Pretty Quiet Around These Parts

Nothing too earth-shattering happening in Bordeaux lately. Classes are still going well. We're doing a unit on the press right now so we're watching the news and reading newspapers, which is really difficult, but both are great ways to learn new words. I still haven't worked up to radio yet. That mess is impossible.

It's starting to feel a bit more wintery here. The mornings are quite cold and there's frost on the grapevines. Even though I haven't lived in Rochester/Ithaca for years now, I often think of how early the winters there started and I feel a bit ashamed about complaining when it's 45 degrees in November. Halloween is snowed out with regular occasion back home. Stop whining.

I keep forgetting that Thanksgiving is this week. Obviously, they don't celebrate an American holiday in France but it's one of my favorites and I kind of miss all the hype around Turkey Day. It gets me geared up to smash some tasty food and play euchre with my grandfather, who has nearly lost all of his hearing, but will still talk shit and promptly trounce your amateur ass.  This year, I will be spending most of the day in class and then meeting up with the only Americans I know here to have a little meal. I am in charge of the apple pie. I have helped my mother make a thousand of these over the course of our lives but this will be my first attempt solo. Wish me luck. 

Thanksgiving also means Black Friday shopping insanity back home. I can't say that's one of the things I miss. Maybe it's because I don't have a TV or maybe it's just not a big deal here, but I don't really feel like the pressure is on yet to get your holiday shopping done. It's kind of refreshing. I find Christmas shopping to be incredibly stressful. Who do I need to get gifts for? How much should I spend? Can we give something from the both of us? What if they get me something and I didn't get them anything? Does he want something thoughtful or something practical? Ugh.

I was supposed to have an interview for that Baby-langues job today but they had to cancel at the last minute. Annoying. We're rescheduling but I was ready today. I put on heels and pearls, people.

Three things I'd like to make note of:

Something that seems scary at first but is awesome the more you learn about it: Moving to another country by yourself.

Something that seems awesome at first but is scary the more you learn about it: Planning a wedding.

I am curious what the French think of me and my Asian friends: "Voilà, les chinois et la noire... Très bizarre." It's like that one white guy in a group of blacks dudes. Always makes you do a double take.

Today, a biracial American girl living in France made Mexican food for dinner. If that's not being a global citizen, I don't know what is.

Next time: Giving thanks