Deux Hamburgers, Deux Petits Frites, Deux Petites Bieres..

That is correct, Genevieve and I went to McDonald’s!  It was more of an experience than anything else, and it was definitely her idea!

On Monday afternoon I had plans to meet up with a friend to unlock our cell phones, respectively from America and Scotland.  Before we engaged in some shady business over the river, we decided to stop in an Orange store and inquire as to how much it would cost for a new phone, SIM card, etc…  It turns out our pit-stop was a brilliant idea because not only did Catherine’s Scottish phone work with a French SIM card but I learned of a great phone deal that was ending on Wednesday (today)!  I found out all the information and went home to explain the logistics of it to Genevieve.  It turns out I needed a bank account, with a bank card, and a slip of paper that proved I belonged to a French bank (which, even if I opened an account it would take two weeks to process).  Genevieve being the awesome woman that she is came with me Tuesday morning and helped me get a phone (with the deal).  LONG story short I have a phone!  Anyway, that little anecdote was to introduce the rest of my afternoon spent with Genevieve.  After we successfully got the phone, we walked out of the store, she grabbed my arm and goes, ‘Let’s have a chic lunch at McDonald’s!’  How could I say no to that!  I said, “Let’s go, I’m paying!”  I didn’t think I was really going to break the bank treating for this type of meal.  We went right up to the counter and ordered two hamburgers and two small fries, the woman asked if we wanted anything to drink and Genevieve turns to me and goes, beer?  …and two small beers.  We took our tray outside and sat at one of their many tables on the sidewalk. 

After lunch we walked back to the garage where we had parked the car.  We chose to walk up a different street than Rue De La Republique and stopped at a very nice clothing store that, Genevieve explained to me, was for women of her age.  It was very trendy shop where the women inside were very nice.  Right at the entrance there were coffee cups set up, a plate of cookies, and a chilled bottle of champagne.  Apparently there was some sort of promotion.  I’m not sure if it was the clothing or the coffee that caught Genevieve’s eye but we went inside and I enjoyed a nice glass of champagne and she sipped on an espresso as we browsed the store.  We each grabbed a cookie, and were then on our way, no, we didn’t buy anything!

I'm Staying!

More to come later, but I have a job here in Lyon!
That is the great news of the day!

You're Invited:

Sara Bailin – English language assistant seeks shared apartment with (preferably) native French speakers to improve language skills and to learn more about the culture.  Looking for an apartment close to a central location (AKA main metro stop, bus stop, or tram stop).  Likes music, film, and hanging out with friends.  Enjoys discussions both serious and humorous.  Likes telling jokes, but only has a select few committed to memory.  Starting work the 1^st of October but as of yet hasn’t been assigned to particular school.  Guarantees first months rent and security deposit.  Enjoys cooking (in fact, LOVES cooking), organized, keeps a clean room and doesn’t mind arranging shared areas of the apartment. 

This is who wants and needs and apartment and has, unfortunately not been entirely successful with finding one.  The search is tough here and more often than not you are up against at least 10 other people.  I have achieved success in creating friendships with those who I have visited, awkward? Maybe.  Generous? Yes.  Disappointing? A little.  I believe it was the second apartment visit that Marissa and I went on that we met Matthieu (our first friend in Lyon) and were invited to his birthday party.  Since then I have met two lovely Italian women who, although the landlord chose Marco to live in the apartment, have continued to invite me to their parties since my visit.  Then, there is Pierre-yves and Vincent.  Two guys, very chill, living in a brand new apartment.  Their decision was so challenging that I was asked back to have another visit with them.  I brought a tall bottle of cold beer and stayed at their apartment for about an hour.  Afterwards I was friended on facebook by one of them, days later I was told they chose someone else, a couple more days later I was friended on facebook by the other, and most recently I was invited to their apartment warming part on October 10^th.  Seriously?  So I could be homeless but still have friends, not a bad deal, right?  I have made a couple more appointments for the next couple days and hopefully something will come of that. 

There Are Lizards in Lyon

           Each time I walk into town from St Foy Les Lyons I notice that there are lizards, big and little, that climb up the walls that line the small winding roads of the old city. I am secretly nervous that they will lose their grip on the wall, fall into my hair, get tangled, and cause me to jump in the middle of the street flailing my arms and inevitably embarrassing myself.  That hasn’t happened quite yet so fingers crossed. 

