All's good if it's excessive

As the Netslilik Eskimo, Samik, told Knud Rasmussen

2011-06-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

"Oh!
You strangers only see us happy and free of care. But if you knew the horrors we often have to live through, you would understand too why we are so fond of laughing, why we love food and song and dancing. There is not one among us who has not experienced a winter of bad hunting, when many people starved to death around us and when we ourselves only pulled through by accident. But then how should one who is well and has eaten his fill be able to understand the madness of hunger? We only know that we all want so much to live."

very pretty pretty pretty

2011-05-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

boxes

2011-03-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

Radiohead - Lotus Flower

2011-02-28T23:24:00.000-08:00

you got a face with a view

2011-02-07T22:22:00.001-08:00

Did I find you or did you find me?

2011-02-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

Cali Swag District - Teach Me How To Dougie

2011-01-20T00:38:00.000-08:00

Destino - Salvador Dalí & Walt Disney‏

2011-01-13T20:38:00.000-08:00

oh it never ends!

2011-01-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

and your pretty, you can do whatever you want.

2011-01-12T11:09:00.001-08:00

Asian Celebrities

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Home (JVTP)

2011-01-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

Wishery (Disney Remix)

2010-12-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

my form is my function!

2010-12-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

Nathan, at one of the outlying tables
His feet tangled up in the disc jockeys cables
Surveyed the room as unseen as a ghost
While he mulled over what me might say for his toast
Thought the couple had asked him for this benediction
Seemed at odds with them parking him here by the kitchen
Though he turned up at all seemed a surprise
Not just to him, it was there in the eyes of the guests
Who had seen a mirage and drew near
Then covered their shock, with a “… Nathan... you’re here”?
And then silence, they had nothing to say beyond that
A few of the braver souls
Lingered to chat
They all knew, it was neither nor mystery
That he and the couple had quiet an odd history
Their bonds were a tangle of friendship and sex
Josh his best pal once, and Patti, his ex
For a while he could barley go out in the city
Without being a punch line, or object of pity
“Poor Nathan” had virtually become his new name
And so he showed up just to show he was game
Though his invite was late, a forgotten addendum
For Nathan, there could be no more velar referendum
That he need but endure through this evening and then
He would likely not see josh and Patti again
Josh’s sister was speaking, a princess in peach
Nathan dug in his pocket to study his speech
He poured over barteleets for couplets to filch
He stayed up till three still came up with zilch
Except for instructions he’d underscored twice
Just two words in length and those words were; “be nice”
Too often he thought our emotions betray us
And reason departs once were up on the dais
He’d witnessed uncomfortable moments where others had lost their way quickly
Where sisters and brothers had gotten too prickly
And prepped their babbling with stories of benders or lesbian dabbling
Or spot on impressions of mothers-in-laws
In which true Nathan thought always garnered guffaws
The price seemed too high with the laugh seldom cloaking
Hostility, masquerading as joking
No, he’d swallow his rage and bank all his fire
He knew that in his case the bar was set higher
Folks were just waiting for him to erupt
They’d be hungry for blood even though they had supped
They’d want tears or some other unsightly reaction
And Nathan would not give them that satisfaction
Though Patti a harlett, and josh was a lought
At least Nathan knew what he’d not talk about
I won’t wish them divorce, or than they wither and sicken
Or that tonight, that they choke on their salmon or chicken.
I won’t mention that time when the cottage lost power
In that storm on the cape and they left for an hour
And they thought it was just the cleverest roost
Too pretend it took that long to just switch out the fuse
Or that time that josh advised me with so much insistence
That I should grant Patti a little more distance
The worst I could os was hamper and crowd her
That if Patti felt stifled she’d just take a powder
That a plant needs its space just as much as its water
And I shouldn’t give Patti that ring that I’d bought her
Which in retrospect only elicits a gosh,
I hardly deserved a friend like you, Josh.
No I won’t spill those beans or make myself foolish
To satisfy appetites venial and ghoulish
I will not be the blot on this hellish affair
And with that Nathan pushed out and rose from his chair
And just by the tapping of knife against crystal
All eyes turned his way, like he’d fired off a pistol
“Joshua, Patricia, dear family and friends…
A few words if you will, before everything ends.
You’ve promised to honor, to love, and obey
We’ve quaffed our champagne and been cleansed by sorbet
All in endorsement of your ‘hers and his-dom’,
So now let me add my two cents worth of wisdom
I was wracking my brain, sitting here at this table
Until I remembered this suitable fable
That gets at a truth, though it may well destrot us
So here with the tale of the scorpion and the tortoise;
The scorpion was ham strung, his tail all aquiver
Just how would he manage to get across the river?
The waters so deep, he observed with a sigh
Which pricked at the ears of the tortoise nearby
“Well why don’t you swim? Ask the slow moving fellow
“Unless you’re afraid, I mean, what are you, yellow”?
“It isn’t a matter of fear or of whim”
said the scorpion, “But that I don’t know how to swim”
“Ah, forgive me, I didn’t mean to be glib
When I said that I figured you were an amphibian”
“No offense taken,” the scorpion replied,
But how about you help me to reach the far side?
You swim like a dream, and you have what I lack
What say you rake me across on your back”?
“I’m really not sure that that’s the best thing to do”
Sad the tortoise, “now that I see that it’s you.
You’v a less than ideal reputation proceeding
There talk of your victims all poisoned and bleeding
You’re the scorpion and how can I say this? But well,
I just don’t feel safe with you riding my shell
The scorpion replied, “What would killing you prove?
We’d both drown, so tell me how would that behoove me?
To basically die at my very own hand, when all I desire is to be on dry land?”
The tortoise considered the scorpion’s defense
When he gave it some thought it made perfect sense
The niggling voice in his mind he ignored
And he swam to the bank and called out “climb aboard”.
But just a few moments from when they set sail,
The scorpion lashed out with his venomous tail
The tortoise too late understood that he’d blundered
When he felt his flesh stabbed and his carpe sundered
As he fought for his life he said, “Tell me why you have done this? For now we both surely will die!”
“I don’t know!” cried the scorpion,
“You never should you trust a creature like me
Because poison I must
I’d claim some remorse or at least some compunction
But I just can’t help it, my form is my function!”
You thought I would behave like my cousin the crab
But unlike him it is but my nature to stab
The tortoise expired with one final quiver
And then both of them sank, swallowed up by the river.
The tortoise was wrong to ignore all his droughts’
Because in the end friends, our natures will out
Nathan paused, cleared his throat, took a sip of his drink,
He needed these extra few seconds to think
The room had gone frosty, the tension was growing.
Folks wondered precisely where Nathan was going
The prospects of skirting fiasco seemed dim
But what he said next, surprised even him
“So what can we learn from their watery ends?
Is there some lesson on how to be friends?
I think what it means is that central to living a life that is good
Is a life that’s forgiving.
We’re creatures of contact, regardless of whether we kiss or we wound.
Still we must come together
Though it may spell destruction, we still ask for more
Since it beats staying dry but, so lonely on shore
So we make ourselves open, while knowing full well
It’s essentially saying, “please, come here’s my shell”.
Silence, doesn’t paint the depth of quiet in that room
There was no clinking stem wear toasting to the bride or groom
You could have heard a petal as it landed on the floor
And in that stillness, Nathan turned, and walked out the door.

Pure Ecstasy - Dream Over

2010-11-30T20:51:00.000-08:00

2010-11-28T21:52:00.000-08:00

MINKPINK

2010-11-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

MINKPINK SUMMER 2010 from rebecca on Vimeo.

gee shmanks!

2010-11-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

The Tallest Man On Earth - Where Do My Bluebird Fly (Live on KEXP)

2010-11-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

great

2010-11-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

repeat. x 100

2010-10-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Current song on repeat; Cat Power - Ramblin' (Wo)man

2010-10-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

le fete de mere et l'anniversaire de mon papa

2010-05-08T20:13:00.001-07:00

This is dedicated to my wonderful parents

I love them so much.

They are really cool.

Happy (belated) Birthday papa

Happy Mothers day maman (soon birthday)

to keep for my own records

2010-03-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

I was thinking the other day while reading my book, Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski, if someone who to ask me why anthropology? What/how would I answer. Thank you Berlinski for giving me my answer so eloquently;
"...they interviewed her for the local newspaper and asked her why she wanted to go and live with a tribe of nomadic boat dwellers in the islands of south Philippines. "You mean other than because it's incredibly fun?" Karen said, almost babbling. "I guess because it pays off for your psyche. It pays of for your psyche when you are able to tear down your own system of belief. You've got to undo your preconceptions about the world, about who you are, about yourself, about community, about everything. Because when you study a foreign tribe, you've got to leave your world behind, you have to be totally open and empty, which is - almost impossible. I mean, you're trying to get into another soul. But it is also a great deliverance. It's the best chance you can have to know who you are."

as dull as a manilla post-it who has lost its stick

2010-03-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

Are you still out there? Well this is here for those who are. My blog has been on a hiatus due to my lull in adventure. My recent time has been past to what sometimes feels like running around in place just to keep up with the world. My school is proving to be exactly what I want! I love my major (anthropology) and classes. I am proving all those wrong who said most people change their major a few times during their college carrier (yes its only been one quarter but I know when I am satisfied). I hope to be done in two years at the most. The sooner the better of course. I am planning my summer return to France and to the south of France to make camping and visit the archeology in the south of which I have heard so much about in my classes.

Ok I thought I would have more to say but this feels good. Plus I must return(begin) studying.

home - 3rd month....

2009-10-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

It has been great to be back. I dont know if anybody watches my blog, Kristine mentioned I should keep it up but it just feels like normal like here and not too much to write about.... or sometimes too much it feels lately. I fill my days with too much action to the point where I loose track of time. I met someone last week but honestly it feels like it was a month ago.
Jules made the most amazing beouf borginon (SP?) and it feels like that was also months ago but it was only two weeks ago...
I am so happy to be back with my ladies (jules, maddie and caitlin) plus all the others. We still enjoy over eating great food and have been getting more into cooking and expirementing at home.
I am nannying for a sweet little cherib... who tragically last week slammed his fingers in a gate (while I was with him) and I had to have his mother come pick him up and to find out later that he had to get stiches and had a slight fracture. eek. but besides that I love this little boy and our days are filled with adventures.
I am counting the days till my return "home"/france.

a.

when i grow up, i want to dance like Beyonce

2009-09-18T23:50:00.001-07:00

Beyoncé - New Music - More Music Videos

fin

2009-08-10T16:46:00.001-07:00

ringa ringa

2009-08-08T01:37:00.001-07:00

les mecs sur la plage

2009-08-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Biscaross with my Alexis and his friends, one hour away from Bordeaux camping just 5 minutes from the beach with white sand as soft as flour with the biggest waves I have seen in my life. Yesterday we went on a bike ride all after noon to Le Dune Pilat which is the biggest dune in Europe. We stopped at a beach along the way and swam in the ocean. Now the sky is threatening rain at us so we are going to leave one day earlier and stop in Bordeaux to see it - probably see a vinyard!

we are eating mussles close to the sea with excellent wine. i will be coming back here next summer for sure. it was made for me and welcomed me most graciously.

yes of course i didnt mention much about the end of India. Basically I was happy to come back to Paris and didnt realize how much I missed this place till I was walking from the metro station to my familys house - i couldnt contain my giggling and smiles down the street. I will post a blog with all my photos and recording of the last few weeks more for the fact that this blog is a great way to eternally hold all my memories.

the thought that by this time next week I will be in portland honestly is 'scaring' (for lack of a better word) me. Throughout the month of India it was all I could think about but now it has hit me I think and I am amazed and somewhat not believeing it has come. However, I am not done with all my travells as I have said many many many times this year; its addicting.

