The cutest thing happened to me on the way to school today. I was walking down the street eating an apple for breakfast, and there was this adorable old man walking just in front of me. He seemed to sense I was in a hurry (which I was, having left the house a little late), so he stepped aside to let me pass. I had my mouth full but I covered my mouth with my hand and managed to say "Merci." He smiled and replied "Bon appetit," gesturing to my apple. What a nice guy!
But people-watching as I walk around town is pretty entertaining. The other day I saw a teenage guy, shirtless and wearing basketball shorts carrying a Louis Vuitton man-purse. Guess that's acceptable here. Apparently, what is also bizarre but culturally acceptable is venturing forth without a bra, and what's more, being very obvious about it. Sometimes it's not too pretty. But I am noticing more and more familiar faces. Avignon is pretty small and I walk the same route to and from school every day. There is one man I pass all the time on my way home...he walks with slow, halting steps and sort of has a weird expression on his face, as if he's not quite all there. And he's always smoking some sort of noxious cigarette. But I pass him every day.
Most everyone here is pretty nice about letting you by if you're walking faster than they are, but I did encounter one guy today who was a total jerk about it. It was one of those things where you are approaching someone on the street and you have to move to the other side of the sidewalk to pass them, but you both simultaneously move to the same side and kind of do that awkward back-and-forth a few times until you figure it out. Well that's what happened to me today with a middle-aged man wearing cover-alls. We did our little awkward oh-I-need-to-move-to-the-other-side-of-the-sidewalk dance a couple times before I realized he was doing it on purpose just to mess with me. I managed to smile graciously and say, "Excusez-moi, monsieur," and get past him, but he was just laughing idiotically. Apparently deliberately blocking the path of a young woman was funny to him. Like I said, total jerk.
But the rest of my evening has been quite pleasant. I began reading the book Ender's Game, which was sent to me by my boyfriend, and so far I love it. Then I took a little nap until Corine called me down for dinner. Joining us for the meal were Corine's friend Marie and her tiny adorable dog, Kiki. Pretty calm night. But the highlights from dinner were ratatouille, which was absolutely delicious, and bananes flambes for dessert, which are basically very very very ripe bananas cooked in cognac with a little butter and sugar. The technique also involves caramelizing them with a lighter, but I was setting the table outside when she did it so I missed it. But they were excellent.
Now back to doing research on Franco-American relations during the Cold War for my history class...what fun!
Love,
Natalie
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
And We Have Our First Casualty...
...in the form of my bottom retainer. I have a tiny metal wire glued to the back of my bottom 6 teeth, a vestige from the golden years of orthodontia. Tonight I took a bite out of a white nectarine to discover it was not as ripe as I had thought and I heard a sickening crunch as some of the glue broke loose. The retainer is still intact but probably a little crooked. Oh well, I had been meaning to get it taken out anyhow. I really don't need it.
Anyhow, other than that today was pretty normal. I started the day off right by hitting up Les Halles on the way to school to buy some produce for lunch. I got a Cavaillon melon, which tastes exactly like cantaloupe but is about the size of a large grapefruit and with a rind more like a watermelon. I also got some carrots and some dark cherries. All for less than 5 euro, I'll have you know. I love how cheap and abundant fruit is here...and so many choices! Plus things I've never even seen before. And while I was at the market of course I had to drop my favorite bakery stall and get a pain au chocolat, which is basically a croissant with little pieces of dark chocolate inside of it. The guy behind the counter definitely recognizes me by now.
Phonetics class was more hilarious than usual today because we did some diction exercises, a.k.a. tongue twisters in French. Example: Didon dina, dit-on, du dos d'un dodu dindon. Rough translation: Dido (as in the character from Greek mythology) dines, one says, on the back of a fat turkey. But try saying that one ten times fast!
But speaking of eating, I have discovered why the French love it so much. Everything's just so good! The bread, the fruit, the veggies, the omelettes, the pastries....just everything. I don't think I'm consuming any more food that I would at home, it's just a different sort of food. Fresher, maybe. But I know of two things in particular that are going to jeopardize my waistline: pastry (of course) and the best candy on earth, called Kinder Bueno. Basically if a Kit-Kat bar and a jar of Nutella had a baby and that baby was beautiful and radiant and all things wonderful, it would be a Kinder Bueno. All of us students are addicted. I wonder if I can get them in the States. I'll find a way.
The other exciting thing that happened today was a discovery I made about an upcoming event. In France during the months of January and July, there is something called the "Soldes," where in practically every store everything's on sale! They start out at 15 or 20% at the beginning of the month, and by the end of the month things could be as much as 80% off! So needless to say I will be taking advantage of these epic sales.
Anyhow, I think that sums it up for today.
Missing you all,
Natalie
Anyhow, other than that today was pretty normal. I started the day off right by hitting up Les Halles on the way to school to buy some produce for lunch. I got a Cavaillon melon, which tastes exactly like cantaloupe but is about the size of a large grapefruit and with a rind more like a watermelon. I also got some carrots and some dark cherries. All for less than 5 euro, I'll have you know. I love how cheap and abundant fruit is here...and so many choices! Plus things I've never even seen before. And while I was at the market of course I had to drop my favorite bakery stall and get a pain au chocolat, which is basically a croissant with little pieces of dark chocolate inside of it. The guy behind the counter definitely recognizes me by now.
Phonetics class was more hilarious than usual today because we did some diction exercises, a.k.a. tongue twisters in French. Example: Didon dina, dit-on, du dos d'un dodu dindon. Rough translation: Dido (as in the character from Greek mythology) dines, one says, on the back of a fat turkey. But try saying that one ten times fast!
But speaking of eating, I have discovered why the French love it so much. Everything's just so good! The bread, the fruit, the veggies, the omelettes, the pastries....just everything. I don't think I'm consuming any more food that I would at home, it's just a different sort of food. Fresher, maybe. But I know of two things in particular that are going to jeopardize my waistline: pastry (of course) and the best candy on earth, called Kinder Bueno. Basically if a Kit-Kat bar and a jar of Nutella had a baby and that baby was beautiful and radiant and all things wonderful, it would be a Kinder Bueno. All of us students are addicted. I wonder if I can get them in the States. I'll find a way.
The other exciting thing that happened today was a discovery I made about an upcoming event. In France during the months of January and July, there is something called the "Soldes," where in practically every store everything's on sale! They start out at 15 or 20% at the beginning of the month, and by the end of the month things could be as much as 80% off! So needless to say I will be taking advantage of these epic sales.
Anyhow, I think that sums it up for today.
