Complications, Observations, and Explorations!

Bonsoir! (Good evening)

Complication #1: Today has been a good day all around… however, if this weefee (wifi) doesn’t start cooperating I’m going to pull my hair out. It worked all day yesterday, not at all the day before, and on and off today. I’m writing this in a word document in hopes that I can quickly post it into my blog before it shuts off!

Complication #2: This morning I was awoken bright and early at 7:10am by my alarm clock, which I promptly turned off and then fell back asleep until 8am… Laura (Laurence’s daughter) rang the buzzer at about 8:35… so oops. She was early, I was late. She was very kind and waited on me to get ready, but I sure can’t wait until I’m back on a regular sleeping schedule.

Complication #3: It rained off and on all day (perhaps this is the cause for my poor wifi signal?). Thankfully I packed an umbrella, so I didn’t get too wet, but it was so windy that several times my umbrella turned backwards… which was very amusing to both Laura and I… and the occasional passerby.

Complication #4: Credit cards in France are different than our credit cards. They don’t necessarily have a strip on the back, but a small chip on the side. Therefore, the credit card machines are a bit different, and in some stores they are all together unable to use my cards. I haven’t had too much trouble so far, if I can’t use my credit card, I can find an ATM to withdraw money. But, this morning, Laura took me to the bank to begin the process of opening an account. The woman was extremely friendly and patient with her explanations of the system and the documents required. I’m pretty much all set at this point, I just have to wait 8 jours (a week is 8 days, not 7 in France) to acquire the actual credit card.

Observation #1: St. Pree-est is a very cute and friendly town. Almost everyone, especially little old women, say Bonjour in passing. The man at the reception desk of the bank was also very friendly- he even asked if I was interested in tutoring the children of his friend in English…noting that private English classes are very expensive… which means that I’m sure my going rate wouldn’t be half bad. But, I told him I’d wait and see after I started working what my schedule was like.

Observation #2: The transportation system is very accessible and very clean. Laura told me that the tramway is only about 2 years old and the metro has been refurbished over the last few years. The tram is kind of like an above ground metro or a modern looking trolley. They had them in Paris and they were my preferred way of travel because they were so clean and you could see the happenings around you. In Paris, you couldn’t take the tram into the heart of the city, just around- however in Lyon, there is a tram right by my apartment that goes straight into Lyon Centre. I can also take a bus to the metro and take it into the city when I get fancier and know of more places to go in Lyon.

Complication#5: Transportation’s not as inexpensive as I was hoping. For students, the price of a monthly pass is something like 31 Euros. However, as I am unfortunately no longer a student, it will cost me a whopping 50 Euros! (like 75-80 bucks! Yikes!). So until I know exactly how often I need to use the tram or bus, I’ll just purchase the 13 euro carnet (book of 10 tickets, each ticket lasting you an hour of use).

Observation #3: The French eat, a lot. Maybe not snacking so much, but their idea of lunch involves a salad, a large omelet with ham, and yogurt and cheese for dessert… or some variation of that. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy eating this much, but it’s something I have to get used to. Tonight I went into the village of St. Priest to find a cute Patisserie I saw earlier while bank hunting, and I got a quiche au jambon (ham quiche) and a tartelette au citron (lemon tart). As I gazed into the glass of endless pastry choices, I felt like saying, “I’ll take the lot!” But then I remembered, 1: I am not in a Harry Potter movie, and 2: I don’t have enough money or room in my tummy for everything all at once. All in due time thoughJ

Exploration #1: After getting back from practicing the buses/metro/tram with Laura, watching a very French film at Laurence’s house (Amèlie, one of my favorites), taking a quick cat nap while watching the movie, and a quick look around for a Laundromat (no luck yet), I discovered that while I was gone, I had been given my new hot plate-stove top, atop the oven I thought was broken. Laura and I played with the “stove” and I decided I better go out for my dinner tonight.

Exploration #2: The last “exploration” was an exploration of the stove top, if youwere wondering. But it also leads into the exploration of the village when I wentout for my pastry dinner. The village sits behind the Chateau, so I guess I just didn’t go far enough the other day. It’s very cute. Lots of shops, a fountain (yay something to show my dad- he loves fountainsJ), a school of music, and a

beautiful church. Pictures to come . . .

