Day 31: or The Day I Almost Got The Rice Right

Trying not to hibernate is a daily fight around here. Today was the coldest day so far. But I bought a new hat this weekend, so I was able to manage without my ears freezing off.

I taught the Kid Uno today. It's a little simple being that there's only two players, and I kinda know all his cards, but he seemed to enjoy it. It also kept him from begging for a movie. He's not supposed to watch them everyday, so everyday is fight about what after school activity we're going to do. And then I feel bad because when I have to start cooking, it would be much simpler to let him watch a bit, but rules are rules. 

Speaking of dinner, I tried rice for the third time. Pain in the butt. I didn't over cook it, but I still feel like I'm doing something wrong. We were having lentils, so she didn't want sticky rice, which is apparently my default setting. I didn't get any comments, so who know. At least I'm getting closer. 

After dinner, I started research on my trip to Spain in April. I have no idea what we're going to do, but I plan on making the most of my week there, and they say preparation helps. 

French Word of The Day

Étoilé.


Starry. There is a Metro stop named Charles de Gaulle - Étoilé. I always liked the sound of it.

Day 30: or The Day I Tried French Fast Food

I woke up at a decent hour this morning and headed into Paris for some shopping. This was necessary shopping for my trip to the Alps in two weeks, but I also wanted to check out the area around the mall. La Défense is the business district of Paris and it has skyscrapers and glass buildings and  is very un-Paris. But it does have the Grande Arche, which is absolutely massive. I forgot my camera,so I will add pictures next time, but this thing is impressive. The pictures don't even do it justice. Pretty cool.


While shopping, we decided to grab a bite and chose Quick Burger. Now, it's not like I'm eating at McDonald's, and I wasn't on the streets of Paris, so I feel like this was an acceptable meal. I was in a mall food court, there wasn't that many gourmet options. And I just wanted to see how they fared. They weren't bad. It was just your normal fast food burger, and I ate the fries with mayonnaise. Well, I tried the the mayonnaise, it's different here than in the states, so it's not what you'd expect.


After shopping, we went into Paris Center and walked around the Louvre. We didn't have time to go in, so we just looked at the building itself. It's really quite amazing. I've been there before, and I know it's a Palace, but when you're walking through the courtyard, the size is overwhelming. 


We made it home in time for dinner. It was a shorter day, but a good one. 

French Word of The Day

Je suis du Texas.


Ok, so it's more of a phrase than a word, but it means "I'm from Texas". I say it a great deal here. At the bar on Friday, everyone would ask where everyone else was from and the answers were Sweden, Ireland, Britain, the U.S., and Texas. I wasn't trying to be obnoxious, but when people ask where are you from, I say Texas. I'm trying to break the habit, but so far, it's been a decent conversation starter.

Day 29: or The Day I Had Lovely Conversation

I spent today at home, avoiding the cold and catching up on much needed sleep. The family was having a small dinner party, so I holed up in my room. Then I got the delightful surprise of a Skype call from a friend. I am able to keep in touch so easily over her but I love actually speaking to people. Instant messaging, facebook, and email are great and convenient, but I feel like talking is the medium I work best in. And with Skype, I don't even really feel home sick. Yes I miss everyone, and yes I would love to be in two places at once. But I think it really helps make me feel closer to home. So, thanks for the call, it made my day.

French Word of The Day

Donc.


So. As in the word that Americans always say instead of um. My French teacher informed me that when we Americans are learning French, our place holder is always "so".  I find it slightly amusing because I don't feel I say it all that often when speaking English, but I know she's right because since she pointed it out to me I am unable to stop myself.

Day 28: or The Day I Think it Snowed

Ok, so it wasn't real snow, but it definitely wasn't rain. It's been hovering around freezing for a couple of days now, but because of the lack of sun, today seemed to drop another 10'. I had planned on going out for lunch, but the warmth of my room wouldn't let me leave. Plus, I was going out tonight, so I needed to rest up and save money.

For dinner I made a chicken and mushroom cream sauce with pasta and we had carrot and zucchini soup that I had made earlier in the day. I didn't exactly have a recipe for the sauce, but I'm pretty sure it was one of my best dishes to date. One of the girls was making fun of me for using garlic again. To me this is a silly, silly position to take on garlic. Garlic makes everything better. If i'm sautéing vegetables, garlic, and usually onion, are going to be added. Just like using salt and pepper. But seeing how they our views differ about that too, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. And as much as she made fun of me, she still enjoyed my food. So I guess I win.

I went out in Paris again, and am beginning to think I'm too old for this. We leave the house around 10:00 but the last train home is at 12:45. Because of this you end up taking the first train home at 4:45. This is not ideal for me. I would much rather be in bed hours before this, but because I am bound to the person who drove me to the station, I'm stuck. Lovely. I always have a good time and I like the people I've been meeting, but I feel like my weekends just start off on the wrong foot and I end up a little too worn out. All in all it was a good night and I met some new au pairs. I also decided to dress a little more for comfort and it was well worth it. My feet weren't frozen which boosted my enjoyment factor immensely.

French Word of The Day

Hiver.


Winter. I'm ready for this season to be over. People always complain about Houston weather. I know it's because I grew up there and it's what I'm used to, but you shouldn't knock 2 weeks of winter till you try it.

