Urchins for Dinner

Bon Appetit!

The urchins we caught and ate for dinner -- you eat them RAW! You spread the gooey guts on French bread with a spoon. An interesting experience...haha. And the taste? Salty like the ocean, of course!! Notice the "meat" comes in different colors too -- some are red, others white, and apparently they can also be brown, purple, and green!

I'm quite sleepy but wanted to take a quick sec to tell you about my big afternoon snorkeling with friends!! It was crazy and so much fun! Tessa and I got a ride down to the beach with our friends Jerome and Julian, we all got suited up in wetsuits (nearly impossible...it took all three of them to try to get mine on me...haha). We floated around with our flippers, masks, snorkeling tubes, oh and the guys had their harpoons and knives handy as well. That's right, this wasn't your average "granny-paddle-look-at-the-purdy-animals" trip, this was a "hunt-for-dinner!" snorkeling sesh.

The boys killed a cuttlefish and collected urchins (which we ate for dinner, see photo above), plus Julian found an octopus! It's head was about the size of, well I can't think of a reference, but if you put your hands together so just the fingertips are touching and make an oval shape, that's about the size of the head.

He normally would've killed it to eat, but he let us have a look at it, then we all got attached to it and didn't want to kill it, since it became our friend (clearly). haha Lucky day for that octopus :) I held it and it suctioned onto my hands -- ahh! They're such curious little creatures. It tried to swim away a few times, but they're pretty easy to catch again. It was really cool how it changed colors to blend in with whatever it was near. And it even inked a couple times. I was petting it, and after holding onto it awhile, it suctioned onto my hand and stayed with me. It was squishy and suctiony and color-changing, and just so cool.

It was definitely a fun adventure, even despite a little rain and lots of clouds. I am excited to see what else we'll find to do as the weather continues to improve!! :D

March Updates

Woohoo! It's March! Spring is right around the corner!

Today was rainy and SOOOO windy, so I've been trapped indoors most of the day, but yesterday was lovely! Laura and I ate lunch at school outside on the front steps and enjoyed some warmth and sunshine. My freckles are getting ready to make their annual appearance! Hip hip hooray!

I wanted to fill you in on a bit on the daily grind, seeing as most of my posts lately have been about travel. When I'm back at home (here in Hyères) there just doesn't seem to be a need for blog posting because things feel pretty normal. But here are some updates on what's been goin' on the last few weeks:

Les Amis = Friends

I made some new friends in the end of January. Basically, stumbled into a big group of awesome French people one night when I was out with the anglophones. Many of them live in the area and we've been hanging out a few times a week. I keep meeting new people (friends of friends), which is really great to feel a bit more established. We've had dinners and parties, gone grocery shopping, watched movies, gone out to the one club in our town...usual stuff, really. It's nice to feel like they've sort of taken me (and my friends) under their wing, or well, extended invitations of friendship...it makes a huge difference in my life here.

I have also been spending tons of time still with Laura and Tessa, my English/Australian friends. They are lovely. We take trips to the Saturday market together, go on adventures to the beach (apparently it's still too cold for much sunbathing), and go to the gym for classes a lot. Last Friday, we went to the circus. It was crazy. Not like any other circus I've ever been to. So bizarre. And definitely NOT for the kiddies.

At the circusCostume party :)

Le Français = French

One great thing about spending lots of time with French people is I actually have to speak French! I know, quelle surprise?! It is GREAT that most of them don't really speak much English, so I really am forced to express myself in French, ask lots of questions, and try to follow conversations (which I have been doing these past five months, just not as frequently). Yeah, that's right...5 months. I hit the five month mark (since I left the States) last month (Feb 19th). And finally, I'm speaking French on a more regular basis. My new friend William told me last week that he can tell my French has already improved since I met all of them in the end of January. =) Yipee!

In January, I (finally) started keeping a list of vocabulary words/phrases I've learned. Writing down the new things I learn is a key step in moving them from short-term to longer-term memory. I love using new vocab words in new conversations (usually followed by: "Je viens d'apprendre ce mot!!"= I just learned that word!)

Quiz Time!!! Brush up on YOUR French!

Here's a lil' sampler from my list (which has reached over 250 words/phrases!)
Let's see if you can match up the words (numbered) with their definitions (lettered)!!!

