Lillois!

Yesterday I went to Lille for pretty much the first time ever. Sure, I stopped there for five minutes while changing trains, but it was hardly enough time to get a grasp of the city. This time, I went and met up with a few of the other language assistants.

Mostly what we did was wander, or as the french put it: qu'est-ce que tu fais toute la journee? - Moi, je flanne!

And we stumbled upon a few patisseries and there was the most delicious (at least I didn't put deliciours) lemon meringue tart. For those of you who aren't aware, I am a very big fan of tarts, specifically fruit tarts. If you ever go to Paris, you must go to Gerard Mulot patisserie and get a strawberry tart. It may be expensive (5e) but it's totally worth it.

I also spotted a bakery plein de macaroons. I will have to investigate further on my own. Ever since a friend posted a picture of macaroons from Paris last year, I've been thinking about them. I attempted to make my own this summer, but unfortunately, macaroons are extremely touchy desserts and mine did not form the correct way. Well, oh well. Baking is always a leap of faith.

Instead, I'll leave you with this picture. Maybe you'll want to come get macaroons with me next time?

hey france, whats up?

So I've been in France four days now. I flew into Belgium, somewhere I've never been before. Immigration took an excrutiatingly long time, just for a few questions and a stamp. The woman told me that the French really need English teachers, lol. Then I got to spend over five hours hanging around the Brussels-midi train station, only to have my train be late! Yes, it was late, therefore I missed my second train once I got to Lille. But apparently (it's been a while since I took a French train, and I've never taken one where I had an actual, specific ticket for one) you can just jump on the next one to wherever you're going. I did not composter my ticket - there wasn't time and they didn't check anyway - but that is something I need to learn how to do...

I've gotten so used to Chinese trains and the fact that you never have to change trains to get where you're going... So it's a little strange right now. Although, thank god, European trains are so much nicer than Chinese ones!

I'm in Arras right now, about 40 mins outside of Lille. It's a small, quaint-ish little town with cobblestone streets and red brick houses. It reminds me a little of UofA, but only slightly. I met my referente at the train station, despite being about half an hour late due to the train change, and we went straight to the house she'd found for me.

It's a three-story house about 2 minutes walking from the train station, owned by an older French couple. My room, and my roommate's room, is on the third floor, or 2nd if you're going by French measuring standards. Basically, everything is included in the rent - electricity, internet, water, whatever. The internet is wi-fi (wee-fee en francais) and there was some trouble but I finally got it figured out yesterday. I've also got a French phone and food and basically I pretty much set on basic necessities. Except trash bags. I keep forgetting them when I go to the store.

Now I need to find a copier so I can send in my OFII form and get that out of the way.

A week before I leave for France. I've got copies upon copies upon copies of documents that I'll probably never use. I made so many copies for China and didn't use half of them. But France loves paperwork, so we must be prepared.

I, so far, have a place to live, even have the address. The google earth view puts it looking like a nice street - and when has google earth ever been wrong? Personally, I trust this non-humanoid tool to judge my life off of. Google has never lied to me yet! I shall be fairly disappointed if technology comes to disappoint me, because, as we all know, technology is never wrong, never breaks, never lies. Never. Just like television. It never lies either.

I'll be arriving in Belgium, and either taking a train to Lille or Arras, or my referente will be picking me up at the airport. I'm slightly nervous about an hour-ish long car ride in French. I haven't exactly been brushing up this summer. Instead, I've spent the time brushing up on my pop culture references and speech speed. I should have used the time to learn how to say "bake" in French (faire cuire au four in case you were wondering).

But tonight is the premiere of Gossip Girl, and they're, guess where? In France! I love irony.

This time next week, I'll be on a plane across the Atlantic ocean, and my only comfort is knowing that it's not a 12 hour flight like my last trans-continental flight. That was enough to put anyone off flying for a long time.