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.