            My short anecdote about walking into town is relevant to yesterday, today, and tomorrow because there is a transportation strike.  I am not entirely sure, actually no one is, on how long this will last, but living in a suburb it is restricting my daily plans…  It actually took me two hours to get home yesterday from the Train station (I found one bus that took me partially up the hill).  Where was I taking the train from you ask?  I went to Grenoble!  A small city surrounded by mountains (yes, right near the Alpes).  Why was I there?  I was checking out the area because there is a position that just opened in or around the area.  Genevieve, knowing everyone and their mom, called a friend’s daughter to ask if I could stay with her while I explored the city.  It was only a 24 hour trip but I was able to see most of the city.  It is considerably smaller than Lyon and transportation consists of trams (above ground) and buses.  I stayed with Emeline, a 19 year old university student who, between high school and college, studied abroad for the year in Alaska…needless to say her English was close to perfect.  She was able to tell me about and show me around the area.  I’m glad I went to visit but as of now my situation has changed once again and I’m not sure that I will indeed have to move cities.

            

Grapes

Last night Genevieve's sister Ann, Ann's husband, Marie (her daugther), and Cecile (another daughter) joined us for dinner.  We ate in the salon and had a great time.  Genevieve's apartment was just a stop on their trip through France.  We had quite a full apartment last night!  After dinner we had white and red grapes.  These grapes, however, were bigger than the ones I have been eating for the past couple days...and they tasted just like Earl Grey Tea!  Can you imagine? DELISH!

A New Day, A New Friend?

I have been in Lyon for a little over a week and I am happy to say that each day I seem to have a new acquaintance, whether on purpose or by accident.  These rendez-vous have been quite enjoyable save for the minor choking incident the other day.  I decided to post a little message on the facebook group “Assistants in Lyon 2009-2010” just to say that I was here and ask if anyone was interested in grabbing a drink.  Success!  I have now met two other assistants (one from England and one from Scotland).  On Wednesday I actually met Jack at his hostel in Vieux Lyon and we chatted for about two hours.  He did an assistantship two years ago in Mexico for 11 months!  He says his Spanish is better than his French (and here I’m thinking…I’m only on my second language…).  We have been communicating through facebook because neither of us have French cell phones yet.  It has been working well though.  Yesterday I met another assistant (a girl from Scotland) named Kirsten.  She had been in Lyon for a week (touring around with her younger sister) and has now settled into student housing in the 7eme.  In Europe (or I think maybe just in the UK), unlike America, students who pursue language studies are highly encouraged to spend a year in a country were that language is spoken.  It is a program called Erasmus.  Anyway, we met around 2:30 yesterday at Place Bellecour (a very common meeting spot) and decided to find a nice café where we could sit outside (but out of the sun).  It was nice to meet a new person and we were able to share stories, talk about finding an apartment, and discuss things we have learned about Lyon so far.  We walked to the old part of the city after our drink and found a bench, where we sat down and decided to talk some more.  They are really nice…but sometimes I feel like the crazy American when I say how beautiful the small streets are or tell funny stories…but they laugh (whether its at me or with me I’m not sure…).  We also talked about how its funny that we have been meeting random people that we have communicated with through the internet.  Jack and I started laughing because I said, there is no way I would have met a random person as a hostel in America, ever!  It is different circumstances, of course, but a funny concept to the think about.  On that note, today I’m actually meeting another assistant from Germany.  She just settled into her hotel today but she is ready to explore the city a bit. 

