Diving Bell #2

1. What do you think of Bauby's line in Bathtime when he states, "But I see in the clothing a symbol of continuing life. And proof that I still want to be myself. If I must drool, I may as well drool on cashmere."

I think that to him his clothing is a vital connection back t his own life and wearing it is a way to help him be comforted and help him deal and move on with his situation.
2. Considering how Bauby wrote the book, does it matter that he happened to speak French? How would have the writing of the book been different if he spoke Japanese or Chinese?

It matters that he spoke French, or really it matters that he spoke a language with a simple alphabet and distinct words, because if he spoke a language like Japanese or Chinese with thousands of different characters that can mean many different things, it would have been nearly impossible for him to communicate his thoughts through his system of blinking the alphabet.
3. Why does Bauby find his appearance humorous?

He finds it humorous because it is the final blow that fate has given him and nothing could get much worse, so with nothing left to lose he treats it all like a joke, his last attempt to muster up the will for moving on.
4. After reading the Chapter, Cinecitta, think of a place where, if given one last opportunity, you could spend an afternoon. Why did you choose this place? Please describe it in detail.

If I could visit one place alone for an entire afternoon, I would go to the beach near Province Town that stretches the farthest out into the ocean, at night when it is completely dark. Here the smell of salt is strong, yet the air is sweet and pleasant. This beach is big and as you approach it, about fifteen feet in (about a quarter of the way to the water), the sand slopes down very suddenly about 3 to 4 feet, onto more sand that is level with the sea. At night time this place becomes deserted and there are no buildings, or even lights (save for those of distant passing ships), for as far as the eye can see, which is not very far in the pitch blackness. The moon is the only source of light and it illuminates very softly, causing most of the beach to glow with a bluish tint. The sand is close to white in this light and the water is very dark. The sky is black and the starts are usually very clear. The waves here are huge and they crash with a powerful sound, but not so powerful that it is disorienting; it is a calming sound that seems somewhat distant. What I like most about being at the beach is the feeling of isolation, as though you are disconnected from the rest of the world. Behind you there is only blackness where the grass which stretches back to road should be, and in front of you is the massive ocean which seems to extent into oblivion. Because the beach is so long you cannot see either end of it, it just fades away into the darkness. It is like being in a dream or in outer space; you feel separate from the Earth, separate from your body even. You drink in the sensation of solitude and it fills you with a strange and incomprehensible feeling of comfort.

5. After reading Tourists, please think of why we don't make more of an effort to connect with those that might look or act different than us.

It gives humans a somewhat sick comfort to believe they are better than someone else, but they also feel that they could never relate to people who look and act different because they could never understand them.

6. Read Sausage and then consider the following: if you couldn't eat again, what meal would you miss the most? Please describe what it looks and tastes like.

If I couldn’t eat again the meal I would miss the most would be my favorite rare steak dinner. This dinner includes many pleasures like steaming roles, creamy gravy, and soft, sweet baby carrots, but the highlights of the dinner are of course the tender red steak and, even more importantly, the butter, salted, hand mashed potatoes that melt in your mouth. Also, to top it off, and of course only if I was of age, the finest Spanish pinot noir, flavorful, and aged to perfection.