Week 2: Toulouse, France Part 2

Week two in Toulouse started on Wednesday, October 27th with a solo trip to the farmers market near Benjamin's flat.  Armed with a list of items to purchase and the smattering of French I have managed to acquire, I put on my backpack and headed out.  My first stop was the vegetable stand Benjamin prefers.  There was a rather cranky woman ahead of me in line - I accidentally bumped her, then pardoned myself in french, but she didn't seem very impressed.   I waited for my turn before realizing that all the vegetables I wanted to purchase were on the other side of the stand.  There were a bunch of patient ladies by the tomatoes, where I made my selection, passed them to the man at the scale, asked for some pasteque (watermelon) to go with my tomates (tomatoes), and paid.  Then I made my way to my preferred cheese stand, Brigitte et Bernard.  She is always lovely and patient with me.  I requested some Rochefort Papillion, cent cinquante grams (150g), and she smiled as she sliced of the correct amount of cheese.  I also ordered two small pieces of chevre, motioned that I was finished with my order, and paid.  She smiled and wished me a good day.  My final task was to ask for some 'poitrine de porc, fumee' or smoked bacon, 1 cm thick.  I chose a butcher that I liked, and was lucky enough to see the cut of meet I wanted right in the corner! I made asked for my cut of meat, pointing at the one I wanted.  Then things were a bit challenging, as I tried to explain how much I wanted.  The didn't understand my 'un cenimeter', so we mimed our way through, the butcher indicating with his knife the different widths I could have.  We finally understood each other, and he sliced.  His assistant took my payment, and wished me a good afternoon - in English!  All in all I was quite proud of myself.  Mission Accomplished!  After work Benjamin took me to meet some of his friends who have recently been blessed with twin boys.  I wasn't able to communicate much, but I did get to hold one of the babies.  He was sleeping and so sweet!  There was also an adorable little girl there too, not much older than the babies, and she was quite playful.  It was a lovely evening!

On Thursday evening, Benjamin and I went to our dance class.  This weeks lesson was on connectivity and frame.  The follows were all blindfolded, and I was one of the models to show the exercise.  It was very interesting - I was able to tell which leads were dancing with me by their unique styles (it was a small class), and at one point I felt three hands leading me, as my partners changed.  I think my technique is improving.  I'm learning to slow down and listen, not anticipate as much and just be in the moment with my partner.

Friday was a lovely experience - Benjamin prepared racalette.  He has a device with little trays that you melt cheese in to drizzle all over your meat, potatoes, vegetables, and in my case fruit, as I insisted on including apples and pears on my plate.  Then we played Carcasonne again and watched a French movie called 'Demain Tout Commence' (Tomorrow Everything Begins), about a man who reluctantly accepts being a single father, only to discover how much joy his daughter brings him as she becomes the center of his world.  It is a sweet, sad story that was wonderful!

Saturday again started with the farmers market to buy fruit, vegetables, and cheese - but Benjamin did most of the talking.  He had purchased several types of cheese, dry meats, and pate then organized a tasting for me.  He ordered the cheeses from the mildest to the strongest.  My favorite was in the middle, a hard aged cheese with an interesting texture.  We didn't eat them all, and took several of the cheeses to the potluck at the dance party that evening.  We stayed fairly late, and I was excited to go dancing twice in one week!

Sunday was very special.  We went to an 'American iner' for lunch.  It was amusing to see how french people interpreted American food.  We went for 'brunch', which was a meal in three parts.  Part 1: orange juice (with ice) and choice of hot beverage (coffee or tea).  Part 2: Breakfast sandwich (English muffin, egg, American cheese, bacon, and ketchup). Part 3: Choice of dessert - Pancakes, Typical American Cake, or Pain Perdu (what we would consider French Toast - literally 'lost bread'. My friend explained this in a comment on my last post - thanks Tess!).  I went with the Pain Perdu, and was surprised to receive a hambuger bun - complete with sesame seeds, that had been dipped in egg batter and fried, then served with ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel sauce!  Benjamin laughed at the puzzled expression on my face, and I laughed at the interpretation of 'American French Toast'.  Then he took me to a  natural history museum - I LOVED it!!!  From the minerals, to the fossils, to the re-articulated skeletons, the specimens of insects and the taxidermy animals.  It was very cool.

