Heart Grows Fonder

Sorry for my lack of finale to my European adventure. After Edinburgh I spent one more week in Nice. The weather was somewhat stormy and a lot of my friends were traveling, so it had already started to feel like the end. But, I savored one last MaNolan's trivia night, one last kebab, one last yummy crepe. Then, on the eve of my departure, all of my friends and I gathered on the beach and had a pizza party, many of them also acknowledging the fleeting time.

And before I knew it, my European adventure was over and I was back at home. My return was bittersweet, as expected. I have seen a lot of my close friends and family. However, life on the mountain is significantly slower than anything I've done in the past 5 years, so the day to day is a bit monotonous. I feel a bit like my 16 year old self because I no longer have total access to a family vehicle and if I do, it's the "mommy van." I brought nearly no money home, and am therefore dependent on my parents financially, and am unemployed for the summer and missing camp like crazy. All complaints aside, eight months away really makes me appreciate the beauty of the mountains too.

I have some summer goals (meant to keep me up off my butt and not let life get too stagnant) and I'm working on them. I'm getting a lot smoother at driving stick shift. Once I master this, the other 2 family vehicles will be available to me. I've done some cooking, but I have to admit that I haven't been too adventurous yet. I've been working out to try to keep the summer weight off, it's a challenge but I think I might get to join the Y and so some swimming and such. It's also funny how things you haven't used or thought of in 8 months suddenly lose value. I would like to go through a lot of the stuff in my room so that my life doesn't seem as cluttered. Also coming up this month is my cousin's wedding, and exactly a week later, I'll be appearing in my first role as Bridesmaid.

Oh, and p.s. Don't ask about jobs... I haven't found one yet and it could be until August.

Edinburgh

During my sojourn in Ireland, Melissa and I took a nice weekend trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. I had been wanting to see the city since I saw pictures from another friend´s travels, and Edinburgh surpassed all my expectations.

Saturday morning around 3am, Melissa and I dragged our tired bodies out into the cold to wait for the bus to the airport. I had gotten used to the colder weather in Bray, but I feared that it would be even colder in Scotland. As the plane landed, the pilot announced the local temperature as -1C and my jaw dropped as I looked at Melissa. I was not prepared for that! Luckily, seeing as it was still early morning, the weather was indeed tolerable and not too bad... still, being May, I had not anticipated needing to wear so many layers!

Our first stop was the hostel, but it was really strange because High Street/The Royal Mile was gathering people. We checked in and went to get some breakfast, as soon as we were finished, there was a parade right down High Street of the Scottish troops coming home from Afghanistan. It was really nice, it seemed like a lot of the city was there to support them.

At our hostel we found a FREE tour (they work on tips only, great idea), so that´s what we did all morning. Our tour guide Matt told us all about Edinburgh, it s history and legends for 3 hours. We learned about some really cool things like:
The Stone of Destiny, Burke and Hare Murderers, and the most loyal dog ever Greyfriars Bobby. I absolutely loved soaking in all the cool stories and the sights were just gorgeous. After a nice meal with new friends, Melissa and I went back to the hostel to take a nap. Saturday night we met up with our new friends and tried to discover some of the nightlife of Edinburgh.

Sunday morning we got a typical Scottish breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, sausages, blood sausages, beans, fried tomatoes, and haggis. I have to say it was quite delicious. From there we walked up the Royal Mile and took a seat near Edinburgh Castle. Sadly, the entry was 13 pounds, so that was not in our budget. Melissa and I spent the afternoon in Prince´s Street Gardens and then got a nice meal. Our last stop was Colton Hill where we bid farewell to Edinburgh, but not before seeing the most beautiful sights in the city!


View of Edinburgh Castle from Prince´s Street Gardens

Best views of the city! So beautiful!

Carlos, Melissa, me and Daniela in front of Edinburgh Castle

Beginning of Ireland

I jetted off to Dublin Saturday afternoon (not after one last argument with the roommate and cleaning the entire apartment with no help) to spend 10 wonderful days with Melissa in Bray.

She is an au pair in Bray for a family with 3 children. Over the weekend I did not really interact with the family because Melissa wasn't working. We went out in Bray, met a few friends, etc. Monday was also a bank holiday so Melissa and I got out to go to Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Dun Leery) to see a movie and hang out a little more. We had a great time catching up and planning some more for our stay.

Then, for the past 3 days I have been helping take care of the kids. Melissa is in charge of Daniel (3) all day. Then, she picks up Jennifer (6) and Peter (8) from school and makes dinner for them, etc. I've been getting along really well with the entire family, and Daniel is just adorable. Although I may not be out seeing Dublin quite yet, I am getting insight into the lives of a real Irish family. Plus, we have made a few little daytrips to the shore in Greystones, and yesterday we went to a nice garden/estate to walk around. I'll share pictures when I can, but Mel's computer is not a fan of putting pictures online, I already tried.

