Vampires, Mummies & the Holy Ghost

Saturday I went to London for the day to do a tour of the UK Parliament building (Westminster Palace). Last summer I did a tour of Buckingham Palace, but had no idea that Parliament opened for tours during summer recess (Aug/Sept*). So I used some Eurostar points and went over.

Of course, the Tube lines and stations I wanted to use were closed for weekend maintenance, so I just took a cab from St Pancras ; and allow me to say - How Civilised! The cab drivers are nice and pleasant, they know EXACTLY where to go, they understand what you’re saying, they don’t drive like madmen, etc. Just driving along the streets in the morning was a treat.

I got to Trafalgar Square and went to the Starbucks around the corner for a chai latte - again, it felt great to be in a place where one can walk down the street with a take away coffee cup - from a major US chain - in a size larger than a thimble - and not feel like a pariah.

Blue skies, light breeze, crisp air, wispy white clouds, sun reflecting off Parliament. Perfect.

The tour itself was very good, and was detailed perfectly in my Blue Guide London book (thanks Norah!). You can do virtual tours on the Parliament’s website. (Since I haven’t spent serious amounts of time on the US government website, I don’t have a comparison ; but, I think UK’s site is really good.)

The intricacy in the details inside were great. In some ways the House of Lords is way ostentatious when compared to House of Commons (or from the opposite view, the House of Commons is pathetically drab). Either way, both have their charms. Photography inside was not allowed.

I was surprised that both Houses do NOT have enough seats for all Members. Where is the whole Representation in that?

After the tour finished, I crossed over to Westminster Abbey and took that tour. The Abbey was less impressive than I remember it being 15 years ago. It is 15 GBP to get in, and you get a headset to listen to for descriptions of everything. I found that those descriptions, and the whole headset thing, took away from the overall awe/peace that one would’ve otherwise felt. It definitely felt more like a museum / mausoleum than a place of worship. Every place on the floor and in the walls are stones either marking someone's gravesite, or an 'in honor' thing. A lot of them on the floor are nearly illegible because they have been walked on so much they have worn away. Photography inside was not allowed.

Both Parliament and the Abbey were MUCH brighter inside than I expected. Sure, I know part of it has to do with the fact it was a sunny day, but the sheer number of windows was impressive. From a distance, Parliament doesn't really look like it has a lot of windows, but from closer look it is nearly 50% windows I think.

Every time I see historical things like this, I am just amazed that none of them were bombed to ruins in wars.

After that tour, I had just enough awkward time before my train : meaning, it wasn’t really enough time to take a cab/tube to a shopping area, as the transportation aspect would’ve minimised shopping ; but, by going directly to the train station, I had a lot of time there.

Sure, St Pancras International has a lot of shopping, but the bookstore didn’t have what I was looking for and the food choices, while good, were not what I was craving. I think, too, by this point I was tired and ready to get back to Paris. So this just means more shopping when in the States in a few days, especially at Borders.

Good things about London :

--black cabs

--the parks - they are huge, and people use them, and you can sit on the grass, and they have great flowers

--less smokers in the street - you can walk behind a group of people and not be walking in a 2nd hand smoke cloud

--all the pubs - just the way they look, with beautiful overflowing baskets of flowers adorning the front

Bad things :

--air seems dirtier, even on a crisp fall day

--lack of trash bins on the streets (I know, it’s a safety thing)

--more crowded, just a lot more people

Overall, London feels like a city of purpose, energy, action. Paris is “pretty” (image focused), laid-back, and philosophical. If one were to use the historical, stereoptypical, gender descriptions - London is male and Paris is female.

I prefer London.

But, I find that weird because when I lived there, I never really feel like I fit in, or felt ‘at home’.

*So why do Americans in general complain that the French (and Spanish) take all of August off as holiday. US Congress is in recess, and UK seems to be as well. Sure ‘members work away from Westminster’ but one has to wonder...

Passing

Rest in peace Erich Kunzel.

"Erich Kunzel, the award-winning conductor who headed the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra since it was founded three decades ago and who won international fame through sales of more than 10 million recordings, has died at age 74"

Cincinnati Pops Tribute Website is very nice, too.

