Little did we know it, but Piper Shores CEO Jim Adamowicz has embarked on a global excursion, and the residents of Piper Shores are on the hunt to find him. Yes, it’s a worldwide expedition – if not by virtue of getting on an airplane, then at least by travel of the mind.
The journey started at Piper Shores in April, and the first stop was France. More countries will follow – some will be exotic, some tropical, and some will be steeped in ancient culture and history. And here’s the great part: Piper Shores’ residents are encouraged to embark on the journey too, and the price of travel is FREE.
This spirited new cultural campaign is designed to transport residents (if not physically, then at least symbolically) to a variety of nations around the world; and it’s all the brainchild of the Piper Shores Life Enrichment Team.
The campaign is loosely based on a popular video game called “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego,” which was first released in 1985 and later became a PBS game show. The globetrotting game has players going from country to country to gather clues and ultimately solve the mystery of where is Carmen Sandiego (or in this case Jim Adamowicz).
Tara Cloutier, Piper Shores’ Life Enrichment Manager, explains that Jim will be “traveling” to a new country every two months. The activity kicked off with a “Passport Dinner” where residents received a faux passport stamped with a fleur-de-lis, a motif associated with the French monarchy. There was also a French wine tasting provide by a Boston wine specialist; a screening of the 1958 French comedy Mon Oncle, which won an Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film; French lessons, including “A Light-Hearted Look at France” in which a pair of residents look at a day in the life of a French citizen; and a cultural outing to Lewiston, where residents will enjoy dinner at the highly-rated modern French bistro called Fuel, preceded by a visit to the Bates College Museum of Art.
“The goal is to encourage residents initially to hypothesize about Jim’s whereabouts using clues presented by the team. Then, once the country has been exposed, residents can begin to celebrate the cultural, culinary, and artistic, aspects of each country where Jim travels,” explains Cloutier. Many Piper Shores residents have lived abroad and travelled the world extensively, and this activity encourages them to unlock and share their wonderful memories with each other. “It’s really designed to be a deeply enriching, community building, educational exercise,” said Cloutier.
Piper Shores is building the program so it will propel residents on a cultural tour of the world. They are grounding the experience in actual activities and outings here in Maine that relate to each country. “For example, with France, we are celebrating a wide variety of cultural gems associated with that country, including exposure to food and wine, great art and architecture, film, history, language, and music,” explained Cloutier.
The next country will be unveiled later this month (June); and it is guaranteed to surprise residents. So don’t miss out!