No Day But Today.

Literally.
I go home in nine days. Can you believe it? I certainly cannot.

Im bursting to say that I went on a 30km bike ride. Yes ma'am, that's 18 miles. Chelsea on a bike for eighteen miles in the French countryside. Who would have thought it? My legs were pretty wobbly the rest of the evening, but I loved it and I would do it again. Went with API and we had a picnic lunch out in the middle of nowhere. It was fun- even if every three minutes you heard "Ah, my >behind/derriere/crotch< etc."
It was hilarious and so much fun. It began to rain on us as we made it back into the city, but it was such a welcome ending. I got some sun. The weather was perfect- it was a bit overcast, but breezy, not stifiling hot. I remarked to Susanna that we wont see this kind of weather again until November. It was such a good day.

Ive been in the middle of finals. Classes ending, test taking, life here seems to be wrapping up. It's so surreal. On our last day of our language class (the group of 15 I've been with all semester) we had a "food festival" where everyone brought food from their part of the world. I made burritos! I paid SEVEN euros for a package of eight tortillas and a packet of spices in the "International" aisle in Carrefour. But everyone absolutely loved the burritos. It was so funny because Bekah has a picture of me with a Japanese rice ball wrapped in seaweed in my hand, next to my Japanese friend eating the burrito. Only in France. I loved it. And some of the kids in our class really can cook. It was so much fun. The Chinese girls made spicy tofu, the Chinese guy made carmelized pork of some sort, our French professor brought bread and cheese and wine, Jon from Washington made salmon dip, there were Mau-ko's rice balls, and then Taiwanese noodles. So yummy.

We had an oldfashioned sleepover the other night. Laura and Melenie made dinner- I was sick so I stayed away ;) - and it was delicious. What I could taste of it. But it was fun and nice to relax. We had dinner outside and watched the rain come in over the mountains.

My host mom made me a four month anniversary cake the other day that I almost died the second it entered my mouth. Think of a Terramisu but condense the taste of a whole one into one bite, and youll get kind of the picture of this cake. Im stealing the recipe.

I sunburnt myself while studying outside yesterday. Don't you hate when you put on sunblock, and you think you've been really careful and gotten every patch of skin, and then thirty minutes after you're back inside you find that one patch of exposed, sunburnt, lotion-less skin. Its more annoying than anything.

Yesterday was Mother's day in the US, so Happy Mom's day. I hope it was a great day. I want to know what Mom's surprise was. Mother's Day in France is on the 28th, but Vero said they dont make that big of a deal about it. Sad.

We had the API goodbye dinner. It was at a delicious couscous place, and Im now a huge fan of the couscous. If anyone knows a good place for couscous in Austin, let me know. And it's fun to say. Couscous. And easy to make. So I hear. Ill be attempting it this summer, that's for sure.

Ive started a list. A "Things I've Learned In France" list that I hope to be posting soon. I made one of these right after my freshman year of college, and it will be interesting to compare the two. Im sure I've learned some things again, and some new things.

What else. That's all for now. Ive got a final to take in two hours and I should review my notes. And by that, I mean see how much longer I can procrastinate.

Bonne journee!
A bientot,
Chelsea

Sometimes you just gotta twirl.

Im going to rewind for you, back a couple weeks to Easter and then recount what all has happened since then. Im praying by the time I finish this, my French family will have figured out wi-fi (“wee-fee” as they say) and I can post it immediately online. Here’s hoping. (And they didn't, so I posted it online on campus. Dont get me started.)

Easter- This was my first Easter as a Catholic, and it was very nice. I made the mistake in one of my earlier entries saying that the church services were in English, but I meant French. I can just understand these services as if they were in English, as compared to the masses Ive been to in Spanish. Confused now? The mass is in French, of course, but I can follow along. Ive even been trying to memorize The Lord’s Prayer in French, just because it sounds cool. So we went to mass Friday night (Good Friday) after a very, very light dinner- my family just ate broth, I ate cauliflower. Saturday night from 9 to midnight, we went to mass. The church here is beautiful- huge, old- it smells of incense and stone, and has that cool (in temperature), historic feeling when you enter it. St. Victor. We had a candle lighting ceremony- and the priest’s robes were ornately beautiful. The best part may have been the food. Saturday and Sunday (Easter) we ate so much. My plate was decorated with chocolates and candy, Ferro Rochers and Toblerone bars. Im still working on that candy! Isabelle also made these eggshells filled with fudge. Mmmmm. She also made escargot- my first taste! It was delicious- the texture was somewhere between a calamari and raw oyster, but not slippery, and not as chewy. There was a delicious pesto inside and we ate them with potatoes. Puree des pommes de terre. Delicious. I also had lamb that weekend, and truffles (the mushrooms I’ve watched pigs try to find on the Food Network!) and delicious chocolate cake. Isabelle was on a cooking frenzy- she made special bread for Easter Sunday, a sweeter, kind of brioche bread. It was so funny, my host parents pretended as if they didn’t know who had decorated our plates, or who had given us the chocolates. The saying here goes, when the church bells ring in Rome, the Easter bunny is hiding eggs in the yard. To counteract all the eating, Laura, Melanie and I took an extended nature walk- this time we wanted to see how far up the mountain we could hike without passing out. Ha. And that we did, and found a very nice view- perfect for a secret fort or clubhouse. Ha. My friend Laura made me the cutest Easter basket- she was my secret Easter Bunny (instead of Secret Santa) and we had a good time. I discovered that drawing a soccer ball accurately is not as easy as one would think. So Easter was fun, and we had Monday off from school because of it as well.