I've been in the wrong pew this whole time.

I went to church at the American Church in Paris this morning. I went to the 9 a.m. service instead of the 11 a.m. since I was going to brunch at Marissa's and then to the Musee d'Orsay. I discovered the 9 a.m. service to be soooo much better than the 11 a.m. - less people, no fussy children, no fidgeting people, no latecomers shoving into pews, etc.

It was communion Sunday so we all got up to walk up front and take it. As I was walking, I was looking at the small plaques on the end of each pew which indicate who it is in honor/memory of. And when I saw this one, at the same time I got a huge grin on my face and a pang of sadness in my heart. Imagine, a bit of Old South here in Paris with me! I've been going to church there for a year and never saw this! I've been sitting in a pew 'donated' by a church in Newton, Mass., for something 'close by'. Now, I guess I have to change seats - but this one is much closer to the front than I'd prefer. (which, as the saying goes - why do people fight for front row seats to a concert, but fight for the back in church?).

Lots of Random Thoughts

Lots of random thoughts, mostly observations made at work, presented in random colors.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother coming in to the office early (7:30 or 8). I have not even 2 minutes to breathe as at least two of the people in my team are already in office (I think they get in at 7 or earlier?) ; I liked having a boss an hour time zone behind me and who came in late (although it meant I had to work many late nights to accommodate her schedule). I don’t even have time to have my computer on and log in to my email before I’m being asked a question that is also awaiting me in my email. Gggrrrr. I am awake in the morning at home, I enjoy the morning, I enjoy reading on the commute, I even enjoy the leisurely walk from the RER to the office. But as soon as I sit down, tiredness and lethargy sets in. It's as if my body suddenly thinks it's 3 a.m. and it was rudely transported from bed to desk.

I know people are allowed to have changes of opinions, and it’s actually a good thing, but seriously? I think some in my company have done full 180s in opinions this past year, some even doing 360s, and 540s. Fine to do that, but don’t then pretend like your first opinion never existed and that instead it is some error in logic on my part! (i.e. I create a presentation/analysis based upon your point-0 assumption ; you then change your mind to point-180 and tell me my numbers are all wrong. Umm, they were your idea in the first place!) It wouldn’t bother me so much if point-0 was incorrect, but 99% of the time the difference between point-0, 180, 360... is just due to a change in company politics rather than some sort of underlying fundamental business reason.

My co-workers in Portfolio tell me I have the best desk in our office ; but even though I tell them no and the reasons why, they don’t believe me. My back is to the window and I can see the door and sort of through the venetian blinds that are in-between the double windows in the hallway. Fine. But, (a) all morning I have a horrible glare on my screen, at some points so bad that the only part of the screen I can read is the part that is in the shadow of my head (b) I cannot see outside as my back is to it (c) I get to see everyone who comes in, and then see them try to mask the disappointment on their faces if I am the only one in the office. And, this also points to the fact that people will naturally goof off a bit at work – who cares who can see your computer screen if all you’re supposed to have on it is work stuff anyway?

Why do others get huffy that I have my keyboard settings set to English? Let me explain... I have a French keyboard (AZERTY, along with a lot of other changes), but in the Control Panel settings I set it so it types as if it were US. I don’t have to look at the keyboard when I type. And, there is an icon in the menu bar down by the clock that says EN, you can change it so it is FR, and voila you have a French keyboard. So if a co-worker or two on my team is at my desk and we are working and then they want to type, they get all flustered and annoyed that it is EN. I point out that I can change it with one click to FR and they decline. Well, if you decline then deal with it.

Why did the IT guy who installed my new laptop, and supposedly is the point of reference for our business unit, tell me to call the company IT hotline to have a program installed? Like I want to do that? It’s a program I had on my old laptop. It’s a program that the company created and has the license for it. Why couldn’t he call when he was here? Why couldn’t he have it pre-installed on my laptop as I had identified it as one of the programs I use. Cripes.

