La Fete Nationale et Independence Day, a la Francaise

What a beautiful coincidence it is that our nations celebrate their independence only ten days apart! History shows that we, the Americans, owe much to our French comrades not only for their military aid but also for their ideas. The more I have read, the more I am convinced that our philosophies on such things as essential as freedom and liberty share a common thread.

I had the honor of being invited to celebrate the Independence Day in Angers at the event hosted by the US Consul of Rennes, along with Mariette and association members Michelle and Jessica, who comes from Atlanta. There I also met Tara, an intern of the US State Department, who is working with the Consul in Rennes and helped organize this fantastic event. There, we heard from the Consul Edward O'Brian and and attache Eric Beaty, and listened to jazz by the "Tony Baker 3."


Back home in Nantes, the Nantes Seattle Jacksonville Sister City Association hosted an "Independence Day" potluck. About 40 members joined us to share a meal and stories of their adventures in America. I welcomed everyone and shared a book I have with photos of Whidbey Island, my home. It was great to get to know the other members and to hear about all the activities and exchanges they have been involved in- it shows that the sister city relationship is strong!


Unfortunately, the weather was less agreeable on the anniversary of the capture of the Bastille prison. Nevertheless, the night was perfect and Nantes put on a spectacular fireworks show along the Loire river. Meanwhile, nearby, the local summer international culture festival "Les Heures d'Ete" continued, this night featuring the music and dance of Turkey (the place of which in Europe is an interesting topic in current events, by the way). All in all, what a great place it is to be at this time of year! So much to learn, so much to enjoy, so much to share.


Et pour mes collègues français!

Merci de m’avoir si bien accueillie ici ! J’ai bien apprécié la fête de l’Independence de ma nation à Angers et au potluck de l’Association Seattle Nantes Jacksonville chez Michelle Leroy. Je trouve ça beau et juste que nos fêtes nationales ne sont séparées que par dix jours. Pour le 14 juillet je me suis bien amusée sur le Quai de la Fosse en regardant le spectacle des feux d’artifices et écoutant la musique turque aux Heures d’Été. Vivent nos nations, leurs citoyens, et tout ce qui nous rapproche !

Les Forums Quartiers du CNJ

First, apologies are in order for having not written in so long! I will do my best to touch a little a bit of everything but I'm afraid the next few will be a bit shorter so I can catch up.

Though the long vacation has arrived and everything has quieted down a bit, the end of the year was filled with activities for local youth. The Conseil Nantais de la Jeunesse hosted two special events in two of Nantes outer neighborhoods, Malakoff and Breil. These "Forums Quartiers" gave the chance for local youth to learn more about ways they can become involved in their community and gave me and others the chance to learn more about the issues that touch these parts of this city we all share.

In Malakoff, debates on the topics of boy-girl relationships, stereotypes, and discrimination were punctuated by excellent musical and dance performances by local groups. In Breil, local teens of the Cite du Monde project presented their own compositions, and several groups presented opportunities for the local youth to become involved in putting together their own short film, joining their neighborhood's rugby team, or decorating a bike and riding their bike for the benefit of the environment.

As always, I was impressed by how dynamic this city is and how much attention is given to what the youth have to say and what actions they are interested in taking. It was also interesting to see that no matter where you go, we are often all affected by the same issues, like discrimination. On the positive side, it is encouraging to see that there are others carrying on this struggle and suceeding in overcoming these issues.