Cranberry sauce

I searched high and low for my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. Cranberries are not super popular but I fulfilled my assignment thanks to the "foreign food" section of a larger super market in the area. This little jar cost about 2.10 euro and is was a mixture of whole cranberry sauce and the canned jelly stuff (and as you can see, there was not much to go around). Either way it was well worth the scandelous price. Thanksgiving just is not Thanksgiving with out it.

even more pictures

more pictures

Thanksgiving #2

My second was with some of the other assistants in the Fontianebleau-Avon area. We were ten in company and we ate until there was no more left and then we danced. Here you will see me with my Colombian friend Felipe, and Santiago with Ying. It was certainly an international celebration.

Thanksgiving #1

I had two Thanksgivings this year. My first was with the Randal Family. They are in my ward here and they invited me over with a zillion other people. There were about 25 people in all (15 of which were under the age of 13) and all were American. There are many things that you can find in France for Thanksgiving but others are difficult but look what we did find: 4 turkeys, two pumpkin pies and 4 jars of cranberry sauce. It was a good time.

Happy Birthday Lisa!

Today is my good friend Lisa's birthday. Yahoo for her. This picture is of us when I was on my way back to Paris from the wedding and had a lay-over in Dallas and Lisa was in Texas for a work conference. Just sat and chatted for an hour but that is what we do best.

Lisa, I love you! Happy Birthday!

Strikes again

This is what it looks like here when the trains run about a fifth of the time.

The elephant rock

One thing that we had heard was a cool thing to see in Barbizon was the elephant rock. So we went on a search for it and even when it got dark we still kept looking. When we finally found it we decided we didn't go as far as we did to just look at it so we got on. It really was awesome to look at.

Barbizon, that I love

On the last day of school holiday Yvonne, Dasha and I went to Barbizon. It is a very well know and renound village near Fontainbleau. We went and walked and just took in the tranquil city that it is. We all decided to move there when we are old. The houses are only 1,490,000 euro. Not too bad right. It is easy to see how the impressionists felt inspired there. It is peaceful and screne and unaltered. There are no regular busses or trains that go there.

Busses and trains...

I had the most incredible bus ride of my life last week. As usual, the bus was late and I had already missed my first bus because I was late. When it finally arrived it was about 12h09 and the train that I really needed to catch was at 12h16. I had resigned myself to the idea that I was going to be late to training that started at 14h because the next train was at 13h37 and it takes about an hour to get there. Oh well, right? But low and behold my luck changed. The mysterious looking, bald headed man in the long black tench coat, who got on after I did, must have whispered something magical to the driver because he began to drive faster and more erratically than any other bus driver I've encountered. I don't think I took a single breath while on our way to the train station but I do remember closing my eyes a lot and hearing him tell the passengers not to push the "stop requested" button. "You can catch the stop on the return," he said. He pulled into the station while the train was at the quai, having just driven down a one way road in the opposite direction, and those of us that needed to catch the train sprinted to the train and made it with just seconds to spare. It was truly more exhilarating than a roller coaster.

Miss Rogers

I had to laugh at myself yesterday when I thought of this. Everytime I enter the house I take off my shoes and put on house shoes and then take off my coat(s) and but on my house sweater. All I need is theme music and a train and you could call me Miss Rogers! Maybe this is only funny for me.

Pink Jeeps

This past weekend I went home for my uncle's wedding. It was such a good thing despite all of the trouble getting myself there. For the wedding ceremony, we took the Pink Jeeps of Sedona to the site and then from there to the bar-b-q and then from the bar-b-q back to the hotel. Anyway, it was so far beyond any off-roading I have ever done. My body was sore from trying to hold myself inside the jeep. I loved it!

