Saturday, August 30, 2008

G'day mate!


You're looking at a little piece of Australia in Paris! No, this is not the Australian embassy, but one of the famous Café Oz's in France, true Aussie bars, where they sell Australian beer, show rugby matches and speak with a funny accent! Why am I dealing with Australia today? Well simply because after Cheltenham and London, the Benauts are in town and I just had a wonderful dinner with them (for those of you not familiar with the Benauts (Ian and Andrea), let's simply say, they are regular visitors and commenters to PDP, true francophiles and genuinely nice people.

49 comments:

  1. That's amazing. I have friends who live in Adelaide!! Small word. Enjoy your time in Paris, guys.

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  2. You know, I was looking at that chalk board thinking, wow! Australian beer sure is expensive in France! Then I realized it all had to do with that silly sports stuff. *whew* What a relief!

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  3. Man! And I even put off getting ready for class to try and get GF today! Bum deal to me.

    Have fun, Benauts. I am so very jealous of you!!!

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  4. More lovely bloggers to know. It's terrible! I just had lunch with local Pasadena bloggers. Fabulous people, all of them. It's a disease. I never do anything else.

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  5. From the looks of your blog, P, lunch isn't the only thing you were doing with them...

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  6. Okay, I see. You had time to "come down" overnight. Very responsible of you, P.

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  7. I've never been to a Café Oz's. I like Australian people, even if I don't understand what they say because of their accent. And I love their rugby team, even if they destroy the French team each time they meet...:)
    This photo looks like the 'Happy Hour' picture.

    Eric,I was expecting to see the Benauts' faces! I can't believe that you didn't take them. Where are the pictures?!

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  8. Hey, the Benauts have landed! Eric, I imagine you had great conversation and food fare with them. From their blogs and comments on PDP, it's easy to tell that they are witty, kind, and just all-around fantastic people. As Soosha said, have a GRAND time in Europe, M & Mme Benaut!

    Guille...to see the Benauts click on Eric's link "the Benauts are in town" or of course, Lynn's blog.

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  9. What fun to keep up with the Benauts from England over to France! I'm sure you all had a delightful dinner together. I hear that the weather is supposed to be glorious in Paris tomorrow (and from this photo it looks pretty nice today too!); Mme and M. I hope you'll still be there to enjoy another lovely day!! Thanks Eric for keeping us up to date with their travels!

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  10. How absolutely lovely that you can meet such friends in person! I have met some amazing people through different blogs and forums, and I hope that if I am ever fortunate enough to do the "leap across the pond", I'll be able to meet a few of you. I'm glad you had a wonderful visit, Eric (and M & Mme Benault--with the rest of your trip going very smoothly), and have a great weekend as well!!

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  11. The Benauts are famous! Think about it. We've been following them (and vicariously enjoying their trip) across Europe. Where to next? Any Italian or Polish or Portuguese blogs we need to know about?

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  12. Hello to the Benauts! I'm sure it is great to have a visit from members of the CDPB family!

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  13. I love this kind of blog entry. It makes it so much more intimate.

    I found the other half of my brain in a blog comments box. She lives in Atlanta, and I don't know how I ever existed without her. The internet has opened up a whole new world to discover!

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  14. It's so pathetic. My Friday night is consisting of having a beer, watching several episodes of Top Gear I have tivo'd, and checking PDP. Of course the PDP part is not pathetic at all. Oh I'm so bored.

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  15. Soosha, howzabout writing a journal? Taking up knitting? Blogging? Belly dancing? All healthy activities you can do in your own home.

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  16. I do need to blog about the goings on at school tonight. Very interesting. I would knit, but I doubt I could do anything very nice with a couple drinks in me. I dunno about belly dancing, though. Definitely don't have the body for that! Thanks for trying to help, though!

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  17. There's always TV, I guess. Or you could become addicted to your computer. I don't know anybody like that, though...

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  18. Nah, me neither. I certainly don't get addicted to anything...computers? Nope. British tv? Nope. Men? Nope. PDP? Ok yeah, I may have a slight addiction there...that's a good one, though!

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  19. All better for you than cigarettes or deep fat fried things. Except maybe the men.