I have a daily French phrase calendar, by Living Language. Why must co-workers feel the need to tell me when there are errors? And not like they are errors, but more ‘this is how you should say it’ – like if an English calendar had ‘To whom did you give the book?’, and I was the smart-ass who says, while that’s grammatically correct, people actually say ‘Who did you give the book to?’ Give me a break. I feel like they are berating me and not the calendar.

Why does Windows Vista NOT have a lot of options already in Auto Correct? Older versions of MS Office did (which , it’s a frightening list – go to Tools, Auto Correct – then look at the words. Some are easy to see they are corrections for people who type too fast, i.e. adn instead of and. Others are corrections of misspellings and these are horrific!)

It looks like, more than a year after the merger (which was in discussion for 2 years), that the London offices of the two companies will combine at some point this year (or next). Our side of the group, the much much smaller side, is complaining. Oh boo hoo, you have to move across town and your commute is longer? For what, all 30 of you? Really? You’re complaining about having to transfer Tube lines? You didn’t have to move to Europe like some did. Or have to move to Houston like others from Boston did. Or get made redundant. Buy a book and enjoy the commute.

Why do my French coworkers all say Salut to each other but Bonjour to me? (Hi v/s Hello // Informal v/s Formal)

Why does everyone else think Chartres is so stunning and beautiful? It’s not the best cathedral I’ve seen.

In Excel in the new MS Vista, if you are saving it as an older version of Excel so the rest of the world can still open the document, you get the warning message of : ‘Minor loss of fidelity’. A loss of fidelity? Really?

What is the H1N1 outlook where you are? Are people all terrified? ‘50% of the US will get it’ is one thing I’m hearing here – that’s like saying 50% of marriages end in divorce. So what, that means 50% don’t. All these contingency plans for working from home – fine, sign me up, I’ll do that now. We (expats) are trying to get the French to stop all this hand shaking every morning – you know not everyone washes their hands between Metro and office.

Ok, now I know how the French stay skinny .... A co-worker had English class today, so missed lunch. I gave him the bag of almonds & cashews I have in my desk drawer. He had some and said thanks, that it was better than nothing, even if it was junk food. JUNK food? Nuts? He said, yes. There is salt. And that cashews are the fattiest nuts. Seriously? Ok, I know that, but they're not laced with chocolate and caramel in a candy bar!

And how can Le Monde, the leading French newspaper be in our mailbox in the office by 3 p.m. when it is the next day’s paper? This means it had to have been printed by noon to be delivered to the office and then distributed. It’s not even a late edition for the same day, but the NEXT DAY. I guess I do find out the news before it happens!

And, I am much sadder about Ted Kennedy's passing than I am about Michael Jackson's.

Chartres

Yesterday (Saturday) I motivated and actually did something cultural. I got up early (07:00) and went to Gare Montparnasse to get a train to the town of Chartres. Coworkers/friends had been and raved, gushed, awed about the cathedral there. I will say upfront, I was underwhelmed. I like the Cathedral and the Basilica in Reims better, and other cathedrals I've seen.

The train ride was an easy one hour, and the walk to the cathedral from the train station is simple. I got there about 11:00 and even though it was a bright, stunningly sunny and beautiful day (like today), there wasn't much light coming in through the multitude of stained glass windows - that was a surprise to me, and a disappointment. One thing I found quite strange was how my sneakers squeaked on the floor. It seemed most people's shoes squeaked. What did they use to clean the floor? Weird.

I did a walk through and then decided to walk through the town, hoping that by coming back to the cathedral in an hour or so that the windows would be more 'alive.' The town is nice, quaint, typical French. Market was open, some stores closed due to August holidays. The Swarovski store was closed which ticked me off because that would have been the one place I wanted to go!

When I meandered back to the cathedral, I decided to walk around the outside of it to the back and from there, the views of the town are great as are the views of the cathedral (photos posted on Flickr). Going back inside, only a few specks of light were evident from the sun through the windows - still not a 'wow' moment.