Missing you all,
Natalie
Monday, June 28, 2010
I Have Done The Unthinkable
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have consumed...GIBLETS. From a chicken. Confit, but still unmistakably giblets. So far I have been good about trying everything Corine prepares, even if it does come from the sea (yuck), and usually everything ends up okay. Not tonight, dear friends, not tonight. I worked my way through as much of it as I could. But horrible images of Dad trying to get me to eat turkey giblets at Thanksgiving overwhelmed me and I just couldn't finish. The taste wasn't really too bad, it was just strong and, uh, giblet-y. But I fought the good fight. Even if my stomach feels a little violated.
But that's probably the most eventful thing today. Just classes all day. I did have my first experience with a French pharmacy...I had to get re-wetting drops that I could put in while wearing contacts--called "larmes artificielles (artificial tears). The guy was very nice and humored my broken French quite well. And they were cheap, which I like.
Tomorrow is Tuesday so my classes don't start until 11:00. So tonight I'm just basically going to do some homework and just chill a little. The heat during the day really saps the ambition and wears you out. But I am getting used to it. And good news: my sunburn has mostly faded and I now officially have something like a tan. Hooray!
Love and miss you all,
Nat
But that's probably the most eventful thing today. Just classes all day. I did have my first experience with a French pharmacy...I had to get re-wetting drops that I could put in while wearing contacts--called "larmes artificielles (artificial tears). The guy was very nice and humored my broken French quite well. And they were cheap, which I like.
Tomorrow is Tuesday so my classes don't start until 11:00. So tonight I'm just basically going to do some homework and just chill a little. The heat during the day really saps the ambition and wears you out. But I am getting used to it. And good news: my sunburn has mostly faded and I now officially have something like a tan. Hooray!
Love and miss you all,
Nat
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Lazy Sunday
After such a busy weekend, today has been nice and chill. I woke up, took a shower, met some friends for a movie, had lunch, then came home and watched a couple episodes of Family Guy online. The movie was really excellent, though. It was called L'Illusioniste, it was animated, and it was about a sort of washed-up magician in 1959 who can't seem to compete with newer kinds of entertainment. It was very touching and beautifully drawn. There were definitely a few tearful moments.
But after the movie we all got some sandwiches and ate in the park--in the shade, thankfully. It is truly hot here. But at least there's no humidity, so it's easier to bear. But there's no air moving today. It's funny, either there's no wind or way too much. Not really a happy medium. But the scenery is so beautiful I guess I can deal with it!
Tonight is looking to be pretty quiet. A little Skype time with Mom and Dad, a little homework, a little dinner. Then tomorrow, school again. I'm beginning to develop a routine...it's nice.
That's all for now, I think.
Love,
Nat
But after the movie we all got some sandwiches and ate in the park--in the shade, thankfully. It is truly hot here. But at least there's no humidity, so it's easier to bear. But there's no air moving today. It's funny, either there's no wind or way too much. Not really a happy medium. But the scenery is so beautiful I guess I can deal with it!
Tonight is looking to be pretty quiet. A little Skype time with Mom and Dad, a little homework, a little dinner. Then tomorrow, school again. I'm beginning to develop a routine...it's nice.
That's all for now, I think.
Love,
Nat
Saturday, June 26, 2010
A La Plage
Today was our excursion to Camargue, which is a smallish town on the Mediterranean. Unlike yesterday, today was more about fun and less about scholarly pursuits. Although we did visit an 11th century Romanesque church, and even got to climb on the roof to take some pictures. But after that it was lunch and then off to the beach! The water is still pretty cold, but it provides a good break from the sun when you need it. So mostly we just hung out on the beach all day, got sunburned, joked around and played in the water, etc., until it was time to get on the bus to come home.
We made it back around 6, then found a little brasserie on the Place Pie (which is where most of the young people hang out) and the whole group ate dinner together. I had duck with some sort of mousse of vegetables, which was pretty good. Our waiter was awesome, joking around with us and basically just being a nice guy. All in all, a very good day.
After I nurse my sunburn, I'm going to head out with the other students to check out the nightlife a little. More details to follow.
I think that's all for now.
Love to you all!
Natalie
We made it back around 6, then found a little brasserie on the Place Pie (which is where most of the young people hang out) and the whole group ate dinner together. I had duck with some sort of mousse of vegetables, which was pretty good. Our waiter was awesome, joking around with us and basically just being a nice guy. All in all, a very good day.
After I nurse my sunburn, I'm going to head out with the other students to check out the nightlife a little. More details to follow.
I think that's all for now.
Love to you all!
Natalie
Friday, June 25, 2010
Vaison-la-Romaine
Today I visited the most picturesque little town that ever walked the earth: Vaison-la-Romaine. I went along with the art/architecture class, which was nice because I wasn't obligated to listen to the prof the whole time, and I could just sort of look around at everything knowing I wasn't going to be tested on it. But we started off at 9 in the morning at the Avignon bus station, and we had to drive about an hour northeast to reach Vaison. As soon as we got there we climbed up through the oldest part of the town to a rocky cliff that had an ancient chateau at the top. After a little lesson on the history of the town, we headed down into the town itself, went on a bridge over the tiniest river ever, and towards the excavated Roman ruins at the heart of town. We spent the rest of the morning here, as they were pretty extensive, and I must admit I had been following the prof's lecture up to this point but he had a very quiet, sort of lull-you-to-sleep voice that couldn't hold my attention. Plus he was one of those teachers who can literally talk for an hour about one tiny detail. So some friends and I explored the ruins mostly on our own and took some pictures.
But soon it was past noon, everyone was hungry, tired, grouchy, and a little sunburned, and he kept just droning on and on and on and on...then finally gave us and hour and a half for lunch. Some of the girls and I plopped down in a nearby cafe that was offering a set 3-course menu for 12 euro (appetizer, entree, and dessert). So I had a salad with some sort of souffle which basically was a seafood muffin (oddly enough not that bad, but I was also starving at the time), lamb, and some sort of delicious caramel-apple type tart. Good choices, and some of the nicest waiters around.
Then we met up with the rest of the group to have a look at the museum of Roman artifacts. Would have made a very interesting 45 minute walk-through. It wasn't very big. But Monsieur le Professeur seemed to want to give a 10 minute (at least) lecture on every single item. Eventually myself and some of the other students (the ones who weren't in his class but just along for the ride, like me) just gave up and sat down on a bench. It had been a long day in the heat and we just wanted to nap. Some of us nodded off right there. But after what seemed like an eternity it was 5pm and we were on the bus headed back to Avignon. This bus is best described as the perfect imitation of the sauna room in an old Roman bath house. That is how much we were sweating on the sweltering, hour long, non air conditioned ride home.
But we arrived in one piece, if not a little soggy. I made the 20 minute walk home and promptly jumped in the shower at an attempt to feel human again. It worked, and soon after was dinner. A little abbreviated tonight, as Corine was meeting a friend to catch a movie--Avatar. I found this funny. But it was a quick dinner tonight, after which I took a little nap. And now here I am.
