I know what you're probably thinking, "Paris to Paris?" so I have to explain. The Courdours' fish is named Paris Hilton and it was equally sad saying good-bye to the fish today as it was to say good-bye to the whole wonderful family.
I'm sitting in my new house in Paris feeling homesick - but for Valence, not Amherst.
Yesterday afternoon after school Audrey and I headed to Julien's to prepare crepes for the crepe fete we had last night. We ate, danced, sang, played wah, played cache-cache, and thoroughly enjoyed our last night together. There were about 14 people there total.
This morning, saying good-bye to Sylvie, I wasn't superbly sad but people were crying at school and we had a meeting in the morning while the Frenchies were in class and then at 10, when they came out of class, the flood gates opened. I was doing alright until Audrey came downstairs and as soon as I hugged her everything just let loose. I couldn't stop crying. It was just like last year, except I wasn't able to say, " we'll see each other next year!" We'll just have to hope for sometime in the future.
It was very painful saying good-bye. I feel like they're my second family. I was thoroughly comfortable in the house and in my room and it's a big change here in Paris, sleeping on a pullout couch and living out of my suitcase.
So anyways, hopped on the TGV to Paris - it was a little nerveracking however because the train stops for only four minutes and we needed to pile 20 Americans with large suitcases on as well as all of the other passengers. We sat on the upstairs level and within minutes of departing the station, the train was cruising North at speeds infinitely faster than the Amtrak has every gone or ever hopes to go.
I really can't write much because they only have one computer and I don't want to use it for too long, but I'll try to write some short posts about our sight-seeing. Unfortunately I think we have reached the end of my witty posts though.
Desolée.
A demain,
SRL
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Photo Count - PLEASE RESPOND
Many of you know that I am a slightly excessive photo-taker. Therefore, I am inviting you to guess (for a prize, of course) how many pictures I have taken so far ( the number may surprise you ) and also how many pictures you think I will have taken by the time I return to Massachusetts.
Please respond with your guesses as comments or on facebook or through email - your choice, but I'd love to hear!!
And the correct guesser may just receive some delicious Valence-made candy!!
Sash
Please respond with your guesses as comments or on facebook or through email - your choice, but I'd love to hear!!
And the correct guesser may just receive some delicious Valence-made candy!!
Sash
Notre Weekend Final en Valence
Friday - We headed 1.5 hours south to Avignon, passing on the way close to 30 windmills and one very large nuclear power plant. But, you know the French, and their love for effectively using their energy, SO... across the street from the nuclear plant is the French Magic Wings, but instead of butterflies there are crocodiles. They take the hot water from the nuclear plant and use it to heat the crocodile farm.
But on to Avignon. We visited the famous Pont, sang the song, and headed up to the Palais des Papes, left over from the Great Schism and those few years in history when there were two Popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon. We had two hours to roam. I ate the picnic lunch Sylvie had packed for me which consisted of a very delicious pasta salad with carmelized onions and zucchini, AND - very interesting - a fruit salad type thing with pamplemousse (grapefruit) and avocado. HMM. It was actually quite good together. (One highly interesting point is that in the morning, before I left, Sylvie asked me if I'd like to put mayonnaise on the grapefruit and avocado, I looked at her as though she were slightly insane, politely declined, and then proceeded to stare inredulously at Audrey as she liberally squeezed mayo on her pamplemousse and avocat.
So yes, Audrey did journey with us to Avignon, as did Carey's Sybille, Becca's Anne-Sophie, Eliza's Margaux, Luke's Julien, David's Alexandre, Lauren's Tatiana, and I think that was it....
During our two free hours in Avignon, I hung out with Olivia and Andrea. They stopped and got Nutella crepes and then several storefronts down the road, happened to see Nutella ice cream and decided they needed that as well. I was handed two untouched, steaming Nutella crepes while they split the Nutella ice cream. It was all I could do to not eat the crepes.
From Avignon, we headed north to Orange to see the Roman amphitheatre. It was old, interesting, and huge. We then headed home to Valence, where we got changed and then went back to school for the potluck.
"Potluck" is a new word for the French exchange families who participate each year, and as Pierre loves making jokes out of everything - and consequently he never resists when he can figure out an English joke to make - he made up a very funny potluck joke in the car on the way to school.
