Day 105: Le Petit Nicolas

14 decembre 2009 (Day 105)
Today I went on a nice quick run in the freezing cold. I did warm up once I got going but I did have on my tights, long sleeves, and mittens. My hip didn’t hurt as badly today running, so that was good. I spent the rest of the morning planning out my holiday vacation. I cooked the rest of my salmon (it was much better than the first time) and then I went to the other side of town to go and watch Le Petit Nicolas at the ‘cheap’ theatre (3,90 E for students). It was adorable! I really don’t mind going to movies by myself, and this film was so great. There were about five other people in the theatre that I laughed along with at this cute story about a little boy who thinks his parents are going to have a baby and he doesn’t want a little brother, so he tries to find a ‘gangster’ to kidnap the baby and it was splendid. Le Petit Nicolas is based off the famous children’s books here in France. I haven’t read the books, but I thought that the movie was hilarious and really cute.
Before the film I had some time to kill so I went to E.Leclerc and bought some Christmas chocolates for my family and some ‘bouche de Noel’ to try out. These are ‘Christmas cake logs’ that they have around Christmas time. They have a hidden almond or something like that inside and if it is in your piece you get to be king for the day! Or at least I think that is what happens. If not, I am lying, but it sounds good.
Mathilde canceled (AGAIN! Grrr) so I spent that time planning some more. Brooke and I decided that we are taking a road trip to Monaco while we are down in Southern France. I’m totally stoked to say the least. For dinner I got a great traditional baguette and had it with an orange cheese called minorette or something like that. I love France!

Day 104: Primary Program

13 decembre 2009 (Day 104)
Today was the first REALLY cold day here in Nantes. And naturally, I had to take the tram to church so I put on my thermals, running tights, and THEN my skirt. I had on five layers up top and was still a little chilly while waiting 25 minutes outside for the next tram. The Elders and Cody said I looked like an Eskimo. This was my last Sunday with Elder Tanner Staples (who will be going home this month) and Cody Allen (who is going to Jerusalem for Christmas and then home). It will be sad to not have them at church anymore, but I do have good news! Armelle, Isabel’s friend from work that is interested in the church that I have gotten to bear my testimony to is going to be baptized next year! I am so excited. It caused quite the scandal in Relief Society though because some people don’t think that she is ‘ready’ because she hasn’t come a lot. In Sunday School we continued our discussion on the Proclamation to the World on Families. It was a really nice lesson and afterwards our teacher gave us some Christmas candy! Today was the Primary Program in Sacrament meeting and they were adorable! I think little French kids giving talks are even cuter than American children. They were just all so adorable and the songs were so fun to hear in French. There was the cutest little cross-eyed boy who was facing the microphone sideways so that he could have his paper up to his nose to read it.
Today after church at our weekly picnic-lunching this cute old lady in the ward shared some of her homemade pear tarte with me that was delightful. Stephen and I planned a cookie making day next year so I can show him the American secrets, lol. I sluffed choir today since I won’t be there to sing any of the songs and then I went home early and watched the Christmas Devotional online twice. What a great Sabbath!

Day 103: I can cook! (fish)

12 decembre 2009 (Day 103)
I didn’t sleep in as much today, but I did wake up with a headache. I think it is from being in my room with the lack of circulation and the pothead smoke that gets in from the corridor. I went into town to go to the market. First I decided to check h&m for Amber’s stockings. Naturally I got off at the wrong stop and found myself in an area of Nantes (yes lost) that I haven’t ever seen. Happily I stumbled upon the Antique Talensac market (the opposite direction from where I thought I was going) and took the tram to find familiar territory. I didn’t find anything at any of the stores, except for all the cute French boys in Nantes. They apparently all work at this sports store I went into and they all said hello when I was not even seeing or thinking straight because of my headache.
I made it to the market and bought some fruit from my friend. Afterwards I bought some hot chocolate at Paul for my headache. It was pretty good, but not as good as I remember (it wasn’t the restau Paul though). I went to the Christmas Market and was the creepster who took pictures of other people’s children. They were just so cute!
Today I was a cooking fiend. I made a fruit salad and sticky rice, Indian tomato and curry rice, steamed broccoli and salmon. Yes, I cooked fish for the first time ever (fish sticks not included). I didn’t do too bad and it tasted quite nice. Basically I spent all day once I got back cooking. I do have a to do list since I am not in school (you know, organizing, planning my vacation, booking a hostel) but I just haven’t been wanting to do any of it.

Day 102: Recommendations

11 decembre 2009 (Day 102)

Well, I slept in a lot (who would have guessed). I won’t bore you with the details, so I will skip to the highlight of my day. I had an interview with the Bishop for a temple recommend. Before I got there I had my dinner/pastry of the week by a cute little boulangerie on the walk (after the two tram rides) to church. There I got this pear and cream pastry layered with raspberries wrapped in a crepe. It was divine and most definitely on the top 5 list of things I have eaten here.

My temple recommend interview went really well. I did it all in French and understood it all! Afterwards I had institute. We went over Enos-Jarom-Omni. We were all pretty rowdy and I was trying to translate for Cheryl because her mind was blown that there were ‘big’ and ‘little’ plates. She also learned that you are supposed to pray on your knees. Bless her heart.

Day 101: Goodbye Seattle

Fake Mustaches!
16 euro steak with the amazing secret sauce.

