Hello everyone! While some of you are slowing down this week due to the wonderful holiday we call Thanksgiving, things are picking up for me in France! The end of the semester is approaching, and along with that comes getting final grades together and preparing students for national exams.
Right now, I am organizing a review session for the Cambridge Exam, an exam that non-native English speaking students can take to measure their proficiency in English. In the French tradition, I wasn't given the materials to prepare my students for the exam until a few weeks ago, and they take the exam on December 9th. So, I have had to work very quickly to become acquainted with the exam and to figure out how to best prepare them to take the exam. It's been a challenge trying to work an additional 4 hours into my schedule. Luckily, though, I was smart this week and am having my students do "show and tell," so that buys me some extra time. :)
On a personal level, I had a really good week! I have had the opportunity to get to know my neighbors better. Thedi, a Bulgarian girl living on my floor, cooked a dinner for all of us on Friday night. She made Musaka(sp?), a dish with potatoes and ground beef and pork. It was sooo delicious! Saturday night turned into another impromptu dinner with my neighbors. Originally, I was supposed to have dinner with the Belgian and Paraguayan lectrices, but since we made WAY too much food, we invited our neighbors to dine with us. Our party of 3 doubled into a party of 6! It was so much fun - each person brought his/her own thing to share with the group. And, we were truly an international group; not one nationality is repeated. We have one: Paraguayan, Gabonese, Bulgarian, Belgian, French, and American. Needless to say, the cultural diversity makes each meal interesting.
On Sunday, we decided to have an "American Day." We were going to go to McDonald's (since I have never been to a French McDonald's - they wanted to share that experience with me!) and see an English speaking movie. However, on our way to McDonald's, we had a flash storm, and we got soaking wet. We decided to go back to the residence hall, change into dry clothes, and eat leftovers there. We did still go to the cinema. We saw the film "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" in the "version originale" - the original version (i.e. English). It was a very interesting movie - very creative and imaginative. It stretched your imagination and appealed to your senses in a very unique way. I think the film comes out in the U.S. in January - I recommend seeing it! It's also Heath Ledger's last film; he died while he was filming that movie. It was so strange to see him up on the screen.
I also spent some time with Catherine this weekend. I went to the market with her on Saturday. After the market, we went to taste a red wine that only comes out the third week of November in France. It's called Beaujolais, and a French store (La Comptesse de Barry) was having a wine tasting in efforts to sell it. In my opinion, the wine was not the best I have had, but I think the appeal comes with the fact that it only comes out once a year.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family, laughter, and blessings. I am thinking of you from across the ocean. Please pray for me that I remember my gifts here and not be too homesick. I am actually going to celebrate Thanksgiving three times! The first is with one of my students (who is actually interested in being the French assistant at Meredith next year!) on Wednesday and then with Debra (the Meredith alumna here) and her family on Thursday. The third I will celebrate in December with Catherine. God has certainly blessed me with wonderful people willing to share the holiday with me! I'll give you an update on all of that next week. Bonne semaine, mes amis!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
...another atypical week!
Another manic Monday, and time to update my blog! Last week was another atypical week in France. Classes were normal on Monday and Tuesday. Monday I went to eat at Catherine's house, and she had some visitors over from out-of-town. There was a woman named Alberte, who is Catherine's age, her two daughters, and her grandson. They were over on Sunday, but I didn't realize that they would be staying until Wednesday. I had another opportunity to eat dinner with them and to get to know them better.
They're from the north of France, from a city in Normandy. Alberte is from Angers - she grew up here - and they were coming back to visit friends. The little boy, named Noah, was the CUTEST kid. I believe he is 3 years old, and his mom is expecting another little boy in February. There is nothing that brings a smile to my face quicker than hearing a little kid talk, especially in a foreign language! I love their high-pitched voices and their expressions as they're talking. We were playing with some origami birds that Hitomi had made for him, and when I would hide them, he would constantly say "Ou ca?" (where is it?) It was incredibly adorable.
