plainpalais, a cement park

In the big cement park known as Plainpalais near my house, they've set up a big screen TV, speakers, and a bunch of food stands for the month of the World Cup. I think most every game is played on it and Geneva peeps come to hang out, hook up, and watch football. Since there's a lack of food stands in general throughout the city (no cheesesteaks or breakfast sandwiches here), it's a pretty good (if expensive) place to pick up some limited menu items from a variety of vendors. Interestingly, there is no Swiss food stand, but there are Brazilian, Afghani, Turkish, and Thai people representing.

Since Plainpalais is so big, the World Cup setup only takes up part of the cement/rock area. Over the weekend, for example, there were two other events going on in Plainpalais, including a Sustainable Development Fair (a couple of tents with different NGO's and other orgs, and a playground for kids built out of cardboard boxes) and a Dog Obedience Fair. I happened on the Dog Obedience Fair when I was walking to meet my friend Kim at Café Remour. It was semi hilarious because the announcer was speaking in French and it didn't seem like the dogs were really obedient as their owners tried to run them around this makeshift ring. Also, a poster advertising the event showed a dog leading a human on a leash. I feel that more often than not that's what's true, especially in Geneva.

Other highlights of the end of last week/ this past weekend included:

Accidentally ordering this yummy drink at Café Remour with Kim, which consists of iced coffee, tea, and ginger. We think there's more tea than anything in it though because it looks just like iced tea, but it's pretty yummy.

Meeting my roommate's boyfriend whose philosophy on life can be boiled down to two words, which he says often, and states that it is an 'expression of energy'. These two words are fuck yeah! Also, hearing his views on how most criticism at a job is bs, and that most jobs are bs. Agreeing with him but not as energetically.

Late night conversation and dessert at this coffeehouse on Plainpalais, 'Central Perk' (straight out of the TV show Friends), with Kim. They have the font for Friends and everything on their sign..i wonder if this is a copyright or trademark infringement ;)

Going out for coffee with my roommate, her bf, and this other couple who are also b-school grads from this famous school in France. Quietly eating ice cream while listening to this one girl complain about how she works like 12 hr days as a consultant for McKinsey and has to travel all the time and doesn't get paid enough salary. Thinking in my head (but not saying out loud), residents work hella harder than you (30 hr shifts, hello) and probably get LESS THAN HALF your salary. Also thinking, when she stated that she LOVED selling stuff, and wished her whole career was in sales, that I wanted to barf. Later on, thinking that if she liked sales so much, maybe she should go into selling something that was useful, like condoms. A comment from one of Kim's acquintances comes to mind...this is a law student who told Kim (who is obviously going into public interest law) that people's worth to society is commensurate with their salary. Um, WHAT?! That means the whole Global South could just disappear because their earning power sucks compared to other people in the Global North, even if they work hella crazy hours. This is frustrating to me (obviously) just in terms of the lack of political will to address HIV/AIDS and saying we don't have enough money to support treatment even though first line ARV's can now cost as little as 135 USD a YEAR. Not treating people to me is like saying, your life is not worth even fifty cents a day, sorry.

Dancing and enjoying a free concert (this is Thurs night) by Olodum, a Brazilian drumming group with singers and some other instruments (like saxophone), also in Plainpalais. Meeting some new interns who attend pharmacy school. One girl from Canada was a little spaz and was like (this is a serious quote), "Wow, this is sooooooo fun and exciting!" "I didn't have friends before, but now I do (referring to us)." I was like…do I know you?. Another intern from Univ of Illinois Chicago who expressed frustration that everyone spat out their resume when they met her and admitted she felt intimidated because she didn't go to some East Coast Ivy League School. I was like, screw them, and be confident in yourself. At this same event, being disgusted when ppl greeted other ppl with saying such as, "Hel-looo Princeton!"

Eating mango jasmine sorbet from the bakery/sweet shop downstairs that my roomie bought for dinner over the weekend.

Having a long lunch with 'droptop' (this is his alias) at a yummy cafeteria near the WHO whose salad bar kicks WHO salad bar's ass. I had WHO salad bar today for lunch and was severely disappointed and upset. I think it set the tone for the rest of my day, where I spent like six or seven hours printing out patent documents and doing database work. Droptop is fun to talk to and text msg; he also offers interesting insights and knows many things.

Discussing mental health issues with a couple people this weekend. My friend Kim told me that George Washington Univ expelled a student after he went to the psych ER seeking help for depression (he was depressed after his close friend committed suicide while he was outside his dorm room trying to break in). They said he broke the code of student conduct by participating in self-injurious behaviour, or thinking about it, or something totally on crack. I'll put the link to the case (he's suing them now) up here later if I can find it again (actually, Liz put it in the comments, so go there if you want to read about it). This is TOTALLY frustrating to me since people are punished for seeking help. What the hell kind of supportive learning environment is it when colleges and universities expel students for seeking help for mental illness??