So in French pote means "pal" or "buddy" so Pierre told us that "potlucks" are for when vos copains ont besoin de la chance or when your friends are in need of luck.
The potluck was lovely, many of the students from last year were there, and they showed a (very long) video of last year's exchange.
Saturday - School in the morning, so we Americans went on a walking tour of old Valence, and in the afternoon Audrey, Tony, Luke, Julien, Caleigh, Claire-Lyse, Eliza, Margaux, and I headed to Lyon on the train. It was very Harry Potter-esque, complete with little compartments and little tables and VERY high speeds!
Lyon was lovely, and we had a small party last night at Margaux's house.
That's all for now, Pierre, Sylvie, and Nico are in the kitchen singing along to very loud very bad American music. From here in the computer room I can hear them yelling/singing along to Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl"
Only 2.5 days left in Valence - not happy.
But on to Avignon. We visited the famous Pont, sang the song, and headed up to the Palais des Papes, left over from the Great Schism and those few years in history when there were two Popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon. We had two hours to roam. I ate the picnic lunch Sylvie had packed for me which consisted of a very delicious pasta salad with carmelized onions and zucchini, AND - very interesting - a fruit salad type thing with pamplemousse (grapefruit) and avocado. HMM. It was actually quite good together. (One highly interesting point is that in the morning, before I left, Sylvie asked me if I'd like to put mayonnaise on the grapefruit and avocado, I looked at her as though she were slightly insane, politely declined, and then proceeded to stare inredulously at Audrey as she liberally squeezed mayo on her pamplemousse and avocat.
So yes, Audrey did journey with us to Avignon, as did Carey's Sybille, Becca's Anne-Sophie, Eliza's Margaux, Luke's Julien, David's Alexandre, Lauren's Tatiana, and I think that was it....
During our two free hours in Avignon, I hung out with Olivia and Andrea. They stopped and got Nutella crepes and then several storefronts down the road, happened to see Nutella ice cream and decided they needed that as well. I was handed two untouched, steaming Nutella crepes while they split the Nutella ice cream. It was all I could do to not eat the crepes.
From Avignon, we headed north to Orange to see the Roman amphitheatre. It was old, interesting, and huge. We then headed home to Valence, where we got changed and then went back to school for the potluck.
"Potluck" is a new word for the French exchange families who participate each year, and as Pierre loves making jokes out of everything - and consequently he never resists when he can figure out an English joke to make - he made up a very funny potluck joke in the car on the way to school.
So in French pote means "pal" or "buddy" so Pierre told us that "potlucks" are for when vos copains ont besoin de la chance or when your friends are in need of luck.
The potluck was lovely, many of the students from last year were there, and they showed a (very long) video of last year's exchange.
Saturday - School in the morning, so we Americans went on a walking tour of old Valence, and in the afternoon Audrey, Tony, Luke, Julien, Caleigh, Claire-Lyse, Eliza, Margaux, and I headed to Lyon on the train. It was very Harry Potter-esque, complete with little compartments and little tables and VERY high speeds!
Lyon was lovely, and we had a small party last night at Margaux's house.
That's all for now, Pierre, Sylvie, and Nico are in the kitchen singing along to very loud very bad American music. From here in the computer room I can hear them yelling/singing along to Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl"
Only 2.5 days left in Valence - not happy.
Volleyball - The French Way
So Thursday night, my host parents had a volleyball match with their team. The match started at 9PM, and because the French generally eat around 8, Pierre and Sylvie usually have a little picnic with their teammates when the match i finished around 11 or 11:30. Audrey, Nico, and I decided to go with them.
Pierre and Sylvie had their gym bags, as one who was going to play sports normally would, but wafting out of Syvlie's gyme bag was the scent of the quiche she had just baked and sticking out of the top of Pierre's were the necks of two bottles of wine. This was volleyball: French style.
One of the men on Pierre and Sylvie's team had a very prominent stomach and Audrey pointed him and told me enceinte or pregnant.
The game was fun, I watched a little and read a little and the party afterwards was entirely entertaining.
We returned home close to midnight and woke up Friday, slightly exhausted but not regretting the volleyball excursion in the least.
Pierre and Sylvie had their gym bags, as one who was going to play sports normally would, but wafting out of Syvlie's gyme bag was the scent of the quiche she had just baked and sticking out of the top of Pierre's were the necks of two bottles of wine. This was volleyball: French style.
