En Ecoute

POST SUPPRIME

JE M'EXCUSE!

Appartager les Bons Temps!

I’m going to go ahead and warn you that this post may be one of the most interesting posts since the one entitled “Chinoise”. If you read this blog while I was in Caen a year ago, you’ll remember a post about certain bathroom incident with a girl from China. If you have never read this post, I encourage you to type in “Chinoise” in the search bar on the right.

I am going to go ahead and warn you that this post may mess with some of your sensitivities; therefore, please note that you have been forewarned!

I am currently sitting comfortably in my room after having taken a Sunday afternoon nap and eaten a nice dinner of chicken and pesto. I write this piece of boring information so that my Grandma doesn’t worry about me too much after having read this post. Hi Grandma!

Yesterday, I had a meeting scheduled with another random person about being my roommate in the apartment. I woke up, had a small amount of baguette with Nutella™ and did some shopping before the meeting (out of toilet paper!). Unlike my last meeting, this person actually showed up! The meeting was scheduled for 14h30 in front of the apartment building, so at 14h32, I headed downstairs to welcome an engineer student by the name of Arnaud. Arnaud has a very particular face and is very tall, so after waiting only one minute for him to arrive, I immediately recognized him as he exited the métro. I walked up to him to greet him and offered that we take a seat at the café in front of the apartment to chat. He wanted to see the apartment right away, but since I don’t currently live there, I couldn’t offer him instant gratification. Instead I just walked him into the building and showed where the apartment is located. He seemed interested, so we descended into the street and took a spot at the café to chat. He explained to me his current situation and how he is in his last year of engineering school after having taken a year to do internships in India and in other places around the globe. I also explained my situation and how I recently graduated from Baylor with a degree in French and Religion and that I am an English teaching assistant in Evry. We hit if off really well and had a lot of things in common, so when he asked me when I would be making my decision about a roommate, I told him that as far as I am concerned, he is it, should he so chose to accept the offer. He smiled and informed me that he was very interested. IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT! HA HA HA!

I then invited him up to my current apartment to call the owners of the apartment to see when would be a good time to show it to Arnaud. She told me that we could come by later in the day and we agreed on 18h00. She said that she would contact the family currently living there to make sure that everything was alright with them. She said that she would call back us on Arnaud’s phone. I then invited Arnaud into the kitchen for some coffee or tea while we waited. We then talked some more and after an hour had passed, he recommended that we call back the owner. I did, and upon doing so, learned that she had yet to call the family. No big deal, I told her that we would come by around 18h00 anyway so that she and her husband could at least meet Arnaud.

As it was only 16h00, we had two hours to kill before going to the apartment. Arnaud then suggested that we go to the center of Paris to check out the Techno Parade. Welcome to Europe! Techno is ALL THE RAGE! He asked me if I had heard of the Techno Parade before and then tried to tell me that it was like a pride parade in the United States. I don’t know if he knows what a pride parade is, because the Techno Parade was just a large sum of people gathered in Paris to dance to loud music while going down the street. Arnaud wanted to meet some friends there, but he couldn’t find them. He said that it wasn’t that big of a deal, so instead we just walked around and laughed at the funny people. As 18h00 started to approach, we headed back to the apartment. Upon reached the owner’s (The Londners) door, we were greeted by M. and Mme Londner and the aunt of M. Londner. Mme Londner offered us some coffee and then went to make sure that it would be alright for us to visit the apartment. When she returned, she informed us that everything was a go! We then ascended the stairs and showed Arnaud the apartment.

Upon entering, Arnaud seemed interested, but as he realized just how small the place is, his facial expressions began to change. I could tell that it was smaller than he wanted and began to stress that things weren’t going to work out. He told Mme. Londner that he would reflect and give us a decision soon. We then exited the apartment, said thank you to the Londners, and left the building. I asked him what he thought; knowing very well what he thought, and listed to his concerns. As he explained to me that he wasn’t 100% certain, he said that he would think about it and get back to me. I told him that I would be going to Orange™ to buy a cell phone and that as soon as I had the number, I would send it to him. He then thanked me for taking the time to meet him and mentioned that we would keep in touch even if he didn’t decide to live in the apartment. I agreed; however, I knew better.

Arnaud descended into the métro and I began my walk to Orange™. I cannot express to you how stressed I was! I wasn’t sad, but just EXTREMELY disappointed! I wanted to lie down on the ground in front of me and fall asleep! Sleeping is my coping mechanism for fighting stress. I continued to walk and went into Orange™ to buy a pay as you go phone to use while I wait for the bank mess to clear. The lady that helped me was very nice and efficient and gave me exactly what I needed. Magali had already given me a phone to use; I just had to buy the card to put in it. This means that I NOW HAVE A NUMBER! It’s +33.06.48.62.16.90! Call me anytime! After leaving the store I still felt like lying down, but didn’t want to go back to the apartment and shut myself in my room. I therefore decided to take the Métro to the Eiffel Tower and lay in the Champs de Mars (it’s a park) while the sun set beneath the tower. It was a very nice atmosphere in which to be stressed, but the feelings that were overtaking me made me feel like I was going to vomit! I describe the feeling like this: it feels exactly like the first decline of a rollercoaster. I’ve used the rollercoaster illustration several times to describe my feelings, but this time it was absolutely true! It’s the feeling of being terrified to death, but not being able to do a thing about it! You must descend! The Tower was beautiful, but all I could think about was failing at finding a roommate. I know this sounds stupid, but I was distraught! I just kept praying over and over and over! I said, “Lord! Please take these feelings away from me! Calm me! Calm me please! I am SO stressed!” I figured that I would watch the tower light up and then head back to the apartment to have dinner. I began to enter some numbers into my phone when all of the sudden I received a text. It was Arnaud! WHAT!?!? He wanted me to join him and his friends at a bar near St. Paul! Was I reading this correctly? The same dude that just stressed me out to the max wants me to have a drink with him? I thought that when he said we would keep in touch that he was just being polite! NO! He wants to be friends with me! HOW ON EARTH!

As the tower shone before my eyes while the sun set beneath, I grabbed my things, turned my back from the glorious display in front of me, and got my butt to the Métro ASAP! As I walked with a purpose to the Métro, I couldn’t help but think that God was watching over me. As I sat in sorrow all alone, the Lord heard my cries and calmed the storm in me! I remember thinking that I was absolutely in the presence of God! I began to sing out loud, « Combien Dieu est grand! Chantez avec moi! Combien Dieu est grand! Le monde chantera combien, combien, Dieu est grand! » (How great is our God! Sing with me! How great is our God! The world will sing how great, how great is our God!). Some of you may know this song, so it might mean more to you, but just understand that I was elated by the fact that something so unthinkable just happened to me!

Upon arriving at the bar, Arnaud introduced me to his friends as his possible future roommate. I could see that he still hadn’t made up his mind, but that at least I knew that he was seriously interested. I took a seat, ordered a beer, and began to chat with everyone. One of his friends began to speak to me in English when Arnaud scolded him and insisted that he speak French to me. I wanted to HUG him! After laughing and enjoying our time at this bar, Judith (Arnaud’s friend) and some of the others suggested that we head out and find a night club.

