Gospel Choir International Style: Alto?

February 10, 2011

Chantepie, France

I had my choir practice last night again and realized that I certainly did pick yet another challenge for myself; I’m an alto. In most previous years, my vocal range has been that of tenor-soprano but now, out of practice, I am around just a soprano. However I have chosen to be an alto due to the lower sound of my voice that bronchitis had inflicted last week and I’m truly working hard to inscribe the memory of these difficult harmonies onto my vocal chords. The plus side to all of this is that I am truly having an amazing time. I am the only native English speaker in my choir so I am able to assist when the pronunciation is strange and the others assist me when I’m singing too high. It’s an international compromise of sorts. 

Our Gospel Choir through Descibel, ESC Rennes

We are having a concert consisting of 12 songs at the beginning of April this semester and I have already invited my host family (or whoever is still around by that point, seeing as our house population shifts every few weeks or so).

Last night, we had a guest gospel enthusiast come in to share some singing opportunities with us and he showed us a flyer for two workshops, both 7 hours long, with French gospel celebrities who would train us for 3.5 hours and then sing with us for 3.5 hours. There are two different workshops, one on February and one in March, and we receive reduced tariffs because we’re students. I thought at first, oh I should maybe check one of those out. But really, I rarely have opportunities anymore to work on my singing or my passions due to time or money constraints and I basically gave up that passion altogether. Now, I want to try to challenge myself to attend both of the workshops as long as my classes don’t conflict. I want this for me and I am going to do it. What’s the worst that could happen?

‘Gospelling’ His Glory,

Bethany

Another realization

February 8^th, 2011

Chantepie, France

I have officially booked flights, hostels and train tickets for my trip to Paris and Italy for spring break. It’s going to just be Lushuana and I, but I am so excited for this journey! We will be staying in each place for two days in going from Paris to Milan to Rome and then to Pisa. We couldn’t be more excited.

The class schedule here is weird and thus I had two French classes yesterday and no courses at all for the rest of the week. It’s nice to be able to have time to collect my thoughts and finish important tasks such as for new job positions, portfolios and paperwork in general. I am able to work, complete my homework ahead of time and eat a healthy diet all while getting sufficient exercise and seeing my friends. What an amazing life I have here! Everything I love in life is here; the only thing missing is the people that I love whom I left behind. 

Tonight, everyone is out at the salsa club again and, even though they claimed that they would come home around midnight, I just did not feel like going out. I had already bought coke for tonight and have a cute dress to wear, I’m not tired and I don’t have class tomorrow; I honestly just don’t want to go out. It’s a strange phenomenon to realize that I have all of the freedom in the world and yet I am able to decide solely on my own terms how I want to live my life. No, I don’t want to hold back your hair tonight and take time tomorrow to recount all of the things that you forgot from last night. In fact, I want to read my book, get a solid night’s sleep in my own bed and get up early to have breakfast in the morning sunlight of the living room. Then, I want to get up and go into the town center to run my errands, process my paperwork and then do some exploring during the daytime. Then, I want to go to choir practice and then home for dinner and a quiet evening. I will go out on Thursday night and Irene’s birthday party is Friday night, so it’s not truly as if I’m missing out on something and I honestly am becoming sick of those who cannot have fun without alcohol involved. That’s where my friends from choir, trips, home and the adults I know here come into play. I can have a two hour conversation with my housemate, Sylvie, about religion and politics here in France while having tea and crepes instead of following some of my dear friends, though drunk, around Rennes in the winter cold at 3 am? Ok, I'll try that!

Your sober sister,

Bethany

Mes cours francais: juste pour savoir

l'Arc de Triopmhe, Paris, France (February, 2011)

En faites, j'ai fini mon dernier examen ce matin, donc ce sont maintenant les vacances! Je garde aussi des garçons français après l'école pour un ami et c'est parfait pour pratiquer le français. J'adore la France et aussi la culture Bretonne. La vie ici est magnifique! Je parle en Français 3-5 heures par jour et je peux aller au cinéma regarder les films en français n'importe quand. Ca me plait. Je vais déclarer mon 'minor' en français quand je reviendrai aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique.

J'ai suivit deux cours en français.

1.)    La culture française. Nous avons analysé la culture, la cuisine, les politiques, le "welfare state," l'immigration, les traditionnels, et un peu d'histoire récent. C’était bien passé je crois, mais je ne sais pas encore mon note final.

