In between parties...

Bonjour, everyone!

Nothing much is going on here, but I wanted to post to let you know I'm alive. The last few days have just been gray and rainy in Rennes, so I've been sleeping in, reading, playing on the computer, cleaning, and doing a bit of yoga. New Year's Resolution: Do a little yoga every day, even if it's just downward dog for five minutes!

Pierre-Antoine and Adrien are planning a New Year's Eve Party for 25 with little toast appetizers, frozen pastry ones, rum punch, gin bucket, mousse, and cakes. Last night was a punch-making and taste-testing session, which was pretty good for having bought cheap things. It is going to be six euros per person, so I guess the boys are controlling costs just fine. And Adrien even drew a sketch of how he wants to rearrange the furniture... In the end, I think that the boys' apartment cannot be made that classy, let's be honest! Ah, well!

So you'll have pictures and stories from that after the New Year! I hope everyone has tons of fun! Skype or email me your stories ;)

<3
L

Time and food

Recently, I've really started to feel at home in my apartment and in Rennes. I know where things are, I have 'usual' stores and restaurants I frequent, my apartment is completely set up, I have a regular work schedule, etc. I've also found ways to take up the free time I have, like yoga, running, reading--and thank God for nytimes.com for keeping me in-the-know! Plus, I have exciting travels planned for the next month! Things are looking up this holiday season :)

Since my cultural lessons have been absent awhile, I'd like to share some observations with you on how the French eat. Breakfast when I was in Versailles was last night's leftover baguette with jam, sometimes a croissant. That lasted you until lunch at 1-ish where I usually grabbed a baguette sandwich (ham and cheese, tuna salad, camembert) and sometimes a dessert like pain au chocolat or flan. Now that I have my own place in Rennes, I more commonly eat there or at Pierre-Antoine's place rather than outside. What I have seen a lot here is that the French grab a snack, or gouter, around 4 or 5pm--I see people with little pastry bags on the main squares and shopping streets every day. That works because dinner isn't until 7 or 8pm, a fact that shocked my family the other day when I hadn't eaten before 8!

Thinking about all of these meals has made me rather hungry! I'm going to a Thanksgiving dinner party of assistants tonight to get my fill of turkey and all those sides!

Also, I added some photos to the Rennes Automne album. I'll start a Winter albumn after Thanksgiving tonight!

Evenings out and grad school applications done

Saturday evening was pleasant. In a group of about 15 English and Spanish assistants, I ate at Place Sainte Anne in the unusually warm evening. Crêpes and wine and meeting new people while getting to know “old” (meaning I’ve met them at least once before) people better. We then went to a nearby bar that has a laundromat in it—I guess that’s a good idea, but it was a funny setting for hanging out. More assistants joined us there, and we took up basically the entire patio. I kind of got stuck in an awkward corner so it was hard to follow conversations and such… I was also sleepy from the wine. I left before 11 to head back to the apartment.

None of the roommates were in, so I listened to my iTunes and found some college friends on facebook to catch up with, Lin Lin and Daniel. After they had to go study or eat dinner or whatever, I watched an episode of ER and finally made myself go to sleep.

Sunday morning I slept late, but then became very productive! I submitted one graduate school application to American University, and I finished the rest except for inputting the name of one recommender that I am waiting to hear from. I am applying to MA International Affairs/Relations/Studies programs at American, George Washington University, University of Chicago, and University of Denver for next year. Depending on which school I go to, I will be doing either US Foreign Policy or African studies! Hopefully, all four applications will be submitted in this next week, and I can stop fretting over it.

After that, I started working on a powerpoint about Tennessee and Knoxville to present to my students when I start my classes. If any of you have lesson plan ideas, please send them my way! I’m planning on covering holidays, the school system, music, anything I think of!

I’ve hit a block in working, so I’m going to take a break now. Sundays in France are so boring! No stores are open, not even grocery stores! Just some cafés and restaurants, but I don't want to spend money to be alone at them. Luckily, PA will be back from his Normandy trip at 7:30 tonight. And I don’t have work until Tuesday at 12:30, can you believe it? I need to find some hobbies, like a yoga studio, ASAP! Or if I had my apartment, I could be working on setting it up.

All in good time...

Solutions

Phew! What a nail-biting weekend!

I would like to announce to you all that I once again have a home! I found a financial guarantor, and I will most likely get my keys by this weekend. The next challenge is buying a bed and getting it there… :/ Pictures ASAP! And visitors ALWAYS welcome!

This weekend was fun, showing Deepa around town in the constant rain of Brittany. We ate a lot of crepes and shopped. Last night we met Seth, Georgia (an assistant from London), Nicholas (asst. from NC), Megan (an au pair from Ohio), and Jackie (a Spanish asst. from Guatemala) for bar-hopping! Cool people, fun times! Possible yoga buddies if we can find a good studio in town.

Deepa just left to return to Rouen, and I’m waiting for PA to come back from Vitré—his basketball team won again against Fougères Saturday night! Tomorrow is my orientation day with all the assistants of all languages in this department of Ille-et-Vilaine (like a county). Then, I go into work at my school on Tuesday!