Tonight we went to the signaling of the end of the summer in Forest Park. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra played at 7:00, followed by fireworks. It was a fantastic evening. The sky played along with the orchestra. The full moon provided the light, and the clouds the play. The clouds were tremendously versatile, making for a constantly changing scenario. Actually, there was a very real threat of rain, which never materialized, but I suppose that is what made the clouds so spectacular. They started out as these long thin white and blue banks, that, lit up by the moon, seemed like some kind of arctic landscape. They never covered the moon; at most they would float themselves over it, like a gauzy bit of material. Then they were chased away by these great big fluffy white masses, that would sometimes cover the moon, yet let some of the light puff out from behind. In the end, the gauzy ones came back, however. I’m sure there’s a proper meteorological name to these clouds, but I’m as good as those as I am on types of trees.
You might wonder how I spent so much time looking at the sky…well, Mary Sue and I took a picnic dinner. We got there early to get a good spot on the embankment which slopes down to the lake, where the orchestra shell was installed. We took some grilled salmon, salad, artichoke dip and crackers, and a bottle of wine. So after I stretched out on the blanket after dinner while the music and the sky played.
The music was an eclectic mix. Actually, the whole performance, which lasted just a little over an hour, was a preview of what the SLSO is going to be playing this season…so in essence, one big commercial, but I guess nothing is free! It was a tasty treat, at any rate. At the same time, we got some history of the SLSO, which was founded in 1880, and is the second-oldest symphony orchestra in the United States after the New York Philharmonic. Tonight they played everything from a waltz composed by Max Zach, who was chosen to be conductor of the SLSO exactly 100 years ago (from 1907-1921), a medley from ‘Sound of Music’ (and, yes, climb every mountain did conjure up thoughts of extending comfort zones here in St. Louis…ok, so I was getting hyper-reflexive), and the lyrically alluring Dream Pantomime from Hansel and Gretel (by Engelbert Humperdinck…, hey, how was a pop crooner allowed to take his name??). The fireworks afterward were fun (though I still remember my first summer in Birmingham, when the BSO played in Cannon Hill Park, and they combined the fireworks with the music…a good idea).
Also, this past weekend I went to see a film, Once, a delightful film set in Ireland about a guy musician who meets a girl musician…and they do really make great music together and it is all told very well through the film. Sigh.
I’m squeezing in a lot of work (believe it or not!) between these musical outings (the classes seem to be going very well, and so does a bit of new work on the research front…more on that if it pans out!) and my trip to Portland, Oregon…leaving Thursday to visit my friend Lisa…can’t wait…so a report on that will probably be next!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Going out
Last Friday night, Diana's friend Jesus (aka Doug) had us over to his place for dinner. He lives right smack downtown, on Washington near 13th, on a strip which is full of bars, restaurants, shops, offices, and apartments. It's very well (and decoratively) lit, and the shops look like they could be on Serrano. A wonderful urban area, but it lasts just about a block, and then it's big empty streets again. The area between downtown and SLU (an area known as mid-town, which SLU is a part of) is about 3 miles, and it's a stretch of warehouses and industry which makes it seem like a veritable wasteland. On Friday, after the delicious dinner that Jesus prepared for us (including tomatoes stuffed with cheese and coriander, and fish with a wonderful sauce), at around 11:00 p.m., the young folk were fixing to go out, so I took myself off home in the car...with my heart in my throat the whole time, begging for no red lights. Let's hope that St. Louis continues to work towards urban development with mixed spaces, like where Jesus lives in that little block downtown, and like the South Grand area.
Jesus lives in the now very popular "loft" style apartment. Basically, that means an apartment with very few walls, exposed brick, and no false ceiling to cover things like the steel airconditioning vents. His whole front wall is window, so a nice view of that cool downtown busy city block. Don't misunderstand me...I like that loft look (but would probably argue for a wall or two around my bedroom and something to cover the vents...after all, I bet they charge you more not to put those things up in the first place!)