Day 27: or The Day I Could Think of Nothing But The Cold

My fourth Thursday was nothing of note really. It was a good day by all accounts. I made soup for dinner, and got no arguments from the kids. I was off from work for most of the day and when I was working, nothing to stressful. I was planning on being slightly more productive but the weather was not cooperating. I know the thermostat said it was 35', but it felt more like -2'. I was freezing, to the point that being outside more than what was required was not going to happen. I'm all for adapting to my surroundings, and I feel like the fact that the 40's is comfortable shows that I'm putting in an effort, but when I'm cold, I just shut down. Nothing I can do about it. And the fact that it's grey over half the time doesn't help. At least when it's sunny you have the allusion of warmth. I just keep telling myself that spring is around the corner. And then it'll be springtime in France, and apparently that is something to look forward to.

French Word of The Day

Oublier.


Forget. A word I ironically always remember.

Day 26: or The Day I Almost Forgot To Write My Blog

Today was my first full day alone with the kids. Both parents are travelling on business, and they overlapped by one day. The kids were good, and there was a little less stress for me, knowing that if the kitchen wasn't totally cleaned by 8:00, that was ok because I had plenty of time. 


I made rice again, and for the second time, I overcooked it. I did get the proportion right this time however, so it's a step in the right direction. I hate cooking rice. People all have their opinions on how to do it, and everyone says its easy. Today's wasn't actually overcooked, I actually think I did fairly well, but what I consider "done", they consider sticky, and therefore too cooked. I even tried to under cook it today, but alas, that didn't work. I find out after I put it on the table, that the kids prefer it to be more cooked than their mom's style, so I worried fr nothing.


 I feel as if I write about my misfortunes in the kitchen a lot, but I'm actually pretty handy. I just feel as if the missteps are a little more amusing. But I cooked an apple cake, and more cookies today, both of which turned out splendidly. So maybe I'll just stick to sugary baked goods, I wonder where that falls on the well balanced diet.

French Word of The Day

Pommes de terre.


Potato. Literally however, it means "apple of the earth". Intriguing, I know. Tonight, I made potatoes and carrots, so I was thinking about them and why they would name them after apples. I guess they have a similar texture, but otherwise I don't see the connection. Also, this is like a 3 for 1 day, because if you didn't notice, I gave you the words for "apple" and "earth". You're welcome.

Day 25: or The Day I Got to Play With Legos

Today was a good day. Nothing special or exciting, but I had no issues with the Kid, and I got everything done on the daily list. For his birthday, he got a huge Lego set for a fire station. So when he was home for school we spent all of his free time building the station house, the helicopter, and the truck. I love Legos. They're like a 3D puzzle and because he's still on the young side, most of the building falls to me. I'm not saying I didn't play with dolls when I was little, but the toys that the boys get are so much more fun now. It was one of those days that I realized that even though this may not be the most exciting job all the time, I get to live in France and play with Legos. And only working an average of about 5 hours a day isn't bad either. For some people, babysitting is the last thing they want to do, and some days are harder than others, but for me, it's a pretty easy gig. And it's nice to not be stressed. I remember being in school and feeling stressed for weeks or months because of a project or test. And I know a lot of people's jobs are the exact same way. Before I came here, it was always the lack of a job. I don't "not work" that well. I've always had a job, and I've always enjoyed it. So to be here, for a specific amount of time, with no worrying about next week is nice. The stress always ends at night, and the next day starts fresh. I don't carry anything over. I'm learning to appreciate the little things.

French Word of The Day

Montgolfiere.

Ballooning. A word I learned in class today. It is referring to hot air balloons and apparently the Montgolfiere brothers were ancestors of the teacher. Interesting. Also, my teacher speaks English much better than I speak French, but word like hot air balloon escape her. I am the only native English speaker in the class. There is a woman from Turkey, Japan, Germany, and another woman from somewhere in Europe, can't quite place her. But our overlapping language in English, so for some words, I am needed to decipher hand gestures and translate to the closest English meaning. Very important work.

Day 24: or The Day I Was The Only One In Class

Ok, so it was only for 15 minutes, but I had to sit with the teacher speaking French for 15 minutes. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy. But I stumble my way through a coherent conversation. The frustrating thing is, when I feel like I'm not speaking fast enough, I make easy mistakes and sound like I never took  French a day in my life. Then, when everyone does show up, they feel the need to "help" by whispering the answer to me. Let me paint you a picture. There are 5 women in the room, everyone else is around age 40, and we are all sitting around a table with a 4ft diameter. When one of them whispers an answer to me, do you think there is any way the other three didn't hear it. No. The answer is no. And this isn't even when I looked stumped, just when I pause to make sure I'm getting it right. Not only do I not want there help because I'm actually trying to learn something, but while attempting to help, they manage to make me look like a complete ignoramus. Mildly stressful. But by the end of class, I was able to contribute some thoughts to the conversation, like the fact that my cousin named her son Jonas, but that it was not in fact a reference to that terrible "band". I'm not exactly sure why that came up. Oh yes, when explaining my name, because there is no Caitlin in French, I said that my Mother was none to pleased with the popularity after she picked it for me. Which got us talking about other children's names and so on and so forth. Class dismissed.

French Word of The Day

Ecouter.


Listen. I like being in the kitchen when the kids are talking. They speak in a very rapid French, and I sometimes can only catch words, but it's fun for me to try and keep up and attempt to understand.