I think my face has aged but Alexis says its the same as he has known me the longest (and Nicole) since I have been here. But I still think its aged - or it just looks different to me. you all can let me know if I am seeing things or not.

love love love

endings

2009-08-03T05:38:00.000-07:00

got back to paris. now i go camping in Biscaross. will blog more there

Chula Chula/rummble rumble/dogs,cows&ghatsghoats

2009-07-28T02:56:00.000-07:00

I am at a internet place and dont have much time cause i have to go meet a friend of mine. sorry i havent posted anything in a while. the rains have come everyday causing our stolen internet source to not come through (my theory). Last week i went to Sikkim and saw the Himalayas from an amzing guest house. bought tea from a tea estate and was taught how to properly make it (havent tried out the recipie yet...). After we went to the holy city of Varanassi to see the Solar Ecplise on the Ganga (ganges) river - amazing.
Sadly no orphange work. I got sick during my time in Sikkim but i think it was just travelers sickness as once Caulder and i got back to Delhi its gotten better. I have joined with my friends Annelie and Katherine to their volunteer work - womens empowerment. My first day was yesterday - Monday - with a group of girls around 16-20 years old. In the first few minutes we decided Katherine and I wanted to get our nose periced so we left and went to one of the girls house and learned to dance, drank soda. than went to the market bought the jewlery and sat on the side of the road to have a man jab a needle in our nose! dont worry, we made a big dramatic scene about the needle. we made him torch and clean both in front of us before hand.
it hurt really bad.
well so thats the last week and few days in a nut shell. with photos i will say more but that wont happen till next monday when i return to france.
love love love

annie

week one re-cap

2009-07-14T00:44:00.000-07:00

I just got back last night. Right now I am using a computer at the office of the organization that runs the orphanage that I will be working at next week. I haven’t started because the one where I am supposed to be at is being re-painted or something so the children are not there. They have asked me to write about my experience as an au pair because they are interested in sending some of the girls abroad to do the same.
But anyway. What have I been doing? A group of us (Calder, guy from Chicago, Iona and Sandra, cousins from France, Lizzie, from Manchester, Annelie from Germany and Kathleen from California) took the train Friday to Amritsar (north India). It was about a nine hour train ride. We met a guy who was Indian but had lived in Germany for some time. Iona wanted to go to a town close to Dharmashala (higher north India) where the Dali Lama lives and is home to Tibetan refugees. The guy, Sene (I don’t know how to spell his name or if I am even pronouncing it correctly) explained to us that it would be easily possible to get a taxi to drive us to Dharmashala from Amritsar. We took down his phone number. He said he could help us the next day with the tickets and details. He helped us find a rickshaw from the train station and we got to our hotel – The Lucky Guest House – WITH AC! That was only a 5 minute walking distance from The Golden Temple. We got dinner, Butter nan and curry and went back to our rooms to go to bed. We woke up early the next morning and got breakfast at the same place as dinner, moi; i had a Banana Lassi, yogurt, tea and something else but i cant remember. We called Sene and he came over on his motorbike and said he could take two people on it to the train station to cancel our return tickets. So of course I didn’t want to pass up the chance to ride a motorbike in India! Calder came to deal with the tickets. Since he had to wait in line for a while Sene asked me if I wanted to go with him on his bike to ride around the city and get some food and I had to get more money. I made a video of riding the bike. It was the funnest and best thing in the world. We rode around than came back to check on Calder than rode around and got some food and then came back to Calder.
However it turned out Sene wasn’t that helpful and there were a lot of red flags about him. The rest of the group didn’t understand why he was helping us so much but at the same time he wasn’t really helping us. The people who worked at our hotel said it happens all the time that foreigners come here and make friends with someone then get their stuff stolen and we realized that it wasn’t worth hanging out with someone who you don’t know if you can trust or not. It started an argument so we realized that he isnt worth it if it’s going to break up the group. We told him and he understood right away. I was sad and so was Calder because we both liked him but I think Calder and I really WANTED to trust him and that sort of blinded us. But I had the best time riding his bike! And so did Calder. But yes so that night we went to the India/Pakistan border as each side tries to show off in front of the other. This was the best thing ever. I also made a video of this but I wont be able to put any photos or videos up till I come back….
Whenever we go to a touristic place in India we end up being bombarded by Indian tourists who want to shake our hand, take a picture (“snappy snappy?”) or say hello. If we stand in one place we are surrounded by them just watching us as if we are going to do some magic trick. I have never felt more famous before in my life. At the Golden Temple we were in over 100 photos and shook many hands of children. At the Pakistan boarder it was just the same. Personally I like it depending on my mood. Sometimes we will be in a hurry and they really want a photo with us but don’t understand what we are saying. The people who are asking are typically from somewhere in India where they do not get any tourists and the only white people they have seen are on TV or in movies. A lady at the train station coming back to Delhi gave me a little charm for a necklace and wanted me and Calder to shake her babies hand. Everyone is very nice but of course we have to be careful. After the border we went back to the Golden Temple to see it lit up at night. This however was scary as there was a lot of men and for some reason at this sacred holy place they were being very disgusting and bumping into us and when I would get mad they would just laugh. So only 5 minutes after we arrived we left.

A lot of what I am writing would be so much better with photos so I will have to post another blog later that will have those and I will probably have to repeat all of this anyway.
So our group was 7 people but Lizzie and Kathern had to get back for their volunteer job but the other 5 of us took a taxi at 7 am to the little town after Dharmashala. This was the most perfect place right away. We saw monkeys on the drive there. When we arrived it wasn’t so hot that you melt away as we were used to in Delhi and Amristar. There was a good mood there and no one was begging for anything or who just wanted to follow us around. Everyone was truly helpful and Tibetan monks passed by us all the time along the roads with that cute smile that they have. We got an amazing meal in a restaurant on the roof of a building. I got my tea, mango Lassi and yogurt and shared a sort of pasta soup that reminded me of the most amazing pizza at first and momos. We didn’t have much time and wanted to visit the temples and a waterfall. We got to one temple and it was very nice. Then we couldn’t find the other so we decided to go to the waterfall. It was a path that had been maintained. It started to rain hard on the way there but it ended as soon as it started. We got to the waterfall which wasn’t as big or impressive as we thought. Calder and I climbed down the rocks and Iona and Sandra took the path back (Annelie was sick and took a nap in our hotel). After a way down the rocks there was a random café where Calder and I got some AMAZING tea. It started to rain again so we rapped my bag in newspaper and ran back to meet up with Iona and Sandra. Everything was soaked by the time we got back but it still felt good. We did some shopping in the town. Then we got Annelie who felt better and went and got dinner at a place that had a photo of Perice Browswin in it that had a caption saying “Perice Browswins favorite resutarant” or something like that, SO of course it was good! We got some great beer. It started to rain again and from the window we could see that it started to turn into a river going down the road. We finally paid for it all and prepared for the way back. We sat in our hotel and played cards and watched the lightening and thunder from our balcony. We wanted to go out and play in the rain but found that the owner had locked the door….
The next day we had to leave and we were all very sad at this as we loved this town and wanted to stay longer. We took a taxi which was about a five hour drive to the nearest train station and back to the heat and sweat. Our train was supposed to come at 1:30 but ended up coming at 5…. We waited at the train station drinking coke and water and playing BS that got very boring and tedious after a while. Finally we just jumped on a train that was going to Delhi but then we got kicked off which was stupid. We waited at another train station in the middle of nowhere till our train finally arrived around 6. We finally got to Delhi at 12:30 and took a rickshaw. It was really nice to ride it at night when no one was out and the temperature was cooler. We arrived and showered and slept.
It was the most amazing weekend. I feel like I have been here much longer and am so close with the volunteers who I traveled with. We argued and laughed and were scared together in just a matter of days. I can only imagine what will happen for the rest of the 3 weeks which are going to go by too fast. Here you just use all of your senses all the time. You have to be constantly aware of your surroundings and yourself. My brain is constantly working. All of my senses are being used as there are many different sents wherever I go and so many different things to see. I am exhausted and awake at the same time. Sleep is getting better but it’s so hot at night that it was hard to sleep for a few hours straight.
My skin is amazing here due to the amount of sweat that is naturally moisturizing it. My face looks more lively and healthy. However other girls are getting spots… maybe this will happen but I think because before this I was using carrot oil on my face everyday it was used to the oil. But the only bad thing is the heat rash that is growing along my arms….
I have grown to love my body even more now as most people get sick or don’t like the food. I feel like I can eat anything and everything because I just burn it off in the heat.
So I am sad that I cannot put photos here….
Also I have a question for you, I want to put my photos on a CD but I don’t have a cord to put it into a computer. If I put my memory card into someone else’s camera and use their camera and cord to upload it will this work? I may than be able to being the CD to a computer and upload some photos so you can get an idea of all the beautiful things I am see and experiencing.

ok i wrote a mini novel. more to come soon of course!

Annie

2009-07-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

Another volunteer here has a computer and jacked into someones internet which is great for us! Because there is so much to say you all are free to ask me questions in case i forget to mention something or you want to me find anything out while I am here.
I decided to do the orientation week so yesterday and today we lecture a bit about Indian culture and stuff than go around India looking at things. The lecture part is difficult as we are in a very warm room with a fan and listen to the host father/man in charge talk about India.... it is difficult because we are constantly tired and put in a situation like that it is hard to stay awake. my eyes closed without me noticing yesterday and he stopped to tell me to wake up.. i felt bad. but today my friend lizzie was falling asleep so i tried to get him to only pay attention to me so that way i wouldnt fall asleep and he wouldnt notice her...
but this morning we went to Lotus Temple (you can google image it) which is very famous but very mellow. we had to take our shoes off to go in which meant we had to walk on the hottest ground in the world. i think if i had kept my feet in one place for less than 5 minutes i would have gotten a first or second degree burn. so we all skipped fast to the entrance and then Lizzie and i shared a pair of socks back which helped. after that Rajeed (i dont know how to spell his name) brough us to a place of worship for Karishna whcih was amazing as there were tons of people in there praying but its with a lot of music and these BIG shrins for karshina. after we went to the gift mesuem and i bought a prestent for my baby newfew preston, some insensce and jasmine oil perfume which smells great!
we wanted to do some more market searching after the lecture but there was no time.
shit the comptuer is out of battery

hot heat

2009-07-06T04:47:00.000-07:00

its monday afternoon. it feels likei have been here much longer and i can only imagine what its going to feel like after a month. i have freinds here that are french so its great because we can speek french together and nobody understands!
This girl Lizzie made a good point that you are using so many senses and its so hot that by the end of the day you are so exahusted. except its hard to sleep because of the heat. i dont feel like i am sleeping heavy eaither because the slitest noise or anything wakes me up. maybe my brain things i am in danger. Lizzie and I spent the whole day wandering around Delhi. We had drank like 3 liters of water by the afternoon and didnt have to pee. it all comes out of our sweat. there is a girl that hadnt poo'd for a whole week but that is because the food isnt... well its rice and curry - no meat and very little bread.
Lizzie and i evtualy had to go into any restuarnt that had air conditioning and i ordered 2 cokes cause we werent getting enough sugar.
there is a mouse in our room and a lizard. before i left to come here the water backed up in both bathrooms of mostly toilet water. the arangments are very nice though and its like a girls dormatory cause there are now about 12 girls sharing 3 rooms and two bathrooms but we get by fine so far.
i need to by a journal to remember all this stuff.
anyway no photos because i didnt bring a cord but i dont have a cord anyway cause i just put the memory stick in my computer.
there is so much to say but its hard cause it would be better said in person.
i am glad its only one month though. some of these girls are doing it for like 3 months! but i think i am actually getting used to the heat...
everyone stares at us and we have been followed many times.. some girls are even asked to be in photos of complete strangers. the white skin is rare here. they said i would get a lot because i am blonde which is more rare.
i wiped my face yesterday cause of the sweat and the tissue was all dirty.
ok blech
its hot
this internet place is like an aquarium shop

india

2009-07-04T01:31:00.000-07:00

i am here! at the slowest internet. so slow that if i make a typing mistake it will cost money to corect it. but i found it after going down all the wrong street. i met a girl from england and she is on the computer too. we sign languaged our way here imitating typing and drawing a box in the air.
its hot. like contant moisture onmy skin that sort of burn cause its salty after a while.
the flight was great as the plane was empty and i met a french girl who is going to Bombay to study for a year! well we took a full row and tried to sleep but i failed at that somewhat. but i got her information incase i need to run away somewhere she is living in an apartment there so that could be cool but we will see.
right now i am staying at a place till monday when they drive us to the orphanage where i will be sleeping. i dont know what it looks likeor what its like. everything from here on is all suprises. i dont know when i will have internet access next. it may be only once a week if at all. i dont know if i will actually buy a si card for my phone but if i do its an eaiser way for mom and dad to reach me. i must go now as time is up.

annie

prepare

2009-07-01T15:06:00.001-07:00

my bags have been tightly packed like a tetris game!
I leave paris at 7pm friday. i have been asked how i feel and honestly i dont know how to answer it. i really honestly dont know what to expect.
my last week has been lovely as the weather here is beautiful but at the same time so hot. My skin by the afternoon is so sticky. Nicole and I spent a lot of time together as her boyfriend was out of town so I spent the night at her place every night. We sat in front of her kitchen window and talked than ended most nights by passing out in front of a movie. We layed in the sun most afternoons and visited the Saint Germain pool which was a let down as it was super crowdy with screaming children and the only pool was inside which we took one look at and decided to just shower and continue our sun bathing outside.
Nathalie is out of town just for tongiht so i had the boys to myself. we made pizza for dinner and nataniel and i finished the book we were reading - Witches. I didnt realize it at first but this is also the movie i watched as a little girl with the witches who turn children into things. I vaguly remembered scenes from it. I tried to find it for nataniel to watch but with no luck.

so in India i will have limited internet access as I am not bringing my computer. I decided to bring my digital camera but will be keeping a close close eye on it.
i will try to call some of you before i leave friday.
much love

annie

merde

2009-06-22T02:16:00.000-07:00

Ok so it won't let me put my pictures in order on this computer... but it goes from the bottom up. Nicole and I spent a lovely afternoon/evening in paris on the weekend of music weekend - there is music all over Paris for free. But we didnt manage to see very much...