Monday Benjamin worked from home because he only had a half day as he was flying to a conference in Geneva, Switzerland.  I was flying to visit my friends in Germany.  After a simple yet filling lunch of tomato, goat cheese, and fresh basil salad (he also made himself a watermelon and Rochefort salad - which even his friends think is strange but he enjoys.  The textures clash to me...), we left his flat and headed to the airport together.  We were lucky that our gates were close together.  His flight left and then mine, an hour later. A train ride and a tram ride in Germany, and I arrived at the flat of my friends, ready for a few relaxing days of good times, great laughs, and wonderful people!

ps Please forgive my French spelling and missing accents - I have yet to figure out how to make them with my American keyboard and I dislike Benjamin's French keyboard as too many letters are in the 'wrong place'! ;-)

Week 1: Toulouse, France Part 1

I woke up on the morning of September 20th, my first full day of this French adventure.  Benjamin, my host, took me to the local farmers market before he left for work, after which I returned to bed to sleep until lunch. When he returned after work, Benjamin let me ride his bicycle, and we went for a ride along the canals.  It was beautiful!!!  The sun was beginning to set and gave a lovely golden glow to the autumn leaves.  We rode for about an hour, and right around the time I started to get sore, we returned 'home'. We had a lovely curry for dinner and then I went to bed, still a bit tired from the transcontinental traveling.

 

The second day I managed to stay awake until lunch, but fell asleep for a few hours after, still recovering from jet-lag.  I practiced my french and unpacked a bit, excited that we would be going to dance class that evening.  I had fallen in love with Zouk, a latin dance from Brazil based on the lambada, while living in Abu Dhabi.  It's considered a sensual dance because you use your senses to communicate with your partner - you hear the music, you see and feel their movements.  It's a wonderful experience, and my friends I'd met in Portugal were the instructors.  I had a lot of fun dancing with them again!

The third day I only took an hour long nap, after studying all morning and before I decided I needed coffee. Benjamin took me to the store to purchase necessities, and then we had a nice quiet evening.   watching an interesting French movie - The Untouchables, about the friendship between a paraplegic and his caretaker.  It was touching and actually quite funny!  I did my best to converse with him about it in my halting French. Then we watched The Fantastic Mr. Fox, also quite funny.

We returned to the farmers market on Saturday morning, my fourth day in France.  We purchased fresh produce and eggs, before exploring what other items the vendors had for sale.  After a simple yet delicious tomato salad for lunch, we set off for the near by city of Carcassonne.  I was SUPER excited about this adventure, because one of my favorite board games is Carcassonne, named for it.  Our first view of the walled city was breath taking - we turned a corner and suddenly there it was in all it's glory.  Awesome.  We parked and hiked up to the entrance, paused at the tourist center, then began to explore.  I found a copy of the board game in one of the souvenir shops and bought it.  I talked Benjamin into playing Carcassonne IN Carcassonne with me!  Then we wandered around a bit more before sitting down to dinner at a restaurant named for Camelot and King Arthur's round table, where I tried one of the local dishes:  Cassoulet - made from duck, white beans, and bacon.  It was delicious - I really enjoy French food.  Julia Child was NOT wrong...

My fifth day started early, becuase we were going hiking in the Pyranese Mountains.  We were a bit worried about the weather, but the forecast predicted it would be a nice day, so we ventured out.  It was lovely!  Quite steep for the first hour, and a much different terrain than I'm used to - lots of loose rocks, but I adapted, and was rewarded with brilliant scenes of sunlight streaming through forest and illuminating green landscapes.  We climbed up and up until we burst onto a meadow, completely surrounded by towering cliffs (which Benjamin called a cirque), with a streaming waterfall drawing us to the center.  We paused in the middle of the field on a huge rock by a stream flowing from the waterfall to enjoy our lunch and the surroundings.  Then we hiked the rest of the way to the falls, taking in all the beauty around us, before heading back down the trail.  I definately want to return!

   

Day six, Monday, was another quiet day for me with lots of studying and another long nap - it takes quite a while to beat jet-lag!  I practiced my French with Benjamin in the evening.  He says it's getting better, which is encouraging, but I still have a long way to go.  I have to ask him to slow down a lot, and many of the words sound exactly the same to my ear and I'm trying to use context clues to determine meaning.  I'm only right about a quarter of the time, but it's a start!

I finally ventured out on my own on Day seven, to explore Romonville, the suburb of Toulouse where Benjamin lives.  I found the local market and bought ingredients to make myself gluten free French Toast.  Ha!  I wonder what it's called here?  Then Benjamin and I rode bikes to the Metro Station, and went into the city to go to a Beat Box Quiz night, where the hosts started laying beats layer by layer until someone in the crowd guessed which song they were performing.  Everything from French songs to Lou Bega, Eminem, and FatBoy Slim.  Very entertaining!!!  

