Tag Archives: friends

Friends met and made along the way . . .

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Aloha Thailand!

Aloha my friends,

Thanks for hitching a ride on this leg of my journey. I’ve enjoyed having your company.

Where am I writing this? I’m in Tokyo’s modern and amazing Narita airport at a lovely and free internet access “cafe.” (That’s in quotes because the only way I see to get coffee, or any other beverage, is via one of those automat machines–like you see at rest stops along France’s highways where I drank many of them with Dad back in our month-long trip, with Mom and sister Hannah, in the Fall of 1999. And I don’t have the local currency for making a purchase . . . but of course they’ve thought of a solution for that, I’m sure, but coffee’s not on my list of beverages right now. The next plan of action is to sleep and try and get in sync with Hawaii’s time and day zone . . . )

After about a 5 hour layover, I’ll hop on the next flight to Honolulu. When do I arrive there? 10:20 a.m. on Sunday. What time and day is it here now? 7 p.m. something on Sunday. Cool how that works. Due to my frugal and practical nature, I don’t arrive on Kaua‘i until Sunday evening (using HAL miles). So, I reckon I’ll take a bus to the beach in Honolulu for a dip and a shower. At least that’s the plan, I’m open to however it unfolds. This “live-in-the-moment-and-keep-my-eyes-and-ears-open-to-all-possibilities” (or litmakmeaeotap®) form of travel has served me really well the past many months.

In moments of daydreaming, I’d imagined that I’d write a “*SJ’s streaming consciousness thoughts and rambles about SE Asia” kind of something. But, at the moment, I’m not feeling it, so I’m not going to. (Okay, some of you are groaning that I already have with my long going on about coffee machines in France and the trip with my family ages ago . . . ) Granted, I may change my mind (or not : ). That’s part of the beauty of following my heart; when it comes, it just flows. If it doesn’t, then I do something else. There’s always something else.

Kay den, ’nuff of that.

Love and blessings to you all. May the light always shine on you; may you always be surrounded by friends (even when you’re “alone”); may you feel peace and happiness from the top of your head to the tip of your toes; may you enjoy each and every day on your journey of life, the best darn gift each and every one of us has been given.

***Sat Nam.

-sj

With my gal pal, Chela, who gave me a ride to the Kaua‘i airport early one morning at the end of May.
I had a long layover in Taipei. Prospective English lesson clients? Maybe.
Class #100 at the CELTA English language teaching school in Bangkok.
During the horrible third week (while passing through and/or over the CELTA wall), we couldn’t calculate how much to pay at lunch! And it was easy math!!!
A smart and friendly student from Japan on my right; Isky, the talented actor from Kuala Lumpur, on my left.
The winners of fellow CELTA student Suelin’s very original and unofficial awards (SJ, Alvin, and Isky, short for Iskander).
Moi with my Bangkok Kundalini yoga instructor, Sunderta.
The 12 trekkers from Denmark, France, Taiwan, Spain, and the United States, who first met in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
My first pals at FLO: Rick, the cameraman; Emily, the troll; and Kate, the giant.
With one of my students while at the beach with FLO (Future Light Orphanage). Recognize him from the dinner out in Phnom Penh?
And with another wonderful FLO student (who recently graduated from high school and started her advanced education course this month).
The fun summer gang of FLO-fans one evening in Phnom Penh.
One of my favorite students . . . okay, who am I kidding, they were ALL my favs!
Dani and Andrew, fellow FLO volunteers, returning “home” after a fun “getaway” to Phnom Penh.
Some of my younger friends at FLO. (Enjoying an apple, thanks to many of YOU !!!)
She’s the most natural teacher . . . and she’s a talented artist; she gave me a cool going away card that she made.
My friend Dani stopped over in Phnom Penh for one night (after visiting Siem Reap and before heading to Ho Chi Minh). FLO’s wonderful chef, and my dear friend, Chancy, and I dropped everything to join Dani for dinner. That was how I found the perfect restaurant for when I would later accompany eight FLO students to dinner in the city. Look up the Friends restaurant in Phnom Penh for more info.
Remember when I wrote about that amazing last day at FLO when many of us went to the Pagoda? The little guy on the right is the boy who took my hand during our walk to and from the temple. : ) Aren’t ALL three boys vibrant!
Oh, what a special day that was!
And I love this shot too much to not include it in my “wrap-up.” It embodies so much of what FLO is about.
Did I tell you about the storybooks that my older students made? They were as varied and as fascinating as the Ss. “Were there recurring themes?” you ask. Yes.
Making friends (or the wanting of friends). Giants (fighting giants, killing giants, running away from giants). Poor people (who need help, who I want to help but can’t, who I hope to help someday, who I want to come to school with me, who have no food). And magical animals or people (who do all k i n d s of things!).
Yes, I think the storybook project was a success.
We ended up doing the second of two scavenger hunts early on the Saturday morning when I bid FLO adieu.  Why? There was a powerful monsoonal rain the previous afternoon. It worked out well; I was able to pass out all their learning materials (their notebooks, storybooks, tests, etc.) AND give them lots of prizes which I’d gathered. There were even enough lollipops for all the little kids who were hanging out with us. (Thanks Dani, Sean, and Kai!)
How very special it was to look these dear human beings in the eye and know that our bond is eternal. Just the right number gathered for a very personal, unhurried, and precious farewell.
And then I began my “travels” . . .

My new friends from Australia (by way of Ireland) and Canada (Laura, Nick, and Leta respectively). We biked together and shared a tuk tuk in Siem Reap (when visiting the many ancient temples).
Here I was with a beautiful young lady from Laos who was taking her visiting parents on an excursion.
The beautiful young couple from Israel (who found me in Hanoi somewhere and somehow early, early one morning) with our trek guide.
The lovely lady on the left made my delicious (and expensive by Vietnamese standards : ) coffee; she was the only “game” in the market (and she’ll do well)!
I had planned to meet Nat (and her friend, Gerry) the previous evening for dinner, but I went to the wrong restaurant (I initially met them on the boat trip to Ha Long Bay). “If I’m supposed to see them, I will, ” I thought to myself. And sure enough, I did! Yeah, I love those synchronistic moments too. : )
On the boat with the “cook” who made my dinner one evening in Hue (with her son).
Remember the “locals only” café in Hue I told you about? Here we are again.
I met these friendly childhood friends from London while touring Ha Long Bay; we ran into one another in both Hue and Hoi An. While in Hoi An, we decided to share both delightful conversation and a delicious dinner.
A few evenings ago in Bangkok, I met up with some of my fellow CELTA graduates; we ate at a place called Cabbages and Condoms. Yes, condoms. Look it up on-line; it’s a cool place with a good cause (and a tasty restaurant). Yes, it was great to see them again. They’ve all gotten good jobs (yes, teaching) in Bangkok!
Michele, my longtime friend who with her husband, graciously shared their Bangkok home.
I spent all day yesterday at a Kundalini yoga retreat doing white tantric yoga; it was amazing. The exercises are done with a partner. Meet my new friend, Japnan; she’s a beautiful young lady (my nephew Jo Ryan’s age) from Taiwan. Being a self-motivated person, she has her own business and is able to work from her home. Good for her! And she has the most beautiful dark brown eyes. It worked out perfectly that the retreat took place on my last day in Thailand (and SE Asia).