The sun was out and we enjoyed a bottle of wine on the grass in front of the Tour Efile. We got invited to sit with a group of french people but not two seconds after we sat down two of their dumb ditty women were not happy about this and right in front of Nicole and I saying "non! n'est pas d'accord!" and some other french shit. They asked us where we were from and if we understood french than asked us to leave. The man that invited us was hanging his head in shame. Nicole and I walked away confused and dumbfounded as these women were acting like 12 year olds when they had to of been in their 30's.

Anyway. I ended up leaving my keys to the house at my friends house that we visted which I only discovered when I got to my gate to open it. Soraya (the 'cook') lives above the garage so I banged furously at her door and threw small pebbles at her window. Just at the second I realized she couldnt be home and was going to give up and sleep in the garden, voila! she arrived in a car and I hugged her many times. She fed me chocolate and gave me her keys... however I had locked the door to my bedroom as the cat sleeps on my pillow when I am not there which causes a restless nights sleep so I had to sleep in Julias room.

Quiet an eventfull night. I love Nicole.

less than two weeks!!!!!!

Annie

update

2009-06-18T05:57:00.001-07:00

I have not posted anything but this is because there is really nothing happening except for me being encredibly anxious to leave and go to India. I am also really bored. I could go into Paris but its a hassle and I cannot stay long because I have to work. The weather is teasing everyone where it will be shit weather for days than all of a sudden its beautiful and hot and you think its going to last than it rains for 5 days straight. lame.
I had a funny dream the other night - in the dream I was friends with a person who was friends with a person who was having a HUGE party that everyone wanted to go to but only certain people could and I was invited.
But I had to babysit so I couldnt go.
This dream was caused because I have been working too much the same thing over and over and over and it is wearing out my sainity I fear...
But yes only two weeks!
I got all my shots/jabs for India (3 little bastards) and tons of medication, sprays, ointments bla bla bla.
In my "depression" or Lull -which may be dramatic - I have bought tons of Lillies for my bedroom. They smell really great and are really beautiful.
Again I have no computer so I really cannot call anyone with my skype or recieve phone calls. I did try again to plug in my cord and after turning it around severel times, moving my computer to different parts of the bed, tilting it, kissing it... I found POWER. but than a few minutes later I moved on the bed and it popped out or something, when I touched the bit that goes into the computer it almost burnt me! This is not good right? thats like super hot and shouldnt burn you. Well so I am scared to attempt again. So I will leave it and save the battery till I leave for India to call and say goodbyes. I will be SANS electronics. But I havnt yet decided if I should bring my digital camera yet. The benefit is that I can take tons of photos. But I dont want to bring things I would be sad to loose - like if I take tons of photos than it gets lost or stolen... that would hurt.
Nicole gave me her ancient camera, I think I had the same one when I was five. So this way I will buy film and if it gets stolen I will still have the previous film!
cool
ok
I will post again before I leave

much much much love

again

2009-06-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

No more computer again. I messed up the battery cord again by never unplugging it... it just won't charge my computer... theres no point in trying to fix it since in 3 weeks I will go to India and not bring my comptuer anyway.
But I have the families computer - I just wont have access to skype.

I have a back up battery that I am useing now but I am going to save it for the week before I leave for India to call those of you who know I will call.
love
love
love

annie

CC

2009-06-09T03:31:00.000-07:00

"Tell me, was it just ill health that makde you do waht you did?"
"That and..."
"And what?"
shrug. "The utter futility of everything. I see it even in flowers, hear it in music. All life aimless, without meaning."
"What do you want a meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning. Desire is the theme of all life! It makes a rose want to be a rose and want to grow like that. And a rock want to contain itself and remain like that"

"Why are you smiling like that?"
"your imitation of a rose and a rock".

-Charlie Chaplan- Limelight

Buddah-a-go-go

2009-06-04T04:44:00.000-07:00

As most of you know I will be going to India in exactly one month. I am going with a program called IVHQ - International Volunteer HQ I dont know what the HQ stands for actually... but I will be volunteering in an orphange with children to teach them english, play games, help them get ready in the morning, and teach them other school leasons. I will also get the opportunity to see India. I will be posted in New Delhi which will be exciting as it is very big and full of color
So I am impatiently waiting this month of june and have already started getting my bag packed and reading everything I need to know for India.
As I was getting ready today and reading my volunteer booklet they mentioned some things that are needed in the orphanage;
DONATE-ABLES
vitamins/calcium tablets
antibiotics, antiseptics
medical family guides
books health
first aid materials
hankies
childrens clothing
balloons
bubble water
face paint
music for children
instruments
stickers, stamps
group games
coloured paper
pencilsm/pens/markers/crayons
books
chalk/colored

I have already started collecting some of the things. Nathalie the mother here has a whole room filled with childrens books that she said I can take my pick at. But I thought I would ask those who are reading my blog if they would want to donate anything. If you want to mail anything to me my address here is
Berdugo C.O. Annie Temple
5 Rue Charles Bemont
Croissy Sur Siene France
78290

OR if you would like to give me $$$$ because I am going to buy things here as well, I have set up a paypal account for your convience! (when you click on the button paypal will ask you to make an account with them, which you have to do...)

Please let me know if you have donated anything as eaither I or the children can make some mail to send you as thanks!

So my departure date is set for July 3rd. I will keep you posted as to how all the fundraising and collecting goes!
much much love
Annie

gosh oh gee

2009-06-01T04:50:00.000-07:00

done

2009-05-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

So I am ready to be done being an au pair.
india. india. india!

germany

2009-05-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

yes it has taken me a while to post about germany. sadly it was too short of a trip to be able to say much. it was a 6 hour drive. we made our first stop in Koln where I got to see the Famous catherderal of Koln that I have never heard of... but now I know! And also the river of course and it oddly looked a lot like the Portland Esplande... except german.
Nicole lives an hour away from Koln in a quaint town called Menden. We stayed at her sisters place with her beautiful baby boy Luka - who I kept calling Evan because my brain directed its cericuts to my cousin Luka and Vanessa whos baby is Evan.. voila
Nicoles birthday was the friday we drove and I got her some big books of photography. One of Man Ray's work and the other just a big coffee table book with color photography.
The first night we spent with her family at her grandmas place where I sat out on the balcony and after some wine they were teaching me german. it was great.

Cathedral. It was too big to get a full photo.
It had flying buttresses mom!

Antoinne (Nicoles boyfriend) got this. It was discusting...

Nicoles sister and baby

The Second night we went out with Nicoles friends.

Yes it was great!

Hopefully I will be able to go back to Germany for longer than 2 days and play with Nicole and her friends. Maybe before I head back for home.
I got my ticket to India for July. Less than 2 months away WHOOO.
au pairing has become quite boring.
This next week will be nice though! Nathalie leaves tomorrow morning for Le Festival de Cannes so I get to play MOM. It will be a relaxing few days for everyone in the house as Nathalie makes everyone feel they might mess up something.
Than Thuresday morning we leave for Duville in Normandy.
I will bring my computer. hopefully it will work.
I will stock up on my free Hermes parfume from the maid carts!

Oh my mike doesnt work really for my computer I have discovered after an hour trying to figure out why poeple cant hear me on the other end. But I will ask the father if he has a mike that I could use or I will just got buy a mike mike. sans camera.
But thanks to you who have called me!

love
a.

Mc Skype!

2009-05-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

HOLY CRAP. skype is the coolest thing in the world
so i was buying the thing so i can call unlimited in the whole world for only 10 dollars a month and than it says " do you want a phone number? you get 50% off cause you bought something else" so i said "hmph" and i read about it and it means all of my friends and family in portland can now call me as long as my skype account is on and its the same if you are calling someone next door from your cell. my number is even the same area code.

971 232 5951

so like when i call you at night and you miss the call that number will show up and you can just call me back. if i dont answer that means
a. i am asleep so dont call back
b. my skype account is off.

wow
cool.
it was only 10 dollars too! for 3 months!

wow

2009-05-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

Date home... vers september
blog of germany coming soon. i have to finish this book; Eragon. its really amazing.
tomorrow... or thuresday.

did i miss mothers day? Sunday it was mothers day in germany but not in france. i didnt know dates like those changed depending on the country.
hint. germany has the lush and greeness i missed.

sausage-a-go-go

2009-05-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to my papa bear. Happy Birthday (sort of belated yes)
We had a good chat a few minutes ago but he had to go to a webinar.
webinar.

I was able to get this weekend free to spend it with my favorite Nicole and Antoinne in Germany for Nicoles 26th birthday! We are driving this friday morning for 6 hours and than I will be back late Sunday night.
Than Wednesday through Sunday I will be going to Normandy with my family to the same hotel. My friend Mariam will possibly be there as well so that will help relieve any stress since I will be with Nathalie ALL DAY pretty much.
Than there are a few other things happening which I will blog about as they pass.

Nathalie came home with a pair of shoes the other day....
She says to me excitedly "want to see the most amazing shoes in your life"?
I say "YES". knowing that they are going to be epic
and yes they were;
Below are some ideas of hers. I couldnt actually find the exact image of them as THERE ARE ONLY 5 PARIS IN THE WORLD. They are Louis Vuitton but designed by Marc Jacobs who I didnt know actually started out working for LV. Anyway, her shoes are a work of art and look like they went through an african jungle 5 times.
She has a friend that works at Louis Vuitton and calls her when things like these come to the store and her friend saves them for her because as Nathalie said "She knows I'm crazy".
She said that Madonna has one pair and than some french Actress and 2 other people AND NATHALIE.
CRAZY.

crazy.

Soooooooooo I will take many photos in Germany and tell you allllllllll about my lovely weekend surrouneded by my new favorite language. german.
yes

Whales

2009-04-26T16:12:00.001-07:00

Simular idea as the image above portrays.. except minus the whales and add in the sheep. bountiful sheep & lambs. I said this to many poeple upon my return today when asked about Wales (yes I discovered the correct spelling!), there were many many lambs and sheep and they are my new found favorite animals. I listened to them talking in the field next to our house and could even desifer the different accents and tones of their "baahh's".
Post Wales I really didnt know what to expect. Upon my mother and father's arrival I was given my new favorite book, Eve Green. This was a good shot gun introduction to what was to come; braken and that other plant that in the summer turns the fields violet whose name is escaping me.

I guess I should back track some. Yes maman and papa came the week before Wales. We spent a delightful week wandering Paris.

I did have to work half of the week but we still got some time in together. We visited the Meusee D'Orsay but it did not meet my mothers epectation as the paintings she wanted to see had been sold to the Chicago art insitute; Claude Monets Lillies and Hay stacks as well as some others I think. However it was good for me to finally get into a famous meseum that featured many famous other artsy things.

We also made a visit to Monet's actual house and grave which has been obviously manicured.