Other things that made it underwhelming :

--The choir area is being renovated, so when you walk in, instead of being able to see all the way down the nave, into the choir, and to the chapel at the far end, your gaze is abruptly stopped at the altar by a floor-to-ceiling cover (nicely done though). I think this prevented some of the sunlight from getting in and through the stonework.

--Chairs were set up in the entire nave, covering over the labyrinth pattern in the floor.

--The South Rose Window was covered over for renovation

--The South Portico (outside) was behind scaffolding for repair/cleaning

I was surprised to find a Zodiac stained glass. You could really spend a lot of time looking at the detail of the windows, but I think you'd need binoculars because they are so high on the walls that it is difficult to see the detail from the ground level.

I'd like to do some more research and go back when it is not being renovated and to find out what time of day to go to have the windows be at their most brilliant.

Overall though, a truly amazing structure that was started in 1195. It survived some calamities while under construction, survived many wars, the Revolution, and two World Wars (the windows were removed for both).

I Wish Lunch Could Last Forever

Some random thoughts I've been accumulating the past few days....

--Why does my refrigerator sound like it has a cricket living inside it? (And the fridge is only 4 months old.)

--Why can’t a girl just buy a pot watcher if she wants one? My mom has one and I think it’s the greatest thing ever. However, trying to find one in a store in the U.S. is impossible. Suggestions?

--Why is it when I decide to go to Starbucks after church, to pay an exorbitant 4.50 EUR (6.40 USD) for a chai latte, and to sit and read, that the are always 3-5 groups of people with young children? And these young children are ALWAYS annoying, loud, screeching, pounding on tables, etc. I ALWAYS end up storming out of the place in anger.

--Why is there always ONE person in church who cannot read the prayer in the bulletin, or recite the Lord’s Prayer, at the same cadence as everyone else? Why must said person always be a few words ahead or behind? Certainly it should be obvious that he/she is off-beat and adjust? And why must these people always be within earshot of me?

--Don't know what it was at work today, but it was first day in three weeks where I was fantasizing about the Jameson & Ginger I was going to have on the commute home. Tastes soooo goooood....

--I really really detest / despise / hate when I’m in meetings and other people are on their BlackBerrys. Not just checking the time or a quick message, but sitting there head down, frantically pounding the tiny keys into oblivion while replying. Hello, I’m talking to YOU and asking you questions. Get your head out of your a$$ and pay attention in the meeting and stop wasting my time. (This megativity also stems from the fact that a few of the people weren’t listening to me in the meeting (half of it I was leading), weren’t reading the information I sent out, and obviously hadn’t paid attention or read the information six months ago the last time we went over this strategy exercise. Oh, sorry if the forecast of the group’s operations isn’t interesting to you... whine whine whine.)

--When did work stop being fun, exciting, challenging, engaging, etc? Well, I could tell you but then it’d just be depressing that I never quit. Time to do the 4-1 countdown (1/1/11).

--I don’t know if it’s the whole company, but at least our branch is working on an H1N1 (aka hi-ni to some of us) contingency plan. Not so much what would we do if 50% of our workforce died, but rather, can they work from home if necessary. And get this, the fear isn’t for infection in the winter, but rather in September when the whole population gets sucked back into Paris on some sort of giant rubberband that let them escape on holiday for 3-6 weeks. We Americans in office are trying to stop shaking everyone’s hands each morning, but it’s so engrained into the French psyche that it’s like asking them to give up wine, bread, and cheese.

--I’ve found a good way to lose weight : be so tired when you get home from work that you have just enough energy to have a bowl of cereal for dinner.

--And seriously, why was the financial ‘crisis’ that ‘hit’ last September such a surprise to everyone? If you look at most of the economic figures (fx rates, unemployment, job creation, GDP, ISM indices, etc.), they were all going down starting since at least March-2008, if not 3-6-9 months prior.

Everybody's on the Phone

I got a new laptop at work this week as part of the company’s job to get us upgraded to Vista (from Office 2001). Of course, it is a full year project for our Branch. I was interviewed back in April regarding what software I use, programs, language preferences, etc. Four months later, voila. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much, I did get it in August, the month of nearly full-unemployment in Paris as everyone takes 2-6 weeks holiday.

