When you're sick...

Being sick with a cold is always an interesting experience.  Your true personality seems to ooze out, not unlike your sick nose.  I like to sound whiny or try out my falsetto when I'm sick.  Its also one of the few times where my French sounds great because I am more nasal than normal.

Things I love when I am sick:

• orange juice
• soup
• frozen pizza
• any food, let's be honest

Update on the semester

I loved this book!

Theatre of the Absurd -- what more can be said?

Almost done with this one.  I have about 30 pages left and am still trying to figure out the plot.

This is the last one on the list.  I haven't started it because it hasn't been shipped yet.

Since I last wrote about this literature course I'm taking, I've read more works and written more papers.  You'll never catch me thanking the French for Existentialism or Theatre of the Absurd. Aside from those minor and forgivable flaws the French are still numéro un in my book.  The end of this course is now in sight.  I have 1 book that I'm nearly done with and another that I have to read, plus papers for both and finally a dissertation to sum up the whole semester.  This dissertation is already blocked out and I may have it done before the next book. We shall see, as I may have shot myself in the foot for allowing that thought to be expressed publicly.

Great Grandma's 100th Birthday

Mom, Erin, Me, Great Grandma, Dad

Most of the Great Grandchildren:

Me, Kevin, Kenny, Melissa, Christie, Great Grandma, Ashley, Erin.

Me, Great Grandma and Erin.

As mentioned in a previous post, my great grandmother just turned 100. It was a small gathering because her friends could not attend--since they are all, well, you know. Anyhow, we had a lovely time seeing the rest of the family and celebrating this milestone together. We had cake and ice cream for this reception.

Fall Banquet

Michelle, president; Julia, secretary; John, vice president; Ed, treasurer; Me, webmaster

At the risk of sounding nerdy, I belong to an association for foreign language teachers.  Its called Chautauqua County Foreign Language Teacher Association (CCFLTA).  Its a lovely group of people who share my same passion:  languages and imparting the passion of them.  I've formed some really neat friendships by belonging to this association.  It also was the source of a temporary job that I picked up with a software company writing an online French review. More on that later.  Our association meets twice a year for a banquet to eat together, share updates and news and more importantly to mingle with kindred spirits.  Tonight's banquet is at Vullo's.  We have approximately 30 members and I can't wait to see them again.  As mentioned in the photo caption, I am the webmaster of CCFLTA because we are directly affiliated with the state association NYSAFLT who requires all affiliations to have websites.  Knowing that I'm techno savvy, I was more or less volunteers.  Here's the website and judge for yourselves.

Haiti Bound?

Courtney and I floating in the salt water!

Our church is very involved and invested in missions work in Haiti.  This is the reason for my second trip to Haiti, Spring 2007.  We have more teams and trips being organized for 2009.  Our focus has been construction, medical attention and education.  For construction, our church has assisted in building an orphanage, school and medical clinic.  For medical attention, our church has sent teams to do checkups and other trips for surgical needs.  The education part of the focus has been in the form of vacation bible schools and supporting teachers in various villages.  All parts of the efforts seem to overlap.  The teachers we support use the schools that we build.  The medical staff we send use the clinic we built and so on.

The church bulletin is calling for more people to come forward to go on one of the trips.  I really would like to go.  The last time I went, over a year ago, I financed the trip on my own. Since I haven't been working steadily, that will not be possible.

I was not sure in what capacity I would serve but it soon became evident.  Arriving at the Miami airport and waiting to go to Haiti, I met Haitians everywhere.  Even boarding the plane, I was saying "excuse me, pardon me" in French and English while trying to get around people to my seat.  Haitians all around the plane started asking me questions wanting to know what my nationality was because of the rarity of an American speaking French.  It went on from there to be similar all around Haiti.

What was interesting was that I spoke with the Haitians without the use of a translator or interpreter because French is so similar to Haitian creole.  The first day I spoke with various people in French and had some neat discussions.  The next several days, people approached me and said "You're her!  You're the French speaking American!"  It was odd that people knew who I was without having seen me before but a white woman speaking their language would stand out, I suppose.  

