So I got to relax a bit today. Hooray! If you haven't noticed, I made new digs for my thoughts and words, bienvenue! The new background is the wallpaper in my room and the rock title background is also part of my room. I thought some personal touches would allow me to have some pink on this site, hence PINK WORDS! If you know me very well, this should not be unusual.
Today was a rather sedentary day, although I have had time to gather my thoughts and catch up on some reading. My deranged self has opted to take a 4000 level class by correspondence at my American university. It is crazy, but it is absolutely necessary. This particular class is only offered in the spring semester, and considering student teaching will be next semester, it was imperative that I go ahead and just bite the bullet now. I caught up reading in that textbook over breakfast.
Ah breakfast, a wonderful meal in France. This family drinks a lot of tea, by the way, which I adore. I LOVE tea. My obsession with constantly buying and trying new flavors drives my man insane. We don't have room, and you have like a million teas at home! These are common comments about my habit when he sees me peering at the tea section in the groceries store, longing for new flavors. I must admit, I know that he is right, but I give him puppy eyes and a puffy bottom lip regardless. I become a child who would walk over a frozen lake for a chocolate truffle.
Yesterday, my host dad noticed that green tea is my favorite, so this morning he brewed a type that is called Gunpowder. A bit ironic, I know. He said to be careful, it will go straight to my head, but it is full of flavor. Oh and it was. The green tea leaves are rolled into little balls and then cooked or something, blacked. It actually looks like large grains of gunpowder and the flavor is delicious, but I felt like I had just shot an espresso.
I didn't mind though, considering I slept until NOON today. I woke up to the sound of my host brother singing and playing in the kitchen. I can't believe I was finally able to sleep in! I took a calcium and L-theanine supplement last night and it completely overtook my anxieties. Speaking of anxieties, I have my first day of class tomorrow. I'm quite nervous about it, but I must resist the temptation to be intimidated. No one ever did anything great without feeling nervous about their escapade.
After breakfast and finishing my textbook chapters, I began reading a small French book that my host mom suggested I buy at Fnac the other day. It is Ecrire by Margerite Duras. The storyline is very vague and the vocabulary is around my level. Of course, I keep my phone handy in the case of an average of two words appear which I have to reference. It is the story of the author and her life as it has been centered around writing. She was a famous author who was born in the early 1900s.
She describes loneliness through her life, writing was one of the only things that quelled her tortuous isolation, writing and lovers. It is beautifully written, and because of the vague structure, one can read a page or section, or even a paragraph and it is easy to follow. A connecting storyline is not entirely necessary.
I've noticed studying this language, that it's not just that French sounds beautiful, but the interpretation and expressions are also beautiful. I have found that reading original works in French, like Charles Perrault, is so much more satisfying than an English translation. For example, my host mom and I were talking about the expression Tu me manque, I miss you is the standard translation. I learned from a good friend, that this expression in an unconjugated form uses a preposition that can be translated into different things, depending on the context.
I have always understood the expression to mean, you are missed by me. My host mother says that it is meant to be deeper and more meaningful than that, you are missing in me. It is meant to be about that person or thing being a part of you and you feeling incomplete without him or it, that he brings a sense of purpose to your being. The English version seems to be more about treating the person or thing as an accessory, rather than a necessity. May I just say, I love French!
When I began reading the book, my host dad walked out the door, commenting that he was going to get some bread. People buy fresh baguettes everyday here, it's amazing. My host brother began showing me card tricks. He is a card-trick catalogue. I have been here for four days and he has not repeated one yet. I giggle as he unconsciously switches between English and French, and applaud "Bravo" as he finishes the tricks flawlessly.
Host dad came back and handed host brother and I each, a croissant. They were huge! One filled me up. He asked if I wanted to take some tea, it was green tea with a jasmine infusion. MMM. One cup of that was so relaxing! I love jasmine but had never had the pleasure of ingesting it before today. It doesn't make you tired, just serene. I recommend it, if you hadn't gathered that conclusion yet.