Observation #4: During our search for the Laundromat, I discovered that the médiathèque (fancy library) and Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) are on the other side of town, right behind my apartment building. But what was really cool to see, as these buildings aren’t very interesting, was a car procession for an Arab wedding. All the cars were decked out and honking all the way down the street to the town hall (this is apparently something everyone in France does for a wedding). Then, as the bride got out of the car, men dressed in traditional garb started beating drums and blowing these huge brass horns (an Arab tradition). I didn’t have my memory card at the time, but later, on my exploration of the village, I saw the bride getting pictures taken at the Chateau…so of course I took a picture to show youJ

Well that’s about it for today. I bought a map of Lyon so that tomorrow I can begin the real exploration of the big city. Laura said she would “give me a shout” later in the weekend to go to the movies. So wish me luck navigating the tram and city without her!

Reste cool!

Ps: I thought you would be interested to know, in one of our cultural conversations about France, Laura informed me that the French do not actually say “Sacre bleu” and “han han han.” But instead they sigh heavily and say something that sounds like “buff.” When I said that all my American friends impersonate the French like that, she said, “Oh because of Robin Williams?” I don’t know about that, but thought it was funny nonetheless.

Why sleep when I can explore!

Well- I know you're dying to know how my walk around St. Priest went... so here goes!

Although I was probably tired enough for a nap (or a full night's sleep), I set off to find the Chateau de Saint Priest, with a rolling grocery bag in tow. I started out going pretty much the exact opposite direction... I stopped a little girl, probably no older than 11, asking how to find the castle (in French of course). She told me how to get there and was pleased that she could help, how cute! It was actually kind of interesting to see all these kids walking back to school after their mid-day break. They know just how to get to the bus or tram that they need (apparently not all transportation employees were on strike today!). Anyway, I found my castle eventually. There's a beautiful park surrounding it and a retreat center... I guess it's been transformed into a sort of hall for community events. Besides the castle, St. Priest's other defining characteristic is itsRue Jean Jaures, a main road lined with des arbres. Here are some pics!

Then, I headed to the grocery store (which I found all by myself!) to buy a few things I discovered I needed after all. Unfortunately for me, France doesn't believe in Clorox wipes or the like, so I'm left with the good old fashioned sponge and soap approach to cleaning... and I'm not too happy about it. So, Maggie, Thomas, and Heather, save room in your luggage for a thing of wipes s'il vous plait:)

Last, but definitely not least, I headed to the boulangerie to buy a baguette and tartlette for lunch. After fumbling a bit with my monnaie, coins worth 1 or 2 euros, the vendeuse asked me if I was foreign... and yep. I am. So she explained the colors of the coins so I could more easily find them:)

I set back home to finish m'installer (my new favorite French verb meaning to arrange myself or settle in). I was also able to video chat with Victor before he went to work:) And then I thought, I could take a video for all of you to see too! I tried to post the video, but it won't load... so maybe I'll try it in another post or on facebook for your viewing pleasure!

A bientot (Later taters... a loose translation hehe)

Also sorry for the weird configuration, I'm too tired to try to fix it!

Je suis en France!!!!

Bonjour!!!! from France!!! I'm here! I made it safe and sound and woke up this morning, to my surprise, to find my free wifi working in my apartment!!! YAY! So now I can update you all on the bazillion things I've done in the last day and a half:)