I think everything they say about Ireland is true. So far, the weather has been cold (at least compared to Nice) and it changes from sunny to rainy several times a day. It does seem very green here, and there's a flower/bush called mustard which is on all the hillsides which is also quite gorgeous. Before coming, I was also told that the Irish are very friendly. I definitely have to agree with this so far, because everyone I come in contact with is so welcoming!

I also realized right before I left that this is my first Anglophone country in 7 months. It has been a bit strange getting used to a different culture but constantly comparing it to France. I watch English/Irish TV and still expect French commercials. It's also been a bit weird when Melissa drives me around several times per day and I look to my right to talk to the driver. The first few times I got a little nervous, but I leave the driving to Mel since she knows what she's doing.

Well, that's about all I have for ya. I would like to make another Ireland post, especially if we get to go to Edinburgh as planned this weekend. Hopefully I will not get stuck in this beautiful country due to the volcano disrupting flights again. I cannot believe in 12 days I'll be back in the US!

Endings and Beginnings

Wow wow wow. I cannot believe that it is nearly May and I am in my last week of teaching and living in Nice. Friday the weather was grey and my mood matched it; I was just feeling so depressed to leave. I have 3 days left of teaching, then I will have a fun 10 days with Melissa in Dublin (and 2 in Edinburgh), then I'm back in Nice for a short week to wrap things up and hopefully catch some of the Cannes festival. May 18th I repatriate and begin a whole new chapter.

I did receive a nice little gift in the form of a large cloud of volcanic ash. While the rest of Europe was up in smoke, I was granted an extra week without my roommate (best present of all! The apartment was much more relaxed without her). Then, due to cancelled plans I welcomed a fellow Crozetian and 2 more UVA students who are studying in Lyon. It was like a mini mid-week vacation. Two days later, several hours in the sun, good food, and a nice sunburn later, my guests leave and I am reminded of all the tasks to do before leaving.

There is a possibility that this is my last post before returning to the States. I make no promises, but I do tend to get more nostalgic and thoughtful during transitions. I know I have learned and grown so much here. And I am dreading the return, but I know I will be happy once I get there. I just need to start planning my next return to France. I do not know if I will have another opportunity to live here for an extended period, and that makes me sad. I think I'll have some things to blog about this summer... the transition period. I also have a lot of goals (besides GET A JOB) that include more cooking experiments, learning to drive stick, etc. and I can blog about that!

A Striking Cultural Difference

So, I guess I've been rather absent. Again, I will use the excuse that I've been out and about, living my life here. I'm at the end of my fourth and last vacation, and Daphne just came to visit. Although we did not leave the Nice area (we did go to Italy one afternoon) I still had a wonderful time. Either way, I've just not felt the blogging inspiration recently.

A topic of conversation as of recent is how difficult it is to travel. Currently I know a few people stranded in different destinations because of the Icelandic volcano, but before that there was the train strike. So, I thought I'd talk a little bit about the French and their love of the "grève."

Since October when I started, every couple of months the teachers' unions will plan a day to strike. If it is only teachers, then they will meet in front of the Rectorat (= education hq for the city) and have picket signs, whatever. Also, there are days where nationally unions will call for strikes and there are protesters in the street for a couple of hours.

In the fall/winter the strikes did not affect much. I know of about 3-5 teachers who actually strike when the day comes, and they are older, more seasoned teachers. So, usually I still have to work, I just know that their classes will be canceled. I have also heard that students will get word of a strike and decide to be "solidaire" and not come to school.

However, the national strike in March was much bigger. I mentioned that I still had one class, but I actually got up that morning so I could go see the manifestations /protests. Since this was a national strike of all the unions, there were firefighters, rescue workers, teachers, newspapers, and all the transportations were represented. The parade started at Place Massena, continued through Garibaldi and I was shocked that an hour later (after I had returned to eat lunch) I saw them coming down Jean Medecin. (I know that means nothing to those of you who have not been to Nice, but they did at least a mile or two of parading!)

Honestly, I did not pay too much attention to what they were protesting about. I do know that usually the teachers are protesting against Education policies that might require bigger class sizes or more work hours. Also, the national strike in March came just a few days after their regional elections. I heard some people remarks about how the French just told the government how they wanted things via voting, and now they felt the need to strike. I guess I kind of equate the French's love to strike with the American mentality about the second amendment-- it's a right.

I do have to give the transportation people a little credit for getting their point across. For almost 2 weeks the trains in France have been on strike. It came right during Easter break which is a major holiday for a lot of Europe, and the strike has inconvenienced a LOT of tourists. I have some friends stranded in Barcelona currently waiting for a way back to Nice, and that's just the beginning. Only a few trains run per day and the only way to know which ones is to go to the station. Once you tick off a bunch of vacationing Europeans, you can consider your strike a success, I guess.