One of the men on Pierre and Sylvie's team had a very prominent stomach and Audrey pointed him and told me enceinte or pregnant.
The game was fun, I watched a little and read a little and the party afterwards was entirely entertaining.
We returned home close to midnight and woke up Friday, slightly exhausted but not regretting the volleyball excursion in the least.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Maison Pic
Yesterday I went to my first 3 star restaurant - the most a restaurant can have in the Guide Michelin. The chef is female - the only female chef at a 3 star restaurant in all of France... and I got to shake her hand!!! It was exquisite. Pierre was regaling me with stories of meals he's had there and he told me that to eat a meal there and to order le grand répas it costs upwards of 400 Euros!! TROP CHERE!!!
We also had a chance to visit her new cooking school - Le Scook (combination of School and Cook) and some of the students prepared some food for us which was just amazing. I have TONS of pictures. We had a white mousse, which was mozarella and basil. What!?
Here's the website in case you'd like to do some searching- http://www.pic-valence.fr/index-fr.php
Hope life's good. It was prob above 75 here in Valence today. Lovely, but un peu chaud.
Tomorrow we're heading to Avignon for the day ( yes, I know it makes you want to sing the song...) and then tomorrow night we have the potluck (a horribly difficult word for the French to pronounce) for les étudiants d'échange et leurs familles.
Au revoir.
We also had a chance to visit her new cooking school - Le Scook (combination of School and Cook) and some of the students prepared some food for us which was just amazing. I have TONS of pictures. We had a white mousse, which was mozarella and basil. What!?
Here's the website in case you'd like to do some searching- http://www.pic-valence.fr/index-fr.php
Hope life's good. It was prob above 75 here in Valence today. Lovely, but un peu chaud.
Tomorrow we're heading to Avignon for the day ( yes, I know it makes you want to sing the song...) and then tomorrow night we have the potluck (a horribly difficult word for the French to pronounce) for les étudiants d'échange et leurs familles.
Au revoir.
Observations
Très vite.
The following are several observations/ exciting things we've done.
1) Obama is such a big thing!! Today, I wore my Obama shirt and I was in two different English classes for seconde and they wanted to know all about the reactions to Obama in the US and one student asked me to describe what it was like on election night. Another, when I talked about 20 January and how we all watched the Inauguration in school, she was beyond delighted that 20 January is also her birthday.
2) Thursday is the day the Coudour family goes out to lunch. Because we have 1.5 hours for lunch, they go into town to the restaurant of their friend. The restaurant is quite fancy and we didn't even have menus. At the end of the aboslutely delicious meal, after their friend listed the desserts, she also handed me a menu so I could see ALL of the desserts they have. That was when I saw that an entrée costs 29 Euros!! OY
3) Signals, used around the world for when a car is turning a particular direction, are completey obsolete here. You're never really sure in what direction the approaching car is planning on going, and therefore getting anywhere takes more time because instead of pulling out into the rond-point when the car coming towards you is about to turn, you have no idea whether or not he'll be turning because THEY DON'T USE SIGNALS!!!
The following are several observations/ exciting things we've done.
1) Obama is such a big thing!! Today, I wore my Obama shirt and I was in two different English classes for seconde and they wanted to know all about the reactions to Obama in the US and one student asked me to describe what it was like on election night. Another, when I talked about 20 January and how we all watched the Inauguration in school, she was beyond delighted that 20 January is also her birthday.
2) Thursday is the day the Coudour family goes out to lunch. Because we have 1.5 hours for lunch, they go into town to the restaurant of their friend. The restaurant is quite fancy and we didn't even have menus. At the end of the aboslutely delicious meal, after their friend listed the desserts, she also handed me a menu so I could see ALL of the desserts they have. That was when I saw that an entrée costs 29 Euros!! OY
3) Signals, used around the world for when a car is turning a particular direction, are completey obsolete here. You're never really sure in what direction the approaching car is planning on going, and therefore getting anywhere takes more time because instead of pulling out into the rond-point when the car coming towards you is about to turn, you have no idea whether or not he'll be turning because THEY DON'T USE SIGNALS!!!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
La Nourriture and News
Food is excellent - I'll just highlight a few things.
