Refelections After 7 Months

So here it is. 7 months later. What can i say, i did expect it to come by fast but not this fast. I wish i could sum up my experiences and my journey here in a cute little blog post but honestly i can't. I have constant remainders everyday of how my life has changed and how I've progressed in many ways. I really feel like i came into adulthood here and it's strange saying that as a 25 year old but the truth is i found myself in a way. All the things i gripped about in the beginning are exactly what have enriched my experience. I lived in a small town, i taught high-schoolers, i struggled with a language barrier and i didn't see my family/friends for 7 months and i made it. Now it's time for me to head back. I'm totally ready because i know that sometimes I'm too American for my own good but like the saying goes "home is where the heart is". I'm leaving with a new sense of patriotism and a new appreciation for culture.

What i'm looking forward to: Speaking American english, eating at my favorite places (Pei Wei, P.F. Chang's, Chuy's, Chipotle, Hidau, Chik-Fil-A... i suppose you get the point now), relaxing with my friends, having quality time with my family, smothering my nephew with love :-), Driving, having things organized and run on time. Everything....

Things I'm going to miss: 6 weeks paid vacation, speaking French constantly, being a foreigner, teaching my students, eating ANY dessert in France (they are seriously top-notch in this department), being in Paris in 3 hours by Train, Paris itself, all the Fashion and arts, the Eiffel Tower, the southern hospitality, everything......

I'm not saying "Adieu" just yet, I'm off to Scotland in about a week, after that my sister Ami is coming to see me and I'm uber excited :-) after about a week in Paris i will return to the south and after that i have just one more week till I'm off to the United States of America. Life is Grand.

Bisous,
HK

All That Glitters.........

In a surprising turn of events, i really want to go home.... well maybe it's not that surprising. I think i made the mistake of not coming home at least once to visit in-between when i started the program and now. It was part of my "I'm on my own and need to do this without help" phase... I'm over that now. It's gotten so bad that I've already planned out what I'm going to do/ where I'm going to go/ and what I'm going to eat as soon as I'm back in my comfort zone that is the U.S.A. Maybe I idealized France a little too much in the beginning, it's not that i no longer love it, it's just that i realize now that it hurts too much to be this far away from my friends and family. I've had a blast and I'm learning so many things but with less than 2 months to go, i now feel it's time to re-plunge myself into American Culture. Sometimes i find myself just craving a normal conversation in English or just wanting to catch a movie with my friends back home. The irony is that I'm almost 100 percent positive that after 2 weeks in the states I'll be itching to get back to France...... as the French say "C'est la vie"

Breathing in the New Year

Yes i know it's been awhile but for good reason. I spent a good chunk of my break in Paris with my little sister Hawa. It was awesome. It did however, start off a bit rocky. The second day of her arrival Hawa got sick and although she was visibly ill she quite enjoyed her first visit to the French hospital. Yeah that's right folks I've been here a little over three months and I've never even seen a doctor and she's here all of a day and a half and goes to the hospital. When we arrived it was around 11 at night. The waiting room wasn't packed but it housed a few people suffering from the usual late night maladies. Aside from the dried blood spots on the floor it wasn't all that bad. After awhile some hefty looking doctor type comes in and calls our name. We inform him that Hawa cannot speak French so it may be necessary for me to accompany her but he assures us that he in fact speaks English. Apparently "yes i speak English" is code for "I'm going to find someone in the back who may or may not speak English while i continue to speak French". Altogether now: C'est La France! After a few minutes of my wait in the waiting room in comes the nurse who was the lucky candidate that husky doctor picked to speak English with Hawa. However her English was more like "it hurt here" and "maybe not good" or something similar to that :-/ Lucky for us it was "pas grave" (not serious) and she was sent home with a bundle of medicines and a new-found appreciation for universal health-care.

After all of the Hospital madness we finally got down to business and set off for some sight-seeing. It's funny how seasons make a place feel/look totally different. I'll be honest i hate the cold and avoid it like the plague but Paris in winter is like snowfall for children, You get completely enamored with it. I also happened to notice how the French appear even more French during winter. They pile on their peacoats and scarfs while they march through the cold with and air of sophistication and a touch of indifference. Is all so very interesting to see and that's why i was really curious to see how my sister would view Paris. Of course, like most, she fell in love with the city. It's hard not to when you've got Le Louvre and the Eiffel Tower surrounding you with their charming architecture but due to the cold it was really difficult to get really nice photos, which was a minus... then again that's not really Paris's fault.

