rambling on and on

It's raining today like crazy and i've got a cold so I've spent my Sunday lounging in pajamas skyping my family and watching movies. What a great day!
This will be a busy week because I have a lot of lessons planned, as well as...drumroll please....THANKSGIVING DINNER! What started out as just a dinner of 10 has turned into a dinner of 18 plus 5 children. I will be doing the turkey, gravy and stuffing a la Martha Stewart...pictures to come.
Otherwise, it's been getting chilly here and even though it stays around 50 degrees, and icy wind picks up and makes everything seem colder. Of course, the weather here never stays the same for long, next week it could be 65 degrees and sunny, so I'm not too upset that I'm freezing!
I can't believe that November is almost over!! This is shocking! I barely saw the time pass by, and if this is any indicator of how the rest of my year will go then I better keep enjoying myself as much as possible. I feel so lucky that I'm able to be here, have the support of my family and friends, learning to teach, and doing something that I never thought I'd be able to do again. Have I said this before? I just can't stop thinking it.
Plans for the next month; looking for an apartment, going to the Alps to visit Martine for Christmas, preparing for Dad to come in January, becoming an awesome English teacher, trying to stay in shape, finishing my book for book club...
oh yeah, i'm in a book club! It's actually one of the most awesome things I've been doing..thought it's only once a month. It's a group of French and British people who come together and chat about a particular book they're all reading in either English or French. They're pretty animated and it's fun to hear their points of view and see how they react to certain things--definitely makes clear different cultural ticks and influences.
Well, that's about all for now. I'll try to add some photos since i finally found my camera!

French movies

Last night I went to see a French film with my french friend and it was absolutely French...
I could barely last through the end, and maybe that was partly because some of the dialogue was hard to follow, but mostly because the movie had all the elements of French culture that I don't really understand! The long idealistic lectures on life, the superfluous show of emotion, the depressing fin...there were some funny parts, but it was "French funny" which is never really that funny to English speakers. Then, in the end...there's a death, and for 20 minutes there is crying, and commenting, and crying again and hugging...quelle horreur...
My buddy, on the other hand, absolutely loved the film. All the parts I thought were horrible and cliche were exactly the parts he loved....In fact, everyone in the theater absolutely loved this film. As they left I heard them saying things like, "oh the end, that was so hard to watch. I was crying all over the place" and "That was one of the funniest films of the year, but wow that ending really got me"
..le sigh
I guess I still have a lot to learn.

Strike

Apologies for not writing earlier, but I wasn't really doing anything particularly interesting this past month...
If you've been following international news, you might have heard that the French are upset again...It seems that when the government rolled back the retirement age a few years ago to 60, they hadn't quite bet on running out of money and having to increase it back again. Well, with a 35 hour work week, and at least 3 days a month of holidays, having to work past 60 was more than any organized worker could handle, and so the French have been doing what the French do best-STRIKE!
Of course, I'm not much affected either way, and wasn't really paying much attention to the hoopla, until I got to school 3 weeks ago and none of my students showed up. No big deal...I walked the 20 minutes home, came back a few hours later to find my classroom once again...empty...The next day, the entrance to the school was blocked off with gates and trash cans, a few revolutionary-esque students with bandannas were manning the gates stopping any student trying to get in, and the rest of the students were grouped on the street, chatting and trying to figure out if they really wanted to go to class that bad. In the Teacher's Lounge it was explained to me that the students had decided to strike for retirement and refused to let anyone but teachers in, naturally. French students have a long history of striking, and actually successfully contributing to the campaigns they take part in...though, truthfully, I'd say about 1% of the students were actually on strike and the other 99% were home sleeping in. Either way, this is something you would never see in the US because an American kid would get his behind kicked if he tried to stop students from going to school. The strike lasted about 2 weeks, until last Friday when our 1 week vacation began...which is why I've worked a total of 4 hours in the past 3 weeks!
While in Tours I got to watch an official manifestation on the streets. I've never seen anything like it...Hundreds of strikers had organized into groups and were parading slowly up the busiest street in Tours, each singing or playing their favorite fighting song. Some stuck to the traditional "we will fight for freedddoooom" while others were more festive with sambistas and drums...This lasted most of the day, and I have to comment (because I always comment) that the French can be amazingly organized when they're against something.