2.)    La langue. Le syllabus :

a.       Expressions du temps (date et durée)

b.      Les temps du passé (P.c., imparfait, plus que parfait)

c.       Parler de ses expériences et compétences

d.      Nominalisation

e.      Les pronoms compléments

f.        La comparaison, le superlatif

g.       Les relatives

h.      La place des adjectifs qualificatifs

i.         L’expression de la cause et de la conséquence

j.        La voix passive

k.       Les connecteurs logiques

Il y avait 10 groupes et j’étais dans la neuvième après avoir fait l’examen au début du semestre. C’est bon, n’est-ce pas ?

Journal Entries: Exploration

February 5^th, 2011

Chantepie, France

Fougères, France

France is the bomb. I saw my first castle today in Fougères, France and spent 3 hours wandering around and learning all of the history. I fell in love. France is the best place ever. I miss home and some on my US friends, yes, but this experience is fantastic and I wouldn't change it for the world.

“Hey, I’m not the one who opened the gate. I just walked through it.” –Fougeres lake with Megan, Michaela, Katia, Johanes, Birgit and Ann as we snuck in and then got kicked out of the “private property” area.

I also had the most amazing dessert in Fougeres today after an amazing meal at the French Café Paris. We stopped in at this little patisserie and I took part in one of my favorite activities here in France: I go into a patisserie and pick the one thing that I see that I’ve never tried and I can’t pronounce (or have never heard of) and eat it. This way, I am constantly being surprised, introduced to new flavors and kept on my toes. I like the challenge and the change of something new and unexpected, even if it’s just an amazing dessert without a name.

My brother, Brady, and I spent a lot of time talking about trips and love and dreams tonight and then we got onto the topic of me and people pleasing. He asked if making people happy makes me happy or if it just sustains me. I think that it’s both, honestly. I don't think it's a blanket statement for either one…it mixes. But I do know that, in being an extrovert, I draw my energy from being around people. Following that, I am able to draw other emotions from them, too. (Which for the most part is healthy for both people in the relationship, whether lover or friend). I can empathize with them quite well and I think that's good. However, sometimes I think I'm just trying to sustain myself, my confidence and identity through my interactions with people and life dealings. I challenge myself to do the things of which I am afraid and that's how I end up knowing so many people. It’s really complicated and I wonder if maybe I am too much of a people pleaser, but I try to consistently make time for myself in order to write my goals, talk to God about His goals for me and to pursue my own dreams while I help others’ dreams come true, too. In other words, it’s not a bad habit if I keep it under control and don’t follow the codependent tendencies of my family.

Travel Tips: Dinard and Dinan

Dinard, France

In February, Paulo, Caro, Lushuana and I went to Dinard and Dinan, France. These are two beautiful and pittoresque cities on the northern coast of Bretagne, just off the English Channel. In French, the channel is called "La Manche" which actually translates as a sleeve. The sleeve of England, as it were. It's so fun up there! I recommend going in this order due to times and bus availability: Rennes-Dinard, Dinard-Dinan, Dinan-Rennes. The buses, with a Karte Korrigo from the Rennes Metropole or a student ID are only around 3 euros each way. Make sure that you do not miss your buses and DO NOT wait till the last bus! They will fill up and you can get stuck. 

Dinard, France

Check out the office of Tourisme in Dinard (just off the beach at the end of the bus line) and pick up a map. There are also always festivals, galleries or concerts in Dinard, so check out the cultural calendars and pick some stuff! Most importantly, have fun! Doing some spontaneous and inexpensive traveling is something for which students are perfectly fit!

Journal Entries: Speedbumps

Wednesday, February 2^nd, 2011

Chantepie, France

Things are rough here these last two weeks; I have been ill for 11 days now, I was diagnosed yesterday with Bronchitis and my phone was stolen on Saturday. So, I'm on 5 medications and yet I still have to make the 1 hour trek to classes. But on the upside, I get a better phone, I'll be better soon (I hope) and I got to see how the French healthcare system and insurance really works.

Chantepie, Franc

e: My trek home after sunset

 

I have to walk about a third of the way to school, sick in the rain, (but not sick of the rain at all) and then take two buses and the metro line the entire way. They put me really far from school; I'm actually in another city! However, I get good exercise here in France. I always opt to take the stairs to the metro and the school, so that's several flights of stairs every day. Then there's all the walking to the stops, so I've already lost weight! Also, they eat fresh and simply here and the people are great. I'm always learning something new! Today I had lunch with my Russian friend, Ekaterina, and we had some fascinating conversations about political structure and then we compared writing/authors to economics! It was awesome. Everyone here is as nerdy as I am and is passionate about learning (and dancing/partying, so I figure that's a fun combination).