I for one discovered something new about myself, that alas, i can speak French. I'm sure you're wondering, what have you been speaking this whole time.... i would call it a little mix of sign language, French, and a scoop of English. But now it's different, don't get excited I'm nowhere near fluent but i have a better grasp of the language than i did 3 months ago and what better way to test this theory than to become my sister's personal tour guide. I was able to master the metro system, ask for directions, order food for my sister and i, and politely decline (or maybe accept ;-) jk) the occasional cat-call. It was a reminder of how French my world has suddenly become and how well I'm (finally) adjusting. Hawa also got to practice her French being that she took some classes in high school and in college. I think she adapted quite well. Towards the end of our week in Paris we started thinking of New Year's eve plans. We had this huge elaborate idea planned but of course that vision didn't exactly happen. However, New Year's wasn't a complete disappointment. A friend who was heading to the Eiffel tower asked us to come along and of course we gave the most appropriate response of a resounding "Hell Yeah" and we were off. We left a bit late so we actually celebrated the new year in the midst of a huge traffic jam but as the car horns went off and i could see the skeletal outline of the Eiffer Tower in the distance, i realized there was no other place i would have rather been :-) We did eventually make it out of the car and took a walk near the Eiffel Tower and every person who passed greeted us with a "Bon Annee".

After spending a week in the North we were ready to venture down South to Bollene. As I've mentioned several times Bollene is no Paris but it's got it's charm. Hawa really loved it and it was covered with snow when she left but that made it a bit more quaint (albeit freezing but quaint nonetheless) Hawa had the great fortune (sarcasm) of attending my classes. I'd like to say that i'm a whiz when it comes to teaching but who am i kidding. None of the kids were very movitavated and to be frank, neither was i, we had just returned from a long break afterall. For the most part they were well behaved, except when a student asked for my number :-S Hawa was very useful in taking questions and helping me out. We took a few day trips to Avignon and Orange but i wanted Hawa to see what i feel the South is all about: Tranquility. Mission Accomplished. It was hard to see Hawa leave, i had so much fun with her..... the plan of the Konte takeover of France was almost complete..... oh well there's always the summer :-) Love you Hawa!

Another reason i haven't written in awhile is because i have recently moved. I now live in Orange, France with a French family :-). It's been a little over a week now and i love my new surroundings. It's really nice to have that sense of family and bonding again. Plus Orange is a bit bigger than Bollene and 3 other assistants live here including my good friend Jerome. I have so many good things to say about my move but I'll do so in my next post. Also in my next post I'll talk about my future in France.... ah yes the story continues... :-)

Channeling my Inner Fashionista

Salut Faithful Readers
not surprisingly i didn't exactly keep my promise of updated this blog weekly but at least it hasn't turned into a month :-S So picking up where i left off, i had an excellent time at the Fête des Lumières. Lyon is a magical place. it seems to be fashioned after Paris but it has it's own engaging charm. It helps to be around awesome people when you are setting out on an adventure and i truly was surrounded by great friends. We all piled up into what we call "The Tank" and drove a couple hours out to Lyon. Once there we tried to figure out exactly where the fete was..... easier said then done. Since everybody and their mom, dad, brother, and dog decided to come it was majorly crowded on every street corner. All 7 of us attempted to get on a light rail but quickly realized that that was going to be impossible. Therefore, we split up into two separate groups and and we were packed like sardines (literally) in this rail car. This was by far the most cramped i've ever felt in my entire life and let's just say i felt my waist being grabbed several times by unidentifiable passengers. I feel if you're going to feel me up I at least deserve dinner :-S After several minutes of following crowds and random maps we finally reached our destination: Hôtel De Ville and the light show was amazing :-) here's some pics if you don't believe me:
The cool thing about this festival is that it last about 5 days and each day there is a different light show and things get more and more elaborate. It's really something that can only be fully appreciated when you see it up close and personal. I'd like to give a special thanks to Jerome for driving everyone out there and dropping us off :-)


In other exciting news, I'm anxiously awaiting my sister's arrival which is only 10 days from now! Strangely enough i just can't wait for her to see me in my environment because in some crazy way i think I've kinda figure out my French life a bit. I'm not the distraught girl who stepped off the train station in from Paris 3 months ago. I'm a self assured, world traveling and (kind of) French speaking woman..... at least that's the impression she'll get ;-) Along with that comes the fact that i will be revisiting Paris once again :-) My heart has ached for it ever since i left it that faithful day in September. So all of this has got me thinking. I need to let loose my inner Fashionista, After all it is the city of lights. If you've ever been to Paris you know exactly what I'm talking about... you know those gorgeous girls (and guys for that matter), with all the right clothes and looks. It's almost as if the girls in those glamor magazines have left the pages to live in Paris. The girls in Paris remind me of the Kanye West song "Flashing Lights" especially these lines:

"She don't believe in shootin' stars,
but she believe in shoes & cars
Wood floors in the new apartment,
couture from the store's department"

Believe me, I'm not saying I'm going to try a become one of these chain smoking, anorexic, material obsessed girls De Paris but it wouldn't hurt to let some of that Sophisticated fashion rub off on me. For example below is an outfit I've been eyeing at H & M and it's actually under 100 Euros:

So this is what is to follow in the coming weeks: seeing Paris lit with Christmas lights/Decor, Shopping with my Sis, Eating authentic Crème Brûlée and Maybe this time I'll climb to the top of Eiffel Tower.....Paris I hope you're ready for me..... Again.