Since everything is so spread out, it does mean driving everywhere. I miss being able to walk more...but here it is just not safe! I do walk up about 4-6 blocks to get the free university shuttle to work. They moved the stop, so now we cross over Highway 44, and in doing so have to cross the exit-entrance ramps on either side of it. Mind you, there are traffic lights for pedestrians to get across the ramps, but there are so few pedestrians that cars are not used to having to stop. It's like in Madrid, when you have the little green man to cross, and the cars have a flashing yellow (meaning that they should stop if there's someone in the crosswalk), and the cars take flashing yellow to mean green. So, one is ever on the alert for all sorts of dangers. According to the newspaper yesterday, St. Louis is still the number 1 city for crime. So we are careful, and so far have felt very safe, except for the driving home at night.
Jesus lives in the now very popular "loft" style apartment. Basically, that means an apartment with very few walls, exposed brick, and no false ceiling to cover things like the steel airconditioning vents. His whole front wall is window, so a nice view of that cool downtown busy city block. Don't misunderstand me...I like that loft look (but would probably argue for a wall or two around my bedroom and something to cover the vents...after all, I bet they charge you more not to put those things up in the first place!)
Since everything is so spread out, it does mean driving everywhere. I miss being able to walk more...but here it is just not safe! I do walk up about 4-6 blocks to get the free university shuttle to work. They moved the stop, so now we cross over Highway 44, and in doing so have to cross the exit-entrance ramps on either side of it. Mind you, there are traffic lights for pedestrians to get across the ramps, but there are so few pedestrians that cars are not used to having to stop. It's like in Madrid, when you have the little green man to cross, and the cars have a flashing yellow (meaning that they should stop if there's someone in the crosswalk), and the cars take flashing yellow to mean green. So, one is ever on the alert for all sorts of dangers. According to the newspaper yesterday, St. Louis is still the number 1 city for crime. So we are careful, and so far have felt very safe, except for the driving home at night.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A jungle
Have I mentioned that St. Louis weather-wise is rather like a jungle, at least in summer. The humidity is hair-raising, as I’ve said before. The mosquitoes are silently ubiquitous. I never see them or hear them, but my skin feels their bites, as evidenced by itchy bumps on my knuckle, a matching pair on the upper and inner sides of both my arms, on my knees…Diana has a succession of five across one of her feet.
Then there are the cicadas. I’d never heard a cicada before, that is if it’s possible to hear just a single cicada! The first time Luis and I ventured out in the evening for a walk in Tower Grove Park, we were met by the oddest sound, a very intense kind of incredibly loud and persistent metallic screaming shimmering sound…we thought it was coming from the electrical wires, but the sound seemed to follow us down the street. So we realized that it must be insects. We tried to get a look at the things in a smallish tree that was emitting a somewhat more timid version of the noise, but they would go quiet when we got near…so I haven’t actually seen a cicada.
Diana says that the birds sing at night, too. I haven’t experienced that yet.
Diana says that the birds sing at night, too. I haven’t experienced that yet.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Living in St. Louis
The area we are living in is very close to Tower Grove Park, in what is called Shaw Neighborhood. Shaw comes from Henry Shaw, born to a iron and steel manufacturing family in Sheffield. Because of hard times with the family business, it seems Henry set his eyes on the U.S. as a possible new market, which brought him to the small French town of St. Louis in 1819. He made his fortune here (the amazing growth of the city providing lots of opportunity), and bought up huge areas of land. He was able to retire at the age of 40, and thus he could pursue his passion for botany. This passion (and the money and time to indulge it) allowed him to work with established botanists. Thus Shaw built up an incredible botanical garden around his home, which would later become the Missouri Botanical Garden (it opened to the general public in 1859). The Botanical Garden is about a 4 or 5 block walk from where we’re living (and where we went to the Japanese Festival a couple of weeks ago). Shaw Street is 2 blocks over…where Diana and I catch the shuttle bus to SLU.
