My Life in Brittany

Prochain arrêt: Lexington

2008-07-05T11:33:00.004+02:00

Next stop: Lexington. After an academic year away from the Bluegrass, I am officially taking pictures off my wall, attempting to say how much I appreciate my friends, and realizing how awesome this time in my life has been.

I remember asking myself, "what have I done?" during my trans-Atlantic flight at the end of last September. Was this really what I wanted? wouldn't a nice little vacation fulfill the same interests?

Now on the other end of things, I can confidently say that nothing could have replaced these months I've spent as an *Armorican. I've readily accepted adjustments to daily life as I enjoyed a fresh, new perspective on things, and I don't just mean the view from my treehouse-style appartment.

The bookend phrase of which I was so aware back in the fall is "God is good." However, just as I felt insufficient to express my gratitude to friends during a recent "Go get'em, Lawrence" party, these three little words are again too short. Thanks France, thanks friends, thanks Kentucky for staying in touch. I'll see you just after the Tour de France :). Oh, and Happy (belated) Birthday America!

Je vous fais tous un enorme bisou. C'est vrai que le prochain arrêt est bien Lexington, mais je compte de garder mon passeport de Bretagne en etat parfait car j'ai déjà hâte de vous revoir! Tschüss!

(*Amorica is the ancient and literary name for Brittany.)

Returning to "real life"

2008-06-25T19:04:00.021+02:00

I think I'm required to put this picture on a blog when I visit Rome, right? The catacombs are cooler but you can't take pictures :)

I had heard the renown of Italian "gelato" but we hadn't met until this day.

Above - the "800 dollar view" of Siena / Below - winning some extra money in front of the Parthenon
Well the bro/sis trip that was just beginning the last time I wrote has now come to an end leaving me with 600+ pictures, a lighter wallet and a postcard of Michelangelo's "The Birth of Venus" among other souvenirs.

Every now and then I think, "That'd be a good picture, story, anecdote, whatever to share with the blogosphere." I'm not, however, always able to pass these treasures onto you. Before the thoughts become as scattered as the ruins of Roman Forum, I want to tell you a few of my feelings about Italians. Put all you know about over-generalizing and stereotyping in a little box to the side.

So I'll just get it out there: I like Italians. I met one that really says, "Momma mia," several who gave me shoulder pats, squeezes or other friendly jabs, and an equally large number who greeted me with smiles. What's not to love? I was so encouraged to talk to people, er, say "scuzi," point to something on a map and then say, "grazie!" I onced stopped dead on the sidewalk with my sister and Rick Steves (our personal guide) and with a perky "scuzi" halted a small hord of Italian adolescents who were happy to show us with lots of hand gestures where the Piazza Michelangelo was.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Lawrence gives Italy two thumbs up.

Deutschland, Das ist gute!

2008-06-25T19:04:00.020+02:00

Lawrence and Sarah in a state of pre-football match, face-painted vigor.

Preparing for Germany's victory over Portugal in the European Championship

Livin' it up earth-friendly style in Offenbach with Sarah and our friend Martin

Sarah snapped this scenic photo of the Frankfurt skyline as we cruised across the Mein river which meanders in and around the ultra-modern German city nicknamed "Meinhattan." We were told that the city is very American and experienced it for ourselves. We did feel at home there, but not due to imposing man-made structures.

We were happy to be with "family" in Germany where we stayed with good friends. They showed us generous hospitality and introduced us to some great German meals (no, we didn't have Frankfurters), sights, and ways of life. Thank you Herr und Frau Badzura, Martin and Jane too :).

We eased our way back into France through the Alsatian city of Strasbourg, a pleasing mix of French and German cultures. Sarah and I decided to do something BIG for the end of our time together. Providentially, France was having it's "Fete de la Musique" on the last night of our trip. We listened to everything from duling bagpipe bands in front of the beautiful, clay-rose colored cathedrale to Euro dance club mix with fog machine and everything in between.

What an unforgettable way to end Sarah and Lawrence's "Europe '08" Ich liebe dich, Sarah :)

Level Ground

2008-06-12T22:35:00.002+02:00

Time is not going by any slower these days and I recently set off on "Europe '08" with my sister whom I met up with in Paris last weekend. Being able to show her Paris followed by the wildness and beauty of Brittany was a great pleasure. She was able to meet my best friends and we made some great bro/sis memories.

Sarah is here on vacation and vacationing we are. We're trying not to lose our minds in an attempt to see every last old rock or piece of artwork or whatever. I think we're doing a decent job of it. So far my most memorable moments have been a Sunday morning market in Saint Brieuc, a long sit at one of my favorite little spots overlooking the water called the "Pointe de Roselier," seeing my sister laugh with my friends, and now, in Italy using "Scuzi Senora...Grazi" with a lot of gestures in between while trying to communicate a question about apples in a supermarket :).

I know that English is very useful everywhere, but I am sad that I can't communicate with people the way I'd perhaps like to. Sarah and I are on equal ground now. We're both dependent on English speakers, hand gestures, and a bit of vocabulary. It's ever growing though. Tonight I learned "Saluda!" At least I think that was it. It meant "eat."

Ciao!

Carnac, It's Prehistoric!

2008-05-16T16:36:00.007+02:00

There was perhaps something in the air in the mysterious region where the infamous megaliths of Carnac are found. One satiated day spent in the south of Brittany had generous amounts of adventure, old things, and good memories.

I’ll just narrate the pictures I’ve chosen to share with you. As you began to glance at the first picture you see someone with a hammer ready to smash any available part of an old, foreign vehicle. Said person decided against this and instead finished his lunch alongside his two travel companions. You must know that two of us, to whom the vehicle does not belong, were feeling as free as something that feels free since we had motorized and non-public transport. “What luck!” I thought to myself. This was before something went wrong between gear #3 and gear #4 and the poor, exhausted Citroën (the car) puttered to a depressing halt. To make a long story short, some police came and helped the hammer-holder push the car whilst the non-hammer holder steered. The car owner stood aside with her cane. The police did NOT offer any help and were quickly on there way. (It was near noon – They were hungry I guess.)

I mentioned that several old or aged things were a part of this day and one was a little old lady named Lucienne. She’s the car owner and quite a character. My friend Johannes has become her new chauffeur since she’s unable to drive. Lucy’s insurance came to the rescue in record-breaking time and made us all feel like fools when just after lunch their representative popped the car’s hood, stripped some wires, reattached them to something important and the engine happily decided to restart. And we were off again.

