(188-190): Good Times

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So, something I totally forgot to mention from when I was in Athens back in April. As Kirizabeth and I walked around, there were all these guys sitting along the sides of the streets selling little toys and knickknacks. You know how McDonald's conducts studies to figure out how closely they can space their restaurants so that they don't interfere with each other's business? These guys don't do that. Then again, the sales on gummy-esque toy tomatoes that re-form after you splat them down on a surface is probably already so low that they don't have much more to fear business-wise. So, as you walk, you'll see almost a dozen guys lining a given street, sitting in front of cutting boards, and relentlessly throwing these toy tomatoes down onto them, stopping only to look up as you pass with the identical (and identically delivered) line "Hello my friend!"

Funniest visual of 2010.

(188) is Tuesday, 13 July 2010.

And speaking of visuals, here are a few more photos from the last few days.

The last couple days have been awesome. Bastille Day (French independence day*) was on Wednesday, so there was lots to do. Tuesday night featured a HUGE rave (that's techno for "dance party") on the beach at Cannes. Right on the beach. Good DJ and several hundred people just there to enjoy. It was great...!

I got home after a few hours and caught fireworks over the bay here in Juan-les-Pins. And my nifty new camera has a special 'Fireworks' mode.

(189) is Wednesday, 14 July 2010.

Wednesday was a national holiday, so no class got in the way of my sleeping in. My roommate Tiziano and I really didn't do much... We mostly hung out at the house because everywhere with air conditioning (namely the library) was closed for the holiday and my fan was the best we could do in the brutally hot weather.

But that night, I got a great bistro dinner and went back over to Cannes for their fireworks. They have an international fireworks festival going on now, with one entry per week. The next one is next Wednesday (the 21st), and I would go see it, but I have jazz tickets (more on that shortly). But suffice it to say that the display that I did catch (from a team representing the Czech Republic) featured some of the most dazzling pyrotechnics I have ever seen.

Also, just a note on the peculiarity of American film release dates in other countries. Today, Toy Story 3 was released in France. Compare that with the 17 June release date in the Czech Republic.

(190) is Thursday, 15 July 2010.

Class again today, followed by lunch at the CIA cafeteria (which is actually a good deal and very convenient). I met a few new people and hung out with them at the (open and air-conditioned) library for a bit. They're in intro-level French classes, which is cool because I get to help them out and practice being a teaching assistant for the coming school year. Also, they're very nice and a group of us are all going out tomorrow (Friday/(191)) night.

I then got dinner at Wich, a basically gourmet sandwich stand located here, not far from the center of Old Town Antibes. I took it and waited in line for one of the best concerts I've ever attended.

I don't know how well I've explained this, but Juan-les-Pins is famous for its annual jazz festival, one that consistently attracts the biggest names in jazz each year. There are 10 days of concerts on their main stage, which is set up with the audience overlooking the water (that is, if they can take their eyes off the performers). I bought very reasonably-priced tickets** to five shows. Tonight's bill had two acts, the first of which was a trio formed of saxophonist David Sanborn, drummer Steve Gadd, and organist/vocalist/trumpeter Joey DeFrancesco. They were quite good (DeFrancesco was my favorite). And their finale featured a guest appearance by jazz guitarist John McLaughlin.

The second act was George Benson and his band. They blew me away.

After this epic 3-hour concert, I left and, as I passed the town's big casino hotel, I ran into Steve Gadd and Joey DeFrancesco coming out. I told them they were fantastic, thanked them for the evening, and shook both their hands. I then got a crepe with Nutella and Grand Marnier to finish the evening. To quote Ray Charles:

Let the good times roll.

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Footnotes

* Just a historical note: Bastille Day was when the French citizens desperately broke into the Bastille prison/fortress in Paris (I don't know that it's still standing) on 14 July, 1789. A new constitution was in the works, but the people had reason to believe that they and their representatives were in danger from the absolutist regime. So, in an effort to free unjustly detained political prisoners and gather arms against the attack they so feared, a huge mass of people stormed the Bastille in what has become emblematic of French pride and tradition. And, emblematic of this lovably contradictory culture, there were exactly 7 prisoners in the Bastille that day. And none of them really mattered. And they certainly didn't find any weapons of mass destruction.

** This is one thing I will certainly miss about Europe. France in particular is very good to its students. In the United States, on the other hand, a movie theater will give you 50 cents - maybe - off of an overpriced evening ticket, and no discount during the day. But French museums will let students in for 50-100% off, and I got my jazz tickets for about a third of their "starting from" prices in the brochures.