February Break: Italia

Nikki and Tina's February 2010 Vaca in Italy

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Florence
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Nikki and I had a great time in Florence for the first part of our February break. Great city! Perfect size -- very walkable, no public transport needed to get around, yet still big enough and full of fun things to do! We lucked out on weather the first couple days and saw the sights! Had a few really nice dinners out at some great Italian restaurants, enjoyed trips to the grocery store for lunchtime picnics. Stayed in 2 nice/inexpensive hotels, for 2 nights each. Made a game of pointing out the " 'mericns" (the city is apparently the latest hot spot for all Americans to travel to/study in. They--well, *we* I guess--were everywhere.)

My eyes are burning! Morning walk to a park with a great view of the city. (Duomo, the huge cathedral is in the background.)

The girls on the Ponte Vecchio.

Playing at the park by the egg-like statue. Bet you didn't know about my secret life as a ballerina.

Posing with Adam and Eve at the park. Decided to keep my clothes on, though.

Discovering various Italian *delicacies* at the indoor market. The butcher was kind enough to educate us on the various cow parts he sold, and who (what people groups, typically) buy which sections and what they use them for. Tendons, nerves, brains, faces (with whiskers still in place), the 4 different cow stomachs sorted by type, intestines, etc... yum. The photo is a partially-cooked nose, and some intestines (I think...your guess is as good as mine).

Noting the architecture near the Ponte Vecchio, along the river. Cool apartments. Sort of remind me of the buildings in Amsterdam.

Capturing the moment near the Ponte Vecchio.


Enjoying the park (and each other's company) after our picnic.

We weren't the only ones soaking up the sunshine in the park :)

Locks on the gate on the Ponte Vecchio. Pretty sure it's illegal to attach a lock, considering the cops that are constantly parked on the bridge watching...but brave soles still get away with leaving their mark.

Just another beautiful day in Florence. This is the view looking out from the Ponte Vecchio towards one of the other bridges.

The Duomo. Such an amazing building -- definitely doesn't feel like "just another big church in Europe." Going up into the dome was easily one of the most memorable parts of the trip. We didn't realize you can go outside when you get to the top! What an amazing surprise to get the 360 degree view of the city -- and then watch the sunset from way up there!

The Duomo, again. Just to give you a better idea of the size. A little tough to see, but that's me standing in front of the door. Yep, pretty big, huh? And that's just part of it!


Meet David, my new crush (haha just kidding). He was very impressive. I didn't break the rules, strickly no photos, so this one's from the internet. Let me just tell you though, seeing David was definitely another highlight of Florence. Before going to the museum (which was built especially to house him), I didn't understand what the big deal was. I mean, there are marble statues all over Europe -- in parks, museums, everywhere. What's the big deal about some big, naked man? Here are just a couple quick points that set him FAR apart from any other: made from only one block of marble, made by Michelangelo (and when he was very young), not to mention that David is HUGE! I'm talking 17ft tall. Unlike seeing the Mona Lisa, for many people (*but not everyone*), when you're confronted with a *masterpiece* and think "umm huh? why is this little thing so famous?", seeing the David was an experience of: "Oh. Yeah. I totally get it."


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Cinque Terre
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We headed over to the west coast of Italy for the last few days of our trip, over to an area called Cinque Terre. Appropriately named, there are 5 tiny towns built right on the cliffs along the coast. I traveled to Cinque Terre in summer 2008 with my friends Mina and Stephanie (shout-out to my homies), and enjoyed the picturesque towns so much, Nikki (after hearing my continuous praise of the towns), was easily persuaded into going. Unfortunately, Cinque Terre is significantly more enjoyable in the summer when packed with tourists. In the winter weather (rain, rain, go away), it was, well, still pretty and picturesque, but most of the restaurants and cafés are closed... waa waa waa. There's a trail that you can hike between the towns (it's really cool), but part of it was closed for mudslide repair. Even so, we were able to explore the towns a bit with the train. And we enjoyed resting in our hotel room (thank goodness for books and tv, right?)

A few shots of the buildings in Riomaggiore, the small town we stayed in. (Same town as summer 2008)

Coucou :)

Overall, a very nice vacation. Tricky in February to find nice weather anywhere, so Italy was a pretty safe choice. Italian food lives up to it's reputation, and the espresso is significantly better than in France (not even a competition, there). It was good to get away for a bit as we DO love traveling and seeing new places, but also a good reminder of how much we appreciate being able to have a home (in France) where we can cook what we want -- and also where we (for the most part) understand and can communicate!! :) Thanks for checking in! Ciao!

Bro and Sis in Hyeres

Dear Mom and Dad,

With love from the offspring.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I wanted to write you a letter showing you what your favorite son and daughter were up to in January immediately following our Epic Pulliam Family Vaca Christmas 2009 A Christmas To Remember. And so, here it is.

