Mad dash to the finish line

The last few weeks have been a crazy mixture of emotions and activities. We finished teaching ten days ago which left plenty of time for ‘last suppers’ and beautiful picnics and bar crawls. The down side to such fun sounding activities? Each one was a farewell to one or more friends who were ready to take off to their homeland the next day. Being one of the last to leave means that I am able to partake in the festivities but also have to watch as our social group for the last seven months shrinks daily.

Aside from that, I’m packed and ready to go except for the box of books I most likely need to mail home unless I can effectually fit them into my suitcase, but that’s not looking promising. Leaving my room in Les Herbiers was an emotional task. Its really strange how attached one can get to a living space. It was my little sanctuary since October and leaving it behind was a little like losing a comfort blanket. Leaving Les Herbiers itself was not as emotional as it could have been considering Melissa was in Spain with her dad and Mattia was in Italy visiting his family and showing some students around. When we arrived in October I was a little upset that I had to move to the country while the other girls set up shop in the city. Now, I am very sad to say goodbye to my rural home. I will miss the cows, local bakeries, students, kind teachers, birds and crickets singing outside of my window all day, and sharing cultures and stories with Melissa around our tiny kitchen table. All good things have to come to an end, I suppose.

I’ve now set up shop (my backpack is on the floor) in Gregory’s old room as I wait for Wednesday when Keri Ann, Jennifer and I will fly to Iceland for two days before taking our final flight to Seattle. Last week I was feeling like I didn’t want to go and holding on to the France-mode mindset for dear life. But, now that nearly everyone is gone it doesn’t feel the same. So, America, we’re coming for you; be ready!

Tales from the land of Tajine and bartering

    I returned from Morocco two weeks ago and am just now writing it all down. I felt I needed time to reflect and decide how to express the countless experiences I had during my ten day mini tour of the country. So, I've decided to stay away from the mundane day-to-day travel blog details and instead focus on the events which left the biggest impression... that's the point, right? But, if you are interested in some of the more quotidian events you're in luck! My friends and I created a sort of video-blog while we are exploring. You can find the videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/suburbankoolaid#p/u and they will all be labeled 'Maroc video diary'. I'm sure you can figure it out. Go. Fight. View some Moroccan story telling!

    This adventure is one I'm sure I'll remember for quite some time. Not because we did anything extreme or had near death experiences but mostly because it was a great insight into an entirely different culture and way of life. I had never been to a Muslim country before nor Africa. The most exotic place I'd been was Greece and blond tourists are a dime a dozen on those islands. Before we left I was feeling nervous about having to use my French in a practical way. Yes, I speak French everyday and I've lived here for six months but I was still a little apprehensive.

    My concern was swiftly washed away out second day. We were on the train from Casablanca to Marrakesh and settled into a compartment with a mother and her two daughters which were our age. Soon after an 82 year old enters and settles between Richard and on of the daughters. Some time passes where the old man and the family converse in a unique mixture of Arabic and French and Richard and I have no idea what they are talking about. But, then they are searching for a word and one of us knew the answer (in French obviously). So, we shared the knowledge and spent the next two plus hours chatting away while we passed though the Moroccan countryside. The man shared stories of his youth, family and life's ups and downs while staring me intensely in the eyes. It was fabulous but also like the longest oral pop quiz I've ever had the chance to experience. I was so grateful to have had such an experience (not just the pop quiz stare down)! The girls invited us to stay at their house in Fez if we were able to make it north and gave us their emails so we could find them on Facebook (the true connector of cultures). The three hours we spent with our compartment compatriots gave new life to the reason I love languages. Without French I would have never been able to communicate on a real level with these strangers. For me, that's the point of traveling. Not to see the sighs but to discover and experience the culture. A few other times I was complimented on my French while shopping, bartering or taking a tour of the tanneries. It was really encouraging to hear people saying that my accent was good etc... because its easy to feel like you are not improving when you have no summative assessments.