That’s me looking up at the ceiling of Bangkok’s Sunvarabhumi airport early this a.m.; or am I really looking down? What do you think? : )

Aloha Thailand!

*One entry was going to be: Vietnames Airlines, the Big Save of SE Asia, i.e. short line, long wait (thanks Tones for that tag line : ) ; it’s one of his classics.

Another? Cheapest place in SE Asia per my informal survey? Vietnam
(Also, didn’t see nary a McDonalds or Starbucks in **Vietnam, did see one KFC there though, in Hanoi, right in a major tourist area and intersection. There are a zillion KFC’s in Thailand and Cambodia btw; they L O V E KFC in those two countries!)

And another, it’s very L O U D in SE Asia, even in the countryside. Sometimes at FLO (in the middle of nowhere really), it would be SO loud as the neighboring communities blasted out their this’es and thats with the wind. (That was one reason I loved Luang Prabang so much; it was quiet there; it felt so much more restful than in other cities.) “Okay, what about LA?” I can hear you ask. “And NYC? And Detroit?” (Detroit? I’ve never been to Detroit. lol Always thought it’d be nice to visit Augie and Rose though.) Alright, got it; we Americans have very loud places too.

Things like that is was I had been imagining that I’d write . . . but not now, maybe another time (or not . . . I’m not making any promises one way or another).

**Didn’t see one KFC or chain restaurant in Laos, but I was only in Luang Prabang. Don’t know about Vientiane and other areas.

***Sat Nam is similar to namaste, which most of you know.
The following was copied from a website I found: http://www.kundaliniyogablog.com/-2006-11-12-sat-nam-definition/

“The Mantra Sat Nam

Sat Nam is a mantra commonly used in Kundalini Yoga and amongst its practicioners. It is frequently repeated three times at the end of a yoga session. But what is the importance of Sat Nam, what does it mean.
I’ve heard the following interpretations for Sat Nam via my Kundalini Yoga instructors:
  • Truth is my identity
  • My identiy is Truth
  • My True Self
  • Truth is our identity
It has been called the process of naming ones self Truth. It can be used similar to Namaste, (the divine in me aknowledges and pays tribute to the divine in you.) Where the “Truth” is the divine.
Being one who likes to get to “Source” info, I decided to do some further research into the nature of Sat Nam. I made an assumption that Sanskrit is a rather root dialect and that “Sat Nam” in Sanskrit would provide supplemental information on the nature of Sat Nam.
I found this Sanskrit Dictionary, and looked up the words, Sat and Nam.
Sat
  1. being
  2. real
  3. that which really exists
  4. the real existent truth
I’ve seen it written that Sat means Be, or more apprpriately Be-ness. Which would be the essence of being. (HPB’s Secret Doctorine) I suspect some careful analysis would find an interesting correlation between Be-ness and emptiness. (For those of Buddhist faith)
but onward to Nam.
  1. To bow
  2. To submit or subject oneself
And so one is bowing to Truth, to Be-ness the essence of being.
And the active interpretation of Sat Nam emerges.
Sat Nam
H~”
And for those of you who read this far, this just came in today’s “calendar” email from Julie Redstone:
46.
To experience God one must live in the present, 
for it is in the present that new experience arises.
Let go of thinking and be in the moment.
It is in each moment that God may come to you.
 
***

In Memory of Julie Anne Mercer Lee

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My dear friend, Julie Anne Mercer Lee, left her physical body on September 27th after a courageous 10-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Her husband and two sons miss her dearly; they are ALL LOVED by many.

Here are some photos of Julie aboard the SS Norway where we were both working as Fit with Fun instructors; we’re the two babes lying on the floor in the group shot.

Godspeed Julie on your journey!

with warm aloha,

-sj

p.s. there’s also a shot of Julie with her parents, second from the last.

Made it to the movies! (a l o n g one . . . : )

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Hi Everyone,

It’s Friday evening in Chiang Mai, and I made it to the movies! (the 2011 European Union Film Festival) There’s an Italian one (“The Last Pulcinella”) playing as I type, but I figured watching two movies was enough!

What’d I see? “Above the Street, Below the Water” (2009); this Danish film was a bittersweet tail of changing relationships. I’d recommend it . . . but not for kids. Next came a German movie, “Run if you Can” (2009) about an unusual threesome. Also good. Also not for kids really.

How did I get there? With my orange scooter that I rented for 150 baht from a place across the street from the hotel (where I could have rented one for 250 and had it delivered to me; I figured I could handle the walk across the street and save 100 baht! : )

How much did the movies cost? Nada! They were free. And the soda and popcorn was a whopping 55 baht. Some things in Thailand and really, really cool.

“Okay, what else have you been doing?” You ask.

Well, I went on a three-day, two-night trek up into the mountains north of CM.

But before I tell you about that, I gotta (yes, gotta : ) tell you that some more magic happened Monday night after I posted my last glob entry. How the way back to my hotel I ran into one of my new friends! I’d met this nice lady and her son and girlfriend during the cooking class. We’d ridden the same vehicle to the place and hung out with each other all day. Then, when it came time to leave, they threw me (not literally, but almost) into another bus since I was a lone duck. I got to quickly say goodbye to this nice British lady, but not the other two. And here it was, around 10 p.m. and I was on my way back to the pad to eat SJ-made phad thai and mango sticky rice when I ran into her! She told me how her son had been so disappointed that he hadn’t gotten to say goodbye . . . I’ll just to to the hotel, I said. And I did. While she went searching for a place to change their plane seating, I found their inexpensive-but-very-nice-350-baht-a-night hotel. Introduced myself to the proprietor who was playing cards with a group of fun-loving women, convinced them that I had indeed just seen the mother . . . and was not a mass murdered, and gained entry into the building. Up one flight and there they were enjoying their specially made food with a Chang. : ) We had a fun visit (with the mom too who returned quickly unsuccessful with her mission) until my eyes were drooping so heavily and my stomach was growling incessantly . . . but, I think my noodles tasted so much better having been tempered with a helping of new friendship. So it goes . . .

Okay, the trek. “What was it like?”

Well, it was fun; it was muddy; it was lazy; it was goofy; it was a great success.

It’s so amazing how you can throw 12 complete strangers together in the back of a truck (they have a special name for it that I’m too lazy to look up, excusez moi, s’il vous plait), stir a little, add some heat, and cook up a tasty stew of new friendships. By the end of three days, we were practically kissing cousins.

“What’d we do?”

We walked. Through rice fields (with water is “regular” rice, without is sticky rice, so they say . . ), down muddy paths, up paved roads, through Karen villages, and in a bamboo forest . . . and we hung out–till noon the second day. We played cards, smoked bad cigarettes (well, some of us watched, but it was fun), learned goofy Karen jokes, listened to locals play some intruments, tried the instruments ourselves (one was a 7-string somethingorother), ate rice, lots of rice, and noodles, and well, drank Chang beer . . . oh, and we swam in two different swimming holes with waterfalls (the water was mostly clear). At the first one, the water was quite strong and two of the darling Spaniards almost got washed away (for real), but our 25-year old Karen guide moved the quickest he ever did during the 3-days and “caught” them and then got them to safety. His name? “Call me potato,” he told us the first day. And we did. I lost track of how many times the lovely Spanish ladies yelled, “Potato! Potato! There’s a spider! Potato!”

: ) Yeah, it made us all smile too.

“And the rest of the 12?” you ask.

