On The Road Again

I was going to post the Geneva and Farm picts, but it isn't working, so next time I guess hey...

I spent last night with a couple in Toulouse and am proud of my self for speaking French pretty much the whole time. The woman didn’t speak much English, so I did my best to follow and participate in the conversation. We actually had some good talks about French politics, the mentality of different cultures and other filysophy. I really enjoyed it. So, pourquoi in Toulouse? Well…it is definitely not the most efficient way to get back to Paris, but it was (I thought) more than half the price going Agen/Toulouse/Paris than going from Agen/Bordeaux/Paris instead. Turns out they didn’t have my supposed reservation when I went to retrieve my ticket even though I was armed with the reservation number car and seat number. I ended up buying a much more expensive ticket. I thought I was being smart and frugal, but it turns out it ended taking more time and more money. But I did get to couchsurf in Toulouse and the people were great! So incredibly nice, environmentally cognizant, generally sincere. But yeah, definitely sick of dealing with transportation (did I mention there was another strike which lasted a week?!) I have not had good luck with transportation in France. My journey to Paris ended up being Marmande, Agen, Toulouse, Bordeax, Paris, leaving Monday afternoon and getting in around 14:30 Tuesday afternoon. Ah, but I just put my headphones in and listened to music which definitely improved my mood and makes my soul happier.

So, about the farm…

Since it’s winter, there really was just basic farm stuff to do. I.e. take care of the animals (the picture below is of me cleaning out chez geese, clearing les herbs mauvais (weeds) away from the vines, scraping/painting shutters, etc. I also became the go-to mice catcher. I caught 4 mice during my stay. The first I caught with a bowl, but not before it peed in my room though. I was going to let it out, but it escaped from the bowl and I stepped on it accidentally (with my bare foot too). The second mouse was actually caught in the trap. I intended to set that one free too, but I put it outside because it was keeping me awake and it froze over night. So, the third one, which I caught with a toilet plunger, I was determined to set free. I put it in a little plastic container (see below), and made sure it had enough air and it was warm, but alas, it also died of fright (we think) during the night. But the 4^th! The fourth survived. That one I caught for Sandra in the grain bag just with my hands. I had the benefit of it being trapped in the bag already though. There actually was a fifth that showed itself the day before I left, but I couldn’t figure out how to get up into the attic to catch it. I feel like I have unfinished business with the mouse community there, but such is life.

I absolutely loved working outside. Yeah it got below zero in the mornings a couple days and it rained (really only one bad day), and the work itself was not the most mind expanding things, but it was good. It’s just a good quality of life. Quality not quantity, that’s my new motto. Perhaps I should rename my blog. Though it was fun competing to see if Philip could catch up to me pruning while I was weeding.

The day I left, I thought the bus went to Agen around 16:40, but turns out the last bus actually left at 12:40. We discovered this around 11:30. So, I quickly got my stuff together and ate lunch, but we just took too long savoring the food (it really was good!) and I ended up missing the bus to Agen. So I took the bus to Marmande (which is not the same bus stop to Agen and is actually on the other street, by the way) and then a local train to Agen. No worries though, I had all day just to get to Toulouse, so I wasn’t that worried and it was about the same price. While on the bus listening to French accordion music, I was entertained watching the bus driver in the mirroir playing with his mustache. It occurred to me that the French mustache isn’t just a style. Really the men (mostly bus and train drivers I’ve found) grow it so that they have something to play with all day! It looks fun and kinda makes me wish I could grow a mustache. I ran into another amazing stache at the train station in Agen and documented it without the conductor knowing (he he he). He IS the cliché. See below.

I could write a blog post about things that happen to me every couple of hours so you have to realize that these are just little sum ups. My mood also varies every couple of hours, so I have to force myself to write these when I’m not to tired, hungry, or stressed (which can coincide only when I have time to write my blog). So, the loooong train ride seems ideal. Oh and as to other logistical matters, I’m planning to be in Geneva around the 15^th of January. Really not planning on searching out wireless or internet cafes much in Greece, so I’ll write again sometime…

Muesli in the Morning

Below this post is the post I wrote in Geneve, but never posted, so read on mon amie

I made it to the farm. So, so nice to be out in the countryside! When I got here there were two other woofers one girl from the US and a guy from Vietnam. Funny, the guy from Vietnam came here to improve his English. I came here to work on my French…since, as it turns out, both Philip and Saundra lived in England/Canada, looks like he is going to get more practice than me. Well, I can work on my French if I want. Both kids speak it as well as the adults, so I will just have to force myself to. The work hasn’t been too exciting so far; just clearing the weeds away from the vines so Philip can prune them, scraping paint off the shutters, and making apple pies. We start work at 8, work outside all day and usually eat dinner at 8 or so with lunch of course around 1pm. My back is incredibly sore, but my soul is happy. Did I mention how great it was to not be in the city? Wondering about the blog title? Well, that is all we get for breakfast. The woofers stay in a little house not attached to the main house. It has two bedrooms and an office. I am staying in the caravan because the other two rooms are taken. Tomorrow (Saturday) is my day off, both of the woofers are leaving and I will be left all to myself. This means that I won’t have anyone to talk to while pulling weeds, but it also means I get to move inside. So, c’est la vie. I dig the girl from the US, Caroline. She has been here for about 2 months and is going to Barcelona after this to teach English to kids. Philip and Saundra have a boy and a girl 7 and 9. They are really cool kids too. Despite the occasional upset, they are pretty chill and intelligent. I am really enjoying hanging with them. So, that’s what’s up for now. I don’t have internet access, so I can only check emails now when I go into town and I will only be able to go into town on my day off. Until next Saturday then…