For several days people came to talk with me because there was less distance between us because we could speak to each other without a mediator.  I finally asked someone how they came to know who I was and how they recognized me.  They all told me that the whole village and surrounding villages were talking about it. How odd!  I signed on to be a part of the vacation bible school team geared towards children but ended up speaking with local teens and adults.  It was like being a rock star being known and approached like they knew me but I did not know them.  I felt like I was contributing in a way that was not planned.  I was also put with the medical team to do some translating, too.  

We'll see what is in store for this trip.  Hopefully, I'll get to go again.  Time will tell.

This Semester

My writing has been sporadic lately because I've been busy with my lit course this semester. Busy reading and writing, I have been left with little time to write anything other than for my course. My reading list consists of surrealism, existentialism and theatre of the absurd.  Aside from work, church, flipside and sleep, my posts have been neglected.  All the items I am require to ponder for this course are less than noteworthy, in my opinion.  So, I'll spare you the details.

Job Quandary

In Angers, I had to give a speech to all participants and professors of our program in honor of the retirement of my professor who was retiring from being director of the program. (yes it was in French).

As many of you know, I started a new job in August as a French Customer Service Agent. The title is more glamourous than the job. Basically, I work for a company that services customers worldwide in the arena of wi-fi.

I've learned a couple things about myself from this job. I do well explaining how to connect to the signal and all the techy talk needed. This is multi-faceted in and of itself. Sometimes its a very tech-savvy person that calls in and needs help and other times it is a person who barely can locate the power button. Either way, I've had a lot of success working with people needing tech support. Another thing I've learned about myself is that I'm a decent sales person. I even had an instance a couple days ago where the person was unable to connect after all of my tech support and troubleshooting efforts and I was still able to get them to upgrade their plan. Not bad! Its an interesting position to be in having to sell something to someone and explaining the reason for which they "need" the service. I put need in quotes because I ranted on needs vs. wants in another post.

The question that I am now facing is whether or not I should leave this current position for a sales position. This is a daunting choice because ultimately I'm betting on my ability to generate income on my own rather than a guaranteed paycheck.

Thoughts? Honestly, I'm interested in all feedback here. Give me your best shot.

Take Time For Yourself

A sign in a museum in Angers.  It reads:  In this museum...As you please.  Muse, Converse, Smoke, Study, Touch, Mess, Look, Eat, Contemplate, Discover, Draw, Photograph, Stroll. Note: the crossed items on the sign are indicated by red text.

Today, I had the day off and the house to myself.  I had a list of things to do that would be productive but decided to scrap the list for the sake of my sanity.  This new job of mine has me on constant edge to the point that I do not take time for myself--not counting sleep.  Instead of doing dishes, laundry and changing the bed sheets I did some reading, watched tv and ate popcorn for lunch.  In addition to those activities, I went to Starbucks and had a pumpkin latté.  Generally, I'm not a coffee fiend but I do take advantage of a gift card if one comes my way.  Shortly, after I got there, there were only 2 young people working and I engaged them in conversation.  We had a nice time chatting and then a friend of mine walked in and we drastically changed the tone of the conversation--because we were speaking French.  What a rare delight to do one of my favorite things in a place I so rarely go.  Turns out, I may see one of these young people again as this person goes to places I go, etc.

Life is full of surprises and some of them are pleasant.  A nap, for instance, may be pleasant.

Things are Not What They Seem

Mural in Québec City on the side of a building.

Much like this mural, many things are deceiving.  On the surface, I'm a person who works, goes to a gym, attends a church and is married.  If you get to the depth of me, you'll find different results.  Sure, I'm still married and still go about daily business like most people.  What I mean is, we're different people on the inside than what we present to others.  We often put our best foot forward as the adage says of us.  It's not until we let down our guard or get close to someone that we let the truth reveal itself.

I have to say, as transparent as I am, I still keep distance with a lot of people.  There are only a few people that really know me well enough to be able to predict my behavior.  Most people know me for my Eiffel Tower collection, love of French things and love of youth and travel. What most people don't know is...

1. I have a love/hate relationship with cooking
   
2. I have the ability to convince anyone of anything--yet I'm not in sales
3. I am an introvert though I appear to be an extrovert.
4. I refuse to let myself get emotional.
5. I'm not just a pretty face, ya know

As I said, things are not what they seem.