I opted for a French keyboard (AZERTY, not QWERTY) because you can change the settings so it types as if it were the latter - this way if the laptop is given to a French person to use, or if I want to type in French, it’s easier.

However, I did opt for English software (Microsoft Vista). There was no way I was going to continue to suffer with keyboard shortcuts (i.e. CTRL-G for bold, while CTRL-B deletes or closes a program or something sinister like that) Nor was I going to try to learn Vista in another language.

How do I feel about Vista....? BLECH.

It seems like a 3rd grader helped develop the format/layout of all the menu bars. in Excel, Word & PowerPoint - it’s set up more to look pretty than to be functional. I hope I’m not in a hurry any time the next few weeks because there is not much logical in terms of how things are named nor arranged, nor are there many similarities with Windows XP - in my opinion.

Vista reminds me a lot of the operating interface of my MacBook, and that just makes me angry. Is Bill Gates trying to be like Steve Jobs or something? Does Microsoft think that by making its software look similar to iWork that it’ll prevent people from becoming Mac users, or convince Mac users to buy a PC?

For example : there is a tool bar on the desktop that has a calendar, clock, news fee, and options to add other things. Hmmm...it’s just the Dock in Mac, but not as good. The setup of what was Windows Explorer now looks a lot like Finder in Mac. Even things in Excel, how sheets are arranged, is more like Numbers in iWork.

What really irks me is that I liked using a PC at work and a Mac at home - the programs were different enough that my brain could differentiate. Now, my brain is just all sorts of confused.

And, I’ve only had the new PC for 6 hours at work. It’s going to be a long week this week and a more loathsome Monday than usual.

Church today - big sermon

Today, I heard the Rev Jesse Jackson, Sr. preach at the American Church in Paris. He is currently the President (and founder) of the RainbowPUSH Coalition.

The title of his sermon was ‘A Mind for Peace’, or ‘A Dream of Peace’ as he stated in the beginning. He used two applicable Bible passages, Genesis 37:5-11 (Joseph and his dream) and Matthew 5:9 (Blessed are the peacemakers).

My observations :

--He said he and his delegation were jet lagged, arriving from Chicago today (?) that’s what I thought he said, but I don’t know if that is logistically possible to then show up for an 11 a.m. service.

--I guess the jet lag explains his subdued demeanor (but I never saw him yawn), but did he have to look solemn/serious/unhappy?

--I was shocked he did not even read along when the Apostle’s Creed was said. Certainly this is something every ordained minister knows by heart and would feel compelled/moved to recite with the congregation?

--As with the Associate Pastor at ACP, the Rev Laurie Wheeler, he wasn’t as cognizant that the ACP is an International congregation, not just American, and for many English is a 2nd language : he talked too fast, dropped the end of his words/phrases, and used idoms. I found myself in serious concentration to understand him and I think my English is pretty good.

--In the theme of peace, he referred often to the Aug 6 events of 1945 and 1965. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and the signing of the Voting Rights Act in the US.

--Evidently, this was not his first time at ACP’s pulpit, but I don’t know when before he was there.

--The Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. has also preached at ACP, in 1963, a year before he won the Nobel Peace Prize

--After reading about Rev Jackson on Wikipedia (I know, not the most scholarly nor in depth source of info), I am not sure how I feel about him. Is he a great leader? A great spiritual person? A peace maker? Definitely lots of good things he’s done, but also some interesting viewpoints. ACP Senior Pastor Scott Herr introduced him, saying Rev Jackson has been called a ‘great unifier’ and ‘the conscience of the nation’ - I don’t think I’d consider him either. But, he must be one heck of a negotiator for all the work he has done having hostages freed.

Lines from his sermon that I liked

(I assume the sermon will be available to listen online on ACP’s website. If so, it would be found here) :

--‘Peace is not he absence of noise, that’s quietness ; it’s the presence of justice’

--‘Why do dreamers face rejection?’

