Usually when it comes to books being made into films, the books are markedly superior. However, the 1940's film adaptation of John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" proves to be an exception to this trend. It stands alone as an excellent film that is true to the spirit and overall message of the original work. The ending of the book and the film contrast sharply. The book finishes rather bleakly while the ending in the film, while far from saccharine, offers a ray of hope for the Joad family as they persevere through the worst of the great depression. While normally I object to modifying an original work, especially one considered to be one of the defining pieces of literature of the 20th century, the ending created for the film version is more appropriate to its purpose. The book when it was first published served as an outraged voice bringing attention to the inhumanity and desolate state many poverty stricken families faced during the great depression. It described the situations faced by ruined farmers and migrant workers accurately at at time when those not in such a situation might be oblivious to it. This was before the information age. Although the entire country and western world was affected by the great depression, many were ignorant of what the worst off faced: corruption, starvation and exploitation. This book caused a huge uproar in the United States. It became a bit of a polarized issue. The "red menace" of communism was well rooted at the time "The Grapes of Wrath" was published meaning that all anti-capitalist writings were heavily scrutinized and highly suspect. Some even accused Steinbeck of inflating the degree of destitution experienced by those most affected by the great depression. Others praised the work as a long coming accurate portrayal of those who had truly lost everything.
The movie however by design did not serve to inflame viewers. It was designed as entertainment with the essence of the struggle portrayed by Steinbeck. While incorporating and presenting the situation outlined in the book, the ending offers some hope to the viewer without detracting from the strength of the message. Really, who wants to see a film with a bleak, hopeless ending? Viewers are informed of the terrible situation but do not leave the film feeling hopeless. Instead, I think one might feel enlightened, seeing a point of view and situation present but unseen. Also, by the time the film was published, the worst of the depression had past - no "exposé" was required. The endings to each form of the story suit their purpose and their timeframe. The book's inflammatory message would definitely would be weakened if it ended as the movie did.
The Grapes of Wrath's message extends much farther than just the great depression itself. It emphasizes the value of humanity and how humanity can be unjustly lost amid the figures of a ledger. It is of course also relevant in the economic uncertainty present in the world today. While we narrowly avoided a true depression in the economic recession of 2007, it certainly brings to thought what has been and what might have been.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming!
I find it a little sad that in the wake of global warming, one of the gravest environmental issues modern man has ever encountered, governments of the world instead of searching for solutions would rather profit from our continued addiction to oil. It seems hypocritical to give dire warnings on the environmental repercussions of both drilling for and burning oil while simultaneously bellowing at the top of the world “its mine!” over a reserve of oil, the very substance that chiefly brought about this global disaster in the first place.
History seems to be repeating itself to a degree amongst the northern governments encircling the arctic. It feels almost like the colonial attitude toward land claims has returned: One merely plants a flag in something no one has planted a flag in before, and it then belongs to you. According to this outdated line of reasoning, the moon is technically American soil. It’s the North American gold rush all over again – but this time black gold is up for grabs.
Instead of trying to monopolize on the ominous signs of global warming, I think governments should instead invest in the development of alternative, sustainable energy sources. One of the real incentives for researching these alternative fuels is the fact that oil reserves will not last forever. By tapping into this huge reserve, I fear that such projects would be put on the back burner. Awareness of this issue might be forgotten temporarily: smothered by a flood of cheap, available oil.
What scares me the most however is that Russia is a player in this game. Russia does not exactly have the best track record regarding the environment. Even more alarming is the creation and intended use of these nuclear power platforms. One need only look askance at the Bay of Kola near Murmanske to see first hand Russia’s past of mishandling nuclear waste. Within Kola, lies a fleet of decommissioned nuclear submarines. As these Soviet relics are eaten away by rust, they spew gouts of nuclear waste into the sea. Should a nuclear incident occur in the Arctic, this solution is clearly unacceptable. Further, considering that Russia is known to be an illiberal democracy, rampant with corruption, who is to say they will follow all international laws and standards? Even more disconcerting is the apparent risk for environmental catastrophe involved in deep sea drilling. Could Arctic waters suffer the same damaging effects of the Mexican Gulf? What if one of these nuclear power platforms, let alone one of the oil-rig platforms, suffers an explosion? Considering that an effort spanning the globe to clean up the Gulf of Mexico, which includes some of the world wealthiest and most technologically advanced countries, struggled to just stop the flow of oil. I shudder to think if the consequences of a nuclear incident. Personally, I am not confident the Russian government would take full responsibility if such an event occurred.
On a final note, I wonder if those planning to use these opening up Arctic shipping lanes have considered the possible impact on northern wildlife? The Arctic ecosystem is extremely fragile and is already suffering from the effects of global warming. The receding ice caused by global warming has already had a huge negative impact on Polar bear populations. Drowned polar bears have been found for the first time on record as the distance they must travel to hunt and migrate grows larger every day. Are they strong enough to withstand the additional stress of oil-rigs, nuclear power platforms and shipping traffic, or will they face extinction?
As one sees life on Earth struggling to cope with the environmental pressures relating to global warming, it begs the question:
Are we strong enough?
History seems to be repeating itself to a degree amongst the northern governments encircling the arctic. It feels almost like the colonial attitude toward land claims has returned: One merely plants a flag in something no one has planted a flag in before, and it then belongs to you. According to this outdated line of reasoning, the moon is technically American soil. It’s the North American gold rush all over again – but this time black gold is up for grabs.
Instead of trying to monopolize on the ominous signs of global warming, I think governments should instead invest in the development of alternative, sustainable energy sources. One of the real incentives for researching these alternative fuels is the fact that oil reserves will not last forever. By tapping into this huge reserve, I fear that such projects would be put on the back burner. Awareness of this issue might be forgotten temporarily: smothered by a flood of cheap, available oil.
What scares me the most however is that Russia is a player in this game. Russia does not exactly have the best track record regarding the environment. Even more alarming is the creation and intended use of these nuclear power platforms. One need only look askance at the Bay of Kola near Murmanske to see first hand Russia’s past of mishandling nuclear waste. Within Kola, lies a fleet of decommissioned nuclear submarines. As these Soviet relics are eaten away by rust, they spew gouts of nuclear waste into the sea. Should a nuclear incident occur in the Arctic, this solution is clearly unacceptable. Further, considering that Russia is known to be an illiberal democracy, rampant with corruption, who is to say they will follow all international laws and standards? Even more disconcerting is the apparent risk for environmental catastrophe involved in deep sea drilling. Could Arctic waters suffer the same damaging effects of the Mexican Gulf? What if one of these nuclear power platforms, let alone one of the oil-rig platforms, suffers an explosion? Considering that an effort spanning the globe to clean up the Gulf of Mexico, which includes some of the world wealthiest and most technologically advanced countries, struggled to just stop the flow of oil. I shudder to think if the consequences of a nuclear incident. Personally, I am not confident the Russian government would take full responsibility if such an event occurred.