Thrilling grave as you can see.

We ate well with help from the markets near by their humble abobe.
This photo was my idea and turned out to be a winner in my opinion.

best sausage in the world that I scoured the shops for that created an excellent
final meal in France.

Most of the poeple looking at my blog also are looking at couisin Vanessa, Nick and baby Evan's blog as well and will see simular photos. But for those of you who this is a new thing here are many photos.

This is our Welsh cottage as well as papa and Dave sight seeing in the backyard.

Maman, papa and Vanessa took a very difficult hike and I wish I went on it but my mother says that it would have been too difficult and I didnt have the best shoes for it. But even though it would have been hard it would be worth it after I saw their photos....

Oh I learned how to gut and clean fish! Thanks to papa. I went to a fish farm with Jenny, Dave and Vanessa. I watched the guy catch the fish and than he just bopped them on the head.

It was a very good vacation to get away and really relax and spend time with family. I got to meet baby Evan for the first time and get to know him. The day we left they were going to feed him his first real food! So I have two more months till summer holiday and than I will be going to India for the month of July and than after that I am playing with an idea to go do this pilgrimage in spain for a week or two where you just walk and its suppsosed to clense your mind or something. I will let you know.

a.

thrills &

2009-04-17T09:50:00.001-07:00

I bought Claude Monet's hat and we stood where he painted.
Great weather in Paris - excellent choice for the dates to visit.
much stumbling and tumbling on the sidewalks.
Wales tomorrow.
A proper blog soon to come

2009-04-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

no' mandy

2009-03-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

went to Normandy this weekend, just over night Saturday and Sunday.
Dueville but the spelling is wrong.
the kids and I got our own room.
If you know Oregon beaches than you know what I am used to and this was very very different from any other beach. I am used to wind so strong it will dry your hair in a minute but yet leaves this sticky salty touch to it... this however was calm and well it was mostly the town. We stayed in a hotel where every time I saw someone who worked there they said "bonjour madame". - i totally went gypsy and took a few bottles of Ermes perfume from the room cleaners cart along with loiton and shampoo.
Saturday night nathalie and marc went out to dinner with another couple - the wife is crazy and nathalie couldnt handle to be around her after that; she thinks her husband is out to kill her... i met him, hes really nice, he told nathalie I am amazing with their children! 100 points for him.
I got to have room service for dinner to my room after solal went to bed. my little cherib and i watched walace and gromit Curse of the Wearrabbit (16 EUROS..... "oops"). Nathalie and Marc said i can have their bottle of champiagne also. oh and i enjoyed it very much. nataniel was in the kids club the whole time so i didnt see him much. just me and my cherib.
Solal and i swam in the pool sunday morning. wow with a baby its so much fun.
it was a nice trip but i would perfer to just have solal without nathalie there cause she can be a little bossy and demanding to me and it starts to bud me after a couple of hours.
we are going again in may for 5 days. i was cracking by the time we were about to leave so i dont know how those 5 days will go. i am going to have to lay some ground rules when that time comes to nathalie.
solal has razors for nails and he will get in Kung Fu Panda mode (i curse this moive for being made as he now likes to mimic it and guess who gets hurt?). well he will hit me and then i will look at him and say no, please dont do that and he goes to nathalie and cries and says "annie clack" and for some reason after this has happend many times she still askes me "annie did you hit solal" - and i say through biting teath "no nathalie he hit me". after this weekend if this happens again i am going to bring this to her attention.
nathalie is delightful except sometimes there is this side of her that is just not logical or something. solal is spoiled and nataniel and i get the blame for everything he does.
anyway i ate very well this weekend. however i think my belly is not use to so much sea food (fruit de la mer) and well... upon arrival i was very sick and took a rose tea bath and nathalie brought me some tea.

grrrreat news;
1. I GOT MY CARTE DE SEJOUR!
this has been 7 months of hell getting this little shit and finally i can say i am legal here and can also leave the borders of france.
2. I will be going to India in July and then Greece in Agust. possibly return after this. i was planning on staying till december but i dont think i can au pair it for that long. we will see. but yes the plan is set for India and Greece.

LOVE
love
love

Oh-lay!

2009-03-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is a much needed post as I have not for a long time and now see that people are confunded as to what my future plans are! Well there have been a few weeks that I have been planning to go to India for the month of august. I was absolutly sure I was going to go with my friend Mariam but now she is saying she wants to go in July which I cannot do as I am going to the south of France with the family and my lady jules may visit. So now I am in the middle.
Maybe I will go to Greece and some other places butmy lady Caitlin made a few good points of why I should go to India. I also think it would be an amazing place to go after this expierence here.
I am very spoiled with the family. However I am a little bit nervous to go that I will come back and my image of the family may get ruined... The way they spend money is sort of sickening... (I hope they never read that). I love them so much and I dont want to come back and not be able to stay with them for that reason. No that reason is not going to stop me from going to India though. I am not sure why I am hesitant now.... I am not nervous...
I am going to talk with my friend Mariam some more about it and maybe my enthousiasim will come back for it.
As of now I would like to continue in France till december and come back home to apply for a school in New Mexico for Anthropology. Leaving this summer feels premature for me to fully learn french and I have come so far and am doing really well with it. I anticipate that by the time I leave I will be pretty fluent! I hope so. For me its a slow process as I speek english with quite a few poeple and the children.
I had a dream the other night that I was trying to get home and going on all sorts of air planes and showing the poeple next to me pictures of my portland family and talking about how cool they are. So even my subconcious misses you all.
I want to see my Preston Jermiah so bad and I have been saving all sorts of things to bring home to him. I will only speek to him in French. I am so excited and anxcious to meet that little squirt.

The sun has come out here and we have been having many beautiful sunny days. Today was amazing. Nataniel (the nine year old) slept with me last night (i love this, he is like the little sibling I never had, not going to replace my nickie poo. never ever) and we watched The Neverending Story. I explained to him that this is a classic that most kids my age know about from childhood. Nick bought this for me for my birthday a few years back and it has come in handy very well since I have been here. Next I will show him Labrynth, The Dark Crystal, Spirited Away - and his others.
The Neverending Story made Nataniel more appreciative of the graffics they now have in movies.
So he and I woke up at 9 this morning.
I went on a beautiful run by the Siene as we live right next to it. Then I got ready and met my friend Christos to go to this Antiqueties market that is on an island right next to where I live. Here are some photos.
Ok so thats the only one I got of the stuff. If you know me, you know that I am in heaven when I come to these sorts of places. Call it junk but I call it treasure. They had old things from Napolean I, II, and III. My friend Christos explained to me a lot of the history in the objects as he knew french history very well. I like how they displayed the boxes. I bought a necklace there. I think it goes on for another month and I many have to return and spend a whole day there just staring at each object.

YUM. you get the whole leg! they dont show the truth like that in America.

So then I went back home cause my family was having people over for the thing they call Guttee... thats not how you spell it but its the "snack" between lunch and dinner. Its mostly cake, sweets and tea. I ate a lot of goodness. The kids and I all played outside in their lovely garden and I got bugs thrown at me till I was able to convince them to play cache chache - hide and go seek.

So now I think that traveling should be a career and thats what I should study. I shall travel for the rest of my life! Facepaint children in parks to be able to buy bread and water. No.
So anyway we will see....
I just got off the phone with Mariam and maybe the plan is that I will go to India for the last few weeks in July and then come back and go to Greece for the rest of august... ok I will post again when plans become solid.
OH ITS GREAT BEING YOUNG!!!!!!!

Oh I started pilates and some other classes that are like work out classes. It feels great. My tummy is hard as a rock!
Natalie gave me her Emiliou Pucci bag! And she let me use her Yves Saint Luarent bag today - apperently it was THE bag to have 2 years ago!
I want a pair of glasses from Robert Cavalli that are 300 euros.
Paris is killing me. Dont worry I wont buy them. But these brands and things are such a joke because you can be in style but it doesnt mean you look good and the only people who know you are "in style" have to know what the "style" is. I knew all this before I came here but there is something hilarious about Dior, Pucci... burberry... YVS. Just the names get attention or something. Everyone wears brands here.
I think I need to go to India.

ramble ramble ramble.

i love you all

Jasmine I check everyday for new blogs from you. No pressure...

OH yes also Nataniel and I started a garden in their backyard! We are going to plant vegies and flures! I am so excited.
Do you have any good tips?
M & D are coming in a month! They can check out our progress and tell me what I should do for my plot of land.

Send me photos and any love to my email!

a

Jules et Jim

2009-02-27T03:27:00.000-08:00

Le Tourbillon

my babies are home

2009-02-20T13:34:00.001-08:00

amily is back from skiiing trip. i missed my babies.
nataniel taught me two interesting things.
yes it is possible for a lion and a tiger to create a tigeon!
and surprisingly; a giraffe and a zebra! - okapi

- "i found it in a junoir science book" - natantiel
we are having a slumber party tonight in my room!

douce

2009-02-08T02:50:00.001-08:00

chouchous

2009-02-07T02:18:00.000-08:00

It snowed again.... greeeeeeeat. well I played in it today with Nataniel and that was fun. We built a sort of fort but I was the first to give up and give into a bowl of hot chocolate... yuuuuuum. Plus it was getting too warm so it was all melting.
Wow so many wonderful things to update on;
Solal offically knows my full name and calls me annie all the time! Its great cause he doesnt know anyone elses name I am pretty sure. But its kind of by chance, Willam the 17 year old had a girlfriend named Anne who Solal really liked and he knew her name and he knew how to say Knee so realized he could put the two together et Voila! When he first said it everyone got excited so he also likes that when he says my name I get super happy.
Nathalie told me I am the best au pair! I was so gitty when she said this! I love them.
Nataniel told me I am like his sister while we were making the snow fort. I have to agree on this. I love this boy so much. (Gracie, Jonah and Ella you guys are always my favorite!). But really I love him and this family. I fit in so well with them.

I started my new school and wow my french has improved immensly in only one week. But this class also makes me want to learn and try harder for my french which is very important for me.
I go to class 3 days a week for 3 hours a class. For the first few days I was sure my teacher was going to fall over and die or something because every now and then he would pause and have to catch his breath or he would hold his fingers to his nose like was having a migrane or he looked like he was dizzy and had to hold onto the desk for support. When he writes on the board he has to hold onto the metal chalk thing underneath it. By the third day of absolute confusion I asked my friend in the class, Fernando from Spain, what the deal was he and why it seems I am the only one who has noticed this and he said apperently the first day of class he told everyone that he has vertigo.... well he seriously has vertigo. I only thing of the hitchcock movie when I think of vertigo and I though you had to me high off the groud or something....
so mystery solved!
I bought my first pair of heels and wonder why women put themselves through this awful pain... seriously. Luckily I bought a pair of books that have a small heel to get me used to the hight difference and the pain! WHOO.
hell but i look GOOD. yes. i love them
But the big pair of heels will take a while to get used to. Plus I hate being taller than EVERYONE.
PHOTO TIME;

snow fort!

mon treasure!
they let me use their snow pants and moon boots!

Nataniel had the good idea to use knifes to cut out blocks of hard snow from large balls we made. this was a very good idea as it went much faster. smart kid

Wow I am warm in that hat!

baby working hard!

YES that is a mushroom table

sweeeeeeeeeeetest face!

this is the funniest picture in the world. He looks like a monkey sort of. he was excited about my carmera and was in mid run to come to me.

HEY did you hear the news of Micheal Phelps? Someone took a picture of him smoking from a bong and it got plastered all over the internet.
one. sadly that may have been one of his friends who totally backstabbed him
two. i read this article about it and totally chuckled after this line;

"I just hope the next time Michael Phelps contemplates using a bong, he will give himself a bong over the head, instead. Maybe that will knock some sense into him."

I may be the only one who gets a kick out of this. It sucks for him though! He lost a whole bunch of sponsorship over this.

Went out to dinner with the family tonight. A resturant on the Siene River. We ate muscles... or clams... I am forgetting what they are called... but its in a big shell and it tastes like the ocean. Apperently amercians and the english do not like it and they were surprised I was enjoying it. We it was interseting and refreshing about them. I guess its my new found french roots kicking into my taste buds huh!

