The biggest military operation for France in years

Libya
Copyright of Associated Press

I don't know what to feel. Can Obama just fly down to Angers, so he can give me a hug, and tell me it's all gonna be okay and we'll leave the middle east soon? no??
"war can't drive out war"
but what happens when diplomatic peaceful efforts to stop oppressive murderous dictators don't either?
it reminds me of a paper i wrote in high school, called Love is a Force that Gives Us Meaning, brought about by a book by journalist, Chris Hedges, titled, War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning, about our addiction to war, our ignorance of peaceful means, but again this question of is war sometimes...necessary?
I can't help but feel sick about it though.
I don't quite understand the pictures I'm finding in the Middle East of civilians with peace signs in one hand and a gun in the other. I wonder if they understand.
I wonder how such few men can have so much control over a population of people.
I wonder how one man could want so much power, and against a world still refuse to let it slip from his hands. What childhood injury could have caused that much need?

Eze Village

Thursday we took a daytrip over to Eze Village, Monoco, and Menton for the Menton Lemon Festival. These are some pictures from the Cactus Garden in Eze, with feminine sculptures by Jean-Phillipe Richard, called "dust of the stars," because they are made of all natural materials situated around the garden.

"Tiny but Delectable"-Wayne's Bar DJ

The French Riviera Part One: Nice

Tuesday we trained into Nice, and checked into our hostel.
Villa St. Exupery was an colorful modern art-filled hostel with good music, 3.50 happy hour mojitos, and euro beers, and was a great start to our first night in the riviera. I don't understand why anyone would ever do a hotel now. Although somewhat cheesy, like some tourist summer camp, with everyone's "where ya from? what brought you here?" and my favorite amusing answer, "well, I'd like to think of myself as a citizen of the world," hostels offer a great opportunity to meet people from all over, get tips on where to go and where to stay, and learn about other opportunities for travel. For instance you have the cute little gap year students, and the wild spring breakers, and you have the ex-computer programmers who left town after the parents moved in, but then there are ex-cruise line employees, private super yacht stewardesses and cooks, and hostel staff, who just wanted to travel. I learned that the girls who work on cruise ships in the little retail/mall areas make decent money, travel everywhere for 6-months to a year or more, get two months off to go back home. Two guys I met scuba diving (one staff chef, the other dishwasher), basically live on a private yacht for free, and get paid to travel the world's most beautiful places, use all the boat's toys (jet skis, scuba gear), and the owner comes aboard maybe twice a year for a few weeks.

We came right in time for Nice Carnival,the supposedly French version of New Orleans Mardi Gras.
During the day large floats of floral designs would stroll down the streets, and everyone would have their bouquet of yellow flowers on the metros that they were going to throw during the parade. Every night it turned into a comical costume dance party with large floats, dancers, masks, and an all out silly string and confetti war.

Tuesday and Saturday night we ended up bar hopping in Old Nice, starting off at the renowned Wayne's Bar, where British youth dance on tables and drink way overpriced drinks to classic american and english rock tunes. What I liked much more was the way less touristy Blue Whale, still expensive (but everywhere is), but had live music every night until 4 a.m., happy hour until midnight, and Leffe Rouge and Orgasm Shots.

In Old Nice, lively markets are held every morning until 1:30 in the afternoon. It's known for it's large flower markets and socca (crepe like thing) you can buy hot off the gridle from a tough lady named Theresa, called the Queen of the Market. I bought a bag of delicious olives and some fruit to snack on, as we hiked up to Castle Hill, for an awesome view of Nice, the mountains, and the ocean. For a euro, we took the bus to Villefranche-sur Mer, a 15 minute away very quiet village of beautiful views and old people.

Spices!

Saturday night after visits to the Matisse Museum, Roman Ruins, and Museum of Contemporary Art, we had an amazing dinner in Old Nice on the market street. Bread, Nicoise Salad, Moules and Frites and Ice Cream.

Friday morning we boarded a scuba diving boat, where a french man with a nautical striped shirt, named Febreze (like the air freshner he said), explained quickly in bits of english how to scuba dive...it was bit more like tandem scuba diving, since it was both our first times, with a guy leading us around. Once back on board, we were given a glass of rose wine...although whiskey might have been a better choice, since it was freezing in that water, even with two wet suits on.

