Crystal Goes to Europe

on reading too fast and eating something I shouldn't have

2012-01-29T12:20:00.002+01:00

I've spent this whole first weekend back to France alone as Max left Friday to go visit his friends and family in the north. Nothing says love like coming back from a 2-week trip abroad to have your husband take off for 4 days less than 12 hours later. I'm ~~kinda~~ joking of course; Max was very good with the animals during my absence, and I think he needed to get out town for a few days. He's getting back tomorrow, but I won't see him until Monday evening after work.

Speaking of work...I read a 325-page novel cover to cover over Thursday and Friday's shifts. I also read the Canadian Reader's Digest my friend Rebecca had given me in Canada. At this rate, I'm going to read through the stack of books I brought back with me by the middle of February. Feeling sorry for me yet? ;) My colleagues assure me that we won't have time to read during the summer though with all the coming and going in the museum. Since I'll be there now, I'll be able to see for myself. I'm a little wary when they say it gets "very busy" though because they tend to nod in accordance when I jokingly say things like "wow, we've had a lot of visitors today!" when a total of maybe 20 people have passed through the museum the entire day. Either they think 20 visitors is a lot, or they simply don't catch on to my attempts at sarcasm. At this point, I honestly have no idea which it is. I do like it there and am pleased to stay on until at least September.

Before I left to go to Canada, I spoke (wrote?) briefly about a 2nd blog giveaway I was planning. I'm still hosting it, probably within the next week, but I have a confession to make:

I accidentally ate part of the prize yesterday.

In my previous post, I'd said that the prize would consist of something from Canada and something from France. Well there was something from Canada until I opened it up and started munching away only to realize seconds later that I was snacking on the Canadian part of my blog giveaway prize. I won't tell you what it was (although I will say it was delicious), but I do apologize. Since it came from Canada and cannot be easily replaced, the prize will now be something (equally as awesome) from France. And because I'm feeling horrible about my apparent lack of self-control, I'm adding in something else as sort of a bonus gift (something non-edible so I don't risk stuffing it down my throat again).

So check back within the next week to read all about the next ~~slightly modified~~ giveaway!

I leave with you a few recent pics taken mostly in Canada and mostly of cats.

Chloe (L) and Dusty (R) - my Mom's siamese cats

Tiger - my Mom's not-so-modest tabby cat

Chloe and Dusty again in a loving embrace (no worries, they are both fixed)

My bed at my parents' house apparently became the party bed while I was home. And this isn't even everybody!

Lovies

I got my hair cut (barely) and coloured during my trip. It's a reddish colour now with caramel highlights underneath. Max didn't notice.

Me and Sophie the chihuahua playing around with my Mom's ipad

The joys of home - ice cream flavours you would never find in France.

Me and the hubs just before I left. (Not pictured: Pinch lying across my lap, Skinny Mini clawing the hell out of the back of the couch)

back to my French life

2012-01-26T19:03:00.000+01:00

Getting back to France from Canada yesterday was long (plane, train, car), but thankfully, uneventful (the same cannot be said for the trip to Canada, but that seems forever ago now, so I won't rehash). I had a window seat AND no one in the seat next to me for the whole flight. This has never happened to me before on a transatlantic flight, and let me tell you - being able to actually lie down over the 2 seats does wonders for making a night flight go all that much better. And because I'm pocket-sized, I was able to curl up quite comfortably on the seats and actually sleep a little. These couple hours of sleep made it possible to get through the next day which involved lots of waiting for my TGV Paris-Lyon, and then the 2-hour drive back to my town with Max.

The pets were overjoyed to see me, and Mini hopped right back into her routine of falling asleep on the couch then coming to snuggle under the covers with me at 4am. Max told me that she didn't sleep in our bed once while I was gone, but she clearly recognized that Mommy was back last night and dove back in. She's been all over me since I returned, and I dare say that it appears Mini is happier to have me back than Pinch. Granted, I'm doing my best to keep up the good habits Max started with the dog while I was gone, and part of that basically requires that I ignore him (channeling Cesar Milan: No touch, no talk, no eye contact.) It's so hard for me, but I can see it's working (must. stop. anthropomorphizing). We've got big plans for little Pinch in February, but more on that in another post.

I was put on the schedule to work at the museum today, even though I got back home around 7pm last night. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be however, and despite being tired and a bit sick (something I picked up on the plane or just the result of being over-tired), I had fun at work talking about my trip and passing around the maple cream cookies I brought back for my colleagues. What's even better was the the director of the museum was waiting for me to arrive this morning so she could talk to me about my contract. As you may remember, I'm working part-time at 50% of another employee; basically she does 50% of her hours and I am replacing her for the other 50%. My contract is until March, but the director wants to offer me an extension until the end of September, and I'll move up to 70%. She cannot offer me a full-time position because one has not become available, but due to some maternity leaves and whatnot, I can work a day or 2 more per week and still get the complement from the unemployment agency. Sounds like a good plan to me! I'll be able to enjoy my summer even more because I won't be trapped in a full-time position (Pinch just breathed a sigh of relief behind me), and I won't be losing money because I'll still get the difference in pay from the unemployment agency. It's a win-win! I'll be giving English lessons to my colleagues once a week as well in order to prepare them for the influx of English speaking tourists this summer. It'll be limited to role plays and a lot of oral practice/listening skills, so no annoying lesson prep or boring grammar lessons. Plus, being able to teach my colleagues as well as working the front desk gives me a bit of an edge over the other part-timers and makes me a good candidate to keep on staff. Things are looking good for the moment!

Going back to work the very next day after returning from Canada turned out to be a good thing for me. I had never done it before, but found it prevented me from sitting at home feeling sad and homesick and generally sorry for myself (like I had tendency to do upon my return). I did feet pangs of sadness at work as I described my lovely and relaxing trip 'home', but it was a lot easier not to dwell on these feelings considering I had things to keep me busy. I may have woken up at 7am this morning jet-lagged and with a killer sore throat, but my mind was a lot more at ease than it has been in the past after coming back from Canada and that was a good feeling overall.

not really a real post

2012-01-20T14:36:00.000+01:00

This isn't a real post, because I promised myself I'd give it a break 'til I get back to France. Well, I'm still in Canada (and LOVING it), but I just wanted to put up a couple of pics to show you how much snow we got in the period of a few hours yesterday. It had been grey and rainy most of the week with not a snowflake to be seen, then BAM! a nice blanket of snow covering just about everything. Canada's winter motto is: Go Big or Don't Go!

Back in a week or 2 with a proper post!

à bientôt!

2012-01-05T14:25:00.000+01:00

I finished up my work week yesterday and am on holiday until January 26th! Unfortunately it's pouring out here today so I can't take Pinch for the long walkies I've been promising him all week. We are both snuggled under a fleece blanket on my computer chair watching the rain fall outside.

I leave for Canada on the weekend and needless to say, I'm super excited! My last trip 'home' was in August which isn't that long ago, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back to Canada after this trip, so I want to make the most of it. I'm definitely looking forward to celebrating a belated Christmas with my family and closest friends. And in order to concentrate more on the people and things that matter most when I'm in Canada, I think I'm going to take a little break from blogging while I'm there. Don't worry - I'll be back at the end of the month, but I just feel the need to "disconnect" a little. I spend most of the year exchanging with family and friends back home via the internet, and now that I'll have the opportunity to see them in person, I think it's only fair that I give my blog some time off and prioritize these face-to-face conversations. I'm planning my second blog giveaway (!) for the beginning of February though, so make sure to come back in a few weeks to find out all the details! The prize will be something French AND something Canadian, so you won't want to miss it.

So until I blog again, I'll leave you with another vegetarian friendly recipe that is popular chez moi (again, it's a recipe that I found somewhere and tweaked a little). It's a perfect winter meal full of good, healthy ingredients (and a little cheese of course!).

I'm hoping everyone is making good on their new year's resolutions! Stay fit, healthy, and happy and see you back here in a few weeks :)

Easy Cheesy Veggie Gratin

I buy dry légumes like this brand to add some healthy protein to the veggie gratin. The box contains 2 individual bags of mixed, dried légumes like lentils, peas, and soy nuts. You could also just buy small quantities of your favourite légumes from a bulk store and make your own mix.

In a measuring cup, combine 2 cups milk with about 300 g (or, one packet from the box) of the dried légumes. Let soak for the time that you cut and prepare the veggies. Sometimes, depending on how crazy I get with the quantities of veggies I prepare, the 2 cups of milk isn't really enough. Feel free to add a splash or two of milk more if necessary. The milk mix shouldn't cover the veggies completely, but come up about 1/2 of the way in the baking dish.

In an oven safe baking dish, add 4-5 different sorts of your favourite veggies, cut into small pieces. I chose: broccoli (pre-steamed for shorter cooking time), carrots, leeks, onion, zucchini, and red potato (pre-boiled for shorter cooking time as well). Any veggie works in this dish, and it's fun playing around with different combinations. If you are short on time, you can substitute any frozen veggie for a fresh one.

Add the légumes and milk mix to the veggies. Stir in together to coat the bottom of the dish evenly. I try to push the longer cooking veggies down into the milk mixture so that they cook faster. The veggies will cook in the milk mixture and the dried légumes add a nice texture and taste to the whole dish. I added some ground black pepper and garlic powder as well for a bit of extra flavour.

Cover the top of the gratin with a generous layer of bread crumbs (chapelure in French). Place in a pre-heated oven at 210°C for about 40 minutes (depending on what kind and quantity of veggies you used and if they are pre-cooked at all).

When the bread crumb top has started to brown (after about 30 minutes), take out the dish and add some pieces of cheese on top. I think any kind of cheese could work, but I love fresh mozzarella, so I added slices directly on top of the gratin. I've used raclette cheese before as well and it was delicious.

Pop it back into the oven until the cheese melts and browns. Let cool a few minutes before serving. This is really a hearty, delicious dinner idea that fills you up and I almost always have leftovers for the next day's lunch!

2011 in review

2011-12-31T15:47:00.001+01:00

Today is the last day of 2011, and what a year it's been! 2011 was one of those deciding years in my life. It was a "make it or break it" year that brought some much needed change. For those of you new to the blog, and for my long-time readers as well, I've put together a list of the important events in my little life from the past year. And like last year's NYE post, I've included links to my favourite posts from each month in 2011 and a little recap of what went on.

Happy New Year / Bonne Année to all my friends & family! I wish you all the best in 2012!

January 2011 - This month was a tough one. We were still living in Paris, and I had just gotten back from spending Christmas in Canada with my family. I was hit by a huge wave of homesickness and depression upon my return to France and couldn't shake it for weeks. I told Max that something needed to change or I was going to leave and go back to Canada. I hated living in Paris, I hated my job, and I wanted out. Max came home one day that month and told me he had 2 new job possibilities - join the French riot police (CRS) or try out for a détachement in the Gendarmerie. In the end, he was offered both positions, but chose the Gendarmerie so we could move out of Paris. His hard work and success is what saved me, and our marriage.

Coming back to France is always tough... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/01/neither-here-nor-there.html

But so is making important decisions... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/01/decisions-decisions.html

February 2011 - I hit 500 posts (!) in February and reflected on how my life (and blog) had evolved since starting this French adventure back in 2005. Max began all the tests/interviews required for both job possibilities (riot police and Gendarmerie), and so much of the month was spent waiting for results and encouraging him on. He ended up with some pretty serious cracked ribs after the riot police physical tests, and later turned down their offer because it would have meant staying in Ile-de-France and him being away from home even more than he already was. It seems I posted a lot of photos in February - I guess I didn't have much to say!

My post on 500 posts! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/02/500th-post.html

March 2011 - This month was a turning point in my life in that we found out Max had been offered a job with the Gendarmerie in the Rhone-Alpes region in France. I was moving to the Alps!! I had just months left to work in my soul-sucking teaching job, and by the end of summer, I'd be in my new apartment in Isère, happily unemployed and surrounded by mountains. Suddenly life became a lot better and I found a new optimism about living in France that I've managed to hang onto since.

The post that turned my life around... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/03/im-moving.html

April 2011 - April was all about celebrating and telling anyone and everyone (including my students) that I was moving! The good news about Max's transfer coincided with our trip to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, and I remember spending an AMAZING week with my husband in a gorgeous hotel on a beautiful beach. I got a smartphone (finally!) and wondered how I ever lived without. Max started getting ready to leave for 3 months to go to Gendarmerie training 300km away in the centre of France. I struggled with trying to find the motivation to keep teaching until the end of July because my head and heart were elsewhere.

Fotos from beautiful Fuerteventura! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/04/fuerteventura-fotos-landscapes-edition.html

Mixed emotions about the upcoming move and Max leaving me for 3 months... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/04/sometimes-clouds-roll-in.html

May 2011 - I turned 29 (!) and made a video post about it. Max was off at training and I fell into a routine of working and running the house by myself. The highlight of May was having my good friend Rebecca come visit me from Canada. She kept me company and we got to visit Brussels and Paris together. Max came home that weekend for a visit, and he drove me and Rebecca to Giverny to visit Monet's house and gardens. I loved having her at my house and we certainly have a lot of fun memories from that visit!

Photo post about Brussels... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/05/day-in-brussels.html

June 2011 - Thanks to my new smartphone, I started taking a lot more photos and posting them up on Facebook or my blog. The built in camera is actually pretty good, and it made emailing and uploading the pics a breeze! Thus June's theme seemed to be "fone fotos". I suddenly became one of those people. Max was in the middle of his 3-month training in Auvergne, so I was alone most of the time. All the alone time made me pensive about my future, as chronicled in this post: http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/06/moving-on.html

A recipe post about my homemade guacamole which is still a favourite of mine and Max... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/06/guac-goodness.html

July 2011 - I was counting down the days until my very last day of teaching. I was also busy preparing the move and getting everything in order. July's theme seemed to be relief at getting out of Paris and my teaching job, and apprehension at what lay ahead. Max and I celebrated 5 years of marriage, and I posted photos from my wedding for the first time on either my blog or Facebook: http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/07/happy-5th-wedding-anniversary-to-me.html

And speaking of photos, I posted pics of the Gendarmerie caserne we would be moving to. I was so excited back then to discover my new digs, and now I honestly feel like I've been here forever! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/07/fotos-of-our-new-place.html

August 2011 - This was a crazy month of moving, a trip home to Canada, and getting settled in the Alps. I was done my job by the time I went to visit my parents, so coming back to France wasn't as hard that time. When I got back, Max and I spent a full week packing up our apartment in Chatou, and then moved to the Alps over the course of 2 days with a moving company. I remember waking up that first morning in the caserne and looking outside my window to find a breathtaking view of the mountains. I couldn't, and I still can't, believe I live here.

Photos of my new (ghetto fabulous) apartment in the Alps and some details on my new life... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/08/pics-of-new-place.html

September 2011 - This month was all about getting used to our new life. Max had a lot to learn because while the Gendarmerie and the Police Nationale have a lot in common, there are also many fundamental differences. I decided to not look for a job right away and instead stay home to unpack and help Pinch with the transition. I'm lucky to have qualified for unemployment, so that definitely took off some of the stress. We also don't pay rent in the caserne, so money was finally not so much of an issue. The weather was absolutely gorgeous in September and I spent many afternoons on my new balcony with a book and a glass of wine taking it all in! I also didn't miss Paris or my teaching job for a second. I made some new friends in Grenoble (hi, Dana and NK!) and took some pictures of the city: http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/09/out-and-about.html

I also started bugging Max about getting a new pet. I wanted a puppy friend for Pinch, but Max wasn't really onboard. Instead, we decided on a cat friend for Noé and I got busy looking for the perfect one to join our family! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/09/puppy-predicament.html

October 2011 - This month was all about the new addition to the family: Skinny Mini! I hosted my first ever blog giveaway and it was a huge success (and a lot of fun!) Max and I found Mini at a breeder's house near Geneva, Switzerland. She's a 3 year-old Sphynx cat and is just the funniest and most awesome pet. She's only been with us a few months, but I couldn't imagine life without her. Max and I are already talking about getting another one in the next year or so because we've both fallen completely in love with Sphynx cats!

A video post and formal introduction to Mini! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/10/and-winner-is.html

I also started to get a bit bored being at home all the time, so Max and I decided to sign up as volunteer dog walkers at the animal shelter near Grenoble. It's been a very rewarding experience and I look forward to continuing all year. http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/10/productivity.html

November 2011 - I finished up my bilan des compétences (skills evaluation) paid for by the unemployment agency. The results were not at all surprising: I shouldn't be a teacher because I hate it, and I would be happy working in tourism. I started looking (half-heartedly) for jobs, and found 2 almost immediately. Unfortunately going from not working at all to working 2 part-time jobs was too hard and tiring (not to mention Pinch's barking started to become a big problem), so I quit the cake shop job and kept my job at the French Revolution museum. I enjoy my job there because it's easy and very laid-back. It also forces me to drive which is something I knew I had to do. My contract is up in March, but I'm hoping it gets renewed for at least the summer! Max and I started see a dog behavioural specialist with Pinch to help us with some of his issues. We'll continue to work with him in 2012 because I've already seen some progress!

A recap of November... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/11/where-im-at.html

December 2011 - This month was all about settling into a new routine. I work part-time - either 2 or 3 full days per week - at the museum, and basically spend my shift reading or hanging out with colleagues. It's quite the opposite of teaching, and I'm loving it! The weather has been chaotic with warm sunny days followed by grey, snowy ones. Max had Christmas off, so we spent it at his sister's house in Annecy. It was a lovely Christmas and I'm so happy I got to celebrate it with my husband. I've had the week between Christmas and New Year's off and have just been catching up on some housework. I work 3 days next week, then it's off to Canada to ring in the new year with my friends and family. Life is pretty good right now!

I couldn't help but take a ton of photos over Christmas weekend! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-fotos-photos-de-noel.html

Mini videos!

2011-12-29T14:04:00.001+01:00

My mom requested more videos of ~~her grandkids~~ my pets, so I shot a few little videos of Skinny Mini being cute and wrinkly. In the second video, if you crank your speakers, you can hear her "talk" a few times. It's adorable on the video, but she does this all day long and it becomes considerably less adorable. Especially at 4am when she jumps on my pillow and talks in my ear.

A beautiful floral arrangement I received as a gift from a guy I work with. He was alone this Christmas, so Max and I invited him over on Monday for dinner. I made a comment about how nice flowers have no place in a home with pets, but we all laughed it off. Little did I know...

The floral arrangement the next day, after Mini "had a look".

Christmas fotos / photos de Noël

2011-12-27T10:47:00.000+01:00

Max and I spent a lovely Christmas weekend in Annecy, the French Alps, with his sister, her husband, and their 3 great kids. The weather was crisp but sunny, and all of last week's snow had melted, so we didn't have any trouble navigating the winding mountain roads up to her house. It was a calm, stress-free Christmas (those really are the best kind), in good company, and I'm happy to have spent the holidays with Max this year. I'll be seeing my own family in about 2 weeks, so while I was missing them a bit on Christmas morning, I knew it wouldn't be long until I see them in person which definitely help beat any Christmas blues.

On Christmas day, everyone went for a stroll in Annecy to see the Christmas market and of course the beautiful turquoise lake. I loved the Christmas decorations and passing through the cobblestoned streets I've come to know so well. Annecy has always been my favourite city in France, and it certainly didn't change after this weekend. Max and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and I can't wait to go back and visit his sister again soon.

Here are some snaps from this weekend. I didn't include any of Max's family because I'm not sure they would want the kids out there on the internet for the world to see. For family and close friends reading this, I'll be posting an album up on Facebook with the rest of the pictures for you to see! (click on photos to enlarge)

Max's sister got the kids a kitten for Christmas. His name is Gribouille (from the French verb "to scribble")

I joked that I was going to take Gribouille home with me in my giant purse. The kids didn't believe me, but Max did.

When the kitten met Pinch (and a gratuitous crotch shot of Max and his brother-in-law...)

Little Gribouille has already picked up some bad habits...

Pinch was allowed in the house with his muzzle on (for the safety of the kids). He wasn't allowed, however, to play with Emile the border collie and sat watching him from inside all day long.

Christmas morning hike behind the house with Pinch (that brown spot in the snow on the left).

