Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Christmas time and Valenciennes Art
Hello everybody!
So, we went to London Saturday before last. We got up at 4:30 and got back at 3:00, both AM. We spent a total of six hours in London, but it was worth it. We got to eat a proper English breakfast on the ferry across the channel and Thai food at a restaurant around the corner from the British museum. Dinner was on the ferry too, but the storm at sea and us circling in wait did not settle well with me (Kade). I spent forty-five minutes breathing heavily and avoiding vomiting. Still worth it. The British Museum has one of the most impressive collections I think I have ever seen. Massive. And Caitlin got to see her childhood curiosity, the bog man, AKA Lindow Man. But six hours simply isn't enough and we'll have to return one day.
This last Saturday, we went to a Christmas dinner party at the home of one of Caitlin's colleagues. My French is definitely coming along, because I at least knew the subjects of conversations pretty consistently and was actually able to comment every so often. We filled up on snack food, nuts and little cheese hors d'oeuvres, and then had to stuff ourselves with the traditional but quite good meal they had prepared. An entrée (appetizer) came out, and we had suspected the worst after having badmouthed the French in the past for eating such things as foie gras, so we were relatively prepared to act enthused. Our strength wavered only slightly when it was revealed that this particular goose liver dish was layered with lingue de boeuf, cow tongue. Mmmm...just like mom used to do. You spread it on spice bread, and it was really rather good. Anything that fatty usually is. From then out, it was just potatoes gratiné and some stewed beef in red wine. A traditional buche de Nöel for dessert. Their two kids at the table were bored out of their minds.
Finally, I just finished a new video project, this one a little more creative than the previous posts. The video is a little washed out because of the YouTube processing, but c'est la vie.
So, we went to London Saturday before last. We got up at 4:30 and got back at 3:00, both AM. We spent a total of six hours in London, but it was worth it. We got to eat a proper English breakfast on the ferry across the channel and Thai food at a restaurant around the corner from the British museum. Dinner was on the ferry too, but the storm at sea and us circling in wait did not settle well with me (Kade). I spent forty-five minutes breathing heavily and avoiding vomiting. Still worth it. The British Museum has one of the most impressive collections I think I have ever seen. Massive. And Caitlin got to see her childhood curiosity, the bog man, AKA Lindow Man. But six hours simply isn't enough and we'll have to return one day.
This last Saturday, we went to a Christmas dinner party at the home of one of Caitlin's colleagues. My French is definitely coming along, because I at least knew the subjects of conversations pretty consistently and was actually able to comment every so often. We filled up on snack food, nuts and little cheese hors d'oeuvres, and then had to stuff ourselves with the traditional but quite good meal they had prepared. An entrée (appetizer) came out, and we had suspected the worst after having badmouthed the French in the past for eating such things as foie gras, so we were relatively prepared to act enthused. Our strength wavered only slightly when it was revealed that this particular goose liver dish was layered with lingue de boeuf, cow tongue. Mmmm...just like mom used to do. You spread it on spice bread, and it was really rather good. Anything that fatty usually is. From then out, it was just potatoes gratiné and some stewed beef in red wine. A traditional buche de Nöel for dessert. Their two kids at the table were bored out of their minds.
Finally, I just finished a new video project, this one a little more creative than the previous posts. The video is a little washed out because of the YouTube processing, but c'est la vie.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Iraqi bloggers
I was flipping through the BBC news website and stumbled across a roundup of Iraqi bloggers, from within the country and also refugees. Whatever your opinions of the war and subsequent occupation, this shows the chaos and hopelessness that so many people currently feel. It is obviously too complicated to comment on here, so here are the links:
Newer roundup: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/7069943.stm
Last roundup: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/6940384.stm
There are links to each person's respective blogs as well as an excerpt. And this is only a sampling from those writing in English, the educated elite of Iraq: dentists, university students, kids from rich families. Imagine the desperate cries of those in even less fortunate situations.
Lighter aside: Caitlin and I are off to visit our first Christmas market of the season in Valenciennes today.
Newer roundup: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/7069943.stm
Last roundup: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/6940384.stm
There are links to each person's respective blogs as well as an excerpt. And this is only a sampling from those writing in English, the educated elite of Iraq: dentists, university students, kids from rich families. Imagine the desperate cries of those in even less fortunate situations.
Lighter aside: Caitlin and I are off to visit our first Christmas market of the season in Valenciennes today.
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