On a final note, I wonder if those planning to use these opening up Arctic shipping lanes have considered the possible impact on northern wildlife? The Arctic ecosystem is extremely fragile and is already suffering from the effects of global warming. The receding ice caused by global warming has already had a huge negative impact on Polar bear populations. Drowned polar bears have been found for the first time on record as the distance they must travel to hunt and migrate grows larger every day. Are they strong enough to withstand the additional stress of oil-rigs, nuclear power platforms and shipping traffic, or will they face extinction?
As one sees life on Earth struggling to cope with the environmental pressures relating to global warming, it begs the question:
Are we strong enough?
Monday, September 20, 2010
Pakistani Puzzle
This first English 122 blog post topic happens to be a rather thorny one.
For those who cannot see the question posted on the English 122 master blog, it concerns the relief response (or lack thereof) to aid those affected by the recent devastating floods in Pakistan. Dr. Morris asks us why the relief response thus far has been so sluggish and meagre in comparison to those of the Haiti earthquake disaster and the previous Tsunami.
There are a number of unfortunate circumstances which explain this apparent discrepancy in generosity. I don't think most people in both the United States and Canada necessarily prefer a Haitian victim to a Pakistani one. Both victims are human beings and both have suffered the devastating effects only a large scale natural disaster can produce. The need of either vicim is equally great. Keeping that in mind, I think the problem lies in the realm of international politics and security between countries.
Pakistan immediately receives some negative political and media coverage due to its location. As it is located in "the middle east," the public relations of the nearby countries such as Iraq, Iran, Isreal, Afghanistan are projected upon it. The terrorism threat as well as war in Iraq politically stain the region. I'm sure more than one Canadian or American has wondered that if all donated funds actually reach those in need of relief. It's no secret that the Pakistani government as well as other nearby governments have a reputation for being quite corrupt. Yet, this alone is not likely a factor as the Haitian government also suffers from deep rooted corruption. The difference between the two is a matter of where the diverted funds may go. Could my donation for relief end up funding terrorism? Haiti lacks this international security stigma. Further exacerbating this lack of confidence in where the money may end up is the internal instability within Pakistan. Political upheavals regarding territory, especially with India, are both common and heated. Violent protests break out frequently. Funds not diverted due to corruption could be lost as the government is ineffective and not well liked by many of the governed. Pakistan's political image has been further tarnished by the recent nuclear deal with China. Pakistan has stated the technology will only be used peacefully. Yet, with such an unstable and corrupt government how can they guarantee that nuclear arms will not be developed secretly? This idea particularly scares the UN and its members as Pakistan is a country that did not sign the original Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Overall, I think people may worry about where donated relief funds will eventually end up and what threat that may pose to their own country let alone the world.
The political image of Pakistan I imagine affected the amount media coverage there has been of the disaster. I did not even hear about the floods until about 2 weeks after they had started. It was not advertised on television as far as I know. I only found out listening to the radio on a Sunday afternoon. The media coverage of the Haitian disaster was far greater and informed the public far more effectively.
Even if the media coverage of the floods in Pakistan was better handled, I wonder if the donation gap would still exist if one ignored the international political and security concerns. Perhaps unlucky timing for the disaster detracted from relief efforts. The Haitian earthquake occurred at a time when a natural disaster of that magnitude had not occurred for some time. As such, it stood out as a great deviation from the norm. Conversely, the Pakistan floods began not long after the Haitian earthquake. Perhaps some had donated what they could afford that year to Haiti and could not make an equal contribution to Pakistan. The flood's shock value was certainly less as the Haitian earthquake was and is still in peoples minds alongside it. Pakistan did not benefit from the individual focus that Haiti did. On that note, casual listeners to the radio or television and those skimming the newspaper might mistake Pakistani natural disaster coverage for the Haitian earthquake and dismiss it as old news.
All these factors aside, it's unfortunate that the people of Pakistan must suffer from these political and media obstacles created by governments. They are suffering just as much as the people of Haiti were and need much in the way of humanitarian aid. How can their government deal with this huge scale natural disaster when it can barely function or remain stable at the best of times. It's hard to see an easy solution as even if funds were available, how would we make sure it reached those who need it most?
Pity the nation.
For those who cannot see the question posted on the English 122 master blog, it concerns the relief response (or lack thereof) to aid those affected by the recent devastating floods in Pakistan. Dr. Morris asks us why the relief response thus far has been so sluggish and meagre in comparison to those of the Haiti earthquake disaster and the previous Tsunami.
There are a number of unfortunate circumstances which explain this apparent discrepancy in generosity. I don't think most people in both the United States and Canada necessarily prefer a Haitian victim to a Pakistani one. Both victims are human beings and both have suffered the devastating effects only a large scale natural disaster can produce. The need of either vicim is equally great. Keeping that in mind, I think the problem lies in the realm of international politics and security between countries.
Pakistan immediately receives some negative political and media coverage due to its location. As it is located in "the middle east," the public relations of the nearby countries such as Iraq, Iran, Isreal, Afghanistan are projected upon it. The terrorism threat as well as war in Iraq politically stain the region. I'm sure more than one Canadian or American has wondered that if all donated funds actually reach those in need of relief. It's no secret that the Pakistani government as well as other nearby governments have a reputation for being quite corrupt. Yet, this alone is not likely a factor as the Haitian government also suffers from deep rooted corruption. The difference between the two is a matter of where the diverted funds may go. Could my donation for relief end up funding terrorism? Haiti lacks this international security stigma. Further exacerbating this lack of confidence in where the money may end up is the internal instability within Pakistan. Political upheavals regarding territory, especially with India, are both common and heated. Violent protests break out frequently. Funds not diverted due to corruption could be lost as the government is ineffective and not well liked by many of the governed. Pakistan's political image has been further tarnished by the recent nuclear deal with China. Pakistan has stated the technology will only be used peacefully. Yet, with such an unstable and corrupt government how can they guarantee that nuclear arms will not be developed secretly? This idea particularly scares the UN and its members as Pakistan is a country that did not sign the original Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Overall, I think people may worry about where donated relief funds will eventually end up and what threat that may pose to their own country let alone the world.
The political image of Pakistan I imagine affected the amount media coverage there has been of the disaster. I did not even hear about the floods until about 2 weeks after they had started. It was not advertised on television as far as I know. I only found out listening to the radio on a Sunday afternoon. The media coverage of the Haitian disaster was far greater and informed the public far more effectively.
Even if the media coverage of the floods in Pakistan was better handled, I wonder if the donation gap would still exist if one ignored the international political and security concerns. Perhaps unlucky timing for the disaster detracted from relief efforts. The Haitian earthquake occurred at a time when a natural disaster of that magnitude had not occurred for some time. As such, it stood out as a great deviation from the norm. Conversely, the Pakistan floods began not long after the Haitian earthquake. Perhaps some had donated what they could afford that year to Haiti and could not make an equal contribution to Pakistan. The flood's shock value was certainly less as the Haitian earthquake was and is still in peoples minds alongside it. Pakistan did not benefit from the individual focus that Haiti did. On that note, casual listeners to the radio or television and those skimming the newspaper might mistake Pakistani natural disaster coverage for the Haitian earthquake and dismiss it as old news.
