'Tis the season...

...for eating. Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday and I have never been away from home during the feast. Thankfully, my friends here felt the same urge and necessity to create a meal worthy of an American Thanksgiving. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, 12 of us piled into my friend Meg’s cozy French apartment for a potluck style feast. She had decorated the place beautifully: candles and holly were everywhere- she had placed coffee beans in old jam jars for decoration, which was stunning. As the only fortunate one with an oven, she had the task of making the essentials: sweet potato casserole, cookie dough cheesecake bars, baked apples with confiture du vin (jam with wine), and ice cream coffee punch. In other words- unreal. Other staples included green beans, apple crisp, cranberry sauce which I made, stuffing, brussels sprouts and homemade rolls. We did not, however, have the turkey but made up for this fact with two delicious rotisserie chickens. Let’s be honest, still delicious and not nearly as much work. Our meal started at 4 with the obvious French aperitif, and lasted well into the evening. Wine, Vouvray and cidre complemented the food beautifully as we all went around to say what we were thankful for. The usual comments were made, but something we all said in common: we were thankful for our experience. Sure, it may sound cheesy, but the fact that we were all willing to search high and low to find a simple ingredient that France does not carry is indicative of our commitment to continuing American traditions while in this country. We all discussed how we were thankful for meeting one another, and how lucky we are to be in a fantastic town with other assistants. After the necessary stuffing our faces and our bellies until our pants no longer fit, we did the next best thing: go out to rage and dance. Needless to say, it was a fantastic Thanksgiving.

So, that was Thanksgiving round one. Thanksgiving round two consisted of my friend Meg and I at French mama’s house, cooking Thanksgiving for her and her family. French mama, aka Chantal, very generously bought all the ingredients, (including an 8 pound turkey) for Meg and I to turn into a Thanksgiving feast.  We began cooking at 3 pm (we were set to eat at 8pm, aka the French way of eating dinner despite the fact that consuming a Thanksgiving meal that late is almost impossible)- I took on the task of the turkey. I also laughed out loud when I saw the turkey because, if you can imagine, an 8-pound turkey is fairly small by our standards. Chantal and her husband told me they thought it was hysterical that we were going to consume such a large bird (I didn’t tell them that my friend’s family had a 25-pound turkey). Leftovers are not a concept in France, so they did not understand the beauty of making turkey sandwiches for the week following Thanksgiving.  With that being said, we made the typical lineup for Thanksgiving, including homemade pumpkin pie, and sat down for a very French Thanksgiving. The bird was not carved at the table, nor did people take seconds- Meg and I laughed afterwards because normally, we have to roll ourselves from the table after Thanksgiving. However, it was super neat to enjoy Thanksgiving, French style.

            I have a week and a half left of teaching, then Christmas break! I have no idea where the time has gone- I cannot believe it’s December. My babies are doing well, some better than others (we’ve been doing “what is your name” for 2 months and some still have no idea how to answer), but their cuteness makes up for the fact that english is obviously a struggle for them.

            I’m off to Belgium on the 17^th until the 22^nd, then my parents get here on Christmas Day, so a lot of traveling, eating, and good company will be had.

Happy holidays!

Bisous!!

"If heaven isn't what it's cracked up to be, then take me back to Switzerland"