SELAH

In part two our hero is standing in front of some really big, old rocks. Exceptionally old even for Europe, these rocks are known by Breton names which you’ve probably heard like “dolmen” and “menhir” meaning more or less “rock table” and “long rock” respectively. Breton is quite a descriptive language, eh? Though I’m not usually one to take my own picture in front of a bunch of important stuff that everybody wants to see, this was an unordinary incident. These rocks range from about knee high to really big and the biggest weigh about 40 tons (because someone picked one up???!).

SELAH

As the sun set on our day-long journey, we sat peacefully on a deserted beach. No longer at Carnac we spread out our copious feast (er, leftovers from lunch plus a new baguette) ahem, and we ate to our hearts delight on the savage coast of Quiberon, extreme southern tip of Brittany.

Inspired by the accomplishments of this day, I layed aside my hammer of hate and gazed into the distance with peace and contentment.

SELAH

Though not pictured, we did meet up with our friends, la police, again. I was in the middle of my most extensive French car driving experience when we were waved to the roadside by a slow gesture from a flashlight-clad hand. In the blinding light of man-made electricity accompanied by a few authoritative phrases, I began to feel around the car for my backpack. Offering a driver’s license marked “Kentucky, It’s That Friendly,” my resident papers, and an short explicatory anecdote, I hoped for a favourable outcome. “It’s ok,” was my response and with two false starts and more than one “Thank You/Goodbye’s” I breathed a few more prayers of gratitude as my eyes kept their focus on the road in between swipes from my uni-wiper windshield apparatus.

FIN

2008-05-09T11:50:00.006+02:00

Up the coast from my school in Saint Quay Portrieux is the maritime village of Plouézec (a great, Breton name) and its amazing windmill. Look closely and notice the scaffolding and the little guy in his blue uniform (this is the universal blue collar gear - talk about stigma!). As I cruised along on my borrowed bike a lost couple in their beautiful Mercedes asked me where the road to Paimpol was. I said I was lost too, but humorously we were both coming from the desired destination of the other. "It's just that way a bit," said the lady while pointing. I found the windmill; hope they found Paimpol.

Just outside the city of Verdun in the Lorraine region (in the East of France) is "the Red Zone" where the 10-month Battle of Verdun was fought in 1916. On this site alone rest 15 thousand known French soldiers and 130 thousand unidentified ones.

The lesser known Saint Remi's Basicila in Rheims (Champagne). This is where King Clovis was baptized by the Bishop Remi in the 5th c. AD thus making France a Christian nation.

Little village in Champagne - Sainte Menehould. A local monk born in 1639 named Dom Perignon is reputed to have created the mixture which resulted in the creation of Champagne. (Thanks for letting me visit, Reba.)

Why 2 months don't bother me

2008-05-09T11:38:00.002+02:00

First of all you all must know that I’m officially unemployed! But don’t worry, I wasn’t fired; no, I finished my contract at the end of April with my school. Finishing at La Closerie gave me a wonderful feeling of completeness. It was somewhat like when you finish a good, long book. You’re happy to have read it, learned great things from it, it’ll stick with you, and you might just revisit it in the future. I’m also asking myself, “What do I read now??!” But for the next two months I’ve got plenty of quality things to do.

I’ve really put down some roots here in Bretagne. There’s no doubt about it that this year I’ve been flat out BLESSED with a big ‘ole B. With all the good things that have come my way, there’ve been several occasions where I’ve been reminded of how much I receive that I don’t merit. Make’s me quite thankful for all the free things I receive, and I mean this from the tritest to the deepest of graces I benefit from.

One of those smaller things which I’ve appreciated is welcoming bus drivers. I know that I’ve sung my ballads of thankfulness to the T-bus before, but bear with me. I see the same couple of bus drivers almost every day and one of them looks like Santa Claus before his hair went white. He’s really kind in a grandfatherly sort of way. Upon my last descent from the large green bus I told him thanks for his kindness. Really not a big deal. He responded, “It was a pleasure” (normal) and after added a very un-French response of giving me a little shoulder pat. I think that often we don’t realize what we’re doing for other people on a daily basis through our smiles and our hello’s.

Besides thanking bus drivers one thing I feel is a valuable use of my time is singing with a very informal choral called “Let’s Gospel.” We’re the students from Sister Act II only we don’t have their talent. I guess the only similarity is that we sing “Oh Happy Day.” Among things I didn’t know I’d do in France, singing Gospel songs in a bar is one of them. I guess that willingness to invest oneself in creative ventures can lead down some interesting paths.

Well this is not a “What I do in Bretagne” blog (that’s been done). I just wanted to let you know that I’m feelin’ good, France decided I could stay longer than it originally wanted me to, and I’m happy to have time to ride in buses, sing in bars, and eat as many baguettes as humanly possible.

God bless.
Lawrence

Norman Invasion

2008-04-21T16:21:00.009+02:00

The Star-Spangled Banner flies strongly among the flags of other nations including Germany to the left in front of a famous WWII museum in Caen (Normandy).

I admit that I'd like to just "fit in" instead of getting weird looks from people when I open my mouth. My German friend Johannes can also relate to those feelings. However, as the two of us discovered and rediscovered sites commemorating the Second World War, I know that it was easier from my point of view as someone whose countrymen enjoyed such labels as "brave" and "heros".

Deauville is one of Lexington's sister cities. Apart from the sign in front of the grandiose Bluegrass Airport claiming Deauville and somewhere in Japan, I'm not sure what purpose this serves. Deauville and Lexington both have horses... other than that they're not the same. Deauville is the epitome of the typical Norman town even if it is a bit overdone.

Etretat always looked like an elephant to me, but that was just from postcards. Now that I've seen it and the other beautiful cliffs surrounding the area, I ... well, I still think it looks like an elephant. And you?

I studied one summer in Normandy and left with lasting friends & better French. Marie-Noelle & Gilbert graciously welcomed me and a friend back into their home for a little visit last week. Elivira & Pia (not their daughters) work for the summer program that I was a part of. The Rodots have a contagious generosity which makes that they have friends all over the globe.

