In less than a week, I'll be in southern Italy where it is currently snowing. Looks like I'll be having my very first frosty, snow-covered Christmas! And yes, that actually does excite me. I'm excited for snow. For once. I am usually overcome with fear at the thought of me and snow in the same context, but that's slowly beginning to fade away. I think the beauty of seeing snow-capped mountains everyday is helping me acquiese my fear of extreme cold weather (or "extreme" by Miami standards).
While I'm so happy to be going to a new country, I have mixed feelings about spending Christmas away from home. On one hand, I feel lucky and blessed to have the chance to experience the holidays in a foreign country, where I can learn new traditions, taste exotic dishes, make more friends around the world, etc. And I'm very thankful for my roommate's family welcoming me and Desiree into their small, already cramped home. We'll be in southern Italy for a week, Rome for New Year's and Florence afterward. :D Italian culture is so funny and I can't wait to experience it first hand. That probably sounds really strange (can a culture be funny?) but my roommate constantly makes me laugh with her Italianisms and stories about her people and her hand gestures and her "figura di merdas".
But at the same time, this is the first Christmas I will spend without my family. We're a tight group. I received two Christmas cards in the mail last week: one from my parents and one from my sisters. I barely managed to rip open the envelope before I started bawling. I cried for about 10 minutes and then finally read what they had written me. My littlest sister drew a picture of me and her and Santa and dancing gingerbread men (?) and put a heart in each of our hands. My teenage sister wrote that she misses me a lot, and that means so much to me coming from her because I didn't even know she remembered I existed (she's at that age). And my oldest younger sister's e-mailed message was glued to the card since she's away at college. I miss my family sooooooo much that I almost regret not having bought a return ticket for Christmas.
But in the back of my mind, Reason tells me that this will be a good, different experience for me that will make me stronger and will help me gain a new appreciation for those that I love.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Good People, Good Meals
I apologize for not updating in such a long time! Between being sick, Desiree's visit, and being sick again, I haven't really had much time. I'm recovering from the flu right now and spent last night in a puddle of sweat from the high fever I had, yuck. But this, too, shall pass!
Over the past couple of weeks, I've realized what a good meal does for me. And by "good meal" I'm not necessarily referring to the taste of the food. Because I think it's possible to have a good meal with burnt rice, undercooked potatoes, and flavorless meat--so long as you're in good company and can make light of the situation.
At my apartment, we have good meals almost every day. Since there's not really much else to do (no bars, no nightlife, no nothin'--and it's cold outside), we spend our nights cooking, inventing recipes with whatever is left in the fridge, making rounds at the supermarket picking up strange vegetables and figuring out how they are to be cooked, and inviting neighbors, co-workers and new friends over. In the two months I've been here, I have learned countless recipes from all around Europe: Italian, French, English and Spanish. I have discovered fennel, artichoke (as in the actual vegetable, not just the heart), brusselsprouts, turnips, real pasta a la carbonara, fugasse, rissotto, and the list goes on.
Through these long meals, I have learned a lot about the people I work with, which I can now call my friends. I know their eating habits, their embarrassing stories, how their work day was, their love stories, new French words, new English words, their culture, their worries, their struggles...a lot. It's nice to have people to share a meal with, and I can appreciate taking my time to eat the meals set in front of me instead of scarfing it down in 10 minutes or less and then going back to my laptop to waste countless hours on the Internet.
Over the past couple of weeks, I've realized what a good meal does for me. And by "good meal" I'm not necessarily referring to the taste of the food. Because I think it's possible to have a good meal with burnt rice, undercooked potatoes, and flavorless meat--so long as you're in good company and can make light of the situation.
At my apartment, we have good meals almost every day. Since there's not really much else to do (no bars, no nightlife, no nothin'--and it's cold outside), we spend our nights cooking, inventing recipes with whatever is left in the fridge, making rounds at the supermarket picking up strange vegetables and figuring out how they are to be cooked, and inviting neighbors, co-workers and new friends over. In the two months I've been here, I have learned countless recipes from all around Europe: Italian, French, English and Spanish. I have discovered fennel, artichoke (as in the actual vegetable, not just the heart), brusselsprouts, turnips, real pasta a la carbonara, fugasse, rissotto, and the list goes on.
Through these long meals, I have learned a lot about the people I work with, which I can now call my friends. I know their eating habits, their embarrassing stories, how their work day was, their love stories, new French words, new English words, their culture, their worries, their struggles...a lot. It's nice to have people to share a meal with, and I can appreciate taking my time to eat the meals set in front of me instead of scarfing it down in 10 minutes or less and then going back to my laptop to waste countless hours on the Internet.
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Big Comeback
I WISH I HAD TICKETS!!!!!!!
I remember when I went to the Spice Girls concert on June 11, 1998 in West Palm Beach, FL. It was the show that almost didn't happen, as it was the first show of their American tour and their first show without Geri (Ginger Spice). Everyone thought they'd break up and not go on with the show. But they performed nonetheless, and it was one of the happiest and most memorable days of my life.
And now they're back together, all FIVE of them, and I really wish I had tickets! For now, I'll just have to settle for YouTube videos of their shows. The perfomance below is really incredible, so much energy and girl power! Really takes me back to those middle school days when all of our birthday parties were Spice Girls-themed.
HEY SPICE GIRLS, COME TO FRANCE!!!!!!
I remember when I went to the Spice Girls concert on June 11, 1998 in West Palm Beach, FL. It was the show that almost didn't happen, as it was the first show of their American tour and their first show without Geri (Ginger Spice). Everyone thought they'd break up and not go on with the show. But they performed nonetheless, and it was one of the happiest and most memorable days of my life.
And now they're back together, all FIVE of them, and I really wish I had tickets! For now, I'll just have to settle for YouTube videos of their shows. The perfomance below is really incredible, so much energy and girl power! Really takes me back to those middle school days when all of our birthday parties were Spice Girls-themed.
HEY SPICE GIRLS, COME TO FRANCE!!!!!!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Pourquoi? Parce que.
Something I learned today: The Gare de Lyon is not actually in Lyon. It's in Paris. Why? Just cuz. Because this world is not supposed to make any sense.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
The Pumpkin Pie...
...was a hit! I think it actually tastes better made from scratch than using the canned pumpkin. Here it is! And note that it's half eaten, meaning I do not lie and people actually ate it. Yummmm....
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Climbing Highs And Lows
(For those of you that care about my climbing and/or would know what in the world I'm talking about when I refer to the inverted wall or lead climbing, you may read on. If not, skip to the previous post down below.)
On Monday, I managed to cram in my biggest climbing accomplishment and my biggest climbing failure. So the good news first: I climbed the entire inverted wall! Without falling! My belayer was an expert climber who is also one of the guys in charge, and he challenged me do it. I didn't think I could, but I struggled so much on that wall and finally reached the top. Earlier, one of my climbing mentors (seriously, a 70-something-year-old man with legs hard as a rock and the climbing wisdom of, well, a 70-year-old climber) told me after observing me climb that I go too fast and that I need to concentrate more and go slow, using my whole body and not just my arms. So with his advice, I didn't panic or feel rushed to climb the wall and finally did it. I felt very accomplished. That feeling didn't last very long.
