link
There are new photos of Nimes and us raising our glasses to the new pres.
Word.
- Patrick
Monday, January 26, 2009
J'ai fait les raquettes dans les Vercors
The translation of the title to this post is: "I went snowshoeing in the Vercors." I will get to my snowshoeing experience in a second; right now I would like to gloat about my French abilities. I didn't write it in French to sound pompous, but to demonstrate my ever growing ability to butcher the French language. I missed an article and misspelled raquette, but other than that I got it correct. Yeah for me, to a point. I still feel like an idiot every time I open my mouth, not that I am not use to putting my foot in my mouth, it is just worse speaking in another language. I am more aware that I am creating, perhaps furthering, stereotypes that Americans sound like fools when speaking French.
Oh well, I can sound like a fool when I speak English so I am not going to worry about it too much. It makes for an interesting time when in a conversation with a French person and they look at me like I am speaking anything but French. I look at them wanting some sort of recognition that they understand me but all I get is a blank stare. So from now on, when I speak to non-native English speakers, I am going to be super active in my facial expressions to the point that they think I have a tick or something.
I would recommend that anyone who visits France during the winter try to partake in their winter sports. I went to the Col de Rousset, which was sunny and had amazing views of the Vercors mountain range. It is also 20 minutes from Die, France; where we had hiked earlier in our trip. I went with a group of assistants and went snowshoeing with Abi, an American, and Marie, a German. Patrick decided to stay home for the day so it was my own little adventure; although, I wish Patrick would have been there.
Abi, Marie, and I took the chair lift above timberline. We looked like an odd collection of people going out to snowshoe. Marie looked like the mountain expert, Abi looked like someone had dragged her from Paris and dropped her off, and I hiked in jeans. Yeah, I looked like a bum. From the base of the timberline we started our hike. It was great! I didn't bring my camera but I will steal photos from Abi and Marie and post them in photobucket as soon as I get them. We hiked along the edge of the mountain, which is more of a cliff, making sure not to get to close edge of the mountain as we easily could have fallen to our deaths if we got to far out. However, the views were worth the slight danger.
We hiked for an hour and then turned around and headed back. On the journey back the clouds moved in, blending the sky with the snow, only to leave just as quick as they arrived. It felt like being in a cloud, which fulfilled a childhood desire of knowing what it would be like to be in a cloud.
We made it down the mountain to catch the bus to go back to Die with time to spare to have a beer. The whole trip including rentals, getting to the resort and back, and lift ticket was under 25 euros. It was so cheap and fun.
However, we didn't make it down the mountains in time to catch our train home. There is nothing quite like watching your train leave right before your eyes. Super lame, but ca la vie! This is France where the only things that are on time, 90% of the time, are the trains and buses. Three people caught a ride with another assistant to make it home early while the rest of us stayed to take the last train home.
So after getting somethings for dinner Abi, Kelsey, Eric, Becca, Allison, Patrick (another assistant who lives in Die), and I went to Patrick from Die's place for dinner and drinks until our 11:52pm train. It was fun just to hang out and eat. We also played a couple of rounds of a great game. Everyone has a piece of paper and a pen. The first person writes a sentence on a piece of paper and then passes it to the next person, who then has to draw a picture of the sentence. The person who draws the picture folds the paper so only the picture is seen and passes it to the next person. So everyone is drawing and writing something on these sheets of paper until it makes it around the circle once, then everyone takes turns reading the story in front of them. It was hilarious to see the different stories that un-folded as the sheets were read. Too much fun!
We made it to our train and made it home after midnight. I enjoyed the train ride home to contemplate the day and focus on getting to my bed. It was a great day of being outside in the snow with great company.
A bientot,
Molly
PS I realize that there are accents in a bientot but I don't care.
Oh well, I can sound like a fool when I speak English so I am not going to worry about it too much. It makes for an interesting time when in a conversation with a French person and they look at me like I am speaking anything but French. I look at them wanting some sort of recognition that they understand me but all I get is a blank stare. So from now on, when I speak to non-native English speakers, I am going to be super active in my facial expressions to the point that they think I have a tick or something.