Max taking in the view from his sister's mountain chalet.

Walking around Annecy near the bridge

The lake in Annecy. It was absolutely gorgeous that day and I couldn't take a bad picture no matter where I pointed my camera.

We asked Max's niece to take a shot of us in front of the lake. Not a bad photo memory of Christmas Day 2011!

The most famous landmark in Annecy - the Bastille in the canal.

Some cute Christmas decorations in front of a restaurant.

A Canadian flag!

The canal that runs through Annecy and some colourful buildings.

I took a picture of this billboard because I liked how the model was sitting with a weiner dog :) I could care less about the clothes.

Annecy - it's hard to see, but there are giant decorative Christmas balls hung all along the canal.

Christmas morning - I apologize for the lack of make-up and Max's apparent aversion to combing his hair and shaving.

My kitchen now resembles a fully equipped Starbucks. I got a Dolce Gusto coffee machine (bottom right) from Max's sister (it makes macchiatos, iced coffee, tea, hot chocolate, chai tea lattes....), and our Special T tea machine arrived! (top right..we chose couleur champagne). I had a cup of the "blueberry muffin black breakfast tea" this morning and it was to die for.

le musée hanté (the haunted museum)

2011-12-22T18:56:00.001+01:00

I've worked all week and have just one more day to go until the Christmas holidays. Tomorrow will be an easy day at the museum - apéro at lunch time, no boss - so I'm looking forward to it. The team is really fun and we all have a good laugh together. I've read 2 novels so far this week, and have a few more on order from Amazon.fr. It's still hard for me to believe I get paid for sitting in a quiet museum most of the day reading and playing around on my phone. It's basically the opposite of my teaching job(s), and for the moment, I'm loving how easy and stress free it is!

The other day, I was at the reception desk of the museum with my colleague for the morning. The weather has been quite wintry lately, so the visitors aren't exactly coming in droves. I made pot after pot of coffee and chatted with my colleague who decided to share some of the creepy stories about the castle (for those of you new here, I work in a museum which is inside of an old medieval castle). She told me that in the past, visitors would come back to the reception desk after looking around the museum and claim to be voyants (psychics) who felt nothing but negative energy and bad auras throughout the old stone building. Considering the theme of the museum (the French Revolution) and the events that have taken place in the castle, I'm not surprised it's charged with bad vibes. My colleague has heard the sound of footsteps above her when she was alone in the castle, and seen swinging chains (that close off certain interior stairwells) when there were no breezes or drafts. Items like keys have gone missing or shown up in unlikely places, elevators spring to life when no one has pressed the button to call them, and people started falling down the stone stairs almost daily when renovations were being done to the castle a few years ago.

Perhaps the creepiest story she told me about was one that she lived through herself (having worked at the museum for over 20 years). About 10 years ago, one of the giant paintings of king Louis XVI fell off the wall. This in itself isn't that unbelievable; paintings can fall but considering they are secured by metal chains and other solid installations, it's very very rare. What made everyone freak the hell out was the fact that the painting fell when no one was in the room and landed on a spiked coat hanger. The spike punctured the life- sized portrait of Louis through the neck. For those unfamiliar with the history of the French Revolution, this particular king is famous for having been beheaded by the guillotine...

The heavy metal coat hanger was always flush up against the wall next to the painting and never in front of it. No one could explain how or why the coat hanger suddenly found itself in front of the painting at the exact moment the painting dislodged itself from the wall and why it pierced the painting straight through the neck of Louis (as though history was repeating itself...) Insurance experts were called in but could not explain how the painting fell. The chains were examined, surveillance videos studied...nothing. As such, the museum wasn't reimbursed for the damaged painting and had to shell out the money to have it restored. My colleague told me that when the museum curator came down to see what happened, his forehead beaded up with sweat and his eyes grew wide. Surely something paranormal was at work here...

So now when I sit alone in the rooms of this ancient castle, I'm convinced that I'm hearing and seeing things. It's surely my mind playing tricks on me, and I'm not even sure I believe in ghosts, but who knows. Apparently strange things have happened in this medieval building charged with history...

And just a quick photo I snapped of the gardens at work this week. It snowed pretty heavily earlier in the week, coating everything in white, but now most of the snow has melted and left the ground soggy and muddy, which isn't very nice to look at, but a lot easier to drive in!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-12-18T09:10:00.000+01:00

What I woke up to this morning...my first thought was, I don't have a snow brush in my car! (first white blob in the foreground).

Veggiesaurus

2011-12-17T10:18:00.001+01:00

It's finally snowing a bit here in the Alps and boy am I ever glad I had my snow tires put on a month ago when it was still warm enough to wear capris. The snow (and generally crappy weather) has been slowly descending on us here in the valley from the mountain tops all week. A freak wind and rain storm last night had me nervously peering out of my windows every 5 minutes to make sure errant Christmas decorations or lawn chairs didn't find their way onto the windshield of my car. And poor Pinch almost blew away when I suited up to take him out for a (very brief) pee.

This morning it's foggy and grey and the snow is more hail like than white and fluffy. It would be a good day to stay inside and watch movies all day, but I promised a friend from work that I'd meet up with her and her vegetarian friends at an organic, vegetarian restaurant in Grenoble for lunch today. I'm touched she invited me, so I don't want to cancel last minute, and I've never actually been to a completely vegetarian/organic (or "bio" as they say in French) place. For once, I won't be the weird girl who doesn't order any meat and has the other French people at the table making comments about it! I'll post up a review of the restaurant later in the week.

And speaking of vegetarian...I tried out a new recipe last night that was really easy and very tasty! Even Max kept going back for more. I must say, he's very open to trying new foods and has been a lot more accepting than I thought to this generally vegetarian lifestyle I lead. I'm not sure if it's laziness that keeps him out of the kitchen preparing the steaks he says he misses so much, or the fact that he really does enjoy the international and "light" flavour I (literally) bring to the table. Anyway, last night's pasta recipe is a keeper and a great go-to dinner for those nights when I get home from work and just want to whip up something healthy and quick!

The recipe was inspired by one that I found in a copy of one of my Mom's Racheal Ray cooking magazines. I tweaked it a bit and was pleased with the result. I've posted up the recipe along with some photos for those interested in giving vegetarian cooking a whirl from time to time.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Chickpeas and Curry

Dice up an onion, a clove or two of fresh garlic, and some broccoli (fresh or frozen) and add it to a pan with some heated olive oil for about 10 minutes. At the same time, start cooking your pasta. I used about 300g of whole wheat spaghetti, but you can use more or less depending on how many people you are cooking for. I've got a bit leftover for Max's lunch today!

When the onions have melted down a bit, add in some canned chickpeas. I always use canned chickpeas that have been steamed beforehand. They are usually a bit more expensive, but the flavour is so much better. Cook for another few minutes.

Add in a splash of dry white wine, a can of peeled tomatoes in their juice (I chop up the whole tomatoes to make them easier to eat), and some curry powder to taste.

Cook the pasta al dente because it will finish cooking in the pan. Simmer the mix until everything is cooked and heated through.

I add in more curry as I go (we love curry at my house!) and some fresh ground black pepper.

Drain the pasta and add to the mix in the frying pan. Reduce heat and stir in the pasta. If the mix starts getting a bit dry, you can add in a little bit of the pasta's cooking water.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese (or whatever cheese you like on pasta!), a piece of fresh bread, and voilà! Bon Appétit!

Special T

2011-12-14T11:10:00.003+01:00

I'm not working today, nor do I have house guests to look after, so it's going to be a "me" day. Well, a real "me" day would not involve all the laundry, dishes, or sweeping I plan on doing, but at least I'm home (and in my pyjamas) and able to get it all done.

Max went back to work this morning after having a full week off. He works straight through until next Tuesday, and will then be off until December 26th. Since I work every day next week to make up for the week between Christmas and New Year's that the museum is closed, we won't be able to leave for his sister's house in Annecy til the morning of December 24th. It's not really a bad thing though, because we won't have to leave the cats for 2 nights or put up with Pinch at my sister-in-law's for 2 nights. Since Pinch is still working on his aggression issues, we can't have him around the kids and he must stay locked up in the guest room when we are at her house. He doesn't appreciate this and barks (and barks, and barks, and barks...) I love visiting Max's family in Annecy but spend most of my time fretting about the dog and not really relaxing and enjoying myself. But we are still seeing the dog behaviour expert - who tells us Pinch is not a lost cause - and have seen a bit of progress. It's too soon to throw Pinch into a room filled with rambunctious children, but we're getting there, one small step at a time.

I can't believe I leave for Canada in less than a month. My fingers are crossed the nice weather holds out until my flight so there are no problems with delays or cancellations. I'm taking a direct flight with Air Canada from Paris to Toronto, so even if the flight is delayed, I won't have to worry about missing a connection. It'll actually be my first time flying with Air Canada and I'm curious to see how it compares to my usual company, Air Transat. I've heard mostly good things, so that's encouraging (especially when flying alone on a transatlantic flight...).

Max and I are not really exchanging presents this year because we don't really need or want anything and I'm not exactly bringing in the big bucks right now. We did see an advertisement on TV the other day for a new tea machine by Nestle, and since we are both big tea fans (more green tea than black tea for me), I think we're going to take advantage of the promotional offer on the company's website and buy it for ourselves this Christmas. For 99 euros, you get the tea machine, a gift box of 40 tea capsules (the brand currently offers 25 different kinds of tea including herbal, flavoured black teas, green teas, and rooibos), a filter, and 2 cute tea cups and saucers (plus free shipping in France). We haven't chosen which colour of machine we'd like yet, but I'm leaning towards the champagne, green, or titanium one.

A picture of the machine (shown here in red), the tea capsules, and the 2 cups you receive with the promotional offer

What I love about this machine is that making a single cup of tea is so easy. Right now, I buy loose leaf tea and have to measure out a cup's worth, stuff it into the little metal tea steeping ball, and wait for it to steep before taking out the ball, empyting the leaves, and cleaning it out. Now, I'll just choose the flavour tea I want (and they all sound delicious), pop in the capsule and press a button. An instant cup of tea with no clean up! And to order more capsules you simply go on the company's site, choose the kinds of tea you want and the number of capsules (most are about 0,37 cents per capsule) and that's it. You must order at least 80 capsules each time, but that should last over a month if Max and I both have a cup per day.

Anyway, I think it's a cool concept and the first ever "tea only" capsule machine. I can't wait to try it out. I've had a Senseo coffee machine for a while now and love the simplicity of it. Now that same ease and efficiency translates to tea which will only encourage me to drink more tea and less coffee!

a walk in the park

2011-12-12T18:38:00.000+01:00

Max surprised me by filming our little walk in the park with Pinch this weekend and then making a little video with some of the video effects on his cell phone. I think it's super cute, and Pinch looks so happy running around off-leash!

family and foto Friday

2011-12-09T18:34:00.001+01:00

My parents-in-law left about an hour ago, and I'm completely exhausted after working this week and playing hostess, but also quite happy with the visit. The animals (for the most part) got along just fine, and Mini didn't make any moves for the door. If anything, by the second day, she was acting as if Roxanne was more of a nuisance to her routine than a threat.

We had relatively good weather for Max's parents and were able to enjoy an afternoon at the Grenoble Christmas market in the winter sun. They also came to visit me at work one day in the museum and it was the opportunity for Max to check out my new place of employment as well (and meet some of my curious colleagues!). We squeezed in another visit with the dog behavioural specialist (more on that in another post), and ate and drank more than we all should have!

All in all, it was a very pleasant week in good company, and Max was delighted to spend time with his family. There really is nothing more important than family. I'm quite excited to see mine in just about a month!

I'll leave you with some recent pics. I posted quite a few of the Christmas market yesterday, but not of Max's parents. I always ask people first if it's ok for me to publish photos of them on my blog, and since Max's parents don't know I have a blog (and I'd prefer they didn't!), I won't post any of them. Click on individual pictures to enlarge.

Happy weekend everyone!

Mini and her friend (?) Roxanne

Part of Grenoble's Christmas market. We went in the afternoon during the week, so it wasn't too busy (unlike last Saturday evening when I went with Max and a friend).

One of many pictures that Max and I have taken of eachother in public transportation. We have pictures like this from the airport bus in Iceland, the Canary Islands, the Paris metro, and now, the Grenoble city bus :) Also? Max is on holidays and has decided to give up shaving until he goes back to work.

From the safety of the kitchen table, the kitties decided to observe this strange new creature roaming around their hood.

Kitty bums!

I made a raclette dinner last night for Max and his parents, and Mini decided to take over the empty raclette machine box. Later, she would take a swipe at Roxanne who saw nothing coming.

I saw this green, wasabi flavoured raclette cheese at the grocery store and had to try it! The taste isn't that bad actually, but the bright green colour kind of put me off. Max loved it...no surprise there. That man will eat anything.

A quick snap from my balcony this morning. It has finally started to snow at the higher altitudes and the mountains are extra beautiful covered in fresh, white snow :)

Kitchen view

it's raining cats and dogs

2011-12-03T11:49:00.001+01:00

What a week it's been! I finally have a few minutes to sit down and pound out a blog entry. Max is off at boxing and I've got (another) cup of coffee next to me (not to mention a dog wedged in beside me on the computer chair and a naked kitty on my lap). I just glanced outside and it seems to be grey and drizzly. Max and I were hoping to check out the Christmas market in Grenoble this afternoon - as he's off on holidays til December 14th now - but I'm not sure it's Christmas market weather today. However, I've learned that mountain weather is unpredictable, and it could very well be sunny in a few hours.

I only worked 2 days at the museum this week which was great because I had to run into Grenoble on two different occasions: one to pick up my papers from the job I quit at TCS, and the second to take said papers to the unemployment agency and let them know what is up. The quitting part went pretty well in that the owner is so ridiculously nice and understanding that she didn't make me feel bad about it at all. I did feel bad though because I really enjoyed some aspects of the job (and all the people there), but I know it was the right decision. Working part-time at a job that is only 15 minutes from home is going to make transitioning back into working so much easier for not only me, but my husband and dog too. Max's working hours are anything but standard office hours, and he needs me to be home to take care of stuff that he just doesn't have the time to do. There have been a lot of home robberies these past few weeks, so he's been called out quite often to go investigate. Thankfully, he's got some down time now, and will have a few days off at Christmas, but he's got a ton of files to wrap up before the end of the year and is really tired between work, his boxing training 3 times a week, and other errands with me.

Max's parents are coming down to stay with us for a few days next week. They plan on spending a a couple of days in Annecy with Max's sister and her family, then coming down here (we are only an hour away) from Tuesday night til Friday. I've never actually had his parents as overnight house guests, so it should be interesting (and by interesting, I mean stressful). I'm not actually worried about them, as they are very discreet and polite guests, but more about their big bouncy dog, Roxanne. Roxanne is a sweetheart, but she's enormous and has long hair that she likes to leave behind. Pinch and her get along pretty well (thank god), but I'm worried about the cats. Mini has never seen another dog besides Pinch, and this next one she's going to meet will look like King Kong to her. The poor thing will have to be locked up in a separate room to avoid any problems and I think I'll be freaking out the whole time they are here wondering if Mini has snuck out the door when we weren't looking. But of course I can't say anything because of all the times Max's parents have accepted Pinch in their home and dogsat for us. Still, Pinch is about 10 pounds and has short, non shedding hair. But he's got a big attitude, so maybe it's a fair trade off with gentle, sweet-natured Roxanne...

Speaking of Pinch's attitude problems...we had a first consultation with the dog behavioural guy on Monday. He came by in the evening with a stagiaire (trainee) and saw first hand the warm welcome that Pinch reserves for visitors to our home. After a long explanation from me on Pinch's early days until now, the guy looked at me and said, "This is one of the toughest cases I've had and he's gonna need a lot of work." Well, duh. That's what I called a dog behavioural expert. The guy had the nerve to say that it's maybe a bit late now to be addressing all these problems considering Pinch is 4.5 years old. I looked at him and answered, Better late than never, right? Pinch decided to really put on a show too, as if to prove my point considering his aggression issues. He barked and lunged and try to snap at the guy then cowered and licked his front legs in the anxiety stricken way he does. Meanwhile, Skinny Mini snaked her way through the guy's legs, dove on the trainee's lap more than once, and sashayed across the table as if to say, Look at me! Look at how cute and nekked I am!! Clearly little Mini does not have any socialization issues!

I'm not sure I'm completely sold on this guy though. He seemed quite lethargic (maybe he was tired?), almost disinterested in my babbling, and didn't always answers my questions or address my concerns in the way I was expecting a professional would. I know quite a bit about dog psychology - having read all of Cesar Milan's books and seen his show, not to mention the library of books on the subject that I've acquired over the years - and he seemed a bit taken aback when I talked to him, as if I was testing his knowledge and credibility (and I was).

What Pinch really needs is more socialization with other dogs and people, and the guy told me that he needs to be in group lessons with other dogs. I agree, but the problem is finding such training in this part of France and being available to take him. Next week, we are going to the guy's home (which is also a kennel and site of some of his rehabilitation work) to try Pinch in an unfamiliar setting with unfamiliar dogs. But the only reason we can go next week is because Max is off work and can drive the 40km with me to his house. The resources and the help I know Pinch needs are just not really readily available out here, and so I'm not sure how much progress he will make. I'm willing to give this guy another shot though and see how he is next week in a more practical and less theoretical situation. If I'm convinced that he knows what he's doing and that he establishes a plan I think could work, I'll keep seeing him. If not, I'll look around for another trainer. So stay tuned for Part II of Pinch's rehabilitation and my experiences with a French dog whisperer (but I think I will stop calling him that because he doesn't even agree with Cesar Milan's technique and his people skills leave much to be desired. Plus he doesn't wear cargo pants or have a charming Spanish accent).

So next week will be a full and busy one. I work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at the museum, Thursday is dog-training, all the while trying to keep all our house guests (furry and otherwise) happy and entertained. When I finally get some down time next weekend, I'll catch you up on how it all went!

How can this be the face of such evil? (the dog, not me)

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-01T19:01:00.004+01:00

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just your standard foto of a guy and his hairless cat

2011-11-29T22:23:00.000+01:00

I've been a bad blogger this past week and I'm sorry! I've got lots to write about - my museum job, the dog whisperer's first consultation with us, my in-laws' impending visit - and I'll get to all that soon, I promise.

For now, I leave you with a cute pic of Max (who is glued to his new phone) and a very needy Mini who is glued to pretty much any warm lap that presents itself.

Where I'm At

2011-11-24T19:41:00.003+01:00

I'll be home alone all weekend as Max is going to Paris to spend a couple of days with his friend (and former police colleague). They're going to Disneyland Paris on Saturday and while you might think I'd be jealous, I'm most certainly not! Big crowds, roller coasters, and overpriced food/tickets are so not my thing. I'm looking forward to a few quiet days at home with the pets to get over my cold, catch up on some housework, and relax before going back to the museum on Monday.

I called TCS owner yesterday to tell her I won't be continuing there. She seemed disappointed and a bit surprised, but thanked me for my honesty. I'm going in tomorrow to pick up a cheque for the hours I worked and hand in my apron. It might be an awkward meeting, but I'm still sure of my decision. She needs someone who can commit 100% to the job right now, and that person is not me. I'd like to see where this museum job takes me and I also want to be more available at home. Pinch is visibly (and audibly) more relaxed when I'm here with him, and until we get him sorted out via the dog behavioural expert, it's best I not be out all day, 5 days a week. And for those who asked about bark collars in the comments of my last post - we've already tried! A few months ago we bought one of those citronella spray collars that emits a cloud of citronella product when the dog barks. Pinch got used to it rather quickly and learned that if he turned his head to the side when he barked, he wouldn't get the citronella product in the face. I also brought back a gadget from Canada in August that is supposed to make dogs stop barking by emitting a high frequency only they can hear (and is supposed to make them uncomfortable enough to stop barking). We positioned it by the door and it seemed to work at the beginning, but now has no effect. I don't really care for those shock collars that "zap" dogs when they bark. We did try it on him once (I borrowed it from Max's mom), but he nearly went into a seizure when it zapped him and it was very traumatic to watch. Those collars are usually reserved for larger breeds and are totally not adapted to my 5-kilo weiner dog. And doggie daycare and dog walkers simply don't exist out here in the countryside where I live. Even if they did, Pinch is not very sociable and I wouldn't be able to leave him in the care of a stranger. He's got some aggression issues which is why the behavioural expert has become absolutely necessary. Believe me, we've tried many things to fix his barking/anxiety problems and are desperate to find a permanent solution!

