Playing Tourist and Getting Stuff Done

With these last fews days of freedom before my contract starts on Friday, I wanted to make sure that I am getting everything done, but also having fun exploring this country.

Caen is located in Normandy, only a half hour away from some of the D Day beaches.  Because of the rich history involved with the beaches, this was definitely something I wanted to check out and what better time to do it than on a rainy Monday?  Valerie and I met up with Margaux at the Tourists Office before heading over to where the buses would take us to the sea.  We wanted to make the most out of our day so we planned on visiting two of the main beaches out of the 4.  A very kind and helpful woman planned our day for us, including circling our times and stops on two different buses.  We were leaving at 10:40 and we wouldn't get back to Caen until 7:00.  After buying some sandwiches and water for the day, we were on our way.

Our first stop was Juno Beach, which the Canadians landed at on June 6, 1944.  At this beach there is a huge memorial for Canada.  There are Canadian flags hanging and most of the exhibit was about the country and economic situation of Canada at the start of World War II.  We learned a lot about Canada's involvement in the war and what their lives were like.  Then we went out in front of the memorial to look at the beach in front of us.

Canadian Memorial at Juno Beach

Pathway to Juno Beach, one of the D Day landing beaches

Cross looking out over the sea

After we BARELY made our bus, we were headed to our next stop: Arromanches.  Our bus ride wasn't very long and we had heard that if you were going to see the D Day beaches that you had to see this one.  When we were let off at our stop, it looked as if we were standing on a cliff of absolutely nothing.  There was nothing around us, except a giant statue of Mary on a cement pillar and a large cross, similar to the one at Juno Beach.  We walked down a little and found the reason why we were told to come to this one.  Once you walked down, you could see the city of Arromanches just below us and what looked to be cement blocks in the water.  We later found out they were used to create a "fake" port for the English that landed here during the war.  

The city below

Valerie et moi in Normandy

Then we found out about the 360 theater, in which they present a 20 minute long movie, no commentary, that portrays the life of a soldier serving in Normandy.  The film was phenomenal, very impacting, with scenes of modern Normandy incorporated.  I think what was most astonishing was the difference in what areas of Normandy looked like then and what they look like now.  We found out more about the history aspect of the war, in particular the importance of the city of Caen.  During the war, the Germans has completed conquered the city and the allies came to Normandy to take it back.  After they stormed through the beaches, they bombed the city of Caen for 6 whole nights in efforts to take it over from the Germans.  While they succeeded, very little stood after those 6 nights.  We saw pictures of Caen, pictures of streets we have walked through, with rubble cluttering the entire way.  It was incredible to learn what a key factor Caen played in the war.  There is amazing history in city where I am living.  

After we finished the movie, we went outside to walk down to the town of Arromanches.  It was a short, downhill walk and the view was absolutely gorgeous! There was an old house we saw that we all wanted to live in.  It was so beautiful and cute.  And they were remodeling so maybe it is up for sale?  In case anyone wants to get me a really nice Christmas or birthday gift, this is what I want:

We took a few pictures down by the beach and then headed to the pedestrian walkway to find a cute cafe and sit for awhile until our bus.  It was pretty chilly that day so it was nice to sit on the heated terrace and have some coffee.   

Arromanches Beach in Normandy

Margaux and me at the cafe in Arromanches

We managed to make our way back to Caen and we exactly on schedule.  We were so proud of ourselves for figuring out our buses all  day long and managing to make every single one.  And of course, thank you to the super nice lady who helped us plan our adventure!

Tuesday morning the time had come to open a French bank account.  It's actually a pretty easy process, just a lot of questions and signing things.  It only took about 40 minutes (thank you Valerie for waiting) and then, we had just passed another huge road bump on our trek to teaching.  Valerie and I did a little shopping at H&M as well because we needed more warm clothes and especially trench coats for the rain.  I am happy to say that we both made excellent purchases.  For Valerie's last night, we stayed in with my roommates who decided to cook the most phenomenal meal I have had here yet.  They made a cauliflower dish with a scrumptious sauce and lots of cheese as well as a rice dish with vegetables and chicken.  Needless to say, we were pretty happy with their choices and did our part by washing the dishes. 

