Lots of Activity

I'ts been pretty busy these last few weeks. How on earth did I manage to do anything when I was working?

Speaking of working, I went to a job interview at a small company in Fontenay sous Bois - very near home. They are not really paying for a technical writer; it looks more tlike they want a part-time office assistant who can print out whatever is needed for bids as they come up and write new material when necessary. I suggested they use me (through an agency) to do the writing and find someone else for the lesser tasks. It was interesting, though, and I enjoyed the atmosphere of the company.

I saw Yamina - always pick up where we left off - as if it was yesterday. Well, yes I did see her a couple of months ago, but before that, it had been years. She told me about her trips to the States as supervisor of groups of French kids on linguistic trips. The organization she goes with seems to be hooked up with a weird group of host families, mostly evangelical Christians who seem bent on converting their guests. I don't know if it is giving these kids a warped vision of the United States or if I've been away so long, I'm the one with the warped vision.

I also went to a lunchtime AARO meetup at a pizzaria at Montparnasse. That was fun. Most of the 25 or so attendees were members and I already knew several from AAWE and other meetings. Just a pleasant social event.

It's amazing how many Americans are in Paris on a temporary basis. I'm used to seeing the ones like me who are married to French people and even the ones who came to work and have stayed on, but I've been meeting more of the kind that are retired and have come here to spend a year or so and others who still maintain residences in the States, but come here for several months a year. I meet them in the Ile de France walks, too. The falling dollar is an obsession for these people. A few years ago, they were really well off and now, they can barely get through the month. Even for me - when I calculated what I might draw from US funds, I wasn't thinking in terms of almost $1.50 per €1.00.

Last week, I went to a Democrats Abroad for Hillary meeting. It was a conference call with meetings in many major cities around the world and one of the head honchos for Clinton's campaign - a fund raiser. I was hoping for some help in deciding. The meeting was for Hillary supporters, but there were a few of us there who are undecided. I got invited to the Democrats Abroad for Obama meeting the next evening, but didn't go. While we were waiting for the call to begin, we were asked if we had any questions and I offered mine: Why should I, an American living abroad, want to vote for Hillary Clinton? It was deemed a good question and I got to ask it during the conference call. Unfortunately, it didn't get answered. I don't know that there is an answer. Considering all the problems in the States, why should we (some 3-7 million Americans abroad) be of any consequence? Why? Because there are so many of us, we could almost be a state! I could give an easy answer and say that we need tax reform - have our income abroad removed from the tax declaration if we are declaring and paying tax on it where it was earned. But there are other things - when the kids were growing up and I didn't have a clue as to how to pass on the "American" part of us, I could have used some help. In Paris, it is not all that difficult - just join AAWE. But there are many who do not have such help, who can't afford even what is there. Medicare extension, too, for people who paid into the US system all their lives and are now abroad. Again, it doesn't concern me, but it does affect others.

I saw Chilla again at both the AARO meetup and the Dems Abroad for Hillary meeting and yet again at the Jay Gottlieb recital at Neuilly the other evening. This time he played a full program of American composers: Copeland, Ives, Bernstein, Gershwin, Glass, Jarrett, and Adams. I find Ives a bit hard to listen to; the Copeland and Bernstein pieces were not the usual things you hear. Iwas totally hypnotized by the Glass and loved the Koln Concert (Jarrett). Jay is totally absorbed in the music as he plays; he's amazing to watch. And of course, Rita came to this recital, too.

On Mondays and Thursdays I go to an art class in Fontenay, just 10 minutes from home. This replaces the art classes I went to in Paris, before. Last week was the first time I went on a Monday and everyone was doing his or her own thing until the end, when Francine, our hostess and instructor, asked us to bring over our work for group comments. There was the portrait of a man - and I immediately recognized him - our neighbor, Bruno. (Actually, he moved away a few months ago, but still, he was our neighbor for 20 years!) Turns out I'm in class with his sister, Isabelle. And she's a damned good portraitist. Just another instance of the small world phenomenon.

So now, I've spent too long at Anne's computer and it'll be too late to call FNAC to get help getting my own computer in order. I think I screwed up some settings and can't find my wi-fi connection. I'll see if I can get it done on Thursday. Tomorrow, I'm going on a walk at the Parc Citroën. Last week, I joined the walk through the Parc de la Courneuve but did not continue to the Basilique St. Denis.

Tingling fingers

Dans l'entourage vous êtes assez nombreux à savoir que j'avais mal au bras gauche depuis le mi-octobre. Il semblerait que je me suis coincée un nerf dans le cou - un peu comme un sciatique mais dans le bras. J'avais mal. Et bien, en rentrant d'Angleterre - pouf. Plus mal. Je soupçonne les vibrations de notre cher (et vieille) Prévia - elles ont du finir par aider le nerf à retrouver sa place. Il me reste des vagues de picottement jusqu'aux bout des doigts, mais le mal dans le bras est fini. Youpi. L'année commence bien!

