I'm home! And soooo happy to be here. My trip home was quite long but I didn't have any major issues. I got out of Avignon just fine, and Corine took me all the way to the platform. I was sad to say good-bye to her; she truly has been so nice and hospitable. But the train to Paris felt like it didn't take as much time as it did on the way down. I think it was because I wasn't as anxious, like I had been on the way down 6 weeks ago. I made it to Charles de Gaulle airport just fine, found my gate, had a sandwich, and got on the plane. Thankfully I had a really good seat-buddy, a 17 year old girl who was coming back from a backpacking trip in Spain with her aunt and grandpa. I had a really good time chatting with her. On the plane they played the movie 'Date Night' which was hilarious, so I watched that, read for awhile, and even did the unthinkable: I took a nap! I can never sleep on airplanes. I thought that because it was an afternoon flight I'd be even less likely to be able to sleep, because with the time change the sun never sets on the plane. But I nodded off for a bit, which was really nice.
We landed in Atlanta around 7pm Eastern, I got through customs pretty quickly (shocking), and got to my gate for my connection to Cincinnati. But then, when I got to my gate I was told that my flight was an hour late due to the fact that none of the flight attendants were there yet. So we didn't get off the ground until 11pm! So by the time I got to the Cincinnati airport I was starving, exhausted (it was 6am France time), but I could not have been more overjoyed to just be HOME!
So we got home, I gave Mom and Dad their presents (a Provencal tablecloth, lavender honey, truffle olive oil, herbes de Provence, some CDs), and I took a shower and plummeted gratefully into my bed. Today I think I'm recovering pretty well from jet lag, and getting re-acclimated to American culture. I did some unpacking this morning, but for lunch I made a desperate beeline for Skyline. Cheese coneys have never tasted so good! Now I am catching up on the whole season of So You Think You Can Dance. I really am just so glad to be home.
That's all, I guess. Thank you to all my friends and family for being so supportive and sending their love to me while I was abroad having this incredible experience. It really has been unforgettable. Thanks again to everyone!
Love you all so much!!!
Natalie
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Le Dernier Jour
The last day. It's true. It's sad. I'm in denial.
I started out the day by getting my very last pain au chocolat at my favorite bakery stall at Les Halles, and I said adieu to the baker. Then I took my history exam, during which I wrote an epic essay about the major social changes in France from 1945-1975. Then came time for lunch. I had been in the mood for a panini, but fate brought me to a kebab stand where I got the BEST kebab I've ever had. They're pretty much the same thing as a gyro, but this one was one of the best things I've ever tasted. Then it was time for my phonetics exam, a quick one-on-one with Madame to do a little dictation test and some reading. Quick and relatively painless. So exams were fine. After my last one I ventured back out to stock up on Kinder Bueno at the grocery store, because I need a supply of them to tide me over until I can get to Jungle Jim's to see if they sell them. And of course, to buy one last chocolate eclair.
I got back to the Center and just hung out with people for awhile, then it was time for our little farewell celebration. We had cider and cookies, and some of the host parents came, and also our friends from Carpentras from the American/French alliance. Very cute. After a little socializing and a few good-byes, my 3 good friends from the program and I set out in search of flowers for our respective hosts. But after that, the reality hit us that this was our last goodbye. That was tough. But of course we all promised to stay in touch, and I really hope to. I've met so many kindred spirits here and I don't want to lose them all forever.
On my way home I stopped inside the antique store I pass everyday just to have a look. Turns out it's a dozen tiny rooms full to the brim with antiques! It was like a museum. And I found this adorable vintage necklace, not sure what time period it's from but I like it anyhow. But then it was time to go back to the house and face the music: packing. And it was indeed a struggle, to say the least. After several attempts I got everything in there and had to throw my whole body weight on top to get my suitcase to zip. Of course, I have to open it tomorrow to cram a few more things in, so that should be another adventure in itself.
Around 7 or so Corine got home from work and I gave her the flowers and a little card I found for her with this quote: "Ne perds pas l'opportunite de voir quelque chose de beau. La beaute c'est la preuve d'existence de Dieu," or something like that. Translation: "Never miss an opportunity to see something beautiful. Beauty is the proof of God's existence." I found it in Nimes and thought it really just summed up her view on life. Every night she prays before dinner, "Thank you Lord for all these good things, all these beautiful colors, for this lovely day. Bon appetit." But in French, of course. She really liked both the card and the flowers, so I was content.
But tonight was definitely a celebratory occasion, being that it's my last night, exams are over, and incidentally it's also the feast of St. Natalie. So Corine took me out to dinner in town! We went to a creperie and had, of course, crepes, with some salad and cider. Then we went and got soft-serve. After that we just sort of strolled around, talked a little bit, then it was time for me to meet my friends. We went to our usual haunt, Bar Les Celestins, where I had a kir (white wine, cassis, and some kind of syrup). We just had a low-key sort of night, definitely bittersweet, and when it was time to go home and go to sleep nobody wanted to say good-bye. I will truly miss these kids, and I will certainly never forget the times we have shared here in this beautiful place. But again, I'm trying not to process it all right now. I have to focus on my long day of travel tomorrow (technically today, since it's past midnight here). Oh boy...July 28th is going to be one long day!
Speaking of which, I had better get some sleep.
Love and miss you all, and see you soon!
Natalie
I started out the day by getting my very last pain au chocolat at my favorite bakery stall at Les Halles, and I said adieu to the baker. Then I took my history exam, during which I wrote an epic essay about the major social changes in France from 1945-1975. Then came time for lunch. I had been in the mood for a panini, but fate brought me to a kebab stand where I got the BEST kebab I've ever had. They're pretty much the same thing as a gyro, but this one was one of the best things I've ever tasted. Then it was time for my phonetics exam, a quick one-on-one with Madame to do a little dictation test and some reading. Quick and relatively painless. So exams were fine. After my last one I ventured back out to stock up on Kinder Bueno at the grocery store, because I need a supply of them to tide me over until I can get to Jungle Jim's to see if they sell them. And of course, to buy one last chocolate eclair.
I got back to the Center and just hung out with people for awhile, then it was time for our little farewell celebration. We had cider and cookies, and some of the host parents came, and also our friends from Carpentras from the American/French alliance. Very cute. After a little socializing and a few good-byes, my 3 good friends from the program and I set out in search of flowers for our respective hosts. But after that, the reality hit us that this was our last goodbye. That was tough. But of course we all promised to stay in touch, and I really hope to. I've met so many kindred spirits here and I don't want to lose them all forever.
On my way home I stopped inside the antique store I pass everyday just to have a look. Turns out it's a dozen tiny rooms full to the brim with antiques! It was like a museum. And I found this adorable vintage necklace, not sure what time period it's from but I like it anyhow. But then it was time to go back to the house and face the music: packing. And it was indeed a struggle, to say the least. After several attempts I got everything in there and had to throw my whole body weight on top to get my suitcase to zip. Of course, I have to open it tomorrow to cram a few more things in, so that should be another adventure in itself.
Around 7 or so Corine got home from work and I gave her the flowers and a little card I found for her with this quote: "Ne perds pas l'opportunite de voir quelque chose de beau. La beaute c'est la preuve d'existence de Dieu," or something like that. Translation: "Never miss an opportunity to see something beautiful. Beauty is the proof of God's existence." I found it in Nimes and thought it really just summed up her view on life. Every night she prays before dinner, "Thank you Lord for all these good things, all these beautiful colors, for this lovely day. Bon appetit." But in French, of course. She really liked both the card and the flowers, so I was content.
