Monday, December 24, 2007

Happy Holidays!

Hello everyone! I want to begin by wishing all of you a very happy holiday season. Here in Lyon, the holiday season, beginning with Thanksgiving, has gone by very quickly, which in some ways is good: 1)I am not thinking about how much I miss home during this time (which in truth-I still do), and 2) after Christmas I go on vacation! A real vacation!
My friend Cody from Cabot HS is coming to France to study for a semester in Orléans. Before he goes to study, he’s coming to Lyon, and then we are flying to London! We’ll leave London immediately for South Shields on the North Sea, near Newcastle, where we will stay until Jan. 2cd, and then we’ll go to Edinburgh until Jan. 5th and then for Jan 5th and 6th we’ll be in London again. England and Scotland baby!! That’s a “real” vacation! I hope to see a lot of scenery…learn a lot of history…you know all the stuff the Romantics cried over in the 1800’s : )

As for Christmas, I’m going over to Marie-José’s place (my host counselor) for Christmas Eve. I’m thinking the tradition is different. I’ll be sure to jot down a little bit about their French family Christmas though, and after I get back from Great Britain I’ll write a "little" post about my Christmas and about my trip.

I actually just got back from Strasbourg. Yes. Again. This time Nathan insisted that I come up to see what Alsace is very known for---their Christmas markets! It was a great time! Well that is, it was a great time despite the frostbite/slick icy spots (mostly frozen dog pee)/twisted ankle. Yeah, that’s right. Nathan had never had a snowball thrown at him, so when I went to do it, the earth opened up and tried to eat me via a big hole in the concrete. It got a little twist of my ankle, but nothing that really slowed me down. Crazy Cajun though; he shoulda had a snow-ball thrown at him before ; ) We also went to another Alsatian town called Colmar, which is known just as well known for its Christmas markets and also for being “la petite Venise” of France, “the little Venice”. We hobbled around the city with my gimp leg for a great afternoon, a little too icicled, but a beautiful day nonetheless.
A few weeks back Nathan came down to Lyon to see an event special to Lyon: “La Fête des Lumières”=The Festival of Lights. For four nights Lyon was lit up until 1AM! I mean everywhere you looked, all you could see was one light show after another. I won’t write in great detail about every little thing because honestly, you just have to go look at my photos. Just about every square and/or parc in the city had a light show, which were always different in some way. For example, on some exhibits lights would bounce off of walls, on others, pictures were projected on buildings, or another, for example in Place des Terreaux, we saw a giant rainbow-colored sphere that reflected light off of surrounding buildings, and it also had lights pointing up to the sky, crossing in the middle. During this particular show, a sound machine made eerie extra-terrestrial noises. It was pretty amazing! I made Nathan close his eyes and let me guide him though a lot of it because he (and I!) had never seen anything like that! It was worth the surprise…he didn’t seem to mind too much.
Also, for this same event my previous Facebook-only friend Aurélien, a Frenchie who had met my good friend Anna-Kate while she was in France on her Rotary Scholarship, contacted me asking if he could stay at my place on Saturday night during la Fête, and he was going to bring along a friend named Monica (from Maine) who he had just met—through Anna-Kate. So both of them show up on Saturday for the “grand spectacle” on December 8th. Nathan, Aurélien, Monica, and I all ventured out into the city, a city full of an expected 2 million people just on Saturday alone. It was C-R-A-Z-Y! We literally couldn’t move at all in the crowds unless someone pushed us from behind! Should to shoulder with a whole city, we had a GREAT time! …seeing light shows, drinking vin chaud, watching strikes (yes even during the fête there were strikes!), eating bison burgers and hot roasted nuts, and taking many goofy pics-and all the while we got to know each other better. Monica and I realized that we had already met, and actually at Anna-Kate’s apartment in Little Rock! Both worked for Heifer International down at the Perryville Ranch, and that is how they know each other. Small world. So thanks Anna-Kate, and thanks to Rotary as Aurélien said! Otherwise he would have never met Anna-Kate, Monica, Nathan, or me, the four crazy Americans!
So, about those grèves…school finally started back up again after 4 weeks of not having class. We missed a lot to say the least! I kept busy though while I was away, busy with everything Rotaract. I am very fortunate to have a very welcoming Rotaract club here, and one who does acts of services ; ) A few weeks ago we all got together and made 50 Christmas wreathes, which we sold and bought francophone books with the 500 Euros, and then we donated the books to a library in Argentina (don’t ask me why Argentina, seems kind of bizarre-I know). That was incredibly fun, and I enjoyed very much getting to be crafty : ) Also, we got together for our Christmas dinner. We went to this beautiful restaurant with cave-like walls lit up by these enormous sconces mounted by cables from the ceiling. We played that under 5 Euros Christmas present exchange game; me, I got a Japanese zen garden! It’s a little mock-up zen garden sort of like a miniature sand-box with pebbles and a rake. Gotta keep it well groomed! After dinner, I can say now that I can talk more easily with the Rotaractors. A week later we went to an old folks home where we sang French Christmas songs for the elderly who stay there. We also played “le loto” AKA BINGO. We served them some cake and juice, and we gave them gifts. I sat with a 90 year old man named Salvador. Originally from Italy, he explained to me his sad story of how hard it is for him to get around to see his family for Christmas and that he will stay at the nursing home with his buddies. After I fed him cake and helped him drink his OJ, we opened up his gift (well, I did), and then I put the bow on his sweater! Then after we sang, he yelled me back over to him, he took both my hands, and told me thank you for making his Christmas better. Nearly in tears, I Frenchie-cheek-kissed him and then for about 4 minutes while I was putting my coat on and getting ready to leave, he waived at me from his seat! It was pretty tender ; ) It was a very nice experience for me, and at first before I went, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to understand the older French people talking to me (because sometimes in English I can barely understand them back home!), but truly it doesn’t matter. You don’t even have to say a word. It’s just good enough to sit with them and let them recall memories of old, days long past that are often happy times and sadly often very difficult times. Auld Lang Syne. But I realize that although it can be hard to sit through some of their sad stories, these older people are happy to share them with you. I truly believe that the elderly can teach us so much about ourselves, who we’ve been and who we'll become.

