Guest Blog

I wrote a guest blog describing my life in France as an au pair. Check it out :) Sorry I can't get the link to work, so just copy and paste the address...

http://uneautremere.blogspot.com/2010/03/french-friday-part-trois.html

Arabian Nights: My trip to Morocco

So, as many of you know, I went to Morocco a few weeks ago. I had a wonderful time and really enjoyed being in a culture so different from that to which I have grown so accustomed. However, after a few days, the excitement began to wear off, and I was definitely ready to return to the western world. It was a great experience and I enjoyed being surrounded by an atmosphere full of new, exotic things. Hearing the call to prayer throughout the day was definitely an experience, as was being a minority among women, as we were not wearing burqas or headscarves of any kind. From night one, we felt like we were in the movie Aladdin. I went with Crystal and another au pair friend Sarah. Sarah's classmate Gabby came along too.

Well, we arrived on time and right away, the warm air put smiles on our faces. The writing on the airport was also exciting because it was in Arabic. That night, after an interesting taxi ride, we were led through small, winding streets by all kinds of people wanting a tip. We were definitely uneasy, but luckily we spoke French and could talk to other people, in order to make sure we were going the right way. Sure enough, after many turns and stops to ask for advice, we arrived at our hostel. Honestly, it is a good thing that locals helped us, because I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have been able to find it ourselves. After a knock on the door, our minds were set at ease as we trudged into our little sanctuary (voted #1 hostel in Morocco in 2008 on Hostel world!). We loved the place right away. It felt very safe, the people were very kind and helpful, and it had an authentic Arabian feel to it. The random cats everywhere also gave it a little character. I guess replacing Parisian pigeons for Moroccan cats isn't a bad trade-off for a few days. Our room that slept 8 was huge! I felt like it had once housed a small harem.

We decided to take a stroll that night to take advantage of our first night in Marrakech. Amazingly enough, we easily found the main square and realized our hostel was in the perfect location. It was in the Souks, a famous area of Marrakech known for it's sellers and bargaining. One could by anything from little leather camels to prayer carpets to saffron to fake Gucci here (no, I did not buy any fake goods)!



In the main square, called Place Jemma el Fna, there were several performers (like gay arabian dancers haha), games, henna artists, and mini restaurants under tents. Being that were were starving and excited to try something new, we dove right in, finding the first tent that looked good, also known as "#81" (since the tents are numbered). It ended up being our favorite. Here are are "homies" and our dinners. They knew us for the rest of the week and called us their "homies" whenever we walked by.





We ended the night early because we wanted to be ready-to-go early the next morning. It is funny how we were all so motivated early-on, and then determined to sleep in the last few days. Lucky for us, the breakfast at our hostel was delicious. First of all, we were served fresh orange juice, which was probably the best OJ I have ever tasted, and then we were brought several goodies. Of these breakfast things, we loved the Moroccan version of the crepe and some fried airy things (a little like beignets), that I quickly named "pockets of love." We documented the making of the pockets of love. The staff got a kick out of our intrigue.



Just for reference, here is our street in the daylight. You can imagine how we were a little worried when we arrived at night.... Also, here are some pictures of our walk through the Souks, on our way to the main square.









Once in the square, we saw our first snake charmers and monkeys of the day, as well as the endless dried fruit stands.



We headed toward the main mosque to start a little sightseeing tour. We quickly realized that everyone willing to help us wanted to be paid, and that road signs, especially those not in French (French is an official language), were almost non-existent. So, we opted for the open-tour bus, a sure-thing in almost any major city, in order to get our bearings. It took us all over the city, and was a very good idea. Oh and by the way, I have grown to thoroughly love McDonalds. I used to hate it, really, but now that I am abroad, McDonalds has come to be some sort of safe-haven where I can always find a Diet Coke (or Coca Light) and a toilet. Crystal and I even went to the Arabian McDonalds to relax and catch some sun one afternoon after we decided we had done all the touristy stuff already. We never regretted it one bit, but we did consider ourselves a bit pathetic, and very American. I was honestly a little sick of couscous when that day came.









