On Parle Francais ici

One of my gym friends has been pushing me to do the cycling (spinning) class with her and last night I finally caved in. I was reluctant because I did it once before in Australia and was sore for about a week after! I swore I'd never do it again. Never say never I guess.

So I got to the class early and the prof explained how to set up the bike. I hadn't done any classes with this guy before and as soon as he realised that I'm not French, he started speaking to me in English.

Just before the class started he said to the whole class how he was going to speak in both French and English during the class - just for me! I was pretty embarrassed and it was completely unnecessary as I do understand perfectly but it was nice of him to try to help me out.

What I didn't expect was the looks of outrage on half the people in the class. They we're like, 'no, pourquoi' and one stupid cow said, 'on est en France, on parle francais ici!'. It didn't really bother me at the time so I just said to him to speak in French and he did for the most part.

Thinking about it after, I got really pissed off. He was just trying to be nice, to include me, and she was being a bitch about it. It's not like she said it as a joke, she was seriously annoyed.

Yeah, we are in France and I should speak French and I do speak French, albeit not very well. But what seemed to escape her is that he was being nice. Some people seem to have forgotten what that means.

As for the class, it was great. It wasn't as difficult as I remembered. I'm obviously much fitter now than I was then. I'll be doing it again for sure.

Celebrity Spotting in Paris

You'd think living in a city like Paris you'd see celebrities all over the place. I've lived here for 3 years and can't say I've seen anyone of interest, not of interest to me at least. Of course, I don't exactly live in the coolest quartier in Paris or go to any trendy bars or cafes so that could explain a few things.

I did see Thierry Ardisson last year walking down, funnily enough, rue du Faubourg St Honore. Does he count as a celebrity? Not really.

During Roland Garros earlier this year I saw Marcos Baghdatis walking down the Champs Elysees after a bit of a shopping spree. Well, not really a shopping spree but he was carrying a shopping bag. Fnac, maybe? Sephora?

There were also a couple of well known tennis players training at my gym during the tournament (I live just down the road from the stadium). I assume they were well known (Brazilian I think) because people asked for their autograph. Is it not weird for a grown man to ask another grown man for his autograph?

I keep thinking one of the regulars at my gym is Said Taghmaoui. It's not but he sure does look like him. Shame because I love him!

Earlier this week I saw Benjamin Castaldi in my hood and all I can say is that he's surprisingly short. Again, not much of a celebrity.

But yesterday, I think, although not at all sure, I saw Lenny Kravitz in the Marais. I did a quick search and it seems he does spend a bit of time in Paris and is possibly here at the moment - so it must have been him. I'm not a fan though so, bleh.

All in all, that's some B rate celebrity spotting.

Rain Rain Go Away

WHY WON'T IT STOP RAINING!

Havzi Nela

Twenty years ago today, Ferbent's cousin, Havzi Nela (a well known poet and dissident), was hung in the northern Albanian city of Kukes, for speaking out against the communist regime.

Even though communist leader Enver Hoxha was already dead and the communist regime was on it's last legs, they hung Havzi Nela as a last ditched attempt to show their power. They failed.

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Tirani ynë

Ka ca ditë e mjaft do kohë
Tirani ynë s'po ndihet mirë,
me miq e shokë sikur rri ftohtë
Dhe kur i shikon i vjen pështirë.

Thonë, asht tretë e asht ligështue
Thonë, asht sëmundë, me kriza nervore
Në shtrat kur bie më shumë rri zgjue
Nji libër të kuq se lëshon prej dore.

Ajo është vepra e xha Stalinit
Jo, kushdo nuk mund ta dijë
Fshehtas doli prej Kremlinit
E nën këmishë erdhi n'Shqipni!

Ajo asht vepra e tiranit trumyk
Gjithë komplote, intriga e dredhi!
Çka përdori ai xhelat pacipë
Për të shtypë e gjakosë popujt sovjetikë.

Tirani ynë gjithë karrierën e tij
Këtë libër nuk e lëshoi prej dore,
E tash vetë ka ba volume të rinj
Plot me krime e vepra çnjerëzore.

Shpesh të dy veprat i merr në dorë
Herë i peshon e herë i krahason
Kërkon të gjejë, cili asht ma mizor,
cili xhelat, xhelatit ia kalon.

Po merr inat sa do të pëlcasë
S'ia ha mendja se e arrin mikun e tij
E mendon të vrasë, sa më shumë të vrasë.
Sa më shumë gjak të shohë me sytë e tij!

Sikurse duket po e ndjen i shkreti
E sheh të afërt dhe fundin e tij
Dhe dëshiron të marrë sa më shumë me vete
Që të krahasohet në skëterrë me kolegun e tij.