The next week promises to be just as entertaining.  I'll keep writing!!!

Adventures Between Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

I embarked on my journey to France at 5:45am Monday morning from my sister's house in upstate New York.  She drove me the hour to the train station in Syracuse, then hugged me goodbye before I boarded the  a train bound for New York City.  The train ride was beautiful - all mists and fall colors, reminiscent of something from a fairy tale! New York City was very crowded and busy but I still managed to run some errands around Penn Station without getting too lost, then took the metro to JFK International airport.  

I had purchased a ticket with Norwegian, a transcontinental budget airline - they weigh EVERYTHING (max 20 kilo for checked bags and 10 kilo carry-on total).  I was 4 kilos too heavy, so I had to rearrange and pay $60 for being over, but the ticket was so cheap (and I was bringing 3 bottles of wine and 6 cans of beer as gifts for my host), so I really can't complain about the additional charge.  What I can complain about is security.  I hate TSA in the USA. They're inconsistent and overly strict. I had brought a lovely squash bisque to eat for dinner before I boarded my flight, but it security did allow it through, and because I didn't want to throw it away, I was escorted back out to the check-in area and had to go through security all over again, without my bisque which I defiantly ate while waiting in line.  The flight itself was uneventful; I had a pleasantly short conversation with my seatmates before the plane departed and we all fell asleep. Norwegian charges for everything but water, so no meals or snacks were provided.  As I knew this ahead of time I had packed some snacks, but it didn't matter as I slept most of the flight.   

I had planned 2.5 hours between landing and the departure of my train from Paris to Toulouse, which I thought should have been enough time. We left and landed only slightly later than scheduled. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time to get through customs quickly. My luggage was fairly fast, too. There was a slight hiccup when I attempted to purchase the metro ticket from the airport to the train station in Paris, when my debit card was declined (apparently because it's foreign), but the assistant helped me by escorting me to where I could pay with cash.  I took the tram into the city, and then managed to haul all 35 kilos of my luggage up and down flights of stairs to make my connections, too!

The trouble came when I was trying to leave the metro and enter the train station. Because my bags kept getting caught in the turnstiles, I elected to use the special gates for people with luggage or prams; the are open to let you in, but they close behind you and only open again after you deposit your ticket or scan your card.  I thought I could scan the QR code on my train ticket, but it didn't work - neither gate would open. I couldn't get through or back out the way I came.  I had to shout for help until someone came along to let me out, but it took a few minutes and but the time I figured out where my train was, it was time for departure and they'd stopped letting people on. I arrived in time to beg to be let through, then watched the train leave without me.

I was directed to the ticketing office.  Because I had gotten stuck in the metro gate, they put me on the next train for free, which was very kind because my ticket was non refundable. Then, while waiting for my next train, I was trapped in a bathroom stall, when the lock on the door jammed. I tried to open it several times then started knocking on the door until the attendant came and opened it with a screwdriver.  I spent the rest of the time sitting in large open spaces until the platform for the train to Toulouse was announced.

I was a bit confused when trying to find my carriage (the train was actually going to two different destinations), spilled coffee on myself in all the excitement, but finally found my assigned seat, only to discover that it was occupied. Wanting not to cause a fuss, I chose am empty seat close by (which I preferred anyway), and practiced my French during the 4 hour train ride. My host was waiting for me upon arrival, drove me to my new home for the next 6 weeks, and prepared a lovely late dinner for me.  Then, having traveled nearly 4,000 miles in 36 hours, I finally curled up in a comfortable bed and slept.  I had finally arrived and this was going to be a wonderful adventure.

Oh - I almost forgot to mention a most auspicious sighting!  When we arrived at my host's home, I saw a wild hedgehog - my favorite animal!  SO COOL!!!

Viva La France!!!

Hello again,
Wow.  It's been a VERY long time (years) since I've posted to my blog and a bit's changed with me, but mostly things are the same.  Last time I wrote, I was beginning my adventure in Abu Dhabi... And what an adventure it was!  So much so, that I didn't find the time to write about it.  In short, I met quite a few wonderful people, made amazing friends, and participated in some pretty cool things from Parkour to Zouk (and other forms of Latin dancing), TWO different choral groups, lots of boardgaming and meetups, cultural experiences, travel, and teaching some incredible kids.

