Flaming Apple Fritters!

...Batman!

Greetings, all, and Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there from... America's New Best Friend?! We'll see how that all shakes out, but I find it very interesting.

Re: the title, you might call it the Tex-ified rendition of the more obscure, exotic French from whence it came: "Beignets de pommes flambé". I knew immediately I had a blog title that could grab. And photos to boot!





Those of you more cosmopolitan types out there may already find this to be "no big deal, been there, done that." But the sight of apple fritters that looked like Krispy Kreme donuts being doused in sake and set on fire before your very eyes was a novelty to us uninitiated Midwestern hicks. K and I went to the local "Palais d'Asie" Chinese/Thai restaurant here in St. Genis to celebrate K's birthday for our date night last night. As with so many other places around here, the outside looked very non-descript, like a delapidated strip mall, but the inside looked like a top-notch classy restaurant, more like a typical French restaurant. The final coupe de grace ("da's French!" - from what movie, anyone?) were the pair of shot glasses and hot washcloths they brought at the end. K declined while I pounded mine down the way you're supposed to. But K's abstention allowed her to notice one thing: there was a naked man at the bottom of her glass! Then I noticed that the two shot glasses, made of finest white Chinese porcelain, were tinted pink and blue. What do you suppose was at the bottom of the blue glass? Nothing, until we poured some of K's unimbibed sake into it. Then you could see a pornographic picture of a naked woman. And I do mean pornographic.

Again: for those of you more cosmopolitan types out there, "been there, done that." Still, rather a shock and a titillation for us seeing something like that in a fine Chinese restaurant - in any kind of restaurant. Perhaps, being in France, I should not be in the least bit surprised...

And maybe the French-ified Chinese waiters and French customers were not so surprised when after our meal we pulled out our card game of Authors and played a couple rounds right there. If they didn't know we were Americans before, they certainly knew by the time we were done. We did indeed have an enjoyable date night! :)

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Certainly most Americans aren't even aware of it, but it's hard not to be when you live here: the Euro Cup 2008 matches are proceeding apace here in Geneva. One can always tell - you hear yelling from windows, on the streets. Flags are hanging from said windows; flags are flying from posts hanging out the side of cars. Cars go screaming down the streets with horns blaring, and people hanging out the window waving their country's flag too. With a city as international as Geneva, you're pretty much guaranteed of finding fanatical supporters of just about any soccer team here.

Our pastor made a joke of it today: "Normally during the offering we have accompanying music, but I thought a moment of silence would be appropriate for the Swiss football team." (The Swiss got beat last night by Turkey.) Groans and chuckles from the congregation...

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Meanwhile, B continues to motor all about on all fours everywhere he goes, and win the hearts of people that meet him. Today he motored around the church after the service was over. He seems to have gained some self-confidence by virtue of this too, as he seems more amenable to being left with babysitters and in the church nursery. The physical therapist says that all this crawling helps with his neurological development too. And he pulls himself up to his knees and grabs onto your leg. He's graduated from ankle-biter to leg-licker on his way to being a knee-knibbler.

Take care,
-PKBD