Malidies; 14 July; Day Off

Maladies:

I fell down the stairs last Monday. This made me feel like an old person. I hit my elbow hard, and it still hurts.

After the discussion about food handling, I got some sort of stomach bug for a couple of days—probably from unpasteurized cheese.

14 Juillet:

I told Patrick, the father of my host family, that I would be going to Paris for Bastille Day. And I said it like that: “Je vais à Paris pour Bastille Day.” I wasn’t thinking apparently, and it turns out “Bastille Day” is not in fact what the French call it. But anyway, I was there. I was a block away from the parade (so I heard it go past). I saw the parade of military planes and fighter jets go overhead, which was really impressive—all different kinds flying low in formation. I also finally saw the Musée d’Orsay, as well as the sewer museum. The sewer museum stank. But I think it is an excellent example of how Paris has capitalized on tourism—they can even get people to pay money to see their gray water.

That night, Jennifer and I watched fireworks over the Seine in Rouen.

Photo: "Eve after the sin"

Day off!

I don’t go to the MJC this week, except Wednesday. This afternoon, I went to lunch at Dr. Rolland’s house in the country—the woman who helped organize the internship. After lunch, she said, okay, now what do you want to do? We ended up doing some oil painting for the afternoon. What a strange thing—in France, in some woman’s thatched-roof house, painting.

Photos, III

The third set of photos from La Fête de la musique.

Photos, continued

Fête de la musique

I was told to take pictures of La Fête de la musique last week. These are my favorites.

The event started with the elementary school children parading from the school to the marie. Later, there were bands on the quay and in or outside of some of the restaurants around the place de la marie. Jennifer and I stayed in Duclair until about one thirty that night.

Fete (sic) de la musique

June 21 is a huge music festival all over France--Rouen (where I sleep) and tiny Duclair (where I spend my days) alike. The MJC helped arrange Duclair's Fete (there should be an accent on that word, but I am having computer issues), so Jennifer and I spent the evening there. I saw Duclair at night for the first time. It was a pleasant evening, the reflection of the ferry lights in the Seine was beautiful, the whole town came to listen to the music that echoed through the streets.

Photos to come.

Also on June 21, sitting down to have my lunch, it turned out I managed to choose a picnic table that had just been stained. I did laundry today, but wood stain doesn't really come out of khakis, it turns out.

I really love those pants.

Makes Sense

Today and tomorrow is the Fete Jeanne d'Arc in Rouen. Joan of Arc was executed here, and now, five hundred years later, she's pretty big. The festival is part medieval festival--with medieval food (though not actually made in medieval times) and crafts demonstrations. There's a little religion, with a mass honoring Joan of Arc in Notre Dame tomorrow, and flowers will be thrown into the Seine where her ashes were thrown. And then there's just normal festival stuff: bands, people selling stuff, that sort of thing.

A medieval festival makes a lot more sense here, somehow. I had a moment, walking around the festival, where I looked up and there was this giant cathedral, this huge building that was around when a lot more people dressed like this. So look, but don't look too close.



A how-do-I-eat-this moment



I did some clothes shopping today (although is it really shopping if I didn't buy anything?) at C&A. It was another confirmation, though, that my search for the perfect pair of pants is, in fact, an endless one. I had fun trying things on, at least.

I feel like I should be well camouflaged. Somewhere. A newspaper office, perhaps.

Hare Hare

The Festival of Colors at the Spanish Fork Hare Krishna temple. I bought a vegetarian cookbook with Indian recipes here, which has helped to nurture a love for Indian food. I asked a woman at the temple why they didn't eat meat, and she said the commandment not to kill extended to animals. Makes sense. And food doesn't need meat to be tasty.

I didn't ask anyone about the bonfire.