1. une montagne russe--------------A. to wink at
2. faire un câlin----------------------B. a jellyfish
3. une méduse------------------------C. a runny nose
4. un bâillement----------------------D. fabric softener (yep, learned that one the hard way)
5. un nez qui coule-------------------E. a yawn
6. faire un clin d'oeil à --------------F. to cuddle
7. l'assouplissant----------------------G. talented/gifted
8. se congner la tête contre--------H. a roller coaster
9. chatouiller -------------------------I. to hit your head against
10. doué(e)-----------------------------J. to tickle
    

How'd you do?? :) Answers here:
......1.H....2.F.....3.B.....4.E....5.C....6.A....7.D...8.I....9.J...10.G....
Scores:
0 correct = Well, thanks for playing. Did you try though?
1-3 correct - OK, well at least you're honest.
4-5 correct - Bien joué! (Well played)
6-7 correct - Très intelligent(e)! I'm impressed
8-9 correct - You may have spent too long deciphering the rules behind French parts of speech, or else you already speak French. Either way, I support you.
10 correct - Liar, liar, pants on fire!

L'Argent = Money

Many native Frenchies around my age and étrangèr(e)s like me (who are working/studying in France) thank goodness and thank the French government for the following three letters, CAF, for what they represent: FREE MONEY!!! The CAF is a magical fund that gives people like me money back to help pay for rent, sort of like welfare, only minus the social implications that word connotes in the US. Part of the mysterious, magical intrigue of the CAF (besides the fact that it's free) is that the process for obtaining it, apparently, alway requires the following steps:

The Process of Obtaining the CAF (free money)
To be completed in the following order:

1. Fill out mounds of paperwork
2. Wait a very long time
3. Lose hope in the French bureaucratic system
4. Question whether the CAF really does exist, or if perhaps it's a French urban myth told to gullible foreigners just to get their hopes up
5. Wait longer
6. Receive a letter...wait, this could be a good sign...
7. Try not to get your hopes up too much
8. Wait longer
9. Receive a LARGE lump sum (a combination sum to account for the months they didn't pay you while you were waiting), directly deposited into your bank account
10. Experience euphoria. Paaaarty time! =)
    

Of course, responsible spender that I am, I wouldn't dare waste such a blessed monetary gift! I have purchased more credit for my cell phone, need to renew my gym membership, and am not being quite so stingy at the grocery store (not always buying discount brand...) As Nikki has been teaching me, it's worth it to invest in quality food, rather than always saving and buying crappy food. You are what you eat. And I don't want to be butter, chocolate cereal, and unclearly labeled, what-turns-out-to-be whole-fat store-brand deliciously addictive vanilla yogurt.

La Santé = Health

Which brings me to my next segment...I've been doing a bit better making healthy choices, with food and exercise. Trying to drink more water, eat more fruit/veg. Focusing MORE on the advantages of living in France such as cheap, fresh fruit & veggies (and tulips to beautify my life) every Saturday at the outdoor market. Focusing LESS on the advantages of living in France such as amazing bread, croissants, pastries, and patisseries that are right down the street at the boulangerie =) Not that I wasn't before, I'm just making improvements, I think. Also, like I said, investing in better quality food -- less basic starches like rice/pasta, more quinoa (found some quinoa pasta at the Organic food store). Going for lean meats/nuts and beans for protein. Lower fat yogurt/less fatty cheese. And Laura and I are eating less chocolate. lol. At least we're in it together.
I'm loving the classes at the gym, and with better weather and daylight sticking around a bit longer, am usually able to jog down there for a warm-up, then get a lift home from one of the nice ladies (or guys) in class. Let's just say, nicer weather means the winter slumber is almost over (thank goodness)! It also means beach season is coming soon (yipe)!