We spent the rest of the afternoon walking in a famous garden, trying to figure out how we were going to get to Tangier later that week, visiting a palace, and making our way back to the main square for dinner. We had fun bartering with the Souks for a few hours, even though we did not buy much. Most of them were really fun, but there were a few here and there who got annoyed when we didn't buy anything. It is amazing how much they were willing to lower their prices. Usually we could get them down to about a fifth of their original offer. I must say that as the week wore on and in the heat of the day, these sellers could get pretty irritating, as well as the women always trying to henna us.







The next day was another day of touristy stuff, as well as still trying to figure out bus or train tickets (luckily we got it all figured it out that day). We visited a famous school for studying the Koran called the Medersa Ben Youssef, the Museum of Marrakech, and the Saadiens Tombs. The Tombs were actually hidden for centuries by a very narrow passageway, making it an especially hard-to-find tourist attraction. Luckily we are good at being tourists and can figure this stuff out. Hint: follow other tourists with guidebooks that look like they know what they are doing.











For the next few days we took it easy, having already seen the main attractions. We hung out at McDonalds where we sun-bathed and had a nice view of the Atlas Mountains, as I mentioned earlier, rested in a park, strolled in the newer area of the city, did some more haggling in the Souks, and went to a Hammam. The Hammam was the very best idea ever. A Hammam is basically the Muslim version of a spa. And it is amazing. Crystal and I bought the package that included a 30-minute massage, while Sarah joined us until our massage started. I will do my best to describe it. My advice is to go if you ever have the chance. It is soooo worth it. Us and three other tourist women were led into a room where we put all of our belongings, except for our underwear, into a basket, which was locked into a cabinet. We were then led into a shower-type room where two women started dumping buckets of warm water on us, and then washing us down with some type of soap. Then we spent several minutes in a sauna, which towards the end, was almost unbearable. In fact, it was kind of cool because leaving the sauna felt so refreshing. The women poured tepid water on us and then we laid down on tables where they scrubbed us with soap and these gloves that removed our dead skin (luckily we kept the gloves, which made me feel better about the sanitation of the place). Back to the sauna for another melt-down. I couldn't take the heat for very long, so I laid back down on the table, all the while thinking to myself how great this all was. The ladies then led us to another room where they washed our hair and bodies and rinsed us thoroughly with buckets of water. Then we were given big, comfy robes and led to a dim, mesmerizing room where laid down and drank tea while listening to soft, Arabian music. After awhile, we were taken to our massages. This was the first real massage of my life. It was incredible. So perfect. After that we relaxed in a room and drank more tea before leaving. The whole experience lasted around two hours. Imagine doing this, maybe once a week (not with the massage), in the name of religion...







After four full days in Marrakech, we took a night bus to Tangier. We thought this was a good idea. After all, we could sleep on the bus and save money on a hostel, as well as save daylight hours for touring around. We were wrong. This night was very bad. Out of Crystal, Sarah, and I, I was the only one that slept on the bus to Tangier. We first took a bus to Casablanca, we waited there for a few hours, and then took another bus to Tangier, where we arrived around 4:30 am. We found a cafe where we sipped tea and waited for daylight to come, surrounded by baby cockroaches, and then we took naps in the bus station once it opened. We saw the beach, ate some food, wandered a bit, and then finally took a cab to the airport. We were ready to leave Morocco by that time. When we booked our trip, we thought it would be fun to visit Tangier for a few days, so that we were not always in one place. We should have just stayed in Marrakech. Tangier was not too exciting, although I'm sure it would have been nicer if we had more sleep and more time to spend there. The sea was beautiful, luckily, and it was a nice day to wander. One of my Tangier highlights was that there were hundreds of boys playing soccer on the beach and I joined in for a few minutes. I really wanted to play, but quickly realized that I fell down more often than normal in the sand. Ah well...







All in all, it was a wonderful trip. I was able to experience a very different culture and have fun. I even have a great new "worst travel experience" story (I'm talking about the bus trip and early morning in Tangier, of course).

I'm back

FYI, I just wanted to let you know that I am back from Africa. I don't have time right now, or the energy, for a long post, but I didn't want anyone to worry (I know some of you do). I had a wonderful time and experienced a lot. I will blog later with lots of pictures.

Awaiting Africa

In less than a week, five days to be exact, I will depart for Morocco. I will be going with Crystal and another American au pair named Sarah, and we will be staying for five days. 