Wednesday was a holiday here in France as well. While it's called Veterans' Day in the U.S., it's called Armistice Day here. No one had work or classes. I was invited to have lunch at Jacqueline's house, and I was there from 1pm until 6pm. Catherine, Trevor, and Nellie were also invited.
It was a typical French meal. I drank a lot of different wine and liqueurs that she has collected from her travels. The most interesting one was called Suze, and it's made from a plant in Spain. To me, it tasted like green beans. She served us a salad, beef tongue as the entree, cheese, and then apple pie for dessert. It was fun to just sit, talk, and laugh with them. I thank God for this group of people every day. They have really made my stay in France so comfortable; they are "ma famille angevine" (my Angevine family).
Thursday was a relaxed day for me as I only had one class, and Friday was a free day! Catherine invited me over for dinner, and afterward, I went out to a fair with Trevor. The fair in Angers comes during the month of November, and it's located on the other side of the Maine, the river that separates the town. They have rides and games that you can pay for, much like a carnival or fair in the U.S. For those of you in Va Beach, it is a lot like the Chesapeake Jubilee.
I went with Trevor because he had to take pictures of streets for a class project, and I really wanted to go to the fair! We rode on a "horror" ride and a super scary ride called "No Limit." With the "No Limit" ride, we were strapped in, and it flung us around - up, down, around, sideways, upside-down. It went on for a solid 5 minutes I bet, which is way to long for my body to be subjected to such conditions. I got off the ride feeling very sick to my stomach with a headache. While it was a thrill to the adolescent boys who were being macho during the whole thing, I enjoyed it the first three minutes, but the last ones were torture. That was the first time in my life that I have felt ill after a ride, and it made me feel like an old lady. I'd like to go back to the fair, but I probably won't try that ride again. "No Limit" definitely showed me my limit!
Saturday morning, feeling much better after that last evening, I woke up and went to the market. Turns out that the weather in Angers is much like home; when I left my residence building, it was sunny and warm. When I got to the market twenty minutes later, it was a torrential downpour. I was soaked, and worse, I couldn't find Catherine. I searched in the rain and finally went to her apartment, hoping to find her, and she wasn't there. I waited there, and eventually she got there, all wet just like me. I helped her unload her baskets, and then we had lunch. Thank goodness for a roof in weather like that!
That evening, I met up with the Spanish lectrice, Elena. We watched the movie "The Holiday," and then went to Mass. We tried a new church this time, one that was closer to my residence hall called St. Madeleine. I really liked the parish - it's much smaller than St. Joseph's. They also offer Reconciliation before Mass, which is great! I'd like to go sometime before Christmas; it'll be interesting to have a confession in French. After Mass, we made dinner at my residence hall.
Sunday was a pretty calm day too. I did my laundry in the morning then headed to Catherine's in the afternoon. I helped her to start organizing things for our Thanksgiving celebration in two weeks. We picked out a table cloth that was big enough, and I started translating cooking directions from English to French. Peter (my boyfriend) sent us some things to make stuffing, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce for the feast, and it was my job to translate the directions, measurements, and temperatures. I left Catherine's after dinner.
Today has been an ordinary Monday. It's actually making me a bit homesick as we are talking about American holidays and I'm going into detail about how we celebrate Thanksgiving. I know it's going to be difficult to be away from my family and friends during that time. Thank you all for your prayers because I really need them!
Also, my prayers are with you all who had to endure the nor'easter that came through last week. I know my family was without power for some time, and I hope those of you who were effected by the weather are resuming your lives without much difficulty.
Hope you all have a great week, et a la prochaine!
They're from the north of France, from a city in Normandy. Alberte is from Angers - she grew up here - and they were coming back to visit friends. The little boy, named Noah, was the CUTEST kid. I believe he is 3 years old, and his mom is expecting another little boy in February. There is nothing that brings a smile to my face quicker than hearing a little kid talk, especially in a foreign language! I love their high-pitched voices and their expressions as they're talking. We were playing with some origami birds that Hitomi had made for him, and when I would hide them, he would constantly say "Ou ca?" (where is it?) It was incredibly adorable.