After Skyping with the hubby, I ran upstairs to watch a movie with my host brother. He was half-way through it, but I promised I would watch some with him. The houses here are narrow and tall. Their house is three stories with my room, the bathroom, kitchen, dining, and living rooms on the first floor, their bedrooms on the second floor, and a work space/library on the third floor. The wall of the library that is closest to the roof is slanted with the roof, except the window, which has its own alcove.
As I walked into the library, I grimaced at the roof slant, remembering the two bumps it delivered to me last night. I was sitting be the radiator, and stood up, ignorant of the fact that the silly roof was slanted and nearly knocked myself out. I did this twice. Brilliant aren't I?
Later we had stir-fry with rice, yummy, and I rambled on about friends and family back home. They asked about my great-grandfather who landed at the Caen beaches 6 weeks after the storming of Normandie. Fascinated, they wanted to hear more details. I told them about his stories and gore he witnessed as a medic, and other brave things that he did. His time being a medic in a prison camp outside of Paris, and in order to feed the prisoners and themselves, they had to hunt the game in what used to be the king's forest and fish on what used to be the king's banks.
I also asked about a word that I didn't understand while we were listening to the stories at Saint-Etienne. In my last blog, if you look closely at the photo of inside the church, facing the alter, at the top of the arch, there are 3 small alcoves, in the middle one, there is a random wooden door. It was the first thing I noticed when we walked inside, and my host brother inquired about it. I understood that it was for cleaning and maintenance, but I was still confused. The word for roof, is what I had missed. That one word made all the difference.
Wedding update: I FINALLY decided on some bridesmaids' dresses today. Victoria's Secret Multi-Way Collection solves all of my apprehensions. If you haven't heard the previous drama, the short version is that I found four amazing dresses, sent them to my ladies for approval and/or comment, received said feedback, and then when I called for a price quote, all four had been discontinued. Sad day. Problem is solved now though! I have re-sent them these new dresses and hopefully everything is now settled with that hullabaloo.
Since then, I have just worked on this new layout and munched on what I have left of my grignette from yesterday. Tomorrow should be filled with frustrated conversations and feelings of overwhelming failure, but I look forward to it. Now for a shower.
Today was a rather sedentary day, although I have had time to gather my thoughts and catch up on some reading. My deranged self has opted to take a 4000 level class by correspondence at my American university. It is crazy, but it is absolutely necessary. This particular class is only offered in the spring semester, and considering student teaching will be next semester, it was imperative that I go ahead and just bite the bullet now. I caught up reading in that textbook over breakfast.
Ah breakfast, a wonderful meal in France. This family drinks a lot of tea, by the way, which I adore. I LOVE tea. My obsession with constantly buying and trying new flavors drives my man insane. We don't have room, and you have like a million teas at home! These are common comments about my habit when he sees me peering at the tea section in the groceries store, longing for new flavors. I must admit, I know that he is right, but I give him puppy eyes and a puffy bottom lip regardless. I become a child who would walk over a frozen lake for a chocolate truffle.
Yesterday, my host dad noticed that green tea is my favorite, so this morning he brewed a type that is called Gunpowder. A bit ironic, I know. He said to be careful, it will go straight to my head, but it is full of flavor. Oh and it was. The green tea leaves are rolled into little balls and then cooked or something, blacked. It actually looks like large grains of gunpowder and the flavor is delicious, but I felt like I had just shot an espresso.
I didn't mind though, considering I slept until NOON today. I woke up to the sound of my host brother singing and playing in the kitchen. I can't believe I was finally able to sleep in! I took a calcium and L-theanine supplement last night and it completely overtook my anxieties. Speaking of anxieties, I have my first day of class tomorrow. I'm quite nervous about it, but I must resist the temptation to be intimidated. No one ever did anything great without feeling nervous about their escapade.
After breakfast and finishing my textbook chapters, I began reading a small French book that my host mom suggested I buy at Fnac the other day. It is Ecrire by Margerite Duras. The storyline is very vague and the vocabulary is around my level. Of course, I keep my phone handy in the case of an average of two words appear which I have to reference. It is the story of the author and her life as it has been centered around writing. She was a famous author who was born in the early 1900s.
