In the Côte d'Azur? (Alps du Sud?)...Bouches du Rhône!

see below for details...

2007-03-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Now for the random collection of photos from a long overdue period of not being able to update photos on this blog:

Raimu

2007-03-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

Finally, pictures of my primary primary school that I teach at here in Vitrolles...I'm sure you were all waiting with anticipation for that one to come! And I finally had a Wednesday off where I was in the neighbourhood and could take these pictures with no one else around...or well, almost no one else around!

smile

2007-02-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

Tiens! Here's a picture of my French dog or my dog in France. Awww, isn't she cute! Her name is Tess. And now I couldn't resist, so I put up pictures of my beautiful family. Look at them! Aren't they beautiful!!!

And finally, here's another "Where's Waldo" picture of me from a ski weekend. Yes, I attempted skiing for the first time in my entire life.

2007-02-19T06:57:00.000-08:00

I just posted a few photos...but that doesn't seem so important anymore.

I just want to wish everyone well. Take care and talk to you again soon.

More vitrolles

2007-02-19T06:42:00.000-08:00

Vitrolles

2007-02-19T06:28:00.000-08:00

The trip to Madrid

2007-01-26T07:04:00.000-08:00

The first picture I find kind of interesting with the band there playing in front of the store Zara. There are posters in the windows of the sales that are going on there right now, and grafitti on the walls. Overall, Madrid was a pretty cool city to visit.

We bumped into two other English Assistants there from Toulon, and we ended up hanging out for the whole weekend and seeing all the sights together.

Amazingly, we picked a good weekend to go to Madrid. See, they got 30 cm of snow just after we left! And there we are in the pictures in 10 degree or so weather the week before!

Coming back to France and all that

2007-01-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

So this week...er, last week I got on a plane and flew back to France. Incredible, I know. I still can't believe I did it. And left home. But OK, whatever, I am here. And the second time/re-entry into France/re-installation here went a lot smoother. I am crossing my fingers that things will keep up in the manner and only get better. I still can't believe it took me 3 months to work that all out here and get used to things. Then it was like I went home to refuel. And now I am back here.

*Sigh* I figure I've got a good routine going here now, but I have to expect change. And I expect the unexpected here. I am never quite sure one week from the next if I will be doing one thing or going to visit someone or seeing something else so it's been quite hard to coordinate contacting people back home. As even my family has noticed now that I can't quite call as often as I like. But I hope that they'll, and my friends'll figure out how to telephone me or text me sometime on my mobile phone *hint hint wink wink*. I think that would work out a lot easier for me! So with that all said, and let hung out, here are some of my pictures from this week. Two pictures from the Brussels international airport, just because I thought that the construction was kind of cool. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures in any of the other airports I passed through because I was dead tired and rushed at the time so finally when I got to Brussels (the last connection to Marseille) I had two hours to kill (because the flight was delayed) and thought, heck, why not.

The other two pictures (badly arranged) are pictures of some of the Christmas decorations left up by my neighbours. This guy is pretty crafty eh? Have to hand it to him.
[p.s. If you are crafty, please try to text me in France. I don't know how it works to text out, but I am hoping if you text me I'll be able to just hit reply.
To call me long distance from Canada, the numbers should work like this +011.33.628619827
The last nine digits are my mobile phone number. (it is usually 10 digits to make a local call within France, so there is usually a 0 before the 6, if that helps with referencing for anybody). ]

The Globe theatre in London

2007-01-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

These are some photos of the reconstructed Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

It really does give you this feeling that it would be really cool to watch one of his plays in that space.

According to the tour guide, the best seats in the house are standing right up to the stage like a 'groundling' and enjoying a beer while enjoying the play.

In Beaune?

2006-12-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

No. I am at home. Still. ... Yay!

And a Happy happy New Year's to you!

Must take advantage of all free opportunities to put up photos!

Photo 1: A cloitre (crap I can't spell it properly) at the Fontanaye de Abbaye off of the city of Dijon and Beaune.
Photo 2: View from the road up to Chateauneuf en auxois. (too lazy to do accents right now for everything)
Photo 3: Fountain at the Fontenaye de Abbaye. And one of the many "Where's Waldo" photos taken on this trip. Seriously, I am in all of the next following few pictures. Try to spot me!

Photo 4: Big fountain in Dijon. Seriously, I probably could've given a name and some historical specifications to this fountain. I think they are in a guidebook that Corli has.

Photo 5: A very typical photo in Dijon. This reminds me of the Disney's The Beauty and the Beast. I think they must have taken some of the architecture from this town or have been inspired by some of it from this general region of France.

A few London pictures for now

2006-12-29T16:24:00.000-08:00

[I also forgot to take a photo of the "Look right/left" signs on the pavement when I was in London because I didn't really think about it. I did think vaguely think in the back of my head, "oh yeah, there's that thing in London because tourists don't ever remember where they're looking when they cross the road. So they've spraypainted it in for tourists." And then I was also vaguely thinking while I was in London about it being the top most visited place in the world, and one of the largest multi-international cities. And I was thinking, "oh yeah, didn't I know that before", and "that must be true", without really questioning it because it seemed so.