Minutes later, I suffered my biggest climbing scare to date. After seeing how well I climbed the inverted wall, my belayer told me I should work on lead climbing. Lead climbing is basically when you're the first to climb and the rope is not already set, so as you go, you're clipping the rope onto the bolts on the wall. I've done lead climbing before, but always at an easy level. This time, he challenged me to lead climb the wall at a difficult level (french system, a 6A+, which is about a 5.10 or 5.11, I think). So I went for it. I mean come on, I just climbed the inverted wall at the 6A level, I could do this.
I started off fine. I was almost at the top and I had two bolts to go. The inverted wall had taken almost all my strength, but I soldiered on. I put the clip onto the second to last bolt, but my arms were starting to give out. I knew that if I fell now, I would fall a couple of feet down. As I went to put the rope through the clip, I missed, and my arms just gave out. And I went tumbling down, about 5 or 6 feet, and slammed into the rough wall. The rope burned my lips and my arm and I bruised my back, but that's not what burnt me the most. It was the embarrassment. The whole gym went silent, and everyone was staring.
A bunch of people came up to me to see if I was ok, and of course I played it off like it was nothing. But seriously, my life flashed before my eyes! I wanted to cry, but I didn't want to look like a whimp in front of all these tough, experienced French climbers. I want to make an impression on them: not an American that stuffs her face with McDonald's and watches TV all day, but one that is brave and serious about climbing and doesn't break down over a little fall. My body ached but my belayer told me to take a breather and try it again. He wouldn't let me quit, and I love that in a partner. I tried again and when I was getting close to the bolt that I missed, I chickened out and climbed back down. I couldn't do it. I was too scared to fall again and hurt myself. My mom would kill me if she found this out--she already hates the fact that I climb because she thinks I'm going to fall off some cliff or something and die.
I couldn't climb the rest of the night. I was still trembling from the scare. But next time I go into the rock gym, I'm going straight to that same wall and lead climbing it to the top. Of that, you can be sure!
On Monday, I managed to cram in my biggest climbing accomplishment and my biggest climbing failure. So the good news first: I climbed the entire inverted wall! Without falling! My belayer was an expert climber who is also one of the guys in charge, and he challenged me do it. I didn't think I could, but I struggled so much on that wall and finally reached the top. Earlier, one of my climbing mentors (seriously, a 70-something-year-old man with legs hard as a rock and the climbing wisdom of, well, a 70-year-old climber) told me after observing me climb that I go too fast and that I need to concentrate more and go slow, using my whole body and not just my arms. So with his advice, I didn't panic or feel rushed to climb the wall and finally did it. I felt very accomplished. That feeling didn't last very long.
Minutes later, I suffered my biggest climbing scare to date. After seeing how well I climbed the inverted wall, my belayer told me I should work on lead climbing. Lead climbing is basically when you're the first to climb and the rope is not already set, so as you go, you're clipping the rope onto the bolts on the wall. I've done lead climbing before, but always at an easy level. This time, he challenged me to lead climb the wall at a difficult level (french system, a 6A+, which is about a 5.10 or 5.11, I think). So I went for it. I mean come on, I just climbed the inverted wall at the 6A level, I could do this.
I started off fine. I was almost at the top and I had two bolts to go. The inverted wall had taken almost all my strength, but I soldiered on. I put the clip onto the second to last bolt, but my arms were starting to give out. I knew that if I fell now, I would fall a couple of feet down. As I went to put the rope through the clip, I missed, and my arms just gave out. And I went tumbling down, about 5 or 6 feet, and slammed into the rough wall. The rope burned my lips and my arm and I bruised my back, but that's not what burnt me the most. It was the embarrassment. The whole gym went silent, and everyone was staring.
A bunch of people came up to me to see if I was ok, and of course I played it off like it was nothing. But seriously, my life flashed before my eyes! I wanted to cry, but I didn't want to look like a whimp in front of all these tough, experienced French climbers. I want to make an impression on them: not an American that stuffs her face with McDonald's and watches TV all day, but one that is brave and serious about climbing and doesn't break down over a little fall. My body ached but my belayer told me to take a breather and try it again. He wouldn't let me quit, and I love that in a partner. I tried again and when I was getting close to the bolt that I missed, I chickened out and climbed back down. I couldn't do it. I was too scared to fall again and hurt myself. My mom would kill me if she found this out--she already hates the fact that I climb because she thinks I'm going to fall off some cliff or something and die.
I couldn't climb the rest of the night. I was still trembling from the scare. But next time I go into the rock gym, I'm going straight to that same wall and lead climbing it to the top. Of that, you can be sure!
Christmas Tunes and Pumpkin Pie
While I expressed my deep hatred for French strikes on the last post, I must admit that today, I was the #1 supporter of the strikes. I didn't have to work today because the teachers I was supposed to work with today were all striking. And I didn't work all of Friday afternoon, the weekend, Monday, or Tuesday. I'm not working tomorrow either. Life is good.
So today, I spent the day curled up in my warm bed, downloading Christmas songs and singing them with my roommate (as well as shedding some light upon the meaning of these English lyrics for her which she knows but does not understand). The one productive thing I did do was manage to spend 60 euro on Christmas decorations and pumpkin pie ingredients. Christmas lights are so expensive here...a set of 100 bulbs is 9 freakin' euro! I can get the same product in the states for 99 cents at Walgreens. And that's not even for the multi-colored lights.
I'm supposed to go to a pseudo Thanksgiving dinner at Annie's house (the one that adopted me, kinda) on Friday and I offered to make a pumpkin pie. Which P.S., I've never made. Finding the ingredients for this pumpkin pie I'm supposedly making was quite the task. As expected, French supermarkets do not have heavy whipping cream, canned pumpkin puree or other basic items needed to make this Thanksgiving dessert in stock. So the creation of this pie will be totally improvised. I bought an actual pumpkin slice....do you think that if I just mash that up and throw in some eggs, flour and sugar, a delicious, American, homemade pie will be the end result?
So today, I spent the day curled up in my warm bed, downloading Christmas songs and singing them with my roommate (as well as shedding some light upon the meaning of these English lyrics for her which she knows but does not understand). The one productive thing I did do was manage to spend 60 euro on Christmas decorations and pumpkin pie ingredients. Christmas lights are so expensive here...a set of 100 bulbs is 9 freakin' euro! I can get the same product in the states for 99 cents at Walgreens. And that's not even for the multi-colored lights.
I'm supposed to go to a pseudo Thanksgiving dinner at Annie's house (the one that adopted me, kinda) on Friday and I offered to make a pumpkin pie. Which P.S., I've never made. Finding the ingredients for this pumpkin pie I'm supposedly making was quite the task. As expected, French supermarkets do not have heavy whipping cream, canned pumpkin puree or other basic items needed to make this Thanksgiving dessert in stock. So the creation of this pie will be totally improvised. I bought an actual pumpkin slice....do you think that if I just mash that up and throw in some eggs, flour and sugar, a delicious, American, homemade pie will be the end result?
Saturday, November 17, 2007
New John! and Strikes
My night was going badly until I read THIS!
John Mayer's new song, Say, is so sweet! Love it. :)
And then, Perez posted a video of the Spice Girls comeback performance right above the John Mayer post! I never would've imagined such a thing. My two favorite artists of all time, all on one page.
