The Unexpected Series

There have been many incidences where reality has not aligned itself with my expectations of France. These, in part, are my musings upon those misconceptions that which have thrown me for a loop.

Un Café (photo courtesy of lefigaro.fr)

Follow the link below on the bottom left. merci

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Le Camargue

On wednesday, a group of four of us decided to take a day trip in the magical world of Le Camargue. Le Camargue is a marshland set aside as a national park and safe haven for a  couple larger and more charismatic wild animals.  White mustangs (les chevals camarguais) and bulls (les taureaux pronounced toro) run wild across its wide expanses and flamingos (les flamants) flock to the shallows in droves.  This is what the park boasts to tourists.  ha. we did end up seeing all three of the park's major attractions just without so much of their illustrious imagery.

(not my photo)

Follow the jump for more details and photos. 

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Photo dump- finished

Just an update on what I actually look like.  I realized that I'm not in any of my photos because I'm the one taking all the photos.  So here's my moustachio and me.  Where else can i have a mustache other than France.  come on.

See more by clicking READ MORE in the bottom left.
merci

J'ai Couru Dans Le Forêt

"I Ran In The Forest"

Went on lovely run yesterday just before the sun dipped behind the horizon.  It thought how nice it would be to get out of the stuffy house and see the sunset through the trees (les arbres). Though I found, in fact, trees obscure sunsets and most assuredly detract from the sight, the forest itself was beautiful. 

About a quarter of a mile down the road from the house im staying in is the humble entrance to le forêt de Phalempin (the forest of Phalempin- yep pretty self explanatory).  The forest is small in ecological standards but remains easily vast enough to get quite lost in (according to my standards) so as a result, I chose my route with shrewdness and discernment; going in as straight of lines as i could follow and making directional marks where i could. The sun was a low in the sky and I didn't want to get caught out in the middle of a forest, lost, without phone service, and sans even a light to guide my steps.  Trying to stay true to my better instincts, and with no one to impress, about a mile and a half into the run, it decided it prudent to turn back and retrace slightly more familiar ground in the dim light than continue forward into dark territory when light was failing quickly. so back, running to beat the darkness, i turned and followed my directions(see below) home at the mouth of the forest arriving just barely before i no longer see my own feet. 

I'll do it again, just not a night.  

My somewhat bleak yet beautiful run in Le Forêst de Phalempin..

I guess this is what it supposedly looks like in the spring.  Kind of a stark difference from what  is present now. (stock photo of this forest)

The twists and turns of an unfamiliar forest compelled me to utilize primitive signage to find me way home.  A ball a string was a close second. 

Chopping Wood

FOUR HOURS A DAY. not as bad as it seems.

take the jump to SEE MORE- bottom left

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Lille & Les Chauves-souris

Short update right now.

The family took me into Lille today.  I accompanied them into the city so while they went to a dental appointment I could rome around and explore.  I went to the multiple Palaces, le Palais des Justice and le Palais des Beaux Arts, looked around the opera (l'opera), just basically took in the views and the essence of the city. I quite liked Lille and almost prefer it over Paris now, though really i was only there for about four hours. It had a a much quieter and much less pretentious air about it. I didn't feel so much like an outsider save my obvious inability to speak to single soul.  Everything was pretty much beautiful too.  I've mostly seen gloomy skies like in Scotland (Ecosse) but today was beautiful. Blue skies as far as the eye could see. The fresh and warm feel to the city was definitely influenced by the sun showing itself today.  

La Grande Place de Lille. It is a gigantic plaza in the heart of Lille rimmed with large buildings donning beautiful and immaculate facades.  Tres belle. 

La vielle Lille (old Lille ). The city and specifically the older part of the city have a Flemmish/Belgian (Belgique) essence mostly because Lille was at one time part of Belgium. 

Palace of Beautiful Art. - there's one in every major town. ha. but a beautiful name nonetheless. 

