The end of February brought yet ANOTHER school vacation (French education: more or less 6 weeks of school, 2 weeks off, plus 2 months for summer vacation...I sure would've liked this as a child...). This time, I left with my host mother and the Jorge (10) to do some skiing in the Alps! Not only was I incredibly excited simply to have this opportunity, but our apartment was right next to one of the runs, so we could walk out the door, walk about 15 yards, and put on the skis!! It was a beautiful area, about 15 km from Mont Blanc (the largest mountain in Europe) and the skiing was great. We had 3 beautiful days with the sun shining and mild temperatures and 3 days with variable weather (some clouds, gusts of wind at times, and rain/snow). However, even the weather couldn't dampen my spirits...I went skiing every day for at least 5 hours. It felt GREAT to be outdoors, even if the combination of high altitude and breath-taking scenery made it more difficult to breathe...I soon forgot about all that! I also had the opportunity to try some regional specialties, including Fondue Savoyarde (a mixture of 3 cheeses from the region with white wine and bread to dip, along with an optional side of assorted meats to pair with the cheese). I also rediscovered one of my childhood joys, a hot chocolate at the end of day to warm myself up a bit. The snow was great, just the perfect mix of powder, and I felt great all week until Saturday, when I got a little too ambitious skiing with the little one, which resulted in a lot more air time than I could handle and a sore back. Fortunately, I didn't break anything and my back is doing a lot better today, PLUS it was our last day of skiing, so I can't really complain.
Upon return, the kids still had another week of vacation, which we spent going to see a movie "Oceans," a documentary about (what else?) oceans and their ecosystems, and although it was a good film, I still haven't found anything to rival "Planet Earth." I also was exposed to my FIRST Molière play (a must in France, as Molière is to French playwriting what Shakespeare is to English playwriting), which was a great success and provided another excuse to head into Paris. I took advantage of a little time off to head into Paris a few more times before the end of the week.
March is a calm month here, although I have some friends coming to Paris at the end of the month...other than that I'm just waiting for the arrival of spring...we've had a lot more sun as of late, but the strong winds have kept it feeling cool. An update in April will have my official decision on whether to stay in France for another year or come back to the US...please keep me in your thoughts as I make this important decision! Until next time....
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
December/January
Well it's been a good 4 months since I've written, mostly due to a lack of time and a lack of motivation to write, but now I'm back and hopefully will not let the next (and LAST!) 4 months pass without a little more documentation.
I guess I should start where I left off, although most of November and December seems a blur. That isn't to say that these were uneventful months. On the contrary, they were two of the most memorable months of my life. However, that has more to do with moments shared with people around me than any specific events. During these months, I was also very busy finishing applications for graduate school. For anyone who might not know, I hope to pursue a PhD in Philosophy beginning this fall and preparing those applications was very time (and money) consuming. I have now heard from 4 of 5 schools regarding admissions decisions. As things stand, I have been placed on the waiting list at the University of Minnesota and was not accepted at any other school. I am still waiting on a decision from Syracuse, although given the previous decisions, I expect this will also be a negative response. As Loyola mentioned in their denial letter, applications for an advanced degree are particularly numerous this year (given the economic crisis, more people have decided to continue their studies) and so competition is even more fierce for the 6-12 openings in each program. I have also looked into and am currently preparing to submit an application at the Sorbonne in Paris. This being said, I am undecided on whether I will return to the States or whether I will be spending minimum 2 more years (quite likely more) here in France.
The holiday season was quite busy for me, between traveling and visitors. I headed to the south of France for Christmas, staying with my Mom's cousin who has a bed and breakfast with her husband in a charming village a few hours from the Spanish border. Stimulating conversation and delicious meals pass for the norm chez eux, and I profited to the maximum of what was a wonderful respite from the day to day "normality" (I don't feel entirely justified in saying this, because compared to my life in the US, my life in France is completely different and, although I've become used to how things are here, I would say I'm pretty spoiled in general). Upon my return, I met up with one of my good friends from college who was spending New Years in Paris with some other friends. We stayed in an apartment in Montmartre (northern Paris) and the fog lifted just enough at midnight so we could see the spectacular Eiffel Tower light show (although I think the Bastille Day celebration is better, from what I've seen/heard anyway). Continuing to play tour guide, I met up with 2 other of my closest friends from college who also happened to be spending a few days in Paris and although this encounter was much shorter, it was also very pleasant. Finally, I met up a week later with my cousin who was in Paris and we went to the Cité de la Musique for an interesting exhibition on Miles Davis and drinks and a jazz show afterwards. This also being very short, it was still nice, as my best friend here had left just a week earlier and familiar faces and distractions were extremely welcome at this point.