But then I returned home and noticed those spray painted signs on the ground in the streets of Vancouver and just chuckled to myself with mild surprise. I ought to take a picture of it in Vancouver!--Here we've skimped on paint money because we've only written out "look" (with cute little eyeballs in the "o's") and then an arrow pointing in the right direction. But that could also be because we're realized that not everyone might speak the same language so we've given them something more visual to go by. So anyway, the London photo is one that I googled because I realised, someone has got to have taken a photo of it.]

Because seriously, any more pictures than these and...well, my blog would just refuse to put them up.

My school (or one of them at least)

2006-12-27T08:45:00.000-08:00

OK, so for some reason, whenever I upload pictures to this blog all at once, it doesn't really put them in the order that I would like them. But oh well, c'est la vie. The top picture I am assuming will come out as the cybermaison. So there's an idea of what the place looks like that I spend my afternoons at doing anything internet related in France.

The next picture is a general picture of what the square looks like of "le Centre Ville" of Vitrolles, where the cybermaison and other stores are located. Vitrolles is a relatively newer suburb of Aix-en-Provence, with a lot of "immeubles" and things recently built in. And as you can see here, there are a bunch of very boxlike "apparts" on top of some shops, which is kind of typical.

As you may have heard, some of the French dislike the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre for it's modern feel or something like that, and so the same people generally hate urbanization, and grumble about all the "immeubles" that are basically an eyesore to them.

There again the pictures didn't go in order, but this is a look over into what I guess would be the yard to one of my elementary schools. I'm not even sure if I am allowed to take this. Apparently, if I get a picture of my kids, I could be sued by one of the parents. So here I picked a Wednesday, when I would be sure that none of the little kiddies would be there.
The great sign that tells you what school you're looking at. No seriously guys, no kidding. This is one of the nicer schools in Vitrolles that you'd fight to put your kids into. I live only two minutes away from it (on foot) and my landlady's grandkids go to this school. It is in reality a lot nicer than it seems, when you ignore the wirey fences and kind of institutional boxy feel of the building.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to take any pictures of my other school, Raimu, for you to have a look at yet, but it is also really cool. I happen to teach there all the days that there are kids at the school so I can't take a photo yet. Maybe one day I'll be there on a Saturday, Sunday, or Wednesday, on one of my days off when school isn't in session, so that I can take the photo. But I kind of hope not.

And now for more random pictures in France!

2006-12-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

Katannya wrote me in a letter and asked what Christmas is like in France. She wanted to know if the French were as crazy as us North American's who start selling Christmas shortly after Halloween. Well, I wrote back in a letter and explained some detailedness. But I forgot to put in the letter that really, it just has to be seen to be understood.

My French cold medication. Luckily, months after the medical examination.
The picture of my X-ray of my lungs was taken in my room in France. I had to do a medical exam in the first week of entering France so that I could submit my longterm stay papers. And part of the paperwork includes a detailed report on your medical health. And apparently at the end of the exam they didn't have any use of keeping my lungs on file, so they gave it to me. Meh, better than keeping it in a dusty drawer or chucking it out. I'll use it to poster my room. I'm sure the Designer Guys would say that agrees with the decor.

I am feeling very productive and accomplished as far as updated my blog and facebook as soon as I've come back to Canada. It seems like during the holidays you are stuck inside with a lot more time on your hands waiting to attend some family function or other.

[As a note, all of the pictures that I take are date stamped according to Vancouver time, and I haven't changed it.]

Happy holidays to everyone!

Short hair is awesome!

2006-12-08T00:46:00.001-08:00

Aside from the fact that long luxurious hair is usually the symbol of beauty, short hair is awesome!

Thanks to the people that said nice things about me having short hair. I don't know why cutting my hair from long to short is so dramatic, but it's been funny so far with people's reactions at like my schools and such. The kids were like "Amanda? Is that you?" Well, granted the first day I went back I was wearing my glasses too so I looked a little bit more different. Some teachers were like, "Amanda, you've changed your whole look." I just smiled. In my head, i was like, not really. I would usually wear my glasses more, but they're actually just not the right perscription for me right now. But I am wearing them a lot more lately because for some funky reason my contacts have really started hurting my eyes, like badly.

In any case, contacts are too expensive to maintain here in France. That's another thing I am learning. About the cost of living. Even the French find it expensive. It is apparently better in Canada. OK, fine, no big surprise there. But that means I won't be buying too many things to bring back with me. In fact, I am thinking that the best things to bring back would just be some of the food. Like chocolates, nougat, and things. I wish I could bring back some of the cheese! But nope, even if it kept well, US customs would freak, if not Canadian customs. And then again, i don't know if they'll let the other cookies and chocolates go through either because they are all technically food.

