For the first time in 8 years, it didn't rain on my birthday. Frankly, I was shocked. But it was rather pleasant all the same. I want to thank everyone for their birthday wishes, I had a most wonderful and pleasant birthday, and I shall now endeavour to recount the details.
So...Saturday, the day before my birthday, I found myself at the civic center of Marennes. The bball club was hosting a loto as a fundraiser. A loto is basically bingo. And there were some really fantastic prizes! But the majority of the 300 people there were over the age of 50. And they were serious bingo players! Tired of not winning, I started to talk to my neighbor only to be interupted by a loud "SHHH!!!" Wow. Loto is intense. So, I decided to construct a pyramid of bingo chips which entertained me mightily for some time. I watched as the 8 year old Lea used her own money to buy bingo cards and every possible item from the snack bar...she was very proud of the fact that she had paid for it. And she was so sure she was going to win too...welp, teach em young that gambling doesn't pay. Anyhoo, at midnight (I wasn't aware that it was midnight as I was constructing the hanging gardens of Bingolon), Thierry interupted number calling to say, "Today, the 22nd of February, in the United States, is a very important day". Oh crap. So, basically he announced my birthday in front of 300 people, made me stand up and then the lights went out and Fabrice came on to the stage with a birthday cake. So, I had to walk up in front of all those people and blew out my candles. It was embarrassing, but very nice of them too. After all of the people had left, Fabrice hauled out an enormous box and told me it was my birthday present. At the top of the box was a wreath made out of oyster shells (oyster shells aren't the prettiest) that I was made to wear around my neck so that pictures could be taken. I was told later that this oyster shell rings are lowered into water to attract baby oysters or something like that. Anyhoo, since Fabrice works for a beverage company, there were a ton of little things in the box that he had probably gotten for free from work...all stamped with alcohol brands. And I don't drink! But I did get this super sweet shirt that says "Staff" that I like great deal (even though it also says Smirnoff Ice...boo). But it was fun to pull out random things like dice and dominoes and nutella and hamburger buns and apricot jam. And then Fabrice brought me something very very nice. He gave me two books about the Charente-Maritime. Now I can share my lovely home with all of you! I can show you all of the forts, and ancent roman cities...everything! Laurent gave me a BBMB tshirt that my entire team had signed. Benoit signed "ton marié (husband)...I love you" which made me laugh. Lea had written "Je t'aimme fort" spelling aime incorrectly, but adding to its cuteness. All in all, a wonderful evening.
I spent most of the morning of my birthday marveling that it was sunny and reading a detective novel in my bed. All of a sudden, I received an text message from Melany which said they were coming to pick me up. I was like...ok. So...I got dressed (I'm entitled to spend the day in my pjs on my birthday!) and went down to meet the Cortieux family, namely Fabrice (my coach), his wife, and their daughter Melany (my teammate). I asked what we would be doing and they told me we were going to a puppy convention! That's right...you heard me. Breeders had come together and were selling puppies...they cost a pretty penny but that didn't stop one from petting all of the puppies. Pug puppies are the cutest. They snort like little piggies and are so potbellied with their curly pig tails. It was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we drove along the coast and stopped at Fort Vauban...another one of the many forts along the coast of the Charente Maritime. The sun was setting and you could just make out Fort Boyard (an island fortress) silhouetted against the horizon. From there, Fabrice treated me to dinner at a pizzeria (pizzerias in France are waaay more posh than they are in the states). I had "Exotique" pizza (French for hawaiian pizza) and it was delicious. All in all a most wonderful birthday. So...I think I'll go finish that detective novel now...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Pour Caits
Alors...je vais ecrire une petite message pour mon amie Caitlyn. Mais en fait, il y a longtemps depuis j'ai ecrit quelque chose en francais...je lis, j'ecoute, and je parle le francais tout le temps...mais ecrire? c'est un peu difficile. Qu'est-ce que je peux dire a toi, Caitlyn? Je pense que tu vas adorer la France! Mais les temps sont mal, malhereusement. Il pleut tout le temps et il fait froid...mais Paris est belle...Paris...c'est comme une pierre precieuse. J'ai une liste de choses que tu dois visiter a Paris. Mais bien sur les endroits comme le tour eiffel, mais il y a des autre chose que je sais que tu vas aimer. Par exemple...visite chaque eglise...souvent tu trouves que les plus belles eglises sont les plus petites. Demande a Sarah...elle peut raconter un histoire dans l'eglise de Notre Dame de Montmartre... Quoi d'autre? Mange des crepes! Chaque jour! Peut-etre pas chaque jour...tu vas grossir...je rigole! Alors, t'es contente ma poule? Voila, une message juste pour toi...en francais!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
This one's for Sarah
