Today we are in a town called Mulhouse--it is famous for textile printing and wallpaper printing. They have a pretty good attitude about loss of jobs here to India and China, in that in the 17 Century they more or less stole the textile trade and all it's secrets from India--they figure turnabout is fair play. Last night on arrival in Mulhouse, after lunch with our host families, we toured the textile museum here, it was a really fascinating tour.
You would have loved our plant tours of the past two days--first to the Rochere Glass factory which has been in continuous operation and I think the same family since 1475---they still do hand blown glass, mostly to just preserve the tradition. They make much of their money on the production of sturdy glassware for the restaurant and home use and most form the production of glass block. They had tons of glass block ready for shipment--and they can make it in different colors. We got to go through the entire plan. As the flames were blasting out of the furnaces and gas burners, I kept thinking how easy it would be for me to ignite; dressed in my mostly synthetic fibers. It was a fascinating tour---yep I took lots of pictures.
The other interesting facility was the Peugeot Parts plant; wherein you can procure ANY part needed for any Peugeot ever made. Most parts are ordered and shipped out within 24 hours--worldwide. They have mastered the JIT production schedule. As we walked through the plant we saw folks cutting leather from Spain , this done by hand. It cannot be computerized, because each day the specific cuts needed change. We then saw others sewing it into the little leather casing that fits snuggly against the shifting gear. We watched a chorus of men and robots make hoods and trunks of cars and then we watched as these parts and others slowly moved along a dipping line, pulled through the anti rust bath and enter the dryer---then they were inspected, bagged; and placed into shipping bins. We had to be careful not to get in the way of the various tow motor operators who were speeding about the floors taking skid after skid from one place to another, loading trucks and then shipping it out: They said one truck per minute leaves the warehouse 24/7--It was pretty amazing---and that's just the parts plant---not the factory where they actually make the cars. This facility alone was about a mile long on either side of a sizeable railroad switching yard, I' m guessing at least 7 lines. I was not able to take any photos in side but took a few snaps on the exterior of the building.
Gotta go---
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
watches-lumber-and a boat
Yesterday we spent an active day in the Doubs River region of Franche Comte with members of the Maiche RC--we first visited a watch design and production company, which was founded by a Rotary club member. The region has a history of horlogerie--the making of time pieces. Most folks think of this as a Swiss tradition and to some degree it is, but this region of France borders Switzerland and thus the craft is seen on either side of the valley. Today however, as in most manufacturing, the actual production is done in Hong Kong under stingent control of the French designers. Product is then shipped JIT to France and then shipped to stores, jewlry shops and high end retailers from this facility. They also oversee all repairs of the products. These are high end products such as Citizen and Movado and licensed items for such designers as Hugo Boss. They also have their own lines Clyrus and Oxbow which are marketed more as fashion items than timepieces. At the conclusion of the tour the members of the Maiche RC presented each of us with a wrist watch.
We enjoyed another wonderful lunch beginning with a wild mushroom creamy soup, followed by poultry, cooked endive --chickory--with potato and other veggies, then a dessert of ice cream, sliced pears, chocolate and whipped cream and sprinkled on top with sliced almonds. All of this with bottles of champaign and wine---that will be a big adjustment upon our return-not having wine with every meal---or perhaps not?
We then toured a wood fabricator which specializes in laminating wood boards beween thick layers of insullation or cork, thus producing a product that can serve simultaneously as a roof and flooring product. We had the opportunity to witness the craftsmen glue and bend 12 boards that are then shaped into 14 meter length structural beams for houses and buildings. It was explained that these glued beams would set in 24 hours and be ready for final planing and sanding in one day. The company--Seimons--ships throughout Europe and Asia.
After the wood fabricator, to a boat ride on a river and lakes that border Switzerland and France: On one either side of the river was a different country--though both looked similar utilizing the -chalet- style of house--good for shedding snow in the winter.
We were completed about 7 PM, each back to our host families--mine a family dinner party celebrating the home visit of a brother who has been working in Mali Africa for the past three years. It was a late evening, lots of wine and champaign---got home well past 11 PM.