The end of January, my busiest month here, brought my birthday and a trip to Nantes for the Folles Journées (which, for any natives of where I grew up, translates to "Crazy Days" and reminded me of Excelsior). However, this weekend was not full of candy and art (which, if I remember well, were two of the things at Crazy Days in Excelsior, although perhaps I just made that up) but classical music, a weekend dedicated to Chopin. I saw 3 concerts that Saturday, all of which were amazing and provided a nice variety. The first was a pianist beautifully playing selections of Bach (because Chopin used to prepare for his concerts by playing Bach beforehand) to the point that I actually enjoyed Bach beyond its technical aspect. The 2nd concert was a German choir and orchestra playing selections of Haendel, with two incredible soloists. Thirdly, at night we went to a concert of a man from Cameroon (if my memory serves me well, but we all know my memory often falters...), which was a really interesting mix of traditional African and contemporary anti-folk music. I also was able to visit the chateau in Nantes, which houses the History of Nantes Museum, where I learned a lot about the "Venice of the West" as Nantes was once known due to its series of canals which, unfortunately, no longer exist.
I guess I should start where I left off, although most of November and December seems a blur. That isn't to say that these were uneventful months. On the contrary, they were two of the most memorable months of my life. However, that has more to do with moments shared with people around me than any specific events. During these months, I was also very busy finishing applications for graduate school. For anyone who might not know, I hope to pursue a PhD in Philosophy beginning this fall and preparing those applications was very time (and money) consuming. I have now heard from 4 of 5 schools regarding admissions decisions. As things stand, I have been placed on the waiting list at the University of Minnesota and was not accepted at any other school. I am still waiting on a decision from Syracuse, although given the previous decisions, I expect this will also be a negative response. As Loyola mentioned in their denial letter, applications for an advanced degree are particularly numerous this year (given the economic crisis, more people have decided to continue their studies) and so competition is even more fierce for the 6-12 openings in each program. I have also looked into and am currently preparing to submit an application at the Sorbonne in Paris. This being said, I am undecided on whether I will return to the States or whether I will be spending minimum 2 more years (quite likely more) here in France.
The holiday season was quite busy for me, between traveling and visitors. I headed to the south of France for Christmas, staying with my Mom's cousin who has a bed and breakfast with her husband in a charming village a few hours from the Spanish border. Stimulating conversation and delicious meals pass for the norm chez eux, and I profited to the maximum of what was a wonderful respite from the day to day "normality" (I don't feel entirely justified in saying this, because compared to my life in the US, my life in France is completely different and, although I've become used to how things are here, I would say I'm pretty spoiled in general). Upon my return, I met up with one of my good friends from college who was spending New Years in Paris with some other friends. We stayed in an apartment in Montmartre (northern Paris) and the fog lifted just enough at midnight so we could see the spectacular Eiffel Tower light show (although I think the Bastille Day celebration is better, from what I've seen/heard anyway). Continuing to play tour guide, I met up with 2 other of my closest friends from college who also happened to be spending a few days in Paris and although this encounter was much shorter, it was also very pleasant. Finally, I met up a week later with my cousin who was in Paris and we went to the Cité de la Musique for an interesting exhibition on Miles Davis and drinks and a jazz show afterwards. This also being very short, it was still nice, as my best friend here had left just a week earlier and familiar faces and distractions were extremely welcome at this point.
