Monday, November 23, 2009
RIDGE RAMBLING – AUGUST 2009
FAVOURITE THINGS
• My shopping trolley – saves my arms from becoming orangutan limbs
• My coffee bodum – mmm coffee… I get my grounds from Laos.
• Our Canon PowerShot S3 1S digital camera. I have taken 13GB of photos Jan – Aug!
• Public Transport – frequent, comprehensive coverage, clean and safe, local and national
• Gardens – though at first I mostly noticed the doggie-do areas.
• Museums free one Sunday a month
• Friendly – I like the mountain people here, they’re not pretentious.
• La Bastille – I love having a mountain in the middle of my town. Perspiration and inspiration.
• Food: Farmers’ markets, mountain fare and lack of preservatives
• Buzz downtown – love the energy, especially in the spring and early summer. Feels like 10pm when it’s 1am. Vivid colours, music and conversation spiced with laughter.
• Alps – each of the three ranges have such different characters. I’m indulging in them all.
• Tom Tom when we’re travelling (we borrow one). Saves many an argument.
• Rest stops – they’re well thought out, practical and inviting
• Baking – how can you NOT like baking?
• Architecture
• History – around every corner is a discovery
• Latin – this is definitely a Latin country in weather, style, habits and attitude
• Sculpture and art – everywhere, layers of it
EPIPHANIES
LANGUAGE LEARNING
I’ve been struggling with learning French. When I examine “why” it’s so tough, I realize I’m not satisfied with paring my conversation down to a couple of present tense simple sentences that could be spoken and understood by a preschooler, or a French poodle. My thoughts are not simple so I don’t get satisfaction communicating that way. At the same time, I’m not an audio learner and I’m half deaf. I’m not looking for excuses. I still have to learn it, whatever the barriers. It’s funny that for someone who loves language so much and who is a compulsive writer, that I have not been inspired to write while I’ve been here. My inclinations are to paint, to wander through the Alps breathing deeply, to celebrate every festival that the Isere region and its mountain people have to offer. It is to experience with all my senses this profoundly traditional and yet cutting edge of technology producing culture we’ve found ourselves in. I think the writing will come later.
The other funny thing about learning French is that when I get a chance to speak in English I find I can blather on and on about nothing. A friend of mine who’s an author pointed this out to me. There is such a joy in being understood that it’s hard to close the floodgates of conversation.
I find French grammar difficult to remember. When I teach English I try to incorporate people’s different learning styles. I’m not so lucky with my French classes. I’ll have to study in ways that allow me to assimilate the grammar through experiential learning. I think that’s why I excel in accumulating vocabulary, and why I can get around France with not much problem even though I speak like a twat. I remember words through seeing and experiencing them in context.
A friend of mine, Jesse, presented me with an awesome book called, “Talk Dirty French”. It examines the origins of words and the process by which they’ve morphed into how they’re said and what they mean today. It also looks at how words are formally used and written down, as opposed to how they’re spoken. It shows the influence of street speak, texting and slang. It’s a brilliant book. Reading about the context helps me to remember the words and to phrase my speech in a manner that is current to the culture and genuinely understood.
MISSING THE WILD IN WILDERNESS
I love wandering through the Alps here (call me Heidi) but I do miss the wilderness. It’s so manicured here. What’s cool about it is the integration of human culture, including mountain architecture, with the natural features of the land. There are few predators here, but there is a communion of creatures, humans and earth that has been symbiotic for centuries.
LETTERS FROM MY MOM
My mom sends Callum a letter almost every week. He insists I read them at bedtime. We do the challenges from the coffee chat cut-outs that she sends, and I read him the stories that she writes. He puts the stickers she sends onto his table or the fridge, and he sleeps with the little lizards she manages to smuggle through the mail. Although I miss her terribly, I feel like I’m getting to know a whole new side of her as she loves my son from afar.
YOGURT, GRENOBLE and NUTELLA DOUGHNUTS
(Carly, Bob and Owen come to visit)
Highlights of the visit:
• General Itinerary: Annecy, La Bastille, Grenoble, the local lake, Southern France, Carcassonne and the Mediterranean Sea, Pont du Gard and back to Annecy.
• Nutella Doughnuts – Carly bought them so frequently from our local boulangerie/patisserie (bread and pastry shop) that the bakers began to increase their daily output in anticipation of her morning visits.
• Conversation about fish – Callum and Owen had many in-depth philosophical conversations. One of them was about the mortality of fish.
• Cheese platters – we bought a cheese platter and invited some friends who are transplanted here from Canada. Yum. This is something the French do REALLY well.
• En route to the lake there was construction and a subsequent change to the bus schedule. Though my French language skills are sketchy, in about seven minutes I was able to figure out where the bus should be, ask the right questions, get us to where the bus ACTUALLY would be, and we ran several blocks in the process (Carly and I with our two five-year-olds). That I could compute the changes that fast showed me that I have indeed acclimatized to the French culture. Kudos to me.
• Les Chevaliers de Carcassonne – Grand Tournoi de Chevalerie: This was a spectacular jousting show. The horsemanship, the acting, the aesthetics of the presentation from costumes to attitude to body posture: it was an exceptional experience. It harkened the honor of old and the communion between person and horse, hawk and handler.
• Carly and I played Carcassonne in Carcassonne. How could we not!
• Different rhythms of families – It was interesting to live in such a small space (2 bedroom flat) and co-exist harmoniously, especially since we have such different rhythms. The P-K clan is early to rise and early to bed. The Bucknell clan … well, we’re not: we’re the opposite. Also, I suffer from FOMO: fear of missing out, whereas their family is more along the lines of – we don’t have to see everything on the first visit. We’d rather do a few things well and not feel rushed. There’s something to learn from that for sure.
• “Pilgrimage” – Carly put it perfectly. Carcassonne, even though some people might find it touristy, has a powerful effect on me. I feel reverence. She said, “It’s a pilgrimage.” Immediately a piece of intuitive knowledge plunked into place. I’ve always been a doer, not an observer. Here, I often want to “go see”. And it has to do with the pilgrimage: the spiritual adventure. It brings deep satisfaction. Peace.
• At the hotel swimming pool I had a terrible fall. I slipped while turning and banged my left shin on a marble edge. I didn’t have feeling in it for over 6 weeks. I was worried the impact would throw my hips out. Missing three discs makes me a tad more cautious.
• Famous Owen quote: “Callum and I are going to wreck havoc in the city.”
• Annecy – what a wondrous place. It won over Carly and Bob and it’s a place we’d take every visitor without ever tiring of it. Check out the slide show! We particularly had fun renting a pedal boat with a slide on it, and wandering around the medieval part of the city. Magic.
SASSENAGE CAVES
Went to the Sassenage Caves with Sam and Mark. Very cool. At one point we were more than two kilometers under the rock. Also, these caves fill with water for part of the year. They are crucial to the fresh-water supply of the region. All around are walking trails and a river with waterfalls that people enjoy canyoning.
HAIR
I haven’t cut or coloured my hair in five months. When I told Callum I was going to colour it he said, “But mom, you’re beautiful the way you are.”
SOFTENER STORY
Sometimes, despite our best attempts to understand French, we fail. That’s why we have two large bottles of softener. Col went to buy laundry soap, and came back with softener. I returned his bottle, and came back with yet another bottle of softener. Good grief.
TRAVEL vs. LIVING HERE
If we had decided to take a sabbatical and travel for two to six months (like we were originally planning) we would have been better off financially than moving here. I know we are experiencing entirely different things by being “part of the community”, living through the political riots, the strikes, the football celebrations, the seasons, the festivals, the weather, etc. than if we simply travelled here, but financially and emotionally it would have made much more sense to hunker down in Victoria and come PLAY here. One family we met from Vancouver did a house swap for eight weeks – three weeks in Grenoble, two weeks in Paris and three weeks in the south of France. They swapped everything – houses, vehicles, bicycles, maid service, toys, etc. And they were smart enough to rent out a room in their home to a student for eight months during the year, which paid for their flights. They saw and did more in their three weeks in this region than I had done in the previous three months (and I don’t sit on my laurels). The difference was that they had a car at their disposal and they didn’t have to deal with work or the day to day hassles that come with setting up a life here. All they needed to do was ENJOY. In addition to this, I have to add that a friend of ours who moved here for a year and then moved back to Victoria calculated the financial consequences and concluded it equaled taking an ENTIRE YEAR off from work. Imagine that.
LIKE THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES – NOT SEEN, NOT NEEDED
When Colin and I were travelling through Australia I noted with dismay that the Australian Aborigines were often not even acknowledged by white-skinned locals. It was almost as if they were ghosts from another time, or in a strange time warp that allowed them to co-exist in the same space but not be seen. I asked one woman the time, and she looked at me as if I had just materialized out of the ether zone. Sometimes in France I feel the same way: I am not seen, I am not needed, I don’t belong. When we first came here I was determined to live in a French neighbourhood, make French friends, to truly integrate (while maintaining my Canadian identity and integrity of course). I thought, “I’m not going to be one of those people who spend time with English-speakers while living in France. I’m going to take FULL advantage of the cultural experience.” Well, ha ha ha. Whatever made me think that the French would care whether I integrate or not? Raised as a Mennonite who desires to live a life of service, having the personal issues of not wanting to put anyone out or ask for help, and recognizing (with the help of Aunt Josie and others) that it will be at least four years before I can have a full-on philosophical/political/spiritual conversation – in other words, talk about anything with substance and meaning beyond the niceties of how to squeeze fresh produce – all these things mean I have come to accept that my neighbourhood, Callum’s school, my work colleagues and my students will be French, but my community will be international.
JOB
I need to find a job here. I need a job that’s flexible – so I can drop off and pick up Callum from school and at least sometimes pick him up for lunch (due to his food sensitivities – they serve bread and cheese at every meal). I can’t work Wednesdays. And in this economy, there is a hiring freeze on in many of the international companies yet I need a position where I do not need to speak French. Minimum wage here is 8 Euros an hour. Babysitting pays 8 – 10, but it’s during the same hours as I have Callum. What kind of job am I going to get? How will I go about hunting for one? Stay tuned.
PHYSICAL GOALS
I am most motivated to get physically fit when I have an event to look forward to as well as a fitness level. Two events I would like to attend in the next year are an Olympic length triathlon (Paris or Annecy) and a March (the one in the Netherlands which occurs over four days and you can choose to march 20, 30, 40, or 50 km per day. I would choose 50 a day.) The Olympic length triathlon is 1.5 km swimming, 40 km biking and 10 km running … though I would walk. I simply need to be fast enough in the first two events to keep from getting disqualified time-wise when walking the third. The Annecy Triathlon would be cool because the lake is stunning, Col and Callum could accompany me there, and the biking part would likely be on some of the same terrain as the Tour de France. Too cool.
COL – NEW BOSS and BUILDING
Colin is unhappy about the move of buildings, longer commute, increased cost of food in the cafeteria and the fact that the air conditioning is broken in his ‘new’ building. Also, there are many communication mess-ups with computers and electrical meters as the building changes residents. However, his new/old boss Melanie is amazing at getting things done and smoothing things out. And Colin is going to Hungary/Budapest on the 13th so he's pretty stoked about that.
CALLUM
Callum is having anxiety about school and his behaviour reflects it. Impulsive behaviour, toilet language, wiggliness, inability to listen, lack of awareness of what his body is doing, increased agitation and vocal volume as well as verbal self-abuse (ie. I'm stupid) have cropped up again in full force. Why did my intelligent, compassionate, socially savvy, witty and physically coordinated boy turn a corner? Owen and Lucas’s visits made a huge difference. Callum looked forward to them for months; the thought soothed him when he felt lonely. But now the visits from friends are done for the year. Overall I think it's a combination of loneliness/depression (the words seem too strong but they capture my meaning), anxiety regarding school and me not being as strict regarding food and Omegas. I know school is stressful for Callum but we met three kids from his class last week and they all greeted him joyously. I know it'll settle down in a few weeks. We just need to get into the routine and learn this French language (damn it)! I had no idea we would find it so difficult.
WEEKEND HIKE
This weekend was awesome. Did a hike that included two mountain peaks on Saturday (with two of our English friends, Samantha and Mark). Callum and Colin joined us for the second peak. It felt great to get out into the wilderness, to explore, to be so physically active. It's very grounding for all of us and wonderful to explore the Alps on our doorstep. On Sunday I planned a secret event to celebrate our anniversary. We took a bus to Bourg d'Oisans (which is at the base of the steep road involving the 21 bends up to Les Deux Alpes that are a compulsory event for the Tour de France). The trip was about 1.5 hours through the magnificent Belledonne Mountain Range. Besides being a beautiful town, Bourg d'Oisans was sponsoring a free Moto Cross event for the day. It was awesome to breathe in 2 stroke oil and dust for an afternoon!
DAY IN EVIAN
Spent an unexpected and delicious day doing a road trip to and exploration of Evian with Melanie. While we were there we drank Evian of course, which you can get free flowing and which many people did – collecting it in Coke and Perrier bottles. While we were there we participated in a typical French conversation. It went something like this:
“Do you have a toilet here?”
“Yes.”
Needing to use the facilities, we chose to buy gelato at this establishment.
“Can we use the toilet?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not for customers.”
Funny that where wonderful water is free, the toilets are not.
This week Callum starts school, I revise my CV and start looking for a job, I'm back on the right exercise track and we celebrate our anniversary. Colin's boss leaves for a month to get married and go on her honeymoon in Iceland. Colin gets ready for his trip to Hungary. And we get all our financial goals under control. Also, my sister is undergoing exploratory surgery. My mom is getting her check-up. And Ang and George get ever-closer to meeting and adopting Murron.
That's enough for now. Life is full.
Bises,
Ramona
• My shopping trolley – saves my arms from becoming orangutan limbs
• My coffee bodum – mmm coffee… I get my grounds from Laos.
• Our Canon PowerShot S3 1S digital camera. I have taken 13GB of photos Jan – Aug!
• Public Transport – frequent, comprehensive coverage, clean and safe, local and national
• Gardens – though at first I mostly noticed the doggie-do areas.
• Museums free one Sunday a month
• Friendly – I like the mountain people here, they’re not pretentious.
• La Bastille – I love having a mountain in the middle of my town. Perspiration and inspiration.
• Food: Farmers’ markets, mountain fare and lack of preservatives
• Buzz downtown – love the energy, especially in the spring and early summer. Feels like 10pm when it’s 1am. Vivid colours, music and conversation spiced with laughter.
• Alps – each of the three ranges have such different characters. I’m indulging in them all.
• Tom Tom when we’re travelling (we borrow one). Saves many an argument.
• Rest stops – they’re well thought out, practical and inviting
• Baking – how can you NOT like baking?
• Architecture
• History – around every corner is a discovery
• Latin – this is definitely a Latin country in weather, style, habits and attitude
• Sculpture and art – everywhere, layers of it
EPIPHANIES
LANGUAGE LEARNING
I’ve been struggling with learning French. When I examine “why” it’s so tough, I realize I’m not satisfied with paring my conversation down to a couple of present tense simple sentences that could be spoken and understood by a preschooler, or a French poodle. My thoughts are not simple so I don’t get satisfaction communicating that way. At the same time, I’m not an audio learner and I’m half deaf. I’m not looking for excuses. I still have to learn it, whatever the barriers. It’s funny that for someone who loves language so much and who is a compulsive writer, that I have not been inspired to write while I’ve been here. My inclinations are to paint, to wander through the Alps breathing deeply, to celebrate every festival that the Isere region and its mountain people have to offer. It is to experience with all my senses this profoundly traditional and yet cutting edge of technology producing culture we’ve found ourselves in. I think the writing will come later.
The other funny thing about learning French is that when I get a chance to speak in English I find I can blather on and on about nothing. A friend of mine who’s an author pointed this out to me. There is such a joy in being understood that it’s hard to close the floodgates of conversation.
I find French grammar difficult to remember. When I teach English I try to incorporate people’s different learning styles. I’m not so lucky with my French classes. I’ll have to study in ways that allow me to assimilate the grammar through experiential learning. I think that’s why I excel in accumulating vocabulary, and why I can get around France with not much problem even though I speak like a twat. I remember words through seeing and experiencing them in context.
A friend of mine, Jesse, presented me with an awesome book called, “Talk Dirty French”. It examines the origins of words and the process by which they’ve morphed into how they’re said and what they mean today. It also looks at how words are formally used and written down, as opposed to how they’re spoken. It shows the influence of street speak, texting and slang. It’s a brilliant book. Reading about the context helps me to remember the words and to phrase my speech in a manner that is current to the culture and genuinely understood.
MISSING THE WILD IN WILDERNESS
I love wandering through the Alps here (call me Heidi) but I do miss the wilderness. It’s so manicured here. What’s cool about it is the integration of human culture, including mountain architecture, with the natural features of the land. There are few predators here, but there is a communion of creatures, humans and earth that has been symbiotic for centuries.
LETTERS FROM MY MOM
My mom sends Callum a letter almost every week. He insists I read them at bedtime. We do the challenges from the coffee chat cut-outs that she sends, and I read him the stories that she writes. He puts the stickers she sends onto his table or the fridge, and he sleeps with the little lizards she manages to smuggle through the mail. Although I miss her terribly, I feel like I’m getting to know a whole new side of her as she loves my son from afar.
YOGURT, GRENOBLE and NUTELLA DOUGHNUTS
(Carly, Bob and Owen come to visit)
Highlights of the visit:
• General Itinerary: Annecy, La Bastille, Grenoble, the local lake, Southern France, Carcassonne and the Mediterranean Sea, Pont du Gard and back to Annecy.
• Nutella Doughnuts – Carly bought them so frequently from our local boulangerie/patisserie (bread and pastry shop) that the bakers began to increase their daily output in anticipation of her morning visits.
• Conversation about fish – Callum and Owen had many in-depth philosophical conversations. One of them was about the mortality of fish.
• Cheese platters – we bought a cheese platter and invited some friends who are transplanted here from Canada. Yum. This is something the French do REALLY well.
• En route to the lake there was construction and a subsequent change to the bus schedule. Though my French language skills are sketchy, in about seven minutes I was able to figure out where the bus should be, ask the right questions, get us to where the bus ACTUALLY would be, and we ran several blocks in the process (Carly and I with our two five-year-olds). That I could compute the changes that fast showed me that I have indeed acclimatized to the French culture. Kudos to me.
• Les Chevaliers de Carcassonne – Grand Tournoi de Chevalerie: This was a spectacular jousting show. The horsemanship, the acting, the aesthetics of the presentation from costumes to attitude to body posture: it was an exceptional experience. It harkened the honor of old and the communion between person and horse, hawk and handler.
• Carly and I played Carcassonne in Carcassonne. How could we not!
• Different rhythms of families – It was interesting to live in such a small space (2 bedroom flat) and co-exist harmoniously, especially since we have such different rhythms. The P-K clan is early to rise and early to bed. The Bucknell clan … well, we’re not: we’re the opposite. Also, I suffer from FOMO: fear of missing out, whereas their family is more along the lines of – we don’t have to see everything on the first visit. We’d rather do a few things well and not feel rushed. There’s something to learn from that for sure.
• “Pilgrimage” – Carly put it perfectly. Carcassonne, even though some people might find it touristy, has a powerful effect on me. I feel reverence. She said, “It’s a pilgrimage.” Immediately a piece of intuitive knowledge plunked into place. I’ve always been a doer, not an observer. Here, I often want to “go see”. And it has to do with the pilgrimage: the spiritual adventure. It brings deep satisfaction. Peace.
• At the hotel swimming pool I had a terrible fall. I slipped while turning and banged my left shin on a marble edge. I didn’t have feeling in it for over 6 weeks. I was worried the impact would throw my hips out. Missing three discs makes me a tad more cautious.
• Famous Owen quote: “Callum and I are going to wreck havoc in the city.”
• Annecy – what a wondrous place. It won over Carly and Bob and it’s a place we’d take every visitor without ever tiring of it. Check out the slide show! We particularly had fun renting a pedal boat with a slide on it, and wandering around the medieval part of the city. Magic.
SASSENAGE CAVES
Went to the Sassenage Caves with Sam and Mark. Very cool. At one point we were more than two kilometers under the rock. Also, these caves fill with water for part of the year. They are crucial to the fresh-water supply of the region. All around are walking trails and a river with waterfalls that people enjoy canyoning.
HAIR
I haven’t cut or coloured my hair in five months. When I told Callum I was going to colour it he said, “But mom, you’re beautiful the way you are.”
SOFTENER STORY
Sometimes, despite our best attempts to understand French, we fail. That’s why we have two large bottles of softener. Col went to buy laundry soap, and came back with softener. I returned his bottle, and came back with yet another bottle of softener. Good grief.