What I do in Brittany... (Ce que je fais en Bretagne)

2008-03-25T16:32:00.013+01:00

I enjoy the ocean (we don't have that in Kentucky)

je vois la mer (y en a pas en Kentucky)

I teach English in a professional high school (uniforms are required for lab classes and otherwise black suits/skirts)

je donne des cours d'anglais dans un lycée professionnel d'hôtellerie (l'uniforme au-dessus est obligatoire au labo sinon c'est un costume/une jupe)
sometimes I observe students in other classes (they made 80 of these fish - each required a lot of work)
des fois j'observe des élèves dans leurs cours de cuisine (ils ont fait 80 filet de poisson en écaille - pour chacun il fallait pas mal du boulot)

I wait at the train station in the morning for my bus
le matin j'attends le car à la gare

I visit cool places like this one (St Malo)

je visite de jolis endroits comme cela (St Malo)

I appreciate the ever-changing Breton sky

j'admire le ciel changeant en Bretagne

I notice the influence of Catholicism in Brittany (sometimes you have to manoeuvre to get a good look)

je remarque l'influence de catholicisme en Bretagne (quleque fois tu es obligé de tourner la tête pour bien voir)

I learn Breton cuisine (these are crepes - eggs, white flour, sugar, milk, cinnamon, etc.)

j'apprends la cuisine bretonne (ce sont des crêpes - oeufs, farine de blé, sucre, lait, cannelle etc.)

2008-03-13T09:03:00.005+01:00

The wintry haze is lifting over Bretagne I'd say and I couldn't be happier. The pictures from below are from a little trip a few weeks ago to Vitré when a very nice friend offered me and a friend a free ride to Rennes. We decided to go just a little farther and see one of my favorite things about this region, a medieval town! Whoop whoop!

I've learned to appreciate seeing amazing things even when the weather is less than agreeable. Some of my most enjoyable mini trips were spent in the rain - picnics on park benches and all. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

The whole blog thing is an interesting little world of its own. I am glad to let you know about my life, but I know it can lack something personal. However, it was in reading a friends' blog a couple of weeks ago that I learned about her life in Nepal. She recently spent 2 weeks travelling around in little villages selling books (of course not alone) as a means of getting to know people and sharing her faith. I recently ate in our school's "practice restaurant" for students and had a student remove crumbs from my table with a small blade and her hand. Hmm. Does anyone else feel weird or is it just me? I wondered.

I have to admit too that this year has for me really been a year for me: to grow, learn, see new things... I am thankful for all of my experiences and the friends I have and often say this. This year is not an accident and it's not my cosmic alignment either or even the fact that it's the year of the rat. One morning this week I woke to the pounding rain and hail, I was reminded of something I had just read and had to smile: The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail (Isaiah 58:11).

Endless history

2008-02-27T22:15:00.012+01:00

In the courtyard of a bite-sized castle in Vitré, former Breton stronghold on the now nonexistant boarder between Brittany and France

Climbing into a fortified city, bite-sized castle appearing larger in the background

The hope of spring

Dinan/St Malo

2008-02-24T15:34:00.007+01:00

Hamilton, Johannes, & Lawrence
Buying some fish in Dinan
Hazy morning in Dinan. This street smelled like firewood - a favorite scent of mine :)

Dinan - these unfortunate people live ... "outside the wall"

Rampart picnic in St Malo

St Malo - like Dinan it is enlosed by a wall; unlike Dinan it also has the ocean

Magic Scarves and Ramparts

2008-02-22T00:03:00.008+01:00

Dear the four people who read this blog,

Thank you for your continued interest in this free source of entertainment. I had a great day and would love to tell you about the funny things that happened during it. My list of blog faithful might lessen if I get too wordy, so I'll save some stories for when I see you and in the words of Galadriel, diminish the quanitity of vocabulary. (Yay, one of you is smiling.)

So the French school system has an exhorbitant amount of vacation which leaves me with the burdensome obligation of more days off work. Alas and Alack. Still having not had enough of Bretagne, I took my favorite modes of transport (bike, train, and my beloved Tibus - my daily school-transport) to a walled city called Dinan and then the renowned and later devastated by war, St Malo. Joining me on this day-long discovery were the infamous Johannes and Hamilton (not the president).

The walled city was actually very welcoming. That whole wall gig could give a bad rap to a place like Dinan. Too bad. We arrived freakishly early and after having eaten a nice pastry with the chocolate chips still melty and all, helped a lady set up her stand at the market. This is where the magic scarves come into play. If I could just take an extra second, I'll recount a joke that I made. The stand-lady had mannequin heads in her trunk to display the magic scarves and one fell out. Larry said, "Ma'm, you've lost your head." In French this expression also means something like, "You've gone a little psycho" or even "You're being a little OCD." She laughed, I laughed, and now I'm asking you to relive the joy with us. The magic scarves were our bounty for having set up the stand. If a certain Bethany B. or even Becca P. read this blog, they'll probably recall the magic scarves quite well. Sorry, they don't give actual powers, they're those weird things that turn into head coverings or shoulder coverings, or a host of other things.

Well, I said I'd try to keep your attention, so the ramparts are coming right up. You know, I continue to see that I am very easily amused and find that just about any normal activity becomes a good memory with a good friend. Johannes, the "slave" of the local youth hostel, was able to procure some goods and along with some stuff I had, we made a nice picnic for the three of us and ate it on the ramparts of St Malo. Below us 4 French preteens played soccer in the sand, a seagull with a weird orange beak mark hoped to get some crumbs, and old Mesdames and Messieurs took leisurely-paced walks to the end of the peer. Some lady even had a dog in a basket. Ahhh.

So, here's to you opportunities to talk to strangers, merit magic vestments, and eat on massive medieval boulders.

Take care friends. And PS - when I got home this evening a package from Hong Kong was waiting on me. Inside I found... the cord to make my computer work again. Lazarus lives! (He's the comp. for those in the dark on that one.) Peace.

To the end of the world ... and back

2008-02-03T15:26:00.001+01:00

The department in Brittany known as Finistère wins the prize for coolest department name in France I think. Finistère is Latin and means "end of the world" or "edge of the earth" - it's also the part of Brittany that boldy juts out into the cold waters of the English Channel. Ok, Eyewitness Travel Guide said something like that before me, so I need to give a little credit.