And the reason for my bad night was that the Brit and I were planning on escaping the boredom that is a weekend in Romans, but then the train workers had to go on strike and ruin everything.
I.
Hate.
Strikes.
And.
Freedom.
Of.
Speech.
(Sometimes).
John Mayer's new song, Say, is so sweet! Love it. :)
And then, Perez posted a video of the Spice Girls comeback performance right above the John Mayer post! I never would've imagined such a thing. My two favorite artists of all time, all on one page.
And the reason for my bad night was that the Brit and I were planning on escaping the boredom that is a weekend in Romans, but then the train workers had to go on strike and ruin everything.
I.
Hate.
Strikes.
And.
Freedom.
Of.
Speech.
(Sometimes).
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Snow!
IT'S SNOWING IN ROMANS! I never thought I'd be so excited/happy to see snow, so even I was surprised when I felt a big grin appear on my face at the sight of it. Let's see how long the cuteness aspect of this natural phenomenon lasts.
I just finished watching the news (we have a TV now with FIVE channels! What a luxury!) and upon seeing the weather report, I was shocked. My region of France is the coldest this week coming in at -5 degrees Celcius. All the other regions were at zero or positive numbers. So my faulty reasoning ("Hey, I'll choose to live in Grenoble because it's in the south and it's hot and it has mountains") ended up getting the last laugh.
I just finished watching the news (we have a TV now with FIVE channels! What a luxury!) and upon seeing the weather report, I was shocked. My region of France is the coldest this week coming in at -5 degrees Celcius. All the other regions were at zero or positive numbers. So my faulty reasoning ("Hey, I'll choose to live in Grenoble because it's in the south and it's hot and it has mountains") ended up getting the last laugh.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Life Lessons
I've learned a couple of life lessons this week. Let me educate you:
1. Don't pray for English people. They'll laugh at you or think you're strange. (And if you do pray for them, don't tell them.)
2. Don't drink too much near little hobbit-y Irish people. It can lead to trouble and regret. Especially in dark alleys.
3. Make sure you plan your vacations around French strikes. They will most definitely ruin your plans if you don't.
4. Wear STRONG perfume and layers of deodorant when exercising to drown out any stanky BO, not necessarily your own.
5. French churros will never compare to Latin American ones so don't get your hopes up. However, the Spanish ones are alright.
1. Don't pray for English people. They'll laugh at you or think you're strange. (And if you do pray for them, don't tell them.)
2. Don't drink too much near little hobbit-y Irish people. It can lead to trouble and regret. Especially in dark alleys.
3. Make sure you plan your vacations around French strikes. They will most definitely ruin your plans if you don't.
4. Wear STRONG perfume and layers of deodorant when exercising to drown out any stanky BO, not necessarily your own.
5. French churros will never compare to Latin American ones so don't get your hopes up. However, the Spanish ones are alright.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Te Dejo Madrid
I returned to France today from a five-day mini vacation to Madrid which almost never happened due to a series of unfortunate circumstances on the day of my departure. Murphy's Law has never been so real, but I made finally made it to Spain!
It was so good to see familiar faces again since I've been feeling homesick lately. It was also a huge relief to finally be able to speak a language I'm completely comfortable with: Spanish. Though I must say, many times I questioned if I knew ANY Spanish at all, like when staring blankly at a cafeteria menu with items like patatas fritas (papitas fritas/french fries...or wait, did that mean potato chips???), zumo (jugo/juice), gambas (camarones/shrimp), and many others which I do not recall.
I discovered Madrid with the aid of Desiree who hosted me in her fabolous, centrally-located apartment that is reminiscent of the film Les Auberges Espagnoles, as there are NINE girls living there from five different countries. We also went with Fernando to the Sierra and saw the mountainside and an adorable city called Segovia, which was totally what I pictured Spain to be like. I spent like half my paycheck at Zara, or should I say, THARA, and I'm now suffering from Thara withdrawal...Must.....shop.....more......
And this made my trip. The whole time I was there, I tried to imitate the way the Spanish speak by overdoing the "thetas" (or how they pronounce the z's) and Desiree said I was overdoing it. I beg to differ. Because on the plane on the way back, I sat next to two guys from Cordoba who spoke like they just burnt their tongue, using the "theta" for ALL z's, c's AND s's! YES! I knew I wasn't exaggerating that ridiculous accent.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
The Extortionist Laverie
You will NEVER guess how much it costs to wash one load of clothes here in Romans. NEVER! Guess? Guess?
Ok, I'll just tell you. But let me just preface by saying that it only costs $0.75 to wash a pretty big load in America (or at least in the UF residence halls). Furthermore (I'll just do the math for you), it costs me $5 to wash AND dry THREE loads of clothes. Whites. Darks. Colors.
3.90 EURO!!!!!!!
Today, on October 31, 2007, the equivalent of this, according to Yahoo! Finance, is $5.6421. To wash one small load. Extortionists. Needless to say, I only washed one load and mixed darks with whites, delicates with cotton, just stuffed it all in there untill there was hardly any room left.
I figure it's due to the scarcity of water in these whereabouts. I mean, these people don't even have water fountains at the gym or in school. At the teacher's lounge in one of my schools, they ask for a ten-cent donation if you're gonna take one of those cone cups of water. Due to this justification, if you can even call it that, I thought it was pretty reasonable that it only costs 50 Euro cents to dry a load. It doesn't use any water, so why would it be more? Makes perfect sense.
What DOESN'T make sense is why the dryer stopped working after 5 minutes. I thought this had to be a mistake, so I put in another 5o cents, and pressed START once more. And sure enough, the dryer stopped 5 minutes after that. I asked some crazy French lady that kept taking to herself if this was normal, and she replied with a "bah, ouiiii." Times like these, I miss home!
My clothes is now hanging in the living room, clothespins and all. And I thought clothespins were only used for arts and crafts projects nowadays. Little did I know!
Ok, I'll just tell you. But let me just preface by saying that it only costs $0.75 to wash a pretty big load in America (or at least in the UF residence halls). Furthermore (I'll just do the math for you), it costs me $5 to wash AND dry THREE loads of clothes. Whites. Darks. Colors.
3.90 EURO!!!!!!!
Today, on October 31, 2007, the equivalent of this, according to Yahoo! Finance, is $5.6421. To wash one small load. Extortionists. Needless to say, I only washed one load and mixed darks with whites, delicates with cotton, just stuffed it all in there untill there was hardly any room left.
I figure it's due to the scarcity of water in these whereabouts. I mean, these people don't even have water fountains at the gym or in school. At the teacher's lounge in one of my schools, they ask for a ten-cent donation if you're gonna take one of those cone cups of water. Due to this justification, if you can even call it that, I thought it was pretty reasonable that it only costs 50 Euro cents to dry a load. It doesn't use any water, so why would it be more? Makes perfect sense.
What DOESN'T make sense is why the dryer stopped working after 5 minutes. I thought this had to be a mistake, so I put in another 5o cents, and pressed START once more. And sure enough, the dryer stopped 5 minutes after that. I asked some crazy French lady that kept taking to herself if this was normal, and she replied with a "bah, ouiiii." Times like these, I miss home!
My clothes is now hanging in the living room, clothespins and all. And I thought clothespins were only used for arts and crafts projects nowadays. Little did I know!