Sobering Reality

I have had the great fortune of being a part of the Step into Africa planning committee to bring the traveling exhibit to Jamestown. As a group, we've been toiling since February to pull together our labors into a fantastic orchestration of the exhibit. The exhibit's objective is to promote global awareness of HIV/AIDS worldwide, particularly in Africa, and to promote the importance of child sponsorship.

After months of work, the exhibit and World Vision team arrived. The set up began Friday evening and it was open for visitors starting Saturday morning. I had the fortune of going Saturday afternoon. Its profound to go through and listen to the life of a child and look at pictures and sit on their beds and hear how they have been personally impacted by HIV/AIDS.

Today, I devoted my entire day to volunteering at the exhibit. From 8am to 8pm, I worked in the marketplace area of the exhibit to explain sponsorship, fundraising opportunities, donation opportunities and talk with people. Many people come out of the exhibit speechless and not ready to express the impact. Some want to spring into action right away and want to pour out their hearts and pocketbooks to the efforts. Its an interesting thing watching people come out of such a startling reality.

One such young woman caught my attention today. She seemed deeply impacted as she was weeping continually. I approached her and thanked her for visiting thinking there was nothing else I could say to her at that moment. She hovered at my words. Curious, I told her about the function of the exhibit's marketplace but withheld many details for she did not seem financially stable. She still stood motionless in front of me. Not sure what else to offer her, I asked her some questions about the exhibit and that opened a flood gate of words from her.

She began to tell me about how she had fallen on hard times. She had been diagnosed with HIV in the winter and her fiancé had died of AIDS as recently as 6 weeks ago. Stunned, I offered condolences. I hugged her out of sheer sympathy and to prove a point that not all people are afraid to touch her and that I certainly was not. I did not want to seem judgmental or harsh so I just hugged her, no questions asked. She walked away.

As she was looking at other things in the exhibit, I felt my eyes tearing up. I couldn't get her out of my mind. Why was she so prominent in my thinking? What was it about her? I couldn't let her go without talking with her again. I chased after her.

Once I caught up with her, I asked her for her name. She replied without asking why I would even want to know. I introduced myself formally this time unlike of the casual encounter we had before. I asked her more questions about her fiancé and how they came to be together and how HIV/AIDS became a part of their lives. She told me everything. Under 30 years old, 3 children, infected and a deceased fiancé. That was more than I would have thought just by looking at her.

I thanked her for confiding in me such a sensitive and personal topic. She told me she felt that she could speak freely since I worked at the exhibit and associated my presence there with working with infected people on a regular basis. This was a wrong assumption. One I was glad she made. As our conversation was winding down, I asked her if I could pray for her. We stood together and I held her hands and prayed for her. There is so much healing that this young woman needs that she feels the utter shame of sharing with anyone about being infected. I hugged her again and thanked her again.

It does not seem like enough. Here I was at an exhibit about HIV/AIDS awareness giving people tools to financially support those in Africa and felt so ill-prepared at that moment. Was it enough that I made physical contact to banish potential feelings of estrangement? Was it enough that I listened to this hurting person? Is there anything else I could have done? I pray that I did what I was called to do and that it was adequate.

Sometimes my heart hurts so much, I cannot give enough.

One of my Favorite Places

Newport, RI, sailing haven

Seafood boat on Cape Cod

Cape Cod beach--chilly that day but still charming

Surprisingly, its not in Europe or outside of the US for that matter. New England is what makes my heart flutter! The first time I went was when I was about 12 years old with my Girl Scout Troop. We spent time in Boston, Plymouth and Cape Cod. I've loved it ever since. It is also fair to say that I love every place I visit.

The last couple years, I have had the opportunity to go 3 times to New England. The occasion being that my sister went to law school in Rhode Island. When I went, we toured Boston, Cape Cod, Plymouth and other haunts I was introduced to as a young girl.

I love the water, siding on the houses, quaint towns, friendly locals and abundant seafood. Its not a day in New England without its namesake chowder.

I Love Castles

Saumur, which is under renovation in the Loire Valley.

Angers in the city of Angers, where I suffered for the Lord last summer.

Château Frontenac in Québec City

Louvre in Paris.  Currently an art museum but originally built as a regal residence.

Palace of Versailles outside of Paris.  The largest castle/palace in France.

Chambord, the 2nd largest castle in France.  It boasts 440 rooms and a mere 365 fireplaces.