A family of five Danes–a really beautiful family, two teenage boys and a fiesty 11-year old girl. She’s strong! She often lead us as we walked. A pair of three who met while backpacking. One is a French former model (male). And two live in Arizona, though they met in Burma. Yep, makes sense in that goofy happenstance way that traveling and meeting people just somehow works out so perfectly.

5 Spaniards, 5 Danes, 1 French man, 2 women from Arizona (an American young lady who’d been studying in Singapore for a year and will be returning “home” soon and a Taiwanese lady who calls AZ home–where she teaches Art, “K through 8,” she explained), and moi, the smiling, laughing lady from Kauai . . .

And on the trek, we also rode elephants. I enjoyed it overall, but my heart didn’t feel like they were treated well. Our little guy was so hungry; he kept stopping to eat leaves, branches, whatever he could grab. We gave him two bags worth of bananas and sugar cane . . . but something just didn’t feel completely right.

And we rode these long bamboo poles (about 7 or 8, I think) that were temporarily strapped together with strips of black tire. There were four of us to a raft. The group I was with (the 3 backpackers) was fairly tame; we sat, laughed, got wet bumps, but generally, played it cool. The three Spaniards and eldest Danish boy (who speaks very good German AND English btw) had a rip-roaring time! They rolled the raft several time, got dunked even more, and even took the bamboo poles and steered their way down. The guide looked a bit terrified at the end (for real! his eyes were BIG when they came in ! lol ; )

It was definitely a trek machine . . . a very well organized and oiled machine cranking out one batch of 12-tourist-trekkers after another. Some mastermind has organized the movement of this chain of people from one Karen hut and one Karen “7-11” to another. And they all seemed to be having a good time. And the natives? Well, I think they’re definitely making use of their resources (the terrain and themselves). We often hung out with the small family at the two places where we stayed overnight (we 12 slept in the same hut; there were groupings of 3 mats under the corresponding mosquito nets. The rustic toilets had the kind of basin that you stand on and squat . . . there were large containers of water from which we’d scoop water to pour into the tiny bowl . . . you get the picture).

Tomorrow I head out for BKK where I’ll do heaps of laundry and get myself organized for the next 8-week portion of this saga (Cambodia where I’ll volunteer teach).

The rest of the evening promises some fun scooter riding and some food . . . maybe a heap of tasty noodles. Today I found the wat on the hill 16 km to the northeast of town, along with some sleeping dogs, waterfalls, and pretty scenery.

I’ve enjoyed this part of Thailand; yes, it’s been my favorite so far . . . but I do still remember fondly that trip along the River Kwai . . . and the fun boat ride in BKK, and, and, and . . .

Didn’t read through this, so please excuse me for my missssspellings and Freudian slips.

Do hope you’re all well and enjoying yourselves wherever you are–having a good meal, watching a good movie, reading a good book, or just hanging out with friends and family.

Aloha and a bientot,

sj

I made it!

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C’est moi! Fini!

Hi Everyone,

The CELTA course is officially over, and I made it! Fortunately, I ended on a high note with my best practice teaching session ever. I decided that I really wanted to have fun, and I did. I still prepared a lesson plan, still had an idea of what I was going to do and what I needed to cover in order to help the students clearly distinguish the difference between present simple and present continuous (I jump every day. Is this a habit? Yes. So it’s . . . present simple. I am jumping. Am I doing this now? Yes. So it’s . . . present continuous), and still met my aim . . . but THIS time, I had fun!

And I think they did too.

One of my fellow trainees told me, “You had me too; I had to watch to see what was going to happen next.” : )

Now that makes me smile.

“So what’s next?” you ask.

I’m not sure exactly.

I have 4-weeks “free” in Thailand before I report to an orphanage in Cambodia where I’m going to volunteer teach for 8-weeks. They’ve asked me to teach two classes a day: one with Elementary level students and one with Pre-Intermediate students. “The ages of the students?” I’ve been told that the ages will range from 11 to 17. “The class size?” I’ve been told that it might be with 15-20 students or 35 and more. So . . . your guess is as good as mine.

I’m to supplement their regular classes with a curriculum focusing on speaking and writing. My rough sketch is to have a theme for each week, a collection of practical things that they can really use. I’ll take what I learned this last week at CELTA and put it into action. “What are those things?” you ask. Well, for starters, I’ve been told that the students like a rhythm, a pattern, so that they know Wednesday is “story” day and Tuesday is “games” day, etc. Friday will be the “review” day. I think I can use the same theme for each class; I’ll just grade my language (do my best to make it match their level) and adapt the activities for the two different levels.

So, this is where YOU come in! I have already made a very, very rough sketch of what those 8 themes will be, BUT I’d love to hear from you. Get your opinions on what YOU think they should be. I’ll keep you posted on what comes in and what I decide to do.

I’ve got a collection of shots from yesterday’s party. Have fun checking out who I’ve been hanging out with for these past 4-weeks. And you’ll notice me with two other students holding official-looking certificates. The fun gal-pal–fellow-trainee who hosted the barbeque two weeks ago surprised us at the “unofficial” but “real” party after at a Mexican restaurant called “Coyote.” (“Mexican?” Yes, I know. There’s e v e r y t h i n g here! “The food?” It was good, but of course it doesn’t even come close to Marcie’s! No place or person could!) The “winners” of the certificates were selected in a fun happenstance kind of way immediately after she pulled them out of her bag. When you read the label on mine, you’ll see that it essentially says, “Biggest Nerd.” : ) Yep, that’s me. And happily so.

Okay then, time to sign off and enjoy the day as a carefree student who’s just “graduated.” What will I do? Not sure. I may go to that HUGE market at the end of the BTS line that a friend on Kaua‘i told me about just a couple of nights before I left, just a few weeks ago really . . . that seems like ages ago!

And, I’m lucky enough to have been invited to a “Bangkok Vice” party tonight to celebrate the 50th birthday of a new friend’s husband. I’m supposed to “dress to impress—Miami Vice style!” Fortunately, I already have one cool top . . . I’m wearing it in the shot at the top of the page. : ) Thanks to my buddies from the retreat I attended back in February on Kaua‘i, I stepped out of my normal realm of dressing and tried on a “different” looking top from the sales rack at Roots. And this is what I found; I love it!

And I love you too.

Thanks dear friends for coming along with me on this journey. I have a feeling that it’s just getting started.

With warm aloha,

SJ

It just so “happens” that a group from the Honolulu rotary club will be there for part of the time that I’m also there! Ends up they sponsor or help out this orphanage. Yes, small, small world.

Shots from the closing day . . .
International House staff
iH Teachers
Ditto
The “official” party
Party group shot
New friends . . .
More new friends . . .
And more new friends!
Moi and a new student friend
Trainees and students
CELTA pod THREE plus one
Party grinds. Notice the mangosteen and rambutan?
Class “action” shot 1
Class “action” shot 2
(I was acting out what it is to be a detective . . . it made sense at the time : )
Can you tell that we’re having fun?!?!?
Da certificate close-up . . . I think my smiley face was contagious . . . : )

It tasted as good as it looked . . . and the roses smelled delicious too!

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Hi Everyone,

It’s 7:01 p.m. on the 12th day out of 20 at this most wonderful CELTA course in Bangkok, Thailand.

Whew! It’s downhill from here on out! (I think : )

I was on my way home from yet another action-packed day (complete with practice teaching, today it was #5 out of 8).

