monkeys love shiny things

1 Sabbath 2 hikes

2009-07-02T16:39:00.008-06:00

Sundays have always been a time for me to rest from the normal day to day activities of the week. Usually I try to do something relaxing and peaceful so I can think about this little world we live in and my place in it. So, this being my first Sunday here, I decided to head out and do some exploring outside the city.

This is a panorama shot of Clermont-Ferrand from the first hill I "hiked" to (there was a paved trail all the way to the top). As always you can click on the picture for a better view.

The old city from the same hill. I live almost exactly between those two cathedrals.

While I was on the hill I noticed, across the valley on another hill top, a castle tower looking thing. Can you see it? I had no idea what it was so I decided to go check it out.

After a few hours of walking across the valley and a few stops to ask directions, I arrived. Yep, just what I thought, a castle tower thingy. After looking around for a bit, I went back down the hill to the nearest village and found a bus stop. I was back home in 35 minutes, ha ha.

Here's a view of Clermont from the hill with the tower. What a great way to spend a Sunday.

Butterflies with wings and other perfect things (oh, and happy birthday Canada)

2009-07-01T13:25:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure what this guy is doing right in his life but by the looks of things (i.e the beam of light) God's giving him some special attention.

I took this while on a hiking adventure I went on last sunday. This is the ONLY time in my life when I actually took the picture in time before the thing flew, ran, or slithered away. But, remember, it only needs to happen once to make your day.

This one is for Char. Here you go, pico de gallo à la française.

My home for a little while

2009-06-28T11:54:00.002-06:00

Yep, I got him. He had no idea that I was exploiting his ridiculously perfect looking french chef-ness to show everyone back home, but I was. Thank you Monsieur Vincent, thank you.

This is the view from my window. About three times a week there are markets that pop up all over this part of the city. It's actually a pretty cool way of doing things. Whenever I want to go food shopping I just wait for the market days, wake up, put on some clothes, go down the stairs, walk ten feet, buy what I want for the next few days, (try to barter on the prices but always get shut down hard), and then go home with great tasting, organic, straight out of some dude's garden, healthy food. Beats the heck out of Wal-Mart.

Close up of the one of the food stands under neath my apartment. This is my street, love it.

Rue de Gras. Another angle of the main drag in the old city. This view never gets old.

Here's a closer angle for your viewing pleasure. I like the building that's painted blue on the left. Thought it was a nice touch.

What the eff am I doing?

2009-06-27T10:46:00.001-06:00

It's just been brought to my attention that I have yet to explain what it is I'm doing here in France. Well, that's a great question but I'm afraid the answer requires some explaining. How about I start with explaining what I'd ideally like to accomplish while I'm here and then follow that up with what realistically might happen? Cool?

I'm here doing a field study through BYU on Muslims in France and how certain aspects of their religious beliefs affect their integration (or lack of integration) into French society. Islam has always fascinated me as well as Muslims in diaspora so I'm really excited.

What I'd ideally like to see happen is that I will produce, through observing and interviewing members of the community here in Clermont Ferrand, a great piece of academic research that will provide some insightful information about Islam in contemporary European society and hopefully contribute something to the already highly researched topic of Islam in France, Europe and the West.

What realistically might happen is that I'll suck. I've never done a project like this before. I really don't know what I'm doing or how to do it and I really don't have anyone to help me. I'm fully prepared for this to not turn out ideally. But you know what? I think that's okay. I don't need this research project to go well to graduate or get a good grade in a class. It's more for the experience of trying something new and seeing what comes out of it. As long as I try my best and work my hardest I'll be happy with what comes from it. Honestly.

But things are going a lot better already than I could have ever imagined. I've been here for less than a week so far and I've already located and visited every mosque in the city, made several friends within the Muslim community here and weaseled my way into being able to volunteer and help in the construction of the new enormous mosque their building that should be done around the end of august. I'm super pumped about how things are turning out. I'll make sure to keep everyone up to date with what's going on as things happen. Cool? C'est bon? طيب؟

Ratatouille ≠ Love

2009-06-26T05:10:00.007-06:00

These pictures are high resolution so feel free to click on them to get a closer look.