John 8:7 But when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

You’ll understand why I have chosen to reference this verse in a moment!

We walked towards Place de la Bastille to find a good place to hangout. Along the way, Arnaud suggested that he and I duck into a store to grab some beer and chips. Like a little duckling following his mother, I followed Frenchie! We took our items and descended with the others into the Métro. Arnaud then handed me my beer and I proposed a toast to Baylor and the football game that was about to ensue. I thought that we would just enjoy the beer and enjoy the company; however, Arnaud informed me that I needed to have finished the beer before we arrive at our stop. As any other cool American would do, I beat him to the punch. I thought,”I won’t be drunk off of two beers, just a little more at ease! Besides, it helps to have a little bit of alcohol in the system when speaking a foreign language!” We exited the Métro and went into another bar. Everyone was ordering drinks, so I thought, “Why not!” and ordered a Guinness (dark beer). I began to feel a little happy, but not drunk. We chatted some and then went to meet with one of Judith’s friends who wanted us to join him at a night club. We met with him and he offered to take the girls to the club in his car while Arnaud and I took the Métro. Upon arriving at our stop, Arnaud said that we needed to go into another store and get two more beers. Oh là là! By this point I had no inhibitions and was truly following Frenchie! We took our beers into the street and he suggested that we finish them before arriving at the club. CUL SEC! BOTTOMS UP! When we got to the club, the man wouldn’t let us in because we weren’t dressed nice enough. I was obviously gone by this point, so I tried to persuade him that my jeans were special because they were American! It didn’t work. After some discussion, he let us in and we joined the girls. We danced and I literally almost knocked Judith’s friends tooth out by hitting his beer bottle with my elbow! OOPS! We didn’t drink anything in that club, so I thought that things would even out soon. Upon leaving, I discovered that we were headed to another club. At this club we all had another beer. Needless to say, I danced! I kept insisting that we pay attention to our things because I didn’t want them to be stolen. At one point Judith went outside to have a cigarette and I insisted that someone go with her. Arnaud told me to go ahead, so I followed her. She told me that I didn’t have to wait with her, but I told her, “My mother always said never to leave a girl alone in the street!” I don’t know that my mother has actually ever said that, but it is something that she WOULD say! Later on, Arnaud began to talk with this older woman and she asked for his number. I, in front of the woman, insisted that he NOT give his number to her. He didn’t care. He thought that is was funny.

We finally left the club, but it was 3h00, so the Métro was closed. We ended up having to take a bus called the Noctillian. I was afraid that I wouldn’t know how to get home, so Arnaud told me that I could stay with him at his friend’s house. His friend was gone, so it was just he and I. He made a palate for me on the floor and he slept in the bed. When we woke up the next morning, he looked up, saw me, and said, “OH! Bonjour!” He had forgotten for a moment that I was still there. He then made us some coffee and then I returned home. I was hoping that by staying with him he would give me an answer about the apartment, but I’m still answerless!

Although this story is a bit out of my character, it is absolutely true. I don’t plan on spending several nights on the town as I did last night, but I don’t regret having spent time with new people and possibly making some really good friends! I know this may sound crazy, but I do think that my prayers were answered as I lied stressed in front of the Eiffel Tower! I pray that the Baptist General Convention of Texas doesn’t read this and make me pay back all of the money they gave me while I was at Baylor, but I do believe that although I was under the influence, I don’t feel like I committed so terrible and unforgivable sin. As a matter of fact, I am pretty certain that it was the Lord’s will for me to spend the night with these people and enjoy myself! Please don’t call me to tell me that I’m a bad person or that I should be more careful! Also, if you are a bit older than me and a bit shocked, try to remember your early 20s! If you never did anything like me, you get a gold star! If you did, you know how it feels!

QUE DIEU M’A BENIS ET QU’IL EST GRAND!

J'suis Ouf!

I wasn’t going to write a blog tonight, but I thought that I’d go ahead and say something small since the last post was a bit loaded with upcoming events and because I never explained what happened with Rachel!

We’ll start with Rachel. After having called the French Embassy in the United States, she received another email from Madame MEAN. The email was very political and the mean lady attempted to reword the mean things that she had said. This time instead of insisting that Rachel accept the mean lady’s conditions she just encouraged Rachel to consider the difficulties she might face should she chose to live two hours away. In other words the nice lady at the Embassy contacted someone who gave the mean lady in St. Etienne a spanking! PRAISE JESUS!

As far as meeting with the random guy to see if he would be a good roommate, nothing happened. He couldn’t meet for some reason, so instead of rescheduling, he just ran away. Oh well! At least it wasn’t me having to run away this time!

As far as having dinner with Lauriane and her friend, IT WAS AWESOME! We started with a drink at a café near Montparnasse and then ate dinner at the greatest Crêperie in the world! No lies, this place rocked! It was Laruiane’s suggestion, so I am now and forever open to her advice on restaurants in France! She’s also the one that recommended the ice-cream shop in Lyon that has the greatest Ice-cream in the world! Needless to say, I plan on being friends with her!

Now for the story that made me write this post tonight. As I’m having dinner with Lauriane and her friend Charolotte, I am asked to share with them some of the stereotypes that Americans have concerning French people. I just shouldn’t have! Next time someone asks me this question, I plea the 5th! I of course had to mention that Americans don’t think that French women shave their armpits. This probably wasn’t the nicest thing to tell two French girls, but they weren’t offended and in all actuality, I just wanted to make sure that the stereotype is not true. They laughed and explained that Germany is where the women don’t shave and that all French women DO INDEED shave their armpits! PLEASE UNDERSTAND! FRENCH WOMEN SHAVE THEIR ARMPITS! IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED SO STOP ASKING ME THIS QUESTION! It wasn’t this stereotype that got me in trouble, but the next one that I felt the urge to mention. I told them that Americans think that French people stink. Now, it wasn’t the stereotype itself that killed me, but the explanation that I shared shortly thereafter. I told them, and I quote, “Oh it’s probably because Americans take showers once or even twice a day whereas the French usually only take showers every third day.” PLEASE TRY TO ENVISION THIS IN YOUR HEAD! These girls had eyes the size of half dollars! They could not believe, not only what I was saying, but that I actually thought it was true. After letting the shock pass, they began to laugh uncontrollably while simultaneously explaining to me that French people bathe every day. The idea of bathing once in three days was appalling to these two very clean ladies sitting in front of me. Charlotte even cared to mention that she bathes at night and Lauriane in the morning. I then apologized deeply and told them that it was something that I had learned in highschool. I’m sorry Mme. Frederiksen if you are reading this; I did tell them that I learned this in your class. I must have seriously misunderstood what you were telling us on that day! Oh là là!

Things are still going very well! I’m meeting Magali today to get things settled with the bank and then I’m off to get a cell phone! YAY! Laisser les bons temps rouler!

Je Regarde TV3!

Well howdy!

I’m sorry for not having updated you sooner, but let me just say; although some cool things have occurred, not a lot has been going on every day!