Geneva

There is nothing better than traveling! I’ve met so many wonderful people. And when you couchsurf, you stay with people who are in their element. They know the town, they speak the language, they know the good and bad places to go. When I travel and stay at a When I meet other Americans though, sometimes I get the feeling that they are showing off where they have been or if they speak another language and look down on you and your experiences. It seems like they are competing and collecting experiences. I find that with some English too. I’ve never experienced that with an Australian. I’ve liked every Australian that I’ve met so far, no question. They are just more humble and laid back. Americans are so frickin insecure I think.

Today I played giant chess in the park, helped cook and ate a chicken that the woman's roommate’s parents grew on their farm. She has told me a lot about Geneva that there is no way I would know otherwise. For example, most people who live in geneve are not from there. The UN people pretty much stick to themselves. If someone decides to work for the UN as say a secretary or something, then you are marked as a secretary for life and can never move up in rank. But it’s worse than just that. If you take a certain position, not janitor or something, but work for the wrong office, that will mark you for your entire career. C’est bizzare. Also, the UN doesn’t pay taxes, so even though supposedly they are fighting for the rights of people all over the world, they are not contributing to the community that they are living in. hmm, a bit hypocritical perhaps??? There are also very different parts of town. There is the part with money and the part without. It is very difficult to find housing in Geneve because it is so expensive and it is full! There just aren’t places. Also in shared housing (ie apartments) each occupant has one day/half day in which they can do their laundry. She told me it is uniquely Swiss in this. There are many people who just find buildings to squat in for free, but they are starting to crack down on it more now. It’s stuff like this that you just can’t learn on a tour or staying in hostels. I didn’t ask what happens if you do laundry on a day that’s not yours . I just don’t think that’s done.

Anyway it feels great to be free and traveling again. I feel so much more myself when I am engaged and learning. There was just nothing for me in Paris and I felt like I was living someone else’s life. It is possible to live with the family, be learning things (about myself as well) and still have a social life. I think I felt stifiled in Paris because I felt that I couldn’t go out or do anything without being looked down upon. Maybe it was my mentality, but that is just how I felt. If I put the effort in, I could have gone out more, but honestly, it just didn’t inspire me to go out in Paris. I know they’re got to be people living there who I would love to hang out with, but I just can’t stay there long enough to find them. I also was experiencing many things for the first time and felt that what did I know, I was just experiencing instead of engaging. Hmm, not the first time I’ve approached something like that…

Halloween in Geneva: we had trick or treaters and they said thank you in English. At first, Caroline didn’t know what they wanted. Fortuneately, I had two lolies in my purse and gave it to them. What a strange experience.

Escape of the Snail

I was walking in the market the other day and I passed by a man selling loads and loads of live crabs, lobsters, and snails. I was mesmerized (simple mind, simple pleasures I suppose) by the little snails all moving around, not going anywhere. Finally, one of them managed to climb up over the lip of the bowl and I watched it maintain poise for a moment then fall to the table. It kind of gave me a sense of admiration for it's tenacity, but I honestly don't think it's chances were that much better outside the bowl.

Anyway, back to my latest adventures. The metros, buses, and trains were all on strike last Thursday and Friday. They do these every once in a while to prove to everyone (the government) that they are crucial to the city and should not be treated unfairly. "Unfairly" in this case, was not wanting the retirement age to be increased to what everyone else's retirement age is. Appearantly, the government is trying to save a bit of money with pensions, but the workers think that they still should be able to retire early (though they don't really work much now). Regardless, this meant more aggravation for all the rest of us. Because no one can use public transportation, everyone drives in from the burbs, so there is absolutely no way to take a taxi or drive without being stuck in traffic for hours. The best way is bike, walk, or roller blade. We opted for roller blades to take the kids to school, but that meant that I had to run along side them and carry the rollers back. They ended up just keeping the rollers at school and all worked out, but still a pain in the ass.

