Diana Norma Szokolyai is a Hungarian and American educator and writer/performance artist. This is her sixth year leading summer service programs in France with Global Works, and although she is currently living in Boston, she has lived in France for a total of nearly 3 years. 
This will be Lindsey's fourth summer in France with Global Works and she can't wait to share her knowledge of and excitement about French language and culture with you! A native Chicagoan with a Master's degree in education, Lindsey loves teaching and learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Welcome Global Works travelers, parents and friends. We are excited to share with you trip updates from around the world. As our main office receives updates from the trips we will update the page as we receive news from the field.
Update #1:
Bonjour tout le monde! We arrived today in Versailles, which after the hustle and bustle of Paris feels like a peaceful country retreat. We settled into our quiet, sunny hostel and took a stroll around the colorful gardens and lush orchards that surround our comfortable dwelling. After a hearty lunch, we walked as many meters as we could manage in Louis IV’s private gardens behind the Château de Versailles. We got to see a team of gardeners using a huge plastic template to trim the pines into perfect cone shapes, then enjoyed cones of a different kind when we snacked on some ice cream near the Grand Canal. The garden’s immense water feature is so impressively scaled that some of us took the opportunity to tour the canal in rowboats! After an energetic game of Capture the Flag, we painted our own postcards, emulating our favorite French painters…as you can see in the photo. Keep an eye on the mailbox!
Paris was impressive in it’s own way and we departed this morning with the understanding that we would be back at the end of the trip to discover more of its massive, historic monuments; classic, romantic architecture; and unbelievable energy! During our time there, we were really on the go: we raced to discover the Louvre’s treasures during a scavenger hunt, danced to disco music at a 4th of July expatriate barbecue, shopped ‘til we nearly dropped, and cruised the Seine under a moonlit sky.
More adventure to come when we start our service project tomorrow – we’ll be leading some young French day-campers in fun activities like face-painting and cooking! More to come from France…au revoir!
Update #2: July 9th, 2010
Wow! Time flies when you’re having fun! Since you last heard from us, we’ve visited a French amusement park, seen some of the most majestic monuments in France, spent hours playing with French kids and created piñatas from scratch! We spent two days playing, dancing, cooking, talking and interacting with elementary school children at the Maurepas day camp. The children displayed immense patience and understanding as we struggled through that abstract barrier that is communication! In all honesty, The task of “working” with the children did not feel like work at all, for this experience seemed too fun to be referred to as “work.” In short, the kids have taught us that despite cultural barriers, we can all form friendships that are both deep and meaningful with people who are completely different from us and everything we’ve ever known.
We also went to Parc Astérix, a French amusement park with roller coasters, a dolphin show and rides galore. We met a group of French teenagers who didn’t speak very much English, but we somehow found ways to communicate. We had fun going on the roller coasters together and we thought it was really cool how complete strangers from foreign countries could talk and connect.
Today, we visited the Château de Versailles, the amazing baroque palace of Louis XIV. Although the ostentatious ornamentation and the grandeur of the château was a little overwhelming, it was interesting to have a glimpse into French history. This afternoon, we explored the Cathédrale de Chartres, one of France’s finest cathedrals. The tranquil and majestic interior provided a respite from the stifling heat of the day and the soft glow of candles and stained glass further soothed our senses and allowed us to recuperate our energy for shopping! We capped off the evening with a birthday celebration…joyeux anniversaire, Emily!! The French elementary school children who were staying in the hostel with us all week invited us to their goodbye party, where we continued the celebration by playing and dancing with the children.
Tomorrow, we are off to help clean up a local forest.
Update #3:
Salut! As much as we loved seeing more of the region outside of Paris, we’re excited to be back in the City of Lights! We jumped from one immense château to another when we left our tranquil country estate in Versailles and headed back to our home base right next to the Louvre. There are so many amazing sights in Paris that we have plenty left on our list of things to see and do for our remaining time here.
Prior to our departure, we explored some of France’s natural beauty as we hiked through the forests of Fontainebleau and Maurepas. In Maurepas, we walked among tall trees as we made our way to the site of our final service project. Monsieur Longueépée, the president of the Maurepas Forest Association, led us to an area people have been using as an illegal dumping ground and we assisted him in cleaning up the forest. It was difficult, hot work, but when we crowded around the huge pile of garbage we pulled out of the woods, we felt a real sense of satisfaction.
In Fontainebleau, we started the day with a guided tour of the château, where many kings of France came to hunt, entertain, and deal with the business of governing a country over the course of the centuries. While there, we learned that King François 1er took the salamander as his emblem because people at the time believed the creatures were able to walk through fire without being hurt, symbolizing the power and invincibility of the royal family. We also learned that during the Renaissance, the fountains of the château were sometimes filled with wine for special occasions and a typical meal consisted of 12 courses! After our tour of the château, we walked through the beautiful forest to work up an appetite for a very special tasting of French delicacies, such as cheeses, bread, sausage and fruit!
The most exciting and impressive experience thus far, however, was the Grand Spectacle at the Château de Versailles. While the sun set over the formal gardens, dozens of fountains shot jets of water into the air and were accompanied by classical music and colorful lights. Later in the evening, we settled in amongst the flowers for an unbelievable display of fireworks worthy of the majestic setting. It was an amazing evening we won’t soon forget!
