Go Chana! Bite!

Although we live right in front of the entrance to the Bastille, we hardly ever take a stroll up unless there is absolutely nothing else to do. Today was one of those days, and Chana and I left happy-happy-joy-joy with very little in my pockets, without knowing how this beautiful afternoon turns into a thrilling one...

I was listening to music with my iPhone, which is very rare, and it probably meant that my voice talking to Chana was a bit louder than usual. So here is my advice for you. When you are in a wooded area by yourself, don't be so joyful talking to your dog or to yourself. Or you will attract a pervert. At least I managed to get one. This is the second pervert in France: the first one was in Arles in 1997, so I guess there has to be one every 15 years! In fact, I may have only seen them in France. Interesting.

At first when I saw him, Chana was going to check him out as she was off-leash. If she had not done that, I would have not noticed of his existence and I might have kept going up. I called her back and registered the situation, and I decided to go down the hill. Thankfully, I had iPhone to call the police, no Opinel but a small Victorinox, and a black plastic bag with Chana's present inside. Everything was planned in my head in case he got anywhere near me. I ran down the hill, but it is a switch back. He was coming down the stairs which led straight down, so I had to "see" him three times every time I came back to the right turn down. The scariest part was when he was looking down on me from above wooded area, but by then he was well dressed.

I reported this at the info desk at the Archaeological museum located at the foot of the mountain, and I made sure nobody was following me home. I even took out the extended lens on my SLR and checked the area I was flashed. Ha ha. This is what the book 1Q84 does to you.

And as I type to wind down, I start thinking, maybe he was not a flasher but he was going to the bathroom? Either way, really. Keep your pants up in public, please. I had never felt so strongly that I should have trained Chana to do Ring Français. Here is her practicing, massacring a rhinoceros.

Ça va? says OFII

In December, I received a letter from OFII inviting me to a compulsory meeting to do "le bilan de compétence = ability assessment." Shortly before that, I had sent in a request to take more free language lessons, so I naturally thought this would be the meeting where I could make a plea to take classes though my visa expires in less than six months.

The day before the meeting, the counsellor called me and asked for my CV. Well, it turns out that this meeting at VAR had nothing to do with my language classes but simply to inform me that I should look for jobs at Pole-Emploi, equivalent of Job Bank or Hello Work. The counsellor gave me some advice where I should look for jobs according to my background, but it is my responsibility to contact Pole-Emploi and register myself as a job-seeker. As curious as George, I am planning on making an appointment with Pole-Emploi. By doing so, I hope I am not raising the unemployment rate in France...

Senior dog!

Today is Chana's 6th birthday! Happy birthday Chana!

According to Pedigree Dog Age Calculator, six years old in Cocker Spaniel (ASCOB) years is equivalent to forty years old in human years, and she is considered "a senior dog" instead of "an adult dog." I wonder when people will stop asking me whether Chana is a puppy or not.

Thank you Paddy Ashdown

http://www.ted.com/talks/paddy_ashdown_the_global_power_shift.html

And are we --- especially the ones who are used to being in power consciously or subconsciously--- ready?

Symbiosis, co-existence, back to basic.

Chanagility December 2011

Here is the last agility training of the 2011 outside in the mud (the ground was covered with snow for some time) on December 29. After the first tunnel and a jump, I got lost and confused Chana. She was a good  girl not to take the jump in front of her. Chana missed the entry on the second weaves, but not bad all together for a our Chana pooch! After the training, we ate together in the club house to celebrate the end of the year.

So much has happened in the last quarter of 2011: our trip to Brussels and Vimy ridge, Carin, Ken and Hana's visit in Grenoble for a month, travelling with Donna down to Avignon, Toulouse, and Barcelona... As this blog is serving me as a form of diary, I should write about them before I forget or my memory gets crystallized.

We have also started doing a language exchange with our agility coach Isabelle. Every friday we host each other for an evening of communication. Together with Isabelle's husband and her five dogs, we spend some quality time together, quiet and rich. We were at their place for the "reveillons" on December 31st where some more excitement was added with a Chihuahua named Gusto :). I saved him from Chana when she turned into a gremlin.

Bonne année 2012!

It's the year of the dragon: a deliverer of good fortune and master of authority. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!

Senor salamander at Parc Güell, Barcelona.