Job #2
I got a second job! I will be babysitting two little French kids, ages 4 and 10. Tomorrow, I will meet the family and the kids. Me and another assistant posted some signs in the teachers lounge and one of the professors got back to me. I wonder how much I should charge, considering the fact I have NO money....
I'm glad I got this job because I will be around French children who can probably talk slowly and teach me a child's vocabulary. Then I can take that and teach it to my little sister, Madeleine! Madeleine already knows some french words, like "du lait," "de l'eau," "jus d'orange," "du pain," "s'il vous plait" and "mademoiselle." You know, five basic phrases to survive. She has an interest in French at such a tender young age and it's completelyforced upon by me self-motivated. So proud of that little rascal.
I'm glad I got this job because I will be around French children who can probably talk slowly and teach me a child's vocabulary. Then I can take that and teach it to my little sister, Madeleine! Madeleine already knows some french words, like "du lait," "de l'eau," "jus d'orange," "du pain," "s'il vous plait" and "mademoiselle." You know, five basic phrases to survive. She has an interest in French at such a tender young age and it's completely
Friday, October 26, 2007
Did That Viejo Just Outrun Me?
It's amazing to me how active the over-the-hill population is in this region of France. As I walk to school every morning, the majority of speedy bike riders zooming past me are 62-year-old ladies with calves hard as a rock pedalling with the power of a 15-year-old over the many hills. Insanity! You would NEVER see that in America. The elderly just stay at home, watching TV and sipping slowly on soup. It's a chore to walk from one room to another.
At the rock climbing gym on Wednesday, I saw a man that I SWEAR could not possibly be a day younger than 75. He climbed the inverted wall in less than 2 minutes. This is the same wall I was working on for over a half hour and ended up not being able to finish. From a distance, I could admire every one of his tight leg muscles outlined with each sharp move, as well as his shiny old hairless head and poofy white beard. And then I looked around me. The majority of the people climbing were adults or the elderly. None of this college and high school student thing you see at GRG (the rock gym in G-Ville). So weird.
I want to be like these people when I reach retirement. I don't want to be an old heap of wrinkles and gray hair slumped over a bed. I want to be able to walk everywhere in a cute skirt, showing off my experienced and muscular legs, despite my ripe age.
At the rock climbing gym on Wednesday, I saw a man that I SWEAR could not possibly be a day younger than 75. He climbed the inverted wall in less than 2 minutes. This is the same wall I was working on for over a half hour and ended up not being able to finish. From a distance, I could admire every one of his tight leg muscles outlined with each sharp move, as well as his shiny old hairless head and poofy white beard. And then I looked around me. The majority of the people climbing were adults or the elderly. None of this college and high school student thing you see at GRG (the rock gym in G-Ville). So weird.
I want to be like these people when I reach retirement. I don't want to be an old heap of wrinkles and gray hair slumped over a bed. I want to be able to walk everywhere in a cute skirt, showing off my experienced and muscular legs, despite my ripe age.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
For Shits and Giggles
Today was a funny day. I spent the majority of the time laughing. Days like these are always good.
I laughed when I asked my students to locate Miami on the map and in every single class without fail, they went straight to California. And New York? It's right in the center near Oklahoma.
I laughed at some of the ridiculous haircuts I've seen. The mullet is in, y'all! There was one guy on the train that had a mullet, a faux hawk, AND gelled bangs--all at once! And the mullet doesn't discriminate; it plagues the females, too.
I DIED laughing when my roommate got locked in the toiletroom (the toilets are separate from the bathroom). She was there for like 15 minutes and because I was laughing so hard, I had absolutely no energy to save her. The thought of her living over a toilet in such confined spaces (about 1.5' x 2') for the rest of our time here was absolutely hilarious. Especially since she's counting down the days till her boyfriend of TEN years (YES, TEN) comes to visit. And he would find her trapped in the w/c. lol
And of course, I saved the best for last. My bike got stolen today! Instead of mourning the theft, I just burst out laughing when I saw nothing but the cut lock on the floor by the bike racks. Who would EVER want to steal that shiteous bike? The back tire flattens within seconds, the frame is all banged up, the handlebars were gonna fall off any day now anyway, and it's just...hideous. It's not easy to ride. I rather walk than bike. Good riddens.
I laughed when I asked my students to locate Miami on the map and in every single class without fail, they went straight to California. And New York? It's right in the center near Oklahoma.
I laughed at some of the ridiculous haircuts I've seen. The mullet is in, y'all! There was one guy on the train that had a mullet, a faux hawk, AND gelled bangs--all at once! And the mullet doesn't discriminate; it plagues the females, too.
I DIED laughing when my roommate got locked in the toiletroom (the toilets are separate from the bathroom). She was there for like 15 minutes and because I was laughing so hard, I had absolutely no energy to save her. The thought of her living over a toilet in such confined spaces (about 1.5' x 2') for the rest of our time here was absolutely hilarious. Especially since she's counting down the days till her boyfriend of TEN years (YES, TEN) comes to visit. And he would find her trapped in the w/c. lol
And of course, I saved the best for last. My bike got stolen today! Instead of mourning the theft, I just burst out laughing when I saw nothing but the cut lock on the floor by the bike racks. Who would EVER want to steal that shiteous bike? The back tire flattens within seconds, the frame is all banged up, the handlebars were gonna fall off any day now anyway, and it's just...hideous. It's not easy to ride. I rather walk than bike. Good riddens.
Goals
New goal: Spend less time on Facebook and PerezHilton.com and more time doing more important things with my life.
Aside from the fact that to access the very weak WiFi signal, I must balance my laptop on one leg in a specific corner in my room and this causes my muscles to cramp at times, I really could be doing better things. Like finally finishing "Eat Pray Love" (a great book I bought at the airport and couldn't put down on the plane), putting the last touches on Cami's wedding pictures and giving them to her (the wedding was in June! I feel really bad about this), or speaking French with a conversation partner I have yet to find (another goal). I need to be monitored!
UPDATE: Today, I read like 15 pages of my book! Though I have not really restricted my activity on the aforementioned Web sites, I have increased my intellectual activity overall (reading books, reading the news, writing down new French words and phrases, etc.)
Aside from the fact that to access the very weak WiFi signal, I must balance my laptop on one leg in a specific corner in my room and this causes my muscles to cramp at times, I really could be doing better things. Like finally finishing "Eat Pray Love" (a great book I bought at the airport and couldn't put down on the plane), putting the last touches on Cami's wedding pictures and giving them to her (the wedding was in June! I feel really bad about this), or speaking French with a conversation partner I have yet to find (another goal). I need to be monitored!
UPDATE: Today, I read like 15 pages of my book! Though I have not really restricted my activity on the aforementioned Web sites, I have increased my intellectual activity overall (reading books, reading the news, writing down new French words and phrases, etc.)
Sunday, October 21, 2007
I Live In An Ice Box
It's..........soooooooooooo........COLD.
The heaters don't start working till Nov. 1st. Till then, everyone just has to freeze. Last night, I slept with my coat on, two regular blankets and two fleece blankets, and it still wasn't enough. Tonight, I will sleep with all of the above PLUS gloves, a scarf, a hat, a second pair of pants and a second pair of socks. It must be in the low 40s outside and maybe the high 30s inside.
I miss my Florida sun!