I really do not know how this all came about. Basically, Crystal and I both have the same week off and we thought we needed to do something fun together. Looking through the airline prices helped us decide our destination. Africa. I've always wanted to go, so why not now? I know Morocco is in the northern tip of Africa and I'm not venturing into the tribal lands that lie further south, but hey, it's still Africa. We will be flying into Marrakech where we will stay for most of our trip. While there we plan on seeing snake-charmers, bartering for goods, eating lots of couscous, riding on camels, taking a city tour, and basically just checking out the history and culture. Then we plan on taking an overnight train to Tangier and checking out the Straight of Gibraltar before we fly back to Paris. 

We found a great hostel in Marrakech for only 13 euro a night. Lucky for us, Marrakech looks like it will be pretty cheap, especially compared to Paris. All of the hostels there were around this price, and this one looked like it would be the best for us. It is right in the city center, so we can basically just walk to get where we need to go. The hostel was even rated the number one hostel in Marrakech for 2008 and has great reviews. So, no worries. We plan on having a great trip. It will be nice to get out of Paris for a few days. I'll blog when I get back with pictures and stories. 

Valentine's Day

I hope you all had a nice Valentine's Day. I have never been one to care that much about the day to be honest, but I definitely enjoyed it this year (it helps having someone to share it with). I guess I had more of a Valentine's week-end than just a "day," since like usual, I got to share the whole week-end with my valentine. I went to Crystal's place on Friday to make cookies. She has a new special someone in her life too, and when I told her I was going to make cookies, she wanted in on the deal. We attempted and succeeded in our cookie-making. This is no big feat under normal circumstances, but when one has to use different ingredients, cut their own chocolate pieces, and use a professional French oven, things can get exciting. With the first taste of the delicious dough, I knew they were not a complete failure. There's something so delicious about an oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie. I boxed them all up and took them to Olivier Friday night, thus commencing a great week-end. 

We spent Friday night and Saturday night with the usual band of his friends (which have now become my friends too), eating in restaurants and having drinks at the familiar, cozy bar near his place. His friends are very sweet and funny. Then Sunday rolled around. I really did not expect anything, but he surprised me, like a perfect gentleman. Under the casual cover of "going to get some bread," he returned with the bread, a small chocolate, heart-shaped cake, and a bouquet of peach-colored roses (noting that red roses were so cliche..haha). 

Since it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, we decided to go for a walk to soak up the sun. Sacre Coeur, a beautiful basilica and one of my favorite Parisian tourist attractions, is not far from his place, so we met up with some friends to walk there, snacking on Nutella crepes on the way. 

The day ended comfortably, perfectly actually. We watched a French movie, and for the first time, I really understood just about everything. I broke a little language barrier I think! It was hilarious in a 1980s Breakfast Club kind-of way. It was called "Les Sous Doues Passent le Bac," or something along the lines of "The Under Achievers Attempt to take the Bac" (Bac: the test at the end of high school). Then we watched a little Olympic action, with France and the US in a head-to-head cross-country ski race. To my dismay, after plenty of trash talk coming from me, France happened to win. It was pretty funny. It was a perfect end to a very nice day. 

My Latest Care Package

Now, before I get into the very interesting detailed account of the contents of my latest care package, I must mention something to my readers about my blogging frequency. I am sorry to my readers for leaving many long, uninterrupted voids between posts. Ideally I would like to be blogging my life away, leaving you all a day-to-day update on an exciting life. Now, being honest with myself and you, I must admit that my life is not, in fact, filled with excitement, thus making day-to-day blogging something that would be very boring and not worth your time, or mine for that matter. Alas, the point of this little rambling is that I just want to inform you that I will try to blog often (hopefully inspiring ideas will really start coming to me), but in all reality, and as my history has shown, don't expect more than a few blogs out of me a month. I'm just not that good at staying up-to-date when it comes to blogging. 

Now that that is out of the way, I will now begin explaining to you all my pathetic list of the contents in my most recent care package. Keep in mind that I have been very excited for its arrival, and I know you are all going to think I am crazy. 

1. My Pumas. I have been wanting these shoes for months and do not know why I ever left them home in the first place. In a city where I do a lot of walking, these things are a necessity that I have really been missing. 