The end of January, my busiest month here, brought my birthday and a trip to Nantes for the Folles Journées (which, for any natives of where I grew up, translates to "Crazy Days" and reminded me of Excelsior). However, this weekend was not full of candy and art (which, if I remember well, were two of the things at Crazy Days in Excelsior, although perhaps I just made that up) but classical music, a weekend dedicated to Chopin. I saw 3 concerts that Saturday, all of which were amazing and provided a nice variety. The first was a pianist beautifully playing selections of Bach (because Chopin used to prepare for his concerts by playing Bach beforehand) to the point that I actually enjoyed Bach beyond its technical aspect. The 2nd concert was a German choir and orchestra playing selections of Haendel, with two incredible soloists. Thirdly, at night we went to a concert of a man from Cameroon (if my memory serves me well, but we all know my memory often falters...), which was a really interesting mix of traditional African and contemporary anti-folk music. I also was able to visit the chateau in Nantes, which houses the History of Nantes Museum, where I learned a lot about the "Venice of the West" as Nantes was once known due to its series of canals which, unfortunately, no longer exist.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Dreaming of Butterflies
Well I'm sitting here trying to remember the things I have done since I last wrote, because I know there have been some interesting things, but I can only think of one or two at the moment. Two weekends ago I stayed with a friend, which was a rather shocking experience. My friend lives in Les Alluets le Roi, which is about 40 minutes by car from chez moi. I was interested to see another neat French house, with beautiful stonework and vines crawling up the side of the house. What a shock I got when I arrived!! Believe it or not, suburbia exists here in France as well. The neighborhood was a bunch of cookie cutter houses probably built in the last decade or so, the family had a monstrous car (ok, so monstrous by France's standards, which is still probably to say about the size of a BMW X5 or something of the sort. And then I arrived in the interior of the house and just had to laugh...it was outfitted with very modern appliances, cabinets, etc and probably had more decorations in English than in French! I had to ask my friend, "Es-tu sur que ta famille n'est pas américaine?" (Are you sure your family isn't American?). Fortunately, the place still had a real chimney (albeit with little 'light this packet', yes, in English, fire starters). Anyway, I'm going to do my best to avoid those types of encounters with things that remind me of the US and take a little away from my picturesque fairy-tale land France that I want to hold onto, haha.
As I mentioned in my last post, I went to the "Cirque de Plume", an experience that I found very French, although apparently this type of performance originated in Canada. Unfortunately, this is another one of those things that is a bit difficult to explain, but it was a really different/neat experience. Essentially, there are various "Cirques" in France, the most notable being the "Cirque de Soleil." It is a performance that mixes the circus, a play, and music all in one. Although there isn't always a coherent storyline, there is a fair amount of acting and the sets change like a play, etc. Anyway, I think what I thought was most French about the show was the humor. Although I haven't yet quite put my finger on what exactly it is about the French humor that is different, I have realized that French humor deals a lot with physical humor (weird faces or actions, etc). It takes a little bit of getting used to, but it's nice especially for foreigners if they don't speak the language because they can understand a lot easier. This "Cirque" was also in a neat place of Paris I had never been before, called the Parc de la Villette (literally, a park) where you can find a music museum, a science museum, and an exposition hall, among other buildings. Plus, the Seine runs right through the middle of the park, so that is pretty neat as well, especially at night.
This past weekend I was in Paris on Saturday, hanging out with some Colombian friends before going to a party at an acquaintance's apartment where the nationalities were too numerous to list :) The only bad part about this is generally English is the common language everyone speaks and that's just not very fun for me. Of course, it's probably a good thing in the end because I feel like every day I'm losing more and more of my vocabulary in English!! It's really mind-boggling, but there are times someone will ask me how to say something in English and it takes me a couple minutes to remember. And I thought it was bad when I started losing my Spanish...haha. Other than that, I really enjoy of course meeting people from all over the world. One thing that's pretty funny is the respect people have for "philosophers." I usually don't tell people I studied philosophy unless they ask, but it is incredible to see the change in people when they find out I studied philosophy. All of a sudden, they all want to talk to me, as if I know something they don't or I have the key to Pandora's Box or something. It's definitely a good conversation starter or continuer, but I have to admit most people are probably giving me too much credit.
I now have a trip planned with some Colombians for the end of the month to Mont-Saint-Michel, an old monastery off the coast of Normandy that I've wanted to visit for a long time. It's only a couple hours away, so it won't be too long of a trip, but it will be nice to get away because I haven't taken any trips since I've been here other than spending weekends in Paris. Other than that, the routine has returned this week after a week and a half of vacation for the kids. Of course, a full week might be a lot to handle, so a jour férié (holiday) is thrown in the middle of the week and everyone has off (even businesses) tomorrow for the anniversary of Armistice Day (I was shocked to discover there was actually a good reason!). Now when I say everyone, the Dad of the family still has to play tomorrow, so it's not a holiday for him, but that's the price one pays for being an artist I suppose.
