Wednesday, December 30, 2009

2009...in 22 photos.

Because 22 years is how old I turned this year, I decided to sum up my year in 22 special photos, in no particular order. Enjoy!

1. Kalamazoo, MI- An anniversary party was held chez 808 to remember our time studying abroad in Besancon.

2. Visits from Michelle were always "a treat" (forgive the horrible pun)

3. Going to Chicago with Kristina, Sarah and Andy and staying in a ritzy hotel for a few nights made us feel like celebrities!

4. St. Patrick's Day festivities at the campus bar were held immediately after class was done. They didn't stop there.

5. Moving out of the Kalamazoo house marked the end of a great year at WMU with amazing roommates.

6. Seeing friends play gigs at random bars in Kalamzoo was a frequent thing we did to get out of the house.

7. Sang in a choir on the side, called Accapazoo- there I met some wonderful, talented people who ended up becoming close friends.

8. Of course, getting the assistantship has to fit in here somewhere. Placed in the academy of Bordeaux (and a town a whole lot smaller than what I expected), I would begin my teaching career in France for 7months.

9. Seeing movies with friends before leaving for France was a summer hobby. (Jon and I at Emagine Novi)

10.Graduating from Western Michigan University left me a BA degree, a ticket to France, and lifelong friends. My last semester of undergraduate college, packed 21 credits full, left me with a lot of work and little time to do much else.

11. Pancakes and jazz playing make a very welcoming kitchen.

12. Trying new wines at the Wine Loft kept us sane during finals.

13. The choir reunion at Phil's house was a great time for those who once called the choir room their home.

14. Meeting Amy, my British roommate, provided plenty of entertainment, laughs and dinners spent together in France.

15.My sister coming to visit in December provided great company during the holidays.

16. I started eating meat upon my arrival in France, knowing that refusing meat in the country (especially when invited to dinner) is about as common as pigs flying. As a result, I tried some new dishes: foie gras, confit de canard, and numerous types of sausage. The list goes on, but as time passed I realized I still prefer fish over meat. I guess now you could call me a Pescetarian.

17. Went to my first circus:

18. Got to know my sister's fiance a little better:


19. Went to a peace rally in New York

20. I lived by my own means for the first time (!)

21. Spent most of the summer chez papa, working two retail jobs over the summer to save up for France

22. Taught for my first time in a foreign high school:

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Avignon, Christmas markets, and delayed trains.


It's high time I update this thing again, especially now that I've visited a new city: Avignon. My sister and I chose Provence for our winter vacation because we'd both never been to the southeast region of France, and we both had a general interest in the city. After only about 20 minutes, I knew I was going to love the area. Not only is Avignon known for its annual theatre festival, the city is close enough to see the Pyrenees in the distance which provides for a great background, and the Palais des Papes (Pope Palace) is one of the sites the city is best known for. Outside of the Palais, you can walk around after climbing a dizzying amount of stairs (had to pause several times on the way up) but the view is absolutely worth it. There is a little grotto-like place with a waterfall and a stone cliff that you can climb to get the best view all around. We felt similar to a mountain goat trying to balance on the stony, steep steps. Feeling the wind blowing your hair and breathing the fresh air from the heights was something I haven't felt in a long time (and can't really get in the flatlands in Aiguillon). It was exhilarating and enough to get me to want to come back and experience it again.

The first few nights were spent shopping and walking around the city, familiarizing ourselves with the area. As it is a few days from Christmas, we were welcomed with the beautiful icicle lights that hang from the trees and the other Christmas decor throughout centre ville. The Place d'Horloges is adorned with the Christmas market, and it's hard to walk past the man roasting chestnuts without wanting to taste some. I acutally had my first taste tonight, and I can finally make sense of the lyric 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire'... and appreciate the nutty wonder that seems to be everywhere at this time of the season. I also was tempted to indulge myself in a bit of vin chaud, which would have accompanied a nutella crêpe quite well, but as I was short on change the first couple days I decided against it.

