Amen, I'm in Rennes.doc

Ah, Rennes. You have been an absolute dream.  When we last left our dynamic duo we had spent a leisurely day sipping cafe on a sunny patio.  I can tell you that this has almost been a routine happening as Emily hasn't had to work since I arrived late Thursday evening.  Friday night was spent in two locations - a bar called Kenland and the same Night Box (Contrascarp) we had attended the night before (a French version of the Maddy if you will)  The highlight of this evening was the interesting melange of participants: Emily, her beau Pierre-Antoine, the dear Cynthia, three friends they had met in their travels, and myself an overwhelmed Canadian who is quickly becoming a Night Box regular.  P-A and I, with my limited french and his even more limited english, carried out many a conversation by way of cobbling together words and phrases highlighted with the occasional charade descriptions.  Emily, as per usual, was quite a fan of the randomness of the grouping (figures drawn from a variety of different sectors) and the awkwardness of the conversation that followed.  We had to decline a particularly odd request to drop everything we were doing and accompany two 'fringe friends' a la plage (to the beach) the next day - totally out of left field.  All in all, it was great to get to know P-A and have a small triumph over language barriers.

I've been in Europe for less than a week but already have visited two markets larger than any I've ever been to in Canada.  Saturday is marche day in Rennes (or SuperMarche Day 1000) The market in Rennes was actually larger than the previous one I visited in London.  As opposed to the more commercial feel of the large metropolis market, the Rennes market felt more rustic; it seemed as if it was the place where some did their produce shopping for the week.  In addition to everything you can picture in a market, there were a line of jams that featured the most interesting pairings - chocolate banana being the most delicious.  What I appreciated most about the market, aside from the free samples that served as a light lunch, was the opportunity to observe and surround myself in the economic structure of the city.  It seems that everywhere you go, be it the market, a cafe, a bar, or the shopping centers, people are always spending money.  It does lead one to question where these people all work, since many of them can be found in the squares during midday of the midweek.

Apres the marche there just happened to be the largest flea market I've ever seen which must have stretched for over a km.  We were told that the market travels all over France (what a sight it must be to see all those knick-knacks piled high in trucks and vans)  The market provided the opportunity for many photos, which will come when I arrive at Warwick, a new stool the girls picked up for 3 Euros, and once again the chance for Em and I to catch a few more rays.  There were no fleas at the market, but there was a life size medieval looking sword that Emily and I tried to pose with (obvi)  The lady asked if we were interested in purchasing the sword. We had to let her down gently (Non, c'est dommage) I couldn't fit the sword in my bag anyways to travel back to Warwick and the customs officers might have taken issue with it. Go figure.

That evening I accompanied Emily to a party for all the French lecteurs hosted by a couple who have lived in the city for over a year.  Apparently a small gathering with drinks and appetizers is known as a 'pot'.  I guess the French don't believe in luck.  I met all of her other co-workers, yes even B and R, and we shared some nice convo while watching 80s MTV videos (definitely an odd programming choice for an evening in France)  The highlight of the party came from the Canadian contingent, but of course, who introduced the group to Miss Rojo Caliente herself via youtube.  For those unawares Rojo Caliente is a bit of, OK a HUGE, Queen's celebrity.  All it takes is thousands of dollars and a hit music video in Panama.  Emily and I took turns describing the back story of Miss Taylor; the construction worker who 'just got paid' was a hit as always.

We left on a high note (can you get any higher than caliente?) and jetted home to place some calls to our parents back in Canada.  It always feels great to be able to sit down, take a break from the craziness of everything surrounding, and reconnect with home.  What our parents may not approve of was then leaving the house post 1am to go to a great club called Batchi where 10 euros cover bought entrance, coat check, and a beer.  Drinks from that point on were a ridiculous 6 euros each so Emily, naturally, befriended a wonderfully jovial mustache man who purchased us a round.  The DJ obliged to play Calabria and Love Generation to fill our Canadian-Toronto party experience.  While the bar itself (this one technically a Night Club) was the size of, oh, an Aldo shoe store, we had a pretty excited night that went way longer than it should have - we just didn't want to go home (NGH).

Today we were suppose to go to Paris.  But as they say: the best laid plans...  Emily and I shamefully slept through our alarm and decided against taking a later train and thus a shorter day.  We discussed it, and with some wise advice that Paris will always be there, we decided we will go again in the next few months.  We'll always have Paris, Hincksy.  Instead we found out that today was the only day of the year when Rennes opens the doors to some of the cities most historic landmarks for public tours. Fate?  We explored the Rennes Opera House on a half hour tour and learned about its sordid history - it was built by an Italian Architect.  Obviously the Italian influence was not appreciated by the citizens of Rennes when the building was first erected.  We concluded our afternoon on a sun drenched patio sipping Coca-cola (where else would we be?)

As part of the Induction program for my coursework, which begins on Wednesday, each student needed to choose a keyword that relates to theatre/performance to be thrown into the mix as a starting point into the discussion of International Performance.  After deciding on a shortlist, I settled on 'e-dentity'.  Taking inspiration from the Theatre Gargantua show, I think our 'e-dentities', not a word you'll find in the dictionary but what I take to be "the digital representation of our living selves in cyberspace", will generate a lot of discussion concerning 'performance' in an increasingly technological and globalized world.  This blog for example relates to the construction of an 'e-dentity'.  

As of now I am unable to sit down and blog about European observations in much more depth. Emily and I try to squeeze this necessary e-logging into our crazy schedules but often feel pressed to recount the days.  Once I get to Warwick, and am able to achieve some type of home base, I'll be able to sit down and really begin to but things in perspective.  It must be so interesting for you to read of the Rennes adventures from two different perspectives: Emily who I think experiences and then writes about events as if seeing them through a kaleidoscope, the multiple images and frames presenting an explosion of innumerably interesting and thought provoking colours and details, and myself whose level-headed approach to life is probably evident in the recounting of interactions, events, and experiences with a balanced libra-esque view that dabbles in the philosophic and occasionally borders on the longwinded. In any event, much like the ying-yang relationship we had at 1.3.5 I hope the two perspectives, both different, but both with their own virtues, prove to be an interesting study for those who know us.

Doc's Prescription for the Day: Outdoor produce markets are where it's at.  Even if No Frills, Sobeys, Dominion, and the multitude of other giant superboxes feature cheap deals, free samples and locally grown produce are the highlights of these popular European markets.