Wow. Just Wow.
Recently in the global world Category
Wow. Just Wow.
My first overseas trip has finally happened. I finally made it to Paris, after wanting to go for at least 12 years. Because my current job is still through a temp agency, which means no vacation days, I was only able to schedule a long weekend. I left on Wednesday afternoon from LAX, arriving Thursday morning in Paris. Here is a picture from the plane as we crossed over the English Channel into France:
After arriving at the airport, I took the train into Paris and headed to my hotel (in the 13th) to check in. After a shower, I ended up walking up to where Alicia's class was near the Bastille. When then walked around a little more, checking out Notre Dame Cathedral and the Shakespeare & Co Bookstore. For dinner, we went to Le Zimmer, a place recommended by my Irish friend Lynda, for their French Onion soup (click for picture). Since I was recovering from the long flight, we decided to take things easy the rest of the night so I could be rested for Friday.
Friday, we took the metro out to Versailles. We had brought some stuff along to have a picnic out in the gardens. The size of the gardens is kind of amazing, however it still being winter, most of the statues were covered up. Luckily the clouds had decided to break, and we had nice blue skies to enjoy our lunch under. In the end, I decided that I'd rather spend 12 euros going up to the top of the Eiffel Tower than to go inside the chateau, so we ended up heading back to Paris not long after eating lunch. We headed to the Eiffel Tower and took the elevator's up to the top. It was pretty cool way to get a perspective of Paris. That evening, we ended up heading to the Montmartre area, planning on going to a fondue place that serves wine in baby bottles. However, when we got there, there was a decent wait, so we decided to walk around and find somewhere else to eat.
Alica looking for her apt from the Eiffel Tower
Saturday, after breakfast (oh have I forgotten to mention the amazing Pain au Chocolat and Baguettes yet?), we headed to the Place Palais Royal to meet my friend Armelle, whom I met working in Sun Valley, ID the summer between my Freshman and Sophmore years of college. We walked around the 1st, a little bit before heading to a cooking class. There we made lemongrass chicken, with fingerling potatoes (cooked with garlic and lime juice) and a mango tart w/ passionfruit caramel. After the class, we walked around some more before heading to Armelle's apt in the 15th for some homemade crepes.
Sunday, Alicia and I went to church at the American Cathedral and then went to the Louvre. I was able to see the Mona Lisa in person (though a little disapointed that you can't get within 5-10 feet of it). I think the ceilings and architecture of the Louvre were more interesting than a lot of the art inside, but then we did just do a quick trip through the museum. For dinner, we went to a restaurant on a medival street in the Latin Quarter. It had a 15 euro prix fixe menu. For a starter, I chose escargot, as I figured where else better to try it than in Paris.
Monday, I packed my suitcase and we dropped it off at Alicia's apt and explored her neighborhood (the 15th) for awhile, until I had to head out to the airport. I really liked Paris a lot. Its a big city, with a small city feel, at least in many of the neighborhoods. The bread was amazing and inexpensive. Same with the cheese. I still don't know if I had a favorite part though (which is the question everyone asks). I guess I'd have to say the food (and of that the bread) if I had to pick one thing. Restaurants are pretty expensive though, trying to eat fairly frugally, I still spent just under 50 euros for each dinner out (for 2 including wine).
More pics here
Friday, we took the metro out to Versailles. We had brought some stuff along to have a picnic out in the gardens. The size of the gardens is kind of amazing, however it still being winter, most of the statues were covered up. Luckily the clouds had decided to break, and we had nice blue skies to enjoy our lunch under. In the end, I decided that I'd rather spend 12 euros going up to the top of the Eiffel Tower than to go inside the chateau, so we ended up heading back to Paris not long after eating lunch. We headed to the Eiffel Tower and took the elevator's up to the top. It was pretty cool way to get a perspective of Paris. That evening, we ended up heading to the Montmartre area, planning on going to a fondue place that serves wine in baby bottles. However, when we got there, there was a decent wait, so we decided to walk around and find somewhere else to eat.
