Seriously, I'm having a hard time differentiating entre les deux langues, as a result, I will be documenting henceforth without translating. My brain can only take so much translation at this point.
Well, it has been cold, cloudy, and rainy most of the week and coffee has kept me awake during classes. Seriously, I have so many classes which drag on for hours on end. They feel as though they are never-ending! My consolation though, bien sur, is that I am in France. I'm accomplishing a dream and am enjoying every minute, regardless of my grumbling tendencies on here. There has been some wedding drama this week. I emailed our venue owner (who is also our caterer) about decorations and flowers, and our entire menu ended up being changed!
It worked out to our advantage none the less, yay for us, because that means more delicious grub. I'm still working out the program and guest favor details, BUT the invitations have been ordered and my almost-husband found us a DJ! Two enormous checks off of our to-do list, with quite a few left to go. I found a flower place, but can't email, so momma will have to help avec ça. Basically, all of the fairy, glittery details are what we have left to handle. Sprinkles!
Class. Oh class. Still feel like an idiot, but less and less of an idiot everyday, so that's promising. I have my medical exam for my French visa on Monday, apparently we don't have to get naked unwarned this time, awesome. After receiving our final stamp from the docs, we are allowed to leave the country and regain access. Really the only place that I want to visit outside of France during this trip is London. I'd DIE to go to Ireland and Scotland, but I want to go hiking and do outdoorsy activities there. Translation? I want to go with my man.
Speaking of London, my return flight leaves from Heathrow, right? Well, I haven't thought too much about the logistics, because I have time to figure it out. I do not do well when I put stressful things on the back burner, because I tend to forget about them and they boil over. This subject boiled over a few nights ago and I about had a meltdown. Dilemma? Flight leaves at 12:30 PM. How do I get to the airport in time?
After running through the possibilities of taking a train to Paris and traversing the RER again with cinder-blocks-worth of luggage, taking a flight to Heathrow, getting my checked bag in time, and getting onto my appropriate flight, my face was drained of color and my stomach was half-way up my esophagus, not to mention that would mean probably having to stay the night in Paris or just having an incredibly stressful day, comme my arrival. Another possibility is taking the train to Paris, hopping only once onto the RER, taking a train to London, staying the night in London, and making it to Heathrow on time. This option sounded much more appealing, but still stressful. Research, research. It saved me.
Yotel. I hadn't heard of it, and apparently it is only in a few airports in the world. In the international terminal, there is a hotel with rooms that are a few metres by a few metres with an en suite bathroom. It is rent-able by the hour after 4 hours and specifically designed for people with my dilemma. Like I said SAVED. After my arrival day, if I can help it, I never want to go through that kind of traveling again, if that means more money for a hotel or more time for less hurry, I welcome the solutions.
One day for train and metro travel+ a full night's rest+ one day of long flight=a bride who will still have hair on her wedding day.
With that solved, I began realizing that I am in France. Traveling and seeing other things and places are high on my to-do list. I've been so taken by culture shock, difficult classes, a new language, and above all fear, I had almost forgotten that I am here for more than just grades. If you know me, you know that schoolwork is top priority, no slacking, nothing comes above hard work. This is turning out to be difficult to release here, but then again, our grades are based solely on final exams and oral expositions. All of these classes will directly effect my GPA, so of course I can't blow off the classes, but I want to explore damnit!
Honestly, I think that I have been expecting someone to invite me to tag along with them to other cities and sights, but in actuality, this has never been my style. Fear of new places and people have really effected my trip and now that I am conscious of this fact, I frankly need to get over myself. With this energized thought in mind, I began researching cities that aren't too far from Caen (after a certain distance, train ticket prices sky-rocket). Paris and London are high on my tourist list, like everyone else's in the Western hemisphere, but I want to see those over my spring break, because there is just too much to do over a weekend.