2. Peanut Butter M&M's. Yes, this little entity continually makes itself present in my blogs. Can you tell that I love them? It is actually a good thing that I cannot get these in France. I wouldn't be able to stay away. 

3. Dental Floss. I brought two things of floss with me, knowing that it is a little harder to find over here. I am honestly one of the people that do not feel guilty at the dentist's office when I am asked if I have been flossing regularly. I am a flosser and I am choosy when it comes to my floss. I have found floss here (it's at the pharmacy and sometimes Monoprix, as well as other places I have not thought to look, I'm sure), but I was quickly disappointed at the stuff the person at the pharmacy gave me. It does not come close to the Glide floss I love. However, I think I spotted it at a different Monoprix the other day, so I will be going back to check. 

4. Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter. Need I say more? Yum (I am currently eating it on an English Muffin)! My mom sent me two huge things of it! Thanks Momma!

5. Fiber. I prefer to not explain this. You all can figure it out. 

6. Valentine's Day Card. This was the surprise. I didn't know this was coming and it made me very happy. My mom was really thinking ahead when she sent this. Thank goodness the stores put V-Day stuff out as soon as Christmas is over (and sometimes before). 

I know this all seems so basic to you, but this stuff helps me feel just a little better. I may love France and almost everything about it, but I was raised in the US and am used to my favorites. Thanks Mom! My peanut butter stock should last me until my parents come to France in April. If not, well, I'll just have to wander to the exotic foods section and buy a tiny, expensive tub of it. 

A Slight Dilemma

My first and only January in Paris has come and gone faster than I could have imagined. I'm already into February and I can hardly believe it. In just a few short weeks I will have hit six months of being out of the USA. This January, in my opinion, was quite bizarre, and I'm from Michigan where weather is always bizarre. It was bitterly cold here in December and early January, and then it warmed up...not a lot, but enough to stop wearing warm boots and mittens. I still usually wear a scarf, but unless it happens to be an especially cold day, I'm just too warm with all of my Michigan winter gear. Today it was raining when I got up. Now it's sunny. This is very typical. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen it snowing in Paris. 

I have a lot of uncertainties right now, one of which being my status as a student. Officially, I am supposed to be taking a French course in order to be an au pair (student visa). Well, I was taking a French course, but the last trimester ended in December. I decided to switch classes because I was not getting enough out of the other for the amount of money I paid. It met twice a week for two hours each session, I had hardly any homework, no tests, and it cost me 365 euro a trimester plus a registration fee of around 40 euro. That's a lot of money when you are not getting much in return and you come from the US and are dealing with the dollar and a crappy exchange rate. I found another course through the city of Paris. It costs 145 euro. Not so bad. Yes, there are downfalls such as bigger class sizes, but that was not enough to make me stick where I was before. After all, I can deal with big classes. I went to Michigan State and took classes in auditoriums full of people. Crystal and I showed up the first day of registration to make sure we had filled everything in correctly, trying to prevent any possible problems. Everything looked fine and the woman helping us assured us that there should be no problems since we were there on the first day. We walked next door to the post office (they required us to mail the forms), mailed our stuff and waited. The school received our forms the next day (it was postmarked as evidence), and a few weeks later, we each heard back. There arose one BIG problem. Crystal got in. I did not, the reason being that the class was full. Tough luck. So now I don't know what to do. I can't go back to my old school...it started a month ago and I can not possibly pay for it, and all the other classes I have looked up interfere with my schedule as an au pair. 

So, here is my plan. Keep in mind that I have done all official visits and filed all official paperwork for my visa ages ago, I only make 250 euro a month, and the previous school was only four hours a week when it was supposed to be ten (according to the French government). I have decided to take matters into my own hands because I'm stuck. I have decided to learn French on my own. I know enough of it to figure out the new stuff, and I have people to help explain concepts to me if I don't understand. After all, the last teacher did say that the best way to learn French was to have a French boyfriend. Along with this, I am going to do a language exchange a few times a week. This is just a meeting over coffee where two people help each other learn their language. So, I will meet with a native French person for help with French, and in return, I will help that person learn English. I have already received several messages of people interested in doing this with me. Actually today, somebody said their French professor wanted to do this and asked for my info. Is there a better way for me to learn French than from a native French professor, one-on-one? I think not. If worse comes to worse, and this does just not "fly" with the French government, then I will just come home. I don't want to, believe me, but that is the very worst thing that could happen here. And besides, there is no way the French government has the time to come check up on me or the thousands of other au pairs, especially after I have paid all of my fees to the government.