Also while I was away from school, I was writing my first Rotary report which I finally got turned in. It only had to be 2 pages long, but it ended up being 6.5! I have attached the documents for you to read-one in English, one in French. Consider it a Christmas gift! Haha; ) I had to write one in both languages. My friend who I met through Rotaract, Marion, helped me edit my French. I was pretty pleased that my main problem was wordiness and preposition-verb agreement/wrong-use of preposition. I’m pretty okay with that ; )

Speaking of Marion...she’s awesome. So is her family. They invited me over one day last week to eat and to meet the rest of the family. Her dad’s pretty intimidating, and I’m glad I remembered deodorant that day, but all in all, they rock! Very nice people. They even invited me to go with them in the Spring to their vacation home in Provence. They said we have to wait to go though; they want me to see the rows of lavender in full-bloom ; ) I’m pretty okay with that too...the waiting for beauty; )
I invited Marion over the other day to see my apartment, and to see my make-shift Christmas tree! I went to IKEA, and for 3 Euros I bought some green ribbon, 2 strings of lights, and some gold garland, and I made a tree on my window!! Note: picture of me and my Christmas tree attached.
My parents and Lindsay (bro’s girlfriend) sent me a box full of Christmas gifts, so I put them under my “Christmas Tree”. I’ll probably be tacky like other cool people out there who leave their trees up indefinitely. I actually put it up for Thanksgiving to make myself feel a little better and to snap me out of that “woe-is-me” mindset.
My Thanksgiving isn’t all worth talking about, but the week after is! I invited all my friends over, all the Asians, and Guillaume, the French/Japanese major, and I cooked spaghetti and crêpes for us to “feast” on. Can someone say untraditional???! Yeah-yuh. It was great fun though, and I really love the friends I have. They respect me and let me tell them about Thanksgiving and why I am here. They are like me, and together, we share and enjoy learning about each other. I shared the tradition of going around the circle and telling everyone what one is thankful for. Yahan had the best answer: “The Indians! Otherwise we wouldn’t be here celebrating Thanksgiving”! True dat.
Let’s see, what else. It’s FREEZING! So I’m eating clementines to keep immune from the cold. While in Strasbourg, I don’t think I have even been so cold in my life. Even colder than when I lived in Michigan I think. Shiver me timbers.

