More...um...adventures?

Calling these adventures is, well, a bit of a stretch. Maybe if I lump them all together, you won't notice how, well, boring I've been lately. I've always felt rather independent, but it's really not as much fun wandering around my cold town all alone. I can't wait until you all start to visit me!

But at least I do have friends around, even if they aren't close. Soon after I got my hair cut, my friend Anna came to visit. I love having Anna here, as we always end up laughing and having a great time, even if we're just hanging out in my apartment watching movies and eating Nutella.

Anna also had her first French eclair the other weekend. These things are really good. Like, really, really good. 

We also made crepes. (You have to put the Nutella on something, and people judge when you eat it on a spoon. Not that that stops me.)

Later that week, I got the chance to really go to Dieppe. (See here for my first, not-so-exciting experience in Dieppe.)

This time my friend Amélie invited me to have lunch at her grandmother's house. She lives in the countryside near Dieppe, so after lunch Amélie and I decided to head to the coast.

I got to touch the ocean!  It was cold and windy, so we just had to stop, take advantage of les soldes, and buy new hats.

Trés chic, non? Amélie is so French in her beret!

We also had a beautiful, spring-like day on Friday the 11th. I'm talking 55 F and sunny. Sunny. I broke out my sunglasses and went for a walk down by the Seine.

Look how happy my Toms are to be out by the Seine!

I discovered a fun mural on a local building. I have no idea what this building is, but isn't the art fun? 

I also made some new friends while I took these photos. Tourists don't really come to Elbeuf, despite our fabulous museum, so taking pictures tends to get me noticed. These guys somehow automatically guessed I spoke English (I hate when that happens. How do they know?), and we had a conversation about why I was in Elbeuf, despite it being merde. 

I love random encounters.

The circus was in town again this weekend...

and my friend Charlotte had a book signing at a local bookstore. 

I got a little lost trying to get here, because when Charlotte said the book signing was at la librarie, the English speaking part of my brain pictured my local library. But librarie in French means bookstore, so I ended up confusing myself and some librarians before I figured out my mistake. Oops.

I also got the chance to introduce Anna and Kirsty to the Elbeuf Museum. It's one of the few things going on in my town, so I talk about it a lot. Plus it's free! The only thing I don't love about it is the lighting. It's dim and it creates a really nice atmosphere and really bad photos. 

See? And these are enhanced. The bad lighting is the museum's doing, but the silliness...that's all us!

We also went in search of coffee and discovered a local bar celebrating the Simpsons. French people love this show; I'm just sad that this is their window into American culture.

And to finish up this epic-ly long post, my valentine's day in France:

I went into town to shop for boots (I bought some, but they've got to go back; they're too small). Then I bought myself a fancy eclair. Yum. It was a lovely day, despite my lack of an amoureuse. 

Hope your Valentine's Day was wonderful too!  I'll be back soon with Fun French Friday.

Girl with Too Much Free Time

{In case you were wondering how I amuse myself

 so far away from family and friends.}

Sometimes I open up Photo Booth and notice that the yellow scarf and the pearl earring that I have on makes me feel a little...Dutch, maybe?

So I spend the rest of the evening trying to recreate Girl with a Pearl Earring.

{This painting belongs to Jan Vermeer, not me.}

Unfortunately, my apartment and my mac don't have Vermeer-quality lighting.

But it still amused me for quite some time.

Then I wondered what the painting would have looked like if that mystery model had a twin:

{A conjoined twin, perhaps?}

Or if she had run into another artist, rather than Vermeer:

{Say Picasso...}

{...or Andy W.}

Or, if she went a different direction with the scarf:

{Vogue Hands}

Or if watching too many hours of America's Next Top Model had convinced her that a long neck and emotional eyes make her a model:

Don't you wish you were here, so you could hang out with me and my awesome scarf?

P.S. Major props go out to Erin, my fabulous cousin and the purchaser/gifter of this scarf. Bet she thought it was just going to keep me warm and fashionable.  Little did she realize its entertainment value...guys? Anybody still here?  Oh, it's just me who is really entertained by all this ridiculousness?

Some leftovers...

When I was living without the Internet, I wrote a lot of blog posts. 