So maybe I'm not exactly playing by the rules now that I am not officially registered in a school. I have better things to do than get worked up over this issue that I can do nothing more about. Other than this, life is great. I'm a little homesick today, but this always comes and goes. Plus it is Black Wednesday (I'm home all day with the kids), which means that after today, the week-end is in sight :) I have to say that the best part of being an au pair is the week-end. 

My Top 10

"What is Betsy talking about?" you might be asking yourself..."top ten what? Did I miss something?" In fact, you have reason to be wondering what's up with this "top ten" business. And no, this is in no reference whatsoever to Davis Letterman and his hilarious top ten lists that always make me laugh. I am talking about my top ten things that I love and do not have easy-access to over here in the beloved land of the French. Sometimes the mixing pot of America and its delicious, as well as unhealthy, food gives France a run for its money when it comes to me and my cravings. 

I obviously have nothing exciting to write about, so why not write about what's on my mind...FOOD. What else? By the way, I've had enough of chocolate. I'm over it, unless it is a complement to something else, like peanut butter or ice cream....oh peanut butter... This brings me to the list.

The following is a list of foods that I happen to love and rarely or never eat in Paris:

1. Mexican food. I miss my chicken fajitas and spicy queso from Herraduras. 

2. Peanut butter...need I say more? By the way, you can occasionally find peanut butter in the exotic food section in France. LOL. 

3. Ice cream. Yes, I know ice cream is abundant here. However, other than my McDo cones in October, I have had no ice cream since I was in the states in August. Mint Chocolate Chip has been on my mind lately. I do not buy it for several reasons, including that it is expensive as a single serving and I am cheap, there's no room in my freezer, and the family never buys it.

4.  Chewy Granola Bars: Peanut Butter 25% less sugar variety :) Basically, I just really like them. 

5. Popcorn. I am not talking about microwave popcorn. I don't even like that stuff, unless it is Kettle Corn. I am talking about the do-it-yourself on the stove, add your own butter delicious goodness. I attribute my excellent popcorn-making skills to both Karen and Lauren Lempe, and my father for always insisting that I make it better than him so I better make him some. 

6. Peanut Butter M&M's. I consider these tiny miracle-in-your-mouth candies to be heaven sent. They are just so good. Thanks mom for sending me some already. However, don't do it too often because they disappear way too quickly. I can't stay away. 

7. Meijer. The convenience of everything in one store. Never thought I'd miss it. Don't get me wrong. I love the charm of a shop for everything: cheese, wine, bread, fruits, meat, toiletries, etc., but sometimes I  just want to go to Meijer, get what I need, and get out, at any hour of the night, any day of the week. I just realized I'm writing a Top Ten List about food and that Meijer is, in fact, a store and not a food item. I will rationalize it. Meijer sells food...it even has its own brand. It does not get deleted from the list.

 

Alert: This list has officially changed from being solely about foods to things in general that I miss, simply because I cannot think of enough food to list. 

8. Singing in my car. I do not sing well...not horribly, but definitely not well. However, I love to sing in my car. Who doesn't? When I'm all alone in my car I love to blast the music and sing as loud as I can, sometimes holding a pen or cellphone as if it were my microphone. Watch out American Idol... I'm pretty sure that I would be regarded as one of the crazy homeless people of Paris if I started singing on the metro.

9. Mother language. I LOVE FRENCH. Obviously. I love learning it, I love hearing it, I love speaking it... But, it really does become tiring sometimes. If I am not consciously trying to understand what another person is saying, it becomes like static to me. It is not background noise like a television that I can half listen to. I have to focus on listening. If someone says something to me and catches me off guard, I can never immediately respond because I have to think about it first, thus pointing out that I am, in fact, an English speaker. To watch a movie or the television is becoming easier, but I definitely have to focus, and if there is other noise, well, my focus is lost and it's all over. 