Today is the Team Vocation Day--
We enjoyed another wonderful lunch beginning with a wild mushroom creamy soup, followed by poultry, cooked endive --chickory--with potato and other veggies, then a dessert of ice cream, sliced pears, chocolate and whipped cream and sprinkled on top with sliced almonds. All of this with bottles of champaign and wine---that will be a big adjustment upon our return-not having wine with every meal---or perhaps not?
We then toured a wood fabricator which specializes in laminating wood boards beween thick layers of insullation or cork, thus producing a product that can serve simultaneously as a roof and flooring product. We had the opportunity to witness the craftsmen glue and bend 12 boards that are then shaped into 14 meter length structural beams for houses and buildings. It was explained that these glued beams would set in 24 hours and be ready for final planing and sanding in one day. The company--Seimons--ships throughout Europe and Asia.
After the wood fabricator, to a boat ride on a river and lakes that border Switzerland and France: On one either side of the river was a different country--though both looked similar utilizing the -chalet- style of house--good for shedding snow in the winter.
We were completed about 7 PM, each back to our host families--mine a family dinner party celebrating the home visit of a brother who has been working in Mali Africa for the past three years. It was a late evening, lots of wine and champaign---got home well past 11 PM.
Today is the Team Vocation Day--
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
We danced;they clapped
Tonight we are in Besancon; Iam on a French keyboard so there may be some odd spellings because if I begin to go fast Ill get ,y fingers confused: There will be odd punctuations also because; Ihave no idea where the right ones are and if I use the left shift key all the letters suddenly go into caps: so I am trying to remember to just use the right shift but thats a vzey odd thing to ask your brain to remember this late:
We danced this night; ze had no music; but they clapped and Randall did the calls and it worked out: Everyone was laughing and having a good time and no one seemed to want to leave the meeting early; We also for the first time had an operating computer hookup: So, we did our modified power point program and it went well enough:
It rained all day today the first heavy rain since we have been here: We visited the birthplace of Louis Pasteur today in Dole; that was pretty interesting: Last night Randall and I stayed in a house that was built in the 1770s; before the United States was even formed: It was a neat old house situated between the river and a canal and just across the canal from the Pasteur home which we were able to walk to and from this morning, Yesterday morning we visited a cookie/bisquit factory; That was fun, interesting; and tasty--we got to sample cookies off the line before they even cooled for packaging;
We have been eating like little piggies---this afternoon for lunch we had an appetiser mold of rabbit: it was cured in such a way that it had a bit of a salami-like taste with extra bits of meat---which I couldnùt discern; so upon asking we learned that it was rabbit: it was very good.
Not knowing what you are eating makes it all quite wondeful; because then you do not make presuppositions qbout whether or not you should like it: This way your tastebuds and nose alone make the decisions:
Got to go now; am very sleepy and have no idea where the letters keep moving to:
We danced this night; ze had no music; but they clapped and Randall did the calls and it worked out: Everyone was laughing and having a good time and no one seemed to want to leave the meeting early; We also for the first time had an operating computer hookup: So, we did our modified power point program and it went well enough:
It rained all day today the first heavy rain since we have been here: We visited the birthplace of Louis Pasteur today in Dole; that was pretty interesting: Last night Randall and I stayed in a house that was built in the 1770s; before the United States was even formed: It was a neat old house situated between the river and a canal and just across the canal from the Pasteur home which we were able to walk to and from this morning, Yesterday morning we visited a cookie/bisquit factory; That was fun, interesting; and tasty--we got to sample cookies off the line before they even cooled for packaging;
We have been eating like little piggies---this afternoon for lunch we had an appetiser mold of rabbit: it was cured in such a way that it had a bit of a salami-like taste with extra bits of meat---which I couldnùt discern; so upon asking we learned that it was rabbit: it was very good.