Day 23: or The Day I Ate Too Many Crepes

Now let's be honest, how can you eat too many crepes? Personally, I don't think you can, but I did have more than I needed. Today was a great day. It was cold, and not too beautiful, so I stayed in and relaxed. My foot has been better, but I figured a day of now walking would be good for it. I stayed in and watched movies, organized my room and talked with the kids. For dinner, one of the girls made crepes, and they were delicious. I've always been a fan of savory over sweet, so we had ham, chicken and cheese or, sugar and butter. The subject of Mardi Gras was brought up, because they have a tradition of eating crepes on the day. I said we celebrate Mardi Gras a little differently thinking they would know of the spectacle that is New Orleans. They didn't. It's not that I think all French people would know about it, but they did live in the states for 6 years. Alas, New York is not New Orleans. I skirted the subject as best I could, seeing as Mardi Gras isn't exactly America on its best behavior. I some how got us onto Cajun food, and back into safe territory. The other interesting topics of the day were Sororities and the Civil War. On of the girls is considering school in the States, so she was just wondering how honest television and movies depict Greek Life so I tried to give her my totally unbiased opinion. I think I was able to pull it off. Then the Civil War, or Session War as they refer to it. They were asking how we learn about it, and I wasn't sure exactly how to explain it. I made it clear that we don't call it the War of Northern Aggression just because we are from Texas. As a history major, I can talk a decent amount about U.S. history, so I hope I did an acceptable job, but who knows. Every once in a while you need a day like today. I feel ready for the week, which I believe is exactly what the weekend is for.

French Word of The Day

Bruine.


Drizzle. What it did all day today.

Day 22: or The Day I Watched The Lights at The Eiffel Tower

Napoleon's Tomb

The Eiffel Tower Light Show 

Me, at the Eiffel Tower

Today was a slow day. I slept in, thought about wasting the day, but decided to go into Paris for a bit. We walked around, saw some buildings, but it was cold and rainy, so we went to a pub to wait it out. Paid way to much for a small meal and headed home. It was actually quite a nice day though. We had no agenda and no plan, so walking around the city, discovering new places was fun. I really enjoy walking down a street, and not knowing if you should turn right or left. Then coming upon an open air market. The weather made me drowsy, so it was a good relaxing day.

The Moulin Rouge

French Word of The Day

Froid.


Cold. This is one of the words I use at home. If it is ever really cold, I will sometimes say "il est très froid". For some reason I always remembered this one. And now I get to use it all the time, because it is very, very cold.

Day 21: or The Day I Almost Froze

The family decided to celebrate the Kid's birthday on Friday instead of his real birthday, so I made a chocolate cake, which was pretty darn tasty, seeing as how I was inventive with the ingredients. We had quiche and salad, and the my present was liked, so that hurdle is crossed. I've only known the kid for 3 weeks, but seeing how he is 6, a present was still required. 


One of the other au pairs called and invited me to go out with them, in Paris. I hadn't done it yet and was pretty excited, all except for the freezing temperatures that is. And the walking. The club we were going to was apparently pretty up there in the social chain, and you must dress accordingly for these events. So heels were a must, and by the end of the night, I couldn't feel my feet. Bummer. When leaving the club, I was fine, the cold air felt good. But during the 40 minute wait for the bus, I adjusted to how cold it actually was. I'm not comparing this to Seal Team Hell Week or anything, but I was cold daddy cold. It was brutal. It was a fun night though, and I was happy to experience it. The club was on the Champs Elysees I got to meet some new au pairs, so the experience was fun. But I've decided I just don't enjoy it like I used to. I'm getting old. I like meeting people for a beer or a coffee, and I enjoy being social and getting to know new people, but staying out till all hours is no longer my scene.


I did end the night with a pretty good view however...

French Word of The Day

Ruraux.


In French class, we learned this word for "rural". I'm not sure the translator does it justice, but it is one of the hardest words for to say. In English, rural doesn't exactly sound like music, but the double "r" sound in French is pretty bad. I sound like Scooby Doo.

Day 20: or The Day My Brother Turned 23

Happy Birthday Little Brother, you are getting seriously old.

I started my day with my French class, that has gotten progressively harder. I think I must have come during an easy section, because instead of remembering things I've already learned, I feel like I am in totally new territory. Not necessarily a bad thing, just not as relaxing a class as I would have hoped. I met another au pair, from the San Fransisco area. Everyone asked about Darcy, and I was able to stay composed, so that's a good sign.

It was a beautiful day today, but just a wee bit too cold to spend any real time outside. I would have gone on a run, but my foot hasn't completely heeled. It's a shame really, because with all this free time, I could be getting in pretty good shape. I think I may take the bike out tomorrow though, weather permitting.

For dinner I made a bolognese  sauce and spaghetti. They only had diced tomatoes, so it was runnier than I would have liked. I think it turned out well though. I used salt and pepper, because let's be honest, food just isn't nearly as good without it. But I have to be careful not to make it too spicy, or they won't eat it. But I got no complaints. 

French Word of The Day

Quelquefois.


This is just another word I've always enjoyed saying. It means "sometimes", and it just rolls off the tongue.

Day 19: or The Day of The First Play Date

Play dates are a pretty great invention. The entertainment one kid provides for another could never be matched by one lowly au pair. Today, being the long day of the week, I had the pleasure of hosting another kid at the house. For 2 hours, I was not needed, or wanted for that matter. It was pretty great. They blabbered on in French, which is funny to listen to. I am able to understand a lot, but the speed in which they talk makes it quite tiring. 