TRAVEL vs. LIVING HERE
If we had decided to take a sabbatical and travel for two to six months (like we were originally planning) we would have been better off financially than moving here. I know we are experiencing entirely different things by being “part of the community”, living through the political riots, the strikes, the football celebrations, the seasons, the festivals, the weather, etc. than if we simply travelled here, but financially and emotionally it would have made much more sense to hunker down in Victoria and come PLAY here. One family we met from Vancouver did a house swap for eight weeks – three weeks in Grenoble, two weeks in Paris and three weeks in the south of France. They swapped everything – houses, vehicles, bicycles, maid service, toys, etc. And they were smart enough to rent out a room in their home to a student for eight months during the year, which paid for their flights. They saw and did more in their three weeks in this region than I had done in the previous three months (and I don’t sit on my laurels). The difference was that they had a car at their disposal and they didn’t have to deal with work or the day to day hassles that come with setting up a life here. All they needed to do was ENJOY. In addition to this, I have to add that a friend of ours who moved here for a year and then moved back to Victoria calculated the financial consequences and concluded it equaled taking an ENTIRE YEAR off from work. Imagine that.
LIKE THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES – NOT SEEN, NOT NEEDED
When Colin and I were travelling through Australia I noted with dismay that the Australian Aborigines were often not even acknowledged by white-skinned locals. It was almost as if they were ghosts from another time, or in a strange time warp that allowed them to co-exist in the same space but not be seen. I asked one woman the time, and she looked at me as if I had just materialized out of the ether zone. Sometimes in France I feel the same way: I am not seen, I am not needed, I don’t belong. When we first came here I was determined to live in a French neighbourhood, make French friends, to truly integrate (while maintaining my Canadian identity and integrity of course). I thought, “I’m not going to be one of those people who spend time with English-speakers while living in France. I’m going to take FULL advantage of the cultural experience.” Well, ha ha ha. Whatever made me think that the French would care whether I integrate or not? Raised as a Mennonite who desires to live a life of service, having the personal issues of not wanting to put anyone out or ask for help, and recognizing (with the help of Aunt Josie and others) that it will be at least four years before I can have a full-on philosophical/political/spiritual conversation – in other words, talk about anything with substance and meaning beyond the niceties of how to squeeze fresh produce – all these things mean I have come to accept that my neighbourhood, Callum’s school, my work colleagues and my students will be French, but my community will be international.
JOB
I need to find a job here. I need a job that’s flexible – so I can drop off and pick up Callum from school and at least sometimes pick him up for lunch (due to his food sensitivities – they serve bread and cheese at every meal). I can’t work Wednesdays. And in this economy, there is a hiring freeze on in many of the international companies yet I need a position where I do not need to speak French. Minimum wage here is 8 Euros an hour. Babysitting pays 8 – 10, but it’s during the same hours as I have Callum. What kind of job am I going to get? How will I go about hunting for one? Stay tuned.
PHYSICAL GOALS
I am most motivated to get physically fit when I have an event to look forward to as well as a fitness level. Two events I would like to attend in the next year are an Olympic length triathlon (Paris or Annecy) and a March (the one in the Netherlands which occurs over four days and you can choose to march 20, 30, 40, or 50 km per day. I would choose 50 a day.) The Olympic length triathlon is 1.5 km swimming, 40 km biking and 10 km running … though I would walk. I simply need to be fast enough in the first two events to keep from getting disqualified time-wise when walking the third. The Annecy Triathlon would be cool because the lake is stunning, Col and Callum could accompany me there, and the biking part would likely be on some of the same terrain as the Tour de France. Too cool.
COL – NEW BOSS and BUILDING
Colin is unhappy about the move of buildings, longer commute, increased cost of food in the cafeteria and the fact that the air conditioning is broken in his ‘new’ building. Also, there are many communication mess-ups with computers and electrical meters as the building changes residents. However, his new/old boss Melanie is amazing at getting things done and smoothing things out. And Colin is going to Hungary/Budapest on the 13th so he's pretty stoked about that.
CALLUM
Callum is having anxiety about school and his behaviour reflects it. Impulsive behaviour, toilet language, wiggliness, inability to listen, lack of awareness of what his body is doing, increased agitation and vocal volume as well as verbal self-abuse (ie. I'm stupid) have cropped up again in full force. Why did my intelligent, compassionate, socially savvy, witty and physically coordinated boy turn a corner? Owen and Lucas’s visits made a huge difference. Callum looked forward to them for months; the thought soothed him when he felt lonely. But now the visits from friends are done for the year. Overall I think it's a combination of loneliness/depression (the words seem too strong but they capture my meaning), anxiety regarding school and me not being as strict regarding food and Omegas. I know school is stressful for Callum but we met three kids from his class last week and they all greeted him joyously. I know it'll settle down in a few weeks. We just need to get into the routine and learn this French language (damn it)! I had no idea we would find it so difficult.
WEEKEND HIKE
This weekend was awesome. Did a hike that included two mountain peaks on Saturday (with two of our English friends, Samantha and Mark). Callum and Colin joined us for the second peak. It felt great to get out into the wilderness, to explore, to be so physically active. It's very grounding for all of us and wonderful to explore the Alps on our doorstep. On Sunday I planned a secret event to celebrate our anniversary. We took a bus to Bourg d'Oisans (which is at the base of the steep road involving the 21 bends up to Les Deux Alpes that are a compulsory event for the Tour de France). The trip was about 1.5 hours through the magnificent Belledonne Mountain Range. Besides being a beautiful town, Bourg d'Oisans was sponsoring a free Moto Cross event for the day. It was awesome to breathe in 2 stroke oil and dust for an afternoon!
DAY IN EVIAN
Spent an unexpected and delicious day doing a road trip to and exploration of Evian with Melanie. While we were there we drank Evian of course, which you can get free flowing and which many people did – collecting it in Coke and Perrier bottles. While we were there we participated in a typical French conversation. It went something like this:
“Do you have a toilet here?”
“Yes.”
Needing to use the facilities, we chose to buy gelato at this establishment.
“Can we use the toilet?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not for customers.”
Funny that where wonderful water is free, the toilets are not.
This week Callum starts school, I revise my CV and start looking for a job, I'm back on the right exercise track and we celebrate our anniversary. Colin's boss leaves for a month to get married and go on her honeymoon in Iceland. Colin gets ready for his trip to Hungary. And we get all our financial goals under control. Also, my sister is undergoing exploratory surgery. My mom is getting her check-up. And Ang and George get ever-closer to meeting and adopting Murron.
That's enough for now. Life is full.
Bises,
Ramona
Sunday, November 22, 2009
DAY TRIPS WITH A PANDA and the FLORENCE FIASCO - JULY 2009
Delete, skim or savour as your heart desires …
Impressions on my senses
Lavender and bees
Hummingbird Hawk Moth
Azure glacier lakes
BBQs
Farmers’ Markets
Swimming pools and rock music
Squished into speedos
Fairy-fine soda straw stalactites and underground Olms
Bloody toe and screaming
Hospital bills
Toll fees
17th century wood, paint and imagination
Golden sand and silky blue bathtub-temperature sea
Observations - Fashion
SPEEDOS – pools here, whether they are outdoor or in, will not allow men entrance with “beach” shorts. They need to be encased in a Speedo, also known as a “Banana Hammock” or “Budgie Smuggler.” This is because the guys will wear them all day and then wear them into the swimming pool. Ick. At first I thought this was brilliant. France is self-supporting in terms of the production and consumption of food and it continues to see itself as a world power. Consequently, France is encouraging families to expand. What better way to increase the population than to “show off the wares” during the summer. This was a great “theory” until I saw the bathing caps that are often also required. Very few people have the physique, bone structure and presence to make a speedo AND a bathing cap look sexy, the few that do probably compete in the Olympics. They are not lounging in the pool a block from our apartment. Trust me.
Much to my surprise, as soon as the summer solstice occurred people were wearing colours again. The streets came alive. Women were in heels and slinky to retro to alternative Nepalese. They have no trouble wearing sexy clothes here. They don’t feel they need to divide professional, personal and sensual. Why do we? The “in” colour for the men this summer was hot pink – worn with pride by both homos and heteros. White pants are also popular with the men, and they carry man bags (for all the French paperwork) and ride their kids scooters with equal masculinity and style. It’s refreshing.
Observations - Lifestyle
Mushrooms – all pharmacists in France are trained in mushrooms. You can go collect the fungi in the mountain meadows, bring it in and they will tell you if they’re edible.
We still don’t have our health insurance. It’s taking forever*. Luckily, the trips to the Emergency Room and the subsequent medications have cost much less than we were anticipating. A trip to the Doctor costs 28 Euros for us. A house call costs not much more. Medications tend to be a third to a quarter of the cost, and if they are prescribed then they’re partially refundable. We have a schwack of paperwork to hand in once we get our health insurance. It’ll be such a relief.
*Note: In November we still didn’t have our health insurance. Because I started a job in September, our status changed and the paperwork had to begin again.
School – there is a lot of stigma attached to the early years. Whatever happens is recorded, and follows a child throughout their educational career. So much hangs in the balance – self-confidence, identity, career direction. I’m glad Callum will have a chance to reinvent himself when he returns to Canada, should he so choose.
Banking – it’s very difficult to transfer money to Canada or here to France without being charged a huge amount by the banks. I guess if everyone agrees to charge a minimum of 30 euros per transaction then the bank machines are going to be kept busy!
Reduce, reuse, recycle - Everyone here uses reusable shopping bags. We just carry them around. No big deal. And all bags sold at the shops are inexpensive but hardy. It’s just habit. As for To Go coffee cups, they don’t exist. And lights go off by themselves in most public hallways, bathrooms and stairwells. It just makes sense.
Hot – it’s hot here in summer. I don’t mind it, it feels like it’s marinating my bones. But, I can’t stop sweating. Colin and Callum and I often don’t eat dinner. All we want are fluids. A salad and a popsicle please. The other wonderful thing about the weather is that we get FULL ON thunder and lightning storms. LOVE it! Our two balconies and sun room are perfect places to watch and listen to the spectacle that is nature.
Callum’s Casualty
In the midst of a lovely visit with Mike, Mary Jane and Nicole we went to the park. Callum was running through a fountain and smashed his baby toe (on his right foot) into a metal grating. It split the nail cross-wise and also tore into the flesh between his baby toe and the next one. Bled like Billy-oh.
Mary Jane and Mike drove us to the emergency room (Bless them). We were there for hours. Callum had his toe scrubbed clean three times and screamed so loudly that they gave him laughing gas to calm him down. The twin cylinders of nitrous oxide followed us from room to room. Two doctors looked at the toe and they nearly gave Callum stitches but decided the toenail will probably go black and fall off in about a week's time. I will need to clean, put antibiotics on and dress the toe twice a day ... without the laughing gas. The people above us are going to think I beat our child.
The first nail to grow in will likely be gnarly, but the doctors think Callum will have a normal toenail in about three months or so. In the meantime, we're rethinking our plan to go to the lake Tuesday and to Italy in mid-July. We're wondering how we can keep Callum active and away from screen time without putting too much pressure on his foot. Sheesh.
Poor little fella. He was very brave and patient. And then when we came home at around 11:15 pm I laid him on the couch and he forgot about the toe and fell to the floor. Just rolled off the couch and landed on his toe. Talk about lung power. Did you hear him scream from where you are?
In about 10 minutes I'm going to take off the dressing and see if he ripped off the nail. Are you nauseous yet? I am!
Parenting can be painful, it's growing pains all over again.
Moving In
We have unloaded a heap of boxes and this place is finally starting to feel like a home.
Once I realized my barrier to unpacking the boxes I got over it and have done much better. The barrier was: no cupboards or closets. I'd open a box and put stuff ... where? The floor? Storage takes ingenuity, European space-saving techniques (don't buy it in the first place) and the willingness to TOSS stuff.
Callum got his new bed compliments of some birthday money from each set of grandparents. The bed is raised up and has a play area underneath - very cool and he loves it. Mark your calendars, HE SLEPT IN IT LAST NIGHT.
Colin is better. He had gastroenteritis accompanied by a whopping headache. He was dysfunctional for five days after he returned from England. When he was correctly diagnosed and set up with a football team’s worth of meds he experienced a complete turn-around. It's lovely to have him back. Read: the limp yet willful curmudgeon has been replaced by a strapping Yorkshire lad.
On CANADA DAY we dined at the only Canadian restaurant in town. It's called Ontario, looks like a sugar shack, serves Quebecois beer (and Bud Light –bleh!), maple-syrup lamb, bison, ostrich and salmon. Ostrich? The pecan pie was so flat it looked like someone had sat on it, someone larger than Stephen Harper. We ate sparsely but were with fun people and it felt good to celebrate being Canadian.
Mother in the Hood
My son is driving me ape-shit.
He doesn't want to walk anywhere, get dressed or even wash his hands or wipe his bum.
Everything is a struggle and I'm getting completely worn out over stupid stuff.
Today I simply put on a Ben 10 show for him and am going through emails because I have cramps and I need to get out but I can't do it without losing my temper.
And Callum says "YUCK" to every food item I offer him but will try eating ear plugs and hair and roll around on the floor of a train station. "YUCK".
Colin is having a hard time at work. His hours are self-inflicted and insane. He leaves for work around 8:30 am and returns home 11 or 12 hours later. His metrics are determined by group performance but he is determined to serve each customer with the best he has to offer. This often means communicating with Victoria, B.C. or Laverne (Tennessee) before he shuts his computer off and stops answering his phone for the night. The stress makes him exhausted and edgy.
On top of that my birthday is on Friday and I feel like I've dropped off the planet in terms of health, fitness, creativity and finances. I am way behind on all of that compared to last year.
I know it will pass. Tomorrow I'll probably feel much better.*
*Note: The next day my friend Anna informed me that I was turning 46, not 47. I DID feel much better!
HOLIDAYS!
Colin took three days off on a week where there were two national holidays, so we had 9 days to squander on the wonder that is Europe. With not much cash in hand we rented a car and mostly did day trips:
- visited Pont-en-Royans where the houses overhang the river and are built into the rock
- explored the Grottes de Choranche which contain soda straw stalactites and were introduced to weird creatures called Olms (little lizard type creatures that are blind and colourless and have lived in caves since prehistoric times).
- floated on and swam in periwinkle-blue lac Monteynard (Sam and Mark were with us for the boat trip and then they made us dinner. We had so much fun we stayed overnight!).
- discovered Lac de Laffrey (drove along a load of D roads, tiny worm-like squiggles on the map) flowered mountain meadows and stunning viewpoints.
- played at a waterpark up in Les 7 Laux (a ski resort in winter, it's a rockin' adventure place in the summer for climbing, hiking, biking and exploring).
- ventured to le fort du Saint Eynard (magnificent views of the whole Grenoble valley).
- watched fireworks (celebration de la Fete nationale a Grenoble) in Parc Paul Mistral (thanks Sam. A kebab, a good friend and the buzz of a gazillion people celebrating freedom and the revolution - ACE). I goofed here. We were invited to Jinnie and Seb's for the Monday night fireworks and I thought it was on Tuesday. Missed hanging out with them and Lindy and Ray. It turns out France celebrates for TWO nights. These are people whose company I delight in. Must be the dementia!
- wandered the grounds of Chateaux Vizille, birthplace of the revolution (nice to meander with the earth beneath our bare feet. Much needed).
- took a three day trip to Florence (Italy), the coast of La Spezia and the site of the last winter Olympics. Costly trip but full of epiphanies. For example, learning Italian would be so much easier than French - you say it the way it is spelled, you pronounce every letter, you write it the way you say it, and grammar is laid out the same way it is in English. In addition, most signs are in Italian and English so vocabulary accumulation is rapid. Saw magnificent Renaissance paintings and architecture, realized how much we missed the ocean and B.C. mountains, and the cumulation of our trip was driving through the rain and snow over tiny mountain passes in the dark while listening to Quirks and Quarks (CBC radio program). We’re so nostalgic for "home".
Callum
Callum is doing well. He misses his friends but has had the great fortune to meet a 5 year old boy from Vancouver who is here in Grenoble for a couple of weeks. We're off today to Parc Paul Mistral to play: a free ropes course, rock climbing wall and water area (among other things – all promoting health and physicality). We went to Annecy with them the other day and Callum got a good dose of superhero and lake activities. He's really looking forward to Owen's visit. He needs kid time, to be able to communicate verbally about his interests and ideas with someone his age who can respond with the same focus and passion.
Colin
Colin is missing Canada. We are clear that we will take advantage of being here, but we were not clear that our adventure would drop us down an economic level (our rent alone, not including utilities or household goods you have to buy as a renter [i.e. stove, fridge, lighting fixtures] or the housing taxes you pay as a renter to the city for the land or maintenance fees paid to the building collective, is equivalent to $1,297 Canadian for a two bedroom flat) or that Colin would work such crazy hours (often gets home between 7 and 8 pm). He will have a new boss in a few weeks. We're sad to see Andrew go back to Canada but are happy for him. Melanie, Colin's new boss, used to be his supervisor back in Victoria. Colin has tremendous respect for her and is looking forward to working with her again. They will all be relocating to a new building in September - which looks like it’ll be an hour+ commute rather than a half hour, but other than that there may be unforseen advantages*. We'll see.
*Note: When they moved to the new building Colin started biking along the river to work. It helps recalibrate him and he’s getting fab calves!
Birthday
I had a fantastic birthday. Some friends of ours (Martine and Adam) proposed going overnight to a mountain refuge for my birthday, but it was full and we have to postpone it. Instead, they treated me to Polish alcohol that had real gold in it and a visit to the Chartreuse cellars - the largest cellars in the world - and the St. Bruno Cathedral. Melanie and David made a birthday breakfast for me that included banana and chocolate chip french toast with caramel sauce and fried bananas on top - can you feel your arteries hardening as we speak? It was awesome. Sam and Mark came over to help me celebrate as well, on their new Street Hawk cycle. And I spent the day in Annecy with some new friends from Vancouver - so all in all it was a fabulous 24 hours. Colin was very sweet and bought me something I'd been eyeing for 3 months - a set of lights (not expensive but they add so much warmth to our living room). Thanks for the thoughtful cards, emails and gifts.
Sorry for running on at the mouth. It's been windy and hot which was giving Callum nightmares which led of course to sleepless nights and a subsequent lack of focus and energy. Things are settling out though, and our visitors over the next couple of weeks will be a welcome celebration.
Hope all is well with you and that you're having a summer full of fun, friends, good food and better weather.
With joy,
Ramona
Impressions on my senses
Lavender and bees
Hummingbird Hawk Moth
Azure glacier lakes
BBQs
Farmers’ Markets
Swimming pools and rock music
Squished into speedos
Fairy-fine soda straw stalactites and underground Olms
Bloody toe and screaming
Hospital bills
Toll fees
17th century wood, paint and imagination
Golden sand and silky blue bathtub-temperature sea
Observations - Fashion
SPEEDOS – pools here, whether they are outdoor or in, will not allow men entrance with “beach” shorts. They need to be encased in a Speedo, also known as a “Banana Hammock” or “Budgie Smuggler.” This is because the guys will wear them all day and then wear them into the swimming pool. Ick. At first I thought this was brilliant. France is self-supporting in terms of the production and consumption of food and it continues to see itself as a world power. Consequently, France is encouraging families to expand. What better way to increase the population than to “show off the wares” during the summer. This was a great “theory” until I saw the bathing caps that are often also required. Very few people have the physique, bone structure and presence to make a speedo AND a bathing cap look sexy, the few that do probably compete in the Olympics. They are not lounging in the pool a block from our apartment. Trust me.
Much to my surprise, as soon as the summer solstice occurred people were wearing colours again. The streets came alive. Women were in heels and slinky to retro to alternative Nepalese. They have no trouble wearing sexy clothes here. They don’t feel they need to divide professional, personal and sensual. Why do we? The “in” colour for the men this summer was hot pink – worn with pride by both homos and heteros. White pants are also popular with the men, and they carry man bags (for all the French paperwork) and ride their kids scooters with equal masculinity and style. It’s refreshing.
Observations - Lifestyle
Mushrooms – all pharmacists in France are trained in mushrooms. You can go collect the fungi in the mountain meadows, bring it in and they will tell you if they’re edible.
We still don’t have our health insurance. It’s taking forever*. Luckily, the trips to the Emergency Room and the subsequent medications have cost much less than we were anticipating. A trip to the Doctor costs 28 Euros for us. A house call costs not much more. Medications tend to be a third to a quarter of the cost, and if they are prescribed then they’re partially refundable. We have a schwack of paperwork to hand in once we get our health insurance. It’ll be such a relief.