Not knowing what you are eating makes it all quite wondeful; because then you do not make presuppositions qbout whether or not you should like it: This way your tastebuds and nose alone make the decisions:
Got to go now; am very sleepy and have no idea where the letters keep moving to:
Monday, October 20, 2008
over half way there
well, it's been a very busy two weeks and there has been so much to see and learn about. i am having a great time and have experienced more than i thought i would. The culture, the architecture, the history, and the flowers have been magnificent. i have tried and eaten things i never thought i would have and have lived to tell about it. The wines have been great. i have taken a lot of pictures and can't wait to get them developed. my professional experiences have been great. the most impacting visit has been my day with jawaad hajeem. what a wonderful and caring man. i will definately keep in touch with him and can't wait to tell the clubs about his efforts. I love this man! Ok, must get ready for dinner even though we just finished lunch three hours ago. see you all soon.
Champagnole and the lakes region of Jura
Today we went to a little tour of the lakes region in the jura mountains, which are considerably lower than the Alps, about 2000 feet, but nonetheless impressive. Lots of exposed spances of granite and some intriguing waterfalls. When i get back i will post and show photos, i am reluctant to try to upload especially on this computer.
Tomorrow we are off to a town Called Basecon, or something like that, It's a big town. There's supposed to be a little tail on the 'c" but I have no idea where it is on this keyboard.
The food has been glorious. Today we had a mold of duck and mushroom, fresh pike, a sampler of cheeses; I asked the waiter to give me a little sample of each type they had and then asked him the order in which i should eat them. They were great---the last one was soupy in substance and was like a distillation of garlic...really nice. And then we had chocolate mousse for dessert. Each course was coupled with an appropriate selection of three different Jura wines, which are quite different from the wines in the north.
It has been more exhausting on this GSE that the one to india----India at least allowed for some time for Internet access and rests during the day---this has been just going and going...we have only had the time to email and post these past two days.
it's been terrific, wonderful food, wine and things to see and do. Everyone has been terrific. We presented that blasted Amish basket to Pierre at the District Conference in front of the whole congregation. Pierre was pleased and we simultaneously said from "District Governor Mary Berge". By the bye----he and every club president has loved the RINO pins....they delight when we explain the meaning and pass them to their members. They are a hit.
Tomorrow we are off to a town Called Basecon, or something like that, It's a big town. There's supposed to be a little tail on the 'c" but I have no idea where it is on this keyboard.
The food has been glorious. Today we had a mold of duck and mushroom, fresh pike, a sampler of cheeses; I asked the waiter to give me a little sample of each type they had and then asked him the order in which i should eat them. They were great---the last one was soupy in substance and was like a distillation of garlic...really nice. And then we had chocolate mousse for dessert. Each course was coupled with an appropriate selection of three different Jura wines, which are quite different from the wines in the north.
It has been more exhausting on this GSE that the one to india----India at least allowed for some time for Internet access and rests during the day---this has been just going and going...we have only had the time to email and post these past two days.
it's been terrific, wonderful food, wine and things to see and do. Everyone has been terrific. We presented that blasted Amish basket to Pierre at the District Conference in front of the whole congregation. Pierre was pleased and we simultaneously said from "District Governor Mary Berge". By the bye----he and every club president has loved the RINO pins....they delight when we explain the meaning and pass them to their members. They are a hit.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
It's been two weeks
It's been two weeks now when we have been travelling from roughly 7 in the morning until 11 or later in the evening. We've had no time to post and thus now are frantically trying to catch up on email, phone calls and posting on this blog. We've had a terrific time eating wonderful new foods including fresh truffles, caviar, salmon, fois gras, and other regional specialities like boar, venison, chapignons--read mushrooms, but cute little tiny ones and big ones. We've had lots of wines, whites and reds, and it seems often that we have begun our days with a bottle or two of champaign.
Our most unusual wine cellar was in the basement of a hospital in Strasbourg, with a bottle from the mid 1472--we had the opportunity to smell the cork. The last person to actually have a drink of it was Pope John Paul II---we also has the opportunity to tour a ultra modern wine maker, Cleebourg whose facilities are all stainless steel, shiny and clean. They indicated that the stainless steel production enables more consistency from year to year in the quality of the wine. We witnessed a truck load of grapes filling the first process of the production. They also had an automatic turning device for the champagne bottles to slowly turn the bottles and over a nine-month process until finally the bottle is upright, when they remove the cork and initial sediment, replace a bit of the liquid and then permanently cork it for its final fermentation.