---

- Havzi Nela u lind më 20 shkurt 1934.
- Kur qe vetëm nëntë vjeç i vdes baba; po në këtë moshë së
bashku me vëllanë (A. Nela), merr udhën e shtegtarit për arsye
ekonomike dhe deri në vitin 1946 punoi si hyzmeqar nëpër disa
shtëpi të Tiranës.
- Ndjek shkollën në Kukës (nxënës konviktor me bursë shteti),
deri me 6 tetor 1948.
- Arratiset në Kosovë tek të afërm të vet, vazhdon shkollën dhe
qëndron aty deri më 9 qershor të vitit 1949. Kthehet dhe punoi
në bujqësi deri në vitin 1950.
- Shkon në shkollën pedagogjike Shkodër, por e ndërpret
shkollën për arsye ekonomike.
- Punon arsimtar në Plan - Klos (Mat) deri në mars të vitit 1953;
kërkon transferim, por e pushojnë nga puna. Kthehet në
vendlindje, merret me bujqësi deri në nëntor 1953.
- 20 nëntor 1953 deri më 13 nëntor 1955: kryen shërbimin
ushtarak.
- Janar 1956: mësues në Lojme.
- 1957: në Shishtavec, përgjegjës i sallës së leximit.
- Fundi i vitit 1958: shkon në gjimnazin e rezervave të arsimit
(Tiranë), ku diplomohet në arsimin e mesëm; kthehet dhe punon
mësues në shkollën 7-vjeçare Shishtavec dhe njëkohësisht
vazhdon shkollën e lartë me korrespondencë.
- 1963: transferohet nga Shishtaveci në Surroj; refuzon, e
dërgojnë mësues në Krumë ku punon vetëm pesë muaj.
- 1963: mbas kthimit nga Kruma, mësues në Topojan deri në
paraditen e 26 prillit 1967
- 22 prill 1967: në Shishtavec reagon ndaj kërkesave të regjimit
për prishjen e kishave dhe xhamive, futjen në kooperativë
bujqësore dhe ndërrimin e veshjes.
- 27 prill 1967: arratiset së bashku me bashkëshorten, Lavdie
Nela.
- 6 maj 1967: pala jugosllave e dorëzon në postën kufitare
(Morinë)
- 22 maj 1967: dënohet me l5 vjet heqje lirie dhe konfiskim të
pasurisë, ndërsa bashkëshortja e vet me 10 vjet heqje lirie.
- 8 gusht 1975: ridënohet me 8 vjet heqje lirie.
- 19 dhjetor 1986: lirohet nga burgu.
- 12 tetor 1987: internohet në katundin Arrën.
- 13 qershor 1988: largohet nga internimi.
- 15 qershor, ora 5.30 e mëngjesit - në Brekijë, konfliktohet me
shpurën ndjekëse; e arrestojnë.
- 15 qershor, ora 10 e paradites: e dorëzojnë
në degën e punëve të brendshme të Kukësit.
- 15 qershor, ora 12 e mesditës: nis procesi
hetimor.
- 21 qershor: mbyllet procesi hetimor.
- 22 qershor, ora 10 e paradites: formulohet
vendimi për dënimin kapital në gjykatën e
Kukësit (dënim i paracaktuar).
- 24 qershor: zhvillohet gjyqi dhe shpallet
vendimi.
- 25 qershor: bën ankim pranë Kolegjit penal
të Gjykatës së lartë.
- 16 korrik: Këshilli gjyqësor i kolegjit penal të
gjykatës së lartë lë në fuqi vendimin e gjykatës
së rrethit të Kukësit
- 2 gusht: Presidiumi i Kuvendit Popullor
miraton vendimin për ekzekutimin e H. Nelës.
- 10 gusht, ora 2 mbas mesnate: realizohet
ekzekutimi
- 10 gusht, ora 11 e paradites: trupi hiqet nga
vendi i ekzekutimit dhe mbyllet në magazinën e
policisë.
- 11 gusht, ora l mbas mesnate: trupi futet nën
tokë.

Cancer Fighting Food

I stopped by WH Smith yesterday to stock up on a few English language books and magazines. I know it's expensive but I can't resist.

I also did do a bit of reading while I was there and came across a book on cancer fighting foods. While these kind of books normally annoy me and most of the foods mentioned are already well known for their health benefits, I did think it was worth noting the top cancer fighting foods, at least as a reminder.

• broccoli - and the entire brassica family
• orange vegetables which contain carotenoids such as carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, beetroot etc
• tomatoes for lycopene - especially important to reduce the risk of prostrate cancer
• berries such as strawberries and raspberries - important to get organic berries not only to avoid toxins but they taste so much better
• pomegranates - something I only recently tried for the first time
• citrus
• mushrooms
• herbs and spices
• chocolate - the 70% cocoa variety not the high sugar variety

Then of course there are two very important drinks:

• green tea
• red wine

Plus

• vitamin D - extremely important in fighting cancer
• selenium - which is found naturally in organic vegetables but not in conventionally grown foods
• omega 3 - I get my daily dose by taking supplements
• probiotics - can apparently reduce the risk of colon cancer

Foods which didn't get a mention:

• potatoes
• baguettes
• Nutella
• Red Bull

What's up with that?

You Am I in Paris

I spent last weekend reminiscing about the good ole days (the 90s) when I used to go out and see my favourite Aussie bands play live. Bands like Spiderbait, Custard, The Cruel Sea, and my all time favourite, You Am I.

I've probably seen You Am I play live more than 10 times, including once in New York. I loved all their music and believed (and still believe) Tim Rogers to be the best Australian song writer ever.

I was watching all my favourites on YouTube and downloaded a heap of them onto my iPod. All week at the gym I've been listening to You Am I et al.

Then this morning, the weirdest thing happens. I got an email from the Australian Consulate (I think I signed up for their newsletter when I voted last year) saying that Tim Rogers is going to be playing live in Paris, tonight, for one concert only! What kind of freaky coincidence is that?

There's no way I'm going to miss this.

Tim Rogers (You Am I) - Live and Exclusive
Cafe Oz
8 Boulevard Montmartre
75009 Paris
Thursday 7 August
Doors 8pm
On Stage 9pm

 

Vitamins

I don't recall why I stopped buying my vitamins online but after seeing the high prices and lack of choice here in Paris, not to mention certain communication problems, I've gone back to buying in bulk online.

As an example of the price difference, I paid around 3 euros in my local pharmacy for 30 folic acid tablets. At Healthy Direct, you get 360 tablets for 6 euros! Same kind of thing for multi vitamins where online you can get 360 tablets for 18 euros or so. Bargain!

I got some other stuff too which I know you can't get here so I can't wait for everything to arrive.