snow in the french riviera ( and other happenings)

So, i think the French people in this region seriously think that MAYBE the world is coming to an end because THE GULF OF ST. TROPEZ GOT SNOW on Monday. They are just beside themselves... and won't stop eluding to the deterioration of the ozone layer and how the whole world is being turned upside down with never before seen climate changes and normalities.



Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those who think that the Greenhouse Effect, etc is a conspiracy theory or anything... I do, however, think it is amusing to watch the French get their feathers ruffled. And I definately profitted from the "never been seen snow" and took some pictures around Ste. Maxime. Don't expect to see any snowmen when you see my pictures. We're talking very minimal snow, here.

oh... Let's see. I had to prepare myself for this blog entry as well. I think I have started writing it like 5 times since Monday but yet never seem to finish it. There always seems to be something that distracts me. I seem to be easily distracted these days. So, I have my snack, my blanket, and no more 3rd Twilight to read (finally finished it!!)... NO excuses this time.. I WILL finish this blog TONIGHT.

(Catherine, I tried the chicken chips. Not my favorite, I'll be honest. Next on the list is Mustard Pickle chips, ithink.)

hmmmm.... Ok so saturday I was in Cogolin with Elena. We just stayed at her house it talked. Lovely time, and I always learn so much from her when I spend time speaking in French,. For example, the french word for slippers: les pantoufles. Anyways, Sunday was uneventful. I think we were gonna go to church but didn't... oh yeah, cause that was the day it snowed. So nothing big to report on that day.

MONDAY was a great day. Linda and I FINALLY went to turn in that paperwork for g-ment aid. LOL i know i think I have told you guys 100 times that i was going to go do that, but THIS TIME, i actually followed through and they were ACTUALLY open this time. Done and Done.

That night, Madame Giordono invited Me, Linda, Elena, Miguel, a young Italian teacher, another English professor, and a male student teacher over for dinner. Out of all the assistants, I am the only one who actually works with Mme Giordono, so it was very kind of her to invite EVERYONE over for dinner. She made certain she cooked us the most authentic french meal she could whip up. Here is what she served us:

Before dinner: aperitifs (of course! It's a before-dinner drink- kind of like our cocktails)
Foie Gras pate on little toasted bread (foie gras remember is duck liver)

Dinner: Salad topped with a peice of toast covered in Goat cheese and honey.
Duck covered with a wine sauce
Potato Gratin ( which consisted of cream and cheese)
Cooked endives aka Chicory- (which is some sort of leafy vegetable)

Dessert: Type of yule log made from almonds and chocolate
Ice Cream

After dinner ( served in the parlor) : coffee/ tea/ whiskey
Callissons ( a type of cookie made in Aix-en-Provence)
Caramel fudge


Needless to say, I was absolutely stuffed at the end of the night. We got there at 645 and didn't leave til after midnight. Dinners are just so freaking involved here. IN the United States ( especially in the south), you are invited to dinner, you arrive at 5, dinner is on the table by 6, you are done eating by 7, and are out the door at the LATEST by 9:00. Dinners in France are an all -out social event.

We discussed ALL SORTS of things. Deep topics. ( all in French might I add!!) Like homosexual couples, living together before marriage, jealousy, racial slurs, criteria for teachers....... etc. All of that really was spawned by the young male student teacher who also attended this dinner. He was a VERY practicing Jew. He apologized, but refused to shake any of the womens' hands, saying that he only reserves physical contact with females for his future wife. He doesnt eat meat ( nor does he eat anything that might have been cooked in the same pan that had been used for a meat -even if it had been washed in between). Needless to say, I was very intrigued by this young man ( named Gershom- first son of Moses). He was SUCH a cool guy. Seriously, so modern and so cool. He wants me to come and do a supplemental hour in his classroom sometime soon. I made a good impression =)

I found out at this dinner why Madame Giordono only spoke French to me when Erin was here and it is indeed because I really think she is insecure about her English, which makes me love her even more, God bless her. She is such a stark contrast to Dr. Goldberg ( my mentor is Grad School).. even though, on the outside she reminds me alot of Dr. Goldberg. I think because of her insecurities in speaking English, she is really quite encouraging and very gentle in her manner of correcting my French. Monday night, she was commenting on how impressed she was by Linda, Miguel, Elena , and myself that we could carry on such in depth conversations in French and how exhausting it must be for us. The other English teacher then said jokingly, " oh well, we must speak in English for a while then"... at which point you could tell Madame Giordono became very uncomfortable. .... anyways, at the end of the night, Linda and I walked away with left over chocolate Yule Log. Yummy!

This week in school , we are talking about New Year's Eve in New York City and how everyone watches the ball drop in Times Square no matter where you live in the U.S. I explained the time differences within in the United States... and how not everyone actually celebrates New Years at the same time, but we all watch the same show.. so in essence, those who live in L.A. are watching something that happened 3 hours before. ( This is a weird concept for the French since the entire country is on the same time zone). Anyways, one of my students asked if it was possible to take a fast plane and celebrate New Year's Eve 4 times, once in each time zone. lol... i told him I wasn't sure. Can you?

We are also talking about New Year's Resolutions and I am having my kids write their own. And......One kid vowed to "drop it like it's hot" in 2010. (it's a rap song, mom and dad). I about died from laughing.

So it's official. Dad is coming over on Feb 6th, and he is leaving the 20th. I have gone back and forth and back and forth on what I want to do with him while he is here, and I think I have officially decided to do Berlin and Amsterdam. That way, I can check off another county instead of going back to Italy to go to Milan. Milan is so close anyways, I could technically take a weekend trip to see the Last Supper frescoe. And that's all i really wanted to do there anyways. Dad doesnt seem to have too many criteria anyways. He wants to see churches. =) which makes me laught because churchess over here are like Walgreens in the USA... one on every corner. Literally. I am excited about seeing the Berlin wall ( especially after all the recent hype about the 20 year anniversary) and the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. Apparently Amsterdam is considered the Venice of the North. Who knew? not me.

I know i am jumping way ahead here ( roughly 100 days to be exact)... but I have been looking into buying my plane ticket back home. And, ideally, I would have left literally my last day of work (april 30th) in order to get back to the states in time to see Erin graduate on May 1st. BUT..... May 1st just so happens to be a "jour ferie" (aka holiday) in France, so plane tickets around that time are extra expensive. So,... seeing as how I refuse to miss his graduation and am not willing to come home a week LATE in order to save money, I am instead considering taking off a week EARLY to save money. It doesnt save me alot... (plane tickets are ridiculously expensive .. I am actually going to have to buy a ROUND TRIP ticjet and just not use the second leg because that is less expensive than just buying a one way) BUT, it will save me roughly 200 dollars. SO, I have to "officially" ask off for the last week in April, but it looks like I might be coming home April 24th ish. I already have a plane ticket in my sights; I just can't decide if I should go ahead and get it for fear that it m ight go up the longer that i wait OR should i make it "official" through my school before I commit to buying a plane ticket..... decisions decisions. Either way, whoo hoo for the United States and customer service and convenience!

Hope Aaron is having a blast on his cruise!

I started filling out my job application on the Shelby County School web site. I didn't get far. They started asking for all my certifications... and well, I dont HAVE certifications. I have even better: a Masters degree and a schools year's experience living in France. =) So i hope they overlook that tiny little detail of me not having a teaching license. If not, looks like I'll be hitting up all the private schools in and around the Memphis area as well!

ok well... mission accomplished. Finished my blog. Props to those of you who actually read all of these lol!

Love to all and gros bisous! and EVERYONE think of Erica these next few days. Her husband, who is in the Marines, is leaving out on Jan 17th.