Which brings me to my final topic, and here I am not sure if you've all been following along, because i know that i tend to write long posts when i do, and babble off on tangents, and be very ambiguous. But i just don't know how to do a clearer lead in to, 'I am coming home for Christmas.' So there i said it.

oh woops, i forgot the point of the post was to write about how awesome short hair is. there i go again. going off on tangents. It is more convenient that's for sure.

Haircut

2006-11-24T06:08:00.000-08:00

So folks. I went and got a haircut. This isn't the best photo, but I got back to the house and took one real quick so that you could all gasp and say, "oh my gosh! amanda got a haircut!"

It's probably true that I look like a little girl now...not that I didn't before, but maybe just a little more in that direction now. And it probably doesn't suit my face or whatever. But I really couldn't care less. Except! That my students better still give me the r-e-s-p-e-c-t! Hahaha!

It's going to be fun now! I'm already enjoying the aspects of having shorter hair. And who knows, next time I might get it cut even shorter! I just want to be able to make it go out in funky directions, but my hair has this natural tendencey to want to curl in and be bouncy. :D Take care all and write you more later!

Finally! some photos from the alps!?

2006-11-20T07:27:00.000-08:00

These ones aren't my photos so I have to say thanks to Ludo and Yves for taking them and sending them to me. I only took three photos while at the alps and then my camera was at maximum capacity without any room to put more on it, and I couldn't get to a computer to load them. So tant pis pour me! There are pictures from when I went to Beaune too that are printed pictures though, and I won't be able to put those up until I find a scanner, which may be...mmm, never.

Ewww. I look so gross, and like I am in grade nine.

Gotta get back to the house later, take down my laundry (from hanging outside to dry) maybe eat a little something for tea, and then get ready to go over and teach some eager 11 year old some English. *sigh* the things that i do! :P ok, i can't really complain! ah! except that my back is itchy! (probably didn't need to share that with you!)

Hope that I can get involved and do more things soon!

Le Rocher

2006-11-20T07:14:00.000-08:00

Cannot post pictures all of a sudden...oh wait

2006-11-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

Woops! I am so impatient! These pictures did post! Anyhoo, i don't think this is very extremely representative of where i live. these are pictures of the Vieux Village of Vitrolles.

In the cybermaison and feeling like I'm about to die...!

2006-11-17T07:20:00.000-08:00

OK, so maybe not so literally! (in case i gave anyone like my MOM at heart cramp there! Sorry!) It's just so stifflingly hot in here!!!!! Urghhh!! It turned out to be rainy today in Vitrolles. And oh no! A little bit below 20° and everyone "mises le chauffrage"!!!! Urghh! I can't breathe! And I am overly warm! Not sweating or anything at least. That would be gross.

~~I think I should get onto my UBC account soon...urghh, I don't know if there is/was something more I am/was supposed to do with my student loans or paying for this term! Arghh! I am still so annoyed! But I shouldn't be so uptight. I think it's just because whenever I get to a computer and get internet access, I can't get up and go an leave. I mean technically I can do whater I want right. But it's just that I get so sucked in here because it's like the only time that I can get online. And it's not bad either, it's not like i spend days and days away from internet access. I get to come online Mondays and Fridays for several hours out of the week, so that should actually be sufficient if you think about it...but, erhm no. Maybe for a French person, yes! (I think Francine thinks I'm really weird! But then again she always talks about Henri that way too, when she's like "oh he spends all day at the bibliotheque and all day at bridge).

But anyhoo, it is raining today in Vitrolles, and as I just said in an email I sent to my sis, it reminds me of Vancouver. No, Vitrolles is nothing like Vancouver. It's just the rain. It's all the rain that reminds me of Vancouver. Except, right now my sister or all other Vancouverites would probably smack me on the head because apparently the weather over on your side has been very terribly extremely bad lately "except that everyone is OK, really, believe me" quote unquote my sister.

But finally, it was like something I was used to. Getting my pants soaking wet, and having an umbrella out. It was good though. It made me go to the library and take out more books and cd's. Which I might add now that for some reason the French selection of books and cd's is far superior to that of Vancouver's public library's access to material, and here in Vitrolles the collection has got to be at least like 2000x's smaller. I dunno though, I think it might be just because people in Vancouver always take everything out, so you either have to wait or put things on hold. *sigh* That might be it. But I miss it though. Doing that sort of thing in Vancouver, with the weather as it is. It all just seems to correspond. Rain. Go library. Take out book. Read.

A promenade to the Vieux Village in Vitrolles

2006-11-12T02:13:00.000-08:00

So I don't live in the Vieux Village. I live in "le centre urbain" of Vitrolles near "la centre ville", but it's pretty much like a 15 minute walk to the Vieux Village, and maybe 30 minutes to get up to le Rocher. This is the oldest part of Vitrolles. The area where I live in now is filled with "immeubles" and "HLM's" & etc.