Tomorrow will be another excursion (to Camargue), but one whose purpose is more for fun and less for lecturing. I mean, we even get to go to the beach! I can continue to work on my pitiful excuse of a tan. I did get a little sun today though...so it's a start.
Love to you all,
Natalie
But soon it was past noon, everyone was hungry, tired, grouchy, and a little sunburned, and he kept just droning on and on and on and on...then finally gave us and hour and a half for lunch. Some of the girls and I plopped down in a nearby cafe that was offering a set 3-course menu for 12 euro (appetizer, entree, and dessert). So I had a salad with some sort of souffle which basically was a seafood muffin (oddly enough not that bad, but I was also starving at the time), lamb, and some sort of delicious caramel-apple type tart. Good choices, and some of the nicest waiters around.
Then we met up with the rest of the group to have a look at the museum of Roman artifacts. Would have made a very interesting 45 minute walk-through. It wasn't very big. But Monsieur le Professeur seemed to want to give a 10 minute (at least) lecture on every single item. Eventually myself and some of the other students (the ones who weren't in his class but just along for the ride, like me) just gave up and sat down on a bench. It had been a long day in the heat and we just wanted to nap. Some of us nodded off right there. But after what seemed like an eternity it was 5pm and we were on the bus headed back to Avignon. This bus is best described as the perfect imitation of the sauna room in an old Roman bath house. That is how much we were sweating on the sweltering, hour long, non air conditioned ride home.
But we arrived in one piece, if not a little soggy. I made the 20 minute walk home and promptly jumped in the shower at an attempt to feel human again. It worked, and soon after was dinner. A little abbreviated tonight, as Corine was meeting a friend to catch a movie--Avatar. I found this funny. But it was a quick dinner tonight, after which I took a little nap. And now here I am.
Tomorrow will be another excursion (to Camargue), but one whose purpose is more for fun and less for lecturing. I mean, we even get to go to the beach! I can continue to work on my pitiful excuse of a tan. I did get a little sun today though...so it's a start.
Love to you all,
Natalie
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Un Autre Jour
Another hot day here in Avignon...when I leave for school in the mornings it's a little chilly, so I wear a cardigan and a scarf, but by midday it's too hot for either. I had my classes at 9 and at 1 today, so I was done pretty early. My friend Dawn and I ventured out into unknown territory in the afternoon to see what we could see...but we did a little shopping first, of course. There was this dress she wanted to check out at this tiny store called Casting, and they had some great shoes for veeerrry cheap, so of course I couldn't help myself. Awesome heels for less than 20 bucks US? I can't resist! I fell in love at first sight. But after that we sort of meandered about, eventually discovering an antique fair. I saw a WWI helmet complete with the spike on the top and the first thing I thought was, now THERE's a party hat. Alas, there was no price listed, which means it was out of my price range. Dommage.
But after we just got too hot to continue walking, we went back to the Center to hang out for a bit, and then I came home and finished re-reading 1984. Unusually for me, I wasn't tired enough for a nap, so I went ahead and started another book. It's called Hemingway's Chair, by Michael Palin (of Monty Python fame) and is very entertaining so far. Definitely a nice change from the heaviness of Orwell.
Today I also made sure to post my most recent pictures...you can check those out on Facebook. There will be more after this weekend, I'm sure. Tomorrow the art and architecture class (which I'm not in but I can still go with them on field trips) is going to Vaison-la-Romaine, a town with Roman ruins that's situated higher up into the Alps. We'll stay there all day and come back to Avignon in the late afternoon. Saturday the whole group goes on an excursion to Camargue, which is at the delta of the Rhone River and also nearby the Mediterranean Sea. So hopefully I can get a tan on the beach!
I have just now had my first experience with French laundry. The machine is tiny. And of course, nobody has dryers here, so I just finished hanging up my wet clothes on this clothes rack contraption. Don't really know how long that takes to dry, but it's not urgent. Now I just have to figure out where to put the rack so I can pull out my bed to sleep. Arranging everything to fit in tiny spaces over here is like a game of Tetris. Adventures galore.
Anyhow, that's all I have for now!
Je vous aime,
Natalie
But after we just got too hot to continue walking, we went back to the Center to hang out for a bit, and then I came home and finished re-reading 1984. Unusually for me, I wasn't tired enough for a nap, so I went ahead and started another book. It's called Hemingway's Chair, by Michael Palin (of Monty Python fame) and is very entertaining so far. Definitely a nice change from the heaviness of Orwell.
Today I also made sure to post my most recent pictures...you can check those out on Facebook. There will be more after this weekend, I'm sure. Tomorrow the art and architecture class (which I'm not in but I can still go with them on field trips) is going to Vaison-la-Romaine, a town with Roman ruins that's situated higher up into the Alps. We'll stay there all day and come back to Avignon in the late afternoon. Saturday the whole group goes on an excursion to Camargue, which is at the delta of the Rhone River and also nearby the Mediterranean Sea. So hopefully I can get a tan on the beach!
I have just now had my first experience with French laundry. The machine is tiny. And of course, nobody has dryers here, so I just finished hanging up my wet clothes on this clothes rack contraption. Don't really know how long that takes to dry, but it's not urgent. Now I just have to figure out where to put the rack so I can pull out my bed to sleep. Arranging everything to fit in tiny spaces over here is like a game of Tetris. Adventures galore.
Anyhow, that's all I have for now!
Je vous aime,
Natalie
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Il Fait Chaud
Finally, the hot weather has arrived. Meaning the Mistral wind has died down a little, so the full force of the sun in the cloudless sky really hits you. But it was a great day nonetheless. Probably something to do with the fact that it's Wednesday, which means my classes were only 90 minutes instead of 2 hours, and no homework tonight! Though I do have a paper due next Wednesday for my history class which I could start, but I think I'll end up procrastinating. The University of Dayton has trained me well: "never do tomorrow what you can put off until the day after tomorrow."
So it was a quiet day. Tomorrow will be the opposite. It's "une greve generale," meaning a general strike, so basically people just skip work and go protest in the main square. Apparently this is normal and periodic. One of the teachers tomorrow is participating, so the students taking the art/architecture class won't have class tomorrow! Unfair. Also, the buses won't be running, the post office won't be open, and who knows what other insanity will go down. Luckily I live close enough to school, but for the students who usually take the bus it's going to be an early morning tomorrow, because they'll have to walk. Oh well. C'est la vie.
But today I had a great surprise--when I got back to the Center after buying some things for lunch, I had 2 huge boxes waiting for me at the office. Turns out it was a care package from my Uncle Nick! Just chock-full of goodies...peanut butter (I almost cried for joy), cereal, granola, tic tacs, pens, everything I could possibly need. It was incredible. I was so excited. Nick, if you're reading this, thank you so much and you'll be getting a note in the mail as soon as I can figure out how many stamps I need. I'm a long way from California!
