Steak in France sucks...

So another month later here comes my latest installment with some words of advice...steak in france, is no bueno:( I've been sick for the latter part of last night and the majority of this morning because of a poor choice at a poor restaurant (I let my frenzy for the fact that the university was paying for my meal overrule my good sense that steak from a less than par restaurant is never a good idea), my theory only to be proved by the house of stabbing pain in my stomach interrupting my enjoyment of what should have been an evening of beer and rugby with anglophone buddies. Sigh. Oh well, at least I can update you with the last months worth of the latest adventures in Sarah land:)

I can't believe that we're already half way through the second semester, I can't believe I have been here for over six months...it really does seem like just yesterday that I was tearfully getting on a plane and wondering what the hell I had chosen for myself while I stood in line at the grocery store having to pay for bags to carry my assortment of strange french goodies home for the first time. I can't believe everything that I have learned, I can't believe how much I have changed already...and finally on the list of can't believes, is that I can't believe how much I don't want it to be over. Two weeks ago was our mid-winter vacation, and instead of traveling I spent the latter part of this week compiling over 25 dossiers (that's french for resumes, cover letters and letters of recommendation) to send off to every corner of France to every university I could think of so I can buy myself at least another year here. Being past the halfway point now has put a different spin on my perspective and has definitely made me realize that I want more of whatever it is (can't exactly put my finger on it yet) that France has given me. Granted there still are a lot of days when I have my mute clown moments (when I feel like a mime in makeup waving my hands frantically around in the air because no one can understand me and I've had to resort to gestures and grunts to get what I need) but then there are days like last Friday, when I pop into the mobile shop to change my plan and end up being a make-shift translator for a couple who speak no french and only english (granted I was slightly judgmental of the fact that they had been here for over a year and still needed a translator, but I let it go and decided to help them out and exercise my brain a little)...I have to say I was pretty impressed with myself and had some nice feelings of satisfaction that lasted almost the rest of the afternoon until I tried to order a full pint of been and ended up with a demi pint because either my accent sucks or I didn't understand something the bar tender had said to me...either way, feelings of self satisfaction gone...

I find myself having all kinds of awkward yet unique experiences here almost everyday. Sometimes i really think I'd love to write a book with my picture on the cover and one of those metal plates superimposed on top of my mouth, to which I would love the title to be Mute-Clown-Moments: Life in France for the Foreigner. (No one had better steal that idea!!) My favorite experience as of late was when I was moving apartments and my two big burly Russian guy friends (I have to say I love the Russian man mentality of helping the damsel in distress, granted I don't nearly qualify as said damsel in distress or really in need of a man...but it's still nice to have someone else do the heaving lifting for you). Anyway, I had gone to IKEA to pick out all the furniture and my two Russians came and met me there, we rented a little Camionette (french for work van) to move all of the stuff to my new place and I felt like it was just a moment from a movie when three six foot tall people (me and the two boys) all crammed into the font bucket seat of the van with our knees practically in our chests while the two sat there speaking in russian and I sat on the other side bobbing my head back and forth to the imaginary music playing since there was no radio and I had no idea what they were talking about (my russian classes aren't going that well yet). Eventually I started laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of the situation, which of course they thought was bizarre because they aren't well versed in the american sense of humor, let alone well versed in Sarah:) A similar moment followed when a week later two more Russians went to pick up my new washing machine and were lugging it up my teeeeeeenny tiiiiiiiiny narrow stairway (literally about an inch of leeway on each side for the machine to pass) all the while swearing and cursing in a language you only can pick out a few words in...I must say, you learn the pronunciation of your name very quickly and get pretty annoyed when they start laughing and you know it's a joke a your expense because you just heard your name followed by rompus laughter...oh well, I'll get there eventually.

So several weeks into the new apartment and several loads of washing later life is going well. As most of you know I have taken up running, as I have taken up cooking and therefore the sport of eating:) I went and bought my first pair of runner shoes (and shelled several euros to many on them) but totally worth it. although I still have a hard time running outside in them because of the need to play hopscotch to avoid all the god forsaken dog shit everywhere on the pavement...this is one thing I loathe about France...people who don't pick up after their pets...I mean really, how lazy are you, that's just gross! Anyway, the running is going well and I have my first 10k race in five weeks back in NYC!! That's right, I've decided for my two week easter vacation (did I mention I love working here) that I've decided to head back to the US to spend a wild week with my besties in NYC and then down to see my family and friends in TN. I am very much looking forward to all the eating I am going to do:) Not that I don't do enough here...last week after my trip to the grocery store my hiking backpack (yes this is what I wear to go food shopping) was so full I thought I was going to fly off the back of my friend's motorcycle...I was clenched onto his backpack for dear life in a ab-locked position for the entire 20 minute ride home...needless to say I was not pleased when he took a different route (the longer one). I started screaming at him in English through my helmet (which did much good because he barely speaks it) to which he started laughing because he thought it was absolutely hilarious...what is it about men that makes them think we're so cute when we're really pissed off? Don't they know it just pisses us off even more when they laugh because we're angry about something!?!

Ah anyway, it's been super interesting here lately to say the least. But I am quite excited to visit back to the land of I don't have to think before I talk every time I want to say something...and by that I mean I don't have to prepare every single sentence and have what I like to affectionately think of as the equivalent of the new york stock ticker going through my head at all times only with french instead of stats...that will be most refreshing. however I do have to say that I am quite pleased with my French skills, but the more I study the better I want to get, and the more and more I just dream of being bilingual...which will just take time...or a French man....one or the other, whichever comes first:) I often want to stop French children in the street and ask them if they know how lucky they are that they get to learn French as their first language...because let me tell you folks, English has got to be one of the easiest languages to learn...French on the other hand...sometimes makes me want to die inside when I realize just how much I still DON'T know...le sigh. So it goes.

Well that's all for now on this side of the pond. I promise I will try to be much better about getting updates in more often. I know how much I enjoy reading my friend's blogs and I really do appreciate hearing from all of you every time I write one. I think of you often and fondly!!

Much much love,

Sarah:)

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