According to Urban Dictionary

Boheme - Carefree lifestyle unbounded by convention.

Bohemian - Movement of artist and poets in late 19th century France, especially in Paris. Bohemians believed in living outside of the bourgeois (conventional, middle class) mainstream culture. Bohemians were against the Salon (the institution that controlled the literary and art market in France until the turn of the 20th century)and believed that art and literature should be radical. They often gathered in "cafes" and drank absinthe. Many Bohemians were politically radical, being either anarchists or members of the Commune de Paris during the Franco-Prussian war. The Bohemian movement died out at the turn of the century but had a large influence on later movements such as surrealism, the beat generation, and punk rock.
Toulouse - Lautrec depicted the romanticized life of many Bohemians, although the reality of the life-style was often very difficult and tragic.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Anzac Day!

Last Saturday was the 25th of April; Anzac Day. So, living in France, I decided to go to the Somme, one of the historical sites of many of the battles that we celebrate on Anzac Day. This entailed going to the Australian Embassy to catch the bus at 2 AM, did I mention it was a dawn service. So L and I caught the bus at 2 in the morning and headed for Villers Bretonneux, the site of the official Anzac War Memorial at the Somme. We got there around 4.45 and the service started at 5.30. It was absolutely freezing and because it had been warm in Paris lately, neither L or I had worn warm enough clothes. So there we sat and froze. It made me think of the extreme temperatures the soldiers would have endured as they fought. The Service was good and it was a great experience, but for me the best part was to see the Anzac spirit is still alive. There were around 4000 people there and later in the little town there were more ceremonies. The truly amazing thing is how the town's history has become entwined with Australia. Walking through the town after the service, looking for a place to have coffee, we passed le Kangourou Cafe, a newsagency with Australiana adorning the windows, a charcuterie with a stop for Koalas sign. Outside the Town Hall were wooden kangaroos and koalas. The whole town, for a day at least, embraces the spirit of Australia and the soldiers that fought in the First World War. The Anzac spirit is alive and thriving not only in Australia, but in the places where so many gave their lives.
"LEST WE FORGET"
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