Also, last week my host club celebrated its 15 anniversary and I helped one of its founding members prepare for the party. I spread butter on approximately 1 billion crackers, then on top of those crackers, I either slapped on some salmon or some smelly Roquefort cheese. To make it seem as though she wasn’t a slave-driver, I stole equally about 1 billion dried apricots and pistachios throughout the 6 hours of preparation, gobbled them up and called them a reward. No but seriously, it was like a hard day at work! Hanging stuff, moving furniture, dressing Christmas trees, preparing food, calming the bird down from a downfall of party-planning stress, etc. I can officially say that a Frenchie has snapped at me! She snapped because she was stressed, I understand, but still, I was like “Ummmm, I know she didn't”! Lol, it was funny! It was all very worth it though : ) For 6 hours I was hers, and then for the rest of the evening I was my Club’s. I always find that whatever table of Rotarians I sit with, it always seems to be pleasant and they are all very nice. I am blessed. I am spoiled ; )
Oh, I have to tell you what I ate: “cervelas Lyonnais”-pig brains, roasted potatoes, pistachios, yummy and smelly French cheese, wine-soaked and cooked pears, and our weight in bread. Then the kicker-Michel (the woman I helped), she surprised everyone with this huge stuffed beignet towering Christmas tree of a cake. Mmmmm. She’s a good woman that Michel, very interesting, and later on that night she Frenchie-kissed me like 15 times because she was so thankful for my help. I almost got dizzy from the back and forth cheek-kissing action.

And now on a side note, I’d like to tell you something that I absolutely hate: the expression “C’est normal”. The French say it all the time, and I just don’t like to have someone say “It’s normal” after I thank them for a good meal or after they do something nice for me. Really, in French it doesn’t mean “it’s normal”, it’s more like “it’s expected” (which sounds worse) or “as I should” or “don’t mention it”. For example, when I was in Strasbourg I bought a few gifts for people and at one place the merchant started to wrap my gift! It was VERY nice of him! I thanked him and he said “C’est normal”, cold without a smile. Now, I am thinking that “C’est normal” might be a lot better with a smile, then that way, just maybe I could walk away with a smile. Throughout the day, I’d rather carry with me a smiling “oh as I should” then a cold “oh it’s normal”.
Anywhoo, you all have a Wonderful Christmas and A Happy New Year : ) Yesterday I went to church and I sat there and thought to myself that although it is the best to have Christmas with friends and loved ones, and although it makes me sad to not be able to do it this year, for me, Christmas here in Lyon is not what it used to be, and I just keep thinking that before everything, before all the things we have done to "what Christmas really means", the message of Peace and Love thanks to the little baby Jesus is what I am trying to think about.
I miss you all, and I can’t wait to hear about how your holidays went ; )
Joyeux Noël!
Jess
PS, I have attached pictures and my photo website again ; ) I add a lot more photos on it than Facebook, so you can see a lot of what we saw during la Fête and during Strasbourg. And even Thanksgiving!

Saturday, December 1, 2007

AIDS Awareness Day

Today is as some of you may know, Internatioal AIDS Awareness Day. This day always stands out for me because during my undergrad years I was very involved with AIDS Awareness via the UCA Rotaract Club. So, here in France, I am telling people about my involvement and about how important it is to tell people about the disease, the statistics, and the damage it's done.

Furthermore,
MY BOYS ARE GETTING INVOLVED TOO!!!!

Gotta love some Goo Goo Dolls:)

http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=623527