The Hobby Named Gardening

Most people have detached lives of work and play; we go to the office and stay in our respective cubicles, we spend weekday evenings with our parents. Sometimes we bring the kids to rehearsals on weekends and we play golf with our family.

This is not the case for the gardener since moving around his backyard and looking for insects may not sound fun and does not fit neatly into a program either. After a frustrating day's work, he goes home with sore muscles but more weeds will sprout the next day. He knows this, and yet, he also finds that his soul is filled with fervor and his consciousness wants to do more work on the little patch of earth.

Believe it or not, the aforementioned is a typical image of a French local -- yes, gardening is a very common pastime in France. Gardening seems poor for a pursuit that demands so much effort and, arguably, gives so much in return.

Gardening in France is said to be almost a ministry. It means coaxing yourself out of the car after a long day at work and a weakening trip home. You have sore feet, an aching back, a sleepy brain, and drained body, but then, you find that you can't wait to hose your plants and check up on your gorgeous flowers, young vegetables, and rare, ornamental plants.

The Domain of the Privileged

We were bored out of our shells this Friday since we have a prolonged holiday until Monday, so we decided to drive to adjoining Monaco, about an hour by car from Fontan.

Bordering the cool Mediterranean sea, the place can be easily recognized by the sudden projection of skyscrapers between the sleepy towns of Menton and Beaulieu-sur-Mer. The national road leading to the place was quite minuscule but very luxurious; let me just remind you all that this is also where the equally glamorous American actress Grace Kelly used to be the princess. That makes the view, while driving towards the very exclusive gambling capital of Europe, simply stunning.

We were rendered stunned by the beauty of Monaco, the magnificence of its panorama, its port with huge private yachts, the imposing Royal Palace built on a giant rock, and the modern-day labyrinth of apartments and office buildings. Monaco is located on top of rocky peaks so it is mind-boggling to imagine how apartments and houses were designed on the natural spaces created by the giant rocks.

The interiors of Monaco's apartments are patterned after the most lavish hotels; the old-world feel of the villas and the government buildings are simply amazing. We could clearly see that everyone has lots of money and there is a huge amount of wealth all over the place, which makes the option of living there applicable to only a special few people.

The Code of the Performance

There are certain codes to keep in mind when watching a concert, which usually has two portions. Each part may last 30 minutes, so you do not applaud the performers while they are playing, and you need to be absolutely silent, otherwise you will distract the symphony. A muted applause can be given after the first part is done, before the performers retreat from the stage to take a few minutes respite. When they restart, another round of applause is given; after that, everyone settles down for the second part.

When the concert is finished, the orchestra will stand up, take a bow, and another round of applause is in order. After the performers leave the front, the listeners will clap their hands for as long as it takes until they come back onstage, take another bow, and then exit again. This will go on as a means of requesting an extended performance and finally for the third time, the performers come out and act overwhelmed with the appreciation of the audience so they act like they have no choice but to play another piece. Take note that they have prepared additional songs in advance.

When the music is over, usually there is another clapping session, and depending on how the musicians affected the audience, the clapping process will happen again. If not, the audience gathers their valuables and go home.