    Also, I have never been anywhere with a more hospitable culture. The Moroccan people are welcoming and encouraging and interested in you and that was a wonderful surprise. Anytime we arrived at a new place or even just walking through the market people would strike up conversations. Where are you from? Is this your first time in Morocco? What do you think? You speak French? Would you like some tea? On one occasion Richard and I were wondering around Essaouria and were stopped by a herb/tea vendor. I said, no thank you, we don't need anything. He replied with, everything is free... to smell. So, as he starts rubbing all sorts of soap-like perfumes on my wrists we start talking. The usual questions come up. He is excited to practice his English and even more excited that we speak French. He invites us for tea in his little shop and sends an ancient old man to fetch the boiling water after he asks Richard if he is my husband and then offers to buy me for an unspecified number of camels. So, we drink tea and people watch a have a casual conversation about Morocco and Essaouria. Once we are finished he doesn't try to make us buy anything (which is very surprising) and thanks us for having tea with him. It is encounters like these which sperate Morocco and what I imagine most of Africa and Asia from the 'Western World'. Morocco is so close to France that you can take a boat to the northern coast. You'd think that the exchange of cultures would be greater. There are still many signs that Morocco was once a French colony such as there is always an 'apéro' when drinks are served. As well as everyone using the formal vous with strangers and guests. But, the Moroccans say 'you're welcome' which is something I rarely hear in France.

    All said and done I am overwhelmingly pleased that I was able to experience Morocco the way I did. By eating where the people eat and staying in the hearts of the medinas we were able to see the real deal instead of the touristic postcard version.

Here are some photos for the road:

Mosque in Casablanca

Tanneries in Marrakesh

Old Palace in Marrakesh

The best orange juice you'll ever have. Marrakesh. 40 cents.

Restaurant in the Atlas mountains

Camel ride in the Atlas mountains

Lamp shop in Marrakesh

Ancient doors in Essaouria

Rooftop sunset in Essaouria

Ready to Moroc and Roll

    The last month and a half has flown by. Sorry for the extreme lack of posts. My only excuse is that I was living the dream. That dream consisted of:

Meeting Keri Ann's rugby team (after she broke her ankle)

    My ex-travel partner in crime had an accident during a rugby match and her ankle happened to break during said accident. Bummer 5000. I thought it was a joke. If only we were so lucky. Anyway, the Thursday after it happened I chaperoned her to practice so she would not be forced to sit alone in the clubhouse until everyone was finished. What this really means is that we played the ukulele, sang, drank beer and drew on her cast while we waited. Her team is fabulous. I'm a little jealous I don't play a team sport in France (although I'm sure I'd break something if I tried rugby). It is such a fabulous way to meet cool people without always going to bars.

A free trip to the symphony 

     There was a classical music festival in Nantes called 'La Folle Journee'. Keri Ann received tickets from a colleague who couldn't attend due to her job (you know, teaching) and since broken Keri was excused from work for a while she (we) lucked out. It was a Strauss symphony and was really good. Also, I was so impressed by the fact that the French place such an importance on their youth appreciating the arts. Over half of the theater was occupied by children under twelve years old. One might think that an auditorium full of kids is not appropriate for a symphony. They would be very wrong. The children were captivated by the music; silent and thoughtful. It was beautiful. Thanks Keri Ann for the sweet date!

Turning Jennifer, Keri Ann and Gregory's kitchen into an art gallery

     What started out as an alternative to spending money at bars has now turned into a Sunday Night In Nantes tradition. There is nothing like letting the creative juices flow and then using a thumbtack to post your work. We always work based on a theme and everyone gets to draw or paint their interpretation of that theme or word. Its coming along well. I'll post a photo next time I'm in Nantes.

The Superbowl in France

     Lindsey was fabulous and thew a Superbowl Party at her apartment! We were there before most everyone else and played french Pictionary (so much harder than I thought it'd be...but also great for vocab.) Later everyone arrived and we ate 7-layer dip, chili, guacamole and all sorts of other snacks. Greg and Lindsey eventually found a way to stream the game online without having to pay and we settled in to watch what was to become the longest Superbowl of my life. In all actuality, the game was average length. It was the fact that it started at midnight in France that was the kicker. Go Packers! We finally got to bed at five. Great idea on a school night? At least I only have one class on Mondays.

Hiking through the French countryside

We found adorable cows. Thanks for all of the delicious dairy products!

Shopping at Flea Markets

     Each weekend there are two giant markets in Nantes in the Talensac neighborhood. One is full of wonderful regional products and the other is a giant flea market. I, as you could probably guess, always want to buy EVERYTHING. What is stopping me? The fact that I remind myself that I have to take it back to America. We did find a long, old rope to use as a volleyball net. Good work, Lindsey!