In other news, tomorrow night Max and I are going on a proper "date" to celebrate my new job and to just spend some quality time together - something that has been rare these past few weeks. We are going to get some groceries when he's done work (romantic, isn't it?), then go out to dinner. I realized today that I really miss him, and I miss doing fun things with him. We used to go out all the time in the north of France - visiting his friends or family, weekend trips to Belgium, Holland, Luxemburg, Germany, walks in the park with Pinch followed by a drink somewhere, going to dinner and a movie more often than we could afford (but not caring).

And then we moved to Paris for his job and started living like roommates. He worked nights, I worked days (at my soul-sucking teaching job), and we were both too tired to go out on our days off. We lived out in the suburbs and always found excuses not to head into "town" to do something fun (my agoraphobia, hatred of the public transit system, overpriced bars and restaurants, leaving Pinch alone to bark and piss off the neighbours...). Slowly but surely we became boring and predictable and I wondered what happened to the old fun couple we used to be. As any couple knows, the key to keeping things exciting is having fun and avoiding the "rut" as I like to call it. We've gotten lazy, and lazy might be nice from time to time, but I can't imagine what our marriage will be like in 10 or 20 years from now if we are already acting like seniors in a nursing home!

Now that I'm a bit more sure of which direction I'm heading in in terms of work (at least for the next few months) and what our schedules will be like, I want to go back to being the fun couple. Instead of shooting down his idea of going skiing this winter (It's too expensive! I'm scared! We don't have any equipment!), I'm going to tell him, Sure, why not? After all, Max has accompanied me to the animal shelter to walk the dogs many times even though I know it's really not his thing. And if we can get Pinch and his barking under control, it will lift a huge weight from both our shoulders and encourage me to go out more. A lot of the time I prefer to stay in to be sure he won't bark and disturb the neighbours, but I've become Boring Betty as a result.

So that's where I am right now. Enjoying my new job. Getting my dog some therapy. Spending time with my husband and resolving to be more fun. It's not quite January 1st yet, but my resolutions are already made.

I'll leave you with a few fotos of Skinny Mini that I've taken over the past month with my actual digital camera and not my cell phone. I finally took the time to upload them into my computer today!

Anything with neck wrinkles is automatically cute (I think she looks quite Mr. Bigglesworth-y here).

Her favourite part of the day - sunbathing next to the balcony doors from 9 to 12

Long skinny mutant tail (and can you see the little tuft of red hair behind her ear?)

Sphynx cats are not completely hairless, as evidenced by the wonky coarse hair all along Mini's tail.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!

Houston, we have a problem

2011-11-22T18:19:00.006+01:00

A barking problem.

As I ~~feared~~ predicted, Pinch is not taking my return to work very well. Last week I worked Tuesday to Saturday at TCS, and Pinch barked every single day, all day. By Friday, Max was sending me frantic text messages to the effect of "I can hear your dog barking across the parking lot IN MY OFFICE!"

(Of course when the dog is being a pain in the ass, he's MY dog, and when he's being good, he's OUR dog.)

The neighbours (and Max's colleagues) have started making remarks to him about the dog and Max has started getting increasingly stressed out. By Friday night, he had called a comportementaliste for dogs (think, French Dog Whisperer) and set up an appointment for next Monday evening. It's something we should have done a long time ago, but always put off, finding temporary solutions to Pinch's separation anxiety elsewhere. But now, with my return to work, we can't figure out a way to make him calm the eff down and stop barking, so it's time to bring in an expert. (And good lord it's so much cheaper here than the ones we had researched while in Paris!)

When we lived in Paris, Max worked nights and I worked days so the dog was rarely left alone for more than a few hours. Since I started work last week, Pinch is alone all morning and all afternoon. If the building we lived in wasn't so ghetto (and lacking any kind of sound proofing), it probably would have been ok, but considering we can hear the neighbours below us sneeze, I can only imagine how bad Pinch's barking must be for everyone. I'm not expecting a miracle from this dog behaviour guy, but I'm hoping that he might give us some tips on how to help Pinch's separation anxiety (one of his many, many issues), and, at the very least, show the neighbours we are taking this problem seriously. I've seen enough Dog Whisperer episodes to know that I am clearly the problem (although Pinch getting savagely attacked 3 years ago didn't help either...), but I'm at a loss as to what to do. Now that the neighbours are getting ticked off, we can't not do everything possible to make the situation better. Stay tuned to find out how our first consultation with a French dog whisperer goes!

I just finished my second day at the museum and I love it there! The team is great, the castle which houses the museum is just gorgeous, and the 100 acre park surround the museum is so beautiful and relaxing. My hours are good; I can be there in 15 minutes by car (no traffic and no highway driving!), and a big part of my job will consist of sitting in various exhibition rooms reading. Well, I'm supposed to be there watching to make sure that the visitors don't touch the paintings or break anything, but in the winter, visitors are few and far between so we are allowed to read to pass the time.

The atmosphere in the castle is very serene and I'm still in awe of how impressive the building itself is. The staff has access to all the hidden rooms that the public doesn't see, and today as I was cleaning the glass display cases, it was so calm and quiet you could have heard a pin drop. I have time to think, time to sit, time to appreciate the art lining the walls of the museum, and time to chat with my colleagues and integrate into the team. I start at 9:15, have a 45 minute lunch break (no exceptions - these are fonctionnaires, they take their full 45 minutes and at least 3 coffee/cigarette breaks per day), and finish at 5pm. By 5:01 yesterday I was in my car (we had our coats on at 4:55), and by 5:17 I was home. I'm not sure I'll find anything better! And, while nothing is official, I think this job might turn into something more permanent later, so I've made the decision to stop at TCS.

I have nothing negative to say about TCS really, other than I just think it's not for me. It's a long day (the commute to and from Grenoble doesn't help either), on my feet, and I'm not sure I see a future for myself there. I worked a full week there last week, so I know what I would be getting myself into if I stayed, and I prefer to be honest with myself and with the owner and get out before either of us wastes our time. I appreciate her interest in me, and her patience until now, but I think I'll be happier at the museum, for many reasons. I haven't spoken to TCS owner yet, but I'll see her on Thursday and let her know my feelings. Right now, it's better that I get this tourism experience at the museum and be more available to work with Pinch at home. My unemployment will round out my end of month pay with the museum, so I'm not losing anything by stopping at TCS. It won't be easy to look the owner in the eye and tell her I don't want to sign a contract, but I know it's the right thing to do - for me (physically and mentally), for my marriage (I saw Max a whole 5 minutes last week), for my pets (my barking dog is on his way to getting us evicted).

I feel good about my decision and I feel good about working at the museum. With a bit of luck, I'll be signing a more permanent contract in March and staying on all summer, if not longer. I'll be home to make dinner every night and until March, I'll only be working part-time which will help the transition with Pinch. I know a lot of you must think I'm crazy for taking this whole "barking dog" situation so seriously, but until you have experienced it, you can't really understand how much it can stress you out. It's so important that we maintain good relationships with our neighbours, and after last week, I'm worried everyone will start to shun Max because of my our dog. I'm in a position where I can work part-time and I've found the (seemingly) perfect part-time job, so I think I'm going to run with it. Right now, I've really got nothing to lose.

Where I work - the entrance to the museum is the little door to the far right of the castle :)

I wish I could work from home

2011-11-18T09:29:00.001+01:00

I have to leave for work in a bit, but I thought I'd take a minute to update my blog while I can. I'm on day 4 of a 5 day run at TCS and I'm exhausted. I've been staying to do the closing and haven't been getting home til after 8 each night. My feet are aching from running around non stop the entire day, and I had leave an hour early last night because I had a headache so bad that tears were welling up in my eyes and I could barely function. My body is clearly not used to this and it's having a WTF moment. The owner and the cake decorator are away this week, so perhaps it's just crazier than usual because we are understaffed. I'm hoping so, because I will not be able to maintain this rhythm full-time later on. I haven't really been eating because I'm so tired when I get home that I just want to collapse on the couch with the pets and then go to bed. There is just so much to learn at the shop and I'm definitely not a person who handles stress well. I also hate making mistakes so I'm trying very hard to get everything done and please everyone. But I'm still new and can't do it all myself. There hasn't been a calm moment at work all week and I've taken to leaving the store during my short lunch break so that I can just escape and get some fresh air (and prevent them from calling me back downstairs to do something). My colleagues are quite sweet though and they are doing the best they can to help me out. Thank goodness for that!

It's been a rough transition from being at home all day and enjoying a relatively stress free lifestyle to working long days (including a long commute) in a fast-paced environment and being on my feet for over 10 hours. They are letting me know it, too. Swollen ankles are sexy right? And my organization at home has taken a hit. I'm already behind on laundry, there's no food left in the fridge and no time to go shopping (the store will be closed when I get home from work), and I have to make sure that Max is taking the dog out when he's home. The pets descend on me in swarm as soon as I get home and the poor things act as though they are starving for affection. Last night while Max was at boxing training, I laid down on the couch to close my eyes for a few minutes and within seconds I had all 3 of them tucked in elbow and knee crooks, purring and sighing contently. It was the best moment of the day.

I can't say I like or dislike the job yet because I haven't really given it a fair run. As I said, it could just be that this week is a crazy one, and I was just unlucky to have started this particular week. Next week, I start working at the museum as well and will be there Monday through Wednesday. I've asked to have Thursday off from the shop and work Friday and Saturday. I'm curious to see how I'll like the museum job, and I know it will be a complete 180 from TCS. The museum is quiet and calm, and I'll be done by 5pm every night. I'm stressing a little about the driving, but I'm sure after a few days I won't even need the GPS (or the Xanax) to get there. My car is getting some repairs done today (for free!) from the boyfriend of one of Max's colleagues. He's changing my exhaust system thingy (pot d'échappement in French), putting on the snow tires, installing new windshield wipers, and adjusting my headlights. To thank him, I'm going to deliver a box of cupcakes to his apartment after work. My little car will be all set to get me safely to and from the museum all winter!

And finally, after 5 years without a proper stove, I got rid of my ghetto toaster oven and its 2 crappy burners and bought a real one! Well, Max did, but I'll be the one using it. He was home yesterday and it was delivered while I was at work. I present to you the before and after: (now I just need time to actual use the stove...)

Thank you, Toaster Oven, for all your time and effort these past few years. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement.

Hello, beautiful new stove! Can't wait to try those 4 new hobs!

working girl

2011-11-14T09:56:00.000+01:00

This is probably my last lazy Monday at home and I'm trying to relish every moment of it. Starting tomorrow, I'll be working at my cake shop job (hereafter referred to as working at TCS) full-time until Saturday, and next week it should be a mix of the museum job a few days and TCS the other days. I haven't had the confirmation from the museum yet, but I'm crossing my fingers I get some news today (the lady was on holiday last week), so that I can figure out my hours at both jobs and organize the coming month.

I worked a few hours at TCS last Thursday and then again all day this past Saturday. It's a really cute shop that reminds me of a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Ali Baba's cave of cake decorating supplies kind of place. On Saturday, it was just me and the owner holding down the fort and the customers didn't stop rolling in! We sold out of all the cupcakes and pastries in the display case and I learned a ton about baking and cake decorating materials. I can't say that I'm completely functional yet, but I can handle the main things on the cash register now and since I have a background in cake decorating, I'm not completely clueless on how to answer customer questions. There is still A LOT to learn, but I really enjoy the atmosphere at the shop and the products, so I think I'll be ok. I came home Saturday night after the closing tired, but content, and sure that I was making the right decision by accepting the job. The owner has nicely agreed to draw me up a contract until March in which I'll be paid per hour to best accomodate my other job at the museum. In March, we'll renegotiate all of it and see what's best for the future. She seems really happy to have me, and I think one of the reasons I'm willing to put up with a 45 minute bus commute (one way!) and long hours is because I really like her and know she needs the help. So far there is really nothing negative about the job (besides the fact that it's a bit far from home by bus but that driving to Grenoble is not an option for me). I suppose I'll know more about how well I'll integrate into the team after I've completed a full week. She'd like me to come in around 10:30 every morning and stay for the closing (7pm). We get to eat free at lunch time (bagels and cream cheese/sundried tomatoes, salmon etc. from the lunch menu) and take home goodies at the end of our shift. There is so much I still have to try, and Max is definitely looking forward to the perks of this job! I imagine we'll eventually get sick of the cookies, brownies, cupcakes, carrot cake, scones, and cheesecakes, at which point I'm sure his colleagues will be happy to indulge!

The shop is closed every Sunday and Monday, and I will never work weekends at the museum, so it looks like Sunday is going to be my well-deserved day of rest. Unfortunately Max works 2 weekends per month, but when he's home, we'll be able to hang out and maybe get to the animal shelter to walk some dogs. We went on Friday as it was Remembrance Day and we were both at home. The weather was warm and sunny, and it's so nice to know how happy the dogs are to have some attention. We both can't wait to go back!

The only thing left to take home Saturday night from work were these 3 lovely little cheesecakes!

Me getting some kisses from Jennie (and Kenzo's head at the bottom)

Max walking yellow lab Kenzo to whom he really took a liking. Unfortunately Kenzo is the same kind of dog that attacked Pinch a few years ago and so we would never be able to bring him home!

The first dog I walked - Lovely Luna

Max and his first dog of the day - a lively border collie named Shoper

**All of these dogs, as well as many others, are available for adoption at the SPA Dauphiné of Grenoble!

fotos

2011-11-10T10:06:00.000+01:00

I've been running around trying to get everything together for my maybe two jobs to come (police record, medical visit, photocopies of just about every document I own etc.) so not much to say this week. I'm going in for my trial day at the cake shop this afternoon, so I'm hoping that goes well and I'll decide to work there. There are still lots of details/administrative stuff to figure out though, so that I don't screw up my unemployment benefits or end up earning less than I do now staying at home and not working. I'm sure it will all be fine, but nothing has been officially worked out and signed yet, so I'm freaking out a little. In the meantime, here are some recent fotos! The first 4 are a little foto shoot of Mini with some special effects on my phone:

They have the entire couch yet decide to cram themselves into the smallest spot at the end. You can't see her, but Mini is stuffed in there too under the blanket.

I needed some new flat, black boots (yes, I actually did. For work. So there.) These ones are quite comfy and go with just about everything.

I made a salmon quiche the other night with broccoli, eggplant, onions, tomato, and shredded comte cheese on top (plus fresh salmon of course).

Mini has decided that she likes to perch on our cable box. I wonder if it's because the box gets warm. Luckily she is not very heavy so I doubt she'll break it. All attempts at keeping her off it have failed, including putting something on top of the box to deter her. She'll just push it off then sit back up there triumphantly.

video test

2011-11-07T11:50:00.000+01:00

After over 6 months with my new smartphone, I may have just figured out how to take video with it and then email the video to myself to post up on here (or Facebook). This is quite exciting.

So as a first attempt, I shot a short little video of my Sphynx cat Skinny Mini playing on her cat tree (before plummeting to the floor as she is not very graceful). If it posts correctly, you can expect a lot more cute and funny videos in the future!

When it rains, it pours...

2011-11-03T15:29:00.003+01:00

...job offers!

It's been quite an interesting week with a lot of positive feedback from the jobs I've applied to. I never thought I'd find myself in a position where I had to turn down work because I had too many offers. It's certainly a welcome change and a little overwhelming because I don't like saying no to people.

I won't go into too much detail now because no contracts have been signed as of today, and I don't want to jinx myself. I will say that I got offered a part-time job working in a museum located in a big medieval château on an absolutely gorgeous site (think a 100-acre park with rivers and waterfalls and topiaries and deer). The snag is that the woman who runs the museum (it's a museum of the French Revolution) has to submit an official request to the government in order to hire me. The castle belongs to the state, and so jobs there are for fonctionnaires (civil servants). To be a fonctionnaire, most of the time you must be French. She's sure they will make an exception for me considering it's just a part-time job (17 hours a week) until March. I'll be replacing someone who is on maternity leave and will be considered a non-titulaire. She told me not to worry, but I'll feel better when I have the official approval. I should know within the next week, but she's really happy to have me and the job itself sounds interesting and will allow me to put a new experience on my CV. If everything is ok, I'll start November 20th or so and finish the contract at the end of March.

That was yesterday, and later that evening I received an email from a lovely woman who owns a small, English bakery in Grenoble (think American style cupcakes and cheesecake as well as baking accessories such as molds, decorations, ingredients etc.). She's looking for an anglophone boutique manager and had thought of me because I sent my résumé to her back in September for a cake decorating position (I was a cake decorator to pay my way through university). And while she had already filled the position, she told me she'd hang on to my résumé just in case.

Well today I met with her to discuss this managing job and I'm really excited about the possibility of working in the boutique. It would be part-time until my contract at the museum is up, at which point we'd renegotiate the hours. She's willing to work with my museum schedule because I'm not going to turn down the offer there. If I can do both, great! What's more is that I will be able to do a little cake decorating if necessary and work in an English-speaking environment. Plus, the goodies the shop sells are soooo good! I brought home some cupcakes today for Max and the first thing he said was, If you work there, I'm going to gain 10 kilos! (or end up with type 2 diabetes, I added).

I'm going in for a "test day" next week to see just what the job would entail and if it's for me. But again, nothing is for sure, so I'm just going to wait and see. I don't need this job, but I think I would like it. I have nothing to lose, and that's a reassuring feeling. And I don't think I'm in completely over my head considering I do have some experience working as a shift supervisor and later a manager (for one fateful summer when the owners of the Dairy Queen went to Italy and left me in charge). If I accept this job, it will be like a strange, parallel French version of a job I had for around 8 years back in Canada (while I was in high school and university..I'm not that old). She finds my professional profile really interesting and was quite accomodating when I laid my cards on the table and said I'm not going to turn down the museum job, but that I hope we could work out a compromise. I also told her (and the lady at the museum) that I'm going to Canada for sure for 2 weeks in January and this doesn't seem to be a problem for either of them.

After the interview this morning, I was on the bus on my way home when my cell phone rang. It was a teaching company I had applied to about a month ago which teaches children and adults in an informal, conversational way. Unfortunately I had to decline the offer to work 2 days a week for them in order to focus on these other opportunities. The woman seemed very disappointed, but I told her I had just (potentially) accepted 2 part-time job offers and that I wouldn't have any free time. She told me to call her back any time if I'm looking for work later on.

And finally, a good friend of mine is kindly paying me to do some proof-reading work for her. I love proof-reading and editing (in French or English) and I'm delighted to have a look at the manuscript she sent me. The text is due by early next week, so I had better get started because there are around 300 pages to get through! But I thank her for thinking of me and I really appreciate this opportunity.

Phew! That's a lot of work stuff in the past couple of days. I'm feeling really positive and optimistic about all of this and my confidence in my abilities has definitely improved. Maybe I'm not ~~doomed~~ destined to be an English teacher forever. I can, and I will do other things in France. If this week is any indication, I'm off in the right direction!

I'll be honest though. When faced with the thought of maybe working a full 35-hour work week (2 part-time jobs combined to make one full-time schedule), my first thought was, what about the dog? I know he's not a child, but I'd feel bad about having to leave him home alone so much. He's gotten used to me being here with him and if I suddenly disappear between 9-6 every day, I'm worried he'll get bored and bark, or act out. I suppose it would be ok considering Max has 2 days off per week which usually fall on weekdays, so he'd be here sometimes. And Max can come home for lunch every day, so the dog wouldn't be completely alone 'til 6 or 7pm. But it would be a big adjustment for him, and I can't help but feel like a guilty pet mom when thinking about accepting these 2 jobs or not. Ultimately I won't give up a good job opportunity for the sake of my pets (at least I don't think so...), but it's definitely something to take into consideration and plan accordingly for (apologies for the dangling preposition). A lot of people work full-time and have dogs, but the dog usually ends up bored or depressed. Max tells me not to worry - Pinch will get used to a new kind of organization eventually, but I still can't help but feel guilty and sad for him.