On Friday, the strike was still in effect though some metros were working. I was supposed to go to Amsterdam to meet up with my friends Andy and Katie, but obviously no trains, so I took the bus instead. I ended up not being able to leave until about 11:30 due to delays and what not, so 8 hours later, I finally got to Amsterdam. Oh what a crazy city! It felt like the Las Vegas of Europe, but with cooler buildings and nicer people. I say that because everyone goes there to get drunk, high, or have sex. Amsterdam is famous for it's red light district, but we did not hang out there very much at all because we couldn't handle the vibes. I was there for just a short time, but managed to check out the Van Gogh Museum the Oude Kerk (church in the red light with a huge organ), and biked all around the canals and what not. I would be lying if I said I didn't check out a coffee shop or two though :)

I ended up couchsurfing with an American guy who owns a specialty beer store and his girlfriend. They live above the store and let me crash on their couch for the couple nights that I was there. I dug those guys so much! They were really friendly and nice and Jeff gave me all kinds of beer suggestions which I preceded to accept until about 5am at the bar across the street. Amsterdam was a great town, but I think a couple of days was just enough for me. Below are some pictures from Amsterdam and from the strike. The sandwitch is a local specialty: raw herring with pickles and onions. Mmmm, apart from crepes, I think it is my second favorite street food. There is also a picture of the bike parking situation in Amsterdam and one of the public toilets for the guys that I thought was kinda a funny/dirty, yet an efficient way of urinating on the street.

Plans

Oh man just went to the Ani Difranco concert last night. It was AMAZING! She is so fricken talented it makes me want to cry. Concerts in France are a bit interesting. They start on time, go for a designated amount of time then have only one encore and it's over. Strange, but kinda nice too. I am posting some picts from it and also a couple picts from Normandy last weekend. The strange looking lamp is a piece that Marco (Anne's boyfriend) made himself out of wood and honey combs. Pretty sweet in my opinion. The two of them are standing in front of their dart board because we had a dart tournament (of sorts) Marco kicked both of our asses, but we all had fun trying to compete. Oh, and there is a picture of Pablo with my ipod for good measure just cause I thought he looked cute.

Ok, so today the kids are gone at their dad's place. I got to sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast and play on the internet all morning without being bothered. The internet can be a dangerous thing sometimes and right now my head feels like it's going to explode from all the information/travel planning I've been doing. I have a week in between leaving Paris and going to the farm in November, so I have to figure out where I will go. The plan right now is to go to Croatia. Why Croatia? Well, I've heard from several people that it is warm, friendly, cheap, and I need to go to a non European Union country if I want to renew my travel visa. Therefore, I am now looking at places for that as well. So the plan right now is: Farm outside Boardeaux in November, Greece in December, Corsica (maybe) in January or Spain, or the other way around, and then I don't know yet. Ah, so much planning, but it's a good problem to have I think.

Je suis d'accord

Fluff: to some it invokes a vision of pillows and marshmallows. But according to Pablo, it's actually dental floss. I've recently introduced floss to Pablo mostly because he likes pretending that the container (when empty) is a cell phone. It is so hard for me to contain my laughter when he comes up to me proudly and says that he just fluffed. I keep correcting him, but it doesn't seem to make any difference to him. Speaking of teeth, I can always tell when Elliot doesn’t brush his for some reason. Like last night for example, I heard the electric toothbrush going, but knew intuitively that he didn’t when he came back to his room. I knew it the other night too when he told me he did, but actually didn’t. I must have a sixth sense about clean teeth. Thanks pop, it must be passed on from you.

Kids can be so manipulative. For example, Pablo wanting me to stay in his room last night when I put him to bed because he couldn’t get to sleep. There was no way I was going to, but it just pulls at you and he did get a couple of stories out of me. Then again, I can be pretty manipulative too and to my benefit, I don’t take everything literally and also have the benefit of experience to see their traps. They don’t know that I don’t always mean what I say. Example: "Pablo go brush your teeth. No. Oh man there is something cool in this box. What is it? If I show you, will you go brush your teeth? Ok… And the other day, I said to be nice to me otherwise I wouldn’t bring their rollers to school. Man, you should have seen Pablo. He got into his pyjamas right away and said please and thank you and everything all evening. It was great.

Yesterday AM left for work and isn't coming back till tonight (Thursday). In the morning I woke up to the table all set because Pablo and Elliot wanted to be helpful. I love when they are helpful. I've now started babysitting another little 4 year old on Wednesdays because his parents work and they want him to speak English during the day. His dad is Australian, but Ethan doesn't really like speaking English, so he ends up saying yes, no, right, and okay a lot. Oh well, maybe he will get into the more we hang out. But man, Chloe was being a little jerk yesterday when we were going to watch a video. I don’t really want to get into it, but I think she wanted to watch a particular movie, but I said no movies in French. Then she said that all the movies were in French and that we couldn’t change it cause we lost the remote. True the remote was lost, but I argued that the movies started out in English. She was adamant that I didn’t know what I was talking about. Eventually we ended up watching Saddle Club in English. Whatever, I really didn’t care, but was damn sure we weren’t watching a movie in French. She can be pretty stubborn, but I can be even more. It must be really frustrating to argue with me sometimes.

Welp, I had a great time in Normandy last weekend. I went to visit my friend Ian's cousin and her French boyfriend. Oh, I can't tell you what a great time I had! I forget how quiet things can be when not in the city and I saw stars! And the moon! (which was big and orange, but not quite full) We went for walks in the woods, ate some tasty vegi meals, and had some really great heart to heart talks. I also saw the WWII war memorial in Caen, but was so overwhelmed that I was happy to be on my way to their place in Flers (south of Caen). The clouds parted just as I got there and came back just as I was on my way back to Paris. Perfect. My last day in Paris is the 26th or 27th and have made plans for after, but will talk more about that on my next post.

