Jackie du Monde

It's here, one of the moments I wait for with eager anticipation every four years.  It's World Cup season.  To tell you the truth, I don't even know why I love World Cup or what ever drew me to soccer.  But after reflecting, I think it's tied to a childhood memory with one of my most favorite people in the world, my "Uncle" Jack.  It was 1994.  I was 12 and spending one of many summers in Dallas, Texas.  The World Cup was being hosted in the USA .  I knew nothing about soccer, but I loved my Uncle Jack, and my Uncle Jack loved soccer.  So soccer we watched.  Dallas was one of the host cities.  He bought me my first World Cup t-shirt.  I loved that thing; I wore it until it was bleached out from being washed so many times.  I remember Marcelo Balboa and his famous bicycle kick .  (I just looked him up, he actually coaches soccer in Colorado these days!) Fast forward four years later, to 1998.  This was my first trip ...

I’m trying to get back into writing my blog after a nearly year long sabbatical.  Since I’ve slowed my pace, I feel like I need a grand adventure to restart but alas, I realized sharing the little moments are ok too. In November of last year, I moved slightly outside of central Paris.  I now commute on the RER, the regional network that connects greater suburban Paris with the main city.  I used to live very central, with 7 metro lines super close, access to buses and to Velibs (city bicycles).  I did what I wanted, when I wanted, with not much regard for time.  Most things in France have a start time of “-ish” and funnily enough, even my very punctual friends have adapted. Hey, the RER isn't very sexy, sorry.  I report the truth, people. Now, I’m a little more limited.  I live by the train schedule, which runs every  :15 to :30 minutes, instead of the customary :02 -:07 min delay I’d become accustomed to in the last two years.  ...