This weekend I'm going to a little apéro party at a friend's house in Grenoble Saturday night along with some of my other English-speaking friends (and respective French husbands/boyfriends, including Max). There seems to be a lot to raise my glass to (again with the errant prepositions!), and for that, I'm thankful. Fingers are crossed that everything works out!

**I've been having some issues leaving comments on other people's blogs, and a few people have told me they've been having some trouble leaving them on mine. I'm not sure if it was just a glitch in Blogger last week, but I apologize if you had any problems with comments. I hope everything is ok now!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T17:31:00.000+01:00

Noé got into the Halloween spirit and dressed up as Pinch. The other pets decided they were too "cool" for Halloween costumes and went to a party to get drunk instead.

productivity

2011-10-28T14:34:00.003+02:00

I'm happy to feel as though I've accomplished a few things this week. Not that sitting at home almost every day doing laundry and cooking isn't accomplishing something, but in my case, I needed more.

I'm not going stir crazy being at home, but I have been fighting with the idea that I'm not contributing anything to society right now. I'm young, healthy, and available (as in I have free time, not that I'm looking for someone on the side) - why shouldn't I be out there doing something?

And so I did. On Wednesday, Max and I went to the animal shelter and signed up as volunteer dog walkers/cat cuddlers. There are actually 2 animal shelters in/around Grenoble: the cat shelter is located in Grenoble itself, which means I could go by bus, and the dog shelter is a bit more out of the way and means that Max and I would have to go together by car. To become a volunteer, you must sign up for a yearly membership, but the money goes to help the animals AND you can volunteer at both the cat and dog shelter.

We were met by a very nice group of people at the shelter who were so pleased to have new people joining the volunteer team. The 2 older women took quite a liking to Max, telling him, (within minutes of meeting us) "mais que vous êtes beau!!" (my, aren't you handsome!). It only got worse when they found out he is also a gendarme:

*squealing and clapping their hands* Non seulement vous êtes beau, mais vous portez aussi une uniforme!! (not only are you handsome, but you wear a uniform too!)

The older man (and most certainly the husband of one of the women drooling over my husband) told her to put a lid on it out of respect for me, but I assured him that I'm not the jealous type, lol. Max, of course, was loving the attention and he walked with his chest puffed out for the rest of the day like a proud peacock.

The ladies took our registration papers, and when she saw my first name, the squealing continued:

Vous vous appelez Crystal?! Oh que c'est joli comme prénom! Je vais appeler la prochaine chienne qui vient au refuge comme ça! (Your first name is Crystal? That's a pretty name! I'm going to call the next female dog who comes to the refuge that!)

I took it as a compliment.

Needless to say, Max and I have suddenly become fan favourites at the animal shelter and they can't wait to have us back. On a sadder note, the tour of the animal shelter was really hard. One of the younger workers (the older ladies stayed back to cool off) took us around to meet the dogs. There are about 30 of them right now in a shelter designed to have 50 dogs maximum. Most of the dogs are large breeds - mixes between sheperds or collies. They all have names and distinct personalities, and I wanted to take them all home. The shelter runs on donations only and doesn't receive any help from the government. As such, the dogs have the bare minimum but you can tell the shelter workers really care for them. As an animal lover, having to pet a curious nose through the bars of a cage then walk away is torture. Most of the dogs don't understand why they are there (all the dogs at the shelter were turned in by their former owners or found as strays), and all of them want out.

One of the newest arrivals was a female shar pei whose owner had dropped her off just days before claiming she couldn't afford to take care of her anymore. The shar pei had the saddest, most confused eyes I've seen and she must have been thinking, why am I here? Where is my mommy? I'm hoping because she's a pure bred shar pei who's fixed and has all her shots that she'll be adopted out soon. It took everything in me not to take her home.

I know I can't adopt them all, but being a volunteer will make me feel good about helping these animals in some small way. Everyone benefits, and I look forward to going in as often as I can (and the shelter ladies are looking forward to seeing Max again!).

In other productive news, I've got 2 job interviews next week! Both are for part-time jobs, and while one is a teaching job, it might be something I'll enjoy. The other is not a teaching job, but I'll wait and see how the interview goes before posting any more about it. Don't want to get my hopes up if nothing works out!

And I was socially productive last night. A few of the Grenoble bloggers organized a little meet-up and I had a great time hanging out with this lovely lady and this one too, while meeting some new English-speaking friends (and respective French boyfriends/husbands). There is a big anglophone community in Grenoble, and I'm not sure why I ever worried I wouldn't meet new friends here. I'm slowly building a nice circle of American, British, Australian, and English-speaking French amis, and couldn't be happier on that front! I wish I didn't live so far away from the city centre though because getting in and out of town by bus is limited. Thankfully Max came to pick me up last night, but if I want to have a late night out when he's working, I'll have to crash on someone's couch. I'm hoping to start driving a bit soon, and that might help with going into town as well.

Things are coming together and I'm starting to feel a little more settled. The homesickness is always there, tucked in the back of my mind and ready to unleash the ugly at any moment, but being productive and getting out means that I have less time alone hanging out with those sad, depressed thoughts. It may never be perfect here, but things are already looking better.

unemployment agrees with me

2011-10-24T21:30:00.002+02:00

I had one of those fabulous at-home-all-day-didn't-even-put-on-a-bra type of days. Pinch and I went for a leisurely walk this morning in the crisp (but still warm-ish) Autumn air followed by a cup of caramel coffee (for me, not him; he's more of a herbal tea guy). Then I caught up on nearly 2 months of websites that I wasn't able to access during my shotty hotspot connection period. Now that my internet is back (not to mention my 300 TV channels!!), I feel much better at being home alone all day. That makes me sound kind of sad and pathetic, but I prefer expat experiencing a brief period of social isolation finding refuge in the internet.

My day continued with a vegetarian recipe that I've been meaning to try for a while. I baked up a carrot endive walnut loaf for lunch today that garnered a bit of interest on Facebook, so I've posted up the recipe below. It comes from a French gossip mag (Closer, I think?) and I've translated the steps, but not the measurements. Y'all are on your own for that.

Another walk in the sun with ze doggie followed lunch, then I watched some series online while the pets all took an afternoon nap. Pinch was on my lap, but the kitties decided to share the couch and Mini even got to snuggle up to Noé's tail.

Look at how big Noé's head is compared to hers! It's hard to believe they are both cats sometimes - Mini is a tiny little naked thing who's constantly following me around and 'talking,' while Noé is a giant furball who sleeps about 18 hours a day and could care less if I were home or not.

I tried out another new recipe for dinner (whole wheat spaghetti curry with chickpeas...more vegetarian goodness!) and now I'm relaxing with Max and deciding which movie we are going to put on the TV. Monsieur is on call 'til 8am tomorrow morning, so he's trying to stay awake as late as he can. If the batphone rings at any point between now and 8am, he'll have to run out to take the call.

Ok, recipe time!

Carrot Loaf with Endive and Walnuts

You'll need:

1 endive (chopped into smallish pieces)
180g flour
1 little packet of yeast
3 eggs
100ml olive oil
100ml milk
30g granulated sugar
100g grated carrots (I just bought a little bag of prepared grated carrots to save time!)
50g of crushed walnuts
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl, mix the flour and yeast. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. The recipe didn't call for any other seasonings, but I love nutmeg, so I sprinkled in about a teaspoon as well and it tasted great.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour and yeast and mix well. Fold in the carrots, walnuts, and endive and mix everything together well.

Pour the mix into a greased loaf pan and place on the centre rack of your oven. I cooked this in a toaster oven and it was fine!

Cook for 1 hour, and if the top starts to brown too much, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let cool for about 30 minutes before slicing.

Bon appétit!

foto Friday!

2011-10-21T11:33:00.002+02:00

After 6 weeks of waiting and multiple angry phone calls to our internet service provider, I FINALLY have internet and my land line back at home! We're just waiting on the cable box that will allow me to watch series in VO (original version) and order movies from Video on Demand. If being a stay-at-home pet mom with high speed internet and English TV is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Speaking of lack of employment, I only have 2 more meetings with the skills evaluation lady. My homework this week is to write a cover letter for 4 jobs that I'd be interested in having. For the moment, I've written one for the tourism office, one for a bilingual school for little kids, and one for a shop in Grenoble that sells Irish products. I'm not sure if any of these places are looking to hire, but I've got to show the lady something. As for the last letter, I might look into other English training companies that meet my criteria as closely as possible and just tell myself to hell with it. Grenoble and its agglomeration is not the bustling economic metropolis I thought it was, and jobs aren't exactly flooding the classified ads. But I can afford to be picky with jobs - teaching jobs, anyway - and so I won't accept anything that I think might turn me into the stressed out beast I was for the last 5 years. And the unemployment agency will be satisfied even if I get a part-time job for a few months, so I'm not in desperate need of an infamous CDI contract (permanent full-time contract) yet. I'm trying not to worry about it too much (yeah, right) and just see what happens. I also plan on going to Canada for a couple of weeks in January, and getting a new job before then might complicate my plans. There's no way I'm not going, so if I get a job offer in the next month or two, the company will have to accept that I'll be gone half of January. But as I said, I'm trying to let things work themselves out and just take this time at home to relax and get my personal project off the ground. There's really not much else I can do, anyway.

All the bébés are doing well and getting along with each other for the most part. My bed has turned into the place to be, and it's not uncommon for me to wake up in the morning with Pinch on my pillow, Mini tucked into my side under the covers, and Noé at my feet. Oh, and Max on his side of the bed curled up into a ball because he has no room. All the pets have been very needy lately, and I wonder if it's because they are all jealous and vying for my attention. Noé has started coming up on the couch (which he never did before) just to be closer to us. Mini gets into anything and everything, but she's very entertaining and 'talks' all the time! And Pinch is just Pinch - permanently attached to my side and tolerant, but not completely accepting, of the others. I always have my phone on me to be able to snap pics of their antics (and cuteness) and I think I might have to invest in a good camera soon. Taking photos of my pets and of scenery/landscapes is a hobby of mine, and it's time to have the equipment that will do them justice. My phone has a pretty good camera in it, but I'm looking for something a bit more advanced now with more options and better quality photos (which will also be helpful for my personal project!).

So here are some shots of les bébés from the past week! (click on individual photos to enlarge)

3's company on the couch...2 weeks ago, I never would have thought this situation would have been possible!

Sharing the couch...they may never sleep curled up together, but as long as they can be on the couch at the same time, I'm happy!

I was waiting for a paw to come out and slap him across the face, but it never happened. Progress!

I love this picture of them. Mini slept in a patch of sunlight all afternoon, and Pinch kept going up to sniff her (with no casualities involved!)

Mini's new favourite spot is on my ironing board, up against the window, so she can look out and watch the birds.

modest Mini

Sunday hike

2011-10-18T16:58:00.000+02:00

We had exceptional weather this past Sunday, so Max and I (and Pinch!) decided not to waste it and go for a little hike to one of our new favourite spots - Le Col de l'Arzelier (Arzelier Pass). Arzelier is a ski station situated in the Parc Naturel Régional du Vercors with its highest peak reaching 1550m. Before the ski season begins, Arzelier is open to hikers, mountain bikers, cyclists, horseriders and BMXers. In the winter, Max and I plan to go as often as we can to take advantage of the diverse activities the station offers: downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, and tobogganing, among others.

It's a lovely place with relatively few people in the off season (great for letting Pinch run off leash!) and a restaurant and snack bar if you get hungry. The views are amazing, and the leaves are all starting to change colours which is a sight to see in itself. And we're lucky it's only a 20-minute drive (uphill) from our apartment!

I love the combination of low-hanging clouds, the rocky mountain, Autumn trees, green grass and blue sky in this photo.

Little chalets dot the hills. I'd love to live there! (But going to get groceries in town would be a pain in the ass and I'm not sure they have high speed internet service up there...)

Walking back to the car after our hike. You can see Max on the right (and a teeny tiny Pinch) as well as one of the hotels in the distance. This place gets pretty busy in the winter!

I love the Fall time and seeing the multi-coloured leaves reminds me of Canada. I'm sure if we go back next weekend (weather permitting), the forest will be even more colourful.

back to work?

2011-10-15T15:34:00.002+02:00

Not much new here in ze mountains. The Indian summer is hanging on and it's particularly sunny and warm today. I took advantage of the beau temps to head into Grenoble this morning and ask around at some travel agencies. No, I'm not looking to book a trip (well, not right now anyway), but as part of my bilan de compétences (skills evaluation) that I'm doing through the unemployment agency, I had to go speak to professionals working in the field(s) that interest me. I wanted to know more specifically if one absolutely needs a BTS Tourisme (specialized tourism diploma) to work in either a travel agency or the tourism office. The answer is no, but everyone I spoke to made it indirectly quite clear that I wouldn't stand a chance of being hired if I didn't have one. Basically the tourism market is saturated with young people looking for work, and more often than not, these young people have the diploma en poche and are a lot younger than me. And through some research of my own online, I know the BTS itself is expensive (and not always paid for by the unemployment agency). It's also very difficult to find stages (short internships you must complete as part of your training) according to the woman at the travel agency who gets bombarded with calls from eager 1st and 2nd year tourism students every day. Basically I feel like I've hit a wall with this whole tourism thing, and I think I'd rather just send off my résumé to different places (including tourism related places) and hope for the best. There's no point in spending the next 2 years of my life studying in French for something I don't really want to do, for potentially nothing to come of it. And you start off at minimum wage in a travel agency anyway. There are other jobs I could do if I only wanted minimum wage and they wouldn't require going back to school at almost 30 with a bunch of 19-year olds and possibly paying for it all out of pocket.

On my way home from Grenoble (by bus, I'm not driving just yet), I got to thinking about if I really even wanted to do a BTS Tourisme because I was actually interested in pursuing a career in a travel agency, or if I thought it was the only thing I could do in France besides teaching that would allow me to use English. And while the skills evaluation thing I'm doing is largely useless, it has made me really think about what kinds of conditions I'll need in a job in order to accept it (to avoid a repeat of the last 6 years and an imminent nervous breakdown). 3 major things came to mind:

1. I want a job that is entirely in English or a large part of the work is done in English. This is not because my French is not good enough, but simply because I want to feel like "me" at work, and I can't do that if I'm always having to speak in French. Plus, Max and I speak French together and it's nice to be able to speak my native language outside of my home. English is just easier for me, and I think I've made enough sacrifices living in France that I don't want English to be one of them anymore.

2. Little to no driving involved. Since my accident, I'm still very nervous about driving in France. I'd like a job to which I could take the bus (or walk, but let's face it, there's nothing in my little town), or if I have to drive, it's not too far away and I don't have to drive around to different places during the day (to give English lessons, for example). If a job required me to travel to different parts of France or even abroad, I'd be down for that - provided I take trains and planes and didn't have to drive once I got to my destination.

3. A job with little to no work by phone. I'm terrified of speaking French on the phone, and it cost me a job opportunity in a dog salon a couple of years ago. I decided not to take the job, which otherwise was perfect for me, because I couldn't handle the stress of having to answer the phone. I have no idea why this is because again, my French is fluent, but there's something about having to speak French on the phone that scares the sh*t out of me and I try to avoid it all times, even at home. I don't think I've answered my land line since 2008. I realize that working in a travel agency would require me to speak on the phone a lot and I wonder if my subconscious is trying to sabotage the idea because it knows I won't be able to handle that?

So there you have it. I need a job in English, with no driving, and no speaking on the phone. I'm inclined to think such a job does not exist. At least not around here. Perhaps this grim realization will be the big shove I've needed to get some freelance stuff off the ground (and I do have an idea that will be put into action soon enough with the help of a friend), but it won't be profitable right off the bat (and perhaps not ever, but I'm willing to try). Maybe my staunch, self-imposed conditions will prove to me that if I want to meet as many of the criteria as I can, I'm ~~destined~~ doomed to be an English teacher forever. I mean I'm not getting any younger and there aren't as many options in France as there are in Canada when you have an Arts degree (why didn't my family talk me out of doing that??). I'm not giving up per se, but I'm also facing the facts. This is not the land of opportunity where just motivation and a little intelligence can land you a great job (do those countries even exist anymore?). I'm almost 30, I'm a foreigner, and I have an English Lit degree from a Canadian university. I'm about as marketable as yesterday's newspaper. If I make it professionally, it will likely be by my own doing and not because someone gave me a chance. Call me pessimistic, but I call it realistic. Miracles can happen, and I'm ready and willing if one comes my way, but in the meantime I'm trying to make peace with the idea that I might have to go back to teaching one day or be an unemployed pet mom for the rest of my life...

And speaking of pets...

I had Mini in my lap and Pinch wanted her out and him in. I prefer him sitting up to beg than diving onto my lap without warning like he's done before. Mini concurs.

She will only sleep cuddled up in a blanket of some sort. I guess I would too if I walked around perma naked in a cold apartment.

funny pets make you popular

2011-10-12T11:14:00.002+02:00

So ever since Max told his colleagues that we are the proud new ~~parents~~ owners of a Sphynx cat, everyone on his team wants to come over and check out my new naked kitty. Had I known this was going to be the overwhelming response, I would have thrown myself a baby shower a few weeks ago and asked for presents. Seriously, it's been an in-and-out procession of curious neighbours who pop over to "see the new addition". When we moved in a month ago, no one came over with pie or anything, but you tell one person you've got a funny looking pet, and the whole caserne wants to come see.

I'm not complaining, though. I'm a proud Mama showing off her new bébé. And little Skinny Mini is loving the attention! She purrs and rubs all over everyone who strokes her warm, wrinkly skin, and I'm relieved to finally have at least one social pet (Noé hides under the bed when people come over, and Pinch tries to attack them). Mini is certainly a little show-off, and it's clear she's used to being constantly cuddled by humans. So much so that at night she cries until someone gives her attention. This wouldn't be a problem if we didn't have the dog sleeping in the bed with us. Mini wants to come on the bed and sleep with us under the covers, but she's too wary of Pinch, and Pinch wouldn't let her in anyway. Instead, she roams around the apartment meowing loudly and keeps Max and I awake. I'm a little worried because this is the same problem we had with Maya (the cat we had to give away). Max needs his sleep, but Skinny Mini seems to be a night owl, and a loud one at that. Noé was never like this, and he's happy to sleep at the foot of our bed each night, waking up around 5am to wander around, but generally being calm and quiet while we sleep. I'm hoping Mini is just getting used to her new surroundings and that the night meowing will stop eventually. She regularly goes to each of the (closed) windows of our apartment and tries to get out. I think she's looking for her kitty family from the breeder's. It's a little heart breaking actually, but I think she'll be very happy with us as soon as the newness wears off.

Noé and her seem to be fine with each other now. Noé doesn't instigate any playing for the moment, but she follows him around everywhere. They sniff each other's faces all the time, and there hasn't been one instance of fighting. She's a little more used to Pinch, but it's going to be a long road until they have the same relationship as Pinch and Noé do. Pinch is really just curious and he doesn't seem to understand why this little cat wants to take his eye out while the other big fat one lets him lick his bum. Mini will walk by him now (it's a step up from her being permanently fixed to the cat tree and hissing like a mad woman), but if Pinch gets too close or looks at her too intensely, she'll morph into crazy cat and take a swing at him. I know some people say to just let animals "work it out themselves" but I'm afraid they'll end up fighting and someone will get hurt. I don't want to make an emergency trip to the vet because someone was clawed or bitten! That said, I have been noticing progress every day, and I know with Pinch's jealous nature, the 2 of them will never be best buddies. But I hope they find a way to co-exist peacefully so that I'm not afraid to leave them alone together in the same space when I go out.

How about a few pics? (click on individual photo to enlarge)

My first look at Mini when we arrived at the breeder's house. She was snuggled in a blanket with her son sleeping on top.

Me holding 4-month old Galileo (Mini's son) at the breeder's house. He's a ginger cat with blue eyes!

One of Mini's kittens at the breeder's house....he was so cute and friendly I wanted to take both of them home! (but he was also 1000 euros...)

