Whisker's creative corner

Sunday May 31, 2009
Ugh.  Too tired to move, but of course I have to.  This morning we move from Lille to London.  And my luggage appears to have expanded in size and weight.
    Oh, but blessing of blessings Prof. J has gotten us breakfast and I'm having coffee.  Everything can be better with caffeine.
    Although I will miss France it will be quite nice to be somewhere that one doesn't have to struggle with the language all the time.  That said, I think if I stayed on I would become quite proficient.  The only problem I'm having now is that they speak faster than my brain processes the language.  Were I able to bring that up to speed, everything would be peachy keen.
    Cannot wait to change everything over to pounds.  At the moment it would be nice simply know exactly what I have and what I could do with it.
    Will be very glad to get out of this hotel w/its permanent mold smell and nautical theme which for some reason has just plain irritated me.
    10:30ish  Bad bad thing about rail stations...pay toilets.
    12:05  The Eurostar!  The Chunnel!  London!  Woohoo!  A quite nice young man helped myself and several of my classmates put up our luggage.
    Oh yum!  Prof. J just passed aroudn a "goodbye to Fr. treat" lovely chocolates and I got a dark chocolate covered lemon peel! mmm...
    Had wickedly bad dreams last night: all about mom having a stroke and about Friend's kids, whom I miss dreadfully.  *sigh*
    So probably several miles of French countryside, followed by darkness under the English Channel, followed by several miles of English countryside.  Or maybe not.  I don't know exactly where London is situated.
    Further thoughts on Prof. D.  I bet if I compared notes w/everyone on the trip we could all come up with moments where there was something special to our experiences with him.  Which is of course, his appeal.  Tres romantique.  And the very definition of Amour Impossible. 
    One of our students has been acting the total tart!  Trying all the time to get a French man to kiss her.  Oy.  And of course we've been together most of the time so I have to sit through her clingy agressive questions to guys.  And she showed her questions in a notebook to C. who said in all seriousness, "Oh, you want me to kiss you?"  It was quite sweet, like she was a bit puzzled, but not bothered at all.
    Um...whoopsie, accidentally switched my watch an hour in the wrong direction.  I do believe I've fixed it, but I'll have to check again when we get in.
   
More later.

Saturday May 30, 2009
So today was the last full day in France.  I skipped breakfast because this blasted hotel wanted 8 euros for it! WTF??  Then F, L, and I went to meet C and J, (two students from Prof. D's class), to go to the museum.  It was quite nice and very interesting, but I could have done without it.  I do love museums, yet we're seeing so many on this trip already that I'm feeling museum dissipation.
    I had to activate my credit card to eat lunch, and feel bad cause it was really only supposed to be for emergencies.  However it was only 10 euro 50 so it shouldn't be that bad.  Husband's still in Florida so he shouldn't be using it at all.  So perhaps he won't notice.  And the transaction did go through.  I wish I'd done this yesterday and not taken the money from Prof. A.  Now I owe her that and I owe F for a 4 minute call to the States to activate the credit card.
    Some of the girls are meeting back up with C for a concert in the park but I really don't want more noise.  And I found an Hypermarche at a small mall by our metro stop which I really wish I'd found sooner as it is super cheap.  At least I bought breakfast for tomorrow and have enough euros left for if I need to buy a metro ticket tomorrow-as long as the machine takes the smaller cent pieces.

Also the book is now available at:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/flights-of-fancy/7270105

Uh, hi.  I just realized that if any of you out there read my book, you'll be able to know exactly who I'm writing about, pictures, full names, and locations.  So much for sneaky anonymity.  Aaaand, since some of the stuff I'm writing here is personal, and the persons involved don't know that I'm writing it, (and please if you like and respect me at all, they never will), I've decided that I'm going to continue writing, but take all the entries down when I'm finished.  So, I'll let all my readers know, and then I'll begin removing the earlier ones.  And I must ask the persons written about, if you ever see this, please understand it was an honest mistake.  Sry. :(

Too demoralized at myself to post another entry today, so later all.

But only in this.  The book is almost done, and will be available on lulu.com next week, I hope.  PM me if you want more details, or to buy it; only $17.80, I think.

