Bad Moon on the Rise!

I see the bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin'.
I see bad times today.

Don't go around tonight,
Well, its bound to take your life,
Theres a bad moon on the rise.

I hear hurricanes ablowing.
I know the end is coming soon.
I fear rivers over flowing.
I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

All right!

Hope you got your things together.
Hope you are quite prepared to die.
Looks like we're in for nasty weather.
One eye is taken for an eye.






As some of you may have seen on the news, there was trouble in the Gare de Nord in Paris on Monday. While nowhere near the 'action', Marie-Eve and I had the 'pleasure' of taking the 7-line metro which passed through the station as we made our way home from visiting friends who live near Stalingrad. As the metro pulled into the station, we saw a number of people on the platform with the fronts of their shirts pulled over part of their faces.

Luckily they did not turn out to be those who were causing the trouble but unfortunate bystanders trying to escape the chaos. As the train doors opened, the guy waiting to get in started to warn people not to go out as there was some sort of gas in the station. Soon everyone throughout the train car began to react to the tear gas. Although it was only less than a minute, it seemed like the train remained at the platform for an eternity. Even after we left, people still continued to hack and cough, with their eyes tearing up. Bienvenue to the real France. The tension is on the rise as France heads into a very important election.

Another Day at the Office.

Compared to the window-less hole in the wall of the Bellamy Building, my new “office” is a palace. While not an actual palace, it is a castle – Chateau de Vincennes! Initially the site of a royal hunting lodge, like Versailles, the castle was built in the 13^th/14^th century and served as a royal residence until Louis XIV built the illustrious palace at Having served as a prison, weapons factory and even a boulangerie, the Castle had been used as a barracks since Napoleon. At the beginning of World War II, the castle was used as Gamelin’s headquarters. Unfortunately must of the castle was damaged when Waffen-SS exploded stores of explosives as the Germans retreated from Normandy. (See images here)

You can find me in the Service Historique de la Defense, Département de la Marine, which is located in the Queen’s House. The reading ream is a paradise compared to those of the Archives Nationales or the nearby Départemenet de l’Armée de Terre. With nice padded chairs, ample space to spread out documents and a friendly staff, this is researchers’ heaven.

For those who wish to stop by and see me, my office hours are M, T, W, F 9am-4pm.

Quaint little village in the middle of Paris.

What is interesting about Paris is that in the middle of this huge urban jungle, there are little quaint areas like this that are nestled away far from the typical touristy locations. This little neighborhood, known as the Square des Peupliers, is located south of Place d'Italie in the southern 13th Arrondissement. These little houses are currently owned by a people who are "intellectuals and other liberal professions" and are very proud of their vegetation. The locals are known to refer to this area as the countryside. And with the relative calm, it is not hard to imagine oneself in the countryside.

What kind of opera is that?

I came across this sign a few months back after I picked up my lunch at the nearby Monoprix and was walking back to work at Berlitz Opera. Upon first glance, the name of this restaurant/cafe made me do a double take. What kind of things did they serve there? The "Bend Over" croissant? The "Squeal-Like-A-Pig" Special? The "Don't Drop the Soap" candy bars? I was too afraid to find out, so I quickly snapped the picture and ran.

The Beginning

Well, I've always thought about starting up a blog since we've moved to France. It is an easy way to let everyone know what's going on in one's life without overloading everyone's email box with long emails. Then I met Jerry, who uses his blog to display his artwork. So after much hesitation, I finally decided to bite the bullet and set up a blog. I can't promise that I'll update it that regularly. Many of my weekdays are boringly spent working in the archives by day and teaching English in the evening. However, on the weekends, Marie-Eve and I are beginning to explore Paris. Not the boring touristy parts that are on everyone's "Must See" list, but rather those places off the beaten path. Those small quint areas that can be quite surprising to find in the vastly crowded Paris landscape.