Wednesday, I unfortunately had to take Valerie to the train station so that she can start her own adventure in Angers.  It was sad to see her go but I am so happy with the time we spent together and so glad she was able to stay with me for so long.  It was wonderful having a friend from home here.  It made everything a little easier in that initial transition.  After dropping her off, I headed over to Jules Verne to meet with Claire and get some information about teaching.  Not only did I received information but also keys, teacher's manuals, whiteboard markers, and my first class!  I was not expecting at all to teach today but Claire asked if I was doing anything or if I wanted to sit in on her class.  I got to talk to a group of students and had them ask me questions.  After, they had to tell the class everything they learned about me.  Even after one class I think I am really going to enjoy this year.  

This evening I went to student mass around the corner at Saint Julien and then we had dinner all together.  After dinner, we had to start planning the welcome back mass which is not for another 2 weeks.  But it is a big mass at the Saint Pierre, so we all have to be prepared.  I am on the welcoming team so it is my job to get there early, greet people and direct them where to sit.  I was also puled aside and asked to help two boys write the intentions.  There were to be four, and they wanted one in English.  After we finished, Pere Pierre Antoine tells me, Okay you are going to say this one, Elizabeth.  Excuse me, what?  I need to stand up in a French Gothic Cathedral and say this prayer I wrote in front of probably a hundred people, many of which won't understand it?  Okay, that's pretty cool.  I have two weeks to prepare so hopefully I will be ready!

Well I am off to bed now.  These posts will probably get a little shorter once I start school since I won't have as much time to go gallivanting through French cities and jump from cafe to cafe without a care in the world.  I think it will be nice to go back to a set schedule although I am already planning where to visit my first two weeks of vacation at the end of October:  At this point, it looks like possibly a ferry ride to Dublin, hop over to Scotland, then Wales and end in London before coming back to France.  More to come! 

C'est la bonne vie pour moi! :)

First Week in France

It's been awhile since I have written but I am happy to say that I am writing from what will be my permanent home in France for the next 7 months!  It has been a whirlwind week but I have a place to live and it is absolutely wonderful!  Here is a run-down of my last week!

When I was looking for a place to live, Sue, my site director form Angers told me that Universities have Aumoneries which are like Newman Centers in France.  So last Tuesday, I went to the information desk at the University and asked where the Aumonerie might be.  I finally found it after walking around for awhile and spoke with a student who was in the main part of the house.  The first floor has two couches and a table, which makes it look a lot like the Newman Center at U of O, only with a more homely feel to it.  He told me they had a room available but that I also might check in centre-ville for another housing establishment they have set up.  I checked at the other place that afternoon, but they were full for the year.

Wednesday, I went back to the Aumonerie and met some very nice people in the morning.  They helped me set up an appointment with Pere Pierre-Antoine for later that night.  I was going to come back and tour the house to see if I wanted to live there.  They also had mass and activities that night, so I was planning on returning anyway. When I came back, Pere Pierre-Antoine and I went out to the garden and he explained to me, in english, the mission and the goal of students living in this house.  Basically, I am to be an ambassador for students who are looking to become involved with activities with the Aumonerie, and build a community with the other students living here.  I thought this sounded great, and something I am very familiar with from being involved with the Newman Center at U of O.  He showed me what would be my room, and we looked at the rest of the house.  I told him right then I would love to move in as soon as possible!  That night, mass was held in the backyard of the Aumonerie and after we had a meal with all the students who attended.  It was so comforting to me because this was exactly what I did at the Newman Center for the past 4 years.  I definitely feel like home in the community.

Friday, Sister Sonia picked me up at the place I was staying and gave me a ride to the Aumonerie.  She showed me around and explained a few things to me and after that I was on my own.  On the weekends, some of my roommmates go out of town, but I did spend a lot of time with Nadege.  She is a student at the university and very sweet.  She is from France but lives about 10 hours away and doesn't know a lot of people in the town.  We went to the supermarket to get some things for the house and after that it was time to pick up Valerie.

I know Valerie from the U of O and through the Newman Center.  She is studying abroad in Angers this fall but came early so that she could travel and visit.  She is going to stay with me until Wednesday!  That night Valerie, Nadege and I made pasta with marinara sauce which was incredibly simple, but very good.  We had bread and cheese as well.

Saturday was a fun day for Valerie and me.  After leaving the house at 10:30, we wanted to grab some coffee before going to meet up with some of the other assistants in my program at noon.  Everyone has been arriving over the past couple of days so we all want to meet each other.  So in front of the Chateau at noon, we met up with Hannah and Margaux.  It was so great to see other people from the program that I have been taking to for so long.  The four of us went to find a place to go to lunch and found the cutest little creperie, called Rose and Grey.  The decor was adorable, with pink walls and zebra print lamps.