I made pasta for dinner. I decided to make a sauce, just as an experiment. It was a garlic cream sauce, and it turned out pretty darn good, seeing as how I didn't have a recipe. The kids were wary, but there was no sauce left by the end of dinner, so another success in the kitchen.


Emotionally, today was better. Honestly though, I just don't allow myself to think about anything regarding the situation at home. Hopefully, by the time it all comes flooding back, enough time will have passed that I can deal with it. Seems healthy enough.


It's cold again, and the downstairs radiators are on the fritz. Of course, my bedroom is the only one on the ground floor. I believe the word you are searching for, is awesome.

French Word of The Day

Demain.


Tomorrow. As in, tomorrow I'll feel better. I know this is a depressing day, and I'm sorry about that, but I can't even think of anything else. So until tomorrow.

Day 18: or The Day I Made Pizza

Today was the Kid's birthday, which in a way made my life easier. Instead of feeling guilty when I gave him a little extra time, or one more cookie, I could tell myself, "hey, it's his birthday, give yourself a break". Worked pretty well too. It's amazing how much more agreeable kids are when you don't tell them no as much.


It was another grey day. I stayed indoors and did some laundry and other around the house things. For dinner we had homemade pizza. She made the dough last night, so I rolled it out and covered it with cheese and ham. Turned out pretty darn good. She told me that if they liked it I should have about half of a pizza left, out of the 2 I was to make. I ended up with a little less than half, so I would say I was a successful pizza maker.


Today was a hard day though because of Darcy. Since she hasn't come home, I'm trying to grasp the fact that she is gone. I just can't believe it though. I've had her for over half my life, and in the last year, I have tried to come to terms that she would be gone soon. But the fact that she just disappeared makes it harder. I know I already said my good byes to her, but seeing her on skype while my dad held her up was fairly comforting. She seemed to be doing a little better. The family here is trying to understand. I can't seem to keep it together for very long though, something about my Kuykendall genes I guess. For the first time since I've been here I want to be home. I know it would make me miss her more, but I miss my baby girl, and I want to be home.

French Word of The Day

Fou.


Crazy. As in what I look like walking down the street listening to Brian Regan. He came on my ipod today, and I thought I would listen to a little bit. Then I of course smile, or laugh, but the people around me have no idea what I'm doing. Then I thought the situation was funny, so my laughing continued.

Day 17: or The Day I Baked Some Cookies

Today was an easy day. The mom took the Kid to school so my morning wasn't stressful. The only thing on the agenda was to make some cookies. The Kid's birthday is tomorrow, so for school he wanted to bring chocolate chip cookies. I feel fairly confident in my baking, but like I've said before, the ingredients I need are not always what I have. For instance, they don't have brown sugar. No big deal, just have to use white. They also don't have chocolate chips, so you have to take chocolate bars and cut them into ship size pieces. I made the dough early in the day so that if they didn't come out, I would be able to make a second batch, but they seemed pretty good. It was nice to be able to do something well and prove I'm not a total hack in the kitchen.


As I look back on the day, I can't seem to think of anything else that happened. I believe I am getting into a pretty good routine, but it does make for less interesting blog posts. I also think I'm pretty distracted by Darcy. She somehow got lost today. Seeing how she has never not come home before, I think it's a pretty good sign that she just doesn't know where she is. I hope she comes home soon. I know I won't be able to see her, but it would make me feel a lot better.

French Word of The Day

La grasse matinée.


Literally means "the fat morning", but means sleeping in. I love fat mornings.

Day 16: or The Day I Tried Driving

I can drive a stick shift. It may not be perfect, but I know the general notion. But not here. Because of the hills, the driving seems to be more than difficult. And having the owner of the car sitting next to you, seemingly freaking out, does not help. I'm not going to give many details. It went fine. I was able to drive, but I'm not sure how much I'm going to want to.


I went into Saint Germain to meet another au pair. She was a girl I had just emailed with and she invited me to have coffee with some friends. She had been here awhile, so she seems to have a pretty large system of friends. We sat at a cafe for a couple of hours and I made plans to get together later in the week. 


It was a quite Sunday, restful and what not. I feel like the days are longer here. I'm not sure what it is because I am having a great time, but I can't believe I've only been here 2 weeks. I'm sure at the end though, it will seem like it flew by. 

French Word of The Day

Mal aux pieds.


Sore feet. A combination of a "broken foot" and walking around Paris for 7 hours.

Day 15: or The Day I Went Ice Skating

The Shopping Mall, au Printemps. It means Spring.

I took the morning train to Paris. The other au pairs and I decided we would spend the day, but we didn't have a plan as to what we would do. We started by walking to a currency exchange place, because my American dollars weren't exactly welcome. I of course knew this, but hadn't yet had time to make the switch. After the one chore was complete, they girls wanted to shop. In France, they have sales twice a year, each time for 6 weeks. There are the winter sales and the fall sales, where they clean the store for the upcoming fashion seasons. Needless to say, Paris is 
crazy this time of year. I'm not that into shopping. Don't get me wrong, I do love it, but at this time in my life, I would rather save my money for weekend excursions. Also, the lines for the dressing rooms were about an hour wait, so it was quite easy to not be tempted. 

Sacré Cœur, I'm there on the steps.