Mark and I had a great time together when he came to visit in January. We didn't even fight or argue. I guess you could say we've come a long way since high school. It's a shame you two had to fly back home to Seattle because Mark and I had some fabulous adventures without you. We even had some sunshine in the south, unlike when you both visited (unfortunately).

Here's Mark, having a lovely time on our adventure down to Tour Fondue. It's a quick bus-ride away from where I live, still in my city, but down on the peninsula sort-of-bit. In fact, all of the photos I've included are from that afternoon when we explored the walking trails along the coastline.

Here's a shot I took of one of the many little beaches we explored. Doesn't it look nice?

Here's Mark, demonstrating his super powers and flying through the air in order to save me from the evil seaweed monster.

And, of course, this is me, smiling because I am so thankful the evil seaweed monster didn't get me due to my big brother's heroic efforts.

And here's a photo showing you the beautiful water and the rusty peg where the ancient inhabitants would tie up their boats after their monthly Moon Harvest Celebration.

We took a slight detour to the planet Mars, where we found red clay dirt substances and no air to breathe. After we put the freshly-made flower pots and roofing tiles into our Planet Mars Mysterious Baking Oven, we decided it would be better to return to France where there is plenty of air, and continue our journey.

We discovered several more quaint little beach-cove-areas and thought about how delightful it will be for me to return in the springtime when the weather is even nicer.

And here we are, The Bro-and-Sis Dream Team, celebrating our victories of the afternoon together as siblings in the French Riviera.

I hope all is well at home. I assume Mark returned safely, and now you are both reaping the benefits of his superhero powers which he displayed while he was in Hyeres with me. I am feeling much better and am almost over that nasty cold I told you I was fighting last week and the week before. I'm looking forward to my upcoming trips(!) to Italy and Bordeaux with Nikki! We leave for Florence and Cinque Terre on Saturday!

And I also wanted to let you know that although January was a rough month for me, February is looking up so far. I've been back to the gym and going out for jogs - - today the weather was a bit warmer and VERY sunny! (Although a jacket was still definitely required.) Today, Nikki and I made homemade Peanut Butter Cups with chocolate and the Jif PB you guys brought over for me! They are fabulous.

And another quick update, I just wanted to let you know I've been having lots of fun with my friends (roommates and other assistants) recently. Last weekend, we went out and I met a group of (French) friends, and have since met up with them several times. They're actually MY age (woohoo!) and seem really cool, from what I can tell so far. ;) I'll keep you posted on other updates once I get back from vacation!

Lots of love,
Tina

Ode to Seattle

A few nights ago, I had a dream that I came home to Seattle! In the dream, I had decided not to renew my contract for a second year in France (something I've been debating about in awake-life), and I was so excited to be back in Seattle and so excited to see everyone! This week has been difficult-- I mostly blame the cold I've been fighting (something about being sick while away from home), in short, I've been missing home.

I made a list of things I love about living in Seattle (mostly my favorite places to eat out)...just for fun :) Please feel free to add to the list, and if you are in Seattle, be inspired to go enjoy these activities and places! Because Seattle is an amazing place to live, even if the weather is dreadful much of the winter.

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All-Around, good-time Seattle-style F-U-N:

- Go to Pike Place to watch the fish throwers and laugh at all the tourists, buy some flowers also
- Walk around Greenlake, preferably with a couple of your best friends
- Go dumster diving at Queen Anne Top Pots
- Share a plate of happy hour Matador nacho's with a friend (go for the hef or red sangria to go with)
- Thursday night salsa dancing at Century Ballroom
- King's beer and burgers (after school special is bomb) in Ballard
- Rikki Rikki spider rolls in Kirkland...mmm sushi and wassabi
- Le Panier frambois or almond croissants at Pike Place
- Fremont morning meetup's involving PCC scones and Peet's americanos
- Drive west across the 520 bridge (traffic-free, of course), the moment when you can see everything and decide which side is the rough side and which side is the smooth side today
- Walk up and down every aisle at Trader Joe's and buying new foods and sauces to test out
- Chantanee Thai everything. With chopsticks. And a silver monk to go with it ;)
- Trabant Tuesday on the Ave
- Café Presse on lower Cap Hill, go for French onion soup and bring a book
- A run on the Burke Gilman trail, ending with a run to the top of the hill in Gasworks park
- Thai Tom on the Ave, phad thai (doesn't matter how many stars you say, they'll do what they want)
- Café Vivace lattes near the flagship REI on Yale
- Pottery open studio at the Kirkland Art Center
- Quest Church in Interbay
- Lunch at Nana's Soup House in Fremont. Free samples if you can't decide. Corn bread muffin is a must

And, Seasonally Speaking:

Fall:
- trip to the pumpkin patch - pumpkin spice lattes
Winter:
- Christmas ships on Lake Union - photos with Santa - outdoor ice rink - Westlake Center Christmas tree - Christmas shopping at U Village - snowboarding at Steven's
Spring:
- SV tulip festival
Summer:
- gasworks 4th of July - jump in Lake Washington - hike Poo Poo Point (Tiger Mountain) - canoeing at the Arboretum - Woodland Park Zoo day

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There are lots of great things about Seattle that either don't exist or are just plain different here. But this blog isn't about my life in Seattle. Sorry, lost sight of the objective there for a few minutes. Let me tell you, more importantly perhaps, about some of the things I love about my life in France!