I unfortunately only added a few comments to the pictures that I posted below. I keep losing internet connection while I'm on here. And I'm desperately trying to put up more pictures. I thought I 'd take some of my own pictures of Vitrolles and put them up here. I thought I was being discreet when I took them. I didn't want to seem like some over enthusiastic tourist. Which is also what I did when I was in Vancouver before I left. I took some pictures in my neighbourhood in Marpole because I thought I was going to make a slide for the little kiddies to see. But I actually haven't shown anyone them yet because the technology in the elementary schools isn't that great. Anyhoo, I like taking these pictures because these are the shots that no one would ever take. You do a search on the web to find pictures that you hope would give you an idea of the city you're going to visit, but you never get the full idea because they are always touristy photos of the real nice places to see or the places where only tourists go, so you can't ever get an idea or a real feel for the city.

OK, so the photos aren't working right now. They're not posting. But I hope to get them up sometime soon. It might take me until the next post, but oh well. And I finally saved the photos onto my usb key from Corli's computer, so Erin, I might be able to post them up soon too. Thanks for offering to help though! Actually even a link to them might be better still than me trying to upload them three at a time on this thing. I dunno. What do you guys think? Is it a bit much coming to this website and being bombarded by photos loading and trying to sift through stuff to read?

Oh yeah, and I know it's a real busy time for everyone with midterms and papers and labs and busy times in everyone's personal lives and even work too! So I wish everyone well, and you are always a part of thought process for sure. I think you are all amazing for what you do! And for just being you! Each and everyone one of you. I miss everyone a lot! Take care! And hope to talk to you again soon!

Blessings!

Edit (Nov 13th; hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures up now. I've also discovered that I cannot use LJ at the cybermaison, so it only worked for a limited time at Corli's. So sorry to you guys who's messages I can't keep up with now on LJ!):

p.s. Whoa, how can the technology in France be so "good" and so crappy at the same time.

Edit (Nov 20: c'mon load pictures! load!) argh! didn't work! dunno why! just going to have to do a separate post for pics then!

Special note to my parents (and Dara)

2006-11-12T01:23:00.000-08:00

Note to the parents:

[I hope you read this!

I am currently still at my friend Corli's house in Marignane and I don't know if I'll get a ride back to Vitrolles until later tonight, so don't call the house! I'll try calling you here when and if I get the chance.] (I can't get into e-mail, only blog because french internet is really really weird! and the WiFi says it's still loading this page! I'm screwed!)

Now for a regular post:

Yesterday was November 11th, Rememberance Day in Canada and Peggy's birthday. Happy birthday to you Peggy if you're reading this.

I wore my poppy, but I don't think anyone picked up on it because according to my landlady, Francine, the people in the South of France don't know anything. :P She's actually from way up north from Strasbourg in Alsace, but at the same time she is proud of living in Vitrolles, so I think maybe she is allowed to make fun of them a little bit.

Anyhoo, I missed watching all the ceremonies going on in a gray and cold Ottawa. But November 11th is also "ferriers" in France for the "armistice". Except that I missed any ceremonies on that part too. (I was tutoring some kid math from 10am to 12pm). But Corli plays in an orchestra and they met in the town square of Marignane and the mayor was there and they had some ceremonies so I think that must have been pretty interesting. Corli says that I would've been bored though, and that the most notable part was when some little boy was having trouble pronouncing out the French names 'Joseph blablahblah" and another girl would follow by saying "Mort pour la France!"

Anyhoo, so after tutoring, I hurried out to the busstop to go and meet Corli for lunch in Marignane, but of course being "ferriers" there were no busses, so I was screwed. (Oh and busses do not run on Sunday either, so I can't get around anywhere really). But Corli managed to get a ride with someone eventually and thus I came to be in Marginane, which is only 6 or maybe 7 kilometres away from Vitrolles, but I don't think I could walk it because I'd get killed on the motorway or something (and normally still takes like 30 mins by bus because it makes so many stops).

Anyway, hopefully, I'll spend this morning making more notes about all the pictures I put up and there will be something to read soon. But hopefully I can get onto e-mail soon and e-mail my parents that note because I don't know how often they check my blog for new stuff that I put up. See even if I did put a line through Francine's house to get internet access, I would have these problems! And Corli's laptop is better than mine AND she has wireless, but there are still problems!

Ah well, hope everyone is doing well! Drop me a message sometime and let me know how you all are doing! I miss all messages from home! Even news about weird peoples' study habits in Koerner library!

Love Amanda

Still waiting for more online time to comment on pics & etc

2006-11-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

view from my window down into the backyard!

Photos from inside the house..

2006-11-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

2006-11-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

Francine has added my name to the boite aux lettres!!! She got a new one and stuck it by the front door now because some Vitrolles hoodlums knocked down the other one that is on the side of the wall there with the others.

2006-11-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

This is the typical view walking around the quartier where I live. That yellow post box is where I stick all my letters and postcards that I send to you!

2006-11-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

2006-11-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

my quartier

2006-11-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

2006-11-06T08:01:00.000-08:00

My own alps photos. Not very good though. Taken in a small town that i kind of liked.

dunno what they are till i open em

2006-11-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

Pic from Corli's birthday and more pictures of my room.

and more

2006-11-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

My room!