All these factors aside, it's unfortunate that the people of Pakistan must suffer from these political and media obstacles created by governments. They are suffering just as much as the people of Haiti were and need much in the way of humanitarian aid. How can their government deal with this huge scale natural disaster when it can barely function or remain stable at the best of times. It's hard to see an easy solution as even if funds were available, how would we make sure it reached those who need it most?
Pity the nation.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Resurrection and Feather Dusters
I have returned.
Jokes aside, this blog has been resurrected and will be updated once a week at the very least. This preternatural phenomena has been brought about by the fact that one of my University courses, English 122, requires that I maintain a blog throughout the term. The topics of these new posts will vary as I will be writing or commenting on events and philosophical questions posed by my new English Professor, Dr. Mark Morris. I suppose now I know for a fact that someone might actually be reading my mad ramblings. This notion cheers me, as one of the reasons I began neglecting this blog was the feeling that no one actually read my posts other than my grandmother. It seemed silly to put the effort into editing a entry and posting pictures when picking up the telephone or getting on my bike to speak with her directly was far less time consuming.
While school related posts are a given, I would like to finish my chronicle of my year in France. I have half a dozen entries written in rough which ideally I would like to publish. On more recent events, I would like to also write on my stay in Hawai'i this last July and share some of the amazing sights and sounds I experienced. Whether or not I post on these topics in the near future is uncertain. With a full course load, keeping up with course work is the first priority. While I know I will write about these travelling experiences eventually, they may not appear for quite some time.
To those who are viewing this blog for the first time, I welcome you and hope I can keep you at least a little entertained while completing the required tasks for the course. You are welcome to read and comment, be you teacher or pupil, on any previous or present posts. This is a nice and clean blog, so please keep it PG and note that those who wish to say nasty or hateful things about myself, or others need not reply to the posts. Keeping that in mind, anyone is welcome to give constructive criticism or pose alternative opinions on the subject matter and the writing itself should they have the notion. I enjoy discussion and debate.
I conclude this reintroduction armed with a metaphorical feather duster and the intent to clean up this old blog. Hopefully, the broken links, missing pictures and old information will be fixed, scrubbed and renewed before too long. I want it looking presentable for company!
Alec
Friday, May 29, 2009
Bordeaux Bound
During the last week of August, having just arrived in France, the Corbaux family most generously decided to take me on a little holiday with them as they went to visit their relatives in Bordeaux.
Bordeaux, as you can in the map above, is a region in the south of France. It, in addition to being a city, is also a region where one of the most famous varieties of French wines is produced. For those lacking in wine wisdom, wines in France (if not elsewhere as well) are generally named after the province where the grapes are grown and the wine is made. There are then regions called "appellations" within these provinces which describe usually a land formation where the wine was produced such as a valley or on a certain side of a river. a From there, the wine is labeled after the vineyard or "Château" which produced it. The large provinces can be seen on the map below.
Within the wine province of Bordeaux there are 37 appellations, all of which produce a distinct variety of wines. Apparently experienced wine connoisseurs can name the both the province and the appellation from just the taste of the wine, sometimes even the year. A map of all 37 appellations can be found below.
Wine aside, I had a wonderful time. Even the long drive was interesting! Every so often we would drive by an interesting house, castle or crumbling ruin. It's quite a change from driving in Canada where when driving between cities, at most you can expect to pass by a gas station or two. Midway between Caen and Bordeaux, we stopped for the evening at a hotel to rest up for the day ahead of us tomorrow. I shared a room with Hippolyte and enjoyed a relaxing night watching television and talking with Hippolyte. I say watching and talking in a figurative sense as I was at that time still very new to French. Luckily for me, Eric Corbaux can speak English very well and lends me a hand when I need assistance (Which is embarrassingly often). Luckily I had enough sense to bring my French-English Dictionary with me on this trip. I imagine my little blue Larousse dictionary will be in tatters by the time I return back to Edmonton if I keep using it at the rate I did during this little vacation. I really do rely on it when Eric is absent and use it often in the middle of conversations. Fortunately, everyone is very understanding, patient and they do not mind repeating things or waiting for comprehension to dawn upon me in exchange, of course, for a little information about Canada!
Madam Delphey
The Pool - Mr. Delphey can be seen on the left. I'm in the centre.
Opening the Rosé
Until next time, Bon Appitite!
Bordeaux, as you can in the map above, is a region in the south of France. It, in addition to being a city, is also a region where one of the most famous varieties of French wines is produced. For those lacking in wine wisdom, wines in France (if not elsewhere as well) are generally named after the province where the grapes are grown and the wine is made. There are then regions called "appellations" within these provinces which describe usually a land formation where the wine was produced such as a valley or on a certain side of a river. a From there, the wine is labeled after the vineyard or "Château" which produced it. The large provinces can be seen on the map below.
Within the wine province of Bordeaux there are 37 appellations, all of which produce a distinct variety of wines. Apparently experienced wine connoisseurs can name the both the province and the appellation from just the taste of the wine, sometimes even the year. A map of all 37 appellations can be found below.
Wine aside, I had a wonderful time. Even the long drive was interesting! Every so often we would drive by an interesting house, castle or crumbling ruin. It's quite a change from driving in Canada where when driving between cities, at most you can expect to pass by a gas station or two. Midway between Caen and Bordeaux, we stopped for the evening at a hotel to rest up for the day ahead of us tomorrow. I shared a room with Hippolyte and enjoyed a relaxing night watching television and talking with Hippolyte. I say watching and talking in a figurative sense as I was at that time still very new to French. Luckily for me, Eric Corbaux can speak English very well and lends me a hand when I need assistance (Which is embarrassingly often). Luckily I had enough sense to bring my French-English Dictionary with me on this trip. I imagine my little blue Larousse dictionary will be in tatters by the time I return back to Edmonton if I keep using it at the rate I did during this little vacation. I really do rely on it when Eric is absent and use it often in the middle of conversations. Fortunately, everyone is very understanding, patient and they do not mind repeating things or waiting for comprehension to dawn upon me in exchange, of course, for a little information about Canada!
Madam Delphey In the late afternoon of the second day of this voyage, we arrived at the home of Nathalie's parents. We stayed with them for the duration of the stay in Bordeaux. Monsieur and Madam Delphey were very kind. Mr. Delphey apparently built the house that he and his wife live in. He also has an immense back vegetable garden. He also grows black berries which we could sample straight off the vine. They tasted delicious. Monsieur and Madam Delphey also have a large chestnut tree in their garden. When we ate supper with Nathalie's parents, someone (usually accompanied by an eager Canadian) would collect a bucketful to eat either during the Apertif or after Dessert. They, like the black berries, tasted incredible. To make this South French Eden complete, a swimming pool also exists in the back garden which was a treat to swim in on hot days with the family.