Having a (long!) drink...Sphynx cats have a higher metabolism than regular cats because they use more energy keeping themselves warm. As such, they eat a TON. I have to give her special cat kibble for active cats so she doesn't get fat.

Snuggled up on my computer chair in her new leopard print fleece blankie. You can't tell here, but she doesn't have any whiskers or eyelashes...she has some short hair on her nose and along her tail, but Sphynx cats typically don't have much body hair at all, and generally no whiskers (or very very short ones!)

Sleeping in the cat tree hammock (photo taken without flash because her eyes looked scary with the flash)

Her skin is very wrinkly!

2 of Mini's kittens checking out the box (and my purse) at the breeder's house

And the winner is....?

2011-10-10T19:09:00.000+02:00

A big THANKS to everyone who participated in my first ever contest giveaway! I really enjoyed reading your guesses this past week, and I think most major pet groups were represented: fish, rodents, farm animals, dogs, birds...all groups, except the winning one:

Cats. But not just any cat...

Whaaat? I know what you're thinking, why another cat? Well after MUCH discussion (and maybe a little begging on my part), Max said he wasn't really ready for another dog. He's concerned about being able to travel and the risk that we have not one, but two dogs to worry about barking and disrupting the neighbours. I don't blame him, really. Pinch is a handful and perhaps I should get his "issues" sorted out before adding another canine sibling to the mix. As I said in a previous post, I wasn't going to force another dog on Max if he wasn't 100% on board, and he isn't - at least not right now - so I didn't get a dog. (But if you remember from my contest giveaway post, I said the obvious choice isn't always the right one!)

After that was settled, Max and I started thinking that maybe it wasn't even Pinch who needed a friend, it was Noé. It's true that Noé cries when we leave him alone, and he's such an affectionate ~~big~~ little guy. Pinch isn't really bothered with him though, and sometimes I worried that Noé was really bored. Max loves cats, and he immediately said yes to another one - with certain conditions. He prefered to get an adult cat who was already socialized with people and other animals. As you know, I had a second cat a few years ago named Maya who we had to give away. We'd got her for free from someone we knew, but she had been born in a barn and was fearful of people and prone to wanting to escape. She never took to Max, and I was worried she'd claw Pinch's eyes out. She was the devil at night when we tried to sleep, and I think the only thing she ever wanted was to escape outside and never come back. Eventually, we found her a new home in the countryside and ever since it's just been Pinch and Noé.

We have the space now, and Noé could use a playful companion. It might encourage him to move around more and lose some weight. He often tries to provoke Pinch into playing (like they used to!), but Pinch completely ignores him. So as soon as Max agreed to another kitty, I went to work finding the perfect one (my "secret mission" that you might remember I mentioned a few posts back).

I had an idea what kind of cat I wanted, and found a breeder just near Max's sister in Annecy. It was perfect really, because there are not many of these breeders in France, and this one was just 20 minutes from where we went last weekend. The timing worked out great. I asked the woman by email if she had any adult females she was looking to adopt out, and she told me there was a 3-year old female who was ready to be loved by a new family as her breeding years were behind her. The price? Only the cost to get her spayed beforehand which is amazing considering kittens of this breed go for anywhere between 600-1200 euros. She's microchipped, vaccinated, HCM tested, and has lived her entire life surrounded by people and other cats. These cats are strictly indoor cats, so I won't feel bad about keeping her in the apartment.

So far, she's been super affectionate and playful with me and Max. Noé is a little scared of her for now, and seemingly disinterested, but she'll go right up to him and smell him. It's clear she's used to other cats, and I hope Noé and her end up being good friends. Pinch is a different story though, and it's going to take some time for them to get used to each other. Pinch is actually very curious of her and wants to sniff her (he's used to cats and doesn't attack them like he does other dogs), but she isn't having any of that right now. Poor thing has never seen a dog in her life and the first one she does see is crazy little Pinch! There's been some hissing and angry cat growling and paw swiping, so I'm being careful to make sure everyone has the space they need in these first few days of adaptation!

So, you'll have to watch the video to find out more about this mysterious new kitty (including her name!), but first...the contest winner!

Since no one actually guessed correctly (or was even close), I put all the names of the participants into a random online name picker, and the winner is...

Congratulations Meaghan! Please email me your mailing address to: dq_grrl[at]hotmail[dot]com so I can send you your prize of some Swiss chocolate from the Alps :)

So without further adieu, I introduce you to the newest addition to my little family!

(video attempt 2...the first one was better, but maybe I should have turned the mute button off...)

Welcome (Skinny) Mini!

2011-10-06T09:56:00.001+02:00

source

Only a few days left to put in your guess as to what you think the new bébé will be!

Remember: if no one guesses correctly, one name will be chosen randomly, so all participants have a chance to win. Get guessing and see you back here on Monday for the big reveal!

first ever contest giveaway!

2011-10-03T17:06:00.004+02:00

You might remember a few posts back that I mentioned a secret mission and a surprise to be revealed October 10th. Well, that's still true, but I've decided to let you in on part of the surprise and make it into my first ever contest giveaway!

How exciting!

What I'll tell you is, Max and I have decided to add another member to the family!! And no, it's not a human baby (sorry, parents); I'm destined to be a pet mom, not a soccer mom. We're getting the new addition next Sunday, and I'll post his/her identity (along with details on how this all came to be) and the contest winner on Monday, October 10th!

So just what is this contest all about? Well, I want to know what YOU think Max and I are getting! Leave your guess in the comments for a chance to win an Alps inspired prize mailed to wherever you happen to be in the world.

Contest details:

Open now until Sunday, October 9th at midnight (CET).

Everyone can participate as I've set up my blog to accept anonymous comments (if you don't have a blog) as well as registered blog comments. **If you post under 'anonymous', make sure to include your first name or initials at the end of your comment so I know who to address if you win!**

The winner will be the person who guesses the identity of my new bébé! (as closely as possible) But, if by chance 2 or more people guess the same thing and are correct, the winner will be the person who posted their comment first. And if NO ONE guesses correctly, I'll put all the participants' names into randomizer.org and a winning name will be chosen randomly (because I'm nice and I want someone to win!)

I want details! If you guess a dog or a cat or a bird, make sure you tell me what kind/breed/colour etc. Be creative, because you never know! Sometimes the obvious choice isn't always the correct one...

One guess per person, please.

Get guessing and good luck!

welcome(d) to the team!

2011-10-01T11:54:00.002+02:00

The 'welcome to the team' party that Max and I threw was a big success and everyone seemed to have a good time. There was lots of food (courtesy of moi and the pizza truck down the road), drinks (too many for some), and socializing. I got to know Max's colleagues and their families a bit better, and wasn't as shy or nervous as I thought I would be. Everyone went out of their way to come say hi and compliment me on the food I prepared. I ended up going home around midnight (and by 'go home', I mean walk across the parking lot to the apartment), while Max mosied on in around 5am. He and a handful of the guys decided to finish up all the leftovers and not let a drop of alcohol go to waste! As a result, he's still in bed and I don't expect to see him until around dinnertime today.

We weren't allowed to take pictures of the party in full swing because some of Max's colleagues were working and in uniform. No one wanted to posted up on Facebook (or on someone's blog) in uniform for security reasons, so I only snapped a few photos of a selection of the food I prepared at home before bringing it down.

Hope everyone's weekend is as sunny and warm as mine :)

saucisson sec (assorted dried sausage) and chorizo which I spent a lot of time preparing, even though I don't eat it.

green and black tapenade (olive spread) that I picked up fresh from the market yesterday morning before the party.

The star of the food table! My layered dip, served with tortilla chips (sour cream, or crème fraîche épaisse in France, salsa, and grated cheddar cheese) The guys had the bowl gone in minutes!

Veggie trays lovingly chopped by yours truly and served with my homemade tzatziki (not pictured)

cherry tomatoes and mozzarella ball kabobs with a sprinkle of herbes de Provence....yum!

a little whining and a new snack idea

2011-09-27T12:47:00.000+02:00

It may feel like summer around here, but I managed to get a raging head cold anyway. As a result, I'm feeling even lazier than usual and haven't really been able to enjoy the nice weather these past few days. I did drag myself out yesterday morning at 7:45am to catch the bus to my unemployment meeting. It was a bit of a waste of my time, but I didn't really have the choice to go or not. And as much as I'd like to stay in bed all day today, I have another appointment at the unemployment agency this afternoon (I may not be working, but all these trips to see them feels like a full-time job!), followed by a shopping trip with Max tonight to pick up all the food and drinks for his 'welcome to the team' party on Friday. In France, when you are new to a job, it's often customary to throw your own welcome party. And in the Gendarmerie, it's an unspoken rule. So Max and I have to buy enough stuff to feed about 25 adults and 10 children. It will be an informal gathering outside in the Gendarmerie parking lot (thank god the weather looks great that day), but I still must make sure there's enough nibbles to go around. Max wanted me to make some banana bread loaves, but I'm not sure the bananas will be ripe enough by Friday.

Friday is also Max's last day of work before his 10-day vacation. We haven't planned a big trip simply because I'm bound to my unemployment agency meetings, and Max has a bunch of medical appointments lined up (not a surprise there). We're going to see his sister and her family in Annecy for a few days though and visit her big new house. I'm a bit sad they've sold their old house because I have many happy memories there. She had a mountain trail at the end of the yard that led up to a beautiful waterfall. But the family has grown, and they wanted something bigger (and now with a pool!). It should be a fun few days and a nice break for Max who has been working a lot lately.

In completely unrelated news, I tried a new little snack idea the other day that turned out quite well. They are cheap and easy to prepare as hors d'oeuvres or an afternoon snack. Have a look!

Puff Pastry Pesto Rounds

I cut some small, uniform circles from a roll of pâte feuilletée (puff pastry), used pesto as a base, added a slice of tomato, and a piece of fresh mozzarella on top

For a little extra flavour, I sprinkled some garlic powder and herbes de Provence all over the tops before baking

I baked them at 200°C for about 30 minutes (oven times may vary...I'm using a ghetto toaster oven). They came out light and flaky and delicious!

keeping busy?

2011-09-24T18:54:00.003+02:00

(UPDATE: I've added 2 new pages to my blog. Click on "About Me" and "Les Bébés" tabs above to check them out!)

The weather has been fabulous here in the Alps since Max and I moved in just over 3 weeks ago. I can only remember one day of rain, and one day when I had to wear long sleeves. "C'est normal", Max insists, "nous sommes dans le sud maintenant!" (We are in the South now!) It's true that when I watch the nightly news and the weather lady comes on, my eyes instinctively scan the top part of the French map for the next day's météo. It's only natural I suppose considering I've only ever lived in the nord of France. But here I am now, just a 2-hour drive from Nice, and Cannes, and Monaco - the sud of the sud of France. The temperatures have been holding steady at around 25°C, and next week they are predicting day after day of sun and highs of 28°C. It's summer all over again and my pasty white skin cannot handle the shock! It's hard to believe that the temperatures between Lille in the north and Grenoble here in the south can vary on any given day by up to 10°C. While my friends in the north are packing away the summer clothes and pulling out sweaters, I'm still getting use out of my summer dresses and sunscreen. But Max and I have been warned - right now it's pleasantly hot, but in July and August the mercury down here can flirt with 40°C or more. I'm getting sweaty and irritable just thinking about it. My Canadian genes allow me to do cold, not heat. And it's not like the caserne we are living in has central air-conditioning (most houses in France don't). But I think I'm getting ahead of myself; perhaps I should get through the Alpine winter first!

The past week has been one of ups and downs. Thankfully the weather has been so great because my mood certainly hasn't. I've been struggling with a bit of loneliness and the realization that right now, I am doing absolutely nothing meaningful in life. Sure, I'm relaxing and trying to shake off some of the anxiety, but it's all starting to feel very selfish. Max gets up at 7 every morning and works very long days while I sit home and read and walk the dog. I know I deserve the down time (France has tried to kill me with a car accident, 6 years of teaching, and 3 years of living in Paris, after all), but I guess I've always thought that healthy young adults should be working, not loafing around at home. Especially ones without small children to look after. Max (sweet, wonderful, patient Max) has told me not to be silly; I haven't even been on unemployment for a month yet. But you know what? A month of being a stay-at-home pet mom after being in school and/or working your entire life seems like a really long time. Well, I'm not being completely idle I guess. I've got my weekly appointments at the unemployment agency to complete my bilan de compétences (skills evaluation), I've been researching magazines to submit some freelance stuff to, and I've had a secret little mission these past 2 weeks to keep me motivated and busy (but you'll have to wait until October 10th to know what that is!) Besides this, I've been taking care of all the household cleaning and cooking, dealing with administrative stuff (changing my licence plates, mailing off cheques, calling the godforsaken internet company* etc.), and being there for Max as moral support while he gets used to his new job. I may not be making a difference in the world, but I'm making a difference in my own little house and I guess that will have to do for now.

We went for a hike the other day to enjoy the weather. This place is about 20 minutes away from our apartment.

Me and Pinch at La Plage de Savel

Everywhere you look around here it's pretty...

One of many passerelles (walking bridges between mountains, usually over a body of water) in the region.

(*I am still without internet, cable TV, and my land line because our internet service provider managed to eff up our address change...again. Looks like I'll be using the shotty hotspot connection for 10-15 days more. Le sigh.)

French news in English

2011-09-23T18:37:00.000+02:00

Many of my expat friends living in France don't yet speak French as well as they want to, and often find it hard to watch the nightly news and keep up with what's happening in and around the country. Luckily, there are sites like thelocal.fr which cater to the English speaking population in France (and other European countries). Thelocal.fr is an all English site featuring the major headlines in France, as well as job and real estate listings, and francophile profiles (websites and blogs of interest to Anglophone expats). I wish I had known of this site when I was teaching because it would have been great to print off news articles to use in my lessons! So spread the word - thelocal.fr!

puppy predicament

2011-09-21T10:43:00.001+02:00

My mom has this sick and twisted way of trying to entice me to move back to Canada. "I'll buy you a puppy," she says, pulling on my canine sensitive heartstrings and playing on my perpetual state of homesickness. But it's not enough for Mom to simply say things like this; she has also started sending puppy pics she finds online. On the phone the other night, she mentioned the site she peruses for puppies had an ad for a chiweenie (weiner dog/chihuahua mix) not far from where she lives.

"If you come home, I'll buy her for you," she says nonchalantly into the phone.

"Mom!" I cry in protest, "that's not fair!" But already the wheels are turning. Just how cute is this puppy anyway? "Well post the link to the ad on Facebook so I can see; you do know how to do that right?"

Seconds after I hang up the phone with her, the ad appears on my Facebook wall feed as though Mom has been copying and pasting links forever (she hasn't...she only learned how to do this last week).

I opened the link, and to my surprise the puppy looks exactly like my dog Pinch when he was a puppy. Even Max, who wandered by as I sat staring at the photo, said the picture reminds him of one I took of Pinch when we first brought him home*.

You guys be the judge:

The chiweenie puppy for sale online here.

Little Pinch (miniature pinscher/weiner mix) at 5 weeks.

They look like long lost siblings (or at least cousins)! Right down to the wonky colouring (black tails, different shades of brown all over).

Alas the chiweenie will not be mine, but I'm confident Mom will find another super cute puppy to show me in the hopes I pack it up and move back. She's a wily one, my Mom, but she underestimates Max's ability to counter attack:

"I've already told you that we can get a second dog one day if you want," he says a matter-of-factly as he watches me search for flights to Canada online.

"I know, but I want that one," I sigh, knowing that when Max says one day, he probably means when we are retired and/or he's dead.

The truth is, Max and I talk about getting a second dog like some couples talk about having a second baby. Right now, he's stuck on the travelling issues, "you can't just leave them alone all weekend if we go away for a few days!" to which I reply, "it's not like having another dog will change that; we already have ONE we can't leave alone!"

It's been a back and forth ~~argument~~ dialogue for months now, and we have not found a truce. I think he's worried that he'll go to work one day and come home to find me playing with our new puppy. I reassure him I would never do such a thing (BECAUSE THAT'S NOT FAIR...RIGHT MOM?!)**

Getting a second dog is a big decision, and not one that I take lightly or would ever make impulsively. If Max were not 100% on board, I wouldn't force it on him. He's already been very patient with the animals we do have, and I love and respect him for that.

So dammit, Mom, stop sending me cute puppy pics!

*Max says he's not a pet person, but he remembers specific photos I took of the dog as a puppy. He loves Pinch just as much as I do, but doesn't want anyone to know.

**I made the mistake of telling Max the story of how my Mom went and got a second chihuahua while my Dad was off on a camping trip. When he got back, my Mom was already crazy about the puppy and so there was no way my Dad would have told her to give it back. Max now lives in fear I will do the same.

giveaway!

2011-09-20T09:43:00.000+02:00

My friend, and fellow (Canadian!) blogger, Oneika is hosting an awesome giveaway on her blog right now. For your chance to win, and discover a great new travel blog, head on over to:

http://oneika-the-traveller.blogspot.com/2011/09/giveaway-handmade-handbag-from.html

Good luck!

out and about

2011-09-17T09:53:00.001+02:00

Thanks to everyone for your positive comments on my last post. I was worried I was going to come across as a Boastful Betty, and that really wasn't my intention. I'm just so thankful I've finally found myself in a good place (literally and figuratively), and wanted to share some good vibes about France for once. Of course no situation is perfect, and I still struggle daily with homesickness, but moving down here and having some time at home has done wonders.

I'm still without internet at home and am relying on this shotty Hotspot connection. It's better than nothing, but I'll be glad when my Livebox starts blinking again. It's been 15 days since we called to transfer our connection, and I'm not surprised it hasn't started working yet. I had this same problem with our internet service provider last year. Le sigh.

Last week, I met up with a couple of new friends in Grenoble. They showed me around the city, and we stopped at an English bookstore/café to chat. I've always found it easier to make friends with other English speakers in France, and besides my former student who I'm going to see tonight, I don't have any of my own French friends. I guess speaking French every day with Max makes me want to seek out English people to keep that connection with my native language. And it's nice (and necessary) to have girlfriends in France who are living similar situations. An informal expat support group, if you will. Anyway, I'm happy to have met a few new friends and look forward to spending more time with them.

I'm posting some recent photos taken from my phone. I snapped a few in Grenoble the other day, but my photography skills are ~~god awful~~ amateur, so feel free to search on Google images for better shots of the town. Grenoble is a nice city (the centre, anyway) and I look forward to taking the téléphérique up to the top of the Bastille one day soon with Max. It's a big city, not nearly as big as Paris, but has less charm than Lille I think. I've always loved Lille, mostly because I associate it with the happier times in France - when I was an assistant without a care in the world, and my beginnings with Max. When I got home from Grenoble the other day, I said to Max that I'm happy we live out here in the countryside and not in the city itself. I'm not sure I would have been happy there. (click on individual photos to enlarge)

Grenoble (banks of the Isère river)

One of many little squares in the city of Grenoble

Isère river

In the distance, you can see the téléphérique (little pods called "les boules"). It's basically like an enclosed ski lift that takes you up and down the mountain. At the top is the Bastille and a really nice restaurant, plus a great view of Grenoble and the surrounding mountains.

My town has a farmers' market every Friday morning. The weather has been so sunny and hot here lately, that I've gone every week. I got all this fresh produce for under 10 euros!

Playing around with some of the camera effects on my phone. This shot was taken from my kitchen window.