Anyhow, the main event for dinner tonight was one of the most interesting combinations I've ever beheld, and I can't wait to try a variation of it at home. Corine cooked mushrooms in soy sauce, then added tomato paste and fresh coriander. When it was almost done, she scrambled 3 eggs in there with it. It was delicious, and I'd love to try it at home substituting pasta for the mushrooms (I'm not a huge fan) and basil for coriander, and with a little parmesan on top would be delicious. And with the egg in there, which just sort of adds to the texture but doesn't have a strong taste, you also get the benefit of the protein. So yes, add it to the list of things to try when I get home.
That's all for now. This weekend I'll have a couple of excursions with the program, so those will be cool. Also, coming up this weekend, my first experience with a French laundry machine!
Love,
Natalie
So it was a quiet day. Tomorrow will be the opposite. It's "une greve generale," meaning a general strike, so basically people just skip work and go protest in the main square. Apparently this is normal and periodic. One of the teachers tomorrow is participating, so the students taking the art/architecture class won't have class tomorrow! Unfair. Also, the buses won't be running, the post office won't be open, and who knows what other insanity will go down. Luckily I live close enough to school, but for the students who usually take the bus it's going to be an early morning tomorrow, because they'll have to walk. Oh well. C'est la vie.
But today I had a great surprise--when I got back to the Center after buying some things for lunch, I had 2 huge boxes waiting for me at the office. Turns out it was a care package from my Uncle Nick! Just chock-full of goodies...peanut butter (I almost cried for joy), cereal, granola, tic tacs, pens, everything I could possibly need. It was incredible. I was so excited. Nick, if you're reading this, thank you so much and you'll be getting a note in the mail as soon as I can figure out how many stamps I need. I'm a long way from California!
Anyhow, the main event for dinner tonight was one of the most interesting combinations I've ever beheld, and I can't wait to try a variation of it at home. Corine cooked mushrooms in soy sauce, then added tomato paste and fresh coriander. When it was almost done, she scrambled 3 eggs in there with it. It was delicious, and I'd love to try it at home substituting pasta for the mushrooms (I'm not a huge fan) and basil for coriander, and with a little parmesan on top would be delicious. And with the egg in there, which just sort of adds to the texture but doesn't have a strong taste, you also get the benefit of the protein. So yes, add it to the list of things to try when I get home.
That's all for now. This weekend I'll have a couple of excursions with the program, so those will be cool. Also, coming up this weekend, my first experience with a French laundry machine!
Love,
Natalie
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Omelettes for Dinner?
Weird, right? Not for the French, apparently. Oh well. It was delicious anyway. You bet I'm attempting that when I get home.
This morning I had yet another adventure with a European shower, which I'm still getting used to. I have to sponge down the whole tub and everything when I'm done because water gets everywhere. Very complicated.
After that was just another day at school. Pretty quiet day. I had a falafel for lunch, which was both cheap and delicious. Good combination, in my book. I got home from school around 6pm and Corine got home shortly after, so we ate dinner a little early tonight. Our usual, except with the addition of walnuts, which I cracked open myself, and those glorious omelettes, so fluffy and filled with fresh basil. It looked about as easy as anything and really, really good. Corine told me, "Il n'y rien chose assez facile qu'une omelette"--there's nothing as easy as an omelette.
And now here I am. I do have some homework tonight, but nothing too serious. Just looking over maps of French colonies for history and picking a small text to read for phonetics. Easy stuff. But both classes are difficult in their own right (no, Dad, no "bunny" classes here).
A demain,
Natalie
This morning I had yet another adventure with a European shower, which I'm still getting used to. I have to sponge down the whole tub and everything when I'm done because water gets everywhere. Very complicated.
After that was just another day at school. Pretty quiet day. I had a falafel for lunch, which was both cheap and delicious. Good combination, in my book. I got home from school around 6pm and Corine got home shortly after, so we ate dinner a little early tonight. Our usual, except with the addition of walnuts, which I cracked open myself, and those glorious omelettes, so fluffy and filled with fresh basil. It looked about as easy as anything and really, really good. Corine told me, "Il n'y rien chose assez facile qu'une omelette"--there's nothing as easy as an omelette.
And now here I am. I do have some homework tonight, but nothing too serious. Just looking over maps of French colonies for history and picking a small text to read for phonetics. Easy stuff. But both classes are difficult in their own right (no, Dad, no "bunny" classes here).
A demain,
Natalie
Monday, June 21, 2010
First Day of School
I awoke at 8am to get ready for school, ate an apple (for the record, produce is generally much smaller here...but what the hell, everything is smaller here!) on the way to the Center, and had my first experience in a French classroom. First was my history class, "La grande mutation francaise," meaning the great French change. It's French history post WWII. So far, pretty interesting stuff. The teacher is this sort of youngish guy, and might I add veerrryy cute, and he seems nice but clearly takes his subject very seriously. We're studying all the political, economic, and social factors of the post WWII period, so yes, it's intense.
My class was from 9-11, and afterwards I got on the Internet for awhile and then a group of us ventured out for lunch. We had intended to go buy bread, cheese, and fruit at Les Halles (the indoor market) but apparently it is closed on Mondays. Dommage. So instead we grabbed some paninis from a place nearby. Mine was tomato and mozzarella, so I was definitely a happy camper. A few of the students went to the supermarket, but my friend Emily and I returned to the Center to eat. And after lunch and a healthy dose of exchanging Youtube videos with everyone, it was time for my other class, French phonetics. This was a lot more fun than the other class, partly because the subject matter isn't as depressing and the instructor is a tall, graceful actress who clearly has a passion for the language. So it's a lot of imitating her and getting the right sounds to come out of our mouths, with the right intonation, the right nuances, etc. It's tough work! But rewarding and informative...and it's quite funny to have everyone in the class spitting away as we try to make the French R sound, which is in the back of the throat like the Hebrew word "chutzpah."
After that I spent a few minutes talking with all the students, and then headed home. I got here around 5:30 and took a quick nap, then got up to make dinner with Corine. Our usual fare: soup, salad, bread, fruit, and fromage blanc, but tonight the main dish was something I'd never tried before: rabbit. Yup, I ate it. It was slightly gamier than chicken, but pretty mild. She mad a spicy, savory sauce from "soy cream," which I think is a little like soy milk but thicker and used in making sauces and broths over here. Apparently it's better for you. But we ate our dinner in front of the TV tonight (as we did last night, when we watched Sister Act 2), which is par for the course when it's so windy out. When it's nice we eat out on the patio. But tonight's show was a French-dubbed episode of "Murder She Wrote." Very cute. And after watching it and absorbing at least some of what was going on, I did my usual chore of washing the dishes, and now here I am.
I'm really beginning to love this town. It's very easy to walk around in, and somehow just about any road will lead you somewhere familiar. It's so small you could probably explore every single street in just a day, and cross it in only 20 minutes. And it's very picturesque. And pretty quiet, at the moment. All that will change in July when the theatre festival begins--then there will be something going on every hour of every day!