Anyway, I was really happy to spend part of my weekend on the edge of the earth, notably in Brest and Morlaix. Brest was rebuilt à l'américaine after being destroyed by the allies in World War II. Even Brestois consider their city to be, well, ugly. But it does have a nice aquarium...

Morlaix, which experienced a different history than Brest, is an old town packed with half-timbered houses, an omnipresent aquaduct, and several bakeries. We didn't find one in Brest. Sad day for those people.

Later on this weekend, I saw yet another awe-inspiring site, Cap Fréhel. When you have a bike like me going to some place like Cap Fréhel is like going from Lexington to Cincinnati in a horse and buggy. When my roommate (Nicolas) decided he wanted to go there yesterday, we hit up several sites like Cap Fréhel in one afternoon. “Hitting up” is really what it felt like too. Racing around in your car to all the "must sees" is like email versus letters but with transportation - it's quick but a little less satisfying. I’m also someone who likes to do things S...L...O...W...L...Y, so, if I haven’t had that interior “you’ve made your peace with this plant” at any given sight, I’ll probably feel hurried. In any case, I'll let you know when I make it back to Cap Fréhel on my bike...

2008-02-03T15:26:00.000+01:00

Watching a man feed some cute penguins and watching these little kids watching the event in awe.

I learned that certain types of seals come from the North Pole to the coast of Brittany which sounded odd to me. The next day I saw one at Cap Fréhel. After watching this one here play with a rock and then getting to see the other one in the wild, I forgive the seals for eating the penguins in "March of the Penguins."

Me and my good pote, Johannes, in Brest

Charming Morlaix complete with a little man on a ladder reparing the wall (left of blue doors).

Not sure what we're going for here, but this means, "If they bite you, bite them back."
I'm still enjoying spending Friday nights with a growing group of students, etc. It's a time to hang out, eat some nice desserts, sing, study the Bible, or play homemade games like this one. Way to go, Vincent.

The blob in the center is the lighthouse at Cap Fréhel and the blob on the right is my roommate (I think).

Take a walk and meet a neighbor

2008-01-27T22:44:00.001+01:00

A relaxing Sunday afternoon habit is a nice stroll. I've experienced this on more than one occasion after eating lunch at friends' homes. I have since made it my own little outing, rain or shine. Sadly, it's a rare moment now when ipod, cell phone, computer or general noise isn't filling my head. Taking a walk is also a great time to think or to pray.

Sometimes I get to see cool stuff on such walks like in the above picture and other times I see little old ladies, students from school, and French families spending an afternoon at the equestrian center near where I live.

Well to not make a short story long, I took a walk this afternoon and a little old lady asked me where the something something something was and I said I didn't know but I thought it was this way so we eventually found it after asking one of my students whom we ran into along the way. The little old lady turned out to be originally from Poland, had married a Breton man, had nephews in the United States, etc.

So, I think I'll keep up my little walks. Give it a try, yourself, you just might make a habit out of it.

Je m'excuse, vous fidèles qui lisent ce blog en français. J'ai pas eu le courage d'écrire en français récemment, mais je reprends....

J'aime bien l'habitude que j'observe ici de faire une bonne promenade surtout le dimanche après-midi. C'était en faisant autant que j'ai développé mon appréciation pour cette habitude. Je m'en souviens d'une fois en particulière quand j'ai profité des choux de Bruxelles d'un ferme dans la compagne pendant une promenade avec des amis. C'est ce genre de souvenir que l'on garde - encore plus longtemps que d'autres choses.

Maintenant, avec ou sans pluie, je fais une promenade le dimanche après-midi et bien que j'ai du mal à laisser mon mp3 ou n'importe d'autre machin qui fait du bruit, je sais que ça me fera du bien d'avoir un peu de calme. Grâce à ces moments paisibles, je suis libre de penser, de prier, ou de faire la connaissance d'une vieille voisine qui cherche le Centre Brézillet et qui a envie de parler un peu comme était le cas aujourd'hui.

The Importance of Reading the Newspaper

2008-01-19T18:07:00.000+01:00

This semester the newspaper Ouest-France, in it’s benevolence, has decided to gift our school with numerous copies of it’s daily press. I also profit from this delivery. Not only am I able to stay up to date with the news, but I also have a chance to improve my French. Last week I learned such useful words as bouder which means to pout and entamer one of I think a million synonyms meaning to start. I know this blows your mind, but just hold on...

I enjoyed reading my little copy of the paper in the evenings for the first couple of days and felt really with it when news was being discussed in the teacher’s lounge for example.

Then came two fateful days at lunch. One sunny midday the extremely popular topics of politics was floating around. The subject, more specifically, was the U.S. primaries. "There’s just one thing I don’t understand though, Lawrence," said a colleague, "and that’s caucus." Hmmm. Well, right. Needless to say I said I didn’t know too much either but shared what I did. That night Wikipedia helped clear up some of the foggines for me. Bet you didn’t know the word probably comes from a Native American implying meeting.

Day two was much the same as another question came my way. “So what do you think of the bourses in the US?” Thinking the teacher was referring to the loans that students received (my only reference for this word) I said, “Ummm, they help me?...” Well it turns out this is also the word for the stock market. So my comments about students and college must’ve seemed odd. The inquisitive teacher pulled out all kinds of knowledge about this nation and that one (France included) being influenced by the U.S. economy while others like India and China not being in this situation. “These people are political geniuses,” I thought to myself.

To make this a little more interesting, Mr. “What’s a caucus?” from the day before was sitting right next to Mrs. “What do you think of the U.S. stock market?” I think I lost some smart points with these people.

Fulfilling my wish to read the paper that evening, I noticed an article "When recession knocks at the door" which said just about everything the enlightened Mrs. Stock Market had shared. Disappointingly, I was reading this article about 6 hours too late. So perhaps my dates with Ouest-France will have to be elevensies instead of digestifs from now on...

PS - For those of you who don't like Lord of the Rings or aren't British, elevensies are a midmorning coffee and cake.

Why my bike went to school today

2008-01-07T22:06:00.000+01:00

I love my bike. Bought used, it's a little particular and it sometimes prefers that I walk it rather than ride it. But, hey, it's transportation and it's helpful and fun.

I don't quite know how to start this little story but picture me next to (key words) my bus stop, ready for my first day at school after Christmas break. I'm holding my cellphone writing a little texto. Oh, how high class am I?