So how is it? I can hear a chorus of you yelling across the byways, highways and seas.

Well, it’s intense.

Duh, it IS an intensive course I hear the teachers saying.

Yep, it is.

But it’s good. The people involved are absolutely wonderful. The teachers are very knowledgeable and caring. The students (who we’re teaching) are excited to be in the class and participate (mostly) fully with an excitement that can be contagious. And my cohorts are absolutely darling people, from the collection of beautiful and smart young ladies from Australia, England, and the U.S. to the varied men of all ages and nationalities.

We’re all here for different and similar reasons. To be with a sister who works and lives here. To be with boyfriends who work and live here. To be with Thai wives who work and live here. To be able to go back home and work (home being Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines). To gain experience before starting a business in Thailand based around language schools. I’m sure there are even more reasons, but those are the ones who raised their hands and said, “Pick me! Pick me!”

What’s a typical day like? I think I mentioned before that the mornings are generally devoted to learning about all (and I do mean ALL) the different types of lesson plans. The below picture I took today during our one-and-only review session with all three teachers present at once.

We (okay, mostly me) were trying to get a handle on all the different types and their particular stages (sections, really, chapters. Pick a word, any word; I bet it’ll fit).

Then we meet with our tutor of the week and go over our plan to see what we’re going to do and if the tutor thinks it’ll work. Gradually, we’re becoming more and more responsible for the exact structure of the lesson.

Then, some people go out for lunch for a hot and spicy 30 BHT soup (30 BHT = $1). Some run downstairs to the British ex-pat who makes a mean tuna fish sandwich for 35 BHT (and a cookie’s only 15BHT), salads are around 80BHT. Some go to the Subway downstairs (haven’t gotten one, so I don’t know the cost). Regardless what they eat, they’re sure to not run out of choices. I’ve never seen so many food vendors in my life.

The mango smoothie in the shot at the top of the page? 30BHT. The veggie spring rolls that I ate (but didn’t photograph) were 100BHT. The going rate for a smoothie is between 30 (watermelon one, yum!) to this high-end mango one for all of 60BHT. I suppose the extra 10BHT are to pay for the wonderful ambience of this little tropical paradise in the midst of Bangkok madness. I feel a bit of Kauai-ness here, AND they have wi-fi. Can’t beat that!

When I left school this evening (around 6:15 p.m.—I generally arrive at 8 a.m. so that I have an hour to get my head on straight, papers in order, copies made, etc.), I thought I was going to grab a quick bite and then head straight home to start in on Written Assignment #3 out of 4. Well, I do still have plans to do the assignment tonight (or at least make major headway, it’s due Thursday by 6 p.m.), but this pleasant outdoor Thai café called out to me. “Susan Jane! Here’s where you want to have dinner. Remember that wonderful smoothie you had last week; you can get pupus too. And there’s wi-fi. And beautiful roses that smell wonderful too.”

Who could resist such a seductive call? Not moi, that’s for sure. So here I sit and type. It’s now 7:24 p.m., the smoothie is just about pau (finished for non-Hawaiians/Kauaians), and the spring rolls are long gone. And the assignment sits in my heavy backpack saying, “Ah, I won’t be too hard on you. Just a little this and that about writing lesson plans on reading, using skimming, scanning, detailed reading . . . it’ll be easy!”

Ha! I’ve heard that mischevious call before. Just last week it came from Written Assignment #2. The assignment that somehow turned into the exercise from *:#(! It just didn’t want to end, couldn’t say goodbye, wanted just one more peck on my cheek before it turned its back on me and found another. But end it did. Just in time for me to be free and go for a pint with all my fellow students at Molly Malone’s. An Irish Pub in Bangkok, you ask? You’ve got to be kidding! That seems so ordinary compared to: Bei Otto, a German restaurant; Chela, a Swiss restaurant; suchandsuch, a Mexican restaurant; somethingother, a Scandinavian restaurant; ad infinitum. You get the picture. There’s EVERYTHING here in Bangkok.

Okay, so there are lots of restaurants, Susan Jane. But what about the teaching? What’s that like?

Well, you know how you got ready for your first date? Did you hair (alright guys, this relates to you just as well as girls!) and nails. Took days to pick out the right outfit. Which shoes to wear? Should I bring that purse or the other one? Should we go to a movie? Do we get pizza first or after? And what if she/he doesn’t like pizza? What if we don’t have anything to talk about? What’s the best move to get my arm around her? Or hold her hand? (And with that: How can I get him to move his arm? Hand?) . . . okay, you get the picture. Remember????

It’s kind of like that. You plan and plan, but somehow it all falls part. Or, the pizza is served cold. Or, something gets caught in your braces and you don’t realize it’s been hanging out of your mouth all night. Or, you reach over to kiss her and you butt heads; your glasses get tangled in hers/his. Stop! Stop! I hear you all calling out! (It’s amazing how you’re all able to speak in unison from all parts of the world. : ) We get the picture; it’s painful!

Yes, it can be painful.

But it can be pleasant too. Remember when you looked over at him/her and exchanged the most precious smile? When you held hands and that warm palpitation rose up your entire body and made your cheeks glow?

Well, it can be like that too. In the midst of the uncertainty, the doubt, the worry. Sweet little moments rise up and say, “Keep going; it’ll be alright. Just smile. A smile goes a long way.”

So with that, my friends, I shall bid you adieu. Yes, the date bells are ringing that it’s time for my next rendezvous.

I wish you all well and thank you so very much for your little notes of encouragement. They mean a lot. Like that timid smile, they’re just what’s needed when you’re painfully aware that you’re in new territory, and the course is unclear.

Aloha,

SJ

p.s. photo collection from the past week . . .

Friday watching out the window . . .

What’s all the fuss?

That’s what. A election campaign parade. They’re the same the world over.

Then it was time to head to Molly’s somethingorother Irish Pub.

This was the first time we all got together to blow off steam. End of week two.

Yahoo!!!

It was Howard’s birthday too!

I managed to find a grocery store on my own, and then celebrated (e v e r y t h i n g: end of week 2, being healthy, being in BKK, having wonderful friends, family . . . yes, everything!) with a delicious café latte and chocolate cup of something yummy.

Yep, this is his hang.

Saturday afternoon/evening some of us gathered at one of the student’s beautiful home; she had graciously invited us over for a barbecue and dip in the pool!

And on the way home from the party, I saw yet another political rally. Nope, I didn’t linger. Good night ya’ll!