Fall is in full swing now, with the temperatures in the upper 40s, lower 50s during the day and all the leaves changing and falling. I've found 2 especially beautiful vantage points to admire the fall colors, one in the village looking out across the valley and one in St Germain (where I have my French courses) looking down a tree-lined boulevard. Of course, the Champs-Elysées isn't bad either, ha! Hopefully my next update will come sooner than this one did, but that's an idea of what's happening on this side of the pond! Feel free to ask questions if you want me to write about something in particular...À bientôt!
As I mentioned in my last post, I went to the "Cirque de Plume", an experience that I found very French, although apparently this type of performance originated in Canada. Unfortunately, this is another one of those things that is a bit difficult to explain, but it was a really different/neat experience. Essentially, there are various "Cirques" in France, the most notable being the "Cirque de Soleil." It is a performance that mixes the circus, a play, and music all in one. Although there isn't always a coherent storyline, there is a fair amount of acting and the sets change like a play, etc. Anyway, I think what I thought was most French about the show was the humor. Although I haven't yet quite put my finger on what exactly it is about the French humor that is different, I have realized that French humor deals a lot with physical humor (weird faces or actions, etc). It takes a little bit of getting used to, but it's nice especially for foreigners if they don't speak the language because they can understand a lot easier. This "Cirque" was also in a neat place of Paris I had never been before, called the Parc de la Villette (literally, a park) where you can find a music museum, a science museum, and an exposition hall, among other buildings. Plus, the Seine runs right through the middle of the park, so that is pretty neat as well, especially at night.
This past weekend I was in Paris on Saturday, hanging out with some Colombian friends before going to a party at an acquaintance's apartment where the nationalities were too numerous to list :) The only bad part about this is generally English is the common language everyone speaks and that's just not very fun for me. Of course, it's probably a good thing in the end because I feel like every day I'm losing more and more of my vocabulary in English!! It's really mind-boggling, but there are times someone will ask me how to say something in English and it takes me a couple minutes to remember. And I thought it was bad when I started losing my Spanish...haha. Other than that, I really enjoy of course meeting people from all over the world. One thing that's pretty funny is the respect people have for "philosophers." I usually don't tell people I studied philosophy unless they ask, but it is incredible to see the change in people when they find out I studied philosophy. All of a sudden, they all want to talk to me, as if I know something they don't or I have the key to Pandora's Box or something. It's definitely a good conversation starter or continuer, but I have to admit most people are probably giving me too much credit.
I now have a trip planned with some Colombians for the end of the month to Mont-Saint-Michel, an old monastery off the coast of Normandy that I've wanted to visit for a long time. It's only a couple hours away, so it won't be too long of a trip, but it will be nice to get away because I haven't taken any trips since I've been here other than spending weekends in Paris. Other than that, the routine has returned this week after a week and a half of vacation for the kids. Of course, a full week might be a lot to handle, so a jour férié (holiday) is thrown in the middle of the week and everyone has off (even businesses) tomorrow for the anniversary of Armistice Day (I was shocked to discover there was actually a good reason!). Now when I say everyone, the Dad of the family still has to play tomorrow, so it's not a holiday for him, but that's the price one pays for being an artist I suppose.
Fall is in full swing now, with the temperatures in the upper 40s, lower 50s during the day and all the leaves changing and falling. I've found 2 especially beautiful vantage points to admire the fall colors, one in the village looking out across the valley and one in St Germain (where I have my French courses) looking down a tree-lined boulevard. Of course, the Champs-Elysées isn't bad either, ha! Hopefully my next update will come sooner than this one did, but that's an idea of what's happening on this side of the pond! Feel free to ask questions if you want me to write about something in particular...À bientôt!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Vin, Chocolat, and English Conversation, OH MY!!
Bonjour tout le monde! Oh what a crazy last two weeks I have had...very busy, but a good busy. I've been to Paris each of the past two weekends, spent some time with my host family, been running back and forth to St Germain en Laye for my French courses, fallen ill, and haven't had much time to talk with anyone from the States, so don't feel neglected, it's not just YOU!