Pinch loves me being home :)

my right now

2011-09-12T17:10:00.001+02:00

It's just after 4pm on a Monday, and I'm sitting at home, sipping coffee and updating my blog. Not since I could count my age on 2 hands have I had this much free time. Free time as in, I-don't-even-have-to-get-dressed-today-if-I-don't-want-to. But before all my readers with young children or crazy busy jobs send me hate daggers through the screen, let me tell you that tons of free time in a new city where you don't know anything or anyone is not all that awesome. Not every day, anyway. But hopefully after tomorrow I will know someone because I'm venturing into downtown Grenoble for the first time to meet up with this lovely lady and an another American friend of hers. And next Saturday evening, Max and I have been invited for dinner by one of my former students who moved to Grenoble last year to be with her boyfriend who is from around here. She's such a nice girl - who speaks fluent English I might add! - and one of my only French friends (besides Max's friends in the North). She's currently unemployed too, so I'll be able to meet up with her in Grenoble for coffee when the boredom at home gets to be too much. Max hasn't been around much since he started working. He's on call a lot of the time, and we actually have a second phone line in our apartment hooked up directly to the gendarmerie (a batphone, if you will). Some nights, he'll finish his shift at 6pm, but be on call 'til 8 the next morning. If the batphone rings, he has to get up and go. This happened the other night at 4am - there was an alarm going off at a bank in town and they had to go see what was going on. No robbery, thankfully. And I've never seen a guy jump out of bed (from a dead sleep) and get dressed so fast in my life. Unfortunately late night calls from the batphone also wake up everyone else in the house, but it's part of the trade off for living in the military housing unit and Max literally being 50 feet from his office in the gendarmerie. We might not have to pay rent, but we pay for living here with sleep time and Max's availability.

As for me, I'm generally loving being at home and especially not working. The peace and quiet is just what my mind and body needs to get over the last 3 years of work-induced stress and anxiety from teaching and living in Paris. And the nice thing is, I don't really have to find a job now or in the future if I don't want to. Max is going to be making more than he thought (something long and complicated about him moving up in the hierarchy via his years in the Police yada yada yada), and as such, we'll be quite comfortable with my small unemployment allowance, his income, and the fact that we are living rent free. But as nice as the down time is right now, I can't imagine never working again - if only part-time to get out of the house and meet some people. I'm also easing myself back in driving, so once I'm more comfortable, a part-time job doing something I like is definitely not out of the question.

And speaking of employment, or lack thereof, my first meeting with the unemployment agency last week went pretty well. They compiled my dossier and the lady who is now in charge of finding me a job and/or training program seemed very sympathetic to me not ever wanting to teach again. I didn't even have to fake cry. She's a bit of an airhead though because she thought that I had never worked in France. When I told her I've worked here the last 6 years, she said, "oh! I just saw the names of the companies on your résumé and since they were in English, I just assumed you were teaching in Canada!" Good lord. I could've probably hopped over the desk and filled in my own damn computer file better than she did. "C'est normal," Max told me later that night; apparently the unemployment agency is used to working mainly with people who only have a high school diploma or less, and they don't often know what to do with university grads. When the lady asked me what kind of work I was looking for, I answered tourism or something with animals. She furrowed her brow - how could I not, at almost 30, know exactly what kind of job I was looking for?? I'm sorry, lady, but I'm not French and my career path has not been mapped out for me since middle school. But instead of pestering me with probing questions, she simply said that I should do a bilan de compétences over the course of the next 6 weeks to determine what I'm good at. A BdC is basically an evaluation of your skills and motivation re: a career. Considering I don't really have any, I'm simply pleased to know that doing the BdC will buy me 6 weeks at home (at the rate of 1 meeting with a career counsellor per week), all the while getting paid by the unemployment agency. When it's finished, and I take the results back to the lady, then we can figure out what sort of jobs I should be applying for. She also told me she'll tell me more about training programs at that point. Perhaps I'll go back to school to get my Masters? Or maybe I'll do a tourism training program en alternance? It's nice to finally have options, and it's nice not to be freaking out about the money. I've found myself in a very fortunate situation, and I plan to take full advantage of it.

So for now, I'm still gawking at the views outside my windows (do I actually live here?!), spending tons of time with Pinch (who's soaking it all up), playing exemplary housewife to Max, and being a tourist in my new region. La vie est belle!

coming at you live from my new apartment

2011-09-09T14:38:00.002+02:00

Yay for video posts! It was such a nice sunny day here today that I decided to make a short-ish video of me in my new apartment. I filmed it directly from my netbook's built-in webcam, hence the Blair Witch Project feel. Those with motion sickness, turn away. Next time, I will film sitting down because walking and talking and filming is apparently not a skill I've acquired. I didn't bother filming the front entrance or the dining/living room. But at this point, I'm thinking photos would work better. Also? Nothing like natural light to let you know that your foundation is a bit too dark compared to your pasty white neck. The fluorescent lighting in my bathroom has been lying to me all this time. Oh, and apparently I'm a twitchy speed talker when being captured on video.** Coupled with sub-par sound quality and me making up what to say as I go, this post is amateur vlogging at its best.

Anyway, please forgive me for the ghetto fabulous nature of the video. I really just wanted to show you some of the views in my new place and to put my awkward shaky face out there for my friends and family to see.

Happy Weekend everyone!

**When I say "someone I should know by now," I'm referring to one of Max's colleagues who also happens to be our neighbour in the military housing unit. As much as I tried to avoid interaction with my neighbours in Paris, here, I have to friendly and sociable because it's basically like living in a university residence for adults. I've met about half of his colleagues and their respective wives/girlfriends so far and will meet the rest next week when Max throws his own "welcome to the Gendarmerie" party that is unofficially expected of him. After I've been formally introduced to everyone, it will mean engaging in les bises (cheek kisses) each time I pass someone outside or in the stairwells. Oh well, we don't pay rent here - I guess I'll have to put up with some stuff).

Moved!

2011-09-05T15:50:00.002+02:00

We're here! And thanks to Max's friend, we have a hotspot internet connection for the time being. My normal internet service should be up and running in less than 2 weeks (I'm not holding my breath), but until then, I'm connected (although it's super slow, so this post shall be short).

The move went really well. The moving company guys were very friendly and professional, and I would definitely use them again for any future moves. They had my furniture and boxes loaded in the truck in under 3 hours, and the same on move-in day. Max and I didn't even have to lift a finger.

I'll write more about my first impressions of the my new town in a later post, but for now, I'll leave you with a few recent photos. (click on each one to enlarge)

He slept most of the way there on my lap. Noé, however, did not.

While the guys were loading the truck at my old place, Pinch and I were banished to the balcony. We sat out there for 2 hours before packing up the car and driving 6.5 hours to the new place.

I've been going crazy taking photos of the view. We arrived the first day at night, so I couldn't see anything til the next morning. When I woke up, I ran to the balcony and took this photo. It was the moment I realized I wasn't in ~~Kansas~~ Paris anymore.

Pinch has taken to sleeping on the top of the couch like a cat. I think it's because it gives him a better view of outside so he can bark. All our neighbours seem to have dogs and/or children. Needless to say, there has been a lot of barking.

The famous Statue of Liberty decoration in my kitchen! The decal itself isn't so bad; it's the metallic wallpaper throughout the entire kitchen that makes me want to gouge my eyes out.

Coffee on the balcony each morning is pretty great. I wish that Starbucks mug was filled with actual Starbucks coffee, though. Should I have a real craving, I'll have to go all the way to Lyon or Geneva.

All of the windows have large outside sills, so Noé has been in heaven. He loves the balcony, but prefers to park himself on the window sill and take in the view. There are at least 3 cats in the caserne who spend most of the day outside, including a gorgeous siamese and a ragdoll. Noé will not be allowed to go out and play though.

Part of the living room/dining room with a tiny brown dog in his favourite new spot.

hittin' the road to a new life

2011-08-30T13:17:00.000+02:00

My last full day as a resident of the Parisian 'burbs...I thought this day would never come. The packing is 90% done and the reality is really starting to set in. The moving company will be here at 8am tomorrow morning (good lord) and by early afternoon, Max and I (and the bébés) should be on the road to our new place. We decided not to worry about booking a hotel and just sleep in our new place on the floor tomorrow night. The moving guys will show up bright and early Thursday morning to deliver our stuff. And then? Then we unpack for the umpteenth time it seems and set up our new apartment to our liking. I'm waiting on a convocation to go for my unemployment interview and start getting paid. I'm hoping they want to see me early next week. We won't have internet for the next couple of weeks (*hyperventilating*) but I'll have my smartphone to help with the withdrawal. I imagine we'll run out this weekend to pick up some items for our place - including a new stove (RIP toaster oven), and a new printer for me.

I'm trying not to be sad, or too stressed out. I'm trying to imagine life in my new apartment with a view of the mountains and a fabulous new job with fun people (TBA). I'm also trying to accept the idea that I have to leave my bathroom here. Dammit it's a great bathroom.

So folks, this is my last post for a little while. As soon as I am ~~once again among the land of the living~~ connected in my new place, I'll post some pics. I'm sure you are all dying to know what that Statue of Liberty in the kitchen looks like. Check back in a bit!

Adieu, Paris. It's been...interesting.

Why hello there 6-hour car ride (7, if you include pee breaks for the dog). Please be as quick and painless as possible.

all packed out

2011-08-28T20:42:00.000+02:00

I've come to the conclusion that packing is a full-time job! Thank goodness I didn't have to go back to work after my trip to Canada because I wouldn't have got as much done at home. I'm literally cleaning, and organizing, and packing, and taping boxes from the minute I get up 'til after dinner (at which point I give myself a well-deserved break). It WILL get done, but only after attacking the job full-time for over a week now! And of course there are certain things that have to wait to be packed at the last minute, so I'll be running around crazy on Tuesday with last minute boxes. But the ends justify the means, right??

I enjoyed reading all your comments/reactions regarding the photos of my future apartment and its "special" interior design. Luckily I'm not the only one who thinks the paint job is a bit wacky. My guess is the apartment's former occupant was a 20-something single guy with a passion for the States and no clue how to colour coordinate. But, as I said in my last post, I'm not sure how much redecorating or renovations we will undertake considering we'll have to move again within a year and a half. Just knowing that will make tolerating my new colourful apartment that much easier, and I think Max and I will concentrate on picking up a few new pieces of furniture/accessories to fill up the place rather than a complete make over. That said, if I get there and decide I absolutely cannot live with that scary kitchen for the next couple of years, I won't hesitate to give it a quick 'relooking' as the French say.

Here are a few pics from the last couple of days!

Watching me pack is exhausting for them...

Noé is obviously quite stressed out about the move...

So is Max apparently...

No it's ok, no one get up and help me...

King of the Castle, or, Cat on Top of a Bunch of Boxes

I think he figures if he buries himself in the pile of boxes, we won't forget to bring him with us...

pics of the new place!

2011-08-26T11:37:00.000+02:00

Max spent a long day in our future town/region yesterday meeting his new chef de brigade, some of his future colleagues, and most importantly, checking out our new place! He came home late last night bursting with information, and I must say, I'm a little overwhelmed at how different life will be! But not necessarily overwhelmed in a bad way; clearly what we had going on here in Paris wasn't working for us, so we are both welcoming the change.

First things first - our town (which shall remain nameless for the moment) is a 23 minute train ride away from the big city of Grenoble. By car, it's less than 20 minutes. Here in Paris, it took me about 20 minutes on the RER train to get from my 'burb to the Champs Elysées, so I'm thinking it'll be about the same. Of course, the scenery along the way will be very different (and THANK GOD for that). Max wandered around Grenoble a bit yesterday and said it's quite charming. It's a big city - bigger than our former town of Lille, but smaller than Paris of course - and full of English speaking people apparently. There is a lot of shopping, restaurants, universities etc. We certainly look forward to exploring more together.

Max then took the train to our town. He arrived in the gare (station) and said it was completely empty! After all these years of living in such a crowded place, he was shocked by how calm it was. What impressed him the most upon exiting the station was the view. The town is located in a mountain valley, and all around us are beautiful (green for the moment) peaks and there is small river that runs through the heart of the town. You'll love it, he told me by text message, it's just what you need - nature and quiet.

He walked to the gendarmerie and met his new boss, who is apparently a nice guy with a friendly jack russel terrier who likes to run around the station. He met some future colleagues (the girls gave his les bises (cheek kisses) already!) and learned a bit about life in the caserne (military housing). Apparently my new address is simply that of the gendarmerie building itself - all the mail is collected at the reception and then distributed by the gendarmes into our mail boxes. So, if any of you send me postcards in the future, a few of Max's colleagues might read what you wrote before dropping it into my mail box!

Our new (old) building doesn't have an elevator and we are on the top floor. But, there are only 3 floors, so I won't be losing too much weight running up and down them 5 or 6 times a day. Max didn't have a lot of time to take photos of the apartment, but he managed to sneak in a few as his boss talked his ear off.

The good? The apartment is bigger than our current place. We'll definitely have more space for storage and guests. We are free to do what we want in it - paint, decorate, etc. Based on the pics Max showed me, we WILL be painting asap. Also? The view from the windows is a lot better than here in Paris. It will be so quiet in the mornings now. No more horns honking, children screaming, non stop traffic, and a view of the Alps to boot.

The bad? The kitchen, according to Max, is hideous. The guy who lived there before did his best to liven the place up a bit and got creative with colours. Apparently there is a painted statue of Liberty on the wall in the kitchen. Maybe it will make me feel less homesick? The bathroom is certainly not as nice as the one here in our current place. God I love my bathroom here. But as much as my current apartment is shiny and new, I hate what's outside. I'll take this less-than-stellar new apartment with view of the mountains any day.

Ok here are some pics that Max took yesterday. I'll be seeing this place for myself next Thursday, and plan on taking some more. Max isn't very talented with the camera, and most of the pics just look like a square of white with a door handle in the bottom left corner. (click on individual photos to enlarge)

This is the biggest of the 3 bedrooms and will be our future bedroom. I'm not sure that green stripe is staying...

The bathroom...smaller and not nearly as fancy as the one I have now. But, it has a bathtub, so I'll take it.

speaking of a bathtub....

One of the other bedrooms that will likely be turned into a guest room. It's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like the guy went with green and some kind of orange/red on the walls here. They will not be like that long. I love the view though!

Here we have Hell's kitchen. In true French fashion, the kitchen comes 'equipped' with simply a sink. Sure it's bigger than the one I use now, but it's going to need some work. Apparently the new caserne (military housing) will be ready in less than 2 years though, so we'll be moving into a brand new place again. I'm not sure it's worth the energy and money then to fix this one up. I guess I'll have to wait and see if I can live with it for the next year or not. (not shown: statue of Liberty painted on the wall)

I almost cried when Max showed me this photo. The guy before painted one of the living room walls BLACK. Max assures me it doesn't look that bad or shocking in person. God I hope he's right. This wall will be the first to be painted. The door to the left leads onto a small balcony.

Balcony and window of our place from the outside...

A bridge and the river running through the centre of town

a view from the little bridge

babbling brook (I can't wait to take Pinch down there)

view from one of the other windows in the apartment

bags, and boxes, and bubble wrap, oh my!

2011-08-24T11:45:00.001+02:00

While I'm still resisting the urge to call it a day and run back to Canada, things have improved a bit since my last post. I'm feeling more optimistic about my future in France, largely thanks to a certain (very very patient and understanding) Frenchman who is doing his best to reassure me. He even hopped on the internet yesterday to look up potential training programs for me down in Isère. "I searched with the keywords tourisme and/or animaux," he said, proving just how well he knows me. More to come on if I'll be heading back to school or not!

I've made lots of packing progress (and I say "I" because Max is not allowed to pack. If he were, I'd have socks and underwear in with the cutlery) and we had a pré-état des lieux visit yesterday. An état des lieux means a general inspection done on the last day you occupy your home or apartment as a renter. Someone from the real estate agency will come over and see if you've done any damage to the apartment that could be deducted from the deposit (caution) you gave them at the beginning of the lease. They almost always try to find little things to charge you for, but after participating in over 7 états des lieux in my time here, I know what to expect and how to get away with certain things.

What we weren't expecting this time though was a pré-état des lieux. We officially occupy our apartment here in the 'burbs til September 2nd, at which date Max will have to come back up from the Alps to be present for the general inspection (we were expecting this anyway). But while I was on holiday in Canada, the real estate agency contacted Max and told him that they were coming on the 23rd of August to do a pre-inspection. So, I scrambled around yesterday morning cleaning and tidying up the place, all the while not really knowing what or why the lady from the real estate agency was coming for.

I wasn't able to stay for the inspection because Mr. Pinch would have made it all that more stressful (read: impossible), so he and I took a stroll while Max stayed with the lady. She explained to him that the real estate agency insists on these pre-inspections to know in advance if they will have to hire a cleaning company to come and clean the apartment when we leave. If they think it's necessary, a 200 euro cleaning fee will be deducted off our deposit. WHAAAATTT? How can anyone justify charging us 200 euros to "professionally clean" our tiny (brand new) apartment? Seems like a convenient way for the real estate agency to make some money off our 500 euro deposit, I think. Anyway, the lady from the agency isn't personally the one who actually decides if the cleaning fee is to be imposed or not, but she did tell Max that she doesn't think it will be necessary considering how clean our apartment was. Well, no sh*t...I spent all morning cleaning and we haven't even lived in this place a year, so how much damage could we have done? Still, I'm wary of French administration and sneaky private agencies, so I imagine they'll find a way to justify it and deny us our full deposit. I plan on taking photos and video of the apartment on the day we leave to contest their choice though. If I can prove our apartment was left in spotless condition (which it will be), perhaps I can overturn their cleaning fee decision, if it comes to that.

I leave you with a photo of what used to be my living room. The boxes are taking over, and the sofa bed is pulled out because Max slept there last night. No, he wasn't in trouble, but came home late from a friend's house and didn't want to disturb me, so he kindly slept on the couch. I can't wait 'til all this stuff has been dropped off in our new place and I can start unpacking. I'm definitely more of an unpacker than a packer.

There's Pinch sleeping on the pull-out couch (the pets love it - must be like a novelty for them) and the mountain of boxes and miscellaneous items still waiting to be packed. Le sigh.

these days

2011-08-21T11:56:00.001+02:00

My life feels pretty cluttered right now. I'm literally tripping over boxes and bubble wrap, but it's not much better inside my head. I thought that I would have been more excited to come back to France this time; I'm moving, no longer teaching, and a new life in the Alps awaits. It all sounds great, and I'm trying to be excited, but the truth is, I miss Canada so much. The 2 weeks went by too fast, and saying goodbye was hard this time. Every time I'm there, it's like I've never left. Old, comfortable habits come back so easily and I can feel my body heave a giant sigh of relief. Finally, it seems to be telling me, I can relax. I'm not sure I'll ever feel as good in France, wonderful husband or not, and that worries me. You'd think after almost 6.5 years in France I'd start to feel at home here. Well if my holding back tears in the airport last week is any indication, I think that's a big FAIL.

Maybe (and I'm hoping) all the moving chaos is just overwhelming me and making me miss the simplicity of being at my parents' house more than usual. Of course it was nice having the 'rents cook and clean for me every day. I did what I wanted, when I wanted, and slept better than I have in a long time. Fast forward to my apartment in France, and here I am worrying about what to make for dinner, running Pinch out 4 times a day, dealing with the moving administration (FYI: changing my bank agency from the North of France to our town in the Alps can take up to A MONTH according to the woman I spoke to yesterday), and handling the guilt and sadness about leaving my family and friends behind in Canada. Thank god I didn't have to go back to work because I'm certainly in no shape to have done that. The packing is the only thing keeping me together right now and I feel like I've been a bit distant and cold with Max. He doesn't deserve that, but it's just my way of coping with the transition I think. The way I'm feeling is in no way his fault, but my brain sometimes doesn't get that. He's a loving and patient guy though, and he's seen me this way before. He assures me that he understands and that I'll start feeling better soon. I hope he's right.

In other happier news, I went into work last week and signed the paper saying that I'm officially unemployed! I said my goodbyes, cleaned out my cubby, and handed in my key to the school. Today, I'm going to go through the stacks of photocopies I've accumulated and recycle most of it. I used to keep old lessons plans and exercises thinking, I'll probably need this again one day. By throwing most of it away, I'm making the deal with myself that I will never, ever be an English teacher again if I can help it. The move to the Alps is the opportunity to start a new life - a life that will not involve teaching English and feeling stressed and anxious most of the time. Speaking of the Alps, Max must go there next week for the day to meet his new chef and get the keys (!) to our new apartment. He'll get to see it for the first time, and I'm making him take a little video for me with our digital camera. We move on the 31st of August and the 1st of September (over 2 days because of the distance) and poor Max will have to come all the way back to Paris on the 2nd of September to hand in the keys to our current place and do l'état des lieux (final inspection to make sure we get our deposit back). Luckily, gendarmes get a 75% reduction on any train tickets (TGV, TER, etc.) so the trip will cost him next to nothing. But it's a long day (3 hours by TGV from Grenoble to Paris and back) for a 30 minute appointment with the real estate agency. I'd love to go with him next week to check out our new place, but the train tickets would be very pricey for me, and we couldn't leave the dog for the whole day. So I'll stay back and get ahead on packing. Seeing as how I've moved 7 times in 6 years, I consider myself somewhat of an expert!