But tonight was definitely a celebratory occasion, being that it's my last night, exams are over, and incidentally it's also the feast of St. Natalie. So Corine took me out to dinner in town! We went to a creperie and had, of course, crepes, with some salad and cider. Then we went and got soft-serve. After that we just sort of strolled around, talked a little bit, then it was time for me to meet my friends. We went to our usual haunt, Bar Les Celestins, where I had a kir (white wine, cassis, and some kind of syrup). We just had a low-key sort of night, definitely bittersweet, and when it was time to go home and go to sleep nobody wanted to say good-bye. I will truly miss these kids, and I will certainly never forget the times we have shared here in this beautiful place. But again, I'm trying not to process it all right now. I have to focus on my long day of travel tomorrow (technically today, since it's past midnight here). Oh boy...July 28th is going to be one long day!
Speaking of which, I had better get some sleep.
Love and miss you all, and see you soon!
Natalie
Monday, July 26, 2010
Only 36 or so hours left here in Avignon! Absolutely crazy to think about. I've been gone for so long, but it's been so short! It's getting to the point now where I am just so ready to be home, to be with my family and friends, that it's almost okay that I'm leaving this beautiful place. Almost.
But I didn't blog on Sunday because nothing happened that was worth reporting. I slept in, did a little homework, organized some things, and started packing. But that was all. Today was more eventful. It was my last day of classes, and it was pretty fun today. Everyone was in a good mood because it was the last day...even if everyone is dreading our final exams tomorrow. They really shouldn't be too bad, it's just that I don't feel much like studying. But that's what's on the agenda for tonight: studying and packing.
Anyhow, phonetics class today was especially fun. At the end of class we got Madame Sliwka to do some tongue twisters in English, since she had made us do a bunch in French. Things like "She sells seashells by the seashore" and "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood." Some she did really well, but some she really struggled with. But she's an actress and a great teacher, and probably only in her late thirties so she was a good sport and played along. And we gave her a round of applause for trying, anyhow. It really is funny to hear the French try to say English words, brand names especially. Abercrombie & Fitch and Tommy Hilfiger become "Ahbearcrumbie ay Feesh" and "Tummy Illfigair." It must be similar to how we sound speaking French, if our accent's bad. We got a laugh out of Madame today by telling her how Americans pronounce things like "Merci beaucoup"--in French, it sounds like "mair-si boh-coo," but we told her Americans might say it like "mercy bo-cup." She thought that was pretty funny.
In between classes I was able to get a last bit of souvenir shopping in. I also bumped into some tourists--one Canadian couple near Palais des Papes, and a British couple at Amorino (this incredible Italian gelato place where I tried the almond and hazelnut flavors...so good). But there's a sense of solidarity with other English speakers when you're in a foreign country. I was walking along and I heard the Canadian couple talking about the best picture to take of the palace, so I backed up a few steps and asked if they wanted me to take a picture of them together. I've done this a few times and they always look surprised, like, what is an American doing here? But they always seem grateful to chat a little in their native tongue. It's nice.
Tonight Corine had a friend over for dinner, Mireille, who has visited before with her little dog, Kiki. Corine made lasagna, and it was sooooo goooooood. It had eggplant in it, so it was a little bit more of a mix between lasagna and Greek mouscaca. But it was quite yummy. Tomorrow will be my last dinner here, and that is truly strange to think about. I think I'll be in denial about it for awhile instead.
Miss and love all of you!
Natalie
But I didn't blog on Sunday because nothing happened that was worth reporting. I slept in, did a little homework, organized some things, and started packing. But that was all. Today was more eventful. It was my last day of classes, and it was pretty fun today. Everyone was in a good mood because it was the last day...even if everyone is dreading our final exams tomorrow. They really shouldn't be too bad, it's just that I don't feel much like studying. But that's what's on the agenda for tonight: studying and packing.
Anyhow, phonetics class today was especially fun. At the end of class we got Madame Sliwka to do some tongue twisters in English, since she had made us do a bunch in French. Things like "She sells seashells by the seashore" and "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood." Some she did really well, but some she really struggled with. But she's an actress and a great teacher, and probably only in her late thirties so she was a good sport and played along. And we gave her a round of applause for trying, anyhow. It really is funny to hear the French try to say English words, brand names especially. Abercrombie & Fitch and Tommy Hilfiger become "Ahbearcrumbie ay Feesh" and "Tummy Illfigair." It must be similar to how we sound speaking French, if our accent's bad. We got a laugh out of Madame today by telling her how Americans pronounce things like "Merci beaucoup"--in French, it sounds like "mair-si boh-coo," but we told her Americans might say it like "mercy bo-cup." She thought that was pretty funny.
In between classes I was able to get a last bit of souvenir shopping in. I also bumped into some tourists--one Canadian couple near Palais des Papes, and a British couple at Amorino (this incredible Italian gelato place where I tried the almond and hazelnut flavors...so good). But there's a sense of solidarity with other English speakers when you're in a foreign country. I was walking along and I heard the Canadian couple talking about the best picture to take of the palace, so I backed up a few steps and asked if they wanted me to take a picture of them together. I've done this a few times and they always look surprised, like, what is an American doing here? But they always seem grateful to chat a little in their native tongue. It's nice.
Tonight Corine had a friend over for dinner, Mireille, who has visited before with her little dog, Kiki. Corine made lasagna, and it was sooooo goooooood. It had eggplant in it, so it was a little bit more of a mix between lasagna and Greek mouscaca. But it was quite yummy. Tomorrow will be my last dinner here, and that is truly strange to think about. I think I'll be in denial about it for awhile instead.
Miss and love all of you!
Natalie
Saturday, July 24, 2010
La Lune Pleine
The full moon. It really does make the crazies come out. But more on all that later.
Today was our last Saturday, and 5 of us girls decided to do a day trip. The original plan was to go to Aix-en-Provence, but it turns out that on Saturdays it is both very tricky and very expensive to get there. So we opted for a city a little closer to home: Nimes. Only about a half hour train ride, not bad at all. Such a beautiful city!! So peaceful, clean, and quiet compared to Avignon at the height of the Festival. Definitely a more modern city, as well. More grand boulevards, less twisty-turny streets, beautiful churches and cathedrals built in the last 300 years or so (that's recent, for France). But there are also a lot of very well-preserved vestiges of Roman times, like the "Square House" (an ancient temple) and the ampitheatre, and others that are not as intact but are nonetheless incorporated into the city, like old pieces of ramparts or dilapidated temples. So we got to see some of these monuments, we ate lunch at some little place, walked around for awhile, did some shopping, had some ice cream, etc. But the highlight of the day in Nimes was the time we spent at Les Jardins de la Fontaine (Gardens of the Fountain). It is this huge park where there are these beautiful fountains and sculptures and everything, and if you climb this grand staircase you can get to little grassy areas with flowers and cave-like things and even a little waterfall. So beautiful! And so many great photos.
We spent a good deal of time at the park and just wandering around, but we finally made it back to Avignon around 7 or so and went in search of a worthy restaurant. I decided that for my last Saturday night dinner, I'd go all out and get just whatever I wanted. After quite awhile of searching we chose a restaurant called New Ground which is literally around the corner from school. Possibly the best meal I have eaten here!! I started out with gazpacho, which was incredible. Just the right amount of garlic and a little kick in there too. Then...holy mother of pearl...duck with a glaze of lavender honey. With pistachio potatoes. And some artichoke/zucchini deal that was so yummy. But the duck...it surpassed them all. My mouth is watering again just thinking about it! And of course wine, and opera cake for dessert. Dinner took about 3 hours, which was just fine by me. However, though the food was great and the street was just lively enough with actors and street performers, the service was incredibly bad. They flat-out ignored us for long periods of time. Of course, when you only have 2 waitresses at the height of the dinner hour, it's bound to happen, but this was just awful. If the food wasn't as divine as it was, I would have been truly angry. But that duck...it saved the night!