After that we decided to get some coffee at Le Cafe de Caen, before meeting another girl in our group for a drink.  We had coffee on the second story of a little cafe and watched all of the excitement in the streets of Caen.  We left there to meet up with Jessica at an Irish bar called O'Donnells.  We stayed and talked to Jessica for awhile until she left to go to a soccer game.  After she left, we decided we were hungry again so we might as well find a place to eat, yet again.  We texted another girl from our group who was in the area, Parisa, and chose very cute restaurant called Le Fringale, which was the best choice we had made all day.  They had a special on the menu that we could pay 15 euro, and have an entrée, plate principal, and dessert.  For my entrée, I had pate with a little bit of salad and some bread.  I had raviolis for my main course and dessert:  Fondant au chocolat (chocolate cake with a cream sauce).  It was an amazing meal and we were all so full by the end!  We had planned on going out that night, but from spending 9 hours dining and drinking, we just needed to go home and get some sleep!

Today, Valerie and I went to mass at Saint Pierre with Nadege and after, we strolled through the Sunday open market in town.  You could literally buy anything at this market from fresh fish, clothes, jewelry, even mattresses.  Valerie and I ate a galette, which is like a crepe but instead of dessert inside, there is ham, cheese, sometimes an egg or tomatoes.  After eating and wandering around, we met up with Margaux and Parisa at yet another cafe to have some coffee.  The four of us then went to climb up the chateau since they had not yet done that.  It started raining soon after and we called it a day.  Since it has been very cold and rainy, Valerie and I decided to spend the day inside, relaxing and hanging out.  We have already made some hot chocolate.

Here are some pictures from the last couple of days.

  In front of my new home!

My bedroom at the aumonerie!

Kitchen

Valerie and I at the Chateau in front of Saint Pierre

Margaux, Me, and Parisa looking out on the French rooftops!

That's all for now!  Life is going well.  It feels good to finally be getting settled!  And it's so nice to have Valerie here and know people in this town!  

C'est la bonne vie pour moi! :)

One step at a time...

In the wise words of Jordan Sparks:


We live and we learn to take one step at a time, 
There's no need to rush.
It's like learning to fly, 
Or falling in love.
It's gonna happen when
It's supposed to happen
And we find the reasons why
One step at a time.  


Day 3 of being in this completely foreign country and I have to say that each day is getting better.  Yesterday I met with Claire, the English teacher at the high school I am teaching at.  We had lunch at a creperie and then walked all over the city.  She showed me the University of Caen and the Chateau in the middle of the city. It was so nice to have a friend to talk to and spend time with because I have had a lot of 'me' time over the last two days.  Last night I went to the Monoprix (basically a super Wal-Mart but smaller and French) and bought some bread, cheese, ham, and fruit for dinner.  I watched TV in French and skyped with mom and dad for the first time since I have been here. 


Today, I had a plan.  I made a list and was going to do everything on my list.  Well, sometimes life doesn't work out according to a list but it turns out better than what you were planning.  This morning I talked to Sue, my site director in Angers, for about a half hour.  It was so good to talk to her and get her opinion on some of the things I need to get accomplished before school starts. She gave me some really good advice and it was just so nice to talk to a friend.  After that, I set off to find a church.  Well let me rephrase that, I could probably walk 500 feet in any direction and find a Catholic church in this country.  But finding one that was open for mass and at the time I was about town, that's what I really needed.  I headed over to the Office de Tourism to get some information on mass and see if they had information on housing.  There was a very nice woman working who photocopied a sheet of the churches in the area and all of the mass times.  Unfortunately, they did not have information on housing.  As I was walking out of the Office, I looked across the street and people were hurriedly shuffling into a grand, Gothic style church across the street.  Looking down at my phone seeing that it was 10:59, I knew I had found 11 o'clock mass and those Catholics were all trying to get to church on time.  Perfect.


I went in, found a seat, and immediately tried to hold back tears.  It is amazing to me that I can be anywhere in the world, walk into a Catholic church, and feel like I'm home.  Of course, it took all of my concentration to understand bits and pieces of what was being said, but I was able to follow along enough.  I was more comfortable in that hour than in the entire time I have been here so far. It was definitely what I needed. 

Eglise Saint Pierre (view from the Chateau)

After mass was over, I headed over to the Chateau that is right across the street.  How cool is that, they have a castle right in the middle of their town! This weekend was some sort of festival which meant that all of the museums were free to go in and walk about. What I enjoyed the most was walking along the outer walls of the fort/castle and looking out onto the city.  Here are some of the beautiful views of the city. 