Chez Desdier!

5, rue Roy Réné, 13127 Vitrolles

in backwards order

2006-11-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

so you'll have to look at all these in the reverse to get an idea of what i've done so far

and more

2006-11-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

I've figured out that if i do this three at a time the computer won't explode!

These two pics are the pics that i took of the inside of the mobilhome, for the one night that i stayed there because i thought it was all pretty funny!

Pictures

2006-11-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

Hope this works! I'll come back and edit them someday with explanations!

Edit: Ewww! I look so dumb!

These pictures where taken in Marseille. There I am at the Vieux Port.

The first three pictures I put up where taken in front of the Gare St Charles, which is a big TGV/SNCF station in Marseille. The girls in the pics with me are Corli Rothmann, Emma Jane Johnson, and Vandana Sharma.

The Food post

2006-11-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

So a while ago I was supposed to write a post about the food here in France because as it is known, France is the land of good food. And I think I will devote this post to Jen because I got her email on this and just wrote a really crappy short response back to her saying that I would blog about it soon and if she could please read about it there. Which I will now take a moment to also apologize and say to everyone who has been so kind to take the time out to email me that I am sorry for my short responses or NO responses. It's been quite difficult and expensive to get connected here, as my mom, dad, and sister could probably tell you!

But enough of complaints and all that, I'm sure I've whined about it enough; I am here now (in fact i have been here for several hours now working out email &etc, i hope the french don't think i am some weird canadian hermit who doesn't go out and take in the Southern French sun, but instead prefers to stay indoors and sit in front of a computer, but i couldn't care less!).

So about the food, and I feel more compelled to write about it now then before because I've actually spent a little over a month of eating it, and it is good!

I know my parents were initially worried about me being nourished enough and probably had some reservations about me cooking or not cooking! Possibly they imagined I would be living off of a box of Oreos and gum or something, the classic meal of students living away from home, I don't know. However, there are no Oreos here, or at least I don't think I have seen them, and moreover, I don't think I would buy them. The first thing that I did when I got here was go and take a browse of the local supermarket, the LE.ECLERC. Corli had already told me to expect a huge section just devoted to cheese before I got here, so I thought I had some knowledge of what to expect, but boy was I wrong.

First of all, I had these very stereotypical images of tightly packed French streets with old buildings in the Parisian style and produce vendors composing le marché. So I was very surprised to end up in the south of Vitrolles that first day near a Buffalo Grill restaurant and park my bags in a less than one star hotel where I was actually afraid of getting robbed.

Looking back on that first day, I feel ashamed for thinking that way. And I wonder if I sound like some kind of spoiled pansy; or worse, a spoiled and sheltered pansy. I probably can't help admitting to being a little bit of all of the above. Although I want to desperately rub that all out of myself.

Of course, the south of France is not in the Parisian style. And I got even more perspective on that during this past holiday season (the Toussaint holidays) when I got a chance to travel the region!

I am actually starting to appreciate the southern region in it's own small charming way, but maybe I'll explain a little more about that later. I'll first devote this post to food (which should also give a little idea of the region and influence) and talk about what I did this holiday season too.

So I digress.

My parents will be happy to know that while I buy some food myself (all the necessary food groups), and have cooked a little, mostly I have been eating big French meals with very hospitible French families. So I would say that I am getting quite a little insight into French cuisine, if I may say so.

The second day after I landed I phoned up my friend Corli and her host family drove out to pick me up within fifteen minutes of phoning. It is this kind of warmth and hospitality that I can say has really impressioned me about French people and surpasses all of the other sometimes not as pleasant stuff that you might have to deal with here. The French people in these smaller local places seem to really have it still stuck in them about really opening their houses to strangers and sharing food, which really is some kind of universal way of bringing people together. I don't know quite what it is about feeding the stomache that makes people happy and warm.

But anyway, that first day I had moules et frites (mussels and fries), and the Europeans have their big meal at lunch (except for during holidays, which I will get into later). I was getting really stuffed on endless helpings of moules et frites! And there was bread and radishes. The Vials (Corli's host parents) also poured us a little roset, and also noted on the side that they don't drink a lot as is so stereotypically representative of the French. They decided to add, "We drink a lot of water". I guess, alcohol is alcohol whereever you go. The meal was finished off with some glace and meringues.

HOWEVER, this holiday season I was up at the "cabane" in the alps and starting to feel a little tipsy by midi on the top of a mountain because of a few too many happy rounds of alcool! hahaha! I could blame it on the altitude to make my parents feel better about reading this, but they already know that I don't get motion sick or that I don't get vertigo or fear of heights...so I don't know how effective that would be to say.

Anyhoo, it was totally fine, except that during the holidays the French are exactly like the rest of us around the world. Big meals, where you eat too much and drink more than usual, and just all out enjoy yourself around the table with good company.