Wise words spoken from Rick Steves- the man, the legend, the travel guru. It's been about two weeks since I've returned from a fantastic trip to Switzerland, but have yet to update my blog.
My friend Carly, her roommate Delia and I ventured to Switzerland for 7 days during one of our first but not the last paid vacations. We took the scenic TGV ride to Geneva, a beautiful city with evident french influence located on Lake Geneva- the town itself was picturesque. A clean, fresh city on a lake, with the Alpes only a short distance away. Can you say perfection? Switzerland is known for, among other things, their delicious chocolate and gruyere cheese. Oh, and their incredibly affluent economy. With that being said, it cost an arm and a leg to travel and stay throughout Switzerland, but it was worth every swiss franc. With lived off of bread, cheese and chocolate for a week (the cheapest food we could get our hands on) while exploring and experiencing Switzerland.
Geneva was gorgeous- the architecture, the shops, the people, everything. We were able to speak french to most people, despite the difference in accents, but for the most part, people could understand what we were attempting to say. We stayed in Geneva for two nights, explored the town thoroughly, and took an endless amount of photos.
Next stop: Gimmewald. For those traveling fiends out there, you may be familiar with Rick Steves. His funny and informative travel books guide you through not only a place, but an experience. Thankfully, Rick Steves absolutely adored Switzerland, and Gimmewald in particular. We took 2 trains, 2 buses and a very steep gondola to reach the tiny town of Gimmewald. Located in the heart of the Alpes, the isolated town, population 80, had just finished tourist season. We stayed at this fantastic hostel, recommended by Rick Steves, obviously, named Mountain Hostel. The log cabin catered to hikers was unreal: the front porch overlooked the beautiful landscape and the gorgeous mountains. I have never in my life seen mountains so vast- there were only a few other hikers staying at the hostel, seeing as how it was quite a random time to take a vacation to Gimmewald. There was no grocery store in the town, so we hiked to Murren, the next town up to fetch the necessities: pasta, cheese and of course, wine. The hike to the grocery store was stunning- a good indication of what the next 3 days had in store. We stayed in Gimmewald for 3 days, never wanting the sun to set. The trails were mapped very clearly, so a trail map was not needed. We were told which trails to take, and the ones that had the best view, and we set out. Over the 3 days, we did so much hiking and walking our legs felt like jelly. One afternoon, we took this one trail that was entirely uphill the entire way- after 3 hours of what felt like stair master, we called it quits and turned around just in time before the sun began to creep behind the mountains. We were able to cook our own meals in the hostel, which we did for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The hostel also had a restaurant attached to it, which tended to the locals on a regular basis. Each night, Petra and Walter's (the hostel owners) friends would come for beer and to play their accordions. We met this one man, who spoke Gimmewaldian (a mixture of french and german, aka the most bizzarre language I have ever heard) who attempted to tell us jokes in english and sing us traditional swiss songs. After a few pints of beer, we all turned in to our tightly packed rooms, ready for the next day. We were planning to go to Schilthorn, one of the highest peaks of the Alpes, reaching nearly 10,000 feet. While we were told it was possible to hike to the peak, there was no way that was happening. So, we took the gondola at a discounted price, thankfully, and slowly began the ascent to the very top. Once we got there, Carly, Delia and I were speechless: it looked like we were literally on top of the world. I felt like I was looking at a postcard- the sights and the mountains were not real. We were able to see the next towns over, as well as the other high peaks. After a million photos and a cup of hot chocolate in the revolving restaurant, we took the gondola back down before the altitude took a toll on us. We were in Gimmewald for 3 days and desperately wanted to stay longer. We met these two guys in our hostel who had both been there since the summer- they were traveling and stopped in Gimmewald and just never left. They work for the hostel now and in exchange, stay there for free. My photos and description do not do the town justice- the breathtaking views, the sound of the cowbells, and the local flavor are all things you have to experience.
After a sad goodbye to our new favorite little town, we ventured back down the gondola, took a bus and 2 more trains, and traveled to our final destination: Lucerne. Much like Geneva, Lucerne was located on a lake, with the Alpes as a nice backdrop. Lucerne, influenced by german culture as opposed to french, was a gorgeous city with that same clean and rich feeling as Geneva. We stayed in a great hostel in Lucerne, explored the city, ate a ton of chocolate, and indulged in a traditional meal of gruyere fondue (which cost an absurd amount but then again, we were in Switzerland).
As a whole, Switzerland was an amazing place to visit. I would go back in a heartbeat and could honestly live there. France is wonderful, but Switzerland had a special something, that je ne sais quoi- all of my favorite things were within reach: city, lake and mountains. We were gone for one full week, but I could've stayed longer. Carly, Delia and I discussed how we cannot wait to go back to Gimmewald during the winter (the ski season there is huge), and how once we are reach and famous, we'll all have fabulous apartments in Geneva or Lucerne, with of course, our vacation houses in the Alpes.
After Les Toussaints vacation, it was back to "reality." We celebrated a very french Halloween, and returned to our strenuous jobs (ha). Surprisingly, all my babies remembered what I had taught them before the break. Well, for the most part that is.
I still can't believe I've been here for almost two months- it feels like I have been here for so much longer because I have done so much already. The next thing I'm looking forward to: Thanksgiving. I'll be making two Thanksgivings, one with french mama, Chantal at her place, and one with all my friends. I am stoked because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday back home. It would feel weird to not celebrate such a feast. So, during the upcoming week and a half, I will be running around, collecting ingredients and figuring out how to cook using the metric system. Again, another adventure I am looking forward to....
Bisous!

