It's time to do the kisses!!!

So I just hiked a mountain today. Yeah. Even though I was tired, it was well worth the effort to spend time with Simone, Mary, Lucie, Amy, and Fatou. We were literally climbing the mountain near the top and had to scuffle along the side of the mountain for a brief moment, but at long last (after an hour and a half or so) we made it to the top of the mountain. The view was breathtaking because I’ve been looking at my département on google maps was completely making an understatement. There are lakes where some people were boating or jet skiing, clearly radially-designed towns, and the rust-colored tops of buildings. Simone pointed out Le Muy where I will be going to school next Wednesday as well as the sea in the distance with the surrounding towns. After a lunch of baguette and goat cheese sandwiches we headed back down the mountain. It was sooooo much easier and I actually thought it was pretty fun. As we went up the mountain and took breaks, Simone showed me several plants and trees that I was able to recognize on the way back as we sang Disney songs, bien sur. One of the trees was the cork tree; Simone told me that when there are forest fires, the interior of the cork tree is burned to ashes but the shell of cork remains. They were everywhere, which is perfect to accompany the numerous vineyards along the way to the base of the mountain. She also showed me bay leaves, and of course she took a branch or two home to dry and put into soups. There were also mimosa plants and bamboo, pine trees and blackberry bushes. C’était manifique. Then, cièste (siesta), one that I took time to look at my pictures and nap in the sun poolside.

                  After my nap I had the pleasure of meeting my neighbors – Emma, who will be riding the bus to school with me, her brother, Théo, who gave me a card and traded a Yu-Gi-Oh pin for a Minnesota pin (cutest thing ever!!! And on my blazer it shall stay), and their mother. I learned that Emma will be going into chemistry and I will be in social sciences/humanities but a grade lower so that I can meet more people and have a little less homework. It’s too bad that I won’t be in the same classes as Emma, but I will be able to hang out with her pretty often.

                  Oh le dîner, it was wonderful. Everyone went to a crêperie, one with vines hanging through the ceiling… I met Lucie’s husband, Axel, and two family friends, Sabrina, and Xavier who were all very kind, but unfortunately we couldn’t sit with them because our reservations only had eight places. We made quite a spectacle trying to figure out if the small restaurant could fit an eleven person table J. I had my first savory crêpe, which was delicious – with vegetables, cheese, and a sauce, topped with an egg. We also had a dessert crêpe, but since I’m still not accustomed to the rich food, I tasted the crêpes that everyone else ordered – crêpe suzette, pineapple and chocolate, ice cream and chocolate… why even consider McDonalds, America??

                  Even though it was close to 10pm, we went to the beach where there was a market of some sorts across the street. It lasts for the summer but will soon come to a close. It reminded me of the Defeat of Jesse James Days in Northfield because there were vendors, carousel rides, and I counted eleven gelato stands! Amidst all of the people I realized that I was most likely one of the only Americans. It just hit me. It didn’t help that when I was walking on the sidewalk along the beach with everyone I heard two people talking about my blond hair! More than that, a guy and his friend came towards Amy and I but instead of going for my obvious blond hair, he went up to Amy and asked if her hair was real. He most likely had a little too much to drink with the bar being to our right. We passed by, but not two or three minutes passed and he had stopped a car and asked the woman the same question! Since there are many roundabout’s here everyone is used to the order of traffic moving efficiently. However, the woman and her friend decided to stop and backed up traffic multiple cars deep and not for a minute – it was several… les francais…

                  We returned at half-past midnight where I had to say goodbye to Amy and Fatou because they will be going home to Paris in the morning. I will miss their company but I was told to come and visit, so I guess I will if I have to J (Kiana!!!).

                  Right now it is about a quarter past two in the morning here and quarter past seven in the evening in Northfield. The cat, Pouille, is next to me being curious of the newcomer, but he’s so cute and way nicer than my cat in Northfield that even though he’s making a lot of noise at this hour, I don’t care.

                  Before I forget, there are important cultural differences, as in the media. They have no idea who the French really are! Just kidding – I mean the French books, movies, and characters that we think are French. Pépé le pew doesn’t exist. They have no idea who Madeline is. Only the people of  the Basque-pays, France region near the Spanish border wear berets (or at least that’s where they come from). Mr. Bean’s Holiday never holidayed here. My favorite movie, Chocolat, with Johnny Depp (he had or has a house in Cannes) isn’t a French film that my host family knows. Fellow Americans, this is crazy and I hope that I didn’t cause you to go into shock because I’m pretty sure that I experienced a little bit of that. Seriously guys, it’s not okay to make up existing, working cultures. But life goes on….

On Saturday I will be going to Emma’s house for une petite soirée (kind of a get-together) where we will have some chamallow (marshmallows haha) and I will possibly bake some cookies to go with the Hershey’s chocolate that I brought in order to show everyone how to make a s’more American style.

As for the title of this blog, I just wanted to touch on this briefly. Les bis, or the kisses. I'm hug deprived but I've had way too many kisses from the French (see how I worded that? No French kisses per-say) to count. Every time you see someone you know or are meeting you do the kisses (that's just the literal translation and just "kiss" is not the same thing). You touch cheeks and kiss the air if it's with strangers and maybe even give a mini-hug by way of your hand touching their shoulder, but that's it. But if it's between family, sometimes you kiss on the cheeks. It really depends. At least I haven't had the awkward "is it two kisses or four?" moments! It's actually quite sweet though, and respectful to acknowledge everyone in your immediate group. Even when everyone has to go their separate ways, <<on fait les bis>> "you do the kisses". Apparently it's the same at school when everyone arrives, <<c'est les bis encore>> "it's the kisses again" and you greet all of your friends. What a great way to start out the day.

bis,

Maggie

steps up to the house

My house!

Flowers that smell incredible - all the way from Senegal

They have bamboo, cacti, and palm trees all in the same place. What??

Amy and I at the crêperie (among other photos with my host family)

I'm the only one without nail polish :( that won't last long...

First savory crêpe mmmmm...

The only beret I've seen. Seriously, not everyone in France carries a baguette, wears skinny black pants, has a mustache , wears a black and white striped shirt, and has a beret on their head.