Pondering my choices, I've decided that Rouen is a priority. I am a history nerd and I love museums and art, bit of a cliché, I know, but Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen, she was also held prisoner in the castle's dungeon. Fun fact about moi, Jeanne d'Arc is one of my favorite historical characters, along with Cleopatra, Lizzie the First, Monet, le Marquis de Sade, Le Roi Soleil, and Marie Antoinette. Not to mention that my great-grandfather has traced my Cajun roots to Rouen, so that will be special also.
The other city which I must see before I leave is Nantes. I love the history of Bretagne and Nantes was THE port around the time before and during the French Revolution. There are some amazing sites there and I need to get a feel for the city. I confess that I write for fun, as in stories, poetry, blah, blah, desperate starving artist garb, and Nantes is the setting for a current piece.
Not that I will ever be finished with it :) Plus there's a giant, mechanical elephant on an island, in the middle of the river, in the middle of downtown that one can ride and enjoy a drink in its stomach-bar. Pretty sweet.
My confidence in finding my way around, learning and using the language, and recognizing foreign mannerisms are increasing, I think. When I write that, the memory of my Global Simulation class leaps to mind, in which our professor tries to instill a broader use of vocabulary in our speech by creating and describing a character.
I explained this assignment in my last blog, je crois. One such istance happened this week, when she asked how our personnage carries herself/himself. Awkward silence. Avec confiance? I felt myself say, without thinking of the consequences. Oui! Bien sur! Avec confiance, viens! Marches avec confiance! (I have a very animated teacher in this class.) Vraiment? Really? Oh dear, thank God I wore make-up that day, so I was forced to get up and walk with an air of confidence, like my personnage. Sticking my nose in the air and comically trying to act like an arrogant prick, I sauntered in front of the class, giggling under my breath.
I sat down and my friend whispers, it's not fair, you used to model. I laughed and just shook my head, again, not good with compliments. After that embarrassment, I needed more coffee. (Seriously, caffeine addict.)
Today, after a torturous grammar class, in which I cursed aloud from confusion-it just happened (only a few people know American curses anyway, and they were all thinking the same thing), a friend and I tried to take some tea at Memoranda, but there was a luncheon or something, so we just went to Paul's. I'll never be able to eat quiche Lorraine in the States again, just saying. We then walked back through the castle to campus and the tram stop.
I hopped on to go home, but with the sunny day, I relaxed a bit and felt as though I was wasting the precious gift that is Normand sunlight, so I shed my heavy coat and dressed in all black plus jeans to go to the museum of Normandie by the castle. I'm so sick of wearing black! Yes, I blend in with the locals and it makes everyone look thin so I welcome it, but after almost a month, can you say snoozified? I'm going to a concert with my host family tomorrow, and guess what, I'll look like an American, BECAUSE I MISS COLOR. Hopefully, with rising temperatures comes rising color ratio in wardrobe palettes, but I'm probably investing in false hope.
I walked to the castle and followed the signs to the museum entrance. Bonjour, je suis étudiante. I LOVE that being a student makes so many things free or conveniently cheap in France, all over Europe really. They understand that we are poor and need to learn from the museums and art galleries just as much as everyone else :)
He entered my information and aside from a single man and a pair of women, I was the only other tourist in the place. The museum is laid out by era, beginning with early man and stone tools found in the region, followed by Gaul, Bronze Age, Romans, Vikings, and so on. I really enjoyed it.
I always find things like jewelry, decorated pottery and glass, and weapons to be more interesting than tools and necessities, because they aren't necessary, weren't necessary, and yet the distinctions between class and the ornamentation of one's self was as real a part of life then, as it is now.
After that educating experience, I went for a walk around the castle and took some pictures with the sun. It is quite depressing when it is grey here, but when the sun comes out, it truly is magical. I am always reminded as to why impressionism was born here.
Well, it has been cold, cloudy, and rainy most of the week and coffee has kept me awake during classes. Seriously, I have so many classes which drag on for hours on end. They feel as though they are never-ending! My consolation though, bien sur, is that I am in France. I'm accomplishing a dream and am enjoying every minute, regardless of my grumbling tendencies on here. There has been some wedding drama this week. I emailed our venue owner (who is also our caterer) about decorations and flowers, and our entire menu ended up being changed!