I got back from Lyon on Saturday and had dinner with Magali! It was super! We chatted and laughed and enjoyed a nice evening. She is the one who is helping be get situated with all the necessary things (like a bank account). As I was talking with her about opening an account, she mentioned going back to the bank at which I had my last account in Caen and seeing if they still have my information. I’m SO stupid! Why didn’t I think of that? I went there today, and just as I thought, my account was still open! I just need to change the agency from Caen to Paris by having Magali fill out a few papers saying that I live with her for the moment. Oh là là!

On Sunday I went to a Pentecostal church. It was nice, but I’m not quite sure that I’m quite ready for the speaking in tongues. It’s ok if others wish to do it, but I don’t quite feel at home. I’m therefore still on the lookout for a church. Sunday night I went to see the apartment! It was super! Although it is small, it feels very open and inviting. The building is wonderful and everything in the apartment was updated. There is a kitchenette, a very nice bathroom with a bath/shower combo, and two rooms (one of which serves as a living room/bedroom. It may be the wrong place to live with a roommate if private space is absolutely necessary, but for someone who has lived on a college campus for the past four years, I think having a roommate would be great! I placed an announcement on http://www.apparager.com/ (the site at which I found my current apartment) and have already received over 80 responses! That’s how high the demand is in this neighborhood! I’m not kidding when I say that it is one of the most perfect places to live in Paris! The buildings are historic and the view from the apartment looks out over the street below and the trains in the distance. The minute I opened the curtains and saw the trains, I told the owner that my dad would be in heaven if he saw this! Click on the photo to see a plan of the apartment. Salle de Séjour means living room and Chambre à Coucher means bed room. Salle de Bain is the bathroom.

Last night, I met up with Abel to have a drink! It was SUPER! I told him about the apartment and told him that I would love to have him as a roommate, but he won’t be looking for a place to live until December. Too bad! He paid for my drink and we shared a very nice conversation. I will be meeting up with him again very soon.

Tonight I met up with Collin and Candice Bullard, two people from Baylor who are now living in Cambridge, England. They brought a friend with them and we had a night on the town. We went to a very nice crêpe restaurant near Montparnasse and had some of the best food I’ve had so far. I showed them around and we laughed about several things. I will find there blog and you can see a video that we made in front of the Eiffel Tower. It was HYPER COOL to see some familiar American faces in Paris!

Tomorrow I am meeting up with a guy interested in the apartment. I’m a bit weirded out by the idea of randomly meeting someone that I met on a website to see if they would be a good roommate, but hey, it’s better than Baylor just assigning me a random person! At least if I don’t like him, I can always ask to be excused from our meeting and run away screaming! Please take a moment to picture that!

On Thursday I will be having dinner with Lauriane (the girl with whom Rachel and I had dinner at her house) and a friend. We’re going to have crêpes too! I’m excited! Lauriane also mentioned the fact that maybe her friend would be interested in the apartment. Who knows! All I can say is that there are some potential stories in the near future! Stay tuned!

Que La Justice Soit!

Pour le francophones, cliquez sur la photo pour lire la band désiné!

Coming to France and encountering no problem whatsoever would be a dream, but not a reality! Today Rachel and I walked to the church to access the internet and check our e-mails. I had some junk mail to read for entertainment while Rachel; however, had some more interesting news to keep her amused. As I’ve already mentioned, Rachel lives pretty far from her English teaching job, which means that she must execute a two hour commute every day before and after work. Although this isn’t the most desirable fact of life for Rachel at the moment, it is certainly the spilled milk over which it isn’t necessary crying! On the contrary, there is already a sad pathetic little woman sitting at her desk in St. Etienne with milk ALL OVER her freshly pressed t-shirt decorated with English phrases like “Healthy Beautiful”, and “Mom will be so happy!”, and “I like to think I’m cool because I wear a shirt with English words on it that make absolutely no sense!” As it turns out, Rachel sent her address to the people in her Académie and a woman by the name of Mme Maléchet responded with:

You cannot live in Lyon and work in St. Etienne. I thought that I was very clear concerning this subject matter. Every year we have numerous problems concerning your long-stay card and of course your tardiness, absences…

I ask you one last time to accept our conditions either you live in St. Etienne or you quit.

Cordially
H. Maléchet

Needless to say, this woman is a loser! I understand her concern for Rachel being late to work, but in all seriousness, she DOES NOT have to right to tell her where she may live! That is an issue that concerns Rachel and Rachel alone! At least this is what Rachel, the Pastor of the church in Lyon, the nice lady at the Embassy of France in the United States, and I think!

After Rachel called her parents, we immediately contacted our new friend Carolyn Collins in Washington D.C. who is in charge of our program. She was just as shocked as we were to hear what had occurred. She assured Rachel that she would contact the necessary authority and send Rachel an e-mail as soon as possible. JUSTICE SHALL BE SERVED! If the académie still doesn’t budge, Rachel’s church will find an address for her in St. Etienne because,

THERE’S NO USE CRYING OVER SPILLED MILK MME MALÉCHET, SO PUT IT ON A T-SHIRT AND CRY TO YO MAMA!

Rachel was SO MAD, so we found as many individuals as possible to share her anger. It was a good moment for the soul.

I just told Rachel last night that I’ve finally decided that this time around, the French no longer scare me. The last time that I lived in France, every time something went down administratively that made me feel stupid, I blamed myself; this time I blame the administration itself. For example, I went to the bank in Paris last Tuesday to talk to someone about opening an account. When Rachel and I entered the breezeway and tried to access the front door, the woman refused to let us in. I rang the door bell as she was staring at me and she responded with, “ONLY ONE PERSON AT A TIME MAY ENTER!” I thought to myself, “HOW RUDE!” and dramatically insisted that Rachel leave the breezeway. As Rachel exited, the woman opened the door for me while scolding me for not reading the door. I literally rolled my eyes at her as she finally let Rachel in the door. Upon her entrance, I loudly and dramatically scolded Rachel for not being able to read the door. The woman just looked at us and then directly said to Rachel, “And normally you’re not supposed to enter with a hat either (Rachel was wearing a stylish bonnet of some sort)” I then ripped the bonnet off of Rachel’s head and exclaimed, “SHAME ON YOU!” The woman knew I was mocking her, and I personally didn’t care! I told Rachel that I was going to moon her as we left, but Rachel talked me out of it. If it weren’t for the other nice lady who works in the back that helped me obtain information about opening an account, I might have ignored Rachel and given to the mean lady at the front desk what was justly hers!

All in all, Rachel and I are learning how to manage the bad administration, but for the time being, we can’t help but feel frustrated. Pray that Rachel’s situation is solved and that all the mean people in France leave their apartment tomorrow morning and become victims of a drive-by baguetting.

Cordially,
C. Casper

Sans Abri, C'est Moi!

This is a photo taken at that long dinner that Rachel and I sat through the other night.

Currently, I am in Lyon, France where I came with Rachel to help her with her bags and to help her find things around town. She is living in a house provided by a church for which she will be working during her séjour in France. It’s a very nice home, but quite far from where she will be working in St. Étienne. She says that she will have a two hour commute both ways every day that she has to go to work. On the flip side, she doesn’t have to pay for rent, and the church is providing her with the finances necessary to use the public transport system. In the house there is another gentleman by the name of Alain-Georges. He is from Cameroun and also a VERY nice individual! He made dinner for us last night when we arrived! He also sat and talked with us for over two hours. All in all, Rachel’s situation is ideal (minus the long commute!).