After the shopping, we went to the Sacré Cœur, which is situated on a hill above the city. A very nice part of town, almost ruined by all the people catering to tourists. I'm not sure what it is about me, but my goal in life is to never look like a tourist. I don't wear my tennis shoes around Paris, and I don't order ketchup at restaurants. But that's just me. The Basilica is very nice, very beautiful. No pictures were allowed of the inside, which is a bummer, but I really loved the fresco and the stained glass. We walked around some more and saw the artists that gather in the Montmarte district. I loved some of their paintings, but decided to wait until the end of trip to decide which one will come home with me.


We stopped at a very little Italian restaurant for a late lunch. It was delicious but I really love going to restaurants that you might never find again. It was a little off the beaten path, and I doubt it gets very many tourists. The man spoke no English, so it was another chance for me to practice. After eating, we made our way by Metro to the Hôtel de Ville, which is Paris' city hall, for some ice skating. We hadn't planned on doing it but we found out about it while in Paris and so off we went. 

The ice skating at the Hôtel de Ville

I had a great time skating. My Grandpa Jim taught me how to skate when the lake froze, so I greatly prefer skating outside. But being from Texas, indoor shopping mall rinks are the only thing available. But I love skating outside, like when I learned, so I was ready. Granted I hadn't done it in a good 10 years, but it's just like riding a bike. Sort of. I was a little wobbly, but it got easier. What didn't get easier was dealing with the crazy people skating at warp speed around me. I don't mean in comparison to me. I mean weaving in and out, running into you, and then stopping abruptly right before they bowl you over. There were only 4 or 5 guys doing this, but I did not appreciate it.

Me, trying not to fall. Don't worry, I stayed on my feet.

We took the train home. I had a nice dinner with the family. Uploaded some pictures for your enjoyment. Speaking of pictures. I added a link to the right and will try to update the pictures every once in a while. I don't want to insert all of them in the blog, but wanted them to be accessible, so there you are.

Photographs

I'm not sure how I will handle the sharing of pictures, but for now, I thought I would upload what I have so far.

French Word of The Day

D'huile.


Oil, as in, "Would you like oil on your panini?"


I was tested multiple times today, and every time I did ok. But in the sandwich shop I was doing great. Had everything ordered. Was able to answer questions. He was understanding me. Then BAM, d'huile. Quoi (what)? I even know the word, but every time it is spoken, it stumps me. It just never sounds like I expect it too. It was only a minor hiccup, but he did have to use visual aids to help me out. Bummer.

Day 14: or The Day I Bought A Watch

The Seine, from Saint Germain

The Castle

For my French classes, I needed to buy a workbook. Since I started in January, and not the usual time of September, I had to go to Saint Germain. Saint-Germain-en-Laye is the city less than 5 miles from our house in Saint Nom. It is a real city however, not a village and has a fairly bustling little town center. It also has a small castle/palace, which was the birthplace of King Louis XIV, who of course went on to make the Palace of Versailles (also just a mere 8 miles from home) what it is today.

The Castle

One of the other au pairs was free today as well, so she came along too explore. The train ride was easy, all 9 minutes of it. And when we got to the city, we just headed in the general south westerly direction I knew the store to be in. On our way we passed and outdoor market and many little shops that were starting to open up for the pre-lunch crowd. We found the bookstore and I was able to purchase my books. I spent 25 euro on books I'm not sure I'll need. Not because I know what's in them. But with the internet, and the conversation I will get in class, I'm just not sure i'll get 25 euro out of these books, but I'm going to try. The little man in the store tried to speak English to me.I'm fairly sure my French was better than his English, but every time I tried to switch, he kept saying "no no, it's ok, English is fine". I gave up.

La Defense, Paris Business District

It was a little early for lunch, so we decided to walk a bit to work up an appetite. On the way I bought the world's most expensive Diet Coke. It came out to almost $3 for a half liter. In other words, ridiculous. 
Needless to say, we were wary before we picked our lunch location. We walked the grounds of the castle, and up and down some small streets. Some were pedestrian only, some were cobble stone. All very French.


We found a panini place that had the menu visible from the street. Prices were reasonable, and the man looked friendly so in we went. I ordered, being the great speaker I am. I always assume that even if the clerk doesn't speak English, they probably know about as much as I do of French. This is not the case. Apparently, I know more French than I thought. The sandwiches were good, and I got my coffee for free, so basically lunch was a HUGE success. But really, it was nice. 


We then went through the market, where I immediately found a necklace I had to have. It just spoke to me, what can I say. Again, the woman spoke no English, so more practice for me. We headed home, so I could get the Kid from school. Dinner was easy, eggs and ham. Breakfast for dinner is a solid choice in my opinion.

The Necklace

French Word of The Day

D'accord .


It means agree but is used as we use okay. When speaking to a native, it is one of the many words I use to convey that I understand, not that I always do. They use "okay" as well, but I feel like they believe I am actually listening when I use the French version. It's the small things that get you through the day.

Day 13: or The Day I Made Fajitas, Sort of

Since I arrived, I have been cooking dishes I am not very familiar with. I enjoy trying new things and improving my cooking, but cooking for 6 other people puts the pressure on. When I make something up at home, if I don't like it, oh well. Here, it is dinner, not an experiment and they are usually quite hungry. So I was happy when they wanted me to try my hand at a Mexican dish.

Only thing is, we don't really have the ingredients for it. I grilled chicken breast with peppers and onions. We had found some Mexican seasonings, so I threw some of that in there. It was... interesting. The tortillas were actually pretty tasty. The salsa was bland, but that wasn't a shocker. They also bought cheddar cheese just for the occasion. Yum. They don't have pinto beans here, so red beans it was. No sour cream to be found, but they did have avocados. It was a hodge podge of sorts, but in the end, it tasted good. Not necessarily Mexican, but good.