Voila!

Oh my new French class is sooo much better than any that I took before the summer. It was great taking individual lessons, but I like having others around too partly because it takes the pressure off, but mostly because I think I learn more from them than I do my teacher. It's funny how making mistakes with others feels so much better than making them alone. This class also only has maximum 8 people at a time, though most of the time it's 5 or 6. And my teacher is great too. He speaks very quickly, but I find I can understand most of what he says. We get a lot of talking time because he is constantly introducing concepts and then making us practice them or doing roll plays with each other. Even better is that it's about a 2 minute walk from the kids' school. Which means no taking the metro for 20 minutes to a chic part of town with no cool places to hang out. Now, I can walk and stay in the center of the city where there are a ton of people and coffee shops and what not. I've finally started to find "my hang outs" too. Like for expample, I've taken to going to Starbucks right after dropping the kids' off because they have the cheapest esspresso (imagine that huh) and are one of the only places to 1)be open at that time in the morning and 2)have comfy chairs you can sit in and watch the people for as long as your little hear desires. I've also found this little bagel place (yes, it's french) right around the corner that has a really great atmosphere, is also cheap, and has plug ins/internet. The French are really into hanging out, which I can completely appreciate. I've also joined a gym that is close to the kids' school. It is about a 1.5 minute walk and have taken to going there almost everyday. I've got a bit of a cold this week (as a result of being coughed and sneezed on by a little 5 year-old australian) and last week tweeked my knee a bit. I think this weekend I will be back on track though. Next weekend I'm heading to Normandy for a couple days I think. I can't wait to go for some walks in the countryside, meet some cows (and eat cheese of course) and hopefully see some WWII stuff. Welp, enough for now. I'll write more on my future plans soon. I'm digging Paris a bit more than I did before, but still can't wait to move on...

Voila!

Oh my new French class is sooo much better than any that I took before the summer. It was great taking individual lessons, but I like having others around too partly because it takes the pressure off, but mostly because I think I learn more from them than I do my teacher. It's funny how making mistakes with others feels so much better than making them alone. This class also only has maximum 8 people at a time, though most of the time it's 5 or 6. And my teacher is great too. He speaks very quickly, but I find I can understand most of what he says. We get a lot of talking time because he is constantly introducing concepts and then making us practice them or doing roll plays with each other. Even better is that it's about a 2 minute walk from the kids' school. Which means no taking the metro for 20 minutes to a chic part of town with no cool places to hang out. Now, I can walk and stay in the center of the city where there are a ton of people and coffee shops and what not. I've finally started to find "my hang outs" too. Like for expample, I've taken to going to Starbucks right after dropping the kids' off because they have the cheapest esspresso (imagine that huh) and are one of the only places to 1)be open at that time in the morning and 2)have comfy chairs you can sit in and watch the people for as long as your little hear desires. I've also found this little bagel place (yes, it's french) right around the corner that has a really great atmosphere, is also cheap, and has plug ins/internet. The French are really into hanging out, which I can completely appreciate. I've also joined a gym that is close to the kids' school. It is about a 1.5 minute walk and have taken to going there almost everyday. I've got a bit of a cold this week (as a result of being coughed and sneezed on by a little 5 year-old australian) and last week tweeked my knee a bit. I think this weekend I will be back on track though. Next weekend I'm heading to Normandy for a couple days I think. I can't wait to go for some walks in the countryside, meet some cows (and eat cheese of course) and hopefully see some WWII stuff. Welp, enough for now. I'll write more on my future plans soon. I'm digging Paris a bit more than I did before, but still can't wait to move on...

Back in Europe

Well, back in g’dol paris. In a way it feels like I never left, but after the first week in the new house and taking the kids to school again, I have to say re-entry was a bit rough. After a ten hour flight across the atlantic, and a bit of pain in the ass in Frankfurt, I arrived just fine to find three blonde headed kids waiting for me. When I checked in for my flight in Portland both the woman at the desk and the man at the counter who gave me my paper tickets commented on what a great seat I had. I was extremely curious and when I got to my seat, sure enough it was the best one on the plane apart from business class. By the way, what’s the difference between business class and first class? Anyway, the seat was next to the window, infront of the wing, behind the bulkhead. Meaning, I had a great view, the TV screen right in front of me, tons of leg room AND no one sitting next to me. It was beautiful.

Why was it rough? I thought though that I could just breeze right through the first week, but it turns out I should have done a bit more mental preparation (ie knowing exactly where the bus stop was, etc.). I had to get back into discipline mode too. I had the kids alone a couple nights the last week and a half and I found that I had to re-assert my authority a couple times. Just as I get really frustrated though, something hilarious will happen or I will have a good talk with them about feelings and all of a sudden, all is well again. C'est la vie I suppose.

