Mellow in France

So instead of boozing all over France, I returned to my small town Romans for another week. After running all of France with my grandparents I didn't feel like being a tourist for another minute. Instead I tanned on my terrace, sipping Orangina while listening to French radio and reading. Every once in a while I would stroll down the street and say hi to all the people I have gotten to know or duck in to see a movie at the cinema. After I was done soaking up the hospitality of the Romanais I headed up into the mountains to visit Die. Die is this awesome hippy oasis in nestled between snow touched mountains and is just coming alive with the tourist season. The spring rains have turned everything green and flowers scent the air wherever you go. Not to mention that my favorite French alcohol is made here, Clairette de Die.

Tomorrow I will be heading to Barcelona. I do not expect my life to be this tranquil again until I head to Italy. Going to see Dali and Picasso, lay on the beach, and get into whatever kind of trouble I can handle. Meeting up with my girl Crazy Berkeley aka Becky and we are gonna set the town on fire.

Hasta Luego!!

Wine over Water

Dropping the Grandparents off tomorrow in Paris then heading to drink the stars in Champagne country then bike ride through the vineyards of Dijon. This weekend I will be returning to Romans to grab my stuff and then head to mountains to a little hippy town called Die to visit my girl Lalaina from SF. After that I will be dropping into Barcelona for the beginning of my Spain adventure.

Taking my grandparents around France has been a lot of fun although the driving has been a bit stressful. The coolest thing we did was head to the tiny town called Grasse in Provence to see where Parfum was developed and became popular. I have never smelled anything so good in my life, although after about 15 minutes everything smelled alike.

More to come.

Tour Guide in two Languages

So I have been playing tour guide since Paris with my grandparents. It is funny cuz I have English in my ears and French coming out my mouth. They think I am fluent which just makes me laugh but I guess I am a lot better off than when I first got here.

Seeing the beaches of Normandy, the American Cemetary, and the WW2 memorial in Caen was very moving. I definitely appreciate the sacrifice made my the generations before mine. I would suggest anyone who wants to feel the effect of war to visit these memorials and keep their eyes open. Very moving and life changing.

In Avignon right now enjoying the golden sun of Provence. The lavender scented air and pollen laden breeze keeps my allergies active. Enjoying the warm nature of the local population, which is a nice change from the cold bastards in Paris.

Tomorrow going to Nice, will be visiting Monaco and Grasse, where perfume was invented. After I drop my grandparents off in Paris I think I am going to go wine tasting in Champagne and then who knows.

Last Class

Hey, just had to tell you about my last class. My favorite class that I have had all year sang "Imagine" to me in the music room and then we had sweets and drinks. It was seriously the most touching class cuz all of the kids were very sad to see me go. They were all giving me hugs and kisses and were taking pictures. Probably the most memorable class ever.

Adieu Triboulet, Je vous manques énormément. Gros Bisous Tout Pleine, Alexandra

Au Revoir

So my friend who I was going to backpack with got a bleeding ulcer and now has to go back to the US! Therefore I am at square one again. That is just the icing on a dramatic week that has included an international love triangle, unknowingly going to the club with 2 guys I dated, a cameo by the psycho french boyfriend, being deathly ill, the end of my job, and moving. And that's all off the top of my head. Don't get me thinking. I am a freakin lightning rod for drama!

Saying goodbye to the kids and the highschool is a bit surreal. In the end, the students really warmed up to me and I enjoyed their youthful antics. I always let my class be a fun and exciting place for them to express themselves in any language they wanted. I haven't made a lesson plan since December and I think I pulled it off very well. I will definitely miss the young boys smitten looks and blushing cheeks as I tried to coax a little English out of their mouths. It is not every day that you get to be a goddess.

I have been packing my room and cursing myself for bringing so many things from home that would have been better left in storage. Who needs 12 pairs of shoes? And two freaking dictionaries? How about the 3 backpacks and 8 purses? I must have been smoking a heavy dose of crack when I brought that stuff out. Now I have to get it all back plus the crap I have aquired since.

Saturday the Grandparents come to Paris where I will meet them. Then we are off to see Versailles, the D-day Beaches, Avignon, Nice, and Monaco. I am not exactly sure what I will be doing after they leave. I kinda feel like going to Prague, but then again Amsterdam sounds good. I have no idea what I am going to do.

Me, my backpack, my tour book, my eurail pass, and my bank card are ready. Let the games begin.

Countdown to Lift-off

So April fool's day in France is celebrated by taping paper fish on the backs of unsupecting friends. Weird tradition but probably from the same Christianity vs Paganism roots.