I'll start with last weekend, since that was more or less where I left off, I think. I started off my Saturday in the 9th arrondissement on a secret mission to collect information for my brother. My mission took me to nearly every park in the neighborhood until I finally found the one (I think) I was looking for. I also walked past various cafés without much luck in finding what I was looking for in a café...however, I did get a good feeling of life in the 9th, so I didn't completely fail my mission, it just remains unfinished for the moment. However, I imagine I will finish it next weekend if I am lucky. Since I knew this mission would take me a little time, I arrived in Paris early enough to see the city awake from its slumber into the buzzing metropolis seen in films. In the afternoon, I met up with a friend to go to the Fête des Vendanges in Montmartre (where one can find the Sacré Coeur and complain about the monstrosity known as the Tour Montparnasse, which sticks out in the skyline like a flag-waving, picture-taking American tourist at the Arc de Triomphe who might as well be wearing a sign saying, "STEAL MY MONEY!"). The Fête des Vendanges is a wine festival that features Montmartre's wine, as well as wines from all regions of France and the rest of the world. We went to the parade, which featured old folk-song singing French men and women and a circus-like act of people climbing on top of each other, making sure to put the little children at the top, so that they get injured the most if something goes wrong and everyone falls. Despite the immense crowd, it was quite an enjoyable experience (or maybe that's just the wine talking...). I ended the day with my friend admiring the Parisian skyline and watching the BEST fireworks display I have ever witnessed. Oh yeah...I almost forgot my favorite part of the day, on the way to Montmartre, when I saw a man walking down the tree-lined median of Boulevard de Clichy (boulevard where one finds the Moulin Rouge surrounded by endless streams of sex shops) who decided he had an absolutely fantastic penis and wanted to show it to the world...still trying to get that one out of my head...For pictures of the Fete, see below...
Sunday I spent at home, relaxing, playing with the kids, and trying to get the disturbing images out of my head. Sunday evening was the inaugural english conversation night in Bazemont with many of the adolescents from the village, which was a grand success. It's neat to be able to share something of my culture/life with the French and try to give back some of what they are giving me...and it's also fun to try and figure out what the heck they are saying. Although it may be perfectly formed English, it's not always decipherable through the thick accents. Anyway, I will be continuing these conversation nights every other Sunday evening (except for 2 in a row last week and this week) after the school vacation which begins next weekend. We'll be staying here for the vacation, but we are going to the "Cirque de Plume", which should be interesting.
I was in Paris again yesterday, this time to attend the Salon du Chocolat with a friend. As you can probably guess, this is an exposition devoted entirely (well, almost entirely...) to chocolate. I say almost entirely because they had a stage where there were various dances from around the world (including a capoeira demonstration!) that had absolutely nothing to do with chocolate. For those of you who don't know, capoeira is a Brazilian dance/martial art...for a demonstration, I will refer you to my brother, who can actually do some of these things without pulling a muscle (unlike me). Anyway, the chocolate was absolutely fantastic and I managed to escape after all the free tastings without a stomachache, which I thought was an accomplishment in itself. They also had different items made out of chocolate: a violin, a flute, clothing that they put on mannequins, etc...pictures will be coming soon...Afterwards, I went with my friend to a neat little bookstore near Notre Dame, where I wandered through the labyrinth of shelves while admiring the beauty of a layout that made absolultely no sense. Tonight I'll be leading another English conversation evening before starting another week full of the "normal stuff." Stay tuned for pictures...
I'll start with last weekend, since that was more or less where I left off, I think. I started off my Saturday in the 9th arrondissement on a secret mission to collect information for my brother. My mission took me to nearly every park in the neighborhood until I finally found the one (I think) I was looking for. I also walked past various cafés without much luck in finding what I was looking for in a café...however, I did get a good feeling of life in the 9th, so I didn't completely fail my mission, it just remains unfinished for the moment. However, I imagine I will finish it next weekend if I am lucky. Since I knew this mission would take me a little time, I arrived in Paris early enough to see the city awake from its slumber into the buzzing metropolis seen in films. In the afternoon, I met up with a friend to go to the Fête des Vendanges in Montmartre (where one can find the Sacré Coeur and complain about the monstrosity known as the Tour Montparnasse, which sticks out in the skyline like a flag-waving, picture-taking American tourist at the Arc de Triomphe who might as well be wearing a sign saying, "STEAL MY MONEY!"). The Fête des Vendanges is a wine festival that features Montmartre's wine, as well as wines from all regions of France and the rest of the world. We went to the parade, which featured old folk-song singing French men and women and a circus-like act of people climbing on top of each other, making sure to put the little children at the top, so that they get injured the most if something goes wrong and everyone falls. Despite the immense crowd, it was quite an enjoyable experience (or maybe that's just the wine talking...). I ended the day with my friend admiring the Parisian skyline and watching the BEST fireworks display I have ever witnessed. Oh yeah...I almost forgot my favorite part of the day, on the way to Montmartre, when I saw a man walking down the tree-lined median of Boulevard de Clichy (boulevard where one finds the Moulin Rouge surrounded by endless streams of sex shops) who decided he had an absolutely fantastic penis and wanted to show it to the world...still trying to get that one out of my head...For pictures of the Fete, see below...
