After traveling for exactly 24 hours I finally made it home safely. It was a long trip, but I didn’t have any big problems. I was pretty lucky.
Now I have until January 4 until I have to go the 6000 miles back to Belfort. In that time I will probably be watching lots of football and eating lots of good Mexican food to get me through the next 6 months.
I had a good Christmas. I received a new macro lens for my camera. I am so excited to use it in my travels next year. The macro lens allows you to get really close up shots. It should be fun to mess around with it.
Jet lag has not been my friend the last two days. On Christmas morning I woke up at 6 am. Then last night we were watching a movie. I just couldn’t keep my eyes open, so I went to bed at 8:30. Then this morning I was wide awake at 5:30 am, so I had to sit around waiting for everyone else to get up.
I am definitely not looking forward to it again when I go back to France. It really throws you off for a few days! O-well it has been more than worth it to see my family for Christmas!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
Let's Party!!!!!
I am finished teaching for the next two weeks. I am so excited that I don’t have to deal with the little French kiddies for a while.
Tonight we had a Christmas celebration at our place. We made a really good dinner and opened our presents. Mandy had brought over some crackers (which I found out are not like the ones you eat!!!). They are a tradition in England at Christmas. They are little popper type things, and inside is a terrible joke, a toy and a really goofy hat. We wore our hats the whole time, and I can say that I am glad we don’t have them in the US!
We had a good time and here are some pictures.
Here we are after we opend all our presents. (I made them the scarfs they are wearing.)
Now you see what I mean about the hats!
I am leaving early Sunday morning to make my way back home. I am catching the train at 2 am from Belfort to Paris. Then I have to catch the metro to another train station in Paris to take the train to the airport. My plane leaves at 11:30 am. Then it is a 12 hour flight, and I get into LAX at 2:30 pm because of the time change. I am then taking the SuperShuttle to my Grandparents’ house where we are celebrating Christmas Eve.
All said and done it will be about 22 hours of traveling!!! It will be a really long trip, but well worth. It will be so nice to be back in the US for a while!!!! I will just have to work on getting out of my French mode!
Tonight we had a Christmas celebration at our place. We made a really good dinner and opened our presents. Mandy had brought over some crackers (which I found out are not like the ones you eat!!!). They are a tradition in England at Christmas. They are little popper type things, and inside is a terrible joke, a toy and a really goofy hat. We wore our hats the whole time, and I can say that I am glad we don’t have them in the US!
We had a good time and here are some pictures.
Here we are after we opend all our presents. (I made them the scarfs they are wearing.)
Now you see what I mean about the hats!
I am leaving early Sunday morning to make my way back home. I am catching the train at 2 am from Belfort to Paris. Then I have to catch the metro to another train station in Paris to take the train to the airport. My plane leaves at 11:30 am. Then it is a 12 hour flight, and I get into LAX at 2:30 pm because of the time change. I am then taking the SuperShuttle to my Grandparents’ house where we are celebrating Christmas Eve.
All said and done it will be about 22 hours of traveling!!! It will be a really long trip, but well worth. It will be so nice to be back in the US for a while!!!! I will just have to work on getting out of my French mode!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Christmas in Belfort
Yesterday I went on the little tourist train that goes around town. In the summer it goes up to the castle, but in December it just goes through the town, so you can look at all the Christmas lights. It was absolutely freezing, and we went so slow!!!! The train went through the pedestrian area, and people were passing us on foot. It was one of those times when it would have been nice to just get out and push.
Despite the cold and slow pace it was still fun to see all the town decorated. It took them about a month to put all of the lights up, but I think their hard work paid off!
Here are a few of the pictures I took.
This is the pedistrian area. I can see these lights from my apartment.
This is the town hall.
Here the gazebo in the "Old Town"
All the buildings in town have yellow and red lights, so everything matches. It looks pretty amazing.
Despite the cold and slow pace it was still fun to see all the town decorated. It took them about a month to put all of the lights up, but I think their hard work paid off!
Here are a few of the pictures I took.
This is the pedistrian area. I can see these lights from my apartment.
This is the town hall.
Here the gazebo in the "Old Town"
All the buildings in town have yellow and red lights, so everything matches. It looks pretty amazing.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
The craziness that is French television
We finally have a working TV. The TV connection is included in our Internet cost, so we were looking for a cheap TV for a while. Then last week our neighbor, who just bought a new TV, let us borrow his old, crappy one. It was really nice of him. The power button doesn’t stay on, so I had to use like 8 pieces of tape to keep it in place. Then just as you get settled and into a show it will come lose, so you will have to walk back over and try it again. It still has a good picture, so it really isn’t too bad considering it was free.
There is not a whole lot to watch. A lot of the shows are ones that were cancelled a long time ago in the United States, and after watching about 5 minutes of them it is apparent why. They do have “Friends” though. It is a lot of fun to hear the dubbing voices because it sounds nothing like the actual person. Ross actually sounds like he is a little bit Japanese to me.
I have caught a cold, so last night I didn’t want to do anything. I turned on the TV and watched a little of “Alert A Malibu,” which is the French name for “Baywatch.” I could only stand it for a while because I remembered just how bad that show is. (In this episode there was some kind of huge octopus thing that was attacking people!) I heard that at one time “Baywatch” was the most popular show in the world because it gets so much play all around the world. Go figure…
This afternoon they had actual American football on TV. I couldn’t believe it! Sure it was only a thirty-minute recap from a few of the games last week, but it is the most I have watched in three months. Maybe this means that I will be able to watch the Superbowl at like 3 am come February. I can’t wait.
I am going to be doing Christmas stuff with all my classes this week. It should be a lot of fun. I think I am going to teach them Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” Then I am going to have them make Christmas cards with the new vocabulary words I am going to teach them. It should make the week go by really fast if they are all well behaved. I am thinking that will not be the case, but I am hoping for the best.
There is not a whole lot to watch. A lot of the shows are ones that were cancelled a long time ago in the United States, and after watching about 5 minutes of them it is apparent why. They do have “Friends” though. It is a lot of fun to hear the dubbing voices because it sounds nothing like the actual person. Ross actually sounds like he is a little bit Japanese to me.