Today begins the last week of my stay in Romans. I am pretty happy to be leaving but sad to be leaving the comfort of my life, namely my kitchen and my bed. I will be backpacking Europe for the next three months during which time I hope to see parts of France, Spain, Italy, and Greece. I will be carrying all of my earthly belongings on my back and sleeping in a different hostel every two nights. I except fatigue but also a great adventure. I will be backpacking by myself also, so there are risks that I am going to have to anticipate. Of course I am never alone for very long as I tend to attract fellow travellers of the same genre.

I will actually kind of miss my job as an assistant. I had a fan club of teenage boys that thought I was a goddess. That was cool cuz it was definitely not the case when I was in high school. I will also miss the fact that this seriously is the easiest job that I ever had and probably ever will have.

I should probably mention my trip to Nice over Easter. It was awesome!! We partied hard in the pubs, sat on the beach, and walked around the city. I got kicked out of a Casino because they didn't like my sandals, which was pretty funny. I will be going back in a few weeks with my grandparents, which should be fun.

Watched the pope's funeral today. It's like the world is changing all around us. All of these revolutions and deaths of famous people just makes you wonder what is going to happen next.

Expect my posts to be much more interesting in the months ahead. A tend to get into lots of interesting situations when travelling and won't skimp on the details.

Who Even Reads This Thing?

So we are entering the final 21 days of my stay here in Romans. In the beginning it was boring, cold, lonely, and hopeless. Now it is warm and fun and I am almost sad to leave. As of late I have really gotten into rugby and go and watch all the local games. It is so much better than football or soccer, and the guys are a lot hotter. I know a bunch of the players and coaches. Meow...

Going to Nice tomorrow for the Easter weekend with my Romans girls. Looking forward to the warm weather and the rockin night life. There should be a bunch of English college students there for the holiday. Looking forward to the party.

Happy Easter everybody!

St. Patty's Day in the Twilight Zone

St. Patty's day isn't really celebrated here, so at around 4pm my girl Carrie and I downed a bottle of Malibu and Orangina on the sunny fields of her highschool. It was just like sophmore year. Sitting there drunk as skunks we complained about how French men are so strange. I hadn't heard from my French "boyfriend" in a few days and my vibes were telling me something was awry. At dusk we headed to the one Irish bar in town, which is in fact not Irish at all except in decor, and proceeded to drink even more. 10pm rolled around and I was ready to retire so me and my roomies started heading home. As we approached the highschool where I live a male figure came out of the shadows. Who was it other than my elusive French Amour! He said that he saw me walking on the street and stopped to talk to me. I sent my roommates ahead and as soon as they were out of ear shot the stupid bastard broke up with me!! I am amazed to report that "the talk" is the same no matter where you are. Such lines as, 'it's not you it's me,' 'I think that you are great but...' and 'I am just really messed up in my head' were all used. It must be programmed into the male chromosome or something.

All of the sudden we heard sirens coming up quickly from around the corner. Frenchie said that the cops were coming and almost immediately a small car came racing into the roundabout with a cop car hot on it's tail. Swerving at high speeds around the corner the fugitive car smashed into an oncoming vehicle. Then the cop car rear-ended the fugitive car! Out of the passenger door sprung out a young arab miscreant who came dashing in our direction with a cop on his heals. Frenchie tried to stand in front of me as some sort of chivilrous gesture, but I pushed him to the side. There was no way I was going to miss the most exciting thing to happen in Romans in the past 7 months cuz he wants to feel like my 'protector.' The young fugitive juked right, then left and in from of the kebab shop the cop lurched forward and pinned the punk to the sidewalk. A minute later another cop car had shown up and they dragged him away. Everyone got in their cars and drove off, and once again the street was empty except for me and the Frenchie.

"So you still want to end things with me?"
"Yes. I adore you...blah blah blah... I don't want to hurt you..."
"Right..."
I just kinda zoned out at what he was saying as I knew the words before he even spoke them. I reacted with a numb smile on my face as I soaked in the bizarro-land happenings. An air of resignation passed over me and gave way to a spring in my step. I shrugged my shoulders, gave a laugh, and wished him a good night. It would have never worked out anyway, but I am definitely cool about the experience. If he never broke up with me on the street that night then I would have missed the only episode of Cops-Romans, and that my friends was priceless. Hands down the weirdest day in Romans.

Bad boys bad boys, watcha gonna do?

Everyone who has a french boyfriend raise their hand

If you could see me you would see that my hand is raised.