But as I mentioned before, the full moon was out tonight. And the crazies were out in abundance. Of course, as a woman here in France, I experience this to some degree every day. Men here are very blatant about staring at you, making comments, trying to get in your face, wolf-whistling, all of that. But tonight was worse than usual. It's like a group of 5 young women can't even feel safe eating outside at a restaurant. Well, we felt safe enough, but we were especially creeped out by one guy in particular. He was clearly very intoxicated, and seemed to be not quite right in the head. But he came up to our table and stood behind Dawn for several minutes, and at first we thought he was just going to advertise a show to us--around Festival time you get used to all sorts of people coming up to talk to you about this show or that, give you a flyer, whatever. But he just stood. And he sort of mumbled a few things and made some possibly obscene gestures until Caitlin finally told him to leave us alone. He did, but he stumbled up and down the street a few more times. Thankfully he did not grace our table with his presence anymore after that. But it definitely weirded us out a little.
Other than the full moon bringing all manner of weirdos out this evening, it was a delicious dinner and a very, very good day. I don't even want to think that I have to leave this part of the world. I will be back, absolutely. I am promising myself that. That's the only way I can bear to leave it.
I think that's all for now...tomorrow I'm going to sleep in and just relax, probably get a little studying done.
Love and miss you all!!!
Natalie
Today was our last Saturday, and 5 of us girls decided to do a day trip. The original plan was to go to Aix-en-Provence, but it turns out that on Saturdays it is both very tricky and very expensive to get there. So we opted for a city a little closer to home: Nimes. Only about a half hour train ride, not bad at all. Such a beautiful city!! So peaceful, clean, and quiet compared to Avignon at the height of the Festival. Definitely a more modern city, as well. More grand boulevards, less twisty-turny streets, beautiful churches and cathedrals built in the last 300 years or so (that's recent, for France). But there are also a lot of very well-preserved vestiges of Roman times, like the "Square House" (an ancient temple) and the ampitheatre, and others that are not as intact but are nonetheless incorporated into the city, like old pieces of ramparts or dilapidated temples. So we got to see some of these monuments, we ate lunch at some little place, walked around for awhile, did some shopping, had some ice cream, etc. But the highlight of the day in Nimes was the time we spent at Les Jardins de la Fontaine (Gardens of the Fountain). It is this huge park where there are these beautiful fountains and sculptures and everything, and if you climb this grand staircase you can get to little grassy areas with flowers and cave-like things and even a little waterfall. So beautiful! And so many great photos.
We spent a good deal of time at the park and just wandering around, but we finally made it back to Avignon around 7 or so and went in search of a worthy restaurant. I decided that for my last Saturday night dinner, I'd go all out and get just whatever I wanted. After quite awhile of searching we chose a restaurant called New Ground which is literally around the corner from school. Possibly the best meal I have eaten here!! I started out with gazpacho, which was incredible. Just the right amount of garlic and a little kick in there too. Then...holy mother of pearl...duck with a glaze of lavender honey. With pistachio potatoes. And some artichoke/zucchini deal that was so yummy. But the duck...it surpassed them all. My mouth is watering again just thinking about it! And of course wine, and opera cake for dessert. Dinner took about 3 hours, which was just fine by me. However, though the food was great and the street was just lively enough with actors and street performers, the service was incredibly bad. They flat-out ignored us for long periods of time. Of course, when you only have 2 waitresses at the height of the dinner hour, it's bound to happen, but this was just awful. If the food wasn't as divine as it was, I would have been truly angry. But that duck...it saved the night!
But as I mentioned before, the full moon was out tonight. And the crazies were out in abundance. Of course, as a woman here in France, I experience this to some degree every day. Men here are very blatant about staring at you, making comments, trying to get in your face, wolf-whistling, all of that. But tonight was worse than usual. It's like a group of 5 young women can't even feel safe eating outside at a restaurant. Well, we felt safe enough, but we were especially creeped out by one guy in particular. He was clearly very intoxicated, and seemed to be not quite right in the head. But he came up to our table and stood behind Dawn for several minutes, and at first we thought he was just going to advertise a show to us--around Festival time you get used to all sorts of people coming up to talk to you about this show or that, give you a flyer, whatever. But he just stood. And he sort of mumbled a few things and made some possibly obscene gestures until Caitlin finally told him to leave us alone. He did, but he stumbled up and down the street a few more times. Thankfully he did not grace our table with his presence anymore after that. But it definitely weirded us out a little.
Other than the full moon bringing all manner of weirdos out this evening, it was a delicious dinner and a very, very good day. I don't even want to think that I have to leave this part of the world. I will be back, absolutely. I am promising myself that. That's the only way I can bear to leave it.
I think that's all for now...tomorrow I'm going to sleep in and just relax, probably get a little studying done.
Love and miss you all!!!
Natalie
Friday, July 23, 2010
Final Countdown
What a weekend it has been so far!
Yesterday for Phonetics class, instead of meeting for a normal class, we went to the Jean Vilar House, a museum of Festival history. They had a special exhibit on Chekhov that we explored, and we will have to write a short paper about it. It was a really neat exhibit, full of photos, set designs, costumes, books...everything. After we'd finished looking around we were free to go, so I wandered down towards the Palais des Papes area and did a little souvenir shopping for the family. On my way back to the Center I tried some lavender ice cream, which was downright delicious and I want to learn to make it. But it turns out I made it back to the Center just in time, because I hadn't been back but for a few minutes before it started POURING. It was the first real rain I've seen since I've been here. It only lasted a few minutes but it was really storming. It was so odd to see rain here. It just doesn't rain here in the summer. And when it does it's like the Avignonnais don't know what to do with it.
Once classes were done for the day, a big group of us headed over to another American Institute nearby. Apparently a program from Bryn Mawr has been here for as long as we have and we never met any of those students until yesterday! But they are going home this weekend, so I guess it's too late. Anyhow, they were putting on a little talent show type deal, showcasing what they'd learned in their theatre, phonetics, music, and Provencal language classes. Some of it was pretty interesting, and a handful of the kids were really talented. Of course, there were some who completely and horribly destroyed French when they spoke...painful to listen to. But the best thing about it was this parody of Papperlapapp, that awful absurdist plot-less mess of a show I went to see a few weeks ago. It was a hilarious spoof, and I was so glad I wasn't the only one that thought the play was total nonsense!
After the show, I went home to eat and shower. Since Corine is out of town, she made me some food before I left. There was a gratin of salmon and spinach, and another of artichokes and potatoes. Really quite good, and different than what I'm used to. It will be the same thing tonight, with the addition of fruit, salad, and some bread I bought on the way home. Anyhow, after dinner I headed back into town to see a clown show with 3 other students. It was called "Fruit" and it was just one clown being goofy and interacting with the audience. Only about an hour long, and very entertaining. Once the show was over, we headed back to the Center to meet up with everyone. There were a couple of young guys sitting on the steps in front of the building, which is pretty typical, but only after we had been there for a few minutes did we discover they were British! So we chatted with them till the rest of the group got there. Real nice guys. We had a similar experience moments later, as we waited in line for crepes (messiest/most delicious crepe ever, by the way), with a group of Australians. So funny how we keep running into so many anglophones.
After our little snack, we all headed over to Isle Berthalasse, the little island in the Rhone, and spent the rest of the evening sitting on the grass and talking. A very chill night. Of course, I didn't get home till really late, but it was worth it to spend some time with everyone before we have to leave. I'm trying not to think about the fact that I have so little time left here.