I registered for my courses for next semester, as well. Im truly excited. If you know me, you know that registering for new classes is one of those things in life I love the most. Ha. Until the second or third month of them….

The weather here (until this weekend) had been perfect. Sunny days, cloudless skies, flowers blooming- it was like something out of a fairy tale. This weekend reality set back in, with its rain and clouds, but oh well.

So this week was vacances. Gothy and I took a few day trips. We went to Lyon- the 2nd biggest city in France, after Paris. I loved Lyon- clean, with a more relaxed “vibe” than some other cities, and the zoo! We felt like kids, but we were really excited about the zoo. We saw elephants, giraffes, tigers, lions, and bears- oh my!- and the day was beautiful and warm! The city itself is easily navigable, and the old, cobbled section of Lyon was so nice. The cathedrals are always awe-inspiring, our picnic lunch was delicious, and was an overall nice time. We also went to Annecy yesterday. Annecy would be a beautiful town in good weather- unfortunately, yesterday was not one of its better days. Tant pis. It was still fun- we went with trusty Carlos, and Jenn and Ashley (their program ended Friday and they’re leaving today. Deja!) The lake was so wonderful, and I kid you not, I will be in the pool more often than not this summer. I am craving the water. I wanted to swim yesterday- but alas, it was freezing and windy and threatening rain. We got there early enough for the morning markets, and bought our lunch fresh from the vendors. Fresh chevre (goats cheese) and tomatoes, pesto and bread. Top that with some delicious strawberries- we felt so French! (Even though we doubted that our host families could split one loaf of bread between two people…) We also went to Vizille on Thursday and visited the Chateau there. Famous to us because it’s on the cover of the API booklet, so Gothy and I made sure to take some pictures making fun of it. I mean, showing our love for API. The chateau was a museum, pretty interesting for such a small ville. The gardens, of course, were something else. Sprawling, immense and immaculate. A perfect place to picnic, which is the thing to do when the weather permits.

Speaking of my love for API, our resident director Marie had a dinner at her house for all available API girls. We got dressed up- skirts and fancy shoes- and cooked a delicious dinner. We made chicken with peppers, the salad (yours truly), and three types of dessert- a gateau chocolat, a financiere (an almond cake) and a tarte aux fraises (strawberry tart.) It was so much fun- and mostly in French- and Marie’s silverware (emphasis on the silver) had her family crest on every piece. We drank wine and laughed and had a really great night. Im going to miss these girls! And only Marie can make butchering a chicken in pearls and heels look extraordinarily classy. She’s so French, I can’t handle it.

Speaking of, API gave an aperitif for our host parents. Only the host moms showed, and it felt like open house. It was hilarious. I loved introducing my host mom to all my friends, and I made sure she had enough of the food we had made at Marie’s house earlier that week; a tarte au citron, a quiche lorraine, and the almond cake. The host moms gathered on one side of the room, and the girls on the other. We knew what they were talking about. “Oh, youre American does what??” “My American…” I love it. It was great.

So my mother and family sent a huge box that I can basically ship myself back to the US in. I love it- and was so surprised and felt so loved by its contents. My host family is addicted to the M&Ms- and gasped over the size of the bag- sure, it’s a 3lb bag, but you shouldve seen the expression on their faces! I also got my new episodes of the West Wing today- and that’s made me (and my host sister) very, very, very content. I love my new teddy bear, too, and Ive taken to referring to my box as my box of joy. Good times.

Also went to La Chartreuse on Monday and took a tour of the place where the monks make liqour. A lot of fun and Gothy and I got to have a liqour tasting at the end. Ha. Those crazy monks.....There was even a 3D film. Of monks. Making liqour. Cmon, that's pure comedy.