I have caught a cold, so last night I didn’t want to do anything. I turned on the TV and watched a little of “Alert A Malibu,” which is the French name for “Baywatch.” I could only stand it for a while because I remembered just how bad that show is. (In this episode there was some kind of huge octopus thing that was attacking people!) I heard that at one time “Baywatch” was the most popular show in the world because it gets so much play all around the world. Go figure…
This afternoon they had actual American football on TV. I couldn’t believe it! Sure it was only a thirty-minute recap from a few of the games last week, but it is the most I have watched in three months. Maybe this means that I will be able to watch the Superbowl at like 3 am come February. I can’t wait.
I am going to be doing Christmas stuff with all my classes this week. It should be a lot of fun. I think I am going to teach them Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” Then I am going to have them make Christmas cards with the new vocabulary words I am going to teach them. It should make the week go by really fast if they are all well behaved. I am thinking that will not be the case, but I am hoping for the best.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
I think I am making progress….
Today I had to call a delivery place because my I am waiting for a package, and I had to set up a time for them to deliver it. I was so proud of myself because the conversation went really well. I understood everything she said, and more importantly she understood everything I said. When I first got here I hated talking to people on the phone because it is so difficult, and I used to write everything I was going to say down before hand. Now I can just call them up and talk…I guess I have improved my French in the last three months!! (I can’t believe it has been that long)
We had a good time when Sarah’s first group of friends was here. They left on Sunday. There were three of them, so we had 6 girls here. It definitely got a little tight at times. I was also amazed at how much toilet paper we went through in about 4 days!! Anyway they were all really nice. I am still amazed that there are so many different accents from a county that is so small!! You can tell a difference with every one.
She has another friend who arrived here today and is leaving Friday. Then she has two more friends coming on Saturday, and they are staying until next Wednesday. So we will have a full house until about the time we all leave for Christmas.
Yesterday was also a really good day because I bought plane tickets to travel in March on our next break from school. On March 1 I am flying down to Nice to meet up with Mandy. I think we are going to try to see Corsica, Monte Carlo, Marseille, and Saint-Tropez in the nine days we have down there. I fly in and out of Bale, Switzerland. The tickets were only 65 euros roundtrip. It was such a good deal I just couldn’t pass it up. I have never been to the South of France, so I am really looking forward to it.
I am also looking forward to going back home to California for a while. I leave in exactly 11 days...YEA!
We had a good time when Sarah’s first group of friends was here. They left on Sunday. There were three of them, so we had 6 girls here. It definitely got a little tight at times. I was also amazed at how much toilet paper we went through in about 4 days!! Anyway they were all really nice. I am still amazed that there are so many different accents from a county that is so small!! You can tell a difference with every one.
She has another friend who arrived here today and is leaving Friday. Then she has two more friends coming on Saturday, and they are staying until next Wednesday. So we will have a full house until about the time we all leave for Christmas.
Yesterday was also a really good day because I bought plane tickets to travel in March on our next break from school. On March 1 I am flying down to Nice to meet up with Mandy. I think we are going to try to see Corsica, Monte Carlo, Marseille, and Saint-Tropez in the nine days we have down there. I fly in and out of Bale, Switzerland. The tickets were only 65 euros roundtrip. It was such a good deal I just couldn’t pass it up. I have never been to the South of France, so I am really looking forward to it.
I am also looking forward to going back home to California for a while. I leave in exactly 11 days...YEA!
Friday, December 08, 2006
The Crazy Little French Kids
I don’t know what has gotten into all the French kiddies, but they have been a riot the past few days. In one of my young classes there is this little boy named Hugo who is always causing problems. When we did Thanksgiving he raised his hand, and proceeded to tell me that he “hated the United States.” Not quite sure why he felt it was necessary to tell an American that, but he did it anyway. He is always causing problems, so I am constantly moving him and sending him out of class.
Well, yesterday he came up to me with a piece of paper all wrapped up. He told me it was a gift and to open it. Inside was a pen that said New York. He then told me that he loved New York, and I wanted to ask him if he knew that it was in the United States. I know the pen was just to get on my good side, but I don’t know how long it will last with him.
Anyway so the rest of the kids saw him give me the pen, so they started to rummage through their pencil cases to find something to give me as well. In the end I came home with a pens, two colored pencils, a little stub of a pencil and what I think is a crayon pen thing. I haven’t quite figured it out yet.
Then today in another class, some kids start making noise and yelling because someone farted in class, and it smelled. They then all denied it was them, and started accusing someone else. It took me forever to get them settled again. A little later I was reading a book, and one little boy, Jeremy, another troublemaker, moved to another seat. I turned the page, and when I looked up every kid sitting next to him was covering his or her nose and pointing right at Jeremy…so we had finally found the culprit! I started laughing so hard because the look on all the other kids’ faces was so amusing. They all had looks of pure disgust...it was that bad. I couldn’t even discipline Jeremy because all I could do was laugh. In the process all the kids started to laugh at me. I am glad the class was almost over because we weren’t going to get much more done. I am still laughing about it as I write this. There are just some things that are always funny!!!!
I guess kids are the same wherever you go, no matter what language they speak!
Well, yesterday he came up to me with a piece of paper all wrapped up. He told me it was a gift and to open it. Inside was a pen that said New York. He then told me that he loved New York, and I wanted to ask him if he knew that it was in the United States. I know the pen was just to get on my good side, but I don’t know how long it will last with him.
Anyway so the rest of the kids saw him give me the pen, so they started to rummage through their pencil cases to find something to give me as well. In the end I came home with a pens, two colored pencils, a little stub of a pencil and what I think is a crayon pen thing. I haven’t quite figured it out yet.
Then today in another class, some kids start making noise and yelling because someone farted in class, and it smelled. They then all denied it was them, and started accusing someone else. It took me forever to get them settled again. A little later I was reading a book, and one little boy, Jeremy, another troublemaker, moved to another seat. I turned the page, and when I looked up every kid sitting next to him was covering his or her nose and pointing right at Jeremy…so we had finally found the culprit! I started laughing so hard because the look on all the other kids’ faces was so amusing. They all had looks of pure disgust...it was that bad. I couldn’t even discipline Jeremy because all I could do was laugh. In the process all the kids started to laugh at me. I am glad the class was almost over because we weren’t going to get much more done. I am still laughing about it as I write this. There are just some things that are always funny!!!!