I'll end by asking what you think of the French and their love for strikes? Do you think they're effective? and I'll include a few pictures that I took from March.



"Following a social movement, the tramway network will be cancelled today. Thank you for understanding."

"Its just like riding a bike"

FALSE.

Today was a national union strike across France (for another post) which meant not only that half my teachers were striking, but also public transportation. But, being the dedicated assistant I am, I told Simona that I could walk to school as long as the weather was nice.

Flash forward to a beautiful day and me cursing myself for making this promise. The last thing I want to do is go to school! So, I leave my house a little late and as Im dreading the long walk ahead of me, I see it in the distance... the blue bikes!

Just last year the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi (pictured trying out the bikes) installed around 50 stations of vélo bleu around Nice, available for public use at a very small fee. It's a great effort to stay green and allows people to use bikes for cheap rather than having to buy their own. Plus, the first 30 mins is free, but I signed up for a month of unlimited service for 10€. Good deal!

But then, as I selected a bike and pulled it out of the station I had an epiphany: First, I don't remember the last time I rode a bike and second: I don't know ANYTHING about riding a bike in the city!!! Do I ride on the sidewalk or on the road if there's no bike lane? I don't know. I managed to make it onto some roads less-traveled, but I was still rather nervous. Not to mention that I am trying to keep my purse on my arm and my schoolbag in the basket. As cute and stylish and French as this sounds, I'm mostly sure I looked like a moron. At one point I even heard sirens behind me and almost thought the police were going to pull me over and yell at me for doing it wrong.

I arrived safe and sound and the first station was full, so I had to find another one. My heart still pounding, I returned my bike to its station, and walked the last few meters to school thinking to myself that I should have planned that more. I will definitely pay more attention to bike lanes and riders before I decide to take one out again. Phew.

Profitez!

Sorry for my recent truancy from blogging; as they say here, "j'en profitais" meaning I've been taking advantage of everything. Although the weather is still leaving a lot to be desired (many Niçois are asking what country they are in) the past 2 weekends have brought about beautiful sunny weather that causes me to gravitate outside.

Saturday the 6th was spent with 3 of my girlfriends taking a hike along a beautiful nature walk path. We headed east and walked all the way to Villefranche. We ate a picnic lunch near the port, and then I discovered my favorite new "downtime game." A game where you start with a celebrity, let's say Meg Ryan, and the next person must then find another celeb whose name starts with R and so on. If I were to say Ryan Reynolds (double letter) then the order of the game would reverse. It sounds pretty banal, but its my type of game, and you find ways to entertain yourself when walking around.


After lunch, we walked on over to the beach which is made of tiny pebbles more resembling sand. We took a nice leisurely siesta on the beach, where I swore to commute to Villefranche more often. Its in this cove and the beach is just lovely. After a quick shower, I headed out to have dinner with some other friends at Festival de la Moule where you can get unlimited mussels and fries for like 14€, delicious!

Sunday had turned grey and colder, but no matter because there was a Chocolate Show in Nice! I have given up chocolate for Lent, but I made my friends wait to go until Sunday because they are "mini-Easters" :) Entry was 4€ but included free tastes and one sample that some chefs were making (it was strange: pop rocks, grapefruit mousse and a chocolate stick inside). There were so many vendors selling yummies: chocolate covered marshmallows, macarons, chocolate spread, chocolate bars, chocolate without sugar, olive oil chocolate, hot chocolate, chocolate sculptures and even sweeeeet wine that pairs with chocolate. At the end, I had no desire to have chocolate for the next week.

Then, the weather stayed cold and grey, so I did not go out as much during the week. Plus, March has been a hard month budget-wise, so I was feeling a little down. Nevertheless, I spent a lot of time cooking, eating and chatting at Kiran's apartment.

Fast forward to this past weekend. It started Friday with some stirfry chez moi, and over to a new French friend's apt for dessert crêpes. In a small intimate group we chatted in French over Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and delicious crêpes. I was thrilled to finally have some friends to speak French with!

Saturday was yet another excursion. This time, my friend Alex loaded up his car and took us to Antibes to walk around. Antibes is a cute little town between Nice and Cannes where many artists have spent time. I would have liked to go to the Picasso museum, but my body would just not let me walk into a museum on such a nice day. Instead we sauntered around the city, enjoying each others company for a few hours, got some pizza at an outdoor cafe, and took the long way home. I managed to get shotgun both ways and relished in my first real carride in months :)

Saturday night was spent cooking a delicious French mac n' cheese at Kiran's (emmental cheese, parmesan on top, bread crumbs and baked) and fresh salsa for an appetizer. And then I went out to listen to some live music with a musician whom we have befriended in Nice. Fun times!

Hopefully having some Irish food and festivities tomorrow. Erin go bragh! and then a birthday and hopefully more good weather this weekend.