Thanksgiving in Geneva

My friend from school and fellow American, Erzsebet, carving up the tasty thanksgiving turkey she cooked for us. That's Sudip smiling in the background. He must be smiling because he is an economics PhD student in his last year.

Here's a photo of most of us that enjoyed this Thanksgiving feast together.

I had the pleasure of attending a second Thankgiving dinner on Sunday with the generous Beutler family. The food was excellent and we had a great time afterwards playing a variant of charades and then a few rounds of mafia.

Update

Looking North from my bus stop at Veyrier-Douane to Annemasse, a decent-sized French town that I very briefly visited just after moving into my apartment.

Here's some friends I sat with at a section fondue last Wednesday. Professor DuBois (my "Integration of Europe" teacher) is certainly awing the young man next to him with his incredible linguistic skills (he's fluent in at least 7, and I guess you have to know at least as many to study the multi-lingual European Union).

Here's some more friends at the end of the table. Our "restaurant" is actually a sauna/swimming area along a narrow peninsula that juts out into the lake and ends with the lighthouse you've seen in some of my other pictures. I don't suppose they get too many customers who want to swim these days, so they've converted the place into a restaurant.

My consternation at finding seeds in the grapes in our dessert launched us into a lively conversation about genetically modified foods and their acceptance in the US, while Europeans tend to still be leery of them. I was pushing the frontiers of my vocabulary as I attempted to explain that a suitable compromise has been found. One can simply cross-breed (rather than actually manipulating the genes) major varieties of vegetables/grains/fruits with certain wild variety counterparts that have desirable attributes to contribute, such as more vitamins, or resistance to some blight, etc. etc.

I'm not sure if I made myself clear: one of my friends asserted that in 10-15 years, when I started growing an ear out of my elbow or whatever, I would be forced to admit that the Europeans were right all along to put warning labels on GM food and avoid it in general. Ha. Ha. So be it. I love those super-huge strawberries too much to defect to the European stance on GM food.

Wow! The Alps on Saturday morning on our drive up to Lausanne and then on to Bern. It would have been a better picture had I not been in a moving car, but you get the idea. The whole drive is just about as beautiful: rows of crops following the curvature of the hills in the valleys nearer to the road, forests in the higher places and then the mountains up beyond. There are scattered concentrations of houses throughout, some part of little villages with church steeples jutting up from a central high point. I saw a few castles from afar, and look forward to visiting a few some day.

SNOW! In Bern,with a group of friends from church, I got to see snow for the first time in a few years. Here's the closest thing we have to snow in Louisiana.

Another beautiful day in Geneva. This is the view from the porch of my school and I took this photo while we had a short break during my Intl Law class. Dr. Clapham is an excellent teacher, but as he attempts to give us an even more "nuanced" understanding of Intl law, I end up feeling that things are even more complicated than the already "not simple" explanations in the texts. Admittedly, increased proximity to reality tends to increase our perception of its complexity, but what I wouldn't give for an Einstein of International Relations that would disperse the current clouds of pedantry with brilliant, straightforward, and comprehensive truths. But I suppose that might put a lot of clever people out of work. ; )

Swiss Skies

European perspective on the Election

I have been astounded by the intense interest in this upcoming US election on the part of Europeans in general. I attended a round table discussion last Thursday (28th of October) about the implications of the November 2nd election and the auditorium was so packed that many of the students and observers from the general public had to stand in the back or sit on the floor! The first four experts(professors from our school) concurred that, even were the presidency to change, America's military strategy, economics, etc., would more or less remain the same. They could only foresee a difference in style and image, not fundamental policies, with a Kerry presidency.

But then, in the midst of a rather mundane, calm discussion, a set of firecrackers suddenly exploded: the last speaker, whose language quickly revealed him to be a French intellectual (and proud of it!), launched into a polemic against Bush and his policies which very much amused the audience (including myself--it was much more entertaining than the dry economic and political analyses and an incredibly boring explanation of the Electoral college just prior) and drew thunderous applause and even cheers at its conclusion.

After taking a few questions from the audience, the moderator extemporaneously asked each member of the panel to answer one final question: "Who will win the election?" Two cast their lots for Kerry, and two for Bush, leaving the final and deciding vote to the French intellectual. With a smug smile, he paused, as if to reflect for a moment, and then said: "If politics and reason go hand in hand, then clearly Kerry will win".