I guess kids are the same wherever you go, no matter what language they speak!
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
I have been really dragging the last two days. I think my trip to Germany really wore me out last weekend, but I am still happy I went. It was worth it. I also think part of the problem is that all of the kids have been really wound up. I can't wait to see how bad it is going to be in the next two weeks especially Friday afternoon on December 22!
Tomorrow we are going to the Christmas market in Bale, Switzerland because Sarah has some friends flying in. They are coming to the Bale airport, so we are going to go meet them. I went to Bale one time before, but it was a Sunday, so everything was closed. Now I will get to see what it is really like.
Then I think we are going to another Christmas market on Saturday in Montbeliard. It is only about 15 minutes on the train from Belfort, so that will be a quick trip. I am going to be a veteran of Christmas markets by the time I go home. They are all so different, so there is always new stuff to see.
I updated my Web site with the Germany pictures, so head on over there and check them out.
Tomorrow we are going to the Christmas market in Bale, Switzerland because Sarah has some friends flying in. They are coming to the Bale airport, so we are going to go meet them. I went to Bale one time before, but it was a Sunday, so everything was closed. Now I will get to see what it is really like.
Then I think we are going to another Christmas market on Saturday in Montbeliard. It is only about 15 minutes on the train from Belfort, so that will be a quick trip. I am going to be a veteran of Christmas markets by the time I go home. They are all so different, so there is always new stuff to see.
I updated my Web site with the Germany pictures, so head on over there and check them out.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Germany
Well, Germany was a real whirlwind trip. We went through three countries in the 2 ½ hour trip…there and back.
We got into Freiburg at about 11 am. After we dropped out stuff off at the hostel, we did a walking tour of the city. Freiburg was a really great town. It is really beautiful, and it has a huge cathedral that is known as the Munster. I think it is the biggest cathedral I have seen. Also, the town had up all its Christmas decorations, so it was very festive.
That night we went to the Christmas market. The Christmas markets started in Germany, so they really get into it. They had lots of handmade ornaments. They were really amazing. They also had a place where you could make your own candles, so we all made one. Mine ended up a little crooked, but at least I can say I made it in Germany.
There were so many people at the market, so it was difficult to move in the crowd. I also found out that German people don’t like to wait in lines, so they will just cut in front of you. Sarah warned us about that before we got there, but it is still surprising to see everyone do it.
We stayed at the Black Forest Hostel. It was a clean place. We had three beds in an eleven-bed room. Sarah and Mandy didn’t seem to mind, but I didn’t sleep very well. I don’t think hostels are made for light sleepers. The showers were also crazy. They looked like big metal space ship things. They were round and tall, and when you got in there was a little window that you could see out (and others could look in which was a little weird). I just squatted down and took the fastest shower ever. Anyway I made it through my first hostel experience, and it only set me back 19 euros.
This morning we went to the Black Forest. It was only about 20 minutes out of town by tram and bus. We took the cable car up the mountain. It took about 20 minutes, and the views were incredible. Then we hiked up the mountain to the very top, which was about 3,800 feet (so really it was just a hill to me). The views were once again amazing, but it was so windy that it felt like we were going to blow away.
After we had something hot to drink, we decided to WALK back down the mountain. It was about 6 miles down because it took us 2 ½ hours. It was on a marked train, but it was still really rocky and steep. We stumbled quite a bit, but we still had a great time. It was nice for me to back near some trees and mountains. I really miss that.
After our long day we caught the train back to Belfort and got home at 7:30 pm. It was a quick trip, but loads of fun. I am still glad to be back in France where I can speak the language. It was the first time I had been in a country where I didn’t speak the language. It can be a little tricky, but luckily for me Sarah speaks German so it was a little easier.
I will be working on the pictures in the next few days. Now I am going to fito bed because I am exhausted, and I have to teach 120 kids tomorrow.
We got into Freiburg at about 11 am. After we dropped out stuff off at the hostel, we did a walking tour of the city. Freiburg was a really great town. It is really beautiful, and it has a huge cathedral that is known as the Munster. I think it is the biggest cathedral I have seen. Also, the town had up all its Christmas decorations, so it was very festive.
That night we went to the Christmas market. The Christmas markets started in Germany, so they really get into it. They had lots of handmade ornaments. They were really amazing. They also had a place where you could make your own candles, so we all made one. Mine ended up a little crooked, but at least I can say I made it in Germany.
There were so many people at the market, so it was difficult to move in the crowd. I also found out that German people don’t like to wait in lines, so they will just cut in front of you. Sarah warned us about that before we got there, but it is still surprising to see everyone do it.
We stayed at the Black Forest Hostel. It was a clean place. We had three beds in an eleven-bed room. Sarah and Mandy didn’t seem to mind, but I didn’t sleep very well. I don’t think hostels are made for light sleepers. The showers were also crazy. They looked like big metal space ship things. They were round and tall, and when you got in there was a little window that you could see out (and others could look in which was a little weird). I just squatted down and took the fastest shower ever. Anyway I made it through my first hostel experience, and it only set me back 19 euros.
This morning we went to the Black Forest. It was only about 20 minutes out of town by tram and bus. We took the cable car up the mountain. It took about 20 minutes, and the views were incredible. Then we hiked up the mountain to the very top, which was about 3,800 feet (so really it was just a hill to me). The views were once again amazing, but it was so windy that it felt like we were going to blow away.
After we had something hot to drink, we decided to WALK back down the mountain. It was about 6 miles down because it took us 2 ½ hours. It was on a marked train, but it was still really rocky and steep. We stumbled quite a bit, but we still had a great time. It was nice for me to back near some trees and mountains. I really miss that.
After our long day we caught the train back to Belfort and got home at 7:30 pm. It was a quick trip, but loads of fun. I am still glad to be back in France where I can speak the language. It was the first time I had been in a country where I didn’t speak the language. It can be a little tricky, but luckily for me Sarah speaks German so it was a little easier.