Tomorrow I don't have class till 11am, so I'm going to "faire la grosse matinee" a little, which means to sleep in. Looking forward to it!
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
My class was from 9-11, and afterwards I got on the Internet for awhile and then a group of us ventured out for lunch. We had intended to go buy bread, cheese, and fruit at Les Halles (the indoor market) but apparently it is closed on Mondays. Dommage. So instead we grabbed some paninis from a place nearby. Mine was tomato and mozzarella, so I was definitely a happy camper. A few of the students went to the supermarket, but my friend Emily and I returned to the Center to eat. And after lunch and a healthy dose of exchanging Youtube videos with everyone, it was time for my other class, French phonetics. This was a lot more fun than the other class, partly because the subject matter isn't as depressing and the instructor is a tall, graceful actress who clearly has a passion for the language. So it's a lot of imitating her and getting the right sounds to come out of our mouths, with the right intonation, the right nuances, etc. It's tough work! But rewarding and informative...and it's quite funny to have everyone in the class spitting away as we try to make the French R sound, which is in the back of the throat like the Hebrew word "chutzpah."
After that I spent a few minutes talking with all the students, and then headed home. I got here around 5:30 and took a quick nap, then got up to make dinner with Corine. Our usual fare: soup, salad, bread, fruit, and fromage blanc, but tonight the main dish was something I'd never tried before: rabbit. Yup, I ate it. It was slightly gamier than chicken, but pretty mild. She mad a spicy, savory sauce from "soy cream," which I think is a little like soy milk but thicker and used in making sauces and broths over here. Apparently it's better for you. But we ate our dinner in front of the TV tonight (as we did last night, when we watched Sister Act 2), which is par for the course when it's so windy out. When it's nice we eat out on the patio. But tonight's show was a French-dubbed episode of "Murder She Wrote." Very cute. And after watching it and absorbing at least some of what was going on, I did my usual chore of washing the dishes, and now here I am.
I'm really beginning to love this town. It's very easy to walk around in, and somehow just about any road will lead you somewhere familiar. It's so small you could probably explore every single street in just a day, and cross it in only 20 minutes. And it's very picturesque. And pretty quiet, at the moment. All that will change in July when the theatre festival begins--then there will be something going on every hour of every day!
Tomorrow I don't have class till 11am, so I'm going to "faire la grosse matinee" a little, which means to sleep in. Looking forward to it!
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Dimanche
The town is so much quieter on Sunday. Still, it was a good day for exploring some museums. Some friends and I met up in the morning to check out Musee Calvet, the fine arts/archaeology museum on the west side. They let you take photos so we got some good ones of the weirder paintings and sculptures (expect those on Facebook, complete with captions). After that we discovered the joy that is Zorba, a kebab/sandwich stand on the main street, so not too far from school. Delicious. A kebab (which over here means lamb and vegetables in a huge pita pocket) and the orange I had in my purse made a lovely picnic in a nearby park.
After we had eaten, it was time to see the cathedral up by the Palais des Papes. And we had all been wanting to see the new Gerard Depardieu movie, La tete en friche (the head/mind in wasteland), so we went to a nearby movie theatre to take it in. Movie theatres are very different here, smaller rooms and very plush seats. They even had renaissance paintings on the walls. And no ads or previews. Though none of us understood the majority of what was said in the film, we got the gist of the plot and it was very entertaining and touching.
Once the movie was over we headed down to a smaller art museum, Musee Angladon, which unlike the ritzier Musee Calvet is in what used to be someone's home. That was a considerably shorter trip, which was good because at this point in the afternoon we were starting to get a little tuckered out. The Mistral, the crazy wind that blows here for days at a time, has finally arrived, and walking around in it all day can really wear you out.
Having said that, I think I'll take advantage of the quiet afternoon and catch a nap.
A tout a l'heure,
Natalie
After we had eaten, it was time to see the cathedral up by the Palais des Papes. And we had all been wanting to see the new Gerard Depardieu movie, La tete en friche (the head/mind in wasteland), so we went to a nearby movie theatre to take it in. Movie theatres are very different here, smaller rooms and very plush seats. They even had renaissance paintings on the walls. And no ads or previews. Though none of us understood the majority of what was said in the film, we got the gist of the plot and it was very entertaining and touching.
Once the movie was over we headed down to a smaller art museum, Musee Angladon, which unlike the ritzier Musee Calvet is in what used to be someone's home. That was a considerably shorter trip, which was good because at this point in the afternoon we were starting to get a little tuckered out. The Mistral, the crazy wind that blows here for days at a time, has finally arrived, and walking around in it all day can really wear you out.
Having said that, I think I'll take advantage of the quiet afternoon and catch a nap.
A tout a l'heure,
Natalie
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Une Journee Avec Les Filles
Just now got back from being out and about all day (it's 8:30pm here). I left the house this morning around 10:30 to meet some friends at Les Halles, the big indoor gourmet market. There was supposed to be a food festival there this morning, but the square is under construction at the moment. Oh well. We enjoyed walking around Les Halles just the same. I had to resist buying this eclair that was calling my name ever so softly. Little tease.
After that we literally walked ALL DAY. It was fun though, and we sat down to enjoy various gardens and such now and then. We took the tour of Palais des Papes, got a little history/architecture lesson, then meandered about various streets and alleyways. One of the girls lives down the street from the Center, and I live just outside the city walls, but the other two are way out in the suburbs. Oddly enough, even though I'm not the closest to the middle of town, I seemed to lead the way in our little walks. My internal compass is coming in handy here. But we explored the whole west side of the city, passed through Place Crillon and out to the river. On our way we encountered a gay pride parade--very fun, lots of costumes and dance music. With a thumping techno beat to accompany us we made our way across the bridge to the island, Berthalasse, where we sat on the grassy banks and chatted away for some time. We had long since switched to English. We figured one day out of the week wasn't that bad, and it helps us get to know each other's real personalities because in French our vocabularies are still limited enough to hide this insight.
Around 5pm we headed back across the river via the ferry and went to the touristy Place de l'Horloge for dinner. There we were met yet again by the gay pride parade! Having as much fun as they were several hours ago, which must have been exhausting. With this backdrop we sat down for dinner at Le Lutrin, a cafe a little removed from the square. Dinner was sauteed eggplant, beef stew, and caramel and chocolate mousse for dessert. This was delicious, of course, and much richer fare than my host mom, Corine, normally prepares. Don't get me wrong, I love Corine's lean cooking, but it was a nice change of pace. Usually dinner chez Corine consists of a small salad of fresh veggies, cheese, and an olive oil/soy sauce dressing, some kind of soup, a bowl of fruit, a main dish which usually involves rice, and for dessert some fromage blanc (which is a little bit like plain yogurt) mixed with sugar and lemon juice complemented by fruit, preserves, coulis, or what have you. Very light and fresh with lots of raw fruit and vegetables, since she's lactose intolerant and allergic to gluten. I really like it. Plus I get to help prepare it, and thus absorb some French kitchen wisdom.