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  20. Hey Petrea and Soosha. The day is winding down...just taking a break from my Friday evening reading (my girls are sleeping so I get a chance to work...well, it's really not work.) I'm wading through the Mississippi with Huck and Jim (I've lost count of how many times I've read this book but since I'm teaching it I gotta stay on top of my game). Actually, I love it every time I read it. Say Soosha, how many books have you read so far? Are you at where you thought you'd be at this point in the year? Petrea, any more scripts coming your way? Please keep us informed. Petrea, remember Susan St James? She was from Rockford,IL...your neck of the woods and mine. I'm sure you recall McMillan and Wife. And then in the sitcom Kate and Ally (sp?) Well, gotta get back to chapter 7. Have a great weekend ladies! Ciao for now! BTW Soosha...that's one Harry foot you have. BIDDA BOOM!

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  21. You are a funny man, Coltrane! And might I add, just taking a break from reading, huh? You know you came on PDP to see what kind of wacky schenanigans I'm up to. Admit it, you love me! (Perhaps not. I'll shut up now.)

    Anyway, in all seriousness, unfortunately I've only read 20 so far with 3 in the works. (I tend to read 2 or 3 books at once. One when I'm out and about, one when I've got nothing else to do in class, and one when I'm home). It's truly been ages since I've read any Mark Twain. A pity. I've a soft spot for him since Mark Twain was the name of my elementary school. Rockford? Really? Wow, the number of times I've been there.

    So anyway, how many books have you read so far?

    *sigh* Suppose I should go to bed now. Happy Labor Day weekend guys!

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  22. Leave it to you Eric to find something Australian in Paris to keep in the PDP style AND include the Benauts. I'm not sure if everyone caught your link in the text to their photo though so here's the link again for those who want to meet a truly charming couple.

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  23. I'm baa-aack. M et Mme B, what a lovely journey you're having! And everyone seems doubly charmed by you in person. I'm with Petrea—where do we go now to keep up with the rest of your journey?
    Tonight, lucky moi, I met phx-cdg! We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, then along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, subway back to Manhattan, got some last-minute theater tickets, had a drink, then saw "A Tale of Two Cities" (a new musical that's in previews).
    We both agreed it was a great "first date!"

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  24. How lucky you are Alexa! Isn't Phx-Cdg fantastic?!

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  25. Guille: "I like Australian people, even if I don't understand what they say because of their accent."

    I'm glad to hear it!

    PS Lovely profile photo.

    PPS Very best wishes to all...

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  26. Lucio, it does not concern emails, especially when they are written in the purest English ever! Will write to you soon.
    How is it going?..

    It's incredible, PDPers meet all over the world!
    "We both agreed it was a great "first date!" LOL Alexa. PHX CDG is smashing, isn't she?!

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  27. OMG I am linked by Eric, Lord PDP of Paris on his blog? My my I am honoured beyond mention. Really. So exciting.

    Great photo Eric but I'm with Guille - I want to see les Benauts! Is there more coming tomorrow or what? Pretty please? We've followed them like sheep everywhere and we need our fix.

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  28. I'm glad to see you're looking after them well, Eric. They are such wonderful people.
    MB was a little nervous about his French while they were in London; how is he doing? I'm sure he'll cope perfectly well.

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  29. By the way, I'd pay good money to hear you say G'day Mate in your French accent!

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  30. Hey look Dive, you and me together, side by side, in Paris! Hi.... :)

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  31. Er,,,,me again, sorry. Guille; they are on the 'making of' site. Click Benauts at Eric's post. Though there's only one.....:( Eric is keeping us wanting.

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  32. lynn I completely agree. I'd pay darned good money to hear that!

