Saturday, 9 July 2005

We visited the cemetery today at Normandy. I did not realize that this cemetery is now property of the United States of America. The French government apparently gave us this land to hold our service members. Currently no new Americans can be buried in Normandy. If an American soldier is found the remains will be sent back to the United States of America for the family/government to place in a cemetery. Before we went to the cemetery we visited a D-Day museum which was very moving. There wasn’t a lot of exhibits about the holocaust but it was mentioned and there were a few pictures.

Despite our upcoming anniversary, and its ensuing vacation from the daily rigors of the working life, we decided to turn our three day weekend into a mini-vacation, and it was well timed and much needed. Back when we lived in the apartment (heretofore known as "The Apartment") we would spend an occasional Saturday doing nothing but play a video game on our PS2. Sure it was "lazy", but it was only occasional and one of the few luxuries we could afford (after all it only cost us time, and we had plenty of that). Since buying and moving into our house (henceforth "The House Mark I") nothing of the sort has happened. In fact our PS2 has been gathering more dust than seeing any use, as has our neglected Xbox. On some level we have not been comfortable spending the luxurious time of only playing a game, and neglecting all else (I surmise this is due to the stress of the past year and the constant list of Things To Be Done To The House(TM) but that's a subject for another day over at my blog). Last weekend we rather unconsciously decided to change this.

I had some meetings today with the director of International Relations at the Institut National Des Telecommunication (INT) about the attempted flag burning incident. We learned that the individual involved was not a student at the INT but the niece of the caretaker. Disciplinary steps have been taken and this girl is no longer allowed in the buildings nor is she allowed to engage in conversation with myself or the other international students. Had this girl been a student at the INT she would have undergone many levels of discipline including immediate dismissal from the school. I was very pleased to hear that they considered this to be an absolute disgraceful act and that the faculty and students were very disturbed by the incident.

I think it is about time for me to leave France!!!!! We were celebrating the 4th of July here on campus at the Institut Nationals Des Telecommunication where the French students have invited us to party with them because of our Independence day when one of the French girls decided it was neccessarry to throw the American flag on the ground. I quickly picked it up and put it back in the proper place, then about 15 minutes later she grabbed the flag and was about to burn it with her cigarette lighter. I grabbed the flag and immediately walked out of the bar on campus and came to my room. I do not want to be here anymore! I will demand a formal and public apology tomorrow from the school tomorrow for her actions and I will inform HPU of the incident! It is cicumstances like this which makes me very angry at the French and makes me want to leave this country as fast as possible.

Bonjour,

I'm still in ev'ry, and the weather has been at a constant 30 degrees C. It never really cools off and the mosquitoes here are vicious. They keep us really busy here at INT and I found out that INT is a Grand Ecola. Grandes Ecoles are the very best institutions of French higher education. To be considered as a "Grande Ecole", a school must be a member of the "Conférence des Grandes Ecoles" (www.cge.asso.fr), an association that was created in 1973. If one gets a degree from a Grand Ecola it is better than a Masters and you will get a job within 4 months of graduation (I have been told that Grand Ecola's are viewed higher than Oxford University).

We have a new octogenarian in the family. Mom turned 80 on June 16, 2005. We drove to mom’s place in Tillamook and from there went to the United Methodist church where Lois had planned a small party. Mom was delighted because it was a surprise. Many of her friends were there and they sang her the happy birthday song. Among those present were her niece Karen and her husband Curtis Khron from Boise, Idaho. Her granddaughter Rebekah and her husband Jason made a surprise entrance and her grandsons Nathan and Brian, Lois’ sons were there too. There are some pictures posted on the gallery site.

This is just a quick hello and update for everyone to read. I made it to Paris safely, but I had a little trouble getting my bags. My flight to Amsterdam was late so everyone missed their connecting flights. Luckily they rebooked me for free on AirFrance, but my baggage didn't make it. I finally had my bags delivered to me yesterday evening and boy did they search it good in Amsterdam, also I think they dropped them in a pile of dirt because both bags were covered in dusty dirt. Well the only thing they took was a bottle of Conditioner, maybe the baggage guy needed it? Oh well.... I was told that they always confinscate laundry detergent (which they call conditioner over here in France), but ya, we can't figure out why they took my hair conditioner.

It would have been pathetic if it hadn't been so cute. Almost a year ago we brought a small and helpless little kitty into our home and named him Louie. We didn't know exactly when he was born, so when the veterinarian wanted to know we guessed and said it was June 1, 2004. Cat's being seemingly ignorant of the passing of years I'm sure it's no big deal to Louie that he is a year old, but to mark the occasion we had a can of special cat food he could have (and share with Phoebe) to celebrate. I would have forgotten we had planned on doing this, except the veterinarian sent Louie a card in the mail. Our cute little fuzzy guy got a birthday card addressed to him, warning him that yummy treats can give him tummy aches, so he shouldn't eat too much.

Perhaps I have consumed too much media in my life, for as I sit composing this missive the window stands open, the covers are tossed back, the ceiling fan is pushing cool air down upon my weary body, and I find it to house a strange pleasure. I take a gamble tonight, one I so far seem to be winning. Yesterday heralded the beginning of my allergy season, and as Pollen.com reports today was a good day compared to the four that will follow. It was my hope, more than a year ago, that we would be able to install an electronic air cleaner (and an A/C unit) in order to create a cool refuge from both the heat of the evening and the menace of the grass pollen, but back then we had planed so many things.

I have finally realized one of my weaknesses. I spent a bit of time organizing my book list which lists the books I have read, are reading, own and plan to read, and books/authors I want to read as I recently finished a novella today. I returned to a book I have been having a hard time finding the motivation and will to finish, and began to enjoy it. However, Holly needed to go to the library to get a video about The Bard for her class, and while there I could not help myself. Despite my long list of books I have and want to read I found myself looking for some of the books on my wish list that I do not own. I walked out of the library with a new book and a deadline in which to get it read.