  

The castle is one of the largest in all of Europe.  It was the home of William the Conquerer and now housing two museums inside.  During World War II, the castle was the target of many bombings and artillery fire and was severely damaged.  Today, they have restored many of the castle walls and even grow some herbs and plants from the middle ages in a garden inside.  I went into both museums today and had a good time just walking around and finding out more about the castle. 

I also took on the task of walking up to the University again today which in hindsight was probably not the smartest choice being I was there yesterday, I have to go back tomorrow, and nothing is open on Sundays.  There weren't many people around but it was a beautiful day outside.  This is the front of the University. 

After walking back through the chateau, I grabbed some lunch and went back to my hotel for a nap (I'm still getting used to the time difference).  Tomorrow is a big day so I think I will go to bed early tonight.  In the morning, I am getting up and going to the University to see if they have student accommodations available for me and hopefully by tomorrow, seeing as I do not have my hotel room for tomorrow night.  In the case that I can't get a room I have many back up plans but getting a room near or on the University would be my best option at this point.  I appreciate any prayers or crossed fingers that I find housing tomorrow!

That's all for now. Hopefully next time I write, it's from where I will be staying these next 7 months!

A Bientot! Bises!

The only thing permanent is change...

...but I couldn't have wanted to move to San Francisco or Philadephia or even LA? No. Of course not.  It had to be France.

After 24 hours of traveling, I finally made it to my destination of Caen, France. My parents dropped me off at the airport in Sacramento on Thursday, at around 6:30 in the morning.  The first leg of my trip was to Dallas.  I sat next to a very nice man on the plane and we chatted most of the way there.  After arriving in Dallas, I had a long layover so I bought a sandwich and read.  I found out that the airpot didn't have wi-fi so that was a little bit of a bummer but I quickly made friends with a girl who was traveling to Paris to visit her friend who had just moved there.  We talked for the majority of the wait so it was not too bad.  Then, I happened to recognize two guys and figured out they went to the U of O, were in my french classes, and are now in the same program as me. It was nice to go through customs with them and have someone to talk to about what we are about to embark on.  They ended up cathing trains at the Paris airport, where as I had to take a taxi to get to my train station in the middle of Paris.  I had a very nice cab driver and it didn't cost as much as I thought so that was good.

The train was a little tricky.  In France, you buy your ticket but it can be good for up to a couple months if you don't use it that day.  To make sure that people aren't scamming the system and using one ticket for multiple trips, you must validate your ticket as you board the train.  That was the easy part.  Finding where I was going to sit and getting my two giant suitcases on the train was another issue. Luckily, it all worked out and I made it on the train with time to spare.

Once I got to Caen, I had to take yet another taxi to my hotel.  I had no idea where it was.  Only a 5 euro taxi ride away, I was standing at the front of my hotel.  Finally. And....they have an elevator.  I immediately got online to use the free wi-fi (the french pronounce it wee-fee) and tell my parents I got in okay.  After that it was nap time.  I barely slept on the plane, so the past 24 hours definitely caught up to me.  After getting up and showering, I needed to get out and see this city where I will be living for the next 7 months.  I know nothing about it. I also needed to get a phone so that I can contact housing agencies and friends while I am here.  I found my way around, took a nice walk, got something to eat, and managed to get a phone just before the shop closed for the night.  I would definitely say it was a success. 

I think it will be an early night for me, seeing as I have not had nearly enough sleep in the last hours and am emotionally drained from this move.  Last time I came to France it was only for a month, and I had people waiting for me as soon as I arrived.  Not this time.  I have been on my own since leaving the Paris airport this morning and while it's been an adventure, I'm really lonely in this completely foreign city.  But not for long! Tomorrow I am meeting with Claire, one of the English teachers at the high school.  It will be nice to have someone who lives in the area help me find my way. The important part is I am safe in Caen and ready to settle down and start the next year of my life here.

Au Revoir!

Last Weekend Home

For my last weekend home, my parents threw me a "Bon Voyage" party with a lot of friends and family.  We planned it for awhile and everything turned out great!

My roommate from college, Katelyn, decided to fly down for the event and I picked her up from the airport on Friday night.  After getting things ready for the party Friday, we got to bed early in order to get up early and finish getting ready for the party.  Saturday morning we went helped my mom by going to the bread store and putting some of the food together.  People starting arriving around 1.  My mom had a brilliant idea for the party:  She printed everyone's name on tiny labels and attached them to pins.  We attached giant maps of the United States and the World to cork board and had everyone pin the states and countries they had been to.  It was really fun for the guests and fun to see where everyone had traveled to.  Props, Mom.  That was a great idea.

