Don't Do It, Elway! It's A Dirty Raider Trick!

You may not know it from my present-day hatred of televised sports, but I actually used to like watching the Broncos quite a bit. John Elway was a hero for me (and probably for about 98% of the people on the Front Range in the 1990s).
Anyhow, imagine my surprise when I saw this article after signing out of my hotmail account one day. Apparently, John just got engaged to a former cheerleader from the Raiders.
Obviously, this is just a ploy to steal his Super Bowl rings and take them back to the evil "Raiders' Lair," deep inside the haunted, pirate-infested caves of Oakland, California.
At least no one can say I didn't try to warn him.

(Photo Credit: Fox Sports on MSN)

Se Vende RAV-4

I was planning on writing a lot this weekend, but I was busy taking care of some other pressing matters.

On Saturday evening, my car once again returned home triumphantly on the back of a tow truck. The problem this time seems to be the transmission, so hopefully we�ll be able to get it fixed soon. Fortunately, it happened in the late afternoon, as I was returning from a job fair at work. Usually, I get home at 11:30 or so, which is a much worse time to have your car break down, as you can imagine.

I only mention this because some of the details surrounding the car�s breakdown and subsequent towing seem�to me, anyhow�to be an interesting asterisk related to Costa Rican cultural studies.

The car�s transmission got jacked as I was going down a hill, and I was fortunately able to take it out of gear and coast into a parking lot�a parking lot for a car dealership. After I called Angela to ask her to call the insurance company to request a tow, I started hanging around outside my car. I walked over to one of the employees working at the car lot, and apologized for leaving a broken car in front of his dealership, since I imagined it wouldn�t be great for business.

He said it was OK, that they were closing up anyhow, and that they were going to start bringing the cars �inside� soon (even used car dealers don�t leave their cars outside�such is the paranoia here regarding car theft). We talked a bit more and as it turns out, the guy was named Andr�s, and he lives in Llano Brenes. Llano Brenes is the town just down the road from Berl�n, and as far as I can tell, its claim to fame is a motocross track. I mentioned I was living in Berl�n, and we started talking more about cars.

This is the strange part. He asked me if I was thinking of trading in my car, and I said that I had ironically said to my wife the night before that I wanted to try to find a smaller car to save money on gas. He told me that RAV-4s�the car I have--were in demand, and that he could probably give me a good deal if I wanted to trade. Out of curiosity, I asked him how much I could get for my car which, being laid out in front of him, obviously wasn�t even in great working condition. The price he quoted me was $3,000 more than I paid for the car a year and a half ago.

I thought I�d misunderstood him, and had heard the price in thousands of dollars instead of millions of colones. I told him that the car had 150,000 kilometers on it, and I asked again. He said that was no problem, and told me the same price. I�ve done some investigation since then and apparently, cars here appreciate in value. I still cannot believe this, but everyone reassures me it�s true. And it�s not only got to do with inflation, because the prices converted to dollars also go up, as well.

For example, Angela�s dad�s car�a 1985 Toyota Land Rover--is now worth more than he paid for it when he bought it used three years ago. Also, a Toyota Yaris bought new in 2004 for $10,000 can now be had for $11,000 or even more.

Look, I don�t know shit about mechanics or economics, but should this really be happening? Anyone got a good explanation?

Before I left the lot, the guy even said he could give me a small, economic car like a Tercel or a Yaris as a trade-in for my RAV-4�and that he�d even throw in a Suzuki Sidekick or a Geo Tracker, so that I�d still have a four-wheel drive car if I needed it. Costa Rica is weird sometimes.

In any case, the tow truck driver arrived, and he brought the car to my house. As it turns out, he was from Palmares, and is probably some sort of cousin of Angela�s dad. Even before we knew that, though, Angela had invited him in for coffee and cookies. Johnny�the driver�s name�told us that he used to fix Angela�s family members� various cars, and then regaled us with stories about towing cars that Berl�n drunks had crashed into ditches.

Maybe to you, these events aren�t that interesting, but when I put them all together and take a step back for observation, it just makes me think, �Hmm, I guess that is a bit different than in the U.S.�

history of brittany course

In line with the association's main aim of making the history of Brittany accessible to anglophones, we are offering a course in 2009 in conjunction with the AIKB in Gouarec. There will be a taster day and then three days studying specific periods, with focus on special topics featuring individuals or themes that give a flavour of their time. There will be oral and written exercises using evidence and visual material. The objectives? To understand more of Brittany's past and present, and to have fun. Details are on the association website now.

More Elitism

I noticed just a day or two ago that this week�s Newsweek has a column by Sam Harris that follows a similar logic to my �Elitist� article the other day. The title is �When Atheists Attack,� which is a sort of poor title choice because it doesn�t reflect too well the content of the article. The sub-title is better: �A noted provocateur rips Sarah Palin�and defends elitism.�
Hmm, sounds a little like a description of an article I wrote just last week, right?
Actually, no. I�m definitely not �noted,� even in the most generous application of the word.
In any case, the article is actually quite good, and I�d recommend you take a look at it. Here my favorite lines:

�What is so unnerving about the candidacy of Sarah Palin is the degree to which she represents�and her supporters celebrate�the joyful marriage of confidence and ignorance.�
AND
�When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth�in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn�t seem to intelligent or well educated.�

At least I�m not the only one out there thinking along these lines.

