Christmas Dinner

Because our Thanksgiving dinner was such a success, I decided to organize another “family dinner” to celebrate the Christmas season. Like last time, all of the roomies pitched in with either decorations or plates of food to make an incredible spread.



*The beautiful table that Vereena decorated

*We had many of the same dishes as for our last meal (such as roasted chicken, tomato and cucumber salad, and sausage), as well as some new additions like pumpkin soup (made by me and which was one of the most popular dishes of the night…yeah you right!), Spanish omelettes, green beans, tomato and mozzarella sandwiches, and German ________.

In addition to the usual suspects, there were also three guests at our Christmas dinner—Kelly, Jo (Lauren’s girlfriend), and a friend of Leo that was visiting from England.

*I taught Kelly about the Proost thing where you have to make eye contact when clinking glasses. She's a good student.

Towards the end of the meal, the English kids took over and provided dessert (fruit salad and a REAL fruit cake—I’d only heard about them in Christmas clichés!) as well as what they call “crackers”. It was pretty fun. A cracker is kind of like the little “poppers” that you use for New Year’s or during the national anthem: the ones spew confetti everywhere when you pull the little string. There was one “cracker” for every two people and each person would take an end and pull. Upon _____ing the cracker would make a loud “popping” noise and out would come a little prize. For the crackers that Robert provided, each little prize was a paper crown which we all wore for the rest of the night.

I have to say that it was another fun meal. It was especially nice to be able to celebrate the holiday season with our little “family” and our guests.

Walkin in a Winter Wonderland

Today, when I walked out of the Lycée, I discovered that it was SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I pretty much just skipped and danced all day long because I was so excited. I was amazed to see just how beautiful Arras had become under the thin blanket of snow.

The snow transformed Arras into a winter wonderland. Whereas snow most often causes havoc and irritation in the lives of the population, the snow in Arras was only a few inches thick and therefore it simply added to the Christmas atmosphere. Everywhere I walked, I couldn’t help but look around and smile.

Katie, I guess that there is something to this whole snow thing ; )



*Yannick surrounded by snow as we walk to the car to drive to school

*The school "playground"

BEFORE:

*I took this picture of a Santa Claus a few weeks ago

AFTER:

*Here's the exact same Santa today

*View from my window

*The Hotel de Ville (town hall) from my window

Giving Thanks

Warning:
The Following Post is Mushy and Sentimental…All Stoics, Tough Guys, and Uninterested Parties Turn Back Now

Today is the day in the US, when families come together and give thanks for all of the blessings that they have received over the past year. And even though, I’m a few thousand miles away, I think that it’s just as important to continue with tradition. Heaven knows that I have had more than my fair share of opportunities and blessings over this past year. I have met some truly incredible people and have had the opportunity to participate in programs and experience that have been life-altering. And for that, I couldn’t be more grateful.

In that same vein, I decided to make a list of some of the things that I am most thankful for:

My Readers—I would just like to thank all my readers out there. Apparently there are a lot more of you out there than I originally realized. Thank you for following me on all of my adventures. Your positive feedback really does make me feel like all the hardwork that I put into this thing is worthwhile.

Camp Canadensis—It’s amazing to think how spending a relatively short amount of time at a place can change a person. Although I only spent 9-10 weeks at this place, it definitely left a lasting impression on me. Camp forced me to grow as a person and pushed my mental, physical, and emotional limits. In the process, I made some of the best friends of my life. I don’t want to give the impression that Canadensis was like boot camp, because it wasn’t. I had so much fun with both my campers and my fellow counselors. But the long working hours combined with the isolation from the outside world made the experience an intense one. The bonds made here are hard to find anywhere else. They are strong and lasting...kind of like Band of Brothers. The people that I met there truly enriched my experience and gave me the strength that I needed when I thought that I couldn’t go any further (i.e. color war).

One of the greatest things about camp, is that I feel that it opened my eyes to the rest of the world. I was always aware of the world around me, but until this summer I’d never seriously entertained the thought of living in another state or country. I was perfectly happy with living in Louisiana for the rest of my life. And it is still someplace that I’d like to raise a family, but at this point in my life, I need to go out and see if I can make it in this big world. I need to challenge myself…I need to grow.

