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...

Energetique

Holy crap the kids have a lot of energy! Tuesday was a bank holiday and AM had to work, so that means all day babysitting (about 8am til 9pm) then all day again on Wednesday and this evening too because AM came home late. I know I've said this already, but thank the lord the weather is nice! At least I can let them run free at the park for a few hours, though that actually seemed to give them more energy. We played at the park for over 4 hours on Tuesday and I swear they came home with more energy than they started with. Yesterday, we were going to go to the Natural History Museum, but got sidetracked by the zoo that is there and ended up spending the afternoon with real animals instead of prehistoric ones. Tonight was not so different than any other night, other than the kids seemed especially rambunctious. They definitely behave better when their mom is around, but jeesh! every other phrase out of my mouth was telling them to sit back down or lower their voices, etc. Elliot especially jumps up every few minutes. I swear he has springs in his bum or something! Oh, and get this, last night Chloe was kidding around and lightly punched me on the arm. Without thinking, I said something to the effect of, "ah, that's nice, you don't hit as hard as Elliot." So what does she do?? she pulls back her arm and punches me really hard in my shoulder! I couldn't believe she did that! I wasn't really angry, but I was definitely not happy, and I told her so! She just giggled and went back to her dinner. Anyway, the point is I am worn out! I spent half my energy playing with them, and the other half trying to make them settle down. Perhaps I shouldn't egg them on, but why should they get to have all the fun? plus they're going to be rambunctious anyway because that's what they do.

There are few things that I regret. One of them, however, is teaching them a little poem after burping. It was cute the first couple times; now that they burp on purpose just to say the poem, it's not as cute. And, I suppose I can't write this without writing the poem, so read on mon amis, it's at the bottom, below the pictures. I can't believe what I remember from childhood. There are songs, poems, games, and arts and crafts that I haven't even thought of since I was 6! I guess my memory isn't as bad as I thought it was. Well long term memory anyway, my short term one is well occupied with French vocabulary at the moment and we will see in a couple months how well that is working...

Here's some picts from this week:






Poem:
Excuse me that was very rude, it was not me, it was my food. It got so lonely down below, it just came up to say "Hello".