We've seen a variety of castles, some from the 10 and 11 century, some more modern from the late 1500s and later. All are rather interesting. The other day, when we were in a little town called La Petite Pierre which translates to "little rock" we visited a castle that is now a museum for environmental issues, more or less a nature interpretive center....the two Rotarians who took us there explained that when they were children they used to play among the ruins---"army" and "knights of old"....kind of a neat back drop for imaginary play.
I've now taken over 2000 photos....and will not post until I return as the process is a bit difficult and I did not bring the correct cable to do it directly from my camera.
All of the little villages are quaint. We are now witnessing folks removing the flowers from the window boxes and the soil is being replenished with lots of rich organics....I'm guessing cow manure for the winter to just relax. The towns typically have lots of flowers, some in baskets on the bridges and lamp posts, all in the former horse troughs. All of the towns we visit have small rivers and canals running through them. The windows have working shutters, some the ones of old that are vertical on the outside of the window box, others are new that can be turned down electically or with a crank, they roll down from the top and completely darken the interior rooms, providing a layer of insulation from the outside weather and protection when needed during storms. From the outside they look similar to the hurricane shades you see in Florida.
The Rotaians have been great, their meetings jam packed, as are many of ours with little time for extras, which has barely given us time to do just small presentations....of course our power point has not worked.
Except of course at the District Conference, where we quickly talked about ourselves and then---yes we danced. We recruited four Youth Exchange students to assist, one from New Zealand, India, Canada, and Brazil each. They were terrifically cooperative and the dance went well. Amy, Dana, and Tarah have been troopers about wearing our little 'costumes" and the audience really enjoyed it as well. Jacques was beeming at our success, so the "dance" worked.
We also performed it the other night at his new club. We first had some difficulty recruiting some of the men to be our partners, but after the first dance the rest jumped up to participate and the club enthusiastically responded. There was much joviality, laughter and fun. So it's a hit.
please forgive the spelling errors
Our most unusual wine cellar was in the basement of a hospital in Strasbourg, with a bottle from the mid 1472--we had the opportunity to smell the cork. The last person to actually have a drink of it was Pope John Paul II---we also has the opportunity to tour a ultra modern wine maker, Cleebourg whose facilities are all stainless steel, shiny and clean. They indicated that the stainless steel production enables more consistency from year to year in the quality of the wine. We witnessed a truck load of grapes filling the first process of the production. They also had an automatic turning device for the champagne bottles to slowly turn the bottles and over a nine-month process until finally the bottle is upright, when they remove the cork and initial sediment, replace a bit of the liquid and then permanently cork it for its final fermentation.
We've seen a variety of castles, some from the 10 and 11 century, some more modern from the late 1500s and later. All are rather interesting. The other day, when we were in a little town called La Petite Pierre which translates to "little rock" we visited a castle that is now a museum for environmental issues, more or less a nature interpretive center....the two Rotarians who took us there explained that when they were children they used to play among the ruins---"army" and "knights of old"....kind of a neat back drop for imaginary play.
I've now taken over 2000 photos....and will not post until I return as the process is a bit difficult and I did not bring the correct cable to do it directly from my camera.
All of the little villages are quaint. We are now witnessing folks removing the flowers from the window boxes and the soil is being replenished with lots of rich organics....I'm guessing cow manure for the winter to just relax. The towns typically have lots of flowers, some in baskets on the bridges and lamp posts, all in the former horse troughs. All of the towns we visit have small rivers and canals running through them. The windows have working shutters, some the ones of old that are vertical on the outside of the window box, others are new that can be turned down electically or with a crank, they roll down from the top and completely darken the interior rooms, providing a layer of insulation from the outside weather and protection when needed during storms. From the outside they look similar to the hurricane shades you see in Florida.