            I forgot to mention, on Wednesday night after I met Jack I walked into the city centre for an apartment appointment I had made with two roommates both named Valentine.  Their buzzer was broken (and I still don’t have a cell phone) so we made a plan to meet outside the building at 7:30 and she would bring me up to the apartment.  It turns out, as I was waiting I found a young woman pacing back and forth in front of the building.  I asked (in French) if she was Valentine.  She said no, but she was waiting for a friend who was visiting an apartment.  She asked where I was from and I said “Je viens d’etats-unis,” and she replied, “Oh, me too!”  It turns out she was a former assistant (originally from California) and now is an English teacher at a private school here in Lyon.  Her friend, from England, was, in fact, visiting the same apartment as me.  Valentine came down, invited both of us upstairs and we all sat at a table together.  So picture this, two young animated Italian women, me, Veronica (the other American), Imogen (a thirty-something year old woman…also an English teacher), and Petra a student from Slovakia.  We were talking about how we all didn’t know many people so the wonderful Italian women said, “Let’s-a do-a DINNER, ‘ere, SAturDAY!  Everyone-a brings somesing”  (I am trying to convey the intonation and accent).  We all agreed and we’ll be having a sort of potluck dinner tomorrow night at their apartment.  Did I mention this was the biggest apartment I have seen in Lyon yet!  WAY too expensive but I got a dinner out of it!  As I left the apartment visit I walked with Petra, the student, who is from Slovakia, she goes to University in Whales, and spent the summer working in Bourdeaux (which means she speaks Slovak, English (with a British accent), and French…WOAH!).  We were walking in the same direction towards Bellecour and as we got to the centre we decided to get a drink together and I learned more about where she was from and why she decided to come to Lyon.  At around 9 we went our separate ways and said, “See you Saturday.” 

            Last night Marie, one of Genevieve’s many nieces, came over for dinner.  As Genevieve finished watching her program on television I sat with Marie, told her about myself as she kept asking questions.  It was funny Genevieve says every time Marie comes over she always wants to know what there is to eat in the house.  We ended up having dinner altogether.  Marie and I made the salad (with cucumbers and Avocados) and she made the dressing (just like I make at home – mustard, oil, and vinegar).  Genevieve heated up some left over soup, added some parsley and then concocted some sort of egg and tomato-something.  She sliced tomatoes, put them in a pan, cracked 5 eggs and let them cook as we ate our soup.  Genevieve definitely knows the definition of ‘Everything but the kitchen sink’ (AKA she didn’t have time to go to the grocery store yesterday).  We each had a piece of the chocolate cake I made and then Genevieve offered to drive Marie home.  She doesn’t live far away but she rode her bike over.  We somehow fit the bike into Genevieve’s small car (with the trunk completely open).  We dropped Marie and her bike off and planned a potential lunch for today. 

            I organized my room a little last night and today (still haven’t unpacked anything from my suitcase) but I feel, and it looks like, I’m a bit more settled than before.  We are having fish for lunch!

As Julia Child would say, “BON APPETITE!”

Lesson Learned: Take Smaller Bites, Seriously

On Monday evening Genevieve and I dined at her friend’s house.  The head of the family, Monsieur De France is in the textile business and they live in a large and beautiful home.  They currently are hosting two young men, one from Paris and one from California.    They live in a gated area with a pass code.  Of course Genevieve and I forgot the code, and she forgot her cell phone…so we found ourselves in a pickle.  Not 10 minutes later another car pulled up and opened the gate for us.  Unfortunately this wasn’t the only gate we needed to get through.  When we arrived at their private entrance door no one was answering the bell.  Genevieve was practically pressing the button continuously as I sat in the car.  She even climbed on top of the hood of the car three times to peer over and yell COUCOU to see if anyone would answer…no one did.  We backed the car up, went back to the entrance gate and in fact found the sheet of paper where Genevieve had written down the code to the first gate (so we could get out if we needed to).  She tried to call with the intercom system, but again, no answer.  ANOTHER car pulled up and Genevieve asked to borrow the driver’s cell phone.  Meanwhile I was watching all this happen from inside her car.  She finally got hold of the De France family and we headed back up the winding path to their house.  When we arrived I met Edouard, who, at first, I thought was the American.  His accent was perfect, his hair, face, and clothing were so French…I really couldn’t believe he acclimated this accurately…I soon found out he was from Paris and was indeed born and bread to be as French as they come!  We went into the salon and that is where I met Andrew, from California- barefoot, mesh shorts, and an American accent. 
We all sat down and had a glass of wine.  There were pistachios, cut vegetables, and these delicious hot-dog balls that had mustard seeds in them…what a taste sensation (and a little off-putting at first when you initially bite down on the nurdles inside!).  Dinner was soon ready and we made our way into the dining room.  We had roast beef, seasoned potatoes, and salade.  DELISH!  The younger crowd sat at one end of the table (I was placed at the head, en face de Monsieur De France).  Edouard was very kind and asked me a bunch of questions about being in Lyon, my job, when I got here, etc…  I found out it is challenging to eat roast beef and politely answer rapid fire questions.  This is where I learned my lesson:  I had just cut a sizable piece of roast beef and began to chew it.  Edouard asked me another question and after chewing for what seemed like the proper amount of time I swallowed so I could answer his question without being rude…bad idea.  It turns out the piece of meat was too big for my poor throat and I indeed began to choke.  Mind you, this was probably over a period of 5-10 seconds but definitely felt like more!  I kept my cool trying not to make a scene, as these people were brand new acquaintances.  The thoughts running through my head were – Oh my god I’m going to choke in Lyon, at least its good roast beef, does anyone know the himleck (sp?) here?, if I can cough that means I’m not choking right?- so I tried to breath and really couldn’t, then I coughed a little bit and the meat went down!! PHEW!  Edouard was still patiently waiting for my response and I don’t even think that he realized what had just happened because I guess I kept my cool…or maybe he didn’t want to embarrass me by asking.  Moral of the story, people can always wait for the answer to their questions and in the mean time take smaller bites…

