Oyyy, what a week! Thank you guys so much for commenting and encouraging me. :) Since I have food on the brain, I’m going to compare my moving day last weekend to ice cream: smooth, but frozen. I use frozen in the sense of “ow, my fingers are going to fall off from rolling this suitcase to the car because it’s 30 degrees outside” as well as in the sense that Jacqueline couldn’t have been more cold towards me if she tried. (I’m pretty sure she *did* try, but anyway.) I stopped by a florist shop just down the street from the house (after I got lost taking a different road...but that’s beside the point) with the goal of finding a special plant or flower bouquet for Jacqueline. It was the day before Valentine’s Day, so it wasn’t too difficult. I happened to find a purple hyacinth bulb in a water-filled glass vase on the outdoor display table for only 6 euros, and I felt like it was meant just for her. After all, she was always talking about her garden and about how she adores the color purple. The florist shop even wrapped it up in cellophane with a pink ribbon -- for free! I left it on my desk with the key to the room before I went upstairs to tell her goodbye. She shoved my rent refund in my hand and all but demanded to know where the key was, and she wasn’t happy to find out that I’d left it on my desk. I followed her downstairs and listened to her huff about the things I hadn’t picked up to carry outside yet (because I could obviously carry all of them at one time), and then she told me to take the plant, too. I told her it was for her, and she almost yelled “NO” at me. Fortunately, I was able to convince her to accept it as a Valentine’s Day gift and a “thank you” for her hospitality. Maybe it will truly be a sign of kindness to her; I don’t know. In any case, I think it was the right thing to do.
I’m happy to report that making the adjustment to my new room has been superbly easy! Even while I was unpacking, I knew that I was going to feel a lot more at home here because I could hear Jocelyn, my new hostess, cranking up the French rock music and singing along while she did housework downstairs. She is quite energetic and spontaneous, but very motherly as well. And, the Chinese girl who already lives here is super-friendly, too! The location is perfect - right next to the convenience grocery store, bakery, patisserie, supermarket, the bus stop, and the bank. :)
I must say that I’m a little scared to use the kitchen, but I’ve managed to do it once without messing anything up. She has just finished remodeling it, so all of the appliances are new, including the induction stovetop. She’s very particular about it, but not in the same way that Jacqueline was particular about things. From talking to her (and even through my encounters with Jacqueline), I’ve also become a lot more aware of the general emphasis in France on being environmentally friendly. Part of it is due to the high cost of energy; part of it is due to a heightened sense of responsibility to the environment that we don’t have in the United States. I’m looking forward to learning a new kind of lifestyle, but it does seem a little daunting at first, trying to learn these new habits. I have trouble remembering what’s recyclable and what isn’t, remembering to be more careful about how much light and heat I use, and remembering not to turn the water on all the way when a small amount will suffice. I’m even learning to take even shorter showers and to do little bits of laundry by hand, which is definitely something to get used to.
Have I mentioned that I can’t wait to go to Paris this weekend? Kendra and I, along with our new friend Laura, will be taking the train there Saturday morning and staying until Monday night, when Kendra and I will take a late train to Marseilles. We got an awesome deal on the tickets - first class for less than the price of second class! That’s what the 12-25 pass can get you. It pays to be young sometimes! That said, it was still a bit of a headache trying to find all the tickets and accommodations...but it's done. After a few days in Marseilles, the plan is to head up to Strasbourg for the rest of our week-long vacation. I’m really looking forward to seeing the monuments and tasting the foods that I’ve heard about for so long! Also, a couple of new friends have invited Kendra and I to visit their hometowns for a weekend later in the semester, too, which is super nice. :) It will be our chance to see Nantes and the region of Bretagne.
