Dudes In Geneva: Phun in Phrance (phor a change)

Hi, all,

I've been wanting to catch up with a few things for a long time - in the midst of all the craziness, some idle chit-chatty fun.

K and I had an American date in June. We got a babysitter, and then because we wanted to see a movie we had a quick dinner at...where else, when you want an American meal? That's right! Mac-and-D's! In downtown Geneva. Actually the first place we walked into K asked for a shake, and the lady behind the counter said they didn't have any - and K was gabberflasted! Until the lady admitted that this wasn't McDonald's, it was the restaurant next door, called "Swiss meal", I believe. Sort of a Swiss response to American cultural imperialism. We hightailed it outta there.

Then afterwards we went to see the latest Star Trek movie back in May. I report this mainly for the S.I.L., who, after the extensive review I posted for Angels and Demons, wanted to know what we would think.

Great entertainment, but somehow at the end I felt cheated (so here be spoilers, if anyone cares at this point...). I suppose I'm one of those ST geeks not geeky enough to go to a convention - unless it was only a few miles away - but geeky enough to care about whether they messed with the ST world, and this movie very seriously messes with the ST world. I mean, like, it permanently alters and invalidates every TV episode and movie ever made up to this point! - except for First Contact. Forget all that - all it has to do is invalidate the original series and that's like tossing a Qu'ran into the toilet to a Gitmo detainee. They have VRs (virtual riots) in Silicon Valley over this kind of thing.

They said we would get the back story to how the original crew got together, but we didn't even get that - we got the back story in some kind of freaky alternate Universe. Now us Trekkies know about alternate Universes, they're great fun. But you always, always, ALWAYS! reset back to the beginning by the end of the episode.

Honestly, one of the main complaints about the original series was that any crazy thing could happen in one episode, and in the next it was like J.R. on Dallas waking up from a dream - it never happened. But this goes too far. Hmm. Maybe it'll be like when they killed off Spock in ST#2. They brought him back in ST#3. But man! At least they gave you a hint at the end of ST#2. And now instead of killing of Spock they kill off his whole family and home world! What cosmic offense did the Vulcans commit against The Great Roddenberry (Trekkie genuflect) to deserve this karmic punishment? You "Entertainment Tonight" watchers back in the States, perhaps you can enlight us on any interviews or making of specials or talk show gigs done by actors or writers or directors as to what they were thinking?? Yow!

Yet another thought occurred to me, and that is that the ST movie reflects some of the angst around the LHC and the so-called possibility of the Earth being swallowed by a black hole from within the middle. So once again the world revolves around me. ;)

Speaking of geeks, here's a fun cartoon I saw on a T-shirt at CERN today. Only Unix/Linux geeks would get it...

You may not know this, but 2009 is the 500th anniversary of John Calvin's birth (on July 10th, to be precise). This is particularly important to the city of Geneva because it was through Calvin's influence that the entire city converted from Catholicism to Protestantism. (USAToday: "...used dictatorial means in making Geneva a Protestant Rome, but he also planted the seeds of modern democracy". Oh, brother! "Come see the violence inherent in the system! Help, help I'm being repressed!")

So yet another fun thing I did in June was to go on a walking tour of downtown Geneva put on by some folks from my church. It was specifically intended to discuss landmarks around Geneva that played into the Reformation at the time of Calvin.

On the left is a sign that marks the place where Calvin lived until his death in 1564. In the background you see the St Pierre's Cathedral spire, where he preached. Closer up...

...and a sign near the cathedral commemorating the spot where the citizens of Geneva elected to accept the Reformation in 1536.

I suppose it's because I'm not tied in very well to the local culture here, but it didn't seem like anyone made a very big deal about it, certainly not in proportion to the importance of Calvin in the history of the city. Here's the tour director standing in front of the auditorium named after him, but it was locked on this particular Monday.

Phun with Phrench

Security guard at the gate: "Allez-y"

Me: "A lazy what?"

Phun with Phrench 2

...and it's a big But...

...but what? What do you suppose they sell there? Anyone? Bueller?

Would you believe it if I told you it's like a Wickes furniture store?

We've been doing a lot of our shopping for household furnishings at "Le Boîte a Outils" ("The Toolbox") which is just a stones throw from the big But. It's more like a Home Depot kind of place.

The French word "boîte" gets a lot of use. It means literally "box". But the French use it in reference to buildings, particularly night clubs. To say you went night clubbing you say "Je suis allé en boîte." They also use it for cans too; vegetables in a can would be "légumes en boîte".

...doing a little still-life photography that I like to call:

Phun with Phrench Phruit

Put the kids to bed Mabel, they're rolling out the French fruit!

Speaking of big buts...

It's a good thing K carved this thing up before I thought up other pictures to take...

...especially before this tomato came along...

"Hé, Jacques, qui est une tomate dans votre poche...?"

"I am not a crook!"

Keep looking up...

...and not down!

Don't do it, you have so much to live for!

I guess this is what you get when you mix French agriculture, French nuclear power, and decadent French culture. Maybe the NEA will give me a grant to investigate further if that whole CERN "thing" doesn't work out.

Phun at Phrench Phood Phive-and-Tens...

Don't see too much of this in Minnesota grocery stores, that's for sure!