1) Every meal is at least 3 courses. Salad, main dish, cheese/yogurt course, dessert.
2) Sugar is worshipped here. For example, we eat plain yogurt after dinner, but they all put sugar and nutella in it bc its plain. But if you wanted sugar yogurt wouldn't you just buy it directly?! Also, Sunday night we had crepes and we ate Nutellq on them. For some inexplicable reason, Pierre put sugar on top of the Nutella on top of the crepes. huh.
3) Bread is eaten after the meal either with the cheese or to mop up what's on your plate. Bread is not kept in baggies or in air tight storage, just in this large canvas sac type thing that looks like a laundry basket. Bread is also not put on a plate. For example, I eat toast for breakfast and the thought of giving me a plate for my toast is unheard of - so I eat it off the table. Interesting.
4) Today I had my first pain au chocolat in France. Very good. I paid 95 centiemes for it and Becca documented my consumption of it and called it an orgasmic exerience.
5) Thats all I can think of right now.
NEWS:
In case any of you heard on the news today that there was a very serious bank robbery in Valence this morning, dont worry. We're all safe. Yes, the burglars blew up part of the bank and shot the police car tires and perhaps the police cars, but we French shrugged it off and we're doing just fine now.
Every night, we watch the news at 8 - usually during dinner but quelquefois après le diner ( we eat very late). I understand just about all of the news and I really like watching it. I also understand just about everything people say to me. Today I was speaking to some of Nico's friends at school, and they kept telling me I spoke French very well and that they were very impressed. Audrey loves to brag that no matter how fast she speaks, I can still understand (which is true) and then she starts talking really quickly to prove it and I nod and smile and her friends are impressed.
Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to be with a girl from Audreys class who is Jewish. I think they're very worried that I'm being deprived of Jew-contact, and Sylvie is quite worried. Aussi, this afternoon walking around Valence, I found the synagogue and took some pictures of it.
Speaking of pictures, I took over 600 today!!! We climbed to the top of a 700 or so meter peak where there are Roman/Gaulic ruins. The view was magnificent and it was fun eating our French pique-nique lunches that our host mothers had packed for us. We ate looking out at the whole Rhone River Valley and at the Ver-Cours Mountains and at the Ardeche Mountains (sp?).
Please Google "Crussol" and you will be able to see where we were.
Don't have much more time, but make sure that you CLICK on the pics from yesterday, bc then you can see them big!!!
Tomorrow we're going to Restaurant Pic, the only 4-star restaurant in Valence, and the only one in France with a female chef. Unfortunately we aren't going to be able to eat anything (trop chère), but it's a treat just to look!
A bientot,
Bisous,
Sash
1) Every meal is at least 3 courses. Salad, main dish, cheese/yogurt course, dessert.
2) Sugar is worshipped here. For example, we eat plain yogurt after dinner, but they all put sugar and nutella in it bc its plain. But if you wanted sugar yogurt wouldn't you just buy it directly?! Also, Sunday night we had crepes and we ate Nutellq on them. For some inexplicable reason, Pierre put sugar on top of the Nutella on top of the crepes. huh.
3) Bread is eaten after the meal either with the cheese or to mop up what's on your plate. Bread is not kept in baggies or in air tight storage, just in this large canvas sac type thing that looks like a laundry basket. Bread is also not put on a plate. For example, I eat toast for breakfast and the thought of giving me a plate for my toast is unheard of - so I eat it off the table. Interesting.
4) Today I had my first pain au chocolat in France. Very good. I paid 95 centiemes for it and Becca documented my consumption of it and called it an orgasmic exerience.
5) Thats all I can think of right now.
NEWS:
In case any of you heard on the news today that there was a very serious bank robbery in Valence this morning, dont worry. We're all safe. Yes, the burglars blew up part of the bank and shot the police car tires and perhaps the police cars, but we French shrugged it off and we're doing just fine now.
Every night, we watch the news at 8 - usually during dinner but quelquefois après le diner ( we eat very late). I understand just about all of the news and I really like watching it. I also understand just about everything people say to me. Today I was speaking to some of Nico's friends at school, and they kept telling me I spoke French very well and that they were very impressed. Audrey loves to brag that no matter how fast she speaks, I can still understand (which is true) and then she starts talking really quickly to prove it and I nod and smile and her friends are impressed.
Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to be with a girl from Audreys class who is Jewish. I think they're very worried that I'm being deprived of Jew-contact, and Sylvie is quite worried. Aussi, this afternoon walking around Valence, I found the synagogue and took some pictures of it.
Speaking of pictures, I took over 600 today!!! We climbed to the top of a 700 or so meter peak where there are Roman/Gaulic ruins. The view was magnificent and it was fun eating our French pique-nique lunches that our host mothers had packed for us. We ate looking out at the whole Rhone River Valley and at the Ver-Cours Mountains and at the Ardeche Mountains (sp?).
Please Google "Crussol" and you will be able to see where we were.
Don't have much more time, but make sure that you CLICK on the pics from yesterday, bc then you can see them big!!!
Tomorrow we're going to Restaurant Pic, the only 4-star restaurant in Valence, and the only one in France with a female chef. Unfortunately we aren't going to be able to eat anything (trop chère), but it's a treat just to look!
A bientot,
Bisous,
Sash
Driving = A Near-Death Experience
So in regards to the title, driving is definitely one of the scariest things here. There is really no such thing as a speed limit first of all, which is where our first problem lies, the second problem comes from the fact that you can't go anywhere without traversing a rond-point (rotary). All the cars (autos or voitures - car means "bus" in French) are standards and are quite small. Consequently the roads are also quite nonexistent, meaning that every road (as soon as you get two min outside Valence) is like Station Rd (for all of you Amherst folks) in terms of their lack of shoulders, guard rails, and the fact that you must slow down every time another car comes your way.
The speedometer regularly approaches 110 km/h on the backcountry roads and when we go into the centre-ville of Malissard (Audrey's village) there are many spots where you must pull over to let the oncoming car pass between the sidewalks.
Because it takes so long to get a driver's license in France and it's such a big deal, there are stickers you put in the car when there's a chance that an accompanied teen may be driving.
The speedometer regularly approaches 110 km/h on the backcountry roads and when we go into the centre-ville of Malissard (Audrey's village) there are many spots where you must pull over to let the oncoming car pass between the sidewalks.
Because it takes so long to get a driver's license in France and it's such a big deal, there are stickers you put in the car when there's a chance that an accompanied teen may be driving.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Wonderful Sunday
Suday (yesterday) was absolutely excellent. I woke up nice and late and Audrey and I did an Run Bike Tandem (for all of you non-runners it's when on person runs and the other bikes). I think I ran for about 6 kilometres. While out in the GORGEOUS French countryside, we passed an empty freshly-tilled field on which Audrey informed me her dad and a friend were planning on planting trees and beginning a forest so eventually they could harvest truffles. Très cool!
I took a shower and then we had lunch. The French love to have many courses at all meals and so we had salad and fish and some eggplant thing that Sylvie had made. Nico taught me a fairly bad word to describe the eggplant dish (we'll just say it wasn't very appetizing looking).
Afterwards we headed up into the Ver-Cours Mountains (the foothills of the Alpes, i can see them from my bedroom window! - they were a very well-known hideout out for the Resistance during the Deuxième Guerre Mondiale or WWII). We went to the Equestrian Center that the uncle of Tony owns. And we went trail riding!!
It was absolutely beautiful.
Afterwards we came home and Audrey, Tony, Nico, et moi played card games for the afternoon. Afterwards there was just so much going on in the house!!
Sylvie was making crepes for our dinner, Pierre and Nico were golfing in the yard (and only occasionally hitting the house) and Audrey and I were playing this VERY fun game where you hit a tennisball but its attached to an elastic string attached to a base. That is, until we got it caught in a tree and Nico had to get it out using a ladder and a golf club. the best part wes the 80s music blasting from the iPod in the driveway and Pierre dancing along.
Alright, that's all for now, I need to go to bed. We're hiking up to a Roman ruin tomorrow.
Ciao
Bisous
I took a shower and then we had lunch. The French love to have many courses at all meals and so we had salad and fish and some eggplant thing that Sylvie had made. Nico taught me a fairly bad word to describe the eggplant dish (we'll just say it wasn't very appetizing looking).