Sunday I wandered the markets and city by myself, and since it was the first Sunday of the month, I was able to catch the Chagall Museum for free. On my way to the museum though I ran into a parade of bohemian/hippie looking people, playing hand drums, singing, on quirky decorated bicycles, heading back down to the carnival. Many of them slightly smelling like pot. Afterwards I headed back to Old Nice and got some pistachio gelato from Fennochios (Spell?), and took a nap on the pebble beach, as it was the first moderately warm day I spent there. I walked through the children's part of the carnival, where kids were dressed up as everything from clowns (Which are really popular here) to Buzz Lightyear.
I watched as parade security guards and police man laughed on the ground, as the silly stringed each other. Even I got attacked with it and confetti by an old man and his buddies. I saw an incredible accordion player outside a gelato shop, a guitar player outside the Palais du Justice, and an interesting man with two white cats, dressed up as some medieval character with a painted white face and white wig, doing balancing acts in Old Nice, with a sign reading "I am not a vagabond." Perhaps it's the warm friendly weather, or the heavy italian influences, or perhaps the carnival season that makes Nice wonderfully laid back and less serious and playful, at least much more than the rest of France.

Lessons of the Lotus

You should be prepared for anything from the mysterious past.
Work on bringing wholeness to the present and purity to your heart and mind...
It is never too late for you to turn things around by trying to do good from now on.
You hold the keys to your happiness by your present actions.
Do not let your past deeds or who you have been disqualify you from opening the door.
You can choose to be miserable or you can choose to be happy, to be comfortable, and to enjoy peace here and now.

-Bhante Y. Wimala

A mind not to be changed by place or time

The mind is its own place,
And is in itself
Can make a heav'n of hell,
A hell of heav'n.

-John Milton, Paradise Lost

Pigs & Puppets-Day Trip in Lyon

Monday, we took a day trip with Pierre's mother (originally from Lyon), did an audio guide tour around the city, and had a traditional lunch, since Lyon is a close competitor with Paris as France's most gastronomic city.
I had lentil soup with pork of course, a saucisson specialty dish (more pork), and chocolate mousse. Almost every restaurant had a statue of pig dressed up as a chef outside of it-once i again I don't know how people here aren't fat.

Lyon is famous for it's puppets or marionettes, with many puppet show stands, theaters, and the Gadagne Museum with over 2000 puppets.

Saint Jean's cathedral, home of the famous astrological clock and outdoor garden.

Lyon's little "traboules" or narrow, steep stairways up and down the city are a daily hike for many locals. The buildings reminded me somewhat of colorful adobe houses like you'd see in Mexico, yet obviously they aren't adobe...it's a quirky fun city though, with museums like the Museum of Minatures with everything tiny, puppet show/creperie booths, and operas and plays staged in ancient roman amphitheater remains during spring and summer.

Coccinelles, Chatreusse, et Champagne

Spring Break: St. Pierre

Saturday afternoon, after lunch at a Moroccan restaurant, we left with Pierre and his sister to drive up into the mountains to the small Chartreusse village of St. Pierre where we'd meet the family and go skiing. Up the winding route, with warning road signs with pictures depicting cars falling off the edge and rocks falling onto cars, (the latter which I don't really understand why it would be of any use) I learned some about the driving education in France. In order for the French to get driving licenses you have to be twenty-one and go through and intense long driving school and then of course take a test. A lot more than my read a book, dad taught, online test at sixteen. Anyways, Still, I would never want to drive in France, or park in France, or be too close to a car in France, so being driven up that mountain with an of course, stick shift little car, feeling like we were going 80 mph...i thought i was going to die, and was overwhelmed with joy to see the cute home of my friend's French relatives at last.

As we entered the house, we were greeted with slippers for on our feet, a warm fireplace, Pierre's father's coccinelle (ladybug) collection, and champagne and a hot entree and a cold entree.
Then it was bread, fois gras, salad, with homegrown baby tomatoes and a sweet white wine to complement the fois gras.
Then it was dry white wine, a baked pasta dish and vegetables.
Then the cheeses.
Then fruit bowl and plum and apricot tarts, also homegrown
Then the Chartreusse Digestif alcohol.
Every night went like this. Starting the morning out with home baked bread with homemade jams, coffee drank from bowls to dip your breakfast cake slices into, fruit, and yogurt. A small lunch. An afternoon tea and tart. And then again the massive 4 hour dinners, always ending with a bottle of Chartreusse.

The herbs grow naturally and locally in the Alps and are medicinal digestives handpicked by the family and put in bottles with the alcohol. I learned that the green liqueur Chartreusse itself has been made by Carthusian Monks, since the 1700s and is aged with over 130 herbal extracts, originally produced for medicinal purposes. The liqueur is named after the Monks' Grande Chartreuse monastery, located in the Chartreuse Mountains in the general region of Grenoble in France, and is produced in the city where Pierre's grandparents live in Voiron.