Ode to Genevieve

I am no poet nor one to write a captivating short story so this ‘Ode to Genevieve’ is simply a recount of our past couple days and a description of who this wonderful woman is.  She is to my estimate in her 70s.  She is one of 8 children and has over 20 grand-nieces and nephews (I have seen pictures of them all).  She keeps in touch with her family quite well, in fact, she calls her older brother, a jesuit priest in Taiwan, every morning using skype.  She is divorced and was not successful when it came to having children so all the students and young travelers she has hosted have become her children.  She has pictures of all of them!  I am her newest ‘petite americaine.’  On Saturday, when I first met her in my hotel she was more than happy to take me in until I figure out my situation in France.  She picked me up at noon on Sunday, I said goodbye to Marissa and we drove to her apartment.  The elevator was broken so a couple from a another floor helped us bring all Marissa’s luggage up the stairs.  Genevieve invited them in for an aperitif for their help and we all had a small glass of a melon liquer (at 12:30pm, bottoms up!).  We sat in her living room talking about the building and how all the apartments set up differently and before I knew it we were in the other couple’s apartment to see how it was different.  Needless to say it was a completely different set up.  Anyway, Genevieve like’s to visit her neighbors and perhaps it was because she had me with her…  On our way down to her apartment we stopped at her friends apartment where I met the mother of a Lyon filmmaker who will be in this years film festival in Octobre.  When we returned to her apartment, we ate lunch (pork chops and potatoes), and then rested until around 3.  After our ciesta she took me around vieux Lyon (old city) and to two different cathedrals, one very ornate and the other ‘plus sombre.’  We took the fanicula (I don’t know if I spelled that correctly) down to old city.  There are two trams that run on the same track and right in the middle they switch and go around each other (it is imperative that they leave at the same time…or else!!).  We visited the pottery market that was set up only for two days.  We walked around a bit and then sat down at a café and we had a beer together.  For dinner we made a frozen pizza, drank rose wine, and ate grapes for dessert. 

            To give you an idea of what a kind heart Genevieve has here is a little anecdote:  We stopped to look at the ancient Roman theatre in the afternoon on sunday.  She explained to me that it was the Romans who were set up in Lyon and created the first civilization.  On our way back to the car we passed a Nun.  Genevieve asked if she needed a ride, what church she was from, and if she could aid her in any way.  The nun was early for her ride and was very appreciative of her offer.  It doesn’t phase Genevieve to help others.

            She loves wine with lunch and dinner, doesn’t much enjoy vegetables, and doesn’t consider herself much of a cook but she knows how to prepare a good meal.  We now have an inside joke about broccoli because it is my favorite vegetable and her least favorite (silly, I know).  She continues to remind me that I am ‘chez moi’ here and can help myself to anything.  She taught me how to control the TV and switch to the cable.  I have my own room but feel very comfortable hanging out in the common room.  The other day I showed her a book my sister made me with a ton of pictures of the family and she thoroughly enjoyed it.  She could see that we have a lot of fun together.  I am lucky to have found her and am glad I have somewhere to stay while I wait for news from the Academie de Lyon.