Noticing large splashes of light green out of the corner of my eye (the color of the bus), I begin to reach around my back to retrieve my bus pass. In the meantime, I glance up at the conducteur and he at me. Finding my pass I start to approach the bus but to my Monday morning horror the bus continues to roll smoothly right on passed me! I also notice the sad/worried expression of a student in the back of a bus. "It would truly be a Christmas miracle," I say to myself, "if he gets up and says, 'STOP the bus!'"

But it's January now, so no luck. Moroever, he doesn't speak English so it would really be a surprise.

In a flurry of English unpleasantries said to myself, I decide whether I will just be late (again - ooops) or do something CRAZY. Feeling crazy, I choose option b. You should know that I was really feeling wild because I only put on 1 of 2 serre-pantalon which keeps my pants from becoming tangled in the chain. If you find this extra-funny, I count you as a good friend, or a member of my family.

Riding wildly (*but with utmost safety) through the streets of Saint Brieuc, I arrive at the bus's next stop. Bus in sight, I remove the serre-pantalon and get off the bike in one brillant move. Next I approach the bus, greet the conducteur, and politely ask if I can but the bike in the luggage compartments under the bus. He concedes.

So the student with the worried face, my bike, and I, my heart full of thanks - a slight change from a few minutes prior, all arrived safely to school this morning. And that's why my bike went to school today.

Not to forget...

2007-12-27T23:34:00.000+01:00

I wanted to say, "Thank You" to family and friends at home who've sent emails, cards, & mysterious packages labeled "don't open until Christmas" and who've otherwise been thinking of me. A sincere "Thank You" as well to friends in Saint Brieuc for welcoming me into their homes this Christmas.

Et à vous tous qui allez peut-être lire ce petit message, MERCI du fond de mon cœur pour votre accueil dans vos familles ce Noël. Que le Seigneur vous bénisse sans fin pendant cette nouvelle année.

A Breton Christmas

2007-12-27T21:39:00.000+01:00

On Christmas Day I was again welcomed by friends into their home. It really gave me new perspective on things to spend this family holiday with another family other than my own. I've probably said "wow" about a million times but seeing the 4 foot tall Christmas tree was another occasion to say it. What I mean is that when presents (or literally the tree) decrease, family and other good things can increase.

Otherwise, this day like the 24th, was filled with lots of eating, games, and a little bit of singing. On the corner of the coffee table is the renowned "Yule Log" or bûche. By the way, Etienne is talking to his brother who is spending the holidays in Canada with his wife.

Among the things I learned this Christmas was the importance of Christmas Eve to French families. Vincent's, Etienne's and many others' families exchange gifts and enjoy a big family meal on the evening of the 24th instead of on Christmas Day. There's a New Year's Eve quality to this in that many people are staying up late and celebrating in a way that I'm not used to seeing. It was a lot of fun playing games interspersed throughout our 4-ish hours of eating with Vincent, his brother, and parents.

Another noteworthy event was when I cut my finger with a table knife. You might be interested to know that my two thoughts were "Oh, no, we're going to have to go to the hospital" and "Oh, no, we haven't eaten the main course yet!" Thankfully, there was no hospital and my appetite returned within a few minutes.

In a creatively conceived Asian-French bakery & tea room, Rebecca tells Hamilton about a very odd relationship she has with a co-worker where she lives in eastern France. I met Rebecca in Chicago in August when we were both getting our VISA's and hadn't seen her since. She and Hamilton are both teaching English as well. Rebecca's famliy lives about 30-45 minutes from mine in KY and she took them a little something for me. Thanks, Rebecca. :)

This is Agnes and I in the same locale as below. I stayed with her family and the monk when I arrived in September. Remember?? Further info: a former Parisienne said that the lights at the Galleries Lafayette are a must see when it comes to Paris at Christmas. (Tuck that away for your own adventures.)

The lost art of window shopping - At a big shopping center in Paris there are a row of windows decked out with automated toys able to enchant kids for hours and mannequins eating dinner at the North Pole, etc. Side note: There are guys cooking and selling chesnuts on the sidewalk in busy areas like this one. Hmm.

Someone being effectively unoriginal at the Louvre.

I very nerdily made a list of things I wanted to do in Paris. This comes from many family vacations spent in hotel rooms (a.k.a. Grandma's living room - ha ha) saying, "Well, what do you wanna do?..." So included on this list was "flâner in Paris!" This is franglais for "spend time doing nothing." Kind of ironic (I'll let you make the connection), but anyway, We "flan-ayed" in the Louvre for about 3 and 1/2 hours which is where I took this picture by the way.

As soon as Hamilton and I came out of the metro I saw what I'd been waiting for: lights on the Champs Elysees! Hamilton is from South Carolina so together we acted like a couple of hillbillies for a minute and then got on with our lives.

"The Most Wonderful Time" - a little later in France

2007-12-17T23:55:00.000+01:00

A friend's manger scene: Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and some Bretons.

Hot Gallette on a cold Saturday morning. Wir essen und Das ist gute!

Perhaps the first example of something that appears to be cheaper in France: Christmas trees!

Saint Brieuc at Christmastime Part Deux!!

2007-12-17T23:43:00.000+01:00

Some more of the "Champs Elysees" à la Briochine (St. Brieuc)

In front of an old theatre in the Place de la Poste

Santa and his sea-worthy vessel

Mairie / Town hall

Cheese Palace a.k.a. Fromagerie

Saint Brieuc at Christmastime!

2007-12-17T21:13:00.000+01:00

Locking up the Christmas Tree

2007-12-09T21:08:00.001+01:00

I enjoyed some great moments that I won't soon forget with friends on Saturday night. From four different countries, families, and experiences, some friends and I had round two of Pasta Carbonara. This one was admittedly better than my Thanksgiving version of the same dish. From L to R are Johannes (Germany), Karin (Switzerland), and Vincent (France).

As we're already on the fast track to Christmas we discussed some things that our families usually do during this time. Turns out that among the four of us, I'm the only one who opens gifts on the 25th. I was interested to hear what Johannes shared about Christmas in Germany starting with Kriskind. Please forgive my spelling, German-speaking populas. This angel/child (this is slightly creepy for me) brings gifts instead of Santa Claus.