Gratitude fills my heart : )

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Hi my VERY dear friend and sister of my heart,

Now sitting in the Detroit airport in an Irish tavern after missing my flight to Knoxville by four minutes due to a late arrival because of equipment malfunction in Honolulu, I give thanks.
Why?
For the nice lady with Delta who told me that the IT served bfast for another seven minutes. And then showed me were it was so that I arrived in time.
For the vouchers which paid for it.
For the wonderful wait staff with their beautiful cheerful smiles who entertained this non-TV watcher with a live true sit-com, complete with their crisp Michigan accents.
For my Bust magazine which looks for movies with dialogues between two women NOT about men!
For my iPhone which allowed me to read T’s email to you and your thoughtful reply.
And for the peace-of-mind that gave me. The feeling of being cared for. Protected. Loved.
For YOU. A most wonderful and caring and wise and LOVING friend. I give thanks.
For the learning and unpeeling which continues in its most perfect timing.
For the extra 4.5 hours at the airport. For the time it gave me to be alone before meeting up with my Mom.
For my Mom. Who is so excited about my arrival.
For my Mom. Who is simply who she is. Who loves me in her unique way. For the relationship we have which is so different from that of my sisters.
For the wonderful sleep I had on the 8-plus hour flight from Honolulu.
For Michael Stillwater’s wonderful music and my iPod shuffle which allowed me to listen to it so easily and peacefully in my private two seater due to the flight’s low occupancy.
For the nice young man I talked to before I made the switch to my solo seats. May Peace be with him always.
For the confidence to reply with the simple word “writer” when he asked what I “do.”
And the subsequent “linguist” which completed my answer more fully.
And mostly, for the time I’ve had to come back into my heart. The time to reflect and give thanks for ALL of the above. The “all” which barely covers the tip of the iceberg–which IS my vast and limitless heart.
Peace be with you, my dear, dear friend.
May the Light of my infinite love fill you with the warmth of spirit which resides in us all.
Deine Freundin,
Susan
Sent from my iPhone

Six weeks of School in Lyon have come and gone . . .

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date:  Fri, Feb 20, 2009
subject:  J’ai fini l’école ! ! ! pour maintenent . . .
Hi Everyone,
Alors, its vendredi the 20th and I’ve finished school . . . at least for now.
It’s 2:30 pm and we’ve all made a date to meet at Pub Johnny Walsh, très francaise don’t you think? We met there last week and it’s a good hang.
Moi, Jonathan and Monika
at Pub Johnny Walsh the previous week
There was a rock band playing and I recorded just a bit simply because the lead was singing a Jack Johnson song  . . . .
Alors, highlights of school this week?
A game. Well, we just finished my last classing playing the game “Taboo.” (I had asked Marion the other day if we could.) As Jan knows, I love to play games . . . and it’s so fun to play a game and learn French at the same time.  Only bizarre thing is that a LOT of the words are American, as in internet, Mickey, etc.  I think I explained this one already . . . you say things to get the person to guess the word(s), but you can’t say certain words . . for example, I said terroiste for World Trade Towers and got buzzed!
Here we’re playing “Battle Ships.”
Cookies.  Jan sent the most delicious cookies!!!! Merci beaucoup!  A thank you card is on the way.  Many students wrote a short note in their native language.  Have fun figuring it out Jan  . . . and Katie . . . and Logan! They arrived Monday and I shared them with the school Tuesday at our “coffee” break at 10:30 am; I also gave Madame a bag.  They ALL said Merci Beaucoup!!! C’était delicieux!
Bowling.  David, a 21 year old Swiss “boy” who is at least 6’4 inches and quite handsome, and I won . . . with the whopping score of 106!! Yahoo!!
Les champions !
I was the last to bowl and it worked out perfectly . . . I remember very clearly Dad telling me to not beat boys in sports . . . and I replied, “You gotta be kiding???”  But in this instance it was absolutely perfect, especially since I’m old enough to be ALL of their mothers (expect Jean-Laurent’s, I suppose . . .)  It was lots of fun because us girls hung out on one side and the petite little Columbian girl who wasn’t going to go because she had never played before came and had a good time.
Da kids !
(I told her that I promised it would be a kick . . . she got a strike once and we all hooted and hollered for her! She’s the cute gal sitting behind the lovely lady in red.)  A good time was had by all.
BTW, there were several Brad Pitt sightings at the bowling alley while we were waiting for our turn to bowl.

The music . . . oh my goodness.  Did I ever have so much fun last night! I went to hear “Ginkgoa.” They have a website that’s simply their name, I think.  I haven’t had a chance to check it out.  I want to write an email simply about the music I heard in Lyon, but I don’t have the time right now.  Suffice it to say that last night’s music felt like being in a David Lynch film.  Red velvet draped over the cellist’s and guitar player’s chair . . . pink lights on stage, purplish flowers on the singer’s mic stand.
It  was also alot like what I imagine it would have been like to go to a club in France in the 1930’s for 1940’s. I bought their CD  . . . and shot a little rogue video (which I did EACH time I heard music; granted it’s always been dark and you’re seeing the tops of people’s heads, but at least it’s sumthin.)
 Ginkgoa in action !
Le musée.  The same one I mentioned last week but this time I went with the school group.  I ditched them on the first floor and hightailed it up the third floor to see an exhibit just of this one young woman’s art.  Sorry, but I don’t have her name on me right now . . . M. something,

WoW! I loved her style. Not everyone else did, but I did. (though many did too . . .)  Essentially she creates lots of figures of different sizes so you have the feeling of Liliputainism . . . with lots of bright colors and whimsical, fantasic settings.  Things inside of things, people inside of people.  Lots of people flowing together like tiny minnows . . . lots of globs of paint that up close look like a glob, but far away you see the 2 specks are now eyes on the little female character, dog, whatever.  Some really tiny paintings, but mostly very LARGE paintings.  I really dug her work (though not all, there were three or four that were dark and depressing.)
Now that takes some balls !

Two other musées.  The Roman . . . learned how Lyon was formed, you’ll have to look at the photos to learn . . . I took a few clandestine photos . . . also read about the PIERRE Scize.  A Pierre is a stone . . . and to think that I had the grand luck to be placed in a beautiful apartment with part of THE pierre scize in ma chambre!!!

Musée Gallo Romain . . . from Wikipedia: 
“Lyon was founded on the Fourvière hill as a Roman colony in 43 BC by Munatius Plancus, a lieutenant of Caesar, on the site of a Gaulish hill-fort settlement called Lug[o]dunon, from the Celtic god Lugus (‘Light’, cognate with Old Irish Lugh, Modern Irish Lú) and dúnon  (hill-fort). Lyon was first named Lugdunum meaning the “hill of lights” or “the hill of crows”. Lug was equated by the Romans to Mercury.”