Friday May 29, 2009
    A few things I have learned thus far: 1. I am a klutz and should not be put around things that will spill. 2. Both things that can spill and things that one wants to protect should be wrapped in plastic if possible.  3. Even though I am INTREPID EUROPEAN ADVENTURER I am happier when the teachers are taking charge, if only for a bit.
    So now, just about everything smells like wine...not necessarily a bad thing.  I totally doused my purse strap and the straps of my diary and my money belt this morning with part of a glass of cheap rose I was going to throw out.  Of course because of the sugar content, its also a bit sticky which is rather a disappointment.
    I just caught Prof. A up on my day, so at least that's as normal.  This morning we leave for Lille and later have lunch w/ Prof. D.  Prof A says we will have time to change.  If it's warm enough, perhaps I'll wear my new clothes.
    GAAH!  I went to the WC to change in the Gare du Nord and they charged me 1 euro just to use the tiny stalls and for all I changed out in the open because there was a HUGE line.  However, I HAD to change--the day turned strangely hot.
    So we're on our way to Lille on the TGV--Train a la Grand Vitess.  The countryside is quite lovely--not much like My State--more hills and the buildings are not so depressed looking. 
    I had my first metro annoyance yesterday.  Actually, 2 of them.  The first, a boy kept elbowing me in the kidneys, I think he was repeatedly trying to pick something up from the floor.  I was trying to remember how to say, Monsieur, if your son does that one more time I'm going to smack him, but I didn't recall it in time.  Then (it was apparently rush hour) this woman was elbowing me forward to hurry me off the metro, and at the same time she was STEPPING ON MY SKIRT!
    Prof. J. says that Prof. D should be able to take a look at my letters.  How cool is it to have one from during the war and one from 1838!
    If I don't look back at earlier entries, I almost don't remember how much I miss Friend.  Or how badly it hurts.*
    One thing noticable about the French countryside; whereas My State has less than 200 years of history, France has small village churches older than that.  Everything contains the feeling of immense age.  The stones which make up the buildings are so large that there are no quarries to take them out of any more of the same quality.
    I thought this was non-stop to Lille, but some passengers are getting ready.  Hmm.  I wonder if we aren't there already?
    11:20pm-Lille-We were, in fact, there already.
    Prof. D met us at the station, which was really sweet.  Then we repaired to the hotel which was a blessedly short walk (and, um, I could have changed here...grr), with all my stuff still stinking of wine.  I could get drunk just off the fumes. 
    So.  I thought lunch was going to be free...and at that point I had about 6 euro left.  For two days.  So I chose not to...well, that's a lie, I tried to order a hot dog but they were out and the woman didn't tell me.  So I just had tea and at that point Prof. D came in and asked, v. concerned, "You're not having anything for lunch?"  I had to quickly make up an excuse saying that I felt a bit hot and tea, even hot tea would help.  He nodded like he understood.  Then we went to our reception w/our e-pals** and C is fabulous!  V. chic and glam.  Also sweet, which is really good.  Some people were not so lucky, but I'm very happy with her.  I think I might make the effort to keep in touch after the trip.  The reception was lovely, coffee, tea and sweets wich rather made up for lunch.  However, then we went out for drinks and I used another 2 euros 50 on tea as it would have been bad form not to have anything.  And it has been a truly flirty afternoon!  I wore my new white skirt w/pink flowers, and the 2 white tops, one of which I had to take off half way through the afternoon (and didn't HE give me a nice look!) because we had moved to the courtyard into the sun.  Wore makeup and felt v. sexy.  There was plenty of hand touching when passing my camera back and forth; also when we went for drinks, I sat next to C and he had already set down his beer next to my place.  And when he sat down, he rather leaned into my leg a lot.  I think it's a very good thing that temptation is on this side of the Atlantic.  A very good thing.  Good looking, v. intelligent, charming, attentive, has this way of making you feel like you ae the only person on his mind.  V. compelling.  He really wants me to send him My Magazine and put down his address for me to use.  I'm going to exercise extreme amounts of self control and not include w/ the letter the phrase, "would that I could include myself" cause that would be wrong, Whiskers, very wrong indeed.  And as I told him, I know how to accept an experience for what it is and not seek to keep hold, or to grasp it.  I will write him a letter to go with the magazing, and if he wants to correspond...well we can do that, and if not, okay, that's fine too.  I am, of course, experienced enough to know when I'm being flirted with, but it certainly doesn't have to be more than it is.  He said that accepting an experience for what it is, was a very important lesson to learn, and I replied that I agreed even though it had taken a lot of pain to learn it, (thanks Friend, you bastard!)  Prof. A forced me to borrow 20 euro from her so I could go to dinner with everyone else.

*by this time I'd developed quite a crush on Prof. D, and spent less and less time thinking about Friend.  The simple uncomplicated care and affection I experienced in Paris and Lille, plus a few episodes of mild flirting w/physical closeness were enough to remind me that there are really nice people in the world who don't want only to sleep with one, or turn everything into a bloody damn soap opera.
**Part of our assignment was to be in e-mail contact w/ a student or two from Prof. D's class in Lille.  I was assigned C. and Am., but only C was at the reception. 