Bisous,
HK

Giving Thanks

November 30th, 2009

It's happened. As much as I've been dreading it, as much as I've been fighting it... it... has... finally... happened. I'm in a rut. Has France lost it's luster, you ask. No that's not it at all. The reality is I'm bored. I live in one of the more smaller towns and it's killing me that i do not have the opportunity to meet people my age (or really anyone) in Bollene. I came on this journey to teach AND to find myself a bit while learning about another culture. However it's hard to do that when i live in a town that's the size of 2 high schools :-( Maybe i'm overreacting a little because homesickness is getting the best of me. The fact that i didn't spend Thanksgiving with my family and my nephew did get me pretty bummed but alas i'm trying to move forward.....

However,I did have the fortunate opportunity to have 2 French Thanksgiving Dinners, one in Gap and one in Avignon and they were both amazing. The trip to Gap was quite long, after catching train/buses all day i was surprised i could still stand up. I left my house at 6:30am and didn't arrive in Gap until 3:00pm. Mind you Gap is only about 3hours from Bollene but that's life in the small city. I will say that all that extra time gave me the opportunity to see the gorgeous scenery that is the French countryside. I had my mouth open in awe for most of the trip. I'm buying a house along one of those mountains as soon as i strike it rich ;-) Another interesting conclusion that i came up with while sitting in various train stations is that you can judge a city based on it's train station. For example, in a city like Marseille you've got a Mcdonald's, small shops, and magazine stands galore and in a train station in let's say Livron (which i had the pleasure (sarcasm) of waiting in for 2 hours) there isn't even a vending machine.To make maters worse in most train stations (and a few places around town) you have to pay to use the restroom! this i find to be completely appalling. God forbid you need to use the restroom and you haven't got 50 centiemes on ya. The worst part about it is the restrooms are not always clean, may or may not have a toilet seat, and don't hold your breath for some TP. Just a word of advice If you must pay to use a restroom in France use it at the Train Station in Valence Ville, it's sparkling and it looks like it was furnished by IKEA and most importantly its CLEAN :-)


Thanksgiving in Gap was really warm and nice. Everyone was milling in and out of the kitchen while the booming voices (mine leading the way) flowed through the house. We actually had Turkey! which is kind of a rarity in France especially if it is not for Christmas and i tried green bean casserole for the first time (and loved it!) What was very exciting about this Thanksgiving experience was i got to celebrate with my fellow American assistants but also with some French/European assistants. I thought it was such an amazing opportunity to be able to share a very American holiday with people who hardly knew what Thanksgiving is or means and we did not disappoint. I'd like to send a special thanks to Laura, Valeria, Tom, Christina, Jen, Kata and Everyone else for allowing me to have a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday in Gap :-)

Thanksgiving in Avignon was the same with warmth, laughter, friends and food :-) Emily, The hostess did such a wonderful job getting everything together and keeping everyone happy. I met so many different people. Some from Germany, others from Ireland, along with the English assistants and us boring Americans ;-) As Greg Focker would say, we had a smorgasbord of food that included: Chicken, Stuffing, Vegetables, Fruit, Desserts, Mashed Potatoes and Garvy. The last of which brought about some information i was not aware of. There is apparently a distinction between English Gravy and "American" Gravy. All the English assistants were surprised to see American gravy which apparently is thicker and darker than English gravy. They all kind of passed by it going "oh that's what that is" i found this to be quite amusing and now i'm on the prowl to discover what English gravy taste/looks like :-) Emily and her crew went all out with American flags (see photo) and a mini "Happy Thanksgiving" Banner. Also a fellow American Assistant Rachel, who made stuffing, actually made a separate tin of stuffing without sausage because she was aware that i don't eat pork, i was really touched by that. Before the meal we prayed and we all said what we were thankful for. It was all in the the true spirit of what is Thanksgiving. Most importantly... we got our "Eat on" which not surprisingly i enjoyed immensely ;-) so special thanks goes out to Rachel, Emily, and all the assistants who helped prepare the meals.

What I'm finding out by living here is how proud i am to be an American. It's not that i don't appreciate the French and their ways but i love my country and it's home to me. So one major thing I'm thankful for is being an American, I'm thankful to God and all the opportunities (including this trip to France) that He has given me, My family and friends (and the new friends I'm making) and I'm just thankful for living my life. oh and I'm Thankful to all my readers :-)


Bisous,
HK

Aunty Time :-)

November 17th, 2009

I had to do a special blog post letting everyone know that yesterday i officially became an Aunt. The parents wanted the sex to be a surprise but i knew all along that He was a boy ;-) he came in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and 18.5 Inches. He's named after my father: Garaba Konte. :-) i'm so excited, my only regret is that I'm not there to hold him and to spoil him..... sigh. I guess i'll be around soon enough. Now I'm off to do some more tweaking to my lesson plans but there will be pictures to follow when i get my mitts on some.


Bisous,
HK