It was really great to be back in Portland. It wasn’t too bad sitting on the beach in sunny Santa Barbara either, but I have to say it’s even better being back in Paris, well, Europe. Yeah, I bitch and complain about Paris a lot, but there is just an awareness here that there isn’t back in the states. It’s not just the news or the TV that is US centered. It’s books and everyday conversations and everyone only speaking one language. It's a bit bizzare to one day be hanging with friends in Portland and the next taking rollerblading lessons in French and falling on my ass (several times actually). I've got a lot to write about Kyle's wedding and finding a new French course, but I'll do that next time. Above are a couple picts from my summer.

a la compagne

I am definitely diggin being in the country. Last sunday I flew from Stuttgart to Paris then took a train Monday from Paris to a town just south of lyon with a nice little organic farm that has lots of good people, animals, fruit, vegetables, and beautiful scenery! I really wish I could post some pictures, but my pc is in Paris and well, itll just have to wait.

Germany was great! I didnt really go in with any expectations because really i just wanted to see my friends while experiencing another culture. I got to do much more than that I think. Steffi and I decided the first day that we were going to try to do as many free things as possible. those included: getting a free soda, one of the mawe (wall) museums, another exhibit on the holocost, getting a grand tour of the Reighstag (German Parliment), and hooking up with a pub crawl Friday night. I dug Steffis roomate Laura too who took me up to the roof of an abandoned warehouse one rainy day while steffi had to work to see the view of Berlin. We had some good life philisophy talks too. Steffis other friend Lena was the one who gave us the tour. she was working as an intern in the parliment and had access to places where normal tourists cant go. my favorite part was getting caught using the microphones (which had been left on) in one of the main political party rooms. i was just in my first line of the corus to billy jean when another group of people walked in. nobody cared, they just went on with whatever they were doing. I could go on and on about Berlin, but I cant handle this french keyboard, so just a bit about the rest of the trip so far and then more later.

Basically, I got to see not just Timo, but Hannes and Connie too, who I had also worked with in Oregon. They had just got back from Corvallis last month. I had so much fun hanging with them! They are just really good people. We bummed around Berlin another day then stayed with Hannes family in Liepsigh. After we went to Stuttgart and I stayed with Timo the rest of the time. Such a great place! Came back to Paris then hung out with steffi again because she was visiting her old family. Finally after getting to bed at 4, i had to catch at train at 7. Basically missed my train because I didnt hear my alarm obviously, but made it to the farm where I am happily picking plums, seeding lettuce, weeding, eating fresh bread and vegetables, and hanging with the dogs, cats, and chickens. More on that later. Cheers!

Ich möchte eine bier bitte

Last Minute Lauren strikes again...

Last week it was raining (again!) in Paris. My trip to Normandy slowly was dwindling down to a day at Paris Plage (they put an oversized sandbox next to the siene and call it a beach for a month in the summer), and I really needed to get out of the city, so I decided to come to Germany last Wednesday instead of Friday like I planned. Despite maybe paying a bit more than I should have to come here on top of a 6 hour car trip from Stuttgart to Berlin, I am totally glad that I came early! In Germany they have a ride share deal where you can hook up with travelers going your way for really cheap. I ended up riding with a woman called Barbel and two other random passengers in an old beat up German car with no airconditioning for 25 euros. She was a bit stuck up and told me that she didn't really like Americans. Can you believe that! My response was something to the effect of I wouldn't generalize just from California and Wyoming (which is where she was filming documenaries or something). Very diplomatic, but I kinda wish I would have said something more snide now because it still earks me when I think about it even though it was three days ago. I slept most of the ride anyway since I only had about two hours of sleep the night before, so I didn't talk to her much anyway. It actually sounds worse than the way she said it, but I don't think I'll be staying in touch with her. For the most part in my travels so far, I haven't come into too much contact with people who flat out don't like Americans. I can't count the number of conversations I've had about Bush and where in the US Oregon is. No one realizes that we have good beer in America. Bummer for them.

So, I'm staying with my friend Steffi in Berlin, whom I met while in Paris. It's a bit of a long explaination how we met, but basically she was the au pair for a woman that I took French lessons with. Hm, ok, not that complicated. Anyway, she's back in Berlin now trying to find work before going to University next fall and is just hanging out in the mean time. I dig this city a lot! The people are friendly and more relaxed, there are places to just chill in the sunshine and on the grass, their fake beaches are much nicer, and everyone walks around drinking beer at all hours of the day. Seriously, the beer here is cheaper than buying vegetables. We went to the store to buy stuff for dinner last night and a 1 liter bottle of beer was 25 cents three tomatoes and a cucumber were 70 cents. What a great country! The weather isn't actually that great right now, but that's ok cause we all went out last night and aren't really in the mood to do much anyway. I'll be in Berlin until Monday and then my friend Timo is driving up from Stuttgart. We will probably hang in the city a bit then drive back there. Perhaps a trip to Prague may be in the future, but it is far to early to plan these things...