Chenonceau in the beautiful Loire Valley.  This one is built over the river Cher and is partly on land and partly over the river.

This is no joke.  I'm so enchanted by castles.  Just the idea of fairy tales, history, balls, dancing, glass slippers--I don't know what it is but I'm enthralled.  My poor niece has to suffer the brunt of my obsession at this point.  I buy her as many Disney Princess objects as possible!  Wait til she gets the tiara, scepter and bejeweled shoes!  I have visited castles in France, Spain, Québec and Morocco primarily.

When it comes to architecture, I prefer Renaissance over Medieval, Baroque and Rococo.  The bottom two pictures, Chambord and Chenonceau, are great examples of Renaissance architecture.  They are just beautiful which mirrors the function of Renaissance.  The main purpose of Medieval was protection, Baroque was decoration and ornamentation, and Rococo, glitz and excessive glamour.  Renaissance is just enough beauty with a delicate balance of form and function.  I mean really, 440 rooms is just enough.  Our friends at Aroma of Joy could use that room!  Besides its a stunning residence as well.  The kicker of Chambord is...its a hunting retreat for a weekend jaunt not a year-round, lived-in residence.

Its good to be king.  Apparently.

Lost

This is a grouping of rocks made into the form of a person.  The direction of the rocks shows the way to the village to assist those who are lost.  Typically, Huron Indian in Québec.

In the last year, I've felt lost a lot.  My life has been turned upside down.  I was catapulted out of my job and profession.  Its lead to a feeling of disorientation.  For the bulk of my life, it has been my priority to be in control and to have a plan.  Even though I've endured bumps in the road that were not on my agenda, THIS time in my life came without planning.  

Depending on the moment, the feelings have vacillated between victim and victor.  Did I cause this?  Did I get caught up in someone's wrath and become a casualty?  I'm not sure.  I'm still waiting on the right answer to come.

I am comforted by a few things in the midst of feeling lost:

1. "All who wander are not lost."  -JRR Tolkein (disputable citation)
   
2. "One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."  -André Gide.
3. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."  -Proverbs 3:5

What I take away from these things are that I may be wandering and perhaps I am headed in the right direction though it feels like I'm lost.  Additionally, I have to let go of my comfort zone with reckless abandon and check out the distant lands of life.  Finally, the Lord has my back because obviously I haven't been able to keep my own head above water despite my planning.  

Summers End

My sister and me boating on Chautauqua Lake

The summer is drawing to a close fast!  The weather has been chilly or rainy at times.  The summer overall was great weather wise.  I was happy to not be subjected to sweltering humidity for the duration of this season.  We didn't get out on the lake too often but at least we got out.  Now its time to get back into a routine.  Its refreshing to get back into a schedule again.  Happy Autumn!

The Beauty of Nature

Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Cloud formations

View of Spanish plains (I took it in the airplane)

Niagara Falls, Canada

Its amazing what nature has to offer us.  Despite our distractions of the latest and greatest inventions, technology or whatever nature is still there putting on a brilliant show.  If you're not watching, you'll miss a lot.  Nature seems to reinvent its self every day--clouds for example.

Lessons I Learned Abroad

I saw these two gals together and thought they were priceless.  Essouira, Morocco.

1. There's no place like home.
   
2. People have resolved problems I didn't even know existed with fascinating solutions.
   
3. People are people no matter where they come from.
   
4. Children are children, too.
   
5. There is a lot of good in the world.
   
6. Every locale has its own appeal and charm.
   
7. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
   
8. People take for granted the beauty around them and seek beauty elsewhere.
   
9. When I'm home, I can't wait to get away.  When I'm away, I can't wait to get home.
   
10. People are suckers for green eyes and a charming accent.
    
11. Sites are more stunning than a picture can ever display.
    
12. Don't expect anything to be like it is at home--especially toilets.
    
13. You truly learn what you're made of when you're away from your comfort zone.
14. You learn how big and small the world really is.

Hotel Rwanda

Mr. Paul Rusesabagina

Last year, I had the opportunity to hear Paul Rusesabagina speak at Mercyhurst College.  He is the man upon whom the film, Hotel Rwanda, was based.  He is a fascinating man from Rwanda who has since fled with his family to Belgium.  In his talk, Mr. Rusesabagina describes the atrocities that he and his family endured in the war-torn Rwanda.  He talked about how close the film's depiction was compared to his real life story.