I will be working on the pictures in the next few days. Now I am going to fito bed because I am exhausted, and I have to teach 120 kids tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Weekend Plans
Well, today has been a very slow day. It has been the first day in weeks that I had nothing planned for the day. It was really quite nice to stay at home. I was able to read, and to finish editing my Colmar pictures. They are now up on my site.
Sarah, Mandy and I also finalized our plans for this weekend. We are going to Freiburg, Germany. It is really not far from here. Maybe an hour and a half by car, but we have to change trains twice to get there so the ride is about three hours by train. We are leaving early Saturday morning, and coming back Sunday night.
I am really excited to go to Germany because I haven't been there before, and their Christmas markets are suppose to be the best. Also Freiburg is right next to the Black Forest, so we are hoping to go over and see that area as well. It should be another fun filled weekend. I am so excited. Now I just have to get through the next two days of work!
Sarah, Mandy and I also finalized our plans for this weekend. We are going to Freiburg, Germany. It is really not far from here. Maybe an hour and a half by car, but we have to change trains twice to get there so the ride is about three hours by train. We are leaving early Saturday morning, and coming back Sunday night.
I am really excited to go to Germany because I haven't been there before, and their Christmas markets are suppose to be the best. Also Freiburg is right next to the Black Forest, so we are hoping to go over and see that area as well. It should be another fun filled weekend. I am so excited. Now I just have to get through the next two days of work!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Colmar and Other Happenings
It has been another very busy and fun filled weekend for me. Yesterday I had a meeting with the other language teachers. We have them once a month, and I am not quite sure why we do. I think it is suppose to be for us to check in and bring up any questions we have, but it always ends up just being a social time. At least it was only for a few hours in the morning. After our meeting we went to lunch, and then we went o see a movie. We saw “Fast Food Nation,” and it was a little disturbing to say the least.
Then today we went to Colmar. It is another little town in the Alsace region. It is about an hour by train. It was very cute, and it had the classic Alsatian look. When we first got there we got lost in a residential area for a little while, but it wasn’t bad because we got to see a lot of amazing houses. They were all really large and beautiful, and trees lined all the streets.
We finally found the main part of town, about an hour later. They had alight all along the streets and ornaments hanging form the trees for Christmas, so it was beautiful. They definitely really get into Christmas around here.
In Colmar there is a section known as “Little Venice.” All the multicolored houses are built on the edge of the river, and there are a bunch of cafes that look out on the river. I also heard that they even have little gondolas on the water when the weather is nice. It is probably one of the prettiest places I have been since I have been here.
They also had their Christmas market going on. They had stuff set up in three different areas of the town, but it was still really crowded. The area was a lot smaller than the one in Mulhouse, so it kind of felt like you were just part of the heard moving along. Even though there were a lot of people it was still fun. They just have so many things on display at the markets.
We stayed until about 7 pm, so I got to see everything all lit up again. I will edit my pictures soon. I think I am too tired to do them tonight. Plus I have to finish preparing my lessons because my supervisor is coming to observe me in class tomorrow. I hope it goes well. Keep you fingers crossed for me!
Then today we went to Colmar. It is another little town in the Alsace region. It is about an hour by train. It was very cute, and it had the classic Alsatian look. When we first got there we got lost in a residential area for a little while, but it wasn’t bad because we got to see a lot of amazing houses. They were all really large and beautiful, and trees lined all the streets.
We finally found the main part of town, about an hour later. They had alight all along the streets and ornaments hanging form the trees for Christmas, so it was beautiful. They definitely really get into Christmas around here.
In Colmar there is a section known as “Little Venice.” All the multicolored houses are built on the edge of the river, and there are a bunch of cafes that look out on the river. I also heard that they even have little gondolas on the water when the weather is nice. It is probably one of the prettiest places I have been since I have been here.
They also had their Christmas market going on. They had stuff set up in three different areas of the town, but it was still really crowded. The area was a lot smaller than the one in Mulhouse, so it kind of felt like you were just part of the heard moving along. Even though there were a lot of people it was still fun. They just have so many things on display at the markets.
We stayed until about 7 pm, so I got to see everything all lit up again. I will edit my pictures soon. I think I am too tired to do them tonight. Plus I have to finish preparing my lessons because my supervisor is coming to observe me in class tomorrow. I hope it goes well. Keep you fingers crossed for me!
Thursday, November 23, 2006
My Thanksgiving in France
I had a great surprise when I got home today. Sarah had decorated the living room for Thanksgiving. When I can in there was a large banner that said “Happy Thanksgiving.” There were also balloons, and she was playing the “Star-Spangled Banner” on her computer. She said she wanted to do something for Thanksgiving, but had no idea what people did for it in the US. It ended up looking a lot like a birthday party, but I didn’t care. It was so nice of her to do something! It made my day!
Here is a picture of our apartment decorated for Thanksgiving. Just imagine the National Anthem playing in the background!
Here is a picture of our apartment decorated for Thanksgiving. Just imagine the National Anthem playing in the background!
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
My First Christmas Market
Today, I went to Mulhouse with Sarah, Mandy and another language assistant Andrea. She is from Germany, and she teaches German in the high schools here in Belfort. We went today for the first day of their Christmas Market. They are a really big deal here in this region of France and especially in Germany. We had a great time. Everything looked so great! We are going to try to hit up as many markets as we can before Christmas. Almost all of middle or big cities have one around here.
We left this morning. On the train Mulhouse is only about 25 minutes from here. The sun was out today, but it was so cold. We were all really bundled up! Yesterday it rained all day, so at least it was dry today. We walked around and went to a small art museum. It had some neat paintings from local artists. Then when it started to get dark we went to the Christmas market. There were a lot of different booths. They had candles, candy, woodwork, and leather gifts amoung other things. There was a lot to see. I also had hot chestnuts for the first time. They were really good. I have seen them all over, but I had never tried them before. Plus they kept my hands warm.
Last night I was invited to a concert at the town hall by one of the teachers because one of my classes was singing. They sang songs with an orchestra. They looked so cute, and I think I had one of those “proud parent” moments. The only bad thing was I had to walk there in a huge storm. It was hailing so hard! At least I got a ride home from the principal.
I tried to find something to put together a Thanksgiving dinner here for the roomies tomorrow, but I couldn’t find much that would resemble a real Thanksgiving meal. They didn’t even have stuffing or gravy, so I thought I would at least go buy a nice desert. It may not be pumpkin pie, but France does have some nice deserts!