10. Family and friends. This includes my dogs. I miss you all. Really. It is not easy being so far away. Thank goodness I have so many people that I am close to over here. Also, Skype is the best for communicating. It does not seem like I am more than an ocean away. There are so many mornings when I take my coffee that I wish I could be sipping it and talking with my mom.

And there it is. My Top Ten Foods I Miss/ Things I Miss in General.  Sorry it changed mid-list. The truth is that I love it over here and could definitely survive. But every once in awhile a girl just wants to belt out a song in her own car or eat some spicy Mexican food. 

Tis the season of SOLDES (aka sales)

In almost every store window in Paris right now one can spot the word "SOLDES." This does not mean that something was sold, but that there are sales. "Sale" just happens to be one of my favorite words. I can honestly say that I have not bought much for myself in Paris other than toiletries and food up to this point. Thanks to the soldes, I just went to H & M and bought myself three sweaters and some new slippers all for 40 euro. I did need some more sweaters. It is colder here than I thought. At least it feels colder, brought on by the fact that I spend a lot of time outside. I have never appreciated a warm scarf so much. I do not plan to spend a lot more money at these semi-annual sales, but maybe I will take one or two more trips into the stores before they are finished. After all, the next soldes start in July!

Bonne Annee!

Bonne Annee! Or Happy New Year (A few weeks late)! The week following Christmas was excellent, thanks to my trip south. The Tuesday morning before the New Year, I boarded an airplane, destination: Nice. Olivier picked me up at the airport and we went to his parents house where I stayed for almost the next week. I must admit that I was really nervous...first time meeting the parents of a new boyfriend is hectic enough...add the fact that they're French and I wasn't sure how much I would understand, and you can see why I was especially nervous. Let's just say my hands were sweating...a lot. Olivier assured me there was nothing to be scared of, that they were nice people. Lucky for me, it was true. They were very nice and welcoming...even the dogs. I arrived, took my bags upstairs, and right away, got to know the family. Thank goodness I am in France for this, the country where no event is complete without a little wine, champagne, etc. We sat around the coffee table, talking and sipping kir royal (champagne with raspberry or current liqueur). The lunch was served and the talking continued. I couldn't help but continually glance at the perfect view of the Mediterranean out the back windows. And thus began my week on the French Riviera. Here is the view from Olivier's bedroom window.

Olivier was a marvelous tour guide of his native region, driving me all along the coast and through the hilly terrain. Throughout the week we visited Antibes (where his parents live), Nice, Monaco, Cannes, the medieval village of Eze, and the medieval village of Saint Paul de Vence. These medieval villages are situated at higher elevations, as was necessary for protection back when they were established. They had great views of the riviera. This is a picture from Antibes at sunset. 

And here is a picture of Antibes that I took while on a walk in the city. 

This was taken from the top of Eze. However there was so much fog that day that we missed out on one of the best views of the French Riviera. Oh well. I liked the fog...I thought it was mystical. 

This is Cannes. It was so windy that day we only went for a short walk. Our ears hurt from the cold wind. 

These are taken from Saint Paul de Vence. 

I truly enjoyed spending time with his family. I was not uncomfortable around them, except for the nervousness in the very beginning. His mom cooked several delicious meals for us. I was able to try several traditional French dishes for the first time, as well as many desserts and drinks. I loved the scallops, coquille St. Jacques, which was my first lunch there. I think my favorite dessert was the Tarte Tatin, which is a special, upside-down apple tart. Yummm! I enjoyed my coffee and toast in the morning looking at the Mediterranean. The last morning there it was warm enough to comfortably sit outside in my pajamas and enjoy the sun. 

Another exciting point of the trip was New Years Eve in Italy with Olivier's friends. No, not Rome, Florence, Venice, etc. I'm talking about the Alps. We stayed at a tiny summer cabin in the mountains. I don't even know the name of the town. I guess I can describe it best by calling it "rustic." It was charming, however there were some issues that make our NYE a good story. We got there just at nightfall and walked from our cars to the cabin for ten minutes in the snow carrying all of our supplies, including our suitcases, food, and lots of champagne, wine, etc. Once we were finally there, we were pretty cold. No worries, we thought, we'll start the space heaters and the fire and things will be warmed up in no time at all. Haha. Here is my little NYE equation. Space heaters on = blowing fuses => no heat in bedroom = very cold night. Luckily the fire in the fireplace and drinks warmed us up before long. Next news of the night: the toilet was frozen and we had to go to the bathroom outside in the snow. How Fun! Just like camping, but a little more rustic and definitely colder than what I'm used to. We ended up having a wonderful night despite the cold and outdoor facilities, or lack thereof. We came back the next evening, after the guys cooked shrimp outside on a stone slab over a fire. The shrimp was amazing... and HUGE! I think shrimp is bigger over here. However, I really do not know, since I had never tried shrimp before my arrival in France in August. Here we are bringing in the new year. 