A day of, "Did that just happen?"

            On Saturday Marissa and I took our time getting out of bed, made a couple of phone calls and decided to leave the hotel around noon.  Our plans of the day consisted of a rendez-vous at the hotel at 3:30pm with Madame Genevieve Kourchid, the former host-mother of my neighbor in New York, and the birthday party at 8pm.  We decided to eat locally so we could get back to the hotel in time. 

            We sat in the lobby waiting for Genvieve.  She arrived and we sat down altogether and talked about Lyon, about my situation, and about where she lives.  It turns out she was more than happy to let me stay with her for the week, and she was kind enough to store Marissa’s two big suitcases for the week while she is in Italy.  Right then and there we packed my suitcase and backpack and drove over to her apartment in a suburb of the 5eme (I have been living out of a duffle bag so all my stuff was untouched and ready for transport).  We met one of her friends in another building and continued to her apartment.  Marissa and I decided to take the bus from her apartment back to the centre (only about a 15-20 minute bus right).  We got off at Bellecour (a central part of town) and started our walk back to the hotel.  On one of the main streets, Victor Hugo, we ran into three guys who bombarded us with an electronic scale, I know…where could this story be going, right?  One was dress in a gold gown with a gold hat and the others were just really loud and obnoxious.  Marissa and I tried to keep walking but they kept stepping in front of us.  They asked to weigh us (how rude!) and as we kindly declined they became more and more insistent saying that it wouldn’t matter because (after they found out we were American) the units were kilos not pounds.  We finally got passed the majority of them…but there was one man who kept walking with us.  He apparently was captivated by the fact that we were American and kept repeating, I’ll let you go for a kiss (again, how rude!).  He kept grabbing my arm and I kept saying, do not touch me!  Apparently there was a group of girls watching that were about to step in.  We finally were freed from that situation and actually befriended a young girl (student), who had seen the whole situation.  She explained that it was a bachelor party and they meant not harm (AKA they were completely wasted and probably didn’t even realize how silly they were acting).  Anyway, I figured, although that wasn’t a good experience it was coupled with meeting a really nice stranger on the street who was able to explain the situation and reassure us that it was not an everyday thing.  Marissa and I just looked at each other after the entire fiasco and just started laughing, it was one more story that would shape our experience in Lyon.

            We rested a bit in the hotel room before we left for the birthday party.  We decided (because of what we knew of American birthday parties) that we would have dinner before then head over ‘fashionably late.’  We took the metro up to the 4eme (near Matthieu’s apartment) and chose to eat at Café des Voyageurs.  Like a true francaise I ordered a hamburger!  We had a wonderful waiter and the food was delicious.  The restaurant was packed because there was a futbol (soccer) game on.  I am quickly realizing I should start following futbol so I’m ready to participate in sports discussions.  As we finished eating we looked at our watches and it was nearly 8:30pm.  We decided to ask for the check and hustle over to the party.  I told Marissa it could go one of two ways, either there are a bunch of people there talking, drinking, and laughing and we will blend right in or everyone will be sitting down chatting and we will be the Americans who are blatantly late.  Well it wasn’t quite either situation…we were actually the first ones there.  As we walked into the common area and there was a table full of food and drinks…  Well now we know how a party is conducted here.  We had bought a card for Matthieu saying “Joyeux Anniversaire, Thank you for being our first friend in Lyon.”  It turns out he had made guacamole, a rice/tuna/olive/herb dish, quiche lorraine, and had different dips such as carrot, celery, and pea.  We sat and talked for about a half hour until the other guests arrived.  Everyone was very nice…and everyone else brought something (dried fruit, nuts, cookies, and other drinks…another thing we learned about a party in France).  It was a very international crowd (Italian, Ukrainian, French, American…).  It wasn’t quite a rager, but we had a good time.  It was definitely a sit down party with discussion and some jokes.  We discussed the difficulty of finding an apartment and also the option of squatting (not to worry I’m not about to go that route).  BUT apparently, it is not entirely illegal to squat here and between the months of November and January a landlord cannot throw you out of a building.  Later in the evening Matthieu brought his “chair” (a beer crate) over to Marissa and I to talk to his new friends.  I think the best moment of the night was when Marina (the girl from the Ukraine) asked Matthieu how we all knew each other…  As he explained that we had only met the day before her face was priceless… but I think she soon got over the strangeness of his statement.  We learned that Matthieu LOVES film.  He works in informatique now but hopes to work in film eventually.  You name the film, he knows it.  He even buys a monthly pass so he can go to the movies an unlimited number of times without buying individual tickets.  Side note: the movies, as of this Wednesday, will be 4 euros.  We discussed film for quite a bit.  We decided to head back down to our hotel around 11pm.  It was a fun party but the metro stopped soon after midnight and Marissa had her flight for Italy the next day and wanted to get everything organized.  It was definitely an interesting night, and a great opportunity to not only meet new people but listen to French.  It makes such a different when its all around you.  All in all it was a good experience but we just could not stop saying, “Did that just happen?”