Learning Process: Travel and Adjusting

January 24^th, 2010

Chantepie, France

Susan, my Dutch friend, and I in Mont. St. Michel

This has been an interesting weekend, indeed! We spent all of Saturday in Mont. St. Michel with all of our friends and what an amazing city! Preben and I decided that it looks like Rohan from Lord of the Rings and we even found a brochure of horseback riding in front of the castle island so that I could show my brother Brady when I return home. One warning: pack a lunch when you go to touristy places like this because every restaurant expects you to be foreign, hungry and willing to pay the price for delicious, French food. I did just this and bought a small quiche upon arriving in the beautiful, yet windy, city. I paid for this later, however, when I lost my return ticket to Rennes and had to buy another one. C’est la vie, but I would advise travelers to have a safe place for all things like this. My stupidity cost me!

Mont St. Michel

After a homemade Mexican dinner with my sweet girls Graciela, Adai, Lesli and Barbara who hail from Monterrey, Mexico, we all headed up to Milton’s room, whom I lovingly refer to as any of the following at any given time: Pappacito Rico, Chico, Spicy Taco or Hombre en fuego. We watched The Green Hornet in a giant pile of 15 or so international students on one couch in one small apartment, though we shared laughter and moments that could’ve filled twenty. 

Movie night with the crew

When it came to be about 1 am, I decided that I was bored and wanted to go dancing. Fortunately, Rennes’ night life supports such antics and we all changed, put on some eyeliner (the girls at least) and caught the night bus into Saint Anne. We met up with the beloved Mariette, Paulo and Preben at one of our frequent spots, Le Zinc and danced the night away. Well, the “night away” meaning until the place closed at 3 am and asked us to leave. I tried a sip or two of Paulo’s mint mojito, my first ever of a cocktail, and actually liked it. Wow, alcohol that isn't awful? Stop the presses. I still don’t want to drink because it’s not me at all and I don’t want to ever lose control of myself (and heck, I’m crazy enough without it), but it was a nice flavor for a few seconds that I don’t need to repeat. 

Then, we strolled through the lovely scenes of Rennes at 3 am on a Saturday night which mostly involved barfing, small but loud fights, girls in heels attempting to cross the old cobblestone roads and guys peeing on trash cans in alleys. Brilliantly done, young people of this amazing place, you’ve tainted my romantic picture of French cities. At least the city itself presents the proper picture the next morning when the sane people arise. I always knew there was a reason that I didn’t drink! Fortunately, this is one of the safest cities in which I have ever been. I always have a man with me and I always see police and security keeping a keen eye on the populace. There are always buses and I rarely fear for my safety, despite the crazy people that come out every once in awhile. Rennes really has their stuff figured out, at least most of the time. 

When we returned to Apartcity with the girls, I had no choice but to stay the night because the night bus only runs the number 4 which heads toward my school. Comme d’habitude (like usual), I stayed with Graciela on her spare bed and spent the majority of my Sunday with the girls. It’s really great to spend some extra time with them and understand each of my friends for who they are as individuals, in groups and in their own heritage. I love these experiences. Unfortunately, I’m now facing an awful cold and have realized yet another reason why I love my mother: she takes care of me when I’m sick. I may be independent and able to take care of myself and my life on my own, but being sick sure knocks me down to the ground. I can’t wait for this to be over and get back on the dance floor. In fact, I feel like that is my thought process anytime I face pain, suffering or an uncomfortable part of life: it will pass and I will be right back to dancing. That’s where I find joy in life and I shall never let it go.

One last thing, I officially applied to be an RA for fall 2011! I am very excited an am working on editing my resume for my interview within the next couple of weeks. I have a few days off this week because of my ‘every-other-week’ schedule at ESC Rennes, so I hope to wander around France a bit, prepare to help out my friend Audrey's sister by babysitting her sons next week, and finish some administration stuff for back home. I can't wait to practice my French with the boys and see what the French family life is like in their home. What a life I lead, it takes itself just a pace at a time and I really love it here. Adjusting was hard, but I am taking it one day at a time. That’s all I can do and I pray that God walks with me through each one of those days, especially since he seems to just be camped out in a pretty old Catholic church as a relic of the religious fervor that used to be here.