As far as language goes, I've been having a very rough time. HOWEVER it's coming along.  It's an isolating feeling to know what you'd like to say but not know how to express it. And it happens far to often it seems.  For example, dinner is the time when the family eats and talks together, problematic situations for me usually look something like this:

1A.  I have no idea how to say the ice breaker I've been concocting for the last minute so i don't say anything at all.  or...
1B.  I do figure out how to say whatever it is i'm going to say and the family is baffled by it.

or it can go the other way around

2A.  The Dad says something quickly to me and waits for a response.  I don't know what he said so i ask him to repeat it multiple times. or...
2B.  I understand what he's just said but, again, have no clue how to respond.

Anyways. it's getting better. i'm hearing things much much better and getting bolder in talking to the parents.  I struggle with conversations where there are lots of people apart of it but one on one is usually pretty good at this point.  Also, it's only my third day.


Tonight (ce soir = this evening), the oldest daughter, coline, invited her boyfriend over and he brought along some friends.  He is a biologist/ecologist by trade and he brought some bats (les chauves-souris) he's been working with over to the house.  He weighed, measured, and tagged them and let them go into night (la nuit).  I took some video embedded below.




enjoy. merci.

Tuesday Work Day

This is what I did today:

woke at 8am. had some breakfast (le petit déjeuner): homemade bread with homemade red currant jam and butter and chicory coffee.  They tell me Chicory coffee is specific to the Norther regions of France, especially in Lille.  Then straight to work.  Valerie had already been up and about roto tilling the ground in preparation for our work today. We transplanted young black currant trees from one area of the garden to a more permanent place where they will be able to grow much larger. This seems less time intensive than it really is.  I dug up about two dozen little trees (about 1 meter tall) and then dug new holes for them elsewhere, placed a tree in each hole, covered them with a layer of dirt(la terre), card board(le carton) and mulch(paillis).  That took about 2 hours.  Here's tthe final outcome. 

it's difficult to tell, but the lighter brown is where I planted all the trees

Then Valerie and I collected a bunch of fallen branches and twigs and burnt them to add to the composte to decrease the humidity of the mixture (le mélange). no picture there. fire looks like fire (feu).

The pond in the middle of the garden.  Hopefully the trees start blooming soon.  They're pretty baren right now.

WWOOFing in France

It stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, WWOOF.  It's a dumb acronym. I know, but the idea is genius. Basically it's a type of unconventional bartering where travelers can exchange work on farms for food and lodging. That's the basic idea.  For more information, take the link below.

Press for more info

           I've been here for less than 24 hours now and my mind is already on fire.  I'm trying with all my might to learn the language as quickly as possible. The family i'm staying with is comprised of two parents and four kids, though i use kids loosely.  The parents are in their mid 50's and their four children are aged 28, 25, 23 and 15: 2 boys and 2 girls.  Anyway, i've only met the girls so far and they both seem very nice; both quite reserved.  The youngest even went as far as whispering around me, ha, understandable though seeing how I'm new and in her home it made sense. On the other hand, the elder of the two girls has been incredibly helpful already. She studied English for a bit in high school and I feel like she already gotten her money's worth out of her English education. ha. I've been able to rely on her in times of dire need which thankfully hasn't been as often as I'd guessed. She was also able to help me with some phrases and I got to pick her brain about grammar and vocabulary.  

As soon as I arrived, I mumbled, probably in broken French, to Valerie, the mother, that I had no intention of speaking English and was hoping that I would be able to learn French from her and her family. Well, by the end of three or four sentences from either side, we had hit an impasse. I was making a lot of "eu" and "eh" noises (not the normal "uhs" and "ums"- Le French say eu instead) and she quietly focused more on her driving, though somehow we made it work.  I was able to make due with what little French I really do know and she was able to twist her vocabulary into words i could understand.  With her, that's how its been all day.  The father is no better. He speaks too rapidly for me to hear and then when I finally do figure out what's been said, it's something negative, or at least uninformed about Americans. ha.  Hopefully I'll be able to understand by the end. 