A must see movie! Oscar and the Lady in Pink

10 decembre 2009 (Day 101)
It is pretty insane that I am in the double digits now. I keep looking at it and thinking, “Wow.”
Well, I slept in today since I didn’t get in until about 3 last night. I woke up around 11, took a shower, some ibuprofen (one for my headache and one for my hip), drank some oj, and did yoga until I woke up. Today Afton, Nathan, and I went to see a movie called, “Oscar et la Dame Rose” (Oscar and the Pink Lady). It was a really great movie about a little 10-year-old boy, Oscar, who has terminal cancer and this lady who dresses in pink (named Rosie) that comes to visit him. Each day she visits they pretend that he is 10 years older and he sends a letter to God on a balloon. At the end he dies and it is very sad, but it was an excellent movie. The actors were great, as was the style of the film and the storyline. It is actually based off of a popular children’s book with the same title here in France. The part that made me cry was after he died he left his “inheritance” to “his adopted daughter” Rosie so his parents brought it over and it was his stuffed animal and other things that he loved. There was a great guitar part at the end during his funeral that I want to learn how to play. Afton cried as well and Michael slept. He had to wake up for his oral expression exam today and he actually drank last night, so he was pretty tired, so he slept.
Tonight Afton coordinated a big last hoorah for everyone. We are going to the famous restaurant Entrecote that serves only steak and fries. We got several funny looks for having a party of ten, but we had a lot of fun. I got my steak almost still mooing (that is to say medium rare). I was actually a little disappointed with the steak (I had a better one this summer by Bishop Edwards) but their secret sauce and fries were delish. About half of the group bought dessert and each dish looked delightful. Nathan let me eat some of his ice cream.
After dinner we went to Dehli’s, most of the Seattle kids favorite coffee shop by day, bar by night. By that time the majority of us had already walked to Dehli’s with our fake mustaches, which caused quite the scene. Afton’s mom sent Afton a party-celebration package which included Fiesta decorations, mustaches, and confetti eggs (eggs filled with confetti that you smash on people’s heads). We had a lot of fun manipulating the mustaches and getting confetti everywhere. Even the bar tender got in on the mustache fun. He cut his fake mustache into a little Hitler ‘stache which was quite charming. Michael and Nathan and some of the other boys were crazy and got these giant mugs that contained a liter of beer. I don’t know how they drink it, it smells like the fridges filled with nasty bacteria and fungi in the plant pathology lab to me (same with wine). I can’t even imagine sipping on a drink of erwinia amylovra or yeast and e. coli. Nasty!
It was a lot of fun for most of the Seattle kids’ last night. We went to Buck McMulligan’s after Dehli’s to say hi to Ian who was working there and just hung out and talked and continued to switch around mustaches. Michael’s mustache made him look Mexican (he is Chinese), Sam’s made him look like a father, and Nathan’s made him look like a hippie with his long hair. Some people bet Nathan that he couldn’t pick up a French girl with his mustache. He lost. We took the last tram home when the boys talking in German accents with their mustaches and having thumb wars to take and then said our sad goodbyes. I am going to miss all those Seattle kids!

Day 100: Buck Mulligans

9 decembre 2009 (Day 100)
Wow! I’ve been in Europe for 100 days. That is pretty wild. My one hundredth day went as follows: I woke up, did yoga, read my scriptures, ate breakfast, changed my sheets, and went to take my last exam!
My last exam was an oral presentation. It went all right, although I do not feel that I did as well as I could have. Daniele Rialland was my examiner, so hopefully she was nice. I had to pick between an article and a comic. I chose the comic that talked about the de-evolution of mentalities regarding work.
I went to the art history department to try and find classes (schedules will be ready in January). I hung around and talked to some of my classmates while I waited around for Afton to take her exam (we were almost an hour behind by then). We then headed off to the RU for her first meal there! She liked it and I enjoyed my pizza.
For the rest of the day I’ve just been doing random odd clean up jobs while watching movies. I actually did start reading though. I started The Time Traveler’s Wife and didn’t like it. I made it through Where the Wild Things Are, but was very disappointed.
I ended up going into town tonight. I met up with some of the Seattle kids (April, Nathan, and Michael) and one of the IRFFLE teachers at Buck Mulligans, a popular Irish pub here in Nantes (don't worry I didn't drink and no one gave me flack about it). We just sat at our table and talked about France, politics, music, movies, climate change, everything. It was quite the stimulating conversation. We ended up talking until 2am until the bar was closing (before they kicked us out we sang a couple of songs [including the Beatles] with “the famous French band” who was seated next to us]. Afton and Jessica were supposed to come, but they never made it but we still had fun. I walked home with Michael and Nathan (the tram had stopped running a while ago). There were actually birds chirping, which was funny to me considering how early/late it was.

Day 99: Beans

8 decembre 2009 (day 99)
Today was a lazy lazy day. In my defense I did go running before I was really lazy. I went to the woods again. I didn’t run for as long as I wanted because my right hip adductors started hurting so I turned around and ran back and did some stretches on the track. I watched Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bete) in French and cleaned my room. I then watched 27 Dresses (in English) and made a cucumber/tomato/red bean salad for lunch that was delicious!
Being lazy filled up my time until I went to the church to help set up for the burrito fest. The missionaries had actually set everything up by the time I got there, so I hung around singing Christmas carols with them and eating burrito shells and hidden chocolates until it was burrito time.
I had to eat my burritos in a fury to make it to the symphony on time. Luckily Afton got there early, got my tickets, and met my friend Andrei there for me. Schumann’s symphonies were great. It was weird because this time we were farther away so we could see all the orchestra (but no faces). It was fun to see everything for a change (although I do enjoy being able to see the cute violinist that is sometimes there). Afton and I enjoyed our inside jokes about the symphony and I think Andrei enjoyed the symphony as well. He was polite enough to insist to walk me all the way to the tram stop at Commerce and then insist on waiting until my tram came. We had a nicely awkward goodbye tram scene that wasn’t made awkward by me.