Random Encounters

Jean-David Levitte, me and my colleague.  (Who is the guy in the back ruining my picture?  Clean up crew?)

A few years ago, a colleague of mine and I went to listen to a lecture at Chautauqua.  The lecture was being given by Jean-David Levitte who at the time was the French Ambassador to the United States.  His talk was fascinating, but anyone who is French is automatically fascinating to me and my colleague.  We had a wonderful time listening to the topics he had to discuss regarding France and the US.  It was my first summer spending time in Chautauqua and I didn't know anything about it.  I was glad I went with my colleague who knew a lot more about the protocol there.  About halfway through the lecture, she let me know that most lecturers have a post-session on the back porch of the ampitheatre and greet their fans.  That was all I could think about from that moment on.  What was I to do:  listening intently to the rest of his talk or scheme to meet him?  I did both.  

Afterwards, I made a beeline to the back porch and stood in line with others waiting to meet him.  I kept thinking of something smart to say in French.  My mind went blank!  I pulled myself together and mustered up something to say.  I got to the front of the line and spoke what I had rehearsed what seemed like a thousand times.  He was so friendly and told me that my French was excellent--phew my scheming worked!  A man in front of me in line had asked to have his picture taken with him and fortunately I had a camera with me but was becoming bashful to ask him the same.  When I heard that man ask for a picture, I was relieved that I could ask the same thing.  I had my picture taken with him and my colleague.  To my pleasant surprise, the ambassador asked if we could shake hands for the picture!  

A couple weeks later, I printed out an 8x10 of this photo and sent it to his office in D.C.  I wrote him a letter in French telling him once again how wonderful it was to meet him.  I also asked him for the favor of signing my photo because my birthday was coming up, which is Bastille day--neat, huh?  Shortly thereafter, I received this photo back with a letter (in French )from him telling me that only those who deserve it have a birthday that falls on Bastille day.

Jean-David Levitte is no longer an ambassador to us or any other country.  Currently, he is higher up in the French government as a counselor to French President, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Random encounters in life are gifts from God that cause us to be so thankful.

Good Reads

Reading is a hobby many people enjoy. I only began to take to reading after high school and increasingly so after college. My preference is non-fiction. I tend to go for travel journals, grammar editorials and whatever strikes me. One could very well say that my choices are sporadic. Only in recent years have I begun to look for fiction. My reluctance with fiction is the author's ability to draw me in and keep my interest. It is not my intention to waste my time on some work that doesn't capture my attention. With a non-fiction work you have an idea of what its already about and want to learn something. Needless to say, I'm rarely disappointed. Fiction on the other hand, has let me down on many occasions where I am left thinking "thats a lot of hours out of my life I'll never get back." There are many authors I've attempted that people rave about so I try them. Often times, I hate myself for starting the book and won't forgive myself if I finish it. Maybe it does get better halfway through, but I'm not willing to devote my time to wait that long. A book better be a page-turner or I'm not interested.

One strategy I've found is paying close attention to movies that intrigue me in some way and finding out upon whose book it was based. That is how I got addicted to the Harry Potter series. I typically love children's movies, animated or real people. The buzz was already in full swing when the first Harry Potter movie was released. Prior to the movie, I really didn't know what the books were about, I knew the books were loved by children and adults alike but that didn't completely sell me on picking up a copy. The movie preview by contrast was so alluring! I saw the movie and thought to myself "wow, I could read that and love it." That's exactly what happened.

Another grievance I have is that I find an author whose writing I love to take in and read all their books. After exhausting their books, I find out that "that's all folks" and I'm stuck looking for a new author that will fulfill my reading desire. Many of the authors I am drawn to are still writing but its awhile until they publish again. Among these writers include J.K. Rowling, Peter Mayle and Dan Brown. When is that long awaited new Dan Brown book coming out?

I wish I could be more like my mom, sister and KSM, all of whom have great taste in books and get along with almost all authors. Again, its not easy being me. Anybody have another author for me to attempt?