Living in France—Like Camp, living in France has pushed me to grow as a person. In some ways, it’s allowed me to remain a kid, but in others it’s forced me to grow up. Through all of the frustrations, stumbles, and triumphs, I have come to realize my own strength. It may not always be pretty, but I’m a survivor.

Living in France has also given me the gift of time—something that I have lacked sorely over the last few years. I actually have time now to fully enjoy life, to do the little thoughtful things for other people that I used to get so much joy in doing. This experience has afforded me the opportunity for a lot of introspection and self-discovery. It’s no secret that we don’t work very long hours so I have time to think about what’s important in life, which path I’d like to follow, and why I do the things that I do. I’ve been able to figure out things about myself that it usually takes other people years to discover. Don’t get me wrong, I fully realize that I’m still young and relatively immature and I still have a whole lot of growing to do…but I think that I’m on the right track to becoming the person that I want to be.

Another reason that I’m grateful for this French experience is that it’s afforded me the opportunity to travel. In just the past few months, I have already gotten to see many different countries and cultures—to see things that most people to get to see in a lifetime (and I’m not even halfway through my stay here!). In my travels, I have come to see just how different people are in different places in the world, but also how we’re all the same.


My Roommates—Although it’s not always easy living with 10 other people (all from different countries), it’s always exciting. I am so glad that I live here at Lycée Gambetta. I still dream about having a shower in which I don’t have to wear shower shoes or a clothes dryer, but I wouldn’t give up this experience for anything. By living here, I have had the opportunity to meet so many interesting people from so many different places. Each of my roommates has taught me something…whether it’s how to cook one of their local dishes or how to speak a few words in their native language. There are a lot of strong personalities that live here at Gambetta, but it’s interesting to see how they all interact and come together to form one motley crew.

Out of my roommates, I have become really close to two in particular, John and Robert (aka Woody and Jezebel). Together, we form the three musketeers. They are the ones that will sing and dance with me in during our impromptu “dance parties” while the other roomies look on with either disgust or blithe amusement. They are my partners in crime when we go out on the town or simply stay in (and skip down the hall). I think that they are the only two that truly understand and appreciate my sense of humor here at the Lycée—but I think maybe it’s because they are just as crazy as I am ; )


My Friends—I am the first one to admit that I have been blessed with some incredible friends. People that have been by my side through thick and thin. Even when I wasn’t the greatest friend in return. People that have known me from our middle school days and friends that I’ve only just met. From my lunch crew who can always make me laugh and my Phi Sigma Pi brothers who taught me how to party, to my camp friends who mean more to me than the sea and the stars and my ladies at the Pardon Board who showed me what it was like to be a true lady, I can’t express how much you’ve all enriched my life and how much you mean to me. All I can say is that you’re AMAAAAAAAAAAZING ; )


My Family—Let me premise this by saying that I have the greatest family in the world. I don’t just mean this in the sense that “oh my family is better than yours”…no, I really do think that I have the best family ever—from my immediate family to my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am so lucky to have them. And although I don’t always get to talk to them as much as I’d like, I couldn’t imagine my life without every single person. They’re the ones that love me for me…despite all of my funny quirks and idiosyncrasies. They’re the people with which I can let down all my guards, because I know that their love is unconditional. I truly appreciate all of their support in all my endeavors…even when they don’t really understand the things that I do and the reasons behind them.

I think that I can also safely put my friendship with one Miss Rachael Jeanfreau under this category, because over here, she is my family. She is the person that with which I can vent all of my frustrations and celebrate all of my accomplishments. And she fully understands what I’m saying because she has experienced the same things. As with my family, I can be my goofiest, most natural self with Rachael. It is a comforting thought to know that she always has my back in any situation…from walking down a dark street wielding wine bottles as weapons to making ridiculous props for a photo shoot. We always have a great time together and it’s a great feeling to know that she is by my side for all of my adventures.