I'll start from the beginning- I was dropped off at the airport around 3:40 on Tuesday for my 6:40 flight to Lyon with a stop over in London. Thankfully, everyone (minus Leslie in NY) was able to see me off... as I rode, a little teary-eyed- but not too much;) down the escalator to security. The flight boarded on time, took off a little late, and arrived really late. I had to be through security by 8:05 to catch my flight leaving at 8:40 in London. Miraculously, I made it

through by 8:06, after listening to some seriously British people tell me to take off my boots and belts (insert seriously British accent) and watch them grab each others' butts and laugh as if it were a normal work pastime. Huh. I ran to catch the plane, which hadn't even boarded yet, eventually got on, and found out that I would be receiving a breakfast snack while the first class passengers received the "full English breakfast." I was a little miffed I didn't get the full English breakfast, and just the "Egg mayonnaise" or egg salad sandwich provided to

me in regular people class. Anyway, we were also told that the air traffic controllers in France were on strike... meaning we would have to literally fly around France (from London to Brussels to boardering the German/France line and into Lyon) to avoid issues around Paris. I landed at 11:35 (20 min late) and put all my bags on a little cart thingy... which a very nice old French man paid for (just 1 euro). I walked through the sign that said "sortie" (exit) and as I went through the doors, I saw Laurence in her red scarf... and my luggage came falling off my cart because I was paying more attention to finding said red scarf than watching where my cart went....

But, Laurence very kindly helped me transport my luggage to her little European hatchback (oh yeah which ended up being 2 suitcases weighing about 50 lbs each, and 2 "carry-ons," the bigger of the 2 being too heavy to hoist into an overhead bin...). We drove straight to Venissieux (the town right beside St. Priest) to her house. She had made a Lyon specialty, called Quenelles, that sort of looked like stuffed manicotti, but tasted more like dumplings... We also had crudités (salad with chopped up carrots and pieces of ham), and cheese for desert.... and of course all 3

courses were accompanied by a nice crispy baguette. After lunch, Laurence left to take her youngest daughter (16) to the doctor's office, and I was left to hang with her middle child, Laura (19), who has been very patient and kind throughout my first day. She spent a few months in Ecosse (Scotland) at the beginning of this year working in a kitchen of some sort, so she loved practicing her English skills. At this point I didn't mind speaking in English a little, as I had spoken in French from the get-go with Laurence. Although she is in

charge of the English Assistants, she knows very little English, studying Spanish and German in school herself. I didn't do half bad, but I was tired and feeling overwhelmed as it was, let alone trying to remember all the French grammar and vocabulary I'd forgotten over this past year.

After a shower at Laurence's house, we drove quickly over to St. Priest (pronounced Sanh Pree-est) to show me around before going to my apartment. I signed the papers and was given the keys to my 5th floor (4th in French), 3 bedroom apartment. The apartment is huge for just me; Laurence did mention that after they repainted a few other rooms, and if they found someone else to live here, I might have a roommate. So I won't get too comfortable living by myself, but then again, who knows when they'll get around to repainting and finding someone else... I have a nice little kitchen, with a borrowed micro-onde (microwave) from

Laurence's son, Jeremy (21) who is living at home now to attend university in Lyon. The oven (culinaire) is broken and is supposed to be replaced today. I have a nice bathroom, with a sink and a tub with a shower head, not attached to t

he wall but just laying free... so I have to hold it up to pretend I'm in a shower. And then the potty is down the hall in its own little home. This is a picture of my bedroom, it's the only one that was repainted before I arrived, so I moved all the furniture I wanted into the room. There is also a nice big living room with a pull out couch and 2 tables, a balcony that I've been told not to go out on because the railing isn't secure, and a view of other apartment buildings and pretty mountains in the distance.

After we looked around the apartment, Laurence and Laura decided we needed to go on a

shopping spree to help get me fixed up for the night. We went grocery shopping in my neighborhood store (yay big jar of nutella, chocolate croissants, and wheels of brie!), then to a huge store with everything much like at Wal-mart to buy sheets and towels, and then to the mall to get a prepaid cell phone. The phone card is kinda pricey, but to make local calls is very inexpensive. To make calls to the USA, it's like 1euro18centimes for every minute I use... so now that my internet sort of works, I hopefully won't need to use it much for calling home.

We then went back to Laurence's house for dinner with the whole family. Her children are hilarious.... they go from speaking French super fast and in slang I don't understand, to trying to translate to English, into singing songs they know inf English with the words they were just trying to think of. And to top it all off, Laurence started trying to speak in English, which made us all laugh because it is so broken and accented. (I hope I don't sound that bad in French!).

