Caledonia and Paris

When Mindy asked, “Where in Europe would you like to meet?” Paris was the obvious choice. Mindy lived in Paris as an expatriate in the 1990’s and speaks French. What better way to see the city than through her eyes. So it was in Terminal 2 at the Charles de Gaulle airport that we met up on Friday. My rock star tour of Paris began on the incredibly efficient rail system. I should say it’s efficient when there is not a transport strike. Speaking with a local yesterday made me realize how dependent Parisian’s are regarding access to public transportation. A Swiss national, he exclaimed “ I just don’t get it…they’re paid well by European standards…the French just get tired and pay them whatever they ask for.” We saw the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph, Avenue des Champs-Elysees, ate a yummy Nutella & banana crepe for sustenance, trekked to her old neighbourhood in arrondissement # 16, then finally a bottle of wine and cheese. Whew and that all happened before dinner – which in Europe is later than I am accustomed to. Reservations were for 9:00 pm. A walk by the Seine River and seeing Notre Dame at night were spectacular after our very filling meal.

Visiting the Musse du Louvre was special as I appreciated the architecture of this incredible edifice. Mona Lisa was present in all her calm glory with thousands surrounding her taking pictures. Amazing after all these years how popular she continues to be. A little retail therapy with Anne and I was ready to be toes up for a bit. My 4:30 am cab ride Sunday morning was prompt. I found myself reflecting on all that happened during those precious days and felt tremendous gratitude for my friendship with Mindy and Anne.

As usual, arrival back at the “house” was heart warming. I was exhausted and needed a bit of a nap before I plunged into work for the week. We put on a wonderful Caledonian (a Latin word denoting Scotland) Dinner complete with a recitation of a famous Robert Burns poem honouring Haggis, piping, etc. All that pomp and circumstance made me eager for a Robert Burns dinner in the Twin Cities upon my return. I thought of my brother in law, Jimmy, who recounted his experience with a Robert Burns dinner. Apparently he painstakingly translated the “Ode to Haggis” into Cantonese and assisted in the celebration with some Scottish co-workers. I suspect traditional Scottish is a wee bit difficult to translate into Cantonese.

All faculty have been busy today preparing for classes this week. It seems like the semester end is around the corner and time is increasingly precious. There is levity in the house tonight as I write this, students are chatting and laughing – my colleague Rich mentioned that we’re obviously not giving them enough work to do. Perhaps…and I think for the most part they are a great group of fun loving, dedicated students, who have settled into their routines. Levity on Monday evening is a luxury that we can all afford!