A Sampling

I generally get annoyed if people wait really long between each post and then apologize each time they enter a new one, but that's what I'm going to do tonight. I haven't been a diligent blogger and I apologize.

I do sort of have an excuse, or two. It is partly due to the fact that I am busy thinking about trying to get everything I've accumulated this year home in a suitcase and a few shipping boxes. It may also have something to do with thinking no one reads this anyway except the Chinese website who keeps leaving inappropriate comments on my posts.

But despite it all, I am back to keep you in the know. The first thing you should know is that it's summertime. I know it's been hot back home for months now but summer just sprang upon us here and it is hot. It's not just muggy, swimming through air kind of hot. No, this hot has to do with the sun. The hot, Mediterranean sun. The sun that scalds your eyeballs and makes you see twinkly stars in the middle of the day. The sun that has turned my practically translucent skin to a toasty, probably unhealthy, brown.

But with scalded eyes and toasty skin comes lounging by the pool and taking refreshing dips in the sea. That makes it all worthwhile. All the flowers around are jealous. They wish they could take dips in the sea. They are unfortunately all dying of heat stroke. At least they didn't have to brave jellyfish infested waters last weekend like I did. Scary!

The other piece of info, which most of you probably know, is that I just had a birthday! Twenty-three years of being alive. I think that's kind of an accomplishment. I celebrated the day before with an aperitif at our neighbor's house and then dinner with my host family. It was lovely! I then celebrated the actual day by going to school (which did make me happy) and then spending the rest of the day by myself, moping about being alone.

But tomorrow, I'm getting a mini party at Camilla's house in Cassis with some buddies and I'm really excited about it. Tacos and guacamole!! Somehow I moved to France and fell in love with Mexican food. Hm. Maybe that's because it's so ridiculously hard to find in a restaurant here.

I've also gotten some encouragement on my French speaking abilities this past week so that makes me really happy. I'm always a novelty in the local McDonalds, which can sometimes be incredibly annoying or sometimes it's great, and this time I had a nice conversation with the man taking my order and he told me I speak good French. That made my day.

Then later my host family told me I was finally mastering the R sound. In my opinion, that is the hardest sound in the realm of human communicative sounds. Well, that is until I heard Camilla's family speak Polish and changed my mind. But still, R is hard.

Finally, today I was able to have a typing conversation with my French teacher from college. We were able to have the whole conversation in French and I was so excited about how much I've learned since I've been here. I definitely have a long way to go but I haven't given up hope.

So, I guess that gets you pretty much up to date. Hopefully it won't take me as long next time to write and hopefully I won't get any more inappropriate comments. (But I doubt it. It's been happening a lot. I should probably reflect a little before posting blog titles with the word "nudity" in them, even if it was completely innocent.)

I'll be stateside in less than a month. So, see you soon!!

Theatre

Great news! I am now participating in theatre classes in Marseille! It's awesome and I'm so excited!

I had a meeting a week ago with the woman who runs the school. She offers a unique opportunity for foreign students to learn theatre and improve their French. Basically, we just start with the beginners class and stay there until our level of French (and our acting ability) improves enough to move up to the next class. We're in class side by side with all the French students, which is great since I was finding it hard to meet locals my age.

I started Tuesday and it is great. It's from 7-11 at night so I'm pretty exhausted after a day of school, work, and then that but it's worth it. I also have to drive myself to Marseille since the trains stop at 11. Tuesday was the first time I'd made the drive and it was a challenge. I got lost a few times and had to pay way too much at a parking garage but I made it only 15 minutes late (even though we're supposed to be 15 minutes early).

We study mostly contemporary works. Right now we're working on 'Waiting for Godot' by Samuel Beckett. Believe me, it's challenging enough without it being in a different language. But, I do find the language and the fact I'll only be here a year kind of liberating. I don't feel as self-conscious making a fool out of myself as I usually do.

I've already talked to a few others in my class and I think it'll be a great process getting to know them. They're mostly French with some Spanish and a few other countries mixed in. I only did the warm-ups and observed all the scene work last week but this Tuesday I have a scene to perform, in French! Yikes! I'd better go run lines again...and figure out the meaning of what I'm saying.

Le concert

I know, second post in one day. Sorry, I can't help it. When stuff happens, it all happens at once.

This is also my second promotional post of the day. I've already urged the consumers of this blog to check out and love the music of Olivia Ruiz. Now I implore you to go see the movie "Le concert." It may be difficult for those of you who are stateside (i.e. most of my readers) because I assume that since it's a French movie, it may never hit your movie theaters, but if it does, watch it.