My Parents—Probably what I am most thankful for, however, is the love and support of my parents. More than any other parents that I know, my mom and dad have encouraged and supported me and my brothers in all of our endeavors—even if they don’t necessarily agree with our decisions. They are wise enough, however, to always play “Devil’s Advocate” with us to make sure that we understand the weight and consequences of these decisions. Throughout my life, and especially during this last year, they have been my rock…my best friends and my confidants. They are the reason that I have the confidence and courage to do things like move across the ocean to follow my dream.

Throughout my stays in Baton Rouge, Camp, and France, my parents have been figuratively by my side—even when they couldn’t be by my side physically. They are the ones that listen to my ramblings, comfort me when I cry, and replenish my VISA card when I’m on the verge of “starvation.” And heaven knows that it’s their voices that I hear in my head when I’m thinking about doing something stupid…kinda of like WWGD? (What would Glenda do?). I thank my lucky stars everyday that I am their daughter.


I’m not the most religious person in the world, but I do recognize that I am so incredibly blessed…much more than I deserve. But today, I give thanks to Him for all of the blessings and mistakes in my life. Because each step and stumble has made me the person that I am today.

La Nuit Blanche

So on the night of October 6-7, Paris celebrated its “Nuit Blanche” which is one night of the year where the museums of the city are opened to the public for free from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. In addition to the opportunity to enjoy the exhibits inside, there were also some incredible displays outside the museums.

When Rachael and I first arrived in Paris, we walked around the Olympiads metro station in the Paris version of Chinatown. It was no San Francisco or Toronto but it was still pretty cool. Rachael and I ate some good Chinese food and then headed over to meet some of Rachael’s friends.

We ended up meeting a group of German kids, plus one Greek girl that are all studying in Paris. They were all really nice and I jokingly called the Germans my GPS (German Planning System) because pretty much all the Germans that I know somehow find a map and know exactly where they’re going at all times.

La Nuit Blanche takes place along the various stops along the #14 metro line in Paris. So on this night, when all of the museums are staying open, the #14 runs nonstop all night. Some restaurants and cafés, wanting to capitalize on the event also stay open all night.

This was one of the displays at the Olympiads. There were 5 different cars, each with a different color theme and flower.

Our first stop was Les Olympiads where we met up with the Germans. Cartoons were being playing on the sides of skyscrapers and fog was coming out of drainage grates like in scary movies. So Rachael and I fought off some kids and took pics in the light up fog. The weirdest thing that we saw there was this type of parade of women dressed like brides followed by a HUGE mechanical horse on which a guy who looked like Beetlejuice rode. The brides and this man took turns riding the horse and having the microphone. One bride was saying things like how marriage was like yogurt. It had an expiration date—after which it just gave you indigestion.

The next place that we went was an old church next to Les Halles (the old town market). On the side of the church, they showed some video clips of what seemed to be an old man and and old woman with taut bodybuilder bodies. It was fascinating and freaky all at the same time. It was one of those things that you’re scared of, but just can’t take your eyes off of. You could hear everyone whispering to each other about whether or not the body builders were really old or just movie magic. Inside the church, they had a concert going on of a percussionist playing these bell type things and a cellist.

Apparently my grandmothers have been slacking ; )

We then headed over to Bibliothéque Mitterrand which is the biggest library in Paris. They have a huge rare book collection which is kept underground. The buildings themselves look like open books, all facing a courtyard in the center. At this station of La Nuit Blanche, we saw lots of video clips on various floating objects. They had this one weathervane looking thing that had a video of random letters on it and a guy playing a shovel with a string. Another display had a witchlike woman next to a stack of books with a sheet over it that looked like it was on fire. I get that most of this was supposed to be very symbolic and everything. But I have to say, that this was not my kind of art. It was just too weird.

Part of Bibliotheque Mitterrand


Some of the weird exhibits on display at the Bibliotheque.

We then went to Les Comedies, which to me, just seemed like a square or plaza. Here we saw a poetry slam going on, but it was also very theatrical and had this guy with a really creepy voice. I only understood about ½ of what they said--but it was intense.