Alica looking for her apt from the Eiffel Tower
Saturday, after breakfast (oh have I forgotten to mention the amazing Pain au Chocolat and Baguettes yet?), we headed to the Place Palais Royal to meet my friend Armelle, whom I met working in Sun Valley, ID the summer between my Freshman and Sophmore years of college. We walked around the 1st, a little bit before heading to a cooking class. There we made lemongrass chicken, with fingerling potatoes (cooked with garlic and lime juice) and a mango tart w/ passionfruit caramel. After the class, we walked around some more before heading to Armelle's apt in the 15th for some homemade crepes.
Sunday, Alicia and I went to church at the American Cathedral and then went to the Louvre. I was able to see the Mona Lisa in person (though a little disapointed that you can't get within 5-10 feet of it). I think the ceilings and architecture of the Louvre were more interesting than a lot of the art inside, but then we did just do a quick trip through the museum. For dinner, we went to a restaurant on a medival street in the Latin Quarter. It had a 15 euro prix fixe menu. For a starter, I chose escargot, as I figured where else better to try it than in Paris.
Monday, I packed my suitcase and we dropped it off at Alicia's apt and explored her neighborhood (the 15th) for awhile, until I had to head out to the airport. I really liked Paris a lot. Its a big city, with a small city feel, at least in many of the neighborhoods. The bread was amazing and inexpensive. Same with the cheese. I still don't know if I had a favorite part though (which is the question everyone asks). I guess I'd have to say the food (and of that the bread) if I had to pick one thing. Restaurants are pretty expensive though, trying to eat fairly frugally, I still spent just under 50 euros for each dinner out (for 2 including wine).
More pics here
Tonight, I purchased a plane ticket to Paris. It will be my first trip outside of North America (I've been to British Columbia, Canada). I'm pretty excited.
I'm finally actually doing it. I'm off to see the world (well Paris at least)!
Appears originally at A Prairie Home Companion
The Old Scout
A Few Words for the Happy Couple
November 4, 2008
A golden November day under a blue sky and an air of sweet amiability at the polls and at the end of the day, we elected the right guy, no doubt about it. Yes, we can and we did. A nation spread its wings and achieved altitude.
Bravo, Barack, Mr. Steady, who cheerfully did the rope lines, made the phone calls, answered the same questions fifteen thousand times, bounded up the stairs, delivered his lines with warmth and wit, ran a tight disciplined army, and that, plus $700 million and an 80 mph wind at your back, is all you need to win the prize.
One is electrified by the historic moment, of course, but I will let Great Minds chew on that, and simply wish him and his marvelous lady all the best as they bear up under the tsunami of adoration from Democrats whom he has led out of Egypt. His picture goes up in the kitchen shrine alongside FDR and JFK -- BHO elevated to sainthood and now expected to walk on water and turn it into wine. Meanwhile, everything he said about the national mess is utterly true and a lot more. And now it is Barack's mess. Yikes.
A good shingle for the new administration to hang out, rather than The New Covenant or A Fair Exchange or English Spoken Here, would be Keep Seat Belt Buckled. Happy days are not here and the sky above is not clear.
One bright light in the marquee is Michelle Obama, that witty, jumpy woman with the quicksilver smile who said, "How does Barack prepare for a debate? He just talks to me and he's ready." The good mother who said, "People ask me how I am, and I say, I'm only as good as my most sad child." Come January, we will have a president whose wife calls him Baby. Good for you, Mama. And now she becomes America's No. 2 celebrity, the object of giddy curiosity.