This movie is amazing, obviously, or I probably wouldn't be writing this post. Of course I like it. It's like it was made specifically for my interests. (That's not egocentric is it?) The film is in French and Russian, the two languages other than my own that I have strong interest in. It features one of my new favorite actresses, Melanie Laurent. It is about an orchestra playing Tchaikovsky (whom I love). It includes a brilliant violin solo. And it is amazing.

So basically, I'm telling you to watch it, whenever it becomes available for your viewing pleasure. For your sake, I hope the DVD comes with the option to watch it all with English subtitles. I watched it with French subtitles for the Russian bits (and for when the Russians tried to speak French) but when the real French people came on and started talking really fast, the subtitles were gone. It was sort of a mind boggling exercise in concentration. But it was worth it...because the film is fantastic...and funny...and sweet...and you should watch it...

France!!

Bonjour de France!!

I'm here, I'm finally here! I've been here about a week and so far it's been a rollercoaster of experiences and emotions. I've gone from exhausted and nervous to homesick and confused and finally to excited and content. The beginning was more difficult than I anticipated. Fortunately, I think I'm starting to get settled into the routine and life is making more sense to me now.

I don't even really know how to write this entry. So much has happened and I don't know where to start. Hm...well, the plane trip was fine. I actually slept about five hours and had long layovers so I didn't miss any flights like last time. Anne and the kids picked me up at the airport where we ate breakfast together and Marie (the three year old) was already holding my hand as we left. We drove through Marseille and then on to Aubagne, the rural, suburb-type place where we live. We stopped at the market in the city center where they were selling vegetables and pottery. Very cool. Then we went on to the house and I took a nice long nap.

I learned early on that I could understand a lot of what the kids are saying, or at least get the gist of it. I've been having more trouble talking to them and trying to explain what I need them to do. It makes for some difficult situations. Right now they're testing their boundaries with me and I'm having touble communicating. They are really great kids though. Very cute and sweet. The other day I taught Paul (the six year old) how to make shapes (like teacups and the eiffel tower) with string like we used to do as kids. He got really excited and hugged me and kept saying it was "magique!" He's really good at explaining what he's talking about by saying it slower or finding a different way to say it. Marie just says it louder and louder. It's funny.

We spend our days playing, eating, napping, and playing some more. They have a pool which has been wonderful. The food here is also wonderful. I'm out of my comfort zone a little bit with it because I've always been a really picky eater but I'm trying everything (except olives which I tried last time I was here and I hate). I ate beets the other day. Definitely not top on my list. However, escargot and sardines are not bad. I absolutely love bread with cheese. Their milk is different from what I'm used to. It tastes different and doesn't have to be refrigerated until it's opened. Their fruit is also a variation on ours, particularly their melons. I've even started to like water, something I never thought possible.

We've had guests for dinner four times now. It's been fun but difficult for me to try to follow conversations. Anne is great about translating for me though. We often eat outside by the pool because the weather is so nice. It's magnificent. Meals last a really long time here and it's nice to just relax at the table for a few hours.

The least relaxing thing has been driving. Julien has gone with me twice and I attempted it alone yesterday. The kids road the first two times and the whole time Paul kept saying "very good" with his cute French accent and Marie kept putting her foot on my ear. The car is manual but easier than ones I've driven at home. I do still have trouble with hills though. The biggest problem is that the roads are different and people drive differently. Also, most of the parking is parallel which scares the...something...out of me. There are traffic circles everywhere and the roads are narrow. On our road, there are a number of places where it turns into one lane abruptly and if you meet someone, one of you has to drive backward until there is more room. That happened to me yesterday and I panicked, hit the break, and stalled out.

So, it's been a stressful week but a good one. I'm off on weekends so I'm using today to catch up on everything I didn't have time to do before. It's also warm and windy outside and I took a walk around the house taking pictures and exploring. They're renovating so there are always men here working and lots of hammering and drilling noises. Right now it's pretty peaceful and I think I'll go out by the pool and study up on my French. A bientôt!

A Visa

So I know you've all been holding your breath. And the verdict is... they didn't reject me! They accepted all my paperwork and I'm pretty confident that the visa will be granted. I guess I'll find out when they mail my passport back hopefully before August 22nd.

This weekend was crazy! My dad and I left from home Thursday evening to begin the 5 hour trek to Washington, DC. The trip was fine and the GPS is quickly becoming one of my favorite things. We reached our hotel at around 11:30 I think and my dad fell asleep right away. I was still nervous about whether I needed the forms filled out in French or English so I stayed up until 2am translating to the best of my ability. Little did I know what the next day would hold...