Thursday May 28, 2009
Prof A and I just took a walk through the rest of the Marais and found the Absinthe shop, thank god.  I don't think I'll be able to afford K's glasses...maybe a picture of them...I've still not yet decided if I'm going to get chocolate here or in London.  So happy about that Durrell book!  The stories are fabulous!  It's a compilation of stories that didn't make it into his other books.  Oh the more I wear my perfume, the better I like it.  V. complex and subtle!
    Oh, it was a long day.  First we FINALLY shook G.*  We didn't know the name of our new hotel, so we couldn't tell him.  Next we went to the Musee d'Orsay for our assignment and it was amazing!  Impressionists and pre-impressionists and huge eye level galaries of sculpture that just cried out to be touched, but of course I did not.
   Next I went by Roger la Grenouille** and it wasn't open yet and so I went on to the stamp market and it's a good thing I did because of two things. 1.It was just closing up!  4 hours early!  and 2.I found a letter from the 1800s-sealing wax and everything!
   Then I looked for Stern Graveur-almost 200 years in the same building, one that was practically built around them and they pick this year to move!
    I then went to the museum of eroticism and, well...I was a bit disappointed...although it was a TON of erotic art and...stuff...in the same place.
    I decided to skip the other stationers and come back to la Grenouille.  The frog legs are VERY good as long as you keep your mind off what exactly you are eating.
    Oh, and on the way to the new hotel, my wine bottle EXPLODED in my bag!  The whole bottle drained and shards and crumbs of glass EVERYWHERE!  Two of my books, both remaining copies of NVG, my converters, my hairbrush...all covered in what was a really nice bottle of wine and tiny glass pieces. 
   So now my feet are simply killing me and I'm feeling just a tiny bit homesick.  Husband's sense of humor would have been just perfect for the wine incident.  And I got my skirt caught in an escalator and it tore a piece off.

*a man left over from a different school group who attached to us like a limpet. 
**Paris' most famous frog legs restaurant. 

It's been a while since I posted some of the diary...  Well, here you are, day 7:

Wednesday May 27, 2009
    Here it is so close to 9:30 and the Change place is not open...The sun is not yet high enough to have warmed the stones on which I'm sitting but it is, thankfully, warming my back.  I moved my base of operations to the fountain outside the Hotel de Ville, because it is on the sun side of the street.  From here I can see the towers and rose window of Notre Dame.  It is so hard sometimes to keep myself from correcting others' mistakes.  The other day when I was at the top of the Eiffel Tower, a fellow tourist spotted a golden dome, totally in the opposite direction and said, "Oh look, that's Notre Dame!"  Um...no.  OUR Notre Dame has a golden dome, PARIS' Notre Dame has fantastic gothic architecture and famous rose windows.
    I will try to resurrect from memory what went into the notes of my perfume*.  Muget, pain d'epice, ceder, sandlewood, citrus, mandarin, rose petals, bois de muget, jasmin, civette...I wish I'd written it down, but I know she's the owner of the formula.  And I got to see the way even trying to speak French really helps when dealing with shopkeepers.  Sophie, the parfumarier, was much more friendly with me that to the couple from Florida who came in right after me.  I treated her like she could understand me, and apologized for not being able to continue the conversation in French.  I corrected myself when I called her Madame instead of Mlle, (I thought the rule was over 30...), and the couple...well they did not even try to speak French, they were rather brusque, they didn't understand the simplest mixing instructions in the world, and when I left Sophie (who had said throughout that my choices were perfect and the perfume very interesting), gave me a prettier bottle for free and told me it was wonderful to get to know me. 
      Today I also got a lovely pale orange sunrise rose called Pharon from Odorantes, and at Tea and Tattered Pages I got a Gerald Durrell book I didn't even know existed! 
     Then I went to Ding Fring, Paris' best second hand store and got two skirts and two tops for 16 euro!
    F. and I are waiting for Prof A. to get back so we can pin her down about details for switching hostels tomorrow.  I'm a bit nervous about where I'm going to put everything I've bought.

*One thing I really wanted to do was have my own scent made in Paris.  The lovely parfumarie I chose was a very tiny shop with the owner, and a few boothes, and I was the first customer of the day.  She gave me a lovely espresso and then we discussed what I wanted.  The perfume is wonderful.  Delicate, mysterious, and subtle.  I named it Amour Impossible.