Equally interesting for me was the "secret room" (cf. Beauty and the Beast's forbidden "West Wing"). The secret or simply locked room contains the necessarily real Christmas tree, decorated with candles and with gifts underneath. I don't want to forget the bell indicating that it's time for kids to come and open gifts on Christmas Eve or the two trips to church with some Frankfurters in between :). Hmm. Sounds great, Johannes.

Merry Christmas!

Weekends are for friends & Meals from Madagascar

2007-12-02T18:11:00.000+01:00

Last night ended a great Saturday. I finally made it to the market in Saint Brieuc, learned how to make rice with milk & raspberries (why not?!), ate a traditional Malgache (from Madagascar) meal, failed to understand several jokes in French, and of course, made time for a little walk on the beach. From left to right are Johannes, my roommate Nicolas, Karin, Rija, Vincent (we’re at his house), & Hassina.
----------------------------------
Hier soir était la fin d’un samedi formidable. Enfin j’ai pu aller au marché Briochin. En plus, j’ai appris comment faire le riz au lait avec des framboises surgelées (pourquoi pas?!), j’ai mangé un plat traditionnel Malgache, je n'ai pas compris plusieurs blagues en français (malheureusement), et bien sûr, j’ai eu du temps pour me balader à la plage. De gauche à droite il y a Johannes, mon coloc Nicolas, Karin, Rja, Vincent (on est chez lui), & Hassina.

I got to spend Thanksgiving weekend with about 30 Christian college-age students from around Brittany & Normandy. They’re all part of a GBU (Groupe Universitaire Biblique) which is like Intervarsity or Campus for Christ. With two groups being 4 and 6 (Brest & Lorient) and none being the 60 WGM at Asbury is accustomed to, it was a wonderful opportunity to hang out with a large group of young adults and participate in all kinds of activities. More than that it was an opportunity to hear things like, “the university is letting us use a room for our group” or “we had 10 people one time!” and other things that really humbled me.

Personally, I was really encouraged by one student, Matthias. He's from Argentina and has been in France for 6 months. His confidence in communicating in a less than perfect fashion was really heartening for me.
-------------------------------------------
J’ai pu passé le WE de Thanksgiving avec environ 30 étudiants chrétiens de Bretagne et de Normandie. Ils font tous parti d’un GBU (Groupe Universitaire Biblique). Deux groupes sont peu nombreux ayant 4 et 6 participants – loin du 60 qui fréquentent un tel groupe à mon université aux Etats-Unis. C’était, donc, une super occasion de passer de bons moments avec un grand groupe des jeunes en faisant des activités diverses. Plus que ça, j'ai entendu des choses comme « l'université nous a permis d’utiliser une salle à la fac ! » ou bien « une fois on a eu une dizaine de personnes! » ou d'autres choses qui m’a humilié.

Personnellement, j’étais vachement encouragé par Matthias un étudiant argentin. Ça fait seulement 6 mois qu’il est à Rennes. Sa confiance en soi et son manque de peur quand il s'exprime même si ce n’est pas parfaitement, étaient pour moi des « coups d’encouragement » si je peux dire.

Cutting spaghetti by hand = Superhero

2007-11-28T21:09:00.000+01:00

Today I had some free time and asked a teacher if I could observe his cooking class. He's a friendly guy and of course said, "Sure! Whenever you want, you can come."

I think that I really might stay next year as a student at this school (ha ha). As their amazing apple tarts cooked in the oven, these students were getting a workout rolling dough to death with a rolling pin.

Things I learned from observing this class:

1) It takes a lot of flour for a thin layer of dough to stick together.

2) Spaghetti is essentially made of an egg & flour.

3) There are people in the world (notably students at La Closerie) who make spaghetti without buying the noodles in a box but rather cut each noodle with a knife.

4) People that do #3 are my hero.

I was invited back that afternoon but couldn't go. Too bad because they left their apple tarts cooling in the kitchen for later. Oh well, there's always next time!

--------------------------------------------------

Aujourd’hui j’ai eu de temps libre et j’ai demandé à un prof de cuisine si je pourrais observer un de ses cours. Un mec amical, il m’a répondu, « Ben, oui, quand tu veux, tu viens. »

Je pense vraiment que je vais rester encore une année à St. Quay mais cette fois je serai un élève (non, je blague). Alors que leurs tartes aux pommes cuisinaient dans le four, ces élèves bossaient bien leurs pâtes pour qu’elles soient assez minces.

Voici des choses que j’ai apprises grâce à ce cours :

1) Il faut plein de farine pour qu’une pâte mince reste collée pendant que l’on l’aplatit.

2) De base le spaghetti est fait d’un œuf et de la farine.

3) Il y a des gens dans le monde (mes élèves par exemple) qui fabriquent le spaghetti sans acheter des pâtes dans une boîte au supermarché mais qui, par contre, découpent chaque pâte avec un couteau.

4) Ceux qui sont capable de faire le nº3 sont des Zizou de la cuisine.

Ce même prof m’a invité de revenir pour voir la deuxième moitié de son cours mais, hélas, je ne pourrais pas. C’est bien dommage puisque leurs tartes aux pommes attendaient des clients dans la cuisine. Tant pis, la prochaine fois!

A not-so-turkey day

2007-11-26T19:18:00.000+01:00

The day of giving thanks has come & gone, but I still have much to be thankful for. I was greeted Thursday morning with "Happy Thanksgiving" from students before I even got to my room. Turns out a colleague told them to say this but I'm not complaining. Later that afternoon I made a little trip to the prefecture where I received my resident permit. I was very thankful and even explained to the lady that gave it to me that it was the day of thanks in America. It's quite possible she was less than interested but she smiled so hey...

It's true that this year I exchanged my turkey and stuffing for chicken carbonara (it's an Italian pasta, chicken, etc. dish - weird in writing but good), yet I still celebrated Thanksgiving quite well I think. Given what was left in the little fridge, my roommate Nicolas had the idea for our dinner and then we went to see a French film called "The Room of the Dead" (not too perky I know) this psychological thriller left me pensive and slightly disturbed yet content - typical for many French films in my experience.

I also talked to my family on Thursday which was nice. As we were talking our dogs began to bark as family members were arriving. From past experiences I had to smile as I envisioned the scene unfolding.

Enjoy your turkey sandwiches this week!