Route du Vin

Here are some recent picts of my adventures with the rents. I would love to run down the itinerary, but we packed so much into the two weeks that they were here, it would take me far too long, and I just don't have the attention span. The highlights for me were visiting the little wineries in the Loire Valley, taking the train to Strasbourg then renting a car and driving all over Alsace. We at tons of great food and shared a bottle of lovely French wine almost every night. I don't know what I'm going to eat when I leave this country. It's definitely going to be a bummer. The pictures above are not in chronological order, but give a good sum up of what went on. They are of a cave we visited, the February weather in front of St. Michel fountain, one of the many little French towns along the route du vin in Alsace (Riquire I think). Funny, most of the towns had German names and a German feeling to them. Probably because they used to be part of Germany. Anyway, back to the pictures...there's one of the Tower Eiffel during Bastille Day, a winery, me in front of the Chateau Saumur, the rents and I at Monet's garden, one of the many sunflower fields, and a picture of the different parts of la vache for good measure.

As for future plans, I am going camping in Normandy next week, then visiting friends in Germany, going back to the US for Kyle's wedding for a couple weeks in August, coming back to Paris for September to Nanny (just for the month) and then not sure. I will see as it comes...

qu'est-ce que ce?

Here are a few recent picts of other kids I've been babysitting (Miles who is American and Minkey who is Austrailian), my bouldering adventure at Fontainbleu, the organic farm in Italy, and some friends in Paris...





Alright, it's been way too long since I last wrote. I'm not a big fan of long, drawn out explanations, so I'll just give a sum up of all that has gone on in the last month...

I went to Italy on the 25th to check out a master's program I was thinking about applying to. I ended up staying with my old neighbors here in Paris on an organic farm and then we all went over to explore the school together. The school is just outside of Parma and sponsored by SLOW foods. For those who don't know SLOW foods, it's basically an organization that supports using whole, organic, sustainably grown food instead of food produced with shelf-stable/non-sustainable products. It seemed like a perfect program to compliment my education, but when I went to check it out, I realized that it was a bunch of great information, but nothing that would increase the experience that I want and help me get a job after. I enjoyed speaking to all the students, but all of them said that they weren't getting the education that they were expecting, they didn't know what they were going to do when they graduated and the school was run really erratically (well it is in Italy!). Anyway, long story short, I'm really glad I went to visit, but I'm not going to apply.

This then leaves another question...Am I going to stay in Paris and work for the same family for the next school year? The answer is "no." I really like Paris and the family, but I can't stand living in the city any longer. It would be one thing if I was making a ton of money or if I really loved the city, but I can't honestly say either. I've already told Anne-Marie and we agreed that I will stay on until the end of September, but after that, I've got to leave. I also feel like, though this has been an amazing experience in ways that I can't eloquently describe, I feel like I need to move on and get experience doing other things. It comes down to a question of what is best for me and what I really want and living in Paris working as a nanny doesn't fall into any of those categories. I feel confident in my French enough to get around and have very basic conversations and would like to continue to improve. I have been doing a hell of a lot of thinking about what it is that I really want and (for now) I really want to learn more about organic farming and sustainable agriculture. So, I've decided to do WWOOFing (willing workers on organic farms) in France for a while. I don't know for how long as I don't have a working visa any longer, but learning about sustainable agriculture while improving my French sounds like something I would like to try. Where I will go and what exactly I will be doing is still up in the air, but in France there are 332 organic farms that are members of the program, so I'm sure I will find something. And hey, if it doesn't work out my alternative options don't look too bad either. So, that's where I'm at now.

My immediate future includes going to Alsace tomorrow with my parents (Dad and Pam) who are visiting me this week and last. I love having them here and it gives me an opportunity to experience foods and cultural activities that I couldn't afford to do on my own. Plus, it's great to experience those things with them. Oh man, we've been eating well! They got in last Friday and we have been going and going ever since. No major arguments yet, but I really notice how slow people in Portland walk. I'm also coming to terms with being the tour guide. I know I've just got to let it go sometimes, but when I know that there are better things ahead and we are dallying someplace, it's really hard to maintain patience. Whatever, I'm glad they're here and will be incredibly sad when they leave. I am coming back to Ptown for two weeks in August for Kyle's wedding (13th to the 27th), so whoever is around, I would love to hang out. Back to Paris... for the last week it has felt like February here. We were walking around the other day and could actually see our breath! Yesterday and today made up for it though and finally, I think summer has come! Yesterday was Bastille day, which is the French Independence day and there was fireworks by the Eiffle Tower. I've never seen more people in one place in my life! Next time I blog (which will be sooner than a month) I will post pictures. Cheers!

I spy with my little eye something that starts with "S"

Some think that a quiche is egg with some cream/veggis/meat, etc. I am here to let you know, that the egg surves only as a means to keep the cream together and in the crust...the flour is there soley to hold the butter in. Such a wonderful thing.

This week and next the grandparents are staying with us. AM is in Prague for work and didn't want to leave me alone with all three kids for two solid weeks. It's great because the grandma is a great cook and they love to take care of the kids. This means I eat well, and finally after being here since February, I am able to go do things with friends in the evenings. Yeah, I could a bit before too, but I couldn't plan anything because I didn't know if I would be needed to get them ready for bed, take showers, etc.

Last weekend and this week were pretty non eventful. I went for runs and hung out with the little ones. Tuesday evening I went to a conversation exchange and hope to keep doing that every week because I really like the people and it's close to my house.