I was pleasantly surprised when my paycheck came in a few days early- I had been worried because I was getting low again, and didn't know if we were going to get paid before Christmas or not. This relieved many worries (and I was able to get some more Christmas shopping done, even mailed out some presents the same day). I have a few more that might have to wait until I get home to deliver though, because of the weight it might be too expensive to ship. Anyway, I finally found some good gloves and other things that have long been on my list at H & M, so I gave myself a little Christmas present this morning while Michelle was at the hotel writing e-mails.

Our hotel, in Centre Ville, was a great place to spend the few days in Avignon. We opted out of breakfast (6 Euro every day) and decided it'd be much cheaper to just buy a pain 'o' chocolat and a coffee in Centre Ville (which is exactly what we did). We found a Carrefour where we bought things for dinner, and brought the food back to the hotel to eat. The three nights were spent walking around in the rain with our umbrellas (thankfully during the day it wasn't consistently raining) but we didn't stay too long outside because a dry, cozy hotel room seemed much more appealing to us.

We took the bus today to Villeneuve-Lez-Avignon, which was a smaller town across the Rhône (river) and about a 5-10 minute bus ride from Avignon. We had a good walk this morning as we took the bus to the last stop and walked all the way back down towards the Office du Tourisme, and by that time we were ready to head back. We still hadn't seen the Palais at that point (the highlight of our day) and we wanted to get there before it closed. The rain was starting in on us again, so that told us it was time to go.

I am already planning my second trip back, and shooting for seeing a show next time (it didn't fit the schedule this time around). I'm planning on seeing my friend in Nice in March, so that might be just around the right time to pop back into this wonderful city.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Chilly weather, chilly people and French markets.

It's getting colder outside and yesterday, we had our first snowfall! Of course, none of it stuck (apparently it rarely does) but it was nice all the same to walk back from Salle 9 (the computer lab in the school) and seeing the snow, enhanced by the glow of the lights. It was enough to make me feel like it was really December, instead of just a cold Autumn day (which would be Michigan's equivalent to Aiguillon's winter). There won't be any snowmen around here, that's for sure- but Aiguillon is decked out in Christmas lights throughout Centre Ville and it certainly does something to make this otherwise plain small town a festive one.

Going to the market on Tuesday and Thursday mornings (which is always right in front of the lycée) always is a trip, because of the things you see (dead pigeons without their feathers plucked, piled on top of one another for sale) and the people you meet. In today's case, it was just a story of pushy old ladies. I was cut in front of *twice* after waiting for my turn and the first lady even told the cashier that she'd been there longer than I had. I just mumbled "ça va, ça va (it's fine)" and she went ahead and paid. She also was the same lady who earlier had pushed me aside from where I was standing in line so she could get her tomatoes. Good lord, what happened to manners?
Normally I would just shrug it off but a third person (a guy this time) did the same thing when I went down to the atelier to have my laundry washed. I dropped off my things with Madame Bertrand and as I was leaving, I came across some man I didn't know walking speedily in my direction. The hallway was small so I tried to scoot off to one side, but he actually just plowed on through, bumped me (enough so that my body weight shifted) and didn't say a thing. Okay, I know you're in a hurry. I understand that you might have things to do. But seriously, is even a small "pardon" out of the question?! Do I just scream "bump into me! I like it!"? I'm pretty sure I don't have that written all over my face, so what's the deal with these people?

I just spoke to my colleague about her Friday class. It's a group of Terminales (last grade of high school, equivalent to seniors) who are all girls and who don't really respond too well to my lessons. I just told her that they don't all respond when I ask them questions, (even in French when they refuse to speak english), they don't participate in the activities I plan and I just get the strong feeling there's no point in coming to that class if they don't care and don't want to participate. I'm going to stay with her before going off with half the class this Friday and talk to the students with her so we can figure out together what the problem is. It's not all the students who react like this, just maybe about half of them. It's hard enough to get them interested in my lessons, but when some of them don't put in any effort at all, I get the feeling like I'm not doing my job right. This is the only class that I've had students like this. I see them every week, and it's been like this since the beginning. The case might be that the lessons I plan for them are just too far above their heads and not their level, but how am I to know if they don't tell me "it's too hard"? That way, I could just adjust my lessons. But I'm not just going to give them lyrics to a song and have them fill out missing words all the time (that was the only lesson I did that seemed to interest them- they even requested a few other songs in english). I have to give a good variety, but why bother if they don't participate?