If this is the real world then I'm never going home....

Salut salut!
I am officially an elementary school teacher. Well, sort of. I completed my first full week of teaching and when I say full, I mean I work 12 hours a week. If anyone is familiar with the French way of living, it goes a little something like this: you work for a few hours, take a two hour lunch, work for a few more hours, a couple smoke/coffee breaks in there and voila, c'est tout. The French are also keen on taking as many holidays as possible, so, in a week I am off to Switzerland for one of my many paid vacations. Life is so hard here.
The French babies are absolutely adorable. As many of you know, I am mildly obsessed with babies, particularly French ones. I teach CP (our equivalent of 1st grade) up until CM1 (our 5th grade). I have three different schools, with six different classes, and many different buses to take on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Primary schools here are off on Wednesdays (shocker) and I don't teach on Tuesdays aka pretty sweet deal. School here is very different- primary school teachers aren't the bubbly, animated teachers we grew up with. They are sticklers and if you mess up in class, game over. The French learn to write in cursive and only cursive- the kids all have the same graph-like paper which they write in with precise and careful lettering. On their desks, they all have pen cases with rulers, white out, and glue. If a kid doesn't write exactly how the teacher wants, things get ugly. I was observing a class and this one boy spelled a word wrong. Menial, right? False. The teacher called him out in class, while the other kids snickered and mumbled under their breaths "I can't believe he spelled that wrong" etc. Well, if a word is spelled wrong, you better believe that kid feels horrible. He took out his white out, corrected his mistake, all with 20 pairs of eyes pouring into him. I felt so bad for this kid- in the States, we would just pat the kid on the back and tell him to try again. Here, not so much. With that being said, English lessons are meant to be a break in this rigid system- they are filled with games, activities and laughter. It's okay if they mess up, learning a language is hard, and that's something I'm hoping to teach them as well.
My kids are fantastic- for the most part, they are stoked to learn English (there are a few who are wondering what I'm doing teaching them English when they clearly just learned how to speak and write in French). The teachers are enthusiastic as well- many of them don't know English, so they sit in the back while I teach, practicing "hello, my name is..." along with their students. It's really great to see their progress after a week as well- kids who couldn't say "hello, what is your name" can now ask that question and respond. While I'm supposed to speak only English in the class, I do need to speak French when I explain how to translate something, or to explain a game. Some of the kids were confused when I spoke French and asked me if I was French. Um, is my French really that? Probably not, I speak like a 4th grader. Questions I get asked in school: "You're from Washington? Do you know Obama?" "Do you know Madonna?" "Do you live in the White House?" "Can you see the Statue of Liberty?" These are the staples from American culture the kids know- they have no idea that the Statue of Liberty is in New York, or that Obama and I don't hang out when I'm home. They are so cute though, so I usually laugh and try to explain that it is impossible for me to live in the White House.
Alors, I have one more week of classes, then off for 10 days! I cannot wait to get my hike on in Switzerland with my friends, and to, of course, take a million photos. It's crazy how when I get back, it will be November. We need to teach the kids about Halloween, not that I know the history, but I'm sure if I bring in candy they won't even care about the history lesson.
Tours is beautiful right now- we've had about five days of mucky weather but suddenly, fall has arrived. The air is crisp and the fall colors are coming out along the Loire River. Today, I went for a run and the French were out and walking (there's nothing else to do in this country on Sundays, so everyone is just out walking). Luckily, we've had great weather the past couple of days. My friends and I tried to go to a Chateau but pulled an American tourist and took the wrong bus. We decided we have seven months here, so we'll be able to go another time...and to the other amazing chateaus in the region.
C'est tout for now- I'm going to start tutoring a girl in English for some extra euro euro bills on the side. She wants to learn grammar and that whole jazz, which will be interesting because I can't tell you what the pluperfect tense is in English. Just another experience...
Bisous!