Today, we spent the whole day in the kitchen cooking to keep warm. I nearly joined the potatoes in the boiling pot of water. Instead of using powdered sugar for a recipe, I opted for the solid hard cubes and pouncing on them with the grip of my knife for what seemed an eternity in order to keep moving and (possibly?) sweat. I hope this is just a cold front and not the start of winter!
UPDATE: Thank GOD the heaters started working today. May the lord bless the guy who flipped the switch and saved us from another sleepless, shivering night.
The heaters don't start working till Nov. 1st. Till then, everyone just has to freeze. Last night, I slept with my coat on, two regular blankets and two fleece blankets, and it still wasn't enough. Tonight, I will sleep with all of the above PLUS gloves, a scarf, a hat, a second pair of pants and a second pair of socks. It must be in the low 40s outside and maybe the high 30s inside.
I miss my Florida sun!
Today, we spent the whole day in the kitchen cooking to keep warm. I nearly joined the potatoes in the boiling pot of water. Instead of using powdered sugar for a recipe, I opted for the solid hard cubes and pouncing on them with the grip of my knife for what seemed an eternity in order to keep moving and (possibly?) sweat. I hope this is just a cold front and not the start of winter!
UPDATE: Thank GOD the heaters started working today. May the lord bless the guy who flipped the switch and saved us from another sleepless, shivering night.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Three Unrelated Points
I felt homesick for like 10 minutes today, but then I got over it.
Also, I have discovered that I'm addicted to chocolate. It's a drug. If I don't get it everyday, I fall into a state of depression and anxiety. Be it in a pain au chocolat, in a brioche, or an actual chocolate bar, I must have it! I'm equally addicted to sugar. Two French ladies scoffed at me when they saw me press "extra sucre" on the coffee machine in the teacher's lounge today. They told me I would die of diabetes. At least I'll die happy!
SNCF (the train company) workers went on strike today. What a surprise: a strike in France. And how did that affect me? Instead of having to get up at 8 a.m., I had to be up before 4 p.m.! Three of my four classes were cancelled because of this, including a 9 and 10 a.m. class, since most teachers don't live in Romans and take the train to work. Thank you, freedom of speech!
Also, I have discovered that I'm addicted to chocolate. It's a drug. If I don't get it everyday, I fall into a state of depression and anxiety. Be it in a pain au chocolat, in a brioche, or an actual chocolate bar, I must have it! I'm equally addicted to sugar. Two French ladies scoffed at me when they saw me press "extra sucre" on the coffee machine in the teacher's lounge today. They told me I would die of diabetes. At least I'll die happy!
SNCF (the train company) workers went on strike today. What a surprise: a strike in France. And how did that affect me? Instead of having to get up at 8 a.m., I had to be up before 4 p.m.! Three of my four classes were cancelled because of this, including a 9 and 10 a.m. class, since most teachers don't live in Romans and take the train to work. Thank you, freedom of speech!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
THIS Has Made My Day
John Mayer on Wikipedia's main page today!
=) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN! Wow, the man is 30. He's still got it, though!
=) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN! Wow, the man is 30. He's still got it, though!
Toulon/La Seyne-sur-Mer
I spent this past weekend in Annie and Regis' lovely summer house in La Seyne-sur-Mer, a beach and boating town on the Mediterranean less than 3 miles from Toulon. Needless to say, it was absolutely beautiful. It was hot, sunny and humid the whole time (FLORIDA WEATHER AT LAST!!!!) and I didn't want to leave. We ate outside on the terrace every day with a view of the ocean. You could smell the sea salt in the air.
It was my first time wading in the Mediterranean. It's so blue! Some of the beaches looked like mine back in Miami (with light sand), but other beaches were rocky. It's so strange to think that those rocks are naturally there, that it wasn't some guy that was playing a joke on his buddies a long time ago by filling the area with uncomfortable rocks. Besides going to the beach, we did a little tour of Toulon, ate a lot of good food--as usual, and hiked to the top of a nearby mountain whose name I forget.
To go from La Seyne-sur-Mer to Toulon, you have to take a 15 min. boat ride. It's their form of public transport into the city. Regis told me that the kids that go to school in Toulon take the boat every morning. Strange! Yet so awesome.
On with the photos!
It was my first time wading in the Mediterranean. It's so blue! Some of the beaches looked like mine back in Miami (with light sand), but other beaches were rocky. It's so strange to think that those rocks are naturally there, that it wasn't some guy that was playing a joke on his buddies a long time ago by filling the area with uncomfortable rocks. Besides going to the beach, we did a little tour of Toulon, ate a lot of good food--as usual, and hiked to the top of a nearby mountain whose name I forget.
To go from La Seyne-sur-Mer to Toulon, you have to take a 15 min. boat ride. It's their form of public transport into the city. Regis told me that the kids that go to school in Toulon take the boat every morning. Strange! Yet so awesome.
On with the photos!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Villard de Lans - Vercors
The Vercors is a national park that's popular for hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and skiing. A bit like the Appalachian Trail but on a smaller scale. We started off in Villard de Lans, a cute ski town that is deserted for the moment as ski season hasn't started yet. I didn't get to see those caves I mentioned in the last entry, but we did take a beautiful nature hike. Here are some snapshots!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Club Alpin Francais and the Great Outdoors
I FINALLY started rock climbing again, but in doing so, I realized how much my muscles have deteriorated from not having climbed for a month and a half. I've joined the Club Alpin Francais (CAF) and all I need to do to finalize my membership is go to the doctor and get a note from him or her saying I'm healthy.
Climbing indoors in France is so different. They use different belaying techniques and different devices. I felt like a novice all over again. And let me tell you, it was STAAAAANK in that gym. I always defended the French back in America (yes, I now refer to the states as "America") when my friends would talk about the lack of showering practices in France. I take all of that back. I had a guy climbing next to me with his armpit in my face every time he reached for a hold and I wanted to throw up mid-air. It's not just bad B.O. It's a reeking, rotting smell that induces all kinds of disgust from the pits of my stomach. Grosssss.
The lady that I sort of befriended, if you can say that, was nice and really cool. Except she kept using slang words and I could never understand what she was saying. She would also tell me everything in a whisper (the French are really good at that) and I kept thinking she was telling me a secret. But no, she was just telling me how her daughter lost her glasses when she was climbing in a canyon. Why whisper? Are Americans just loud, or are the French discreet for no apparent reason? Or both?
There's already a CAF excursion this weekend to go to the south of Ardeche (the department next to mine, which is Drome) to do some hiking and climbing. Very exciting, we'll see if I go.
For the meantime, I'm supposed to get up in 7 hours (I should be sleeping now!!!) to go hike in the Vercors tomorrow with two other American assistants . We're going to explore some caves, I think, and just get out there to the heart of the mountains that we only see from a distance. I shall post pictures upon arrival.
Climbing indoors in France is so different. They use different belaying techniques and different devices. I felt like a novice all over again. And let me tell you, it was STAAAAANK in that gym. I always defended the French back in America (yes, I now refer to the states as "America") when my friends would talk about the lack of showering practices in France. I take all of that back. I had a guy climbing next to me with his armpit in my face every time he reached for a hold and I wanted to throw up mid-air. It's not just bad B.O. It's a reeking, rotting smell that induces all kinds of disgust from the pits of my stomach. Grosssss.