In an effort to give you a little taste of my life in the first week or so living here, I've decided to post them anyways, despite their untimeliness. 

Saturday October 2

In which I: visit the market, buy my first Pain au Chocolate, contribute to the decline of French food, and make a new French friend.

Today I went to the market in Elbeuf. They closed down part of the road down town and had all sorts of merchants. The fruits and vegetable were all at one end with the butchers and cheese merchants. The other end was all sorts of different merchants, mostly various cheap knick-knacks but also some sewing notions and yarn and a booth where people could buy tights and socks and little French maid costumes. I bought a tablecloth for my new little table for my new apartment.  Also I bought my first pain au chocolate. (For the uninitiated, this is a croissant filled with chocolate--Yum.)

After the market in Elbuef, Alain and Sylviane (the couple who let me stay in the apartment they owned at first and have helped me so much) picked me up and took me to the bigger market outside of town. Well, it would have been bigger, but it was raining, so many people were gone. I bought a vacuum for my new apartment (because it has carpet!!! yay!). 

Sylviane and Alain had their niece, Naomi, and their nephew, Sydney, with them. Naomi is just a bébé and Sydney is three years old. And he wanted to go to MacDo. For frites. 

Yup…my first week in France and I ate at MacDonalds. 

Abbey- In France they actually have the Happy Meal BOXES.

It was interesting because many of the menu items were in English (Chicken McNuggets, McChicken, etc).

After the meal, I got French-napped. 


French-napping: (verb) when you're traveling with French people and you don't really understand where you are going, but you don't know a polite way to say, "Where are you taking me? I would like to go back to my apartment and explore more of Elbeuf."

So instead, they took me to see my three schools despite my explanations that my teacher would be taking me there on Tuesday. 

Then we went to visit Alain's mother. 

After that, we returned to their house where I met Sylviane's brother, Vincent. But we all had fun speaking English and French while discussing everything from the differences in our school systems to politics in both countries and whether or not I am single…

All in all, a good day.  And tomorrow is moving day! 

October 3  Moving Day!

In which I: go to church for the first time, move to a tiny new apartment (in the rain), meet a creeper and fight with my French cell phone.

By the time you read this, moving day will be over and done with. But right now, I'm right in the middle of it.

How is it that even in France, despite the fact that I arrived with only a suitcase, a duffel bag and a backpack, I have amassed WAY too much stuff?

For any of you who know me, you know I'm a pack rat. I come by it naturally; I'm descended from a long time of pack rats. Stuff follows me and finds me and I don't even have a closet to stuff it in here.  Although I do have two armoires…which is part of the problem.

I was looking forward to finding an empty little French studio, searching markets and trash piles and scouring IKEA for furniture and other necessaries and living a life of minimalism for the year.

But I have very, very helpful French friends. (Thanks, Mom!)

So I have a real bed with a bed frame, a futon/couch, and lots of other furniture. This is great and Sylviane and Alain's family all helped me move, which was fabulous but there might be too much stuff in this little room.

We'll see.

And although I'm really excited about this apartment (although I'll be more excited after the electricity is turned on tomorrow), and its view of a church and closeness to the supermarket, I'm a little nervous.

I'd been in my apartment alone for all of ten minutes when a guy stopped and started to talk to me through my open window (I really wish I didn't live on the first floor.  Good thing for the shutters.) He left after a few minutes of my confused face and "I don't understand."  Except I really did understand when he asked if I wanted to get to know him…I just didn't want to.  

(Don't worry Mom. It's cold now, and I'm keeping the windows closed.)

Also I have 4 messages on my French cell phone and no idea how to listen to them...

Update: I figured out how to listen to my messages... and I'm unpacking my clothes... and I have carpet.

A good day.

October 3 Nighttime

I'm alone in my apartment in the dark…eating peanut butter by the spoonful (which is a bad idea-- peanut butter is very hard to buy here, but I have no other food)…hoping my computer won't die.

Don't overestimate how lucky you are to have electricity. 

October 4 

208 Days and 52 minutes...

Today I miss all of you…I can't wait until my Internet is hooked up, even though it won't be the same.

It's different than that.