Vins Primeurs

A few weeks ago we celebrated a special night in Languidoc-Roussillon because it was the first release of the regions Vins Primeurs, the "1st wines" from this years grape harvest. You might have heard of Beaujolais Nouveau which is a more well-known vin primeur in California, but a lot of the wine making regions release their own vins primeurs, and since Languidoc-Roussillon is a huge wine region there were a lot of street parties and tastings all over. In the big Place they set out tents and tasting tables, and everyone comes out to try this years newest wines. This is also an opportunity to experience some of the traditional music and dancing from this region which until a hundred years ago spoke Occitane instead of French. Now, the old traditions are dying out, but at festivals like this you get to hear some traditional music and folk dance.

Did you need that NOW? Bof!

I've been in France about 1 month now, and I've only just begun paying attention to the smaller details that amount to "la vie réelle" in France. You know, the things that you see everyday that seem normal until you actually stop and say..."wait a second...Do the French really iron their t-shirts and jeans?" bah oui.
Much of the culture here in France revolves around a love of ritual...The French really like to do things right, and the process is just as important...if not more, than the actual end result.
For example, "reunions" (meetings); The French LOVE meetings. They have them all the time, and usually they are very formal, with invitations, advanced scheduling, podiums, the whole shebang...and of course the goals of the meeting are very clear. Example: "This meeting is to facilitate the exchange of ideas within the company/school/ whiskey club/ ice skating party/etc." Then, they sit for 3 hours drinking coffee and exchanging ideas...which never actually get realized, but non-the-less have been discussed.
The love of ritual also means a strict adherence to all rules to a point of being ridiculous...and because every knows it's ridiculous, they also know that every rule can be bent, secretly, and usually just at the point when you're face gets red and steam starts coming out of your ears.
But yes, this is ze life of ze French. They are used to it, and besides, they know that to change the system would mean even more reunions, rules, and ridiculousness that no one has time for anyway.
This love of ritual is probably most evident in the way the French eat. Invite a friend over for a casual meal, and they think nothing of preparing a meal that most Americans would only find in a restaurant...because that's just what they do! Good food is a wonderful accompaniment to wonderful company, and that, in itself, is just another rule that the French live by. It's interesting stand in a roomful of French people and listen to how many times someone will break into a poetic description of a wonderful meal he'd had.
This is part of living in France...love of the ritual means that you rarely get to your destination on time, but it's the journey that counts.

Ouais!

I'm still alive and kicking, missing friends and family but having fun speaking french. Since I don't have a really in depth knowledge of the language, I have a few go-to phrases that I use over and over... They have a variety of meaning depending on my intonation and it gives me time to think of how to say whatever it is I'm going to have to say next. Here is an overview;
ouias- yes. yeah. yeah! yeah?
c'est super- That's great. It's great. Everything is great. Great.
ah bien?- really? oh yeah? no kidding? huh?
je vois- i see. i see i understand. i got it. ok, i really got it....

And, I finally have internet on my computer, so I can put up photos!

Martine and I had a " Day of Beauty" and got facials. The lady kept telling us that we looked "eclatant!" radiant!....she might have been exagerating just a little.....

We went hiking in the mountains outside Clermont-Ferrand, where there is a little ski mountain. The view was gorgeous. Strangely enough, we were looking through our binoculars and saw a strange figure all in black walked along on of the mountain ridges. I jokingly said, "oh look it's a monk" but it turned out it was! A group of monks were making their way across the ridge of hte mountain, each one walking solitary along the path. A very strange sight-we still don't know where they came from or why they were there.



As we were walking home, a shepherd was herding his sheep in for the night, and they followed us down the hill. It was sort of relaxing listening to the wind and the bells-i had to take a video...it might be boring....

Martine and I road-tripped down to the south of France together and ended up in Agde, which is right on the Canal du Midi and the Mediterranean. We ate dinner right here.

tapas! the seafood has been....oh la la..amazing!

This is where I am living--Chez les Olmos. We had champagne and oysters on Sunday;) you might be able to guess why i like them so much...

More later!

Bonjour!

