memories of France...part one.

Things I don't want to forget about France.

· Before a theatre spectacle begins, there is a traditional rapping of a stick backstage to begin the piece.
· After every performance, (theatre, opera, ballet, what have you) it's almost custom to encore the performers for a second (or third) bow.
· At the grocery, you have to weigh your veggies and print out a sticker before buying them.
· Walking past/inside a bakery...the smells, the breads, the pastries, the cute bakers...
· On every food advertisement..."Always consume at least 5 fruits and vegetables each day...too much fat and sugar is bad for the health..."
· The smell of the fire in Francoise's house
· The view off the balcony from Arlette's house
· The smell of the flowers by the Mairie/the Doubs in front of the Co-Op
· The chime at the Charles de Gaulle Airport
· The metro....the crowding, rushing, Orangina advertisements...
· The Croix Rouge volunteers who don't let you pass down Grande Rue

Some of my fondest memories were simply the picturesque views I had, especially walking along the Doubs river at any given time of day. When I left Francoise’s house early in the morning, on my way to the Centre de Linguistique Appliquee, it wouldn’t be too long before I passed a large group of pompiers, or firemen, and policemen running together, all in yellow or red shirts and chatting away as if the running was completely effortless. This of course made me jealous because I can barely hold a conversation when I run, before I lose my breath. But they were all cheery and usually at least 2 or 3 would give me a hearty “bonjour!” as I walked by.
Another very fond moment was passing by the group of bongo players on the other side of the river, down by the park (across from the CLA.) I had my iPod on me at the time, but definitely had to turn it off (how long do you run into musicians giving free concerts on a beautiful day?!) A whole bunch of people, especially near the end of my stay (because the weather was SO nice) would lie out on the grass facing Fort Chaudanne and just sunbathe as if it were a beach with no sand. Everyone just treated the riverside like a public gathering spot (which was totally cool!) Some had books, played Frisbee with their dogs, a lot of younger adults had instruments like guitars, and many would just sit and smoke. Of course, you also have those with their wine and cheese and whatever else made it into the picnic basket for the day.
I absolutely cannot forget Olive, Francoise’s petit noir chien with the short stubby tail, which she never EVER washed (her coat was so oily, every time you pet her you simply had to wash your hands directly afterwards!) Marta and I quickly learned this and were thinking of ways to tell Francoise that Olive needed to be given a bath sooner or later. I think since the dog belonged to one of her sons, who was grown and married with a kid, she didn’t feel as attached to her, as she might have been if she were the original owner. So eventually, the nice neighbor who lived next door (who always came by with a loaf of Marzipan for me and Marta J ) washed Olive himself. Good thing, too- poor dog was probably super itchy from being so dirty!
I know I won’t forget the good times had with Marta, my “little” big host sister. She was also studying in France, an American from Boston, working as a teaching assistant at a few school for younger French kids. She had a few nastier classes with snotty kids I guess, that were just hard to get to obey. But she did seem to have one class that obeyed and didn’t give her a hard time. She told me a lot about what it was like to teach in France, and got me interested in maybe pursuing the same thing. She mostly played learning games in a few of her classes (can’t be too hard, can it?) I think if the opportunity came up, I’d definitely give it a shot.

We have no idea what's going on...

...like the eye inside a hurricane.

That's how I feel after only about 1 day of not checking CNN.com for the latest news updates.
Oh well. I'll call Charter tomorrow to get our internet up n' running.

I've been doing a lot of reading lately on veganism and raw foodism. I find it very intriguing, and I've been discussing it with Michelle. She seems to have equal amount of interest in it as I do. I'm tired of feeling like I have no control over what I eat. I've decided to try going vegan. This is day 4, and I've been doing fine.
I'm trying new recipes, experimenting with things i'd never thought i'd buy before, and loving every minute of it. (Except for when the experiments turn out to be disasters, like the falafel-tomato-dried fruit blended mess that I threw together last night after getting back from work.) It was just a crazy bout of inspiration I felt after reading 12 Steps to Raw Foods and How to End Your Addiction to Cooked Food by Victoria Boutenko. I opened it yesterday morning and read the whole thing while at work, and felt truly empowered after reading it. Not only are the chapters good suggestions for eating healthy overall, but there were a few that just speak about following your instincts and trusting them and listening to your higher self. It was just a simple, small chapter, but I found it amazing to read. Now, I don't know how soon it is that i'll be ready to switch entirely to raw foods, but i'm already eating almost 75 % raw foods as it is. For example, here was my food intake today:

-1 cup O'Soy strawberry yogurt
-1 cup rolled oats
-2 mugs coffee
-3/4 cup cantaloupe
-1 orange
-1/2 cup cashews
-plate of mixed blanched veggies (including carrots, broccoli & cauliflower) sprinkled with Olive Oil, celery seed, garlic & onion powder and low-sodium soy sauce
-Jasmine tea w/Stevia
-1 oz. dark chocolate chips

Not too bad, if I do say so myself. That was one delicious plate of vegetables, by the way...I'm going to need to continue blanching my veggies like that. They tasted great.
Also, I'm going to try more of Michelle's "power ball" recipes and maybe the green smoothie ones she's told me about, where she adds Kale to normal fruity smoothies to mix fruit & veg together in a delicious drink.
I feel fabulous on the vegan diet. Dairy is certainly not a necessity and I will wait with an open mind to see the other changes this will have on my body.