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Paris with Michelle, pt. 2



Michelle and I stopped by La Comédie Française on Friday night, looking for a show to see that weekend. There were two playing, but Michelle was looking for a comedy that would be relatively easy to understand (it is quite difficult to follow French plays, with not only the language barrier but the subtle jokes thrown in as well). Since we both agreed that we should keep looking for something that really caught our eye, we popped next door into the gift shop and saw this dress in the window:

It could’ve been the purple that caught my eye, or the mere fact that I love period clothing, I don’t know. But seeing it on display there made me want to try it on and run around in the theatre, pretending I was part of the company.
I made a mental note to see Cyrano de Bergerac while here in France, as the main character hails from my region of France. I was reminded by seeing the souvenir t-shirts with quotes from the book. I was tempted to get something to bring back to Aiguillon, but I decided everything was a bit more pricey than I’d’ve liked, so I moved on.



We enjoyed imagining in which apartments we’d like to live and how much they’d cost each. For example, there was one that had a view inside the Louvre, and was probably right off Rue de Rivoli. I didn’t check, but I could bet that living there costs about an arm and a leg. Whatever, we decided when we’re rich that we’d live in the Louvre, not around it. We’d probably have to buy it first from the French Government. Don’t know how happy they’d be with the idea.



Paris was decorated with about as much extravagance as I’d expected for a big city- not to say I wasn’t impressed. Almost every street, small side-street, and corner was lined with Christmas lights. I had to wonder how much brighter Paris looked from a plane if you were to fly above it at this point in the season. The most decorative building I’d seen was Le Printemps (above), and I pictured it to look about the same as a Galéries Lafayette on the inside, with probably the same prices. Needless to say, we didn’t go in. Instead we opted for Gap, H & M, Camaieu, and a few other smaller French boutiques lined along our walkway. Michelle was looking for something without artificial fabrics, but she couldn’t find much under 100 Euro that was 100% wool, cashmere, or cotton that she liked (expensive taste may or may not run in the family). I wasn’t looking for clothing at the time but did find a few things I liked. I keep trying to remind myself that the more I buy here, the heavier my suitcases will be and the more fun it will be to lug them around the Paris Metro when the time comes to leave France.

We started planning our Christmas vacation while in Paris. We’ve booked a hotel in Avignon for 3 nights, and Michelle will be coming to stay with me before and after we take the train out east from Aiguillon. I’ve been looking into things like bike rentals, recommended visits, and must-sees in my France on a Budget guide (thank you Evan, it’s come in handy quite often while I’ve been here). We want to go to the lavender fields for sure, but don’t feel too inclined on taking the tourist-guided buses out there from our hotel. Way too pricey, and not the way we want to experience it. We prefer the Rick Steves way of experiencing, by just going out and doing it yourself or maybe 1 other friend and hosting a TV show about it. Although, we won’t be doing the latter. Yet.

I thought it was a bit of a shame we wouldn’t be in Avignon during the summer when the renowned theatre festival would be going on. True, I have the option of staying later over the summer to see it, but the whole not-working-thing would probably keep me from doing that. Also, I’m pretty eager to see my family and friends. David (the assistant in Nérac) suggested I stay at least for a week longer to visit Greece with his friend Regina (assistant in La Réole). It does sound tempting, but I also have to save up for my plane ticket/rent when I move back to the States. Where will that be, you might ask? Well, maybe not Michigan right away, if I can find an apartment in Boston first. Tickets would be cheaper, and I could start looking for a job straight off the bat. Why Boston? Because I haven’t gone through with any other applications for grad school other than Emerson. So, it’s Emerson or bust. Plan B? Get a job teaching French in a high school (although I may have to get certified for that first, not too sure about how that works) and audition for shows on the side. Either way, if I do go straight back to Michigan, it won’t be for long. After living on my own for 7 months, I’ll want to keep it that way.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Paris with Michelle pt. 1


