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5043. webfeet - 10/25/2013 3:15:05 AM The great thing about the colonialist nature of the French is that they adore the people from their colonies, and, in turn, they are revered by the natives. Take Paul Gauguin. Those portraits of topless Tahitian girls--was that a part of the scenery? How long exactly did they sit for those portraits? A couple of hours, maybe. Enough time to father a tribe, perhaps.
My son, who is thirteen, said to me, "ASk papa to flush the toilet in Tahiti."
And so I said, "Why?"
"Look, I'll show you," he said, and motioned me to the sink where he proceed to run the tap water. "See how the water swirls to the left? In countries in southern hemispheres, the water swirls to the right. It's called the coriolis effect. So I want to know if it's true."
"Oh, wow," I said, impressed. "Where did you learn that?" I asked, believing it was his biology teacher.
"The Simpsons. Bart vs. Australia," he replied.
5044. webfeet - 10/25/2013 3:17:09 AM I think I'm going to write this on my blog. Copywright today, October 24, 2013. 5045. alistairconnor - 10/25/2013 5:16:32 PM Dedicated to Arky and her phone (you've probably all seen it before and it's probably fake anyway but...)
 5046. alistairconnor - 10/25/2013 5:21:20 PM Bibiche : Recommended reading on Tahiti : Aphrodite's Island by Anne Salmond. I've read her definitive works on James Cook ("The Trial of the Cannibal Dog", worth it for the title alone) and also her "Bligh".
"Aphrodite's Island is a bold new account of the European discovery of Tahiti, the Pacific island of mythic status that has figured so powerfully in European imaginings about sexuality, the exotic, and the nobility or bestiality of “savages.” In this groundbreaking book, Anne Salmond takes readers to the center of the shared history to furnish rich insights into Tahitian perceptions of the visitors while illuminating the full extent of European fascination with Tahiti. As she discerns the impact and meaning of the European effect on the islands, she demonstrates how, during the early contact period, the mythologies of Europe and Tahiti intersected and became entwined. Drawing on Tahitian oral histories, European manuscripts and artworks, collections of Tahitian artifacts, and illustrated with contemporary sketches, paintings, and engravings from the voyages, Aphrodite's Island provides a vivid account of the Europeans' Tahitian adventures. At the same time, the book's compelling insights into Tahitian life significantly change the way we view the history of this small island during a period when it became a crossroads for Europe."
What I like is that she takes a non-ethnocentric approach, treating the strange customs of 18th century Tahitians and Europeans in an even-handed non-judgemental manner (and in many respects we feel closer to the Tahitians) 5047. alistairconnor - 10/25/2013 5:28:14 PM Memo to Bibiche : He'll have to leave his bathwater undisturbed for at least 24 hours before pulling the plug, if he wants the result to be determined by the coriolis effect rather than randomness (no, I don't know whether he has been practising this in the northern hemisphere...) 5048. judithathome - 10/25/2013 6:35:37 PM how was it the next day? All good?
I've no idea since I couldn't eat still...but Keoni ate all of it!
Speaking of which, those island babies turn out quite well!
5049. Jenerator - 10/28/2013 10:58:31 PM Anyone else here have a FitBit? Love this gadget. 5050. arkymalarky - 10/28/2013 11:06:04 PM ooh! It's the absolute best! 5051. Jenerator - 11/13/2013 12:02:14 AM Dined at Commander's Palace this past weekend.
I pretty much want to have their Fisherman's delight as the least meal of my life. Duck fat hollandaise!! Who knew?!
5052. Jenerator - 12/3/2013 12:00:18 AM Back in London then Italy for spring break 2014. 5053. arkymalarky - 12/3/2013 12:17:12 AM Wow! How nice! 5054. Jenerator - 12/4/2013 12:12:31 AM I can't explain what a hold Rome has on me. 5055. judithathome - 12/4/2013 4:56:42 AM If you feel that strong a connection, you should move there...they have an American School there, I think. A few, probably.
Life is short, Jen. 5056. Jenerator - 12/4/2013 11:56:26 PM You are so right, Judith!
I have actually looked into teaching in Italy, but it is the hardest country in the EU to work in as a (foreign) teacher. The TEFL certification is supposed to be incredibly hard too, and while I wouldn't want to be an English teacher there (that's what that certification is primarily for), I would likely still need it to be a technology/graphic design teacher. or, I can become fluent in Italian, then move there. :)
I looked at some properties the last time I was there so maybe within the foreseeable future, we can get a vacation property.
I'm even making my mom come out there in the spring! :)
Life IS short. I'm really trying to be 'in' the moment these days and enjoy each situation. 5057. arkymalarky - 12/5/2013 12:10:49 AM Have you seen Under the Tuscan Sun? I love that movie. Makes me want tolive in Italy every time iI see it. Stan and I want to spend a few weeks in Sorrento when we retire. 5058. Jenerator - 12/5/2013 11:35:37 PM I love that movie too! I want that house and that group of friends and contractors.
I check these websites regularly:
http://www.housearounditaly.com/
http://www.houseabruzzo.com/ 5059. Wombat - 12/5/2013 11:47:05 PM When I was doing my junior year abroad in Bologna, I taught English in an afterschool program at a Bologna public school. That was a loooong time ago. 5060. arkymalarky - 12/7/2013 4:07:34 AM Stan and I talked about doing that summers when we retired, but after buying the CO house and considering the complexities of dealing with aging parents, we'll be happy to just get to go for an extended visit someday. I looked at the TEFL back then but didn't dig into any details. 5061. Jenerator - 12/10/2013 11:37:53 PM Wombat - I bet that was heaven! I haven't been to Bologna yet. Hoping to see it and some other parts next summer.
Arky,
What part of CO? 5062. Jenerator - 12/10/2013 11:45:29 PM Changing topics here for a sec...
Any advice on how to handle in-laws who are incredibly passive-aggressive and mean? At Christmas I have to be around one who is all too happy to see certain members of the family fail, suffer, disappear, etc., and her husband buries his head in the sand and will lie to cover his wife's tracks.
If it were up to me, we wouldn't be around them at all, but I am going to do my best to be positive and polite. I am worried, though, that she will stir the pot with comments.
Help!
I'm dreading this!
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