La vie à grande vitesse - Life in the fast lane

A rush-rush trip to France. A business trip of sorts. I arrive in Juan-les-Pins in mid September, my favorite time of year. But within hours after landing, my daughter and I have started work that involves her renovation projects in the South and Paris area. Life in the fast lane. Estimates. Rendez-vous. How does she keep track of everything! I begin to wonder how much help I will actually be. We take the TGV to Paris for a 24-hour séjour. The calm of our train stations at Cannes and Antibes contrasts with the Gare de Lyon, where we are pushed along quais by travelers and noisy suitcases and down into the métro. A change at Châtelet. Where is the escalator?

Just north of Paris, we are pushed and shoved by more crowds in rainy, chilly weather. No hot water in the apartment where we are staying to wash off the dust and soot of our work. In a little more than 24 hours, we return to the Gare de Lyon this time by taxi, hoping the SNCF will not be on strike. By now, I am succumbing to a cold. . . . Back to the Côte d’Azur. Now, appointments with governments agencies for that paperasse they always seem to need. Lines that resemble immigration at JFk with matching attitudes of employees. Even my daughter, experienced with the mentalité functionnaire, seems disconcerted. . . . . Even with a few setbacks, we are progressing but at a slower pace. It is the South of France, after all. And the next stop--the pharmacy. . . .

On Concierges, Hedgehogs and Life. . .

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (translated from French by Alison Anderson), 2006. The story is told by Madame Michel, a 54-year-old concierge, and through journal entries of Paloma, a 12-year-old super-intelligent rich girl. Madame Michel is self taught and cultured in the arts and philosophy. She tries to maintain that illusion of the “typical” French concierge with bunions, a television blaring and odor of cabbage soup emanating from the lodge.

Paloma, the daughter of a French politician, downplays her intellect, describes the difficulty in maintaining her illusion of being an ordinary student. At the same time, she plans to commit suicide on her 13th birthday because life has no meaning. Both the concierge and the young girl self fashion to fit social expectations. That is until the mid point of the book, when a new tenant, a Japanese named Kakuro Ozu, moves in. In his quiet, patient way, he disregards the rigid social hierarchy of the luxury apartment and introduces the concierge and Paloma. The story is filled with defining moments—a misplaced comma in a note, a book from the publisher Vrin in a net shopping bag, quotations from Anna Karenina, the ritual of cups of tea, the joy then discomfort of an invitation that defies social class. One of the most moving sequences occurs as Madame Michel reflects on her friends. At the end of the book, Paloma observes that life has the “odd moment of beauty where time is no longer the same. It’s as if those strains of music created a sort of interlude in time, something suspended, an elsewhere that had come to us, an always within never.” And the title? Paloma says the concierge has “elegance of the hedgehog: on the outside, she’s covered in quills, a real fortress. . but on the inside, she has the same simple refinement as the hedgehog: a deceptively indolent little creature, fiercely solitary—and terribly elegant.” A delightful story (to be enjoyed at many levels) that forces readers to examine their assumptions. . . .

Big wedding - Elope . . . .Jane Tolbert muses

Big weddings take a lot of planning and collaboration. Selection of location. Hotel group rates. Negotiations. Transport to and from events for guests. Menus for the rehearsal dinner and reception. Flowers. Table arrangements. Music. Hair-nails-gowns-tux. For a while, I was tempted to whisper, “Elope” or “City hall.” And I was the groom’s mother. What was the bride’s mother going through? Not to mention the bride and groom. . . . And the bride planned it all.

Already, pre-wedding events had been rained out or subjected to the Derecho that blasted the Northeast in late June. For the outdoor wedding on Sept. 7, Google weather showed black clouds and lightning bolts, anything but ideal. Then, the tux did not all fit, and the best man’s flight was delayed 24 hours. Somehow, the couple remained calm. . . . The tailors worked miracles. The ceremony was delayed 30 minutes to enable the best man to dress. The sun appeared. Stilettos did not sink in the ground. Family and friends arrived from all corners of the world.

In retrospect, this wedding was one of the most meaningful events in terms of joining a couple, renewing friendships and visiting with family. The bride’s mother has two other daughters. She’s hoping for a two-year reprieve before the next event takes place. And when my daughter decides to get married, I won’t even think “elope.” So now if anyone asks, I would recommend a big wedding. There are numerous ways to cut costs. After all, memories are priceless, and the times we get together are too rare.

Labor Day--Not All is the Stuff of History Books

Many of us associate Labor Day with barbecues, last days at the beach, the start of school or department store sales. Until today, I hadn't given too much thought to the origins of Labor Day since fourth-grade history books. But I have had a nagging question. Why does the US celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday of September when other countries recognize May 1 as the international workers’ holiday? Labor Day was recognized as a federal holiday in 1894. The reason President Grover Cleveland selected September as opposed to May was to avoid association with the “radical roots in syndicalist labor history,” as pointed out by Jerry Elmer in an op-ed piece carried by Truthout.org. In France, the Fête du Travail (of May 1) commemorates the Chicago Haymarket Riots (the "radical roots" mentioned above) that began May 1, 1886, to bring about the eight-hour workday. It was a day of nationwide protests and strikes in which workers walked off their jobs, and in Chicago, police forces began shooting. Today, we're experiencing high rates of unemployment and underemployment. At the same time, corporate profits continue to increase. Will history books and department store sales enable future generations of fourth graders to have a better understanding of Labor Day. . . .Hummmm.