I have put up my pictures from Mulhouse, so check them out.
http://web.mac.com/downinga
Happy Thanksgiving!
We left this morning. On the train Mulhouse is only about 25 minutes from here. The sun was out today, but it was so cold. We were all really bundled up! Yesterday it rained all day, so at least it was dry today. We walked around and went to a small art museum. It had some neat paintings from local artists. Then when it started to get dark we went to the Christmas market. There were a lot of different booths. They had candles, candy, woodwork, and leather gifts amoung other things. There was a lot to see. I also had hot chestnuts for the first time. They were really good. I have seen them all over, but I had never tried them before. Plus they kept my hands warm.
Last night I was invited to a concert at the town hall by one of the teachers because one of my classes was singing. They sang songs with an orchestra. They looked so cute, and I think I had one of those “proud parent” moments. The only bad thing was I had to walk there in a huge storm. It was hailing so hard! At least I got a ride home from the principal.
I tried to find something to put together a Thanksgiving dinner here for the roomies tomorrow, but I couldn’t find much that would resemble a real Thanksgiving meal. They didn’t even have stuffing or gravy, so I thought I would at least go buy a nice desert. It may not be pumpkin pie, but France does have some nice deserts!
I have put up my pictures from Mulhouse, so check them out.
http://web.mac.com/downinga
Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 20, 2006
More Pictures for Everyone
I have had a very busy day! Mondays are always bad for everyone, and I am no exception. I definitely stay busy the entire day. At least I can get my worst day out of the way early in the week.
I had some time this afternoon because I am finished with planning for the week, so I put my pictures of Besancon up on my site. If you have a chance you should go check them out.
http://web.mac.com/downinga
I had some time this afternoon because I am finished with planning for the week, so I put my pictures of Besancon up on my site. If you have a chance you should go check them out.
http://web.mac.com/downinga
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Besançon, France
We had a great time in Besançon. We left Saturday morning, and took the train down there. It was just over an hour, so when we got there we went to a park and ate out sack lunches. The weather was good. It was cloudy, and a little cool but still nice. Then we dropped our stuff off at the hotel. In was right in the middle of town, and it was 57 euros total. It was a really good deal.
After that we went to check out the citadel. We had to climb up this huge hill to get to it, but of course it was worth it because the views were once again incredible. Besançon sits on the Doubs River and mountains surround it. From the top of the citadel you could see everything. I was also surprised to see that all the trees were still changing colors. I remember by this time in Colorado all the tree were bare, but there are still lots of colors here. We walked all along the walls of the citadel. Then we went to check out all the other stuff they have within it. They have a couple of museums, a zoo and an aquarium. The zoo was small, but it was really cute. They had monkeys, lions, tigers, goats and even a couple of donkeys. We actually got to see all of this for free because we all had coupons for free entry into the citadel. That made it even better.
After we left the citadel we had a look around the city. It is a really pretty city, and it has lots of museums and shops. After that we had a really nice dinner. It was a place that had seafood, pasta and all that. We also realized that we are starting to eat dinner more like the French now. They don’t eat until like 7:30 or 8 and their meals usually take about two to three hours. We were at the restaurant for about two and a half hours last night, and it didn’t seem that weird to me. It was crazy.
We were going to look around the city some more this morning, but almost everything was closed including restaurants. Besançon is bigger than Belfort, but it is still very much the same when it comes to business hours. It was also raining pretty hard, so we decided we would come back early. We were back home by 1:30 pm. Even though we came home early, I still had a really nice time. I will be putting more pictures on my site, so I will let you know when they are up.
This afternoon we watched “Napoleon Dynamite.” Mandy and Sarah had never seen it, so I had my mom send it to me. I don’t think they thought it was as funny as I did. I guess it is because they are used to dry British humor.
I guess I will get back to planning my Thanksgiving Day lesson. I am excited to present this holiday to the kids. I can bring a little of home to France!
After that we went to check out the citadel. We had to climb up this huge hill to get to it, but of course it was worth it because the views were once again incredible. Besançon sits on the Doubs River and mountains surround it. From the top of the citadel you could see everything. I was also surprised to see that all the trees were still changing colors. I remember by this time in Colorado all the tree were bare, but there are still lots of colors here. We walked all along the walls of the citadel. Then we went to check out all the other stuff they have within it. They have a couple of museums, a zoo and an aquarium. The zoo was small, but it was really cute. They had monkeys, lions, tigers, goats and even a couple of donkeys. We actually got to see all of this for free because we all had coupons for free entry into the citadel. That made it even better.
After we left the citadel we had a look around the city. It is a really pretty city, and it has lots of museums and shops. After that we had a really nice dinner. It was a place that had seafood, pasta and all that. We also realized that we are starting to eat dinner more like the French now. They don’t eat until like 7:30 or 8 and their meals usually take about two to three hours. We were at the restaurant for about two and a half hours last night, and it didn’t seem that weird to me. It was crazy.
We were going to look around the city some more this morning, but almost everything was closed including restaurants. Besançon is bigger than Belfort, but it is still very much the same when it comes to business hours. It was also raining pretty hard, so we decided we would come back early. We were back home by 1:30 pm. Even though we came home early, I still had a really nice time. I will be putting more pictures on my site, so I will let you know when they are up.
This afternoon we watched “Napoleon Dynamite.” Mandy and Sarah had never seen it, so I had my mom send it to me. I don’t think they thought it was as funny as I did. I guess it is because they are used to dry British humor.
I guess I will get back to planning my Thanksgiving Day lesson. I am excited to present this holiday to the kids. I can bring a little of home to France!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
The End of Another Week...Almost
The Internet has been working really well. I can tell because I have not read too much in my book this week, but at least I am more in touch with everyone. I still don't have wireless, so I had to by a long Ethernet cord so I can go on the internet in my room instead of Sarah's. I had to stick the cord to the wall in the hallway with blue tack, so it looks really bad and it falls down sometimes but at least I can be in my own room now!!! Plus not too many people are going to be looking around the hallway in our apartment.