Today I went to the forest with some people that I met through the meet up group. We had a picnic and climbed boulders and played frisbee all afternoon. It was so wonderful to get out of the city again. It took about an hour to get there and it rained a bit, but I didn't care. I wish we would have stayed the night, but alas, there are things to do and places to be. Tomorrow (Sunday) I don't have too much planned. My back is feeling better after tweeking it last week, so I might go for a little run. Cleaning the house and meeting my friend from Germany for a crepe is also on the list. Not too eventful. I went out for drinks the last two nights, so I think a night/day to chill is a good idea.

Next weekend I'm going to Italy again. I'll be staying with the neighbors that used to be here in Paris. Now they are living in a converted barn on an organic farm outside of Bologna. They've written me about it and it sounds wonderful! They are not the reason I'm going, but I'll write more about that after I get back. Soon the kids will be finished with school and I have yet to make solid plans about August. I would like to stay and work and practice my French. I still have a place to stay at the new apartment, I just have to work out the details. I'm sure something will turn up, it always does....

de temps en temps

Alright, I'm going to write this really quickly because I have to finish my homework for tomorrow and then go to bed.

So, AM and Chloe went to the doctor this afternoon, which meant that I had the two boys all to myself. It wasn't so bad and I enjoyed hanging out with them, though sometimes when the two of them are together they love to hit and fight and jump on each other until either one of them cries or I have had enough and give them timeouts and/or both. I don't mind if they roughhouse, but they always start doing it when I want them to clean their room or get dressed. Well, today it was the timeout. In the past, I put Elliot in his mom's room and Pablo downstairs on the bed. Today was going to be the same thing, but it turned out better than I could have hoped. Elliot did what I asked before it got to the timeout because he said he didn't want one and Pablo sat quietly for 5 minutes and also did what I asked after the timeout instead of crying and being angry like he had been in the past. I couldn't believe it. It was only a little victory, but it felt really good. Later on in the afternoon I could tell they needed to run around outside for a bit, so I sent them out with waterguns. A bit of a bold move I know, but I figured it was warm out, they didn't have anything else going on this afternoon, and hell, they needed to take a shower tonight anyway. The guns kept them occupied for a while until they needed to refill. Long story short, the hose was discovered. I was being attacked. Since they were mostly drenched anyway, I decided to finish the job. The kids thought it was the greatest thing ever until Anne-Marie came home. She wasn't happy because appearanly we're not supposed to use the hose. I was dry (mostly), but the kids were drenched. As soon as they saw that she wasn't happy, they both started crying trying to make it look like I made them cry. I couldn't believe it! Such little punks! They can blame me for it, I'm not sorry, I thought it was pretty funny. Anyway, I had a good time and I know they did too.

I finally feel more confident in my role here. It only took 4 months! I am feeling more relaxed these days partly because I am more confident in what I can and can't do and partly because I don't invest myself in the outcomes as much. What I mean is, I realize that yes, I am living with the family which means I have to dicipline more than the average babysitter, but I also don't put all my energy and emotions into having things go my way. I am also feeling a bit better about picking up more babysitting hours. I started babysitting for an Australian family a couple times a week. She has 4 kids: 18months, 4, 5, and 7 years old. I only sit for her for a couple hours and usually only have the two youngest to look after. It's a nice change of pace and it's nice to get a few extra euros too! We'll see how long this somewhat more relaxed feeling lasts though!

Yesterday I taught the kids how to make duct tape wallets. Tonight we did friendship bracelates. Pretty soon I'm going to run out of arts and crafts. Nah, probably not, I love doing that kind of stuff and I'm sure we'll find some new stuff to play with. Next project is making communicating devices with tin cans and string. I rescued the olive can from the trash today and now I just have to find another one.

Oh, I forgot to write about the school fete and Mother's day. The fete (party) was last Saturday and Mother's Day was Sunday. The fete was great because I got to see the kids sing and dance. Oh, they were so cute. I have to say that getting to do family things like these and things like getting to be the tooth fairy just make this gig totally worth it. I really enjoyed hanging out with them for Mother's day too and going to the science museum. Despite Elliot's behavior issues and Chloe's constant need to have everything perfect, I think things are progressing well. Pablo specifically I think is acting older than when I first met him and they can all be really sweet sometimes. It warms my little heart. Alright, enough rambling. On to the next adventure...

In the Merde

It's been a while since I last posted. The longer I wait, the more I don't want to post because I have too much to write. So, finally my procrastinating self is getting back on top of things.

Since I last wrote, I have changed language courses again. I am now taking private lessons for 4 hours a week for the same price that I was taking a grammar class that I wasn't getting much out of. Katia, my teacher for the grammar class was good except we would bounce around topics all the time instead of practicing the same thing until we got good at it. This means that we knew a frustratingly little bit about a lot of things. She also would repeat her question over or explain things in the exact same way thinking that maybe if we keep hearing the same thing we will eventually get it. Well, it doesn't work that way. My new teacher is great because he understands why I am making mistakes, I feel accountable for doing my homework and I get a private conversation/grammar class all in one. It's great! Now I just need more people to practice speaking/listening with and I'll be set.

