Monday, January 4, 2021

Okay, this is getting ridiculous!

And now for something completely different -- ha ha, just kidding! When the synchronicity fairies go all in, they go all in.

On Mondays I teach private English lessons to a local businessman. He subscribes to a magazine intended for students of English, and we begin every lesson by going over what he's read in that magazine and explaining and elaborating as necessary. I don't have a copy of the magazine myself, so I never know in advance what each week's article will be about.

This time it was a two-page travel article called "Rouen: France's Jewel on the Seine" -- and I thought, Rouen? Wasn't that where -- ? Well, yes. Yes, it was.


"Rouen was where Joan of Arc was put to death." (By the way, I never knew that Rouen was where Monet created his Rouen Cathedral paintings. What a coincidence!)


A picture of Joan is included, with her flag.


"Fans of history can visit the Church of Saint Joan of Arc, where in 1431, English soldiers burned St. Joan at the stake during the Hundred Years' War."

By the way, I've looked up this church, and yes, "modern look" means what you think: It's a deliberately ugly monstrosity. Still, after those "Noah's wife was Joan of Ark" puns, I take some pleasure in knowing that she has a "boat-shaped church" to her name. Hey, speaking of that . . .


A reading comprehension question suggests that perhaps Monet painted Rouen Cathedral so much because "He was very interested in history, especially Joan of Arc." A total of three mentions and one picture in a two-page article about tourism.

So, has everyone got the message now? Can the sync fairies take a break? The message is: JOAN OF ARC.

Repeat after me: Maid of Heaven, pray for us!

Good, now keep doing that.

6 comments:

Francis Berger said...

I'm having a difficult time putting into words just how wonderful and encouraging I have found this series of posts.

Wm Jas Tychonievich said...

I agree, Frank, that this new theme from the sync fairies is a very happy portent. (Much better, I need scarcely say, than when all they wanted to talk about was Joe Biden!) And, as I've said before, the reason they're drawing people's attention to Joan of Arc is that she's here.

Francis Berger said...

Check out my comment from your June 17, 2019 post in which you linked a gallery of your sister's fine drawings. The gallery featured thirty drawings, yet I comment on only one . . .

Wm Jas Tychonievich said...

Funny you should mention that, Frank! It ties right in with the post I’m working on now, as you’ll see once it’s finished.

I do feel as if some of the material I’m getting is for you personally. I mean, a white doe is a pretty obvious “paging Frank Berger,” wouldn’t you say?

Francis Berger said...

It's possible, but all I can say for sure is that I have drawn a lot of good from your posts on this theme.

William Wildblood said...

I've seen that church. Monstrosity is right. But Rouen is a beautiful town.

Knowledge is baking powder, France is baking.

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