Week 2: Et alors, on y va...

Technically, this was my first full week but for the sake of blogging, I'll bend the rules and consider it my second week. I've been here just over a week and am already in love with Tours. By chance, I found an amazing apartment right in the heart of Tours. My street is called place foire le roi, which translates in fair the king. My petite rue is located just off rue colbert which is the oldest street in the city, dating back to the 17th century and you can definitely tell. The cobble stone streets are ancient, and the little stores and restaurants are tiny and packed together. I live right across from an Irish pub, The Pale, and there is a rager every single evening. This morning, the owners and their friends were up at 9 am, drinking beer and watching football.  There is never a dull moment in this town.
My apartment is on the third floor right above this little tea shop. The stairwell smells like tea and spices constantly, which helps with the old, musty smell of the ancient building. My landlord, Pierre, is this old french man who speaks with a thick accent, straight out of the countryside. He knows absolutely no english whatsoever, so signing the lease and figuring out the contract was challenging. Luckily, he is very laissez-faire, as most french people are. He gave me the keys before I moved in, and before I had even paid rent. This country is so relaxed and moves at such a slower pace, it's fantastic. It's completely acceptable to take multiple breaks throughout your day, for a coffee or beer, and to linger over your 2 hr lunch break without worrying about getting back to the office.
My apartment is the perfect size for one person: you walk in, and I have a little kitchen, equipped with a mini fridge (Pierre replaced the large fridge saying it would be too big for me, little did he know that fridge was 1/3 the size of normal American apartment), a stove top and of course, a typical french washing machine. The french do not use a dryer, so that will be an interesting experience once I decide it's time to do laundry. My apartment came fully furnished, thank goodness, including a fantastic old wooden kitchen table, chairs, and full bed. I made a necessary trip to Ikea- located, conveniently, 10 minutes away by bus. I purchased bedding, pots and pans, and little accessories to spruce up the place. Once I moved in, I made several trips to Monoprix- the Target of France- for cleaning supplies and food. I spent my first full day in my apartment cleaning and organizing, and rewarded myself with a nice bottle of Beaujolais which I enjoyed with my friends. All the friends I've made live fairly close to me, but everywhere in town is, for the most part, within walking distance. From my windows, you can see the beautiful cathedral in town and of course the rest of Rue Colbert- thankfully, my mom gave me ear plugs before I left, just in case. How did she know I would be living on one of the nosiest streets in town? The 5am street cleaners don't faze me, thanks to her brillance.
Today is Sunday and in France, the day of rest is taken literally. Shops and restaurants are, for the most part, closed the entire day. The Pale is open every day, but then again, they tend to defy the norms of this country. I went for a run today and it was as if the busy town had emptied out, just for the day. Hardly any cars were on the main street of Rue Nationale because people tend to nest and veg the entire day. The Loire River is runs through town, and on this cloudless beautiful day, people were enjoying picnics and lounging along the riverside, all with baguettes and wine.
My first day of orientation went smoothly and without fault. The teachers in charge of all the primary schools are the sweetest woman and told us to not hesitate if we need anything. I'm teaching at three schools, in Tours Nord which is located just over the Loire river. On Monday, my actual teachers I will be teaching with will pick me up and introduce me to the students where I will have observing hours. All next week, we have orientation to understand the french curriculum which, is completely different from the States. I start to teach a week from Monday, and I cannot wait to read the kids "Goodnight Moon" and teach them Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. French babies, get at me.
I'm ready to get into the swing of teaching, and to keep exploring this wonderful little town. Since I've been here I have opened a french bank account and signed a lease on an apartment, two things I barely know how to do in english. I did, however, barely understood what the man at the bank was telling me, or what Pierre was saying about the hot water, but I did my best, smiled and always said "ouais." Et alors, on y va...
Bisous!