The lady that I sort of befriended, if you can say that, was nice and really cool. Except she kept using slang words and I could never understand what she was saying. She would also tell me everything in a whisper (the French are really good at that) and I kept thinking she was telling me a secret. But no, she was just telling me how her daughter lost her glasses when she was climbing in a canyon. Why whisper? Are Americans just loud, or are the French discreet for no apparent reason? Or both?
There's already a CAF excursion this weekend to go to the south of Ardeche (the department next to mine, which is Drome) to do some hiking and climbing. Very exciting, we'll see if I go.
For the meantime, I'm supposed to get up in 7 hours (I should be sleeping now!!!) to go hike in the Vercors tomorrow with two other American assistants . We're going to explore some caves, I think, and just get out there to the heart of the mountains that we only see from a distance. I shall post pictures upon arrival.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
You Are Here
Maybe I should've done this earlier...
This is a map of France and very carefully yet boot-leggedly marked is where I live. As you can see, it's in a valley between two mountain chains. Click on the map to enlarge.
UPDATE: It's hard to see, but to orient yourself, Paris is in the north central region of France in the Ile-de-France region. Lyon, the second biggest city in France, is just northwest of Romans.
Rugby and the French
Yesterday, France played against New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup. In school on Friday, I took a poll of the class to see how many people thought France would win. About two people raised their hand. Everyone else said France didn't have a chance, that they suck, that they shouldn't even try, that it would be an embarassment, that they weren't even going to bother watching because New Zealand, a very strong team, would obviously win.
Well whatdja know...France won! Of course, everyone at the bar I was at went ballistic, jumping on the tables and chanting the electric guitar tune of "Seven Nation Army" from the White Stripes (Why? I have no idea. It's like their fight song or something). Bunch of bandwagon fans. Nobody had faith and France ended up winning after all.
It was a fun experience being in France for any sort of a world cup just to see how the French celebrate. They don't celebrate to the rate that us Gators did when we won all the championships (the first, second and third time). An hour after the game, everything had settled and Valence felt like a ghost town. If it was us Gators, we'd be out there till the cops came out to shoo us off the streets. I guess the French are more discreet in that aspect.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Shiz
I've officially been welcomed to France by the elegant elderly women walking their pretentious poodles. How?
I finally stepped on dog doo doo on the sidewalk today. Poo!
I finally stepped on dog doo doo on the sidewalk today. Poo!
The Cold Hard Truth
My first week of teaching is officially over. Because I have so many different classes (12 hrs. a week, 1 hour per class, never the same students), I've pretty much done the same thing with all of them. I've asked them to tell me, without reservations, what their true image of America is. We then would discuss the stereotypes and determine whether there was truth to any of them or if they had a skewed view of us. Here's what they thought:
1. Americans are fat. Everyone only eats McDonald's.
2. America is dangerous and there are gangs everywhere.
3. All Americans encounter celebrities on a regular basis.
4. America is a rich country, but there's a lot of rich people and a lot of poor people.
5. Tony Parker is famous in America too, isn't he?
6. High school is just like the movie "High School Musical" and pom-pom girls (what they call cheerleaders) rule the school.
As far as Miami is concerned, here is their image of my city:
1. Everyone walks around in bikinis.
2. Miami is a surfer town.
3. There are alligators everywhere.
4. The only thing to do in Miami is go to the beach.
5. Miami and Malibu are the same thing, or at least on the same coast.
Their image of the US is either really negative or really glamorous. They either hate us or think we're cool because a large part of their entertainment (movies, music, TV shows, etc.) comes from America. I broke down each stereotype down for them and explained how things really are. I think they learned a lot and maybe even have a bit more respect for Americans, maybe.
And the french Tony Parker is only famous in the states because he married Eva Longoria.
1. Americans are fat. Everyone only eats McDonald's.
2. America is dangerous and there are gangs everywhere.
3. All Americans encounter celebrities on a regular basis.
4. America is a rich country, but there's a lot of rich people and a lot of poor people.
5. Tony Parker is famous in America too, isn't he?
6. High school is just like the movie "High School Musical" and pom-pom girls (what they call cheerleaders) rule the school.
As far as Miami is concerned, here is their image of my city:
1. Everyone walks around in bikinis.
2. Miami is a surfer town.
3. There are alligators everywhere.
4. The only thing to do in Miami is go to the beach.
5. Miami and Malibu are the same thing, or at least on the same coast.
Their image of the US is either really negative or really glamorous. They either hate us or think we're cool because a large part of their entertainment (movies, music, TV shows, etc.) comes from America. I broke down each stereotype down for them and explained how things really are. I think they learned a lot and maybe even have a bit more respect for Americans, maybe.
And the french Tony Parker is only famous in the states because he married Eva Longoria.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
I Am NOT Happy....
... about this:
John Mayer and Minka Kelly (that bitch)
I leave the country for a minute and he's already cheating on me! Men are scum!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Parliamo italiano!
I'm so happy that I live with an Italian. I don't know if I've mentioned it yet but I live with a 24-year-old Italian girl named Rosangela. She's great! And she's teaching me Italiano. She's never taken a French class--how brave of her to move to a tiny town in France where no one speaks Italian! I'm helping her with her French and she's teaching me Italian. We've made labels for household things in both languages. My favorite word she's taught me is "chocolatini." It means a little piece of chocolate, or a chocolate chip. I also learned to count to 14...the rest of the numbers will come to me soon enough. And of course, I already learned all the bad words as I am reading a book about an American woman in Italy and in one of the chapters, she's at a soccer match and the profanities coming out of a fan's mouth sound like sweet-nothings to her--music to her ears. So I read that part of the book aloud to Rosangela but she wasn't very pleased. Oops.
I hope to get pretty decent and then visit Italy with her. She has invited me to Bari (the town she's from in the south of Italia) for Christmas so maybe I'll come. Andiamo a Italia! Prontissimo! Ooh that reminds me of something else I learned from her: they answer the phone saying, "Pronto?" Everything sounds so lovely in Italian. :)
I hope to get pretty decent and then visit Italy with her. She has invited me to Bari (the town she's from in the south of Italia) for Christmas so maybe I'll come. Andiamo a Italia! Prontissimo! Ooh that reminds me of something else I learned from her: they answer the phone saying, "Pronto?" Everything sounds so lovely in Italian. :)
The Golden Arches
I committed a huge sin today. An almost-crime. Something I vowed to NEVER do…..
I ate at a McDonald’s in
I don’t even like MacDo (as they call it here) and I never eat it back at home, unless there’s absolutely nothing else. But I had just finished biking (yes, biking—did I mention that I got a free bike? :) miles and miles, over hills and under bridges, and I was very thirsty. And all I could see on the horizon were those damned golden arches, so I asked for a large Coke. And then I felt dumb just asking for a drink so I ordered Chicken McNuggets, too. They were like, gourmet chicken nuggets. Geez, does fast food also have to taste better here? AND they brought the food to my table and told me “bon appetit” upon setting the tray in front of me.
This McDonald’s is behind one of the schools I’m teaching at, and I saw that there’s free unlimited WiFi there. So it looks like I’ll be revisiting McDonald’s very soon, ugh.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
WiFi!
I found a free WiFi connection!!!!!!!!!!!!