I went back to Évry and finally spoke with someone who knows what is going on (well, sort of). I met a lady by the name of Catherine Hernandez who is in charge of my schedule and the minor details of the job. I had some questions for her about opening a bank account, but she didn’t know the answers. She went to make a phone call to someone who might know, but there were already two people in the office using the phone. That’s right, in a professional office like the National Inspector of the Department of Essonne for the Académie of Versailles, there are only two lines! Welcome to France. We waited a few minutes, but once one of the lines was free and Mme Hernandez had the opportunity to call someone, nobody answered. She then took my e-mail address and said that when she hears something, she will send me a message. I’ve still received nothing! No surprise!

Before leaving Paris yesterday, Rachel and I were in the hall of my current apartment building when an elderly lady by the name of Anique Pirrat who lives on the 6th floor asked us to carry a couple of small grocery sacks up the stairs for her. She told us that we could leave them at my door on the 5th floor and that when she made it up the stairs that far she would take them from there. Of course we insisted on taking them all the way up to her door. We also waited for her to pass my door so that we could get a chance to talk with her. It was perfect! As soon as she saw that we had left the door open, she was ready to chat! We asked her how she was doing and she asked us about our current situations in France. I informed her that I was looking for an apartment to stay for the next nine months and the wheels began to turn. She began to think of people that might be looking for roommates and of apartments that would suit me. After thinking for a bit, she remembered that there would be an apartment available on the 6th floor of the building just in front of the one in which I currently live. The building has an elevator, so I wouldn’t have to climb all of those stairs everyday if I didn’t feel like it. She informed me that the apartment was smaller than the one I am currently occupying, but that there are two rooms, a kitchenette, and a bathroom. The rent is €750 per month, but with a roommate, it would only be €375. That’s €25 below my budget! She told me that she would call the owner to ask about the place and that we could call her later on that evening once we’ve arrived in Lyon.

Once arriving in Lyon, we were picked up at the train station by the pastor of the church at which Rachel will be living and working. Once we arrived on site, we found an internet connection so that I could call Mme Pirrat. The call was successful as Mme Pirrat informed me that she had spoken with Mme Londner (the wife of owner of the apartment) and that I could call her for more information. She gave me Mme Londner’s number and I called right away. When she answered, I asked a few simple questions about the apartment and then asked if it would be possible for me to have a roommate. She wasn’t sure, so she told me that she would ask her husband and that I could call back at 13h the next day. I did! It was her husband that answered this time who informed me that having a roommate would be no problem. The only problem is that the apartment isn’t available until the middle of October; therefore, I’d have to stay with someone in the mean time. This won’t be a problem because as I have already mentioned, I’ve been blessed in Paris to have friends already who told me to let them know if I’m ever an SDF (Sans (Without) Domicile (Home) Fixe (Permanent)) and that they would help me!

I’ve not yet seen the apartment; therefore, I might be excited about nothing; however, it is in the same place as my current apartment which means that the door of the building opens to a metro station; there is a bakery and two cafés on the first floor, a Monoprix (A place like Target) across the street, and WONDERFUL views! Please pray that this works!

I’m still trying to open a bank account and get a cell phone, but other than that, Things are coming along just well!

Le Mot Pour Enamel Est Émail

Bonjour ya'll!

I am indeed alive! The internet here has been hit or miss (as is the French tradition); therefore, I’ve not been able to update like I’ve wanted. I have; however, the internet for the moment, so I will let you know what’s been going on.

I met Rachel in Charlotte, NC after leaving my family in the High Plains of Texas. We had one last American meal at Chili’s Too and a glass of wine before taking the plunge over the pond. As is normal, we didn’t sleep that well, so when arriving in Paris, we were a little tired.

We went through customs with no problem and received all of our bags, which we soon drug through the Parisian Metro system (OH LA LA!) to our friend Magali’s house in Nanterre (just north of Paris). After asking three different people for directions, we finally found the tower in which she lives. Of course when we got there she wasn’t home, so we followed someone in the front door and put all of our bags in the lobby. We then decided that I needed to go back to the train station to see if Magali had gone to look for us. While I was gone, Magali found Rachel in the lobby and when I returned, Rachel found me and told me that Magali had come by. Rachel was also standing in the lobby with the man who had come to fix Magali’s gas line. We let him in the apartment and he began to ask us several questions. We didn’t quite understand what he was saying, not because he was speaking French, but because we don’t know anything about fixing a gas line. So we laughed as the man insisted that we know what has been going on. When he left, we feel asleep on the couch for 5 hours (bad idea because we didn’t quite sleep that night!). When Magali came home, I realized that I needed to go to Paris to meet with the girl from whom I am renting an apartment for the month. I was supposed to call her earlier on in the day, but because of my nap, I put her in a bit of a panic. Oh well! She’s fine! I met her that evening and she gave me the tour of the apartment and the keys. It’s a NICE place! I wish I could stay here, but I’m afraid that it’s a bit above my budget and quite unavailable. I am; therefore, still on the prowl.

Later on that evening Rachel and I met up with her friend Lauriana that she met from Lyon who now lives in Paris and took her to meet up with our friends Charles, Able, and Stephane who were foreign exchange students at Baylor this past semester. It was a GREAT night! We met them at a bar and then Charles took us to a techno night club. It was quite funny, but we surely enjoyed watching the French try to dance (not that we Americans were any better!). We had to return to the metro before 1am so that we could take the train back to Magali’s house, so we walked with Abel and Laurianne to the metro station and said goodbye for the evening. Tomorrow we will be having dinner with Laurianne at her house!

On Friday Rachel went with me to see the school at which I will be teaching at talk with someone. When we got there, the director was a bit confused. She told me that I should have gone to some other place to receive instruction, so I informed her that my assignment said to come to her. She saw my sheet of paper and said, “This is the first time that I’ve ever seen anything like this!” She then took Rachel and I into her office and called someone. When the person answered the phone, the director said, “Well, I have an assistant sitting in front of me. What do I do with him?” I felt a bit insulted, but not surprised at the disarray of the French administration. The director then said, “It says that he starts on the 1^st of October, so he can’t start today!” WHAT?!?! TODAY?!?! Needless to say, this woman was clueless. She told me to come back Monday and go to some other place where I can meet with the pedagogy instructor. I’ll be going back in the morning!

Yesterday we tried to get a cell phone for me, but in order to do that you have to have a bank account first; therefore, we just walked through Paris, went back to my apartment to take a nap, and did some grocery shopping before meeting Magali and her friends for dinner. We were 30 minutes late to meeting Magali at a metro stop, but for the French we were on time. We then walked with her and her other friends to the restaurant where we waited for an hour for more of their friends to arrive. We finally ordered drinks and yet another hour passed before the others arrived and we had the chance to order our food. By the time we ate and chatted for a while, we had been in this restaurant for over four hours! I’m not kidding you, this is normal for the French! They don’t eat out very often, so when they do, it’s a BIG deal! Needless to say, I was ready to leave!