New Idea

The Haitian girl looking at the camera is named Rachelle 

(wa-shel is the pronunciation)

I have an idea and wanted to work it out in writing.  I find my ideas get worked out if I ramble in writing for awhile.  Without further ado, I was wondering about an adult French club in my area.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I attend a French group in the summer courtesy of the Women's Club in Chautauqua.  Its a wonderful opportunity to get together with speakers of French to stay on top of the skill.  As Proverbs 27:17 says:  "iron sharpens iron. so one man sharpens another."  

A woman in our summer group belongs to a year round group and says its wonderful.  She says its more formal than our summer group as we get together to talk about random topics that just come up in conversation, nothing predetermined.  In her year round group, they hold informal discussions, read books and newspaper articles and arrange topics to debate ahead of time.  This sounds really fun.  She invited me to join her group but its an hour away.

So, some questions remain:

• will people be interested in such a group?
  
• when is the opportune time to meet?
  
• how frequently should a group like this meet?
  

I met a woman today who was born in France and immigrated to the US as a child.  She echoed the same lament of not having many opportunities to speak French often.  

 

Foreign Exchange Students

Adrien Marze from France (2005-2006)

The best thing for me is to travel abroad and meet people.  The 2nd best thing is to receive exchange students from abroad.  I have been fortunate to spend time with many students from around the world.  My first exchange student was welcomed in my family's home in high school:  Delphine from France.  While teaching, I've been fortunate to be a point person for many students.  I worked with Sholpan (female) from Uzbekistan, Adrien (male) from France, Wilmarys (female) from Puerto Rico and Che (female) from Korea just to name a few.  Today, I had the great fortune of meeting Ef Fan (male) from China, who has chosen to go by the name Johnny.  Hope the gender tags help!  If it were up to me, I'd be lost being left with the names alone.  

My colleague and friend is hosting Johnny this academic year.  He is a nice young man whose English is already at a communicable level.  I can't wait til the end of the year to hear how much he's progressed.  That is always such a joy to see the language ability grow leaps and bounds.  Often, the exchange students that I've worked with arrive with a working knowledge of English fit for a textbook.  I always see it as my job to take the textbook talk to a conversational level.  Its quite different conversing normally versus what a textbook presents.  You feel me? 

I wish the Carlson family love and luck with their exchange student.  Its always a brave act to invite an exchange student into one's home but the benefits for both parties abound.

What to do...

Pierre and I working hard (read: hardly working) in class

For the Fall semester, I have 2 choices of courses.  

• Door #1 is Survey in French Literature
  
• Door #2 is Stylistics.  
  

So, most people would advise me to take the lesser of two evils.  The degree of evil depends on the person.  I'd much prefer Stylistics but I really should take a Lit course to get it over with.  You're probably wondering what stylistics is.  Well, its the study of language elements usage in different contexts.  Say what?  Allow me to illustrate.  The writing style we use for newspapers is different than that found in short stories.  A newspaper starts with a lead that gives a brief of the story up front.  A short story, on the other hand, will reveal details slowly and in due time.  A newspaper article uses straight forward words to present the information clearly and efficiently.  A short story tends to contain more descriptive and flowery language that will lead a reader to various conclusions.  A newspaper is pointed and forthright whereas a short story is vague.  Stylistics is the study of nuances and methods to language madness in varying genres of writing.  Neat, huh?

The reason I'm hesitant to take French Lit is because I studied a lot of it in undergrad and found its not my forte.  I took theatre of the absurd, existentialism, fiction and general lit.  That's enough to make anyone head to the hills!  I was not admitted into any of the ph.d programs because I was lacking French Lit on the graduate level.  There we have it...the bête noire of my academic path.  What do I do?

The Opposite Way

This is me in Morocco.  The vendor told me I was truly like "une princesse marocaine"

I had to take my friend this morning and was living vicariously through her by going to the gateway to anywhere in the world:  the airport.  Since I am stuck on the ground for now, I was loving the opportunity to help someone else go out into the world.  While listening to the radio in my car on the way home, a song came on that I've heard before but never really listened intently to the lyrics.  Turns out this song really spoke to me because the first half was how I grew up.  The song?  "The Opposite Way" by Leeland.

It struck me because I've always felt like in my family, profession, among peers and in whatever I do, I do it the opposite way.  In short, life for me has brought with it isolation.  I tend to go against the grain, not in a rebellious way, just in a quest for something else.  Perhaps, an alternative solution, different mode, who knows.  This is quite different than how I grew up.  Picture it: small suburb of Rochester, NY where generations of family members have lived, worked, and died.  Its almost the secret handshake or unwritten rule of our family:  live in the same place and act accordingly.  