Ok je dormi
its late
love

annie

my day in marais

2009-02-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

much money was spent. YIKES! mama dont look at my bank statements. dont worry babies, I'm saving money and doing extra babysitting jobs on the side.
but I woke up the other day irritated with being irritated that I want these beautiful clothes and things so I said WHATEVER I'm useing my credit card during the last few days of the sales. i went out on a good day i guess. i got a lot of things for gooooooooood deals at the shops i cant usually afford. mmmmm parisian life is good. above is my new jacket.
next week; SHOES. yummmmmmm
i start my frist day of school tomorrow. im so prepared now!
looooooooooove you all.
more photos coming soon.

knee.

lights out!

2009-01-29T15:19:00.001-08:00

Well tonight was exciting! Nathalie and Marc went out to a show in Paris and I was left in the house with the Solal, Nataniel, and thankfully William the 17 year old. One hour after they left while Nataniel and I were practicing for a presentation in class tomorrow ALL POWER GOES OUT. Now the house is surrounded in big windows. I grab the baby and emedietly turned on the alarm sure some maniac planned this whole deal and was coming to attack us all! However.... it was just a power outage and we got to act as those during the middle ages in France! They have this HUGE fireplace thats bigger than me, seriously I can stand in this thing. We made a fire and Sorya who live in the house above the garage came over cause she was out too and we curled by the fire. Of course just as Nathalie and Marc get hold at 11:30 the lights come back on right away. They said as they drove down the street they saw the power light up like a wave at a baseball game. mmm splendid!
I watched Cold Mountain and cried my eyes out the whole time. WOW thats a depressing movie. I watched it out of curiousity. Nick and I saw it one time and it wasnt the best movie to pick. I remember when it started I was bored. Then in the middle I thought it was the best movie in the world and then in the end I was incrdibly depressed. On the drive home Nick and I were compeletly silent the whole time. Nick do you remember this?
Mmmm well I love you all. I am going to curel up with a fat cat now.

OH Solal (I call him the baby but hes actually 2, they refer to him as the baby so I just do it too). HE SAID MY NAME TODAY! He usually calls me Nie (knee) which is pretty cute! But today he just randomly said Annie and I got really gitty with Corina. But he didnt do it again... oh well...

LOVE
Nie

sushieeeeeeeees

2009-01-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

mmmmmmmmm its been long without a full account of what has been going on with me. Life here feel normal so it doesnt seem neccisary to always write about my days. However I will be starting my new school next week in Paris which I am very excited about! This way I will be in Paris when I am done with class and can go play and find more interesting things in Paris. There is always something interesting going on there and I need to take advangtage of every aspect of it.

Today is wednedays so Nataniel does not have school. Nathalie, Nataniel, Solal and I went into Paris for lunch at a sushi restuarant. It was amazing. We were going to go to a park but then Nathalie found out that Nataniel had to dress up for school on friday as a Prince which apperently is a big deal and I just figured we could make it out of clothes we already had. But no. We went and found a spciality shop just for this and he got a real prince's outfit. exciting. Wearing it just one time for some class thing. I am addicted to Desperate Housewifes.... she has all the seasons....

So once school starts I will be writing more about my adventures and the exhibits and things I see/taste.
Last night I ate real Moraccan food cause Nathalie had a dinner with her friends and their cook (Sorya who is Moracan) made an athentic meal!
Whoop!

love you all

flopsy, mopsy & cotton tail

2009-01-25T14:12:00.000-08:00

I'M WEARING THEM.

mmmmmm.... warmth
100%

life

2009-01-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

She stole my pencil case!

2009-01-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

Hello my sweets
Today, by request of Nataniel, I made an american apple pie "with the crust on top", he said. It was his first time ever having one. My mother sent me a very easy recipie and it turned out very well! It was also my first night I got to make dinner! Anne sent me a recipie for a quiche but it didnt end up turning out exactly like a quiche. I didnt have enough time as I needed because when I started at 6:30 I found that I needed butter and I had to go to the store and buy it but I queued for a very long time as everyone in the world obviously had the same idea as me. Anyway, William the 17 year old helped me as I was running out of time, dinner is at 8 but we all sat down at 9. But they liked it and liked that I cooked and said I can cook again if I want.
They have a cook every night except saturday and wednesday, Soryea (thats not how to spell it but I really have no idea). So I asked Nathalie if I can cook wednesdays... so maybe next week I will have another dish....
But after dinner was great! Nathalie and I cleaned the kitchen and talked the whole time! I found out she was an au pair in London when she was 18! So cool! She did a lot more work with the family than I am doing. But since she was an au pair she understands so its nice.
I really love this family.

When Nathalie came home today she had gone to see Nataniel's teacher who said he is brilliant in English and all his studies. However this adorable silly boy has been trying to kiss girls in class. There have been two incidences and the girls told their parents who told the teacher. So Nathalie had to have a talk withi him. He said the girl started it and he doesnt even like her because she took his pencil case. ooh the cute like of a 9 year old. I found the pencil case part the funniest.
Later I said to him "so I hear you are kissing girls at school"
OH GOD BEST PART!
He said he tripped and accidently kissed them. He even did a demonstration for me. I said but I heard it happend two times but he insisted that both times he tripped and it was an accident.
I LOVE HIM.
Top photo was taken for Nathalie's last birthday party. I think during the summer. They had professional women dancers and a DJ. And she had a stripper. She is in the back of the photo with the red hair. The silver hair in the front is Julia the 18 year old going to school in Strasbourg. I find this photo describes them well. I like it a lot
Ok my sweets
Im off to enjoy my L'Occitane products!

A

2009-01-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

So the first weekend of sales month was nice. I got friday off because I worked today (sunday) for Gallette de Roi. Nicole and I woke early to venture out to Paris to hit Gallerie Layfette, mistake as that was where everyone else went and we were very soon exhasuted. We didnt find anything and were too overwhelmed by all the women scrounging for a good deal. Plus if you know Gallerie Layfette you know that it is huge so its hard to really stay focused in one area. We didnt have time to go to any other area in Paris because we promised Antoinnes sister we would watch her baby so she could go look for some baby clothes. So we realxed at his sisters aparment.

They returned and Nicole, Antoinne and I went down the street to get an apero - porto for nicole et moi and wine for Antoinne.

We returned to Antoinnes sisters and she had prepared a lovely dinner for all of us!
All the necessities.

I forget to mention my familes GIANT CAT. If you look at this picture he looks like an average sized kitty right? Well he is one years old... and he will continue to get bigger. I love him. But I love my Mia more of course.

But don't worry babies. I took advantage of the sales saturday morning.
Too much at Princess Tam Tam and L'Occitane

bisous!

2009-01-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,'
'I don't know where. . .'
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat, 'In that direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw round, 'lives a Hatter: and in that direction,' waving the other paw, 'lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad.'
'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
'How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice
'You must be' said the Cat 'or you wouldn't have come here'

marry me

2009-01-11T13:03:00.001-08:00

grubbin

2009-01-09T01:04:00.000-08:00

Bonjour tout le monde!

So I might be able to be the cook wednesday nights! the cook who is usually here asked for wednesday nights free so I asked Nathalie if I could cook. I would love to do this as I could get better and try out recipies. Also they eat well so I can really make anything!
So I need your help. If you find recpies send them to me please! Not to difficult and time consuming if possible. Make sure it is delicous!
send recipies to; plantsandanimals@gmail.com
I will take pictures of the creations and put them on here.

Today I venture into Paris to combat with others like me to get discounted items. Yes it is SALES MONTH. This strange thing that the government controls so that no clothing stores have sales untill 2 times a year in a controled amount of time. Tomorrow will be mayhem and chaos so I am going today to hopefully find some goodies. First I will hit Marc Jacobs and Marc By Marc Jacobs. After I will go to Galeries Layfette - its very big with a lot of options. I am going with Nicole and after we are watching Antoinnes sisters new born baby. I will take many pictures today I promise!

gros bisous

annie

coucou

2009-01-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to write a reflection of these past few months but am failing horribly. So first to get some news out there I will show you my Christmas and new years and what I did.
So in a nutshell I was not able to go to Croatia. This had been a looming possibility for some time as to if I was going to be able to get my carte sejour, et voila, bright news I will be able to get it but bad news I have to wait another month till my next appointment. But all the stress is gone and I am giddy as a school girl with this new family!
The Monday that I moved in, a few days before Christmas eve, the mother Nathalie, Nathaniel (age 9) Solal (age 2) and Julia (age 18 different married) and I went to the Nut Cracker... for kids. However it was enjoyable for me to hear it in French.
A few days later it was Christmas Eve and that morning was the deciding factor if everything was going to work out. First off everything is thanks to Alexis for driving me everywhere I need to go and calling everyone we need to talk to. It is virtually impossible in this country if you do not know French. The administration doesn’t even know how ridiculous they are. But if it hadn’t been for Alexis I would be staying here illegally if at all. So I bought him a carafe for wine, we have used it many times... honestly I can't tell a difference but he does so that’s all that matters.

But finding out I couldn’t go to Croatia was a big let down. This trip is what had gotten me through the first few months when I was lonely and needed something to look forward to. Also I needed a break from children and working. Also I was so excited to hang out with my Croatian family as I find them incredibly fun. Also Vanessa's new baby. Also many many other reasons....
But sweet Nathalie said I needed to be with family on Christmas Eve and I was welcome join their festivities. So my loves, what do you think we ate? Caviar and Lobster of course! I just can't get over saying that. Her brother and girlfriend came. Also the mother’s friend Patrice who is the ex-director of Dolce & Gabana and now I think the director of Ralph Lauren....
All of the people were incredibly nice and all talked to me. This is really what I wanted my experience to be and I am so happy I have changed and this family found me.

Ok so photos of Christmas eve!

First course, caviar with baked potatoes. Honestly I expected an orgasm in my mouth but there was not flavor really. I don’t understand caviar and all its hype.

Thats the papa Marc holding the live lobsters post death! The little cherub on the right is Solal age 2

Nathaniel tormenting the lobster before his doom. You can't notice this but Nathaniel and Solal were both wearing matching Dior suits and ties. They tend to be matching every day which I find to be hilarious and super cute.

pauvre lobsters... however incredibally delicous. I got one that had eggs... a female.

Sweet Solal. He enjoys having a wine glass of his own and going around to other peoples glasses and chin-chinning them. I love how little kids pick up on things and think that’s what you are supposed to do with the objects.

Mama Natahlie! I really enjoy this woman. She makes me feel so welcome and at home here. Shes so spunky and social.

The cake with cherries. I wish I could have gotten a picture of it before we cut it but oh well. It was delcious of course.

Presents! She went out and got me a manoush bag! So sweet of her. And Julia the daughter got me a red berret. I need to buy them some flowers.... I will do this soon.

So its begining to snow now thankfully! So I took some pictures of it while I was walking back home;

This is their front door. So I wanted to take pictures of the house but when I think about it and try to it just won't work. Really their house is too big to be able to capture it. I think I will try to make a video like last time. But the day nanny is here during the day. Than the cook comes. They might not like it if I make a video. So we will see. If I get alone time I will do it. But again their house is so big I would need some time to do this.

They let me use this boots lately to go outside. But I will be getting some new shoes soon more suitable for the winter. But they wouldnt let me go outside in my shoes, Marc and Nathalie searched all over the house for some shoes for me. Sooooo nice!

These are just a few of their christmas trees.

So for new years I had a lovely dinner with my friend Victoria and then I met Alexis at the pub till he got off work and played a long game of pool as Victoria and I suck and are slow. But it was fun. Than we went to Helens aparment for a quiet night of music and conversation.

Ok I did it. But I will be making another blog later this week to go over other things I would like to blog about. Its 2 am and I have to wake up at 7 to go to my first day of class.