--Dreamers are ‘all minorities with majority dreams’

--‘No nation is moral enough, trustworthy enough, to have nuclear bombs...WMDs’

--‘The war budget reflects our character.’ There are no soldiers to fight cancer, poverty, access to potable water, etc.

--‘Peace is seen as weak, naive.’

--‘We love martyrs when they’re dead, not when they’re alive.’

Overall feeling :

It felt more like a conglomeration of sound-bytes than a sermon. While I definitely liked that he related back to the Genesis Bible passage, it wasn’t enough for my tastes. He read the speech more than not, and wasn’t really engaging with the congregation ; he started off quiet and subdued, working his way into a more (to-be-expected) rah-rah tone (i.e. louder). While a good speech, it didn’t compel me to leave and find the nearest protest for peace to join, or to examine my life for the hypocrisies in it. It also made me think of the phrase I’ve heard often in church and in motivational literature : Be the change you want to see in the world.

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

My 2009 Canada modified Top 10 list ; over a 2 week / 14-day / 1 fortnight timeframe :

9-10 : average hours of sleep per night

8 : about the number of times I had a BLT for lunch, my summertime favorite!!

7 : ????

6 : thousand pieces of jigsaw puzzles put together

5 : number of approximate variations of my name Lauren had (my 2 year old niece)*

4 : showers

3 : times ten (30) plus mosquito bites (cumulative) **

3 : bruises (and 2 minor cuts) - a low-injury year for me!

2.5 : litres of Jameson

2 : perfect weather days (last two, figures!)

1 : magazine read, and no books ; just wasn’t into reading this year

* including : Bagin, Biggin, Pigin, Pagan, Vagan. She can say Mommy and Mine quite well, so I’m not so sure what the issue is with my name

** if I live my life and don’t die from, or at least contract, some sort of mosquito borne illness/disease, it will be a miracle

I also learned...

--Playing games together as a family is FUN. We played dominoes two nights (I was 2nd I think?) and Scattergories 1 or 2 nights. I ROCK at Scattergories (at least while playing my family). I LOVE that game. Funny though when one list had “Leisure Activities” and I couldn’t come up with answers in the 3 different rounds we played. That doesn’t say much about me.

--Adam, Heather & my mom are addicted to Scrabble (on the laptop, CD-ROM game). Thank goodness no one wanted to play an actual game because they are just too good.

--Who cares about French baguettes when you can have a Tamworth Bakery bagel every morning?? Certainly not me!

-- This was the longest time (continuous days) I’ve spent in one place in the past 2+ months

--While there is so much to see and do in the area (parks, other lakes, natural beauty, small towns, big town, Old Fort Henry, etc.) I just have no motivation / desire to get in a car and drive any farther than the 4 miles into town.

--My French must be subliminally improving because I could tell from the loud speaker announcements in Montreal airport just how crazy the French Canadian accent is! (I dread starting French classes again in Sept after about 3 months off)

--Why is it Canadians seem to be the only country whose tourists have the Canadian flag as some sort of emblem on their travel gear? (Backpacks, hats, luggage, etc.) Are they just that proud to be Canadian? Are they trying to prove they are not American? Are they hoping that if they meet enough fellow Canadians they can have an impromptu hockey game?

If the Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me

Lapse and Recap

Ok, it has been 12 days since my last post, and it'll be at least another 18 before my next. So, what are the causes of these lapses?

--I went to London for the Jimmy Buffett concert on July 5th - holy amazing!!!!!!! British Parrotheads are alive and well! GREAT outfits, everyone singing along, small venue. Awesome time - I think I was smiling for about 4 hours straight - much needed rejuvenation.

--I was in Trinidad for work for a week, July 6th-10th. The return from which involved flying to London, having a 'layover' at St Pancras station, and then taking the Eurostar back to Paris. Planes, trains and automobiles! The time at St Pancras was lovely though - book store shopping, relaxing at the Starbucks in the station which is conveniently located next to doors that were open to let in the fresh air, and relaxing in the Eurostar Business Class lounge. Work went well, but I had little to no time to be on internet. Will post the few pictures at some point...