I also climbed the Bastille again and took advantage of things in Grenoble this week. Im slowly getting some color on my skin- I anxiously await when the clouds part and the sun breaks through. Im there with my bottle of sunblock. I can’t believe I only have a little over 25 days to go before I leave France. I feel like it’s been forever and no time at all simultaneously.

Hopefully soon I’ll have pictures of all these random adventures. I have them on my computer, and if the wee-fee ever ends up working, Ill be able to share them.

Hope Texas- and other places (hi Melanie in NY!!)- are treating everyone well.

My subject line is from the card I got from Dad and Becky yesterday- thanks!

Bisous,
Chelsea

Vacances!!!

The title of my post is meant to be read with enthusiasm, with arms raised, a huge smile, and an unmistakable glint in the eye.

Vacances.

I have so much to update about- it's finding the time to do it. The best I can estimate will be next Tuesday. A lengthy update that will recount all of my adventures up to that time including:

-My French Easter- Mass, the Pope, Easter Bunnies, and my host family

-Vacances- another one, a whole week in preparation for "finals" in two weeks

-Lyon, the cave adventure, the Chateau and Annecy

-Naaature hikes, and climbing the Bastille without a rope or trail

So, anyway. I hope everything is going well on the other side of the world.
Bisous,
Chel

Vacances!!!

The title of this post should be read with enthusiasm- in fact, shout it from the rooftops. It's vacances.

I need to update on so many things- my French Easter, the beautiful weather, my lovely host family, my vacation plans, etc. And I promise a thorough update asap.

Bisous,
Chelsea

Les Photos

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=vkth859.15vdk2l1&x=0&h=1&y=4ppyln

Go here for new pictures. From my trip to the wine country to the family's visit (though I somehow only seem to have pictures of India??) to Nice this past weekend. Selected photos. I didn't upload all of them because it takes SO LONG to do so. So Ill just have to have a huge slideshow viewing party when I get back.

Oh, and it was also Dad's 50th birthday last weekend. Happy Bday, again, Dad.

And it's Mom's 30th birthday tomorrow. (See how I did that? That thing with the age? I love you!)

So I love you guys and wish I could be there to celebrate. But I took more picture of myself this time, for you guys, so there you go.

Bisous,
Chelsea

On ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser d'oeufs (can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs- French proverb)

Wow, it's been a little while since I've updated. I hope everything is well with everyone and you guys are enjoying the benefits of a true spring.

I went to Nice and Monaco last weekend. A little less than seven hours in a bus and we were at the coast. The water was beautiful and we even had a bit of sunshine while we were there. In Monaco, we visited the aquarium, the gardens and the church where Grace Kelly is buried. We walked around the old part of town, and the palace, and even saw the Monte Carlo casino. (We weren't dressed appropriately enough to venture inside, so we kind of lingered around the front for a while. As long as we could have without being suspicious... a bunch of American girls in blue jeans! Sacre bleu!) We didn't stay in Monaco very long because everything was very expensive, and we were spending the night in Nice, anyway. So we hop back on the bus to Nice. I love this city. It reminded me a lot of Barcelona. They speak Nicais there- an Italian/French mixture, and even the street signs are in two languages. It was an incredibly endearing city- a couple steps from the waterfront you have these immense outdoor markets, selling everything from fresh flowers to fish. Everytime you turn a corner, you happen upon a different church in a different style of architecture. The food was delicious as well. We were encouraged to try the petits farcis- stuffed vegetables. Holy cow- my stuffed onion and zucchini were delicious. And it always helps to have friends and good conversation around as well. Even if we did drift into non-table topics... ;)

That night we just sat on the beach. We did a lot of that- and it was perfect. There is nothing more relaxing than just sitting on a beach, joking about how far the horizon is, and enjoying the company of others. It was a stone beach- the water makes a different sound when the waves pull back into the sea- it's so...strange! It was a little hard on the feet, but simply breathtaking. We did the touristy thing- we had a guided tour of the city, we saw the ancient Roman bath ruins, went to the Matisse museum. I had my salade chevre chaud- Im going to miss you!- and it was all in all a very fun weekend. Guy- our bus driver- even stopped at a rest stop with a playground on the way back- we let out some pent up energy and he gave us candy. He was awesome- and incredibly thoughtful.

On Sunday, we went to this tinytiny village on the side of a hill called Eze. It is literally, built into the hill. The streets were just wide enough where I could stand in the middle with my arms stretched out and practically touch buildings on either side. It was built upwards, not outwards, and the church at the top was cute. There were more markets in this tiny town. It was like it was built for dolls or something, instead of people. So funny.

