Signing off!

So this is it kids, my last entry. Today is my last day of classes before I leave on vacation, and after that I'll be on my way back home! Hope you've all enjoyed reading, and if you want to know what happens next, just ask me because I'll be on your side of the ocean once again! :)

too cute not to post

Just came from my last class and boy, are they cuties. They prepared a surprise for me by singing a song, in English. James Blunt's "Goodbye my lover," changed to "Goodbye my teacher" to be a bit more appropriate, of course. Here it is:

Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
Cause I saw the end before we'd begun.
Yes I saw you were American with your funny accent
So we did our best
when we were your guests.
It may be over but it won't stop there.
I am here for you if you'd only care.
You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
Your lessons were really cool
And we tried to respect the rules.
We'll never forget you
Our thoughts will be with you forever
We wish we could be in your luggage.
I've been addicted to you.

Goodbye my teacher,
goodbye my friend.
You have been the one,
You have been the one for us.

Whatever it might lack in marketability it makes up for in sweetness! They wanted to take a picture with me and have my email address, and one boy decided I was pretty so he took my picture and put it in his cell phone with a heart and flower frame. Don't worry, his teacher told him he was too young. Oh, sophomores. Plus, after an outing with my favorite class of seniors yesterday, they tracked me down today to give me a card with their emails (and said I was their favorite assistant ever!) These kids are too cute, I'm going to miss (most) of them. If all goes as planned I'll have over 100 more to deal with come fall, though!!

Just wanted to share my pleasure!

raindrops keep fallin on my head

Yesterday was a sad day in Normandy. No, no one's hurt, I didn't lose anything, and I didn't get bad news. It was, quite simply, my last market day. The last time I'll wander through the stalls, looking for the best apples and wondering who actually buys their underwear in the middle of the town parking lot. The last time I'll watch the town's seniors at their peak, lugging their woven baskets and stopping to chat with old friends because hey! it's market day! And perhaps most importantly, the last time I'll order a saucisse, salivating as the man slaps on the mustard and wraps it up for my short walk home. Please, let's all take a moment of silence for the soon-to-be lack of sausage goodness in my life.

Most appropriately, it rained much of yesterday, and it was cold too. As my tomato man said, "And it's April 10th, quand même!" Hopefully it gets a bit nicer before my mom and Jean get here next week (next week already!!). This past weekend, thankfully, was pretty darn nice, and I was grateful for it because I finally made the trip to Giverny to see Monet's house. Friday night I headed to Rouen, where I stayed in for the night because I was waiting for an interview call and trying to get my money's worth of my expensive hotel room. Saturday morning I was up early and took a quick tour of the touristy parts of the city, then got on the train for Vernon. I got there and almost took the bus but decided to walk on the recommendation of my friend Karina. The walk ended up being a bit longer than expected but thankfully the weather was gorgeous so I rather enjoyed myself. Giverny ended up being much larger than I expected (not that it's large by any means, I was just expecting Monet's house by itself is all), but I wanted to take an earlier train back so I decided to spend time just in the house and gardens. The house was nice enough, but the gardens were amazing. Things had only just started to bloom, but there were daffodils, tulips, pansies, cherry and crabapple blossoms, among other things. Unfortunately I was a bit early for the famous water lilies, but oh well. The water garden was still most impressive, and I would love to have a garden like that. I think it would be really relaxing, to come home and take a walk through your huge garden. I suppose I need to make my thumb a bit greener before that's possible though. :)

This week started off slow but I think will go faster with classes and all, as well as packing, wrapping up loose ends, etc. Hard to believe my time here's almost over!

Adventures in Wine Land

Last Friday I headed to Paris to meet up with Beth, who was coming in from England. We caught up over dinner and then got on a train to head to Bordeaux. We arrived just in time to catch the end of an anti-CPE demonstration, but luckily the friend of a friend we were staying with met us at the train station and made sure we got there safe and sound. We enjoyed our private suite (the roommate was out of town, so we got his room) but got up early to make our tour of Bordeaux the next morning. Saw the town, some parts of which had "character"-sex shops, cheap eats, and the like-as in any large city, and other parts that had "character"-elegant old buildings, wine houses, and the like-as in what Bordeaux is known for. Learned about the history of the city, saw some sights, and did some shopping along Saint Catherine's Street. Back to the hotel for a shower and a nap, then got out and had a lovely French dinner à l'exterieur. We had gorgeous weather all day, and it felt great to bask in the sunshine, although the wind picked up a bit a night and we were kind of chilly by the end of dinner.

The next day we slept in a little (if 9am is sleeping in) and headed to the Grand Theatre for a jazz concert. I was really excited because I watched a program on Bordeaux a few months ago and it was filmed in the Theatre, so it was kind of a highlight for me. The concert was good, mostly Duke Ellington and George Gershwin, and the opera house itself was gorgeous. After a pizza lunch we got on the bus to head to wine country. We got to see a chateau, taste some wine, and see what the vineyards look like, though nothing was in bloom quite yet. It was still gorgeous though. From there we headed to the small town of St. Emilion, where Beth and I walked around enjoying the sights and local sweets like macarons and canneles. Overall a very good day of wine tasting, followed by another night of tasty Southern France cuisine. Headed to the cinema to see Truman Capote (in English!), and it was a pretty good movie, though I don't know much about Capote to compare it to.

Monday we tried very hard to make it up a tower to look out over the city, but alas all were closed because it was Monday. Instead we headed to the public gardens for a stroll, and then enjoyed a leisurely lunch once again à l'exterieur. Got on the train full, warm, and content, and headed back to Paris where we parted ways once again.

That's the story of my adventures in wine land-more to follow cause this week I'm off on one more last minute trip to Giverny to see Monet's house!