I would recommend that anyone who visits France during the winter try to partake in their winter sports. I went to the Col de Rousset, which was sunny and had amazing views of the Vercors mountain range. It is also 20 minutes from Die, France; where we had hiked earlier in our trip. I went with a group of assistants and went snowshoeing with Abi, an American, and Marie, a German. Patrick decided to stay home for the day so it was my own little adventure; although, I wish Patrick would have been there.
Abi, Marie, and I took the chair lift above timberline. We looked like an odd collection of people going out to snowshoe. Marie looked like the mountain expert, Abi looked like someone had dragged her from Paris and dropped her off, and I hiked in jeans. Yeah, I looked like a bum. From the base of the timberline we started our hike. It was great! I didn't bring my camera but I will steal photos from Abi and Marie and post them in photobucket as soon as I get them. We hiked along the edge of the mountain, which is more of a cliff, making sure not to get to close edge of the mountain as we easily could have fallen to our deaths if we got to far out. However, the views were worth the slight danger.
We hiked for an hour and then turned around and headed back. On the journey back the clouds moved in, blending the sky with the snow, only to leave just as quick as they arrived. It felt like being in a cloud, which fulfilled a childhood desire of knowing what it would be like to be in a cloud.
We made it down the mountain to catch the bus to go back to Die with time to spare to have a beer. The whole trip including rentals, getting to the resort and back, and lift ticket was under 25 euros. It was so cheap and fun.
However, we didn't make it down the mountains in time to catch our train home. There is nothing quite like watching your train leave right before your eyes. Super lame, but ca la vie! This is France where the only things that are on time, 90% of the time, are the trains and buses. Three people caught a ride with another assistant to make it home early while the rest of us stayed to take the last train home.
So after getting somethings for dinner Abi, Kelsey, Eric, Becca, Allison, Patrick (another assistant who lives in Die), and I went to Patrick from Die's place for dinner and drinks until our 11:52pm train. It was fun just to hang out and eat. We also played a couple of rounds of a great game. Everyone has a piece of paper and a pen. The first person writes a sentence on a piece of paper and then passes it to the next person, who then has to draw a picture of the sentence. The person who draws the picture folds the paper so only the picture is seen and passes it to the next person. So everyone is drawing and writing something on these sheets of paper until it makes it around the circle once, then everyone takes turns reading the story in front of them. It was hilarious to see the different stories that un-folded as the sheets were read. Too much fun!
We made it to our train and made it home after midnight. I enjoyed the train ride home to contemplate the day and focus on getting to my bed. It was a great day of being outside in the snow with great company.
A bientot,
Molly
PS I realize that there are accents in a bientot but I don't care.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Follow us!
There is now a map on the right. Suivez the map pour voir the places that nous avons visited.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Quelle fucking impolitesse!
It only takes one rude person to put a negative light on a beautiful day. This goes in any culture, but when you want to tell a kid to pull his head out of his ass, a direct translation is a bit weird. It would be so much easier if I was a little cooler under pressure and if rude people were not so damn rude!
I ran into a teacher I know just moments after an altercation with a student, whose name I never caught, and the prof's suggestion was to just lay into them in English. "They won't understand anything but the F-word and they may understand just how angry you are," he suggested.
Of course it wasn't the littering, which began the encounter, that made me angry, but the general attitude of what I try not to generalize as the attitude of the youth in France, but single out as individuals being impolite. Really impolite.
On a lighter note, we're gonna go to a Cote-Rotie wine expo in a small town named Ampuis. I hope we find it with no trouble... or more importantly, I hope we find our way home!
Here, now, are some soothing images.
- Patrick
I ran into a teacher I know just moments after an altercation with a student, whose name I never caught, and the prof's suggestion was to just lay into them in English. "They won't understand anything but the F-word and they may understand just how angry you are," he suggested.
Of course it wasn't the littering, which began the encounter, that made me angry, but the general attitude of what I try not to generalize as the attitude of the youth in France, but single out as individuals being impolite. Really impolite.