Yes oh yes... after swearing off French men due to their tight pants and overall greasy demeanor I have found one in particular that strikes my fancy. He does not where tight pants and is the sweetest thing this side of the Atlantic. It took many bad dates and convaluted intentions with guys that would have ZERO chance with me in Cali, but 6 months after arriving I have a found the one who is just right for me. I will keep the details to myself except for the most important one, that he ADORES me and thinks that I hung the moon.

I will be done with my job one month from today. After that I have no idea what I will be doing or how this new romance will factor into it, but I have faith that everything is gonna be just fine.

And for the ladies out there, you have no idea what romance is until you hear it in French. NO IDEA whatsoever.

Enjoy the Spring my friends, no matter where you are.

Square One has Snow on It

So I am sitting here in Romans and once again it is snowing. It has been snowing for what feels like weeks. Everyone tells me how uncharacteristic it is for there to be snow here, how exceptional this year is, and how lucky I am. All I can think of is the kind of luck you have when you step in a steaming pile while barefoot. Back in Cali I am getting weather reports of Paradise. It sounds so nice there and I really wish I could feel the sun on my skin.

So I am just planning on backpacking for a few months while the money lasts and then heading home for a few months. I still really want to go to Oz for a few months for their summer, which is October thru January, and am working on that plan. Would like to see all of my cities of interest in Europe before I go back to San Diego to finish out what I hope will be an Indian Summer.

As for my french fluency, yeah I think that it has arrived. I dream in French and can have pretty much any kind of conversation that I want. Whether my grammar is perfect is another story but at least my comprehension is there.

Really excited to see my Grandparents when they come out next month. We are touring the south of France and I suspect that they are going to love it.

Going this weekend to Lyon to go shopping. A little retail therapy is exactly what I need. I dream of the spring shoe line and wearing light dresses.

Square One

Back for the final part of my assistantship. Nice was full of surpises. Like the big surprise that not only do I not have the right to work in France but people really do take that seriously. So I spent much of my time talking up bar owners only to have them laugh at the idea of letting me work under the table. At least I got some free drinks out of the whole deal. Other than that Nice is a beautiful beach town that reminds me a lot of California. Perfect weather, crystal blue beaches, beautiful people and quite a night scene. It snowed the day before I got there for the first time in 20 years. I missed the whole incident and am thankful for it.

So my life is kinda in the air right now. I don't really know what I will be doing exactly in the next few months. Just keeping my mind in a state of 'humble resignation.'

(thanks jimmy from Oz)

Cold and Colder

So the first week of my vacation has been spent battling a mean cold and watching snow fall. As I would sit on my couch and watch the weather I kept my eye on Nice. Everyday that it was snowing here it was sunny and warm in Nice. Well, I thought that the weather would hold, but it has not!!!! A freakin SNOW STORM has moved into Nice and some warmth is headed here to Romans. I couldn't believe it. I could have died!! So know I am packing to head into the freakin snow on the beach to search for a job for 5 days. It couldn't be worse. I am so not prepared for this and was really hoping for some sun during my holiday. Whatever, c'est la vie. Wish me luck in the job search. I will need it.

Who wants Gmail?!?!

Hey, so I have 50 invites to Gmail, the coolest email around. Anyone who wants an account just drop me a line and I will invite you. Because it is still new and invite-only your desired address is probably still available. alexandrashaw@gmail.com

Let the Vacation Begin!!

So today is the last day of classes until March!!! I so love the French school calendar. For the first week of the vacation I will just be hanging out here in Romans and up in the mountainous oasis called Die. Then for the second week I will be heading to Nice for Carnaval and to search for future emloyment. It should be great fun as the weather has recently improved greatly.

And one word on Prince Charles marrying that skank Camila, it's called class buddy, Get Some!

And the sun will shine again

I have found my pace. I am running for the sake of running and I won't stop now. It is so easy to slip into depression around the holidays and for the month of January, but I have overcome. I will not go back to San Diego until I have done everything I can out here. Not until my bank account is empty and I have to place a collect call home to scream for help will I return. Romans is boring but it is where I live for now. Nothing is permanent, I am just a visitor here.

Since when is it okay...

Since when is it okay to ask an American at 9am, pre-coffee, what it felt like to watch 9/11 live? Since when is that acceptable morning conversation?!?! I appreciate the honesty of my students questions, but sometimes I feel like I am an exhibit at the 1890 World Fair. Regard, the strange ways of the Californian Native. Watch how she squirms at the memory of watching people plummet to their firey death. Watch her eyes glaze over as she remembers how everything changed that one day in September.
Sometimes this job is harder than I thought it would be.

She Can Walk!!!