*Note: In November we still didn’t have our health insurance. Because I started a job in September, our status changed and the paperwork had to begin again.
School – there is a lot of stigma attached to the early years. Whatever happens is recorded, and follows a child throughout their educational career. So much hangs in the balance – self-confidence, identity, career direction. I’m glad Callum will have a chance to reinvent himself when he returns to Canada, should he so choose.
Banking – it’s very difficult to transfer money to Canada or here to France without being charged a huge amount by the banks. I guess if everyone agrees to charge a minimum of 30 euros per transaction then the bank machines are going to be kept busy!
Reduce, reuse, recycle - Everyone here uses reusable shopping bags. We just carry them around. No big deal. And all bags sold at the shops are inexpensive but hardy. It’s just habit. As for To Go coffee cups, they don’t exist. And lights go off by themselves in most public hallways, bathrooms and stairwells. It just makes sense.
Hot – it’s hot here in summer. I don’t mind it, it feels like it’s marinating my bones. But, I can’t stop sweating. Colin and Callum and I often don’t eat dinner. All we want are fluids. A salad and a popsicle please. The other wonderful thing about the weather is that we get FULL ON thunder and lightning storms. LOVE it! Our two balconies and sun room are perfect places to watch and listen to the spectacle that is nature.
Callum’s Casualty
In the midst of a lovely visit with Mike, Mary Jane and Nicole we went to the park. Callum was running through a fountain and smashed his baby toe (on his right foot) into a metal grating. It split the nail cross-wise and also tore into the flesh between his baby toe and the next one. Bled like Billy-oh.
Mary Jane and Mike drove us to the emergency room (Bless them). We were there for hours. Callum had his toe scrubbed clean three times and screamed so loudly that they gave him laughing gas to calm him down. The twin cylinders of nitrous oxide followed us from room to room. Two doctors looked at the toe and they nearly gave Callum stitches but decided the toenail will probably go black and fall off in about a week's time. I will need to clean, put antibiotics on and dress the toe twice a day ... without the laughing gas. The people above us are going to think I beat our child.
The first nail to grow in will likely be gnarly, but the doctors think Callum will have a normal toenail in about three months or so. In the meantime, we're rethinking our plan to go to the lake Tuesday and to Italy in mid-July. We're wondering how we can keep Callum active and away from screen time without putting too much pressure on his foot. Sheesh.
Poor little fella. He was very brave and patient. And then when we came home at around 11:15 pm I laid him on the couch and he forgot about the toe and fell to the floor. Just rolled off the couch and landed on his toe. Talk about lung power. Did you hear him scream from where you are?
In about 10 minutes I'm going to take off the dressing and see if he ripped off the nail. Are you nauseous yet? I am!
Parenting can be painful, it's growing pains all over again.
Moving In
We have unloaded a heap of boxes and this place is finally starting to feel like a home.
Once I realized my barrier to unpacking the boxes I got over it and have done much better. The barrier was: no cupboards or closets. I'd open a box and put stuff ... where? The floor? Storage takes ingenuity, European space-saving techniques (don't buy it in the first place) and the willingness to TOSS stuff.
Callum got his new bed compliments of some birthday money from each set of grandparents. The bed is raised up and has a play area underneath - very cool and he loves it. Mark your calendars, HE SLEPT IN IT LAST NIGHT.
Colin is better. He had gastroenteritis accompanied by a whopping headache. He was dysfunctional for five days after he returned from England. When he was correctly diagnosed and set up with a football team’s worth of meds he experienced a complete turn-around. It's lovely to have him back. Read: the limp yet willful curmudgeon has been replaced by a strapping Yorkshire lad.
On CANADA DAY we dined at the only Canadian restaurant in town. It's called Ontario, looks like a sugar shack, serves Quebecois beer (and Bud Light –bleh!), maple-syrup lamb, bison, ostrich and salmon. Ostrich? The pecan pie was so flat it looked like someone had sat on it, someone larger than Stephen Harper. We ate sparsely but were with fun people and it felt good to celebrate being Canadian.
Mother in the Hood
My son is driving me ape-shit.
He doesn't want to walk anywhere, get dressed or even wash his hands or wipe his bum.
Everything is a struggle and I'm getting completely worn out over stupid stuff.
Today I simply put on a Ben 10 show for him and am going through emails because I have cramps and I need to get out but I can't do it without losing my temper.
And Callum says "YUCK" to every food item I offer him but will try eating ear plugs and hair and roll around on the floor of a train station. "YUCK".
Colin is having a hard time at work. His hours are self-inflicted and insane. He leaves for work around 8:30 am and returns home 11 or 12 hours later. His metrics are determined by group performance but he is determined to serve each customer with the best he has to offer. This often means communicating with Victoria, B.C. or Laverne (Tennessee) before he shuts his computer off and stops answering his phone for the night. The stress makes him exhausted and edgy.
On top of that my birthday is on Friday and I feel like I've dropped off the planet in terms of health, fitness, creativity and finances. I am way behind on all of that compared to last year.
I know it will pass. Tomorrow I'll probably feel much better.*
*Note: The next day my friend Anna informed me that I was turning 46, not 47. I DID feel much better!
HOLIDAYS!
Colin took three days off on a week where there were two national holidays, so we had 9 days to squander on the wonder that is Europe. With not much cash in hand we rented a car and mostly did day trips:
- visited Pont-en-Royans where the houses overhang the river and are built into the rock
- explored the Grottes de Choranche which contain soda straw stalactites and were introduced to weird creatures called Olms (little lizard type creatures that are blind and colourless and have lived in caves since prehistoric times).
- floated on and swam in periwinkle-blue lac Monteynard (Sam and Mark were with us for the boat trip and then they made us dinner. We had so much fun we stayed overnight!).
- discovered Lac de Laffrey (drove along a load of D roads, tiny worm-like squiggles on the map) flowered mountain meadows and stunning viewpoints.
- played at a waterpark up in Les 7 Laux (a ski resort in winter, it's a rockin' adventure place in the summer for climbing, hiking, biking and exploring).
- ventured to le fort du Saint Eynard (magnificent views of the whole Grenoble valley).
- watched fireworks (celebration de la Fete nationale a Grenoble) in Parc Paul Mistral (thanks Sam. A kebab, a good friend and the buzz of a gazillion people celebrating freedom and the revolution - ACE). I goofed here. We were invited to Jinnie and Seb's for the Monday night fireworks and I thought it was on Tuesday. Missed hanging out with them and Lindy and Ray. It turns out France celebrates for TWO nights. These are people whose company I delight in. Must be the dementia!
- wandered the grounds of Chateaux Vizille, birthplace of the revolution (nice to meander with the earth beneath our bare feet. Much needed).
- took a three day trip to Florence (Italy), the coast of La Spezia and the site of the last winter Olympics. Costly trip but full of epiphanies. For example, learning Italian would be so much easier than French - you say it the way it is spelled, you pronounce every letter, you write it the way you say it, and grammar is laid out the same way it is in English. In addition, most signs are in Italian and English so vocabulary accumulation is rapid. Saw magnificent Renaissance paintings and architecture, realized how much we missed the ocean and B.C. mountains, and the cumulation of our trip was driving through the rain and snow over tiny mountain passes in the dark while listening to Quirks and Quarks (CBC radio program). We’re so nostalgic for "home".
Callum
Callum is doing well. He misses his friends but has had the great fortune to meet a 5 year old boy from Vancouver who is here in Grenoble for a couple of weeks. We're off today to Parc Paul Mistral to play: a free ropes course, rock climbing wall and water area (among other things – all promoting health and physicality). We went to Annecy with them the other day and Callum got a good dose of superhero and lake activities. He's really looking forward to Owen's visit. He needs kid time, to be able to communicate verbally about his interests and ideas with someone his age who can respond with the same focus and passion.
Colin
Colin is missing Canada. We are clear that we will take advantage of being here, but we were not clear that our adventure would drop us down an economic level (our rent alone, not including utilities or household goods you have to buy as a renter [i.e. stove, fridge, lighting fixtures] or the housing taxes you pay as a renter to the city for the land or maintenance fees paid to the building collective, is equivalent to $1,297 Canadian for a two bedroom flat) or that Colin would work such crazy hours (often gets home between 7 and 8 pm). He will have a new boss in a few weeks. We're sad to see Andrew go back to Canada but are happy for him. Melanie, Colin's new boss, used to be his supervisor back in Victoria. Colin has tremendous respect for her and is looking forward to working with her again. They will all be relocating to a new building in September - which looks like it’ll be an hour+ commute rather than a half hour, but other than that there may be unforseen advantages*. We'll see.
*Note: When they moved to the new building Colin started biking along the river to work. It helps recalibrate him and he’s getting fab calves!
Birthday
I had a fantastic birthday. Some friends of ours (Martine and Adam) proposed going overnight to a mountain refuge for my birthday, but it was full and we have to postpone it. Instead, they treated me to Polish alcohol that had real gold in it and a visit to the Chartreuse cellars - the largest cellars in the world - and the St. Bruno Cathedral. Melanie and David made a birthday breakfast for me that included banana and chocolate chip french toast with caramel sauce and fried bananas on top - can you feel your arteries hardening as we speak? It was awesome. Sam and Mark came over to help me celebrate as well, on their new Street Hawk cycle. And I spent the day in Annecy with some new friends from Vancouver - so all in all it was a fabulous 24 hours. Colin was very sweet and bought me something I'd been eyeing for 3 months - a set of lights (not expensive but they add so much warmth to our living room). Thanks for the thoughtful cards, emails and gifts.
Sorry for running on at the mouth. It's been windy and hot which was giving Callum nightmares which led of course to sleepless nights and a subsequent lack of focus and energy. Things are settling out though, and our visitors over the next couple of weeks will be a welcome celebration.
Hope all is well with you and that you're having a summer full of fun, friends, good food and better weather.
With joy,
Ramona
JUBILATIONS, REVELATIONS and VACATIONS – JUNE 2009
Spirituality
Callum on June 18, 2009:
“God is hiding in the clouds. Jesus was here and used magic so there would be no more madness. When he was killed by the evil guys God sent a bomb and it went BOOM and the bad guys died in the sky. Now God is everywhere and no where.”
PAUSE
“And I love mommy and I love Daddy and I love myself and my mommy loves me.”
I am continually amazed at my child’s acuity regarding spiritual matters. He is intrigued by the churches and monasteries; he can spend copious amounts of time considering the meaning of a religious painting or sculpture. Callum asks questions that would cause a pope to pause and on bended knee give thanks.
Epiphanies
I am resigned to not being able to thwart all the bad habits my son is determined to acquire. Nail biting, fascination with his penis, mimicking Star Wars characters, all of these I must submit to as being part of childhood. I wonder if snot-eating is universal?
My mother informs me that 4 year olds ask, on average, 437 questions a day.
The culture of some women here is beyond what I can imagine for myself, and yet I wonder if it is sheer jealousy. Part of it is that things cost more here than in Canada. When my Québécoise friend Isabelle came to visit she talked to a local who’s lived here all his life. He said the adoption of the Euro in 2002 caused prices to rise 30%. Other sources have confirmed this spike in living costs. Consequently, people who live here can pay more for things and not cringe like I do. They’ve had time to adjust. For example, 38 Euros for spectacular tea; 27 Pounds for a particularly effective and vibrating mascara. Maybe it’s that I’m not particularly girly or because I struggle specifically and consistently with balancing finances in my life, but I will not be purchasing these items. I have, however, bought in the U.K. (with the loving encouragement of my husband) a fantastic pair of black shoes made by KG (Kurt Geiger). They were 50% off of course, but they are the first sexy pair of heels I have purchased since I met Colin 10.5 years ago and they are fine. Fabulous fit, classic and sensual. They are the first step towards overcoming the dowdiness of motherhood where nothing is sacred and everything is stained. They are the symbol of me taking back womanhood and saying the 40’s are sexy and I’m coming home (to Victoria) with all the style of a French bird but at German prices and in U.K. sizes.
Callum has proclaimed to me that he has become much stronger from climbing the stairs up to our flat two or more times a day.
I asked him, “In what way are you stronger?”
He replied, “My hands are stronger from holding onto the railing.”
Parking, Rules and Rebellion
Mike and Mary Jane (also from Victoria) were over and a conversation about French parking ensued.
Colin talked about how much he hates the French parking – at night time in particular they park on sidewalks, on corners, back to front, up on curbs, wherever and however they can manage to squeak their tiny tin cans in they’ll park them, regardless of how much obstruction it causes for people who are walking by.
Mike countered with how much he loves how the French park. Wherever he can find a space he can park his car, even if it’s with only inches to spare.
I pointed out that it’s the difference in perspective between being a driver and a pieton (pedestrian). Personally, I find the French ingenious. There are all these parking rules but none of them apply at night or at the lake or during festivals or other times of high camaraderie like the first two weeks of August when most people are on vacation and parking is free in our neighbourhood. There are also customs here regarding parking that would make my dad’s hair fall out, or be pulled out. It is not at all unusual for people to bump their car into a parking spot if there isn’t quite enough room. Colin jokes that the “Used Car Lots” here are more accurately termed “Predented Car Lots”. Unspoken rules abound in every culture, and unspoken breakage of rules is allowed too. But in France there are more rules than in most countries so there is more breakage and rebellion, and they not only acknowledge it, they celebrate it.
When Sam (a friend of mine from England) and I attended the national celebrations (Fete Nationale) in Parc Paul Mistral, there were many tweenies and teenagers setting off bottle rockets in the area that was initially built for the 1968 Olympic Speed Skating events. Instead of scoffing, getting annoyed or trying to dissuade these kids, people cheered. “Hip hip hooray!” “You’re rebelling - Vive le France!” That is what the national day is all about.
Doggies Do
For the most part I have avoided stepping in doo-doo of the political, theoretical or literal kind, but there is a lot of dog poo that needs to be avoided here. The shop keepers are magic at cleaning the area directly in front of them and there are many spaces dedicated to dogs on the edge of every official square and park, but there are persistent owners who consistently let their large dogs defecate in public places. My family has, by and large, learned to avoid stepping in these hazard zones; has developed a sixth sense about mounds of brown. We are learning. Maybe we can’t talk in full sentences in the language of our adopted country, but we are able to avoid some of the pitfalls of urban living despite residing in the heart of the city.
Grenoble, Geneva and Freiburg with Friends
We had my friend Stella and her two kids (Lucas - 5; Seelja - 2) visit with us in Grenoble for a few days. They are friends of ours from Victoria. It was wonderful reconnecting with them and Callum loved having Canadian (English-speaking) friends here. They played non-stop. Stella and I talked non-stop. We had long involved anthropological and mothering-type conversations on the balcony every night while listening to crickets and consuming minty lime drinks. Colin was tolerant of the noise level.
Callum was a terrific host, street safety guard and tour guide. On Saturday, June 13th we went to Allevard (a French village) for the sheep festival. 3,000 sheep were herded down the city streets. Sunday we hung out at Du Bois Francais, a swimming lake with a playground and huge green space. It was 31 degrees. Colin reveled in relaxing at the lake, reading his book and getting into great discussions with our friends Mike and Mary Jane (and their daughter Nicole - 6)*. They moved here in October from Victoria. It's a relief and a comfort to talk to people who understand our struggles, adventures and elations so clearly. They also understand my fascination with sheep!
*Mike, Mary Jane and Nicole have since moved back to Victoria. We’re happy for them and we miss them.
On the Monday we took Stella, Lucas and Seelja up La Bastille, through the Mandrin Caves (which was intense without flashlights – they are the caves that the mountain troops hid out in as a back-up in case La Bastille was taken by opposing forces) and down under the streets to the Roman ruins. The next day Callum and I headed to Freiburg, Germany with them. Freiburg is where Stella grew up. Her parents still live there.
Freiburg
We had a great time in Freiburg. Stella’s parents are interesting, intelligent and gracious hosts. Their home and its location (it backs onto the Black Forest) were both intriguing and restful. Stella is game, so we climbed with the kids to the top of the Munster tower, explored Freiburg by foot and discovered amazing playgrounds, wooden toys and cobblestone streets.
I couldn’t believe how at home I felt in Germany. The sizes fit, the colours of the buildings resonated (bright and bold), the prices were reasonable and the quality of everything from shoes to toys to washcloths was prime. I remembered a lot of German language from my teenage years at Westgate Mennonite Collegiate, but also the straightforwardness of the people was a relief after the stylistic and arms length attitude of the French. Stella’s parents were particularly welcoming. Much to the delight of Callum and Lucas, Stella’s dad chain-sawed down a cherry tree in their presence, and Stella’s mom was so knowledgeable about herbs and their effects that she could’ve starred as the fairy queen in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
All in all it was a wonderful visit full of laughter, play, conversation and understanding.
And it was interesting to compare and contrast the French vs. the German attitude. One striking difference was in how they present their homes. According to Stella’s sister, the Germans tend to make the outside look great. It’s important to them to take care of the external presentation. It’s showing respect for the neighbours. For the French, it’s important to present a humble exterior and to invest in the interior. This explains why at times the French buildings look so derelict. Now that I know it relates to humility I can deal with the bleak buildings of our semi-Alpine town.
We returned home to Grenoble by train on Thursday, June 18. It was a quick trip but Callum had a choir performance and his graduation ceremony on the Friday and we couldn’t miss it. A choir performance by 150 3 - 6 year olds - would YOU miss it?
Also, all our earthly belongings were scheduled to and actually did arrive at 8:00 am on Saturday, June 20th. George and Tony delivered it up two flights of stairs. Tony was built like Hercules. He’s in his late 50’s and didn’t even break a sweat or do any heavy breathing until they had to tackle the King-sized mattress.
After six months I learned to live without our “stuff”. What’s in those boxes anyways? Camping equipment, creative supplies, books, journals, snowboarding and ski gear, it’s actually very useful and entirely seasonal or “on a whim” type stuff. I think people of my generation with numerous interests were meant to have garages.*
Note*: We do have CAVES here, but they are very damp and periodically flooded by the melting of the alpine snow and the subsequent convergence of the Dragon and Snake Rivers. People in Grenoble mainly use their CAVES for the storing of wine. Not a pretentious action, just a practical solution to inadequate storage.
Colin was accidentally (read: conveniently ;^)) gone when the boxes arrived from Canada/the Suez Canal/Liverpool. He left for England for 10 days on the Friday. What was unfortunate was that June 20th was also Callum’s birthday. We celebrated in Germany with Lucas and Seelja, celebrated on the day by indulging in his favourite foods – ribs and gelato, and we’ll celebrate again (avec Dad) when Owen comes to visit in July. Callum was aching for a big birthday party but it just wasn’t realistic this year … especially since his desired guest list included his Canadian friends and cousins, his U.K. relatives and their dogs, and all 25 French kids from his Moyen class and the neighbour’s cat (Mimi).
On Sunday, June 21st my French-Canadian friend Isabelle arrived. I was very much looking forward to her visit but not looking forward to speaking French in front of her. I needn’t have worried. She was instructive, patient and even complimented my pronunciation! What surprised me was that people could tell she was Quebecois after two spoken words. Wow.
Time with Isabelle was intense. She is single with an intense community medical career and was dove-tailing her visit in Grenoble with a seminar in Geneva and a bicycle trip through Italy. We’ve known each other for about 20 years and my time with her was precious.
I had a parent - teacher interview with Isabelle as interpreter, and Callum received his first report card. The teacher noted that Callum is particularly brave (speaks out, participates and is a leader), compassionate (helps other kids and rescues bugs), vocal (tells long stories) and well-liked (everyone knows him and he does well on the playground). What he needs to work on is penmanship, following the rules, and French (obviously). He has passed his class (Moyen or Medium) and is moving on to the Grande Section for next year. His teacher and school support people believe he will be bilingual by Christmas 2009.
With Isabelle Callum and I went up to the St. Pierre de Chartreuse Museum of the Carthusian Order of Monks and Nuns (near the Monastery and started by St. Bruno). We were given the wrong information about the bus times and ended up having to hitchhike back down out of the Alps. It was a bit intense, especially since Isabelle needed to catch an early train to Geneva.
Isabelle was exceedingly generous during her time here. She brought dinner in one night and paid babysitting and for dinner another night so that she and I could go out and have adult time. It was such a treat. What a great way to experience Grenoble anew. Colin was sad to miss her visit. She is someone we know will be in our lives all our lives.
Colin had a good time in England. He ate lots of curries, was successful with his installation, enjoyed the folks he worked with and on the weekend reveled in the company of his best English mate Mark while consuming pints and pies. He arrived back home around 11 pm Sunday night. The unfortunate part was that he was ill during his visit with Mark. The great part was that Col was highly commended for his on-site commissioning in Chippenham (sounds like a sandwich!) and he hopes to go on-site again soon.
