I returned to my favorite city, Lyon, for the annual world famous fete des lumieres (festival of lights) last weekend. My camera batteries died as usual, but here is a link to a site with an album of photos: http://www.lumieres.lyon.fr/fetedeslumieres/sections/fr/lyon_et_la_lumiere/album_photos. The festival started as a festival to thank Saint Mary for saving the city from an epidemic of cholera or the plague or some disease like that, but now it has become more of a show, an attraction...and attract people it does...4 million people go to see it, including me and my friend Claudia. It was a more attractive option than another night studying boring (now a noun). We only had a few hours so we ran around town to the main attractions where we saw them turn bland buildings into disney-like magical creations, set a building an abandoned train station on fire with lights and fill another building up with water and make fish swim in it (with lights too..don't worry). I had roasted chestnuts (marrons chaud) and mulled wine (vin chaud) and had a real nice time. Below is a picture overlooking the fete des lumieres from the hilltop.


The funniest thing about the festival was the plethora of Indian phonies putting on shows. On every corner there was a group of people playing those pipes from South America but wearing the traditional costumes and doing the stereotypical dances of the North American Plains Indians (headdresses and such) and pocahontas outfits. I guess Europeans are really into that. I asked one group what tribe they were from and she said ecuador. Hehe.


I also went for the first snowshoeing expedition of the season. It was wonderful, the weather was half blizzard/half clear so we got the best of both worlds as you can see from my photos below (and more at my www.picasaweb.com/allstadt.k). I spent most of my time at the back of the line as you can see from my photos mostly of people snowshoeing swiftly away from me, but it is torture to be not in the back, on hikes here, the French all walk so close to each other like trail horses with their nose in the butt of the one ahead. It's hard to enjoy the mountains (which is the reason for going, no?) when all you can see is the stylish backpack of the guy in front of you. But I can't change a culture...not my country...I'll just linger behind with my pink, green and blue mismatching clearance rack outfit, thats where the outcasts belong.


Going on this snowshoeing excursion, it surprised me how serious they are about avalanches here. They made me carry a shovel and a probe (the probe to poke in the snow and see if it says ouch and then use the shovel to dig if it does) and we had to wear sensors that send out a signal so people can find you. Avalanches claim a lot of lives though, I heard that three people just from the Geology Laboratory died last year in avalanches. It makes me a little less excited about all the snowshoeing and ski hiking I wanted to do...though it would be cool to see an avalanche...as long as it's not while hurtling towards me.


On this hike I met a guy from Romania who did his PhD at SUNY Binghamton. Small world. When he talked about his first impression of Binghamton he wondering what kind of place was this that had no city center?' And that reminded me of one thing that I prefer in France/Europe over the US...their downtowns are vibrant and alive and lacking the empty storefronts of most American downtowns. I don't know how they do it, they have these hypermarches and giant big box stores just like us that destroyed our city centres, but somehow they still have their downtowns filled with small quaint owner-run shops and cafes. If I asked a French person, I bet you a hundred dollars they'd say it's because stores can't be open on Sunday. Another interesting thing is that here the 'inner city' is where the rich live and the suburbs are filled with really tall buildings and poor people. Backwards from us.


For some reason last weekend Grenoble set up a giant ski jump and cross country ski racetrack in the park near my house and they trucked in snow from the mountains (maybe it's to prove to the Olympic committee that they are capable of holding winter games...they want them back in 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their last olympics) Anyways, it was nice to get to watch xc ski racings and ski jumping 5 minutes from mi casa.




There is one thing France really does right...socialized medicine. I experienced it for the first time Monday. I went to the doctor early that morning expecting there would be a long line since there is always a long line for everything here. There was no one there, I went immediately to see a nurse who took my symptoms (or whatever it was I said in broken french) and gave me an appointment for that same day. No one asked for any insurance information or where was I was from or even my French social security number which is for medical stuff. So weird. Then I went to my appointment later and didn't have to wait at all again and the doctor was nice, though it was a little weird that she told me to undress in front of her and I got no gown and she didn't leave the room, she just stood there watching. I heard from my friends that for x-rays you have to walk around naked. Culture difference abound. Anyways, she gave me a prescription right then and I went to fill it and I didn't have to wait for 20 minutes like at CVS, they just grabbed it right while I was at there. I only have the social security without a 'mutuelle' (which covers the costs not covered by the state) so my prescription wasn't fully covered. They kept asking me to make sure I didn't have some other insurance card that I forgot about to cover the rest and they apologized that I had to pay something. It cost 1 euro and 60 cents. Boohoo.