Quimper historical walk

Thanks to Karen for this account of our outing
We began our walk around Quimper, one of the oldest Breton cities, at the junction of the rivers Steir and Odet, taking a leisurely stroll along the north bank of the Odet admiring the many Passerelles. We then entered the Cathedrale St Corentin, a beautiful and gothic building constructed between the 13th-16th centuries. The cathedral has wonderful stained glass windows, we also admired the painting of Pere Maunoir being kissed by an angel which enabled him to speak Breton, I am sure many of us were hoping for a similar miracle, but it wasn't to be!! We then walked north and came to part of the old city wall which encloses the 'Jardin de la Retraite', a small garden filled with palms, banana trees and other plants. It was very peaceful and worth a visit. After the tranquility of the garden, we strolled along the bustling streets in Quimper, enjoying the architecture of the old buildings. Many of the shops have wonderful window displays of antiques, gifts, gateaux and chocolate - definitely need to go back and enjoy (and sample!) them at a more leisurely pace! The city has been vulnerable to flooding and some of the buildings close to the river Odet have plaques to indicate the levels to which the water has risen, in the last flood on 13th December 2000. Those of a petit stature should beware as water levels reached over 1.5m in places! We finished our walk by heading West along the South bank of the Odet past the famous Quimper pottery factories (and Biscuiterie!) to the Eglise et Prieure de Locmaria. In contrast to the Catherdral, this earlier building was much plainer, but if anything, more beautiful and atmospheric, definitely, my favourite. (Photo above taken in the cloister there.) Then to the Jardin Medieval next to the church for refreshments. The garden is symbolic of 'Paradis', a series of beds of herbs, fruits canes, arches, rose pergolas, and a fountain, interspersed with benches where you can sit and contemplate. A cup of juice and a delicious slice of bananaless banana cake, and Paradis was complete!

Karen W

Book Your Flight And ... Remain Home

I just told you that I have to go in Russia from October 2 till 29. These are the dates today. But it was not always so. Here is my sad story about flight booking online.

Some months ago, precisely at the beginning of July or maybe at the end of June, I wanted to see if there are cheap tickets to go in Russia. I'm expert enough in this researches now and it was not so difficult for me to find the best offers. There were different possibilities from 150 till 600 and more euros. But one of them was INCREDIBLE. The direct flight with "Meridiana" from Naples to Moscow -you will not believe!- 92 euros and 86 back.

Could I say "No" to an offer like this? The offer was only for the period of September and October. In September we have some work in our garden, so I choose October. It was not good for me, in October our Lama, Lopon Tenzin Namdak will come in Milan to teach the last part of "The Heart Drops Of Dharmakaya" and I wanted to go there, but it was unpossible with this unique offer I had from "Meridiana"...

Well, about 2 weeks ago, in the middle of September I received a call from the company. The flights from Naples were cancelled, I have to go from Bologna. The flight is at... 6:55 in the morning. Or renounce on the flight.
Because the decision was taken 1 month before the flight, I can have any claim.

It's unpossible to find a ticket with reasonable price one month before the flight. First. So I had to look for the possibilities to go to Bologna. There are trains that come in Bologna at 3:13 in the night. But I couldn't take a bed there, because they do not allow to disturb passengers at that time. I could only have a sit. And than: how have I go to the airport at 3 in the night? Taxi do not answer when I write or call them.

I wanted to buy a ticket online but I made an error and noticed it only when I received the confirmation. It was unpossible to change this ticket online. And it was unpossible to change it in the railway station because I bought that ticket online. Nobody wanted to speak with me.

Now, my life became a horror. I have all tickets now. But I have to come in Bologna at 3:13 and fly in Moscow at 6:55. Trains in Italy never rispect timetable. It is perfectly possible that I will come in Bologna not at 3:13 in the night, but in the afternoon. I did not think about it when I bought the ticket. It said me the man in the railway station.

Do we want to count now how much costs my "very convenient" ticket?

Meet the Members (1)

Kay & Steve Attwell (pictured not in Brittany!)

We bought our house in Morlaix, in 2004, after I retired from the Fire Service after 30 years. I worked as a Crew Commander at Sunbury, Esher and Godstone. Kay is a self-employed stone mason and was the first female apprentice to enter the male dominated trade at the tender age of 16. Among her clients are the Duke of Devonshire and The National Trust. My only claim to fame is having played rugby at Twickenham and my Great Aunt is Mabel Lucie Attwell the children's book illustrator.
We chose Brittany for the varied countryside and rugged coastline. Our hobbies are diving and walking so for us it's ideal. We were fortunate enough to meet Wendy (Mewes) at Morlaix market and have enjoyed walking with her ever since. We both appreciate the very sociable outings with Brittany Walks and have discovered many stunning areas of Brittany by joining the guided walks. The homemade cakes are always scrumptious.