On the south border of the neighborhood is Tower Grove Park, where I walk in the mornings. It is a beautiful park, full of all different kinds of trees (of course, I don’t know the names of any of them, and don’t have the kind of time Henry did to learn them), and lots of lovely little pavilions built circa 1870. On the other side of the park (further south) is the Tower Grove Park South, a fun neighborhood which mixes businesses and residences in a way that allows a bit more for cars to be left behind. There are lots of ethnic restaurants (Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Afghan, and Ethiopian, to name a few, and American, at the City Diner), a grocery store, dry cleaners, post office…as it’s on the other side of the park, it’s about a 20-minute walk. No problem in the morning to go on my jaunt and pick up some rolls for breakfast, but not so good at night to go out for dinner….I’m always a bit leery about walking around after dark (a leeriness which I’m told is very sane), so I drive.
Last Sunday I did join a walking tour on that side of the park, led by an architect. I was wanting to know more about the houses in the area…I didn’t learn a lot. The architect was rather reticent – he would answer questions in a very knowledgeable way but not in a teaching way…so I came away with a little understanding of how say the Dutch Colonial style was vernacularized in St. Louis…but not an idea of the bigger picture. Still, it was fun to troop around the streets, and what was even more interesting was watching the personalities of the people involved. Some were passionate about their neighborhood and what they wanted to see happen in it, and there were some major disagreements, causing some tension and rolling of eyes. And I had never focused before on the metal stars (or other shapes) that cover the metal rods that run from one side to another of brick buildings, providing support for structure. What do they do in other cities?
Another little thing that’s been on my mind…people who drive around with these incredibly loud bass subwoofers in their cars. The “boom, boom, boom” is so deep and far-reaching, that I’ve been up on my bed on the 3rd floor of this house and I can feel the ground shake. I find it really spooky, like some massively huge monster is stomping his way down the street. Where does that come from? What must it be like to be actually sitting in the car?
On the south border of the neighborhood is Tower Grove Park, where I walk in the mornings. It is a beautiful park, full of all different kinds of trees (of course, I don’t know the names of any of them, and don’t have the kind of time Henry did to learn them), and lots of lovely little pavilions built circa 1870. On the other side of the park (further south) is the Tower Grove Park South, a fun neighborhood which mixes businesses and residences in a way that allows a bit more for cars to be left behind. There are lots of ethnic restaurants (Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Afghan, and Ethiopian, to name a few, and American, at the City Diner), a grocery store, dry cleaners, post office…as it’s on the other side of the park, it’s about a 20-minute walk. No problem in the morning to go on my jaunt and pick up some rolls for breakfast, but not so good at night to go out for dinner….I’m always a bit leery about walking around after dark (a leeriness which I’m told is very sane), so I drive.
Last Sunday I did join a walking tour on that side of the park, led by an architect. I was wanting to know more about the houses in the area…I didn’t learn a lot. The architect was rather reticent – he would answer questions in a very knowledgeable way but not in a teaching way…so I came away with a little understanding of how say the Dutch Colonial style was vernacularized in St. Louis…but not an idea of the bigger picture. Still, it was fun to troop around the streets, and what was even more interesting was watching the personalities of the people involved. Some were passionate about their neighborhood and what they wanted to see happen in it, and there were some major disagreements, causing some tension and rolling of eyes. And I had never focused before on the metal stars (or other shapes) that cover the metal rods that run from one side to another of brick buildings, providing support for structure. What do they do in other cities?
Another little thing that’s been on my mind…people who drive around with these incredibly loud bass subwoofers in their cars. The “boom, boom, boom” is so deep and far-reaching, that I’ve been up on my bed on the 3rd floor of this house and I can feel the ground shake. I find it really spooky, like some massively huge monster is stomping his way down the street. Where does that come from? What must it be like to be actually sitting in the car?
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Pathways
Last week I felt like I hadn’t had much chance to lift my head and look beyond the necessary pathways needed to build up a workable existence here. Now that I have had a chance, I see that it is not so usual to look beyond what becomes routine. I think that might be just because of the sheer size of everything.
