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

A Little Self-Reflection and Adventure

 January 21, 2011

Chantepie, France

I find myself doing a lot of inner reflection and self-discovery over here in France. I have been isolated from the things I called habit and no longer maintain repetition of lifestyle. This allows me to become only what I desire to be and continue what I desire to keep. Eating habits are the best example. Before college, I preferred my salads drenched with Ranch, in college I took them with with supposedly “light” Italian. Now, I take a simple salad with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Not only is it simplistic in diet, but it’s cheaper and delicious. My food intake is basic, affordable and tasty and now follows the European habit; It’s fantastic.

Some parts of my life have changed, though, and I wonder if it’s positive, negative or maybe just neutral. For instance, I don’t seem to mind as much when my friends drink all the time or get drunk. I party more, though I do not drink at all. I just love to dance; is that wrong? I am more comfortable with my body and in whom I am and I find myself changing my wardrobe to match that confidence. I think now I dress just a bit more fashionable and sometimes a bit more 'grownup' than before. It’s not immodest, but it’s different. Is this bad because of eyes and impressions or good because of confidence levels? I don’t know.

At least my French is improving. I find myself more often letting down my barriers and trying to communicate more freely rather than thinking ‘is my grammar correct?’ or ‘am I pronouncing this right’ and just SPEAKING. My host family is very patient with me and will occasionally offer corrections to words with which I am not familiar. Sometimes, their description of a word contains further words which I do not know, but it’s the thought that counts, I suppose. 

Tonight, I spent near two hours eating dinner with Sylvie and discussing things like Obama, Mormonism, unemployment in both France and US, different types of peanuts, how to entertain guests in France, divorce in the US and France and the effects it has on children, her family, my family, the other housemates and cheeses. What an interesting night coupled with a beyond delicious meal. The best part is that my desserts are almost always delicious, fresh fruit. I love Europe. I love France. I’m so glad I made this decision, as hard as it might be at times.

Last night we all went to Mostapha’s house for a dinner party and I walked into his house with twenty guests. The funny part is that everyone was asked to bring a food item to share and, upon receiving the invitation, I found out that no one knew what a potluck was. At the party we found at that every person had brought chips. What a memorable moment. Mos made us this huge meal from scratch that has an Arabic name that I cannot pronounce. I cannot describe how delicious it was! It had little meatballs and tomatoes and eggs inside and the entire thing was cooked in a Moroccan red clay dish. Then, he gave us homemade Moroccan mint tea! I’ve never tasted tea so good.

After the dinner party, we headed to Kenland Bar to meet up with some Erasmus (European exchange) students and to dance a bit. We were given free shot coupons at the door and, ironically enough, I was given two shot tickets and two hand stamps despite the fact that I don’t drink. I suppose the doorman was a fan of my Norwegian hair and big smile, because he high fived me twice upon entrance and pointed me to the bar. Yeah. The tickets are for my friends and I already know where the dance floor is, thank you! 

Upon deciding that the bar was way too crowded and hot, we headed over to a favorite spot of Mostapha’s called Le Zinc which is a bar/nightclub combination. The lighting, stages and smaller rooms of the basement made for a really fun atmosphere and we all danced for hours. We went to Delicatessin Club again after that, but we all decided that we were tired from a long week and headed home. We caught the night bus and I went home with my Mexican friends and crashed in my friend Graciela’s apartment. It was about 3:30 am by the time I fell asleep. I woke around 11 to the smell and sounds of a Mexican kitchen. Graci made me the most amazing breakfast and we discussed our lives, our thoughts and our crazy ideas for this semester. It was really great to spend some 1 on 1 time with her and get to hear part of her story. I am going to try to have some time like that with each of my friends here. They should all be heard and I feel that sometimes they are not. I am curious about their families, their dreams and what their lives are like in these countries all over the world. We’re all so different, but it really is magical how alike we are despite being raised in different communities thousands of miles apart. Our laughter is always the same, no matter which language we speak.