So, as the title of this blog post implies, I am embarking on an adventure in France. Why France? I'm glad you asked... It all started back in December, when I decided that I wanted to teach in an International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program (MYP).  I firmly believe in the principles of the IB, and I've been teaching 5th grade in the Primary Years Program (PYP) for 3 years, but I have always been partial to teaching middle school students, and as AISA did not have an MYP, I submitted my resignation and began looking for MYP positions, figuring that six months would be plenty of time to find a new job in my desired program.  Turns out, I was wrong.  The school year ended, my 5th graders advanced to middle school, and I did not.  I found myself unemployed...

You're probably thinking, "Ok, so you're unemployed. What does that have to do with France?" Again, I'm glad you asked!  Well, when it became apparent that I would not be finding a teaching position this school year, I decided to take a 'gap year' and work on getting some additional certifications at the secondary level, which I hoped would help me be more employable in the long run.  Thinking that it would take a year of schooling to attain these certifications, and because I missed my family, I decided to return home to beautiful Washington State, USA. The plan was to substitute teach while I took online classes and studied.

"But that still doesn't explain WHY FRANCE!" Right.  Well, at the end of the school year I had scheduled lots of travel opportunities, because I didn't know what my future held, and I wanted to take advantage of being on the eastern hemisphere.  One of my destinations was Portugal, for a weekend of dance workshops, where I made friends with some people from France.  I met them again a month later in Spain, and followed them home to Toulouse.  We had such fun together that I was invited back.  As I am currently jobless, I have plenty of time on my hands, so I decided to take the opportunity to immerse myself in French culture for six weeks, with people who will help me learn the language and enjoy what this country has to offer!

Sand, Sea, and 'Surf'

Well, I've been in Abu Dhabi a little over month now, and I like it here. I have supportive colleagues, wonderful students, LOTS of interesting things to do, not to mention the awesome friends I'm making! So far I've went on a desert safari, been dune bashing, ridden a camel, enjoyed some amazing food, watched a belly dancer, began training in parkour, found a board gaming group, played cards, hosted a stop in our flat crawl, went to a Great Gatsby Party, the Abu Dhabi Heritage convention featuring falcons and other hunting breeds, attended an Irish Brunch, and went on boat rides nearly every weekend, so I could go swimming in the Arabian Sea.

 

I know what you're thinking - 'but you moved to Abu Dhabi to teach and for the opportunity to learn more and grow as an instructor'! True story. And so, I am. As with every new school experience, there is a rather steep learning curve. Every program here is new to me EXCEPT the PYP! Writer's Workshop, Reading Book Clubs, Everyday Mathmatics. I've dabbled in each of these (ok, EM is completely new for me) but have never been as fully immersed. Not to mention we are now an iPad grade level, so I'm getting to learn how to utilize these new devices to enhance student learning. It's taking me a while to get the hang of it, but I'm learning! At the beginning of a school year it always takes time to organize things and feels like you're juggling a hundred balls at once, so your bound to drop a few. Just pick them up and keep on juggling!

 

I do miss home. I miss the forests, the climate, but most of all my family and friends. I have so many wonderful people who love me, I count my blessings every day during morning yoga. But, when it gets really bad, there are tastes of home. I am sitting here typing this at Starbucks as I enjoy a pumpkin spice Americano, thinking of my siblings and dear friends who are also fans of this coffee company originally from the Pacific Northwest but now world wide - kind of like me, I guess! So please don't worry, I am doing alright, but remember that I love and miss you. Please write or call me anytime. Oh, and if you feel the need to send care packages, I would be over the moon if I recieved some more Good Earth Tea, peanut butter M&Ms, jolly ranchers, Ritter Sport Chocolate, Kinder Surprise eggs, photos and anything hedgehog. ;-) But really, if you do want to call or write, message me for my mailing address or leave a comment on my blog requesting it! Ciao for now!

 

 

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Finally, A Summer Vacation and Making Up For Lost Time

Finally, A Summer Vacation and Making Up For Lost Time

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My summer started July 24th, and what a wonderful way to begin, with my parental unit AB (Achey-Barr) joining me in Germany to visit parts of Europe. This is especially special, because last year I skipped my summer vacation to begin work at FISW - one of the best decisions I've made, but intense without a break! So, after slaving away all year (ok, that's an exaggeration - it was a labor of love which I was paid for), I was exhausted and relieved to be looking forward to a 7 week break! The last day of school was bittersweet, saying farewell to friends while preparing for holiday. And what a holiday it's been!
This school year, aside from a trip to Belguim with some friends, I've only managed to travel locally in and around Germany.
It's sad to be in the middle of Europe without taking advantage of how easy it is to travel between countries here. So, I had a thrilling itinerary lined up:

France and Switzerland with my mom and step-dad, back to Germany to finish packing up, meeting my friend Sean in Italy, then traveling with him to Greece and one last stop in Germany before flying back to Washington State, USA.