Back to the salsa. It was your garden variety mild picante sauce. The 16 year old can't handle spice, so she inquired about the level of spiciness. I said, there wasn't any, I couldn't taste it, just tasted like tomatoes, onions and belle peppers. A little too sweet for my taste. Apparently, I was wrong. The other girl tried it, and quickly said "actually, it is kind of spicy. Oh, quite spicy." Oops. I'm telling you I couldn't taste it. I'm not sure who has a warped view of spice, but we definitely don't see eye to eye. I put The Kid to bed again. Tonight went smoothly, once I could get him to sit down at least. An easy day. It was in the 50's, but cloudy. The girls and I decided to find an indoor pool to swim laps in. Seeing as how my left foot is not allowing me to run on it, I was happy to hear someone wanting to find alternatives.

French Word of The Day

Boudin.


So, they say it all French like, but it's still just boudin, well without the rice. When she was telling me that they had some in the fridge and I should grill it, I said "We have boudin" they way any Gulf Coast resident would say it. She of course corrected me thinking I was unaware of the food and just mispronouncing French. I explained myself, and was happy to try this variation on a delicious Cajun treat. Thing is, and I don't think this will be the case very often, their's ins't as good. I know, shocking. I think it has to do with the spices, and by think, I mean I know. I LOVE spicy food, love it. And they just don't use much if any here. Their's tasted great, but what can I say, it's not preferred. 

Day 12: or The Day I Built A Castle

Today, being my 12+ hour day, went by rather quickly. The one thing The Kid has difficulty with is being on time, and walking with any discernible speed. So, days when we are able to go at our own pace are quite nice. We had built a castle last week, but due to the cleaning man coming, it was demolished. We decided to rebuild it on a table in the play room, so that it would have a little more staying power. I really try to not let my control issues get the better of me, but somehow I ended up making about 95% of the castle. I also think The Kid started to notice that my structures always managed to be a little sturdier. He decided to fulfill the design role. Worked out nicely in the end.

I told him last week that my two favorite Disney movies were Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid. I don't think he particularly cares for them, but when he is trying to get me to watch a movie, and he knows the chances are thin, he slyly recommends one of those two. I give in, more for his attempt at being cunning than anything else. So today was Ariel's turn. I had to go downstairs halfway through to make dinner, but by the end of the movie, half the house was humming the tunes to random Mermaid songs.

Dinner was boudin blanc, mashed potatoes and homemade apple sauce. I think I did pretty well, but seeing as how I was making things I've made many, many times, would have been pretty sad to be sub-par. None the less, success. Well, almost. When I was first here, the cooking was difficult, but I am definitely getting into the groove of things. Now, it is trying not to dirty every single dish in the house. I couldn't make more of a mess. The kids help with the dishes and the items they use, but I do all the pots, pans and cooking things. I try to get everything to at least a presentable state before the parents come home. Usually I am still cleaning, but it at least doesn't look like a war zone. 

Tonight, the mom is travelling for work and the dad is working late, so pressure was slightly off. But I did have to get The Kid to sleep. I read two books, had him in bed and was just about to leave, when the night light didn't turn on. It appeared to be plugged in, would flicker, then face. Uh oh. If the parents were home, it would be a much smaller deal. But these is one of those situations that could set a kid off when he is missing his mom. As he is crying, I promise to fix it, and if I can't, his dad will. I could just see his dad walking in at 11:00 after a long day of work, The Kid still stubbornly awake. But as I walked into the 12 year olds room, he informed that it needed to charge. What? But it was plugged in. I go back into the room, and ACTUALLY plug it in. Boom, light. I'm just glad it was the kids who saw this and not the adults. I have no problem looking like a fool in front of them. But adding unnecessary stress to the parents is the exact opposite thing I'm supposed to be doing. 

The Kid is asleep. The kitchen is clean. That's a wrap.

Oh and it's 52' outside, at 9:30 at night. Where am I, Texas? Oh wait, it's cold there...

Happy Birthday Granddaddy Kirk. Miss you, love you.

French Word of The Day

Gratin.


This culinary word has no direct translation, but it comes from the word gratter, or scratch. I know it from "potatoes au gratin", so automatically I think cheese, anyone else? But what it means is a variety of toppings, cheese, breadcrumbs, or egg, that has been browned in the broiler or oven.


When she recommend I make it, I said "Like the cheese dish?" Technically, I wasn't really wrong, but they didn't know where I was coming from, so I just ended up being the American who thinks everything means cheese. Way to go. Wasn't a totally demoralizing experience, just another notch on a belt that I need to last for 6 more months, so I need it to stop being notched. 

Day 11: or The Day I Decided Electric Water Boilers Are Actually Pretty Darn Handy

Man that's a long title...


So today was like any other Tuesday, took the kid to his morning class, coffee with another au pair, and then home for lunch. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the only days I cook lunch, and I pan fry fish for him. I of course enjoy my baguette sandwich and couldn't be happier. I believe the speed in which we run out of ham has greatly increased since I moved in, due solely to my sandwiches. Delicious.


