vendredi 17 juin 2011
dimanche 2 janvier 2011
Thrift store find and consequent project.
Yes, that's right. I plan on translating the whole Aeneid and plenty of other Vergilian poems.
This book is a rather spectacular find. It appears to be a 1930 3rd or 4th year Latin textbook.
Yes, that's right. I plan on translating the whole Aeneid and plenty of other Vergilian poems.
This book is a rather spectacular find. It appears to be a 1930 3rd or 4th year Latin textbook.
Previously owned by a certain Alice Dewey from East High. 
There is a note inside...
vendredi 31 décembre 2010
lundi 10 mai 2010
Website to remember
http://www.rogueclassicism.com/
It will make your head spin, but I usually pick through it and find something intriguing.
It will make your head spin, but I usually pick through it and find something intriguing.
dimanche 9 mai 2010
lundi 30 juillet 2007
Sword Fight!
yesterday I may have witnessed the most hilarious french-people encounter to date. I was at a park (called Trocadero) that has the best view of the Eiffel tower. It is the one where everyone takes their pictures to prove they have been to Paris, or to convince people that they are really the same size as the eiffel tower. It was early evening and the sky had suddenly turned gray and cloudy so I planned to sit and read for a while while watching people make faces by the ET. The park is surprisingly free from street vendors (probably due to the fact that Paris' famous national theatre is also here). Just one stall that sells all the typical keychains and such, and a crepe stand opposite it. So, I decided I wanted a crepe, and just as it was my turn in line there was this nasty shouting noise behind me coming from the tourists stand. Everyone stopped and turned around, to see a well dressed business man (wearing a pin striped black suit and carrying a leather briefcase) and the two workers of the stall raising their fists and voices in ugly tones. I noticed a broken snow globe on the pavement. This is not necessarily out of the ordinary in Paris, but what happened next was certainly a once in a lifetime experience. Both parties proceeded to grab eiffel tower statues--possibly, the biggest Eiffel tower statues I have ever seen--and sword fight with them!!!!!!!!! We are talking about a complicated all on sword fight! Both footwork, and ground covered was impressive! The crepe stall workers abandoned their posts and had to intervene to keep these two at bay. Soon there were two groups of men mediating between the injured parties. It started to rain just then so after I got my crepe, I had the satisfaction of witnessing the resolution of the conflict from a nearby covered area...and then suddenly the sun came up and life resumed. Oh, Paris! You are not to be trusted.
mercredi 25 juillet 2007
Paris Traditions
Paris is beautiful, tempermental (literally the weather changes from sticky sunshine to thunderstorms in the blink of an eye), and exciting. Parisians definitely live the good life. I feel a bit rebellious sometimes against Paris. There is too much here that excites and stimulates the senses. Not enough truth.
I have witnessed some really amazing Parisian traditions. Like an annual music party where all the streets are closed to cars and various performers set up all over the city until odd hours of the morning. People just swarm everywhere, vendors are selling drinks everywhere, and everyone has a party on the streets. It was amazing! The streets were literally lined with a foot of garbage (then next day--I don't know how they did it--all was pristine again!) I mostly hung out in the student quarter where all of the rock musicians were playing. I also got to be here for the party and fireworks of Bastille day, the day they commemorate the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution. Seeing how it is their national holiday, it is sort of similar to July 4th. There was also a political protest that I got to witness, nothing so dramatic as police squads and gas bombs, but french all the same. They were burning flags that had symbols and slogans on them (it had to do with a medical law, but I couldn't understand the acronym). Everyone went way out of their way to decorate themselves and there were hundreds of people, mostly students. I wanted to participate so badly!
Right now, there is a beach constructed along the Seine River, the river that cuts straight through the heart of the city. There is a huge pirate ship for children to play in, and a misting station with plants and (best of all) beach volleyball all day. Paris has many quirks about it....there are always film festivals going on, and concerts. Every band, it seems comes to Paris eventually. Every June, there are (what are called "soldes") nationwide store sales. Everything is dramatically reduced in price. Imagine every single store in the mall having a discount sale all at the same time for an entire month...then imagine an entire country doing this! I haven't actually bought anything, or indeed gone shopping at all. Although, I did just buy a beret!
Oh, did I mention the strange event that happens every Friday evening at midnight until 3:00 in the morning??? You will never guess what the Parisians like to do....they rollerblade! Yep, thousands of people strap on their blades and go on a fast paced, 3 hr long excursion through the city every single Friday night!!!!! It is hilarious. According to the internet, it is the single biggest gathering of rollarbladers in the world...and it happens weekly. Why, you might ask? Because they can. Because there aren't a whole lot of bike lanes and areas to exercise in, because there are 11 million people in Paris, and everything is too crowded to adopt a nice leisurely jog as the mode of exercise...so, the hobby is: rollarblading. I wish I could participate but it is not for beginners and I can't find a place to rent blades.
I have witnessed some really amazing Parisian traditions. Like an annual music party where all the streets are closed to cars and various performers set up all over the city until odd hours of the morning. People just swarm everywhere, vendors are selling drinks everywhere, and everyone has a party on the streets. It was amazing! The streets were literally lined with a foot of garbage (then next day--I don't know how they did it--all was pristine again!) I mostly hung out in the student quarter where all of the rock musicians were playing. I also got to be here for the party and fireworks of Bastille day, the day they commemorate the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution. Seeing how it is their national holiday, it is sort of similar to July 4th. There was also a political protest that I got to witness, nothing so dramatic as police squads and gas bombs, but french all the same. They were burning flags that had symbols and slogans on them (it had to do with a medical law, but I couldn't understand the acronym). Everyone went way out of their way to decorate themselves and there were hundreds of people, mostly students. I wanted to participate so badly!
Right now, there is a beach constructed along the Seine River, the river that cuts straight through the heart of the city. There is a huge pirate ship for children to play in, and a misting station with plants and (best of all) beach volleyball all day. Paris has many quirks about it....there are always film festivals going on, and concerts. Every band, it seems comes to Paris eventually. Every June, there are (what are called "soldes") nationwide store sales. Everything is dramatically reduced in price. Imagine every single store in the mall having a discount sale all at the same time for an entire month...then imagine an entire country doing this! I haven't actually bought anything, or indeed gone shopping at all. Although, I did just buy a beret!
Oh, did I mention the strange event that happens every Friday evening at midnight until 3:00 in the morning??? You will never guess what the Parisians like to do....they rollerblade! Yep, thousands of people strap on their blades and go on a fast paced, 3 hr long excursion through the city every single Friday night!!!!! It is hilarious. According to the internet, it is the single biggest gathering of rollarbladers in the world...and it happens weekly. Why, you might ask? Because they can. Because there aren't a whole lot of bike lanes and areas to exercise in, because there are 11 million people in Paris, and everything is too crowded to adopt a nice leisurely jog as the mode of exercise...so, the hobby is: rollarblading. I wish I could participate but it is not for beginners and I can't find a place to rent blades.
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