She describes loneliness through her life, writing was one of the only things that quelled her tortuous isolation, writing and lovers. It is beautifully written, and because of the vague structure, one can read a page or section, or even a paragraph and it is easy to follow. A connecting storyline is not entirely necessary.
I've noticed studying this language, that it's not just that French sounds beautiful, but the interpretation and expressions are also beautiful. I have found that reading original works in French, like Charles Perrault, is so much more satisfying than an English translation. For example, my host mom and I were talking about the expression Tu me manque, I miss you is the standard translation. I learned from a good friend, that this expression in an unconjugated form uses a preposition that can be translated into different things, depending on the context.
I have always understood the expression to mean, you are missed by me. My host mother says that it is meant to be deeper and more meaningful than that, you are missing in me. It is meant to be about that person or thing being a part of you and you feeling incomplete without him or it, that he brings a sense of purpose to your being. The English version seems to be more about treating the person or thing as an accessory, rather than a necessity. May I just say, I love French!
When I began reading the book, my host dad walked out the door, commenting that he was going to get some bread. People buy fresh baguettes everyday here, it's amazing. My host brother began showing me card tricks. He is a card-trick catalogue. I have been here for four days and he has not repeated one yet. I giggle as he unconsciously switches between English and French, and applaud "Bravo" as he finishes the tricks flawlessly.
Host dad came back and handed host brother and I each, a croissant. They were huge! One filled me up. He asked if I wanted to take some tea, it was green tea with a jasmine infusion. MMM. One cup of that was so relaxing! I love jasmine but had never had the pleasure of ingesting it before today. It doesn't make you tired, just serene. I recommend it, if you hadn't gathered that conclusion yet.
After Skyping with the hubby, I ran upstairs to watch a movie with my host brother. He was half-way through it, but I promised I would watch some with him. The houses here are narrow and tall. Their house is three stories with my room, the bathroom, kitchen, dining, and living rooms on the first floor, their bedrooms on the second floor, and a work space/library on the third floor. The wall of the library that is closest to the roof is slanted with the roof, except the window, which has its own alcove.
As I walked into the library, I grimaced at the roof slant, remembering the two bumps it delivered to me last night. I was sitting be the radiator, and stood up, ignorant of the fact that the silly roof was slanted and nearly knocked myself out. I did this twice. Brilliant aren't I?
Later we had stir-fry with rice, yummy, and I rambled on about friends and family back home. They asked about my great-grandfather who landed at the Caen beaches 6 weeks after the storming of Normandie. Fascinated, they wanted to hear more details. I told them about his stories and gore he witnessed as a medic, and other brave things that he did. His time being a medic in a prison camp outside of Paris, and in order to feed the prisoners and themselves, they had to hunt the game in what used to be the king's forest and fish on what used to be the king's banks.
I also asked about a word that I didn't understand while we were listening to the stories at Saint-Etienne. In my last blog, if you look closely at the photo of inside the church, facing the alter, at the top of the arch, there are 3 small alcoves, in the middle one, there is a random wooden door. It was the first thing I noticed when we walked inside, and my host brother inquired about it. I understood that it was for cleaning and maintenance, but I was still confused. The word for roof, is what I had missed. That one word made all the difference.
Wedding update: I FINALLY decided on some bridesmaids' dresses today. Victoria's Secret Multi-Way Collection solves all of my apprehensions. If you haven't heard the previous drama, the short version is that I found four amazing dresses, sent them to my ladies for approval and/or comment, received said feedback, and then when I called for a price quote, all four had been discontinued. Sad day. Problem is solved now though! I have re-sent them these new dresses and hopefully everything is now settled with that hullabaloo.
Since then, I have just worked on this new layout and munched on what I have left of my grignette from yesterday. Tomorrow should be filled with frustrated conversations and feelings of overwhelming failure, but I look forward to it. Now for a shower.
Ashley, the new layout is a much better fit to your personality. I love the wallpaper! You are so lucky to live in a home with an abundance of personality. I have been looking forward to this new blog update since our three hour Skype session. Keep up the brilliant writing! It keeps me closer to you. I miss you more than our language can describe. I love you, Eskimo.
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