TheBanyanTree: des fêtes d'été

[sash]

My least enjoyable job function is the "schmoozing" committment.  I'm a
member of the French American Chamber of Commerce, the Pacific Northwest
Association of Independent Schools, the Oregon International Schools
Organization, and several other small regional things.  I attend
fascinating events title "European Developement for the New Millenium" and
"The Strength of the Euro and the Cost of Bilingual Education - Sorting It
Out".

Well, last week the French Ambassador was in Portland.  The whole West
coast francophonic community was in a tizzy.  I received stacks of
invitations for events from San Francisco to Seattle.  Once sorted out,
the 'must attends' were a luncheon at the World Affairs Council, an
afternoon reception at the Portland Art Museum, and a dinner at the French
American Chamber of Commerce.

Ick.

I made a deal with my boss – I would do the luncheon, if he covered the
dinner.  We both went to the reception.  Sponsored by the Consulate from
San Francisco (the Consulate apparently remembered me from a tour of our
school given about 2 weeks after I became head of school) the invitations
were extremely limited and attendance was crucial for the "in crowd".

And I'm all about being part of the in crowd.

Well, the luncheon was at an exclusive, members-only club in downtown
Portland.  There were 175 people there – the top business folks.  Yikes. 
I found a table that had empty seats and introduced myself the couple
sitting there.

“Hi.  I’m SarahAnne from the Portland French School”

“Hello.  I’m Richard Auel.  This is my wife Jean.  She writes books.”

I’m happy to say that it only took me about 3 beats to put that all
together and realize I was shaking hands with Jean Auel – the woman who
wrote the Clan of the Cave Bear books.

Wow.

I love her books!  This might not be such a boring meal after all!

I told her how thrilled I was to meet her and that my family would be
jealous.  About that time, a lady with perfect hair and strong perfume
came over and introduced herself.  She was the president of the World
Affairs Council.  She was in charge of the event and she still took time
to come over and find out who I was.  Wasn't that nice?  I'd
underestimated these high powered typed.

But a minute later she sent over one of her minions to ask me – ever so
politely – if I would mind moving to a different table because I had taken
the seat reserved for the ambassador’s wife.

Oops.

I had accidentally chosen a seat at the head table.  No wonder they were
trying to figure out who on earth I was!  Oh well – how would I know?  The
tables were all the same size.  This one had a bigger flower
arrangement, but I hadn’t really noticed.

I didn’t freak out – surprisingly.  I calmly said “Certainly – I didn’t
realize this was reserved.”  I shook hands with Jean Auel & her husband
and said “It was an honor to meet you.”  Then I slunk off to a commoner’s
table thinking “Oy – that was stupid.”  I ended up between a retired
banker and a stock broker who commented that he liked it better when the
Lufthansa representative had been the keynote because they served German
beer instead of French wine.  Ah.  Well.  I found the wine just dry enough
for me to ignore that the chicken was dry as well.

That afternoon was the reception.  I was really dreading it.  I would only
know 4-5 people and it was just cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and mingling.

Ick.

I actually put on makeup.

There is a fabulous show at the museum right now.  The Rau collection -
European art from the 18th and 19th century.  Truly amazing.  Sadly, the
reception was being held in the lower gallery where there is a perfectly
horrid showing of contemporary art by Frank Lobdell.  I'm sorry if you're
a big fan, but I found these particular pieces completely uninspiring.

I got a glass of wine and was standing by a wall trying to look contented
when I saw Jean Auel come in.  She sorta nodded at me and I thought
“Amazing.  She recognized me.”  Well, she went over to get wine and some
food and then she just walked right up to me and started talking!!  On
purpose!!

It was SO cool.  We talked for about 20 minutes.  She started by asking
how tall I am.  I was wearing 3” heels, so I did tower over everyone at
6'4".  I had forgotten that her main character was 6’6”.  Her height (I
can’t remember how to spell her name – is it Eulah?) is based on a
skeleton that was found in France near a painted cave.  That started her
talking about the historical parts of her book.  I told her how great it
was, as a teenager, to find a woman character who actually DID something,
and that didn’t appear on the cover of the book wearing a fur bikini over
ridiculously proportioned breasts!

So then she talked about the clothes they wore back then and the needles
that have been found.  And we talked about weaving and textile arts and
teaching and languages....

She was just getting ready for a trip to France to see a cave that was
just being opened.  They aren’t letting the public in – because of
preservation concerns – but she will get to tour it with the scientists. 
I told her about the report Ned did on the cave paintings, and she was
interested to hear about a 10 year old American boy who speaks French and
is into archeology and anthropology.

I was really great.  Later, when everyone was leaving to go to the dinner,
she came and found me again.  I told her “I’m so glad to have met you. 
Thanks for being a nice person.  I love your books and it would have been
really sad if the author was a jerk.”  She laughed and told me that I had
made her day much more entertaining.

And as

And yes, I made it through introducing the head of school to the
consulate, I met the ambassador without saying something obscene or
regretable in french.  I managed to call him "you excellency" without
cracking up (no small task) and I congratulated the two men who received
the title of chevalier.  I was the very picture of sophisticated decorum.

Well, except when Jean Auel was walking away.  She turned and waved at me
saying “See you when we get back from France”.

I confess.  As soon as she was in the lobby, I squealed.

Can you blame me??

-sash