Photo by STEPHEN KELLATTOBY LEE bargains with a sidewalk vendor on the Left Bank of the
Seine River in Paris.
By LAURA DOWLER
We'll always
have Paris.
These immortal words of `Casablanca' have a new meaning for me now that
I've actually been there.
Not only do I have three days in Paris, I have 2 1/2 weeks in the south
of France with 13 other Americans.
Deciding to go to France for three weeks was a difficult decision. I had
to find a way to pay for some of the trip, and I had to be sure it was what
I really wanted to do. At first I was afraid I would get homesick, but once
I got there, the rigorous schedule of fun activities left us little time
to feel anything but tired.
During my time in Paris I fell in love with the City of Lights. I visited
many of the museums and monuments, and discovered what a beautiful city
it is. The thing I remember most about Paris isn't a monument or a museum,
but a cafe near our hotel.
It was in this cafe I learned the hard way that nothing is free. A man came
in with a bunch of flowers. Because my back was to the door, I didn't realize
he had come in from outside.
When he approached our table with the flowers and handed me one, I thought
he was giving them away, so I took it. The rest of the group which had been
trying to warn me, finally told me he was selling the flowers, and I didn't
have enough money to pay so I had to give it back. This was a joke for the
rest of the trip and after.
In the south of France we met our host families. These would be the people
who took care of us for the next two and a half weeks. They fixed us food,
gave us a place to sleep, and did everything possible to make sure we were
comfortable. The only catch was that we had to speak in French, and be spoken
to in French. This didn't really create too much of a problem because we
all spoke at least fairly well in French, and in some families like mine,
one of the parents was fluent in English.
THE GROUP has lunch Al Fresco.
Language barriers, however, can be present. While talking to a French
student, a group member told him that American cheese has condoms in it.
She meant to say American cheese has lots of preservatives, not realizing
that in French 'preservatif' means 'condom.'
While in France I learned that many things are different. The attitude towards
sex and nudity seems to be more open minded than in America. It wasn't unusual
to see a condom machine on the side of a building, or to see a topless woman
in a commercial. There is no legal drinking or smoking age in France.
Many teenagers smoke, even outside the school. Not many teenagers drink,
but they have the option. Even McDonalds or
"MacDo" as it's called in France, is different. The food tastes
almost the same but it's more expensive and you can buy beer there. Most
things in France are more expensive. On the average it costs $2 for a can
of Coke and $5 for a happy meal at MacDo's. A pair of Levi's jeans costs
nearly $80.
Another thing I learned in France was that everything is uphill. As a person
whose life consists of mainly watching TV, I got lots of exercise. We climbed
flights upon flights of stairs. At one point we climbed 400 stairs in a
row. I thought my French teacher was kidding when she said we would be getting
a full workout every day, I was wrong. Our workouts made "Buns of Steel
3" look like Richard Simmons.
The places we visited in the south of France were majestic. We climbed mountains
to ancient castle ruins, and went underground to see vast caverns. We visited
The Salvador Dali Museum in Spain and the Royal Castle in Monaco. Every
day was a new adventure, even if it was only a day we spent shopping with
our French family. The homesickness I had feared so badly never came because
I was having too much fun to miss anyone.
I had the best three weeks of my life in France. I got to know each of the
13 other Americans a little better and I made some new French friends. I
can't wait until the French students visit America. I hope that I am able
to extend to them the same hospitality that they extended to me.
Since returning to America, Dowler has stopped eating cheese, just in
case.
FOURTEEN AMERICANS pose for their group photo in front of I.M.
Pei's'pyramid' in the courtyard of the Lourve in Paris.
A
Weakness For Symbols
Compiled By James Waid
Death Psalm
O sweet Death!
Draw nigh unto me.
Let me find peace
Within Thy chill embrace,
For everything I do
In this wretched existence
Is in vain,
And will bring nothing
But misery and despair unto me.
O precious Death!
Why stay Your hand?
For I am worthless and pitiful
And deserving of my fate.
Please cease my torment.
Let me find my final destruction.
I wish to feel Your gentle coldness
Caressing me, consoling me,
Comforting me.