The Rotaians have been great, their meetings jam packed, as are many of ours with little time for extras, which has barely given us time to do just small presentations....of course our power point has not worked.
Except of course at the District Conference, where we quickly talked about ourselves and then---yes we danced. We recruited four Youth Exchange students to assist, one from New Zealand, India, Canada, and Brazil each. They were terrifically cooperative and the dance went well. Amy, Dana, and Tarah have been troopers about wearing our little 'costumes" and the audience really enjoyed it as well. Jacques was beeming at our success, so the "dance" worked.
We also performed it the other night at his new club. We first had some difficulty recruiting some of the men to be our partners, but after the first dance the rest jumped up to participate and the club enthusiastically responded. There was much joviality, laughter and fun. So it's a hit.
please forgive the spelling errors
Our Gnome
Is a very fine gnome.His name is Cliff Jesaistout.
He has been to a number of places, including a charming cinema in the Chateau Fleckenstein. There have been a number of other places that he has gotten to see, from his own unique perspective. He has been a bit shy, but has acculturated well to Alsace. However, the number of dogs present in this country has been a source of ongoing anxiety for him.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Cliff
This will be a short post, as I'm approaching the event horizon of tiredness. But I did want to update that we have now officially moved out of Strausbourg. The past two days have been enjoyable, with the hosting being done by the Rotary Club of Wissembourg.
I had the opportunity to take part, along with the rest of the team, in a visit to a residential treatment facility for individuals with disabilities, including children diagnosed with Autism. It was good to see that much of what we do in the United States is similar to what is being done here. Also, it seems that the same increase in Autism Spectrum Disorders is being observed in this country as well. However, a large difference in the treatment and evaluation of children with Autsim-Spectrum disorders is the more comprehensive insurance coverage. Two days for a comprehensive evaluation! I'm lucky with two hours!
Anyway, before I engage in a monograph regarding the insurance situation in our home country, I'm going to log off. Tomorrow, we go to Haggenau. Allons-y!
I had the opportunity to take part, along with the rest of the team, in a visit to a residential treatment facility for individuals with disabilities, including children diagnosed with Autism. It was good to see that much of what we do in the United States is similar to what is being done here. Also, it seems that the same increase in Autism Spectrum Disorders is being observed in this country as well. However, a large difference in the treatment and evaluation of children with Autsim-Spectrum disorders is the more comprehensive insurance coverage. Two days for a comprehensive evaluation! I'm lucky with two hours!
Anyway, before I engage in a monograph regarding the insurance situation in our home country, I'm going to log off. Tomorrow, we go to Haggenau. Allons-y!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
And the tour begins
Since I last posted much has happened. I have gotten faster at typing on this keyboard even though the letters aren't where they are on the american keyboard. My host family has been really nice. Christian and Cathy have been very hospitable. Cathy even took care of me as I've been sick with a sinus cold, making me hot herbal tea from her garden with honey. As for our days we spent Monday morning at the Center for Rehabilitation & Education (a hospital very similar to Harmarville). After lunch with one of the clubs we went on a walking tour of Strasbourg to La Petite France & to the Cathedral Notre Dame. It was very nice & I took a lot of pictures. On Tuesdaywe went to Mont Sainte Odile, a monestary at the peak of the Vosges mountains in Alsace. I dreaded the 2 hour hike as I was sick, but oce I got there and knew the brewary was our next stop I was fine: At the Kronenbourg brewery we got to sample the differnt beers and see how the entire process works. It's all rather technical nowadays. We were each given a sample 6 pack to take ho,e also. I'm going to see how many I can manage to bring back if I wrap and bag the, well. Today we went to the wine cellars of the Hospices Civils (hospital). There we saw the oldest bottle of wine that dates back to 1472. We also had the rare pleasure of smelling the cork to the barrel that holds that same wine. We only lucked into it as a German tv crew was there filming. We had lunch at the European Council, toured it, toured the Youth Center on-site, then went to a club meeting. Let me add my feet are killing ,e. Tomorrow is our first professional day. I will be at the center we were at on Monday. Au Revoir.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
My first host experience