I have to thank the Desdier family for this. Henri (who is retired now and usual spends the hunting season up in the alps) came back down last last week on Francine's birthday and drove half the supplies up before us on Friday. Then I went with Francine and her two granddaugthers Jade (8) and Cecile (2) in the car along with my friend Corli and we drove two hours up to the small town of Barcelonette (not too far from Gap), to the small ski run of Ste Anne where their "cabane" is located. Erin has kindly said that she will help me link the pictures from this trip soon!

So well I thought noon meals were huge! But then there was dinner too which was even larger during those nights up on the southern alp mountains! The Desdiers invited their old "balader" crew up there, which were basically a group of very nice 30 somethings who are in a hiking association with Henri. So we broke bread and shared food A LOT during those five days and four nights.

I'll do a quick rundown of the food then.

Breakfast:

Tea for me, although the French are big on their café and it is strong, which I like, but I drink more tea in the morning because I prefer to start the day off more hydrated. I like taking a strong coffee after breakfast or after lunch.

They've got these krisperols, or pains grillés which you put butter and confiture or jam on. And it's common to have brioches, which now comes tranché or sliced. And you never take milk with your coffee. That's pretty much breakfast. Sometimes you can have orange juice, or fruit or yaourt if you like.

Lunch:

Is huge. You have main courses of viande, which could be porc, poulet, steak or in the case of the alps...chamois. Then you have bread of course. And you can have pasta. There is salad, which you don't eat till the end of the meal so you can have room to politely eat all of the main course. You finish the meal with bread and cheese. I don't actually know the names of all the cheese I've had lately, but they are all good. Then you have fruit for dessert.

See the French hate drinking milk; but they don't miss out because of all the cheese and yaourt.

Dinner:

Usually not a lot of meat, unless again you are on holiday and in the alps. Pasta, bread, and finish with cheese again. Dessert during the holidays are endless very tastey tarts, and yaourt with confiture, and chocolate!

Alcool:

I have to devote a section to this alone. You never drink in the morning of course...although I'm sure some do. But by the time it's midi and you're celebrating it's all good. Actually, my parents will be happy to know that Francine doesn't drink at all usually because she's more health concious and doesn't like to when we're at home. In fact, I think i saw here only drink one glass of wine the whole time we were in the alps. But she also always likes to eat a lot of salads and stuff, again back here in Vitrolles.

So on the first day up in the alps, Henri had a bottle of 51 Marseillaises Pastis, very Marseille, I am told. I think I might have that spelled wrong. And he was being a good host and poured some glasses, which is a Anise seed liquor i believe. Tastes like licorice. And you're supposed to drink it diluted by water. And Francine yelled at him and said, "we don't drink alcohol in the early afternoon!" She also yelled at him a few other times about various things, all in normal husband and wife relations I believe :D

I've also tried various wines here, but i never know the names. And I had some of Henri's homebrewed Génépi after dinner one night. And everyone around the table encouraged Corli and I to try a few drops because apparently it is very good for getting to sleep. Oh and it's also a liquer that is very particular to the alps and apparently a plant that is obtained at the peril and risk of people's lives!

Anyhoo, i think I've babbled on long enough! I'd like to write more, but this is already an extremely long post, and I will just have to come back again later. I still need some time to post pictures worth a month of talking about!

Hope I haven't bored you all too much!

Bon appetit whereever you are! And good night!

Love Amanda

How to contact me

2006-11-06T06:15:00.000-08:00

I can't remember how to call France from Canada anymore. I just barely figured out how to fax something before I left.

Anyhoo, not that I know a lot of you are going to try to phone my mobile phone even though I put up the number here! But if you do, or are trying, and need to know, I suggest asking my family! :P Because they are the only ones who have tried and almost succeeded so far. And i say almost because the phone rang and i picked up but there was absolutely no reception so i couldn't talk to them. So on second thought, maybe if no one wants to bother calling me on my French mobilphone, no worries.

Otherwise, very important note about sending mail to me here in France. And I say this with the utmost hope and confidence in all my nearest and dearest that I WILL indeed receive something from you by mail! :P Haha. I promise I'll make an effort to send French stuff back to you too!

So, now, Important note about mailing me (that i've discovered since last writing and cannot remember if i made not of it here): In order to send mail to me you have to remember to put a strike through the number 7 which is in the postal code because without it the French will think that it is a number 1 and it will get sent to some other department in France. Oh and the last thing is that now i think just out of safety, I'll have to get you guys to write under my name "chez Desdier" because if my name is not on the boites aux lettres apparently my mail will also not get dropped off!!! So Desdier is the name of the family who's house I am renting a room from now! More notes and pictures to come up here soon!

XXLove always and God bless!

Amanda

No time to explain!!!