Thankfully, it hasn't been that rough all day though.  After my train ride from Lille into the country side, we drove a little further into the country and reached out destination, an old two story farm house. Valerie showed me my room and gave me a tour of the house. It's quite nice, everything I will need: warm shower, clean bed, space to unpack for the three weeks I'll be here. Then she took me on a tour of the back yard and kinda told me what i'll be doing here.

I'll be working in an organic garden. It's not really a farm.  They have about six thousand square feet of land purely devoted to the growing of strawberries, kiwis, apples, pears,  currants, flowers, tomatoes, beans, and various herbs and spices, all of which get used in her everyday cooking.  Pretty cool. 

I don't know exactly what i'll be doing at this point because while she was explaining her garden, my lethargic mind began to wander and her words began to weave and blur together.  Suffice it to say, I have no idea what i'll be doing tomorrow. I could be planting onions or chopping wood.  ... no idea.  ha - but that's part of the beauty of it, right? - at least that's what i keep telling myself. 

Looking Up

The everyday architecture of Scotland had a subtle excitement set against the grey sky background.  

Glasgow

Glasgow seen from very near Wesley's flat. It's beautiful when the sun comes out.

suns out, guns out

just for fun, here's a link to my good friend Jean Paul Molyneux's awesome surf photography website. click the link

Monday

A nice slice of my Monday afternoon

L'Abri

Time is flying. I've already been here in Scotland for 3 weeks.  This is what i've been up to, not that its much of consequence, therefore i'll keep it brief.  

      Upon the great recommendation of Wesley, Helen, Kurt Simonson and many others, I took up residence at the Manor House of the L'Abri Fellowship for a weeks time. In their own way, each of them have had a some kind of challenging and consequent growing experience while attending L'Abri. So naturally I felt obliged to see what it is about l'abri that can be so much to so many.  I soon found that one week was a highly insufficient duration in which to understand the true nature and workings of L'Abri.  A retreat from communication and technology, a place of intentional solitude yet of great community, a space to question yourself and God, and to hopefully gain answers through helpful wise counsel; all are descriptors of L'abri.  

       In order for you to obtain a better idea of what L'Abri is, let me plot out a normal day in the life of a L'Abri student.  This is the general schedule for each day though certain activities will change on the daily. 

07:30- wake

08:00- breakfast (everyone is expected to be present)

09:10- prayer in the chapel (optional of course)

10:00-14:00 - everyone must do one of these two options given below: 

Chores: work doing chores around the house (vacuuming/food prep/cleaning the             kitchen/chopping wood/folding clean laundry/flattening the pitch, etc.)

OR

Study: reading books, listening to lectures recorded from past speakers at l'abri, or take walks when you can't read any more, ha.

11:30- tea break 

13:00- lunch. Every lunch the main group is broken into 3 groups of ten where we eat together and discuss a question that at least one person in the group would like to discuss.  each group lunch is facilitated and mediated by someone who works at L'abri. 

14:00-18:30- work and study sessions again.  you must do which ever activity, work or study, in which you didn't participate in earlier.  So if you did chores in the AM, you will be studying in the PM.  

14:30- tea break

18:30- dinner

>19:00- a lecture done by a L'abri worker, Wednesday movie night, or free time. 

repeat

it takes some time to adapt to the simple yet rigorous lifestyle of L'abri, which i feel I didin't have time to fully grasp.  Although I was there for only a short time, i did appreciate the wonderful sense of community i experienced.  All meals together, chores together, tea time together, sleeping in the same room with ten other guys.  Also the  diversity of people brought together by a desire to figure life out, with all its complications, is something was really intriguing. It seemed to narrow the field of person staying there to those who were somewhat humbled and searching for answers outside of themselves.  

Mind you L'Abri is based in christian theology. Since this is public knowledge, a lot of the students that choose to take up residence at there are christians questioning some aspect of their faith, although i cannot even try to lump everyone who attends into groups, especially after only one week. 