Tuesday I have my French exam. Wish me luck!
Callum is finished school on July 2nd.
Goals for July
- We'll tackle our load of boxes and really move in.
- We'll likely spend lots of time at the pool and the lake.
- On the week of the 15th Colin is taking holidays. Don't know where we're going yet but it needs to be cheap!
- In a few weeks Callum's best friend Owen comes to visit (with our friends/Owen's parents Carly and Bob).
I especially want to thank all of you for Callum's birthday gifts. He felt well loved and was very happy with his variety of gifts (clothes, books, games, toys, trampoline, the Wii). Everything fit perfectly and has already been well used.
Hope you are well.
We love you loads.
Talk to you soon!
xox,
Ramona
Callum on June 18, 2009:
“God is hiding in the clouds. Jesus was here and used magic so there would be no more madness. When he was killed by the evil guys God sent a bomb and it went BOOM and the bad guys died in the sky. Now God is everywhere and no where.”
PAUSE
“And I love mommy and I love Daddy and I love myself and my mommy loves me.”
I am continually amazed at my child’s acuity regarding spiritual matters. He is intrigued by the churches and monasteries; he can spend copious amounts of time considering the meaning of a religious painting or sculpture. Callum asks questions that would cause a pope to pause and on bended knee give thanks.
Epiphanies
I am resigned to not being able to thwart all the bad habits my son is determined to acquire. Nail biting, fascination with his penis, mimicking Star Wars characters, all of these I must submit to as being part of childhood. I wonder if snot-eating is universal?
My mother informs me that 4 year olds ask, on average, 437 questions a day.
The culture of some women here is beyond what I can imagine for myself, and yet I wonder if it is sheer jealousy. Part of it is that things cost more here than in Canada. When my Québécoise friend Isabelle came to visit she talked to a local who’s lived here all his life. He said the adoption of the Euro in 2002 caused prices to rise 30%. Other sources have confirmed this spike in living costs. Consequently, people who live here can pay more for things and not cringe like I do. They’ve had time to adjust. For example, 38 Euros for spectacular tea; 27 Pounds for a particularly effective and vibrating mascara. Maybe it’s that I’m not particularly girly or because I struggle specifically and consistently with balancing finances in my life, but I will not be purchasing these items. I have, however, bought in the U.K. (with the loving encouragement of my husband) a fantastic pair of black shoes made by KG (Kurt Geiger). They were 50% off of course, but they are the first sexy pair of heels I have purchased since I met Colin 10.5 years ago and they are fine. Fabulous fit, classic and sensual. They are the first step towards overcoming the dowdiness of motherhood where nothing is sacred and everything is stained. They are the symbol of me taking back womanhood and saying the 40’s are sexy and I’m coming home (to Victoria) with all the style of a French bird but at German prices and in U.K. sizes.
Callum has proclaimed to me that he has become much stronger from climbing the stairs up to our flat two or more times a day.
I asked him, “In what way are you stronger?”
He replied, “My hands are stronger from holding onto the railing.”
Parking, Rules and Rebellion
Mike and Mary Jane (also from Victoria) were over and a conversation about French parking ensued.
Colin talked about how much he hates the French parking – at night time in particular they park on sidewalks, on corners, back to front, up on curbs, wherever and however they can manage to squeak their tiny tin cans in they’ll park them, regardless of how much obstruction it causes for people who are walking by.
Mike countered with how much he loves how the French park. Wherever he can find a space he can park his car, even if it’s with only inches to spare.
I pointed out that it’s the difference in perspective between being a driver and a pieton (pedestrian). Personally, I find the French ingenious. There are all these parking rules but none of them apply at night or at the lake or during festivals or other times of high camaraderie like the first two weeks of August when most people are on vacation and parking is free in our neighbourhood. There are also customs here regarding parking that would make my dad’s hair fall out, or be pulled out. It is not at all unusual for people to bump their car into a parking spot if there isn’t quite enough room. Colin jokes that the “Used Car Lots” here are more accurately termed “Predented Car Lots”. Unspoken rules abound in every culture, and unspoken breakage of rules is allowed too. But in France there are more rules than in most countries so there is more breakage and rebellion, and they not only acknowledge it, they celebrate it.
When Sam (a friend of mine from England) and I attended the national celebrations (Fete Nationale) in Parc Paul Mistral, there were many tweenies and teenagers setting off bottle rockets in the area that was initially built for the 1968 Olympic Speed Skating events. Instead of scoffing, getting annoyed or trying to dissuade these kids, people cheered. “Hip hip hooray!” “You’re rebelling - Vive le France!” That is what the national day is all about.
Doggies Do
For the most part I have avoided stepping in doo-doo of the political, theoretical or literal kind, but there is a lot of dog poo that needs to be avoided here. The shop keepers are magic at cleaning the area directly in front of them and there are many spaces dedicated to dogs on the edge of every official square and park, but there are persistent owners who consistently let their large dogs defecate in public places. My family has, by and large, learned to avoid stepping in these hazard zones; has developed a sixth sense about mounds of brown. We are learning. Maybe we can’t talk in full sentences in the language of our adopted country, but we are able to avoid some of the pitfalls of urban living despite residing in the heart of the city.
Grenoble, Geneva and Freiburg with Friends
We had my friend Stella and her two kids (Lucas - 5; Seelja - 2) visit with us in Grenoble for a few days. They are friends of ours from Victoria. It was wonderful reconnecting with them and Callum loved having Canadian (English-speaking) friends here. They played non-stop. Stella and I talked non-stop. We had long involved anthropological and mothering-type conversations on the balcony every night while listening to crickets and consuming minty lime drinks. Colin was tolerant of the noise level.
Callum was a terrific host, street safety guard and tour guide. On Saturday, June 13th we went to Allevard (a French village) for the sheep festival. 3,000 sheep were herded down the city streets. Sunday we hung out at Du Bois Francais, a swimming lake with a playground and huge green space. It was 31 degrees. Colin reveled in relaxing at the lake, reading his book and getting into great discussions with our friends Mike and Mary Jane (and their daughter Nicole - 6)*. They moved here in October from Victoria. It's a relief and a comfort to talk to people who understand our struggles, adventures and elations so clearly. They also understand my fascination with sheep!
*Mike, Mary Jane and Nicole have since moved back to Victoria. We’re happy for them and we miss them.
On the Monday we took Stella, Lucas and Seelja up La Bastille, through the Mandrin Caves (which was intense without flashlights – they are the caves that the mountain troops hid out in as a back-up in case La Bastille was taken by opposing forces) and down under the streets to the Roman ruins. The next day Callum and I headed to Freiburg, Germany with them. Freiburg is where Stella grew up. Her parents still live there.
Freiburg
We had a great time in Freiburg. Stella’s parents are interesting, intelligent and gracious hosts. Their home and its location (it backs onto the Black Forest) were both intriguing and restful. Stella is game, so we climbed with the kids to the top of the Munster tower, explored Freiburg by foot and discovered amazing playgrounds, wooden toys and cobblestone streets.
I couldn’t believe how at home I felt in Germany. The sizes fit, the colours of the buildings resonated (bright and bold), the prices were reasonable and the quality of everything from shoes to toys to washcloths was prime. I remembered a lot of German language from my teenage years at Westgate Mennonite Collegiate, but also the straightforwardness of the people was a relief after the stylistic and arms length attitude of the French. Stella’s parents were particularly welcoming. Much to the delight of Callum and Lucas, Stella’s dad chain-sawed down a cherry tree in their presence, and Stella’s mom was so knowledgeable about herbs and their effects that she could’ve starred as the fairy queen in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
All in all it was a wonderful visit full of laughter, play, conversation and understanding.
And it was interesting to compare and contrast the French vs. the German attitude. One striking difference was in how they present their homes. According to Stella’s sister, the Germans tend to make the outside look great. It’s important to them to take care of the external presentation. It’s showing respect for the neighbours. For the French, it’s important to present a humble exterior and to invest in the interior. This explains why at times the French buildings look so derelict. Now that I know it relates to humility I can deal with the bleak buildings of our semi-Alpine town.
We returned home to Grenoble by train on Thursday, June 18. It was a quick trip but Callum had a choir performance and his graduation ceremony on the Friday and we couldn’t miss it. A choir performance by 150 3 - 6 year olds - would YOU miss it?
Also, all our earthly belongings were scheduled to and actually did arrive at 8:00 am on Saturday, June 20th. George and Tony delivered it up two flights of stairs. Tony was built like Hercules. He’s in his late 50’s and didn’t even break a sweat or do any heavy breathing until they had to tackle the King-sized mattress.
After six months I learned to live without our “stuff”. What’s in those boxes anyways? Camping equipment, creative supplies, books, journals, snowboarding and ski gear, it’s actually very useful and entirely seasonal or “on a whim” type stuff. I think people of my generation with numerous interests were meant to have garages.*
Note*: We do have CAVES here, but they are very damp and periodically flooded by the melting of the alpine snow and the subsequent convergence of the Dragon and Snake Rivers. People in Grenoble mainly use their CAVES for the storing of wine. Not a pretentious action, just a practical solution to inadequate storage.
Colin was accidentally (read: conveniently ;^)) gone when the boxes arrived from Canada/the Suez Canal/Liverpool. He left for England for 10 days on the Friday. What was unfortunate was that June 20th was also Callum’s birthday. We celebrated in Germany with Lucas and Seelja, celebrated on the day by indulging in his favourite foods – ribs and gelato, and we’ll celebrate again (avec Dad) when Owen comes to visit in July. Callum was aching for a big birthday party but it just wasn’t realistic this year … especially since his desired guest list included his Canadian friends and cousins, his U.K. relatives and their dogs, and all 25 French kids from his Moyen class and the neighbour’s cat (Mimi).
On Sunday, June 21st my French-Canadian friend Isabelle arrived. I was very much looking forward to her visit but not looking forward to speaking French in front of her. I needn’t have worried. She was instructive, patient and even complimented my pronunciation! What surprised me was that people could tell she was Quebecois after two spoken words. Wow.
Time with Isabelle was intense. She is single with an intense community medical career and was dove-tailing her visit in Grenoble with a seminar in Geneva and a bicycle trip through Italy. We’ve known each other for about 20 years and my time with her was precious.
I had a parent - teacher interview with Isabelle as interpreter, and Callum received his first report card. The teacher noted that Callum is particularly brave (speaks out, participates and is a leader), compassionate (helps other kids and rescues bugs), vocal (tells long stories) and well-liked (everyone knows him and he does well on the playground). What he needs to work on is penmanship, following the rules, and French (obviously). He has passed his class (Moyen or Medium) and is moving on to the Grande Section for next year. His teacher and school support people believe he will be bilingual by Christmas 2009.
With Isabelle Callum and I went up to the St. Pierre de Chartreuse Museum of the Carthusian Order of Monks and Nuns (near the Monastery and started by St. Bruno). We were given the wrong information about the bus times and ended up having to hitchhike back down out of the Alps. It was a bit intense, especially since Isabelle needed to catch an early train to Geneva.
Isabelle was exceedingly generous during her time here. She brought dinner in one night and paid babysitting and for dinner another night so that she and I could go out and have adult time. It was such a treat. What a great way to experience Grenoble anew. Colin was sad to miss her visit. She is someone we know will be in our lives all our lives.
Colin had a good time in England. He ate lots of curries, was successful with his installation, enjoyed the folks he worked with and on the weekend reveled in the company of his best English mate Mark while consuming pints and pies. He arrived back home around 11 pm Sunday night. The unfortunate part was that he was ill during his visit with Mark. The great part was that Col was highly commended for his on-site commissioning in Chippenham (sounds like a sandwich!) and he hopes to go on-site again soon.
Tuesday I have my French exam. Wish me luck!
Callum is finished school on July 2nd.
Goals for July
- We'll tackle our load of boxes and really move in.
- We'll likely spend lots of time at the pool and the lake.
- On the week of the 15th Colin is taking holidays. Don't know where we're going yet but it needs to be cheap!
- In a few weeks Callum's best friend Owen comes to visit (with our friends/Owen's parents Carly and Bob).
I especially want to thank all of you for Callum's birthday gifts. He felt well loved and was very happy with his variety of gifts (clothes, books, games, toys, trampoline, the Wii). Everything fit perfectly and has already been well used.
Hope you are well.
We love you loads.
Talk to you soon!
xox,
Ramona
Monday, June 8, 2009
Right On Cue (April/May 2009)
At the three month mark of our move to France my determination plummeted and my spirit of adventure took a vacation. I was right on cue.
According to a friend of mine who teaches English and has studied the psychological patterns of people who move to a new country, there's a dramatic dip in attitude at the 3 - 4 month mark. Much to my chagrin I exactly fit the profile. There I was at the three month mark: wondering why it takes 45 minutes to arrange a new delivery date for a clothes dryer (not including the amount of time it took me to look up the vocabulary involved or review how to sound out numbers, say my alphabet and spell my name); wondering how I can console my husband as he longs for his former team's camaraderie and struggles with the culture shock of a French workplace; wondering why I've severed my son from his Canadian playmates and instead am dropping him off in a pure French school where he doesn't understand the rules and has anxiety because he can't explain himself when he gets into trouble; wondering what possessed me to move to a country whose people thrive on bread and cheese when my son is allergic to both of these things; wondering when I'll be able to hold a conversation in French rather than repeat a script in a bad accent; and questioning a move that nailed us to the wall financially and took us far from family, friends, playdates and a magnificent coastline...
Lots of doubt, focus on what we'd given up and a poisonous dose of "poor me" kept me in a black mood for about three days. I drank wine, walked in the rain and watched multiple episodes of "House" and "The Tudors". In keen synchronization, Grenoble sported thunder storms. Then I got over my maladie and started reapplying myself to viewing this move as an adventure ... and we went on holiday. That ALWAYS helps.
It's been an incredibly busy two months.
APRIL in a nutshell:
- England for 16 days to celebrate Grandma Gilly's Birthday
My in-laws were gracious and fun. Callum and I had some intriguing adventures (see photos) on our own by train and with Uncle Mark, and then Colin joined us for the celebration of his mom's birthday. What a riot. We had a spectacular day at Castle Howard, there was a surprise party for Grandma Gilly in the evening, a meal the following day and lots of visiting with the Walker/Wray/Bowie side of the family tree. We also managed to spend some quality time with Great Grandma Bucknell and the Bucknell side. Overall it was an excellent visit.
- Colin picked out a stove, fridge, washer, dryer, music player and T.V. and did a smashing job.
I've never loved my appliances before. These are brand new, brushed steel (one) and energy efficient. They're sensible and sexy. How is that possible?
- We moved into our new apartment
We love the location. Lots of parks, great activities to walk to (climbing, outdoor markets, swimming pools, etc.), close to friends and/or public transport. We can see two sets of mountains from our two balconies and there's a new shopping area and park being built across the street. I walk Callum to school, Colin only needs to take one bus to work and I walk to my French classes. The apartment itself is sunny, quiet, spacious and has great water pressure, wooden and tiled floors and a large tub. In addition there is a bike locker and "a cave." The cave is damp and creepy. If we were truly French we'd use it as a cellar and keep our wine there. As it is, whatever needs to be stored but can deter mould will probably wiggle its way down there. To top it all off, our landlord is awesome. Jolly and retired, he responds to most requests within two days. Thanks also to Sylvie, our relocation specialist who has turned many a bureaucratic nightmare into a smooth move.
- We borrowed items from friends (mostly Steph and Andrew - THANKS!) and did a massive IKEA shop after we realized we had no way of eating, sleeping and washing in an empty shell of a home.
- Callum started school
Agony. I don't recall much in my life that has ripped me apart like this. Prying my bawling orangatang-limbed child off my body and handing him over to a teacher he can't even talk to, knowing he doesn't understand the rules or what's being said about him, and having him at the mercy of the good graces (ha!) of kids during recess was a hideously nauseating experience. He was so desperate not to go to school that he felt sick and even faked a broken leg. For two weeks I felt like a blind person, unable to see beyond the grief, anxiety and loneliness of Callum. His teacher, Helene Lazzarotto, was awesome - she would take him from my arms and he would wrap himself around her, a safe harbour. Another parent told me Helene would hold Callum for 2 - 5 minutes, until he'd gathered himself together and was ready to mix with the other kids. Helene wasn't worried about him, she could see that he's motivated by his desire to be social.
Now, six weeks after he started attending school, he's happier. He delights in time with kids and they like him. Their eyes light up when they see him. They greet him with: "Bonjour Callum" or "Cou cou." That last saying legitimately means hello, although I scolded Callum for it until I caught on. Loads of kids call his name on the playground after school and parents and kids greet both of us. We're starting to run into people we know when we're downtown and even when we were in Paris! Callum, on his part, has had to learn not to talk during quiet time, not to dance during story time, and to walk holding hands when going on field trips. Apparently he talks a lot, tells epic stories (He says he's teaching the kids English). He still has anxiety around pooing at school (given the lack of privacy in the wee washrooms I'm not surprised), not comprehending expectations and getting in trouble. What bothers me most is that he currently sees himself as stupid because he can't understand what is going on, but as he learns French things will get better. After all, it's only been six weeks.
The teachers think he'll be bilingual by Christmas.
- Paris for 2.5 days
Awesome and intense. We did a whirlwind visit that included a national holiday on the Friday and the witnessing of a massive 1.5 million people demonstration, a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Sacre Coeur and the Louvre, a wander around the Left Bank which is the district for philosophers, artists and musicians, and a hike up the infamous Eiffel Tower. See photos.
- Eurodisney for 2.5 days
Also awesome and intense! What a hoot. The most relaxing holiday we've had in a long time. Just pure fun. The Disneyland Resort covers 500 acres, dedicated to inspiring wonder and promoting family fun. The studios specialized in creating magic with stunts, special effects and spectacular sets. The Parc presented five lands for exploration. At first I was reluctant to tell people we were going, but for a family needing relief from stress and where all members are thrill seekers who thrive on stimulation of the imagination, it was a cool trip. Callum was hilarious. When we entered the Parc he said, "Look out Disney, here I come!" and "Oh yeah!" When he dropped his scoop of gelato he took my hand and led me over and said, "Let me show you the scene of the accident..." When facing thrill rides like roller coasters, he would proclaim, "Bring it on!" Such a passionate, clever and adventurous little guy.
One weird thing that I noticed at Disney is the fascination Europe has with cowboys and Indians. Davy Crocket, the Wild West and Wild Bill Hickock are all popular here, as well as shotguns, runaway mining trains, bows and arrows. In Children's Literature and in French toy stores plenty is available regarding the history of North America that would be considered politically and anthropologically incorrect in Canada. Some Europeans find our fascination with Knights and the medieval times equally as odd.
- I learned how to pay bills in French
You would not believe how long it took me to figuere that stuff out. Thanks again Sylvie! (She rescues/educates us when we get too befuddled by French paperwork, methodology or the contrast between rules and subsequent actions taken).
- I learned how to fix our boiler
- We dealt with a leaky toilet
- We successfully returned our DVD player
But did not successfully pick up another one. It took 6 weeks for them to say come and get a different one (ours broke on the second use). They called us in, but didn't tell us they have none in stock. Would we take a floor model? No.
- Callum started speaking French
MAY 7 = Callum voluntarily said "Merci" and "Au revoir". He can now say, "Je m'appelle Callum." He comes out with words here and there, but in general says that he can understand stuff but not speak it. I get it. I can see it in him and in myself. My vocabulary has increased tremendously but the more I comprehend the vast sea of French grammar the less I can bring myself to bastardize this beautiful language.
- French lessons for Colin and myself
- Figuered out where to buy cheaper, fresher vegetables
- I had an appointment at the Grenobel Graduate School of Business, seriously checked out the MBA program (with tuition starting at 24,000 Euros I don't think so!).
My friend Isabelle pointed out how useful this would be at this juncture of my career. The international program sounds perfect for me and would give me a leg up in the workplace, but it's way too costly even though they take my experience into consideration. I may consider a diploma though. Grenoble Graduate School of Business has several locations: Grenoble, London, Moscow, Tbilisi, Chisinau, Malta. There are 12 countries represented in their program at present. It would be so cool to do a Masters of International Business. It speaks to the anthropologist in me. Check out http://www.grenoble-em.com/.
- Colin started snowboarding on the Wii.
Gathered infinitesemal points, dude.
- We all started doing Wii fit.
We made icons of our loved ones on the Wii so that you do soccer, step classes, hula hooping, yoga and boxing right alongside us. Many thanks to Ang and George for this most generous gift.
- I found a family doctor who speaks some English (his wife is from Quebec).
- Still don't have our stuff - and don't know where it is!
MAY in a nutshell:
- time with new-found friends
- figuered out a budget XXX Boo Hiss.