My first meeting with the Rotaract club in Geneva. What a wonderful group! They were all very kind, even when I stumbled a bit as I presented myself and explained how I came to be in Geneva. It was great to meet and dine with them, and now I can say that I've tried Choucroute (sp?), a hearty Swiss/German dish with meats and sauerkraut.

And here's a photo of all my homies in the Rotaract Club of LSU. Well, at least all the homies that showed up to the "Taste of Diversity" International smorgasbord of Spring 2003!

Bus rides

Another fun aspect of my daily routine is the commute by bus. Because I live on the outskirts of Geneva, I get to ride the bus for at least 1 and a half hours each day (45min to school, 45min back to Veyrier). I have recently begun to spend that time chomping away on thick "polycopies" (Xeroxed articles for my History of Intl Systems class with Prof. Balachandran) and patiently waiting for either a smooth stretch of pavement or the next stop to underline certain phrases that I find especially delectable or highly nutritious. When I'm not absorbed in my word-feast, it is interesting to see all the different people on the bus, overhear their conversations (often in French, but a myriad of other languages as well), see how they interact, and observe the kindnesses shown (most often in deference to the elderly, handicapped, or mothers with children).

I got to hold a toddler who was adorable even when he picked his nose and presented his findings to his mom (and everyone else nearby!). I was able to lend an arm to help an old man get out of his seat, and helped a businessman pick up his things from off the floor when his briefcase fell open. A few days ago, I noticed a cell phone in a recently vacated seat next to me and barely caught the young man before he got off the bus to return it. That's how easy it is to be kind and helpful in such circumstances!

And so I think that this close proximity often brings out the best in people. Not that some folks don't try to remain aloof or apart (with their headphones, books, or distracted stares out the window), but very few can resist smiling at the wide-eyed baby next to them, or graciously offering their seat to the elderly lady who's just gotten on.

A second trip through Veyrier's vineyards

I awoke Saturday morning to a beautiful, sunshiny day and so, after breakfast, quickly hurried off in my boots and gaiters (recalling how muddy it had been last time) to the trail along the vineyards. The air was still cool. Along an ancient stone wall at the edge of a graveyard, was a beautiful red vine still glimmering with dew.



Further in the distance (in France), the morning sun's rays illuminated this tree.

As I continued down the cobblestone road, I met an older man who was out with his dog. He noticed me taking pictures and told me, with fatherly pride, how his son had taken some magnificent pictures in this area and even won some prize with one of a bird taking off in flight. He pointed to another path that leads to a marsh where I could find some beautiful wildlife. I replied that he was right, this area is indeed very beautiful, and since it was such a beautiful day I had to seize it. I plan to go explore the marsh area another day. I was too taken in by the colorful vineyards.

The church next to my house, as seen from afar: across a fallow field, through the poplar trees, and just beyond the vineyard.

The first of the three prominent mansions overlooking the vineyards of Veyrier. The second, and the third with its tower.

A parting shot looking back towards Veyrier, before heading up the hill and following the road behind the three houses in previous photos.

Well, I'll be snookered!...one of the mansions owners has a Porsche turbo. Oh look!...so does their neighbor! In fact, I tend to see so many Porsches (including the snazzy Cayenne, their new SUV), BMW 700-series, and Mercedes S-series, etc etc, that now only the Maseratis and Ferraris still induce double-takes!

Anyways, a the next house has a tower and a beautiful yard. I'm glad they didn't rake their leaves.

After wandering further down the street, I decided to return back to Veyrier by another route, along the main road. I noticed this quaint Protestant church further back in the trees on my left and decided to go check it out. I love old churches: they are so rich with memory and a tribute to the faith of the community that built them and all those that worship(ped) there.

It was an idyllic spot: a good ways off from the road, tranquil, and drenched in warm sunlight. I sat on the front porch and started to read an article for class. Sometime later, a car drove up and parked, an elderly lady got out and walked up to the door right next to where I was sitting. She smiled and commented on taking advantage of the nice weather, unlocked the door and went in.

Back to reading. Then, suddenly, I heard the exquisite organ piece she had come to practice, I suppose for the service the following day. I doubt it was the same piece, but it reminded me of a recording by one of my heroes, Albert Schweitzer (a brilliant organist, though better known for his charitable work as a doctor in Lambaréné, Africa). Years ago, I was happy to find the original record in the LSU Music Library, and always relished listening to a man I sincerely admire play the work of another person I equally admire (Bach) with the deep religious feeling his pieces merit. I couldn't have been happier, nor have asked for better circumstances in which to read. Wow.