We left the hotel the next morning at 9:30. I only had a granola bar and some apple juice in my stomach. First we needed to find the embassy, then we'd find some food. We finally settled on trying to drive there rather than paying for a taxi or taking a ridiculous 1hr 30min ride on public transportation to go 10 miles. This turns out to have been a good move since it only took us 20min to get there. Once there we decided to drive into the embassy just to check on stuff and then head out to get breakfast before I vomited or passed out from lack of food. Unfortunately, the lady at the embassy gate was evil. She forced my dad to leave, took my drivers license, gave me a little badge to wear, and sent me walking up the hill to the visa office. At this point I discovered that the cute new shoes I had on were never meant to be walked in. I still have a raw ankle.

Once inside, I had an 2 hours to wait until my 11:45 appointment. During the wait, I made friends with a couple other people my age who were nervous about their appointments too. We helped calm each other down and compared paperwork and stressed about whether we brought the right stuff or filled it out correctly. The first girl apparently did everything right because she was on her way home by 11:00. The guy on my other side was not so lucky. He didn't even hear them call his name, then realized he'd forgotten paperwork, then lost his badge. The entire day did not go so well for him.

I finally heard my name called at around 12:15. Not bad considering it was supposed to be 11:45. It was a little annoying though since they act like you must be on time under penalty of death. First, the woman asked for my application. She was polite but you must understand that this woman had been listening to stupid, unprepared Americans all morning and was really ready for lunch. This was the moment I'd been holding my breath for. I asked if she wanted it in French or English. She looks confused. "It is only available in French." "No, I mean, filled out in French or English." A raised eyebrow... "We have no preference." Oh, great then. I hand over the English.

A glance down and then a glance at me. "You do know we no longer offer the au pair visa." "Um...", panic, "Well, the website said you do and I followed all the directions on it exactly." "Oh, we only recently changed it." Hm, like in the last hour when I checked the requirements on some girl's iPhone? "Ok then, what should I do?"

I was sent next door to Campus France to fill out a bunch of stuff and pay a bunch of money and run around wearing an even bigger blister into my heel. For a brief moment I am alone in the office. A knock on the door. It's a French woman. "Bonjour, il y a... Oh, you do not work here. Sorry." And off she goes. It is a random story but it made me laugh.

Everything is finished in Campus France and I run back over the the visa office to catch them before their lunch break. This time a man helps me. He seems to be new at his job. Fortunately, the entire office took pity on my because they accepted a lot of papers in place of the ones they actually wanted and continued to be helpful even though I was still there when I was supposed to be finished. In the end, it all worked out alright.

I really liked the place and hearing everyone speak French or with French accents. It made me happy and I'm really excited about next year all over again. It's a good thing I liked it too because I was almost stuck there indefinitely. By the time it was over, it was 1:00 and I really needed to find the restroom. I found it, used it, and then I headed for the front door. I was locked in! I was just in time though because a nice man was still in an office and ran out to assist me apologizing the whole time and wishing me a fantastic weekend. I was free!! Then I saw the same boy who was having such a bad day. He was running back to the office to find his badge so he could get back his drivers license. I wonder if he ever got out...

So, that turns out to be a long story that's not as funny on here as it was when it happened. Sorry. I feel especially sorry for my dad who paced the road for 3 hours thinking I must have been detained or something. Phones weren't allowed in the embassy.

Then we headed to my grandparents' house in Richmond where we stayed the night. My dad left the next morning and I stayed to go to a tea house in Williamsburg with Grammie, my cousin Jackie, and Grammie's sister Eleanor. It was a fantastic, girly day. We wore cute dresses, drank way too much tea (mine was spiced plum, yummy!), and stuffed ourselves with teeny sandwiches and mini desserts (they made creme brulee in honor of me =) Then we shopped.

Later Jackie and I went to a store to get makeovers. It was a terrible experience but really hilarious. I have never seen make up look worse and I have been behind some truly horrendous looks. We were embarassed for anyone to see us that way. We left, drove to the nearest parking lot, removed all the makeup, and applied our own in the car. It took a while and we got some awesome comments from the people walking by. Great, great times.

This afternoon I had to say goodbye to my cousins, aunt, and uncle. I will definitely be missing everyone while I'm gone. I'm not looking forward to that. Then Grammie and Pa drove me home and now I'm writing this ridiculously long blog. I'm tired so I'm rambling.

I think that's it. A busy weekend. Hopefully it'll turn out for the best. I'm missing the sound of the French language already so I'm off to watch yet another fantastic French film. Au revoir!