--July 11th was a happy day as I spent the ENTIRE day in my apartment - an awesome pajama-wearing, book-reading, champagne-drinking, music-listening, weather-watching day at home. Next time that is likely to happen will be on/after Aug 29.

--The 13 hours of sleep I got Friday evening, July 10th, came back to haunt me when Saturday night I was awake past 2 a.m. unable to sleep. So 8 a.m. came very early - I got up to go to church because I had volunteered to help count the money from the collection plates after the service. And no joke, the sermon was 25 frickin' minutes long. Not necessary. I guess I don't have to go back until September! And, it wasn't even a good sermon. (Side note : on counting the money, the woman 'in charge' of the volunteers is also on Finance committee with me (her sole qualification for being on the committee is that she is in charge of the money counting). She is the bain of my church life existence. She was complaining about the amount of money collected saying it wasn't enough/expected ; flitting about the room not doing anything ; treating me like I was an imbecile who was unable to count bills ; chastised me for using 2 paperclips on a stack of bills instead of 1...)

--After church Sunday, I went to Marissa's for brunch with other expats from work. Quite a nice time. Got home, and no sooner had I put on my PJs and started to read than I get an email from Kevin (coworker) who said he was in the neighborhood with his sister (in from out of town) and asking to meet for drinks. I swear I could be in the sequel to the movie Yes Man (I've not seen it, but the premise is Jim Carrey's character answers Yes to everything for a year). Of course I should've stayed home, gone to bed early, etc. But, of course, I said Yes and went out and wasn't home until 11.

--Monday was exhausting at work and extremely quiet since Tuesday was a holiday for Bastille Day.

--Bastille Day I left home at 8 a.m. to walk to the Champs Elysee to find a spot for the 10:30 parade start. I should've stayed in bed - it was horrible!!!! All it was was military tanks and artillery and such cruising down the street. It must've been down by Concorde where the troops were marching (I only saw the invited Indian troops on the tour bus taking them to what I presume was Concorde in the morning - they looked like they were having fun). So I stood there and watched this stupid display of military 'might'. Parades in the UK and US are MUCH better. There at least you have people waving flags, noise makers, face painting, etc. People have national pride. The parades are full of volunteer groups, workers' guilds, bands and dance teams, car enthusiasts, they old guy playing the spoons, etc. Those parades at least showcase the people, the nation, the spirit. Not some random Jeeps and tanks that are so heavy they break many of the cobblestones on the street.

--I came home, did some work, and then Marissa & Julia came over and we had dinner/drinks and waited for the fireworks to start at 10:30. Although I am literally 1 block from the Champ de Mars / Eiffel Tower, I cannot see it. So we walked out and got a great spot. AMAZING fireworks. Great use of light, optical illusion, music, and the Eiffel Tower. You Tube it, seriously. Well worth it. 30 minutes of being in awe.

--Julia and I were supposed to leave on an early train this morning to see Bruce Springsteen at Vieillles Charrues festival in Carhaix, but we cancelled - it involved camping out (which I do NOT do) and forecasts are for heavy rain/thunderstorms/wind. And, we would've gotten back late Friday night and a variety of other factors. Instead, we are going to see the Alvin Ailey dance theatre at Chatelet Friday night.

--Now it is Thursday evening. This has been the slowest work week. I am still jet lagged from Trinidad and NYC/Houston (I was in Boston/NYC/Boston/Houston for 12 days, Paris for 4, London for 1, Trinidad for 5, Paris now for 6). My body is not happy with all the change.

I am sure I could've written much more on all these topics, and I do have pictures to post (and still to post more from Norway in Feb ; Reims in May ; Ireland in May/June...) I think I just need to resign myself to my new state of being - hopelessly forgetting things, being way behind on stuff, and never being able to catch up!

Roland Garros

Ok, nothing like being 4-6 weeks late on this posting...

I had the opportunity to go to Roland Garros (aka French Open) twice this year. The first was for Benny-Berthet day (charity day) and the second was for the quarter finals.