I moved into the apartment for the assistants today and I'm living with a very nice southern Italian named Rosangela. In a little corner of my new room, we found a WiFi connection. It doesn't work all the time, but it seems to work well during the weekends and at night. Wireless internet is really a luxury. I really don't have the patience for using Windows 98 in the school and on top of that, using a French keyboard (QWERTY is a stranger here).
So if you've got Skype or Windows Live Messenger, give me your username so I can add you and we can do a web chat!
Fingers crossed, I'll try to add some pictures now....
I moved into the apartment for the assistants today and I'm living with a very nice southern Italian named Rosangela. In a little corner of my new room, we found a WiFi connection. It doesn't work all the time, but it seems to work well during the weekends and at night. Wireless internet is really a luxury. I really don't have the patience for using Windows 98 in the school and on top of that, using a French keyboard (QWERTY is a stranger here).
So if you've got Skype or Windows Live Messenger, give me your username so I can add you and we can do a web chat!
Fingers crossed, I'll try to add some pictures now....
Monday, September 24, 2007
I'm Deeply in Love
Have you ever felt so happy you want to drop to your knees; weep and kiss the dirty ground? This is how I felt on Saturday. I went to Annie and Regis' house to celebrate the birthdays of one of their daughters (Marie) and grandson (Ludo). Just the fact that they invited me to such an intimate family gathering touched my heart. After the feasting and the champage and the Chinese liqueur (Litchi I think i's called?) and the decadent gateaux(cakes), we took a field trip to the countryside. My goodness. I can't imagine anything in the world being more beautiful than the French countryside. We drove through the greenest mountains, herds of French cows, sunflower fields, little random houses with blue shutters and flower beds spilling from their windows...I wish I could upload pictures but these computers are too slow!
I am so happy here. I don't think I knew this before, but I had a void that needed to be filled--and now it is. I seriously got teary-eyed like 10 times because of the overwhelming joy I felt inside. I'm in love--with a country!!!Who would've thought such a thing was possible...
I am so happy here. I don't think I knew this before, but I had a void that needed to be filled--and now it is. I seriously got teary-eyed like 10 times because of the overwhelming joy I felt inside. I'm in love--with a country!!!Who would've thought such a thing was possible...
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Climbing Possibilities
I mentioned to Regis that I would like to rock climb while I’m here, whether in a gym or in the Vercors (the mountains nearest to Romans, you can see them in the horizon) and he told me he knew of two professors here that are in a climbing club. We tracked one of these professors down with Regis explaining to every teacher we came across in the hall that I was the new assistante d’anglais américaine from les Etats-Unis (the US) that lives in the petit appartement in the batîment administratif (administrative building). He also must always also mention that I’m from Miami, where there’s beaches and sand, and that because of this, I hate skiing. Then he explains that I am an excellent hardcore climber (untrue, I’m just intermediate and I’m not even that brave) and that we’re looking for so-and-so professor. Each of these little stops to talk to the teachers and make introductions take about 5-10 minutes. So everyone basically knows my whole life story. I think I’ve met the entire faculty (over 50 profs) in a matter of two days.
The point is, we finally found this rock climber teacher and he proposed that I join their rock climbing club. They get together every Monday and Wednesday night to climb in the rock gym of a middle school that’s about 5 minutes walking distance from the school where I’m living. Because it’s in a middle school, I thought it would just be a wall with one or two courses but I went to check it out with Regis and it’s BIG! It’s about half the size of GRG in Gainesville, pretty legit. And on Fridays, they take trips to the mountains to do REAL outdoor climbing!!! I’m SO excited to start climbing with them on Monday, which I haven’t done since the end of August. It’s just like 80 euros for a membership to the club for the whole year and it includes all the rendez-vous. Today, Regis introduced me to the president of the club and he seems excited to have me on board. He says they often get together on the weekends too and go out, so I’ll have new friends. I hope there are a lot of hot French guys climbing without their shirts on, haha. Woo!
The point is, we finally found this rock climber teacher and he proposed that I join their rock climbing club. They get together every Monday and Wednesday night to climb in the rock gym of a middle school that’s about 5 minutes walking distance from the school where I’m living. Because it’s in a middle school, I thought it would just be a wall with one or two courses but I went to check it out with Regis and it’s BIG! It’s about half the size of GRG in Gainesville, pretty legit. And on Fridays, they take trips to the mountains to do REAL outdoor climbing!!! I’m SO excited to start climbing with them on Monday, which I haven’t done since the end of August. It’s just like 80 euros for a membership to the club for the whole year and it includes all the rendez-vous. Today, Regis introduced me to the president of the club and he seems excited to have me on board. He says they often get together on the weekends too and go out, so I’ll have new friends. I hope there are a lot of hot French guys climbing without their shirts on, haha. Woo!
Bonjour France! We Meet Again
Wow. The stereotype that the French are snooty and rude couldn’t be any more untrue. Here in the south of France, I’ve found the most hospitable people I’ve ever met. Annie and Regis (the main English teacher at the Lycée du Dauphiné and her husband) will literally drop everything they’re doing in order to help me out with whatever I need.
Regis picked me up from the train station and carried my VERY heavy suitcase all the way to the car. Our first stop before going home was a boulangerie (bakery) which you could smell from several hundred feet away. (Or shall I say meters? Stupid metric system I need to get used to.) We walked in and I almost passed out. It smelled sooooooooooo gooooood and I was starving. He asked me what kind I liked and I asked for pain au chocolat avec des aumandes (chocolate croissant topped with almonds). Everything there is so delicately made. Definitely going back there again sometime this week.
On the way home, Regis gave me a little tour of the city, which isn’t as small as I thought. There are about 35,000 inhabitants (yes, UF has almost double the amount of students) but since everything is so close together in Europe, it looks bigger and busier. The town is cute, it has its charm. You can see the Vercors mountains on one side and on the other side, smaller mountains whose name I’ve forgotten.
As I was the first foreign assistant to arrive, I’ve really received star treatment. I’ve eaten at Annie and Regis’ every day, and she cooks yummy yummy food. I slept at her house the first day and met her super cute I-wanna-eat-you-up grand children, Anya (3) and Ludo (6), as well as one of her daughters, who also teaches at the school. Annie took me to this store which would be the equivalent of Walmart to buy things for my place, and Regis has taken me everywhere else-to get a cell phone, to the tourism office to get maps, to visit the other schools I’ll be teaching at and meet the teachers, etc. I love them. It’s like they have no life but to be at my service, which I don’t ask them to do-they just do it because they like to help. And I’m VERY thankful. I feel like I’ve been so blessed to have everything fall perfectly into place.
I was supposed to live in this apartment in the dorms that’s reserved for three assistants but because it was not yet ready when I arrived, they gave the studio apartment on the second floor of the administration building that was reserved for the Italian assistant. Score! My own apartment. J It’s got two closets, a toilet room, a bathroom (which also had that fountain thing to wash your privates that I haven’t seen in years, what’s it called?), and then a big room with a bed, desk and chair, three big windows, little table with another two chairs, refrigerator (a luxury in France, trust me), and a little plug-in burner to cook. And the Mexican assistant that lived here before me left a mountain bike (very handy), a bottle of wine (even more handy), an inflatable bed (wanna visit?), and other miscellaneous things. When I decorate the flat a bit more, I’ll post some pics.
