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