Take the gym…at Saint Louis University, it is massive. There are at least three different areas set up with treadmills (I’d say a good 9-10 in each area), cross-trainers (7 or 8), stationary bikes (including those ones that look so comfortable, where you can sit back and read – I need to try one of those – probably a total of 7/8), free weights, and all sorts of weight machines. I believe each of these areas is somewhat different , but I can’t say for sure, because already I have chosen my area, and venturing into one of the others seems like a hike to a nearby county, so I haven’t bothered....but who knows what I might be missing?
And the supermarket…I can see where people at some point must stop being distracted by everything they see on the shelves and just home in on what they need to or usually buy, marking out familiar pathways around the supermarket. It takes me 2 hours to do my grocery shopping; just looking at all of the different spices takes me about 15 minutes! Not to mention the 1 ½ meter display of different kinds of lettuces (but then you have to remember that over on the other side are bags and bags of various sorts of lettuces, greens, spinach – all ready and washed for your salad - even mushrooms come washed, and carrots washed, peeled and cut – I guess it takes so long to shop that you have less time to prepare the food at home!). The problem is let’s say that you pick out a bag of lettuce, and then move on. All of a sudden you’re faced with this huge display of different kinds of fresh lettuce. So you turn around and trundle back (aisles are spacious, so people never have to bump into each other) leave off the bag, and then go back to the lettuce display, and have to try and decide the Romaine? Ruby? Iceberg? Butterhead? They all look so fresh and crisp (as they are frequently sprayed by an overhead water sprayer). You can also choose from several different kinds of dressings in this area (they look more homemade, less like the familiar brand names). But then later on you get to the aisle where the dressings are and you are faced with even more choice. The same goes for pickles, olives, wine (cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz, pinot noir, Australian, Californian, Missourian, Italian, Spanish, French…), crackers, meat (I didn’t realize that there were so many different kinds of ground beef), yoghurt…just about everything except fish! I do miss the great array of fish choices we have in Madrid, and cheese, too (well, there are lots of cheese choices, but lots of them have the word "spread" or "whiz" in them, and are to be avoided)….Anyway, in the four months I’m here, I know that there is no way that I’m going to be able to sample more than just a small part of any of the different choices I have in any given food.
It’s the same when we go out to eat, especially breakfast. How do you want your eggs? Bacon or sausage? Rye, white, whole wheat toast? Hash browns or fries? Hash browns with onions or with none?
So much to choose from and explore! I’d better get back to it…
Take the gym…at Saint Louis University, it is massive. There are at least three different areas set up with treadmills (I’d say a good 9-10 in each area), cross-trainers (7 or 8), stationary bikes (including those ones that look so comfortable, where you can sit back and read – I need to try one of those – probably a total of 7/8), free weights, and all sorts of weight machines. I believe each of these areas is somewhat different , but I can’t say for sure, because already I have chosen my area, and venturing into one of the others seems like a hike to a nearby county, so I haven’t bothered....but who knows what I might be missing?
And the supermarket…I can see where people at some point must stop being distracted by everything they see on the shelves and just home in on what they need to or usually buy, marking out familiar pathways around the supermarket. It takes me 2 hours to do my grocery shopping; just looking at all of the different spices takes me about 15 minutes! Not to mention the 1 ½ meter display of different kinds of lettuces (but then you have to remember that over on the other side are bags and bags of various sorts of lettuces, greens, spinach – all ready and washed for your salad - even mushrooms come washed, and carrots washed, peeled and cut – I guess it takes so long to shop that you have less time to prepare the food at home!). The problem is let’s say that you pick out a bag of lettuce, and then move on. All of a sudden you’re faced with this huge display of different kinds of fresh lettuce. So you turn around and trundle back (aisles are spacious, so people never have to bump into each other) leave off the bag, and then go back to the lettuce display, and have to try and decide the Romaine? Ruby? Iceberg? Butterhead? They all look so fresh and crisp (as they are frequently sprayed by an overhead water sprayer). You can also choose from several different kinds of dressings in this area (they look more homemade, less like the familiar brand names). But then later on you get to the aisle where the dressings are and you are faced with even more choice. The same goes for pickles, olives, wine (cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz, pinot noir, Australian, Californian, Missourian, Italian, Spanish, French…), crackers, meat (I didn’t realize that there were so many different kinds of ground beef), yoghurt…just about everything except fish! I do miss the great array of fish choices we have in Madrid, and cheese, too (well, there are lots of cheese choices, but lots of them have the word "spread" or "whiz" in them, and are to be avoided)….Anyway, in the four months I’m here, I know that there is no way that I’m going to be able to sample more than just a small part of any of the different choices I have in any given food.