Yesterday we went to see "Babel" at the movie theater. It was another really good movie. I recommend it to everyone. It was in English, but they speak so many different languages in the movie that I had to read the French subtitles a lot. One of the teachers told us that it is good practice to watch movies, so we decided that we are going to try to see one every week. Although we haven't quite figured out how to tell if it will be in French or in English with subtitles until it starts. Even with the subtitles I am learning a lot.
I have also started tutoring a lady once a week on Mondays. Her name is Cathy, and she already speaks English really well. She wants to practice because her husband works for a car company, and it is likely that they will be moving to America within the next year or two. She is really nice, and it is nice to have an extra 15 euros every week...to pay for the laundry.
The roomies and I are going to visit Besancon this weekend. It was really pretty last week when I went there for my medical visit, but I didn't get to see much. They have a huge citadel, zoo and of course a cathedral. We are going to leave Saturday morning and then come back Sunday afternoon. It should be a good weekend. I just hope it doesn't rain too much.
Well, I guess I am off to fix some dinner.
Go MICHIGAN!!!
Yesterday we went to see "Babel" at the movie theater. It was another really good movie. I recommend it to everyone. It was in English, but they speak so many different languages in the movie that I had to read the French subtitles a lot. One of the teachers told us that it is good practice to watch movies, so we decided that we are going to try to see one every week. Although we haven't quite figured out how to tell if it will be in French or in English with subtitles until it starts. Even with the subtitles I am learning a lot.
I have also started tutoring a lady once a week on Mondays. Her name is Cathy, and she already speaks English really well. She wants to practice because her husband works for a car company, and it is likely that they will be moving to America within the next year or two. She is really nice, and it is nice to have an extra 15 euros every week...to pay for the laundry.
The roomies and I are going to visit Besancon this weekend. It was really pretty last week when I went there for my medical visit, but I didn't get to see much. They have a huge citadel, zoo and of course a cathedral. We are going to leave Saturday morning and then come back Sunday afternoon. It should be a good weekend. I just hope it doesn't rain too much.
Well, I guess I am off to fix some dinner.
Go MICHIGAN!!!
Monday, November 13, 2006
I Am Connected!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well...it is true. I am finally connected to the Internet. The guy came today to look at the connection. Then he said that it would work in 10 minutes, but when he called back it still wasn't working. He then said that we had to exchange the box at the store. Mandy and I then went and waited in line for about 40 minutes to get a new box. Then when I got home it was working...YEA!!
I can connect my computer through the Ethernet wire, but I am still working on the whole wireless thing. The CD that came with the box does not work on Mac computers, so I need to do some research. I am just so excited that I don't have pay every time I want to get on the Internet. Now I just have to get used to using an English keyboard again!
I know everyone has been waiting for pictures, so I loaded all my pictures on to my Web site. Here is the address to check them out.
http://web.mac.com/downinga
I can connect my computer through the Ethernet wire, but I am still working on the whole wireless thing. The CD that came with the box does not work on Mac computers, so I need to do some research. I am just so excited that I don't have pay every time I want to get on the Internet. Now I just have to get used to using an English keyboard again!
I know everyone has been waiting for pictures, so I loaded all my pictures on to my Web site. Here is the address to check them out.
http://web.mac.com/downinga
Friday, November 10, 2006
Medical Visit
I had a very interesting day yesterday. I had to go into Besançon for the medical visit of my Carte de Séjour, which is what I need to stay in France with health insurance. I had to miss my afternoon classes and take the train. It is about an hour and 15 minutes away. Then I got the doctor’s office and the doctor poked and prodded me then he took an x-ray of my chest and I was told to wait outside. Then a few minutes later the nurse handed me a sheet and the x-ray of my chest and told me I could go. It was all really kind of strange.
So I had to walk all the way back through town to the train station holding my very own x-ray of my chest. I have no idea why they would even give that to us…what are we going to do with it? Sarah said that I should try to sell it on eBay. I wonder what I could get for it.
In the end I had to miss two classes, spend 14 euros to ride the train for almost 3 hours, and I was in and out in less than 15 minutes. At least now I think I can finally check the Carte de Séjour off my list of things to do!
The movies we saw on Wednesday were really good. We went to a French comedy about a guy who had five sisters and a mother who all wanted him to get married, so he hired a woman to act as his girlfriend and they end up falling for each other. It was predictable but still entertaining. Then we went to see "Scoop" the new Woody Allen film, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was in English with French subtitles. I really like this movie, but it was weird to see how so many of the jokes weren’t translated well in the subtitles. A lot of it just didn’t make sense. That may have been why there were only about 6 other people in the theater.
I am still working on the whole Internet thing. On Wednesday I went into France Telecom to ask them what I should do because it has been more than two weeks since they came to install it. They told me that the Internet was hooked up, and it should be working. If it wasn’t then I had to call their helpline. This morning I called the helpline, which is not toll free and cost me about 20 euros on my cell phone because they still put you on hold! After I was disconnected once I called back and did my best to understand what he was trying to tell me to do. It was very difficult! The guy ran a few tests then he said that it was not working properly (surprise, surprise), so someone is going to come out on Monday to look at it again. At least now we know it is not something we are doing wrong.
I am not quite sure what we will be doing this weekend because tomorrow is a national holiday. I think they call it Remembrance Day here, which is our Veteran’s Day. Nothing will be open. It will be like a weekend of two Sundays, and Belfort looks like a ghost town on Sundays! O-well maybe next week I will have the Internet to keep me company! I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
So I had to walk all the way back through town to the train station holding my very own x-ray of my chest. I have no idea why they would even give that to us…what are we going to do with it? Sarah said that I should try to sell it on eBay. I wonder what I could get for it.
In the end I had to miss two classes, spend 14 euros to ride the train for almost 3 hours, and I was in and out in less than 15 minutes. At least now I think I can finally check the Carte de Séjour off my list of things to do!
The movies we saw on Wednesday were really good. We went to a French comedy about a guy who had five sisters and a mother who all wanted him to get married, so he hired a woman to act as his girlfriend and they end up falling for each other. It was predictable but still entertaining. Then we went to see "Scoop" the new Woody Allen film, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was in English with French subtitles. I really like this movie, but it was weird to see how so many of the jokes weren’t translated well in the subtitles. A lot of it just didn’t make sense. That may have been why there were only about 6 other people in the theater.