In April I was more stymied. I didn't have a residence permit, a work permit, the ability to speak French and also jobs are being cut right now, not created. In May I got my residency permit and the permission to work ... for the next 10 years. I'm legit and they're not going to kick me out of the country! Now I really need to concentrate on learning French so that I can seek employment once Callum is back in school in September. The upbeat part of this is that even though we live in the 2nd most expensive location in France (England is cheaper!), the exchange rate to the Canadian dollar is great.
- figuered out French holidays - complicated but wonderful.
I'm not even going to try to explain this triple-tiered behemoth called Jabberwocky.
- learned how the French residents get deals on travel
I bought a resident pass for the trains which gives me 25% off all the time, and 50% off for me and three other people on all weekends and holidays for my region and the five closest to the Rhone-Alps. Handy. Learning the websites to keep an eye on, how to get deals on car rentals, and how Schneider reimburses portions of plane travel. We're still getting too excited though about where we can go, and need to keep a closer eye on our bank account.
For those of you travelling here, sometimes the deals are better if bought outside of the country. Also, getting to and from Grenoble is not cheap. The cheap deals are through Paris and London.
- Day trip to Lyon
Awesome. See photos. Met a man there who runs a vineyard where people can stay overnight. We may do so ... his website is http://www.grille-midi.com/. Lyon is faster paced, larger and louder than Grenoble. We've realized through our travels through France so far that we like the people in Grenoble the best. They're friendly, straightforward and unpretentious.
- Day trip to St. Pierre en Chartreusse
One of our favourite places. A pleasant winding road up into the Chartreusse mountains and then an easy walk to the river, forest or mountain meadows. Loads of trails. Can't get enough of this type of wandering.
- Day trip to Annecy
A gem of a place which we will take all our visitors to. A Medieval Quarter where the colours, textures and architecture sing to the eye, daily-made Gelato in flavours that burst the palate like fireworks soaked in lemonade ... and a lake to refresh hot leathering skin.
Check out: http://www.france-for-visitors.com/alps/annecy/index.html
- Day trip to Du Bois Francaise
Reminds me of Elk and Beaver lakes back home, or Algonquin Park in Ontario. More manicured than home, and more stones than sand, but soothing, safe and playful. A place to breath deeply when the oppressive heat in the city centre steals air from our lungs.
- I passed my French test!
Only just. I'm not used to coming so close to the edge with academia. Makes me sweat.
My stinks grammar, but my vocabulary is extensive and exponentially expanding.
- talked extensively with my landlord - M. Dupont.
He has jolly eyes and his hands talk like a Spaniard (which in fact he is) even if he's speaking French. I wish I could listen to his tales. He is valiant - expends great energy trying to help me understand him.
- Festival in our community
We love where we live. Have I said that already? Check out the website http://www.ruelakanal.com/. There are pictures there by Bruno Moyen. Click on Moments de Pause to see a slide show of his photos of our neighbourhood - Championnet. He captures the spirit of this place, manages to show the gleam of character under the smear of dirt, the honed muscles beneath the haggard skin.
- I started losing weight because I'm walking again, and walking at the pace of an adult instead of a four year old (or the pace of an adult carrying a four year old).
- We acquired a new Betta fish: "R2D2Fsh"
I taught him how to jump up and eat a food pellet from my finger. Then one day he leapt up too vigorously and flew four feet onto the floor. Now I use calming words and keep my hands low.
- We held our first party: "Mamma Mia"
One of our friends is French so we put on the French subtitles ... which resulted in French words for the songs. Hilarious. Try it and see if you don't wet yourself.
- Had playdates with two different sets of kids from Callum's school
Two moms have reached out to me and Callum. One of them spent two years in Quebec with her husband and her son in Callum's class was born in Canada. The other is originally from Philadelphia but has lived here for 10 years and is married to a Frenchman. Both have two sons. They're gracious, interesting, globally oriented and intelligent women who have a solid understanding of the challenges I'm facing. I'm grateful they've reached out to me, especially since Callum is the only child in his school who speaks English as a first language. And because there are messages to parents on the chalk board sometimes that have red triangles around them and exclamation marks and I KNOW I need to understand those notes. Allies are not a luxury, they are a necessity.
- Discovered how expensive it is to travel in Europe
- Survived, so far, the global restructuring of Schneider
- Still don't have our stuff but know that it's sitting in a port in Liverpool, England and have filled out all the appropriate additional paperwork except the letter to the mayor of Grenoble which will allow the moving truck to park on our public residential street.
Because the sun does NOT rise and set in my bellybutton, I want to acknowledge that there are many things going on in the lives of our respective families, particularly around health. I celebrate that my mom is holding her own, I hope my sister's tests come back clear, and I'm thrilled that my dad is sickenly healthy. Also, Bravo! Richard for passing your drivers' test. Cindy, how awesome to have your professional photo in "The Watchmen" book. Our love and concern to Auntie Shirley as she recovers from surgery, our joy goes to Ang and George for their recent news, our congrats to Michel, Christopher and David for their Nigerian adventure, and our thanks to all family that hosted and entertained us in England (that includes you Nodge!). Thanks also to many friends and family members who have encouraged, supported and laughed with us/at us during our transition.
EPIPHANIES AND HIGHLIGHTS
According to a friend of mine who teaches English and has studied the psychological patterns of people who move to a new country, there's a dramatic dip in attitude at the 3 - 4 month mark. Much to my chagrin I exactly fit the profile. There I was at the three month mark: wondering why it takes 45 minutes to arrange a new delivery date for a clothes dryer (not including the amount of time it took me to look up the vocabulary involved or review how to sound out numbers, say my alphabet and spell my name); wondering how I can console my husband as he longs for his former team's camaraderie and struggles with the culture shock of a French workplace; wondering why I've severed my son from his Canadian playmates and instead am dropping him off in a pure French school where he doesn't understand the rules and has anxiety because he can't explain himself when he gets into trouble; wondering what possessed me to move to a country whose people thrive on bread and cheese when my son is allergic to both of these things; wondering when I'll be able to hold a conversation in French rather than repeat a script in a bad accent; and questioning a move that nailed us to the wall financially and took us far from family, friends, playdates and a magnificent coastline...
Lots of doubt, focus on what we'd given up and a poisonous dose of "poor me" kept me in a black mood for about three days. I drank wine, walked in the rain and watched multiple episodes of "House" and "The Tudors". In keen synchronization, Grenoble sported thunder storms. Then I got over my maladie and started reapplying myself to viewing this move as an adventure ... and we went on holiday. That ALWAYS helps.
It's been an incredibly busy two months.
APRIL in a nutshell:
- England for 16 days to celebrate Grandma Gilly's Birthday
My in-laws were gracious and fun. Callum and I had some intriguing adventures (see photos) on our own by train and with Uncle Mark, and then Colin joined us for the celebration of his mom's birthday. What a riot. We had a spectacular day at Castle Howard, there was a surprise party for Grandma Gilly in the evening, a meal the following day and lots of visiting with the Walker/Wray/Bowie side of the family tree. We also managed to spend some quality time with Great Grandma Bucknell and the Bucknell side. Overall it was an excellent visit.
- Colin picked out a stove, fridge, washer, dryer, music player and T.V. and did a smashing job.
I've never loved my appliances before. These are brand new, brushed steel (one) and energy efficient. They're sensible and sexy. How is that possible?
- We moved into our new apartment
We love the location. Lots of parks, great activities to walk to (climbing, outdoor markets, swimming pools, etc.), close to friends and/or public transport. We can see two sets of mountains from our two balconies and there's a new shopping area and park being built across the street. I walk Callum to school, Colin only needs to take one bus to work and I walk to my French classes. The apartment itself is sunny, quiet, spacious and has great water pressure, wooden and tiled floors and a large tub. In addition there is a bike locker and "a cave." The cave is damp and creepy. If we were truly French we'd use it as a cellar and keep our wine there. As it is, whatever needs to be stored but can deter mould will probably wiggle its way down there. To top it all off, our landlord is awesome. Jolly and retired, he responds to most requests within two days. Thanks also to Sylvie, our relocation specialist who has turned many a bureaucratic nightmare into a smooth move.
- We borrowed items from friends (mostly Steph and Andrew - THANKS!) and did a massive IKEA shop after we realized we had no way of eating, sleeping and washing in an empty shell of a home.
- Callum started school
Agony. I don't recall much in my life that has ripped me apart like this. Prying my bawling orangatang-limbed child off my body and handing him over to a teacher he can't even talk to, knowing he doesn't understand the rules or what's being said about him, and having him at the mercy of the good graces (ha!) of kids during recess was a hideously nauseating experience. He was so desperate not to go to school that he felt sick and even faked a broken leg. For two weeks I felt like a blind person, unable to see beyond the grief, anxiety and loneliness of Callum. His teacher, Helene Lazzarotto, was awesome - she would take him from my arms and he would wrap himself around her, a safe harbour. Another parent told me Helene would hold Callum for 2 - 5 minutes, until he'd gathered himself together and was ready to mix with the other kids. Helene wasn't worried about him, she could see that he's motivated by his desire to be social.
Now, six weeks after he started attending school, he's happier. He delights in time with kids and they like him. Their eyes light up when they see him. They greet him with: "Bonjour Callum" or "Cou cou." That last saying legitimately means hello, although I scolded Callum for it until I caught on. Loads of kids call his name on the playground after school and parents and kids greet both of us. We're starting to run into people we know when we're downtown and even when we were in Paris! Callum, on his part, has had to learn not to talk during quiet time, not to dance during story time, and to walk holding hands when going on field trips. Apparently he talks a lot, tells epic stories (He says he's teaching the kids English). He still has anxiety around pooing at school (given the lack of privacy in the wee washrooms I'm not surprised), not comprehending expectations and getting in trouble. What bothers me most is that he currently sees himself as stupid because he can't understand what is going on, but as he learns French things will get better. After all, it's only been six weeks.
The teachers think he'll be bilingual by Christmas.
- Paris for 2.5 days
Awesome and intense. We did a whirlwind visit that included a national holiday on the Friday and the witnessing of a massive 1.5 million people demonstration, a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Sacre Coeur and the Louvre, a wander around the Left Bank which is the district for philosophers, artists and musicians, and a hike up the infamous Eiffel Tower. See photos.
- Eurodisney for 2.5 days
Also awesome and intense! What a hoot. The most relaxing holiday we've had in a long time. Just pure fun. The Disneyland Resort covers 500 acres, dedicated to inspiring wonder and promoting family fun. The studios specialized in creating magic with stunts, special effects and spectacular sets. The Parc presented five lands for exploration. At first I was reluctant to tell people we were going, but for a family needing relief from stress and where all members are thrill seekers who thrive on stimulation of the imagination, it was a cool trip. Callum was hilarious. When we entered the Parc he said, "Look out Disney, here I come!" and "Oh yeah!" When he dropped his scoop of gelato he took my hand and led me over and said, "Let me show you the scene of the accident..." When facing thrill rides like roller coasters, he would proclaim, "Bring it on!" Such a passionate, clever and adventurous little guy.
One weird thing that I noticed at Disney is the fascination Europe has with cowboys and Indians. Davy Crocket, the Wild West and Wild Bill Hickock are all popular here, as well as shotguns, runaway mining trains, bows and arrows. In Children's Literature and in French toy stores plenty is available regarding the history of North America that would be considered politically and anthropologically incorrect in Canada. Some Europeans find our fascination with Knights and the medieval times equally as odd.
- I learned how to pay bills in French
You would not believe how long it took me to figuere that stuff out. Thanks again Sylvie! (She rescues/educates us when we get too befuddled by French paperwork, methodology or the contrast between rules and subsequent actions taken).
- I learned how to fix our boiler
- We dealt with a leaky toilet
- We successfully returned our DVD player
But did not successfully pick up another one. It took 6 weeks for them to say come and get a different one (ours broke on the second use). They called us in, but didn't tell us they have none in stock. Would we take a floor model? No.
- Callum started speaking French
MAY 7 = Callum voluntarily said "Merci" and "Au revoir". He can now say, "Je m'appelle Callum." He comes out with words here and there, but in general says that he can understand stuff but not speak it. I get it. I can see it in him and in myself. My vocabulary has increased tremendously but the more I comprehend the vast sea of French grammar the less I can bring myself to bastardize this beautiful language.
- French lessons for Colin and myself
- Figuered out where to buy cheaper, fresher vegetables
- I had an appointment at the Grenobel Graduate School of Business, seriously checked out the MBA program (with tuition starting at 24,000 Euros I don't think so!).
My friend Isabelle pointed out how useful this would be at this juncture of my career. The international program sounds perfect for me and would give me a leg up in the workplace, but it's way too costly even though they take my experience into consideration. I may consider a diploma though. Grenoble Graduate School of Business has several locations: Grenoble, London, Moscow, Tbilisi, Chisinau, Malta. There are 12 countries represented in their program at present. It would be so cool to do a Masters of International Business. It speaks to the anthropologist in me. Check out http://www.grenoble-em.com/.
- Colin started snowboarding on the Wii.
Gathered infinitesemal points, dude.
- We all started doing Wii fit.
We made icons of our loved ones on the Wii so that you do soccer, step classes, hula hooping, yoga and boxing right alongside us. Many thanks to Ang and George for this most generous gift.
- I found a family doctor who speaks some English (his wife is from Quebec).
- Still don't have our stuff - and don't know where it is!
MAY in a nutshell:
- time with new-found friends
- figuered out a budget XXX Boo Hiss.
In April I was more stymied. I didn't have a residence permit, a work permit, the ability to speak French and also jobs are being cut right now, not created. In May I got my residency permit and the permission to work ... for the next 10 years. I'm legit and they're not going to kick me out of the country! Now I really need to concentrate on learning French so that I can seek employment once Callum is back in school in September. The upbeat part of this is that even though we live in the 2nd most expensive location in France (England is cheaper!), the exchange rate to the Canadian dollar is great.
- figuered out French holidays - complicated but wonderful.
I'm not even going to try to explain this triple-tiered behemoth called Jabberwocky.
- learned how the French residents get deals on travel
I bought a resident pass for the trains which gives me 25% off all the time, and 50% off for me and three other people on all weekends and holidays for my region and the five closest to the Rhone-Alps. Handy. Learning the websites to keep an eye on, how to get deals on car rentals, and how Schneider reimburses portions of plane travel. We're still getting too excited though about where we can go, and need to keep a closer eye on our bank account.
For those of you travelling here, sometimes the deals are better if bought outside of the country. Also, getting to and from Grenoble is not cheap. The cheap deals are through Paris and London.
- Day trip to Lyon
Awesome. See photos. Met a man there who runs a vineyard where people can stay overnight. We may do so ... his website is http://www.grille-midi.com/. Lyon is faster paced, larger and louder than Grenoble. We've realized through our travels through France so far that we like the people in Grenoble the best. They're friendly, straightforward and unpretentious.
- Day trip to St. Pierre en Chartreusse
One of our favourite places. A pleasant winding road up into the Chartreusse mountains and then an easy walk to the river, forest or mountain meadows. Loads of trails. Can't get enough of this type of wandering.
- Day trip to Annecy
A gem of a place which we will take all our visitors to. A Medieval Quarter where the colours, textures and architecture sing to the eye, daily-made Gelato in flavours that burst the palate like fireworks soaked in lemonade ... and a lake to refresh hot leathering skin.
Check out: http://www.france-for-visitors.com/alps/annecy/index.html
- Day trip to Du Bois Francaise
Reminds me of Elk and Beaver lakes back home, or Algonquin Park in Ontario. More manicured than home, and more stones than sand, but soothing, safe and playful. A place to breath deeply when the oppressive heat in the city centre steals air from our lungs.
- I passed my French test!
Only just. I'm not used to coming so close to the edge with academia. Makes me sweat.
My stinks grammar, but my vocabulary is extensive and exponentially expanding.
- talked extensively with my landlord - M. Dupont.
He has jolly eyes and his hands talk like a Spaniard (which in fact he is) even if he's speaking French. I wish I could listen to his tales. He is valiant - expends great energy trying to help me understand him.
- Festival in our community
We love where we live. Have I said that already? Check out the website http://www.ruelakanal.com/. There are pictures there by Bruno Moyen. Click on Moments de Pause to see a slide show of his photos of our neighbourhood - Championnet. He captures the spirit of this place, manages to show the gleam of character under the smear of dirt, the honed muscles beneath the haggard skin.
- I started losing weight because I'm walking again, and walking at the pace of an adult instead of a four year old (or the pace of an adult carrying a four year old).
- We acquired a new Betta fish: "R2D2Fsh"
I taught him how to jump up and eat a food pellet from my finger. Then one day he leapt up too vigorously and flew four feet onto the floor. Now I use calming words and keep my hands low.
- We held our first party: "Mamma Mia"
One of our friends is French so we put on the French subtitles ... which resulted in French words for the songs. Hilarious. Try it and see if you don't wet yourself.
- Had playdates with two different sets of kids from Callum's school
Two moms have reached out to me and Callum. One of them spent two years in Quebec with her husband and her son in Callum's class was born in Canada. The other is originally from Philadelphia but has lived here for 10 years and is married to a Frenchman. Both have two sons. They're gracious, interesting, globally oriented and intelligent women who have a solid understanding of the challenges I'm facing. I'm grateful they've reached out to me, especially since Callum is the only child in his school who speaks English as a first language. And because there are messages to parents on the chalk board sometimes that have red triangles around them and exclamation marks and I KNOW I need to understand those notes. Allies are not a luxury, they are a necessity.
- Discovered how expensive it is to travel in Europe
- Survived, so far, the global restructuring of Schneider
- Still don't have our stuff but know that it's sitting in a port in Liverpool, England and have filled out all the appropriate additional paperwork except the letter to the mayor of Grenoble which will allow the moving truck to park on our public residential street.
Because the sun does NOT rise and set in my bellybutton, I want to acknowledge that there are many things going on in the lives of our respective families, particularly around health. I celebrate that my mom is holding her own, I hope my sister's tests come back clear, and I'm thrilled that my dad is sickenly healthy. Also, Bravo! Richard for passing your drivers' test. Cindy, how awesome to have your professional photo in "The Watchmen" book. Our love and concern to Auntie Shirley as she recovers from surgery, our joy goes to Ang and George for their recent news, our congrats to Michel, Christopher and David for their Nigerian adventure, and our thanks to all family that hosted and entertained us in England (that includes you Nodge!). Thanks also to many friends and family members who have encouraged, supported and laughed with us/at us during our transition.
EPIPHANIES AND HIGHLIGHTS
Swimming
I took Callum swimming at a pool the other day. The lifeguard was all over us like a fruit fly on over-ripe papaya. I couldn't figuere out why. I thought he was worried about Callum being in the deep end, but Callum can swim. Turns out Callum's "beach" trunks were inappropriate swimwear. They are considered unhygenic. Speedos are the trunks of choice in pools around here. And for your convenience they can be purchased in any size from the vending machine in the lobby.
So that's what I did. I purchased a pair of tiny trunks for Callum. It made him walk like a cowboy. I don't think he's ever worn anything so tight around his miniscule bottom. In the changeroom he kept saying, "They're too tight!" I reassured him that they would stretch in the water. They did, and he felt better, but it must've still felt odd because for at least the first seven times of him rising out of the pool he would spend a few minutes trying to get his hands down his trunks to readjust himself. When I told a friend of ours of Callum's experience, he said, "You wouldn't catch me in one of those marble bags, no way!" Banana hammock also came up in the conversation as Colin agreed with the assessment. I guess we'll be swimming in lakes this summer.
It Takes a Community to Raise a Child
I've realized that a major area of discomfort for me is that I cannot contribute to community on the playground. I am accustomed to coaching both parts of the equation when there is an altercation with my child. The way to build community is by understanding other points of view, developing compassion and cultivating collaberation. When I can only coach Callum and not speak with other kids in the playground, I feel compromised and handicapped. When Callum cannot benefit from the input of other adults when there are misinterpretations of intent, cultural challenges or development of new skills are required, he is missing out on part of the richness of life. As a person, a Mennonite and a mother I miss being part of a larger community where we can use language as a bridge. I suppose I need to be patient, persistent and have faith that we will get to that point even here, in an adopted country. Maybe the benefits will be even more comprehensive once we push through the initial "mountain" of language acquisition. Derek Pritchard once told me that a person can go wide or go deep. He was talking of learning through travel or community. They aren't mutually exclusive. I hope to do both. I hope Callum will get the best of both "worlds". In the meantime, please note that your presence in our lives, in his life, is precious. You are a part of our community and it takes a community to raise a child.