Week 1: let's do this

Bonjour toute le monde!
Currently, I am sitting a pub with two of my friends, drinking beer and surfing the web for potential apartments. I am still homeless and living at a crap hostel, but things are looking up! My friend Meg and I saw a fantastic 2 bedroom place, right in centre ville which we are leaning towards- after a few drinks, of course we are leaning towards this great place. We would have to furnish it ourselves but hello, Ikea right down the road? I'm pretty much sold. I got into Tours Friday morning and immediately set out to explore. The town is fantastic- small enough where you can walk everywhere but large enough where you see something new everyday. It's a very social town with a great night life- obviously, I'm in love already. It's fantastic to go out and get drinks and socialize with other Americans and the French. The second night I was here, we met someone who knew someone who had a French house party- so out of the ordinary, but it was fantastic! I love getting to know the locals here, as well as the other Americans. Everyone is so nice and outgoing, we have all met up for drinks and dinner- this town is wonderful. The endless search for a fabulous apartment is still going on- Craig's List for France is ideal, but sometimes sketchy. My friends and I have been hunting non stop, but it is definitely worth it. It just hit me that I will be here for 8 months, but I'm getting more and more comfortable every day. Task of the week: to not be homeless. Hopefully, my next post will be from my petit French apartment....
Bisous!

8 months + 2 suitcases= you must be joking.

Salut salut,

Alors, the time has come...to pack. My flight leaves tomorrow morning at 9am and I have finally begun the tedious task of stuffing eight months worth of clothes, shoes, books, etc into two suitcases which, to my dismay, cannot excede 50 lbs. Struggle nation anyone? My room looks like it exploded- clothes are everywhere, and the poor pieces which did not make the cut are left in a clump on my bed. I am also in search of an important document-my birth certificate-which of course, has been misplaced somewhere amongst the chaos. I have made sure to bring the essentials, bien sûr: 10 pairs of shoes (seriously); books I'm dying to read and books I've already read; falls clothes, winter clothes, spring clothes; photos and of course, crunchy peanut butter. My mom is making boeuf bourgignon à la Julia Child for dinner. So, not only will I be stuffed to the max I probably won't sleep out of anticipation and the fact that I tend to procrastinate and leave things to the last minute. Things that are still M.I.A.: camera chargers, scarves and converters. Again, lost somewhere in the clutter and confusion that is my room.

Once I have checked and double checked my lists, I'll be done...for now. I cannot wait to arrive in France. I also cannot wait to lug my suitcases and backpack from the airport onto the TGV, and then onto the bus (not)- the French tend to think Americans overpack and well, I will be the walking example of this stereotype. I'm sure I will somehow get lost/smack someone in the head/lose a piece of luggage but I guess half the battle is getting where you need to be...

I am so excited to begin these next eight months! Next task once I get to Tours: find an apartment. Shouldn't be too hard, right?

Bisous!

T-one month: preparation time

Salut tout le monde,
I caved in and decided to create a blog so I can update my curious and wondering friends on my progress while in France. I know the anxiety to read my weekly updates will ensue...
Alors, even though I don't fly out until the 22nd of September, I have so much to do until I leave the good ole' US of A for the future motherland. My visa has been granted, thank goodness, and I need to figure how I am going to pack 9 months worth of clothes into 2 suitcases...get at me. And then there is the question on where I will live once I am in Tours. Whelp, undecided at the moment. I plan on staying in a hostel for a few days and do some apartment hunting which, I'm sure, will be an experience. My French is un peu rusty, so hopefully I'll manage to find a place to live. Otherwise, I'm sure the parks have some adequate benches I can sleep on during my stay there...
I can't wait to learn more details about my school and which grades I will be with- I was placed at a primary school aka BABIES but I don't know the age groups yet. Thankfully, I was not placed with high school students, I can only image how sassy those French biddies are...
Other than that, I am anxious/nervous/excited/every other emotion possible.
Here's to the next 9 months, which are sure to be filled with adventures, confusion, and everything else in between.
Bisous!