Poker

I lost big at at this week's poker game: I ended down 6 euros. Everything that I had was beat. I had a pair of aces and someone else had 3 of a kind.... I had 2 pair and someone else had a flush... there was no winning tonight. For me, that is. For everyone else, plenty of winning. Oh well. Cyril won 3 euros, Sean 1, Amy 2. Although Amy always wins something.

It was at my house too, so at least the pizza was good. Pizza is generally crap in Lyon but I happen to live across the street from a place that won the "best pizza in Lyon" award. Which is to say that it still isnt great, but it is at least edible. I didn't try the pizza at this place, Baduila, for months, because I thought it was a sports bar, as there are always people sitting out front shouting at the televison during some Olympic Lyonnais game or other such event of "le foot". I didnt realize for a long time that they actually served food.

This week at work we have had a tobacco meeting, regarding putting together a monograph on measurement of tobacco use, policies, and dependence. I have been sitting in because my boss assigned me to work on a survey of women's views of smoking and health across 5 European countries that are in different stages of passing smoke-free legislation in restaurants and bars. Anyhow, I have been noticing that the meeting participants have been sneaking peeks at their brackets instead of listening to speakers. Tarheels all the way, people!

Amy sent me some pics of me boarding, when we went a few weeks back. Here they are:

Bardonecchia

I got back last night from our ski trip to Bardonecchia! It was beautiful there. We stayed in the tiny mountainside town of Chateau, which is just across the border from France. The place that we stayed had been described as a B and B, but I would describe it more as a camp. It was not exactly luxurious. I shared a room of 8 bunk beds with the other women in the department. What you learn about your coworkers up close and personal: Amy shouts in Taiwanese in her sleep.

It was a fun weekend. We ate lots of delicious pizza and pasta. I only fell hard once although the conditions were not great. There is hardly any snow in the Alps this year due to global warming.

Here is the whole group:

Left to right: Farhad, his son Farzad, Farideh, Kasia (in the back), Amy, Amir, Rim, Sandrine, Frank, Rim's husband (I never caught his name), James, Manuella's son (name?), Cyril (with the hat) and Rayjean in front of him, me, Ellie, Jon, and Zoe, Paolo, Manuella's daughter Maria, Toni Boffetta, Manuella, and Amy.

Nationalities represented: Iranian, Polish, American, Nepali, Armenian, Dutch, Aussie, French, German, British, Canadian, Taiwanese, and Italian.

The town of Chateau, which at 1800 meters elevation should normally be full of snow this time of year.


Here was the view from our B and B. On the hill in the foreground wild mountain goats were roaming-- they were called chamois.


Here is my friend Jon with his daughter Ellie.

Jon and I boarded together on Sunday. I stopped to tighten my boots and he stopped ahead to wait for me-- here is a shot of him with the mountains behind. The snow in the foreground is all manmade-- a bunch of the runs were closed and there were plenty of spots where rocks and dirt showed through the snow. They should have put signs up that said, "Keep off the grass."

On Sunday Paolo and his wife Toni prepared a little feast for us on our way out of town, of cheeses, prosciutto, and little Italian pastries. I'm in the back talking to Frank and James, undoubtedly discussing this week's poker game. By this point, I was completely exhausted.

Epicée

Last night I went to see a French singer, Vincent Delerm. He is a piano-playing pop chanteur. It was a fun show but the only thing that I didn't like was that he had 5 encores-- he may have had more, but I left during the 5th. Frankly, I believe in 2 encores only, maybe 3 max. I think even if the Beatles reunited and John and George came back from the dead, I would only want 2 encores. There ain't nobody I want to see come back 5 times.

Mot nouveau: épicée = spicy. Food here is not spicy. The French do richness instead of spices. Which is not a problem, except when enjoying Asian cuisines, which seem rather bland to me. This word should come in handy. Trés epicée, s'il vous plait.

Tonight I am packing for the annual Gene-Environment Epidemiology Group weekend ski trip to Bardonecchia, in the Italian Alps. I'm excited! Paolo made us a reservation at a pizza place on Saturday night which involves a 1-hour hike through the mountains in the dark. It is supposedly an easy walk, but pitch black, so hopefully someone will have an extra flashlight. I am excited to have some good Italian food too.

Biking

Lyon has a very cool program where there are public kiosks all over town where you can rent bikes by the hour. You can pick up a bike at any kiosk and drop it off at another. The first 1/2 hour is free, which makes it fairly convenient for commuting; afterwards they are 1 -2 euro an hour, depending on the length of time. Here is a pic of one of the kiosks:


Amy L., Priscila and I managed to figure the system out yesterday and we went for a bike ride along the Rhone up to the Parc de la Tête d'Or. It is a park where supposedly Christ's head is buried. Beats me how Christ's head might have ended up in France.

Considering I took this picture by holding the camera over my shoulder while biking along, I think it turned out pretty well!

Carolina hoops

Last night the Heels stomped all over Duke. Magnifique! Carolina has locked in the #1 seed for the ACC tourney.

Since it was the first game in weeks to occur at an hour where I might be able to tune in, I spent quite a while searching for a simulcast of the game... and there is nothing! No radio show, nada. Wherefore art thou, Woody Durham? Where are you when I need you?!?? The best I could do was a lousy "Gametracker" which updated every 5 minutes and said the plays: "Steal. Free Throw. Foul." Quite unsatisfying.

Food markets

Every Sunday I get my groceries at the food market just on the other side of the Saone. It is a sight to behold. The market is big and crowded and everything that comes from the earth is for sale: besides fruits and veggies, they have cheeses, meat and sausage, bread and pastries, flowers, fruits de mer, spices, wine, oils, vinegar. Plus the proprietors are all shouting, "Mesdames Messieurs, Bonjour!" "Pains de la compagne! Allez! Allez! Allez!"

I got some salade and cilandre here today.
I got some amandes from this woman, who said I could take a picture but I guess didn't want to actually be in it.
A large chevre selection.

Mysterious black root vegetables. Does anyone know what they are?



There are always several people out roasting chicken.

And my fave stand is Senor Carlos's, who has been en vacances for 2 months in Chile-- que lastima!-- but has finally returned so I can have my weekly empanada. His happy customers were not waiting to get home but were chowing down immediately. Yum yum!

The only good thing to ever come out of Leicester

I went to see Kasabian play last night. Isn't this guy pretty?

It was a great show! They played at Ninkasi, a tiny little club here in town, which is a great place to see a band because you are always so close to the stage. They were really energetic--they have taken to the role of rock stars like naturals, preening and strutting around, and holding the mike out to the audience so everyone would sing along. They're all set to become an arena rock band.

I was amused that they didnt even try to speak French, but just yapped at the audience in English. There was one mangled 'Merci Beaucoup' with such a heavy accent I could barely understand it. At any rate, it was fun. My friend Jon says that they are the only good thing to ever come out of Leicester, and he himself is from Leicester, so I guess he would know.

The excitement at my office this week is that we got a espresso machine. We got the brand that George Clooney is hawking in ads here, Nespresso. Well, if it is good enough for George Clooney, it is good enough for us.