I am still working on the whole Internet thing. On Wednesday I went into France Telecom to ask them what I should do because it has been more than two weeks since they came to install it. They told me that the Internet was hooked up, and it should be working. If it wasn’t then I had to call their helpline. This morning I called the helpline, which is not toll free and cost me about 20 euros on my cell phone because they still put you on hold! After I was disconnected once I called back and did my best to understand what he was trying to tell me to do. It was very difficult! The guy ran a few tests then he said that it was not working properly (surprise, surprise), so someone is going to come out on Monday to look at it again. At least now we know it is not something we are doing wrong.
I am not quite sure what we will be doing this weekend because tomorrow is a national holiday. I think they call it Remembrance Day here, which is our Veteran’s Day. Nothing will be open. It will be like a weekend of two Sundays, and Belfort looks like a ghost town on Sundays! O-well maybe next week I will have the Internet to keep me company! I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Happy Tuesday!
Another day is finished, and I am half finished with my week!
The kids have been crazy these last two days after coming back from break. I had my really bad class today "Les Misérables," as we refer to them. They were exceptionally bad today, but the principal who was teaching next door heard, so he pulled out the four worst kids. They had a good talking to by the teacher, and he told them that if there were any more problems their parents will be called. I really hope this changes things now!
Although the day started off bad it ended well. I was doing colors with the youngest groups today. We read Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See by Eric Carle, and they loved it. They did really well and learned 10 new colors today. Although they could not understand that orange is one syllable in English. They kept saying it the French way. I guess we will have to keep working on that.
Tomorrow I don't have class, so I think the roomies and I are going to see a couple of movies. November 8 is National Cinema Day in France, so everyone under 25 gets to see movies for cheep. We can see two movies for 3 euros each. I am really excited.
Sarah and I saw Flags of Our Fathers on Saturday night. We thought we read that is was going to be in English with French subtitles, but we were wrong and it was in French. We were both really surprised how much we understood though. I guess my French has improved in the last two months...YEAH!
Well it is getting dark, so I guess I am off to rest up for my busy day of watching movies...it's a hard life!
The kids have been crazy these last two days after coming back from break. I had my really bad class today "Les Misérables," as we refer to them. They were exceptionally bad today, but the principal who was teaching next door heard, so he pulled out the four worst kids. They had a good talking to by the teacher, and he told them that if there were any more problems their parents will be called. I really hope this changes things now!
Although the day started off bad it ended well. I was doing colors with the youngest groups today. We read Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See by Eric Carle, and they loved it. They did really well and learned 10 new colors today. Although they could not understand that orange is one syllable in English. They kept saying it the French way. I guess we will have to keep working on that.
Tomorrow I don't have class, so I think the roomies and I are going to see a couple of movies. November 8 is National Cinema Day in France, so everyone under 25 gets to see movies for cheep. We can see two movies for 3 euros each. I am really excited.
Sarah and I saw Flags of Our Fathers on Saturday night. We thought we read that is was going to be in English with French subtitles, but we were wrong and it was in French. We were both really surprised how much we understood though. I guess my French has improved in the last two months...YEAH!
Well it is getting dark, so I guess I am off to rest up for my busy day of watching movies...it's a hard life!
Monday, October 30, 2006
The first leg of the trip
Wow!!!! What a crazy few days it has been. I have been on a train for many hours in the last few days. I left early Wednesday morning and went to Rouen. It was four hours on the train to Paris, and then I had to take the metro to another train station. Then I took the train an hour longer to Rouen.
The town was nice. It has about 100,000 people. It is also where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the 1400’s, so everything has her name on it. They have a museum there about the life of Joan of Arc, but it was closed so I was not able to go in. I did get to see the huge cathedral. It is called Notre Dame de Rouen. It is really famous because Claude Monet painted it in every season, but they all look the same gray color. It was almost completely destroyed after WWII, so they had to rebuild everything. It is a really amazing church and the inside is incredible.
I also went to the coast on Friday. That was a really fun trip. The weather was nice. It was cloudy at times, but it never rained. It probably would have been a really long day had we been wet the entire time. We took another train to Le Havre, which is about an hour away. Then we took a bus for another hour to Etretat. This beach is absolutely gorgeous. There are white cliffs all a long the coast. We walked all along them, and I took tons of pictures. It was nice too because there wasn’t too many people. I can just imagine it would be hard to walk around there in the summer. I definitely could have stayed there for days.
While I was Rouen both Tamar and I wanted to find some Mexican food. This is now the longest I have ever gone without Mexican food. It has been a true test of character for me to go this long without Mexican food! We found these two restaurants that said they served “Mexican” food. One had enchiladas and burritos with tomato sauce, and the other had their meals served with coleslaw instead of beans and rice! Both of those things just seemed wrong to us, so we decided instead to try to make tacos at Tamar’s apartment, which is an adventure because her kitchen I actually located in a closet. It is tiny. They were edible, but the guacamole we bought in the three foot Mexicqn section at the store was terrible. I think it is a lost cause if I think I am going to find some good or even decent Mexican food in France. I guess it is a good thing I will be coming home for Christmas maybe we could make tacos for Christmas Eve dinner the first night I am home!
Tamar and I came back to Belfort on Saturday, so it was another long day of traveling on the train. It was even longer because from Rouen to Paris the train was so crowded that we had to stand the entire time in the area connecting the cars. I really felt like the true American backpacking through Europe.
Tomorrow Sarah, Tamar and I are going to Strasbourg with one of the English teachers we have met. She went to college there, so she offered to drive us and show us around the city a little. It takes about an hour and half to drive there, so we are leaving early in the morning. I am really looking forward to seeing this region of France. I have heard it is really beautiful.
The people from France Telecom came on Wednesday and successfully installed the telephone and Internet, so I think it will be up and running by the end of the week. I am really hoping it will all be done. I can’t wait to put up al the pictures I have taken in the last six weeks. I guess I should go get those organized.