Today we went to find a church and stumbled upon a protestant reformed church. It was boring, so I won’t go back. After that we joined our friend Andrew who is studying at the Cordon Bleu and had lunch with him. We then went back to my place, took another nap, and had Andrew over for dinner. We had pasta and enjoyed throwing things out of the window just for fun. There is a skylight under the window in the kitchen, so of course we had to have a contest to see who could hit it with something. I won because not only did I hit it, my piece of bread stuck to it. It’s still there! Now I sit in one room of this apartment and write this blog to you! YAY! I hope you are all doing well! I miss you!

Le Nouveau Chemin!

OH LA LA! That’s all I can really say that accurately describes this feeling! I leave for the airport in three hours! By the time you read this, I may already be in the air or in France. As I spoke with Bradley Speer last night over one last cup of Roasters Coffee, I explained to him that leaving for France is like riding a roller coaster for the very first time. You know that it’s going to be fun, but as you climb that first hill, you fear for your life. Questions like: “Can I get off?” or “What if this thing breaks?” and “When will it be over?” begin to circulate in your head.

I wanted to share with you one last post before I leave the United States simply because there is no better time to express feelings than now! I’ve had one last dinner with the family, one last afternoon with mom, one last breakfast with a friend, and ever last hug I can get. I am mixed between wanting to laugh, wanting to cry, wanting to jump for joy, and wanting to scream! These feelings come from not wanting to leave my dear family, but looking forward to what waits for me in France.

As I have already mentioned to several people, I am not scared about going to France because I have never been there and don’t know what to expect, but rather because no matter what happens in life, change is scary! I know the language and the people; I just don’t know exactly what will happen! Will I be happy? Will I meet life time friends? Will I be anxious to come home? Will I never want to leave? WHO KNOWS?!?!

By this point in the post, you might be able to tell that I am sleep deprived and discombobulated like I have never been before! Please pray that things go well and that this journey allows me to go and bless others because I have been so blessed! I love every one of my family and friends and can’t express that enough!

Numéro 100!

THIS IS THE 100th POST ON cole-en-france!

So today is my birthday! YAY! I am officially 23! OH LA LA! Big deal right? I am 23 on the 30 and I have 3 days before I leave for France (whose country code is 33)! I don’t know if the number 3 means anything today, but in any case, I am glad that I found joy in something so small! I will also be attending my Baptist church soon to worship and learn about the trinity! What a coincidence!

In other more pertinent news, I shall give you an update on life in the recent days that precede the plunge. Plunge may sound like a funny word to describe my future venture, but it accurately describes how I feel! I’ve said goodbye to my friends, experienced my last night at American Eagle™, started packing my bags, and will soon leave home to discover a new life in another land. If that doesn’t sound like a plunge to you, I don’t know what else does! Allow me to further this thought by offering you the following:

It has been my experience that when encountering new experiences I freak out. This means that during the first few weeks of a recent transition (usually 3 LOL!), I begin to think irrationally. I often ask myself questions like, “COLE! What are you doing?!?!?”, or “COLE! Why did you leave the most comfortable place on earth to you?!?!”, or “COLE! Don’t you think that you should just spit on the ground and go home?!?!” The answers to these questions are usually found in a nice little chat with friends or family to help me understand that I am overreacting that that I must calm myself; however, when these thoughts begin to crowed my mind, I often feel helpless and strange. It is for this reason that I currently feel like I am about to take a plunge. I know that the next few weeks are going to be hard, but I’m never sure how hard things are going to be until I get there. Most of the time I feel lost because I am alone; however, I am trying to think positively in the fact that I will soon be living with a new person and that I will eventually find a permanent residence with some people who will keep me company. But one never knows! This, my friends, is called: THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN! AH AH AH AH!

Now that I have mentioned it, allow me to explain to you my living situation. For the month of September, I have reserved a room of an apartment that is being sub-rented for one month only. I found this place at http://www.appartager.com/ from a girl named Agnès. Agnès will not be in her home for the month, so she will be renting it to two people, a girl from Greece named Hara and myself. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I will be living for one month with a Greek girl. I do apologize if you are of the southern influence and find this to be horribly offensive; however, please understand that when you’re on a budget, beggars cannot be choosers! During the month of September, I will be making the necessary arrangements of finding a cell phone, a bank account, a metro pass, and of course, permanent housing. I know that I might be able to find something from the United States just as I did when I found Agnès’ apartment; however, I would much rather be available to visit places and meet people before I randomly end up with weirdoes for nine months! Hara may be strange and Agnès’ place may stink (or vice versa), but at the end of September I can always say “CIAO!” and hit the road running!

When I arrive in Paris on September 3rd, I will meet Agnès at 18h30 to receive the key and tour the apartment. Cross your fingers!

Que le monde change!

All humans who love must understand the necessity of change! Unfortunately, the human brain has not the capacity to embrace a concept so enormously complex and frequently ruthless.

You may have already giggled at the sight of me in pink shorts upon discovering this post. I have posted this photo to highlight the gay spirit (LOL) which greeted me as I arrived at my three month layover in Amarillo. You may already be familiar with the events of this summer and understand how blessed I feel to have been here with family and friends before leaving for France; however, in an effort to “drive the point home” I would like to share the following:

As I said goodbye to Chase and Nicole tonight, I realized that this life, in its many moments of change, never allows for vain moments of idleness. If one admits that there have been times which have taught us nothing, one fails miserably to recognize that every moment of every day is to be lived with intent and purpose. Before I arrived in Amarillo, I expected to learn nothing that I hadn’t already known; instead, I became a master at the art of cubing (solving a Rubik’s Cube), a jean expert, a good friend in three relationships, and a believer in providence. These things all because of the love and support I have received from this West Texas community. So as Chase and Nicole return to Rochester, New York in the morning while David becomes more habituated with his life as an Okie, I will embrace my final two weeks in the High Plains of Texas by (as Amber commented on my last post) “…drink[ing] some shiner, eat[ing] some steak, sip[ing] some iced tea, kick[ing] back in the AC, listen[ing] to the crazy thunderstorms, enjoy[ing] the 24 hour convenience of walmart, drive[ing] ruby (my car), say[ing] y'all, and notic[ing] the touchability of the toilet to the tub.... for soon they shall all be gone!” In addition to this, I will also endear the last moments I spend with my family. Although I am sad to see this American life leave me, I have never felt more right about something as I do about moving to France! This summer has given me the much needed confidence to leave American Eagle™, board American Eagle™ and fly away.

This past Saturday as I unenthusiastically folded jeans only to have the takers (customers) pull them out of the wall once again, I encountered a family looking for a pair of Bootcut – Light Bleach Repair Wash jeans for their son. Without speaking, I saw what the family needed and escorted them to a wardrober where the jeans were hanging. When I asked what size the son needed, I heard the mother trying to interpret what I was saying into French. WHAT?!?!?! SHE’S NOT SPEAKING SPANISH?!?!?! I politely asked, “Parlez-vous français?” to which she bewilderingly answered, “OUI!” It turns out that the family was on vacation and in the process of touring the Southern United States when they got the “hankerin’“ for some good ole’ west Texas mall shoppin’. How fortunate that our paths crossed!