All in all I enjoyed my time there, though i wish i could have spent another week there to get to know the people there better. I'm also very excited to be shifting locations soon to Lille, France.  

be on the look out for some photos about L'abri to pop up soon.  

Supplemental Photos

Since the United Kingdom's weather is so poor and it is raining most days, it makes most sense to take my iphone to places my nicer camera dare not venture.  Therefore the majority of my everyday photos will be turning up on the feed below. Please czech is out if you get a chance.

JYSO SUPPLEMENTAL

Thanks so much

The Last 4 Days

So I haven't been the best at posting lately. Time has been passing quite fast recently.  I'll hit some main exciting points in the week and then add some photos in occasionally to keep the interest high.

Wesley took me to a great little coffee shop in the West End (nice up beat and more lively area of Glasgow where surrounding the University of Glasgow)It was called Artisan Coffee. It reminded me of a more down to earth Kreutzberg CA in slo. great coffee. poor overs, chemex, nice lattes. wonderful atmosphere. it's funny, coffee here isn't like coffee at home,  most places you go, you'll ask for coffee and the server will give you a look as if beckoning for a more developed answer, which they are. You see, a normal "cup of coffee" in the states is sensibly called an Americano in Scotland. fitting i guess.

Since it's been raining and freezing cold since i've been here, it's allowed me to dig in and get some good reading done in the screwtape letters and Lord of the Rings Part 2: The Two Towers.  Great books.

Been eating well. Haggis, Turkish Kebabs, Fish and Chips, Spaghetti Carbonara (Helen's speciality), and loads of good British tea, ciders, and beer.

A Play, A Pie, and A Pint is exactly what it sounds.  Wes and I went to a renovated old church and watched a play while eating a meat pie and drinking a pint of guinness.  It was such a great idea. Loved it.

One fine rainy day, I had the opportunity to go on a sweet run in the rain down the River Clyde.  This is main river that flows perpendicularly to the City Centre of Glasgow.  Felt great to get out and run for a bit.  helped rid my body of the left over jet lag.

Been blessed to be introduced to some of the Wes and Helen's awesome friends.  Malcolm, Richard, Kevin, Ruth, Moira. All great folk.

Wesley, Helen, Malcolm, and I had the opportunity to celebrate Wesley's birthday by taking a wee trip north about 40 minutes to a lake just north of Glasgow called Loch Lomond.  There we hired a flat for the night and were able to hill walking (hiking) for the day.  Had dinner at a sweet little pub that night.  sat, talked, and nursed some pints for the about 3 hours.  fabulous time.  then went back to the flat and told stories and played games.  then today, we went canoeing on the loch to a small island inhabited by 30 deer, 10 of them being white. pretty cool.  still a bit sore in the shoulders from all the rowing, but it was so worthwhile.  The whole trip was amazing.  The saying here goes " you can experience every type of weather in the course of 20 minutes in scotland." Well that saying held true while we were up in Loch Lomond. We experienced rain, snow, clouds and perfect sunny weather in one day.  crazy.

Twins

Wes, Helen, Malcolm, and Me 

Skipping stones on the loch

Loch Lomond

Glasgow::: Arrival

Flights went well. Arrived in Glasgow near 7:30am this morning to open arms of Wesley and Helen. Had some wonderfully Scottish breakfast in the West End consisting of poached eggs and sausage on a warm ciabatta roll.  Fantastic. Then, Helen, Wes, and I trounced around some small alley ways and some more major city streets popping into little nuanced antique and second hand shops, saw the Glasgow botanical gardens, and got some incredible Turkish Food. All this and only a couple of hours of sleep since sunday morning.   Weather: high s of mid 40's F, chilly wind but the sun came out.  Quite a nice change, so they tell me, from their recent more frigid and grey weather.

just laying around at wes' flat

Breakfast at the West Bank Cafe