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On Dimanche several of us drove to Lourdes a small town about 35km from here. It is where the Virgin Mary appeared to St Bernadette. This year is the 150th anniversary of the first appearance. The logo appears throughout the town and you follow the white lines to trace her walk to the Grotto. There are a lot of pictures on the Lourdes page, click the link at the bottom. |
The network setup is progressing slowly! They have done a lot of research and have prepared great documentation, but it is taking a long time to do the setup. Looks like I will have to return in January for several weeks.
Monday, French class was so taxing that my house mate and I left work and crashed. We sponged some leftovers off our neighbor, another person on the team, ate some peanut butter crackers and went to bed! I know that Mrs. Willims would not be as tough on us, Go Blackhawks.
Food, food and more food, it is unbelievable! We have not had a single bad meal and that includes the lunches in the Cantina. There are about 2,500 employees in the Boardes plant where I am working. The company has a Cantina where most employees each lunch. There is no such thing as going out for fast food. For about 3 €, you get a meat, vegetable, salad, appetizer, desert, soup, water and of course bread. For a Big Mac combo you will shell out over 7 €.
I have gone out to some very nice restaurants. The menu offers selected complete dinners usually built around meat, veal or chicken. Dinners usually last 2 - 3 hours, are several courses, include a couple of different wines and desert. This week we started with a green sparking wine, olives and crackers followed by a chilled spoon of cheese wrapped in chocolate with a shot glass of pumpkin soup. Then it was a cold meat and cheese patty with in a sauce. The main dish was fish followed by a desert of sherbet, sponge cake, sauce and cherries. This was followed by cafe with a little chocolate tart. There were two different wines and of course bread. No, I don't eat this way every night, see Monday above.
When eating out, do not order Coke with dinner. It won't happen, kids drink coke, adults have wine, water or cafe with dinner. Don't even think about sweet tea or lots of ice cubes, not going to happen.
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The next couple of items fall under strange things. Light switches, see the photo to the left. It is a light switch shot from above, in the on position. OK, first on is off and off is on. Every time I turn a light on, I turn it back off, just not used to it. They are rocker switches, over an inch wide. |
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Second power, it is 220v 50hz which means nothing from the US works. Most computers will work off of 220 or 110, but the plugs are different and you need a plug converter. The part you plug your device in is on the right. The back of it that you plug into the wall is on the left. The plug converter works great provided the device will work off of 120. Read the small print on the power bar. If you bring a hair dryer, hair curler or iron you will need a converter to convert the 220 to 110. Enough said. |
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Some of the translations are very funny. One of the group was not feeling well and our main contact, who speaks the best English, asked if he needed "chemistry". When Joel did not understand he was asked if he wanted to "go to the Nursery"? Where is a video camera when you need one!
Almost done with strange things, les toilettes, somewhat different. The commode is in a small closet. No metal dividers, no looking under the door, no wide stance, very private. The handle to flush it is built into the commode and sometimes hard to find. Watch out, at the airport they do not close les toilettes for cleaning. The lady, and it seemed to always be a lady, walks right in and starts to clean. No warning and she does not appear to care what is going on.
Finally the hunt for a switch. For the non Geeks out there it is a device used to share a network connection with several computers. Remember in week one, I said there was not internet connection in the house I am in. I have to go to a friend's house 20 minutes away to "borrow" his connection. The problem is, we both can not use the connection at the same time. So I figured there must be an extra switch at the facility. One of the French consultants gave me one and some patch cables. When I tried to leave with it, I was told not without written permission. So I left it and went in search of a switch, with no idea of what one would be called, or where to find it. In Pau, the next largest town there are several stores that are like a Super WalMart, they have everything including computer equipment. I went looking the the computer secione and found out that in French a switch is a switch. It cost about 20 € and has the correct plug. My friend is happy, I am happy and all is right with the world. BTW, if you need a 200v 50hz switch on you next trip to Europe, call me, I have one available.
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