Well my packing break is over, so I have to get back at it. The pets definitely know something is up and I've found Noé in quite a few empty boxes. It's like he's worried he isn't coming with us. Pinch hasn't left my side since I got back and all this hustle and bustle at home isn't reassuring him. Don't worry Pinch, you're moving too!

And a couple of recent pics for fun:

It's been hot here this week, so Pinch is keeping cool on the couch. He always sleeps with his head on a pillow, just like a person!

Gendarmette in training!

He's not a big help in packing...

Last night's dinner: avocado with tuna salad (garlic powder and grain mustard), veggies, homemade tzatiki and pita chips.

for Dad

2011-08-18T20:19:00.000+02:00

Max enjoying some of the Budweiser BBQ sauce my Dad sent me back with. 2 thumbs up from the Frenchman!

goin' back

2011-08-16T14:39:00.000+02:00

Le sigh.

I have to pack up this morning and get ready for a late afternoon trip to the Toronto airport. My time at my parents' house has come to an end, at least until Christmas, and Max is anxiously awaiting my return to France. This trip was a good one, but they always are. I did just about everything I wanted to, saw who I wanted to see, and bought all the goodies I wanted to buy! And going back jobless to France makes it all that much easier to deal with. I'll have the next 2 weeks to focus just on packing and cleaning and taking care of moving administration. FYI: if you hire a moving company and they have to park outside your place on a one-way street, it will cost you 90 euros for the parking permit from City Hall. Thankfully, all our extraneous expenses will be reimbursed by the Police, but still. Moving gets pricey y'all!

I'm going to miss being back here and seeing my friends and family whenever I want. It's the hardest part of living abroad, I think. But new adventures in the French Alps await me (not to mention a husband and 2 adorable pets), so I'm going back to give it a go!

Thanks to all my hometown friends and fam for making this a great trip and taking the time to hang out. Special shout-out to my Dad who maimed me by accident yesterday...just to add that lasting souvenir of home as I make my way back to France :)

I didn't take many photos during this trip, only because they all would have looked something like this one.

funny foto

2011-08-09T15:51:00.000+02:00

being silly with my mom's ipad2...contest to see who had the buggier eyes - me, or Chico the chihuahua

hi from sunny Ontario!

2011-08-05T15:40:00.000+02:00

This post is dedicated to my Aunt Teri, who I saw last night, and who is apparently a big fan of my blog! She wanted an update, so here it is!

I got to Canada just fine after a long but uneventful flight seated next to an older French couple who didn't say one word to me the whole time (not even a perfunctory 'bonjour'). Thankfully I had some magazines and a few books to read to pass the time since I can't sleep on planes. I got to my parents' house around 8pm and managed to stay up til almost 9:30 (!) to avoid jetlag. I've been getting up early these past few days out of habit from working, but I enjoy the quiet time before everyone else is up to watch some tv, sip my coffee, and just take it all in. The weather has been muggy but warm and generally sunny so far, and it looks to be staying that way. I love the smell of the air here - so clean and thick with fresh cut grass and flowers. I haven't been down to the lake yet, but I also love the smells there. Everything all around me just smells like home.

I've started the family visiting circuit and am making time to see the friends who matter the most. What irks me a little is when I come back here for a visit, I get some people sending me messages to meet up for a drink or whatever, but these are people who generally don't bother with me any other time of the year when I'm in France. This is likely a direct result of the social clumsiness of Facebook; everyone knows I'm back because I posted it, but if I hadn't, would these same people have even bothered to get in touch to see me? So mini-rant aside, I'm doing what I want to do and seeing who I want to see without feeling guilty about not squeezing everyone and everything in.

I've got a few fun things lined up including a wine tour in Niagara-on-the-Lake later today with my good friend Genny and a trip to the Toronto zoo either tomorrow or next Saturday with the fam. I've seen my best friend at her new house already and can't wait to spend more time with her. I'm sleeping well, eating well, not missing Max too much (yet!) and basically soaking in as much of the goodness of being here as I can before I go back to France on the 16th. I can already feel a change in me though knowing that I don't have to go back to work after my trip. My mind might not have registered this yet, but my body sure has, and I'm sleeping soundly and not feeling as anxious. The more I talk about my move to the Alps with everyone here, the more excited I'm getting. I really do think I'll be a different (and better!) person when we start our new life there, and it's about time! The pull to move back to Canada is strong, especially when I'm here visiting, but I'm willing to give my French life one last shot to see if I can finally be happy(ier) there. But for now, I'm living in the present and taking advantage of each day spent in my hometown. France will have to wait for now.

freedom!

2011-08-01T10:32:00.002+02:00

I did it! I survived the last 3 months with Max gone at school, toiling away at my job, and now it's all over! I taught my last lesson on Friday and with any luck, my last lesson ever. In a little while I'm heading over to work to drop off all my student files and make it official - I am no longer a business English teacher. I am blissfully unemployed, thank you very much! Well, I'll really be unemployed in September when I go register at the French unemployment agency Pole Emploi. Until now, I've avoided this branch of French administration, but now it's time to dive in and get back some of the money I've paid to the government in taxes these past 6 years. And for those asking what I plan to do once I'm living in the mountains, the truth is, I'm not sure yet. I don't want to get too ahead of myself and plan to register for all these wonderful training programs if I'm not yet positive I'll qualify or if they are unavailable. I'll know a lot more when I've met with my future unemployment advisor and worked out some kind of objective for my chômage period. Until then, I'll enjoy the freedom that comes with not actually having a job to go to, and a 2 week vacation chez my parents in Canada starting tomorrow!

Max is home now and it's nice to have someone around. I got used to being alone all the time, but it doesn't mean I liked it. Now that we are back living together, we talk a lot about the new life awaiting us and what we plan to do. He looks up places to visit in Isère on the internet and shows me beautiful photos on Google images. We both know the tranquility of a small town and the calm of nature is exactly what we need to be happy. Yesterday, I took the RER (Paris train) for the last time. It's definitely one of those things I won't miss at all! Sure there are places in Paris I have not yet visited and restaurants and shops I wanted to check out before leaving, but they will still be there in the future if I come back for a visit. But I have a feeling that on the day we pack up the car and the pets to drive away from here and to our new home in the mountains, I won't be looking back.

I'm off to pack my suitcase and spend some time in this hot sunny weather that's been so rare around here this month. Max is driving me to the airport tomorrow morning which means my next post will likely be from Canada. Happy August everyone!

what's to come

2011-07-27T18:22:00.000+02:00

This time next week, I'll be making lunch with my parents and brother, and that thought makes me pretty darn happy. And the hot weather slash heat wave they are having in southern Ontario is going to hang on it seems, at least according to the long range Canadian weather forecast I found online. Maybe my summer dresses and tank tops will get some wear after all! July in Paris has been a big disappointment and I've been wearing a coat and pants to work for the past 2 weeks. I'm definitely looking forward to going for an after dinner stroll with nothing but spaghetti straps and flip flops.

I didn't work today and only have tomorrow and Friday left. And you know what? I thought I would have been dancing around and grinning from ear to ear all this week, but I'm feeling a little indifferent actually. You know when you wait so long for something, and then when it finally comes, you're a little blasé about the whole thing? Now that my job is officially over, I know I should feel like a weight has been lifted - literally and figuratively - from my shoulders, and maybe I will feel that way in a few weeks when I really get it through my head that I DON'T HAVE TO TEACH ANYMORE. Don't get me wrong, this is so good for me and I really need a lifestyle change, but I thought I would have been more excited. Or maybe that moment will come on Friday evening when Max is back from military school for good, and I go drop off the last of my student files at work. Maybe until that actually happens I won't really let myself believe it.

This coming weekend will be spent taking care of more moving administration, cleaning and organizing the apartment some more, and packing for my and Max's respective trips. He'll spend a week up in the north with his family and the pets while I'm gone, then will go down to Annecy to see his sister and our new home near Grenoble to meet his future team and check out the apartment. But we'll probably fit in a dinner out at our favourite Indian restaurant down the street for a belated wedding anniversary dinner. We didn't end up going last weekend because of the crappy weather and general fatigue. Max really needs some time off, and he's thrilled to be ending his intense 3 month training this week.

When I got to thinking about what I was up to this time last year, I realized that I was basically doing the exact same thing as this year. We were preparing to move from our old apartment in one Parisian suburb for the one we are in now. I took a break from packing and organizing in August as well to spend a week in Southern Ireland with my Nana. When I got back, we finished up the packing and moved into a brand new apartment down the street from my job. This summer, here I am cleaning and getting ready for another move - this time, 600km away from Paris and everything I've come to despise here. Thankfully I'll have this 2 week break in Canada to relax and prepare myself for all the work and running around that will surely be waiting for me upon my return to France. But this time, unlike last summer, when I greet Max at the airport, I'll be filled with the excitement and anticipation of a new life in the mountains, and not the impending doom of returning to work!

2011-07-23T10:28:00.000+02:00

Pinch and I are featured on one of my favourite blogs, Coffee With a Canine. Check out our profile which went up yesterday on my wedding anniversary! I'm a proud Mama today :)

http://coffeecanine.blogspot.com/2011/07/crystal-pinch.html

Happy 5th Wedding Anniversary to me!

2011-07-22T09:31:00.000+02:00

5 years ago today, on the hottest day in July 2006, I got married to a wonderful guy named Max. We didn't have a lot of money for a big wedding, but we had a lot of love, and still do. In our 5 years as a married couple, we've lived in 5 different places in France (and soon to be 6!), visited 8 countries together, adopted 2 beautiful furry babies, and navigated our new life in France the best we could. And as I've said many times before, it hasn't always been easy, but it's been worth it.

Happy Anniversary Max. Je t'aime.

our little city hall wedding ceremony...it was about 35°C in there

putting the ring on my tiny little finger

fotos of our new place

2011-07-18T21:33:00.001+02:00

I have 9 more days of work left! Woo hoo! I seriously thought the end would never come, and yet here I am preparing my last lessons and saying goodbye to my students, one by one. Tomorrow night, I'm having dinner and drinks with some colleagues as sort of a going-away party, but thanks to the internet and texting, I'll know we'll keep in touch after I've left.

Max and I had a nice weekend, but a busy one. He spent most of his time on the phone with the moving company and preparing various letters to send. We had to do an inventory our apartment to send to the movers and we don't have as much clutter as I thought we did. A small-medium sized moving truck should be more than enough to get all our stuff down south. The dates are set for the 30th and 31st of August and Max doesn't have to start work til Sept 6th. We are both looking forward to some R&R at the beginning of August before things get really crazy!

My old student/friend who moved to Grenoble kindly went to the military caserne to take some more photos of my future home. As I've mentioned, it's an older building, but from the outside doesn't seem to be falling apart which is definitely reassuring! The building is pretty isolated as well and seems to have lots of green spaces around it which will be great for Pinch. Max and I are counting the days til we are done work and school, respectively, and I'm just as impatient as always to go home for 2 weeks.

Though it hasn't been confirmed yet, normally we will have the top floor apartment farthest to the right. It has a little balcony with no vis-à-vis and 3 bedrooms!

Look at all those bushes Pinch can pee on!

Each apartment has its own garage/storage box. Personally I don't care about this, but I like this picture because you can see the mountains in the background :)

Parking lot and more trees and greenery for Pinch to explore.

winding down and getting ready

2011-07-14T13:53:00.000+02:00

Today is Bastille Day in France which means it's a bank holiday and a day off for me! I snapped the 2 pictures of military helicopters above on their way to the Champs Elysées and the July 14th parade. All of the fighter planes and other military aircrafts flew over my apartment the whole morning and the noise was deafening! Still, it's really cool to poke your head out your window and see the planes flying in formation and so low to the ground. I had the parade on my TV and would see the planes seconds after flying over the Champs Elysées.

Unfortunately Max was not able to come home for the long weekend because he had to participate in a Bastille Day parade. So he'll be back tomorrow night (Friday) as usual for one of his last weekends before being done with military school. It's a bit lonely here today, but I'll take advantage of my day off to get some cleaning and organizing done for the big move.

Speaking of the move, we have found a moving company and booked them for the 28th and 29th of August. Having the moving dates will help organize other details like address changes and such, and all we need now is the exact address of our new place to really get things ready. But as much as I am excited to be moving, I'm more excited about my upcoming trip to Canada on August 2nd. It couldn't have worked out better - I'll be done work just days before I leave, and won't have to move until almost 2 weeks after I get back to France. There will be no mad rushing about which is what I was afraid of. And my best friend will be off work for the 2 weeks I'm back home, so we'll be able to spend a lot of quality time together. The weather will be great and my parents' pool a balmy 90°F...can't wait!

I also have an update/good news regarding our future apartment. Remember how I said the building where we'll be living was built in 1978? Well that's true, but we found out that the Gendarmerie is actually in the process of buying some land to build a brand new caserne hopefully ready by Spring 2012. So if all goes well, we'll only be living in the older apartment 6 months to a year at most before everyone will be moved over into the brand new building. It's such a relief! Knowing our new digs in the ghetto fabulous apartment will only be temporary makes me feel a lot better and more excited for the move.

So not much else is new over here besides work winding down (*happy dance*) and having only 2 weeks left to say my goodbyes to everyone. I've got a bunch of lunches planned next week with students and some friends in Paris and even a dinner with the neighbours next Friday evening (which will also be my wedding anniversary!). Thankfully July has flown by and I really feel that the end of work is near and that I can get through it. I'm upbeat and excited for the things to come and to have my husband back with me really soon. Life is good!

friend's fotos

2011-07-09T11:10:00.000+02:00

My friend Rebecca who came to visit me in May emailed some fotos of her trip the other day.

I'm feeling nostalgic already! Thanks Becky :)

A trip to Belgium just wouldn't be the same without tasting some of its famous frites!

Me and Becky next to the famous Manneken Pis statue in Brussels.

Family Foto taken by Becky (not pictured: Noé, who was likely under the bed)

A happy Pinch in the car on the way back from Monet's house and gardens in Giverny

Pinch loves the car (when he's not in the back seat hurling)

The pets love to sleep on the pull out couch. Here we can see Noé using a package of crackers as a pillow and the dog taking up as much actual pillow space as he can.

I decided to get in on some of the pull out couch action. I wish I had pulled my polar fleece robe farther down my legs. Nobody should have to see those.

fotos and book club update

2011-07-04T20:10:00.000+02:00

some fone fotos perhaps...?

They are going to miss this balcony when we move...I hope our ~~ghetto fabulous 1978 apartment~~ new place in the Alps has a balcony they can hang out on.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer...even when you are having a sleepies.

Max and I went for a stroll in the park near our house this weekend to enjoy the sun and each other's company. We came across this swan family. Pinch did not like the swans. The swans did not like Pinch.

Also, both Amber and I got a lot of positive feedback concerning our ex-pat book club idea so it's definitely a go! And I think we're even going to get started a bit early than planned. I hope to have the new website up by next week with our first reading selection....something fun and light for the summer! Keep checking back here for updates and the new blog address as soon as it's ready!

not the best week, but it could be worse, right?

2011-07-02T11:29:00.002+02:00

I forgot to put up a traditional Happy Canada Day! post yesterday. I feel like a bad Canadian. The truth is, these past 2 weeks have been the worst ones since Max left for military school, and besides a few fun moments thanks to friends, I've been feeling particularly down and homesick. I think it's a combination of arriving almost at the end of my job and wanting to be done so badly RIGHT NOW that is making each day so hard to get through and my need to go home RIGHT NOW that has me a bit down in the dumps. And you know when you are feeling a bit sad or depressed, there's always someone or something that comes along and makes it that much worse? Well, this happened the other day thanks to a douchebag who screamed at me for allowing Pinch to "piss all over the ferns in front of his house". What actually happened is Pinch lifted his leg for 3 drops of pee on some hideous bush thing that is already brown and withered AND TOUCHING THE SIDEWALK in front of a house completely closed off from the street by a solid metallic wall. It just so happened that the owner of the house was getting home from work at the precise moment Pinch squirted the dead bush. Thankfully, the guy didn't go off and kick my dog like this a**hole but he unleashed the verbal crazy on me. And because I was already in a pissy mood (pun intended), I let him have it. When he heard I wasn't going to back down (your hideous plant is touching the sidewalk and my dog has peed on it for the past year!!) he retorted with, et vous continuez à repondre, c'est incroyable! (you continue to talk back to me, unbelievable!) before going through the ugly metal gate into his front yard. I was fuming for the rest of the night and it totally ruined my episode of Pekin Express.

But as miserable as I've been with running around crazy at work, suffering through the mini heat wave we had, and trying not to freak out about all the moving stuff left to do, I decided not to bombard Max with text messages detailing my anxiety. He's stressed enough as it is, and I don't need to be texting him my own misery from 300km away where he can't do anything about it. He finally came home last night after being away for 2 weeks, but I was already in bed. This morning, I woke up to find him taking up 2/3 of the space in our bed and Pinch taking up the rest. I was hovering on the edge of the bed ready to fall off at any second and the cat was sitting on the floor next to my face staring at me in this creepy pervy way he has. But we all got up relatively early and Max set to work calling moving companies for quotes, La Poste (some of our mail isn't being delivered and we don't know why), Orange (because who doesn't need to call them at least once a week to complain about something), and the gendarmerie that we'll be moving to.

And the call to the gendarmerie totally ruined my morning.

Remember when I said our new apartment was going to be in a recent building? Well I don't know who told us that or why we were told that the gendarmerie in [future town in the Alps] was built in 2009, but the guy on the phone today, who actually lives there, told us it was built in 1978. I WASN'T EVEN ALIVE YET IN 1978. He went on to say that the sound proofing is basically non-existent and that he can hear the neighbours upstairs if they walk and don't tiptoe. Max didn't feel it was the right moment to bring up that we have a small dog with severe separation anxiety and barking issues. I guess the other tenants will find out soon enough.

I do feel bad for complaining about our future (free) apartment because I know how lucky I am to be moving to the Alps. I'm not ungrateful at all, just worried that the conditions of the apartment will be very disappointing and stressful in terms of the dog's barking. I want to make a good impression on everyone, and living in a crusty old apartment with thin walls and a yappy dog is not going to help with that at all. I tried to take the news well, but I could feel the tears well up in my eyes as Max got off the phone and I told him I'm so afraid that I'll be too stressed to ever leave the apartment in the Alps for fear of Pinch barking. Of course getting rid of the dog is not even an option, but I'm really really worried about where we'll be living. And I wish they would send us some photos of the inside of the apartment because right now, I'm imagining the worst. We all know that the late 70s and early 80s were not known for their interior decorating finesse. Maybe I'll just try to not think about it right now and worry when we get there.

Yup, that lasted all of 3 seconds.

Sigh.

The good news though? All of the apartments are an F4 which means they each have 3 bedrooms. So, while the sound proofing and decoration will likely make me dry heave, we'll have more space than we need. But as I said to Max, I would have preferred a much smaller, newer apartment to a big, old one with shitty insulation.

We're leaving Paris though and I get to quit my job. For that, I'm very relieved. I'll just have to wait and see what our new life will/won't bring, I suppose!

Ex-pat book club?

2011-06-29T13:47:00.001+02:00

My students often ask me if I read books in French. The answer is no. It's not that I can't, but more that I choose not to. As an English literature major, I was taught (and enjoy) reading books not only for the story but also for the quality and style of the prose. I love reading a sentence that strikes me as particularly clever, whether it be a really great metaphor or creative use of the language. When I read in French, I feel these more subtle points of the reading experience are lost on me. I get hung up on the odd word here and there that I don't know and often have to go back and read paragraphs again to make sure I completely understood. In English, I'm a speed reader (a skill I've had since I learned to read), yet my eyes instinctively will stop when I come to a line or passage that makes me fall in love with my native language even more.