I have to admit, it was lovely, and every bit as wonderful as I'd hoped. Sadly, it went by WAY too fast, and with so much I tried to squeeze in, I had to be in near constant motion to accommodate such a busy schedule, and even so there are still friends I missed! But I am grateful for the time I was able to share with those I love.

So - a quick recap! France was sunny and beautiful as always. Once again we stayed at the Kiefer's hotel in Itellsweiler, and again I rode through vineyards on bicycles with my parental unit near Barr, France.

We visited a fascinating war bunker from WWII, roamed around Salsbury, and ate delicious French food from some of our favorite restaurants.

We traveled south to Switzerland and hiked around in the gorgeous Jungfrau region, staying two nights in Lauterbrunnen which allowed us time to take the 4 gondolas all the way to the top of the schliterbahn for breathtaking views over breakfast at the rotating restaurant at the top of the mountain.

We played at the interactive JamesBond Exhibit before heading back down and hiking around the quaint villages of M... & E... Then enjoying Swiss fondue.

The next morning we visited the forceful waterfalls inside the Interlaken caves before returning to Germany for a few more relaxing days.

I dropped my parental unit at the airport, with a promise I'd see them again soon, then returned to my flat to get to work as I only had 4 days to pack everything up and leave my flat. A BIG thank-you to RC, Jose, Ivan and Israel - I couldn't have done it without your help. Everything was out of my flat in time for me to head to Italy where I met my friend Sean and we toured Rome and the Vatican together.

It was SO HOT! We lucked out and stumbled upon a tour group that invited us to join. Not only were we able to skip the very long line, we had an extremely educational experience from TWO guides for the Coleseum, Palatino Hill, & Roman Forum. Then we went for a pint to cool off with the rest of the guides from the tour company(Romearound). We had such a great time, that we booked our Vatican City tour with them as well. The Sistene Chapel was extraordinary, as was St. Peter's Basilica, which was much larger than I expected it to be! So much interesting history.

After Rome, Sean and I flew to Athens, Greece. Still hot, but windy which made all the difference. Again we lucked out (apparently Sean is part leprechaun), and we scored a major deal at a 5-star hotel. We explored the Acropolis and Pantheon before touring the city.

We went on a day cruise from the port in Piraeus to the islands of Hydra, Poros, Aegina. Along the way I learned some traditional Greek dancing, visited a purely pedestrian island (the only other form of transportation is by burro), and swam in the Mediterrranean Sea!

Our final day we visited my Uncle Kostas's family in Athens. Such wonderful and welcoming people who welcomed us whole heartedly, cooked us an amazing meal, and even shared tiny chocolate mice ice cream cakes with us because it was Sean's birthday. We flew back to Germany full of food and happy memories. Sean was a wonderful companion, going with me as I finished my final moving tasks and spent time with wonderful friends who I will miss greatly.

We left Germany on July 23rd and it took us over 24hrs to make it back to Washington state. I was SO tired, and my eyes SO bloodshot, that I looked like something out of a horror movie. Seriously - I looked and felt like the undead, and probably scares small children. Sean deserves a medal for patiently putting up with a tired and hungry Maureen. I must have tried his temper - transcontinental travel shows you who your friends really are, and Sean is a keeper! His sister collected us from the airport and after a night to attempt recalibrating my system, I was off to camp at the Highland Games in Enumclaw Washington with the crew that attends every year. How I had missed them, and what a marvelous way to be welcomed back.

Sean accompanied my mother and I to Wicked with dinner at the Melting Pot before heading to Yakima where all my sisters were together for one glorious evening and breakfast. Then a whirlwind of friends and family, trying to squeeze everyone in. Sadly, there's a few key people I missed, but I will double my efforts to see them when I return. For the ones that I was able to see, I am thrilled to have spent so much quality time with those I love and have missed. Thank-you for making time in your schedules to visit with me.

My summer has officially ended as I have reported to my new international posting - but more on that later. Overall, summer seemed too short, but was well spent. I am blessed with the amazing family, wonderful friends, and awesome places I've visited. Stay tuned for my next adventures... 

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