train strikes

The French are known for their ability to strike. This coming weekend (Wednesday Oct 17th thru Saturday Oct 20th) they have planned a strike. (I do have to say that it is very nice of them to let us know in advance.) Anyway, this would not be that big of a deal to me because I don't need to take one to survive. I walk to work and if I cannot go into Paris on the weekend, my life is not ruined. However, this particular weekend I have been planning on going home for big events (wedding, brother returning home from a mission). I would need to take the train to the airport. So now I write from my chair at the airport where I have been sitting since about 15h45 on Wednesday Oct 17 and will remain here until my flight leaves 14h40 Thursday Oct 18. There are plenty of people here early because of the strike but I am assuming that many will miss their flights. One might think, "well there are other ways to get to the airport", which is true but there are a few problems with this idea. A) Train strikes usually filter into some busses and taxis. 2) If the busses that regularly run to the airport run this weekend I cannot imagine the kind of sardine style of bus ride that will be and D) There will be so much confusion in the city that lots of time will be lost with trying to figure out how to get somewhere. Although unfortunate for those who do miss their flights, that could mean that I can try for an earlier flight and cut some time off of my almost 23 hours of being here. I wish them all very good luck.
So here I sit at 4h21Thrusday Oct 18 counting minutes and people, eating strange tasting cookies and longing to be in the warm Phoenix sun.

Week of 7/10 to 13/10

Here are some highlights of the week:
Monday: Yvonne’s birthday. We had mille feuille (which is layers of custard and pastry) and an éclair as cake and I found “bon anniversaire” candles at the store.

Wednesday: Went to Paris with Dasha and Yvonne and just wandered around Jardin de Luxembourg. The weather was perfect. They rent wooden, toy boats that the children race around the fountain in the center. Some adults do it too… it is really fun to watch especially when they run after the boat yelling and cheering.

Thursday: Went with Yvonne to meet another German assistant and her roommate who live in Avon. We went to a pub/bar in Fontainebleau. Three other assistants from Fontainebleau, who work at a different lycée than me, came also so with seven assistants there were three Germans (two girls and one boy), one Colombian guy, one Argentine girl, one Chinese girl and one American me. It was so much fun. We just sat and talked for 2-3 hours and then walked home down the foggy, dim lit streets. The air smelled of burnt leaves and rain.

Saturday: Met up with the German guy because he has to take a test on Wednesday for an exchange program in England and needs to practice his English. So we rode the train into Paris with Yvonne and her boyfriend. Then I spent most of the day wandering around the Marais. I’ve decided that I am going to take each arrondissement at a time to wander and get to know while I am here. It also works well that way because my mom gave me a restaurant guide that is organized by arrondissement. I figure if I do one a week then I should be good. You'll hear about it soon!

My roommates:)

Me and my two roommates Dasha from Russia to the left and Yvonne from Germany to the right. We all work at the same high school and share an appartment close to the school. They are so fun to live with and the only common language that we speak is French which means that I am doing a lot of studying because we talk about so many aspects of life. It is good for me to learn. They both have studied English but they have a really hard time speaking. We laugh a lot which is fun.

nuit blanche

Nuit blanche is translated to white night but means sleepless night. It is a night where the enitre city of Paris (and surrounding areas) stays up all night. There are dance, music and theater preformances. From the garden at the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe is in flames... literally! The picutes that you see are of a chandelier on fire and the other ball looking thing is one of about 6 or 7 down walkway. We were walking through the garden before the sun set and we saw them before they were lit up. There were big peices of denim that had been soaked in something flamable and placed on some sort of wax that filled a terra cotta pot ( you can see it in the background of the picture of me and my roommates in previous message.)

In all the night was fun. I did not stay all night because I had a headache but it was fun while I lasted. I am pledged to do the all night thing one of these years. Wikipedia explains what it is perfectly! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuit_blanche

I made it...

So I have been here for just over a week and so much has gone on. I told many of you that I had an apartment all lined up but when I arrived in London to meet the landlord she never showed. The course of events has been complex but I made it Paris a day later and stayed with some friends for a week while I got things sorted out. I now live at the school in a brand new apartment with two of the other assistants: one from Russia and the other from Germany and they are very nice girls. We have fun trying to converse with all of our languages... we laugh a lot:) As for the landlord; I am working on getting my money back so keep your fingers crossed for me.

I'll post pictures soon and share some of my other adventures.

Bouquet

Cheryl left her bouquet from her second reception on my car. I think that is her and Derick's way of saying that I am next and I know that it would be extremly romantic to fall in love and get married in France but let's be realistic:) I guess you never know.

I'm leaving for France....

...and I want to keep in touch. Coming soon: Hillary goes to Paris via London (it should prove to be an adventure with all of my things.)