Benny-Berthet day (which I believe will be renamed next year?) is a great way to see all the players and spend an entire day there. Plus, the benefit is that "Proceeds from the day's events will go to charities supporting scientific and medical research, helping sick people and their families and helping children in need." Tickets are cheap and generally easier to get. My friend Andrea and her mom were in town, so we went, along with my friend/colleague Marissa. Thank goodness Andrea and Marissa were there because they are tennis fanatics! They knew all the players. And, Andrea is really good at taking photos, so I just sat next to her and clicked away (see her full tennis portfolio at Zenfolio and you can then see her other work as well; her Paris and Roland Garros photos are works of art, too). We saw all the big names : Nadal, Safin, Federer, Monfils, and many others I cannot remember.

I also had the opportunity to go to the quarter finals match between Roger Federer and Gael Monfils. This was a work sponsored outing that started off with a four hour morning session on hedging, options, derivatives, etc. Our reward for that was the match. First, of course, were drinks and lunch. At our table of 10 I was the only woman, and one of only two non-French speakers. All the men loved their Ricard pastis drinks (which I find disgusting due to the anise flavor, but French men LOVE it).

The match was good, although it was very hot and I was in long sleeves and long skirt and hat - mostly to cover up from the crazy sunburn I got 4 days prior in Ireland. The seats are so narrow (think Fenway Park) that you're basically thigh-to-thigh with the person next to you. I was disappointed that the crowd wasn't more into cheering for the French favorite, Gael Monfils. And that he wasn't showier / flamboyant (for lack of my brain thinking of a better word) like he usually is.

Some things I noted : Federer jumps a lot, as in when taking every shot ; when Monfils serves, he keeps his skinny legs and feet together, it just looks unnatural ; I like watching matches on clay and watching the players slide, it definitely has its advantages, but I can see how it would be difficult ; there were some crazy outfits in the stands, and hot pink seems to be popular, and why do groups find it necessary to wear matching hats? ; when people take out their mobile phones to check messages and text, the glare reflecting off is brutal.

Overall, a nice day at the quarter finals and I will definitely sign up for the charity day again next year!

Random thoughts

Just some recent thoughts throughout my sleep deprived day Thursday :

--Sleep deprived because I landed in Paris (from Houston) at 9:30. Wednesday and was able to sleep a bit on the plane. But, Wed night, I went to bed about 22:00 and was awake from at least 01:00 to 04:00 - I think it was the first time that jet lag has really ever hit me that badly.

--I think the new 103rd floor glass balcony at the Sears Tower (Chicago) is just insane!

--Happy to read that India decriminalized homosexual intercourse between consenting adults. When one lives in a more liberal place, one can often forget the discrimination elsewhere.

--July is looking to be a good month : Paris, London for Buffett concert, Trinidad, Bastille Day, Springsteen in France, and Canada (let's hope I didn't jinx myself!)

--It took me at least one full day to go through my work emails and sort them and file them and ... after being out of the office for the week (one of the perils of having two work email accounts, one of which is only accessible on the laptop that I do NOT take when I travel because it is : old software, all in French, French keyboard, and weighs a lot)

--It has been hot in Paris and I don't think my office space area has proper a/c vents. The hallways and other office areas are cool, but mine is not. And we have a window, which one of my colleagues will open (I usually open it every day when it is cool outside), but the air outside is hotter. Basically, it just turns into a hot, stuffy, stale air mess.

--Why does an Eddie Bauer order I placed, with express shipping, go via FedEx from Columbus (OH), to Indianapolis (where it sits overnight), to Erlanger (KY) and then to Cincinnati? Where are the logistics in that?

--I had to be in two photos for corporate in-house magazine stuff (young, female, American - I allow them to check off several boxes). But these were to be photos of several of us 'having a meeting'. Then photographer kept telling us to lean in toward one another and to smile, to 'be natural'. There is nothing natural about that!! I don't smile obsessively during business meetings ; we don't lean in toward one another ; we don't focus on someone and look into his eyes when he's talking - we're all leaning back ; some checking blackberry ; looking out the window. No wonder why I always look at photos in such publications and scoff at them.