Some pictures

Spring!

put in context

Hello!

Razu's view of the "park".  Credit- Seamus, who calls it "Cat's Eye View"

He's free! (ish)

A little Easter treat

dressed as the 80s for the decade dance.  Yeah.

The cathedral at night - St. Patrick's Day

Toasting Joan in awesome hats!

Revelations

It’s hard to believe that there’s only 3 weeks of work left. And that in 5 weeks the contract is over and people will start going home. It’s very weird, because for most of these people I know that I probably won’t see them ever again. Which is so hard to believe! This weekend is the last weekend for most of the german assistants - their university semester starts in April, so they’re skipping the last month of work and going home (so really, they’re only missing 2 weeks of work). There are two german assistants who I’m especially close to - Matthias and Fabian - and they both leave next Friday. They are some of the nicest people I know -they are so very sincere and a lot of fun to be around - and after next Friday I probably won’t see them ...ever.

And that’s the thing. In the next 5 weeks I’ll have to say goodbye to a lot of amazing people. The very best part about this time abroad has been the people - I have friends from all over the world now and I’ve had some absolutely amazing times with them. The good news is, if I ever want to visit Canada, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Spain, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, France, Madagascar, India, Réunion, or Mexico - I’m covered! It’s going to be sad to have conversations where you don’t have to go back and forth between a couple of languages and their multiple variations. It’s started to have quite an effect on me - I usually say holiday instead of vacation, you go round to see people (not visit), sometimes the trash can is a bin, wee is used just as often as little and I know what kitchen roll, toilet roll, capsicum, tea (Irish for dinner/supper) and liming mean. I’ll miss it all, so much. Without all these amazing people I’ve had the chance to get to know this experience would have been a lot less fun and, in all honesty, probably miserable.

Being here with all these amazing people is incredible - but the thing is, everyone knows it’s temporary. Which in some ways makes it an interesting dynamic - you hang out with the people you want to be with, don’t have to worry about offending someone and being stuck with them for the next 10 years and most importantly, you do a lot more stuff. When you have limited time with people, you just want to see them as much as possible when you have the chance to do so. It’s an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world -- I’m so glad I got the chance to be friends with so many amazing people. I’ve also learned a lot - both about the world and myself.

In this last week I’ve come to terms with the fact that ... I really do like Phoenix *gasp*! And that, as lovely as France is, it will remain a great place to visit but not somewhere I’d like to live. There’s this idea when you’re in college that, somehow, it isn’t acceptable to like where you grew up. Like you’re supposed to outgrow it, move on and never look back. And that was me. I didn’t like Phoenix, it was boring and uncool and the politics were awful. And here I am across an ocean thinking that Phoenix is pretty awesome. Because, at the end of the day, that’s home. I had always thought that it was people that I was attached to - I never pegged myself as a person who would get attached to a place (especially somewhere as uncool as where I grew up). But I really miss the sunshine, the heat, the cactus, the orange trees and the sense of knowing a place. And sure - I’m missing home and the grass is always greener - but I don’t think that this is a homesickness thing. Phoenix has warts - lots of them - but I like those warts better than the warts I get in France. And, I miss more than my family and friends (who I miss terribly), I actually miss Phoenix. So there it is. I guess I’m not a person who feels a need to live somewhere else. I’m pretty confident that I could stay there a long time and be very comfortable. Maybe when I get home I’ll feel different, but I don’t think so. At the end of the day, I’m a homebody who likes adventures - and genuinely, I’m ok with this. Phoenix may not be the most exciting place, but it’s home and it’s where some of my most favorite people in the world live ... and that’s where I want to be. I’m going to Michigan State University starting next year - and I don’t know how long I’ll be there for, but I do know that Phoenix is a lot closer to East Lansing than Orléans, France. And chances are good that when I’m done with that program I’ll most likely go back to Phoenix.

Except, there’s just one problem. And it’s a big one. And it has a name ... which is ... Seamus. Who is Irish. And who I’m very much attached to. This problem, of course, is not one that can be solved overnight. So, thank goodness for airplanes. Which is really all I can say about that.

sometimes I'm amazed I actually get paid for this job...

...thanks to a week of trips for students, I only have to teach 5 of my 12 hours this week. I just found out that the two classes I was supposed to have this afternoon won't take place because the teacher is on strike. So, I'm working 3 hours this week. It's like a mini vacation!

In other good news, daffodils have sprung up everywhere! Razu, Caitlin, Seamus and I are going to investigate. I'm sure there will be pictures!

Good news!

The government agency that helps pay your rent (CAF) has finally decided to help me!  This is pretty amazing, considering that it only took them 1 month after my file was complete to make a decision! (never mind that I’ve been working on that file for 3 months.)  This is actually a very quick turn around considering that others have been working on their files for 6 months and still don’t have a response!  I ended up getting 129 euros a month for 2009!  Pretty awesome!