Sunday I spent at home, relaxing, playing with the kids, and trying to get the disturbing images out of my head. Sunday evening was the inaugural english conversation night in Bazemont with many of the adolescents from the village, which was a grand success. It's neat to be able to share something of my culture/life with the French and try to give back some of what they are giving me...and it's also fun to try and figure out what the heck they are saying. Although it may be perfectly formed English, it's not always decipherable through the thick accents. Anyway, I will be continuing these conversation nights every other Sunday evening (except for 2 in a row last week and this week) after the school vacation which begins next weekend. We'll be staying here for the vacation, but we are going to the "Cirque de Plume", which should be interesting.
I was in Paris again yesterday, this time to attend the Salon du Chocolat with a friend. As you can probably guess, this is an exposition devoted entirely (well, almost entirely...) to chocolate. I say almost entirely because they had a stage where there were various dances from around the world (including a capoeira demonstration!) that had absolutely nothing to do with chocolate. For those of you who don't know, capoeira is a Brazilian dance/martial art...for a demonstration, I will refer you to my brother, who can actually do some of these things without pulling a muscle (unlike me). Anyway, the chocolate was absolutely fantastic and I managed to escape after all the free tastings without a stomachache, which I thought was an accomplishment in itself. They also had different items made out of chocolate: a violin, a flute, clothing that they put on mannequins, etc...pictures will be coming soon...Afterwards, I went with my friend to a neat little bookstore near Notre Dame, where I wandered through the labyrinth of shelves while admiring the beauty of a layout that made absolultely no sense. Tonight I'll be leading another English conversation evening before starting another week full of the "normal stuff." Stay tuned for pictures...
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
An enjoyable weekend...
Well before this weekend it seemed as though nothing too exciting had happened, other than starting classes last week. However, this weekend provided a few opportunities that I really enjoyed. On Friday, I received a call from a friend who lives in the village here to go oout with him and one of his friends, which I of course accepted. It was really nice, we went out in small city of Poissy, which is about 20 minutes from Bazemont. Not only was I able to drink my favorite beer (Paulaner for those of you who want to buy me some for my birthday, christmas, or just because you love me), but I enjoyed some very interesting conversation about the differences between France and the US, particularly in terms of the health care reform. I have been talking to a lot of people lately about the health care reform, since the major US news is also big news over here. People here have a difficult time understanding why Americans are so opposed to the reform, so I try to explain what I know, but they nearly always end up frustrated. And, I can't say that I blame them...Either way, I really enjoyed hanging out with the locals and really feeling like a part of France.
Sunday was the best, and most interesting, day of the weekend because I went to see Laurent's (the dad) show! It was magnificent!! Although it's difficult to describe the show itself, my best effort would say it's a mixture of classical and modern music with comedy. The transitions between the classical and modern music are absolutely incredible, as the group essentially has picked rhythms and melodies from classical music that are used in modern music and smoothly transitions from a piece by Bach to something by Michael Jackson, for example. The group, known officially as "Le Quatuor" basically invented the idea of this type of show, as nothing like it (at least in Europe) existed before the creation of this group. This year, they are celebrating 20 years together!! To put that in perspective, just think of how many popular artists have lasted 20 years...and then think about how many artists remain relevant for that period of time. Not very many...and those that have lasted that long are considered among the greatest artists we have ever known. Every detail of this show is genius at work...I know I'm doing an awful job of describing the show itself, but considering I've never seen anything like it and very few groups like this one exist, it's quite a difficult task. However, here's a link if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2tZm3OiO_E&hl=fr This particular clip is, as the title indicates, an excerpt from the segment they call "The Music Professor" and I think it does a fairly good job of illustrating some of the more appealing parts of the ideas behind this group.