Moving on to today, I slept in a little and headed over to the Center around noon-ish, stopping along the way at Illico, this little pasta place on the way to school that I've never tried. I got three cheese pasta and it was awesome--there was definitely goat cheese involved. So I got to the Center, ate with everyone, and then about an hour or so later it was time for our excursion to Villeneuve-lez-Avignon, the small town across the river. We took the bus there and stopped at Fort Saint-André, a huge fortress used in the Middle Ages to protect the abbey, within the fort itself, as well as the papal palace across the river in Avignon. Very well preserved and just very beautiful in general. I took A LOT of pictures.
We toured the fort for a couple of hours and then caught the bus back to town. A couple friends and I stopped to browse through the open air world market on the banks of the river. Lots of interesting things! Vintage swords, giant hammocks, jewelry, crafts...just tons of stuff. We had a good time exploring it all, but as the afternoon wore on and just got hotter and hotter, we decided to call it a day and go home. On my way back to the house, I stopped in Place de l'Horloge to see 2 street dancers doing a hip-hop type medley, very comical and with a couple pretty cool break dancing tricks. They were a lively bunch, to say the least. But I finally made it home and decided to have a quiet night. I need to do laundry, organize school stuff for my upcoming exams, and start thinking about packing. So I'm looking forward to some "me" time.
Tomorrow 3 of the girls and I are going on a day-trip...where we are going has not yet been decided. Maybe Aix, maybe Nimes, maybe some little village nearby...it all depends on how crazy the train and bus schedules are being. It's all very unpredictable, especially on weekends. But wherever we end up, it's guaranteed to be beautiful--it's Provence!
I think that's all I have...
Love and miss you all!
Natalie
Yesterday for Phonetics class, instead of meeting for a normal class, we went to the Jean Vilar House, a museum of Festival history. They had a special exhibit on Chekhov that we explored, and we will have to write a short paper about it. It was a really neat exhibit, full of photos, set designs, costumes, books...everything. After we'd finished looking around we were free to go, so I wandered down towards the Palais des Papes area and did a little souvenir shopping for the family. On my way back to the Center I tried some lavender ice cream, which was downright delicious and I want to learn to make it. But it turns out I made it back to the Center just in time, because I hadn't been back but for a few minutes before it started POURING. It was the first real rain I've seen since I've been here. It only lasted a few minutes but it was really storming. It was so odd to see rain here. It just doesn't rain here in the summer. And when it does it's like the Avignonnais don't know what to do with it.
Once classes were done for the day, a big group of us headed over to another American Institute nearby. Apparently a program from Bryn Mawr has been here for as long as we have and we never met any of those students until yesterday! But they are going home this weekend, so I guess it's too late. Anyhow, they were putting on a little talent show type deal, showcasing what they'd learned in their theatre, phonetics, music, and Provencal language classes. Some of it was pretty interesting, and a handful of the kids were really talented. Of course, there were some who completely and horribly destroyed French when they spoke...painful to listen to. But the best thing about it was this parody of Papperlapapp, that awful absurdist plot-less mess of a show I went to see a few weeks ago. It was a hilarious spoof, and I was so glad I wasn't the only one that thought the play was total nonsense!
After the show, I went home to eat and shower. Since Corine is out of town, she made me some food before I left. There was a gratin of salmon and spinach, and another of artichokes and potatoes. Really quite good, and different than what I'm used to. It will be the same thing tonight, with the addition of fruit, salad, and some bread I bought on the way home. Anyhow, after dinner I headed back into town to see a clown show with 3 other students. It was called "Fruit" and it was just one clown being goofy and interacting with the audience. Only about an hour long, and very entertaining. Once the show was over, we headed back to the Center to meet up with everyone. There were a couple of young guys sitting on the steps in front of the building, which is pretty typical, but only after we had been there for a few minutes did we discover they were British! So we chatted with them till the rest of the group got there. Real nice guys. We had a similar experience moments later, as we waited in line for crepes (messiest/most delicious crepe ever, by the way), with a group of Australians. So funny how we keep running into so many anglophones.
After our little snack, we all headed over to Isle Berthalasse, the little island in the Rhone, and spent the rest of the evening sitting on the grass and talking. A very chill night. Of course, I didn't get home till really late, but it was worth it to spend some time with everyone before we have to leave. I'm trying not to think about the fact that I have so little time left here.
Moving on to today, I slept in a little and headed over to the Center around noon-ish, stopping along the way at Illico, this little pasta place on the way to school that I've never tried. I got three cheese pasta and it was awesome--there was definitely goat cheese involved. So I got to the Center, ate with everyone, and then about an hour or so later it was time for our excursion to Villeneuve-lez-Avignon, the small town across the river. We took the bus there and stopped at Fort Saint-André, a huge fortress used in the Middle Ages to protect the abbey, within the fort itself, as well as the papal palace across the river in Avignon. Very well preserved and just very beautiful in general. I took A LOT of pictures.
We toured the fort for a couple of hours and then caught the bus back to town. A couple friends and I stopped to browse through the open air world market on the banks of the river. Lots of interesting things! Vintage swords, giant hammocks, jewelry, crafts...just tons of stuff. We had a good time exploring it all, but as the afternoon wore on and just got hotter and hotter, we decided to call it a day and go home. On my way back to the house, I stopped in Place de l'Horloge to see 2 street dancers doing a hip-hop type medley, very comical and with a couple pretty cool break dancing tricks. They were a lively bunch, to say the least. But I finally made it home and decided to have a quiet night. I need to do laundry, organize school stuff for my upcoming exams, and start thinking about packing. So I'm looking forward to some "me" time.
Tomorrow 3 of the girls and I are going on a day-trip...where we are going has not yet been decided. Maybe Aix, maybe Nimes, maybe some little village nearby...it all depends on how crazy the train and bus schedules are being. It's all very unpredictable, especially on weekends. But wherever we end up, it's guaranteed to be beautiful--it's Provence!
I think that's all I have...
Love and miss you all!
Natalie
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Epic Lunch
...it really was. Think massive quantities of fruit. So good. The nectarines are perfect right now, as are the cherries. I eat so many fresh fruits and vegetables here, I wonder how I could possibly be gaining weight. Which I'm not sure if I am. If I am, I am in denial about it. And nobody better say anything when I get home (that means you, Dad).
Anyhow, it was a good day. I did a little shopping the afternoon, checking out 2 stores of French cultural importance: le FNAC and Etam. The former is a little like a Barnes & Noble, but with more music and DVDs. The latter is a clothing store, somewhat like an H&M. Both are quite popular here, and you're likely to find one in most cities. Anyway, I browsed around, took advantage of some of the Soldes, etc. It was quite relaxing.
After class, my friend Emily and I went to see a dance show called "Tradition to Transition," which was really interesting. There was one woman, the dancer, and two men who were musicians. It was traditional dance and music from India, and even though the show was less than an hour, it was just incredible. I couldn't believe how fast that lady could move her feet! Parts of it were like tap dancing, but she was barefoot and had bells around her ankles. Truly a great show.
After that I came home and had some dinner. Which was delicious, as usual. And accompanied by my second white nectarine of the day. They are just so good!
Anyhow, I have classes tomorrow and Monday, and my two finals on Tuesday. My history exam will be an analysis of a source document I've never seen before, and then an essay that will have to synthesize some aspects of what we studied. No idea what those will be. But we did our presentation on the Cold War today, and it went pretty well, so I'm not too concerned with my grades at this point. For our Phonetics final, it will just be a one-on-one meeting with the teacher to take a dictation test and read some small texts. Pretty straightforward. So all in all it shouldn't be too bad.