So...I watched the Swan Princess last night. For those of you who don't know the glories of the Swan Princess, you must go watch it. RIGHT NOW! Basically, it's a pretty cheesy animated film that I love. And I'm somewhat of an animation snob. In fact, if I had to rate Swan Princess...it would have to be towards the bottom of the list as far as quality goes. 1. Disney/Studio Ghibli 2. Dreamworks (Prince of Egypt) 3. Fox (Anastasia) 4. Nissen (The Swan Princess) 5. The Magic Pony (I think its Russian...I've never seen animation of such poor quality) Ask Sarah about the Magic Pony sometime. Anyhoo, all of this to say that at the end of the film, when Prince Derek is having his big showdown with The Great Animal...I burst out laughing hysterically and couldn't stop. There comes a moment when the Great Animal pins its ears back, starts grinning maliciously, and snorting heavily through its nostrils. Sarah does such an amazing impersonation that although there was no one to hear me I was laughing uncontrollably for several minutes at the recollection. Thank you Sarah. I wonder if living alone is making me go crazy? Oh! And guess what? The special features has a sing along option! When I get home, Sarah, we are going to have a Swan Princess sing along. (Not you, Wesley...you're a rabbit!)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
25 Things
So, I'm jumping on the bandwagon and publishing my 25 random facts about me like everyone and their mom has been doing on facebook for the last two weeks. Since I don't really have access to facebook, I'll post it here on my blog, since the friends of mine who frequent my blog are the ones I want to read it anyways. Anyhoo, in no particular order...mes 25 choses.
1. I am currently living in the oyster capital of France. Even though oysters taste like little gulps of sea water, I love it here!
2. Napoleon Bonaparte is my historical hero. Hands down.
3. I grit my teeth when I pet insanely cute animals. I also want to squeeze them into oblivion, but as this is hazardous to the health of the animal, I refrain.
4. At 6’1”, I am the shortest person in my family. The french find this “incroyable”.
5. The only age I ever wanted to be was 16…so I could drive.
6. I hate television…it rots the minds of our youth. With the exception of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?
7. A purring cat asleep in your lap is akin to heaven. Even when the cat destroys your pants from excessive kneading.
8. Guacamole is my favorite food…although I’m not really sure if it qualifies as food. I love it with Carne Asada, black beans, chips…heck, sometimes I eat it by the spoonful. Not really sure if that’s too healthy…
9. My pet peeve is when people talk in movie theatres. I only pay to see a movie maybe 5 times a year…DO NOT RUIN IT FOR ME!
10. I secretly adore fashion and wish I could wear whatever I darn well please…much like the Japanese. Sometimes I do, but I wish I had to guts to wear the bizarre everyday.
11. If I had smaller feet, I would probably have a shoe obsession. As it is, I already own too many pairs of shoes. And jackets.
12. I’m intensely curious as to what people would think of me if I shaved my head.
13. I like French names for boys even though Americans find them effeminate. Par exemple: Michel, Benoit, Loic, Valentin, Sylvain…the list goes on.
14. My ambition in high school was to narrate a show for the history channel.
15. I love the sun. Like seriously. Like I’ll spend all afternoon in the sun basking like a lizard even if I return home with a sunburn. It hurts so good. I often take a sheet and find a patch of grass and either sleep or read.
16. I cried after the end of the last Narnia book. Not because the story was sad, but because it was the end of the series.
17. I rarely do anything with my hair. In fact, I rarely brush it. I’m not even sure if I know how to do anything with my hair.
18. I consider convincing my mother to let us name the cat Smeagol a great accomplishment.
19. I hate to do the dishes. I’d rather do any other chore. There is some satisfaction of a job well done after doing chores…but with dishes…you know you’re just going to use them again and have to clean them again. Paper plates are your friend.
20. I have perpetual bruises on my knees from basketball. I plan on playing indefinitely, but I often stop and wonder how much longer that will be…
21. I can be a bit of a control freak. You can watch whatever you want on the t.v., but I have to hold the remote.
22. I like to know things. Maybe its the reason I enjoy being a park ranger. I hold the knowledge, and the knowledge is empowering.
23. Sometimes, it is easier for me to understand French than people with British or Scottish accents. You’d think we speak the same language, right?
24. When I was in elementary school, I checked out D’aulaires Book of Greek Myths from the library at least 9 times in one year. I read it through every single time.
25. I don’t eat salad. I feel I could benefit just as much from going in the backyard and munching on some leaves.
1. I am currently living in the oyster capital of France. Even though oysters taste like little gulps of sea water, I love it here!
2. Napoleon Bonaparte is my historical hero. Hands down.
3. I grit my teeth when I pet insanely cute animals. I also want to squeeze them into oblivion, but as this is hazardous to the health of the animal, I refrain.