The museum about the war (THE) war and the resistance which was based in Lyon.
There was a special exhibit with lots of old letters that soldiers who were in a stalag wrote to their sweetie back home.  One was especially sweet . . . and it was really bizarre . . . in this one little letter the author used at least 10 specific things that I learned since I’ve been in Lyon . . . needless to say, it made me feel very good to be able to read it (fairly) easily.
 Sculpting.  I’ll have to explain this one later . . .
That’s Emmanuel the teacher . . . my work in progress is the small one on the table . . . can you spot it?
Went on another bike ride on Sunday.  It was FAB.  Really, really clear but cold. I had a grand time tooling around and STILL discovering new areas, new plazas and grandes rues à Lyon.
 Now THAT’s a playground !
 I couldn’t believe that I had never “happened” upon this place before — Place des Jacobins, that is!
This I didn’t “happen” upon. I read about it and that it was too . . . well, something NOT to miss!
Kindof cool . . . kindof weird . . . 
I’m not exactly a “cat” person.
School is out for moi . . . I received a certificate stating that I participted for 6 weeks in the “intensive” (25 lessons a week) version. Jean-Laurent wrote that I have a “slight” (léger) accent anglophone and that I can talk easily without hesitation (yep, this girl can blab!). Marion wrote that I have a good basis for continuing to learn. That I can write easily and without a lot of major errors, °BUT I still have problems with comprehension (when the people parler). Yep, I do. She recommends that I continue to practice and do things like watch films, listen to the radio, read (in French) and talk French (with people who speak French . . . though I’m sure Rocket Girl would be game to participate!).
 Prof Marion’s classroom
She also told me that she recommends I take another course at some point (after I’ve continued to practice, study, etc.) to make sure I’m on track with the grammar, etc. I’ve really enjoyed being in Marion’s class. She’s a nerd like me and loves getting into the heart of difficult grammar points. We did some stuff this week that she promises us most French people don’t know . . . that most of it is really just recognized in the written form (because it’s darn tricky), but I think I was really starting to grasp the different points.
Right now my head, my brain feels like it weighs about two metric tons. It is completely and utterly F U L L . . . it’s exactly why I wanted to stay in France two more weeks after taking a course . . . to give myself some time for it all to filter down into my gut . . . (and hopefully stay for good and not pass on out!!!).  I look forward to reviewing all or at least part of what I’ve studied . . . and see how much I’ve really learned . . .
Alors, to all of you I now say au revoir.  Tonight it’s dinner with Madame, her two sons, the elder son’s wife and little nine month old baby.
Madame’s family . . . all very nice. And very French.
I read a really good memoir recently by Sarah Turnbull (a native Australian) called Almost French. In it she described how she often dined with French people (and with her husband, who is completely French) and she would be COMPLETELY ignored. Really, completely. As if she were NOT there. People would look right through her. As time went by she apparently became more and more visible. Her premise (in my humble opinion) is that the French are shy. 
Unlike Americans, they are not accustomed to meeting new people and immediately opening up completely, without reservation (like Americans tend to do).
Well, I experienced exactly what she was talking about that evening. An amazing phenomena. Really.
Then it’s off to da kine for a pint (or two) and some general joviality . . . but first I plan to look for a couple of galleries I missed as I weave my way home. And I reckon I should get back to the flat early enough to pack so that tomorrow there’s no stress. My train departs Part-Dieu at 10:30 a.m. about and I arrive in Annecy two or so hours later.
Ciao for now brown cow, love you all!!!
Susan
°It’s kind of bizarre. When I was learning German, there was a moment when I essentially heard a “click” and all of a sudden I could understand German. Granted, there were (and still are!) a lot of words to learn . . . but I could follow the conversation relatively easily. BUT to speak was really difficult.
It’s the complete opposite for me now with French. Most of the time I can speak fairly easily . . . and yes, I get caught up LOTs of time, but . . .  but to understand the  people parler-ing . . . wow, c’est vraiment dificile! Alors, I think I’m going to start at THIS very moment expecting to be easy . . . I’ll keep you posted.
bisous!
Ricardo; David; Marion, la Prof; Janine, Hugo et moi.
Au revoir !

Why I Chose Annecy

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Okay, now who wouldn’t love receiving a letter like the one below?

• • •
date:  Tue, Feb 17, 2009
subject:  Re: a few more things . . . .
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can just imagine the chocolate river, your self-inflicted hair cut, and the lovely meal (but French and Japanese — too weird!). The photos of Annecy on Trip Advisor are stunningly beautiful. What was the deciding factor to pick this lovely little village?
Just curious,
Val
• • •
Val, you made my day.
And funny you should ask.
• • •
date:  Wed, Feb 18, 2009
subject:  Re: a few more things . . . . OR Why I chose Annecy
Hi Val,
I wrote the following to Char the other day:
“My heart is pulling me towards Annecy. I spent one night there in September 1999 on that month long trip with my parents . . . and at the time, I thought I’d like to return one day for a little longer stay. And then when Becky the nice physical therapist recommended it, it kind of struck a chord . . . she was Dad’s fav therapist at Patricia Neal.”
Here’s my Dad happy as a clam during that September 1999 trip. The wine was from the little town near the farm gite where we were staying.  
See the cool candle holder? It came from Beaune.
Notice his colorful Hawaiian shirt? My sister later made a wonderfully healing quilt using that shirt as the theme . . . nope, you can’t have it! 
Though I’d be happy to share its healing powers with you. Drop me a note and I’ll send 
some of its Light your way.
And also, as I thought about it, I realized that Annecy was where I decided to learn French.  On this month long trip with my parents and my sister I had not even bothered to learn any French phrases; I tend to be an all or nothing kind of gal.  But towards the end of the trip I got fed up with not getting what I really wanted for breakfast, so I looked in Hannah’s phrase book for how to order a larger coffee with cream and some bread with something or other . . . I remember Dad saying, “Now that’s more like it!” when we received what we really wanted for breakfast.
Mom and Dad with some of the wine grapes grown in the vineyard where our gite was located.
Also, during that same trip French people often became indignant that I couldn’t speak French. I was somehow the designated spokesperson and my haircut was a bob then (more French-like), and they just thought I should be able to speak French.  I remember thinking in my little brain that I had already learned a second language; but during that trip I thought, “Why not learn French too?”
 That’s me on the left with my sister 
(who later made the special quilt for me).
I don’t think my hair looks like a bob either! 
See how memory can plan tricks on a person!
Et alors . . . in conclusion, I do believe it was in Annecy that I had that epiphany . . . AND it’s a really pretty and small town.  I think small will be really good for me right now. AND it’s close-by and it won’t be a big deal to get there.
Some of the other places people suggested just cry out for more time:  Loire Valley for example.
Yes, French and Japonaise food in combination IS really weird! But I think having been in Hawaii for so long, where we eat Japanese food, prepared me. The other lady’s eyes got REALLY big a few times!
Please give my regards to Robert.
p.s. I decided to copy this to ALL since maybe others are wondering why I chose Annecy . . .

My last Sunday à Lyon . . .

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date: Sun, Feb 15, 2009

subject: My last Sunday à Lyon . . .
Good Morning Everyone,
I’m sitting at Madame’s computer in her very large bedroom with the tall window facing la Saône on my left. The window begins at chair level and rises up at least 10 feet. To open it you turn the handle in the center and the two tall panels open towards you. There is a redish gate just outside the window made of iron with lots of nice curly-cues.
 I suppose it’s to keep you from falling out (though the other day when I was doing laundry and I opened the similarly designed though smaller window off the bathroom–it’s right next to the john–to hang my wash outside, Lily jumped up and was about to jump out of the window!!–on to the 5 or 6 lines that run parallel with the window; but I grabbed her!!!
You have to be REALLY careful not to drop your clothes when you hang the laundry. Remember, I’m several flights up!  Hopefully it would land on the neighbor’s little contraption for hanging their wash below, but if not, I’m not exactly sure how you’d get to the bottom of this tiny courtyard! I’ve already lost two clothespins . . .).

Madame left early this morning for Paris for 3 nights. She’s on a two-week holiday from work/school. She’s staying with a friend she hasn’t seen for about 10 years or so but with whom she talks regularly. Interestingly enough, this friend is German and is teaching German in Paris. According to Madame, this woman’s French is almost as good as hers (Madame’s).