Of course, these types of shows have to take place somewhere, and even the venue was incredible. When they play in Paris, the shows take place at the Théâtre des Variétés, one of many little Parisian venues that has an incredible charm and coziness built into its walls. You can see the theatre on its website: http://www.theatre-des-varietes.fr/ just click on "le théâtre en images" or google it and look at the images. We also had the chance to go backstage, since we knew one of the artists. That was a very neat experience as well. Each performer gets essentially an apartment, complete with sofa, bed, showers, toilets, etc. A person could really live there if they wanted to! Plus, it's kind of neat to see a familiar person's name and photo at the entrance of the apartment with a sign that says (in French of course) "Laurent Vercambre's Dressing Room." I don't know exactly how to explain the place, but it is full of plush reds and warm golds and has the feeling of a living room almost (although it's a huge living room with a bunch of seats). We also were able to see the room that shows all the famous people who have played, acted, etc in the theatre and that was incredibly neat. Next weekend is my weekend with the boys and the weekend after I plan on going back to Paris for some sightseeing and friend-seeing. For now, that's the news from across the pond...I'll post some pictures of the house as soon as I finish taking them.
Sunday was the best, and most interesting, day of the weekend because I went to see Laurent's (the dad) show! It was magnificent!! Although it's difficult to describe the show itself, my best effort would say it's a mixture of classical and modern music with comedy. The transitions between the classical and modern music are absolutely incredible, as the group essentially has picked rhythms and melodies from classical music that are used in modern music and smoothly transitions from a piece by Bach to something by Michael Jackson, for example. The group, known officially as "Le Quatuor" basically invented the idea of this type of show, as nothing like it (at least in Europe) existed before the creation of this group. This year, they are celebrating 20 years together!! To put that in perspective, just think of how many popular artists have lasted 20 years...and then think about how many artists remain relevant for that period of time. Not very many...and those that have lasted that long are considered among the greatest artists we have ever known. Every detail of this show is genius at work...I know I'm doing an awful job of describing the show itself, but considering I've never seen anything like it and very few groups like this one exist, it's quite a difficult task. However, here's a link if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2tZm3OiO_E&hl=fr This particular clip is, as the title indicates, an excerpt from the segment they call "The Music Professor" and I think it does a fairly good job of illustrating some of the more appealing parts of the ideas behind this group.
Of course, these types of shows have to take place somewhere, and even the venue was incredible. When they play in Paris, the shows take place at the Théâtre des Variétés, one of many little Parisian venues that has an incredible charm and coziness built into its walls. You can see the theatre on its website: http://www.theatre-des-varietes.fr/ just click on "le théâtre en images" or google it and look at the images. We also had the chance to go backstage, since we knew one of the artists. That was a very neat experience as well. Each performer gets essentially an apartment, complete with sofa, bed, showers, toilets, etc. A person could really live there if they wanted to! Plus, it's kind of neat to see a familiar person's name and photo at the entrance of the apartment with a sign that says (in French of course) "Laurent Vercambre's Dressing Room." I don't know exactly how to explain the place, but it is full of plush reds and warm golds and has the feeling of a living room almost (although it's a huge living room with a bunch of seats). We also were able to see the room that shows all the famous people who have played, acted, etc in the theatre and that was incredibly neat. Next weekend is my weekend with the boys and the weekend after I plan on going back to Paris for some sightseeing and friend-seeing. For now, that's the news from across the pond...I'll post some pictures of the house as soon as I finish taking them.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Recent Happenings and Future Plans
Well I thought it was about time for an update, even if I don't have anything in particular to discuss at length. Things are settling into a nice rhythm now, so I'm very happy about that, it makes the days a little better when I know exactly what is going on. The kids' activities and school are in full-swing. They both play tennis (as I think I hinted in an earlier post), Jorge(9) started hip-hop classes this week (both that and tennis on Mondays) and he also has swimming and guitar on Tuesdays, so the beginning of the week is very busy for him. Eddy isn't doing as many activities, but he has ping pong (they have ping-pong competitions here, it's pretty intense) on Tuesdays and tennis on Fridays, so they both stay fairly busy between activities and homework. I started my french classes today, which was actually mildly disappointing because my teacher is Greek. My host parents were also surprised and told me that if it's not good for me, then we can try to figure something else out. Personally, I think it will be alright because I am fairly sure I will be switching courses soon to a French professor (or at least I hope so!). The courses are always nice though for expanding vocabulary and just reinforcing things I already know. The courses are 3 times a week (Mon, Tues, Thurs) for 2 hours each time. I don't think that will be too overwhelming, although our professor did say today that he expects us to work on homework for 4 hours/week, which I think was about my workload in college...anyway, I like the structure.