*Sorry, I know that it's sideways...i just don't know how to fix it.

Across the street from the Louvre was this really cool screen display where people could go and stand in front of a screen and make movements. The light and music that played next, corresponded to the type of movement that the people were making. It was awesome. You should have seen the people dancing in front of it.

My favorite place of the night, however, was the fire display at the Louvre. In a word, it was magical. I just kept thinking how it seemed like a movie. There were flowerpots with fires burning all throughout the perimeter of the gardens. Scattered throughout the center portion, there were chimney’s of fire that workers could make erupt in balls of fire. Even the fountains had fire floating on the water. There was also a globe of flowerpots with burning fire. All of this had the Eiffel Tower and a huge Ferris wheel in the background. It was so beautiful.

While we were outside the Louvre, I saw the Eiffel tower for the first time. I about wet myself. It was beautiful even though I could only see the top of it (so it only looked about 3 inches tall). At certain points during the night, it even came alive with lights and glittered against the dark Paris night. It was gorgeous. And the Parisians (and even Rachael) just regarded it as nothing new—just some everyday occurrence. I know that when you live with something everyday, it just seems normal to you and I guess in some ways that’s kind of sad.

La Nuit Blanche just happened to fall on the night that Paris was playing New Zealand in the quarterfinals of the Rugby world cup. If I hadn’t said it before, this country is all Rugby’ed out. It is amazing. Everywhere you go, there’s Rugby jerseys and signs. In Arras, they’ve even transformed one street of town into Rue du Rugby and it has green astro-turf down it. It’s so cool. Well, getting back to my story, the All Blacks (aka New Zealand) were the heavy favorites to win the entire World Cup. Somehow, however, the French were able to beat them in the final seconds of the game. The streets of Paris went wild. You could hear car horns and people yelling. There were also people carrying flags and dressed completely in blue, white, and red.

*People watching the game at a bar

All in all it was a tiring but memorable night.

The Louvre

My Room

As you know, I’m living in a room on the top floor of an old high school. This may sound scary to some of you but actually it’s really nice. It is way more than what I could have hoped to afford anywhere else. The room itself is equipped with a twin bed (with two sets of sheets and a down comforter), a nightstand, a desk, an armoire for my clothes, a bookshelf, a table, a little kitchenette (with a refrigerator and a hotplate), and a full set of dishes, pots, and pans.

Here's a view of my front door. Representing LA once again.

Here's a video of my kitchen. I know, I sound like an idiot in it.

Here's where I sleep.

Here's a pic of my room. Shown here are my desk, my armoire, and my bookshelf (plus the end of my bed).

Here's an inside pic of my armoire. See, it's not that full! I'm very proud of that.

Here's my table (where I eat) and my little kitchenette complete with fridge and hot plate. I'm also very proud of the fact that you can see the floor. That's right, folks. Aimee Brasseaux finally has a clean room and she's keeping it that way!

Here's my desk. Notice that I'm representing Lafayette and LSU. I also have my calendar and pics of friends and family to keep me company as I work.



Here are the maps that I have of the city and the city bus plan. These are pretty much my bibles right now so I don't get lost.

What we don’t have in our rooms, the school provides for us in the hallway. Right outside my door is a table that holds a microwave, a mixer, a toaster, a coffeepot, a kettle (for those darn English and their tea ; ), and other small appliances. Down the hall there’s a closet where they keep irons, ironing boards, mops, and brooms for us. There’s also a room with communal showers (don’t worry, we each have a stall) and a washing machine for our clothes. Unfortunately, we don’t have a dryer, so we have clotheslines set up in the shower room as well as drying racks.

Here's a view of the stuff that the school provides for us. We just bought ourselves a toaster oven too!

Here's a view of our hall. My room is the one with the open door on the left.

Here are our shower stalls. This is where I get so fresh and so clean, clean.

Here's our clothes dryer...aka the clothesline. I have never missed an appliance as much as I have missed my clothes dryer. I swear that the first thing that I'm doing when I get home is wash and dry my clothes, and then roll around in them when they're fresh from the dryer--that doesn't make me sound crazy, does it?