It’s the same when we go out to eat, especially breakfast. How do you want your eggs? Bacon or sausage? Rye, white, whole wheat toast? Hash browns or fries? Hash browns with onions or with none?
So much to choose from and explore! I’d better get back to it…
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Surviving...
I’ve spent most of this week concentrating on constructing my new life here in St. Louis, and at Saint Louis University. I’m used to a much smaller campus…one that serves some 600 or so, and not over 10,000, as is the case here. Obviously, there are major differences living the life of a big campus, all of which have their plusses and minuses. For example, greater anonymity: plus: far less danger of running into people you know (and who might need something) when you’re walking to class or, more importantly, leaving for lunch; minus: it’s rather overwhelming not to see familiar faces (and rather daunting when you see a student who seems to know lots of people – which makes me feel awed, and at the same time unsettled, by the possibility of popularity in such a big pond).
Another difference is having my own office!! I feel like I’ve grown up and found a proper job!! Plus: I can concentrate – there are spookily few interruptions. Minus: I can feel somewhat isolated…and students have said that they find it somewhat intimidating to enter a prof’s private retreat (meaning even fewer visits). I guess I need to learn the art and etiquette of arranging to meet for coffee or lunch or a beer after work. Yet another difference is just the sheer size of everything – the longish walk from the parking garage or the shuttle bus drop-off to the department, the huge gym, a library you can, and I did, get lost in. It’s meant this week that I’ve kept pretty much to a routine pathway, not looking up and around yet at what is not connected to the initial basics of my campus life.
But I am starting to lift my head. I made it to the instructional resource center yesterday, and managed to scan something into a pdf file, with the aid of a very helpful student worker named Michael, who is actually going to study at the Madrid campus next semester. I also made it on Thursday to the Scottish Arms with a good-sized group from the English Department (and beyond) to celebrate the publication of Elisabeth Heard’s new book. I was sorry to cut that short, as the chips and salsa were substantial and nourishing, and even more so the conversation, but I had arranged to meet Diana and some of her friends to go out for a Vietnamese meal.
Ok, so that’s the other part of my life…being Diana’s mom. We are getting along quite well…she’s even taken to going to the gym. She helps me to navigate all of the machines available in that cavernous place. And dinner with her and her friends was quite enjoyable. At the restaurant, I ran into a former SLU student, Colin Hobart, who I hadn’t seen in about 5 years. Maybe St. Louis isn’t such a big city after all.
Though it certainly offers some big city stuff – another highlight of the week was attending the Maya Lin “Systematic Landscapes” opening at the Contemporary Art Museum. Her works of art recontextualize landscapes through different materials (including miniature canyons cut out of atlases, mountain ranges sculpted out of a series of particle boards, the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers outlined by thousands of pins)…causing me to muse about my own recontextualization. I’m still working on creating my life here…a work I trust will be in continual flux and flow, and full of more surprises and unexpected finds.
Another difference is having my own office!! I feel like I’ve grown up and found a proper job!! Plus: I can concentrate – there are spookily few interruptions. Minus: I can feel somewhat isolated…and students have said that they find it somewhat intimidating to enter a prof’s private retreat (meaning even fewer visits). I guess I need to learn the art and etiquette of arranging to meet for coffee or lunch or a beer after work. Yet another difference is just the sheer size of everything – the longish walk from the parking garage or the shuttle bus drop-off to the department, the huge gym, a library you can, and I did, get lost in. It’s meant this week that I’ve kept pretty much to a routine pathway, not looking up and around yet at what is not connected to the initial basics of my campus life.