Wednesday was a holiday here in France as well. While it's called Veterans' Day in the U.S., it's called Armistice Day here. No one had work or classes. I was invited to have lunch at Jacqueline's house, and I was there from 1pm until 6pm. Catherine, Trevor, and Nellie were also invited.
It was a typical French meal. I drank a lot of different wine and liqueurs that she has collected from her travels. The most interesting one was called Suze, and it's made from a plant in Spain. To me, it tasted like green beans. She served us a salad, beef tongue as the entree, cheese, and then apple pie for dessert. It was fun to just sit, talk, and laugh with them. I thank God for this group of people every day. They have really made my stay in France so comfortable; they are "ma famille angevine" (my Angevine family).
Thursday was a relaxed day for me as I only had one class, and Friday was a free day! Catherine invited me over for dinner, and afterward, I went out to a fair with Trevor. The fair in Angers comes during the month of November, and it's located on the other side of the Maine, the river that separates the town. They have rides and games that you can pay for, much like a carnival or fair in the U.S. For those of you in Va Beach, it is a lot like the Chesapeake Jubilee.
I went with Trevor because he had to take pictures of streets for a class project, and I really wanted to go to the fair! We rode on a "horror" ride and a super scary ride called "No Limit." With the "No Limit" ride, we were strapped in, and it flung us around - up, down, around, sideways, upside-down. It went on for a solid 5 minutes I bet, which is way to long for my body to be subjected to such conditions. I got off the ride feeling very sick to my stomach with a headache. While it was a thrill to the adolescent boys who were being macho during the whole thing, I enjoyed it the first three minutes, but the last ones were torture. That was the first time in my life that I have felt ill after a ride, and it made me feel like an old lady. I'd like to go back to the fair, but I probably won't try that ride again. "No Limit" definitely showed me my limit!
Saturday morning, feeling much better after that last evening, I woke up and went to the market. Turns out that the weather in Angers is much like home; when I left my residence building, it was sunny and warm. When I got to the market twenty minutes later, it was a torrential downpour. I was soaked, and worse, I couldn't find Catherine. I searched in the rain and finally went to her apartment, hoping to find her, and she wasn't there. I waited there, and eventually she got there, all wet just like me. I helped her unload her baskets, and then we had lunch. Thank goodness for a roof in weather like that!
That evening, I met up with the Spanish lectrice, Elena. We watched the movie "The Holiday," and then went to Mass. We tried a new church this time, one that was closer to my residence hall called St. Madeleine. I really liked the parish - it's much smaller than St. Joseph's. They also offer Reconciliation before Mass, which is great! I'd like to go sometime before Christmas; it'll be interesting to have a confession in French. After Mass, we made dinner at my residence hall.
Sunday was a pretty calm day too. I did my laundry in the morning then headed to Catherine's in the afternoon. I helped her to start organizing things for our Thanksgiving celebration in two weeks. We picked out a table cloth that was big enough, and I started translating cooking directions from English to French. Peter (my boyfriend) sent us some things to make stuffing, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce for the feast, and it was my job to translate the directions, measurements, and temperatures. I left Catherine's after dinner.
Today has been an ordinary Monday. It's actually making me a bit homesick as we are talking about American holidays and I'm going into detail about how we celebrate Thanksgiving. I know it's going to be difficult to be away from my family and friends during that time. Thank you all for your prayers because I really need them!
Also, my prayers are with you all who had to endure the nor'easter that came through last week. I know my family was without power for some time, and I hope those of you who were effected by the weather are resuming your lives without much difficulty.
Hope you all have a great week, et a la prochaine!
Monday, November 9, 2009
My One Month Anniversary
Hello to everyone!