All in all, it's been a really good but really busy day. The girls (which includes Caitlin, Gloria, and Emily) and I happened to discuss possible weekend trips. We're thinking of doing day trips to Marseille, possibly Fontaine de Vaucluse, or other cities in Provence. It's all up in the air right now but I'm glad to have already made friends who I can travel with. It'll make everything a lot easier, I think.
Missing everyone back home,
Natalie
After that we literally walked ALL DAY. It was fun though, and we sat down to enjoy various gardens and such now and then. We took the tour of Palais des Papes, got a little history/architecture lesson, then meandered about various streets and alleyways. One of the girls lives down the street from the Center, and I live just outside the city walls, but the other two are way out in the suburbs. Oddly enough, even though I'm not the closest to the middle of town, I seemed to lead the way in our little walks. My internal compass is coming in handy here. But we explored the whole west side of the city, passed through Place Crillon and out to the river. On our way we encountered a gay pride parade--very fun, lots of costumes and dance music. With a thumping techno beat to accompany us we made our way across the bridge to the island, Berthalasse, where we sat on the grassy banks and chatted away for some time. We had long since switched to English. We figured one day out of the week wasn't that bad, and it helps us get to know each other's real personalities because in French our vocabularies are still limited enough to hide this insight.
Around 5pm we headed back across the river via the ferry and went to the touristy Place de l'Horloge for dinner. There we were met yet again by the gay pride parade! Having as much fun as they were several hours ago, which must have been exhausting. With this backdrop we sat down for dinner at Le Lutrin, a cafe a little removed from the square. Dinner was sauteed eggplant, beef stew, and caramel and chocolate mousse for dessert. This was delicious, of course, and much richer fare than my host mom, Corine, normally prepares. Don't get me wrong, I love Corine's lean cooking, but it was a nice change of pace. Usually dinner chez Corine consists of a small salad of fresh veggies, cheese, and an olive oil/soy sauce dressing, some kind of soup, a bowl of fruit, a main dish which usually involves rice, and for dessert some fromage blanc (which is a little bit like plain yogurt) mixed with sugar and lemon juice complemented by fruit, preserves, coulis, or what have you. Very light and fresh with lots of raw fruit and vegetables, since she's lactose intolerant and allergic to gluten. I really like it. Plus I get to help prepare it, and thus absorb some French kitchen wisdom.
All in all, it's been a really good but really busy day. The girls (which includes Caitlin, Gloria, and Emily) and I happened to discuss possible weekend trips. We're thinking of doing day trips to Marseille, possibly Fontaine de Vaucluse, or other cities in Provence. It's all up in the air right now but I'm glad to have already made friends who I can travel with. It'll make everything a lot easier, I think.
Missing everyone back home,
Natalie
Friday, June 18, 2010
Petites Explorations
Salut tout le monde!
Today was pretty relaxed...I intended to get up and go to Les Halles, the huge indoor market in the city that's only open from 7am-1pm, but I overslept a little (jet lag still refuses to let go) and ended up leaving the house around noon. By then I figured some of my classmates were gathering at the Center and ready for lunch, so I decided to leave Les Halles for another day and join them. We went to the biggest and most tourist-y square in the city, Place de l'Horloge (Clock) for a bite to eat. We pretty much stuck out as Americans...we're still learning how everything works and how to blend in. Give it a few weeks and we'll have it down, I think. But we stuck to mostly sandwiches, croque monsieur, and quiches for lunch. That's the way to go for lunch, very inexpensive. After that we wandered around the more "chic" part of the city, and then into new territory. Just quaint street after quaint little street with cafes, shops, bars, etc. etc. We ended up looping back up to the main street and bumping into some more classmates, and then as we walked down the street we spotted a sale at Jennyfer (which is a little like Forever 21) and couldn't resist, being that we were all girls with only one guy in the group. So we did a little shopping. Very good deals, very cute clothes.
Two friends and I broke out of the group to wander towards Palais des Papes, but ended up not having enough time to go through the museum before one of the girls had to be home. So instead we followed a twisty path (well in France, most streets are pretty twisty) through this ravine-type deal and ended up in a little orchard where we could sit in the shade for a minute. Then back off to the Center to hang out with the others for a bit in the big library on the top floor of the building, which is quickly becoming a second home.
So once the Center closed for the day I wandered homewards. I think there's a bunch of schools on my way home because I always see students waiting for the bus, etc. But once you're off the main street it's pretty peaceful. I took some photos of my walk to and from the Center so those will be on Facebook soon, and maybe even some on here.
That's all for now, I think.
Au revoir!
Nat
Today was pretty relaxed...I intended to get up and go to Les Halles, the huge indoor market in the city that's only open from 7am-1pm, but I overslept a little (jet lag still refuses to let go) and ended up leaving the house around noon. By then I figured some of my classmates were gathering at the Center and ready for lunch, so I decided to leave Les Halles for another day and join them. We went to the biggest and most tourist-y square in the city, Place de l'Horloge (Clock) for a bite to eat. We pretty much stuck out as Americans...we're still learning how everything works and how to blend in. Give it a few weeks and we'll have it down, I think. But we stuck to mostly sandwiches, croque monsieur, and quiches for lunch. That's the way to go for lunch, very inexpensive. After that we wandered around the more "chic" part of the city, and then into new territory. Just quaint street after quaint little street with cafes, shops, bars, etc. etc. We ended up looping back up to the main street and bumping into some more classmates, and then as we walked down the street we spotted a sale at Jennyfer (which is a little like Forever 21) and couldn't resist, being that we were all girls with only one guy in the group. So we did a little shopping. Very good deals, very cute clothes.
Two friends and I broke out of the group to wander towards Palais des Papes, but ended up not having enough time to go through the museum before one of the girls had to be home. So instead we followed a twisty path (well in France, most streets are pretty twisty) through this ravine-type deal and ended up in a little orchard where we could sit in the shade for a minute. Then back off to the Center to hang out with the others for a bit in the big library on the top floor of the building, which is quickly becoming a second home.
So once the Center closed for the day I wandered homewards. I think there's a bunch of schools on my way home because I always see students waiting for the bus, etc. But once you're off the main street it's pretty peaceful. I took some photos of my walk to and from the Center so those will be on Facebook soon, and maybe even some on here.
That's all for now, I think.
Au revoir!
Nat
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Le Premier Jour
What a day!
I started off the morning by sleeping through my alarm and waking up an hour before I had to be at the Center. So between getting ready and having to walk 20 minutes or so, there was no time for breakfast. Whoops. But I remembered the way to the Center from my walk last night and got there with no trouble.