Like most Flea Markets you have to dig but you can find some really cool, really old stuff.

An afternoon of pick-up volleyball

    Instead of playing football on Sunday (as usual) we decided to play volleyball. Lindsey fashioned a net out of the previously purchased rope and we were ready to rock. After the boys arrived it was decided that the teams would be Francis, Tim, Gregory and Rhys versus Melissa, Lindsey, Maria, Julia and myself. Boys vs. Girls. The age old battle. Needless to say we one all three matches. There was a slight disturbance when the ball was lodged into the trees by a member of the male team. Luckily Tim was able to climb the tree and shake the ball out so we could continue our winning streak.

    Now I'm up to speed. As of today:
    We are on school vacation. But, I am teaching an English workshop for the first two days of vacation. The group is very small (the profs all think its because the students just had eight weeks straight of class) but its nice. Its great to be able to work with individual students on pronunciation and things that interest them. For the end of the stage linguistique tomorrow we are going to have a little party and the two groups will share their posters etc... Melissa and I are bringing traditional food from our countries. She is slaving away in the kitchen right now and I decided on Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies (homemade of course).  I'm also getting ready to leave for the real vacation on Wednesday. Its off to Morocco we go. Richard and I are flying to Casablanca on Wednesday and then will meet up with Lindsey in Marrakesh on Thursday. I'm very excited. No need to worry. The political climate in Morocco is nothing like that of Libya or Egypt...and if its nuts, we'll leave.
    Hopefully the next post will be full of stories regarding couscous and camels. A+

World Cup!? Check that off my bucket list.

    Before I get down to the real story telling here I'd like to give a quick head nod of acknowledgment to things I am currently enjoying.
+ Living in wine country. I bought a bottle of Muscat today for 1.30 which I am currently savoring from a tin camping mug... only the highest standards for this girl.
+ SOLDES (sales)! They only happen twice a year. One of those times is now. I bought a soccer ball and a volleyball for only ten euro today!
+ Nice weather. Its been in the mid 50's all week. Spring in January? Yes, please!
+ The fact that you can see which links people looked at your blog from. Someone was just scoping this blog from an Eyebrow Implants site. You can make your own commentary.

Ok, on with the show!
    Last weekend started early for me, as usual. I took the bus to Nantes to meet up with the Bel Air apartment crew and their fabulous guest and one of my oldest friends, Arran. Reunited just after a week apart was a fabulous experience. Its pretty strange when you've been long distance friends for eight years to get to see each other so often. I'm so lucky! Anyway, Richard came over and  we all hungout in the common area/kitchen for a bit and then headed to my favorite bar in Nantes, Au Chien Stupid. Jennifer's friend Stephan met us there and we had a great night of French and English conversation. We called it pretty early considering half of the group had class the next day...unfortunate.
    Friday welcomed us with open arms and beautiful blue, sunny skies. Arran and I decided to go to l'ile de Nantes (http://www.lesmachines-nantes.fr/index.html) so she could see the giant elephant. We really should have done some research first because we found that the entire thing will be closed until February. We did not, however let that ruin our fun! We walked along the river and then back through Commerce towards the château. We were in the midst of trying to capture this best friend France moment with a picture and failing horribly. Just then a wonderfully nice Frenchmen got out of his work truck and asked if we'd like him to take one of us. He took two. Thank you anonymous man. After the impromptu photoshoot we decided that lunch by the mote was the plan of action. We found a cute Greek falafel shop and bought two feta falafels to go. The owner was also a fabulous, kind man who was just chatting away with me about how he is so glad that I'm working in the schools instead of studying at university in Nantes. He said his first friend in France was an American in Lyon who showed him the ropes as a foreigner in France. He was great. I will return. 
    Later we all met back up at the apartment and planned the evening. First on the list was the Coupe du Monde: Baby Foot! (Foosball WORLD CUP!!) and then off to Lieu Unique. We didn't actually know how to get to the World Cup but we had some phone numbers and a mission so we set off to meet Rhys at a tram stop and then went on foot from there. After about twenty minutes we found it and entered into history in the making. The men's final was between Great Brittan and The USA. As if there weren't already enough America vs. the UK jokes already among the assistants. Needless to say both groups cheered for their Fatherlands and I'm happy to say that the U.S. took the win despite Sophie having acquired a flag.