We also went to the Fragonard parfumerie, at the base of the hill in Eze. Learned some interesting perfume facts- 1000 kilos of lavender for 1 liter of extract- and smelled some beautiful scents. I threw some samples- the pieces of scented paper- in my purse, and now the mixture of scents is very strong- they kind of smell like an older lady at church. We all know that smell. Ha.

Speaking of, Im going to midnight mass with the family in celebration of Easter on Saturday night. Im excited- something about a fire ceremony followed by a water ceremony? Outside at night? Who knew those Catholics had all that fun? (No offense meant towards any Catholics reading this!)

I threw a surprise 21st birthday for my friend Gothy last night. We all worked together and pulled it off. It was such a surprise! She was shaking and almost cried. I was happy that she was happy- it's hard to celebrate your birthday thousands of miles away from your friends and family. So you make a family of friends here, and sometimes you just need to know that everyone's on your side. It was really funny, because the plan was her host sister was going to take her to dinner and then say her friend was at this bar and that Gothy should come with her. The bar where we would all be waiting. And so Gothy tells me yesterday afternoon that her host sister invited her to a bar, which is very strange because her host sister is Muslim and it's against her religion to drink alcohol. So Gothy was really confused, and asking, "What am I going to do at a bar sitting between two Muslim women who dont drink?" It was really hilarious, but I kept a straight face, and she was pleasantly surprised. (Her host sister stuck around, by the way, and drank orange juice. I love her! She reminds me of Manar!) So that was fun, and as a result Im a bit on the exhausted side today.

Spring IS coming to Grenoble. Trees are blossoming- cherry trees, orange trees, apricot trees, trees of every sort. I love it. Flowers are blooming, things are melting. Grenoble is coming alive and I can wear capris! This weekend we're looking into exploring a cave. And there's a carnival in town, so hopefully that will be fun. French carnies? I wonder how different they are...

Im about to post some pictures as well. They start in Beaune / Dijon, go through Paris with the family, and end in Nice / Monaco. Enjoy!

Bonne Paques!
Bisous,
Chelsea

It couldn't be worse! .............. Wait, I mean better!

My subject line is courtesy of Molly and Jillian's host mom. It was her response when asked by a group of study abroad advisors (from different universities who came to Grenoble to check out the API program) what it was like to host an American student. Imagine the quickly dropped jaws of all the advisors, and then her quick recovery. Comedy at its finest.

Top that with Kettelyne- a student in the program that's been here a year- responding to an advisor's question at the dinner last night about study abroad- "Study abroad is worthless!" >pause< "I mean priceless!"

So, please, none of you be surprised if I come home and can't think of the English words for small things. Things I would have ordinarily known. This language sneaks into your brain and plants falsities- false cognates, mispelled words, etc. Im just warning all of you.

And I have a whole new appreciation for the remark we always chastized Manar about- "Senior year it's gonna be!" I understand now. ;)

Another day of strikes in France. At least it's not raining like it was last Tuesday. It's actually beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky, although the temperature has dipped considerably. I almost wore shorts the other day and now Im back in my coat. We leave for Nice Friday morning, and Im hoping some kind of heat wave will sweep the country so I can actually lay on the beach. And just se detendre- relax.
I have some tests this week in my courses. That's always exciting. This weekend the sun finally showed its face- after a long week of hiding- and I got to relax outside and read a book. I read Memoirs of A Geisha and Im almost done with my short-story compilation book. It's really great- compiled by Joyce Carol Oates and Janet Berliner, it's called Snapshots, and is just a collection of short stories from modern female writers about the relationship between mothers and daughters. It's great.
Last night was the dinner with API. It was nice to have a dinner in English, and actually sound (somewhat) like an articulate college student again. I think API is a great program, and I enjoyed promoting it. And speaking about my experience, what I wish I would've known beforehand, etc. And quite a few of them seem interested in that powerpoint I made.
Good times.
Took another NATURE WALK- it deserves all capitals- with Laura and Jenna. I like exploring the Montbonnot countryside and the mysterious fields of perfect grass. Still intrigues me.