Afterwards we headed up into the Ver-Cours Mountains (the foothills of the Alpes, i can see them from my bedroom window! - they were a very well-known hideout out for the Resistance during the Deuxième Guerre Mondiale or WWII). We went to the Equestrian Center that the uncle of Tony owns. And we went trail riding!!
It was absolutely beautiful.
Afterwards we came home and Audrey, Tony, Nico, et moi played card games for the afternoon. Afterwards there was just so much going on in the house!!
Sylvie was making crepes for our dinner, Pierre and Nico were golfing in the yard (and only occasionally hitting the house) and Audrey and I were playing this VERY fun game where you hit a tennisball but its attached to an elastic string attached to a base. That is, until we got it caught in a tree and Nico had to get it out using a ladder and a golf club. the best part wes the 80s music blasting from the iPod in the driveway and Pierre dancing along.
Alright, that's all for now, I need to go to bed. We're hiking up to a Roman ruin tomorrow.
Ciao
Bisous
Saturday, April 18, 2009
un autre jour
i can write only very quickly. good day so far. i slept a lot. Went o the movies. we are now going to watch handball and then to a friend's house for fajitas. I'm starting to think in French more and more!!
Friday, April 17, 2009
arrival - and different keyboard!
So besides the jet lag and the foreign language, it appears that in order for me to communicate i'll have to get used to the keys being in a different place.
The flight was long, it was raining in London when we arrived at 7 AM - i with only 2 hours of sleep. We had to change fro, terminal 3 to terminal 5 which involved taking a bus. we then had to go though security again.
Terminal 5 is just gorgeous. Very modern.
We headed to gte A10 for the flight to Lyon, and boarded another bus which brought us out onto the tarmac where we had to walk through the rain to board the plane.
The flight from Heathrow to Lyon was super easy - terrific landing. I loved watching the french countryside below the plane as we flew amost the length of France. I slept for just under an hour - I fell asleep immediately after takeoff, and was awakened by David when there were maybe 30 minutes left. David said I was sleeping so deeply that it took hi, several tries to wake me up.
Basically successful collecting our checked ites Beccas suitase was still in London (Londres in French), but it's coming tomorrow.
Gorgeous hour long bus ride to Valence, I sat w Olivia B.Got to the Lycée St. Victor - I got a HUGE sense of happiness and relief when I saw Audrey, and Tony was with her. As soon as I got off the bus we ran to each other and hugged. :-)
We hung out in Valence for some of the afternoon with Luke and Julien (it's Lukes bday today) and some others. Tony then met us again and we headed back to the car where we waited for Sylvie.
then to the house. I going to go unpack, Audrey is having a math tutoring session right now in the dining room
Their dog is SO cute. A Yorkie named Socrates.
I feel like my French is a tad rusty - definitely don't understand everything like when they left last year but I'm going to blame that on exhaustion and lack of practice.
A bientot,
Sasha
The flight was long, it was raining in London when we arrived at 7 AM - i with only 2 hours of sleep. We had to change fro, terminal 3 to terminal 5 which involved taking a bus. we then had to go though security again.
Terminal 5 is just gorgeous. Very modern.
We headed to gte A10 for the flight to Lyon, and boarded another bus which brought us out onto the tarmac where we had to walk through the rain to board the plane.
The flight from Heathrow to Lyon was super easy - terrific landing. I loved watching the french countryside below the plane as we flew amost the length of France. I slept for just under an hour - I fell asleep immediately after takeoff, and was awakened by David when there were maybe 30 minutes left. David said I was sleeping so deeply that it took hi, several tries to wake me up.
Basically successful collecting our checked ites Beccas suitase was still in London (Londres in French), but it's coming tomorrow.
Gorgeous hour long bus ride to Valence, I sat w Olivia B.Got to the Lycée St. Victor - I got a HUGE sense of happiness and relief when I saw Audrey, and Tony was with her. As soon as I got off the bus we ran to each other and hugged. :-)
We hung out in Valence for some of the afternoon with Luke and Julien (it's Lukes bday today) and some others. Tony then met us again and we headed back to the car where we waited for Sylvie.
then to the house. I going to go unpack, Audrey is having a math tutoring session right now in the dining room
Their dog is SO cute. A Yorkie named Socrates.
I feel like my French is a tad rusty - definitely don't understand everything like when they left last year but I'm going to blame that on exhaustion and lack of practice.