    And might I add, because I don't think I've said it yet: *whistles* Wowza, what a photo. I could never compete with beauty such as yours, and I'm not just talking about your physical beauty! ;o)

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  33. Soosha...I think it's great you are challenging yourself to read more. Certainly better than being reading challenged as I was as a kid. I worked with a lot of phonics flash cards, SRA cards, and enthusiastic "hippie" teachers. Seriously, my teachers were AMAZING, and their approaches to teaching this slow reader were certainly unorthadox...but their methods worked. Plus, their hearts were in the right place. I have often recalled these hippie teachers and their methods when years later I found myself working with dyslexic youngsters in reading. One of the things I discovered is that when you can't read extremely well, you rely on your MEMORY. I memorized a lot (as did my students) and perhaps that's why I walk around today with a lot of trivia in my noggin. I'm proud that my two daughters are so much farther along than was their Papa at their age. As a parent, I know you can relate.

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  34. It's been awhile since I've commented.... but I wanted to add that a Café Oz opened right around the corner from where I was going to classes in Paris, but like 2 weeks before we were done. I didn't remember seeing any construction or anything, and then all of a sudden one day, there it was. So we had to investigate. And went in every day that we had left. :)

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  35. What a weekend! So many PDPer's meeting for the first time! Don't forget Lois and Cali, who are then meeting Katie tomorrow. A big thanks to Eric.
    Alexa beat me to the computer, but I can only add that she has a WOW factor. I think I kept saying WOW about her life every 5 minutes. May I add that she is indeed ROYALTY.
    I was going to say it was our first "play date" so I could add to Guille's American slang( unless you know the term already).
    Thanks for all the kind words, everybody.

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  36. Alexa...great to have you back. As I indicated on your blog, so cool that you and PHX-CDG had a great "play date." Astounding really...all the "play dates" that are a result of PDP! Gotta run since our jazz trio is playing a gig this afternoon for a Louisiana style restaurant called Magnolia's. Should be fun...as should the southern fried food. Okra anyone?;-)

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  37. Thanks for the links to the respective Benaut blogs. I'd never explored there before. The word charming seems perfect even when I haven't met them and I feel really touched and happy for them to be able to take such a special trip and to be able to celebrate so much. So many other PDPers are meeting, too! Its really, really great!! Happy Labor Day weekend to all the USA contingent.

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  38. Yes, Phx -- "play date" is the perfect term (and it really was a good one). So, Guille, you probably know this expression, oui?
    Can't wait to hear from Lois, Cali & Katie—I'll bet their weekend will be truly memorable.

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  39. Oh yeah, I can relate. Owen, at the grand old age of 4 1/2, is about to outpace me on reading! I just can't believe it. I refuse to push him to learn to read because I believe that kids do not need to be able to read independantly before they even enter elementary school. Then along comes Owen all hooked-on-phonics on his own.

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  40. That's a lovely post. The idea of meeting other bloggers is fascinating, especially those we build up a rapport with. As for France everyone knows it's may aim to live in the South.

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  41. Oohh -- Eric's out late again! How refreshing...! : )

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  42. Soooo... Since everyone (Well Lynn and Soosha!) demands it I'll give it a try with my best French accent: "goude dai, mette!"

    If I'm late, it's because I'm just back from a day with the Benauts. I'm exhausted but I had a wonderful time - and I hope they did too ;) M. Benaut took so many photos that I now have to burn a DVD so that he can empty his cards!

    Dive, you're right, they manage very well with their French, there was nothing to worry about.

    OK, time for me to post a photo and... to GO TO BED!

    PS: Guille, do you want to meet with us tomorrow (Sunday)?

    PPS: My best wishes to Lois, Cali and Katie, who'll meet tomorrow too. You guys have a good time.

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  43. YES!!! I knew there had to such a thing over there! Go us Aussies!! =)

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  44. he he Eric I too have lots of M. Benaut's photos on my son's pc as back-up for him! For the photos he wants to take on this tour, do they make that many cards?

    Love your rendition of G'day Mate! Think the Mette should be more rounded though - maiyte perhaps. lol.

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  45. It's funny how in different countries we want the opportunity to be like another.

    Here in America we have several Chinatowns where you could walk and just about swear you were no longer in America but in fact walking the streets of China. We also have a growing British pub culture. They still aren't as cool as real British pubs, but they're a lot cheaper to get to!

    It's just interesting how we long for an experience so culturally different from our "norm." I wonder if this is a ploy to distract ourselves from our own realities, or if it's genuine curiosity in the way others live.

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