Wednesday, November 18, 2009

D.A.R.E. to . . . What?

I was all in a lather and ready to fire off some rapier-wit snipes to this columnist because this time she really has GONE TOO FAR.

But, in the end, I decided it is best to treat her like a misbehaving toddler and just ignore the behavior.

Instead, I bring you some good karma.

Do you know about Operation Beautiful? Go check it out.

Isn't that nice? Talk about your random acts of kindness.

I have a Facebook Friend who always posts lovely positive affirmations. And not in a Stuart Smalley way. Not that Stuart isn't wonderful, you understand. But FB Friend lacks Stuarts self-doubt.

Speaking of D.A.R.E., there seems to be something up at the French school. We got the following email from the PTA:

Subject: Information prévention des conduites à risque‏


Chers Adhérents,
Monsieur LXXXXX , Proviseur du lycée, nous charge de vous informer que l'intervention concernant la prévention des conduites à risque aura lieu dans les classes 4ème à Terminale pendant la semaine du 30 novembre, une séance plénière destinée aux parents sera programmée. Ces interventions seront conduites par deux experts français.

Bien Cordialement,
Le bureau de l’APENG

Even I understood this. It says something like

Dear Folks,
We're going to have an intervention regarding risky conduct for those students 8th grade and above.

So it doesn't apply to us. But it set The Spouse and me to puzzling: what kind of risky behavior?

"Doesn't say it's limited to flu," mused The Spouse. "Might be passing out condoms, for all I know."

But then we brainstormed a little and came up with this list:
  • Crossing the Garden Ring while not using the underpass.
  • Publishing an article about human rights abuses in Russia.
  • Being on the street late at night or at any time if you are from Tatarstan.
  • Not using the sidewalks in the winter.
  • Using sidewalks in the winter.
Guess we'll have to wait a few years until our kids are old enough for L'Intervention.

10 comments:

fedbet said...

I think it's stuff from the "ministere de l'education" about alcohol and drugs etc - sono aperitifs before going to the meeting ;)

katbat said...

yeah. she is cool. not even worth mentioning.

I like the operation beautiful! makes me want to write it in russian and stick em up around town! :-) kind of reminds me of the Dove ad campaigns - youtube them if you havent seen them - they are great - as are the parodies.

valentina said...

Well as for the snippy columnist, she has never seemed very sisterly to me... she sure isn't a feminist...

And we all know that trailing spouses have a zillion things to do and you tell us about them every day.

The random acts of beauty is interesting... I prefer to compliment people, even strangers, directly. Two days ago I told a woman she looked great in the colors she was wearing... sort of a goldish yellow sweater over a bright red shirt against her espresso skin... very lovely.

I do think it is important to compliment people and that doing this in person is more effective than random notes but they are a fun start... Like putting quarters in the parking meter of the person next to you to help keep them from getting a ticket... Just something kind...

The school thing does seem like they are referring to drinking and drugs but is there no sex ed in the French school and how long do they wait???

As your girls are still playing with dolls I wouldn't expect any of this to be hovering! xov

The Expatresse said...

Pul-eaz! This is the French school. B had it last year (5th grade). S says there are books for kids about it in the library. And they have these French kid magazines that have covered it, too . . . with great drawings of boys v girls . . . NO fig leaves because otherwise, how can you tell the difference? The French are VERY matter-of-fact about that.

We also went to the Cite de Science in Paris last year . . . it's this GREAT science center for kids with various exhibits that change during the year. One we saw was titles "Zizi Sexuel" and was ALL about sex ed for kids under 13. It was GREAT: factual, light-hearted, age-appropriate.

The Expatresse said...

When I am in the US, I always tell people (strangers) when they are working it and looking good. Here, I lack the language skills. I'll just come across as some sort of pervy weirdo.

Anonymous said...

Your columnist is really nasty and bitter woman!
It is not that I am not ready to argue both side of the any issue raising children(very interesting topic!), but the woman is venomous for no reason. May be she is just jealous,you know, you can change your partner at any rate if you wish so, I suppose, but it does not work the same way with babies.
Olga

Jennifer Eremeeva said...

The columnist in question is just a really poor wordsmith. If you are going to write about smut, make fun of expat wives (and there is good material to mine), and generally set yourself up as the Zuleika Dobson of Moscow, then you should learn to write decently.

But in the interest of complimenting people: she does have enviable upper arms.

The Expatresse said...

So did I before I moved here.

Aunt Becky said...

Operation Beautiful. I love it. Great call, duder.

MoscowMom said...

That column had me kind of stunned, too... Yeah, many grains of truth in it, but COME ON! We're certainly not all like that!!!!!! I find her full of herself, morally reprehensible, and lacking the skill to warrant a newspaper column... If she didn't have a column, I could actually bring that newspaper in to school and use it sometimes in class. But with her gratuitous sex writing, forget it.

In ANY case, you do make me wonder about that meeting! Love your translation. Now I've got to go look into what Operation Beautiful is all about...