Oh and I will put their new address here soon.
Annie

2008-12-19T15:08:00.000-08:00

Yes I have been avoiding my blog. I will admit it. But its very stressfull the past few days and so sitting down and reflecting on what has been going on is the last thing I want to do, why? Because I have been dealing with the french administration - there is no way to describe what they have put me through except for the small seed inside the nut inside the nutshell inside a box inside a bigger box.. etc word STRESSFULL/COMPLICATED. Does that make sence? But those words dont even describe it.
I dont want to talk about it anyway. I will write a book some day or maybe after its all done with I can reflect on it and tell you if its a happy ending or a shitty one.
But lets see. The past few days when I wasnt dealing with my paper work to stay in this country I was mostly with my Alexis or with the children. Camille discovered the joy with me of popping black heads and zits! I was in the mirroring destroying my face and she asked what I was doing so I let her climb up on my back and watch the fascination and sheer excitment of finding these little land mines! She, than, exclaimed how badly she wants some.
Charlotte has cried to me the past two nights when I have put her to bed that she doesn't want me to leave which breaks my heart in tiny pieces every time.
Honestly I do love them very much. Thibault's tiny voice and ever since I pretended to cook him the other week every time I see him he asks me to cook him, "tu peux me cuissiner"? something like that. Ines the happiest baby in the world. When Charlotte and Camille get in violent fights (which is once every hour pretty much) I have to make up stories of Pirtates that I meet on Le Siene and play card games with and win gold but loose it all. It works really well while we would walk home from school rather than them screaming and me getting dirty looks from old women when the kids run into them. But excuse me granny there are three of them and I can't catch them all!
Sarah and Jean Phillippe really bug me and I just avoid them really. Well its easy with JP because hes never here but when he is its really akward... but it was always akward anyway.
So I move my stuff out tomorrow and into the new place on monday. Alexis is allowing me his place to store my crap till then. But he and I are looking forward to a relaxing weekend after this week of us running around in circles and him basically doing all the work for me. Really, I would not have gotten this far without him. I say "merci" every 5 seconds to him while staring deeply into his eyes.
Monday is my first day with the new family. THEY ARE BRINGING ME TO THE NUT CRACKER!!!!! IN FRENCH!!!!!!!! wow I was excited when she told me this. Every time I have gone over there I have loved them a million times more.

Thibault

conqueredthe ability to dress himself all by himself!

Alexis makes the best crepes. First he made these one day and he spent an hour just on the batter. I spent like 5 minutes when I made them - I just threw it all in a bowl et voila! So these were crepes because CREPE is specificaly for sweet ones; nutella, sugar, butter, jam... etc. Gallette is for salty ones - more for lunch. He made me the most amazing gallette in like 5 seconds. He put Rocerfert... I totally dont know how to spell it and I'm not even sure if that was the name but it was really stinky and moldy, but it melted real nice and he also put ham cheese and an egg on top. The egg surprised me but apprently its typical for a gallete. It was a few days ago I had this and I still can't get over it.

CRAZY KIWI at nicole's.

So has my spelling always been bad? Ever since I got this I notice I can't spell anything. I blame the computers. Also I blame them for my bad handwriting.
Ok I will post again soon with pictures of the new place.

GROS BISOUS

nutshell?

2008-12-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

So I have been running around everyday getting stuff done for my appointment for my carte sejour. Also being at the house is boring when I could visit my lads and ladies at my pub - my pool skills have improved immensley! Alexis and I went to a Bossanova show last night in Paris. After I got off we drove through the redicoulos trafic and around a billion blocks to find parking and then shivered the 5 blocks in the deathly cold to the venue where the group we wanted to see - Zuco 103 check them out live on youtube.com , when I die I want to be rencarnated into this woman. However they only had 5 more songs left to play. But we were very happy to see those 5 songs. Very much worth it.
My new family is amazing. They are the family I was hoping to have. They are crazy and load and helpful and interesting. I am going to get along with them so much better. The nine year old boy and I are going to be best friends. Only 11 more days till I move in than I go to Croatia WHOOOOOOO.
watch these;
this is called "a crime not perfect at all"

"tourtue an egg"

"a giraff with a necklace"

"sheep organizing a pic nic" - counting sheep when you sleep

ok I am going to a surprise birthday party for Alexis' friend
gros bisous!

ne me quite pas

2008-12-11T06:57:00.001-08:00

I am very sorry that I have not posted anything for a while. Don't worry babies, I have a GOOD explanation. But since I have to go pick up the children right now I just wanted to make a quick post so you know that I haven't forgotton you.
I read my auntie Anne's christmas letter last night and feel I should make one as well. So this will take some time to sit and reflect over these past few months and the entire year that has held so many changes and exciting things.

Love you all

annie

Giggity giggity

2008-12-04T12:09:00.001-08:00

POWER CORD AND BATTERY RECIEVED! New post with pictures coming sooooooooooon.

411

2008-12-03T02:13:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know if there is a technical term for being addicted to the computer? I shall create one... annedicte-elctro-stimuli! Since I am creating this new syndromme my name gets to be in it. So I am having withdrawls. I am sitting at the library having to type tres slow because the key board is different so apologies for odd typos.
Well gosh gee so many changes!
Big change number 1; I am changing families. Two days after I decided this my friend Victoria gave my number to a lady who called me and voila! I work 25 hours a week - starting at 4 ending at 7 monday tuesday thuresday friday, wednesdays and saturdays I start at 2 till 7. So you know what this means? I can sleep in every morning! Except for when I have class... but that is only three days a week.
I thought Sarah and JP had money... OH NO... wait till I post pictures of this house... My bedroom is two times bigger and my bed is three times bigger (yay I will actually fit in it! my bed now is the bed Cammille gets next year...) my bathroom has two full length mirrors that slide and give me TONS of storage space for all of my new clothes. a bathtub/shower as well. I get paid 120 euros a week plus my metro/bus paid for. I get all of the holidays off which are two weeks long every six weeks.
There are 5 children total - BUT WAIT - 3 are around my age so I only have to care for the two youngest who are 3 and 9. MAGNIFICANT! And these people have two other nannys that do all the cooking and cleaning. The mother doesnt speak good english so we have been speaking in french.

So yes VONDERFUL!
There is the other complicated situation of getting my carte sejour which allows me to stay here for a year. One they gave me the appointment for december 24... french bastards.. (pardon my french...) I spent a many stressfull days trying to change the date as this messes with my holiday in Croatia but I can only get a later date which isnt till march or april and I wouldnt be able to leave the country at all because my orignal visa already expired. I was told I could try but it would be taking the chance that at the gate they wouldnt allow me in the country and send me back to the US without my stuff which people here would have to mail to me... but now that I am changing families - which is best to do before I apply for the carte sejour - I have to figure out how to change the Offical Legal document Accord de Placement bla bla bla which was stamped in San Fran and in France before I came to this new families name. This irritating situation has made it very difficult for me to sleep at night and today I have to talk to the lady at my agency as to how to change it but she scares the shit out of me but I have to suck it up and hope she wont kill me with her eyes. she is nicer to the families than the au pairs - i am not the only one that has felt her rath so I know its not just me.
So this is a nutshell of what is going on. Soon I will have my computer back and can load all of my new pictures as I have been taking a lot.
On a bright note I love my life here to say the least. I am filled with so much happiness here and love all of the poeple I have meet. All of this is stressing me out because I dont want to leave this place. As of now if all of this carte sejour works out I will extend my trip till august.. or more. Nicoles friend has a house in Greece which we plan to go to for some time. It has been snowing quiet a bit during the night but I have been keeping warm with G Fathers hat.
Well now I am off to meet la mechant femme and figure all this out. I will post again with the new changes.
gros bisous

a

I feel like a poubelle

2008-11-27T12:31:00.000-08:00

No comptuer again. But they got a comptuer so I have been using theirs at night to check my email. But this is good as I spend my nights eaither seeing my lads and ladies at the Pub or sitting in my room with a good french film - absorbing the language and actually being productive as making letters for family and friends or for my walls. But in the past few days I have contracted a new cold! Hoooray! number two in 3 months. I have been much harder on my body before this and not contracted a cold easily. Is it true that kids are crawling with germs and viruses? I cut back a lot on my cheese and dairy... they buy me soyja! But wow its pretty darn cold here. I have been wearing G-fathers russian fur hat. It goes well with my new french jacket I bought. I showed the hat to my russian friend Nelli and she said its quiet the big deal as its from THE SOVIET UNION. ge golly G-father, how did you get this hat? Mama, auntie anne, josi, kathy did G-father go to Russia during the Soviet Union and retrieve this wonder?
I have gotten many compliments on it!
I had the most lovely day with my friend Evan Miller's mother Shoshana. Pictures will be posted soon...ish. We went on a tour of Montmart and Sacre Cour. They took my poor toush out to lunch and we did some window shopping. I ended my day to have to return to the runts at the Champs Elyssay (sp? i know i should know it but i really dont care) where i had planned to meet with them again today and bring them some grapes but my sickly pauvre self couldnt get out of bed. I felt like I was going to gerbe...
So now I wish I could call my people on thanksgiving but I cannot as the telephones here are not working and my comptuer does not work and JP is gone... lame...
send me pictures of your festivites!
nick and jas i want to see Preston with some food in front of him... i guess he cant eat solid food yet?

I LOVE YOU ALL

2008-11-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

I wish you all could meet this baby. When I have kids I want them to be as happy, sing songy and load laughing as her. I will make a video of her constant ramblings of mimicing noises and running through the house with her music boxes singing along.

2008-11-18T15:28:00.000-08:00

clubs arent my thing i have discovered... its waiting outside with others and than drinks are 15-20 euros for a glass filled with mostly ice and you can't hear anything. most of the music has just been 'umph-chic umph-chic umph-chic". if i could sing with it or something i think it would be more entertaining.
do you know of a good place to go in paris? but most of the poeple i play with just want to go clubing...
and its too cold out so i have tons of garments that i have to keep an eye on once i am there.

life here is now pretty nomral... i'v met parisians and my days are filled with playing with others and the children.
computer cord will be bought soon.
nice friend sammy lent me his cord for the night. and then the chinese sell cheep stuff in paris - sammy is handy to have. its good find poeple in the area.
when i take pictures of my excursions i will load them on here.
but its late and i spent hours just playing on the computer doing nothing (well watching Whose Line is it anyway was a lot of muffled laughs)

i spent 60 euros on some lovely shower oil, face loiton, face wash... wow expensive body stuff sure does make my skin happy!
when you move to the other side of the world your skin gets mad at you as many of my friends and i have discovered. so now i treat it nicely.

ok here i go. goodnight.

annie

2008-11-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

NAZI AND ANNI GO TO CLUB CUB
P¨QRIS

Oh My Garden!

2008-11-15T06:26:00.001-08:00

Hello Chibbies;
well the computer cord issue is slowly but surly being solved... bright note Nicoles computer cord can charge my computer so I will have random but short amounts of time on the computer. I cannot stay on too long eaither so as to conserve battery.
But oh life here is lovely and gets lovlier everyday! I will write a longer post when I have more time.

Annie

CRISES

2008-11-08T01:48:00.000-08:00

no computer for an unknown amount of time! battery cord burnt out.... lameass european outlets...

Caitlin said it nicely;

2008-11-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

OBAMARAMA TWO-THOUSAND-GREAT!

Brussels (sprouts?)

2008-11-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Do Not Worry. I am still alive.
So after a wendesday, thuresday and friday of having no children and the house to myself I made the trip to Brussels finally. This was a relief, as much as I was excited to have the house to myself the workers were there during the day - irritating and the nanny but we bonded! But the nights were really scary as the workers left once it got dark so I was by my lonesome in a big house with big windows and the rabbit makes a ton of random scary noises. Also I got addicted to another TV series called Dexter about a crime scene investigator who is also a serial killer so that didn't help to watch while being alone in a big house with a lot of windows...
So Brussels through photos;

So did you know that Tin Tin actually started in Brussels? Neigther did I... its decieving because Tin Tin is in French but Belgium is actually a Bilingual/Trilingual country. They speek Dutch, French some parts close to Germany speek German and than everyone seemed to know english. So lucky... I wish I new 3 - 4 languages. So this picture above was taken in the train station upon my arrival. Now I didn't have a phone at the time (I just bought one yesterday!) because my last phone that the family gave me jumped out of my pocket... stupid phone. So Annelies and I had to go old fashioned and hope we would find each other. I should have just stayed in one place but I didnt... and ran around the station looking for her and failed. So I literally asked 10 people where and how I could use a pay phone but I had to buy a card. After an hour I managed to call her with the most help from two security guards who I batted my eyes with.