On a lighter note, we're gonna go to a Cote-Rotie wine expo in a small town named Ampuis. I hope we find it with no trouble... or more importantly, I hope we find our way home!
Here, now, are some soothing images.
- Patrick
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Everyone's all smiles today
People, strangers even (I guess the know I'm the American on campus), have been smiling at me all morning. Every so often someone mentions what today holds, but it's usually just a silly grin.
I imagine it's because I'm the one grinning and they are reacting to that sparkle in my eye.
Thank you to everyone that got off their asses even if it was just that one Tuesday.
- Patrick
I imagine it's because I'm the one grinning and they are reacting to that sparkle in my eye.
Thank you to everyone that got off their asses even if it was just that one Tuesday.
- Patrick
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Sunshine in January... does a body good.
An interesting thing happens between blog posts, it seems. Either nothing happens so you start mentioning that you would like to write about small things that amuse you or frustrate you, or a lot happens and you want to do it justice, so you put it off until you realize you should just write it anyway. This also is the case when a good friend emails you. You want to respond with something good, but you end up just living your life ad realizing that nothing big is really going on at the moment and you end up just writing a very bland and very belated response.
CouchSurfing is something I have known about for a while now, but we finally did it and had a wonderful experience! Kelsey spoke to a guy in Nimes who was willing to host us for a long weekend. This guy, Thomas, had dated and married an American assistant (who is currently in Grad school in NY) and was extraordinarily helpful because of this. In fact, Thomas wasn't even there for the weekend, but instead visiting his family in Grenoble! We were given a key to a real kitschy flat within spitting distance of the Roman arena and told to have a good weekend... and we did.
The first night was perhaps the most colorful as we didn't have the time, or energy perhaps, to go see any of the town, but instead made dinner at home and then, after some American television shows (Gossip Girl) and three bottles of wine, we went to an Irish pub. The evening started off slowly enough, but quickly declined/mounted into a lot of laughs. I suggested that Kelsey go talk to a young man who was pretty cute. He had a striped shirt and glasses and he was carrying a number of drinks back to his table. I told Kelsey to go ask him about what he liked to do in Nimes and to introduce herself. This she did... then sucked his face all evening.
Denim was originally created in Nimes. Those bluejeans you own, well Levi Strauss lived here and made his pants. In French "from Nimes" is de Nimes. So there you have it... denim. Well I had some trouble remembering the name of this new beau of Kelsey's. He was very nice, very outgoing, but I quickly tagged him with the nickname of Denim which led to Bluejeans.
Well Bluejeans was a cool guy and I told him that Kelsey would call him the following day once my older brother role was allowed to come out and play. So we did call him... or Kelsey called him, and we met for a picnic in the park. The picnic turned into driving to another town by the name of Uzes, and having coffee there because the Bonbon Museum was closed. He drove us back and we had a series of nice conversations throughout the day. Kelsey did not kiss him goodnight.
We had made plans to drive to the Camargue, a delta region of France where there are wild horses and flamingos, but, like I said, Kelsey didn't kiss Bluejeans goodnight, so we may have lost his willingness to drive us an hour away at 1.71 a litre of gas. He did meet us for a drink though, and we watched some soccer together at another pub.
Nimes itself is a gorgeous town that begs to be returned to. We left snow on the ground in Valence to sit in the sun over our picnics, coffees and monument tours. It was a perfect getaway from a wintry Valence, and will be even better when the weather is even nicer. The monuments were on a scale of really cool to... seriously? I would never have paid for that! but then we, of course, did not pay for any of the monuments because if you can prove that you live in Nimes, you need not pay entrance fees. With a fake document, signed by Thomas, we walked right in... well Kelsey was pretty funny in her apparent refusal to speak in French, or even English to the lady at the first monument who didn't know what Kelsey was handing her. That slowed things down, but free is free!
Coming back to Valence was horribly depressing. We passed through a tunnel on our way back north and, upon coming out the other side, we were suddenly faced with dreary weather and snow on the ground. We went back home and made some dinner with the warm sun still on our minds and on our sun-kissed noses (I was proud to have a peeling nose on Wednesday).