The afternoon was spent running errands and resting the useless appendage that is my left foot. For dinner, I was going to use roast chicken we had and mix it with pasta. She had recommended I make a gratin, but the timing wasn't allowing it, so I steamed some green beans and we had small potatoes as well. In France, and I think most of Europe, they have electric water boilers. They are pitchers they heat up water on a hot plate at a rate much faster than a pot on a stove. It is great for tea, but they use it to jump start the cooking process. Unlike Texas, where tap water is a mild room temperature, the water is frigid coming out of the tap, so making pasta takes forever. Anyways, they may seem frivolous, but really they are just awesome.


After dinner, I spoke with the mom about vacations. They have 2, two week breaks. One in February and one in April. They will be skiing in the alps one of the February weeks, and will need me at the house the second week. They plan on going to the States for the April break, but aren't 100% sure. Since I have a dear, dear friend visiting me while I'm here, I needed to ask would I be able to make sure to at least get 1 week off in April. Weather wise, it will be so much better than February. She said that would be fine, and then she asked if I had any interest in going with the to the Alps? Umm, let's think. Yes, yes is the answer. It is not official, she thinks there will be room, but if not, thats ok, but I am pretty pumped that in a month I may be skiing the alps. And by skiing I mean slowly, slowly descending the mountain. So my day ended on a positive. I just hope it happens.

French Word of The Day

Les Etats-Unis.


The United States. When filling out online forms, I always forget to go to the E's. Also, I've always really liked the way it sounds. So this word in particular should be listened to.

Day 10: or The Day I Used My Window Like A Fridge

Today was my first repeat day. I knew how Monday's were supposed to go, and in most ways, I was able to fix last Monday's mistakes. So as far as my ability to adapt, it seems to be going ok.


Jeremy always wants to be the first one to school. I tell him that is fine, but that we need to leave early. But no matter what time I tell him we need to leave, we always end up leaving later than planned. he has a knack for the last minute hold ups. Then, when I do get him out the door, he walks like molasses. He likes to look at things and pick up sticks, and all the things little boys do outside. We haven't been late yet, but I'm hoping I am able to figure out some way to get him moving faster. Even if he is on time, I have to be out in the cold for 20 minutes, and I would prefer to shorten that time. 


The other thing hindering my speed, is of course my worthless left foot. I'd like to say that I injured my foot in some awesome story, or while doing something equally awesome, but no. I believe I was a walking injury. I am a fairly active person, I walked around the neighborhood, I walked blocks from my car to work. I even go on the occasional run. But for some reason, and it could be the shoes but I'm not always in walking shoes at home either, my left foot feels like I have broken my three middle toes. Which is just oh so convenient in this place where I am without a car, bike, or wheels of any sort. I am still hopeful that the pain will subside, I have even given in to wearing my running shoes, which is beyond embarrassing. I never wanted to be that American, but here I am. 


I did attend my real French class today for the first time. It was challenging, but I still understood what we were learning, so I believe I will be just fine. The people are a little different however. There is an American man, I would guess in his late 50's, and he has a decent knowledge of the language, but speaks it with a terrible American accent. I'm not sure you will be able to understand it, but I would rather speak my broken French, with a French accent any day. It's the weirdest thing. He is from New York, and I told him the my father was born there, and attended school there. I was very clear to say "mon pere". I even said that I was from Texas. But at the end of the class, he started asking me when I graduated from Cornell. I said, no no, my dad, not me. Then when I said I went to Texas, he said, why did you decide to go to Texas. Umm, because I'm from there. He looked confused. Very weird man. I feel like I'm coming off critical, but really, it's just too hard to explain. 

After class, the girl's from the other class decided to go for coffee. A British woman who moved here with here husband for work offered to give me a ride. Little did I know I'd be riding in this.

The Lotus

For those of you who can't tell, that is a Lotus, and a very low riding Lotus. Steering wheel on the right and everything. Very cool. Also a bit scary.


I then went home, did some laundry, and went to get the kid. The rest of the night was fairly routine. Except for the new rule that I take the computer away from the 12 year old when he's done with his homework. I have no problem talking to the girls or Jeremy, and I have no problem being the bad guy every once and awhile. But the kid already doesn't talk to me. Usually I'm given a grace period with the kids before I have to be the rule monitor. He had it put away before his time limit was up, but I did give him a very generous time limit. I think we'll take the week to get used to this new system.

Window Fridge

Oh the title, right. So I bought myself some Coca-Cola Light. Which tastes like Coke and not Diet Coke, but I'm not picky. I like carbonated drinks, and we only drink water in the house, so for the occasional sandwich or treat, I have pack in my room. Since we of course don't use ice, I need the cans to be cold, and there is a very convenient shelf between the shutters and the window where the cokes fit. Genius. Well until it goes below freezing and I have busted cans on my window sill. But we will worry about that later.

French Word of The Day

Galette


Literally translates to "patty", but is used to describe flat cakes. They have a filling, and they hide a little man, or baby, or some little trinket, very much like Mardi Gras' King Cake. They are quiet tasty, and apparently very common. They have had them twice since I've been here. 

Day 9: or The Day I Took a Walk In The Forest

Sunday's are slow days. I hope to be more active on my Sundays, seeing as I only have 2 days a week to explore, but yesterday was fairly busy, so today was just spent around the village. It was in the 40's, so I decided to take a walk. Saint Nom borders a large forest, Forêt de Marly, and they have walking and jogging, and riding paths. It is about a half mile from the house, so I decided to go on a walk. I am walking instead of running because I have somehow managed to injure my foot. Yes, I have been walking around town a great deal, but my feet haven't been hurting. My left foot feels badly bruised, but there is no bruise to be seen. I'm sure a little rest would cure it, but how do you now walk? I guess I will be spending this week slightly more stationary. Or, I'll just man up and hope the pain stops.


