all work and no play... as if that would ever happen!
I actually did a few things this week that didn't involve my computer. Shocker! I even left my apartment (ooh, ahh).
Wednesday night I attended my first-ever couchsurfing meeting, which ended up being a lot of fun. Each week someone in the group offers to host an English meeting for anglophones to get together, hang out, eat a little, play some games, and speak English. Other events are proposed as well, but the English meeting is a weekly occurrence. I've been wanting to attend something, anything, for awhile, but picking an initial event is tricky. I think if I were to just show up at a stranger's apartment to hang out with a bunch of strangers, I would feel like I was going to lunch on my first day of high school, all over again. Luckily, Veronica, one of the language assistants in Niort, was hosting the English meeting last week, and since I already know her, I felt much more comfortable attending.
I was still a little nervous, but I ended up having a great time. Charlotte, my new German friend, was there as well, which really helped me transition into the conversation. I need to remember for next time, though, that in France, when one enters a party, even full of strangers, one kisses everybody in the room and learns everyone's name. I didn't do that Wednesday, but I guess I'll know for next time!
We actually spoke in French most of the evening, which was fine with me because I don't practice it enough. We played a few games that were fun. We also planned out Thanksgiving!!!
Yup, this week the couchsurfers are having Thanksgiving! For many of them, it will be their very first one. I signed up for both pie duty and potato duty, mainly because I have a ridiculous amount of free time. Tomorrow evening, two or three fellow pie bakers are coming to my apartment so we can prepare the pumpkin puree. No canned pumpkin in France! It needs to drain at least a few hours, if not overnight, so we need to make the puree in advance of the pies. Then we'll meet back up Wednesday to make the pies before heading over to the party. Wednesday will be very busy for me because I will also be peeling potatoes at 3pm, and I think we're meeting to bake at 6pm, although I might suggest we move that up to 5pm to have enough time to bake all the pies before the dinner, which starts at 7-8ish.
Okay, so that's about this week, but I didn't finish last week's stories. I have issues with tangents. Last Thursday, the social teacher's group, called l'Amicale, had a little get-together in the staff room, I think mainly to celebrate the Beaujolais Nouveau, a wine that debuts every November. There's a lot of fanfare and everyone gets a bit excited about it, but frankly, the wine itself is a step up from grape juice. I'm not saying I won't drink it, but if you're looking for a good red, start with a Bordeaux. Anyway, it was fun. Mary Cruz and I both went. We talked a bit with David and Sophie, two of the English teachers; we spoke with Jerome, our part-time, downstairs neighbor in our building (and our only neighbor, for that matter); and the P.E. teacher came over and introduced himself and talked to us some. Overall, it was a pleasant time, and I'm glad we went.
I'm also amused every time a French person begins to explain Beaujolais Nouveau to me, and I'm always like, yup, it comes out each November, and everyone celebrates it. French people are always shocked that I know about it, but this is the third time I've lived in France.
A few hours later, I met up with Charlotte at the Bar du Marché for one of their free jazz concerts. She wasn't there when I arrived, so I shoved my coat and umbrella in a little nook with other coats and umbrellas before ordering myself un vin chaud (a hot wine, but it sounds so much nicer in French). A guy was standing at the bar next to me, and he asked me, in French, what I had ordered when it arrived, and I answered. A few minutes later he asked what country I came from and added, with a grin, that he detected a hint of an accent. I told him the States, and then he switched to English. We started chatting about typical first conversation things (why are you in France? etc.) until Charlotte arrived. Then we all switched back to French. He ended up paying for both mine and Charlotte's drinks (we each had two vins chauds), but he wasn't hitting on us; he was just being friendly.
I also talked to McPhee multiple times last week, video-skyped with Sally multiple times, talked to Kimi, talked to my family, video-skyped with Amelia, and video-skyped with Chantal. All in all, it was a great week for catching up with loved ones!!!
Wednesday night I attended my first-ever couchsurfing meeting, which ended up being a lot of fun. Each week someone in the group offers to host an English meeting for anglophones to get together, hang out, eat a little, play some games, and speak English. Other events are proposed as well, but the English meeting is a weekly occurrence. I've been wanting to attend something, anything, for awhile, but picking an initial event is tricky. I think if I were to just show up at a stranger's apartment to hang out with a bunch of strangers, I would feel like I was going to lunch on my first day of high school, all over again. Luckily, Veronica, one of the language assistants in Niort, was hosting the English meeting last week, and since I already know her, I felt much more comfortable attending.
I was still a little nervous, but I ended up having a great time. Charlotte, my new German friend, was there as well, which really helped me transition into the conversation. I need to remember for next time, though, that in France, when one enters a party, even full of strangers, one kisses everybody in the room and learns everyone's name. I didn't do that Wednesday, but I guess I'll know for next time!
We actually spoke in French most of the evening, which was fine with me because I don't practice it enough. We played a few games that were fun. We also planned out Thanksgiving!!!
Yup, this week the couchsurfers are having Thanksgiving! For many of them, it will be their very first one. I signed up for both pie duty and potato duty, mainly because I have a ridiculous amount of free time. Tomorrow evening, two or three fellow pie bakers are coming to my apartment so we can prepare the pumpkin puree. No canned pumpkin in France! It needs to drain at least a few hours, if not overnight, so we need to make the puree in advance of the pies. Then we'll meet back up Wednesday to make the pies before heading over to the party. Wednesday will be very busy for me because I will also be peeling potatoes at 3pm, and I think we're meeting to bake at 6pm, although I might suggest we move that up to 5pm to have enough time to bake all the pies before the dinner, which starts at 7-8ish.
Okay, so that's about this week, but I didn't finish last week's stories. I have issues with tangents. Last Thursday, the social teacher's group, called l'Amicale, had a little get-together in the staff room, I think mainly to celebrate the Beaujolais Nouveau, a wine that debuts every November. There's a lot of fanfare and everyone gets a bit excited about it, but frankly, the wine itself is a step up from grape juice. I'm not saying I won't drink it, but if you're looking for a good red, start with a Bordeaux. Anyway, it was fun. Mary Cruz and I both went. We talked a bit with David and Sophie, two of the English teachers; we spoke with Jerome, our part-time, downstairs neighbor in our building (and our only neighbor, for that matter); and the P.E. teacher came over and introduced himself and talked to us some. Overall, it was a pleasant time, and I'm glad we went.
I'm also amused every time a French person begins to explain Beaujolais Nouveau to me, and I'm always like, yup, it comes out each November, and everyone celebrates it. French people are always shocked that I know about it, but this is the third time I've lived in France.
A few hours later, I met up with Charlotte at the Bar du Marché for one of their free jazz concerts. She wasn't there when I arrived, so I shoved my coat and umbrella in a little nook with other coats and umbrellas before ordering myself un vin chaud (a hot wine, but it sounds so much nicer in French). A guy was standing at the bar next to me, and he asked me, in French, what I had ordered when it arrived, and I answered. A few minutes later he asked what country I came from and added, with a grin, that he detected a hint of an accent. I told him the States, and then he switched to English. We started chatting about typical first conversation things (why are you in France? etc.) until Charlotte arrived. Then we all switched back to French. He ended up paying for both mine and Charlotte's drinks (we each had two vins chauds), but he wasn't hitting on us; he was just being friendly.
I also talked to McPhee multiple times last week, video-skyped with Sally multiple times, talked to Kimi, talked to my family, video-skyped with Amelia, and video-skyped with Chantal. All in all, it was a great week for catching up with loved ones!!!