The Pool - Mr. Delphey can be seen on the left. I'm in the centre.Later on in the evening, we went to a dinner party at M. Corbaux's brother's home. A number of relatives and friends were in attendance. This soirée was one of two that would occur for the occasion of the birthday of Eric's brother. The first was a sort of barbecue dinner for those who had arrived the same day in preparation for the actual party which was to take place the night afterward. It was a very enjoyable set of evenings. I particularly enjoyed speaking to an old Italian gentleman who spoke just about as much French as I did and we had fun trying to communicate with each other, and singing songs that we both knew such as "That's Amoré" and "C'est Sera sera." It was at this party, where I received my first taste of that fabled wine, Bordeaux.
Me sampling Bordeauxian culture.
Me sampling Bordeauxian culture.Later on that week, I got to see Nathalie's family as well. They had a large, picnic style family reuinion in a park not far from the city of Bordeaux. There were many other people there enjoying the nice weather and eating outdoors as we were. Through the centre of this park, runs a river which delivered many members of Nathalie's family to the picnic! Many family members over the course of two hours arrived in small canoes and kayaks! I with two other girls and a little boy made up the welcoming committee. I daresay we made a splash!
Fun in the sun in the river getting wet!
It as later on while I was drying off and the last of the water savvy relatives were trickling in that I met French Julie. Nathalie's sister is an absolute dead ringer for a friend I have back in Edmonton, Julie Gellner right from her bright eyes, sunny smile and enthusiastic disposition. They say everyone has a doppleganger. I'm sorry to say I did not have my camera with my and the images you see on this post are from Eric Corbaux's camera. At this little picnic, I tried eating both a raw oister and a raw clam to the greater amusement of some of the older relatives in attendance. I must admit I did not enjoy them much. You actually eat the oyster while it's alive and sometimes you can see it moving and breathing! Ugh! I thereafter busied myself with the task of opening the wine bottles. I learned the "proper" way to do it from M. Delphey which entails cutting off the foil encompassing the cork and bottle neatly with the point of the corkscrew and make sure not to go too deep lest a few pieces of cork fall into the wine. As a reward for my labours, I was given a taste of a very distinctive Bordeauxian white wine called Sauternes. It is very sweet and is usually served with dessert. I really rather liked it along with the chilled Rosé which was very refreshing on such a warm day.
Opening the RoséWednesday, November 12, 2008
Caen
Sorry folks! I've been really busy these last few weeks and have tons to say, yet have not had enough time to get it all down on paper or rather computer. I have a nice block of time in the near future and hope to catch up completely.
A "chapelle" within Abbaye aux Hommes
So, I'd like to tell you all about Caen: the city that I'm currently living in. During World War II, Caen was occupied by Nazi Germany as were many settlements in France along the western Atlantic border. During this time Caen was heavily bombed by Allied aircraft resulting in near total destruction of the city. Unfortunately, this means that very few historic buildings remain today. Despite this, there are a few architectural gems that survive today which I enjoy immensely whenever I pass one by. One perk of the forced citywide renovation is that the roads were able to be widened and organized more efficiently. This makes travel by car and exploring on foot much easier. Still, I find myself longing for the grid system of Edmonton. It makes finding things so much easier! They also name streets and avenues here instead of numbering them sequentially thus making it hard to find shops and easy to get lost! In the face of this navigational problem, I have devised a way to keep tabs on where I am and where I want to go! Church Towers are the key. As there are so many old and towering churches i
n Caen, and in practically all French cities, one is usually close by anywhere you want to go. Better still, as these churches are some of the oldest buildings in the city, often all the newer construction was planned around them. While many of these churches were restored beautifully after the war, others were left in their bombed state as a somber reminder of what was lost. An example of one of these bombed churches is Eglise St. Etienne which can be seen to the right. Now, I am able to recognize near all the churches by the steeple as well as remember generally what is around it. I no longer get lost.
A skyline of Caen
As I mentioned earlier, the roads in Caen were redone and remade wider, yet it is hard to imagine how the current roads could be any narrower. Lanes are barely wide enough for one car and it is not uncommon to see cars straddling two lanes in the absence of oncoming traffic. As a matter of fact, the side 
mirrors on all cars here fold inwards to allow drivers to squeeze though narrow roadways and slide into tiny parking spaces. The French also seem to capitalize on space as much as possible. It's not uncommon to see parking spaces painted halfway onto the sidewalk allowing cars to rest with two wheels on the road and two on the walkway. Speaking of cars, driving in France can be described with a single word: Scary. They drive like maniacs! Weaving in and out of traffic, horns blazing narrowly missing pedestrians... In the main commercial centre, it's not uncommon to see a car making it's was through a sea of people - quickly. Taking all this into consideration, there are amazingly few to traffic accidents. I have not yet even heard about one let alone seen the evidence of an accident.
While it was hard to concentrate the first few car trips to anything but the frightening driving, I eventually started to notice the brands of cars here. They have Toyota as well as many other recognizable names but one new one struck me in particular and made me laugh: Citroën.
In French, the word citron means lemon. Back in Canada, (and I assume the United States) one describes a very poor car as a "lemon." Perhaps this name choice is why I've never seen this car in North America. Interestingly enough however, Citroën is apparently a very reputable car brand in France which is known for it's inventive innovations in vehicles. Still, I chuckle every time I see "lemon" written on the back of a car. One other thing to note is that cars in France are noticeably smaller than those in North America not only by chassis but also in wheel diameter. I think some American cars would have quite a bit of difficulty negotiating with some of the narrower streets and slimmer parking spaces.
The Petit Casino 24: Roadside Vending Machine
Moving on, the information I was told on the weather here in Normandy was not at all overstated. It rains; and it rains a lot. There are many gag tourist items showing the four seasons of Normandy as the same: Gray and Rainy. This however is not quite true. There are many days when the sun shines brightly and one feels warm. The form that rain can take here is also interesting. Some days, it's merely falling mist that is just a little bit too heavy to be blown away. Another neat thing is how fast Norman weather can change. In Edmonton, when it rains in the morning one can be fairly sure as to how the weather will be throughout the day: Wet. In Caen, it can rain a little bit, stop, and be sunny for a few hours before a bit more rain falls again and vice-versa. I suspect these speedy climate changes are due to our proximity to the ocean. With all this rain, comes humidity. However, as it's never particularly hot in Normandy, the humidity is rather nice and does not cause you to overheat. This moist air has been wonderful for my lungs and great for my violin. She's sounding better than ever and I've received more than one comment on the quality of sound. I'm very glad I decided to bring her.
The Annual French Weather Forecast
Back to architecture. The churches here are amazing. All are mostly in the Gothic style but some of the older ones had been changed from traditional Roman architecture as can be seen from the rounded arches inside amidst the Gothic pointed ones. If you look to the right, you can see Gothic arches that have been built within the old roman ones.
Caen also has it's own version of the Leaning tower of Pisa. One of the churches in the middle of the city has a doorway and bell tower that have existed at an alarming angle for many years
without change. This tilt occurred shortly after it was built. it is said the King who commissioned the Eglise St. Jean to be built did so in order to attain permission from the Pope to divorce his wife. He was rather contemptuous about having to do this and built it on a riverbed. The soft and sodden ground resulted in the tipping of the entrance and the bell tower above it. The doorway of Eglise St. Jean is shown to the left. Below are a few pictures of some of my favorite churches in Caen. If you would like to see more pictures, including the interiors, they are posted under the album "Caen" in the photo section of my Facebook profile.