I am in France! ...for those who didn't know yet...and am sitting in my a little purple room with a big window, writing this blog. Since arriving in France things have been falling into place sort of incredibly...I'd planned on bringing my bike but at the last minute didn't (thank god since it took me 1 plane, 1 metro, 2 taxis and 2 trains to get here) When I arrived Martine had an extra bike she couldn't use anymore, a peugot too! So I've got wheels, bright yellow ones.
Martine also put out a call to all the AFS families this year (my old exchange program) to see if there was anyone in Beziers who I might be able to stay with for a few days while I look for an apartment, and found Beatrice, the head of AFS in this region, and who has a neighbor willing to house me for a bit. Virginie is the nicest women, with 2 adorable daughters, and it's her house that I'm in as we speak.
So it's really been thanks to Martine, who has been so amazing! She took me in all last week, and we visited about every single person in Clermont-Ferrand we knew, cooked, ate cheese, drank wine, and then went down south by the Mediteranean for 2 days before she dropped me off in Beziers.
This region, Languidoc-Roussilon, is very pretty. It reminds me a little of California in that it's very warm, and dry, with lots of flowers everywhere, and it hugs the sea right down to the edge of the Pyrenees. The land is flat with big round hills rising out randomly like bumps in a quilt. The town itself of Beziers, is perched on a hill with the river L'orb running around the bottom of it. It's a medium size city, with all the things most French cities have; a a bustling city center, plenty of cafes, a cathedral, and plenty of historical sites. It's not a city known for its beauty, but I think that's a testament to the beauty of the region in general, because Beziers is really very nice. One of the main problems has been that, just like in the US, people started moving out of the city and have decided they don't particularly like the people who moved in.
As far as weather goes, yesterday was gorgeous but today has been cloudy since this morning...still it's warm enough to go out without a jacket and be fine.
I've been getting around pretty well with my French. It's sort of funny the weird things I know, and the incredibly simple things I've forgotten. The other day I was describing what Brad does for a living and I told Virginie that he was a nudist instead of a naturalist.....
I meet with the school this Saturday and will hopefully find out what I'll be doing, and when.. where.. how...
And am looking forward to having some work to do. In the meantime, I'm in exploration mode. I already have an awesome pinic spot picked out and a couple bike routes mapped.
A Bientot!

Reviving the Blooog

I am about to start a Like Limonade Revival...so here's a quick update on my life;
work, work, teach, teach, sunburn, eat, drink, swimming hole, ride my bike 300 miles, eat A LOT, pack, pack, wait, wait

Did you notice that I slipped in the fact that last month, I, ME, Elaine Hall rode my bike from Carmel to Santa Barbara with my roomate. I don't mean to brag, but I can't help it! I never thought I could ever do it in my life! We averaged about 50-60 miles a day, camping at Hike and Bikes along the way for 5 days, and after doing it, I think more people should try! It was so cool to ride down the same way that I've driven for years, taking my time, seeing every mile(very clearly..sometimes painfully..) So yeah, if you're thinking..what a braggart...It's true!

In other news...I'm leaving for France this Sunday, Sept. 12. Updates will come...
Nothing exciting has been happening here...just packing and hanging out with my roomates who all are semi-unemployed at the moment...very convenient for me:)

Beziers

On an intuitive hunch, I went to my mom's house this afternoon to pick up some mail, and there, sitting demurely on the kitchen table was my contract for France! I've been waiting for this for weeks...the deets of my 7 month stay are all laid out in this little brown envelope.
Here they are:
I'll be in Beziers, a small city on the river Ong (or ang or something...whatever who cares-its a river--awesome) Beziers is 10 mins to the sea, home of wine and bullfighting, and close enough to the love of my life-- Barcelona--to visit on weekends.
Starting Oct 1 and ending April 30, I'll be teaching English in a french high school.
...high...school...
I repeat: high school.
And... that's all I know. This should be interesting.
See you in a few France.

Things I've been doing- An Update

1. Working at State Parks with my housemate...Preparing to lead 750 kids "into the woods" over the next couple months
2. Making smoothies...the magic of the magic bullet has made smoothy-making a daily thing
3. Watching Northern Exposure Re-runs....My roomate turned me on to this show. so good, and aiden from sex in the city is in it
4. Reading Shit...not "shit," just a lot of stuff...Actually one day I really did read "shit." We had a tracking training for work, and we learned how to read animal scat to tell what animal made it and what it ate. So let's change this to "Reading 'shit'"
5.Family Stuff- Both my cousins are in town and put on a party for my aunt's 60th birthday. This was the first time in years our whole side of the family got together in one place.
6. Trying to surf. Actually I only tried to surf twice. Brad took me out and I was such an amazing surfer he took me out again! Actually we just got super busy with work but I know that one day I WILL stand up on on a surfboard. Until then, I'm getting good at looking like I'm really trying to catch a wave, and no, I'm totally not mad at you Brad for taking me into the scary surf where you left me to go catch some waves..
7. getting yogurt at sir-tops-a-lot. This place is delish. You put together your own yogurt with any topping you want and they charge by weight. I spent almost 9 bucks the first time I came...Now I'm getting good---euro tart, strawberry, fruit, mochi...heaven for $2
8. Exercising? I don't know...kind of? trying.
9. Using sun screen. This is a good one, because i really have been using sunscreen every day. no lie.
10. Trying to learn French. I've been watching movies in French, reading magazines, blogs, and whatevs I can get my hands on...but when they really get speaking I still can't understand crap!!!!! Then I switch to perezhilton or facebook and practice my english.
11. Seabright Brewery. I've been finding myself here on occasion, and I'm always eating chicken wings. Very bizarre.