Enjoy the people's house, Michelle, and cruise along gently and do not read anything written about you, and don't watch the news. Enjoy the pageantry (you look good, Baby), bring up the family, and don't take the show too seriously. Don't do too many interviews. Think Laura Bush, a cool First Lady. People like Laura Bush a lot, a Texas Democrat who married a Republican and stuck with him through thin and thinner. She's smart and we know that because she never tried to show how smart she is. Do not let the mister put you in charge of health care legislation. Your great challenge is to make a genuine life in the midst of the heavy surf of publicity. God willing, be happy and live your life. When life gets too unreal, sit down with a good book.
As for President-elect Obama, he can now stop dancing, which he's been doing for twenty months -- in a democracy we want candidates to really, really, really want to be president -- and get down to the business of patient, focused, rational deliberation and calculation, starting with the formulation of a Cabinet and a White House staff. Have them write up a presidential order for January 20 saying that America will not employ torture, and maybe issue a blanket presidential pardon for your predecessor and his vice, and then set about the business of disappointing your followers and astonishing your enemies and doing what is right for our country.
Be good to yourself. Hire smart, stable people who can tell you things you need to know and not copy Bob Woodward. Keep some Republicans around. You're the man. You make us proud. You let us get to know you. You have the gift of speaking clearly and forcefully, whole sentences and paragraphs, while thinking at the same time, a good gift. You don't need a staff of writers to create a persona for you. You need engineers. Problem solvers. You're inheriting a raft of them.
Get on that treadmill every morning. Keep a daily journal. Let us see those darling girls once in awhile. Please don't play golf. Don't get a dog. Enjoy Camp David. Be happy. Don't hire people to tell you how to dress or who to be; you're a grown-up. Don't do crap that someday you'd have to go on TV and make cheesy apologies for. This job is one you were cut out to do and a big part of the job is to keep up the national morale and you are already doing that big-time. And thank you, sir. All those cheap motels, all those flights, all of that chip dip. We are deeply grateful.
© 2008 by Garrison Keillor. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, INC.
The Old Scout
A Few Words for the Happy Couple
November 4, 2008
A golden November day under a blue sky and an air of sweet amiability at the polls and at the end of the day, we elected the right guy, no doubt about it. Yes, we can and we did. A nation spread its wings and achieved altitude.
Bravo, Barack, Mr. Steady, who cheerfully did the rope lines, made the phone calls, answered the same questions fifteen thousand times, bounded up the stairs, delivered his lines with warmth and wit, ran a tight disciplined army, and that, plus $700 million and an 80 mph wind at your back, is all you need to win the prize.
One is electrified by the historic moment, of course, but I will let Great Minds chew on that, and simply wish him and his marvelous lady all the best as they bear up under the tsunami of adoration from Democrats whom he has led out of Egypt. His picture goes up in the kitchen shrine alongside FDR and JFK -- BHO elevated to sainthood and now expected to walk on water and turn it into wine. Meanwhile, everything he said about the national mess is utterly true and a lot more. And now it is Barack's mess. Yikes.
A good shingle for the new administration to hang out, rather than The New Covenant or A Fair Exchange or English Spoken Here, would be Keep Seat Belt Buckled. Happy days are not here and the sky above is not clear.
One bright light in the marquee is Michelle Obama, that witty, jumpy woman with the quicksilver smile who said, "How does Barack prepare for a debate? He just talks to me and he's ready." The good mother who said, "People ask me how I am, and I say, I'm only as good as my most sad child." Come January, we will have a president whose wife calls him Baby. Good for you, Mama. And now she becomes America's No. 2 celebrity, the object of giddy curiosity.
Enjoy the people's house, Michelle, and cruise along gently and do not read anything written about you, and don't watch the news. Enjoy the pageantry (you look good, Baby), bring up the family, and don't take the show too seriously. Don't do too many interviews. Think Laura Bush, a cool First Lady. People like Laura Bush a lot, a Texas Democrat who married a Republican and stuck with him through thin and thinner. She's smart and we know that because she never tried to show how smart she is. Do not let the mister put you in charge of health care legislation. Your great challenge is to make a genuine life in the midst of the heavy surf of publicity. God willing, be happy and live your life. When life gets too unreal, sit down with a good book.