Weather
It's warm here. It can be 26 degrees and Grenoble residents will still be wearing jackets and scarves. Frightens me. How hot will it get if this is considered chilly? It's actually so muggy some days that it's too hot to eat.
Men in Pink
I love the attitude here. Men wear pink, carry manbags and ride their childrens scooters home after dropping their kids off at school. Such confidence.
Boomerang
People who come here to live for just a few years are called Boomerangs. The French people are more hesitant to invest personal time in you if your contract is finite. Ours is open-ended.
Paris: Photos I wish I'd Taken (saw these incidents but didn't catch them digitally)
1. The guy who was smoking while riding a motorcyle
2. The guy who jay-walked across the street while carrying a glass of wine
3. The couple in the park who kissed so long Colin and I couldn't believe they didn't come up for air. Over 10 minutes for sure.
4. The fellow in the Latin District the moment he realized he'd stepped in dog poo.
5. The fellow frozen in place at the cafe next to the Louvre. He'd just received the check for his burger and beer. We'd looked at the menu in there and it was over 20 Euros for a burger, roughly 30 Canadian dollars. He was in a state of disbelief.
There's a book here called, "Friends, Foes and Countrymen." Seems apt. Everywhere there are potential allies in the midst of this wild ride called life. Adversity greets us daily, but his companion is wonder. I hope you're enjoying life as much as I am.
With love and wishing you good health and joy,
Ramona
P.S. My spell check isn't working properly and my four year old is restless, so I'm bound to be embarassed at some horrendous mistake, but I'll live. I'd rather get this posted. Please take this joyful note in the manner it was intended. Now that's enough of me being overly earnest (result of wholesome Prairie living). Have a great day!
Friday, March 27, 2009
March
Gosh, so much has happened it's hard to know where to start. When we got married I told Colin it wouldn't be easy but it would always be interesting. I've kept to my word.
NEW HOME
ADDRESS: 4 rue Abbe Barral 38000 Grenoble, France
TELEPHONE: 09 53 73 93 45
TELEPHONE (from Canada): 011 339 53 73 93 45
We've found a new home and we're relieved, elated and ready to spend our "Moving in (Electrical Appliance) Allowance" on practical things like a fridge, stove and telephone, and we're contemplating some less practical items such as a flat-screen T.V., popcorn maker and a Wii. Colin is the advocate for the last frivolous suggestion. I'm craving a crock pot and some type of expresso machine (I guess that's what parenting can do ... push you to purchase excessive electronic equipment).
We are truly excited about our home. We're not thrilled about the construction that resides just outside our windows, but the area will be fabulous when it's done. There are probably more parks in our immediate vicinity than anywhere else we've wandered in Grenoble. We've even got a climbing wall, a skateboard park and three outdoor pools within two blocks of us. Also, we're right on the edge of the old town, the walking district and the visually appealing architecture. The public transport is fantastic and frequent, there are markets and funky shops nearby (including an Asian shop with cheap prices, curries and fresh lemon grass; an organic farmers' market on Saturdays; and a fair trade tea shop with imported goods from Nepal), some of our close friends live within a block and a half, we're in a district that could be compared to Victoria's Cook Street area, Colin only needs to take one bus to work and I'm two blocks from my language school.
The apartment itself has been recently renovated by the owner, who is quick to respond to reasonable requests. The hardwood floors are in good shape, we've got two bedrooms and a bathtub and there's a lot of natural light. We have two balconies (off the bedroom and living room) and a sunroom off the kitchen, which means great airflow. The living room and two bedrooms face south and we can see the mountains from our balconies (although we have to look past the cranes). I've purchased two sun-loungers for our balcony off the living room, and invite you all to come over and bask and drink gin and tonics or chilled lemonade under the palm tree I'm going to buy (yes dad, I'm going to buy a palm tree. Now will you visit?). We're on the third floor and don't have an elevator, so another benefit to your visit will be all the stairs you'll climb and a butt you can bounce bullets off of.
FRENCH SCHOOL - CALLUM'S
Callum's school is about a block and a half away, which is a good thing because if I bring him to school late more than three times he will be temporarily suspended. I can't believe that I ended up enrolling him in the militaristic local school which requires a uniform, dictates which shoes he wears and has tin soldiers marching on its website, but when we visited the two options on Thursday (the Catholic school nearby and the local school which looks like a prison from the outside), it became abundantly clear which one he should attend.
The Catholic school had the right values, was light and bright and had some instruction in English. But Callum found the teacher "creepy". He's right. She didn't even say "Hello" to him, just asked how to spell his name. Ecole maternelle Marceau (www.ac-grenoble.fr/ecole/marceau) on the other hand, had a teacher that almost immediately clicked with Callum. Maggie, a good friend of mine who is also an elementary teacher, is fond of saying ... it all comes down to the teacher. Personally I find the Directrice of Ecole maternelle Marceaue organized almost to the point of intimidation, but I think she provides a firewall for the parents that allows the teachers to focus on the children. And Callum's teacher, Mme Helene Lazzarotto, in the short 15 - 20 minutes she had with Callum, managed to convey to him IN FRENCH where the toilets were, to blow his nose and put the tissue in the garbage, to say hello to three other children, and to put away the toys he was playing with. She did an assessment and concluded he was bright, social and motivated to learn. She let me know that she's dealt with class clowns and language integration before, and she asked if she could kiss him good-bye. I cringe at the idea of Callum being spoken to ONLY in French at school, the size of the school (~ 150 kids from age 4 - 6) and the difficulty I will have in speaking to the teacher/parents/directrice in French only. However, the teacher totally won me over. She was competent, clear and realistic regarding academic goals, appreciated Callum and saw his potential. In turn, Callum thought Mme Lazzarotto liked him and she was "Cool" and "Beautiful".
Callum will be relieved to make friends, to be able to do art, hear stories, learn new things and have fun with gymnastics and scooters at school. He needs his peer group. It's weird. In Victoria I researched schools for years. Here I had way less time and still went with the local school. To be truthful, the curriculum at the private schools and the public ones are the same. They are strict here, but provide lots of time for physical movement, gastronomic focus, music and sport. They even have a rest time each day. Structured but balanced. Ultimately though, I agree with Maggie, it comes down to the individual teacher. Thanks also to Carly whom I bounced ideas off of before visiting the schools. I had much angst and she had clarity.
FRENCH SCHOOL - MINE
Oh gosh. French is so complicated. I think it's insane when they say little kids learn language by osmosis. Hogwash. It's so tricky and there are so many rules and so many exceptions to those rules. Kids only learn because it's a question of survival. For me, I have to learn and want to learn but I see the years it will take yawning ahead of me. Josie, Colin's aunt, suggested it would take four years to really get it down. No kidding. Especially given that the gender of the article may change depending on whether the subject is plural or the next word begins with a vowel plus you don't pronounce the last vowel if the word ends witha consonant and the pronounciation of the verb changes if the next word begins with a vowel because there is a liaison and then you change how you say it if it's in a sentence because they don't pronounce half of what is written in the first place (and I'm not even getting into the exceptions yet). I'm dynamite with my vegetables though and I can order a really good coffee.
I'm blessed with an exceptional teacher, and those of you who know me well know I'm highly "evaluative" of instructors of all sorts. My standards are up there. But Caroline is amazing. She's fun, respectful, organized, uses teachable moments and really knows her stuff. Colin is being tutored individually, but I actually prefer to pronounce things badly and be teased in a large class. We learn from each other and it makes us bolder in our daily pursuit of language acquisition.
CAR SHOW
I put 60 pictures on FaceBook and that's not all of them. I wasn't really meant to go - Colin was, with four friends of his, but he couldn't wake up. I tried to rise him for over 30 minutes and then we agreed I'd go in his place. What a blast. Innovative thinking, packed with people and stimulating for the artistic and anthropological mind.
Europe appears to be ahead of America where cars and the energy crisis is concerned. I saw hydrogen driven, battery operated and solar powered cars. People are aiming towards zero emissions. An intriguing documentary to watch is "Who Killed the Electric Car?". It was produced in 2006 and explores the creation, limited commercialization and subsequent destruction of battery operated cars in America. Like the no-burn-out bulb that was invented decades ago but for which the specs have been purchased and hidden away, we have more ability to take care of this planet that we might think.
In Europe the standard is to drive a standard. It's faster and more fuel efficient. The cars are also tiny - efficient, easier to drive on teeny tiny roads and easier to park in postage stamp parking spots. I still remember driving to school one day in Manitoba and getting caught in a traffic jam. Two cars ahead was a Mini. When the driver got fed up with waiting he turned completely around in his spot in line and then drove off. The large turn key that was attached to the back that made it look like a wind-up toy stood up tall and defiant as he drove away. I fell in love.
CARCASSONNE
Oh my. If you can go, do it.
Many people have said it's touristy, but we arrived at night and it was magical. Thanks to Callum's curiousity, we explored all kinds of cavernous areas, walls and turrets in the dark. When we saw Carcassonne the next day and learned about the history and the restoration and the controversy about the restoration (during the reign of Napoleon III) we were even more intrigued. It's an amazing and visually stunning place. In my opinion a UNESCO world heritage medieval city cannot be overrated. Couldn't stop thinking of how much Cindy and Richard would love it there. Even the armor for sale in the shops.
Loved the Mediterranean smells and sights. We'll be exploring down south some more for sure. We probably won't opt for the 8 hour drive through the French Alps again, but we will visit the wine caves, stop to eat olives and dip our feet in the sea. One of the things that surprized us was that even in the most touristy areas things were cheaper than Grenoble. Realized later that Grenoble is touted as the second most expensive city in France (after Paris). Jeepers! That means it's less expensive to go on holiday than to stay at home!
PRICE COMPARISONS
There are a few costs that have taken me by surprise here. Vitamins cost a lot, but meds are cheap. I've seen a bottle of Vitamin C priced at 40 Euros, and I've walked away with two medications and a naturopathic remedy for a sick child that have totalled at less than 10 Euros.
Processed foods cost a lot, but fresh organic food is plentiful and cheaper than any of the crap available. Bread, cheese and wine are also inexpensive, although you can buy all three in the pricey range if you so choose. Oh, and sea food in season is awesome. Last week I bought 2.4 Kg of fresh mussels for 5 Euros! Yum!
Internet is unreal. For 29 Euros a month we can get internet, phone and cable (free.fr) ... and I believe that includes free phone calls to Canada and the U.K. I suppose part of that is because we are considered to be the silicone valley of Europe. We have a lot of IT here, and even Yahoo is based here. Mind you, cell phones are ridiculously expensive. Not worth it yet to even consider one.
Toys, stuffed animals and any trendy educational kids' items that would be imported from North America or their distributors are often priced at double to what they would be in Canada. I'm buying Callum's birthday gifts in England because it will be cheaper by at least a third. I'm glad now that we bought some Star Wars figuerines before we left. A simple plastic light saber is 20 Euros (nearly $30 Cdn.).
INTERESTING EDUCATION
There are so many interesting things we are learning here. It's European, 1st world, so you'd think it wouldn't be THAT different from Canada. Yet all kinds of things like economic climate, energy issues and historical precedence have caused France to develop different strategies, habits and technology that impact daily life. Little things are different that make so much sense, like timed lighting for the hallways of apartment buildings, clothes washers that use steam so the clothes don't get wrinkled, solar panels in backpacks to recharge cell phones. Habits that make sense are bringing bags for groceries. People usually don't get charged for plastic bags, but you can donate if you want to, yet somehow it's become so easy to just carry a cloth sack, always, everywhere.
Public transport is assumed. Many people don't own cars. Buses and trams are frequent, even when they are on strike. It's not a panic to get somewhere, it's easy. Transport tickets can be bought at offices, but they are at every tram stop too. And you can travel as much as you want for an hour. The public transport doesn't stop in the city. Many small towns are serviced by bus or by train. Even skiers and snowboarders use the public transport.
Oh, and that brings me to another point. Healthcare is exceptional in this city. This city is also exceptionally flat. How are these two facts related? Lots of people come here to indulge in winter sports. That also means injuries. This city hosts many people on crutches and wheelchairs during the snow season. It's a great place for them because of public transport and flatness. Hence, our medical practitioners get plenty of practice.
Another educational issue has been stepping over and around dog poo. Callum has been amazing at spotting it, partially because he's closer to the ground than we are. Knock wood, no one in our family has stepped in poo yet, despite the fact that we've been here for over six weeks. It would be accurate to say our motivation is high. At the same time, there are a lot of pets in Grenoble. Funny thing that ... pets are allowed in almost all buildings, restaurants and pubs included. And no one, pets or people, put up a fuss or cause a problem. Makes me wonder why it's become such a big issue in Canada
FRIENDS
We've been extremely lucky in making friends here. Andrew, Steph and their cat Mimi are like extended family to us. Many other people have made our lives richer here as well, and have resulted in "Rock Band" nights where we play guitar and sing our hearts out, creative days, coffee chats, hunts for used vintage goods, invitations to sporting events, nights of raclette and fondue, wine tastings and afternoons by the pool.
I've also joined Open House Grenoble and was invited onto the board as VP of Children's Programming (the other VP is responsible for adult programming). They've been gracious and are allowing me to assume my post come September (It's difficult to be on committees when you don't have a home or phone!). It's an amazing organization comprised of French residents and people from other countries; an international welcoming committee: adventurous people interested in a global community: instant allies. Check it out at: www.openhousegrenoble.org. It's very cool, I feel fortunate to be a part of it and I'm glad to be able to contribute to community.
MICRO-CLIMATE
I have to say I love the weather here. Already we've had several days of T-shirts and shorts weather. Each day is unpredictable. It can be hot one day and hail the next. And I don't mind. Nothing stays for long, we have blossoms on the trees and snow on the Alps and the Mediterranean on the wind. And hardly a bug in site. But talk to me in August and see how I feel. Apparently it gets really hot around the collar come summer.
For now though, there's festivity brewing. Every night of warm weather the tables and customers of cafes and restaurants spill out into the pedestrian areas and the many town squares. People are cheerful and shops stay open late. When the students from the four universities leave later in spring it gets quieter, but for now it feels like the circus has come to town.
The feel of downtown is part of what keeps me in the city. I recently visited the home of a friend who lives about a 20 minute drive out of town. She's got a fantastic view of the Belledonne Range and the Velcors, has a pool and can breath deep and easy and won't get too hot in the summer. Her neighbours are welcoming and she has plenty of storage space as well as a garden and a wine cellar. Her place is divine. It's like a spa. At the same time I love the pace of the city, especially when I can see the stars and the Alps from my balcony. It's hard to say though. Perhaps if our financial status were different I'd opt for two cars and a mountain home (which is what Callum has been requesting). In the meantime, I feel fortunate to live where I do, to be able to pursue this adventure with my family, to be able to walk to interesting places and live near friends and the wilderness. Perhaps there is no wrong answer, just a choice for now.
FRIENDLY
I'm finding this city very friendly. Perhaps it's because I always have a freckled four-year-old boy by my side that people find alternately amusing and inquisitive. They ruffle his hair, speak to me about him and offer him free dates (the fruit, not the event). In any case, I find them patient with my french, open to conversation and willing to take the time to teach me more about my adopted culture and home.
I am enjoying my time here. It isn't easy, but it's interesting.
I hope, whatever you're doing and wherever you are, that you are also enjoying life. Feeling the presence of something greater than us, fulfilling your calling, pursuing your dreams.
With joy,
Ramona
NEW HOME
ADDRESS: 4 rue Abbe Barral 38000 Grenoble, France
TELEPHONE: 09 53 73 93 45
TELEPHONE (from Canada): 011 339 53 73 93 45
We've found a new home and we're relieved, elated and ready to spend our "Moving in (Electrical Appliance) Allowance" on practical things like a fridge, stove and telephone, and we're contemplating some less practical items such as a flat-screen T.V., popcorn maker and a Wii. Colin is the advocate for the last frivolous suggestion. I'm craving a crock pot and some type of expresso machine (I guess that's what parenting can do ... push you to purchase excessive electronic equipment).
We are truly excited about our home. We're not thrilled about the construction that resides just outside our windows, but the area will be fabulous when it's done. There are probably more parks in our immediate vicinity than anywhere else we've wandered in Grenoble. We've even got a climbing wall, a skateboard park and three outdoor pools within two blocks of us. Also, we're right on the edge of the old town, the walking district and the visually appealing architecture. The public transport is fantastic and frequent, there are markets and funky shops nearby (including an Asian shop with cheap prices, curries and fresh lemon grass; an organic farmers' market on Saturdays; and a fair trade tea shop with imported goods from Nepal), some of our close friends live within a block and a half, we're in a district that could be compared to Victoria's Cook Street area, Colin only needs to take one bus to work and I'm two blocks from my language school.
The apartment itself has been recently renovated by the owner, who is quick to respond to reasonable requests. The hardwood floors are in good shape, we've got two bedrooms and a bathtub and there's a lot of natural light. We have two balconies (off the bedroom and living room) and a sunroom off the kitchen, which means great airflow. The living room and two bedrooms face south and we can see the mountains from our balconies (although we have to look past the cranes). I've purchased two sun-loungers for our balcony off the living room, and invite you all to come over and bask and drink gin and tonics or chilled lemonade under the palm tree I'm going to buy (yes dad, I'm going to buy a palm tree. Now will you visit?). We're on the third floor and don't have an elevator, so another benefit to your visit will be all the stairs you'll climb and a butt you can bounce bullets off of.
FRENCH SCHOOL - CALLUM'S
Callum's school is about a block and a half away, which is a good thing because if I bring him to school late more than three times he will be temporarily suspended. I can't believe that I ended up enrolling him in the militaristic local school which requires a uniform, dictates which shoes he wears and has tin soldiers marching on its website, but when we visited the two options on Thursday (the Catholic school nearby and the local school which looks like a prison from the outside), it became abundantly clear which one he should attend.
The Catholic school had the right values, was light and bright and had some instruction in English. But Callum found the teacher "creepy". He's right. She didn't even say "Hello" to him, just asked how to spell his name. Ecole maternelle Marceau (www.ac-grenoble.fr/ecole/marceau) on the other hand, had a teacher that almost immediately clicked with Callum. Maggie, a good friend of mine who is also an elementary teacher, is fond of saying ... it all comes down to the teacher. Personally I find the Directrice of Ecole maternelle Marceaue organized almost to the point of intimidation, but I think she provides a firewall for the parents that allows the teachers to focus on the children. And Callum's teacher, Mme Helene Lazzarotto, in the short 15 - 20 minutes she had with Callum, managed to convey to him IN FRENCH where the toilets were, to blow his nose and put the tissue in the garbage, to say hello to three other children, and to put away the toys he was playing with. She did an assessment and concluded he was bright, social and motivated to learn. She let me know that she's dealt with class clowns and language integration before, and she asked if she could kiss him good-bye. I cringe at the idea of Callum being spoken to ONLY in French at school, the size of the school (~ 150 kids from age 4 - 6) and the difficulty I will have in speaking to the teacher/parents/directrice in French only. However, the teacher totally won me over. She was competent, clear and realistic regarding academic goals, appreciated Callum and saw his potential. In turn, Callum thought Mme Lazzarotto liked him and she was "Cool" and "Beautiful".
Callum will be relieved to make friends, to be able to do art, hear stories, learn new things and have fun with gymnastics and scooters at school. He needs his peer group. It's weird. In Victoria I researched schools for years. Here I had way less time and still went with the local school. To be truthful, the curriculum at the private schools and the public ones are the same. They are strict here, but provide lots of time for physical movement, gastronomic focus, music and sport. They even have a rest time each day. Structured but balanced. Ultimately though, I agree with Maggie, it comes down to the individual teacher. Thanks also to Carly whom I bounced ideas off of before visiting the schools. I had much angst and she had clarity.
FRENCH SCHOOL - MINE
Oh gosh. French is so complicated. I think it's insane when they say little kids learn language by osmosis. Hogwash. It's so tricky and there are so many rules and so many exceptions to those rules. Kids only learn because it's a question of survival. For me, I have to learn and want to learn but I see the years it will take yawning ahead of me. Josie, Colin's aunt, suggested it would take four years to really get it down. No kidding. Especially given that the gender of the article may change depending on whether the subject is plural or the next word begins with a vowel plus you don't pronounce the last vowel if the word ends witha consonant and the pronounciation of the verb changes if the next word begins with a vowel because there is a liaison and then you change how you say it if it's in a sentence because they don't pronounce half of what is written in the first place (and I'm not even getting into the exceptions yet). I'm dynamite with my vegetables though and I can order a really good coffee.
I'm blessed with an exceptional teacher, and those of you who know me well know I'm highly "evaluative" of instructors of all sorts. My standards are up there. But Caroline is amazing. She's fun, respectful, organized, uses teachable moments and really knows her stuff. Colin is being tutored individually, but I actually prefer to pronounce things badly and be teased in a large class. We learn from each other and it makes us bolder in our daily pursuit of language acquisition.