—-T just called . . . I said good night and he said good morning!
It’s a beautiful day outside (though cold, maybe between 25 and 30° F, warmer than when I arrived ages ago) and I think later I’ll go out for an exploratory bike ride before and after visiting the museum about THE war. Did you know that Lyon was the most important city for the resistance? I’ve been twice in (I think this is what they are called) les traboule. They are underground passages that were used by the resistance for moving through the city, the Germans didn’t either know about them or didn’t know where they went exactly . . . they couldn’t look it up on the internet then, of course.
But for now I wanted to write a couple of emails that are in my head.
The first one’s subject line is:  Wow! Wow! and again, WOW!!!
The second one is: The most incredible weekend.
SUBJET:  Wow! Wow! and again, WOW!!!
Thursday night I passed dining with all the gang to go to a Vernissage à Musée D’Art Contemporain de Lyon. The Saturday before while exploring I deliberately went to two different galleries in the middle of the largest construction sight I’ve ever seen.
It reminded me of the no-man’s-land in Berlin that is now the hip place that it is with shopping centers très chic and hotels, etc. But this construction in the very south portion of the center of Lyon (called the “Island Lyon” in the many ads I saw) is incredibly vast. I managed to perservere (how in the heck do you spell that word??? Looked it up, perservere is an alternate spelling of persevere) and find these two galleries. I loved the first one.
The second one . . . it was cool too.
The artist is Stéphane Braconnier, 
born 1958, lives and works in Lyon.

There were an assortment of colorful chairs with these black “twigs” dressed around each one. I was told by the very nice receptionist Chloé that they represented legs. Some were more masculine, some more feminine, etc.  The artist’s name is Georges Verney-Carron. Chloè told me about the Vernissage to be held the following Thursday evening.

I thought it was going to be a talk about the art exhibit, which was opening the next day. Okay, I thought, I won’t be able to understand it all, but it’ll be a cultural experience, so I went. Boy, was I ever in for a treat.  After waiting an hour in the cold (yes, an hour. I don’t know why they didn’t open at the advertised time, but I had a pleasant time talking to a woman named Claude who works as a food expert for lunches in Lyon . . . in the schools, I believe. Remember, if I can get 50 percent on the conversation, I’m doing well! For all I know she might actually be the person who makes the mayors’–there are many in Lyon–lunches each day) I entered the museum with what was now a THRONG of people. After 3 very fine speeches on the importance of art by 3 very distinguished gentlemen, we gained admittance into the museum, for free!!! And here’s the kicker. We were allowed to take pictures for this night only. So, I took ALOT! I thought of you Dan as I looked at the perverted (though very well done!) graphic comics, and I thought of you BJ while looking at all KINDS of things. And Jocelyne, there were some really fascinating sculptures.

The exhibit is composed of 3 parts: 1) Quintet, art by Stèphane Blanquet, Masse, Gilbert Shelton, Joost Swarte and Chris Ware.  It’s all very modern and interesting.
2) N’Importe Quoi, I don’t know why it’s called nothing of importance but it was all pretty fascinating. There were works by MANY artists.
My favorite was a series of photos (maybe 20) of the same scene, a kitchen. But in each photo there was something in the foreground out of focus. It had been tossed up in the air (or perhaps dropped) and captured at the instant it was in front of the camera. Maybe I liked it best because I know how hard that is to do . . .
The third exhibit was not open. Hopefully it will be when I return with the school next week. This third area is focused on young artists . . .
I took LOTS of photos. You can look at them someday when we put the thousands (and I do mean thousands) of photos on the net.
SUBJET:  The most incredible weekend. (6.02. 09 à 8.02. 09)
After writing to you all last week Friday, I walked home in the DRENCHING rain. Along the way I stopped at a store and bought chocolate powder for making hot chocolate. It was that kind of moment.
When I got back to the apt. and removed my wet clothing, I found that my feet had been dyed blue to match my socks (which I had swiped from Dad, by the way, he gave me permission last November . . . I like wearing his socks. Now, 9 days later, my little toenails are still blue . . . :) That night I dared to venture forth and meet my new friend Monika. She’s from Switzerland and is all of 35 years old.
Monika from the back . . . we were exploring Lyon 
and discovering lots of wonderful graffiti.
We had several fun excursions together. Alas, she departed for home yesterday after 3 weeks of school. (There are lots of saying goodbyes, and hello!, here . . .  :) et :( .
Last week Friday night Monika and I decided to forego the party at “the” appartement.
(It ended up being a good idea I think, to skip the party, that is; sounds like it got rather wild because all the school got a good talking to on Monday morning, pretty classic really . . . but I don’t mind that I missed it, I’ve been there literally and metaphorically before many times . . . )
I met her at her side of the river beside la passerelle saint vincent.
We wandered uphill towards the region called Croix Rousse to hear some blues. It was great! It was a trio, female singer/guitar player who could hold her own, a male guitar player and male bass player. She had the quality of voice similar to Janice Joplin.  We stayed for over 3 hours, it was that good.
Then Saturday I read in bed until 12:30 p.m.! I just couldn’t put down the book Lisa had given me, so decided what the heck? Why not finish it? It was miserably wet and cold outside. The title?  “The Guersey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society.”  You can search online if you’d like to know about it. I’ve sent it on to Mom to read.
Looks cozy, doesn’t it? Even Lily the cat joined in the fun.

Then, after crawling out of bed, I went out into the cold (but not cruel at least!) world happy to find that it had stopped raining, well, mostly stopped. At least I wasn’t concerned about dyeing my feet again. I found a nice place for a very proper lunch of salade chevre chaud (warm goat cheese on toast and salad) and saumon avec haricot vert et riz (salmon, rice and green beans). I topped it off with a warm chocolate cake a lot like the ones I make (and love!); and then to be really proper, I had an espresso, albeit decaf. Afterwards I made it my mission to find some art galleries. They make it fairly easy with a brochure with a map of broad strokes. And as I already mentioned, I perservered and found the 2 galleries in the boonies.

Needless to say, afterwards I dug into my purse for one of the many metro/bus/tram tickets I had purchased for the long ride home.