I really enjoy reading books with themes I can relate to. This is why, in the last 5 years or so especially, my bookshelf has become filled with books written by and about ex-pats in France as well as memoirs by dog owners, not to mention the occasional book on dog psychology and all of Cesar Millan's stuff! There's something so comforting and enjoyable in reading about others whose lives parallel my own. Some people read fantasy and science fiction to escape their reality, but I choose to read non-fiction that mirrors my day to day existence so that I feel not so alone navigating through this crazy life. And, I know I'm not the only one, so.....

me and Amber this past weekend

My American friend Amber, who lives in the North of France, loves reading too and during her recent trip here to visit me, we began tossing around the idea of starting up an online ex-pat book club. She mentions the idea in her most recent blog entry. We would create a blog specifically for this purpose where members could post up reviews and comments about the book chosen as that month's ex-pat reading selection. All of the books on our reading list will be written by ex-pats and/or about ex-pat themes - fiction and non-fiction alike. The book club blog will really give us all a forum for discussing our thoughts and reactions to the books, and perhaps the chance to make new friends here in France and abroad who are living similar experiences as expatriates. Before we go ahead and work out all the details of our project, we first want to be sure there would be enough interest. The book club would be open to anyone and everyone, but the themes and interest would be more specifically for ex-pats. So, I'd like your feedback on this idea. Would you be interested in joining our book club (and by join, I mean start following the book club blog and buy the books we read to be able to discuss)? If we feel there's an initial interest, Amber and I will get things started during the summer and likely post up our first selection at the end of August and give readers a month or 6 weeks to get through the book before we start discussing/reviewing. What do you guys think? Please leave me your thoughts/support/ideas/feedback in the comments section and I'll keep you posted on the book club development!

fone fotos

2011-06-25T11:31:00.002+02:00

There is something so creepy about this picture of Pinch I took with one of the camera effects on my phone...it looks like a post mortem shot. It also looks like he's missing an ear. But rest assured, he was actually sleeping peacefully on my sofa with his underbite hanging out.

It rained almost every day last week, and as soon as we got in from our walk, Pinch would make a mad dash for the couch and dry himself off on my bathrobe. It took me about 3 days of this to remember not to leave it on the couch.

Someone is not so good at hide & seek...

The Seine river - I walk over it every day on my way to and from work. The stormy weather last week turned the water a strange murky colour, and the clouds very dark and creepy too. No camera effects on this one!

pas de ski, merci

2011-06-22T18:08:00.002+02:00

Argghh...Blogger isn't letting me post photos. I'm not sure why, but it's annoying. I guess I'll try to post them later on and see if it works. Figures though, because I've had a pretty terrible week thus far and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Mostly work stuff, combined with some bad weather, and a bout of homesickness. All of which ~~should~~ will improve as I get closer and closer to the end of July, though it feels like it's all come to a head this week. But I don't want to dwell on the negative. I'll just write off this week as merdique and hope the next one is better.

By now, I've told all my students, colleagues and the admin staff at my company that I'm leaving. Are you going to miss it? they all ask. Polite, professional Crystal answers, Oh yes. It's been great, but inside my head real Crystal is screaming OH HELL NO! That isn't to say that I'll slack off for these last 5 weeks. When I work, I try to be as positive and professional as I can, and lessons will need to be prepared until the very last one. But, I can revel in my thoughts and smile victoriously as I mentally tick off the days left on the calendar.

When I tell my students (and anyone else who cares to ask) where I'm moving, their reaction is always the same. Everyone tells me how lucky I am that I'll be able to ski whenever I want. As though living in the Alps is conducive to skiing every chance one gets. And the more often I hear that exclamation and see the sparkle in the eye of the speaker, the more I think that French people are absolutely obsessed with skiing. I, on the other hand, am not. If I'm feeling ready for a debate, I'll tell the student that I don't like skiing. I say debate because such a proclamation usually results in an incredulous response to the effect of You don't?! Why?! Non, non, non, c'est pas possible! It seems as if not liking to ski is blasphemous in France...up there with not liking foie gras or red wine.

But I have the right to not like skiing because I've tried it, and based on the disastrous results and increased level of stress/distress/embarrassment that occured, I have decided that me and skiing are not a good match. The first time I went was during a week long exchange to Québec in high school. There are no mountains near where I live in Ontario, so I had a good excuse to be a rookie skiier. But as part of my week long stay with a French Canadian host family, I had to partake in a day of skiing. It was literally my first time in the mountains and the first time I slipped on a ski suit and boots. We had a group skiing lesson with a French speaking instructor. I remember seeing his mouth move, but all I heard was blah blah blah d'accord? since my French level was nowhere near good enough to understand his detailed explanation of the snow plow position. But I didn't want to look like a baby, so I followed my classmates to the bunny hill and heaved my scrawny frame up onto the T-bar. Half way up the hill, I fell off. Then I couldn't get up. As I laid on my back in the snow like a fish floundering on land, I could see the next students coming up the hill behind me. The instructor started screaming at me to move out of the way or the others would run into me. But whatever I tried didn't work, and I resolved that there, on a ski hill at 14 years old, I was going to die a clumsy death with a giant pair of godforsaken skis strapped to my tiny feet.

Of course I didn't die though, and I eventually got back down the hill (skis in hand, not on my feet). I was so embarrassed that I told my teacher I would be spending the rest of the day tobogganing and that she couldn't convince me otherwise. At that moment, skiing and I broke up.

Fast forward to February 2006 and the first time Max took me to the Alps to meet his sister and her family. His sister and brother-in-law are very athletic and love all kinds of winter sports. They invited Max and I to go skiing with them one day, and to make a good first impression, I agreed. Max had never been skiing either, and knowing that made it easier for me to get back up on the horse, so to speak. We drove to a ski station high up in the mountains where the air was thin but the view absolutely breathtaking, and I strapped on a pair of skis for the second time in my life.

We had gone with Max's family and a few of their friends who volunteered to help Max and I with one-on-one coaching. I was paired with British Tina whose explanation of the ski plow position was a lot easier to understand than the Quebecois guy. A pretty blond French girl named Caroline jumped at the chance to help Max, and later when she insisted on holding onto his rear end to steady him on his skis did I understand why. We all set out for the bunny hill and after hours of spending more time on our asses than upright on the skis, I realized (again) that skiing and I are not friends. I did do better than poor Max though, who, although strong and athletic, was an absolute mess on skis (much to Caroline's delight). But we gave it a good go and I do remember laughing a lot more that time than in Québec. During the car ride home, however, Max and I both agreed that we were totally over skiing.

So my futile attempts at learning to ski combined with a stubborn streak and fear of failure mean that I have no intentions of ever trying it again. I love the mountains though and will be more than happy to hike, snow shoe, tobaggan, maybe even try cross country skiing. But when students ask me if I'm impatient to hit the slopes in my new home, the short answer (to get them off my back) is, Oh yeah! Can't wait! and the long answer is....well, see above.

(the photo finally uploaded...here I am on Valentine's Day 2006 in the Alps after a long but wonderful day of snow-shoeing)

To Dad

2011-06-19T11:09:00.000+02:00

Happy Father's Day! See you in less than 2 short months ♥

P.S. Max says "happy fazzer's day to my fazzer-in-law" and that he's totally jealous you've just bought a new truck.

moving on

2011-06-17T08:07:00.000+02:00

Today I have one of those ridiculous teaching days where I have one lesson from 9-10 then start again at 2 til 5:30. Nothing like waking up at 6:45 to get to work for 9 and teaching for 1 hour before having a 4 HOUR BREAK. Mind you, I shouldn't complain. I live 5 minutes away from where I'm teaching this morning, so I should be nestled back in front of my beloved computer by 10:15. Well, maybe a bit later considering I have to hand in my letter of resignation to my boss this morning!

*happy dance*

I'm officially giving them my 2 months' notice, and I'm actually being nice about it because I could have just given a month due to the circumstances of my resignation. But I know it will be a pain in the ass for them to reassign all my students, so I'm giving them an extra month as a head's up. That, and I just couldn't wait to make it official!

I've told almost all my students that I'm leaving and will be done teaching at the end of July (before my 2 week holiday in Canada at the beginning of August). It was nice to see most of them make sad faces and say they were happy for me but triste I was not going to be their teacher anymore. They all seem to appreciate my skills as a teacher and my personality and that makes me feel pretty darn good. I've done my best these past 3 years as a teacher in Ile-de-France to do a good job, to show up on time, and smile my way through all my lessons, even if I was wiping tears off my face just minutes before the students came in. I don't know if I'm really an exceptional English teacher, or just a really good actress. Still, I'm happy this part of my life is coming to a close and that the future holds something new. Even if I go back to teaching one day (and that's a big IF), I won't be here surrounded by all these masses of people all the time, the cars, the noise, the pollution. And I certainly wouldn't sign up for another permanent contract (CDI) intermittent, which essentially means you have a permanent job but a salary that is based on how many lessons you do (or don't do). No, no - any future teaching jobs will be much more meticulously scrutinized before I accept to avoid a replay of these past few years.

For now, I can't say what I'll be doing as a future job/career/profession/means of income, and for the first time in my life, I'm not freaking out about it. Well, ask me again in August when my last pay slip comes in with a big fat 0€ marked on it...my attitude may have changed! I'm trying not to freak out about it and let things work themselves out. Of course in France, things rarely work themselves out, especially for foreigners, and you have to fight the system the whole way through to get what you want or need. But I'm not alone in all of this, and I know Max understands how scared and, dare I say, disappointed I am that I'm 29 and will be unemployed in a few months with no career prospects for the moment. I send him text messages to the effect of tu m'aimeras encore quand je suis au chomage et pauvre? (will you still love me when I'm unemployed and poor?)

I'm torn between feeling like a complete failure and excited for what's to come. The Devil on my one shoulder is telling me, why did you get an English and French degree...what can you do with that? Especially in France! You'll only ever be able to teach English! And the Angel on the other shoulder is telling me to see what I can do down in the Alps before I start beating myself up over it. But I'm a planner, almost debilitatingly so, and all of this unknown and the stress of moving 600km and not having income for the first little while is starting to stress me out.

But first things first...I have to go hand in my letter of resignation.

Inagiku - Teppanyaki in Paris

2011-06-14T19:00:00.003+02:00

I decided to plan a surprise dinner for Max's birthday when he came home last weekend. He's a tough guy to buy for and he doesn't really need anything. But I remembered that he'd mentioned a few times in the past that he wanted to try a teppanyaki restaurant. Teppanyaki is a Japanese style of cooking which involves the chefs preparing the food in front of you on a hot flat cooking surface and with a variety of knives. They slice and dice really really fast and perform all kinds of cool aerial acrobatics with the food, and we certainly were not disappointed! You are paying for your dinner, but also for a fantastic cooking demonstration right before your eyes by talented Japanese chefs.

I kept where we were going a surprise until we arrived outside the restaurant called Inagiku. Max was thrilled! The restaurant is located in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, just near Notre Dame cathedral on rue Pontoise. I loved the décor and was impressed with the quality of the ingredients used. Max got a menu with scallops, beef tenderloin and sashimi as an entrée, and I stuck to some cooked salmon and miso soup with grilled veggies. We both had a bowl of their garlic rice as well, and dessert was green tea ice cream, chocolate nems, and an exotic fruit salad. The chef's preparation of the food was really interesting and entertaining and it was certainly a night both Max and I won't soon forget.

You can check out the restaurant's website here. They have menus for all price ranges, but expect to pay a little more than in a typical Japanese restaurant because here they specialize in the art of teppanyaki cooking.

I also found a short video on Youtube featuring Inagiku. You see a bit of the inside of the restaurant and how the food is prepared. There are several preparation stations around the restaurant with a few seats and tables at each one. We were actually seated next to 2 other couples and it was nice to chat while we waited for the show to start. I definitely recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a fun dining experience!

guac goodness

2011-06-12T10:45:00.000+02:00

Max and I love guacamole, but I hate buying the processed stuff from the supermarket. More often than not, it's full of things that have no right being in guacamole and the calorie and fat content are off the charts. So I've taken to making my own which is really easy if you have a food processor to blend all the ingredients together. Home made guac is fast and easy to make and much better for you than the store bought stuff! I usually make a big batch and keep the leftovers in a small covered Tupperware container in the fridge. It's almost always better the next day, after the spices have really had the chance to soak into the avocado.

I use 2 ripe avocados which I cut open and scoop out into the food processor.

I add one diced yellow onion to the avocado and gradually mix in the spices and lemon juice.

To the avocado and onion, I add lemon juice, cumin powder, dried garlic flakes (or a clove of fresh garlic if I have one on hand) and a sprinkle of chili pepper flakes and salt. I never measure and just keep tasting til I think it's enough!

After all the ingredients are well mixed, I scoop the guac into a bowl and serve with tortilla chips. Any leftovers go into the fridge but must be eaten up within a day or two because it won't last too long (unlike store bought stuff which is full of preservatives).

Happy Birthday Max!*

2011-06-09T15:56:00.000+02:00

Happy Birthday to my beloved husband who turns 29 today. Your ability to be goofy and silly and the life of the party (even when I don't want you to be) never ceases to amaze me. You are outgoing, easygoing and a very caring guy with a great sense of humour and unlimited patience. Even though you'll spend your birthday this year at military school, know I'm thinking of you and am planning a surprise for you this weekend. My family and friends wish you a very joyeux anniversaire and many more to come.

Je t'aime.

*post solely written for my benefit and memories as Max has never actually read my blog. But he'd be happy to know I dedicated a post to him and his birthday.

Morning. Do not want.

2011-06-07T08:39:00.001+02:00

I think today is going to be one of those days. You know the ones that feel a bit off from the moment you open your eyes? It started with the alarm clock going off at 6:45 which is half an hour earlier than normal, because I had a lesson at 9:30 this morning and not at 10 as usual. And those who know me, know I'm not a morning person. Even the dog won't dare lick my face until at least 7.

But I rolled out of bed and went through the motions anyway. In a groggy morning fog, I threw on some clothes and suited the dog up for our morning walk. Getting him out of the apartment and onto the street is stressful each time I have to do it. God forbid one of my floor neighbours in coming out of his/her apartment at the same time. Such a benign action would send Pinch into attack mode and no one wants to hear my dog barking crazily at 7am. So I've taken to memorizing the neighbours schedules (what time they go to work, what time they come home etc....is that creepy? Maybe, but totally necessary). I'll also wait and listen by the front door to make sure no one is in the hallway before leaving with Pinch.

Today was no exception and we got out (phew!) with no problems, until we reached the front door of my building and I saw outside. It was pouring. It hasn't poured in like 2 months, so of course I wasn't expecting it. In retrospect, had I rolled up the blinds this morning before taking the dog out, I would have seen the rain pelting my poor plants on the balcony and been prepared with my umbrella. But alas, I was not prepared.

Pinch hates the rain and walking in it, so I had no choice but to drag him back upstairs to my apartment to grab the umbrella. It was risky - these extra 5 minutes threw off my carefully laid out schedule. The risk of crossing my neighbour from 2C was high, but there was no way I was going out there without an umbrella. I took the stairs instead of the elevator to avoid being confined in a small space with an insane dog should anyone get in with us. We snaked up the stairs, my ears strained for the sound of footsteps or a key in someone's door. I got to my floor and listened from the stairwell before easing the door open onto our floor. I hurried along the corridor, fishing my keys out of my pocket and ready to scoop Pinch up if I heard a door open. Pinch stared up at me with confused eyes, Why are we back here already? I haven't peed yet and you are freaking me out with your commando mission here.

We got back in and out without crossing anyone, but of course as Pinch felt the rain outside, he did a lightening fast pee on the side of my building then wanted to go back in. I'll be gone to work all morning and his little dribble wasn't enough to satisfy me, so I dragged (quite literally) a few more feet encouraging him to PEE DAMMIT! PEE ON THAT TREE! The traffic along my one way street was already lined up as people went off to work in this crazy Parisian traffic and the air was heavy with exhaust fumes and the sound of honking horns.

Back inside (after Pinch had shaken all the water off his fur onto my white foyer walls), I got my clothes ready for work. Black tights, a grey sweater dress, and a black cardigan. Black clothes are a stupid idea in my house, but I have so many. This morning, my tights looked as though the cat had been wearing them himself and were covered in white and cream hairs. I went to get my lint roller brush thing from H&M which is a staple in my apartment and a morning ritual along with brushing my teeth and having some coffee.

Except my lint brush wasn't in its usual spot and I was running late. I searched all the places it could be and turned up nothing. Dammit I had no time to change my outfit and needed the brush asap! Already in a pissy mood and not happy to be going to work, I sent Max a rather bitchy text message somewhere along the lines of, don't even tell me you took the lint brush to police school??!! Yeah, there are times I wouldn't want to be married to me either. Some additional seaching and cursing later, I found the brush under a stack of (my) clothes and immediately sent an apology text to Max. And by apology, I mean I wrote You're lucky. I found it.

Today is going to be one of those days. I have a lesson til 11, another one from 1:30 to 2:30 and the last one from 4-5pm. A long day for not a lot of work. I'll also have to run back and forth from one company to another which I always love (especially when it's pouring) and I stayed up late last night to watch L'Amour est Dans le Pré which sucks me every season and prevents me from getting to bed before 11pm, so I'm already tired and my day has barely begun.

How is your day going?

UPDATE: Just as this post was published, I got a call from the secretary at the school telling me the guy I was supposed to have this morning at 9:30 couldn't come and cancelled the lesson. I was literally just putting on my coat to leave when I got the call. Guess who got up at 6:45 for nothing? Next lesson is at 1:30 but I'm already dressed, hair and make up done. FML

Smartfone Foto Friday

2011-06-03T22:35:00.000+02:00

Recent pics uploaded from my new phone aka Life Lately:

When my friend Rebecca came to stay with me 2 weeks ago, she brought me a care package from Canada including tons of magazines, some macaroni & cheese, Coffee Crisp chocolate bars and Jello! She's pretty awesome.

I have almost exactly the same shot posted on my blog from sometime in 2009. As much as I dislike Paris, this shot and the tower itself never seem to get old for me.

Beautiful Notre Dame cathedral captured from the Bateau Mouche when I took my visiting friends for a ride down the river Seine.

Another shot of the tower taken from the boat and random tourist guy.

They just don't make stuff like this anymore, do they?

While walking along the Champs Elysées with my visiting friends, we saw this woman pushing her 3 toy sized dogs along in a baby carriage. They didn't seem to mind. The only thing bizarre about this photo is the fact that she paired a striped blazer with a striped t-shirt. She can't be French.

It's been really hot here lately and the balcony has provided some relief from the heat for the pets. Pinch prefers to have a pillow to rest on while Noé likes to cool his massive underbelly on the ceramic tiles.

I've spent many afternoons hanging out on my balcony too, reading magazines and trying (in vain) to tan my legs. Pinch decided to smile for the camera here. And yes, I am reading Canadian Living magazine, and no, I am not a soccer mom.

Falling asleep sitting up. I'm sorry to say that those pasty white monstrocities to the right belong to me.

I visited my friend Leah in La Défense earlier today and took a few pics to remind myself how ugly it is. Pretty soon these slabs of concrete will be replaced by mountains for me and I cannot wait.

La Défense - Paris's business centre complete with hideous arrangements of skyscrapers and thousands of worker ants running around in suits and ties. (they DO have a Starbucks here though which is pretty much the only reason I ever go. Or for the cinema that shows all foreign films in original version with subtitles)

I love this shot of Pinch that I took thanks to a new free app on my smartphone called Vignette. It makes taking 'artsy' or unique photos a breeze and Pinch doesn't seem to mind that I'm always pointing my phone in his face.

My parents sent me a package in the mail for my birthday which included a spice kit and recipe for garlic lime fajitas. I finally got around to making it tonight and Max loved them! I added red and green pepper to the chicken, along with onions, some light crème fraiche, the individually dosed spice packets, lime juice, honey and olive oil all wrapped in whole wheat tortillas for a healthy dose of fibre. Delish!