Abbaye aux Hommes
With the above photographs, I'd like to include a little history. The Abbaye aux Dames used to have spires but they were knocked down during the Hundred Years War. Not having
the funds nor the manpower to rebuild the spires, they instead put up balustrades. The Abbaye aux Hommes used to house the school I that now attend and served as a makeshift hospital during World War II. In order to prevent the allies from bombing it, the French used bloody sheets to form a large red cross on the roof 
during air raids. Interestingly enough, the greatest danger to these old churches today are the pigeons! They peck at the limestone and make it look like sea sponge. An example of this can be seen above Amid these churches are a few surviving neat old shops. The picture to the left is a tiny place where one brings antique books for repair. I had a nice chat with the owner during one of my lunch hours. (In french!)
During my first week here, I got to visit the infamous Château Ducal built by William the Conqueror (formerly William the Bastard and today known as William I of England) around 1066. There is a rather funny story concerning dear William, his castle and the two magnificent cathedrals built at the same time around it. No, William was not a particularly devout man who wanted many grand buildings of worship near his castle. He was a man who was seeking to bribe the Pope. For you see, William married his cousin, Matilda of Flanders, which was highly frowned upon by the church. In order to attain the forgiveness of Pope Leo IX (and God I suppose), William promised to build 2 cathedrals around his castle. These two cathedrals stand today as the aforementioned Abbaye aux Hommes (The Men's Abbey) sponsored by William and Abbaye aux Dames (The Woman's Abbey) sponsored by Matilda. William's tome lies within Abbaye aux Hommes and Matilda's within Abbaye aux Dames.
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of Caen.
Ciao for now.
A "chapelle" within Abbaye aux Hommes
n Caen, and in practically all French cities, one is usually close by anywhere you want to go. Better still, as these churches are some of the oldest buildings in the city, often all the newer construction was planned around them. While many of these churches were restored beautifully after the war, others were left in their bombed state as a somber reminder of what was lost. An example of one of these bombed churches is Eglise St. Etienne which can be seen to the right. Now, I am able to recognize near all the churches by the steeple as well as remember generally what is around it. I no longer get lost.
A skyline of Caen
mirrors on all cars here fold inwards to allow drivers to squeeze though narrow roadways and slide into tiny parking spaces. The French also seem to capitalize on space as much as possible. It's not uncommon to see parking spaces painted halfway onto the sidewalk allowing cars to rest with two wheels on the road and two on the walkway. Speaking of cars, driving in France can be described with a single word: Scary. They drive like maniacs! Weaving in and out of traffic, horns blazing narrowly missing pedestrians... In the main commercial centre, it's not uncommon to see a car making it's was through a sea of people - quickly. Taking all this into consideration, there are amazingly few to traffic accidents. I have not yet even heard about one let alone seen the evidence of an accident.While it was hard to concentrate the first few car trips to anything but the frightening driving, I eventually started to notice the brands of cars here. They have Toyota as well as many other recognizable names but one new one struck me in particular and made me laugh: Citroën.
In French, the word citron means lemon. Back in Canada, (and I assume the United States) one describes a very poor car as a "lemon." Perhaps this name choice is why I've never seen this car in North America. Interestingly enough however, Citroën is apparently a very reputable car brand in France which is known for it's inventive innovations in vehicles. Still, I chuckle every time I see "lemon" written on the back of a car. One other thing to note is that cars in France are noticeably smaller than those in North America not only by chassis but also in wheel diameter. I think some American cars would have quite a bit of difficulty negotiating with some of the narrower streets and slimmer parking spaces.The two neatest things I've yet seen in Caen is the public bicycle system and the automatic shop. 
The public bicycle system, Veol, was implemented in an effort to cut down pollution and traffic. Caen and a number of other French cities have public bike racks where you can cheaply rent a bike 24hours a day 7 days a week! I'm sure my father, Paul, would love to see these. They're maintained about once a week so they're always in good repair. I'm itching to get a Veol card so I can try them out. As for the automatic shop, it's essentially a giant vending machine on the street where you can buy pretty much anything you could at a generic convenience store. One just pops in some money and enters the code of the desired item. We need some of these in Edmonton!
The public bicycle system, Veol, was implemented in an effort to cut down pollution and traffic. Caen and a number of other French cities have public bike racks where you can cheaply rent a bike 24hours a day 7 days a week! I'm sure my father, Paul, would love to see these. They're maintained about once a week so they're always in good repair. I'm itching to get a Veol card so I can try them out. As for the automatic shop, it's essentially a giant vending machine on the street where you can buy pretty much anything you could at a generic convenience store. One just pops in some money and enters the code of the desired item. We need some of these in Edmonton!
The Petit Casino 24: Roadside Vending Machine
Moving on, the information I was told on the weather here in Normandy was not at all overstated. It rains; and it rains a lot. There are many gag tourist items showing the four seasons of Normandy as the same: Gray and Rainy. This however is not quite true. There are many days when the sun shines brightly and one feels warm. The form that rain can take here is also interesting. Some days, it's merely falling mist that is just a little bit too heavy to be blown away. Another neat thing is how fast Norman weather can change. In Edmonton, when it rains in the morning one can be fairly sure as to how the weather will be throughout the day: Wet. In Caen, it can rain a little bit, stop, and be sunny for a few hours before a bit more rain falls again and vice-versa. I suspect these speedy climate changes are due to our proximity to the ocean. With all this rain, comes humidity. However, as it's never particularly hot in Normandy, the humidity is rather nice and does not cause you to overheat. This moist air has been wonderful for my lungs and great for my violin. She's sounding better than ever and I've received more than one comment on the quality of sound. I'm very glad I decided to bring her.
The Annual French Weather Forecast
Back to architecture. The churches here are amazing. All are mostly in the Gothic style but some of the older ones had been changed from traditional Roman architecture as can be seen from the rounded arches inside amidst the Gothic pointed ones. If you look to the right, you can see Gothic arches that have been built within the old roman ones.Caen also has it's own version of the Leaning tower of Pisa. One of the churches in the middle of the city has a doorway and bell tower that have existed at an alarming angle for many years
without change. This tilt occurred shortly after it was built. it is said the King who commissioned the Eglise St. Jean to be built did so in order to attain permission from the Pope to divorce his wife. He was rather contemptuous about having to do this and built it on a riverbed. The soft and sodden ground resulted in the tipping of the entrance and the bell tower above it. The doorway of Eglise St. Jean is shown to the left. Below are a few pictures of some of my favorite churches in Caen. If you would like to see more pictures, including the interiors, they are posted under the album "Caen" in the photo section of my Facebook profile.