But I am starting to lift my head. I made it to the instructional resource center yesterday, and managed to scan something into a pdf file, with the aid of a very helpful student worker named Michael, who is actually going to study at the Madrid campus next semester. I also made it on Thursday to the Scottish Arms with a good-sized group from the English Department (and beyond) to celebrate the publication of Elisabeth Heard’s new book. I was sorry to cut that short, as the chips and salsa were substantial and nourishing, and even more so the conversation, but I had arranged to meet Diana and some of her friends to go out for a Vietnamese meal.
Ok, so that’s the other part of my life…being Diana’s mom. We are getting along quite well…she’s even taken to going to the gym. She helps me to navigate all of the machines available in that cavernous place. And dinner with her and her friends was quite enjoyable. At the restaurant, I ran into a former SLU student, Colin Hobart, who I hadn’t seen in about 5 years. Maybe St. Louis isn’t such a big city after all.
Though it certainly offers some big city stuff – another highlight of the week was attending the Maya Lin “Systematic Landscapes” opening at the Contemporary Art Museum. Her works of art recontextualize landscapes through different materials (including miniature canyons cut out of atlases, mountain ranges sculpted out of a series of particle boards, the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers outlined by thousands of pins)…causing me to muse about my own recontextualization. I’m still working on creating my life here…a work I trust will be in continual flux and flow, and full of more surprises and unexpected finds.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Of gables
I thought I should write about our new home in St. Louis. We're living on Russell Blvd., which is about 5 or 6 blocks north of Tower Grove Park. The house is one of many lovely turn-of-the-century brick gabled houses in the area...prompting Diana to suggest that she feels like Anne of Green Gables in her room. We're living on the 3rd floor of the house, Diana at the front with her two gables, and me at the back with one. My room (pictured) is quite cozy in yellow and green, with its two armchairs, and window seat.
Our housemate, Mary Sue, is easy-going and very helpful. Last week I had a bit of a jinxed week. On Wednesday, as I was driving Luis out to the airport to see him take off back to Spain, the air-conditioning on the car I was leasing went kaput. In 95 degree weather, with who knows what kind of humidity (my hair was seriously out of control), that needed taking care of right away. Naturally, there were no other cars available, and on the instructions of the car rental company, I perspired home to wait for them to bring me a new car…when I really wanted to be at the university, nervously preparing for my classes. Ah, but of course! I have this new laptop…so as I waited (and waited) for the car, I prepared my linguistics class notes and a nice little Powerpoint presentation (this for a 2 ½ hour class). Finally at 3 I called to see where my replacement set of wheels might be…still no cars in. I had a little tantrum and hung up the phone…when it came to me that I could just get the car next day, so I redialed and sheepishly suggested that option. Then I perspired on over to the university with a little over an hour to spare before my class. But of course! Microsoft Office 2007 programs refuse to even speak to Microsoft Office 2003, so I couldn’t access the work I’d done while at home. So my first day teaching the linguistics class in a “smart” classroom saw me using the overhead projector and the chalkboard…just a little flustered…enough to suggest that /l/ is an unvoiced consonant. Oh well, the students got it right!
Then on Thursday, with Mary Sue just driving away to her workplace (in case you were wondering about the first sentence of the previous paragraph, now the connection comes...), I put my key into the dead bolt lock on the front door in order to make sure the door was locked while I was up having a shower and getting ready to go pick up this new rental car and then off the SLU to teach my graduate class. I turned the key…and locked the door, and then somehow, as I twisted the key back, the cylinder pulled partially out, with the key in its clutch, and it wouldn’t let it go. I couldn’t get my key out, and couldn’t unlock the door! I was locked in (I forgot that houses have back doors!) After a few moments of panicking and wondering if I shouldn't just go back to Madrid, I phoned Mary Sue who came back and opened the door from the outside and took care of things without ever losing her smile, and without ever suggesting that it was anyone's fault but the lock and its age...so I'm staying! (though for 3 days now we’ve had to use the back door). The locksmith will fix it soon – but it is Labor Day weekend, so it’s not going to happen before Tuesday.
