jeudi 27 novembre 2008

*A timely reminder..?


Don't write...



Don't write.
It's too powerful.
It might tell someone how
you feel.
How you hurt.
What you don't understand.

Don't write.
It's too powerful.
It will show who you are
on the inside to the outside.
It'll blow your cover,
your nice reputation.

Don't write.
It's too powerful.
You might hurt someone's feelings.
People may not like your words.
They may attack you,
or abandon you.

Don't write.
It's too powerful.
It might give others hope.
Let them know
they're not alone.
It might change minds.
Change directions.
Change the world.
.
So, whatever you do,
don't write.
.
.
* This poem is not only a timely reminder given current events
in France and around the world but
also, at least, to my mind,
it raises the issue of how and why bloggers decide
to censure themselves...or not.
I'd love to hear any thoughts you may have on the
issues raised...

lundi 17 novembre 2008

Mon Copain d'Enfance : Anansi the Spider...

.
Pendant des siècles, dans le monde entier,
les contes ont été une des meilleures
façons de rassembler les gens.
.
Ils sont un excellent moyen d'apprendre davantage
sur les coutumes,
et les croyances des autres cultures...


Illustration: R. Hübner

Je me revois enfant, au Ghana, en afrique occidentale,
assise par terre, entourée d'amies,
de couleurs et origine diverses,
écoutant avec plaisir
les "Contes d'Anansi" racontés par notre tante à tous:
.
* aunty Peggy

ses histoires de


. *Kweku est le "nom du jour" d'anansi l'arraignée..!


Le "nom du jour" ghanéen (Ghanaian day name) est le nom attribué
à tous les enfants, filles et garçons,
nés le même jour de la semaine
L'enfant garde ce nom tout au long de sa vie...
(il peut rajouter ou non plusieurs autres prénoms...)

.
(les noms de garçons sont sur la gauche et ceux des filles sur la droite)
.
Lundi Kwodwo Adwoa

Mardi Kobena Abena

Mercredi Kweku Ekua

Jeudi Yaw Yaa

Vendredi Kofi Efua

Samedi Kwame Ama

Dimanche Kwesi Esi
.

Moi, je m'appelle EKUA...
et vous..?
.
*Peggy Appiah est celle qui a inspiré le film "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner"
(1967)

lundi 10 novembre 2008

Wherever I lay my hat...


is my home...

.
Far from the madding crowd
.
Located at the foot of the French Alps in eastern France,
the town of Annecy is on the shores of Lake Annecy
which only adds to its beauty...
.

.
I'm off elsewhere, but I'll be
back soon...
Thanks for popping by, there are plenty of previous posts for you
to consult in my absence...
.
A BIENTOT..!

P.S: This is a re-edit of my very first post..!

vendredi 7 novembre 2008

L'ambiance du jour...

.
.
Next time you need an excuse for a messy area
of your house,
one of these might come in handy...
.
I don't do windows because...
I love birds and don't want one to run into a clean
window and get hurt
.
I don't wax floors because...
I am terrified a guest will slip and get hurt then
I'll feel terrible
.
I don't mind the dust bunnies because...
They are very good company, I have named most of
them, and they agree with
everything I say
.
I don't disturb cobwebs because...
I want every creature to have a home
.
I don't Spring Clean because...
I love all the seasons and don't want the others
to get jealous
.
I don't pull weeds in the garden because...
I wouldn't want to mess with God's design
.
I don't put things away because ...
My husband will never be able to find them again
.
I don't do gourmet meals when I entertain because...
I don't want my guests to stress out
over what to make
when they invite me over for dinner
.
I don't iron because ...
I choose to believe them when they say
"Permanent Press"
.
Thanks L for sharing this...
I can't remember if I've already posted this way back or not..?
Hope not..!

jeudi 6 novembre 2008

Au Coeur de la Provence...

.
Coup de Ceour pour ce lieu sublime:
Chambre d'Hôte de Charme
à *Beaumes de Venise
.


Au coeur de la Provence, au pied du Mont Ventoux,
et au milieu des vignes du fameux Muscat...
Cette bâtisse du XVIIIè construite à même la roche
est un lieu unique...

.D'autres photos et détails
.
.
*Beaumes de Venise est sur "La Route des Vins"de la Vallée du Rhône...
Les villages ainsi que les paysages environnants
sont absolument magnifiques..!
.
Check here for more photos and info. on this unique
place where we had planned to spend
the past week...
Why is it, just when you really need a break the most
- sunshine, quality time together as a family -
last minute, unexpected professional commitments and dramatic weather conditions
in central and southern France (torrential rain and flooding...)
conspire to keep you stuck at home..?
On the positive side, being "grounded" meant we were able to follow the last leg of the
American elections and witness history in the making - "live" on TV/Internet -
now that really was exhilarating..!

mercredi 5 novembre 2008

Now For Something Completely Different...

.
Things I will never know...
.
.
1. Why I never feel a foreigner - Here, There or Elsewhere,
yet always look like one, or so I'm told...
(everywhere except in Scandinavia, that is..!)
.
2. How it feels to live in a new house.
I love to live in old homes - I don't think I could ever live in a new one;
it needs to have a history...
.
3. Why I need absolute darkness and silence to sleep...
.
4. How it feels to be short -
at 1M75 (5'9) I tower above most ladies my age;
particularly here in France...
.
5. Why, unlike everyone else I know, given the choice between a big,
gooey slice of chocolate cake or a glass of the best red wine
and a slice of local goat's cheese, I'd choose
the latter every time...
.
6. How it feels to be competitive -
I just don't do competition.
Even as an athlete, I only ever ran to improve
my own times;
never, to be the winner...
.
7. Why it's so difficult sometimes to know where to draw the line.
Even the line between what I should, or should not,
write on this blog...
.
8. How to whistle - I can blow air - that's about
it, I'm afraid...
.
9. Why no matter how much you care, some people
just don't care back.
Why can't we all just get along..?
.
10. How it feels to drink to excess purely to get drunk
- I like my liver the way it is,
i.e. not in a jar...
.
What will you never know?
.

lundi 3 novembre 2008

Pause Déjeuner en Alpage...

.
après une bonne marche tonique sur les sentiers
du Plateau des Glières...
.
.
.Les Beignets de Pomme de Terre
accompagnés de salade,
.
Ingrédients
(4 personnes)

800 g de pommes de terre
1 gousse d’ail
2 cuillères à soupe de farine
4 œufs entiers
Crème, persil, sel et poivre

Râpez les pommes de terre et égouttez les biens.
Mélangez ensuite l’ensemble des ingrédients
et fabriquez de petits beignets.
Il ne reste plus qu’à les cuire à la friture.

Accompagnés de salade,
les beignets sont un met simple et facile à cuisiner...
.
BON APPETIT..!
.
Please do not hesitate to ask if you'd like a translation...