Finally, around 9:30pm (3:30pm our time) I went home to clean the bathroom, potty house, and put my sheets on my bed. I collapsed around 12:30, and woke up, wide awake at 8am... I don't know how I'm awake... I should have at least slept til 10, but just couldn't do it. I guess I'll be off like this for a few days! Here is a picture of the living room, during my late-night unpacking party.

Today, I'm going to get myself a little more situated, walk around St. Priest a little, and if for some reason my internet stops working this afternoon, I'll call Laurence to come take me to her house to use their internet. I would just go to the library down the street, but oh yes, I forgot to mention, there is another strike today... affecting buses, schools, etc. Très français, non?

Ok- that's all for now! Miss you all bunches!!!!!

Love, Lindsay

Everything (but the kitchen sink) fits into SpaceVac Bags!

I've been putting things aside all summer to pack for my trip. This was probably a poor choice as the summer is long... and I'm only bringing 2 suitcases. But! I have discovered the miracle product: "SpaceVac" bags...the bags that you pack and suck all the air out with a vacuum, creating these really odd shaped, but very compact figures. Thankfully, almost all of my clothes that I set aside fit into these bags (including my winter coat, winter vest, and rain coat!). Unfortunately, not all of the children's books and shoes that I set aside will be making this trip. Also, because I've used the space bags, allowing me to cram it all in, my luggage is going to weigh a TON. Tant pis as they say.

Anywho, I have no real "new" information yet. I think I've heard just about as much as I will as far as the housing or job situation goes until I'm actually there. However, I have talked with a future English Teaching Assistant colleague by email. She's been living in the Lyon area for awhile... and might have studied abroad there for a year, so she definitely knows her way around. I know I'd do fine on my own, but it is nice knowing I have someone I can go to for help... and for advice on the best crêperie in town:) She also mentioned that she's met with Laurence, (the contact person), and said that she was very nice and helpful!! Hurray!

This will probably be my last post until I get to France. I'm leaving Dulles at 6:40pm on Tuesday, Sept. 21. I'll arrive at Heathrow (London airport) at 6:40 am (1:40am Eastern Time... I think) on Sept. 22, then I leave Heathrow at 8:40am (3:40am ET), and I'll arrive into Lyon at 11:15 am (5:15 am ET). Hopefully I'll be walking around my new apartment by the time most of you are getting up for work:)

Thanks for reading!

Reste cool :)

If you build it, they will come... (If you ask, you may be answered)

Before I launch into my exciting news, here is some background information that will hopefully make the news more exciting to you too:)

At the beginning of June, I was contacted by a woman in St. Priest (Celine, my first "contact person"). She told me I'd be getting my arrete soon enough, but before she went on vacation at the end of June, she wanted to ask if I wanted to live in the apartment used by previous language assistants. Of course I immediately freaked out and said YES YES YES. After that I didn't hear much....

....until I sent an email back to Celine, asking for more information about the apartment... hoping she would respond, "Oh yes, the apartment is yours!" Instead, she gave me other information, which was helpful. It's a 3 bedroom, fully furnished apartment, on the 4th floor of a building very centrally located in St. Priest, just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the bus or tramway that goes into downtown Lyon. On google maps, it shows that it is very close to a movie theater and the police station (so I'll have fun AND I'll be safe!). I was also given the email addresses of the most recent language assistants. One girl (whom I think is from England because her emails to me sounded very proper) has been very helpful in sending me details about the job and the apartment. But besides finding out more specific details about the apartment, I still didn't know if I had a room mate or if the apartment was, without a doubt, in my possession, immediately when I arrive on the 22nd....

....until I wrote an email to the new contact person (Laurence). After the first email from Laurence, I wasn't really sure if she'd be very helpful. She was the"new" contact person. She was very nice, don't get me wrong, but she started by saying she was new to St. Priest and she'd have to "see about this apartment." Of course, that made me a little queasy, but after a few weeks, and a nice email containing information about my orientation, I thought maybe she'd been in the job long enough to know more about the apartment.