-Damon Darquehart
untitled
a lonely man, hoarding his home
on the corner of the well-worn street,
shivers in his ragged layers
and the torn cotton warming his feet.
his 5-day-shadow, his chiseled, scarred chin
and the dirt, flaking, caking on his bruised, broken skin,
was not up to his par of what he should have been:
his life hanging on rich men's whims.
the Passerby’s on his busy street,
pass by where he'd set up his home.
children throw tantrums and men lower their hats,
hiding from what they don't know.
huddled in his corner, accustomed to his smell,
the man hugs himself like no one else will,
surviving his own, private Hell.
the day wears on, and the day's sun sleeps,
and the snow seems cold when it falls.
the cars are still passing the man's cardboard home
still clutching their suppressed 4th wall.
the children throw tantrums, but no one lowers his hat,
for their eyes have nothing to see.
the man is reduced to a sad, crumpled ball
left for trashmen to unload off their street.
just one life, one of a sour man,
aged beyond his many years.
but even the use of a life by his sort,
deserves at least somebody’s tears.
-Addie Leirer
Ticking Tock Clock
I hear the tick tock of the ticking clock.
I listen as the time goes by.
To the tick tock of ticking tock clock.
I listen from one minute to the next,
Of the tick tock of the ticking tock clock.
Time tells us when to get up,
When to work,
When to eat,
And when to sleep.
But I can’t seem to sleep,
For the tick tock of the ticking tock clock.
-- Marsha Sky
Thanks for the great response to last months column. For everyone that
didn’t get their poems published in this week Currents, just wait,
I’ll
get around to yours eventually. If you have poems that you would like
to send me, you can email them to: tinman360@hotmail.com
or
elia_kazan@hotmail.com . You
can also send them to me by the USPS at:
6688 St. Rte. 45; Orwell, OH 44076
With Maggie DeVore
BOOK R.O.C.K. was a huge success and a pile of kids books, a Bible
and school supplies will soon be delivered to Children Services.
Yes, we like to have fun, but giving to the kids in our community makes
us feel good, too.
When you see Shawn Doyle, ask him how his R.O.C.K.umentry is
coming. "Shortchanged" opened the concert with their eight-piece
clean, polished SKAdelicious sound. They had us frolicking like kids at
the beach. Can't wait till they come back.
Jefferson's Tom Hagan All Stars connected as an energetic combo with
mass appeal as usual. (What's that funny song again?)
"Battle for Abiline" screeched on stage in a funky punk wearing
a
three-piece red plaid suit.
Ex-Rat Boy Jake Brail and Flubman Aaron Hibbs gave us a
sophisticated thrill with that Shiver guy, Mike Shiflet, and drummer
Cole Di Angelo putting on a new, gritty edge to the group.
"Pariah" brought us to our knees yelling "We're not worthy!"
John `Cat-
in-the-Hat' jumped in and out of the pit just like he was home.
As if that wasn't exciting enough, our own Mountain Dew High School
Roff Off finalists, the Mosquito Bitten Bastards, had everyone in a
human demolition derby and this writer has the bruises to prove it.
Power blast chords and Dave's hypnotic voice gave us what we need to
work off of.
Last but certainly not least, Carbomb closed the concert with a bang.
This group's fan base is increasing fast. We're sure glad you guys are a
part of R.O.C.K. We dig your vibes.
Many thanks to Gretchen Friend, owner of The Riverfront Trader, for
her kind donation. Anyone wanting to reach us can do so at R.O.C.K
Headquarter, 2914 North Ridge East, Box 112, Ashtabula, or evenings
at 998-6448.
Raffle tickets will be sold at the next three concerts for an Alvarez
electric guitar signed and donated by Pariah, worth $500. The drawing
will be held in April at the third annual Shingding in Spring.
Saturday, SHAM R.O.C.K. (wear green) benefits the Council of Hope
food pantry so bring canned goods and March 28 is SOCK R.O.C.K.
(wear green again) collects kids socks for the Catholic Service League
clothing project.
SHAM R.O.C.K. features Shiver, Vindictive, Pariah, Sons of Assassins
and guest bands Sift and Divine Division from Y'town and Canton. See
'ya and remember, no drugs or alcohol allowed. Keep R.O.C.K.'n.
E-mail really cool Teen/Currents
editor
Visit the really cool Teen/Currents
editor's updated and bigger and better-than-ever home page
(Come on, it's got a counter now so I need more hits. Also, cool photos
of the Rolling Stones in tour)