Sorry it took me so long to update my post. Coming back from a week of vacation was busier than I anticipated. November 5th marked my one month anniversary of arriving in France - and what a trip it's been so far! Here are my latest updates:
Celebrating Hitomi's 21st birthday proved to be very enjoyable. Catherine invited some people over that I hadn't seen since my first trip to Angers. Among those visitors were Bob and Josette, a married couple who I met my first time in Angers. Bob is from Marseille, a large port city on the Mediterranean Sea in the south of France, and it is always so entertaining to listen to him speak. He has a very different accent from the people here. The French have a saying about the southern accent - you can see the sun in their speech. I love it! I wonder if Americans would agree with that phrase in regards to the American southern accent...
The past week was much like any other week. I taught my English classes and continued taking my French Business class. One interesting thing that happened this past week was that my third year students (the equivalent to undergrad seniors in the American school systems) invited me out with them on Thursday night. In France, Thursday night is the big night to go out as most students leave to go home for the weekend; Thursday night is the last night of the week to hang out with their college friends. So, my students were planning on going out at 8:30, and they invited me to come.
I, being absentminded as I am, had already eaten dinner (some pizza) before we went out. I thought that 8:30 was too late to go get dinner and that we were merely going out for drinks. Turns out they intended to eat dinner at a pizzeria, called La Strada, that is pretty well known in Angers. So, I had pizza twice that night! It was really fun to get to know my students outside of the classroom; I'm hoping also that it will translate to an easier flow of conversation in class.
Afterward, I went with some of them to a local bar called Kalypso. It was such a different experience going to a bar here versus going to a bar in the U.S. In France, people really use a bar to socialize. I met some very nice people that just wanted to talk and meet other people their age. It's not the same in the U.S. in my opinion. I feel like people in the U.S. who are looking to talk to other people in bars do not always have the best of intentions. I tend to put my "guard" on, but I didn't have to do that on Thursday. It was really fun!
Going out that night did affect me the next day though. I woke up with a sore throat and went to a pharmacy on Blvd. Foche (a main street here in Angers). Luckily, I know the owner through Catherine, and she was able to help me get exactly what I needed. She gave me a cough suppressant that I think is a lot like Nyquil in the U.S. because it knocks me out at night. It also makes me have some REALLY strange dreams. However, it does serve its purpose since I'm not waking up coughing in the middle of the night.
Saturday I went to the market and bought some honey, some sausages (I can't remember the specific name right now - I'll get back to you on that), and some broccoli. I also tasted a delectable wine from the region. The name is also fleeting me, but I intend to go back next weekend and buy a couple of bottles; I'll try to remember to give you an update on that as well. I did some window shopping in the afternoon. I love being downtown when the glow from the store windows start to light the streets. It feels so much like the Christmas season - which is probably exactly what the stores want you to feel so you'll start buying stuff! They've already begun putting up Christmas decorations at certain stores. I ended the evening with going to Mass at St. Joseph's Church. One gentleman asked me to be a lector and read one of the readings. I kind of wish that I had stepped up to the challenge, but I responded quickly with "I'm a foreigner! I may not know some of the words." Oh well, maybe next time. :)
I didn't do anything special on Sunday. I went to Catherine's apartment again; she hosted another lunch party for people that were visiting her from out of town. I helped her set the table and prepare and serve some of the dishes. Helping her host parties makes me so eager to have a place of my own and be able to host parties like she does. They really pay so much attention to the presentation of the table and the food; it's really an art. I'll put some pictures up on my picture website soon.
Now the week has begun; my crazy Monday is almost over. I have one class left for the day. Wednesday is Armistice Day and a national holiday in France, so I have another short week! I won't be taking any of my French business courses this week, but I will have one class on Thursday. After that, I'm done with my work week! I really need to enjoy this time while I have it - I know the majority of my adult life will be spent working long days.
I hope things are well in the U.S. and that everyone is gearing up for Thanksgiving! Love and miss you all! Bisous!