Abbaye aux Dames
Eglise St. Pierre
With the above photographs, I'd like to include a little history. The Abbaye aux Dames used to have spires but they were knocked down during the Hundred Years War. Not having
the funds nor the manpower to rebuild the spires, they instead put up balustrades. The Abbaye aux Hommes used to house the school I that now attend and served as a makeshift hospital during World War II. In order to prevent the allies from bombing it, the French used bloody sheets to form a large red cross on the roof 
during air raids. Interestingly enough, the greatest danger to these old churches today are the pigeons! They peck at the limestone and make it look like sea sponge. An example of this can be seen above Amid these churches are a few surviving neat old shops. The picture to the left is a tiny place where one brings antique books for repair. I had a nice chat with the owner during one of my lunch hours. (In french!)During my first week here, I got to visit the infamous Château Ducal built by William the Conqueror (formerly William the Bastard and today known as William I of England) around 1066. There is a rather funny story concerning dear William, his castle and the two magnificent cathedrals built at the same time around it. No, William was not a particularly devout man who wanted many grand buildings of worship near his castle. He was a man who was seeking to bribe the Pope. For you see, William married his cousin, Matilda of Flanders, which was highly frowned upon by the church. In order to attain the forgiveness of Pope Leo IX (and God I suppose), William promised to build 2 cathedrals around his castle. These two cathedrals stand today as the aforementioned Abbaye aux Hommes (The Men's Abbey) sponsored by William and Abbaye aux Dames (The Woman's Abbey) sponsored by Matilda. William's tome lies within Abbaye aux Hommes and Matilda's within Abbaye aux Dames.
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of Caen.
Ciao for now.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Land of the Setting Sun
I was going through all the photographs that I have taken with my new camera, (my wonderful family all pitched in and bought me a decent one for this trip) and found this picture. It was taken on the drive back from my Aunt Hilde's summer party.
That's one stunning picture. I think it's one of the best I've ever taken. It's currently my desktop background on my laptop. If Japan is known as the land of the rising sun, perhaps Canada should be called the land of the setting sun.
Aunt Kathy's savvy with cameras has benefited me greatly. Thanks again for the wonderful camera.
That's one stunning picture. I think it's one of the best I've ever taken. It's currently my desktop background on my laptop. If Japan is known as the land of the rising sun, perhaps Canada should be called the land of the setting sun.Aunt Kathy's savvy with cameras has benefited me greatly. Thanks again for the wonderful camera.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Hello everyone,
I've gotten a little behind on my blogging recently due to my very busy schedule getting in the way. All the things to do such as schoolwork, settling in, and desperately trying to learn French take up a lot of my time and energy. However, I'm more settled in now and am getting into a more relaxed state as I slowly get into the rhythm of French life. The next few posts will be going back in time to when I first arrived. I had hastily pounded out outlines of all of them previously, as not to forget what had happened or what I wanted to write about, but now have the time to change them into something logical and legible.
During this exchange, I will be given lodgings by four different families spending an average of three months with each. I don't even know who my next host family is after I leave the Corbaux family at the end of January. I will be writing about each of these four families over the course of the year.
The Corbaux family lives in what we would consider a suburb just outside of Caen. This suberb however is actually a separate town/village (or commune in french) and goes by the name of Cuverville. Most people actually do not live in Caen but in these numerous outlying communes. The full name of this town that I live in is Marie de Cuverville. The word Marie I think just means town or village as all the other communes follow this pattern. (Marie de Giberville, Marie de Demouville etc.) Some of you have asked for my current mailing address. It reads as follows:
A. Macdonald
6Bis Rue de Demouville
14840, Cuverville, France
As I have mentioned before, four members make up the Corbaux family: Eric and Nathalie Corbaux with their two children, Scarlett, their daughter, and Hippolyte, their younger son. I have not actually met Scarlett as she is currently on an Rotary Youth Exchange to Edmonton, Alberta. Eric, Nathalie and Hippolyte have been very kind in welcoming me into their lives.
As we entered Cuverville after our long drive from the airport, I began to get very excited and tried to guess which house was theirs. I was hoping for something very old and classic to old French architecture. I saw numerous grand old houses which were elegantly nestled within thickets of trees.
During this guessing game, I noticed that all the houses were enclosed by a fence or hedges, and without exception, a large, double-door gate. These gates are usually opened and shut by a little motor and allow privacy and car access. Quite a few houses do not have garages. The gates seem to be the French equivalent of a garage door.
When we finally
stopped I was disappointed to see that they lived in a newer home built around the 1960's. My dissatisfaction did not last long however when I saw that they are neighbours to a 500 year-old church, the Église de Cuverville. The photograph above shows the view from the street. They also have a beautiful garden and fish pond. A photo of the Corbaux Family's home can be seen to the left.
After lugging my two enormous suitcases from the car, I was introduced the the family dog, Ani. He is a French Bulldog named after Anaken Skywalker: a character from the Starwars series which the Corbaux's enjoy immensely. Ani enjoys stealing my socks, attempting to eat my shoes and sneaking into my room when the door ha
s been carelessly left open. He is just like a little pig with the way he snorts and snuffles around. At night, he sleeps just outside my door and snores like a tractor often waking up around 1:00am to play "kill the chew-toy." Although aesthetically challenged, he is very friendly and rather mischievous.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. After meeting the dog the Corbaux's s led me the door of my room whereupon I hit my head on the hanging chandelier of the entryway. It seems I am the tallest person in France and I can say with conviction that France is not designed for someone of my height. I must be constantly vigilent of what is near my head in order to prevent injury.
After much snickering at my expense over my altercation with the light fixtures, the Corbaux family allowed me to unpack and explore my room. It is on the first floor and my window sports a wonderful
view of the church bell tower which can be seen to the left. The church clock chimes on the half hour and hour and goes absolutely bananas at 7:00am, 12:00pm, and 7:00pm. The chimes act as my alarm clock in the morning. (A rather nice wake-up call I think!) I hope to see inside the church soon.
My bedroom boasts a personal shower and is just outside the door of the main floor bathroom. It also has a desk, a large wardrobe with full length mirror, a long radiator coil, and, of course, a bed. Buildings in France are seemingly all kept warm though radiant heat. As it is warm right now, the radiators are shut off but I look forward to seeing how well they work. People try to not turn on their central heating system until the last possible minute due to the high price of fossil fuels. We Canadians have no right to complain of high gas prices compared to the French, and I assume the rest of Europe, as they pay slightly more than double the Alberta price. To save money and heat the house, the Corbaux's burn wood in a small firebox. It is my job, everyday after school, to light the fire and keep it going. I'm getting quite good at it and only need a bit of kindling and newspaper to start it. At first I had to use little white cubes of fire-starter to get it going. Pictures of my room can be seen below.
The French (from what I've seen so far at least) have shoes for inside and outside the house. The Corbaux's were surprised to hear that in Canada I usually walked around the house barefoot if not in stocking feet. Shortly after my arrival, we went to a large department store where I purchased a pair of comfortable carpet slippers. I really like them. They keep your feet warm on those cool mornings. These slippers are also useful for quick trips outside the house such as when I am asked to get some fresh baguette from the bakery which is 2 minutes walk from the doorstep. The bakery or boulangerie smells heavenly which makes the job of fetching bread hardly a chore at all.