Je Voudrais le cafe de Irish-More Spring Break: Annecy

Annecy was our second choice, far-less expensive day trip from Grenoble, hosting the next Winter Games Olympics. Chamonix is usually the hotspot for tourists wishing to cast a glimpse of France's tallest mountain Mt. Blanc, but for half the train ticket, you can stroll down a narrow river walk in between Italian-looking cafes and bars, breathing out into a clear blue lake reflecting a backdrop of snow capped mountains, topped with cute little fishing boats. I want a love boat.
A Cathedral and a Chateau turned into a very interesting museum sit on top of the city, an arduous hike up, but with beautiful views of the surroundings below.

We wandered the streets and hiked up to the Chateau Museum first after splitting a mini pizza and a chocolate meringue. Meringue...pure sugar that you can't even eat, because it just falls all over you onto your jacket, won't wash out, and then get's stuck in your teeth...they look pretty in patisseries, but no.
The Chateau Museum in Annecy is the most bizarre place ever with the most winding staircases ever. I saw a stuffed bear...and well, some local fish of the lake, and um some contemporary art? I think it was only 3 euros or so for a student price, and decently worth it for random amusement and the views outside.

By the tourist office, across from an open park by the lake, a bunch of French kids and teens stood in a circle with a boom box, break dancing. In the park, people threw frisby's with their dogs, and a popular carousel played whimsical music. And Before departing we stopped into a cozy bar for a glass of wine with wooden beamed ceilings and a live band setting up. Annecy seems to have almost all facets of nature and things to do, although small and completely walkable, it's outdoor culture suited me and my limited budget.

My Communication Class

Talking about Persuasion techniques-Needy children Commercials to Seat Belt Commercials

In Chartreuse We Trust

Spring Break Part I: Grenoble
I think I'm in love with Grenoble. A small city, with the longest street in France (longer than Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris), surrounded with a backdrop of Alps mountains, home to Rastafarian ski bums, delicious indian and moroccan restaurants, and dogs that ride on tram buses. And how I love the tram system in France, where they never check your ticket. We really need one in Austin. Walking out of the train station, people hold their skis over their shoulders, and aren't as Parisian-ly dressed as in Angers-i saw dreads, i saw nose piercings, i saw sweatpants. Perhaps I'm missing Austin a bit.

I stayed with my friend's distantly related French cousin, Pierre, whom kindly hosted us in his flat, and cooked some Chili Con Carne and Chocolate Cake (i helped make-deliceaux) for a small dinner party of his friends from ski-teacher-camp-school-thing. We got our first taste of the regional drink Chartreuse, but mixed with nasty Monster energy drink, unexplained exactly at that time what it is...but it wouldn't be our last glass ; )

Vin Chaud & Cidre: A Little Bit of Brittany and Normandy

These beautiful photos are by Marguerite Vichier-Guerre

A Quick Catchup
It was only for a day, but a few weekends ago our group visited Mt. Saint Michel in Normandy and St. Malo in Brittany. Arriving at Mount St. Michel the gravel grounds were filled with big tour buses, and a lot of Asians snapping pictures of every single sight. Dr. Flynn warned us about walking into real sinking sand along the beach, saying if you got stuck, sometimes the currents could suddenly rise and drown you.
Although initially seeming overly touristy and expensive, Mt. Saint Michel is a beautiful and amazing construction, and still is a pilgrimage for many christians and catholics. The views from the heights of ascended stairs may be why so many fled there, but what i most enjoyed were the narrow medieval-like walkways, slowly dwindling and descending down the rock that this little town (of what maybe 50 people) sits on.

Hot wine, crepes, churros, and huge jars of nutella are at every cafe along the walkways. And Every so often, you can see a monk bed through an old stone window to ring the bells above you, like something out of Monty Python.
As the legend of Mt. Saint Michel goes, the Archangel repeatedly appeared to St. Aubert, bishop at the time, telling him to construct the church on the rock, but St. Aubert continually ignored the angel, thinking it as only an illusion. Finally Michael touched the bishop's scull with his finger to prove it was real, and so it goes the church was constructed.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in St. Malo a small walled port city in the northern coast of Brittany. With a colorful boardwalk carnival scene, unfortunately closed while we were there, beautiful beaches, and veille ville buildings, it is probably a great place to visit during the summer, especially when the seafood is in season. Still, walking along the wall pathways, up to the light house, enjoying some amazing ice cream in the old city, it is definitely somewhere I want to come back to, and somewhere every family or old person should go.