This last week is going to be the hardest, I can tell. Tonight when I was making dinner Corine walked past and sort of rubbed my back a little, a maternal gesture. And it hit me all at once in that moment just how much I miss my mom (and I'm not just saying that, Mom!). So I will be happy to come home and see everyone.
I think that's all for tonight.
Love and miss you all so much,
Natalie
Anyhow, it was a good day. I did a little shopping the afternoon, checking out 2 stores of French cultural importance: le FNAC and Etam. The former is a little like a Barnes & Noble, but with more music and DVDs. The latter is a clothing store, somewhat like an H&M. Both are quite popular here, and you're likely to find one in most cities. Anyway, I browsed around, took advantage of some of the Soldes, etc. It was quite relaxing.
After class, my friend Emily and I went to see a dance show called "Tradition to Transition," which was really interesting. There was one woman, the dancer, and two men who were musicians. It was traditional dance and music from India, and even though the show was less than an hour, it was just incredible. I couldn't believe how fast that lady could move her feet! Parts of it were like tap dancing, but she was barefoot and had bells around her ankles. Truly a great show.
After that I came home and had some dinner. Which was delicious, as usual. And accompanied by my second white nectarine of the day. They are just so good!
Anyhow, I have classes tomorrow and Monday, and my two finals on Tuesday. My history exam will be an analysis of a source document I've never seen before, and then an essay that will have to synthesize some aspects of what we studied. No idea what those will be. But we did our presentation on the Cold War today, and it went pretty well, so I'm not too concerned with my grades at this point. For our Phonetics final, it will just be a one-on-one meeting with the teacher to take a dictation test and read some small texts. Pretty straightforward. So all in all it shouldn't be too bad.
This last week is going to be the hardest, I can tell. Tonight when I was making dinner Corine walked past and sort of rubbed my back a little, a maternal gesture. And it hit me all at once in that moment just how much I miss my mom (and I'm not just saying that, Mom!). So I will be happy to come home and see everyone.
I think that's all for tonight.
Love and miss you all so much,
Natalie
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Il n'y reste qu'une semaine...
It's crazy that there's only a week left! There's still so much I want to do! It has been amazing so far, though, that's for sure. I will definitely have to come back to Avignon, hopefully sometime soon. I was thinking maybe taking a summer off right after graduation and spending it here. I have my whole life to work, why start the moment I graduate? That would be silly. If anything it would be a fun trip to plan, even if it never comes to fruition.
Though I really don't want to leave Provence, I must admit the homesickness gets a little worse every day. For the majority of the trip it hasn't been too bad, but now that it's so close, it has become more difficult. However, thanks to my wonderful, generous, fantastic Uncle Nick, today I was surprised with a taste of home--another care package filled with American goodies! Things like Oreos, animal crackers, more peanut butter, granola bars, fruit roll-ups...the list goes on and on. There's just so much food I couldn't possibly eat it all! Which ends up very well for my fellow students, of course, as they get to share it. So with the kitchenette shelves at the Center stocked with American snack food, everyone was quite content today.
The past two nights at dinner we have had something a little different: barley. Just boiled and served warm with olive oil and soy sauce. No-frills and surprisingly delicious, actually. I think I might try it at home, especially in my kitchen at my school apartment. Among other things. There's definitely going to be some kitchen experimentation when I return to the States. Mom, Dad, prepare yourselves.
Anyhow, I don't really have any homework tonight. I might actually get a chance to read a little. How nice!
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
Though I really don't want to leave Provence, I must admit the homesickness gets a little worse every day. For the majority of the trip it hasn't been too bad, but now that it's so close, it has become more difficult. However, thanks to my wonderful, generous, fantastic Uncle Nick, today I was surprised with a taste of home--another care package filled with American goodies! Things like Oreos, animal crackers, more peanut butter, granola bars, fruit roll-ups...the list goes on and on. There's just so much food I couldn't possibly eat it all! Which ends up very well for my fellow students, of course, as they get to share it. So with the kitchenette shelves at the Center stocked with American snack food, everyone was quite content today.
The past two nights at dinner we have had something a little different: barley. Just boiled and served warm with olive oil and soy sauce. No-frills and surprisingly delicious, actually. I think I might try it at home, especially in my kitchen at my school apartment. Among other things. There's definitely going to be some kitchen experimentation when I return to the States. Mom, Dad, prepare yourselves.
Anyhow, I don't really have any homework tonight. I might actually get a chance to read a little. How nice!
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
Monday, July 19, 2010
Ca roule, ma poule?
"How's it rollin', chickadee?" or somewhat less polite but more accurate to the slang, "What's good, ho?"
I kid you not. I learned this amusing greeting today in Phonetics. Hilarious. And one of my new favorite expressions. Others include "trop classe"--too classy; and "tres spec" which is an abbreviation for "tres special," very special--used to describe someone who's a little crazy. Ah, the French and their cute little sayings. Oh, and we learned a proverb today in class: "Un balai neuf glisse mieux, mais le vieux connait les coins"--a new broom glides better, but the old one knows the corners. Not entirely sure what it means. I have an idea. It's a nice saying, though.
Anyhow, that was one of the most eventful things today. I actually had a lot of homework tonight...I have most of it done now, but there's a little left. We're presenting our big history project tomorrow afternoon, so my partner and I are exchanging emails about that. I didn't get a nap today because I was working on homework (sad story, right?), so I think I'll just try to finish what I can and then relax the rest of the evening.
The other big thing I had for homework tonight was to interview Corine for Phonetics. I asked her some questions about the theatre festival, and basically just had to take down verbatim what she said--like a diction test in class. But more fun. It was really interesting to get a local opinion on the Festival. She talked about how all the Avignonnais hate the Festival because it makes the town noisy and dirty, and how she only likes to see the world music and dance shows because she's not really that into theatre. It was pretty funny, hearing her talk about how she barely goes into town in the summer to avoid all the craziness. I can see what she means. It is truly crazy here during the Festival. But fun!
Well, I think that's all I have for now...
Love and miss you all so much,
Nat
I kid you not. I learned this amusing greeting today in Phonetics. Hilarious. And one of my new favorite expressions. Others include "trop classe"--too classy; and "tres spec" which is an abbreviation for "tres special," very special--used to describe someone who's a little crazy. Ah, the French and their cute little sayings. Oh, and we learned a proverb today in class: "Un balai neuf glisse mieux, mais le vieux connait les coins"--a new broom glides better, but the old one knows the corners. Not entirely sure what it means. I have an idea. It's a nice saying, though.
Anyhow, that was one of the most eventful things today. I actually had a lot of homework tonight...I have most of it done now, but there's a little left. We're presenting our big history project tomorrow afternoon, so my partner and I are exchanging emails about that. I didn't get a nap today because I was working on homework (sad story, right?), so I think I'll just try to finish what I can and then relax the rest of the evening.
The other big thing I had for homework tonight was to interview Corine for Phonetics. I asked her some questions about the theatre festival, and basically just had to take down verbatim what she said--like a diction test in class. But more fun. It was really interesting to get a local opinion on the Festival. She talked about how all the Avignonnais hate the Festival because it makes the town noisy and dirty, and how she only likes to see the world music and dance shows because she's not really that into theatre. It was pretty funny, hearing her talk about how she barely goes into town in the summer to avoid all the craziness. I can see what she means. It is truly crazy here during the Festival. But fun!
Well, I think that's all I have for now...
Love and miss you all so much,
Nat
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Le Mistral Retourne
The vicious Mistral wind is back again. It was really making a racket last night; I finally had to resort to shutting my windows. But the wind is oh so lovely during the day! It's definitely a nice break from the heat.