Saturday night arrived way too quickly. I had to leave for the airport the next morning before 6 am. I will definitely be taking another trip to the region before long. It was a wonderful way to start 2010. 

My First French Noel

Here is just a quick update on my first Christmas in France. It really was nice. Thanks to my up-and-coming trip to the French Riviera, I was in very good spirits. We left for the country on Christmas Eve in the afternoon. I do not remember the name of the small town, but the house was charming and cozy...a typical French country home. Our hostess, Michelle, the friend of the grandmother, was very kind. To describe this Christmas in just a few words I would use the following: food, sleep, champagne. How could it not be a good Christmas? To make things even better, the kids were good almost the entire weekend!

Christmas Eve night, or Reveillon, everyone got all dressed up and partied. We drank champagne, danced, and finished off the night with a huge, fancy dinner. I must admit that I was a little sad early-on, being that I missed being home with my family. Babou, the gradmother that never ceased to top off my champagne glass, saw that I was a little sad, and right away, led me downstairs to the game room with champagne. "Champagne will help," she said, and it did. Haha. She is great. This is Hannah and me early in the night. 

And of course, me with all three kids. I must admit that I find them absolutely adorable. 

I just had to get a picture of Babou and Sophie. 

Here is the beginning of dinner. This is a huge, styrofoam boat of seafood. I can't even remember it all...oysters, shrimp, something like snails, crab... And I tried it all. It wasn't so bad after all. I even like oysters (well, with a little balsamic vinaigrette)! This was only the beginning...not even the main course! 

I even got to skype my family after dinner (at 3 am!). I went to bed around 4 am and slept until around 10...no, I did not get up to see what Santa brought the kids. I know, I'm horrible. I was just too tired. Sophie took pictures anyway.

Christmas day was a little more relaxed. Everyone wore normal clothes and several of us took afternoon naps. It is a good thing I did because it was another late night of eating good food and drinking good wine. We spent one more night there and the next day and then drove back to Paris. All in all, I'd say it was a definite success. Tomorrow morning I am leaving for Antibes (where Olivier is form on the French Riviera). My flight arrives in Nice at noon. I cannot wait! New Years in Italy and almost a week with Olivier and his family. Should be fun. Happy New Year!

Things just got a whole lot more Jolly!

Sunday night I went to bed in hopes of fast-forwarding through the next two weeks. My agenda was this: full days with the kids (aka Black Wednesday every single day), Christmas with the family (about the only highlight), weekends wandering Paris alone, and another week with the kids. I was honestly not looking forward to this holiday season at all, which is sad...I LOVE CHRISTMAS! Things changed Monday night. After a full day of very naughty children (they're lucky Santa isn't real, because a few of them would be on the naughty list), I received some news that instantly put me right back into the holiday spirit. I am free the entire week after Christmas, which means I can get the heck outta town and spend the rest of the holiday on the French Riviera with Olivier and his family! And, I think, New Years Eve in Italy. That's more like it. Honestly, I didn't really care if the plane ticket was expensive, and of course, being peak travel time, it was. Such is life. Nothing can discourage me. I just bought my ticket and did not buy travel insurance, which means this is official. :) Let me describe how happy I am. Yesterday, yet another full day of children, little Nathan was sick. He puked all over himself, his stuffed animal, his bed, and my leg. Being puked on didn't even make me gag. I MUST be in the holiday spirit. Bring on the Christmas music. 