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For those of you who were aware that my left arm was hurting me since October, it's over. All that's left are waves of tingling down to my finger tips from time to time during the day. I think the vibrations of our dear old Previa during the trip back from England coaxed the nerve back into its place! So, I'm off to a good year. Feels wonderful!

Recommending Silvia's Blog

Hi - Happy New Year / Bonne Année à tous qui préfère les voeux après le jour de l'an.

I think I've recommended Silvia's blog before, but in case I forgot, take a look at her latest entries. The one on Benazir Bhutto is simple and thoughtful and if you view the video of Russel Peters, you'll ROFL.

Si je n'ai pas encore recommandé le blog de Silvia Cambié, il n'est pas trop tard. Le vidéo de Russel Peters est à rouler par terre. Elle écrit en anglais, mais je pense que ces textes sont abordables par presque tous. Celui sur Bénazir Bhutto est tout simple.

Bring in 2008

We're back from our holiday in the U.K. with Claire and Geoff. A really nice, but short, week. This time we got to see a little of Northampton on a busy Sunday-before-Christmas shopping spree. We had a great time -- a family visit and not tourist marathon.

The day we drove up, the frost had accumulated for several days and the trees and ground near the highway were all white. It looked like a Christmas card. And it was a very clear day for the crossing. There was hardly any serious traffic on the drive around London, so we got to Duston in good time.

Sunday, we went into Northampton for a bit of last minute shopping and to see a bit of the town. But mostly we relaxed. We ended the evening at home watching TV and then "The Wizard of Oz" as preparation to see "Wicked", the musical. It was a good review for all. Homemade pizza around the coffee table and a fun evening.

The next day Geoff had to go to work. The rest of us got up late, and aside from going into Duston with Claire for some food, we all spent the day in. Anne, with perfect timing, came down with a cold on the first day of the vacation and was really stuffed up and needed the rest. Claire and I prepared dinner - Paul's birthday, after all. (Claire wanted lots and lots of stuffing, but I mis-calculated the amount of bread needed for the quantity of vegetables be put in and also the bread was probably not dry enough, so it ended up being tasty, but soggy. But that was the only thing that didn't come out perfectly.)

Christmas day we all got up early and went down to Woking, to Geoff's parents' home for Christmas lunch. We packed up all the gifts to open them down there and set off. It was a much more tranquil visit than the previous one when there were 14 of us. It was a great opportunity for us to get to know Alison and Ahmad better. Ahmad speaks French, so both Paul and Ahmad are happy. In fact, the whole day was spent sliding from French to English and back for everyone. We, the French contingent had brought foie gras and maccarons, which we staralmostted off with while we prepared the vegetables and then opened the presents. Then came lunch/dinner - stuffed turkey, cranberry sauce and plenty of vegetables. (Geoff took the picture.) We took a long break before getting to the cheese and never did get to the pudding! After a few games of poker and blackjack, we called it a day.

Claire and I pooled together to offer our now traditional family theater outing. We treated the family to "Wicked", the musical comedy prequil to the "The Wizard of Oz". It's the story of how the wicked witch of the west became wicked. It's all very politically correct and can be seen by kids from about 8 on. I think we all enjoyed it, but now, I can't readily hum any of the tunes. They didn't stick. And when I went to the website to find the link for you, I noticed that the composer/author was not given any billing - you have to look for them in the "Cast and Creation section and you even have to click again to get to the creation page. It's never referred to as Schwartz's "Wicked" or Schartz and Holzman's "Wicked".

But before we went to the show, we went up on the London Eye to get a bird's eye view of London. It was still daylight when we set out and already nightfall as we came down. It's a beautiful ride. It's not easy to get a steady picture; this blurry view of Westminster at the end of the ride, when the lights came one, is the best I got.

We never got around to any Boxing Day sales. The shops we ran across were closed on Boxing Day, in line with tradition. We made up for it with an excursion to Guildford the next day. The High Street was packed with shoppers and there are several shopping centers that all seem to have High Street entrances, so it is a major shopping town. It certainly is not an empty city center that lost its customers to peripheral shopping centers. In fact, these in-town centers are quite common: there are two in Woking and it's seems the same in Northampton.

We wanted to treat the Husaunndees to dinner, since they had us for Christmas. The best solution was to bring the restaurant to them and we ordered from an Indian restaurant. (You can't go to England and not eat Indian at least once - I love it!) I really didn't think I could eat any more, but we ended up finishing almost everything! And then we finished it off with the Christmas pudding we had not had on Christmas day. I never realized the sauce was so easy - a bechamel base with sugar and rum. Alison showed me a new way to make lump-free bechamel - putting the butter, milk and flour all in the pot cold and heating it slowly, stirring constantly.

We got back home on Friday evening after a fairly rough crossing. And now it's time to wish you all a very Happy New Year!