So long for now. You'll hear from me soon.
I've gotten a little behind on my blogging recently due to my very busy schedule getting in the way. All the things to do such as schoolwork, settling in, and desperately trying to learn French take up a lot of my time and energy. However, I'm more settled in now and am getting into a more relaxed state as I slowly get into the rhythm of French life. The next few posts will be going back in time to when I first arrived. I had hastily pounded out outlines of all of them previously, as not to forget what had happened or what I wanted to write about, but now have the time to change them into something logical and legible.
During this exchange, I will be given lodgings by four different families spending an average of three months with each. I don't even know who my next host family is after I leave the Corbaux family at the end of January. I will be writing about each of these four families over the course of the year.
The Corbaux family lives in what we would consider a suburb just outside of Caen. This suberb however is actually a separate town/village (or commune in french) and goes by the name of Cuverville. Most people actually do not live in Caen but in these numerous outlying communes. The full name of this town that I live in is Marie de Cuverville. The word Marie I think just means town or village as all the other communes follow this pattern. (Marie de Giberville, Marie de Demouville etc.) Some of you have asked for my current mailing address. It reads as follows:
A. Macdonald
6Bis Rue de Demouville
14840, Cuverville, France
As I have mentioned before, four members make up the Corbaux family: Eric and Nathalie Corbaux with their two children, Scarlett, their daughter, and Hippolyte, their younger son. I have not actually met Scarlett as she is currently on an Rotary Youth Exchange to Edmonton, Alberta. Eric, Nathalie and Hippolyte have been very kind in welcoming me into their lives.
As we entered Cuverville after our long drive from the airport, I began to get very excited and tried to guess which house was theirs. I was hoping for something very old and classic to old French architecture. I saw numerous grand old houses which were elegantly nestled within thickets of trees.
During this guessing game, I noticed that all the houses were enclosed by a fence or hedges, and without exception, a large, double-door gate. These gates are usually opened and shut by a little motor and allow privacy and car access. Quite a few houses do not have garages. The gates seem to be the French equivalent of a garage door.
When we finally
stopped I was disappointed to see that they lived in a newer home built around the 1960's. My dissatisfaction did not last long however when I saw that they are neighbours to a 500 year-old church, the Église de Cuverville. The photograph above shows the view from the street. They also have a beautiful garden and fish pond. A photo of the Corbaux Family's home can be seen to the left.After lugging my two enormous suitcases from the car, I was introduced the the family dog, Ani. He is a French Bulldog named after Anaken Skywalker: a character from the Starwars series which the Corbaux's enjoy immensely. Ani enjoys stealing my socks, attempting to eat my shoes and sneaking into my room when the door ha
s been carelessly left open. He is just like a little pig with the way he snorts and snuffles around. At night, he sleeps just outside my door and snores like a tractor often waking up around 1:00am to play "kill the chew-toy." Although aesthetically challenged, he is very friendly and rather mischievous.But I'm getting ahead of myself. After meeting the dog the Corbaux's s led me the door of my room whereupon I hit my head on the hanging chandelier of the entryway. It seems I am the tallest person in France and I can say with conviction that France is not designed for someone of my height. I must be constantly vigilent of what is near my head in order to prevent injury.
After much snickering at my expense over my altercation with the light fixtures, the Corbaux family allowed me to unpack and explore my room. It is on the first floor and my window sports a wonderful
view of the church bell tower which can be seen to the left. The church clock chimes on the half hour and hour and goes absolutely bananas at 7:00am, 12:00pm, and 7:00pm. The chimes act as my alarm clock in the morning. (A rather nice wake-up call I think!) I hope to see inside the church soon.My bedroom boasts a personal shower and is just outside the door of the main floor bathroom. It also has a desk, a large wardrobe with full length mirror, a long radiator coil, and, of course, a bed. Buildings in France are seemingly all kept warm though radiant heat. As it is warm right now, the radiators are shut off but I look forward to seeing how well they work. People try to not turn on their central heating system until the last possible minute due to the high price of fossil fuels. We Canadians have no right to complain of high gas prices compared to the French, and I assume the rest of Europe, as they pay slightly more than double the Alberta price. To save money and heat the house, the Corbaux's burn wood in a small firebox. It is my job, everyday after school, to light the fire and keep it going. I'm getting quite good at it and only need a bit of kindling and newspaper to start it. At first I had to use little white cubes of fire-starter to get it going. Pictures of my room can be seen below.
The French (from what I've seen so far at least) have shoes for inside and outside the house. The Corbaux's were surprised to hear that in Canada I usually walked around the house barefoot if not in stocking feet. Shortly after my arrival, we went to a large department store where I purchased a pair of comfortable carpet slippers. I really like them. They keep your feet warm on those cool mornings. These slippers are also useful for quick trips outside the house such as when I am asked to get some fresh baguette from the bakery which is 2 minutes walk from the doorstep. The bakery or boulangerie smells heavenly which makes the job of fetching bread hardly a chore at all.
So long for now. You'll hear from me soon.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Flight to France: Une Grande Aventure
Hey there!
I am safe and sound in France on Monday, August 25th after a very long series of flights. Although tiring, the trip was interesting because of the sights to see in the European Airports. The Airport of Frankfurt was the most interesting. Immediately after we disembarked the plane, three buses could be seen waiting for pa
ssengers to take to the terminal. Frankfurt Airport is so large that this is necessary or one would be walking for an hour or more. Inside the airport other arrangements for long distance travel have been arranged. There are escalator-like moving floors which move people to the terminals within the airport and transport passengers between gates. A very long tunnel, with one of these moving floors along it, exists under the airport to move people between terminals. This tunnel can be seen to the left.
After a long walk to the correct gate (which changed 3 times, causing me anxiety) I bought a refreshing iced tea. I don't know if it was because I was thirsty or if it was actually a European version of Nestea but it tasted amazing. Not too sweet with a noticeable hint of lemon. At any rate, it is better than any commercial iced tea I have ever had in Canada. After enjoying my re
juvenating beverage I looked for a recycling bin. I found instead a very interesting garbage can. As you can see above, it has areas for all types of refuse. All the garbage cans I saw were like this. We should get these in Edmonton. It makes recycling easy. As I was walking away I saw a man on a bike in the airport. The sheer size of the airport makes this commonplace for workers. You can see him to the left as well as the shop where I bought the iced tea. They had very peculiar chairs which looked like little white cubes on legs. You can make them out in the background of the picture to the right.
Not long afterwards an amusing and novel invention met my eyes, The Smoking
Cube. As smoking is banned in public areas (similar to Edmonton) and in the plane itself, those desperate for a cigarette need not search for an exit sign. They merely enter a "Smoke 'n Go" to light up inside the airport without bothering anyone. In one of these cubes, it was so full of people smoking, it was hard to see inside through the transparent walls. I thought they were quite amusing and a few desperate-looking people made a beeline for these upon sight.