That's the jist of my life. Don't be jealous.

Coming into Summer

I sat out in my backyard this morning, eating watermelon, and noticing how our garden has suddenly launched into a green paradise of leaves, vines and buds. You can practically see our squash growing. My roomates started this garden last month, and, if you like to see quick return on hard work, this garden is starting to pay off. It made me realize that I've gone through some immense changes too these past few months, and...years...and wonder if they will be paying off too sometime. But for now, sitting in my garden, I use the growing plants as a tracker of my own internal clock...I often get caught in the every day and forget what I have gone through and the time it took to get to that day. So, I pay tribute to our bountiful garden....and maybe to myself and the people around me who've worked hard to plant their own seeds of spirit, truth, beauty, art and creation.

Vive La France

After many months of not posting....and many months of getting my sheet together, finding a job, finding a house, etc. I am back with exciting/troubling/confusing/amazing news...
Yes, seriously, all those things.
i got into a French teaching assistantship program in Montpellier.!...!!....
I haven't told anyone, and I'm banking on the fact that no one reads my blog anymore...I only have one week to decide, and I don't want a bunch of opinions swirling around in my brain (I'm an easily swayed person).
So I'm writing on my blog...throwing this out into the world...
What do I do?!?! I just found a great job. I love where I'm living (though it's temporary anyway). My lover is here. I travelled almost half of last year....When does a girl (an almost 26 yr. old girl) stop moving around so much?
On the other hand...Montepellier is beautiful. My French will be awesome. I'll get some great teaching experience.
...Neither choice is a bad choice.
I make my decision April 18th.
EAK

There's Never Really a Reason

I've been back in the states now for over a month...moved into a new apartment, finding a job, getting back into the swing of things...
There was no reverse culture shock, or pain and sadness that i had to go home. In fact, it was as thought I'd never really left. Home is home...not much has changed, and where, before, experiencing new places led me to a lot of internal growth and change...traveling now doesn't create the same impression on me. Don't get me wrong, I had 5 months to think about the person I want to be and the life I want to live, in beautiful, unique locales, with kind and interesting people around me...but getting older means you have to work harder to find surprise and novelty in your environment...

The End???

Today I stepped in dog crap for the first time. The shocking part of it...besides the fact that I was wearing flip flops and had to walk down the street discreetly scraping my shoe across the sidewalk....ew...was that it was the first time! The sidewalks of Buenos Aires are uneven, cobbled and strewn with dog crap, and exploring the city on foot is putting your little flip-flopped feet in perilous danger.
I arrived in Buenos Aires on Christmas Eve with no idea that I would be staying here any longer than 2 weeks. But as usual, plans change, and here I am!
Buenos Aires is like a massive chaotic Paris, with artists performing on the street next to homeless families and tourists. Every neighborhood has cultural centers, tango dancing, free concerts and shows and lots of art. This is expat heaven, and has some of the best nightlife in the world. No one goes out before 11 or 12, and rarely do they come home before 5. I danced tango, saw an air tango show in the park, gave a clown a sleeping bag, stayed up dancing til 8am and then ate breakfast burritos, went to a giant drum circle in the middle of the city, sang kareoke at some random persons birthdy party...
So now I´ve been in Buenos Aires for a month, and in about 7 hours I will be on a plane back home...woh...Can it be true? This trip went by in a flash and I can´t believe how much I got to see and do and how many really amazing people I´ve met. I think I got everything I could have asked for out of this trip. A chance to bond with someone I love, a fresh persective on the world and my life...
Now off to the real world!