the plate without a bun, but for us they purchased American-style hamburger buns, complete with sesame seeds. After all the delicious French bread and pastries I've been consuming for the past two weeks, the hamburger buns didn't taste so hot.
They grilled merguez sausages to give the appearance of hot dogs, but merguez is thinner and longer than a Ballpark frank. They must not make hot dog buns in France, because they served our sausage sans pain. The potato chips here have a slightly different texture, too.
Despite some subtle differences in its representation, the consensus view was that the American barbecue was a success. For just one evening, it was almost like being back in the States....
So the RAs got together and went out dancing on the town. We went to a square in the middle of town (complete with carousel and everything) to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Garibaldi, who was born in Nice. A great funk/salsa/polka band entertained us, and, as usual, I made a complete fool of myself (in front of many French people and my co-workers) dancing the night away. Let's just say I let the music take me away. I was dancing so much like a mad man that the singer of the group came down off the stage and started dancing with me as he sang. A few incriminating photos are forthcoming. Suffice it to say I had a great time.
While there were no fireworks on the fourth, I felt like I celebrated at least as much as I would have if I'd been at home. Happy Birthday, USA!
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