Zosia comes to Paris

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the best Segway photo op ... Zosia, you know what I'm talking about

 

   

Spent a day at the Palace of Versailles...

Hall of Mirrors

Contrast in red and white

There was an outdoor medical rally to promote research... everyone received white lab coats.  Zosia definitely stood out in this crowd.

Walking along the Seine

Outside the Louvre

Funky art in the Jardin des Tuileries

Smallest street in Paris (in the Latin Quarter)...

Can you make out the name of the street -

"rue du chat qui peche"

On the Champs Elysees.  Of course we made a stop at the Louis Vuitton flagship store.

One of many cathedrals in the city.

Having a drink at "Les Deux Magots"

"Whistler's Mother"

Musee d'Orsay

Fashion week on the Champs Elysees

Les jardins de Luxenbourg

Rodin museum

Our last night in Paris.

We had a great time...when are you coming back?

Signs

Posted October 24, 2009

As I travel about with my camera, I come across signs that amuse me, puzzle me, rouse my curiosity or are just interesting. In this blog I will share a collection of these signs. They are from China and France.

The first sign is actually  the subway stop near my current apartment. It is not that interesting, but I was wondering what does the name mean.  I have discovered that Wiki can give you the background of every Paris subway stop !  (It actually gets most of this from a book  that is dedicated to the subject) What did we do before Google and Wiki?

In Paris about half the stations seem to  indicate where you are, in the city, usually related to a street, a square or a building. The rest with some exceptions, generally refer to some famous person, or a place that once existed, but no longer does exist. My stop is named after two people. Breguet is a famous family of watchmakers, Sabin was an 18th Century Paris City counsellor.

The sign below came from Shanghai. Chinese men have a penchant for spitting.  Before the Beijing Olympics, and now in Shanghai leading up to Expo 2010 there are major campaigns to eradicate this habit.  In case people forget, especially indoors, some malls connecting subways have posted these signs.

Shanghai - I wondered a lot about this sign. I know in the past, "intellectuals" in China were usually opposed to the government.  Was this a law firm specializing in defence of these people ? Now that there is less of this persecution, business is slow, and that is why they are closed. Or is it just a bad translation?

Above Beijing Park  (if you cannot read, the sign indicates things you cannot do in the park, the last item is related to the ban agaianst raising of ducka in the park.

Right- Great shopping slogan in Shanghai.

Left - Perhaps too much information on this office sign.

Below - On every government building...

Below - In order to charge extravagant prices for an ice cream cone, it helps if you can convince the consumer that you are no mere purveyor of ice cream, but in fact an artisan of ice cream. It would seem that the "fabrication maison"  seems redundant ?

Below - Beijing hotel shower

This Paris street sign below is on the way from my place to the Seine.  As I went by the first few times I always thought it said "Rue du Petit Music", and I would say silently to myself, "there is no small music, just small musicians" LOL. When I decided to take my camera along one day I realized the sign said "Rue du Petit Musc" Street of the small musk. Strange name. Seems I am not the only one to query. It is a long story, but if you go to the web sight of "The Scented Salamander" or http://www.mimifroufrou.com/scentedsalamander/2007/07/rue_du_petit_musc_quid_scented.html you will get the entire fascinating story.

Below - Another Paris street sign, one of Genya's favorites. Apparently so named because it was where young men of the 16th century went to fight. A medieval "hood" I guess

Submissions welcome.

My Friend Lily

Posted October 18, 2009 Lily Jiang is the Director of HR for Kohler China. During the 3 and a half years I was in Shanghai I came to rely on her for advise and guidance as I attempted to work in a new culture. She was always very frank and forthright with me. While we did not always agree, we came to trust each other and cemented a strong friendship. Lily has been to my house in Kohler, and I have had the pleasure of visiting her home in Shanghai and met her wonderful husband and son.

Lily is an incredible example of the resilience and strength of China. As a teenager during the cultural revolution she was taken out of school and sent to work in a mill. (Her brother had already gone to the countryside to live with the peasants). At a young age Lily had to support her family. In addition to caring for her two parents and working full time, Lily, on the advise of her father, prepared herself for the time, as he said, "this will be over one day". She taught herself English, went on to work as the assistant of the mill manager, then when China opened up to new investment, she had English skills and office skills. She joined Coca Cola as a secretary. Since then she has finished college and her MBA and is Director of HR for one of Kohlers largest businesses.

This fall Lily took a three week trip in Europe with her son, and she stayed a weekend in Paris on her way to Rome. We enjoyed a lovely day together.

Before she left China for her vacation, Lily had done her homework. She had a list of 7 things she wanted to see. We managed to see 5. We could have done more, but Lily is a more introspective tourist than I am, so on occasion we went down unplanned streets and had diversions. We spent a whole hour sitting in the sun watching children sail boats in a pond near the Louvre.
In the lobby of her hotel before we start the day.

In Foshan China, November 2005

 Tea at Lily's, Spring 2008

Dinner in Shanghai - August 2006.