The Moon

Tonight I was on an Ile de France train (just a train that connects Paris to some of the suburbs) with some friends, and I saw the moon. I do not notice the moon a lot here, but when I do, it makes it even more special. The sky was not too dark, a deep blue color, and the sliver of the moon shone brightly in contrast to the deep, cloudless sky. I thought of my grandmother and my mother. The moon no longer reminds me of just my grandmother like it used to. For me it now reminds me of my mom just as it does my grandmother. It is my mom's birthday today and I long to wish her a happy birthday in person. A conversation via Skype will have to suffice this year. 

Some of you know the story of the moon. Others do not, so here it is. I was very close to my grandmother when she was alive. I think this has to do with the fact that I spent a lot of time with my Grandpa and Grandma Porter since they lived across the street when I was very little and I stayed at their house when my parents worked nights. My grandma and I always sang the moon songs together and when I was sad to leave, she reminded me that all I needed to do was look at the sky and see the moon to be close to her. She promised she would do the same. And so, throughout my life, this is what I do. Because of her, I love the moon. It makes me feel close to her. I think she would really like to see that I am living in Paris right now, following my dreams. The night of my grandmother's death there was a huge snowstorm. My mom and her amazing driving abilities somehow made it from our home near Caberfae Peaks Ski Resort into Cadillac to be with my grandmother, grandfather, and her siblings. I stayed home, knowing that it was grandma's last night, looking out my window at the blinding snow. Later that night, the storm calmed and the sky opened slightly for just a few minutes and I saw the moon. At that moment, I knew she had died, but I also knew that she was at peace and would always be a part of me. I look down at my ring right now and know that she is with me. It was her mother's ring. 

I think of her more at Christmastime than I do throughout the rest of the year. She loved this time of year. I loved Christmas caroling with her, my grandfather, other family members, and members of the church. Christmas Eve at my grandparent's house was my favorite day of the year, filled with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and lots of good food and Christmas cookies. It was magical for me. Then in the evening we went to church for the Christmas Eve service. We sang Christmas songs and towards the end of the service, the church went dark and one-by-one, everyone's mini candles were lit for the singing of Silent Night. Silent Night is my favorite Christmas song and I think this is why. 

So now, here I am in Paris for Christmas. Don't get me wrong, it is beautiful here and I am so happy to be able to experience the Christmas season in Paris, but it is hard to be so far away. I wish I could be with my family for Christmas, and I'm sure there will be many tears this week. Except for right after I arrived, I have not had much trouble with feeling homesick. Knowing that I will be here for Christmas instead of with family makes me homesick. However, I will be ok. I have the moon. And that means I have my grandma. I haven't felt this close to her in years. On Christmas Eve night, when I am somewhere with the family celebrating the holiday, I will step outside and hopefully see the moon. And I know it will help me feel a little better. This is why I love the moon. It warms my heart and keeps me close to two of the most wonderful people in my life, my grandmother and my mother. Happy Birthday Mom. I love you. 

The Start of the Christmas Season

Christmas is in full bloom in Paris right now. Everything is lit up and decorated. I love when I turn a corner and see yet another street draped in lights. For example, here is a street right by my home, rue du Commerce.

Crystal and I checked out the decor right away. We were especially excited to see Champs Elysees all lit up. It definitely is beautiful. Seeing Champs Elysees lit up for Christmas was one of the reasons I wanted to see Paris in the fall/winter. 

Crystal and I were excited to see Christmas trees lining the Champs. She called this one her "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree." It turns out that most of the trees here are like this, or not quite as nice. I guess I'm used to a Michigan Christmas (this tree was about our height and somewhat sparse, but it is hard to tell in this picture). 

This is just one of the many decorated stores/restaurants in Paris...a pizza place on the Champs Elysees. 

You can count on Paris to have a Ferris Wheel at Place de la Concorde for the season. I am lucky and got to go on it (thanks to a sweet boyfriend). Each little compartment is even heated. Classy. 

Here is a view of Place de la Concorde and the Champs Elysees from the top.

The large department stores are very decked out for the holidays. If it were not for the decorations, I wouldn't venture near them...they are FULL of people. 

Here is the gigantic Christmas tree inside Galeries Lafayette. 

Each store window has a different Christmas/holiday scene. 

And of course Notre Dame has a Christmas Tree. 

The last picture is just for fun...Olivier and me having a lot of fun with friends on a Friday night. I realize my smile is very over-the-top.