Taking a short break from entering the journal today.  The program I'm using to produce the trip book, the end project for the class, is so incredibly ass-backward that in order to upload word docs with the font I want, I have to assemble the documents in Photoshop, save them as jpegs and then insert the jpeg into the MSWord doc.  Oh, and only Word 97-2003, not Word 2007.  It took all day to get back to where I was this morning.

For the first time since getting back a week and a half ago, I've lost my temper. I'll see you all tomorrow.

Tuesday May 26, 2009
    Versailles today!  Ooh!  F. gave me her chocolate croissant!
    A's eyeshadow is spectacular.  Metallic blues and purples.  I think I slept better last night...don't really remember...which indicates that I was asleep.  Either that or I'm going selectively delirious.
    The train to Versailles is amazing!  Two floors and packed to the brim w/people spilling out into the aisles or sitting cheek by jowl.  I'm beginning to get used to the causal touching.  If the motion of the train makes you bump into someone, tant pis.  I'm also quite glad that I did not bring my wrap.  It's much warmer in the train.
    Domingo's portrayal of Cyrano was powerful, ringing to the rafters and bringing the audience to its feet for three curtain calls.  The final scene, the denial, brought tears to my eyes.
    I can't believe there are people not sharing seats here.  It just doesn't seem right.
    Every time the teachers go off to have a small conference, I get nervous, not because there's any reason to...I guess it's just in my nature.  I don't like being discussed, even if it's good. 
   There is a replica Statue of Liberty on the Seine!  How wonderful is that?  I mean, they gave it to us, but still...I wouldn't have thought they would want such a reminder of our very close association.
   The woman three seats in front of me has not quite covered a black eye with makeup.  That kind of bruise is called a "mouse" and looks to be a violent purple.  Violent being the word.  There's only one way to get a bruise like that.
   I think the closeness is enforced by the tiny spaces and the immense amount of people.  In some American cities this produces intense rudeness, such as in Chicago and New York.  Here everyone is v. polite, but there is no personal space.  People will walk up right behind you and lean into you.  Or knock against you and not say pardon or excusez-moi.  It just seems expected. 
    R. seemed to think that I'll be coming back.  I would really love to...I am in love w/ this city.  I've always loved big cities, and this one has little green spaces, even on the buildings, between the cracks of the bricks, but especially in the courtyards.  R.'s courtyard was almost like a jungle, w/ a walnut tree, a trumpet vine, several lianas, pigeons and a cat.  Also in the apartment below her's there is an immense bulldog!  She was truly scornful about keeping such a huge dog in such a tiny apartment.
   12:30  I did not see the gardens, so no dropped flowers from Versailles.*  However, I did pick up a Marie Antoinette purse for E. thus discharging my daughter in law duties.  It is raining and my feet and the bottom of my skirt are soaking.  I would like to go to Pere Lachaise but I want to add a skirt and change my socks first.  It's desperately chilly.
    Prof. D. said that I am very like R. and I do see that.  We're both intelligent, confident, fiesty, opinionated, etc.
    He stirs all the old temptations.  I am trying not to flirt to overtly, but I couldn't help enjoying it and lingering a bit when he leaned into me when giving me directions to the metro.  I figure I'm going to see him twice and then never again, so as long as I don't offend anyone, (especially him, my god) or make a fool fo myself, I'm fine.
    The girls have been making a big thing of this whole "don't make eye contact" thing.  Prof D. said well yes, if a woman did look him full in the eyes he would take it as a very clear signal...while making very strong eye contact w/me.
    The cemetary was larger than one could walk in two days!  Each tomb was ornate in its own way, from neoclassical to high gothic, flying buttresses and all!  The tomb of Honore de Balzac and the palais of Abelard and Heloise were both under restorative scaffolding.  Pleh.  However, Oscar Wilde's was, I mean...*gasp*  Not one to break from tradition, I kissed his tomb, at the foot of the R in Oscar.  I left small notes at all three of the graves and took flowers and petals from each.

*I picked up dropped flowers to press in my diary.