CAR SHOW
I put 60 pictures on FaceBook and that's not all of them. I wasn't really meant to go - Colin was, with four friends of his, but he couldn't wake up. I tried to rise him for over 30 minutes and then we agreed I'd go in his place. What a blast. Innovative thinking, packed with people and stimulating for the artistic and anthropological mind.
Europe appears to be ahead of America where cars and the energy crisis is concerned. I saw hydrogen driven, battery operated and solar powered cars. People are aiming towards zero emissions. An intriguing documentary to watch is "Who Killed the Electric Car?". It was produced in 2006 and explores the creation, limited commercialization and subsequent destruction of battery operated cars in America. Like the no-burn-out bulb that was invented decades ago but for which the specs have been purchased and hidden away, we have more ability to take care of this planet that we might think.
In Europe the standard is to drive a standard. It's faster and more fuel efficient. The cars are also tiny - efficient, easier to drive on teeny tiny roads and easier to park in postage stamp parking spots. I still remember driving to school one day in Manitoba and getting caught in a traffic jam. Two cars ahead was a Mini. When the driver got fed up with waiting he turned completely around in his spot in line and then drove off. The large turn key that was attached to the back that made it look like a wind-up toy stood up tall and defiant as he drove away. I fell in love.
CARCASSONNE
Oh my. If you can go, do it.
Many people have said it's touristy, but we arrived at night and it was magical. Thanks to Callum's curiousity, we explored all kinds of cavernous areas, walls and turrets in the dark. When we saw Carcassonne the next day and learned about the history and the restoration and the controversy about the restoration (during the reign of Napoleon III) we were even more intrigued. It's an amazing and visually stunning place. In my opinion a UNESCO world heritage medieval city cannot be overrated. Couldn't stop thinking of how much Cindy and Richard would love it there. Even the armor for sale in the shops.
Loved the Mediterranean smells and sights. We'll be exploring down south some more for sure. We probably won't opt for the 8 hour drive through the French Alps again, but we will visit the wine caves, stop to eat olives and dip our feet in the sea. One of the things that surprized us was that even in the most touristy areas things were cheaper than Grenoble. Realized later that Grenoble is touted as the second most expensive city in France (after Paris). Jeepers! That means it's less expensive to go on holiday than to stay at home!
PRICE COMPARISONS
There are a few costs that have taken me by surprise here. Vitamins cost a lot, but meds are cheap. I've seen a bottle of Vitamin C priced at 40 Euros, and I've walked away with two medications and a naturopathic remedy for a sick child that have totalled at less than 10 Euros.
Processed foods cost a lot, but fresh organic food is plentiful and cheaper than any of the crap available. Bread, cheese and wine are also inexpensive, although you can buy all three in the pricey range if you so choose. Oh, and sea food in season is awesome. Last week I bought 2.4 Kg of fresh mussels for 5 Euros! Yum!
Internet is unreal. For 29 Euros a month we can get internet, phone and cable (free.fr) ... and I believe that includes free phone calls to Canada and the U.K. I suppose part of that is because we are considered to be the silicone valley of Europe. We have a lot of IT here, and even Yahoo is based here. Mind you, cell phones are ridiculously expensive. Not worth it yet to even consider one.
Toys, stuffed animals and any trendy educational kids' items that would be imported from North America or their distributors are often priced at double to what they would be in Canada. I'm buying Callum's birthday gifts in England because it will be cheaper by at least a third. I'm glad now that we bought some Star Wars figuerines before we left. A simple plastic light saber is 20 Euros (nearly $30 Cdn.).
INTERESTING EDUCATION
There are so many interesting things we are learning here. It's European, 1st world, so you'd think it wouldn't be THAT different from Canada. Yet all kinds of things like economic climate, energy issues and historical precedence have caused France to develop different strategies, habits and technology that impact daily life. Little things are different that make so much sense, like timed lighting for the hallways of apartment buildings, clothes washers that use steam so the clothes don't get wrinkled, solar panels in backpacks to recharge cell phones. Habits that make sense are bringing bags for groceries. People usually don't get charged for plastic bags, but you can donate if you want to, yet somehow it's become so easy to just carry a cloth sack, always, everywhere.
Public transport is assumed. Many people don't own cars. Buses and trams are frequent, even when they are on strike. It's not a panic to get somewhere, it's easy. Transport tickets can be bought at offices, but they are at every tram stop too. And you can travel as much as you want for an hour. The public transport doesn't stop in the city. Many small towns are serviced by bus or by train. Even skiers and snowboarders use the public transport.
Oh, and that brings me to another point. Healthcare is exceptional in this city. This city is also exceptionally flat. How are these two facts related? Lots of people come here to indulge in winter sports. That also means injuries. This city hosts many people on crutches and wheelchairs during the snow season. It's a great place for them because of public transport and flatness. Hence, our medical practitioners get plenty of practice.
Another educational issue has been stepping over and around dog poo. Callum has been amazing at spotting it, partially because he's closer to the ground than we are. Knock wood, no one in our family has stepped in poo yet, despite the fact that we've been here for over six weeks. It would be accurate to say our motivation is high. At the same time, there are a lot of pets in Grenoble. Funny thing that ... pets are allowed in almost all buildings, restaurants and pubs included. And no one, pets or people, put up a fuss or cause a problem. Makes me wonder why it's become such a big issue in Canada
FRIENDS
We've been extremely lucky in making friends here. Andrew, Steph and their cat Mimi are like extended family to us. Many other people have made our lives richer here as well, and have resulted in "Rock Band" nights where we play guitar and sing our hearts out, creative days, coffee chats, hunts for used vintage goods, invitations to sporting events, nights of raclette and fondue, wine tastings and afternoons by the pool.
I've also joined Open House Grenoble and was invited onto the board as VP of Children's Programming (the other VP is responsible for adult programming). They've been gracious and are allowing me to assume my post come September (It's difficult to be on committees when you don't have a home or phone!). It's an amazing organization comprised of French residents and people from other countries; an international welcoming committee: adventurous people interested in a global community: instant allies. Check it out at: www.openhousegrenoble.org. It's very cool, I feel fortunate to be a part of it and I'm glad to be able to contribute to community.
MICRO-CLIMATE
I have to say I love the weather here. Already we've had several days of T-shirts and shorts weather. Each day is unpredictable. It can be hot one day and hail the next. And I don't mind. Nothing stays for long, we have blossoms on the trees and snow on the Alps and the Mediterranean on the wind. And hardly a bug in site. But talk to me in August and see how I feel. Apparently it gets really hot around the collar come summer.
For now though, there's festivity brewing. Every night of warm weather the tables and customers of cafes and restaurants spill out into the pedestrian areas and the many town squares. People are cheerful and shops stay open late. When the students from the four universities leave later in spring it gets quieter, but for now it feels like the circus has come to town.
The feel of downtown is part of what keeps me in the city. I recently visited the home of a friend who lives about a 20 minute drive out of town. She's got a fantastic view of the Belledonne Range and the Velcors, has a pool and can breath deep and easy and won't get too hot in the summer. Her neighbours are welcoming and she has plenty of storage space as well as a garden and a wine cellar. Her place is divine. It's like a spa. At the same time I love the pace of the city, especially when I can see the stars and the Alps from my balcony. It's hard to say though. Perhaps if our financial status were different I'd opt for two cars and a mountain home (which is what Callum has been requesting). In the meantime, I feel fortunate to live where I do, to be able to pursue this adventure with my family, to be able to walk to interesting places and live near friends and the wilderness. Perhaps there is no wrong answer, just a choice for now.
FRIENDLY
I'm finding this city very friendly. Perhaps it's because I always have a freckled four-year-old boy by my side that people find alternately amusing and inquisitive. They ruffle his hair, speak to me about him and offer him free dates (the fruit, not the event). In any case, I find them patient with my french, open to conversation and willing to take the time to teach me more about my adopted culture and home.
I am enjoying my time here. It isn't easy, but it's interesting.
I hope, whatever you're doing and wherever you are, that you are also enjoying life. Feeling the presence of something greater than us, fulfilling your calling, pursuing your dreams.
With joy,
Ramona
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Sticky, Sweet and Saucisson: Relocating in the SE of France.
After initiating a transfer process that moved as slow as a slug in snow, we have finally relocated to Grenoble, France. And we have decided to stay. Yippee!
Leaving
It was nobody's fault that it took from April to December for the final decision to be made. For instance, who could have anticipated the Global Economic Crisis? But now it has really happened ... and despite the global crisis we took a leap of faith. In six squashed weeks we shifted from slash and burn purging of accumulated life accoutrements to madly packing to saying "Adios Amigos" (I'm consistently speaking Spanish to the Grenoblois ... as if all non-English language has been placed in the same vacuous drawer in my brain. When I reach for a word I never know if it will be German (Yah), Spanish (que rico!) or even more obscure, Latin (nobis patchem). What I do know is that under stress it is unlikely to be a French word that spills out of my mouth. Merde.).
Saying good-bye to our vibrant community and family members on the wet and wild west coast (or should I say buried under snow coast) was like being inside the spin cycle of a washing machine. I was wrung out. Col was strung out. But Callum was busy introducing friends and neighbours to his "personal pool" at the hotel and showing them how to use the magic door key. What a terrifically flexible kid. What was particularly hard to say "so long" to was the magnificence of the blue green open sky and sea. Until our reconnaissance to Grenoble in December neither Colin nor I realized how vital the beauty, freshness and easy availability of the urban wilderness is to our peace of mind. As parents we had come to count on creeks, beaches and bouldering sites being within easy walking distance. We were spoilt by the availability of great parks, climbable trees and huge green fields right outside our front door. The great thing is, we both feel at home in Victoria, B.C. and know we will return. We joke about how Callum will see the world as a child and then when he moves out he'll relocate just down the street from us in Victoria and never leave the area. OR, he will join an Ultimate Frisbee team and hang out near naked in Mexico until his early 30's. Care to make a bet?
For now we're content to be in Grenoble. We've already adopted some French habits and we've barely begun to discover the wonders of the Alpine region. Plus Europe is our back yard. How awesome is that? Oh, and guess what else. The cheese shop down the street is in the Guinness Book of World Record for two feats:
1. The largest variety of cheese (479 varieties of French cheese)
2. The largest offering of farmers' cheese (150 varieties of cheese from around the world)
And half a block in the other direction is a Circus School. That's so cool that if I'd written it in a book you'd have told me, "It's not believable." True story. Here are the websites:
http://www.les-alpages.fr/
http://www.dauphicirque.com/
If you wish to translate a page from another language into English:
1. right click while your curser is on the page
2. when the selection box appears select page info
3. select translate page into English
Yorkshire
In early January we left Canada for Leeds, Yorkshire. Callum and I stayed for two weeks, basking in the company of three dogs and the generousity of family. Grandma Gilly works at Temple Newsam, which is one of the great historic estates in England. Set within over 1500 acres of parkland, woodland and farmland landscaped by Capability Brown in the 18th century, it is a magnificent Tudor–Jacobean mansion. It is Europe's largest working Rare Breeds Farm and has over 400 animals set within the original estate. What a place to run around and explore! www.leeds.gov.uk/templenewsam Other highlights of our visit included Callum running up and down the ramparts of York Castle - much to the shock of Uncle Mark who held his heart in his hand while Callum skied down on his heels; Callum meeting and being cooed to by "Spud" Novak - a 21 year old collared dove that Mark's parents rescued from a cat 20 years ago; watching Callum and Millie together (Grandma Gilly's 10 month old Bichon Frise); hanging around the Royal Armoury http://www.armouries.org.uk/ ; getting to know our English/Scottish relatives and friends better; and visiting Eureka! (http://www.eureka.org.uk/ a schmorgasborg of science and imagination for kids). A definite high point for Callum was spending time with cousin William and Grandma Gilly and Grandpa Tim. William - beware - I will practice my ABBA songs and defeat you in our next sing-off! It was a great trip: rejuvenating, playful and a wonderful reprieve before dousing ourselves in French culture and the work of setting up a home while learning a new language.
Ironically, when Callum saw his dad in Grenoble after two weeks of being apart, he excitedly told him, "Guess what Dada ... in England they speak Canadian!"
Schneider Electric
Colin stopped in Leeds only for a quick hello, some fish and chips (Skyliner does the best fish and chips ever!) and a curry. (An aside: One of Callum's favourite jokes is: What does a sea monster eat? Fish and ships!) On January 11th Colin headed down to Grenoble to start his new position at Schneider Electric in Grenoble in the Alpine/Dauphine region/Isere department of France.
http://www.schneider-electric.com/
Schneider is a huge operation in Grenoble. They employ approximately 10,000 employees at 18 locations around the city. Colin is doing Global Technical Support for PMC products and some on-site Application Engineering. Last weekend he was sent to Nancy Ville in northern France and had an evening stop-over in Paris. He walked around Notre Dame Cathedral, the Seine River, Avenue Des Champs and the Tour Eiffel until the sun went down and his hip flexors seized up.
While the professional language of Schneider is officially English, Colin needs to speak French in order to relate to his workmates. He is continually surprising me with how fast he can pick up phrases and vocabulary. I need to be careful when I learn things from him though, since I might end up speaking French with a Yorkshire accent.
Language
OH MY GOSH! How much humble pie can one person eat? I took my "French as a Foreign Language Test" through http://www.alliancefr-grenoble.org/ today and I was brought to my knees. It's tough enough learning to ask for Fromage Sassenage (a local cheese) or medications for a child with a fever who bounces off the walls if the Doliprane contains red food colouring. Why isn't it O.K. to just say, "Ich nicht habla Francaise"?
I'm actually learning a lot by compulsively reading labels and by listening to people order and converse when I'm queuing up for vegetables and bread. I've also had the great fortune to meet up with some ex-pats who are patient and kindly teaching me the ways and wonders of the French. Open House Grenoble http://www.openhousegrenoble.org/ has been a tremendous resource for me. I'm attempting to meet them for coffee on Tuesday mornings and have a perpetual date at O'Callahan's pub on Thursday nights. I've even joined a Writers' Association through one of their members whom I happened to meet while observing a strike demonstration at the Prefecture (legislature)! NaTasha, Alan and their four and a half year old daughter Naomi have been a delight to meet and have been giving me a wealth of insider information. What are the odds of meeting people you want to keep in your life within 48 hours of greeting a new country? And add to that the weirdness that NaTasha and I had actually been introduced via email through a mutual writer friend. And yet we met by "accident". I tell you, the world is a magical place.
The locals are also gracious with me and welcoming to Callum. I've learned my line, "Je regret ... Je ne parle pa Francaise." Please excuse the spelling if it is wrong, but the line is, "I regret that I do not yet speak French". Once I've presented this apology the Grenoblois tend to speak more slowly and are attentive to my fumblings. I am grateful for their generousity of time. I am especially grateful because Colin's aunt Josie has given me a head's up on how long it actually takes for most adults to learn a new language. Four years. Now I was expecting six months of uncomfortable, two years to get oriented to common phrases and get my ear in tune, and if I can converse comfortably about philosophy or politics and make appropriate witty remarks in four years I'll be happy. Long haul but worth it.
Callum has been watching some morning cartoons in French and has made a French playmate (the wispy blonde bilingual Canadian Naomi who is four and a half and has lived here for two years. She has as much energy and inquisitiveness as he does so they're a good match). He is learning a smattering of French, some of which is absolutely correct and other times is as whacked out as a hamster playing cards with a fish. "Excuser moi" ("Excuse me.") was one of his correct sayings. A badly off base one was thinking "Oui" ("Yes") meant "Yummy." We hope to get him into French classes soon. We can't sign him up for school until we sign a contract for an apartment. Where you attend school depends on where you live, and the population is so dense downtown that each school has an approximate eight block radius, and these blocks are short!
Kids are eligible for school at age 3. School is mandatory by age 5. School is Mon. - Fri. 8:30 to 4:30, except everyone takes Wednesday off to do sports, music lessons, etc. The day of alternate activities has its origin in Catechism, but now most people use the time for extra-curricular activities. Schools here concentrate on academics and it's very competitive in that regard. The French are more balanced in terms of time off though. Adults work long hours but also have great breaks. Everything shuts down at Christmas and for the month of August. Kids have two 2 week breaks in the spring (in February and April) as well as the summer and Christmas holidays. Colin gets 52 days off a year!
It is currently break time this week so I signed Callum up for a week of bilingual preschool (10 hours). The night before preschool started I was up all night. When I left him that first day I thought I was going to puke or cry or both. When I went to pick him up he didn't want to leave. What do I know? Mind you, by Wednesday he was exhausted. I can hardly wait until I find him a more permanent community. He misses his friends and wants to show them the B.C. Roman ruins under Grenoble and the Bubbles that go up La Bastille - the old prison on top of the Massif across the river Isere. Fantastic view of the city and a maze of tunnels and walking trails.
Natural and Human History, Culture and Sports
The history here is astounding. The Roman Ruins under the square in front of little Notre Dame predate Christ. There is a roman wall downtown that stands next to a public rose garden. The St. Laurent bridge across the river Isere is the site of the original bridge built in 43 B.C. by Roman Legionaires. And there are forts and monasteries that are carved into the rock of the Alps. The Chartreuse Range contains 40 km of protected park in honour of Saint Bruno and the Chartreuse Order started in 1084. The serenity of the place fits the legacy. Nearby is the valley of 100 castles, the Chamrousse area of the Belledonne Range that hosted the 1968 Winter Olympic Alpine skiing events, and the Vercors Range - a paradise for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and dogsledding. In the summer the villages are surrounded by forests and long green pastures paint-splattered with wildflowers. There are also caves where cheese is made (ie. the Sassenage) and wine is aged.
The outdoor sport scene is rampant here. It's not unusual to walk down the street and be passed by a woman on a bicycle with ski gear strapped to her back. It is equally as common to share tram space with snowboarders. In the summer it's common for people to spend their weekends paddling, rock climbing, caving, hiking, mountain biking and geocaching. A couple of friends of ours just went geocaching last week. It's a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, in urban and bush areas outdoors and then to share experiences online. There are 728,162 geocaches around the world! http://www.geocaching.com/.
Urban sports are a mixed bag because there's such a melding of cultures in Grenoble. According to the Wikipedia, the most watched sport in France is football (soccer), colloquially refered to as 'le foot'. Other popular sports include handball, basketball, rugby union, cycling, sailing and tennis. France is known for winning the World Cup in 1998, holding the annual cycling race Tour de France, and the tennis Grand Slam tournament the French Open. And did you know that the modern Olympics were invented in France in 1894?
Other important sports here include Grand Prix Racing (Formula 1), which was invented here in 1946; Fencing - for which France won Gold at the summer Olympics; Parkour - a physical activity that resembles martial arts; and Babyfoot (table football -the French are the predominant winners of worldwide table football competitions!). Outside, during summer vacations, the casual form of the game of Pétanque (similar to Bocce) is played by about 17 million people in France. Bocce ball games are also common in the parks here because the Italian influence is so strong. Little Italy surrounds the hill La Bastille sits on and there is a plethora of pizza and pasta places which lead your nose right to it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_France
Food and "Why French Women Don't Get Fat"
The French are known for their food. They are also known for a low rate of heart disease, a lack of obesity and mucho smoking (Nobody's perfect. By the way, smoking laws in France are coming in line with those in Canada and the U.K.). Now that I've lived here for a short while, and after having read Mireille Guiliano's book, "Why French Women Don't Get Fat", I'm beginning to understand why the French people are healthy. And the explanation is lengthy, complicated and integrated. Let me try to summarize.
The French have a totally different relationship to food than North Americans. The basic premise is to indulge in everything, but nothing to excess. Do not deprive yourself. If you want chocolate, have a piece of chocolate, and stop at that. Or eat less tomorrow, but truly savour the decadence of that one piece. And French people don't snack. Only children are seen eating while walking, usually right after being picked up from school. People don't carry TO GO coffee cups because they sit down for coffee. Isn't that the point of coffee? To sit down, converse and chill out? Eating an apple in an elevator is considered rude. In Colin's contract it actually specifies that he cannot eat lunch at his desk. Instead, lunch time is a long drawn-out sit down affair. Even the preschool NaTasha introduced me to has two hours for lunch and provides a five course meal every noontime. One hour for eating, one hour for play.
On the other love handle, exercising just for the sake of burning calories is extremely unusual. A single trip to the gym costs 20 Euros. At the current exchange rate that's about $30 Canadian. But who needs to go to the gym when we're climbing eight flights of stairs to Steph and Andrew's apartment, or walking to work, or spending all weekend skiing? I must admit I have not yet mastered the balance of eating vs. working out, but I do find myself continually active throughout the day. What I have automatically in my favour is the local food.