Since it's Sunday, it was my day to sleep in and do a little homework. That's basically all I have done all day. And when I say "do my homework," I mean mess around on the Internet until I feel I can put it off no longer. But it gets done--these are skills that college has taught me.
Just got back from eating dinner. I was at the table alone this evening, as Corine had a big lunch and wasn't hungry. So I warmed up some salmon (and drenched it in lemon juice, of course), made a HUGE salad, had an apple, some bread, and that mock-tiramisu thing that has become my new favorite thing ever. It was so peaceful just to sit and enjoy a meal on the patio in the lingering warmth of the day, and not have to make conversation or anything. Just sit. Since the Mistral rolled in and chased away the clouds, the sky has become this deep deep blue color I have only seen in this part of the world. It's breathtaking.
I can't believe I've been here over a month. I only have a week and half left! I love it here. I never want to leave. But I also miss home, my family, my friends, my pets. I'll be glad to go home, but part of my heart will always live in Provence. I'll just have to come back, that's all.
I think that's all I have for now.
Love,
Natalie
Since it's Sunday, it was my day to sleep in and do a little homework. That's basically all I have done all day. And when I say "do my homework," I mean mess around on the Internet until I feel I can put it off no longer. But it gets done--these are skills that college has taught me.
Just got back from eating dinner. I was at the table alone this evening, as Corine had a big lunch and wasn't hungry. So I warmed up some salmon (and drenched it in lemon juice, of course), made a HUGE salad, had an apple, some bread, and that mock-tiramisu thing that has become my new favorite thing ever. It was so peaceful just to sit and enjoy a meal on the patio in the lingering warmth of the day, and not have to make conversation or anything. Just sit. Since the Mistral rolled in and chased away the clouds, the sky has become this deep deep blue color I have only seen in this part of the world. It's breathtaking.
I can't believe I've been here over a month. I only have a week and half left! I love it here. I never want to leave. But I also miss home, my family, my friends, my pets. I'll be glad to go home, but part of my heart will always live in Provence. I'll just have to come back, that's all.
I think that's all I have for now.
Love,
Natalie
Saturday, July 17, 2010
L'enfer, c'est les autres.
"Hell is other people." A famous quote from No Exit ("Huis Clos") by Jean-Paul Sartre, which I just got back from seeing. Excellently done, and a great drama. I understood enough of it, I think. Thankfully I saw it at home once in high school, so I could remember some things. But though this quote sometimes sums up exactly how I feel about the world, today that was not the case. It was a really great day and I took tons of pictures!
We started off the day with our visit to Arles. First, we went to a museum of Roman artifacts, which had some cool stuff, especially models of what the city was like during the Roman empire. Apparently it was quite an important town, commercially, because it is right on the Rhone river (like Avignon). The Romans built a huge arena there, which was used for fights between men and wild animals, the occasional gladiator battle, and also more folk-type events. Today they use it for bullfights. But the coolest thing I learned at the museum this morning was what became of the arena during the Middle Ages: the town was invaded by barbaric tribes after the empire fell, and the majority of the population was killed. So the remaining citizens of Arles moved inside the walls of the arena, as it was better constructed than their own city walls and was the only thing that could keep the barbarians out. So within the arena they built houses and watchtowers and everything, and lived there for many years--click here to see an illustration. Pretty cool stuff.
After the trip to the museum we visited the arena itself. Crazy to think this entire structure was built without mortar, and has seen so much history. So our prof gave us a little historical background on the arena, and I admit I drifted a little, as I was starting to get hungry. Thankfully our tour was quick and then we were free to eat lunch. On Saturdays in Arles there's a big open air market, and that is where we went to find food. So many delicious things, so little time! I got some chevre (goat cheese), a white peach, and this tomato-y thing that's really hard to describe. I also got a mille feuille, which involves many layered sheets of pastry and a lot of custard. So I loved it all, needless to say.
After lunch we wandered a bit, eventually coming to rest by the obelisk in the main square. Soon everyone had gathered and we had a little tour of the Cathedrale St. Trophime and the accompanying cloister. Then before we know it, it's already 4pm and time to catch a train back. I made some plans with my friends to meet later in the evening, then went home and had a quick nap. Four of the girls and I had dinner tonight in a very artsy district of town, Rue des Teinturiers. So cute! We found a little restaurant called Intramuros, and we were at the table for the standard 2 hours, at least. Very nice. A bottle of white wine, some bread, eggplant puree, salad, steak, ratatouille, pommes frites, and...the BEST chocolate dessert I may have ever had. Ever. Which is saying something. It didn't look like much, but when I tasted it...heaven. As if chocolate mousse and fudge made a beautiful, beautiful baby together. It was so good. I almost licked my plate clean.
One of the main marketing ploys used by all the theatre companies here is to have their actors walk around in costume handing out little postcards and talking to people. Even if you're sitting at a restaurant, like we were tonight, they come right up and talk to you. Some fairly throw their postcard at you, while some stop and talk for several minutes. The latter is more prevalent in the artsy district. We had one man in particular who stopped and talked for at least 5 minutes. Very very sweet old man, clearly full of passion for the story of the play. He was pleased that we spoke French "so well," and he definitely convinced us to come see his show.
Since dinner took so long (as it usually does), we literally had to power-walk/run to the other side of town to make the show on time. As it was, we were about 5 minutes late. I did have to make a quick stop along the way to snap a photo of a man in a bear costume. This town is bizarre during Festival season, that's for sure. But as I mentioned, the show was quite good. After it was over, I walked with the others up to the train station to catch a taxi home. On the walk there I witnessed something the likes of which I have never seen and hope to never see ever again: a three-piece Canadian tuxedo. For those of you unfamiliar with the term "Canadian tuxedo," it's when someone wears jeans and a denim jacket that are of the same or similar wash, resulting in a heinous denim suit-like effect. Well, this lady one-upped everyone else I've ever seen by adding a denim VEST to the mix. It was truly hideous. And they say all Frenchwomen are stylish. Ha.
Anyhow, that basically sums up my day. Tomorrow is devoted to sleep and homework!
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
We started off the day with our visit to Arles. First, we went to a museum of Roman artifacts, which had some cool stuff, especially models of what the city was like during the Roman empire. Apparently it was quite an important town, commercially, because it is right on the Rhone river (like Avignon). The Romans built a huge arena there, which was used for fights between men and wild animals, the occasional gladiator battle, and also more folk-type events. Today they use it for bullfights. But the coolest thing I learned at the museum this morning was what became of the arena during the Middle Ages: the town was invaded by barbaric tribes after the empire fell, and the majority of the population was killed. So the remaining citizens of Arles moved inside the walls of the arena, as it was better constructed than their own city walls and was the only thing that could keep the barbarians out. So within the arena they built houses and watchtowers and everything, and lived there for many years--click here to see an illustration. Pretty cool stuff.
After the trip to the museum we visited the arena itself. Crazy to think this entire structure was built without mortar, and has seen so much history. So our prof gave us a little historical background on the arena, and I admit I drifted a little, as I was starting to get hungry. Thankfully our tour was quick and then we were free to eat lunch. On Saturdays in Arles there's a big open air market, and that is where we went to find food. So many delicious things, so little time! I got some chevre (goat cheese), a white peach, and this tomato-y thing that's really hard to describe. I also got a mille feuille, which involves many layered sheets of pastry and a lot of custard. So I loved it all, needless to say.