As for President-elect Obama, he can now stop dancing, which he's been doing for twenty months -- in a democracy we want candidates to really, really, really want to be president -- and get down to the business of patient, focused, rational deliberation and calculation, starting with the formulation of a Cabinet and a White House staff. Have them write up a presidential order for January 20 saying that America will not employ torture, and maybe issue a blanket presidential pardon for your predecessor and his vice, and then set about the business of disappointing your followers and astonishing your enemies and doing what is right for our country.
Be good to yourself. Hire smart, stable people who can tell you things you need to know and not copy Bob Woodward. Keep some Republicans around. You're the man. You make us proud. You let us get to know you. You have the gift of speaking clearly and forcefully, whole sentences and paragraphs, while thinking at the same time, a good gift. You don't need a staff of writers to create a persona for you. You need engineers. Problem solvers. You're inheriting a raft of them.
Get on that treadmill every morning. Keep a daily journal. Let us see those darling girls once in awhile. Please don't play golf. Don't get a dog. Enjoy Camp David. Be happy. Don't hire people to tell you how to dress or who to be; you're a grown-up. Don't do crap that someday you'd have to go on TV and make cheesy apologies for. This job is one you were cut out to do and a big part of the job is to keep up the national morale and you are already doing that big-time. And thank you, sir. All those cheap motels, all those flights, all of that chip dip. We are deeply grateful.
© 2008 by Garrison Keillor. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, INC.
One of my friends was just here last weekend...this is a huge loss for the Episcopal community.
A news release from the Diocese of LA:
(Episcopal News, Los Angeles) -- The raging Montecito wildfire has destroyed historic Mount Calvary Retreat House, staff and Santa Barbara County officials have confirmed.
The resident brothers, members of the Order of the Holy Cross, and staff are safe following evacuation, said Nancy Bullock, program director for Mount Calvary, speaking by phone from All Saints by-the-Sea Church in Montecito.
Bullock said that All Saints is currently working to determine if any parishioners have lost homes in the blaze, which has claimed more than 100 residences across 2,500 acres. Bullock's husband, Jeff, is rector of the parish.
Bishop J. Jon Bruno, who is in close telephone contact with clergy leaders in the Santa Barbara area, asks the prayers of the diocesan community for all those affected by the fire. The bishop and staff of the Diocese of Los Angeles have pledged their support in assisting the coordination of fire recovery efforts. Checks, payable to the Treasurer of the Diocese and earmarked "Montecito Fire Recovery" may be sent to the Bishop's Office, 840 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90026.
Mount Calvary's prior, the Rev. Nicholas Radelmiller OHC, is leading the brothers and staff in assessing next steps of response to the fire damage.
Bullock said the brothers and staff at Mt. Calvary, were able to leave with some of the hilltop retreat house's valuable art treasures, as well as computer records, "but so much is lost."
Mount Calvary staff will assist groups and individuals in seeking alternate locations for upcoming retreats, all of which are now cancelled owing to the fire, Bullock said. The Cathedral Center retreat center in Los Angeles is available to assist this process.
At Santa Barbara's Trinity Church, rector and deanery co-dean Mark Asman is meeting with staff and volunteers to assess the situation and crisis response. Further information will be reported through the Episcopal News email list as soon as it becomes available, Asman said.
Asman said Trinity Church's rectory and parish house were able to accommodate the brothers overnight November 13. St. Mary's Retreat House, an Episcopal Church site near the Santa Barbara Mission, has also extended hospitality, although it was subject to a temporary evacuation November 13.
Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared the fire zone a disaster area as fire fighters continue to work to contain the blaze.
Mount Calvary Retreat House, with its panoramic ocean views, was founded in 1947 by the Order of the Holy Cross, based in West Park, N.Y.
--Report filed by Bob Williams, canon for community relations, Diocese of Los Angeles.
