Decisions, decisions...
Mar. 31st, 2011 08:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexpgpWho will go? Galina? Me? Both of us?
The answer impacts consideration of the next question: How to go? Air? Car?
Which strongly affects the answer to the next question: For how long?
Meanwhile, it's been pretty busy around here.
During this morning's conversation with my French "conversation pal" (an impromptu variation of "pen pal"), I asked about a subject mentioned on sets of French semi-postal stamps issued annually from 1935 to 1940, "au profit des Chômeurs intellectuels" (the 1939 issue is illustrated below).
Translated somewhat literally, a "chômeur intellectuel" would be someone in an "intellectual" line of work (writer, artist, etc.) who is out of work, i.e., unemployed. Upon hearing this collocation, my interlocutor jokingly declared "chômage intellectuel" ("intellectual unemployment") to be a French specialty, adding that in Europe, artists of all stripes love to appeal to the government for financial aid.
However, during an odd moment, I chased down "chômage intellectuel" on Google and found an online article published in 2006 in Le Mouvement Social that—based on a light skimming of the contents—discusses the history of what appears to be a syndicalist movement among French intellectuals in the 20s and 30s.
Which would explain the semi-postal stamps, which are stamps whose cost is split (such as the 70c + 10c stamp with Claude Debussy shown above), a part going to pay for postage, and the rest going into a designated fund. (The only US semi-postals I am aware of are from a few years back, one issued to benefit breast cancer research and another to benefit of the victims of 9/11.)
We also discussed the appropriate time at which to show up at restaurants in France, which apparently varies with location. The further south one goes, the later is the time. In Paris, I was told that 9 pm was a safe time to go out to eat, although eyebrows would not be raised if one arrived at, say, 8:30 pm. On the other hand, showing up at the thoroughly American dinner hour of 6 pm or so would be considered "drôle" (peculiar).
These things are always good to know.
Big day tomorrow.
Cheers...
The answer impacts consideration of the next question: How to go? Air? Car?
Which strongly affects the answer to the next question: For how long?
Meanwhile, it's been pretty busy around here.
During this morning's conversation with my French "conversation pal" (an impromptu variation of "pen pal"), I asked about a subject mentioned on sets of French semi-postal stamps issued annually from 1935 to 1940, "au profit des Chômeurs intellectuels" (the 1939 issue is illustrated below).
Translated somewhat literally, a "chômeur intellectuel" would be someone in an "intellectual" line of work (writer, artist, etc.) who is out of work, i.e., unemployed. Upon hearing this collocation, my interlocutor jokingly declared "chômage intellectuel" ("intellectual unemployment") to be a French specialty, adding that in Europe, artists of all stripes love to appeal to the government for financial aid.
However, during an odd moment, I chased down "chômage intellectuel" on Google and found an online article published in 2006 in Le Mouvement Social that—based on a light skimming of the contents—discusses the history of what appears to be a syndicalist movement among French intellectuals in the 20s and 30s.
Which would explain the semi-postal stamps, which are stamps whose cost is split (such as the 70c + 10c stamp with Claude Debussy shown above), a part going to pay for postage, and the rest going into a designated fund. (The only US semi-postals I am aware of are from a few years back, one issued to benefit breast cancer research and another to benefit of the victims of 9/11.)
We also discussed the appropriate time at which to show up at restaurants in France, which apparently varies with location. The further south one goes, the later is the time. In Paris, I was told that 9 pm was a safe time to go out to eat, although eyebrows would not be raised if one arrived at, say, 8:30 pm. On the other hand, showing up at the thoroughly American dinner hour of 6 pm or so would be considered "drôle" (peculiar).
These things are always good to know.
Big day tomorrow.
Cheers...