Enjoying Life Today. I love, in France,...

- that people eat yogurt and/or fruit for dessert. I always thought this was weird, but now I think it's lovely
- eating lunch with the teachers at my school and listening to them joke around, and sort-of understanding. Lunch is a happy time of day
- 1 and 2 euro coins. Pretty handy, I think. Especially when my purse is loaded with them (haha, not often)
- the view of the town/ocean from my bedroom window
- sunshine and blue skies many days, even in winter
- Saturday morning outdoor market, fruit and veggie-buying time
- feeling like it's normal walking around the old part of town, on streets too skinny for cars with all the colorful old apartment buildings
- fresh bread, crispy crust and fluffy middle, even in the evening, from my favorite bakery, with the nice lady who always chats with me
- the French language, especially when French people say, "Oh, but you speak French very well!" even if it is just something nice for them to say
- exploring the parks on the big hill by my house
- Step class at the gym Tuesday nights. With our instructor who always smiles and asks me how I'm doing, and the nice woman who drives me home after
- puzzle time at Laura and Tessa's (1500 pieces to kill a little time)
- the beach, sand and sun a mere bus-ride away
- anticipation of an improvement in collective and individual morale once the sunny/warm weather sets in this spring! (keeping our fingers crossed for sooner than later!)

Any thoughts or "hello's" from the wonderful land of coffee, gray skies, green trees, and all-that-is-right-in-the-world (haha, right?) would be appreciated! :) (My email is pullit@spu.edu). Thanks for reading, as always. And, although it might seem like I'm busy b/c I'm here, I'm not HALF as busy as I ever have been in the past...and would love to hear how things are going with YOU!
x, Tina

Family Vaca at a glance

Pulliam Family Vaca '09

Alrighty, as promised, I've got some photos posted to sum up our Epic Pulliam Family Vaca Christmas 2009 A Christmas To Remember. If you missed me at Christmas this year, it was because the fam-jam took the opportunity to come over to France for a visit instead of having me fly home.

So they say a pic is worth a thousand words...well, I've got 30 up for your viewing pleasure. Pretty much sums up our trip, I think. Goodness, let's hope. And also, if you've never been to Paris, perhaps you can live vicariously thru the following photos...cuz we did just about everything you "couldn't miss" on a first-timer's Paris trip.

Here's the brief chronology, in case you care about that sort of thing...
Mom & Dad arrived in Nice Dec 21st, where Tina met them at the airport, as all good daughters should do
The P's and the Dot stayed a night in Nice, then traveled over to Hyeres for 2 nights
Dec 23rd, Mom/Dad/Tina trained up to Paris and found the apartment
Were joined by beloved son, Mark, on Xmas Eve
Spent several days as a family exploring the City of Lights
P's left the kiddos on the 29th and flew back home
Mark & Tina were joined by Nikki, who spent New Years together in Paris


Mom and Dad on the Promenade d'Anglais, Nice

Exploring the "remarkable garden" in Hyeres

Hiked up to the lookout at the castle in Hyeres

Mark made it!! yipee!

Sacre Coeur on Christmas

The whole fam

Charming siblings

Pulliam xmas card 09 here we come!

Venus de Milo

Bro and sis explore the Louvre

Louvre indoor courtyard

Sassy, eh?

Lobster's on Ice, Rue Moufftard Market

Nativity scene at Notre Dame

Jardin de Luxembourg, sporting its winter look

Don't go on the ice, pond in the Lux gardens

Catacombs under the city

Dem bones dem bones dem dry bones

Pantheon enjoying a glimpse of the sun

Our buddy The Metro, graffitied up for the occassion

Centre Pompidou, modern art museum, inside-out hamster cage

Marky at the parky on the island in the Seine

Ohhhh Champs Elysees! (duh duh duh duh duh) all lit up

A pet store!!! such cute (and expensive) puppies

The Ultimate Greek Gyro

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? (not really, it's the song, you know...)

Stopped off for some famous chocolates

Cafe near Notre Dame, mmm French espresso

Happy New Year!

A Quick Something

It's afternoon in Seattle, which means it's about bedtime here. Just wanted to give you a couple quick tidbits in case you've been eager for another post.