The party went great.  I think people had a lot of fun.  It was wonderful to see people I hadn't seen in awhile and talk with old friends.

Justine, Jenna, and Me

Uncle Dave, Grannie, Bruce, and Me

All of the girls

Alex, Aaron, and Ella - The cutest neighbors ever!

After the party, the Duck game was on TV.  Sydney, Ally, Alyssa, Katelyn, and I went to Streets of London pub to watch the game.  We were very loud and cheered at all of the touchdowns.  Ducks won (naturally). 

After going back home to change and go out, we went out with all of the girls that night.  Because none of us live in Sacramento anymore, we were unaware of the popular event called Second Saturday.  Apparently, on every Second Saturday in Sacramento is the day that everyone goes out and walks around downtown at night. It was the largest crowd I have seen in downtown Sacramento.  We walked around and ended up going back to Streets of London.  We ran into a few friends at the bar but generally hung out with each other. Little did we know the exciting part of the night was yet to come.  Just after midnight, there was a shooting on the same block the bar was on.  Luckily, we were on the patio of the bar which was in a small alcove off the main sidewalk of the street.  We got inside right away and made plans to leave soon after.  We were surprised by how calm we were at the time.  It was a frightening experience but we stayed safe and with each other.  We all got home safely, thanks to Zac and Sarah (Justine's brother and his girlfriend) who drove us that night. 

Sunday was a pretty quite day.  Katelyn and I went shopping, and then came home to relax and watch a movie.  After dinner, I had to drive her to the airport for her flight home.  I was so happy she was able to come and I got to see her one last time before I left for France. 

It was a great, wonderful, fabulous last weekend at home.  I am so thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life.  I know with the great support system I have that I can do anything.  I feel truly blessed and loved with this many amazing people in my life.  I will try to get in one more post before I leave.  Only 2 more full days.  Can't believe it's here already! 

C'est la bonne vie pour moi!  :)

 

5 (cinq) (English prononciation: sank )

While I know that I have a couple more than 5 days before I leave, I had to share this hilarious story.

Today when I was working out, the trainer Tom wanted me to start counting my bench presses in French.  We frequently joke about my time in France during workouts.  Everything from getting strong enough to carry my luggage to methods of taking control in the classroom.

Anyways, today Tom asked "How do you say 5 in French?"  I answered, "Cinq."  Not thinking about how this sounds to me as to other people, Tom then said, "Sank? Like in 'You sank my battleship?'" I laughed so hard!  If you understand French, this is a hilarious mix-up between the languages.  I thought I would share this funny story about the language before I go abroad and inevitably have more mix-ups in the future.

C'est la bonne vie pour moi! :)

11 day until I'm a resident of Caen, France

Less than two weeks to go and I'm feeling great about my big move!  Between all of the stress of the contract and figuring out when to set up a Visa appointment, I have hardly put anything together to teach my classes.  I still have a lot to put together and a lot of things to buy before I leave. Not to mention, my mom is throwing me a huge "Bon Voyage" party next Saturday that will take up a lot of my time this next week.

But, I'm at ease.  For the first time in months, I am not feeling the anxiety of moving abroad or the doubt that I can do this or the pressure of every little detail of leaving.  I am finally happy and excited, like I was when I first signed up for the program and when I got accepted.  I think everyone telling me "it will all work out" finally went to my head and I can finally believe it!

This past week, I went to San Francisco for the day to request my Visa.  While I was hoping to have it by now, my Visa still has the next 2 weeks to get to me.  I was assured by the Consulate that it would only take 3-5 business days before they mail it to me.  I also received an email from my contact person at the high school in Mondeville...and it was in ENGLISH!  Two nights earlier, I had spent two hours composing an email in French to this school in hopes they would get back to me in a timely manner.  Two days later, I have a wealth of information and a contact who speaks English! I learned that I will not be able to stay at the school like I once thought but instead should find an apartment in the city of Caen.  This is good news to me because that was my original plan.  True, it will be difficult to find housing once I am there but I have no doubt in my mind that it will all work out.  I have started buying things to help me teach the students, or to give to them as rewards for in class assignments.  Yesterday while shopping with my parents, I bought silly bands, those bracelets that are so popular right now, as well as glow sticks, which were very popular with my friends at Oregon :)

That is all the new information I have for now but I will update more before I leave!

C'est la bonne vie pour moi!  :)