And then there's me.  Stuck in the middle of an expected lifestyle and uncharted territory.  In high school, while looking at colleges, I remember looking outside my limited scope of the world and sought elsewhere.  Unsure as to the consequences or rewards, I knew this town's perimeter was too small for me.  I chose a school in another state, 6 hours from home.  It was perfect.  My junior year, I knew the limits needed to be pushed yet again.  I went to France for a semester and came alive.  My fate was sealed that I could not go back to where I came from, geographically or philosophically.  It was time to move on to the opposite way.

My adventurous spirit has led me to Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Monaco, Costa Rica, Morocco, Mexico, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Haiti.  Whereas the bulk of my relatives have stayed within the confines of the same old way.  My grandfather always asks me when I'm coming home.  I guess I've been disappointing him for 14 years by doing other than the family norm.  I'm so far gone, he doesn't understand my need for globe trotting.  I'm not sure where I got it from--switched at birth?  Not likely.  I just have this inner desire to know what's out there and a documentary just won't cut it.  Some call it restlessness, I call it insatiable adventure.

Lyrics for The Opposite Way by Leeland can be found here.

Les Jardins Majorelles

As some of you know, Yves Saint Laurent passed away on June 1st.  I am by no means a fashion mogul, but one can't help but respect a designer that endured so many trends for decades.  YSL was actually born in Algeria, a French colony at the time.  It was not uncommon for French citizens born in the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) to go back to France for purposes of jobs and education.  Such people were called "pied-noir."

YSL spent most of his life in France but had a house in Marrakech, Morocco called Les Jardins Majorelles.  I had the fortune of visiting this house and botanical gardens while in Marrakech.  Its the most unique gardens I've seen.  It consists of cacti from around the world, all shapes and sizes.  Also, many ponds and trellises.  The house is bright blue which is a color commonly used in Northern Africa.  Its a quiet place to be and I understand that YSL loved it as a retreat from the hustle and bustle of Paris.  His ashes were to be scattered around the estate after his cremation.  I highly recommend a visit, not just because YSL's ashes are there but because its one of the most serene venues on the planet.

Reunion

This is at our program's soirée. The last big hurrah of the summer.

This was taken just after a faux pas I committed which lead to great laughter. We're on a bus after having visited the Amboise and Chenonceaux castles.

After our program ended, everyone had different travel plans. Some of us were heading to Paris and decided to get together. Here we are!

Pierre and I got wet while walking to the Falls. We almost made it before the rain came down.

Its always a good time when you get to reunite with friends and loved ones. At the beginning of the summer, I had such a reunion. One of my friends that I met in Angers lives in the Midwest and was bringing a group of students to Québec. They were spending the first day driving from Indiana to Niagara Falls and staying the night there. The next day, they would continue on for a fun-filled week in Québec.

Pierre (né Peter) and I had such a great time in Angers last summer. We were in the same classes and have the same sick sense of humor. We laughed so hard most of the time, people were beginning to wonder about our well-being. Devious at times, we stuck together. One of our classmates called us the "jumeaux d'Angers" (the Angers twins). We asked him if the double entendre was intentional because it could have been understood as "jumeaux dangers" (danger twins). That flew over his head but fortunately we were swift enough to catch it. We both have a high tolerance of sarcasm and sick jokes as long as there is some sort of intellectual twist to it. Both Seinfeld fans as well.

One afternoon, Pierre and I were in a boutique near the Kent (café where we were permanent fixtures). Pierre was looking for a gift to bring back to his wife at the end of the summer. I tagged along to give him insight since this was a gift shop with lots of unique jewelry. The salesclerk approached us and asked if she could help us. Pierre told her he was looking for something for his wife. Not a second later, he looked at me and back at the salesclerk and said "she's not my wife." Looking a little startled as to who this "other" woman was, the salesclerk lost interest in us--or maybe was more interested, who knows. So, I said to Pierre, "yeah, you and every man in France." Even our professors thought something odd was going on because we had many inside jokes. That's what happens when you have class together, go to the café, visit museums and do other things together while drinking up the sights of France.