That evening I took advantage of Madame being away and watched some Simpsons en francais with some pasta I whipped up (bow ties with spinach, garlic, butter and a slight sprinkling of Uncle Mike’s fab salt). Afterwards I climbed the hill to Croix Rousse and found yet another gallery on the main boulevard. When I stepped into the warm bar my glasses immediately fogged up. It was just as well because I found myself yet again in the world of the 20 something year olds. On another night I might have ordered a cocktail and joined the fun, but that night I chose just to check out the art as my glasses defogged, and bounce to the techno music for a bit. When I stepped outside, the cool air was actually a relief. I found a new way home and yet another view of la fourvière (elephant on its back) and Lyon’s answer to the Eiffel tower.
I began the next day (Sunday) like the previous day and finished yet another book. This one though was in French and quite basic. It was a fun read about a journalist Alex Leroc who works in Brussels . . . I’ve read 3 of these little books already. They come with a CD and I was able to have a listen since B was away visiting her parents. I plan to do the same later this evening.
Then I spent the afternoon at the theatre!!! I read about this play in the weekly journal and thought it’d be just right for me and it was. It was in a tiny theatre on the same street with loads of art galleries (rue Burdeau if you feel like checking it out on google earth).
This particular theatre is called Production Espace 44–44 for its street number. The tiny space reminded me a little of the small theatre on Kaua‘i, in that the seating was on 4 rows of benches in what felt like bleachers.  However, the benches abutted the tiny space, probably the size of our dining room straight through to the couches. The play was “Un Roi sans divertissement” (a king without distractions). The star, and lone performer, was Jean Giono, a funny little bald man with a very flexible voice. The stage was simply a table and bookshelf (sr) covered with dusty objects one might find on travels to Africa or the far east . . . The actor entered the stage, took his time taking off his hat and coat, dusted a few objects, sat down and then realized we were there . . . he then opened a portfolio and took us on a journey of a tale from long ago . . . at least that’s what I think happened. Maybe it was something all together different, but I enjoyed the ride anyway. Along the way he transformed into the different characters in the story. I especially loved it when his voice boomed into something completely different and funny . . .
I topped the experience off with a scoop of Haagen Daz (yes, HD; there’s a little shop next to Hotel De Ville).
I got a flavor I’d never seen before, very European. Chocolate with hazelnut and toffee. Yep, it was delish.
When I returned I had about 3 to 4 hours of really intense study. It was great! It was the kind where you have an objective, you meet it and get completely lost in what you’re doing. I was quite content. I was wanting to have the tenses that I’ve studied clear in my head because the next day I was starting my first week in the harder class. I did just about all I could stand and then it was 9 p.m., just the right time to go out to dinner in France . . .
Since I’d eaten my “dinner” for lunch I decided to check out the restaurant I’d noticed several weeks before and have a pizza made in a wood fire . . . and lots of conversation with the adorable waiter. Yes Tony, he was, adorable that is. Believe it or not I haven’t met that many adorable people, so I indulged in fun conversation.  Then it ended up that the chef has a little business in Honolulu (yes! honoruru!) with his brother. He proceeded to come out and chat with me for over 20 minutes. I noticed that no one was served their dinner while we spoke! Seems he and his brother have a year contract to sell French chocolates to Japon Air; it’s called Padovani’s Chocolates and is based out of the Dole Cannery area close to Sam Choy’s .  . . . and yes, he knows Sam Choy. It is indeed a small world.
Writing about all this now, I’m not sure it comes across as nice as it was for me . . .
blues with a new friend
reading in bed (with my new friends on Guernsey)
lunch out
art galleries
the simpsons
late night walk with a view
reading in bed again (this time with Alex Leroc)
followed by listening to the CD of the same
au theatre en francais
Haagen Daz
several hours of intense studying
pizzeria with fun conversation
So, now it’s time to get up off my tuff and explore Lyon.
I thank you all for being so kind and taking the time to read my rantings . . . it’s so cool to know I have so many friends literally all over the world traveling by my side . . . merci beaucoup.
à bientôt,
Susan

And the results are in . . .

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Les puces, flea market, where I found that 
cool old iron trivet.

date:  Thu, Feb 12, 2009

subject:  Howdy All!
The results are as follows though no decision has been made . . . the jury is still out on this one!
It seems I haven’t had a free moment this week . . . it’s been fabulous.
Today we have been learning slang . . . after working on grammar, of course!
We even had to compose a story using slang! Lauren, you’d probably gotten a chuckle out of it all.
The teacher couldn’t stop laughing after I read my bit. Seems she loves my accent . . . I might just get a job here being a comedian after all!!!
And now, what you all have written (my replies and/or comments and/or thoughts are in italics):
Susan,
Go to St. Remy de Provence! It is simply marvelous. We have friends there that have rental places. http://www.mascornud.com/village.html?page=village
Not sure if they’ll book you for less than a week, but contact them, say you are friends of mine and see if they can make an exception. Also tell them about your Hawaiian home exchange idea!
Or go to St. Tropez, just because.
Cheers, Michele (St. Tropez sounds the most interesting, I’d like to have more time at the other . . .)
Dear Suzanne,
    Is this the French spelling of your name? Where do you go to use the Internet and send your e-mails?  This is interesting that you have 3 free nights. Why don’t you go to some small French town and see how life is in a little place. I would hope that you could find an inn or bed and breakfast there.
   Love,
   Mom
Annecy is absolutely beautiful. I don’t think it’s that far from Lyon by train. It is an old town with beautiful buildings with water canals flowing all along the streets.
Becky
Hi Susan,
I would suggest that you DON’T go to Avignon. I lived there for 6 months- the people aren’t that friendly and there are weird vibes . . . that’s my take . . . I like Dijon- maybe Montpellier? or Aix-en-Provence (is that too far away?) . . .
It was great getting your update : )  Made me want to go back. We missed you at my mom and Roy’s wedding! (me too! maybe we can have a rendez-vous in France someday!)
Much Aloha from NY,
Lauren
Avignon, I heard it’s great (interesting coming in right after the one above!). Or Uzes, which is a small town in Provence, that sounds lovely.
And there’s always the Loire Valley castles . . .
Hope you’re having a great trip! It sounds like you are! I’ve loved reading the emails :) John and I just purchased two airplane tickets to France for May, so you’ll have to give us tips on all the places to go!
Take care,
Cat
(I’ve meant to write to you and John and tell you that I have some leads for places to stay. The hotel Tony found in Paris was very nice, good price and clean but not too fancy, I liked the location too. I also found a great studio apt near Sacre Coeur that was very inexpensive . . . and then the apts I found through another couple and then subsequently booked are very nice too. They’re in the Latin Quarter. Let me know if you want any leads . . . the Sacre Coeur apt info Tony has at home in the “in” box for his email address.)
Head for the coast!..we loved ST Tropez.
Michael (very interesting that this one showed up twice!)
I would suggest heading to Paris direction early and spending the three days at Disneyland Paris.  :)
Debbie (you think?)
Avignon . . . this is intuitively what called out . . .
MH (did you read what Lauren wrote???)
Aloha Suzanne!
I’ve never been to France, so don’t have any personal suggestions for you, just wanted to wish you safe travels and the happiest of trails — no matter which one(s) you choose. Can’t wait to see what you choose to do as I’m living vicariously through you on this great adventure.
All the best,
Val (merci for your kind thoughts and words!)
Avignon has the famous “Pont”, but I believe Dijon may have one of those marvelous chateau, where they perform son et lumière and I know you would love that … perhaps you could find out for sure at school.
I meant to say that I thought maybe the notre dame you saw in Paris WAS a genuine one … there are, after all dozens, if not hundreds of Notre Dames in France, although we only hear about the one!
It scares me that you go early=morning jogging on your own  – have a wonderful sojourn in Paris and come home safely (I KEEP my eyes wide open and my guardian angels are with me always Romey!! Thanks for your concern.)
Romey XXX
I vote for Guernsey!!!!!
Sorry I haven’t replied to your fascinating correspondence. I can’t believe your adventure is coming to a close so soon. While your life has been filled with daily adventure, we’re still plugging along over here. Amazing difference and what an accomplishment!
Can’t wait to hear more, Lisa (more will come when I get a chance . . . I’m digging being able to talk a wee bit better . . . but so much more to learn!  LOVED the book! I had the most delicious morning Saturday as I DEVOURED the book!  I read till 12:30 pm when I finished it . . . did I write this already?  It’s been sent via the post to my Mom.)
 The setting for my reading fest . . . see Lily on my pants on the “dryer”?
i vote for San Francisco!
liz (me too, too bad I have a one day layover in LA on the way back home and NOT in SF!!)
Hey,
I suggest you call my friend Kim in Stuttgart. Enjoy! Looking forward to seeing you on your return.
Aloha,    MA.
(hey MaryAnn, good idea but I want to keep in the French mode. It seems that I dream almost entirely in French now . . . I’m loving it!)
Thanks for all of your input!
Love you all,
Suzanne
Self portrait taken one night coming back from an art gallery excursion — decided to “live it up” and take the streetcar rather than walk, like I usually did.