So, I waited a couple days... and finally decided... "What am I waiting for? I should just ask!" And what do you know- not even 24 hours later, I got an email, on the weekend, from my French contact (much quicker than I could have imagined!). And it said: "I was going to let you know next week, they called to see when you're arriving so it will be cleaned. For now, you are alone in the apartment because the other assistant is looking for a place with her friend. If something goes wrong and it isn't ready, you are welcome to stay with me until it's settled. Don't worry, have a nice weekend, and as for picking you up at the airport, I'll have a sign with your name and a red scarf!"

YAY YAY YAY!

On the schedule for today: go get a backpackers backpack for my carry-on, stretch and run the 9-11 5k, and celebrate my birthday (again) with some friends! Hurray! What a good day!

Waiting game

Most of this summer has been a waiting game... and we all know how well I like to go-with-the-flow and let things plan themselves, haha. After graduation, I waited to find out if I got into the program and which region I'd be in (yes, Lyon). Then, I awaited the arrete de nomination (my contract) telling me which school district I'd be in and most importantly how long I'd be in France (St. Priest, 7 months). Next, I waited and prepared for my visa appointment, sat in the waiting room of the French Embassy... waited (not so patiently) for them to call my name, and then waited for the visa to be sent to my house by express mail (all of which worked out and went surprisingly smooth). I've found out more and more information, piece by piece, (I will hopefully be living in an apartment in St. Priest, owned by the Mairie, I will work with 3 different primary schools, and I will have an orientation before I get started), but still I am waiting on plus.

As long as I get it all confirmed and figured out by September 21, I will be happy. And even if I don't, I'll still be ok:) C'est la vie!

Adventures to Ohio, Georgia, and NYC

I'm writing this post, that clearly has absolutely nothing to do with my trip to France, to practice writing for the real thing:)

Ohio: At the end of July, my mom, brother, two friends (Maggie and Thomas), and I traveled to Columbus, Ohio to visit my grandma... and to eat our way through the Ohio State Fair. We (at least one or more of us) succeeded in eating the following: fried mac-n-cheese, apple dumplings, fried snickers, chocolate and rainbow sprinkle covered frozen banana, fried cheese, fried manicotti, fried pizza, corn dogs, regular pizza (not fried), fried mashed potatoes, fried oreos, fried buckeyes, fried nutterbutters, italian sausage, pulled pork sandwich, and fried three musketeers bar... give or take a few things:) I should also mention that many of these items happened to be on a stick.

My mom also wants me to include a few farm animal pictures so as to maybe find similar French farm animals for comparing and contrasting purposes:

Georgia: At the end of August, my brother Michael and I went to visit family friends in Covington, Georgia. We spent a wonderful and relaxing week with the Roberts and the Doziers. We ate delicious meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, picked pink-eyed purple hull peas and okra from the "garden" (or small farm hehe), shelled these same peas (or shucked as I incorrectly called it), saw the Sound of Music at the beautiful Fox theater in Atlanta, went to a high school football game (go East Side!), played cards, read Southern Living magazines cover-to-cover, and went to the pool... among many other activities. I also learned that a muscadine (or mus-kee-dime ) is a type of grape and that a scuppernong is a bronze colored muscadine variety. Who knew? (If I had pictures, I'd put them up so we could compare southern grapes to French grapes...)

New York City: As a last hurrah! before summer vacation ends for my brother and before I'm off to la belle France, my family went to visit my sister Leslie in NYC for a bit of the Labor Day weekend. Leslie attends Pace University in Manhattan (who wouldn't want to visit!) and has just moved into an apartment "off-campus"... aka another tall building with a pretty sweet view. Leslie showed us around her new digs and the roof, which has stellar views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. We met up with a friend from Georgia (Lydia) and together we all went to see Billy Elliot on Broadway by taking advantage of the half-priced ticket stand. After the musical (which was fantastic!), we made our way over to the John's Pizzeria that used to be the Gospel Tabernacle Church (shown in the picture below...which I didn't take). It was yummz. As a parting gift, Leslie received an old pair of roller blades; she has decided to take up rollerblading in Central Park;-)