I finally bit the bullet and bought one of my favorite classic trilogies: The original Star Wars Trilogy. And what's better? I can watch it in French too! :D (Although it simply wouldn't be the same with different voices...) It'd be the best if Mark Hamill himself spoke French. Anyone know if he's bilingual?




This is the studio Michelle and I stayed at during the weekend. It actually belongs to her fiancé's godfather, but they were both in London for the weekend while we stayed there. As you might be able to tell from the picture, it was very small, and literally only made for one person (but Michelle and I did fine for the few days we were there). There was only room for one bed, so we created a makeshift bed on the floor next to it out of blankets and a rolling futon mattress. It was definitely nice to be able to stay somewhere rent free in Paris, even for a few days.





Eglise de la Madeleine (yes, I had to go there)
Michelle and I passed by this beautiful and well-known church, which happened to be holding Mozart's Requiem mass on Saturday night. We decided we'd like to see at least one show of some sort while we were there, and this one took the cake. Tickets were 20 Euro apiece, and we bought them a day ahead (guessing that it would be pretty popular, and not wanting to get shafted if we bought our tickets the same night). The concert was beautiful, opening with a soprano soloist who sang two versions of Ave Maria, followed by a quartet of vocalists who sang with the orchestra. Then the choir came out, and they sang the Requiem Mass (even with the so-so acoustics in the church, I still found Lacrymosa to be heavenly). We both agreed it was money well spent, and by the time it ended (around 10:30) we were ready to go back to the studio and have some hot soup. We were (physically) tired from having walked so much, my feet were hurting and her legs started to ache, so we decided to call it a night after that.




We were insistent on visiting at least one museum that weekend- so we figured the Louvre would be the best route to go. Michelle hadn't been there before, and I'd only been once, so I was more than willing to go again and see some more beautiful artwork. I was able to find my favorite painting by the artist Pierre Narcisse Guérin, L'Aurore enlevant Céphale. This painting captured my eye the first time I visited the Louvre, and was definitely still in my mind the day I went back. It hangs on a red wall in a large room with several other masterpieces from different French artists. If you can, next time you go to the museum, look for this piece and maybe you'll be as taken away as I was by its beauty.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Paris tomorrow ... :)

I'm happily preparing for my second visit to Paris this year. My sister called last night, just as I was about to fall asleep, and with this wonderful surprise I woke right back up in excitement to hear from her. Hearing family over the phone is so, so different from just talking to family over e-mail. She called to let me know she's safe in Paris in the studio, and she's planning our weekend as I write this. I'm taking the train early tomorrow morning (6:20 a.m.) and I have to change trains twice before arriving in Paris- once in Marmande and again in Bordeaux. Not fun- but at least I got a steal when buying my tickets. I got them about a month ago, and, not taking into account that I had a class Friday morning, booked the earliest train. This morning I got to awkwardly explain to Marie-José (whose class I help with on Friday mornings) that I bought the tickets without thinking and that I'd be missing her class unless I changed my train until later. She gave me a frank "ça m'est égal" (I don't mind) and said that it should be okay if I miss the one class. Yay! I do still feel like a doof, though, for having forgotten about class Friday morning. :-/

I packed very light because I'd asked Michelle to pack some things from home I'd forgotten (or just decided after arriving that I would need). It turns out that I hadn't as much an opportunity to wear my shorts and skirts as I was hoping, but maybe around March and April the weather will be a bit warmer. Still, for December, the weather is not that bad. We had a bit of rain earlier today but it was absolutely bearable. I just stayed inside and read my bande-dessinées (comic books). I'm really addicted to them. Wondering who back home might like one as a gift from me...