Letter from France 17

Tuesday, May 1, 1990

born: Joseph Heller 1923

died: Spike Jones 1965

1819—Freedom of the Press in France

 

Folks,

 

Got the last packet of mail, much thanks. Thought you might be interested in what was in it:

 

● Many months of the same phone bill. It has been paid for many months and I have phoned and written the company about the address change several times already.

●Tax stuff. Not sure why it was sent to you since I gave the IRS a French address on it when I last filed.

● Bank statements. I have written twice to ask them to stop sending things to you.

★ Royalty check. Unexpected treat, though the company knows I am in France.

● Another court order calling me for jury duty. I hope my reply letter clarifies the situation.

★ Christmas card from Cindy, a fellow student at Mankato that I had lost touch with.

● Renewal form for the IJA. Since I am on the board and they call me here at least once a month (3 am local time) for a conference call, I am confused as to why it was sent to you.

● Advertisements to buy computer ribbons and paper.

★ Post card with new address of a juggling friend in Japan.

● Notice to appear at a hearing to revoke my business license. Easy come, easy go. It's gone.

 

As you can see, the seven ugly black dots outnimber the nice, cheery stars. Though I must admit the royalty check wipes out several dots. Actually, I'm kind of surprised you are forwarding mail at all. I recall talking with you in August and explaining that I had contacted everyone (thing) I could and told them (it) not to mail things to me at Fun Flat. Well, you can see that I wasn't as effective as I thought. Hey, one might think that phone calls followed up by written verification would suffice to change an address. Anyway, I do thank you and feel that I should let you off the hook. As much as I like to look at advertising brochures for computer ribbons, please don't forward any more mail. If you could just set it all aside I should be in the bay area sometime in August. Long lost friends can stay lost for another few months.

 

Winters here are tough. Again there is a new administration and they are making it harder on the students and teachers. The pattern seems to be to hire administrators who don't know circus. They come in and—since they are new—they also don't know the school. Rather than try to find the chaotic order that is already here, they decide to impose their own order on everyone. The shame is that the students and the work are great, and the administration is less-than-great (and heading downhill). I have decided to honor my contract until July and then say will goodbye with honor. I would really like to come back next year but—unless the administration changes drastically—don't see how I can.

 

Along with the usual student accidents (statistically significant increase in crutches at the school during winter) there were some heavy losses for the world of juggling. The morale of the teachers and students is fading. I was feeling pretty low (one might even say depressed) for a while but am snapping back.

 

Tried to organize a field trip to Lourdes for Easter vacation but it fell through. When my folks canceled their visit, I was left to hang out in Paris. Vacations in Paris consist of spending a lot of time underground in the metro with an occasional above-ground layover. So far I have seen people pick noses, spit, vomit and pee on the subway cars. Am hoping my bodily-excretion bucket list is complete.

 

After spending full days shopping and seeing movies in English, late nights are pretty good for watching old Jerry Lewis movies on television. He really is quite popular over here.

 

Saw Circus Archaos, an experience. This is a new show of the same troupe that Denny saw with Sandy and me. Jochen Schell, an ex-student who is merely the greatest diabolist in the world, is performing with them and I wanted to see how he's doing. Imagine Mark Pauline and Mad Max designing a circus and you have an idea of Archaos. Lots of chain saws and cars falling out of the sky. Archaos represents the dark side of circus. Much like Denny and Sandy, friends were again sitting next to me cowering and shivering. I had to continually calm them by explaining that it was only a circus and not to be frightened. I am trying to get Archaos to use the French phrase, Personne ne s'ens sort vivant. (No one gets out alive) as their slogan. The show is threatening to come to the United States this summer. You are warned. Unfortunately, there are two troupes and Jochen will be in England with the other troupe. Some of my other students may be traveling to the US, so be prepared for a guy with black leather, chains, and a Mohawk to walk up to you and in a cute French accent say, "I demand a hamburger." I've spent lots of time helping Fabian work on aspirating the letter h.

 

After the circus a big attraction in Paris for me is the fact that they show many films in version originale which means I can see them in English. Châlons is too small and everything gets dubbed by the time it gets here. The problem was that I was highly susceptible to the films I saw. It made for a rather challengin week. Mountains of the Moon was great but for some reason I developed horrible pains in my legs and began limping all over the city of light. Roger and Me is a very funny movie unless you are sitting between two Germans who keep asking you to explain why you are laughing. "Was ist passiert?" and "Warum lachst du?" in regular cadence and stereo tend to dampen any moviegoing experience. Having spent time in Flint (and also realizing that the best barbecued ribs restaurant was out of business) was a bit saddening. My limp was improving, however, until we went to see My Left Foot, a big mistake. Those same friends had to carry me out of the theater and convince me it was only a movie.

 

Am eating really well these days. This is obviously some form of denial but I am getting more and more involved in Asian cooking. I've always suspected that if I could cook as well as a Chinese restaurant, I would never go out to eat. With all the distractions of San Francisco, I never found the time to learn how to cook Asian style. Here there is lots of time, nothing to distract me, and I'm losing my taste for croissants, crêpes and camembert. There is only one Asian-foods store in town, though it suffices. An American showing inordinate interest in Chinese cooking is fairly memorable in Châlons, so the owners and I have gotten to know each other. They also run a Chinese/ Vietnamese restaurant. Whenever guests come to town we also get to try out the real stuff.

 

As it turns out, they are an extended Cambodian family who fled the Pol Pot regime and were plunked down in this isolated town by the French government. To sems we have a lot in common. The friendship has escalated to the point where I am now taking cooking lessons from the chef in exchange for teaching him English. Cambodian cuisine has got to be one of the world's great cooking styles. I am learning the subtlety of coconut milk and how to make some incredible soups. I must admit to feeling a bit embarrassed by it all. Monsieur Lenine comes over in the afternoon and we talk English for a while. Then he tells me about what it was like in Cambodia and being a refugee. Then we go into the kitchen and start cooking incredible dishes. It's a bit like inviting the Killing Fields over to be my personal cook. The strangest part is that when we are done he has to go back to the restaurant and get back to work. I am left with a great meal and a large smile.

 

In addition, some friends from England sent me some HP brown sauce. It goes perfectly with the mango chutney I discovered at the Marks and Spencer in Reims, the Dijon mustard I can get locally, and the barbecue sauce Sandy Brown brought from the PX in Germany. I can hardly wait to try the spicy Greek sauce I found in Paris for kebabs and couscous. When I add all the exotic sauces and tastes I'm getting from the Asian cooking, things are looking up.

 

bon appétit,

 

Todd Strong, Professeur du Jonglage

 

Centre National des Arts du Cirque

1, rue du Cirque

51000 Châlons-sur-Marne

FRANCE

 

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