This past Sunday as I exited the men’s locker room at the Town Club to begin my workout, I open the door to a father standing in the hallway saying to his children, “Là c’est pour les filles et là c’est pour les garçons.” He was instructing them, IN FRENCH, where to go in order to change after having enjoyed an afternoon at the pool. I then reacted by asking, “Parlez-vous français?” to which the father bewilderingly answered, “OUI! Parlez-vous français?” to which I enthusiastically answered, “OUI!” It turns out that the family was from Cameroun and now lives in Amarillo where they often get the “hankerin’” for some good ole’ west Texas dives in the local watering hole. How fortunate that our paths crossed!

Today, when I asked a man in our store if he was looking for jeans, I received this response in English, “Do you speak French?” to which I enthusiastically answered, “OUI!” The man was floored at receiving the response he had never in a million years expected to receive in Amarillo, Texas. It turns out that he and his wife were on vacation from their home in Belgium with their daughter who just graduated from a university in Montreal when they too got the “hankerin’” for some good ole’ west Texas mall shoppin’. How fortunate that our paths crossed!

The odds of finding people who speak French in Amarillo are extremely slim! The odds of people who speak French as their native language randomly finding that one Amarilloan who happens to be bilingual in English and French are even slimmer! Not only are these stories true, they further enforce the previously made statement about me being a strong believer in providence. I feel drawn to France, but even more importantly, I feel France being drawn to me. I don’t know what is in store for me in two weeks, but as Rachel Biel has noted time and time again, “Dieu a des projets pour toi en France!” God has plans for me in France! The change which lies ahead is enormously complex and so ruthless towards the relationships I cherish with my friends and family; however, it is indeed necessary and magnificently intended!

By the way, I found an apartment for the month of September! I will share more with you as the details develop!

Exprimez-vous!

I just had to share this photo of Oliver with you! I'm going to miss him!

So here’s the low-down, I’M GOING TO FRANCE! In 19 days, I WILL BE IN FRANCE! Just the other day, I was thinking to myself, “Self, in less than a month, YOU WILL BE ON THE PARISIAN METRO!”

“Now don’t get too excited! There is still much left to do!” said I to myself! I am currently in the process of finding an apartment for at least the month of September. I figure that once I arrive in Paris and have a place to stay, I will be able to find a more suitable and permanent home for myself and I.

In the mean time, I finish my work at American Eagle and bid farewell to my summer crew as they leave before we do (that is, myself and I). This summer has been great and has truly given me time to relax, make some money, enjoy friends and family, and absorb as much of Texas as I can before I hop onto that metal bird and sore across that blue pond!

Yesterday I placed as my facebook status, “Cole a besoin d’un appartement à Paris”, which means “Cole needs an apartment in Paris!” I didn’t expect many people to respond, but much to my surprise, I received 8 comments, 3 of which were from French people, 1 from a girl that I met in France who is from Jamaica (who wrote her message in French), 3 from Americans writing in English, and 1 from an American writing in French! They had things to say like,

“Yeah man, je t'acceuilles a bras ouvert :)” –Stéphane Tsang

(I welcome you with open arms)

...and...

“Hey cole, tu arrives quand?? C'est vraiment cool que tu reviennes après ton année de vacances aux USA ! LOL! Bon fais moi signe des que tu es la! Biz” -Eugénie Fradin

(Hey Cole, when are you arriving?? It’s so cool that you’re coming back after your year of vacation in the United States! LOL! Well, let me know when you’re here! Kisses”)

Needless to say, these messages remind me that I am going to a place where I need to be and that won’t be unfamiliar! HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!

In other news, the visa process was a walk in the park! I went down to Houston with John a week ago Tuesday, handed them my information and passport; they kept my passport (new procedure) and mailed it back to me by Friday! Considering that I arrived back in Amarillo on Thursday after having spent some final time with my Baylor family, I only had to wait one day for my passport to return with my newly adhesively applied visa! GLORIOUS!

I will keep you posted as more news arrives. As of late, I am waiting to hear from someone in France who might have an apartment for me for the month of September! Keep your fingers crossed!

FRANCOT EST ARRIVE!

WHO KNOWS WHAT THIS IS?!?!?!?! Don't be shy... raise your hands... both of them... now pretend like you're taking the first dive on the coolest roller coaster in the world... are you screaming yet?

IT'S MY LETTER FROM FRANCE! I can now venture to Houston to obtain my VISA! Francot has arrived!

Since I just posted yesterday, there isn't much to add to this post; therefore, I will simply leave you with this exciting bit of information with which you may do as you please.

l'Aigle Américain

I am writing you with much joy in my heart! It is 00h46 in the morning and I just got off of work about one hour ago. In most people’s hearts, there would be anger and fatigue after having to work so late; however I just had the time of my life!

As you now know, I work for American Eagle at good ole’ Westgate Mall here in Amarillo, TX. At the beginning of this job, I anticipated that I would be bored to tears; ON THE CONTRARY! If you read my last post, you know that my job in retail has been anything but boring! Today was a blast! I got to help this young man look for jeans while his grandma told me about this computer hunting game that she plays where, “…if you walk around with a net, the scorpions will attack you and you die! But it’s ok, because you just end up back at your house all alive again!” Now isn’t that SOMTHIN’? I thought so anyway! I also helped a few disgruntled women find jeans for their husbands who are too lazy to go shopping for themselves. AND, the nicest man from Austin came in today to find some jeans for his 20 year reunion at Amarillo High School. His name was Greg and he’s the pastor of a new church by the name of Ecclesia Austin. All in all, I was given a 12 pair of jeans goal and sold 30! On Sunday I will be trained as a Denim Expert! I get a t-shirt and all the fixins’ INCLUDING, but not limited to, a tricked out nametag! But in all seriousness, the people who work with me at American Eagle are some of the greatest most down-to-earth people with whom I could have ever had the blessing of working this summer! I’ve been blessed!

In other news, I recently discovered that I will be teaching in a town just sixteen miles south of Paris by the name of Évry. I’ve started a rigorous apartment and church search. Today I stumbled across a church by the name of l’Eglise Baptiste de Ris-Orangis. I e-mailed the pastor and he returned my e-mail right away! I’m SO excited! I asked him in the e-mail if he knew of any young adults looking for a roommate and he told me that he would ask his congregation. Cross your fingers!

Last week Elizabeth and John from Baylor came to visit me. I gave them the grand tour of Amarillo and we had a blast! I truly miss them and the rest of the Baylor crew, but I know that France is where God’s will lies. I’m just closing my eyes, taking a deep breath, and taking a leap! We’ll see how things go…

C'est de la µ€®Ð€!

Oh how things have changed! I have waited a long time before writing another post. This is because I understand that the recent events in my life have had little to do with France and that this post would just be me rambling about my ordinary life. On the other hand, I am exuberantly pleased to update those who chose to read this post by informing you that things are going very well for little ole me.

As was reported in my last post, finding a short-term job is not an easy task, but after much patience, I received a call three weeks ago from American Eagle™ and have been adventurously working there ever since. I say adventurously because things have been anything but dull in my new retail endeavor. Allow me to paint a picture for you by recounting one small but pivotal event that occurred just last Saturday. Please note that this story is not for those with weak stomachs nor extremely vivid visual imaginations!

