Fall

I went hiking yesterday. Lately, when I’m outside walking, all sorts of thoughts go through my head. The air, the breezes, the coolness and sunlight all make it feel like fall. And fall makes me think of how wonderful it felt to go home after a day at school. It makes me think about being back in a routine, and about walking home, and about family dinners. It makes me think about when I would wait until 8:00 to do homework but I still got it done. It makes me think about the time I got home and my two sisters and my mom and I realized we were all wearing red shirts and jeans that day.

Fall makes me happy. Whenever the seasons change, I think, “This one. This one is my favorite.” But I think I just like the changes.

Harry and the Potters

I went to a concert Saturday with my friend Jessica. We went to the Salt Lake City library to see Harry and the Potters perform--opened by Draco and the Malfoys. Draco and the Malfoys sang songs like “My dad is rich, your dad is dead” and “99 death eaters go by.”

Harry and the Potters, after singing about topics including saving Ginny Weasley from the basilisk, the enchanted ceiling, and Fluffy the three-headed dog, closed with “The Weapon We Have is Love.” The weapon against the forces of evil is love.

I know it is cheesy, but I left inspired.

Visit their HP Alliance page to be uplifted. And to have a listen.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=41713428

Paris: Take Two

I went to Paris yesterday.

This round, Paris was a lot more agreeable. So maybe I can see why people like it so much. I went with a hiking club from the MJC who usually meet the first Sunday of each month. They do a walk in Paris every year, and Jacques, the vice president of the MJC’s board of directors, invited me and Jennifer (the other intern from my university in Rouen who arrived last week) to come along.

When we were waiting on an overpass at 7:30 am for someone (I had no idea who) to drive by and pick us up, I wasn’t so sure about the whole thing. I didn’t really want to go back to Paris, though I did want to be sleeping. It’s about an hour and a half to Paris, and once we got there and got going, I was glad I went.

I didn’t have to plan anything, which was really nice. And I didn’t have to worry about getting lost. It was to someone else to navigate. Since being here, I finally understand why people travel with big tourist groups. Planning a trip is a lot of work.

Anyway, Jacques was the guide, although everyone in the group was anxious to answer questions and offer information. They told me about De Gaulle broadcasting from England; they told me we were walking through the chic part of Paris, so not all Parisians live like this; they told me about the two houses of their congress (and I told them about the United States’ Electoral College, which, thanks to the 2000 pres. elections, a lot of people here have heard of). They told me that there are no telephone poles in Paris—it’s all underground (and, that up into the seventies, there was a tube system underground, too, for delivering the mail that worked with vacuums—bank drive-in style). We looked at jewelry in the windows of the Place Vendôme. We saw the Eiffel Tower and walked along the Seine and went into the Garnier opera house. We went under the Arc de Triomphe. I have wondered for a long time how pedestrians get under the Arc. A mystery solved.

The memorial for those who died in the war with Algeria. Jacques fought in the war (but he didn’t die, so the memorial isn’t for him). He also worked in several countries, including Algeria, for France Telecom. That’s how he knew about the telephone lines under the streets.

A Last

Last day in Geneva (hopefully not for forever). It rained today, but I went out anyway to find a little more cash to get me to the airport and to deposit my old shoes in a clothes-donation box downtown. I took one last walk along the Rhone, where I took these pictures. Like I mentioned before, there is lots of grafitti along here, and I was rather partial to the mural in the photo.

I had lunch with Simone, and am now gathering up the last things to pack. I hope it all fits.

Today, Monica and I went to the highest point in Geneva. You see France beyond.

You can see France from pretty much anywhere here, but it doesn't stop amazing me--oh yes, that hill over there, that's a different country. You know, here is neutral territory and hasn't been touched for hundreds of years, but over there, all sorts of nasty things happened like a Nazi occupation. Yes, and they sing a different national song and have a different flag. They have a whole different culture, different heritage and government and history. It's just another country. No big deal.

Today was really lovely again. I went to church this morning, where I met an American who is currently living in Taiwan where she was born so she can connect with her heritage. She works for a newspaper there and is in Geneva for a conference. Some of the Relief Society sisters came and talked to me as well and had remembered me from the week before. I wish I wasn't as shy and that I could more easily connect with these people, wherever I find them.