This weeks classes were uninspired and uninspiring. Want to share any ideas you might have? I am only working three days a week this semester... and that's pretty sweet, but not spending too much time at school leaves you thinking about time spent away from school and not your students... unless you're Kelsey. Did I mention that Bluejeans was only 17? Maybe 20, but I can't even remember his name let alone whether he could legally drive.
Until the next adventure... or bout of inactivity.
- Patrick
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year everyone!
Not a whole lot is going on in Valence. The only few things that are exciting is we are going to Nimes for the weekend to visit the south of France more and for a change of pace. It snowed in Valence and actually stuck to the ground. I was told by the lady who tutors me in French that it hasn't snowed in Valence since the 90's. I would give you an exact year but I am not sure if she said 94, 96, or 98 since I couldn't understand the last part of the number very well.
Paris was wonderful. I think Paris spoiled living in Valence, but only in that there is nothing to do in Valence in the winter. I will say that I expected Paris to be more, quaint. I would definitely tell anyone who wants more of a typical view of French life not to take Paris to be like the rest of the country. The thing is, I like the "real" French life more than the French life in Paris. Yes, it was great to be in a city and all the energy and life that comes from city life; however, living in Paris, I think would suck unless you had money, kind of like New York City.
The only observation I have had recently is that French people never seem cold. I see cute little French ladies walking around in the wind and snow (think Colorado blizzard but with less snow and a more humid wind) with skirts, tights, and a coat. I walk around with at least one layer of thermals on under my many layers of clothes, sweat shirt, scarf, hat, coat, and gloves. I look like such a ninny compared to these women.
The other day on my way home from the store one such lady and I shared a moment of cold. She looked and me and smiled so I looked at her and smiled; then she said it was cold and I agreed. However, compared to her I looked like I was ready to walk through a blizzard; she looked just fashionably adorable. I did feel kind of special since she said something to me on the street. French people do not say hi to one another on the street. If you do, they look at you funny.
Oh, we have a computer now and so will start using Skype more. If you are interested in setting up a chat please email us so we can coordinate a time.
Thank you all for the holiday wishes and the same to you in the event we couldn't reach you.
Ta ta for now,
Molly
Not a whole lot is going on in Valence. The only few things that are exciting is we are going to Nimes for the weekend to visit the south of France more and for a change of pace. It snowed in Valence and actually stuck to the ground. I was told by the lady who tutors me in French that it hasn't snowed in Valence since the 90's. I would give you an exact year but I am not sure if she said 94, 96, or 98 since I couldn't understand the last part of the number very well.
Paris was wonderful. I think Paris spoiled living in Valence, but only in that there is nothing to do in Valence in the winter. I will say that I expected Paris to be more, quaint. I would definitely tell anyone who wants more of a typical view of French life not to take Paris to be like the rest of the country. The thing is, I like the "real" French life more than the French life in Paris. Yes, it was great to be in a city and all the energy and life that comes from city life; however, living in Paris, I think would suck unless you had money, kind of like New York City.
The only observation I have had recently is that French people never seem cold. I see cute little French ladies walking around in the wind and snow (think Colorado blizzard but with less snow and a more humid wind) with skirts, tights, and a coat. I walk around with at least one layer of thermals on under my many layers of clothes, sweat shirt, scarf, hat, coat, and gloves. I look like such a ninny compared to these women.
The other day on my way home from the store one such lady and I shared a moment of cold. She looked and me and smiled so I looked at her and smiled; then she said it was cold and I agreed. However, compared to her I looked like I was ready to walk through a blizzard; she looked just fashionably adorable. I did feel kind of special since she said something to me on the street. French people do not say hi to one another on the street. If you do, they look at you funny.
Oh, we have a computer now and so will start using Skype more. If you are interested in setting up a chat please email us so we can coordinate a time.
Thank you all for the holiday wishes and the same to you in the event we couldn't reach you.
Ta ta for now,
Molly
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