-------------------------------------------------------

Le jour pour donner des remerciements (le Thanksgiving) est parti, mais il reste des choses qui me rendent toujours reconnaissant. Jeudi matin au lycée des élèves m’ont salué avec des souhaits de « Happy Thanksgiving » avant même que je sois entré dans la salle de classe. Un collègue m’a avoué qu’elle leur avait encouragé de me saluer dans une telle manière mais j’ai apprécié leurs souhaits quand même. Plus tard cet après-midi là je suis descendu à la préfecture où j’ai reçu ma carte de séjour. J’en étais super reconnaissant! J’ai même expliqué à la fonctionnaire qui m’a rendu la carte que c’était ce jour-là le jour de reconnaissance aux Etats-Unis. C’est bien possible qu’elle ne s’y soit pas du tout intéressé, mais elle a souri donc je n’avais pas de soucis…

C’est vrai que cette année j’ai échangé la dinde et la farce (des aliments que l’on mange typiquement pour le Thanksgiving) pour les pâtes carbonara mais j’ai bien fêté le Thanksgiving quand même. Ayant vu ce que l’on avait dans le frigo mon colocataire a eu l’idée pour notre dîner italien et puis on est allé voir un film français qui s’appelait « La Chambre des Morts » (pas trop drôle comme titre, je sais). Après le film j’étais pensif et un peu dérangé mais satisfait – c’est normal que des films français me rendent comme ça.

En plus, j’ai pu parlé avec ma famille et c’était bien. Tout en leur parlant j’entendais mes chiens qui aboyaient à cause de l’arrivée de mes cousins, ma grand-mère, etc. ça faisait pas mal de bruit dans l'arrière plan. Puisque j’ai passé plein de Thanksgiving chez moi je voyais clairement dans ma tête la scène même si j’étais pas là.

J’espère que cette semaine ma famille va profiter bien de tous les restes!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-14T17:14:00.000+01:00

It may be a bit early to carve the turkey, but I've already taught a couple of my classes about Thanksgiving. Thanks to my family and the US Postal Service I had some nice decorations to use as well. Since some of my students are future servers/waiters, it was cool to watch how much care they put into “setting the table." They also wandered where my silverware and glasses were. One can only bring so many props!

In any case, teaching about Thanksgiving taught me a lot about this holiday that I love so much and provided an opportunity to share about something truly American. In addition it was interesting hearing their reactions to the foods that make up the meal - perhaps the fanciest American meal that exists. By the way, did you know that cranberries got their name from the Pilgrims who thought that the bush looked like a crane?

---------------------------

C’est peut-être encore un peu trop tôt pour couper la dinde mais j’ai déjà enseigné quelques leçons à propos de Thanksgiving. Grâce à ma famille et la poste américaine j’ai eu de bonnes décorations à utiliser. Vu que j’ai des élèves qui seront des serveurs, c’était intéressant de regarder comme ils ont soigneusement mis la table. Ils se demandaient où étaient les couverts et les verres. Maman n’a pas pu tout m’envoyé! En tout cas, enseigner ce qu’est le Thanksgiving m’a apporté l’occasion de comprendre encore mieux cette fête américaine que j’aime tant et en plus, j’ai eu l’occasion de partager quelque chose de vraiment « américain ».

En plus les élèves ont eu des réactions intéressantes quand je leur ai expliqué quels aliments on utilise pour faire le repas de Thanksgiving। C’est peut-être le repas américain le plus chic. Saviez-vous, par hasard, que l’on a donné le nom « cranberry » (canneberge) à la baie rouge puisque des Pilgrims (des pèlerins) ont pensé que le buisson qui pousse ces baies ressemblait aux « cranes » (un oiseau marin)? Bon ! C’est la première traduction que j’ai osé faire. J’espère que quelqu’un va-t-en profiter!

2007-11-05T23:16:00.000+01:00

During a recent vacation for the All Saints holiday I made a trip to school to take care of some stuff and tour the little port town of St. Quay. A friend came with me and we did a photo shoot at the school. Wanting to keep my dignity, I had previously chosen to wait until no students were around to do this.

I teach English conversation classes at this high school "La Closerie" where 300 students are going into all that is "restauration" - so it's a school for future chefs, caterers, butchers, bakers, pastry chefs, and other wonderful things as well as people in the service side of restauration like servers, hosts, etc.

We are 4 English teachers in all. I get to be the "fun" one :).

Apartment: Pre-Amazingness...

2007-10-30T10:13:00.000+01:00

Kitchen/Living Room (any "Friends" fans?) and part of my bedroom. My sister said, "Take pictures of EVERYTHING!" Hope you like it, Sarah.

2007-10-30T01:55:00.000+01:00

I'm actually surprised this worked! This is a slightly turbulent clip from our Pier Party - yeah, I misspelled it before. So all these people gathered for a breezy late afternoon celebration of what some young teens had built and learned. A reporter came so did many friends and family members and these great musicians. One of them loves Bluegrass music.

2007-10-30T01:48:00.000+01:00

This is a port in Saint Brieuc called Le Légué. I'm pretty sure that it's called a "goanag" and that's not just because it's written in plain sight. Actually this boat was built by some young guys who benefit from mentor relationships that they have with people like Hervé, the guy who I was living with before I was in my apt.

If you watch the little video you'll see the peer side party that we had. I felt honored to see the culmination of this several-month-long project when the fishing boat number was launched. Country/folk music was played; I felt at home.

What a lovely garage door you have...

2007-10-30T01:20:00.000+01:00

Hello people who read my blog. Thankfully, I have the Internet in my apartment now! My roommate who just arrived tonight brought about this amazing new wave of technology. Actually, he figured out how to connect us to proprietor's wireless connection. What next, a radio or could it be... a TV? I don't dare consider it yet.

I have sometimes wanted to tell you fun or profound things, but haven't suceeded either because A) I haven't had the Internet or B) I have had issues with the computer I was using (though I am very grateful for use of my proprietor's computer).

I hope that you will enjoy this pics. I DO HAVE A JOB I want to remind you, but haven't yet had the occasion to take pics at school. I'm trying to look more like a teacher and less like a tourist in a "rale Franch skyool!!!" That's "real French school" in Kantuckie talk if you couldn't decipher. So, as for the pics of school in the words of somebody from a movie I'd be embarassed to admit I'm quoting, "All comes in time."