As the team gathered at the Holiday Inn to meet our host families, mine was the first to arrive. Her name is Cathy Navlet & to my delight, she knows english as she was a rotary exchange student to New York. cathy took me to her home in Duttleheim to meet her family. She has 2 daughters: Florine, 15 & Charlotte, 11. Her husband came home later that night & his name has escaped me. Last night I attended a 30th birthday celebration for Cathys sister, Karine in the Lorraine region. We had dinner at a very exquisite restaurant called Le Strasbourg. We were served a 5 course meal that had me trying foods I thought I would never eat. It was good. We spent the night at her parents home & returned to Duttleheim around 1:00pm. Cathys family was very nice & her father gave me a rotary flag from his club. I told him I would give one to Cathy to give him. Later we took the dog for a walk & I took some pictures of the cabbage fields, kiwi, and some century old buildings that Cathy said are protected from being torn down (similar to landmarks). The team will meet in the morning to visit a rehabilitation hospital, lunch with a RC, visit the Cathedral Notre Dame, visit another RC & then back to our host families.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
First Dqy
When you have been travelling all night, you get a little silly as the time goes by. It is now the end of our first conplete day in France: I am using Jacques computer, which is good; but the keyboard in France is ever so slightly different, enough so that I have to type slowly and remember that the A is located where the Q usually is and that the only period I have found is on the numeric pad. The W is one key off and the M is on a different line entirely. So it is slow going: I have no idea where the apostrophe might be lurking; so I have eliminated using it.
I am staying the next week with Anita and Jacques Grimm; he is a former District Governor of Rotary and Anita will hold that post in 2010==that was interesting ==you have to hold the shift key to get numbers. Where you usually find the M is where the , is located. If I type too fast I get soe,thing like this; so you cqn see thqt
I am staying the next week with Anita and Jacques Grimm; he is a former District Governor of Rotary and Anita will hold that post in 2010==that was interesting ==you have to hold the shift key to get numbers. Where you usually find the M is where the , is located. If I type too fast I get soe,thing like this; so you cqn see thqt
We had a lovely lunch with a cous cou shrimp,beef tips, assorted cheeses and breads: took the dog for a walk and then went to the màdiathèque--which is sort of a mix between a library and a museum. You can chek out books, CDs,
Nous sommes arriver
We, the team, not just me, have arrived safely in Strasbourg. We met the district governor, Pierre Haas, and GSE coordinator, Jacques Grimm, at the airport. They took us to the hotel, by way of scraping the roof of the minibus on the exit bar at the airport. However, no injuries were sustained though the van may be in need of cosmetic surgery. We enjoyed a welcome glass of wine (rieslings and pinoit gris) and were briefed about the next few days. After that, we either fell asleep for several hours, or took a walk in the city (we saw a rainbow after a brief drizzle), depending on the person. Then, it was dinner time, where we had a gracious waiter who tolerated our imperfect french and slightly less imperfect english. We were almost asleep while dining and our conversations were tangential at best. But, we tried to stay awake until a reasonable time so that we would sleep through the night. We weren't successful with this endeavor. Each of us woke at two or three in the morning (except me. Yay, melatonin works) and then went back to sleep, finding it difficult to wake at 7 in the morning. Now, after a wonderful continental (european style) breakfast, we are off to meet our host families.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
We're on our way
One quick post before I'm off to the airport. Thanks to all for the last minute phone calls and bon voyage wishes...last night I called the team warning them to keep a few inches for their business cards and brochures that I will be brining to the airport today. No room in mine.
Hey---see you all in a month!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
"In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes"
It would seem that our Group Study Exchange is a big enough event to warrant coverage by our local newspaper. For those who didn't run out and get their own copy as soon as it was unloaded to the newsstands, I bring you the virtual version: http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_274000018.html
And, on the personal note: I'm almost completely ready to depart! Not bad for just under 48 hours. At least, until I remember the almost forgotten item.
And, on the personal note: I'm almost completely ready to depart! Not bad for just under 48 hours. At least, until I remember the almost forgotten item.
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