After lunch we wandered a bit, eventually coming to rest by the obelisk in the main square. Soon everyone had gathered and we had a little tour of the Cathedrale St. Trophime and the accompanying cloister. Then before we know it, it's already 4pm and time to catch a train back. I made some plans with my friends to meet later in the evening, then went home and had a quick nap. Four of the girls and I had dinner tonight in a very artsy district of town, Rue des Teinturiers. So cute! We found a little restaurant called Intramuros, and we were at the table for the standard 2 hours, at least. Very nice. A bottle of white wine, some bread, eggplant puree, salad, steak, ratatouille, pommes frites, and...the BEST chocolate dessert I may have ever had. Ever. Which is saying something. It didn't look like much, but when I tasted it...heaven. As if chocolate mousse and fudge made a beautiful, beautiful baby together. It was so good. I almost licked my plate clean.
One of the main marketing ploys used by all the theatre companies here is to have their actors walk around in costume handing out little postcards and talking to people. Even if you're sitting at a restaurant, like we were tonight, they come right up and talk to you. Some fairly throw their postcard at you, while some stop and talk for several minutes. The latter is more prevalent in the artsy district. We had one man in particular who stopped and talked for at least 5 minutes. Very very sweet old man, clearly full of passion for the story of the play. He was pleased that we spoke French "so well," and he definitely convinced us to come see his show.
Since dinner took so long (as it usually does), we literally had to power-walk/run to the other side of town to make the show on time. As it was, we were about 5 minutes late. I did have to make a quick stop along the way to snap a photo of a man in a bear costume. This town is bizarre during Festival season, that's for sure. But as I mentioned, the show was quite good. After it was over, I walked with the others up to the train station to catch a taxi home. On the walk there I witnessed something the likes of which I have never seen and hope to never see ever again: a three-piece Canadian tuxedo. For those of you unfamiliar with the term "Canadian tuxedo," it's when someone wears jeans and a denim jacket that are of the same or similar wash, resulting in a heinous denim suit-like effect. Well, this lady one-upped everyone else I've ever seen by adding a denim VEST to the mix. It was truly hideous. And they say all Frenchwomen are stylish. Ha.
Anyhow, that basically sums up my day. Tomorrow is devoted to sleep and homework!
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
Friday, July 16, 2010
Psycholove
That was the name of the play I saw this afternoon. It was quite funny...about a young couple that seeks couples counseling, the crazy exercises their therapist puts them through, like anger management and group therapy. And it turns out that the therapist, a middle aged man, ends up falling in love with the woman. The audience sees the therapist talking into space, to what we presume to be HIS therapist, talking about how he dreams about her, how he hates the boyfriend, and all that. So that added another element of humor to the story. It sort of ended without much resolution, though, and a little bittersweet. Not sure I liked the ending. But nevertheless it was pretty good.
Other than that it was a quiet day. Very hot, as usual. I had vanilla macadamia ice cream on the walk home--possibly a new fave. I was feeling sort of out of it today so I ended up taking a long nap. I actually woke up around 8:30 pm and went downstairs to find Corine eating alone, and I felt sort of bad but explained that I hadn't been feeling too well, and she was sympathetic, having been feeling a little off lately as well. I put together my dinner and joined her and we had another good long dinner with lots of conversation. It seems with each passing night I am able to communicate better and better with her. Some sentences are still pretty hit or miss, but at least I'm trying. Oftentimes we compare expressions, things like "having a song stuck in your head," "sleeping like a rock," "empty-nesters," things like that. I'm often surprised at the ones that are the same, and it's fun to learn the ones that are different. Like, the French say "sleeping like a trunk," as in a tree trunk, to describe sleeping really deeply. A lot of times I'll transpose an American expression into French and it will work because they say the same thing, and sometimes it will be totally different.
Anyhow, tomorrow is the excursion to Arles, which is only about 20 minutes by train. We're going to see the Roman ampitheatre and baths and things like that. It was also the town where Vincent van Gogh made hundreds of paintings over a few years, and stayed in a mental institution there for awhile. I'm sure I'll learn all about it tomorrow.
That's all I have for now!
Love,
Nat
Other than that it was a quiet day. Very hot, as usual. I had vanilla macadamia ice cream on the walk home--possibly a new fave. I was feeling sort of out of it today so I ended up taking a long nap. I actually woke up around 8:30 pm and went downstairs to find Corine eating alone, and I felt sort of bad but explained that I hadn't been feeling too well, and she was sympathetic, having been feeling a little off lately as well. I put together my dinner and joined her and we had another good long dinner with lots of conversation. It seems with each passing night I am able to communicate better and better with her. Some sentences are still pretty hit or miss, but at least I'm trying. Oftentimes we compare expressions, things like "having a song stuck in your head," "sleeping like a rock," "empty-nesters," things like that. I'm often surprised at the ones that are the same, and it's fun to learn the ones that are different. Like, the French say "sleeping like a trunk," as in a tree trunk, to describe sleeping really deeply. A lot of times I'll transpose an American expression into French and it will work because they say the same thing, and sometimes it will be totally different.
Anyhow, tomorrow is the excursion to Arles, which is only about 20 minutes by train. We're going to see the Roman ampitheatre and baths and things like that. It was also the town where Vincent van Gogh made hundreds of paintings over a few years, and stayed in a mental institution there for awhile. I'm sure I'll learn all about it tomorrow.
That's all I have for now!
Love,
Nat
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Le Quatorze
Bastille Day was so much fun! I got to sleep in late and then go get lunch with 3 of my friends, which was quite nice. Then we headed over to the artsy district of town to see a musical called I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change ("Je t'aime, tu es parfait, change") which, if you haven't been lucky enough to ever see it, is absolutely hysterical. Even in French. Each song is a little vignette about an aspect of relationships between men and women: the awkward first date, marriage, having kids...everything. Basically about how we change ourselves to be with someone, how that someone changes us. This idea is summed up by the last line of the show (I've never seen it in English so this is my translation): "Try to find some who you love, who is, in your opinion, perfect; then spend the rest of your life trying to change them." Very very funny. All 4 actors were incredible. I'm so glad I went!
After the show I had my 3 friends over for dinner (Corine was out for the night so she told me I could have people over to eat), and after we had finished it was time to go try to find a place to sit on the riverbank to watch the fireworks. We had to search a little but we ended up with a pretty good spot. The show was incredible...the way you could see all the fireworks reflected in the waters of the Rhone river. Very pretty.
Once the fireworks were over we got in the huge crowd trying to get back into the city walls. Total nightmare. Took us probably 20-30 minutes just to get back inside. Once we were there we had some wine and some dessert on the Place Crillon. I tell you, the whole city of Avignon was out last night celebrating. It was fun to see and to be a part of. But I'll admit I did get home pretty late...thankfully I took a taxi with some of the other girls. It was a little too rowdy out last night to walk home alone.
Anyhow, classes today were fine with one exception: my history class, which meets in the mornings, had to spend 2 hours this afternoon watching a movie about the war in Algeria during the 50s. The movie was made right after the war, and it was largely very dull. Some parts were sort of exciting. Sort of. But mostly boring. After we got done with that little adventure, I treated myself to a search for new black sandals, as mine are near falling apart. Well, it was my lucky day because I found a new pair for FIVE EURO. Which is like $7-8. Which is awesome. And they are very cute and pretty comfy. So that made up for the boring movie.