As far as friends and dating goes...I have several friends who come and go. A German friend who moved back to Germany is now coming back to Paris for a couple months. My Islandic friend was supposed to leave, but may stay now for the summer to improver her French, though really to hang with her "boyfriend" (whom she says she's not together with). My American neighbors, who I would hang out with at least once or twice a week in the evenings drinking wine and shooting the shit with are leaving today to go to Italy then back to the states. I may go visit them in Italy next month, but for reasons that I'm not ready to divulge yet. I met another woman from BC, but she will also be leaving soon to go travel the world with her French boyfriend then move back to Canada. Arg, as soon as I make friends they all leave. Yes, they are friends, but actually I'm not that sad about it, I kind of look at it as part of the Paris experience I guess. It seems to me that if you're French, you're in Paris because you can't find a job anywhere else and if you're not, you're only here for a short time. If you're lucky enough to have a visa, you are either teaching English, working as a nanny, or being a student. The other catergory is working for an international large company with offices in France.

As to dating: I met a guy named Leo who I was dating for a bit. He is French, but speaks English very well. I really enjoyed going on pique niques, going out to dinner, etc. but I just don't think we have that much in common and I can't really see it going anywhere. It's really nice to date a French guy with the respect that they don't play any initial games. If he likes you, he'll tell you so and he'll call the next day. They are also very affectionate and actually somewhat feminine. Not in a metrosexual way, but more apt to share their feelings. That part is really nice. So far though, I haven't really enjoyed the French sense of humor, but I'm still on the lookout. For me a sense of humor is extremely important for my mental happiness. On the contrary, the British sense of humor I think is terrific. I've often said that sarcasm and irony are my favorite modes of operation and hopefully I'll be able to go visit some friends in England to get a good dose of both soon. Plus, Leo doesn't like wine or cheese, and you just can't trust a person like that.

Lastly, a bit about my recent travels...

Last weekend I went to Arbois in the Jura region to visit Lisbeth, my former prof. at OSU. She has been on a year sabatical working with a school and learning more about cheese production. I am so glad I went to visit! For one thing, it was wonderful to get out of the city again. Being in a big city is really waring on me and it was so nice to go for a hike in the hills with no real time limit, and no cars! I saw a fox on the trail and large nests of some kind of spiders that sounded like running water when you walked by. Dangereaux? je ne sais pas. Not only did I get to see the facilities where she's been working (which are amazingly up to date and functional), but I got to meet her family and stay with them for a couple days. She has a 10, 12, and 14 year old and they all lived in a really big house in the middle of a town that with about 200 inhabitants. So, hike on Friday, then out to dinner accross the street. Oh, but first went to the cheese museum in Pupillon and learned all about comte. Saturday I went to the wine museum in town then to her 14 yo's basket ball game. He was playing in the regional semi-finals and their team won! This means that instead of leaving for Denmark with the rest of the family, he and his dad (who is French by the way) are staying behind so he can play in the finals next Saturday. Saturday night Lisbeth had a going away party for the family. Her year sabatical is over and they are packing up and moving out. The party was great because I got to practice my French with her guests (though my conversation is still extremely limited) and once again got to eat fantastic food, which was catered again by the restaurant accross the street. Sunday, instead of taking the TGV back to Paris, I drove 5 hours with the 5 of them. The first half hour was filled with a lot of bickering, but then I made up an enormous dot game (where you try to make boxes) and played that with the girls for the majority of the ride. I think Lisbeth was greatful for the silence and I had a really good time getting to know them as well.

C'est tue (that's all). Some picts of of my little ones are above. Why they like to dress up all the time, I don't know, but it seems like more people should really. The others are of the day we made castles (chateauxs). It's amazing how far a little cardboard box can go...

Oh, also I read a really great book called "A year in the Merde." Holy crap it's funny (no pun intended)! It's a partly true story of an English guy living and working in Paris. He makes some great observations about the French. Even if you're not living it, it's funny, but if you are, it makes the book that much better!

Manifestation

France has a new President. It was such a contested race that over 80% of the population voted. Unbelievable. Nicholas Sarkozy won by 53% of the vote over Segolene Royal. I talked to many people about who they were going to vote for and what they thought of the candidates. The majority answered that they really didn't like either of them and that they were voting for the lesser of two evils. Sound familiar?? Royal was too soft and wishy washy and Sarkozy was too conservative. Well, it looks like the conservatives won again, now maybe Bush will find a friend in France. People vote with their hearts, not with their heads. It seems like if a candidate is strong and clear, then people will follow, even if he is firmly guiding them in the wrong direction.

The next night I went to Bastille (the monument that used to be a prison and is the symbol of French Independance) to see what was going on. There were a lot of people protesting (manifestations in French). I couldn't believe how many cops were in riot gear as well. They kept forming lines and breaking the crowd up. Those who didn't move got put in the paddy wagon. I actually felt like I was back in the states for a bit. Below are some pictures I took of it. They were with my cell phone though, so they're not very clear...