Friday night I went to this crazy Jazz concert with API. I say crazy because it wasn't really jazz. It was more "New Age." And they were a group from Norway. Ever since my modern art class about decadence, Ive been scared of modern art/literature/music that comes from the Scandinavian countries, and this group was no different. I think my favorite song was "Fat Girl's Revenge" where the lead singer kind of screamed for five minutes, accompanied by the lightest tinkling of the keyboard, and only a soft, slow drumbeat. And Im also convinced she spoke in tongues at one point. Interesting experience to say the least, but the theater was really pretty. Saturday hung around with Maylis and Vero. Maylis had her friends over- the ones who had the Raclette that she took me to the first weekend I was in Grenoble. The guys are so nice and made sure to involve me a lot in the conversation. Gentlemen. And of course, we had a fabulous meal because there were boys in the house to be fed! Ha. And holy cow, we had this lemon pie that was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. Isabelle is going to have to FedEx me things when I go back to the US. I mean, really.

Sunday I went to mass with the family. This was my first English speaking mass ever- I've been to mass a couple of times- with Herbie, Summer- and it's always been in Spanish. So I was able to understand a bit more, but it did make me think of being in the FRONT row of Grace Presbyterian with Dad, Becky and the girls. It was nice because we walked to church- even crossed a bubbling brook- everything is so quaint. It's in a stone building that seems relatively new, but is constructed in a gothic style. Very beautiful church.

Not much else to report. Im eagerly awaiting Spring! I haven't put any pictures online yet- Ive got a great picture from my window of a double rainbow!- but hopefully soon. I want them to be entitled "Spring Comes to Grenoble," but alas, that hasn't happened yet. There are a few patches of wildflowers here and there, and some trees are blooming pink petals of some sort, but nothing overwhelming yet.

Hopefully soon.
And whatever you may be hearing on the news, Im fine. The manifestations are far from me and are not interrupting my coursework. The only way they affect me is that there are less buses and trams, so transportation becomes a little more difficult.

A bientot
Bisous
Chelsea

A song a thousand miles long.

Well, nothing as exciting as the last update has happened yet. This past weekend was stunningly beautiful. It was great to be able to wear short sleeves and jeans and lounge around in the sun. The sun! I even got a bit pink, and Im so excited. Before I came to Grenoble, I (mistakenly) thought it'd be winter until May. Well, I was wrong. And I can't recall a time when Ive been so happy to be wrong.
The skies were blue, the mountains clear, the temperature perfect.
There's a jazz festival going on right now in Grenoble. Laura, Gothy and I climbed to the top of the Bastille Saturday to watch a band play. It was so relaxed and fun- just a bunch of people at the top of the Bastille listening to music. Amazing. Reminded me of Austin.
The other day I was in the car with Isabelle, my host mom, and I saw the first few wildflowers poking their petals out of the ground. I immediately thought of bluebonnet covered fields next to the highway and Indian paintbrush, etc. Spring is arriving- slowly but surely.
And with that, comes the rain. It rained again this morning, but Im always happy to see it because then I can wear my pink American Eagle galoshes. They were bulky in my suitcase and took up a ton of space, but now Im finally glad I did it. Even if I do get a few strange looks from the color-less Frenchmen.
Im excited to go to Nice next weekend (April 7th). Nice and Monaco. I hope the weather stays perfect- or warmer. I could handle warmer.
I would definitely enjoy warmer.
Im proud of my walk I took on Sunday with Laura. It lasted two and a half hours and I now feel as if I could describe myself as "sporty," "sportive" if you will, in French. I am loving the outdoors right now- it was pure heaven to sit outside and finish my book the other day- and am currently scouting camping locations in the South of France for the 5/6 of May. Time is flying by- April, deja! Mais, non!- and it's just crazy. I can't even clearly articulate it.
It's just crazy. This entire experience.
And some things are so entirely similar. Such as, Veronique drove home the other day from her friend's house. The way Isabelle clutched the door handle, and murmured prayers and gave instructions in a voice that was entirely not her own- I thought of Mom or Dad with Kaitlin at the wheel, when she first began to drive.
And then I thought of India's early driving career (I specified early) when we were all hanging on for dear life.
It wasn't quite like that, but it was all so similar. And Veronique watched Grease the other day and is now singing it all the time. It was fun to try and explain how "Do-wop" and words like that don't really mean anything.
They just sound cool.
And of course, that was met with a puzzled expression as well.

Last night we watched The Wizard Of Oz together. Thank you Tante and Phil! It was so funny- I can't recall at what age I was when I first watched it, but it was always magical to me. I told Vero that it was an American classic and she just had to watch it. So we watched it- dubbed in French with English subtitles. It was great, and Im pretty sure she enjoyed it. I hope so.

Class is going fine. Today is a HUGE day of strikes for France- I think I overheard even the airports. Yet, I still have class. Half the country may be closed down, but I still have class. Tonight Vero is going to help me dye my hair. That should be a bonding experience.

Nothing else is really new. I hope everyone is well. And I promise photos soon.
Bisous,
Chelsea