Our housemate, Mary Sue, is easy-going and very helpful. Last week I had a bit of a jinxed week. On Wednesday, as I was driving Luis out to the airport to see him take off back to Spain, the air-conditioning on the car I was leasing went kaput. In 95 degree weather, with who knows what kind of humidity (my hair was seriously out of control), that needed taking care of right away. Naturally, there were no other cars available, and on the instructions of the car rental company, I perspired home to wait for them to bring me a new car…when I really wanted to be at the university, nervously preparing for my classes. Ah, but of course! I have this new laptop…so as I waited (and waited) for the car, I prepared my linguistics class notes and a nice little Powerpoint presentation (this for a 2 ½ hour class). Finally at 3 I called to see where my replacement set of wheels might be…still no cars in. I had a little tantrum and hung up the phone…when it came to me that I could just get the car next day, so I redialed and sheepishly suggested that option. Then I perspired on over to the university with a little over an hour to spare before my class. But of course! Microsoft Office 2007 programs refuse to even speak to Microsoft Office 2003, so I couldn’t access the work I’d done while at home. So my first day teaching the linguistics class in a “smart” classroom saw me using the overhead projector and the chalkboard…just a little flustered…enough to suggest that /l/ is an unvoiced consonant. Oh well, the students got it right!
Then on Thursday, with Mary Sue just driving away to her workplace (in case you were wondering about the first sentence of the previous paragraph, now the connection comes...), I put my key into the dead bolt lock on the front door in order to make sure the door was locked while I was up having a shower and getting ready to go pick up this new rental car and then off the SLU to teach my graduate class. I turned the key…and locked the door, and then somehow, as I twisted the key back, the cylinder pulled partially out, with the key in its clutch, and it wouldn’t let it go. I couldn’t get my key out, and couldn’t unlock the door! I was locked in (I forgot that houses have back doors!) After a few moments of panicking and wondering if I shouldn't just go back to Madrid, I phoned Mary Sue who came back and opened the door from the outside and took care of things without ever losing her smile, and without ever suggesting that it was anyone's fault but the lock and its age...so I'm staying! (though for 3 days now we’ve had to use the back door). The locksmith will fix it soon – but it is Labor Day weekend, so it’s not going to happen before Tuesday.
Mary Sue took me today to see one of the Gateway Cup bicycle races - a tradition on Labor Day weekend in St. Louis, as one of her sons is a participant. We went to the one in The Hill – the Italian district not too far from where we live. I definitely want to get back to that area to try some of the cafes, shops and restaurants out…
Another Labor Day treat in St. Louis – the Japanese Festival, in the Botanical Gardens…a 6 block walk from our house. Too many people (so we couldn’t get into see the kimonos)…but Diana and I did get the chance to see some martial arts practice, a string of enthusiastic children pulling around a dashi – an ornately decorated cart with a couple of people beating a taiko drum, and a whole crowd of even more enthusiastic adults shouting and parading around an omikoshi (a portable Shinto shrine). I was hoping to find some onigiri at the food stands, but none seemed to be offered.
Another Labor Day treat in St. Louis – the Japanese Festival, in the Botanical Gardens…a 6 block walk from our house. Too many people (so we couldn’t get into see the kimonos)…but Diana and I did get the chance to see some martial arts practice, a string of enthusiastic children pulling around a dashi – an ornately decorated cart with a couple of people beating a taiko drum, and a whole crowd of even more enthusiastic adults shouting and parading around an omikoshi (a portable Shinto shrine). I was hoping to find some onigiri at the food stands, but none seemed to be offered.
Oh well…the city has so much else on offer! I look forward to seeing more...
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