4. At 6’1”, I am the shortest person in my family. The french find this “incroyable”.
5. The only age I ever wanted to be was 16…so I could drive.
6. I hate television…it rots the minds of our youth. With the exception of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?
7. A purring cat asleep in your lap is akin to heaven. Even when the cat destroys your pants from excessive kneading.
8. Guacamole is my favorite food…although I’m not really sure if it qualifies as food. I love it with Carne Asada, black beans, chips…heck, sometimes I eat it by the spoonful. Not really sure if that’s too healthy…
9. My pet peeve is when people talk in movie theatres. I only pay to see a movie maybe 5 times a year…DO NOT RUIN IT FOR ME!
10. I secretly adore fashion and wish I could wear whatever I darn well please…much like the Japanese. Sometimes I do, but I wish I had to guts to wear the bizarre everyday.
11. If I had smaller feet, I would probably have a shoe obsession. As it is, I already own too many pairs of shoes. And jackets.
12. I’m intensely curious as to what people would think of me if I shaved my head.
13. I like French names for boys even though Americans find them effeminate. Par exemple: Michel, Benoit, Loic, Valentin, Sylvain…the list goes on.
14. My ambition in high school was to narrate a show for the history channel.
15. I love the sun. Like seriously. Like I’ll spend all afternoon in the sun basking like a lizard even if I return home with a sunburn. It hurts so good. I often take a sheet and find a patch of grass and either sleep or read.
16. I cried after the end of the last Narnia book. Not because the story was sad, but because it was the end of the series.
17. I rarely do anything with my hair. In fact, I rarely brush it. I’m not even sure if I know how to do anything with my hair.
18. I consider convincing my mother to let us name the cat Smeagol a great accomplishment.
19. I hate to do the dishes. I’d rather do any other chore. There is some satisfaction of a job well done after doing chores…but with dishes…you know you’re just going to use them again and have to clean them again. Paper plates are your friend.
20. I have perpetual bruises on my knees from basketball. I plan on playing indefinitely, but I often stop and wonder how much longer that will be…
21. I can be a bit of a control freak. You can watch whatever you want on the t.v., but I have to hold the remote.
22. I like to know things. Maybe its the reason I enjoy being a park ranger. I hold the knowledge, and the knowledge is empowering.
23. Sometimes, it is easier for me to understand French than people with British or Scottish accents. You’d think we speak the same language, right?
24. When I was in elementary school, I checked out D’aulaires Book of Greek Myths from the library at least 9 times in one year. I read it through every single time.
25. I don’t eat salad. I feel I could benefit just as much from going in the backyard and munching on some leaves.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Pour les gens qui aiment les chats
Everytime I ride my bike past a certain yard in Bourcefranc, there is a certain faucet covered in black and white plastic that strongly resembles a sitting cat. And everytime I ride past this certain yard with this certain faucet, it is certain that my heart will leap up into my throat as I prepare to rejoice over the presence of a cat. (Every true cat lover will know exactly what I mean). But alas! Thwarted again! Last night, after being tricked for what could conceivably be the 1,391st time, I fervently said to myself, "I wish you WERE a cat." I continued on my way and gave no further thought to the matter. Upon exiting the bank, my attention was arrested as I glanced across the street and saw an apparition that made me catch my breath. Sitting in the windowsill, regarding me intently, sat a black and white cat. A cat that looked as if it may have sprung to life from a certain plastic covered faucet. For a full minute I stared at faucet cat and truly believed that my wish had come true. But then I came to my senses and slowly turned my bicycle homewards. I'm sure faucet cat is out there somewhere waiting for me to believe in him again so that I can take him home and he can sit in my lap and purr.
Les Temps des Cathedrales
i am continually struck by the emptiness of the great cathedrals of France. There are signs posted that command silence upon entering a cathedral, but really...who would want to disturb that colossal emptiness, that cavernous silence. Not I... I walked into the Cathedrale de Saint-Pierre today. It is a magnificent cathedral, full of light and color...and I was the only one there to enjoy it. As I walked the floor of the catheral, I was struck by the state of disrepair I found it in. The cathedral is losing the battle against mold. Mold and moss may make for pituresque photos, but they eat away at stone, slowly destroying the history that has long since fled our awareness. What will be left in 100 years? I hestitate to even wonder. Each and everytime I enter a lonely, forsaken cathedral, I fell as if we are trying to make God a relic of the past. My relationship with my savior is alive and vibrant. I mourn for those who view God as a remnant from the middle ages that science was unable to extinguish. And so, each time I enter a cathedral, it is with a sense of melancholy. Cathedrals are beautiful houses of God, but they can be made even more so if filled to capacity with worshippers who lift their voices to fill the cavernous silence with music and praise. Helas! Il n'est plus les temps des cathedrales.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)