Food. Yes. Gastronomy of Brussels; waffles, choclate and beer. But this was a delicious first meal. The beer was good but I am sorry to say it doesnt even come close to the find brews of Portland.. I have yet to be impressed in Europe but I will not give up. I tried many kinds and had a favorite but can't remember the name.. should have written it down... but here I ate a sausage with potatos and carrotts.

Annelies got this... I sort of wished I had gotten it but it would be so easy to make and I had a bite of hers. Its a bread with brie, pears and honey and salt drizzled over the top. Jules I thought of you with I took a bite. I think I should start a cafe of my own when I get back to Portland.

Here is the Grand Place. Stunning. Yes the weather was not at its best.. the greyness doesnt help with the photos. But these buildings were stunning. I would love to live in them.... or just stay the night... play hide and go seek! Annelies explained the buildings to me but sadly I have forgotten what she said.. aint that the truth... wikipeadia it.

The things you see that look like phone poles are actually lights that I find to be not a tastefull idea. But Antoinne (Nicoles boyfriend) said that the artist is a profession decorative light-er? He lights measuems and all sorts of things... Antoinne's brother knows that guy. So I know Antoinne - 6 degrees of seperation? I think he could have done something better than phone pole lights that would work with the awsomeness of these buildings and didnt obscurr my pictures.

Anyhoo. Annelies is "tres popular" to say the least... she knows a lot of things going on in Brussels - a lot of art exhibits as she is an artist and does graphic design and teaches graphic design. So we went to an exhibit of Budist and aisan art. There was a lot of reading and she said it wasnt the most revihting exhibit but I had fun. There was this ENOURMOUS budda stattue that we started at for a while pondering how they got the baby in there.. but a closer inspection proved that they had to break it into pieces and put it back together again. This is didn't imagine because how can you break a buddah into pieces? But it was true....

If you read the thing above.. if you can see it... this lady makes bowls but connects with them spiritually when she makes each bowl... I liked how they displayed them.

So I made a best friend at a cafe we went to that night. I told him about Mia and he said they would probably get along. I agreed. He had a lot of engery and wanted to play a lot. But I told him that Mia is a beast so she could take him and he got scared. But he sat on my lap in the cafe and I petted him. I miss my kitten....

HOLY MOTHER this wrap was AMAZING. we went to a market on sunday morn and this was 3 euros of extreme goodness. I think it was turkish or something... olives, creamy fetter, peppers... a lot of things i didnt know the name of.. but then they drizzled honey into it.

Cool art work on the walls of an ally way.

"Tomorrow I stop"

Good view!
It was here that I than tried the waffle. There are carts all over the place that sell them for like one euro. The Belgium waffle is what the crepe is for the french; plentiful and delicious. There is surgar on the inside. sooooooooooo goooooooooood.

Annelies and I were pretty pooped sunday night so we rented a movie and had little finger food and some amazing champagne I brought for dinner. It was lovely. She has a stunny and ideal apartment.

I didn't believe this was a rabbit at first. This was when I was leaving on monday that I peered into the window of this shop. Huge rabbit with a lot of fuzzy furr.

So my friends Antoinne and Nicole and Nicoles friend from Germany who is staying with them for the week picked me up and saved me the 40 euros back on the train. It was a lovey ride. I love these people. Before we left we had a quick beer and hit the road. I got home just in time that the kids were going to bed but I got a wonderful welcoming from the children that made me swell up inside. They wanted me to read to them and I put Charlotte and Thibault to bed.
It was a perfectly timed holiday. I got to get away from them long enough to be happy to come home and it felt good that they missed me or were happy to see me arrive.
Next trip will be for christmas to Croatia. I am very excited for this.

Hey my birthday is coming!
21 OH YEA! But its not as exciting here but I will make a big deal. I will probably go to the Irish Pub and have my friends sing happy birthday to me.. that way I will probably get a free drink?

LOVE

Dimanche

2008-10-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

Yes we tried to get a picture of both of us.... but you know how it goes but you like how you look in the photo so you use it anyway...

Nicole and Antoinne in the front. I have the lazy eyes. Next to me Charlie, Alexandre, Fanny, and Eloise.

of course the photo doesn' show it but they were STILL ALIVE... so sad...
SO COOL

The second from the left you could see his/her? teeth
Squrew you braggerspot. Its made my photos out of order. I DEAMAND CONTROL. Oh well. wonderful wonderful wonderful day. I think its my favorite day since I have been here. I got to speak beaucoup francaise. We had a traditonal french sunday lunch. I met my favorite person Nicole at the market of my town - the market is amazing, so much to see and smell and taste. I bought 2 kilos of grapes. Have I mentioned the grapes? In the stories of the Greek Gods they eat ambrosia;

am⋅bro⋅sia

[am-broh-zhuh]
–noun

1.	Classical Mythology. the food of the gods. Compare nectar (def. 3).

2.	something especially delicious to taste or smell.

yes also the amazing 24 hour fruit salad my mother makes for thanksgiving. But anyway. I would put the grapes in the category of ambrosia. Honey is also in this catagory. But you hear of grapes in the bible and many stories of giving gifts of grapes and the reason why is because they ate grapes from Europe. I am sorry friends of the US who go to the store to buy grapes from California and what not - you are missing out. But I will devise a place to come back with this decatence when I return - they will travel with my on my carry on. I imagine myself with my pink old school suit case crammed with wine, champagne, grapes and bagguettes upon my return.
But yes anyway the 2 kilos of grapes was my contribution to the feast we had this afternoon. We met at the market to buy micsilanous items.
For this brunch/lunch meal it was Nicole, her boyfriend Antoinne, their friends Fanny her husband Charlie, Eloise her 8 month old son Maximise and husband Alexandre et moi.
For the apero we nibbled on grapes, salami, pate and olives with a delicous white wine. Then 'fruit de le mer' - fruit of the ocean - which is the broad term for seafood. We had a sort of musscle that tastes like the ocean - yes I can say this but its the expierence that makes you really understand. It really tastes like the ocean - salty.. but not too salty... but cold. Another sort of clam and shrimp but with all its skin on so you have to peel the thin shell off and dramatically pull off the head to reveal mush that I assumed was the brains...?
After, fried leeks with creme fresh and another musscle that comes from the shell that mermaids where as bras? And with another delicous red wine from france where an ancient group of poeple have been working on the vinyard where the Grandfather's name is Jules and his son is named Jules and his son is named Jules (you get the point. this is the example Antoinne told me). Yes they hand pick the grapes. Oh this is quiet the task as with most wines a machine does the work and in the making of the wine has branches and leaves mixed in. But obviously with handpicked grapes the wine is... oh you can only imagine...
THAN (oh yes there is more). The platterof cheese, 5 different kinds; bri, camabert, chevre... something simular to swiss and a blue cheese. This is with the grapes and baggutte. Watch Rattotouii (spelling? je ne sais pas).
PAUSE. Last night I went to Nicole and Antoinnes for dinner and helped the assemble their new Ikea table for this event today. I brought a wine that I found with the help of Jean-Phillpe (the father) and Antoinne was impressed and broke out the fromage for today to show me how the mixture of cheese with this specfic white wine makes... oh.... makes something amazing in your mouth.... from last night I truly understood so much about wine and cheese. I am sorry I forgot the name of the wine but I will find out... but it would be hard to get in the US...
PLAY. ok so watch Rattouii oui? Why? Because when the main character, the rat, tries to get his brother to understand (caitlin you know this) the amazingness of mixing cheese with I think a grape, it depicts the feeling pretty well for being disney... or pixar or whatever it is.
Than after the cheese, Charlie and Fanny's photos of their honeymoon on the Orient Express (oooooh's and awwws) some of us had cocktails (moi? grapfruit and a little bit of vodca) with chocolate cake and then Antoinne gave Nicole and I coconut and lemon sorbet with vodca.... (ooohs and awwws).
Ok yes you may think 'wow annie.. uh... you drank a lot' but with all this food you are just satisfied... because you are eating and drinking together. You maintain this... well in the sweidish call it Lagom and there is no word for this in any other language (I tried to find it but its ture, you can explain lagom but you can't put a word for it in any language). It means exactly not too much and not too little but perfect... perportional. I had my swedish friends explain it to me and its makes scence then. But yes, I was lagom.
After this we had another white wine and finshed the photos while enjoying some chocolate. Everyone left and I helped Nicole and Antoinne clean. Nicole and I went to the pub for a half pint of beer and took a stroll through the streets and then we parted our ways.
Nicole and I get along very well. I want her and Antoinne to come to Portland and after all the braggin I have done of the amazingness of Portland they are tempted to come, so they probably will. They are such a perfect couple. When I first hung out with both of them I felt like Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City when she vists her favorite couple for lunch (you know this if you are a fan). They are so good for each other. Antoinne is so charming and poilite and funny and easy. Nicole is from Germany and so giving and easy to talk with and LAGOM.
mmm... so yes I hope this entry has displayed at least some of the essence of the goodness the was today. It is late and I must care for babies all day tomorrow. I have a stupid cold that will not go away -maybe because I eat cheese? But put it in front of me and expect me to really say no?
Wednesday Nicole and Antoinne come over for dinner that I get to prepare myself this time. We are very excited!

Oh gosh so much love to all of you.

Annie

Justice

2008-10-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

My friend Victoria found out at 9 pm friday night that Justice was playing in Paris at Queen on the Champs Elysse. Got ready in 5 minutes to make it before the lines and waited forever for them to come on. How was it you ask? AMAZING.

Here they are playing my favorite song.

We got home at 5:30 am. Lovely night.

I love Charlie Chaplin

2008-10-23T04:11:00.000-07:00

If you havn't seen this movie you better go out and rent it now. Charlie Chaplin The Great Dictator. Its a sataire on Hitler and WWII. Things you should know: He made the movie before the world was over so therefore he didn't know how it would end. It sounds like he is speeking german but actually he isnt, he is just saying things that sounded german to him, which makes it hilarious. My friend Nicole who is german let me borrow it.

My Gnomes have never been attacked like this before...

2008-10-22T00:58:00.000-07:00

I just read an article on my BBC homepage about an all boys private school in Austrailia where 100 out of 250 of the boys ran throughout the town in only their tye as a g-string making a rucus. Apparently they were blind drunk. But my favorite part is this ladies comment;

It was disgusting, these young lads were urinating in my fish pond,and kicking over my gnomes. I have never seen anything like it, I have lived here for 28 years, and my gnomes have never been attacked like this before.
Sheila Outrigger, Melbourne

Jeese... kids these days are now attacking the gnomes...

BRIGHT NOTE! The family is going to London next week. WHOOOOOOOO I just have to watch the kids all day monday and tuesday than I have the hosue till friday and than I go to Brussles to see Annelies till monday. OH LOVELYNESS.
Dinner party in the works? I think so. Hay Caitlin, maybe you should start up that bake sale and come join? oui.

a.

French Add Promoting Condoms

2008-10-21T12:08:00.001-07:00

This is an excellent depiction of the children here - and yes my friends boyfriend said "french children are bad"

RIP Pearlita...

2008-10-21T04:23:00.000-07:00

I got word the other night that little Pearlita died... in case you don't know I had two little rats. Ratika (I'm sorry Pearl) was amazing. She is still alive and well. I got her because I was having a bad day at college and so Nelson brought me to buy a friend, Voilia - Ratika. We later got Pearl to keep her company. Pearl was very cute and did many interesting tricks. She was like a monkey. They weren't getting enough attention after I had my child Mia (little runty runt kitten) so they moved homes down the street to Gracie, Jonah and Elle who play with them a lot and love them very much. But Rats life span isn't not a lot and I guess it was Pearls time. I love you Pearl, Bon Voyage!

Tu ma fais peur!

