Paris Confidential

[Requiem]

I just returned from a four week work assignment in Paris, London and Edinburgh (working on a joint task force with the EU and UK).

Some observations:

1. European men wearing capri length pants are not sexy. Unfortunately, they are everywhere.

2. France's economy is very strong. They are awash in investment capital from the Middle East. As my French colleague pointed out, France is reaping the rewards from staying out of the Iraq conflict.

3. Although small in number (Paris has only one ward), the Church in Paris is very spiritual. The Paris 1st Ward meets in a beautiful building located in a courtyard on the Rue Saint Merri. It is several blocks from Notre Dame and across the street from the Pompidou Centre. They hold dual Sacrament Meetings in French and English. Hymns sung in French are hauntingly beautiful. Approximately 40% of the members are North African converts who have simple, heartfelt testimonies. The ward pianist is a graduate student at the Paris Conservatory. She is an unbelievably talented musician.

4. The American Cemetery at Normandy is a must see. It is truly a humbling experience. In addition to the 9,600+ perfectly aligned graves, there is a circular wall engraved with the names of those servicemen whose remains have never been found. Our guide pointed out the names of twin brothers from Kansas who were the only sons of a farming family. I hope we will always respect the bravery and ultimate sacrifices of our armed forces.

5. There is strong momentum in Scotland to declare independence from Britain. The Scots claim it is not if, but when. I found the Scottish people to be extremely gracious and accommodating. Much more so than their British counterparts. Scots treasure their independence and innovation. For example, I was very impressed with their approach to electrical power generation. Most of Scotland is currently served by nuclear generated power; they plan to phase out 90% of this capacity in the next decade and replace it with wind generated facilities. We could learn from their experience.

6. The British and French have no interest in American sports. At the insistence of a colleague, I attended a Cricket match between the India and England national teams. It "only" lasted four hours, and I must have missed the excitement.

7. Do not get on the London tube on a Sunday afternoon after the soccer matches end. The air is unbreathable and possibly inebriating.

8. The Cathedral at Chartres is majestic and inspiring. There is a great spirit of sacrifice within those walls.

9. Paris is absolutely beautiful. I also found the French people to be very polite and courteous. While there, I attended the 63rd anniversary of the Liberation of Paris on August 25, 1944. When those around me realized I was American, I was treated like a queen. To this day the French are grateful.

[UtahDan]

Originally Posted by Requiem

I just returned from a four week work assignment in Paris, London and Edinburgh (working on a joint task force with the EU and UK).

Some observations:

1. European men wearing capri length pants are not sexy. Unfortunately, they are everywhere.

2. France's economy is very strong. They are awash in investment capital from the Middle East. As my French colleague pointed out, France is reaping the rewards from staying out of the Iraq conflict.

3. Although small in number (Paris has only one ward), the Church in Paris is very spiritual. The Paris 1st Ward meets in a beautiful building located in a courtyard on the Rue Sainte Merrie. It is several blocks from Notre Dame and across the street from the Pompidou Centre. They hold dual Sacrament Meetings in French and English. Hymns sung in French are hauntingly beautiful. Approximately 40% of the members are North African converts who have simple, heartfelt testimonies. The ward pianist is a graduate student at the the Paris Conservatory and she is an unbelievable musician.

4. The American Cemetery at Normandy is a must see. It is truly a humbling experience. In addition to the 9,600+ perfectly aligned graves, there is a circular wall engraved with the names of those servicemen whose remains have never been found. Our guide pointed out the names of twin brothers from Kansas who were the only sons of a farming family. I hope we will always respect the bravery and ultimate sacrifices of our armed forces.

5. There is strong momentum in Scotland to declare independence from Britain. The Scots claim it is not if, but when. I found the Scottish people to be extremely gracious and accommodating. Much more so than their British counterparts. Scots treasure their independence and innovation. For example, I was very impressed with their approach to electrical power generation. Most of Scotland is currently served by nuclear generated power; they plan to phase out 90% of this capacity in the next decade and replace it with wind generated facilities. We could learn from their experience.

6. The British and French have no interest in American sports. At the insistence of a colleague, I attended a Cricket match between the India and England national teams. It "only" lasted four hours, and I must have missed the excitement.

7. Do not get on the London tube on a Sunday afternoon after the soccer matches end. The air is unbreathable and possibly inebriating.

8. The Cathredal at Chartres is majestic and inspiring. There is a great spirit of sacrifice within those walls.

9. Paris is absolutely beautiful. I also found the French people to be very polite and courteous. While there, I attended the 63rd anniversary of the Liberation of Paris on August 25, 1944. When those around me realized I was American, I was treated like a queen. To this day the French are grateful.

Thanks for sharing. Cathedrals really are works of love/faith of the people in the area where they are built. I didn't appreciate this until I read Pillars of the Earth, which is a good work of historical fiction which I highly recommend.

http://www.amazon.com/Pillars-Earth-.../dp/0451166892

[Lost Student]

Originally Posted by UtahDan

Thanks for sharing. Cathedrals really are works of love/faith of the people in the area where they are built. I didn't appreciate this until I read Pillars of the Earth, which is a good work of historical fiction which I highly recommend.

http://www.amazon.com/Pillars-Earth-.../dp/0451166892

Great book. Loved it.

About the Brits' and Frogs' interest in our sports: isn't basketball at least gaining some popularity over there?

[Requiem]

Originally Posted by Lost Student

Great book. Loved it.

About the Brits' and Frogs' interest in our sports: isn't basketball at least gaining some popularity over there?

Good point. The French love "their" Tony Parker. Nike has his picture in ads posted in all the Paris Metro stations. I didn't sense much interest in basketball from the British. They are rather snobby about their "football", rugby and cricket.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Requiem

Good point. The French love "their" Tony Parker. Nike has his picture in ads posted in all the Paris Metro stations. I didn't sense much interest in basketball from the British. They are rather snobby about their "football", rugby and cricket.

They can keep their cricket and take baseball as well.

Football and rugby are real sports though.