Posted by Frenya
Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:15:00 GMT
Last Friday, I was at the Ocular Microbiology and Immunology Group (OMIG) meeting in New Orleans, LA and something a little surrealist happened.
At the end of the morning, which also was the end of the meeting (it is small with about 50 people attending each year), everybody was getting ready to leave and was chatting with their neighbor when an old British ophthalmologist decided that he had something interesting to say to all and just went to the microphone and started speaking. As it can be imagined, very few heard him and actually tried to concentrate on what he was saying.
It was bizarre to see all these people talking to each other while being completely oblivious to what the old man had to say… granted, I suspect that the unscheduled speaker did not have all his head (if his speech is of any indication), but still I felt that I suddenly was in the fifth dimension! This less than five minutes experience reminded me of the Twilight Zone… a room full of people chatting and an old man explaining a medical case as if he had the audience complete attention.
That just shows that if you want to present something to your peers, try to plan it and let others know that you want to do that…otherwise, you night end up talking to the walls…
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Posted by Frenya
Thu, 06 Jul 2006 15:53:00 GMT
A friend of mine just told me that Pink wrote a song summarizing what more and more people think about the Number 1 Man in the US. It is called “Dear Mr President”.
You can watch the video here .
The text can be found here .
It is on her newest album “I’m not dead”.
Comments are welcome…
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Posted by Frenya
Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:47:00 GMT
Well Spring did not last too long, a week and “Pouff” it is gone! Back to Winter!
Fortunately, Eric and I could enjoy a very nice Spring day on Sunday. We went for a little walk along the Quechee Gorge. The trails were not bad at all for such an early time in the season and it seemed that nobody had the idea of going there…everything was nice and quiet. After the gorge, we followed the trail to the meadow which was still completely open, the view was gorgeous. We found several little clearings surrounded by pine trees (probably Eastern White Pines) where we could enjoy the sun without the wind as well as silence only cut here and there by some friendly bird.
We also went on climbing a hill to check on the view. This could have been a great idea if I did not wear completely flat sole shoes. I ended up testing my balance skills on “2 or 4 legs” (and believe me, I have none of these skills). Eric and I develop what we know now as the Hill Waltz to proceed as safely as possible down the hill…
But overall this afternoon was just lovely and it was just wonderful to be able to enjoy the outdoors so quietly and early in the season.
Et bien le printemps n’a pas duré très longtemps, une semaine et Pouff il est parti! Nous voilà de nouveau en hiver.
Heureusement, Eric et moi avons pû profité d’une journée de printemps magnifique dimanche dernier. Nous sommes allés faire une petite promenade le long de la Gorge de Quechee (dans le Vermont). Les chemins n’étaient pas mauvais du tout même si c’était un peu tôt dans la saison et on avait l’impression que personne n’avait eu l’idée d’aller là-bas… tout était agréable et calme. une fois en bas de la gorge, nous avons suivi le chemin jusqu’à une prairie. La vue était magnifique et portait loin parce que la végétation est encore en hivernage. Nous avons trouvé plusieurs petites clairières entourées de pins (probablement le pin blanc de l’est), où nous avons pû profiter du soleil sans le désagrément du vent ainsi que du silence seulement entrecoupé ici et là par un oiseau gazouilleur.
Nous avons continué notre aventure en “escaladant” une colline pour voir la vue du sommet. Cela aurait pû être une idée merveilleuse si je ne portais pas des chaussures à semelles complètement plates. J’ai fini par tester mes talents d’équilibriste (et je n’en ai aucun!) sur “2 ou 4 jambes”. Eric et moi avons développé ce que nous avons nommé la Valse de la Colline de manière à atteindre la bas de la colline sans encombre…
Globalement, cet après-midi fut des plus agréables et c’était juste formidable de pouvoir profiter de la nature si tôt dans la saison.
Tags English, Français, Personal | 1 comment
Posted by Frenya
Tue, 14 Feb 2006 15:08:00 GMT
I just saw an article on Science Daily about how scientists from the University of Florida study ways to extend the life of cut flowers .
That might just be my general scepticism towards the good intentions of business, but I think the timing of the release of that article is just perfect!
Basically, the researchers found that if the flowers are kept cold during transportation between the field and the store, they will last few days longer. I thought that was already the standard procedure, but apparently nobody had shown why that was so useful until now!
I am glad there are scientists out there who had enough time to show that.
On the other side, it is not going to change my idea that trying to buy locally grown flowers as much as possible is still the best thing to do. Flowers are more fresh than if they were coming from Florida, are as expensive if not less and you allow a local producer to stay in business… I just don’t see a lot of “minuses” in that.
For my final note, I will refer to my favorite poem from Pierre de Ronsard, a poet from the 16th century, France: “Comme on voit sur la branche”, which talks about the life of a rose and the analogy with his lost Love. It is a perfect peom for Valentine’s Day.
“Comme on voit sur la branche au mois de Mai la rose
En sa belle jeunesse, en sa premiere fleur
Rendre le ciel jaloux de sa vive couleur,
Quand l’Aube de ses pleurs au point du jour l’arrose:
La grace dans sa feuille, et l’amour se repose,
Embaumant les jardins et les arbres d’odeur:
Mais battue ou de pluie, ou d’excessive ardeur,
Languissante elle meurt feuille a feuille declose:
Ainsi en ta premiere et jeune nouveaute,
Quand la terre et le ciel honoraient ta beaute,
La Parque t’a tuee, et cendre tu reposes.
Pour obseques recois les larmes et mes pleurs,
Ce vase plein de lait, ce panier plein de fleurs,
Afin que vif, et mort, ton corps ne soit que roses.”
Have a Happy Valentine’s Day and stay ROMANTIC!
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Posted by Frenya
Sun, 12 Feb 2006 21:25:00 GMT
Welcome to my brand new blog!
I am not a geek, but will try to learn, so please try to follow me…
I will write in either English or French without any pattern, just when the inspiration leads me.
I live in the US but I am from France.
Au revoir!!
Tags English, Personal | 5 comments