Context: I’m in the process of welcoming customers into our store while assisting a man and his ten or eleven year old son look for a pair of jeans. I make my recommendations and wait while the son tries on his selections in one of our fancy fitting rooms. I briefly move on to other customers and begin to help a woman find a specific jean size. Realizing that I would need to venture to the back room to find said woman’s requested size, I am approached by the son’s father who informs me that his son has had an accident in front of register number one. The father then moves horizontally away from the scene of the crime to continue his shopping, thus revealing to me the freshly laid pile of human fecal matter. (If you are extremely sensitive or easily offended, please do not read this next sentence!) The pile is not of habitual substance one would expect in the middle of a retail venue, but more like the substance one would expect in the middle of the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat at Baylor University. I kid you not, my first thought is thus, “Where do we keep our shovel!” Not knowing if this occurrence is normal for American Eagle™, and obviously not knowing the protocol, I approach my assistant manager Kendra to inform her of the incident. With a pair of jeans in my hand, I attempt to discretely explain to Kendra the situation; however, with the father watching me attentively, the only words able to escape from my mouth are, “Uh… He uh… That kid uh… I’m going to the back to check on a size for someone!” Kendra asks me if something is wrong, to which I respond, “Uh… well… uh… follow me!” She follows me to the back and I inform her of the situation:

ME: “THAT KID JUST HAD AN ACCIDENT!”
KENDRA: “What sort of accident? Did he wet himself?”

ME: “NO! HE POOPED IN THE FLOOR!”

KENDRA: “OH MY GOD! SHUT UP!”
ME: “REALLY! GO TAKE A LOOK!”
KENDRA: walks away to observe the festering pile and returns to say, “OH – MY –GOD! I’M QUEEZY! ARE YOU OK? ARE YOU GOING TO BE SICK?”
ME: “No, I’m fine. I worked in the hospitals in high school. I’m used to such things.”
KENDRA: “OH GOOD! Do you mind cleaning it up?”
ME: “Uh… not at all! Do we have anything with which to clean it?”
KENDRA: “Just go and find anything you can from the back!”

ME: “Ok…”

I then go to the back and find two bags and a pair of rubber gloves. When I reenter the main part of the store, Kendra comes over our walkie-talkies to say, “Here comes Cole in the hazmat suit!” The rest is history. Although this event may sound traumatizing, It makes the rest of the day at work so much fun as we laugh and joked about our store being the new squat and shop in Westgate Mall.

Apart from my new job, I’ve also been spending much time with my friends David, Chase (my best friend in elementary school), and Nicole (Chase’s girlfriend). We used to just see one another in Roasters, our favorite coffee shop in town, but eventually decided that we have much in common and enjoy being with one another. We have therefore spent every night for the past month doing things like watching Harry Potter, playing tennis, roasting marshmallows, cooking dinners, going out to eat, and exploring downtown Amarillo (which happens to be a great place to spend Friday nights!) It also doesn’t hurt that Nicole also happens to be an American Eagle™ associate like me! It just so happens that I was covering one of her shifts when the pooper attacked!

All in all, Amarillo has turned out to be a great place to spend the summer while waiting for my departure to France! For the past week and for the rest of this week, my best friend from middle school and high school Sarah Stanford is in town and has been spending time with my Amarillo posy. In addition to this glorious group of individuals, my best friends from Baylor John Kitch and Elizabeth Lattier will be coming to town this Friday to pay me a visit! Oh how the tables have turned! Life is good!

En Attendant Godot

Waiting for Goddy is the name of this post. It is the title of a book written by Samuel Beckett about the absurdity of the human condition. This is to say, that humans often find themselves in absurd circumstanced in which they realize that they are waiting for something to happen in their lives but rarely are willing to take the necessary responsibility to bring this “something” to fruition. The name Godot can be related to other names in the French language such as Charlot or Jacquot. In English, the name Goddy can be related to other names such as Charley or Bobby. In other words, Godot and Goddy are nicknames for God. With that said, this title paints for us a picture of a person who insists upon the intervention of his or her good ole’ friend God. “Oh just pray and God will make it happen!”, “Don’t worry; it’s all in God’s hands!”, and “Just put your trust in God!” are some of the many phrases fed to individuals as they face the many carrefours (intersections) of life. While these phrases bring about hope and remind us that we are not the sole contributors in our lives, they often persuade a person to think that no action is necessary upon his or her part. Unfortunately, those who wait often find themselves with nothing; whereas, those who take the necessary responsibility to make things happen often find themselves in positions of success.

Over fourteen job applications and one month later, I am still a jobless Amarilloan waiting for a letter from Versailles, France to inform me of my new school in which I will eventually be teaching French students how to speak the language I have been exclusively speaking for the entire month of June. Don’t place prepositions at the ends of sentences; don’t use words like fast and good as adverbs; they is not third person singular… These are the rules that will be taught by me to the French, but rules rarely followed by my American friends and family. As I sleep for fourteen hours every day only to wake up and search the mail box for a letter from France, I also wait to hear from my friends at Express, American Eagle, Buffalo Wild Wings, Marriott, Starbucks, Roasters, Durry Inn, etc… Am I waiting for Godot?

With the fear of not taking responsibility for my actions blazon on my brain at the beginning of the summer, I submitted my application at several locations around town. There were days during which I would simply wait by the phone for a call, but for the most part, the search has been fairly consistent. Today, I was promised by Express that I would receive a call at around 15h. I waited until 16h15 before I finally placed the call myself. As it turns out, something came up and nothing was able to be discussed between the many organized managers running the show over at West Gate Mall. What am I to do? Beckett never laid out a plan of action in the scenario that one has seemingly taken the responsibility but nothing happens.

The same issue has arisen with my letter from Versailles. I can do NOTHING about my move to France until I have that letter. I can’t obtain a Visa, I can’t find housing until I know where I will be teaching, and I can’t purchase a plane ticket until I for sure have a place to live. I AM WAITING ON FRANCOT!

I now find myself writing this blog while watching Property Virgins on HGTV™ while my mom insists that I explain to her in detail why I “…DIDN’T EAT ALL OF THE MEAT!” Oh “…for the love!” as my dear friend Sharia Brock would say…

Adieu!

I once heard an actor in a sitcom say, "If you love someone, you have to let them go!" It was a sitcom; therefore, there had to be a comical line to follow: "I love you...GO!" I believe that when I first heard this "put down" I was in elementary school and thought it would be a fun line to use on my friends. They didn't think it was as funny as I did. Oh well! I eventually got over it and found a few funnier and more insulting lines from my primetime nick-at-nite™ friends. Nonetheless, this idea of letting someone go was a concept that never left my mind.