A bientot,
Sasha
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Packing
My clothing is spread out on the floor around me, my suitcase is in the hallway awaiting permission to enter my room, and my camera is patiently sitting in my camera bag.
Hopefully, I have remembered most things. I still have to pack my toiletries and jewelry tomorrow. Right now I'm going to go put some laundry in the machine (a black load) - the last before I leave.
It's hard to imagine that in less than two days we'll be on our way! I can't quite process the fact that it's been a whole YEAR since I last saw Audrey. This year has seemed to pass so quickly, what with NYC, Hazon, a great summer in Nova, Matteo, XC, 3 APs, STAND, Nordic, Lydia's journey, Ronnie, SATs, the musical, and everything else life has thrown at me.
Have to run to keep packing, but make sure you stay tuned!
-Sash
Hopefully, I have remembered most things. I still have to pack my toiletries and jewelry tomorrow. Right now I'm going to go put some laundry in the machine (a black load) - the last before I leave.
It's hard to imagine that in less than two days we'll be on our way! I can't quite process the fact that it's been a whole YEAR since I last saw Audrey. This year has seemed to pass so quickly, what with NYC, Hazon, a great summer in Nova, Matteo, XC, 3 APs, STAND, Nordic, Lydia's journey, Ronnie, SATs, the musical, and everything else life has thrown at me.
Have to run to keep packing, but make sure you stay tuned!
-Sash
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Notre Jour Final
I don't have much time to write - but we'll just begin by saying that I cried for over an hour tonight. I can't quite write about our last trip to jail yet because I'm afraid I'll break down again, but I am going to say that Ronnie and I had a beautiful last day together.
After a lovely cuddle for most of the morning, I showered, and we headed to town where Ronnie did a little modeling on the Common.
From there we went to the Eric Carle Museum to see if we could find any little kids as distractions. Unfortunately the museum was empty on Easter, but Ronnie and I did manage to find a GIANT cake celebrating Eric Carle's 80th bday and the Very Hungry Caterpillar's 40th.
We then headed to the Landfill where we got to do Dog Club with Lilly, Maisy, Koda, and Cricket. Ronnie LOVED cavorting in the water.
Maisy was a bit overwhelmed by the lab party so she decided to leave early. Lilly felt left out as the only Yellow Lab, so she stuck by me while the black labs paraded around.
Ronnie and I did a few tricks for the last time before we left for jail.
And then we took our last picture together ever.
After a lovely cuddle for most of the morning, I showered, and we headed to town where Ronnie did a little modeling on the Common.
From there we went to the Eric Carle Museum to see if we could find any little kids as distractions. Unfortunately the museum was empty on Easter, but Ronnie and I did manage to find a GIANT cake celebrating Eric Carle's 80th bday and the Very Hungry Caterpillar's 40th.
We then headed to the Landfill where we got to do Dog Club with Lilly, Maisy, Koda, and Cricket. Ronnie LOVED cavorting in the water.
Maisy was a bit overwhelmed by the lab party so she decided to leave early. Lilly felt left out as the only Yellow Lab, so she stuck by me while the black labs paraded around.
Ronnie and I did a few tricks for the last time before we left for jail.
And then we took our last picture together ever.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Penultimate Weekend
I am having mixed emotions right now. I have had Ronnie since the end of October. She came to me on her third inmate, and I am her third weekend person.
As a high school student, my weekends have been busy, but Ronnie and I have spent as much time together as possible. In November, when we had a 24 hour marathon at my high school for my cross country running team, Ronnie ran more miles than several of my teammates, and slept on the gym floor amidst all of our sleeping bags, waking up with me every two or three hours to run a mile. In January, she came with my parents to one of my Nordic skiing races, braving the 4 degree Fahrenheit (-20 with the windchill!) weather to watch me.
And in February, she accompanied me on college visits to Tufts and Brandeis.
Although Ronnie still has about a month left before they want her back at NEADS, I'm leaving on April 16 to go to France as an exchange student for 24 days and most likely, by the time I return on May 9, she'll be gone.
I was feeling quite upset last night and was regretting all of the times we just sat around at home, and wasted an afternoon when we could have been out and about, so I was just playing around on the NEADS website and happened across the graduation pictures. Not only did they bring tears to my eyes, but they invigorated me and reminded me why I have Ronnie and what we're working towards together.
