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:)