The Pastime Termed Gardening

Most people have segmented lives of work and play; we go to the office and stay in our respective cubicles, we spend weekday evenings with our children. Sometimes we force the kids to rehearsals on weekends and we play golf with our acquaintances.

This is not the case for the gardener since cutting around his backyard and looking for insects may not sound fun and does not fit neatly into a outline either. After a taxing day's work, he goes home with sore muscles but more weeds will crop up the next day. He knows this, and yet, he also finds that his soul is filled with vitality and his essence wants to do more work on the little patch of earth.

Believe it or not, the aforementioned is a typical image of a French local -- yes, gardening is a very normal pastime in France. Gardening seems unfitting for a pursuit that asks so much effort and, arguably, gives so much in return.

Gardening in France is said to be parallel to a obsession. It means convincing yourself out of the car after a long day at work and a stressful trip home. You have sore feet, an aching back, a sleepy brain, and unresponsive body, but then, you find that you can't wait to hose your plants and check up on your lovely flowers, young vegetables, and rare, ornamental plants.

The Bastion of the Elite

We were bored out of our shells this Friday since we have a stretched holiday until Monday, so we decided to drive to close-by Monaco, about an hour by car from Fontan.

Bordering the azure Mediterranean sea, the place can be easily recognized by the sudden emergence of skyscrapers between the sleepy towns of Menton and Beaulieu-sur-Mer. The national road leading to the place was quite insignificantly-sized but very regal; let me just remind you all that this is also where the equally glamorous American actress Grace Kelly used to be the princess. That makes the view, while driving towards the very exclusive gambling hub of Europe, simply magnificent.

We were rendered tongue-tied by the beauty of Monaco, the magnificence of its panorama, its port with huge private yachts, the commanding Royal Palace built on a giant rock, and the modern-day labyrinth of apartments and office buildings. Monaco is located on top of rocky ranges so it is taxing to imagine how apartments and houses were put together on the natural spaces created by the giant rocks.

The interiors of Monaco's apartments are patterned after the most extravagant hotels; the old-world atmosphere of the villas and the government buildings are simply amazing. We could clearly see that everyone has lots of money and there is a huge amount of wealth all over the place, which makes the option of living there open to only a select few people.

The Etiquette of the Orchestra

There are certain unwritten rules to keep in mind when watching a concert, which usually has two movements. Each song may last 30 minutes, so you do not applaud the performers while they are playing, and you need to be absolutely silent, otherwise you will distract the musicians. A appreciative applause can be given after the first part is done, before the performers take their leave of the stage to take a few minutes respite. When they emerge, another round of applause is given; after that, everyone settles down for the second part.

When the symphony is finished, the symphony will stand up, take a bow, and another round of applause is in order. After the performers leave the hall, the audience will clap their hands for as long as it takes until they come back onstage, take another bow, and then exit again. This will go on as a means of requesting an extended concert and finally for the third time, the performers come out and act overwhelmed with the appreciation of the audience so they act like they have no choice but to play another track. Take note that they have readied additional pieces in advance.

When the music is over, most of the time there is another clapping session, and depending on how the musicians affected the audience, the clapping process will rewind. If not, the audience picks up their bags and go home.