All the students have arrived except one, who we expect tomorrow. There are 14 of us, 12 girls and 2 guys. I didn't expect it to be so few! But it's a good group. Everyone is good-humored and fun. I think I'm going to get close to quite a few of these kids--of course, when there's only 14, that's not hard.
Sylvie, the program director, went through all the orientation stuff, where she emphasized heavily how important it was to speak French among ourselves, even though we're all American and it's much easier to speak English; and then Giselle, the administrative assistant, talked to us about living in France. After that we took a quick break, and a few of the other students and I went to a nearby patisserie for croissants (breakfast for me!). We all came back and socialized for a bit, then it was off across town to lunch. Across the Rhone river from Avignon is an island, Berthalasse, so we took a ferry across to go to a restaurant called Le Bercail. Tomato salad, lamb chops, potatoes, and some divine mixture of vegetables in a savory marinara-type sauce. And ice cream, of course. Don't worry, I took a picture.
Then we began our tour of the city. Avignon (within the walls) is not a big city, and takes only about 20 minutes to walk from end to end. We saw all the main sights, like the Papal Palace, la Place de l'Horloge (the main square), and countless other picturesque quartiers, churches, boutiques, and gardens. After all this, around 4:30pm, we returned to the center to wrap things up, and then I was free to make my way home. Feeling a little hungry I stopped at the supermarket to pick up some things I could snack on the rest of the week, like oranges and yogurt. And now here I am.
Classes don't start till Monday. Tomorrow I think I'll just explore the city, figure out where things are. There are a few events in the city this weekend, but it will remain pretty quiet here until the international theatre festival starts in July. Better figure out the city now before it's flooded with les touristes.
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
I started off the morning by sleeping through my alarm and waking up an hour before I had to be at the Center. So between getting ready and having to walk 20 minutes or so, there was no time for breakfast. Whoops. But I remembered the way to the Center from my walk last night and got there with no trouble.
All the students have arrived except one, who we expect tomorrow. There are 14 of us, 12 girls and 2 guys. I didn't expect it to be so few! But it's a good group. Everyone is good-humored and fun. I think I'm going to get close to quite a few of these kids--of course, when there's only 14, that's not hard.
Sylvie, the program director, went through all the orientation stuff, where she emphasized heavily how important it was to speak French among ourselves, even though we're all American and it's much easier to speak English; and then Giselle, the administrative assistant, talked to us about living in France. After that we took a quick break, and a few of the other students and I went to a nearby patisserie for croissants (breakfast for me!). We all came back and socialized for a bit, then it was off across town to lunch. Across the Rhone river from Avignon is an island, Berthalasse, so we took a ferry across to go to a restaurant called Le Bercail. Tomato salad, lamb chops, potatoes, and some divine mixture of vegetables in a savory marinara-type sauce. And ice cream, of course. Don't worry, I took a picture.
Then we began our tour of the city. Avignon (within the walls) is not a big city, and takes only about 20 minutes to walk from end to end. We saw all the main sights, like the Papal Palace, la Place de l'Horloge (the main square), and countless other picturesque quartiers, churches, boutiques, and gardens. After all this, around 4:30pm, we returned to the center to wrap things up, and then I was free to make my way home. Feeling a little hungry I stopped at the supermarket to pick up some things I could snack on the rest of the week, like oranges and yogurt. And now here I am.
Classes don't start till Monday. Tomorrow I think I'll just explore the city, figure out where things are. There are a few events in the city this weekend, but it will remain pretty quiet here until the international theatre festival starts in July. Better figure out the city now before it's flooded with les touristes.
Love and miss you all,
Natalie
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Finally Here
The trip over went pretty smoothly; on the plane I sat next to a very nice older Israeli lady named Netty. We sort of hit it off, talking about world travels and that. Not a wink of sleep on the plane, as usual. We got into Paris around 6:30 am, disembarked, and rammed smack-dab into 6 planes-worth of a customs line. Took about an hour to get through. Hundreds of new arrivals and like 5 people working behind the desks. Verrrrry efficient. Not. Finally got through to baggage claim, which was a cinch for once! Then it was off to the train station...I got to the platform with a few minutes to kill. I felt lucky to have got through everything and made it to the train on time--I was cutting it close there for a while.
On the train I sat next to a nice Belgian woman, maybe 50 years old or so, and we made conversation. I understood about 90% of what she was saying to me, and she even complimented me on my French. I tried to sleep a little on the train but that was unsuccessful as well. Finally arrived in Avignon, sweaty, tired, hungry, but proud to have made the journey without any problems. I recognized Corine immediately from photos she had sent and we gathered my things and drove to her house. I'm only a couple blocks from the Rhone River, which is great. On the way there she pointed out various places and I recognized a bunch of them from our last visit. While the Belgian woman on the train definitely bolstered my confidence in my French prowess, for some reason I have a much harder time understanding Corine. But she gave me a tour of the house, which is very very small but adorable. My room is about the size of a dorm room with a desk, a huge window, a futon (here they're called 'cliq-claqs' because of the noise they make when you move them), and a rather large closet. The student who was here before me left me a nice note, a purse, and some sunscreen. I'm going to Facebook her later.
After Corine led me around and showed me the bathroom, my bedroom, the kitchen, how everything worked and what the quirks were, most of which I think I absorbed, I was pretty tuckered out. I crashed for a couple of hours, then got up to take a shower (an interesting episode involving one of those detachable shower things), get cleaned up and start organizing all my clothes. I'll take plenty of pictures and post them on Facebook at the end of the week. Corine is very practical and organized, she claims because she has trouble remembering where she puts things so she has to keep everything she needs in the right place. What chores I have will be pretty easy, mostly just cleaning up after myself, sweeping the upstairs (all tile=easy), and washing dishes after dinner. She said she really likes to cook because her dad and brother used to own a hotel-restaurant and her brother, the chef, taught her to cook. Apparently that's why she also likes having company. All in all, she seems really sweet and hopefully as I'm here longer I will be able to understand her better. I think my fatigue and how fast she talks are to blame.
Tonight is devoted to unpacking, preparing for orientation tomorrow, and possibly going for a walk around the city. Oh, and dinner. I have yet to eat anything other than a banana and a granola bar today. So I'm really looking forward to the dinner part. Get this--Corine is allergic to gluten, caffeine, and lactose! She can have a little of each thing, but our meals are looking to consist of mostly fruit, veggies, and protein. So you can guess I'll be eating plenty of bread at lunchtime!
Please email me/write me on Facebook! I miss everyone already. The few moments after I said my final goodbyes to my parents and walked into security at the Cincy airport, I realized I was utterly alone for perhaps the first time in my life. It was thrilling but terrifying. But I suppose travelers are never really alone, because there are always other travelers to talk to. I met quite a few people on the plane, in the customs line, even chatted with some Americans on the train. It seems the act of traveling can relax people; you can commiserate with and confide in strangers, and it doesn't feel weird to do so. Anyhow, back to unpacking. More updates to come!