It worked out to our advantage none the less, yay for us, because that means more delicious grub. I'm still working out the program and guest favor details, BUT the invitations have been ordered and my almost-husband found us a DJ! Two enormous checks off of our to-do list, with quite a few left to go. I found a flower place, but can't email, so momma will have to help avec ça. Basically, all of the fairy, glittery details are what we have left to handle. Sprinkles!
Class. Oh class. Still feel like an idiot, but less and less of an idiot everyday, so that's promising. I have my medical exam for my French visa on Monday, apparently we don't have to get naked unwarned this time, awesome. After receiving our final stamp from the docs, we are allowed to leave the country and regain access. Really the only place that I want to visit outside of France during this trip is London. I'd DIE to go to Ireland and Scotland, but I want to go hiking and do outdoorsy activities there. Translation? I want to go with my man.
Speaking of London, my return flight leaves from Heathrow, right? Well, I haven't thought too much about the logistics, because I have time to figure it out. I do not do well when I put stressful things on the back burner, because I tend to forget about them and they boil over. This subject boiled over a few nights ago and I about had a meltdown. Dilemma? Flight leaves at 12:30 PM. How do I get to the airport in time?
After running through the possibilities of taking a train to Paris and traversing the RER again with cinder-blocks-worth of luggage, taking a flight to Heathrow, getting my checked bag in time, and getting onto my appropriate flight, my face was drained of color and my stomach was half-way up my esophagus, not to mention that would mean probably having to stay the night in Paris or just having an incredibly stressful day, comme my arrival. Another possibility is taking the train to Paris, hopping only once onto the RER, taking a train to London, staying the night in London, and making it to Heathrow on time. This option sounded much more appealing, but still stressful. Research, research. It saved me.
Yotel. I hadn't heard of it, and apparently it is only in a few airports in the world. In the international terminal, there is a hotel with rooms that are a few metres by a few metres with an en suite bathroom. It is rent-able by the hour after 4 hours and specifically designed for people with my dilemma. Like I said SAVED. After my arrival day, if I can help it, I never want to go through that kind of traveling again, if that means more money for a hotel or more time for less hurry, I welcome the solutions.
One day for train and metro travel+ a full night's rest+ one day of long flight=a bride who will still have hair on her wedding day.
With that solved, I began realizing that I am in France. Traveling and seeing other things and places are high on my to-do list. I've been so taken by culture shock, difficult classes, a new language, and above all fear, I had almost forgotten that I am here for more than just grades. If you know me, you know that schoolwork is top priority, no slacking, nothing comes above hard work. This is turning out to be difficult to release here, but then again, our grades are based solely on final exams and oral expositions. All of these classes will directly effect my GPA, so of course I can't blow off the classes, but I want to explore damnit!
Honestly, I think that I have been expecting someone to invite me to tag along with them to other cities and sights, but in actuality, this has never been my style. Fear of new places and people have really effected my trip and now that I am conscious of this fact, I frankly need to get over myself. With this energized thought in mind, I began researching cities that aren't too far from Caen (after a certain distance, train ticket prices sky-rocket). Paris and London are high on my tourist list, like everyone else's in the Western hemisphere, but I want to see those over my spring break, because there is just too much to do over a weekend.
Pondering my choices, I've decided that Rouen is a priority. I am a history nerd and I love museums and art, bit of a cliché, I know, but Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen, she was also held prisoner in the castle's dungeon. Fun fact about moi, Jeanne d'Arc is one of my favorite historical characters, along with Cleopatra, Lizzie the First, Monet, le Marquis de Sade, Le Roi Soleil, and Marie Antoinette. Not to mention that my great-grandfather has traced my Cajun roots to Rouen, so that will be special also.
The other city which I must see before I leave is Nantes. I love the history of Bretagne and Nantes was THE port around the time before and during the French Revolution. There are some amazing sites there and I need to get a feel for the city. I confess that I write for fun, as in stories, poetry, blah, blah, desperate starving artist garb, and Nantes is the setting for a current piece.