I boarded my flight to Paris without much difficulty despite the 3 gate changes. After a long wait, my luggage arrived intact and I was warmly received by the Corbaux Family: Nathalie, Eric and Hippolyte. After loading my luggage into their car, we drove to Paris to give me a quick tour and have lunch at a café. Paris is amazing. It is definitely made for people as it has many diverse shops both large and small. The architecture is very historic and is it difficult to even find a building that is not at least 200 years old.
The Courbaux's daughter, Scarlette, is on a Rotary Student Exchange as well. She is traveling to Edmonton. Apparently she missed her flight in Toronto, to the great anxiety of her parents, but managed to catch another flight after a long wait. I am glad I did not have such difficulties.
Au revoir pour maintenant. I shall write again soon.
I am safe and sound in France on Monday, August 25th after a very long series of flights. Although tiring, the trip was interesting because of the sights to see in the European Airports. The Airport of Frankfurt was the most interesting. Immediately after we disembarked the plane, three buses could be seen waiting for pa
ssengers to take to the terminal. Frankfurt Airport is so large that this is necessary or one would be walking for an hour or more. Inside the airport other arrangements for long distance travel have been arranged. There are escalator-like moving floors which move people to the terminals within the airport and transport passengers between gates. A very long tunnel, with one of these moving floors along it, exists under the airport to move people between terminals. This tunnel can be seen to the left.
After a long walk to the correct gate (which changed 3 times, causing me anxiety) I bought a refreshing iced tea. I don't know if it was because I was thirsty or if it was actually a European version of Nestea but it tasted amazing. Not too sweet with a noticeable hint of lemon. At any rate, it is better than any commercial iced tea I have ever had in Canada. After enjoying my re
juvenating beverage I looked for a recycling bin. I found instead a very interesting garbage can. As you can see above, it has areas for all types of refuse. All the garbage cans I saw were like this. We should get these in Edmonton. It makes recycling easy. As I was walking away I saw a man on a bike in the airport. The sheer size of the airport makes this commonplace for workers. You can see him to the left as well as the shop where I bought the iced tea. They had very peculiar chairs which looked like little white cubes on legs. You can make them out in the background of the picture to the right.Not long afterwards an amusing and novel invention met my eyes, The Smoking
Cube. As smoking is banned in public areas (similar to Edmonton) and in the plane itself, those desperate for a cigarette need not search for an exit sign. They merely enter a "Smoke 'n Go" to light up inside the airport without bothering anyone. In one of these cubes, it was so full of people smoking, it was hard to see inside through the transparent walls. I thought they were quite amusing and a few desperate-looking people made a beeline for these upon sight.I boarded my flight to Paris without much difficulty despite the 3 gate changes. After a long wait, my luggage arrived intact and I was warmly received by the Corbaux Family: Nathalie, Eric and Hippolyte. After loading my luggage into their car, we drove to Paris to give me a quick tour and have lunch at a café. Paris is amazing. It is definitely made for people as it has many diverse shops both large and small. The architecture is very historic and is it difficult to even find a building that is not at least 200 years old.
The Courbaux's daughter, Scarlette, is on a Rotary Student Exchange as well. She is traveling to Edmonton. Apparently she missed her flight in Toronto, to the great anxiety of her parents, but managed to catch another flight after a long wait. I am glad I did not have such difficulties.
Au revoir pour maintenant. I shall write again soon.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
France Flash!
Well after my very long absence (let's call it a sabbatical) I have news! I've been sitting for literally months on this information as it has been at times uncertain and/or incomplete. As some of you may know, I have won a Rotary International Youth Exchange Scholarship to spend a whole year in France. During my stay I hope to go on a number of trips around Europe. At any rate, it has finally confirmed that I will be staying in the city of Caen in the region of Normandie!
Caen has a population of 200, 000 people with a density of 4,435people per Kilometer squared. It first came into the record books circa. 1060 when William built the Château du Caen in the middle of a small town. It became the most wealthy town in Normandie and for this was looted and pillaged by King Edward III of England in 1346. Again it was nearly leveled during World War II in 1944 from getting bombing by Axis Forces. This town is rich in history and I look forward to exploring it. Here are some pictures.
A Church in Caen. (Abbey des Hommes)
Caen has a population of 200, 000 people with a density of 4,435people per Kilometer squared. It first came into the record books circa. 1060 when William built the Château du Caen in the middle of a small town. It became the most wealthy town in Normandie and for this was looted and pillaged by King Edward III of England in 1346. Again it was nearly leveled during World War II in 1944 from getting bombing by Axis Forces. This town is rich in history and I look forward to exploring it. Here are some pictures.
A Church in Caen. (Abbey des Hommes)
Château du Caen built by William the Conquerer circa. 1060
The Cathedral of Caen
The Cathedral of Caen
The first family I will be staying with is the Corbaux family. I wonder what they'll be like. Anyway, this blog will be my communication to those interested in what I'm doing. It will be a journal of sorts. I promise to take lots of pictures and write everyday. Comments would be really appreciated so I know I'm not talking to myself. Talk to you folks soon.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Spelling Rhymes: Wrong and Right
We have all been taught the little helper rhyme of "i before e, except after c." Annoyingly enough this seems to work only half the time you need it to. If you are ever unsure of a certain way of spelling something, I've discovered a rhyme that works most every time! The rule rhyme above is of American (USA) origin, but we all know that in matters of language they have over many years of poor English enabled wrong spellings and pronunciations to find their way into the dictionary. For example, Aluminum (Ah-lou-min-um) is WRONG. It has been said incorrectly so often that it became commonplace and considered correct. (Think of when you were little, spaghetti was 'skeddy.' They just didn't have anyone around to show them the right way). The correct way of spelling and saying this is Aluminium (Ah-lou-mini-um). The prior is merely a bastardized version of the original English form.
Moving on, there is a fool proof method of finding the order of your i's and e's. It existed before the American version and has sadly been forgotten on this side of the pond.
The correct rhyme:
"If the diphthong rhymes with "c" (sea), the letters go i, e. If the diphthong rhymes with "a" (ay), the letters go the other way!"
If you are unsure of what a 'diphthing' is, fear not for it's fairly simple. A Dyphthong is just a vowel sound created using two letters such as oy (royal), ow (cow), or in our case, ie and ei.
Now with a Canadian or American accent some of these words may fall into a gray area when we pronounce them. If this is the case, think of how the British would say it and you'll find it.
May you nevermore be burdened with such annoying trifles of spelling.
Moving on, there is a fool proof method of finding the order of your i's and e's. It existed before the American version and has sadly been forgotten on this side of the pond.
The correct rhyme:
"If the diphthong rhymes with "c" (sea), the letters go i, e. If the diphthong rhymes with "a" (ay), the letters go the other way!"
If you are unsure of what a 'diphthing' is, fear not for it's fairly simple. A Dyphthong is just a vowel sound created using two letters such as oy (royal), ow (cow), or in our case, ie and ei.
Now with a Canadian or American accent some of these words may fall into a gray area when we pronounce them. If this is the case, think of how the British would say it and you'll find it.
May you nevermore be burdened with such annoying trifles of spelling.
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