The family had friends over for dinner. They have 2 children, 16 and 14, so the kids rambled on in French. I tried to listen and was able to get the gist, but some of the jokes were a little to colloquial. That, or they just weren't funny. All 4 teenagers had on Abercrombie and Fitch hoodies. Apparently A&F is quite popular here, they told me they are putting a boutique on the Champs Elysees. Who knew all I had to be hip was revert back to the year 2000. Maybe it's still cool in high school in the states, but I haven't shopped their since before I could drive.


Arnaud, the 12 year old, had on a NY Yankees sweatshirt. Now, the family did in fact live in New York, so it is acceptable. But I felt I needed to explain a little bit to him. Some of you may not know my disdain for the popular teams, and I will try not to go to far into it.  But I believe in being a hometown fan. Aranud doesn't talk to me that much. He is polite, but often goes off in French without thinking, and he's a bit shy. I felt it was a good topic to talk to him on. I think he understood where I was coming from. I explained that it would be like cheering for Manchester United, which of course, you wouldn't do.


We ate way to many sweets, and now I could fall asleep. Being that it is only 8:45, I'll try to hold off an hour. 

French Word of The Day

Excusez-moi.


Excuse me. I can't tell you how many time I used this phrase today. Paris. Is. Crowded. 


And awesome.

Day 8: or The Day I First Took the Train to Paris

Saturday, amen. Today was my first official day off and I was ready to take advantage of it. Now, I hope to get up earlier on my other days off, but I hadn't slept in yet, so first I took advantage of no alarm clock. I got up,and started the internet research on what I should do today. I hadn't heard from Zoe about whether she was free or not, but I decided on a day in Paris anyways. I took the 1:00 train into Paris, camera in tow. It was going to be too late to do any real museum exploring, the lines are tremendous. On Saturdays, for people under 26, they have a pass for 6.80 euros that allows you a trip in and out of town, plus the metro all day. Pretty good deal. 

Champs Elysees, away from L'Arc de Triomphe

By the time I reached the station at 1:45, Zoe had texted me and we had a plan for me to go to her place at 4:00 for some tea. She had plans tonight, but I wanted to see her place so it worked out perfectly. I wasn't sure how much I would being using the metro, I had planned on walking, but I find it much easier to navigate the city that way. I have been told that some find the metro confusing. I don't see it that way. I believe taking your time really helps. Just follow the colored line to the next colored line. 

Arc de Triomphe

I first decided to walk for a bit, but since I didn't have a map, I just walked in the direction of the Seine. I think I would have hit my mark eventually, but the lack of parallel streets makes intersections a little more difficult, so when I saw a metro stop, I got on and exited exactly where I wanted to be, where the Champs Elysees meets the Arc de Triomphe. Good job. I spent 5 minutes figuring out where the tunnel under the roundabout was, and the next 20, walking around taking pictures. I considered going up to the top, but that is another 6 euros, and who has that kind of money. Maybe when I have visitors, I will treat myself. 

A statue on the Arc, check that face out.

From the Arc, I had about an hour, so I went to the Eiffel Tower. Again, going to the top wasn't going to happen but a couple good pictures couldn't hurt. It was out of the way, and I knew could get directly to Zoe's from the Arc, but today was Caitlin's tourist day, and what's a tourist day in Paris with out Gustave Eiffel's steel structure. It was of course the busiest place, and I was glad to stand on the bridge and away from the rabble. And then the one hiccup of the day occurred.

I'm not sure what this place was called

I had plenty of time to get to Zoe's, and I knew the lines I needed, but there isn't a station right at the tower, so I had to walk. Again, I had no map, so I was just assuming I would find one on the main road. I knew there would be one at the next landmark, so I wasn't looking for a needle in a haystack, but looking for anything in a haystack has to be annoying, and that is where I was at. I found the station, and made it Zoe's around 4:30. She came to pick me up at the Metro stop, and we walked to her very cute Parisian apartment. We had tea and cookies, which were delicious of course. Those Brant's can bake some cookies. We talked about France, and the differences we find annoying or nice. The winner, and I think some of you will agree, is of course, the lack of roaches. Linden, Anne, do you hear me? No roaches. It is a beautiful, beautiful thing.


I headed to the station for the 6:30 train, which is what I am on now. I brought my little laptop for the trip, in case I got lost or lost my phone. I was fairly sure I cold find an internet cafe if I had a real emergency. The train is very nice. It isn't that convenient from the house, a little over 1.5 miles away, on a dark forest road. The distance really isnt the problem, but it is dark, and you do need to factor in an extra 20 minutes. But who can complain about a little 1.5 mile walk when in 40 minutes, they are in central Paris. It is dark outside now, so the Eiffel Tower is lit up. I'm not sure if my pictures do it justice, and I know some Parisians think it is an eye sore, but it looks pretty spectacular to me. I'm just going to go ahead an admit it.

The view from the train.

Two and a half hours later...


I just got back from dinner. On the train ride home, Kristina, a German au pair texted me and invited me for dinner. There is a small Italian restaurant in my village and they have good pizza. She had a British au pair with her and we had a nice dinner and made plans to go on weekend excursions together. Which is perfect because that was my one, main goal while here in France. All in all it was a great day.