Sorry it took me so long to update my post. Coming back from a week of vacation was busier than I anticipated. November 5th marked my one month anniversary of arriving in France - and what a trip it's been so far! Here are my latest updates:
Celebrating Hitomi's 21st birthday proved to be very enjoyable. Catherine invited some people over that I hadn't seen since my first trip to Angers. Among those visitors were Bob and Josette, a married couple who I met my first time in Angers. Bob is from Marseille, a large port city on the Mediterranean Sea in the south of France, and it is always so entertaining to listen to him speak. He has a very different accent from the people here. The French have a saying about the southern accent - you can see the sun in their speech. I love it! I wonder if Americans would agree with that phrase in regards to the American southern accent...
The past week was much like any other week. I taught my English classes and continued taking my French Business class. One interesting thing that happened this past week was that my third year students (the equivalent to undergrad seniors in the American school systems) invited me out with them on Thursday night. In France, Thursday night is the big night to go out as most students leave to go home for the weekend; Thursday night is the last night of the week to hang out with their college friends. So, my students were planning on going out at 8:30, and they invited me to come.
I, being absentminded as I am, had already eaten dinner (some pizza) before we went out. I thought that 8:30 was too late to go get dinner and that we were merely going out for drinks. Turns out they intended to eat dinner at a pizzeria, called La Strada, that is pretty well known in Angers. So, I had pizza twice that night! It was really fun to get to know my students outside of the classroom; I'm hoping also that it will translate to an easier flow of conversation in class.
Afterward, I went with some of them to a local bar called Kalypso. It was such a different experience going to a bar here versus going to a bar in the U.S. In France, people really use a bar to socialize. I met some very nice people that just wanted to talk and meet other people their age. It's not the same in the U.S. in my opinion. I feel like people in the U.S. who are looking to talk to other people in bars do not always have the best of intentions. I tend to put my "guard" on, but I didn't have to do that on Thursday. It was really fun!
Going out that night did affect me the next day though. I woke up with a sore throat and went to a pharmacy on Blvd. Foche (a main street here in Angers). Luckily, I know the owner through Catherine, and she was able to help me get exactly what I needed. She gave me a cough suppressant that I think is a lot like Nyquil in the U.S. because it knocks me out at night. It also makes me have some REALLY strange dreams. However, it does serve its purpose since I'm not waking up coughing in the middle of the night.
Saturday I went to the market and bought some honey, some sausages (I can't remember the specific name right now - I'll get back to you on that), and some broccoli. I also tasted a delectable wine from the region. The name is also fleeting me, but I intend to go back next weekend and buy a couple of bottles; I'll try to remember to give you an update on that as well. I did some window shopping in the afternoon. I love being downtown when the glow from the store windows start to light the streets. It feels so much like the Christmas season - which is probably exactly what the stores want you to feel so you'll start buying stuff! They've already begun putting up Christmas decorations at certain stores. I ended the evening with going to Mass at St. Joseph's Church. One gentleman asked me to be a lector and read one of the readings. I kind of wish that I had stepped up to the challenge, but I responded quickly with "I'm a foreigner! I may not know some of the words." Oh well, maybe next time. :)
I didn't do anything special on Sunday. I went to Catherine's apartment again; she hosted another lunch party for people that were visiting her from out of town. I helped her set the table and prepare and serve some of the dishes. Helping her host parties makes me so eager to have a place of my own and be able to host parties like she does. They really pay so much attention to the presentation of the table and the food; it's really an art. I'll put some pictures up on my picture website soon.
Now the week has begun; my crazy Monday is almost over. I have one class left for the day. Wednesday is Armistice Day and a national holiday in France, so I have another short week! I won't be taking any of my French business courses this week, but I will have one class on Thursday. After that, I'm done with my work week! I really need to enjoy this time while I have it - I know the majority of my adult life will be spent working long days.
I hope things are well in the U.S. and that everyone is gearing up for Thanksgiving! Love and miss you all! Bisous!
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