Not that I will ever be finished with it :) Plus there's a giant, mechanical elephant on an island, in the middle of the river, in the middle of downtown that one can ride and enjoy a drink in its stomach-bar. Pretty sweet.
My confidence in finding my way around, learning and using the language, and recognizing foreign mannerisms are increasing, I think. When I write that, the memory of my Global Simulation class leaps to mind, in which our professor tries to instill a broader use of vocabulary in our speech by creating and describing a character.
I explained this assignment in my last blog, je crois. One such istance happened this week, when she asked how our personnage carries herself/himself. Awkward silence. Avec confiance? I felt myself say, without thinking of the consequences. Oui! Bien sur! Avec confiance, viens! Marches avec confiance! (I have a very animated teacher in this class.) Vraiment? Really? Oh dear, thank God I wore make-up that day, so I was forced to get up and walk with an air of confidence, like my personnage. Sticking my nose in the air and comically trying to act like an arrogant prick, I sauntered in front of the class, giggling under my breath.
I sat down and my friend whispers, it's not fair, you used to model. I laughed and just shook my head, again, not good with compliments. After that embarrassment, I needed more coffee. (Seriously, caffeine addict.)
Today, after a torturous grammar class, in which I cursed aloud from confusion-it just happened (only a few people know American curses anyway, and they were all thinking the same thing), a friend and I tried to take some tea at Memoranda, but there was a luncheon or something, so we just went to Paul's. I'll never be able to eat quiche Lorraine in the States again, just saying. We then walked back through the castle to campus and the tram stop.
I hopped on to go home, but with the sunny day, I relaxed a bit and felt as though I was wasting the precious gift that is Normand sunlight, so I shed my heavy coat and dressed in all black plus jeans to go to the museum of Normandie by the castle. I'm so sick of wearing black! Yes, I blend in with the locals and it makes everyone look thin so I welcome it, but after almost a month, can you say snoozified? I'm going to a concert with my host family tomorrow, and guess what, I'll look like an American, BECAUSE I MISS COLOR. Hopefully, with rising temperatures comes rising color ratio in wardrobe palettes, but I'm probably investing in false hope.
I walked to the castle and followed the signs to the museum entrance. Bonjour, je suis étudiante. I LOVE that being a student makes so many things free or conveniently cheap in France, all over Europe really. They understand that we are poor and need to learn from the museums and art galleries just as much as everyone else :)
He entered my information and aside from a single man and a pair of women, I was the only other tourist in the place. The museum is laid out by era, beginning with early man and stone tools found in the region, followed by Gaul, Bronze Age, Romans, Vikings, and so on. I really enjoyed it.
I always find things like jewelry, decorated pottery and glass, and weapons to be more interesting than tools and necessities, because they aren't necessary, weren't necessary, and yet the distinctions between class and the ornamentation of one's self was as real a part of life then, as it is now.
After that educating experience, I went for a walk around the castle and took some pictures with the sun. It is quite depressing when it is grey here, but when the sun comes out, it truly is magical. I am always reminded as to why impressionism was born here.
I'm so happy for you honey. I try not to get jealous when you talk about amazing french food, and chocolate or the breath-taking sites that you seem to be experiencing almost everyday. It sucks that America is almost completely focused on how to be efficient that it can't preserve any of its short history in some of its architecture. Of course, we don't even build buildings to last anymore so demolition is a necessity. Please don't stop these blogs. I feel as if your blog (not skype) is the main contributor in making me feel that I'm sharing this experience with you. Also, I enjoy reading them without the translation of the french words, so please continue. It sounds like your confidence is growing, and it makes me even more proud to be able to call you my wife within the next few months.
ReplyDeleteI miss you and I love you sweetie,
-hubby-to-be-
I can't believe I missed this blog! Bad friend, bad friend. Anyway, YAY FOR FRANGLISH!
ReplyDelete