A news release from the Diocese of LA:
Historic Mount Calvary Retreat House, shown here in a file photo, was destroyed by a wildfire that started on November 13.
Bulletin: Montecito fire destroys
Mount Calvary Retreat House
(Episcopal News, Los Angeles) -- The raging Montecito wildfire has destroyed historic Mount Calvary Retreat House, staff and Santa Barbara County officials have confirmed.
The resident brothers, members of the Order of the Holy Cross, and staff are safe following evacuation, said Nancy Bullock, program director for Mount Calvary, speaking by phone from All Saints by-the-Sea Church in Montecito.
Bullock said that All Saints is currently working to determine if any parishioners have lost homes in the blaze, which has claimed more than 100 residences across 2,500 acres. Bullock's husband, Jeff, is rector of the parish.
Bishop J. Jon Bruno, who is in close telephone contact with clergy leaders in the Santa Barbara area, asks the prayers of the diocesan community for all those affected by the fire. The bishop and staff of the Diocese of Los Angeles have pledged their support in assisting the coordination of fire recovery efforts. Checks, payable to the Treasurer of the Diocese and earmarked "Montecito Fire Recovery" may be sent to the Bishop's Office, 840 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90026.
Mount Calvary's prior, the Rev. Nicholas Radelmiller OHC, is leading the brothers and staff in assessing next steps of response to the fire damage.
Bullock said the brothers and staff at Mt. Calvary, were able to leave with some of the hilltop retreat house's valuable art treasures, as well as computer records, "but so much is lost."
Mount Calvary staff will assist groups and individuals in seeking alternate locations for upcoming retreats, all of which are now cancelled owing to the fire, Bullock said. The Cathedral Center retreat center in Los Angeles is available to assist this process.
At Santa Barbara's Trinity Church, rector and deanery co-dean Mark Asman is meeting with staff and volunteers to assess the situation and crisis response. Further information will be reported through the Episcopal News email list as soon as it becomes available, Asman said.
Asman said Trinity Church's rectory and parish house were able to accommodate the brothers overnight November 13. St. Mary's Retreat House, an Episcopal Church site near the Santa Barbara Mission, has also extended hospitality, although it was subject to a temporary evacuation November 13.
Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared the fire zone a disaster area as fire fighters continue to work to contain the blaze.
Mount Calvary Retreat House, with its panoramic ocean views, was founded in 1947 by the Order of the Holy Cross, based in West Park, N.Y.
--Report filed by Bob Williams, canon for community relations, Diocese of Los Angeles.
***This is not me...just a repost from elsewhere (since that wasn't clear to everyone)***
Posted by panasonicyouth on Buzznet:
My experience at the 'Reverse Prop 8' Rally in West Los Angeles yesterday
Yesterday afternoon, I attended the rally outside the Mormon temple on Santa Monica Blvd and Overland, in order to protest the Mormon church's involvement in helping to pass Proposition 8 here in California. My co-worker, Richard Flores, biked with me from the Buzznet office in Hollywood to the rally in West LA.
In the interest of avoiding any legal implications (since I do not have or have not seen a lawyer), I am not going to describe the events leading up to my arrest. Please watch the arrest video for that; I think it speaks for itself. I think it is more important to describe what happened afterwards.
Read the rest on Buzznet
Posted by panasonicyouth on Buzznet:
My experience at the 'Reverse Prop 8' Rally in West Los Angeles yesterday
Yesterday afternoon, I attended the rally outside the Mormon temple on Santa Monica Blvd and Overland, in order to protest the Mormon church's involvement in helping to pass Proposition 8 here in California. My co-worker, Richard Flores, biked with me from the Buzznet office in Hollywood to the rally in West LA.
In the interest of avoiding any legal implications (since I do not have or have not seen a lawyer), I am not going to describe the events leading up to my arrest. Please watch the arrest video for that; I think it speaks for itself. I think it is more important to describe what happened afterwards.
Read the rest on Buzznet