A new friend!

Bonjour!
It is saturday afternoon and Lyon is still charming.  We have explored many different neighborhoods (and thankfully my legs are not hurting yet...).  Our preferences are now the 2eme, 1ere, and the 5eme.  It is very tough to find an apartment (especially not even knowing if i'm going to be here or not!).  I am certainly taking advantage of being in such an amazing place though.  In fact, last night we went to an apartment in the 4eme to "fait une visite."  It was a three bedroom and one of the 'colocs' was moving out.  I think the whole experience was pretty humorous actually.  We took the metro up there (first time on the metro, and it is very much a smaller version of the lines in Paris and not hard to navigate at all).  We knew we would get there early, find the location, have a bite to eat, then ring the bell.  Well we circled Rue Raymond about three times before we realized that it was exactly where we needed to be.  We found the address and went right across the street to have a nice dinner.  We ate 'en terrace' because the weather was so nice.  As we walked to the apartment, we shook out the pre-apartment visit jitters, and typed in the code to enter the front door.  It was an interesting entrance with stairs that were partially outside.  When we climbed to the third floor where we found ourselves facing two unmarked doors... Unfortunately we chose the wrong one initially and rang Monsieur Betrands doorbell, he was sleeping, and explained to us that it was the other door we were looking for (it definitely seemed like we were not the first ones to make this mistake).  Did I mention he answered in his quaint boxer briefs?  Anyway, we were greeted by Mathieu, 26, who works within the realm of informatique.  He showed us the apartment and then we sat down for a little question and answer session.  It is customary in France to offer your guest something to drink (something to know when hosting, right?).  After a couple minutes he asked who else we knew in the area...we responded, "just each other."  Well, somehow we got on the subject of Marissa's birthday being on monday and then fiound out that Mathieu's birthday is sunday and next thing we know we get invited to his birthday soiree tonight!  As we left the apartment we realized we had just made our first friend!  But...Marissa did not get the apartment.  Life is so unpredictable and I guess at this point we just need to roll with the punches.
There is always the option of heading to a cafe pour un cafe!
Another quick update: this afternoon around 3:30pm I will be meeting Genvieve Kourchid the former host mother of my neighbor in New York, who coincidentally lives here in Lyon.  She seems very nice and is coming to my hotel.  I am very excited to finally meet her and to have someone to contact during this next week while i'm here alone (Marissa is flying to Italy to meet up with her parents until 20 sept.).  
More updates and pictures to come.
A bientot.

What will be, will be...

It is friday morning and Lyon is wonderful!  The neighborhoods have their own character but as a whole its a great place to walk around and get a feel for some genuine french culture.  The update on my situation is... I am currently waiting to see if a spot opens up in Lyon.  If not, I think I might be moving to Toulouse instead of Eu.  Today we are going to look at some more apartments and I think later we will explore the metro.  I posted some pictures on shutterfly so please feel free to check them out: sbailinphotos.shutterfly.com.