L'Assistantship = The Assistantship

Teaching...oh yeeeeeaaaah, that's what I'm here for... is going well. This week, we've been working on "Where are you?" (explained with my hilarious skit of calling various students on my hand, aka telephone and asking them their current location..."You're at school?! Oh cool!! Me too!") We've learned nine (how many? NIIIINE, yes, neuf) locations, and thanks to my brilliant drawing skills, the students now (hopefully) know how to say they're at (or are GOING to) school, home, the store, the hospital, the airport, the pool, the beach, the library, and the park.
Tic Tac Toe on the chalkboard is a good game to practice vocab words, pronunciation, and sentence structure. I simply split the class in two teams (X's and O's), magnet the flashcards to the chalkboard in a # shape, student from Team X comes up, I ask "Where are you?" and he/she chooses a space and must correctly answer in the sentence format. The class must listen and determine whether he/she is indeed correct, and if so, Team X gets the X for the space. And so it continues with student from Team O.
Another good game we played this week involves putting the flash cards all around the room so everyone can see them. Divide the class in two teams, one student from each team stands up, I say "I am at school" or "I am going to the airport", the student that points to the correct card the fastest gets the point for their team.

L'Année Prochaine = Next Year

And I wanted to finish off with a bit of an update on where my opinion **CURRENTLY** stands in regard to the future/next year. **Subject to change, aka the following words are not carved in stone so please don't act like they are** I'm in the process of filling out the renewal form for next year, to keep my options open. I'm currently VERY much looking forward to spending the spring/beginning of summer here (until my contract is up, which is June 30), and then returning to Seattle on JULY 1st, 2010. Yes, the ticket HAS been purchased. So mark your calendars! =) I wanted to be back in the States for good ol' Independence Day. This summer, I'm hoping to eat lots of Thai food, drive a car, work at a restaurant for some fast/fun cash, spend lots of time with friends, volunteer in an educational setting (vamp up the resumé), and I'm planning to look into exams/courses which serve as prerequisites for grad school. And then in the fall, maybe apply for grad school, maybe continue working, maybe come back to France...not sure. That's where I'm at. =) Glad you know.

So Then We Went To Bordeaux

Bordeaux:
Exploring more of France

For the second part of February break (after Italy), Nikki and I took the day-long train journey over to Bordeaux, in the southwest of France.


Did you know...about Bordeaux??

• annual wine production: approximately 850 million bottles.
  
• longest shopping street in ALL of Europe, pedestrian-only, 3/4 mile in length
• in the 16th century, played a central role in the distribution of sugar and slaves from the West Indies, along with wine
• in terms of metropolitan area population, just shy of 1 million, it's the 7th largest city in France
• (and in case you're suddenly curious, the ranking is as follows:1.Paris, 2.Lyon, 3.Marseille, 4.Lille, 5.Nice, 6.Toulouse...8.Nantes)
  

Nikki and I stayed with Florian and Mickaël, our latest friends from couchsurfing* during our 3-night stay. We met up with other couchsurfing-host friends of theirs and had dinner together on our first evening in.
*www.couchsurfing.org, in a nutshell, is an awesome online network that connects travelers with other travelers! It's a great way to meet new people who want to share their culture, passions, and ideas with others, and vise-versa. You set up a profile and are able to request to "surf" people's couches (stay at their place), and are then able to offer the same for travelers in your area. Check it out if you haven't already! =)

Touring Bordeaux a bit by night.

More city sights...

Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux

Luckily, we had a day of nice weather and were able to walk around a bit. Did some shopping on Europe's longest shopping street, and we had a nice lunch out at a brunch/lunch place called "Karl". It reminded me of Portage Bay (mmm) except without the toppings bar (dang). Nonetheless, had one of the best salads of my life :)

The main reason we wanted to head over to check out Bordeaux, other than b/c we heard it's a nice place, is because our friend/former SPU'er/current language assistant Brittany is living & working in the area! We took a day trip out to see her place, grab lunch with her and her roommate at their favorite spot, and tour around their city a bit.

SPU'ers reunited in France...yet again :)

For our last evening in Bordeaux, we were invited to Paul's place (another friend of our awesome hosts) and we all had dinner together. Of course, on the way over in the car, Florian and Mickaël decided we should come up with a good story about our **real** reason for being in France. Naturally, what followed was an evening of crazy made-up-story telling, involving careers as pole dancers with stage names and everything! It was hilarious and Paul got a kick out of it...we really surprised them with our acting skills, especially considering the reserved, well-behaved sort of first impression we often make. And then, we headed back to real life; back to life-as-usual on the Riviera. =)