As your eyes descend from left to right you have: the neighbor's house, my proprietor's, and finally, my humble garage entry mostly covered by the bushes (because it's prettier that way). The two windows on the tile roof above the car are mine and I have a nice view of the back yard as well. A friend referred to my place as "a treehouse" - I didn't invite him back. ( ha ha )

Does this guy ever work?

2007-10-26T18:21:00.000+02:00

I got/had to go to Rennes, the capital of Brittany last Thursday. It was a beautiful day and I ended up on the same train as another American English teacher from Saint Brieuc. Both of us were going to the immigrants/foreigners office.

I was able to spend a few hours with Etienne, friend from St. Brieuc, who studies in Rennes. Among other things we saw the Place Sainte Anne which you see a little corner of in this picture. There's an old church in the square along with lots of places to eat and be jolly.

2007-10-16T21:06:00.001+02:00

Last Sunday afternoon I was so thankful to be invited to join the group you see in this picture for a little sightseeing in a town I pass everyday on my commute. I'd just moved into my apartment on Friday and was already noticing the lack of people to talk to - other than myself. On the left is Mathieu who visited last weekend for Vincent's baptism and enjoyed his time here so much decided to visit again this past weekend.

Sunday morning at church different people shared what the Bible meant to them. My friend Loti talked about how God's word is as sweet as honey (Ezekiel 3:3) "which I love and eat every day," she added. Karin and some visiting friends from German-speaking Switzerland sang a beautiful song about how God knows us each inside and out (Psalm 139). I didn't understand a single word but it really blessed me.

Some updates...

2007-10-16T21:06:00.000+02:00

From left are Vincent, Etienne, and me. This is at their baptism service which took place at a chapel a good distance away from our store front church in St. Brieuc. Friends and family came from all over to support these guys as they shared why they had chosen to live their lives for Jesus. I was honored to be there having just met these guys a couple weeks ago.

Here's a picture of Me, Loti, and Hervé at their home. This couple is so generous and am so grateful to have them as friends. They warmly welcomed me to their town by giving me tours of the city in the car - since I'm directionally challenged - loaning me a bike, including me in family activites, not to mention giving me a place to stay and warm meals every night. YUM!

A bike, a bank, and the beach

2007-10-05T17:54:00.000+02:00

Hervé, my current host, fixed the bike I was having trouble with. I had heard there was a nearby beach but hadn't been able to go find it yet. Today I did. I'm told that St. Brieuc is not one of the more beautiful locals in Brittany. Anyone coming from a landlocked state like KY will take any ocean availabe. And I found it quite breath-taking even so. I think this is called something like Beach of the Valleys. I imagine that at high tides the water surrounds all the little huts in the distance which are probably used as fishermen's posts. I've never been to New England but it must be something like this with the rocks and the cool breeze.

In other news I have taught some classes now and find the students to be similar to students at home. These however are sporting coats and ties. I read their handbook and it said that students must where dark colors; I believe the exact word is "somber." For the most part students dress better than do teachers.
So as not to leave any loose ends from my title, I officially have a bank account. A great new phenomenon in France is that the post office now functions as a regular bank. I'm told it has had partial bank functions before, but now it's whatever the rest of banks are. Brigitte, who was my intial church contact here, graciously made an appointment for me to get an account and took me there. This is just one of many "you really don't have to do that for me" instances.

Thanks for your emails. Have a great weekend.

Reflections on something unimportant and something interesting

2007-10-02T18:59:00.000+02:00

Well it has actually been bothering me for a couple days that I wrote that Sacrè Coeur means Holy Heart b/c it is really better as Sacred Heart. Phew. I feel better.

In other news I have much to say about school but will say only that today I had my first class without another teacher and it was made up of students, male and female, who are all going to be pastry chefs. My high school is a lycèe professionnel of everything that has to do with hotellerie which I am probably mispelling and restauratation. This is quite specatacular. Yesterday I ate a three course lunch served and cooked by students in a restaurant that is attached to the school. Quite a change from any cafeteria.

Blessings to all!

2007-09-30T19:42:00.000+02:00

Below are 3 pics from Paris and 1 from St. Brieuc. I arrived in my t-shirt, pants that were slightly damp in places, and windbreaker. Yikes! But a good time was had by all...
Thinking of a certain Chevy Chase movie I asked if we could drive around the Arc de Triomphe. We did. I took a picture and it was raining.

2007-09-30T19:37:00.000+02:00

Here is Agnès with her father, Jesus, at Sacré Coeur which means "Holy Heart." I have been told before that this place is called Montmartre or "Mount of the Martyr" because the first martyr in Gaulle/France was in fact martyred here.

2007-09-30T19:33:00.000+02:00

This is Leobardo whom I was blessed to spend time with. If you didn't recognize it that's Notre Dame behind us - the one which didn't inspire the movie Rudy.

2007-09-30T19:30:00.000+02:00

This is a little Catholic church in my current corner of St. Brieuc. It's surrounded by everything from a vegetable shop to a barber and a bar (which are not in the same building ha ha).

2007-09-30T00:24:00.000+02:00

I out there, Jerry, and I'm loving every minute of it.

2007-09-29T23:46:00.000+02:00

Pardon the Seinfeld shout out there. I don't even watch that show all that much but it's always on the commerical. Voilà some important first words from France, eh?

I have had so many funny/encouraging moments but this is the first time I am attempting to communicate any of them.

God is so good sums it up but I'd love to tell you that this can look quite crazy.
Here's a quick top 10 to update you (I credit this idea to Nathan, Cydil, and David Letterman):

10 - I met two other English teachers in Philly who are now in their respective parts of France.
9 - I doused my lap with my water on the plane, was given paper towels and told "It'll dry before arrival" - it did.
8 - I met a French friend of mine, Agnès, at the airport in Paris and we took a taxi to her family's apt.
7 - It's a lot colder in the north of France than KY.
6 - I met a Mexican monk named Leobardo who eats once a day and takes heart meds with wine.
5 - I was treated as an honored guest by Agnès' family and her dad's name is Jésus (he's a Spaniard).
4 - I saved about 25 bucks with my young people's discount for my train ticket.
3 - I had my first ever authentic English tea made by a native whose now living in France.
2 - I met a great group of students/young professionals at a seeker Bible study, went out with them and was stared at by a couple of them b/c of my expressive, loud nature. They still like me.
1 - I played volleyball at the beach as the sun was setting in 55° water and was more numb than "used to it".