In case anyone had a spy cam on the mountains of Villard de Lans this weekend, the home of the '68 winter olympics, that was me tumbling down the mountain. No that wasn't a snow ball or an avalanche, that was a human girl strapped to skis refining the art of avoiding inevitable death or crippledom. I took a ski lift a solid ten minutes up the mountain and pointed my 'death sticks' down the slope not knowing how to stop or turn. A few times I landed literally upside down on my neck barely avoiding paralysis. I would shake off the daze of a head injury and wiggle my toes, and rejoice in the miracle of bodily motion. Other times I summersalted down the mountainside while a rogue ski would crack me in the leg. I can honestly say that I know how Nancy Kerrigan felt. Why Me!!! All and all it was a cool experience and I impressed everyone at the end of the day by sloshing down the mountain only falling a few times when my left leg couldn't support my body weight any longer. I am covered in deep huge bruises head to toe. From now on I think that I will stick to ocean sports. At least you can get a wicked tan while being pummelled by natural forces.

A little joke for my fellow Americans

Q: How many Bush Administration officials does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: None. There is nothing wrong with the light bulb; its conditions are improving every day. Any reports of its lack of incandescence are a delusional spin from the liberal media. That light bulb has served honorably, and anything you say undermines the lighting effect. Why do you hate freedom?

Turning a New Leaf

Hello all. I have been slow to write on my blog as not a mucho has been going down, that is until this week. France was gripped by strikes and protests all week long, first the post office, then the trains, and then it was my turn, the teachers. It was great, I didn't have to work on Thursday and just shopped all day in Grenoble. I saw the protest move thru the streets but it was nothing new for a girl who went to UC Santa Cruz. Vive la grève!!
I have come to the decision that life in it's current routine has become mundane and predictable so I am shaking it up. I refuse to hang out with the same old anglophones and have really been making an effort to get in with the Frenchies. Last night it paid off as I attended a party in Romans with kids my age and had a rockin time. We played the drinking game 'quarters' with old francs for most of the night and got totally blind on Martini, Rum, and a variety of other liquor. Being ostricized and hated on by French girls has been a major speed bump on my freeway to friends. I have been talking with a French friend of mine about how to keep the peace with all at a party and her main advice was to talk to all the girls for a solid half an hour before even chatting with a guy about the weather. That way the chicks see that you aren't some dummy who wants to steal their men. Well the tactic worked and now I have the beginnings of a circle of friends. God help me I need them.
With the new year one inevitabely begins to plan upcoming life events. As I mentioned before I am looking for a job on the Riviera for the summer so I am heading down to Nice next month for Carnival and to do some rep work. Rep work meaning showing my face in these bars, batting my baby blues and trying to score some employment. I have faith in my ability to sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman in white gloves.
Other than that I have decided that 2005 will be the year of the endless summer. I would like to move to Brisbane, Australia with an aussie friend of mine in September and stay thru the end of the year. I will probably just get a temp job in some office and play around on the beach on the weekends. If all works out the only seasons that I will be experiencing will be spring and summer for the next 18 months.
So to answer a common question, No I don't have a new boyfriend because I really don't want one. French men aren't all that either. I can't stand being told how beautiful I am for 20 minutes at length from a man in jeans tighter than mine. It is just unnatural and ferrell. People are always trying to hook me up with one of their friends and I date quite often, but I am happily single at the moment.
Going skiing tomorrow. Wish me luck on the slopes as I will need it.

Back in France

I have been back in France for over a week and haven't had much to update on. My weekend in Paris was awesome, but was marred by two little pickpockets that tried to steal my train tickets. My friend Carrie caught them red handed and we managed to get away with all of our stuff intact. Of course they spit in our faces to mark their defeat, which was more disgusting than I would like to remember.

California was so freakin awesome I can't even put it into words. I saw almost everyone that I wanted to see and ate all the Mexican food that I could stand. Not to mention my first cheeseburger in over 10 years from Hodad's in OB. That was amazing.

So now I am back in Romans, finishing out the school year and looking forward to my next adventure. This summer is going to be the beginning of the structureless leg of my trip, only marked by the seasons. So far I know that I want to work with tourists either in Nice or Cannes for the summer and head thru India to Australia for the end of the year. A little bit of an endless summer quest. Brisbane sounds like my kinda place so I look forward to trying my hand there for awhile.

I am pretty relieved that I didn't go to India for Christmas. Even if I was lucky enough not to be at the bottom of a tsunami, getting out of the country would have been a nightmare, not to mention getting back into France. But I guess none of us gets to choose the way we die, just like you can't choose your race or your parents. I just gotta keep on truckin and hope to God that I will make it home again to see my loved ones and eat another awesome cheeseburger.

Carpe Diem