I know of a few happenings in the foreseeable future and I'll share those to get up some excitement about blog postings for these events: we have a birthday party (about the 3rd or 4th since I've been here!!) on Saturday at one of the neighbors and those are always fun because it's a good opportunity to use my french and meet people, etc. Sunday we are going to the Dad's show, which opens tomorrow in Paris!! I am really looking forward to going there, first of all because it's in Paris and secondly because I think it will be a unique experience. Anyway, the whole family will be going there...and the next weekend the Mom is in Nantes for the weekend, so I get a weekend with the kids and I am actually really looking forward to that!! (don't choke on your food if you're eating...I know it's surprising) I think it will be a nice opportunity to grow closer with them and just goof around and pretend like I'm a little kid again :) Probably the biggest news in the foreseeable future is my plan to go to Amsterdam with a few Colombians. Although we haven't set a date yet, it sounds like it is going to happen for sure and that will be a lot of fun, especially because we are going to spend a day in Bruges (Belgium), a place I have wanted to visit for awhile now!
I almost forgot about the music festival I attended on Saturday! It took place in Maule, a town just 10 minutes away, which is a fairly small town (6,000 inhabitants), but they did a great job of bringing some interesting acts to the festival. I went with the family on Saturday night and we saw 3 acts, the most interesting of which I think would have to be the African big-band group, which brought a lot of energy and a different vibe. I also met a great couple who live on the outskirts of Paris, with whom I exchanged information and now I have another place to stay in Paris and people to hang out with when I go there, so that's pretty exciting as well! Unfortunately, I was allergic to some sort of grass there or something because I had a little bit of difficulty breathing and therefore sleeping that night, but it was still worth it!
Well that's it for now from this side of the pond...comments, suggestions, and snide remarks are always welcome!
I know of a few happenings in the foreseeable future and I'll share those to get up some excitement about blog postings for these events: we have a birthday party (about the 3rd or 4th since I've been here!!) on Saturday at one of the neighbors and those are always fun because it's a good opportunity to use my french and meet people, etc. Sunday we are going to the Dad's show, which opens tomorrow in Paris!! I am really looking forward to going there, first of all because it's in Paris and secondly because I think it will be a unique experience. Anyway, the whole family will be going there...and the next weekend the Mom is in Nantes for the weekend, so I get a weekend with the kids and I am actually really looking forward to that!! (don't choke on your food if you're eating...I know it's surprising) I think it will be a nice opportunity to grow closer with them and just goof around and pretend like I'm a little kid again :) Probably the biggest news in the foreseeable future is my plan to go to Amsterdam with a few Colombians. Although we haven't set a date yet, it sounds like it is going to happen for sure and that will be a lot of fun, especially because we are going to spend a day in Bruges (Belgium), a place I have wanted to visit for awhile now!
I almost forgot about the music festival I attended on Saturday! It took place in Maule, a town just 10 minutes away, which is a fairly small town (6,000 inhabitants), but they did a great job of bringing some interesting acts to the festival. I went with the family on Saturday night and we saw 3 acts, the most interesting of which I think would have to be the African big-band group, which brought a lot of energy and a different vibe. I also met a great couple who live on the outskirts of Paris, with whom I exchanged information and now I have another place to stay in Paris and people to hang out with when I go there, so that's pretty exciting as well! Unfortunately, I was allergic to some sort of grass there or something because I had a little bit of difficulty breathing and therefore sleeping that night, but it was still worth it!
Well that's it for now from this side of the pond...comments, suggestions, and snide remarks are always welcome!
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