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My Week in New York: Across the Ocean and into the Penthouses!by Jonathan Mandelbaum '71 and Micheline Dugué '87My Week in New York: Across the Ocean and into the Penthouses! by Jonathan Mandelbaum '71 A happy combination of circumstances (plus, to be honest, some high-intensity e-mailing) produced not one, but two informal Alumni reunions in a single week of February—surely more fun than the World Economic Forum taking place across town. I'm now a freelance translator living and working in 'Impressionist Country' (the Val-d'Oise, north-west of Paris). At this time of year, I usually visit my family in New York as well as good friends like Ronald Grelsamer '71 and André Cappon '66 (who, in his graduate days—let it be recorded for posterity—was my mathematics teacher in Terminale A!). But a consensus seems to have developed among the most active Alumni Council members that this trans-Atlantic meeting should be enlarged, the ostensible reason being, of course, to introduce me to Roger Liwer '68's 'Cosmopolitans'—often imitated, never equaled. Our hosts for this delightful evening were Natalie (Yates) Cacciato '78 and her husband Richard, who provided generous helpings of lasagna, salad, and cheese to offset the effects of Roger's concoction on Ronald, André, myself, Gloria Tulliu '73, Vivianne (Hanania) Kurzweil '74, Alessandra Gagliardi '86, her beau Jean-Charles, and Micheline Dugué '87. The penthouse view of the Manhattan skyline on a clear winter night provided a memorable backdrop to conversations ranging from the comparative merits of the French and U.S. education systems to... the magic of cats. No sooner had we cleared the table than André suggested une récidive the following Sunday at his home on Roosevelt Island. This time the culinary theme was Brazilian, the entrée en matière was—inevitably—a barrage of caipirinhas, and the evening demonstrated how easy it is for Lycée Alumni to find common ground amid all our diversity. So... congratulations, as always, to the Alumni Council for their terrific work, my heartfelt thanks to all and sundry for their hospitality, which I hope to reciprocate some day in France... On a more serious note, I'd like to mention that, last October, Roger Liwer was instrumental in conveying to the Mayor's office a series of drawings and letters of sympathy from third-graders at my children's former school in Paris (where I do volunteer work). The children and their teachers were very anxious to make sure that their messages reached New York, and they have asked me to talk to them about my two visits to Ground Zero. This is, in an odd way, reassuring, because—as an American who has now lived most of his life in France—I am disturbed by the widespread misperceptions and misunderstandings concerning the 9/11 tragedy, its aftermath, and the U.S. response. As Lycée Alumni abroad, it's the least we can do to convey un autre son de cloche." Dinner and a View by Micheline Dugué '87 Two reasons to visit Roosevelt Island include the fabulous view of Manhattan and dinner chez André Cappon '66, now a businessman specializing in financial consulting. Some of the members of the Alumni Council were treated to both in honor of visiting alumnus, Jonathan Mandelbaum '71. Jonathan joined Alessandra, Micheline, Gloria, and a few of André’s francophile friends at his home. As André divides his time between Rio de Janeiro and New York, he wanted to share his adopted Brazilian culture with his guests. He hosted a dinner party with a variety of Brazillian-themed dishes, played Portuguese music, and even served the national drink, Caipirina! Romanian and Italian were also spoken, and the evening was a testament to the Lycée’s truly international flavor. The wonderful evening allowed some guests to compare the Lycée’s changes over various decades and others to engage in lively conversation on the challenges of living between two (or more!) cultures. Merci, André, pour une très belle soirée! |
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