A very nice French woman from my church, Sylviane, has taken me under her wing and helped me with everything from paperwork to housing.

And she's great.

But I miss all the people who I love.  Hugs to you all.

(Okay, I have a few more to post, but I think that's enough for now...It's a blog, not a novel.)

If I take one more step...

Photo Credit

...it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.

Today, I've been in France for one month. Now, France is not the farthest away from home I've ever been (that's Cambodia), and I'm sure I went more than a month without going home while I lived in Indiana. But home was always a possibility. This feels like the place where distance and time combine to make me feel like Sam as he took that step away from the Shire. 

(Am I a dork for referencing Lord of The Rings on my blog? Yes. Get used to it.)

One month also seems like a good time to finally share this blog with other people.

But I have a lot to catch you up on. So here's the short version:

Housing: I've rented a tiny French studio in a little town, Elbeuf, near my schools. When it's decorated, I'll share pictures.

Schools: I'm assisting with English classes in three French elementary schools. My tasks and responsibilities vary depending on the school and the teacher, but everyone has been helpful. The students think I'm very interesting, which is a nice change.

Language: Living in another language has presented challenges that I didn't expect, like people assuming I'm stupid because I say things like, “I train station go. Where?” But my listening (or guessing) skills are growing exponentially, and my speaking skills are following, just at a much slower rate. I say “oui” a lot, in various tones of voice, depending on how much I understand.

Other:

I've eaten so many pastries...and so much delicious bread. I love grocery shopping.

Flattering, no?

I visited Paris for a day with a few other Americans.

 I got to see the English Channel, I've seen three movies in French without subtitles (Social Network wasn't such a good idea...too much talking, not enough action), I found the library, and I've filled out more paperwork than I could ever imagine...and I'm not done yet.

But I'm excited to share my adventures and misadventures with all of you here.

Bisous! (That means kisses!)

Let's start at the very beginning...

Written on September 30th

Hey Blog Readers (I hope you are real and not imaginary…comment and let me know you're out there),

This blog is to record my time teaching English in France from October 2010 to April 2011.  You lucky people are going to be witness to my experiences, adventures, mistakes, classroom fun and my feelings and thoughts as I explore a new culture, a new language and a new land.

Well, that's enough of the boring stuff…

Now for some details: 

I got to France on Tuesday morning. My trip here was crazy, mostly because I met two other assistants also en route: on my flight, a girl also doing the program in another town in Northern France and on the train from Paris to Rouen (roo-on), an assistant from Panama on the train. We had a fun time communicating because he only spoke a little English, some accented French and Spanish. At that point I was so tired I only spoke a little English, and hardly any French. 

Anyway, I was picked up at the train station by an American pastor and his wife and son. They fed me dinner and took me to their church where I struggled not to succumb to jet lag during a prayer service. It was a very good service, but I just couldn't keep my eyes open…any of you who know about my nodding, this was the worst ever. Despite my pinching any part of my body available, I almost fell off the chair during prayer.

 But I met so many people, received many petite bisous (kisses on both cheeks) and most importantly met the couple who is currently renting the apartment where I am staying. They are super nice. They are giving me all the furniture in the apartment whether I decide to rent it or not and the wife took me to find my job, a supermarket, let me use her internet and gave me a cell phone! Tomorrow she's going with me to see another apartment. God has really blessed my whole trip so far.

Other highlights of my first few days:

I discovered I was pronouncing both Rouen and Elbeuf incorrectly (Roo-on and L-buff)

I slept in till 1 in the afternoon my first day. My apartment is on the first floor so it has metal shutters on all the windows for privacy and safety. They shut out ALL the light, which is making it hard for my jet-lagged body to adjust.

I bought my first baguette.

After my first French bath, I realized I didn't have a towel and dried off with a washcloth and two hand towels (Mom, should have bought that camping towel! But thanks for the sunny hand towel-it was very useful!)

I figured out the bus system and attended a French bible study in Rouen. I understood more than I expected too, but also accidentally told a girl that I was staying in France for 7 years, not 7 months.

I got French dust on my Toms!

I learned how to light my gas stove…yeah I'm nervous about that one…I actually have to light a match and hold it in the gas.