Courchevel and Lyon

This week has been flying by due to the number of outings ive taken part of. On tuesday several classes went to a ski resort called Courchevel to ski or snowshoe. I moved some classes around so was able to participate with the intention of skiing. Once i got there however, and saw the black trails i opted for the snowshoeing group. The black ski trail were like straight down with turns every 500 meters! We took the telepherique, which is like a closed ski lift to the 1850 m mark and snowshoeed down the mountain. Here i am days later and still sore from a nasty fall i took while snowshoeing.....i just have no coordination. What is the lesser evil? Terribly sore, or bumps and bruises? Anyhow the resort was beautiful and is quite populaire with rich English and celebrities. I saw women wearing full length real fur coats and heard various languages. It really was like being in another world, a mix between santas workshop at the north pole, and hollywood. An experience everyone should have at least once in their lifetime.

Speaking of must have experiences, yesturday i went to see an opera. It was my second opera but my first one in Russian. There was another group outing from the high school going to Lyon (frances 2nd largest city) and since several profs were ill, i was elected to accompany the group for the day. We took a 2 hour bus ride to the heart of the Lyon and first visited the workshop where the customes are made for the opera house. It was interesting the learn the process and particularities that are involved with the customes. The workshop itself didnt surprise me too much however, it reminded me a lot of my tailors workshop in Senegal. Several tailors working on their specific projects, the room cluttered with threads, fabrics, and various sewing machings and irons. Mannequins wearing half finished projects and beautiful, just breathtaking clothing. After the tour, we went shopping and had a bit to eat before the opera started at 730. Tchaikovski's Mazeppa was the name of the opera and in three acts I saw a very dramatic story unravel. It was really enjoyable but a bit crazy to think there i was an american in france, listening to russian opera, and reading the french sub titles below the screen. It was quite a workout for the brain! Being an assistant really has its benefits, I can go on the field trips of all the classes!