Vacance, Etc.

Ok, so long-past-due update time again.

As most of you know, my brother went into the hospital a few weeks ago because of a farm accident, so updating my blog with everything that's been going on over here in the meantime has felt kind of weird until now. It's been really hard to be so far away and to not be able to get Skype figured out with the time difference and the family going to and from the hospital and their having their schedule and my having my/the family here's schedule. But he's been doing as well as can be expected, and is on his way to recovery now (both he and my family have been well taken care of by doctors, nurses, friends, and church family--thank you all), so on we go. 

Since I last blogged, the kids have had two weeks of vacation (Vacance Toussaint), so I and the family went on a trip to the north of France to Saint Valery sur Somme. They have a bayside house there, so we spent a week eating seafood, wandering along the beaches, seeing washed-up bunkers from WWII, seeing the medieval gate Jeanne d'Arc went through on her way to be tried and executed in Rouen, digging for clams, taking a boat ride, playing games, and watching movies.  I got lots of pictures, so watch Facebook. Along with the ones I promised last time (oops!), they will be up soon!

I also noticed more during vacance just how ethnically diverse Fontainebleau is (especially compared to the more rural French towns where you're lucky to find anyone that speaks even a little English). The town is known for having one of the foremost business/management schools in Europe (and the world, I think, besides the likes of Harvard) INSEAD. The school draws people from all over the world, so there is quite a mixed population and a larger number of multilinguals compared to most of the rest of France. For example, while I was at a small park with the youngest girl, I heard spoken French. English, Mandarin, and Arabic in the span of an hour and among a group of maybe 20 people. On the bus one time, I also got talking to an Indian man about our experiences learning French, how it compares to Hindi and English, and how American, French, and Bollywood movies stack up to one another. The English-speaking church I have decided to attend is also made up of mostly English, Irish, Scottish, and even Swedish expatriates, all living in Fontainebleau either for the school or for work. And just last weekend, I was going to Versailles, ended up going to wrong way on the train and having to backtrack. Turns out, two other travelers had done the exact same thing and they spoke English. They had just met that morning and found out they both came from Shanghai, though one was now teaching/studying engineering in Sweden and the other working/studying medicine in Germany. We chatted on the train, managed finally to find our way Versailles, and took this picture to commemorate.

They insisted on the pose. 

On a side note: Versailles as a palace is not as grand as I'd expected (I find the one in Fontainebleau much grander), but that might have something to do with the fact that I felt like a salmon swimming against the stream of tourist groups that filled every room. However, the gardens are one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my whole life. The day I went was an absolutely perfect day to go too--a bright blue sky behind rows of trees with autumn leaves falling on gentle, crisp breezes... 

*dies of happiness*

I'll be going back. 

Also since the last update, the family had a ceremony for their new house. It was a ceremony in which they ask the Virgin Mary to come into (or to be enthroned in, as they explained it to me) the house and bless it and those who live in it. A priest and nun came and guided the family through songs and prayers and scripture readings, then led the family on a procession through the house, sprinkling the house with holy water and praying to/praising Mary throughout. So, for one thing, I got to have dinner with a priest and a nun--admittedly a first for me. For another, I got to understand from them and the family what they were doing, why they thought it was important and what it meant to them as an expression of their faith. For clarity's sake, I personally do not adhere to the same belief, so it sparked some good conversations with the oldest girl about what I believe and why it's not the same as what she believes. I don't think she's yet had many of those kinds of conversations, so it's a good exercise for her in how to be able to discuss differences in belief without becoming accusatory, and for me as well in learning how to do the same, while also trying to make my beliefs understandable to her (that language barrier always adds a fresh challenge). 

I also celebrated Halloween with the girls. They were really looking forward to doing it because it's considered an American holiday and the French don't really get the point of it (if you want another challenge, try explaining the point of Halloween and how and why people celebrate it to someone who has no idea what it is without making it sound completely bizarre and morbid). Some people in France do celebrate though by getting dressed up and trick or treating, so that's what the girls wanted to do. The oldest dressed up as a dog, the middle turned a box into a TV and put it on her head, and the littlest one kept saying she wanted to be a princess, wanted to be a princess, wanted to be a princes--up to the day we bought face paint for the oldest's costume. Then she wanted to be a zombie like the ones in the "Thriller" music video. This was the result: 

As you can see, the youngest was downright terrifying. And she loved it. They all loved it. They had so much fun getting dressed up, walking downtown, and getting candy from the local businesses and seeing how friendly they were about giving out the candy (they made quite the haul).

I also did a bit of baking and attempted a pumpkin pie because the family had never heard of a pie being made with pumpkin before. However, I made a different recipe, had to make it without Libby's (because it took some effort to find a legitimate fresh pumpkin, much less a canned one) and without cinnamon (the dad's not a fan). 

Don't let the smile fool you, it was a disgrace to pumpkin pies everywhere (and an example of just how far some people are willing to go to try not to offend you--the parents were too kind in their evaluation of the dessert until I insisted that it really was terrible, to which they then quickly agreed). 

I'll probably try again with a different recipe for the American Thanksgiving though. The family wants to celebrate for me and for the excuse of having an American Thanksgiving.

Speaking of food, here is the next installment of The Food Diaries (and some evidence that at least my stomach has been secretly French my whole life):

 Veal liver 

Sea asparagus (weirdly crunchy, spicy, and delicious)

Sea snails (my first bite, seen above--I liked them much more than it looks like I did)

Variations of squash soup

Mussels and fries 

Boeuf Bourguignon

Angelina's hot chocolate and raspberry macaron (YUM)

Burgundies, Chadonnays, Bordeaux, and a Bollinger Champagne (James Bond's champagne of choice, apparently)

CHEESES: Comte, a beer-soaked cheese of which I forget the name from Northern France, Roquefort, le Pitchu (a goat cheese), and Etorki (a sheep cheese); also, this little beauty:

The reason it is sitting on the ledge outside a closed window is because it smelled to high heaven. If it had been left in the house for longer than it took to eat, I don't think the smell would have ever left, and it was not a terribly pleasant smell. However, it tasted DE-LICIOUS.

 I've got some fun activities planned for the next week (like a chocolate festival at chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte and a Twenty One Pilots concert (!!!thank you, Katie!!!)) and a lot of thoughts/observations rolling around my head that need organizing, so I'll update you all next week (or the week after--let's be realistic about my consistency in blogging and not make ridiculous promises). I really have to stop trying to make these things comprehensive (or I have to get better at updating more frequently).

A tout a l'heure!

Dani