As I flushed my last campus commode (in the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat), I realized that it was really happening. As soon as I wash my hands and walk out of the door, I will be saying goodbye to people and Baylor indefinitely. No promises to be made about future appearances and no expectations to be held of such appearances. I had graduated and would be saying goodbye. Naturally, as I waved to my friends John and Reese, I said the ritual, "See you later!" It was a promise in which no definite hopes should be placed. I understand that I am never promised to see a person again when I say "See you later!", but it's a phrase that allows me to sleep at night. Before saying "See you later!" for the last time, Reese asked me "Will you ever see us again?" to which I replied, "Every day in my head!" It was a bit of a movie moment during which John escaped before it became too real. I watched John drive away in his "I Support the Troops" red truck and tried not to be too emotionally overtaken. I said my parting words to Reese as I hopped in my vehicle and eventually shut the door. I made a special effort to drive past Pat Neff Hall and as soon as I did, the tears began to flow.

There is something about Pat Neff Hall that seems to embody the spirit of what Baylor means to me. In our school song, one of the lines reads, "We'll fling our Green and Gold afar to light the ways of time". These two colors are always represented by the snow white tower capped with a golden bourret that lights the Waco night sky. Even in the seasons when a Baylor loss in football or basketball must be bared with the white lights that hide the victorious Green shone upon the tower, the tip of the tower can never hide her true colors. These two colors are the colors of the blood that flows through the heart of the campus and into the hands and feet of the many Baylor Bears that trod upon the four corners of the earth. The tower sings throughout the day to remind us of the angelic music that calms all hearts when times of hardship must be faced. This music brings tears to our eyes because we understand that there is someone greater than us who will never leave our sides nor to whom we will ever have to say "See you later!" for the last time. Pat Neff Hall is not the oldest building on campus, but like all Baylor Bears, she joined the Baylor family in the middle of Baylor history, only to become a landmark.

As I looked upon this tower one last time, the song Chariot by Gavin Degraw plays from a CD given to me by my friend Amber. It's a bitter sweet moment. I reach the last set of columns that represent the Baylor Heritage in Independence, TX and begin to cry with an unbearable feeling of sadness. It was one of those feelings that remind you that there is nothing you can do to change this. I decided to send a message to Dub Oliver to say goodbye. He responded with a heartfelt message that didn't help to remedy the flow of tears. I-35N would be my route and Amarillo would be my destiny (for the next three months that is).

I now sit here in Amarillo waiting for a summer job to support me until my time comes to once again fling my Green and Gold afar in the land that is so dear to my heart - La France!

Je Retourne!

As many of you may already know, I applied for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to France and was awarded a non-Fulbright French Government Teaching Assistantship. This means that in the fall of 2009, I will start my job as an English Teaching Assistant in FRANCE!

I recently received an e-mail from the French Embassy in Washington D.C.:

Dear Future Teaching Assistant,

Congratulations! We are very pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the French Teaching Assistantship Program for the 2009-2010 academic year, sponsored by the French Ministry of Education.

You have been placed in the Académie of Versailles. You will be assigned to one or more schools in the region, however please note that your school(s) will not necessarily be located in the city of “Versailles." You can find out more information about your particular Académie d’affectation at the following website: http://www.ac-versailles.fr/

In June, you will receive a letter directly from your Académie containing your “Arrêté de Nomination.” This document will provide essential information, including the name(s) and address(es) of the school(s) where you will teach, the length of your contract, level of instruction, and your contact person’s information. Please note that I do not know yet where you will be assigned within the Académie, nor can I change your placement.

Please confirm by e-mail whether you will accept the offered position as a Teaching Assistant in France. If your plans have changed and you are no longer able to participate in this year’s program, we ask that you let us know immediately so that we can offer the post to another candidate on the waiting list. Should you resign from this year’s program, we cannot guarantee your future acceptance into the program as deferment is not an option.

We look forward to hearing from you and félicitations!

Court!

It’s finals week! No big deal! These tests are very easy! It’s been no thang but a chicken wing! I have nine finals and they all aren’t going to be so easy. I hope anyway! Today I have posted some more updates from the two week vacation. Enjoy!

This is a picture of the tram next to the university.

Part II, II, et IV!

The next day we went to a German Lutheran Church. It was interesting! I couldn’t understand a word that was being said, so I was a bit board; however, It was a very cultural experience! After that we found a little flee market where I bought a pin that says “Deutschland” for my backpack. We then toured the town of Hanover a bit and saw the high points. C’était vachement génial ! After walking through town we ate at a very nice and cheep restaurant near Sarah and Sean’s apartment. Laura and Sean tried to teach me some German words, but I wasn’t quite picking it up. Oh well. I thought that maybe French would be useful in Germany, but I was extremely wrong! Everybody in Germany speaks English. Even bums speak English. It’s crazy! If I had wanted to study German, I would have probably cried without ceasing! I’m a blessed that most French people don’t speak fluent English! That won’t be the case in just a few years, but for now ça va!

The next day Sarah and I took a stroll through the town while are friends wrote essays. They had to take an online class back at their home campus in San Angelo and they had to do homework while we were there – HOW RUDE! Sarah and I walked through the town together and found a really cool park. We took some pictures next to some old gazebo and some random German lady walked by and said something. I had no clue what she was saying, so I just said, “JA!” which is German for yes. After that we met back up with our friends and went to dinner. Sara and Sean took us to this really nice but cheap restaurant. They gave you a free bottle of wine if you buy two meals off of the same menu! Seeing as how I have become temporarily French, I was very happy! Don’t worry Sharia; I will become American again before I come back to Baylor! I’ve never been drunk in my life, but the bottle of wine that Sarah and I shared did make us both very happy to be alive!

The next day Sarah and I departed for Hamburg where we would be taking our flight to Paris. When we got off of the train, some young guy asked me for money and I went ahead and gave him a little bit. Later on, Sarah and I were trying to figure out how we were going to pay for the lockers for our luggage considering that we had no coins. That’s when I saw the same guy walk by and approached him to ask for change (I KNEW HE HAD SOME!). When I asked him he started to tell me his story again. I just stoped him by saying, “Yeah, I already know… remember…I gave you some money…do you have change for a five?” He did and he gave it to me! After that we wondered around town for a while and waited for our friends to arrive in Hamburg to say goodbye. While we waited we went into a café and I ordered coffee for us using four of the nineteen German words I know! I was very proud! When they finally got there we took some pictures and said farewell. Sarah and I then tried to navigate the Hamburg Airport. It wasn’t that hard. As a matter of fact, we were so early that we ended up being some of the first ones at our gate. Sarah was getting sick in the process and really not excited that her first time in Paris would be remembered as a sick time.

Ca RE-Recommence!

For those of you still keeping up with this blog despite my lack of faithfulness, bless you! Today you will find three blog posts. The first one is the one you are currently reading, the second is Part I of my two week voyage, and the third one is about my trip to Versailles. Each day I post there will be another part of the two week voyage, so there should be quite a bit to read in the near future. There will also be a future post about my trip to Tours in the Loire Valley. Lord willing, I will have all of my trips archived BEFORE I return to the USA. We’ll see how that goes!

As of today there are 25 days left for me in France. I am sad and happy at the same time. I know that once I get home to Amarillo that France will be missing from me like crazy! I will probably also start to use certain French terms like the one you just read. What I meant to say was that I will miss France; however, in France I would say that France will be missing from me. It’s ok; I often speak French using English terms. C’est la vie!

This is my last week of classes and then I will be starting finals. If you think about it, please pray that things go well! Be looking for updates!