The main drag in the old part of Clermont Ferrand. Say what you like about their life style, economic policies or politeness, but the French sure know how to make rockin cities.

This is a view of the Cathedral Notre Dame de Clermont Ferrand. It's made out of the volcanic rock found in the area and that's what gives it its freakish black color.

Ratatouille. I saw some for sale at one of the food places by the downtown market and decided to try it out. I mean, hey, Pixar hasn't disappointed me yet, right? Let's just say it's okay. Nothing worth making into a full length motion picture or anything, but worth trying.

Jet Lag and Cheese

2009-06-23T12:55:00.001-06:00

Although I'd like to contribute my overall ugliness in this picture to the fact that I'd been traveling for some 23 hours straight, I'm afraid I always look like this. A little dirty, a little foggy around the eyes, a little bit caveman-ish.

This the only picture I've taken so far of the city where I'm staying. If you look up in the top right hand corner you can see Le Puy-de-Dome, one of the only volcanoes in France. More pictures to follow.

Nothing like a little Camembert, a baguette, a pain au chocolate and some strawberry juice to start the day. Too bad I fell asleep right after this and slept for 7 hours. Woops.

Life's To Dos

2009-04-01T00:05:00.004-06:00

There are quite a few things that I'd like to do before I leave this beautiful little world. These things range from giving up Coke to learning Arabic to graduating law school to having a pet Flemish Giant rabbit to retiring in Switzerland. I think most people have a similar list of "Life To Do's" either written down somewhere or logged away in the day dreaming corners of their brain.

Here's something that should be on everyone's "to do" list.

I saw a link to this video on a friend's facebook (thanks Spencer) a few weeks ago and freaked out! This is a video of an event held every year in Gloucestershire England called "The Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake." Essentially, the event consists of a group of people charging down a nearly vertical hill after a rolling wheel of local Gloucestershire cheese. Insanely entertaining to watch, just imagine how fun it would be TO DO it!

The video doesn't do the hill's decline justice. Click here for some pictures from a better angle.

monkeys love shiny things... like ipods

2009-03-10T04:58:00.007-06:00

In a state of shock, kneeling on the library floor next to my chair, I picked up the remnants of that extremely meaningful piece of machinery and held it in my hands, rhythmically smoothing over the cracks in the "nearly" indestructible glass with my thumb and index finger, hoping somehow that my caring touch would restore it to its former beauty. But all was lost. The damage was done.
I broke my ipod today. A brief moments of carelessness, a panicked juggle, a two foot drop, the corner of a wooden chair and it was all over. That poor little $300 concoction of tin, genius and glass never stood a chance.

As a defeated man and only to the silence of the crunching snow beneath my feet, I weaved my way home through campus, then down the steps and out onto the street. I felt like a part of me had just died.

Have you ever watched people in an electronic store become absolute fools when they come face to face with a fancy new phone or, almost instinctively, migrate to the biggest brightest TV and gaze at it, mindlessly basking in its iridescent glory? Not only have I seen it, I've done it, many times. Why is it that we humans can become so enthralled with things that don't serve ANY role in our overall survival as species or satisfy ANY of our fundamental needs? When was the last time my ipod fed me, kept me warm at night, protected me from my enemies or provided me with offspring? Moreover, when has my ipod ever told me I was smart or I looked good, made me soup when I was sick, corrected me when I was being dumb, tucked me in at night when I was scared or picked me up from school when it was snowing and I forgot to bring a jacket? Maybe it's because we feel like all of our needs are already taken care or that certain things aren't as important as they use to be. Or maybe its apart of us, like in our DNA or something.

My friend Sean once said that human beings are nothing more than monkeys that like shiny things. Although I disagreed with him at the time, maybe there's more truth to that than I had originally thought. Or maybe we need to reevaluate our priorities. In any case, does any one want to sell me their ipod?