It was bloody hard work every day of course, with seminars starting at 8.30am. We learnt a lot about IB History, and there were some very nice people there. But luckily there was also time to relax and enjoy the city. And 'debrief' with a few glasses of wine after filling up your head with world wars, single party states and facism, just to mention a few of the things discussed by the History teachers.
I hadn't been to Paris since Kjersti and I went there on holiday in 1997, so I had forgotten a lot about the city and what it had to offer. Some of the things I found difficult with Paris is that nobody speaks English there. Yes, it's a generalisation, but I realised that it's been soooo many years since I was holidaying in a country where I couldn't make myself understood in the languages I speak that it was really frustrating. Here, I was lost. Just lost. lost in translation. (And started speaking Spanish without realising it ...)
Another thing I didn't like was that there was a mouse running around on the floor at Starbucks at the airport. We pointed it out to the staff, and their reaction was just "we know" ... and a polite smile. Yikes!
Anyway, after roaming the streets of Paris yesterday (contemplating life is a History teacher) I came across this orchestra at one of the Metro stations on my way to the airport. They played lovely music and created a fantastic atmosphere in a stressful environment where must people just rush by. These guys made people stop. Listen. Take a break. I love it!
Thank you, Paris!