2006-10-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

So here are some pictures for you!!!

in the cybermaison

2006-10-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

So far the cybermaison here in the little town of Vitrolles (some little town; the evidence of capitalism is overwhelming here because in some parts a lot of the inhabitants are a little less than rich; so therefore huge megastores larger than any ones i've ever seen have sprung up here like "Carrefour" with it's cafeteria "flunch" & etc). There are a lot of imeubles here (appartment buildings) or HLM's (like social housing) where mostly immigrants live.

what can i say? it's been teaching me not to take anything for granted at home....especially internet access!!! hello! it only took me forever to get back online and connected.

there is so much paperwork here in France; even the french know it.

anyhoo, i dont know how good've an idea it would be here to post up my address and my portable phone number, but that seems to be the only way to contact me and i can't contact any of you!

i finally found lodgeing with a nice french lady who actually lodged this girl who worked in vitrolles last year! their family is really nice because they treat me more like i'm some kind of international guest, rather than the girl who is renting from them. they might even take me with them to the French alps over Toussaint (or the All Saints holiday).

anyhoo before i forget; portable number is (33) 628619827. and to send me post; write to
5 rue Roy René, 13127 Vitrolles FRANCE. thanks!!! hope you all get my postcards very soon!

love amanda

p.s. i so want to post pictures, but it sucks because i don't think these computers allow any funny business. so hopefully some day i'll mooch internet access off of a friend who is living with an update family who actually installed a line of internet access through the whole neighbourhood.
more updates soon! i still feel like i'm just starting out because the endless paperwork here hasn't ceased! i need my cart de sejour and i need my carte bancaire. sigh.

from france with love

2006-10-06T06:38:00.001-07:00

love and miss everyone very very much.
please note that i don't have inet access. i dont even have a home yet really. a nice french lady who cares has taken pity on me and has helped me out a lot. the only thing is its like not supposed to be her problem to figure out so im really just hoping and praying to God that things will settle out more. i will update again when Im more settled with some interesting things to say.

so far im not going to complain though. this is my own undertaking and ive figured some things out for myself and ive kept busy so i just need time now to figure things out and to keep piping up and asking ppl for help. im speaking a lot of french though because ppl here really dont speak english. which is cool. don't think its improving much yet; but hey ive still got less than 9 months eh.

more updates soon.

ps. whats really funny over here and that has really made me think about my major in school (canadian studies) is how when ur a foreigner ur really seen by your nationality first and foremost. more updates on that soon too!

from france with love

2006-10-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

2006-10-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

dont have great internet access yet. just imposing on other ppls kindness at the moment to do this. the south of france is not the kind of euro place you wouldve imagined. more updates soon. doing ok though. because i met some hospitable ppl. havent started the orientation or at my school yet. so more info to come soon. im already feeling super broke though as ive paid for so many things lately like food, water, accomodation, sim card, calling card &etc etc.
i miss everyone. makes me appreciate home a lot more. hoping my french improves soon. good that nobody speaks english to me here. dont think ive learned any new phrases yet, because ppl slow down to alk to me and they try to use more simple phrases im sure.

love you all. update me on whats going on in ur lives too.

Amanda

Troubleshooting...with packing!

2006-09-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Now for troubleshooting with packing: How to get both of these cards into my luggage and off to France

The process

2006-09-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

So this is supposed to be a blog with pictures and the last few posts have not contained any pictures! That will have to be ameliorated very quickly.

So here are some scans of the inside of the journal I'm starting to decorate, and will be using as a scribbler on the road for such cases as when I'm on the plane and something interesting suddenly happens. Because you know, on a nine hour flight that's bound to happen! Oh and the other two really low quality pictures are pics of my progress with packing. Mess of bags on the floor, mess of papers and books on the desk. That basically sums it up!

Been listening a lot...to music that is!!!

2006-09-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

Been listening to a lot of Ani DiFranco, Metric, and Ben Harper and dancing all around my room just like in those commercials!!!

Thank you so much everyone!

For about the last week I was in this sort of music funk if you will. I'd downloaded some Coldplay "x&y" and some Damien Rice "O", but I was feeling like listening to something a little different and new and outside of my "comfort zone". SO now I have Ani DiFranco, Metric, and Ben Harper...OK, so not that far out! :P

What's real great is that last week we were watching the movie Clean and Metric comes on. And now I have the very song from the movie! Not to mention loads of other songs I really really like. Gosh! I can't stop gushing!

Intergalactic planetary..... :D

Things to do before I leave

2006-09-17T00:15:00.000-07:00

Yep. So I've started a list of the things that I have to do before I leave Beautiful British Columbia and in particular my favourite city, that acts as a town, Vancouver. I might as well do it on a day-to-day schedule then as my dad mentioned this morning, "You've only got 12 days left" and then I freaked out because that sounded less than I'd expected :

September 17
lunch with Laura S. and buy the rest of my textbooks

September 18-22
work during the day and pack at night, read & etc

September 19
possibly go to see Little Miss Sunshine

September 21
possibly go see the pick of the Fringe

September 22
movie night with the girls

September 23&24
family time

September 25
last day at work

September 26 & 27
try to relax

September 28
say goodbye

p.s. Message me if any of you want to join in to do anyone of these things. None of it's exclusive except for maybe the 23rd&24th seeing as you're only invited if you're Mum, Dad, and Dara.