The markets here are incredible. So much stuff is local, and if it's not local it's from nearby: pasta from Italy, seafood from the Mediteranean or oranges from Spain. It's all fresh. People here have tiny fridges and shop every couple of days. After the first week I understood why. If you buy something when it's been picked ripe and perfect for eating, it not only explodes with flavour if eaten within hours, it also goes rotten if it's not.
One of the friends I have made here grew up picking berries between 7 - 9 am in the morning in order to maximize their flavour after sunrise but before losing their freshness. He can tell that the produce here is that fresh, every day. Everything from cheese, meat, fish and walnuts to fruit, vegetables, wine and bread is available locally due to the farming district, or within a three hour drive. And you can tell from the colours and the shapes that they are not genetically messed with or grown hydroponically. This holistic and naturally organic approach, plus dedicaiton to quality, lead to beautiful presentations.
An example of this was the bouquet I ordered in the market last Sunday. Granted, I made a language mistake and asked for a large bouquet of orchids and lilies as opposed to the humble bundle of spring flowers. But how wonderful when the vendor wrapped the buds and greenery in old sheets of music. And then she made Callum and Naomi wee bouquets for free. Something so simple as adding the music was visually stunning. Life as art.
Colin couldn't get after me for ordering the enormous bouquet because his faux pas in the open market was miming for shoulder chops. Before he could stop it the butcher had wrestled a full lamb onto the block and chopped up the shoulder into hunks of what turned into nearly a week's worth of lamb stirfry.
Even the prepackaged food is awesome. It's distinctly lacking in preservatives, pesticides and chemicals (and the other crap we put in food in N. America like corn syrup and wheat filler). It's actually real food. Wahoo! And although isn't cheap, most large grocery stores and even corner stores have an aisle or two of organic or alternative foods. There are also four stores within a 10 minute walk that carry specialized items that are casein and gluten free which Callum can eat. I'm stoked. My son, who has sensitivities to 48 separate edible items, has more variety to choose from in France than he did in Canada. What a relief.
And on the topic of LARGE stores, there's a shop here that makes WalMart look like a carport. The Carrefour close to us has 57 tills! And there are still line-ups.
One thing I've had trouble adjusting to is the coffee. The French love their cups of coffee strong, hot, small and sweet. I keep wanting to hold a substantially larger cup in my hand and have come to the conclusion that I need to order a Grand Creme if I want more than five sips of elixir. The problem is that it's really quite strong. 15 minutes after a Grand Creme I feel like little rabbit Foo Foo who got bopped over the head and I can't feel the ground beneath my feet. Thankfully I wear Merrell approach shoes, which have good grip.
Fashion
Speaking of footwear, I really need to find some boots. Despite being multi-cultural and economically diverse here most people are well shod. And look swish. When I understand how the French style is going to meld with my mountain gear-head attitude and still be naturally me, I'll post a picture. The people in Lyon call the Grenoblois bears because they are mountain people. I actually fit in reasonably well with the sporty and the students, but I'm here to learn, to better myself, to add to the visual package that currently screams, "Mom, eh". I do have a scarf so I'm on my way. I hope to arrive before spring.
Next Post
In my next post I'll cover a few other topics like the crazy expensive prices and what's weirdly cheap, our debate of whether to live in the suburbs or the urban environment, the amazing transport system, the kid-friendly green spaces we've been shown or have discovered, the wacky weather and micro-climates, how Callum makes all uneven surfaces his jungle gym and can find mud half a block in any direction from our Apart'hotel, and how we've managed to avoid stepping in dog doo thanks to an attentive child who's eyes are only 40 inches from the ground.
Living in a new country isn't easy, but we're having a wonderful time. Fellow adventurers like ourselves who know what it's like to arrive blind have made this place welcoming and accessible. I'd particularly like to thank Andrew and Steph, David and Melanie, NaTasha, Alan and Naomi, Mike, Mary Jane and Nicole, Fano, the Open House Grenoble folks, Schneider-Electric H.R. and LOGOS (Sylvie and Isabelle).
Have a wonderful Valentine's Day and I'll talk to you soon.
Now I need to go gaze at the Alps and play in the snow.
Love,
Ramona
Leaving
It was nobody's fault that it took from April to December for the final decision to be made. For instance, who could have anticipated the Global Economic Crisis? But now it has really happened ... and despite the global crisis we took a leap of faith. In six squashed weeks we shifted from slash and burn purging of accumulated life accoutrements to madly packing to saying "Adios Amigos" (I'm consistently speaking Spanish to the Grenoblois ... as if all non-English language has been placed in the same vacuous drawer in my brain. When I reach for a word I never know if it will be German (Yah), Spanish (que rico!) or even more obscure, Latin (nobis patchem). What I do know is that under stress it is unlikely to be a French word that spills out of my mouth. Merde.).
Saying good-bye to our vibrant community and family members on the wet and wild west coast (or should I say buried under snow coast) was like being inside the spin cycle of a washing machine. I was wrung out. Col was strung out. But Callum was busy introducing friends and neighbours to his "personal pool" at the hotel and showing them how to use the magic door key. What a terrifically flexible kid. What was particularly hard to say "so long" to was the magnificence of the blue green open sky and sea. Until our reconnaissance to Grenoble in December neither Colin nor I realized how vital the beauty, freshness and easy availability of the urban wilderness is to our peace of mind. As parents we had come to count on creeks, beaches and bouldering sites being within easy walking distance. We were spoilt by the availability of great parks, climbable trees and huge green fields right outside our front door. The great thing is, we both feel at home in Victoria, B.C. and know we will return. We joke about how Callum will see the world as a child and then when he moves out he'll relocate just down the street from us in Victoria and never leave the area. OR, he will join an Ultimate Frisbee team and hang out near naked in Mexico until his early 30's. Care to make a bet?
For now we're content to be in Grenoble. We've already adopted some French habits and we've barely begun to discover the wonders of the Alpine region. Plus Europe is our back yard. How awesome is that? Oh, and guess what else. The cheese shop down the street is in the Guinness Book of World Record for two feats:
1. The largest variety of cheese (479 varieties of French cheese)
2. The largest offering of farmers' cheese (150 varieties of cheese from around the world)
And half a block in the other direction is a Circus School. That's so cool that if I'd written it in a book you'd have told me, "It's not believable." True story. Here are the websites:
http://www.les-alpages.fr/
http://www.dauphicirque.com/
If you wish to translate a page from another language into English:
1. right click while your curser is on the page
2. when the selection box appears select page info
3. select translate page into English
Yorkshire
In early January we left Canada for Leeds, Yorkshire. Callum and I stayed for two weeks, basking in the company of three dogs and the generousity of family. Grandma Gilly works at Temple Newsam, which is one of the great historic estates in England. Set within over 1500 acres of parkland, woodland and farmland landscaped by Capability Brown in the 18th century, it is a magnificent Tudor–Jacobean mansion. It is Europe's largest working Rare Breeds Farm and has over 400 animals set within the original estate. What a place to run around and explore! www.leeds.gov.uk/templenewsam Other highlights of our visit included Callum running up and down the ramparts of York Castle - much to the shock of Uncle Mark who held his heart in his hand while Callum skied down on his heels; Callum meeting and being cooed to by "Spud" Novak - a 21 year old collared dove that Mark's parents rescued from a cat 20 years ago; watching Callum and Millie together (Grandma Gilly's 10 month old Bichon Frise); hanging around the Royal Armoury http://www.armouries.org.uk/ ; getting to know our English/Scottish relatives and friends better; and visiting Eureka! (http://www.eureka.org.uk/ a schmorgasborg of science and imagination for kids). A definite high point for Callum was spending time with cousin William and Grandma Gilly and Grandpa Tim. William - beware - I will practice my ABBA songs and defeat you in our next sing-off! It was a great trip: rejuvenating, playful and a wonderful reprieve before dousing ourselves in French culture and the work of setting up a home while learning a new language.
Ironically, when Callum saw his dad in Grenoble after two weeks of being apart, he excitedly told him, "Guess what Dada ... in England they speak Canadian!"
Schneider Electric
Colin stopped in Leeds only for a quick hello, some fish and chips (Skyliner does the best fish and chips ever!) and a curry. (An aside: One of Callum's favourite jokes is: What does a sea monster eat? Fish and ships!) On January 11th Colin headed down to Grenoble to start his new position at Schneider Electric in Grenoble in the Alpine/Dauphine region/Isere department of France.
http://www.schneider-electric.com/
Schneider is a huge operation in Grenoble. They employ approximately 10,000 employees at 18 locations around the city. Colin is doing Global Technical Support for PMC products and some on-site Application Engineering. Last weekend he was sent to Nancy Ville in northern France and had an evening stop-over in Paris. He walked around Notre Dame Cathedral, the Seine River, Avenue Des Champs and the Tour Eiffel until the sun went down and his hip flexors seized up.
While the professional language of Schneider is officially English, Colin needs to speak French in order to relate to his workmates. He is continually surprising me with how fast he can pick up phrases and vocabulary. I need to be careful when I learn things from him though, since I might end up speaking French with a Yorkshire accent.
Language
OH MY GOSH! How much humble pie can one person eat? I took my "French as a Foreign Language Test" through http://www.alliancefr-grenoble.org/ today and I was brought to my knees. It's tough enough learning to ask for Fromage Sassenage (a local cheese) or medications for a child with a fever who bounces off the walls if the Doliprane contains red food colouring. Why isn't it O.K. to just say, "Ich nicht habla Francaise"?
I'm actually learning a lot by compulsively reading labels and by listening to people order and converse when I'm queuing up for vegetables and bread. I've also had the great fortune to meet up with some ex-pats who are patient and kindly teaching me the ways and wonders of the French. Open House Grenoble http://www.openhousegrenoble.org/ has been a tremendous resource for me. I'm attempting to meet them for coffee on Tuesday mornings and have a perpetual date at O'Callahan's pub on Thursday nights. I've even joined a Writers' Association through one of their members whom I happened to meet while observing a strike demonstration at the Prefecture (legislature)! NaTasha, Alan and their four and a half year old daughter Naomi have been a delight to meet and have been giving me a wealth of insider information. What are the odds of meeting people you want to keep in your life within 48 hours of greeting a new country? And add to that the weirdness that NaTasha and I had actually been introduced via email through a mutual writer friend. And yet we met by "accident". I tell you, the world is a magical place.
The locals are also gracious with me and welcoming to Callum. I've learned my line, "Je regret ... Je ne parle pa Francaise." Please excuse the spelling if it is wrong, but the line is, "I regret that I do not yet speak French". Once I've presented this apology the Grenoblois tend to speak more slowly and are attentive to my fumblings. I am grateful for their generousity of time. I am especially grateful because Colin's aunt Josie has given me a head's up on how long it actually takes for most adults to learn a new language. Four years. Now I was expecting six months of uncomfortable, two years to get oriented to common phrases and get my ear in tune, and if I can converse comfortably about philosophy or politics and make appropriate witty remarks in four years I'll be happy. Long haul but worth it.
Callum has been watching some morning cartoons in French and has made a French playmate (the wispy blonde bilingual Canadian Naomi who is four and a half and has lived here for two years. She has as much energy and inquisitiveness as he does so they're a good match). He is learning a smattering of French, some of which is absolutely correct and other times is as whacked out as a hamster playing cards with a fish. "Excuser moi" ("Excuse me.") was one of his correct sayings. A badly off base one was thinking "Oui" ("Yes") meant "Yummy." We hope to get him into French classes soon. We can't sign him up for school until we sign a contract for an apartment. Where you attend school depends on where you live, and the population is so dense downtown that each school has an approximate eight block radius, and these blocks are short!
Kids are eligible for school at age 3. School is mandatory by age 5. School is Mon. - Fri. 8:30 to 4:30, except everyone takes Wednesday off to do sports, music lessons, etc. The day of alternate activities has its origin in Catechism, but now most people use the time for extra-curricular activities. Schools here concentrate on academics and it's very competitive in that regard. The French are more balanced in terms of time off though. Adults work long hours but also have great breaks. Everything shuts down at Christmas and for the month of August. Kids have two 2 week breaks in the spring (in February and April) as well as the summer and Christmas holidays. Colin gets 52 days off a year!
It is currently break time this week so I signed Callum up for a week of bilingual preschool (10 hours). The night before preschool started I was up all night. When I left him that first day I thought I was going to puke or cry or both. When I went to pick him up he didn't want to leave. What do I know? Mind you, by Wednesday he was exhausted. I can hardly wait until I find him a more permanent community. He misses his friends and wants to show them the B.C. Roman ruins under Grenoble and the Bubbles that go up La Bastille - the old prison on top of the Massif across the river Isere. Fantastic view of the city and a maze of tunnels and walking trails.
Natural and Human History, Culture and Sports
The history here is astounding. The Roman Ruins under the square in front of little Notre Dame predate Christ. There is a roman wall downtown that stands next to a public rose garden. The St. Laurent bridge across the river Isere is the site of the original bridge built in 43 B.C. by Roman Legionaires. And there are forts and monasteries that are carved into the rock of the Alps. The Chartreuse Range contains 40 km of protected park in honour of Saint Bruno and the Chartreuse Order started in 1084. The serenity of the place fits the legacy. Nearby is the valley of 100 castles, the Chamrousse area of the Belledonne Range that hosted the 1968 Winter Olympic Alpine skiing events, and the Vercors Range - a paradise for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and dogsledding. In the summer the villages are surrounded by forests and long green pastures paint-splattered with wildflowers. There are also caves where cheese is made (ie. the Sassenage) and wine is aged.
The outdoor sport scene is rampant here. It's not unusual to walk down the street and be passed by a woman on a bicycle with ski gear strapped to her back. It is equally as common to share tram space with snowboarders. In the summer it's common for people to spend their weekends paddling, rock climbing, caving, hiking, mountain biking and geocaching. A couple of friends of ours just went geocaching last week. It's a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, in urban and bush areas outdoors and then to share experiences online. There are 728,162 geocaches around the world! http://www.geocaching.com/.
Urban sports are a mixed bag because there's such a melding of cultures in Grenoble. According to the Wikipedia, the most watched sport in France is football (soccer), colloquially refered to as 'le foot'. Other popular sports include handball, basketball, rugby union, cycling, sailing and tennis. France is known for winning the World Cup in 1998, holding the annual cycling race Tour de France, and the tennis Grand Slam tournament the French Open. And did you know that the modern Olympics were invented in France in 1894?
Other important sports here include Grand Prix Racing (Formula 1), which was invented here in 1946; Fencing - for which France won Gold at the summer Olympics; Parkour - a physical activity that resembles martial arts; and Babyfoot (table football -the French are the predominant winners of worldwide table football competitions!). Outside, during summer vacations, the casual form of the game of Pétanque (similar to Bocce) is played by about 17 million people in France. Bocce ball games are also common in the parks here because the Italian influence is so strong. Little Italy surrounds the hill La Bastille sits on and there is a plethora of pizza and pasta places which lead your nose right to it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_France
Food and "Why French Women Don't Get Fat"
The French are known for their food. They are also known for a low rate of heart disease, a lack of obesity and mucho smoking (Nobody's perfect. By the way, smoking laws in France are coming in line with those in Canada and the U.K.). Now that I've lived here for a short while, and after having read Mireille Guiliano's book, "Why French Women Don't Get Fat", I'm beginning to understand why the French people are healthy. And the explanation is lengthy, complicated and integrated. Let me try to summarize.
The French have a totally different relationship to food than North Americans. The basic premise is to indulge in everything, but nothing to excess. Do not deprive yourself. If you want chocolate, have a piece of chocolate, and stop at that. Or eat less tomorrow, but truly savour the decadence of that one piece. And French people don't snack. Only children are seen eating while walking, usually right after being picked up from school. People don't carry TO GO coffee cups because they sit down for coffee. Isn't that the point of coffee? To sit down, converse and chill out? Eating an apple in an elevator is considered rude. In Colin's contract it actually specifies that he cannot eat lunch at his desk. Instead, lunch time is a long drawn-out sit down affair. Even the preschool NaTasha introduced me to has two hours for lunch and provides a five course meal every noontime. One hour for eating, one hour for play.
On the other love handle, exercising just for the sake of burning calories is extremely unusual. A single trip to the gym costs 20 Euros. At the current exchange rate that's about $30 Canadian. But who needs to go to the gym when we're climbing eight flights of stairs to Steph and Andrew's apartment, or walking to work, or spending all weekend skiing? I must admit I have not yet mastered the balance of eating vs. working out, but I do find myself continually active throughout the day. What I have automatically in my favour is the local food.
The markets here are incredible. So much stuff is local, and if it's not local it's from nearby: pasta from Italy, seafood from the Mediteranean or oranges from Spain. It's all fresh. People here have tiny fridges and shop every couple of days. After the first week I understood why. If you buy something when it's been picked ripe and perfect for eating, it not only explodes with flavour if eaten within hours, it also goes rotten if it's not.
One of the friends I have made here grew up picking berries between 7 - 9 am in the morning in order to maximize their flavour after sunrise but before losing their freshness. He can tell that the produce here is that fresh, every day. Everything from cheese, meat, fish and walnuts to fruit, vegetables, wine and bread is available locally due to the farming district, or within a three hour drive. And you can tell from the colours and the shapes that they are not genetically messed with or grown hydroponically. This holistic and naturally organic approach, plus dedicaiton to quality, lead to beautiful presentations.
An example of this was the bouquet I ordered in the market last Sunday. Granted, I made a language mistake and asked for a large bouquet of orchids and lilies as opposed to the humble bundle of spring flowers. But how wonderful when the vendor wrapped the buds and greenery in old sheets of music. And then she made Callum and Naomi wee bouquets for free. Something so simple as adding the music was visually stunning. Life as art.
Colin couldn't get after me for ordering the enormous bouquet because his faux pas in the open market was miming for shoulder chops. Before he could stop it the butcher had wrestled a full lamb onto the block and chopped up the shoulder into hunks of what turned into nearly a week's worth of lamb stirfry.
Even the prepackaged food is awesome. It's distinctly lacking in preservatives, pesticides and chemicals (and the other crap we put in food in N. America like corn syrup and wheat filler). It's actually real food. Wahoo! And although isn't cheap, most large grocery stores and even corner stores have an aisle or two of organic or alternative foods. There are also four stores within a 10 minute walk that carry specialized items that are casein and gluten free which Callum can eat. I'm stoked. My son, who has sensitivities to 48 separate edible items, has more variety to choose from in France than he did in Canada. What a relief.
And on the topic of LARGE stores, there's a shop here that makes WalMart look like a carport. The Carrefour close to us has 57 tills! And there are still line-ups.
One thing I've had trouble adjusting to is the coffee. The French love their cups of coffee strong, hot, small and sweet. I keep wanting to hold a substantially larger cup in my hand and have come to the conclusion that I need to order a Grand Creme if I want more than five sips of elixir. The problem is that it's really quite strong. 15 minutes after a Grand Creme I feel like little rabbit Foo Foo who got bopped over the head and I can't feel the ground beneath my feet. Thankfully I wear Merrell approach shoes, which have good grip.
Fashion
Speaking of footwear, I really need to find some boots. Despite being multi-cultural and economically diverse here most people are well shod. And look swish. When I understand how the French style is going to meld with my mountain gear-head attitude and still be naturally me, I'll post a picture. The people in Lyon call the Grenoblois bears because they are mountain people. I actually fit in reasonably well with the sporty and the students, but I'm here to learn, to better myself, to add to the visual package that currently screams, "Mom, eh". I do have a scarf so I'm on my way. I hope to arrive before spring.
Next Post
In my next post I'll cover a few other topics like the crazy expensive prices and what's weirdly cheap, our debate of whether to live in the suburbs or the urban environment, the amazing transport system, the kid-friendly green spaces we've been shown or have discovered, the wacky weather and micro-climates, how Callum makes all uneven surfaces his jungle gym and can find mud half a block in any direction from our Apart'hotel, and how we've managed to avoid stepping in dog doo thanks to an attentive child who's eyes are only 40 inches from the ground.
Living in a new country isn't easy, but we're having a wonderful time. Fellow adventurers like ourselves who know what it's like to arrive blind have made this place welcoming and accessible. I'd particularly like to thank Andrew and Steph, David and Melanie, NaTasha, Alan and Naomi, Mike, Mary Jane and Nicole, Fano, the Open House Grenoble folks, Schneider-Electric H.R. and LOGOS (Sylvie and Isabelle).
Have a wonderful Valentine's Day and I'll talk to you soon.
Now I need to go gaze at the Alps and play in the snow.
Love,
Ramona
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