Next weekend, when I have to say good bye, it will be nearly impossible. And yet in some ways it will be bittersweet as I know that our parting will signal my imminent departure for France.
Unfortunately, it seems likely that the Prison Pup Partnership Program at the Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction (in Northampton, MA where Ronnie is right now) will be phased out after Ronnie, Barrett, and Dutch are done. I'm quite disappointed because I know that next year, as a senior, no matter whether or not I'll have college applications, college classes (in addition to my high school classes), and constant stress, I'd still be willing to donate my time to raising a puppy.
Ronnie and I rode on the PVTA (local public transportation) bus this weekend. We went shopping at the Holyoke Mall today. Every challenge I've presented to her this year, she has handled masterfully, and I've never seen her give up or step away or retreat from something I've asked her to do for me.
Each week it's hard bringing her back to prison, especially on those Sunday nights when, as the guard is walking her towards the doors to the trap, she stops, turns around, and regards me with her deep, soulful, pensive, brown eyes. And yet I have to remind myself that although she may melt my heart each time I look at her; I, in no way, rely on her or on her love in the way that I imagine her inmate must and in the way that her partner will someday.
Since that first weekend in October (or was it November?) Ronnie has developed a heartwarming relationship with Lilly and Maisy. Each morning when she wakes up, the first thing she does is lick all of Lilly's face, her tall wagging nonstop. Ronnie delights in teasing Maisy as she runs around the house dragging a towel, eagerly anticipating when Maisy will become exasperated and finally give chase.
Ronnie has had a special impact on my life and on our family, and I can't wait to see who she gets to help next.
I love you Ronnie.
As a high school student, my weekends have been busy, but Ronnie and I have spent as much time together as possible. In November, when we had a 24 hour marathon at my high school for my cross country running team, Ronnie ran more miles than several of my teammates, and slept on the gym floor amidst all of our sleeping bags, waking up with me every two or three hours to run a mile. In January, she came with my parents to one of my Nordic skiing races, braving the 4 degree Fahrenheit (-20 with the windchill!) weather to watch me.
And in February, she accompanied me on college visits to Tufts and Brandeis.
Although Ronnie still has about a month left before they want her back at NEADS, I'm leaving on April 16 to go to France as an exchange student for 24 days and most likely, by the time I return on May 9, she'll be gone.
I was feeling quite upset last night and was regretting all of the times we just sat around at home, and wasted an afternoon when we could have been out and about, so I was just playing around on the NEADS website and happened across the graduation pictures. Not only did they bring tears to my eyes, but they invigorated me and reminded me why I have Ronnie and what we're working towards together.
Next weekend, when I have to say good bye, it will be nearly impossible. And yet in some ways it will be bittersweet as I know that our parting will signal my imminent departure for France.
Unfortunately, it seems likely that the Prison Pup Partnership Program at the Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction (in Northampton, MA where Ronnie is right now) will be phased out after Ronnie, Barrett, and Dutch are done. I'm quite disappointed because I know that next year, as a senior, no matter whether or not I'll have college applications, college classes (in addition to my high school classes), and constant stress, I'd still be willing to donate my time to raising a puppy.
Ronnie and I rode on the PVTA (local public transportation) bus this weekend. We went shopping at the Holyoke Mall today. Every challenge I've presented to her this year, she has handled masterfully, and I've never seen her give up or step away or retreat from something I've asked her to do for me.
Each week it's hard bringing her back to prison, especially on those Sunday nights when, as the guard is walking her towards the doors to the trap, she stops, turns around, and regards me with her deep, soulful, pensive, brown eyes. And yet I have to remind myself that although she may melt my heart each time I look at her; I, in no way, rely on her or on her love in the way that I imagine her inmate must and in the way that her partner will someday.
Since that first weekend in October (or was it November?) Ronnie has developed a heartwarming relationship with Lilly and Maisy. Each morning when she wakes up, the first thing she does is lick all of Lilly's face, her tall wagging nonstop. Ronnie delights in teasing Maisy as she runs around the house dragging a towel, eagerly anticipating when Maisy will become exasperated and finally give chase.
Ronnie has had a special impact on my life and on our family, and I can't wait to see who she gets to help next.
I love you Ronnie.
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