When I got home I just sat in front of my fan for about an hour. Then I got up to take a shower. Sweating all day does not tend to make one smell like a bed of roses. But right after that was dinner, which was particularly delicious tonight, for whatever reason. There was ratatouille, salad, cheese, bread with oil and balsamic, melon, fromage blanc/marscapone/cocoa powder amazingness, and this candy I have never seen before called "Tete de Negre" which, despite its...unique name (yes, it means just what you think) was delicious. A big piece of oeuf blanc--which is very slightly akin to a marshmallow--covered in dark chocolate. Oh so good. So I ate well tonight. And since I don't have classes on Friday, I really have nothing to do. It's nice, after such a hectic week. So I'm just going to take it easy, figure out which plays to see tomorrow. Then Saturday is our excursion to Arles...more to follow on that one. But that's all for now!
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
After the show I had my 3 friends over for dinner (Corine was out for the night so she told me I could have people over to eat), and after we had finished it was time to go try to find a place to sit on the riverbank to watch the fireworks. We had to search a little but we ended up with a pretty good spot. The show was incredible...the way you could see all the fireworks reflected in the waters of the Rhone river. Very pretty.
Once the fireworks were over we got in the huge crowd trying to get back into the city walls. Total nightmare. Took us probably 20-30 minutes just to get back inside. Once we were there we had some wine and some dessert on the Place Crillon. I tell you, the whole city of Avignon was out last night celebrating. It was fun to see and to be a part of. But I'll admit I did get home pretty late...thankfully I took a taxi with some of the other girls. It was a little too rowdy out last night to walk home alone.
Anyhow, classes today were fine with one exception: my history class, which meets in the mornings, had to spend 2 hours this afternoon watching a movie about the war in Algeria during the 50s. The movie was made right after the war, and it was largely very dull. Some parts were sort of exciting. Sort of. But mostly boring. After we got done with that little adventure, I treated myself to a search for new black sandals, as mine are near falling apart. Well, it was my lucky day because I found a new pair for FIVE EURO. Which is like $7-8. Which is awesome. And they are very cute and pretty comfy. So that made up for the boring movie.
When I got home I just sat in front of my fan for about an hour. Then I got up to take a shower. Sweating all day does not tend to make one smell like a bed of roses. But right after that was dinner, which was particularly delicious tonight, for whatever reason. There was ratatouille, salad, cheese, bread with oil and balsamic, melon, fromage blanc/marscapone/cocoa powder amazingness, and this candy I have never seen before called "Tete de Negre" which, despite its...unique name (yes, it means just what you think) was delicious. A big piece of oeuf blanc--which is very slightly akin to a marshmallow--covered in dark chocolate. Oh so good. So I ate well tonight. And since I don't have classes on Friday, I really have nothing to do. It's nice, after such a hectic week. So I'm just going to take it easy, figure out which plays to see tomorrow. Then Saturday is our excursion to Arles...more to follow on that one. But that's all for now!
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Les Ventilateurs Sauvent Les Vies
It's true. Fans do save lives. And right now one is saving mine! Corine broke down and bought fans for both our bedrooms and it is just lovely to not have to sit here and sweat like crazy anymore! Sitting here with a full stomach and a new fan is really making me just want to go to sleep and not do my homework. But alas, I must! Thankfully I only have to write a little essay. Nothing too bad.
Tomorrow is the 14th, "le quatorze," or Bastille Day. It's a "jour ferie" here in France, meaning a national holiday so people get off work, and more importantly, off school! So some of the girls and I are going to meet up for lunch then go see the musical "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," in French of course. Then we'll all come home and eat, then head back out for the evening's festivities. These include a famous fireworks show down on the riverbanks (they're famous because fireworks were actually first used in France in a town not too far from here), then afterwards there are dances pretty much everywhere. People take this holiday seriously. It's very similar to the 4th of July in the States, but the traditional celebrations are different. They do, of course, have fireworks in common. So it should be a pretty awesome day.
I think the addition of fans to the household really brightened Corine's mood today. She was more talkative and jovial than usual tonight; she even confided in me about her personal life, which I wasn't expecting. It's nice to know she trusts me with certain things, even though I'm not her daughter or anything. But we had some great conversations, some laughs, and for the most part my French was better tonight. I seem to improve just a little every day. I don't think I'll have enough time here to achieve fluency, as I had previously hoped, but I will definitely return to the States with more confidence in the language, better pronunciation, and more vocab.
Anyhow, onward to my little bit of homework then I may read a little. Thank goodness I don't have to get up early tomorrow!
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
Tomorrow is the 14th, "le quatorze," or Bastille Day. It's a "jour ferie" here in France, meaning a national holiday so people get off work, and more importantly, off school! So some of the girls and I are going to meet up for lunch then go see the musical "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," in French of course. Then we'll all come home and eat, then head back out for the evening's festivities. These include a famous fireworks show down on the riverbanks (they're famous because fireworks were actually first used in France in a town not too far from here), then afterwards there are dances pretty much everywhere. People take this holiday seriously. It's very similar to the 4th of July in the States, but the traditional celebrations are different. They do, of course, have fireworks in common. So it should be a pretty awesome day.
I think the addition of fans to the household really brightened Corine's mood today. She was more talkative and jovial than usual tonight; she even confided in me about her personal life, which I wasn't expecting. It's nice to know she trusts me with certain things, even though I'm not her daughter or anything. But we had some great conversations, some laughs, and for the most part my French was better tonight. I seem to improve just a little every day. I don't think I'll have enough time here to achieve fluency, as I had previously hoped, but I will definitely return to the States with more confidence in the language, better pronunciation, and more vocab.
Anyhow, onward to my little bit of homework then I may read a little. Thank goodness I don't have to get up early tomorrow!
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
Monday, July 12, 2010
Procrastination
It happens. And it happens to me frequently. These past couple of weeks I have been putting off working on my Cold War project for history. Tonight I really have to buckle down and get some work done. But we'll see.
Though I did accomplish something today: I wrote down the places and times of various shows I want to see, and looked through my schedule to see when I can go to them. There are all kinds of things going on...dance shows, circuses, dramas, comedians, concerts. You name it, it's in Avignon right now. I also organized my collection of stolen show posters. Turns out only 2 of the 6 would fit in my suitcase, but I did manage to detach 2 of the bigger ones from their cardboard-box backing so I could roll them up. It worked quite well. As for the other two, they weren't ones I particular liked anyhow, so no harm done.
Tonight for dinner I had a couple discoveries. One, I love blackberries. Who knew? Two, we had lentils and "boudins," or little pork sausages, which were soooo tasty. Three, for dessert was "riz au lait," a type of rice pudding that was surprisingly delicious. This was mainly due to the addition of sweetened condensed milk, which over here is much thicker and comes in a tube, and in familiar language is known as "miel des vaches," or the honey of the cows. A fitting description, in my opinion.
Anyhow, I better get back to my research. Who thought summer vacation could be so much work?
Love and miss you all!
Natalie
Though I did accomplish something today: I wrote down the places and times of various shows I want to see, and looked through my schedule to see when I can go to them. There are all kinds of things going on...dance shows, circuses, dramas, comedians, concerts. You name it, it's in Avignon right now. I also organized my collection of stolen show posters. Turns out only 2 of the 6 would fit in my suitcase, but I did manage to detach 2 of the bigger ones from their cardboard-box backing so I could roll them up. It worked quite well. As for the other two, they weren't ones I particular liked anyhow, so no harm done.
Tonight for dinner I had a couple discoveries. One, I love blackberries. Who knew? Two, we had lentils and "boudins," or little pork sausages, which were soooo tasty. Three, for dessert was "riz au lait," a type of rice pudding that was surprisingly delicious. This was mainly due to the addition of sweetened condensed milk, which over here is much thicker and comes in a tube, and in familiar language is known as "miel des vaches," or the honey of the cows. A fitting description, in my opinion.
Anyhow, I better get back to my research. Who thought summer vacation could be so much work?
Love and miss you all!
Natalie
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