Mon Premier Jour

It is exactly 8am and I am sitting in the lobby of the Hotel du Simplon.  I arrived 6 hours too early to check in.  I have settled in the sitting area fully equipped with some sort of table top candle chandelier decorated with fake fruit, wilting flowers, and banister posted wrapped in fake ivy.  Its pleasant and dare I say, very French.  The flight landed an hour ahead of schedule, customs was a breeze, and I successfully claimed all of my baggage.  Leaving the airport I had definite ‘bag lady’ status, however, at 6 in the morning there weren’t too many people around (so my “tourist embarrassment” was at an all time low, phew…).  There was no line for the taxis, again because it was so early in the morning, I hopped in and quickly warned the driver that my suitcase was REALLY heavy!  He called over a friend who helped him hoist it into the back of the van.  He was very nice, asked if I spoke French and I replied yes.  I realized that if you introduce your French knowledge as “un peu” you are bound to impress if you know more than “je m’appelle Sara.”  As we began our drive (which took a little less than an hour) he put on some music.  We started out with the radio and after discussing that we both liked music he put on a guitar CD.  I asked if he played but he explained he only had a passion for it.  We began to listen to the music, he asked what genre of music I like…I said I liked all different kinds of genres.  He then began to quiz me on the instrumentals, which included Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, The Beatles and Rod Stewart.  He had a true passion for American music and kept referring to Bruce as The Boss, rightfully so.  He kept saying, “The Boss 40 years!”  When we came closer to the city center he pointed out the venue where all the big artists come and play and told me The Boss has come to play there TWICE!  Also, U2 and Dire Straights.  He gave me his number in case I needed a cab again and he helped me lug my baggage into the hotel.  I stored my big bags until I can check in and now here I am!

            Initial stresses of the trip so far include only a couple minor details and one big shitty situation (for lack of a better term).  It looks like I will be moving to Rouen, a school district in the north of France.  This change in plans is no fault of my own, in fact, it was completely out of my hands.  I received a voicemail from the French Embassy in Washington D.C. when I landed here in France informing me that there is no position available for me here in the ‘Academie de Lyon’ (the Lyon school district).  The Academie decided to transfer my information to another school, hours north (right across the water from England, actually), and had failed to inform me of this earlier (I had an idea of this about a week ago, but have been on and off the phone trying to find out details everyday until now).  I plan on enjoying my time in Lyon and I think I will do some touristy stuff while I’m here.  I guess I’ll go up north in a week or so, maybe I’ll head to the south and go to the beach for a couple days and relax, who knows!  I was a little upset about this whole ordeal but more frustrated than anything else.  My excitement about living in Lyon has been building since April and now after finding out it is pretty much official that I have to move, is a bit disappointing.  I do whole heartedly believe that everything happens for a reason so if I do indeed head up north to the town of Eu with population 8,000 I guess I will just face whatever other challenges are thrown my way.  Side note:  If I do end up in Eu and you feel so compelled to check it out online make sure you look it up as part of Rouen or else you will be bombarded with results referring to the European Union, the city is actually looking to change its name in the coming years for this exact reason.

            Despite the glitch in my future plans I am very excited to be here with a visa and a job.  I love how everyone around me is speaking French, as silly as that sounds.  I hope to spend the later part of my morning at a café, sipping a nice big cup of coffee as I read my book (The Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille).  My friend Marissa is scheduled to land at 3pm and will hopefully arrive at the hotel around 4.  If she is up to it I think I will try and buy a French SIM card so I can set up a phone number here. 

            So, in my spare thinking time on the plane, the time waiting for my baggage, and now the time in the hotel I have realized I forgot my ipod charger, Lyon guidebook (which, If I move out of here, isn’t really a big deal), and MY TOOTHBRUSH!  I did however pack a set of 4 wisps – a phenomenal invention created by the brilliance of Colgate that has built in toothpaste and soft bristles for brushing on-the-go.  So it’s a given that I will be making a trip to the pharmacy today or tomorrow.  So, as I texted my sister this morning, I completed my first goal and that was getting to Lyon.  Now wherever life takes me has yet to be determined.  C’est la vie!

07 Septembre...last night in New York

Good evening.

Tonight I will be enjoying the last night in my room and am savoring each moment.  I am ready to depart on this new adventure wherever it may take me.

The title of this blog is a song entitled "Quelqu'un M'a Dit" by Carla Bruni.  It has been my song of summer and has gotten me ready for this much anticipated departure date.

For those who are reading this, enjoy.  I hope my misadventures will serve as entertainment and education.

From the Big apple to France's wine capital!

Bon voyage!