2008-10-20T14:16:00.001-07:00

I love my professur! Etienne. After class while we are drinking our tea/coffee... hot coco we reflect on the awsomeness that is Etienne. The paitence. The cool movies he brings in. The paitence. He speaks english, spanish, germen, french and who knows what else. We just know that because there are english, germen and spanish ladies in the class and of course its all in french.
I love my class! So what is this strange picture above? Look closer. Etienne passes around photos that we break into groups to describe... it wasnt for my group but my friend Laura and Nicole and Pauline had it and showed it to me. Took me a while to see it. WOAH i know. He also brings in short french films. Those cute little artistic films that just make a point. My favorite is this old man that goes to the market and fills his bike basket with the tomatoes and fruit the vendors have thrown out that are rotting in the street. He then goes to a bridge that is over the Siene and beings to wave at the tourist on the boat. As they get closer he flips them off and begins to throw the rotting mess at them. Its hilarious. And hes laughing while he does this. Then he turns around and becomes bombarded by some asian touristest taking photos of him and he runs off with his bike to get away. Random. Hilarious.
So I lost my cell phone during the pub crawl. It fell out of my pocket in the bathroom of one of the bars as well as my money - why do the french have to make the smallest bathrooms with doors that open into the stall? So while I have to hold my coat and pull my pants down and money goes pouring and I was keeping more attention on my camera I walked out discombobled. So next day it is gone. I told Sarah tonight because I needed an alarm to wake me up and it wasnt a big deal at all I guess. But I have to wait till next month to buy a new phone for myself... lame.
Oh if you send me mail make sure to put their name FAVRE on it. Like "Amazing Annie/ C.O. Favre" or something like that. But by the name. As I discovered with fedex they couldnt get me my lovely package from my mother and father because it had annie temple on it. If you already sent something dont worry I will eventualy get it. The fedex thing is hilarious actually because they couldnt find the house for 4 days but they sent a letter in the mail to tell me that they couldnt find the house - so the letter got to me the 2nd day they tried but they couldnt get me the box? Bravo.
Anyhoo. thanks for reading my ranting. this started as a tribute to Etienne and my lovely class and turned into a short story.
mmmmm
love.

a.

Faire des Copains...

2008-10-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

Pub. Crawl.
Yes. 12 euros and you follow a group around Paris getting discounts on the drinks. Now my imagination before heading out to meet Sophie and Maddie was a cute little group of ten people - with their backpacks on and bursting with interseting stories of their jounries. I would bond with a few of them and we would devise a plan for me to escape these screaming demons I labor over and head out to Greece... Rome... Turkey... Austrailia. Of course these poeple are rich so they foot the bill for me!
No Annie... oh no... your imigaintion always gets the best of you...
After a lovely dinner with Sophie we met with her roomate and life partner Maddie! We got our rist bands and walked towards the first pub... it was crowded with many young adults... all who sounded american... or canadian... To give you another idea Sophie said "We will probably get invited to join a sorority by the end of the night". Oh well. Gung oh I say! Onward. Sophie Maddie and I decide we can be anyone we want to for the night! So I am January in Paris disocovering my Croatian families roots. Maddie is Ona (rymes with Luna) discovering her Irish roots. And Sophie is Yulie (rymes with julie?) ... discovering... what were you Sophie?
Anyway we walked with our MASSIVE group through the streets of Paris and make friends with some guys... I caught one name.. Taylor... the others were doned nik names - such as Football. He looked like he played football. And then throughout the night I would just call them Piere, Francois or Phillippe. They actually beieved our names!

I will not go into details how the night ended except that I made it saftly with the help of Football, Una, Yulie and Piere to Yulie's bed and awoke refreshed! I did talk to the tour guides and they said that I could get in touch with the tour people and take poeple on tours of Paris and do the pub crawl! OOOohhh awww.... no I would rather not transfer from 4 screaming children to 20+ drunken young adults. nightmare. But always keep options around oui?
So I went home early to make it to the market in Saint Germaine. Oh I love the market. I bought a cozy sweater! Than my sick body got very upset with me (I have been fighting a cold..) So I resigned to my bed for a lovely nap! Ate dinner. And now am trying to do my french homework but oh dam you blogspot!

Oh look I forgot about adding this photo from a few weeks ago...

Oh look I made a trip to the Looooouvre and what sights did I see!

Anyhoo. Je parle francais a demain! Je vais a la ecole avec mes amis! Oui, et apres nous boissission le cafe.... mangons les crepes peut etre? OUI.

lovelovelovelove
a.

Gee Guys what do you think..?

2008-10-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tatoos are addicting. We can all agree on this... but look at this new idea of mine; small though. and it continues with all the circles i have; where should it go? i will not be getting it anytime soon don't worry mom - and i will tell you way in advance this time before getting it. if this little man is unknown to you i suggest looking up his meaning on WikiPeada under "Leonoardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man" its mostly the meaning that caught me. maybe a little cheesy i dont know... but still its awsome. too bad the best tatoo artist isnt here to mark me up... no he resides in the best city....

Allons enfants de la Patrie

2008-10-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

Uh the BBC website is my new best friend. Above, from photos of the week. RINOS.
Oh and thanks changing weather climate, now freaky spiders - false black widow and soon the REAL one have made a home in England... Oh and a 106 American nun who lives in some nunnery in europe is voting for Obama - Take that Mc-lame ass- Cain.
Don't worry mother I am keeping up on the election! America you really suck, in case you didnt know. You don't see it from the outside (literally) - from here it looks like giant highschool clique drama - did you see the Paris Hilton video? go to funnyordie.com but first see the add Mc-dum made against Obama on youtube about how he is the BIGGEST celebrity - than watch Paris.

Sorry to say I did not attend the Ethical Fashion Show so nothing to say about that. My stomache is really messed up to say the least. It's gotten better though. I hear that the milk here is not good... my friend Nicole and I were talking to this girl in our class who said that it has made her skin break out horribaly and Nicole said that she had been having stomache issues and made skin as well. So. GREAT. Just as I convince my body that I do not have an allergy to dairy the milk here is lame... oh well it doesn't stop me anyway. My skin is beautiful! HOORAY.
I go to Versaille again tomorrow to try AGAIN to get my long term stay card. This little ditty will allow me to live in France for a year. If this family start to physically abuse me I can run away to the South of france! Spain... Germany... Any place in Europe.
Not many thrilling things to write home about sorry.
But this afternoon was cute. Charlotte is my favorite child. I know thats a bad thing to say. But its really true. I love this girl. She is so cute all the time and the things that come out of her mouth crack me up. I got my box from my mother and father today and she included the Emergen C packets. You know this right? Vit-a-min C powder. Well I thought the kids would like it. So Charlotte and I took a walk to the library and I gave her one. She loved it. She kept telling me "i love this". I told her that my mom sent it to me to share with her,
"Oh, when you go back to your house tell her I say thank you"
But she says it so dam cutely. Watch the video of her reading. It was during this walk that I discovered I love her the most. It doesnt help that Camille hits me every night.. she looses a lot of points... shes really lame. She really just makes everything difficult.
If I have a boy I want him to be just like Thibault.
Ines puked a lot - Sara was trying to get her to eat a lot tonight so she wouldnt wake up in the middle of the night to be hungry. But she probably will now!

On the way back from the library with Charalotte she taught me two french songs and we sang them very load walking back to the house. tres tres tres bonne!
Ok its 1:30.
Thanks for reading about nothing really
WHOOOO.
I will have more to say next time I promise.

adventures to come

2008-10-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

I will be attending the Ethical Fashion Show this weekend. I met this guy... I think his hame is Yves Saint something... he said he liked my shoes and that I would totally love this show. Plus this group is playing called Balkan Beat Box and they are pretty sweet. (that is an understatment... if you can find the song called "Delancey (Stefano Miele Remix)" you get ancy in your pansty). So I guess this means I have to dress up. Than after Le Quartre Latin - ooos and awwws yes. Its my new favorite place in paris. Its for youngsters as myself - its where bohemia started.

bligga blagga

2008-10-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

my walls are dull and blank. Send collages and letters to;
Annie/Favre
9 Boulevard Victor Huo
78100 St Germain en Laye
France

I promise I will send a return thank you letter!

menahma

2008-10-01T09:44:00.001-07:00

ecole

2008-09-29T02:42:00.000-07:00

Ah oui mon premier jour de ecole!
bon bon bon
mon professor est un petit homme et tres amusant.
From this moment forward I vow to speek only french. Oui.
I will let you know how that goes...

I got two new pairs of shoes and wearing them in is difficult. I don't like the look of new shoes... its like when you just get a hair cut... they just look odd...
SO when I walk around and think no one is looking I kick and scruff my feet.
I feel very french in them because everyone wears boots with tights.
boots tights and shorts with a baggy button up t-shirt.
tres typical.

Why is traveling so freaking expensive? Squrew you eurostar.

pictures; pic nic with too much food avec Josephine.
Thibault - When I stare at him and when he talks it is obvious that he is going to be a heart throb when he is older.
And the lovely view from Josephines window.
tres tres tres bon.

Blog Happy

2008-09-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

So walking along my inncocent way through town I was talking to my friend Josephine on the phone and WOOOOOOSH, a gust of perverted french wind blew my skirt up and gave passers by quiet the show.
And I made a home made pizza. yuuuum. Charlotte liked it a lot and even though Camille said she didnt... has four slices... but we figured out it was the crust she didnt like.

The Belgians sure do know how to make delcious beer. However not as good as Portland.

My next destination - JAPAN - why?

2008-09-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

Little Artist

2008-09-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Sweet Camille drew a picture of me riding a unicorn!

G.A.M.F.

2008-09-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

SUCCESS. internet has arrived and I have been getting my fill from these past few hours. Which means I have been doing nothing really. But Ole Papa bear and I had a lovely chat on skype and we will be continueing this chat in a few hours time.
So now I have no excuse for not staying in touch with anyone. And I will be able to update my blog whenever I want.
So, I will give you an overview of my daily life in France/Saint Germain en Laye.
I wake up at 7:00 am on average and set the table for breakfast by 7:30. This consists of cereal for the children and Croc Meusli for me. OH its good. Valerie (the nanny) brought a glass jar of fresh squeezed cow milk the other day. It had a nutty flavor - I felt healthy drinking it... maybe because my homo erectus sensor was telling me it was high in fat?
I will have some coffee or tea.. depending on the state of my throat... dairy has become a vice for me...
The children go off to school and my day begins. I sometimes fall back asleep but mostly I work on my photo album which is itchingly close to being done. I have a lot of writing to do but I have made a lot of head way.
The days have been getting more interesting as I go into Paris to meet a Swedish freind or two - Josephine or Joanna or both.
Ah the metro ride. There is actually the metro and the RER - and I take the RER but its basically the same thing. I walk through my ally way and through the town to the station where a train is always waiting as its the last stop on the line. And there is always plenty of seats.

There really isn't a homeless population here. There is the occaisional Roma that asks for money I am assuming but I dont know french. And they don't approach you. On the metro they get between the cars and announce something - their story and why they need money. Or I have seen a few different people put nicely typed cards on the seats or windows and then come back around and pick them up. This took me a few times to figure out what they were doing but I guess its a polite way to ask for money while describing their story. Why they aren't taking this time to get a job beats me but maybe it explains it all on the card?
And walking through the metro underground there are plenty of poeple playing music. A lot of accordian players! I want to give them money to go to Portland - they would make BANK.
It's no lie, the baguette is truley a masterpiece of not only taste but sound. The crunch of breaking a peiece off acts as the bell of Pavlovs dog - my mouth begins to salavate. They range from 1.10 euros to .80 cents. So along my walks home or to town I can just pop into a shop
"Une Baguette si-vous-plait"?
"Oui"
"Merci"
"Bonne Journe"
"Bonne Journe"
You can see plenty of men and women walking down the street, baguette cluched closely to their person with little sections nibbled off.
It is very clean here but not in an annoying sterile way. Just nicely maintained.
Everyone is atractive it seems. Even the children are so nicely dressed.
Picking the kids up is very fun. I return home from my day by 4 and put together their "De gutay" that is not how you spell it but its the best way to spell it for proper pronounciation.
This is their snack that they get right after school as it has been four hours since lunch and they are hungry. This is usually a section of baguette with nutella or honey. or some cakes as they say but they are sweet crakcers. or cookies. and then a banana or sliced apples.
I used to hate picking the kids up but now I am used to it and it goes along very well and we get home safely.
Thibault has a deep fascination with cars so it takes some time to ge home because he just stops and stares at cars driving or a motorcycle. its very cute.
So I need to take more pictures of my daily adventures and post them here.
But looky here! A video I made oof the house. The lighting was bad so I look odd i think in this but whatever.
enjoy.

Appropriate French Comics

2008-09-25T04:56:00.001-07:00

Toothpaste for dinner, Natalie D and Married to the Sea.
Check them out.

Charlotte Reads!

2008-09-25T00:49:00.001-07:00