all in a days work

yesterday was scorching. en plus, i was outside a bunch. i met a few wonderful elderly people who came to the central house for a lunch. one lady, i think she is eastern european, sang for all of us. then i had my typical french 2 - hour lunch. when i got to the office, a few guys were drinking some bubbly. when they were done we went to get sandwhiches, but then ate those sandwhiches at a bar across the street. i tried not to undersand what they were talking about. a really nice guy, who i found out is only 20, smoked 2 cigarettes in the time it took me to eat my sandwhich. in the next 3 hours i think i saw him smoke 8 more. it is hard to not say anything, but even french people who smoke have smelled it enough that it doesn't bother them - i just hold my breath for 15 minutes. . .

we then went to ADOMA, which is a bar service underneath a government housing building that we provide. the men come in and we have juice, coffee, soda, etc to offer them for cheap. i guess i will learn how to make coffee? it shouldn't be that complicated. one of them told me he hated marseille, but was a parisian. he wrote down this quote for me by Charles Beaudelaire : "I searched for paris in the world, but then I came home and found the world in paris." agreed. a very nice woman dropped me off at the metro afterwards. i just sat and listened to her talk all day, because she has a beautiful STRONG marseillian accent. we had an interesting conversation about marseille. for her, and apparently most french people, their city has been overtaken. back in the day, people were kind, relaxed, and joyful. there would be families and couples down by the old port. now, there are so many immigrants that the french feel like they are a minority without any power. their city is gone., and they can do nothing. there is crime and garbage everywhere. another man today told me that he lives in a complex with 5,000 people, and there isn't a single policeman because they are too scared. two years ago, two young guys beat him up to take his wallet. he can hardly walk now because he had a broken hip. he is 72 and had no money to give. in any case, the french people here are very kind to me, recognizing the sacrifice it was to get here. i am seeing a side of the people i knew existed before, but that i had never seen (kindness to amercians).

on another note, there is a transvestite in the office. in france, we give bisous to the girls, even strangers, and shake guys hands. i had a nightmare about meeting him and not knowing what to do. . . then john told me that it happened to him. (s)he put out his hand to shake (luckily).

last night me, john, nouria (byu spanish friend), and magda (her polish roommate) went into town and saw a free brasilian dance concert. very fun. and then a drunk man gave us important life lessons: laughing is good, stand up straight, when in marseille do as the marseilliens, and don't cross your arms when you talk to something.

beach tonight!