Tidbit #1
Living in a multi-lingual household is quite funny. We've got a new name for "elbows" thanks to my Spanish roomie, Dani. They are now called "arm-knees." It makes sense, really, if you think about it.

Tidbit #2
Turns out the laverie (aka laundrymat) is a much better way to wash clothes than in the sink. Go figure, right? For several reasons, actually...and some of which you might not automatically guess:
Reason One: Sometimes (well, one time) you might be there and run into an old Italian lady who then proceeds to tell you her life story while teaching you how to use the washing machines.
Reason Two: Then this nice Italian lady will dump 1/3 of your bottle of laundry detergent into the machine (even though it says "40 washes" on the bottle), so that your clothes get EXTRA clean.
Reason Three: But, oh wait. Upon closer inspection of the now 2/3rds empty bottle, which you (meaning "I") have been using for THE PAST THREE MONTHS, your new Italian friend notices that the label says "Assoupplissant." Ok...and my point being...
Reason Four: And after a mixed Italian-French lesson, you come to find that in fact what you had previously thought was laundry detergent is in fact...fabric softener.

And so, for the past 3 months, I have been washing my clothes with fabric softener.

Vive la France.

And if that doesn't make a person feel stupid....

Tidbit #3
Just try having a conversation with ANYONE, really, and they'll automatically know you're a native English speaker.

Funny, I've already started thinking a lot about life back in Seattle. (Just bear with me here...I know, I'm living in the south of France...time to focus on the present and live it up...) But really, being in a place where you don't speak the language (ok, or well "do", but only sort of) gives you a whole new appreciation for simple things like being able to make friends (or at least pseudo-friends for the moment) in a coffee shop, or bar, or the grocery store. You know, the ability to go up to anyone and say "Hey! How's your day going?" and actually be able to understand their response, and catch the idiosyncracies of the language. It just seems so easy! And I miss that.

But the catch22 is I know how much I'm going to miss this uncomfortable, makes-me-feel-like-an-idiot challenge I experience every time I open my mouth. (Or heck, even walk outside, cuz I know they can take one look at me and see that I'm not from here. Yeah, even if I HAD the right clothes and hairstyle, I've got more thigh and upper arm meat than 3 Frenchies combined...those bitches...) Sorry, but it's true. And I digress.

What I want to say, though, is that being here and being uncomfortable motivates me to be a person who welcomes new friends, new relationships, and people of different language/cultural backgrounds more so than I have in the past. Being an outsider gives me a new appreciation for the outsiders who exist in places where I feel I fit in. Let me tell you, being invited over to a real French family's HOME for a real French dinner is a big deal to me. To be able to practice speaking French, as difficult as it can be, with real French people makes a big difference. And I would like to be that (English speaking) person for others. And I encourage you to be, if the opportunity should arise.

Tidbit #4
My computer is slow. Someday I'll get around to posting photos from Christmas and my brother's visit down to Hyeres after the New Years, but that day is not today. Uploading photos on a 5+ yr old "ordi" (as we say in la France) is not my cuppa tea. Mañana, mañana, mañana. (Cultural reference to Spanish tendency to always put things off til tomorrow...which is true, in case you were wondering).

Tidbit #5
Teaching is going well. Love those kiddos. Seriously. Love 'em. Well, most of them. We're working on colors this week. Playing lots of games. Taught them Heads Up Seven Up, and of course they all go crazy for it, just like we did when we were in 4th and 5th grade. It's been fun seeing them around the town, as I've said before, and I've even been invited to some of their afternoon fieldtrips! I went to the circus (small theatrical performance with 2 acrobats) and I saw a movie at our local cinema. Both times being out and about with them made me feel a little like a celebrity b/c all the kids from my various classes were calling my name and wanted me to sit by them.

Tidbit #6
And the French husband? ("French husband?" you may be thinking...) Ok, well I've joked with a lot of people about never coming home, of course, once I find my smoldering French man...haha. Just wanted to throw a big "DON'T WORRY" out there, b/c lately the cutest boy I've seen is in my Thursday morning class, and I'm twice his age. (Meant to be a joke, people, don't go freaking out on me here)... And anyone that comes close to my age...well just refer back to paragraphs 1-3 about feeling like an idiot of Tidbit #3 and you get the idea.

Tidbit #7
I have a never-ending appetite. I don't know if I'm not eating the right things (not enough protein to stay un-hungry perhaps?) but, man, I'm always hungry. And, with little to do, I'm usually eating. I'm convinced it's cuz, in France, every time you eat around someone they tell you "Bon Appetit". It's working on me; my appetite is insatiable. If you've got any ideas other than "just don't eat" or "pick up smoking", let me know. I've already thought of those, and have decided they're not actual solutions.

It's midnight (the bell tower by my apt is ringing) and I'm hungry. I'm off to brush my teeth and hit the hay, before I find myself marching downstairs to find the jar of nutella. Thanks for staying posted :) xoxo