Monday May 25, 2009
Quite tired at the moment.  Meeting w/R. today.  Pretty cool that Prof D. has worked w/her and apparently likes her quite a bit.
    I think I found Prof. A's falafel place that she was looking for.  I def. found the Jewish quarter.
    Dreamed about Friend last night...something about he was in trouble, someone had died, and at the end he asked me to tell him that I love him and miss him and he said the same to me.  I do love and miss him, but I can't tell him that.  Husband was in the dream also as a silent observer.  V. strange.
     Figured out where R. is and it's really close!  Only about 10 block.  Hope I don't miss the assignment.
    Hmm...I've just encountered what the previous student's were talking about-a shop keeper who didn't want to take my money!  How incredibly strange!  Either that or it was over 20euro for one rose and I truly think not...
   Waiting for R-She said the most striking thing about here is she has a bun and glasses and the bun is on the back and the glasses on the front.
    For a university on strike, there are a lot of students.  It really makes me miss My University for several reasons-camaraderie, the lack of smoke, and our lovely open green campus.
    Less tired now.  Must remember to tell Dad-R still has the metal "R" he gave her on her key ring and has for quite some time.  Had a delightful lunch on chicken, rice, apricots, at a cafe very close to her campus.  Just checked my e-mail-over 300 spam and a note from the Other University undergrad conf.  They are publishing the proceedings in a two volume edition-110 works over 1000 pages!  I've opted for the e-edition.  Where would I put it?
    It is unseasonably hot today, at least into the 80s I'd say.  I've arrived at the Theatre Chatelet and am outside having tea.  Seeing R. was quite an experience!  I think she loved my dad very much.  She sort of got very teary when asking me to tell him about the keyring.  Also she was so generous it was almost embarrassing.  She wouldn't let me pay for anything, and she insisted on giving me a book for the plane ride back.
    After I pay my cafe bill, but before I go inside, I'll have to go across to the lovely fountain in la place de Chatelet and look at its sphinxes.
    The beautifully fweeting police whistles almost sound like "oui, oui"
    I'm very glad I brought this dress.  It makes me feel very pretty even if I don't feel completely clean.  That shower is...well, let's just say it lacks.  I'm not entirely positive that I'll feel totally clean until I get home and have a bath.
    The pigeons here are incredible!  Even more bold than Chicago pigeons, they will walk right along with you and keep half a step ahead of you, giving the impression that they might possibly stand still to be kicked.  Of course they don't and I wouldn't even if they did, but one definitely understands that they know that this is their city.  They're almost...arrogant.  Hmm, I think the waiter gave me the wrong check.  How to handle this...I don't really want to pay 5euros40 for a cup of tea.
    So R. let me check my e-mail in  her office and showed me her flat which is utterly charming.  And bought me the best ice cream in Paris, (Madame Berthillion-Grand Marnier flavor and Salted Caramel flavor), and we talked quite a bit.  She was delightful.
   I was just asked if I'm in the right line for internet sales.  I was just trying to figure out how to ask if I'm in the right line for internet sales.  And now I'm holding his place for him.  I guess my French is more functional than I thought.   More later.
    Well maybe not.  Although I did successfully dispute my bill at the cafe, I totally mixed up my row assignment.  Oh well.
    There is something about an orchestra tuning up that is reminiscent of someone stepping on a bunch of cats of different pitch.  At 5'2", my legs, which usually don't touch the ground, are naturally butting up against the seat in front of me with my knees hanging just slightly over the top, which made it awkward when the rather, ahem, solid woman in front of me sat down.  Crossing my legs is almost impossible and definitely contraindicated.  Uncrossing them is borderline obscene.
    It turns our R also knows Prof J.  And also called Prof D, Monsieur Heartthrob. 
   Of course tonight is bringing up pleasent but painfull memories of the Monologues night because that was the last time I got really dressed up to watch something I wanted to watch.*  On that note, it is quite nice to be forced to sit down for several hours, having now been on the move for several days.  It is rather cooler in here so my feet are not bothering me so very much.  Walking back on these heels, in the dark, will be interesting...
    Et maintenent, c'est huit heures: Cyrano de Bergerac, joue de Placido Domingo!
   The subject of the opera is quite appropriate for two reasons: 1. my subject is letters and 2. a letter started this problem w/Friend.  I've always liked this theme, also having a nose which precedes me into the room by 15 minutes.  And I've never seen a quieter audience!  They are absolutely silent and mostly still, a refreshing chnage fom the loud, and rather obnoxious American audience norm.  They don't even laugh!
    I wonder if I should wear this dress to the Lille reception, or if I would be horribly out of place.  I don't usually care, but I think I would there...
    Poor Cyrano-funny and sad and touching, this opera has the lighthearted fairytale aspects of a comedy w/a female bare breasted cupid, a smattering of deitys and a giant patisserie, but the storyline/starcrossed lovers of a tragedy.
   Um...wow.  I hope this is not typical-the woman in front of me just st on the top of her seat and leaned against my knees!  Repeatedly!  WTF??

*I went to a school Monologues production with Friend.  The beginning of the end, yet a perfect night.