Love,
Natalie
On the train I sat next to a nice Belgian woman, maybe 50 years old or so, and we made conversation. I understood about 90% of what she was saying to me, and she even complimented me on my French. I tried to sleep a little on the train but that was unsuccessful as well. Finally arrived in Avignon, sweaty, tired, hungry, but proud to have made the journey without any problems. I recognized Corine immediately from photos she had sent and we gathered my things and drove to her house. I'm only a couple blocks from the Rhone River, which is great. On the way there she pointed out various places and I recognized a bunch of them from our last visit. While the Belgian woman on the train definitely bolstered my confidence in my French prowess, for some reason I have a much harder time understanding Corine. But she gave me a tour of the house, which is very very small but adorable. My room is about the size of a dorm room with a desk, a huge window, a futon (here they're called 'cliq-claqs' because of the noise they make when you move them), and a rather large closet. The student who was here before me left me a nice note, a purse, and some sunscreen. I'm going to Facebook her later.
After Corine led me around and showed me the bathroom, my bedroom, the kitchen, how everything worked and what the quirks were, most of which I think I absorbed, I was pretty tuckered out. I crashed for a couple of hours, then got up to take a shower (an interesting episode involving one of those detachable shower things), get cleaned up and start organizing all my clothes. I'll take plenty of pictures and post them on Facebook at the end of the week. Corine is very practical and organized, she claims because she has trouble remembering where she puts things so she has to keep everything she needs in the right place. What chores I have will be pretty easy, mostly just cleaning up after myself, sweeping the upstairs (all tile=easy), and washing dishes after dinner. She said she really likes to cook because her dad and brother used to own a hotel-restaurant and her brother, the chef, taught her to cook. Apparently that's why she also likes having company. All in all, she seems really sweet and hopefully as I'm here longer I will be able to understand her better. I think my fatigue and how fast she talks are to blame.
Tonight is devoted to unpacking, preparing for orientation tomorrow, and possibly going for a walk around the city. Oh, and dinner. I have yet to eat anything other than a banana and a granola bar today. So I'm really looking forward to the dinner part. Get this--Corine is allergic to gluten, caffeine, and lactose! She can have a little of each thing, but our meals are looking to consist of mostly fruit, veggies, and protein. So you can guess I'll be eating plenty of bread at lunchtime!
Please email me/write me on Facebook! I miss everyone already. The few moments after I said my final goodbyes to my parents and walked into security at the Cincy airport, I realized I was utterly alone for perhaps the first time in my life. It was thrilling but terrifying. But I suppose travelers are never really alone, because there are always other travelers to talk to. I met quite a few people on the plane, in the customs line, even chatted with some Americans on the train. It seems the act of traveling can relax people; you can commiserate with and confide in strangers, and it doesn't feel weird to do so. Anyhow, back to unpacking. More updates to come!
Love,
Natalie
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Today is the Day!
Hello everyone!
Today at 4pm I leave from Cincinnati to fly to Paris...I'll get there at 6am Wednesday French time. Thankfully I have some books to read on the flight and some bottles of 5-Hour Energy should the need for caffeine strike me. Around this time tomorrow I'll be in Avignon meeting my host mother, Madame Biard. And the adventure begins!
I'll post updates when I get there/find an internet connection. For now I'm just putting the final touches on packing and beginning to wonder if I'm ready. Probably not, but I'll do my best!
Love to you all,
Natalie
Today at 4pm I leave from Cincinnati to fly to Paris...I'll get there at 6am Wednesday French time. Thankfully I have some books to read on the flight and some bottles of 5-Hour Energy should the need for caffeine strike me. Around this time tomorrow I'll be in Avignon meeting my host mother, Madame Biard. And the adventure begins!
I'll post updates when I get there/find an internet connection. For now I'm just putting the final touches on packing and beginning to wonder if I'm ready. Probably not, but I'll do my best!
Love to you all,
Natalie
Thursday, June 10, 2010
My Address In Avignon
This is just in case you need to send me anything...you know, a steady supply of JIF peanut butter or anything like that. Just sayin'.
Institute for American Universities
5, rue Figuière
84000 Avignon, France
To avoid paying duty charges:
Clearly write on the outside of the package "articles usagés pour étudiant" (for student use), declare it as a gift, and place the value under $25. Voilà!
Can't believe I leave this Tuesday! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I fly over the ocean and into a new culture.
Merci,
Natalie
Institute for American Universities
5, rue Figuière
84000 Avignon, France
To avoid paying duty charges:
Clearly write on the outside of the package "articles usagés pour étudiant" (for student use), declare it as a gift, and place the value under $25. Voilà!
Can't believe I leave this Tuesday! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I fly over the ocean and into a new culture.
Merci,
Natalie
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Two Weeks to Go!
The days are slipping by, closer and closer to June 15th and my departure for Avignon. Am I ready? In theory, yes. Still need to figure out how to pack everything I'll need for 6 weeks abroad in one suitcase and one backpack. Love a challenge!
I just got an email from the program telling me who my host mom will be. She lives just outside the city walls, about a 20 minute walk from school. She has two grown sons who live in Marseille, about half an hour train ride away. I'm going to send her an email soon introducing myself. I'll probably need to apologize in advance for not being fluent in French! But I'm sure she'll whip me into shape.
Over the last few weeks I've been doing a little research. I've just finished "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle (yes, I sort of borrowed his idea for this blog's title...thanks Mr. Mayle!), an Englishman's memoirs about moving to the south of France. Highly recommend it! It was informative for me, but also very entertaining. I'm currently about halfway through "Almost French" by Sarah Turnbull, an Australian journalist who goes to visit Paris for a week and ends up living there. I'm hoping reading some other people's experiences will at least marginally prepare me for the culture shock.
With that, I think I'll sign off for now. Expect my next post in a couple of weeks when I get to Avignon!
A bientot!
I just got an email from the program telling me who my host mom will be. She lives just outside the city walls, about a 20 minute walk from school. She has two grown sons who live in Marseille, about half an hour train ride away. I'm going to send her an email soon introducing myself. I'll probably need to apologize in advance for not being fluent in French! But I'm sure she'll whip me into shape.
Over the last few weeks I've been doing a little research. I've just finished "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle (yes, I sort of borrowed his idea for this blog's title...thanks Mr. Mayle!), an Englishman's memoirs about moving to the south of France. Highly recommend it! It was informative for me, but also very entertaining. I'm currently about halfway through "Almost French" by Sarah Turnbull, an Australian journalist who goes to visit Paris for a week and ends up living there. I'm hoping reading some other people's experiences will at least marginally prepare me for the culture shock.
With that, I think I'll sign off for now. Expect my next post in a couple of weeks when I get to Avignon!
A bientot!
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