As for internet, we don’t have an internet connection in our rooms. Instead, we’re supposed to have a common room where we have a tv, table, and internet. Well we’ve had the room for one night. And apparently we weren’t supposed to play around in the other rooms, so they’ve locked it up again. Oops. Until it’s opened again, we’ve discovered an unsecured wireless internet connection that you can tap into if you’re sitting on a certain spot in the hall.

The "special spot" in the hall where we can get internet access.

In my room, however, I have the most spectacular view of the city. I can see the Hôtel de Ville, which is the town hall, Les Grandes Place (Place des Heros and La Grande Place), and the two churches. It is gorgeous during the day, but even more breathtaking at night. I’ve shot some videos and taken pictures of it, but unfortunately, the camera just can’t seem to capture its true beauty.

Here's a video of the view from my window--daytime

Here's the same view at night.

Bonjour!

Bonjour from France! Ok. So I may not be living in Paris, but I’m not far from it. I am actually living in a town called Arras. It is about 50 min. from Paris, 45 min. away from Lille and is on the route for all big train lines. There’s over 50,000 people living here. I’m living on the top floor of an old high school with all of the other teaching assistants in town. There’s 11 that live here in a dorm-style setup complete with communal showers and toilets (yay). But I have to say that I love living here. I have all the conveniences that I could hope for and all for only 75 Euros per month (which for here is unheard of). I get along very well with all of my roomies and it’s never dull.

The school is located smack dab in the middle of centre ville which means that I am literally a block from everything that I could need or want. I’m one block from the Post Office (so I can send you all letters), one block from Les Grandes Places (the central plazas of town where most of the restaurants, patisseries, bars, and clothes shops are located as well as the local cinema), two blocks from the train station, less than a block from a grocery store and my bank, and next door to a pharmacy and a book store where I can buy all my teaching supplies. How’s that for convenience?! Apparently my street is one of the main streets of town where all of the great clothes shops are located too. Yay for French fashion! I have not gone crazy in the stores…or at least not yet, but let’s just say, I have enough stuff to make me look French.


Rue Gambetta--the street where I live



Monoprix--the grocery store right next door to my place. It's insanely expensive, though, so we've started calling it Mono-pricks.




This is the post office also within a block of my place. This is where I send all of those lovely letters that I write. This is also where I almost beat-up a "homeless" woman after a long day of fighting the French bureaucracy. "I already gave you some damn money!"




This is the lovely bus stop where I catch the bus to my schools. It just happens to be about 10 yards away from our front gate. w00t!


The weather here, however, leaves a lot to be desired however. The north of France is pretty much known for having crappy weather and nice people, and I have to say that I agree with that. On most days it’s cold and rainy, very much like England (which would make sense because I’m about 2 hours South of England). The weather isn’t horrible, but it ain’t Louisiana either if you know what I’m saying.

France is wonderful and I’ve loved pretty much every second of it, except for my experiences with French bureaucracy. Think of how awful United States bureaucracies can be (especially) in Louisiana and then slow down the process by 20—there you have French red tape. Pretty much any time that I need to turn in paperwork (which is always because I’m a non-European living in France), I have to literally run all around town like a chicken with its head cut off, just to find out that I don’t have the right documents with me. But I can’t get the right paperwork because the document that I need requires that I have the document that I’m trying to get. I know. It sounds confusing…just imagine what I’m like trying to understand all of this in French. But fortunately, there have been some bright spots in this whole thing. Like my friend, Juliette, who grew up in Arras, helped me set up a French bank account and helped me to purchase a French cellphone my first day here. She also helped me find out info about my lost luggage. (Oh yes, the airline lost my luggage when I first got here. And I left for a trip the next day, so I was without clothes for 2 weeks. Don’t worry, I survived and it just adds spice to my story) Without Juliette, I would’ve totally been lost.


The lovely Juliette






The spectacular Hotel de Ville or city hall. It is located just a couple blocks away and is the symbol of the town.


Top: A view of one of the plazas in the center of town
Bottom: A daytime view of the Hotel de Ville



The view from my room