Je ne comprends pas

2006-09-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

Parlez-vous franglais?

Yep. So I guess I should warm up for going to France, which by the way, isn't a concept I understand anymore. As it nears closer to the departure date, everything seems more and more surreal. Me go to France. Je ne comprends pas.

Even more incomprehensible will be when I get there and fill entire posts with stupid rants about how I can't believe the toilets stand up, and you have to pay fees to use them! So I might as well make promises not to do that now. Unless of course I get tied up in hilarious stories involving me, stand-up toilets, and fees.

Don't forget to send me your addresses so that I can write to you. This isn't a very good post. I had more to say, but it somehow got lost in my tired brain.

Zero 7

2006-09-03T01:56:00.000-07:00

So went to Zero 7 concert tonight. It was very excellent. Here are some pictures I have to share. Some photos from the website http://www.zero7.co.uk/ so you can see what these lovely band people look like and also a screen shot of their new album, which they mostly promoted tonight at their concert. And of course, last but not least, my ticket stub. Erin went with me and we pretty much had a lot of fun. On top of that she got me a going away present! A kit including make-up bag with essentials in it (dove shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, scope mouthwash, soap, bonnebelle marshmellow lip gloss, lint roller, hair elastics, a mini hairbrush and mirror! whewh!) and a really cute pop-up card. All stuff that I love and will definitely make use of! Woot! Thanks Erin!

My older post got deleted because of a glitch after I wrote it, so here I go again. Thank you also to all of my lovely redshirts for the giant birthday card and dinner and drinks at the Old Spaghetti factory. And also the delicious cheesecake and Amélie dvd from my lovely Desy! And last but not least, the tasty dinner and decadent chocolate cake from my parents and Dara!

Well, that's it! Gotta go to sleep now (whilst listening to Zero 7) for work tomorrow! Second to last day in the Customs Hall! Incredible! "Inconceivable!"

Art

2006-08-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

1.

I'm determined to know at least a little Art History before I go. So I bought this little pocket book on Chardin at Chapters for $1.99 XD

And while I was there I picked up this little journal that I am going to use as my travel diary! XD

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste-Sim%C3%A9on_Chardin

Feeling like and idiot and slowly learning about France...

2006-08-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

So I got this cool package in the mail today from Tourism France! I wrote to the Canadian office in Ontario briefly explaining that I used to work for Tourism Vancouver and could they send me some free brochures and/or maps and such if they have it. So the happy result is I now have some nice and glossy anti-too broad-LonelyPlanet magazines. They have some hefty doses of advertisements in them. But hey, they were free so I cannot *euh* complain.

However. At some point as I was elatedly going through the package, I realized I had been too vague as to explaining my whereabouts. Either that or the person putting together the package is a clueless summer intern like me and doesn't know where the Bouche du Rhône is. Because, soon after, my stomache went from those little happy flip-flops of thinking that large giftwrapped present holds a BB-gun from Santa into the stomache-falling-into-pit sensation of finding a hideous sweater knitted by a horrible aunt instead. Which was mildly how I felt when I realized I'd gotten info on the rhône-alpes region instead of the Côte d'Azur region, which I will be more accurately located.

Browsing along, I realized that none of the maps or brochures really listed anywhere like Aix or Marseille in Provence. And I thought, that's odd. And then I smacked myself on the forehead and saw for myself that the rhône-alps region is north of there.

Anyhoo, inside one of the magazines, I finally saw the breakdown of the regions in France and realized that the Riviera is also another different region and that I will actually be living in the Côte d'Azur. So the name of this blog has to be changed. Except that I can't do anything about that now. *le sigh*

I guess this is the first of my blunders in my socio-cultural education in France. More to come soon, eh?

Still not in France...

2006-08-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

But I feel that as the days creep closer, I am more interested in knowing what it feels like to be in Vancouver. I mean I try to look at things differently. I'm on the bus riding down Granville St or past residential areas and I'll look out at the houses and wonder if houses in Vitrolles will look anything like them.

Seriously, I keep waiting for this brick to fall out of the sky, hit me on the head, and turn out to be a 10 lbs letter telling me that I'm not actually going to France and to get back to my senses. I don't know what I'm thinking of. I still have things to take care of before I leave. And it doesn't help that at every turn my mom is thinking of ways to discourage me from going :P I guess that's a part of her job, eh? Ah, well, it's not actually discouraging me. If anything, her reverse-psychology has always worked on me. "Go clean the dishes!" *stays and vegetates in front of the computer instead*

So if before, the prospect of tonnes of material to get done with before going to France was dampening my keeness to go, now, thanks to mom, I want to go again. Thanks mom!

~Always remember to thank your mother!

2006-08-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

Watched the movie Brick ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393109/) tonight. It was pretty good I have to say.

Not in the French Riviera yet...

2006-08-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

So hopefully this will become my travel diary soon.