 

 

Congratulations Team USA!

    After the intensity of the match we all though a pint (or a few) were needed... that's not true. We were going to drink anyway. We headed to a neat bar by the train station, found a table and settled in. We met some French 20-somethings who were teaching us fun games and wanting to practice their English. All in all we had a fabulous night!
    Saturday evening was Misty's birthday party with the theme 'masquerade'. So, as people who genuinely love dressing up we dutifully set out on a mission to find the appropriate attire. We didn't really find anything to our liking so we decided to cook instead and create our own masks. Arran carefully created masks out of makeup for herself, Jennifer and Gregory. Keri Ann went as a Super Hero and I went as her nerdy 'real life' personage.
    Sunday was another b.e.a.utiful day in Nantes. Keri Ann had a rugby match in Marseilles (she plays for a legit team and gets flown around the country to play. Go Keri Ann!!) but Arran, Jennifer and I started the day off with a few pain au chocolat and headed off along the Erdre river. We walked and walked and talked and talked and voyaged through the forest that grows in the marshy edges of the water. It was so great to be outside!
    The next morning we had to say goodbye to Arran at the gare as she got on the train. It sucks saying goodbye. But, we'll see each other again in March when we go to Morocco.
    The rest of the week flew by for the most part. I already have three students signed up for the Stage Linguistique (English workshop) that I will be doing for two days at the end of February. I also had the worst class period of my entire life. These boys have been the worst since the beginning. But Wednesday was by far the most extreme. I usually just let their misbehavior slide because it's not that intense in the grand scheme of things. This time however I almost lost it. They were throwing things, playing music on their phones loudly while I was directly telling them to stop, chewing tobacco in class, and saying disgusting things about me (which I understood) to each other. So, I told their teacher. Take that rude high school boys. I can still tattle like a five year old. Repremands all around (except for the two students who actually try and are the only two who keep me slightly sane for those fifty minutes)!
    There is a big party this weekend in Nantes for Sophie's 21st birthday party. I can't go however in an attempt to conserve fundage for the vacation in a month an a half. Every time I go to Nantes its a fabulous weekend but I feel like I leave broke. Concious spending is going to be my new habit. We'll see how that goes.
Over and Out!

Back to School!

    The first week back at school (three days a teaching) has been great! I decided to play games to ease us back into it and the students responded very well. Here are the highlights from the week:
    In a middle school class, I was talking about winter in Spokane, Washington. But, their level of English is pretty weak...so when they hear one word that they understand everyone begins to shout other words that go along with the subject. So, when I said 'Washington' they chorused things like, 'Barack Obama!', 'D.C.', and one girl shouts 'George Washington!'. I told her that George Washington has been dead for quite a while now to which she was a little surprised and responded with, 'ahhh ouais?!' which means 'no, really!?' It was priceless.
    In my most advanced class the students played a game where I gave each of them a 'profession' and they had to speed date with each other to try and discover everyone's job. They got really into it and created their own personages to make it more fun. The farmer in the group: 'I work in the country, in the landscape. I have a tractor.' It was great to see them work and use their vocabulary in a fun way.
    In a fairly advanced sophomore class today, we played a game where they had to guess the celebrity that was taped to their back. Turns out being Justin Bieber is the worst option. I thought Paris Hilton would be worse. We also played a game that I stole from Keri Ann. I drew a picture and the students faced each other in pairs. The student who was facing me had to describe the image to their partner who would try and replicate the image without seeing it. The best description I overheard was "at the bottom there is an....ass." He was describing hills in the foreground but his partner looked a little worried but dutifully drew a small derriere on the page. Perfect.
    In other news, Janelle is very sick while in the Philippines partaking in the Peace Corps. Today, she turned a corner and is officially on her way to being healthy again. But, while discussing her illness and what its like to be seriously sick in a third world country she gave me the best piece of advice while chatting from her hospital bed. She simply said, "Oh Krista, get the fuck ready". And that I will.
    I'm off to Nantes to have a fabulous weekend with the Assistant crew and Arran who is visiting from Scotland. A plus tard!