Also, the weather is officially gorgeous - and appears to be here to stay!  There are flowers popping up everywhere, birds singing and lots of sunshine! 

 I’ve been wearing my light jacket, and there are moments during the day when I don’t even need it!  In two days I haven’t needed the radiators and have been keeping the place warm by just propping the windows open!  Razu is beyond excited (end even got to go to the park on Monday - and will probably get to go again this weekend) and has spent his morning running around the house desperately trying to get outside.  Unlucky for him, I’ve figured out a way to prop the main window only slightly open -  about 2 inches too small for him to get out of.  At least he’s getting some nice, fresh air!

Here’s some photos of the little guy during his outdoor adventure.  Check out that stylish leash/harness combo!

Razu meets the flowers

stealth mode across the grass

that tree will never be the same

escape mode ... my arms will never be the same

angrily going home

In other not so happy news, my body appears to be the perfect candidate for every cold that France has to offer.  Apparently, the exposure to a high school full of students combined with a new climate, stress and 12 bus rides a week equals 6 colds in 6 months.  Bummer.

It's finally spring!

I can't believe it, but it's finally happened... I don't have to wear my winter coat anymore.  WOOOHOOO!!!!!!

Written on Sunday - Spring?

Last week, on the bus home from school I saw something truly amazing.  Something that actually made me do a very small version of a happy dance in my seat.  FLOWERS!!!!!  Tulips, to be exact.  Lots of them - in every color - growing all akimbo on a grassy spot outside the little park near my school.  Oh, flowers, how good it is to see you.

But, despite the appearance of the tulips it has remained either gray or sunny & windy - but consistently chilly (cold even).  I had to abandon my spring scarf - the very pretty light blue H&M purchase - and go back to the red fleece one with cat paw prints on it (which is equally cute and very warm).  In a side tangent - I’ve never warn so many scarves in my life!  I wore the handmade purple one all through fall, the red fleece one all through winter, and now (hopefully) the light blue one.  Except - I own several more.  And I wear them, but it seems like I always grab the exact same one when heading out the door (probably because I’m usually running and just grab whatever’s on top).  However - there has been some more good news on the weather front.  First of all, I saw a tree with little buds on it, second, there are birds that sing every morning and third, the weather report says it’ll be 14 C on Wednesday!  Holy spring, batman!

In other exciting news I got a really fantastic Easter box from my parents - which had all the cute papery easter basket stuff (no cellophane - cats like to eat it and it really doesn’t agree with them).  And lots of Americana candy.  And a really adorable new spring scarf!  Which I can, hopefully, wear as soon as Wednesday!  I also got more black beans and green chilies, as well as the Sunday comics and a Vogue.  Woohoo!  

Razu says, "Thanks for the box!"

Also, I’ve made a decision about what to do with my next year(s).  I’ll be going to Michigan State University to study anthropology under a really awesome professor!  Pretty exciting!  She’s involved in some really amazing projects concerning the role agricultural activities can play in bring together community members as well as creating a sense of place based identity.  Which is exactly what I want to study.  The only downside?  It’s cold in Michigan.  Although my Dad informed me that it’s been warmer there this past week than it was here - so maybe not so bad.  But, I just have to note, that even though my Dad is a very passionate alumni of MSU (at least during football and basketball season) I will always be a Sundevil - no matter how cool the Spartan guy is, Sparky is infinitely cooler. 3-----  (<-- that’s a pitchfork)

And, in more exciting news, Seamus and I booked a vacation for May, first we’re going to Ireland for a handful of days and then to Nice!  The only pseudo downside of this is that we just realized that we’re going to be there for the Cannes film festival - which is a double edged sword: yay celebrities and such, boo sky high prices and low hotel availability.  Seriously though, as long as we find a place to stay - how awesome is that?!?!  Maybe I’ll meet someone famous!  Maybe it’ll be Johnny Depp!!!!  THAT, would be amazing!

And finally, I’ve started reading Roald Dahl books in French.  It’s absolutely perfect for me - I know the stories, I can read a handful of pages at a time without having to consult a dictionary and I’m learning French words for marshmallows, gumdrops, factory workers and Oompa-,.//Loompas (which is the exact same).  So far, I’m halfway through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or Charlie et la Chocolaterie and it’s awesome.  The only weird thing is that the book says that all the Oompa-Loompas speak English, even though every one else speaks French (they seem to understand all of Mr. Wonka’s instructions just fine though...) and that the Oompa-Loompas were pygmy Africans who lived in trees and were unable to feed themselves and were therefore “rescued” by Mr. Wonka and forced to work in his factory for chocolate (who knew that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was so racist and promoted such awful things?).