Fortunately, I’ve also had a chance to experience more of what life has to offer here in Angers over the past week. Friday night, some new friends invited Kendra and I to join them at McDonald’s before heading to a local pub to watch another friend play in his band. Just a little side note here: happy meals in France are the bomb! Cheeseburger, fries, drink, AND dessert. They NEVER skip dessert. (It’s not as unhealthy as it sounds, though. Usually it’s fruit, fruit compote, a light creme anglaise, mousse, or light cakes. It’s not always very sugary.) Anyway, the evening at the pub was entertaining, to say the least. I enjoyed the band, but the most memorable event of the night was probably when a completely inebriated man tried to hit on me. I was with a group of French friends who made sure he minded his own business, so don’t worry - I was fine. Honestly, I found it quite amusing, being asked to talk in a Texan accent by a guy who couldn’t tell whether he was talking in English or French.
Saturday, I had the opportunity to hang out with the ‘singles’ group at church for an evening of singing, bible study, breton-style galettes, and crêpes. Goodness, I ate so much. Galettes are thin pancakes (like crêpes), made with a darker wheat flour and filled with your choice of fillings: mushrooms, eggs, cheese, turkey, bacon, tomatoes, etc. Crêpes are their sweeter counterpart, made with white flour and filled with your choice of nutella, peanut butter, jams, honey, sugar, etc. They just keep passing the plate around until they’re gone! Ohhhh, it’s like heaven. Anyway, visiting with everyone makes Angers seem much more like home. Being with other Christians and developing those friendships is encouraging and refreshing, and I love being there every week. I’m sad that I’ll have to miss for the next couple of weeks because of vacation!
Sunday evening, I enjoyed a short organ concert in St-Maurice Cathedral and hung out with some friends at a cozy little restaurant. I tried an odd little carbonated beverage called Schweppes that tasted of bitter grapefruit and citrus. I’ll try just about anything once, but I don’t think I’ll be ordering that again.
Monday...was a good day. I tried to take care of some paperwork, but I found that a lot of stores and offices are closed on Mondays (and pretty much whenever they decide to be). So, I took a grand walking tour instead - finding quiet historic backstreets, getting my first up-close look at the Chateau, discovering perfect hidden parks, taking note of future picnic spots, walking across and then along the quay by the Maine river, watching people. My knee has been healing nicely, and this week, it has been nearly pain-free. :) (Thank you all for covering it with your prayers!) I took tons of pictures, so hopefully I’ll be able to upload them soon. One thing I’ve found especially amazing? The fact that I can be walking down a busy street, my ears filled with the sounds of sirens wailing and people chattering, but with one step through an iron gate coated with peeling green paint, everything can suddenly be completely still. It’s like walking through the wardrobe, into a green, peaceful sanctuary. You think I’m exaggerating, but really - it’s a night and day difference. They have an extensive system of city parks, some of them large, some tiny, and some tucked away so that foreigners like me just happen upon them by chance.
Another interesting thing I’ve noticed? Every city in France seems to have a Victor Hugo street. Rue Victor Hugo must be the French equivalent of JFK Boulevard. :P
The rest of the week has had its ups and downs. Kendra and I watched the second installment of “Kirikou” Tuesday night over peanut butter and jelly sandwiches...but she came down with the stomach bug later that night, so I haven’t seen her since. :( Classes were rough Wednesday, probably because it’s my longest day, but things were better after I got home and tested out a new recipe. Lentil soup with vegetables - because I was absolutely craving some real nourishment. It’s hard to find vegetables to eat!! They eat more bread and cheese, especially in the winter. I can’t keep that up for long before I have to have some variety, no matter how good the bread is. Today, I got the results back from my first “contrôle” - translation test. I scored an 11 out of 20, which is enough to pass. I’m actually quite content to have earned that on my first assessment, after having been in class for two weeks. It’s encouraging to know that I’m off to a good start (at least in that class!).
Well, it’s late, and this entry is already long enough (very much so), so I’ll wrap it up and write another entry later to talk about some of my cultural observations. For some reason, I’ve racked up quite a few this week: some from very insightful and informative conversations, and some from good old-fashioned people-watching. ;) I’ll leave you with this blessing tonight from Psalm 34:
1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
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