Also, Annie invited me to go to one of her English classes, which had about 10 students. When I told them I was from Miami, they all looked at me wide-eyed as in "then what the heck are you doing HERE?!?" They seemed nice, I hope I get assigned to that class. And they’re my age, too, so I can relate to them and vice versa. I’ll explain later why kids my age are in a high school. But briefly, this school is also a technical school for several subjects so after they finish high school, they can continue studies in whatever field they want to work in but they don’t get a diploma, just the knowledge.
Internet usage is limited for me, but I’m working on possibly getting WiFi installed at my place. It’s not looking too good though so I have to use the school computers, which have a firewall that doesn’t allow me to use msn messenger or its equivalents. L
Regis picked me up from the train station and carried my VERY heavy suitcase all the way to the car. Our first stop before going home was a boulangerie (bakery) which you could smell from several hundred feet away. (Or shall I say meters? Stupid metric system I need to get used to.) We walked in and I almost passed out. It smelled sooooooooooo gooooood and I was starving. He asked me what kind I liked and I asked for pain au chocolat avec des aumandes (chocolate croissant topped with almonds). Everything there is so delicately made. Definitely going back there again sometime this week.
On the way home, Regis gave me a little tour of the city, which isn’t as small as I thought. There are about 35,000 inhabitants (yes, UF has almost double the amount of students) but since everything is so close together in Europe, it looks bigger and busier. The town is cute, it has its charm. You can see the Vercors mountains on one side and on the other side, smaller mountains whose name I’ve forgotten.
As I was the first foreign assistant to arrive, I’ve really received star treatment. I’ve eaten at Annie and Regis’ every day, and she cooks yummy yummy food. I slept at her house the first day and met her super cute I-wanna-eat-you-up grand children, Anya (3) and Ludo (6), as well as one of her daughters, who also teaches at the school. Annie took me to this store which would be the equivalent of Walmart to buy things for my place, and Regis has taken me everywhere else-to get a cell phone, to the tourism office to get maps, to visit the other schools I’ll be teaching at and meet the teachers, etc. I love them. It’s like they have no life but to be at my service, which I don’t ask them to do-they just do it because they like to help. And I’m VERY thankful. I feel like I’ve been so blessed to have everything fall perfectly into place.
I was supposed to live in this apartment in the dorms that’s reserved for three assistants but because it was not yet ready when I arrived, they gave the studio apartment on the second floor of the administration building that was reserved for the Italian assistant. Score! My own apartment. J It’s got two closets, a toilet room, a bathroom (which also had that fountain thing to wash your privates that I haven’t seen in years, what’s it called?), and then a big room with a bed, desk and chair, three big windows, little table with another two chairs, refrigerator (a luxury in France, trust me), and a little plug-in burner to cook. And the Mexican assistant that lived here before me left a mountain bike (very handy), a bottle of wine (even more handy), an inflatable bed (wanna visit?), and other miscellaneous things. When I decorate the flat a bit more, I’ll post some pics.
Also, Annie invited me to go to one of her English classes, which had about 10 students. When I told them I was from Miami, they all looked at me wide-eyed as in "then what the heck are you doing HERE?!?" They seemed nice, I hope I get assigned to that class. And they’re my age, too, so I can relate to them and vice versa. I’ll explain later why kids my age are in a high school. But briefly, this school is also a technical school for several subjects so after they finish high school, they can continue studies in whatever field they want to work in but they don’t get a diploma, just the knowledge.
Internet usage is limited for me, but I’m working on possibly getting WiFi installed at my place. It’s not looking too good though so I have to use the school computers, which have a firewall that doesn’t allow me to use msn messenger or its equivalents. L
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
I made it in one piece!
Ladies and gents, I made it. This town is pretty cute. The train ride through the mountains was beautiful and I had no problems. More later!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Tonight, Tomorrow
Tonight, I spent $156 in Walmart on nothing.
Tonight, I shared my last Dominican meal with my family. It was sancocho.
Tonight, I spoke to many loved ones and said my goodbyes.
Tonight, (or rather Today...don't wanna mess up the flow) I sweat like a pig outside. And I'll probably miss that.
Tonight, I packed my bags. (OK, so my mom did most of the work....)
Tonight, I will sleep in my full-sized uber-comfortable bed one last time.
Tonight, I reside in Florida.
Tomorrow, I'll spend a total of 16.5 hours traveling.
Tomorrow, I will set foot in four different countries (USA, UK, Switzerland and France).
Tomorrow, I will probably be cranky and jet-lagged.
Tomorrow, I'll be shivering in 50-degree weather.
Tomorrow, I'll sleep on a plane. Sitting upright.
Tomorrow, I will take a train ride through the Alps and French valleys. That'll be nice.
Tomorrow, I will reside in France.
Tonight, I shared my last Dominican meal with my family. It was sancocho.
Tonight, I spoke to many loved ones and said my goodbyes.
Tonight, (or rather Today...don't wanna mess up the flow) I sweat like a pig outside. And I'll probably miss that.
Tonight, I packed my bags. (OK, so my mom did most of the work....)
Tonight, I will sleep in my full-sized uber-comfortable bed one last time.
Tonight, I reside in Florida.
Tomorrow, I'll spend a total of 16.5 hours traveling.
Tomorrow, I will set foot in four different countries (USA, UK, Switzerland and France).
Tomorrow, I will probably be cranky and jet-lagged.
Tomorrow, I'll be shivering in 50-degree weather.
Tomorrow, I'll sleep on a plane. Sitting upright.
Tomorrow, I will take a train ride through the Alps and French valleys. That'll be nice.
Tomorrow, I will reside in France.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
It's The Final Countdownnnn
Today has not been good day. In fact, today has been a HORRIBLE day. I went to court to contest a traffic ticket I got for "running" a stop sign and I was declared guilty. But you know what? Who cares! Why?
Because EXACTLY FOUR WEEKS (28 days) FROM TODAY, I'LL BE IN FRANCE! And that stupid rent-a-cop that gave me the ticket will be here, in Gainesville, miserable and fishing for more victims.
I am mentally and emotionally ready to move to France--or so I think. But am I physically ready? Hell no.
Check(less)list of important things that need to be done ASAP:
Find a place to live (no check)
Pick up my visa from miami (no check)
Save up enough money to live without pay for two months (no check)
Contact my school (no check...I'm scared to speak French over the phone!)
Buy a webcam/microphone to communicate with family and friends (no check)
Put togehter cute outfits with matching shoes and accessories (CHECK!)
Lots needs to be done before September 18.
Because EXACTLY FOUR WEEKS (28 days) FROM TODAY, I'LL BE IN FRANCE! And that stupid rent-a-cop that gave me the ticket will be here, in Gainesville, miserable and fishing for more victims.
I am mentally and emotionally ready to move to France--or so I think. But am I physically ready? Hell no.
Check(less)list of important things that need to be done ASAP:
Find a place to live (no check)
Pick up my visa from miami (no check)
Save up enough money to live without pay for two months (no check)
Contact my school (no check...I'm scared to speak French over the phone!)
Buy a webcam/microphone to communicate with family and friends (no check)
Put togehter cute outfits with matching shoes and accessories (CHECK!)
Lots needs to be done before September 18.
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