Anyhow, Pierre notified me of this trip to Québec and that was all that was needed. I went and had dinner with him and wandered around the Falls. I was so glad to meet my "twin" of either Angers or danger. Pierre and I are two peas in a pod for sure. I was glad to see my partner in crime again.

Its those rare delights that make life interesting.

My French Journey

Me and Delphine in 1993

Me and Delphine in 2007 (no one told us that we must stay in the same position after 15 years!)

As you know, I'm a francophile. I have the gift of knowing languages and speaking them, French being my favorite. In my house there are over 100 Eiffel Towers in different shapes and sizes: wine charms, stir sticks, checker sets, paintings, statues, daggars, pants, shirts, keychains, and on the list goes. I've received really great Eiffels from lots of people. Many people have told me its impossible to think of France without making a tangent to me.

I started my French journey at birth. That might sounds like an exaggeration but I was born on Bastille day--France's national holiday. Our family always incorporated French words into English conversation so my language learning took place before formal instruction. My formal instruction started in 7th grade where we were made to sing "La Marseillaise" each Friday while waiting for the bell.

Moving on to high school, I continued studying the language and loved it so much. I finally found my niche! Then came the frosting on the gâteau. My junior year of high school, my parents read an ad looking for host families for French kids. My mom was really intrigued by this opportunity and signed us up. Delphine, was her name and she was the same age as me. It was good timing to host an exchange student because she became to me the embodiment of the French language. The great thing was we got along so well. She stayed all through the summer and we taught each other tricks about the other one's language.

Four years later, after continual communication, it was my turn to go to France as an exchange student in college. I was in a different city but when my program was done, Delphine's family hosted me for a few weeks. Her family showed me Paris and all it has to offer, castles, cathedrals and all sorts of things. It was the best way to see that region of France.

As technology got increasingly available in homes, our communication became more frequent and easier. We loved the fact that we had email and messengers at our disposal. The only issue was the time difference we had to work around. Another ten years would pass before we would see each other in person again. It was me again going to France for another study abroad program. Once again I was in a different region but once it was over, Delphine hosted me for a couple weeks.

Delphine and her family opened themselves to me which became some of my greatest tools of learning the language and the culture.

Summer Fun

The last few weeks have been busy, good busy. I've had the opportunity to do lots of things that I like to do. I spend every Wednesday at the Chautauqua Institution facilitating a French conversation for all who want to practice, learn or keep up with their French. Its a great deal of fun.

Tuesday, I had the great pleasure of going to the Genesee Country Museum & Village with my friend and colleague, Kim. Its a wonderful place to go. Its a working 19th century village in which the workers wear period clothing, farm the land and make food, yarn, brooms, and other objects straight from their land. The buildings are lovely. Some are mansions, others are merchants and others are houses of worship, schools or other purposes needed. This particular museum is the 3rd largest of its kind behind Dearborne, Michigan and Williamsburg, Virginia.

The rest of the week has been filled with items like babysitting, going to the gym, volunteering at the Flipside and doing household chores.

Not a great post today. Just an update on what I'm doing. Thank God for giving us restful moments of fun, friends and family in between the necessities.

Providence

My freshman year of college, I went on a missions trip to New Orleans. We spent a week on this trip in lieu of going home for spring break. It was the first time I was a great distance away from my family and home and also a chance to see what I was made of. I learned a lot on this trip and had some great opportunities. We spent the week working in clothing shelters and soup kitchens mostly doing work needed for homeless and less fortunate people and families. One day we went to an Indian village outside of the Big Easy whose village was on the bayou. This sheltered little girl didn't even know what the bayou was at the time and had no idea what world travel was awaiting her. Lo and behold this Indian tribe was French-speaking. We were brought into a meeting room and were greeted by the chief (not dressed with feathers, etc.) and gave us a brief on their village life. He then switched his speech into French, which none of my teammates understood. This was my first opportunity to do some translation, however spontaneous it was! Call it Divine Providence or just a taste of what my francophone life was going to be like. Fortunately, I rose to the occasion and spoke with him in French and did my best. Up until that time I had really only spoken French in protected environments like classrooms even though we hosted Delphine the summer before it was experimental for both her and I. One could very well say that day at the bayou began my path to incorporating French into a career.