The town was nice. It has about 100,000 people. It is also where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the 1400’s, so everything has her name on it. They have a museum there about the life of Joan of Arc, but it was closed so I was not able to go in. I did get to see the huge cathedral. It is called Notre Dame de Rouen. It is really famous because Claude Monet painted it in every season, but they all look the same gray color. It was almost completely destroyed after WWII, so they had to rebuild everything. It is a really amazing church and the inside is incredible.
I also went to the coast on Friday. That was a really fun trip. The weather was nice. It was cloudy at times, but it never rained. It probably would have been a really long day had we been wet the entire time. We took another train to Le Havre, which is about an hour away. Then we took a bus for another hour to Etretat. This beach is absolutely gorgeous. There are white cliffs all a long the coast. We walked all along them, and I took tons of pictures. It was nice too because there wasn’t too many people. I can just imagine it would be hard to walk around there in the summer. I definitely could have stayed there for days.
While I was Rouen both Tamar and I wanted to find some Mexican food. This is now the longest I have ever gone without Mexican food. It has been a true test of character for me to go this long without Mexican food! We found these two restaurants that said they served “Mexican” food. One had enchiladas and burritos with tomato sauce, and the other had their meals served with coleslaw instead of beans and rice! Both of those things just seemed wrong to us, so we decided instead to try to make tacos at Tamar’s apartment, which is an adventure because her kitchen I actually located in a closet. It is tiny. They were edible, but the guacamole we bought in the three foot Mexicqn section at the store was terrible. I think it is a lost cause if I think I am going to find some good or even decent Mexican food in France. I guess it is a good thing I will be coming home for Christmas maybe we could make tacos for Christmas Eve dinner the first night I am home!
Tamar and I came back to Belfort on Saturday, so it was another long day of traveling on the train. It was even longer because from Rouen to Paris the train was so crowded that we had to stand the entire time in the area connecting the cars. I really felt like the true American backpacking through Europe.
Tomorrow Sarah, Tamar and I are going to Strasbourg with one of the English teachers we have met. She went to college there, so she offered to drive us and show us around the city a little. It takes about an hour and half to drive there, so we are leaving early in the morning. I am really looking forward to seeing this region of France. I have heard it is really beautiful.
The people from France Telecom came on Wednesday and successfully installed the telephone and Internet, so I think it will be up and running by the end of the week. I am really hoping it will all be done. I can’t wait to put up al the pictures I have taken in the last six weeks. I guess I should go get those organized.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have very BIG news…I finally moved into my own room! They finished the floor yesterday evening, so I was able to put all my stuff in last night. I was really amazed by how much stuff I have collected because I know I didn’t come with all the stuff I put away. Sarah said she wasn’t going to be able to sleep because we have shared a room every night for almost 4 weeks. Now maybe we can actually get some sleep instead of talking into the wee morning hours!
My break for Toussaint, or all Saints, has officially started. I am leaving tomorrow to go to Normandy for the next three days to visit my friend Tamar. She is going to take me around Rouen, and we might go to the coast for a day, which will be really cool.
I think Tamar and I are coming back to Belfort on Saturday. Then we can go to some of the other cities in the area. Then we are going with my roommate Sarah to visit Strasbourg. Then at the end of next week we will probably be going to Paris. It is actually Versailles, which is right outside. Sarah has a friend who is an assistant there. My other roommate, Mandy, is going back to Leeds in the UK for her 21st birthday.
I had a pretty good weekend. I went to Bâle, Switzerland, but for only a few hours because the trains do not run very often on the weekends. It was the first time I have been anywhere in Europe other than France, which is a little exciting. The weather was wonderful. It was sunny and probably in the mid 70s. It couldn’t have been better. The town was really pretty, and we took a little boat across the Rhine River. All the trees were changing there as well, so everything looked even better. I definitely want to go back sometime this winter when they have snow. I sure the town would be just gorgeous.
I saw my first French film in a theater on Saturday night. I saw ‘Les Rebelles de la fôret” which is “Open Season.” It was animated, so the dubbing didn't look too bad. We went to the 10 pm show, and I was really tried, so I actually fell asleep a few times. I don' think I have ever fallen asleep at a theater before. It was OK because I still know what happened. I'll have to go to an earlier show next time.
The past two days went pretty well with my classes. I talk about Halloween in America. The kids also got vocabulary words. They found pumpkin and ghost really hard. There were a lot of kids who couldn’t say ghost. It kept coming out goat, so I had to explain that that was an entirely different word. It did sound funny though.
Well, I am off to pack my stuff. I leave tomorrow at 7 am, so I have lots of stuff to get done.
My break for Toussaint, or all Saints, has officially started. I am leaving tomorrow to go to Normandy for the next three days to visit my friend Tamar. She is going to take me around Rouen, and we might go to the coast for a day, which will be really cool.
I think Tamar and I are coming back to Belfort on Saturday. Then we can go to some of the other cities in the area. Then we are going with my roommate Sarah to visit Strasbourg. Then at the end of next week we will probably be going to Paris. It is actually Versailles, which is right outside. Sarah has a friend who is an assistant there. My other roommate, Mandy, is going back to Leeds in the UK for her 21st birthday.
I had a pretty good weekend. I went to Bâle, Switzerland, but for only a few hours because the trains do not run very often on the weekends. It was the first time I have been anywhere in Europe other than France, which is a little exciting. The weather was wonderful. It was sunny and probably in the mid 70s. It couldn’t have been better. The town was really pretty, and we took a little boat across the Rhine River. All the trees were changing there as well, so everything looked even better. I definitely want to go back sometime this winter when they have snow. I sure the town would be just gorgeous.
I saw my first French film in a theater on Saturday night. I saw ‘Les Rebelles de la fôret” which is “Open Season.” It was animated, so the dubbing didn't look too bad. We went to the 10 pm show, and I was really tried, so I actually fell asleep a few times. I don' think I have ever fallen asleep at a theater before. It was OK because I still know what happened. I'll have to go to an earlier show next time.
The past two days went pretty well with my classes. I talk about Halloween in America. The kids also got vocabulary words. They found pumpkin and ghost really hard. There were a lot of kids who couldn’t say ghost. It kept coming out goat, so I had to explain that that was an entirely different word. It did sound funny though.
Well, I am off to pack my stuff. I leave tomorrow at 7 am, so I have lots of stuff to get done.
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