Food: the enemy?

As usual, I should be studying right now. But you know, when inspiration strikes... anyways, I've been trying to get in shape lately, and eat healthier, so I've been reading and such to find out what I should do. What everyone seems to be telling me is that food is evil and anything that tastes good should be avoided. Not only this, but it almost seems that if we do enjoy food, then we're doing something wrong, which makes me sad.

It's not food itself that's evil, it's what we do to it and how we eat it. Every food has a basis in nature, it's just that we take it and batter, fry it, and wrap it in bacon until it's unrecognizable. Somewhere along the way, man discovered that a cheap way of adding flavor was through oil and butter, and we haven't looked back. But now, we're also incredibly aware of how horrible these things are for our bodies. So when I see mozzarella sticks, my first thought is "Get in my belly", but then I think of how much exercise I'll have to do to work it off. However, fresh mozzarella in and of itself is not a bad thing to eat, in moderation of course. Most people here wouldn't even recognize fresh buffalo mozzarella though; we think of fried cheese instead. We do this with almost everything that starts out completely healthy. Zucchini turns into fried zucchini sticks, coffee beans turn into peppermint mocha frappacinos, and even salads turn into ranch, cheese, and bacon disasters.

Something I read did strike a cord with me; it's that the simpler the food is, the healthier it is. The less ingredients, the better. So many products we buy have SO MANY ingredients in them. If you look at a can of soup, it will list completely different things than if you just made the soup yourself. Not to mention that it'll taste better AND be healthier. Who would've thought healthy and yummy could be used at the same time?

One of the things I learned in Europe was to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables. There, they are so cheap and plentiful, and you felt better for eating them. I've tried to bring this habit back with me, although it's not quite as cheap here. But I for sure feel better after eating a salad (a real salad, not a cheese/ranch crapsalad) rather than a Big Mac and fries. Also, when you really enjoy your food, you'll eat slower, and therefore not as much.

This is the main point, I think. We've taken the enjoyment out of eating. We eat either out of convenience or just for survival. We don't cook, sit down, and enjoy a good dinner with good company. We're too busy, too tired, etc. I think this is really a big loss for society, as eating is one of the pleasures that God has given us. Obviously, we shouldn't be gluttonous, but we can enjoy fresh foods in moderation. We shouldn't spend our time dwelling on calories and "a moment on the lips; a lifetime on the hips".. If you're eating fresh food, it shouldn't be a big deal.

Not that you shouldn't treat yourself sometimes... that's why we're always feeling guilty, because we've put such a label on sweets, fatty foods etc. I think you should eat them sometimes. It's about mentality. I've found that since changing my diet, I feel healthier, thinner, and in a better mood. Which makes me not want to eat fatty crap, actually. It's not to say that I never crave Taco Bell or Zaxby's, and when I do, I eat it. It's not such a taboo to me anymore, which lessens my desire for it.

I'm no health expert, that's for sure. I can't even begin to lecture about exercise, because I really struggle to make myself do it. But I will say that I feel better when I do. Mostly, I just wish our mentality towards food would change. It's not the enemy, it's not trying to get you. It's tasty and meant to be enjoyed. Just enjoy responsibly.

xoxo

Check please!

After working in several restaurants, I've realized that people aren't reasonable at all. I've learned more about human behavior than a textbook could ever teach me. People like to be right, and they like for others to think they're right. People are often unrealistic and inconsiderate, because we're selfish creatures.

I try to bear that in mind as I serve customers, but sometimes it gets to me. So I thought I would do my part to inform others on basics of dining out. First of all, here are some basics that everyone should know:

1. Remember the tip. Of course, I'm a server, so this is rather important to me. But I realize that sometimes people don't think about it until the end of the meal, and then have an "oh crap" moment. Guess what? If you're dining out, there will ALWAYS be a tip. In America, at least. I'll follow this list with more tipping etiquette, so not too much right now.

2. Know that your server is not also cooking your food. In fact, sometimes I don't even see it before it hits your table. Don't get an attitude with me over your soup being cold. Chances are, you didn't read on the menu that it's a chilled soup, but even if not, I still didn't cook it. I would be happy to take it back and exchange it for a fresh, hot bowl, but if you're rude to me, I will be very tempted to spit in your food (not that I've ever actually done that.)

3. Keep in mind the business of the restaurant. If you come on Tuesday night, you can expect very hands-on service. If you come Friday night before a game, I'm probably going to be running around like a chicken with my head cut off, and can't sit and chat. If there's several parties going on, it's probably going to take longer to get your food. See #2 if you have a problem with that.

4. Speak clearly and precisely. If you say, "We'll take the bread pudding", I'll assume you want one to share. So don't be mad when only one comes out. If you each want one, say so. If you let your husband order for you, and he orders your steak well done, but you wanted mid-rare, don't have a mini-argument about it right there.. just order your own freaking food! It's not difficult, and we aren't in the 19th century.

5. Don't be a know-it-all. Servers know about the food (assuming you aren't talking about Ruby Tuesday, Applebee's, etc), and would be happy to tell you about it. Don't order scallops, and be mad that they're "seafood-y".. DUH?! Also, if you don't know how to pronounce something, just point. It's embarrassing how many times people have ordered "pay-ELLE-a", (paella). I will make fun of you (in my head), so just point! I realize not everyone is a foodie, or speaks multiple languages, which is why there are descriptions underneath. If you can't say the name, either point or say what it actually is.


Tipping Etiquette

1. Standard Rules: 15-18% in most restaurants, 20% fine dining. And YES, you do tip on wine, etc. If I have to present and open it for you, then I better get paid for that service.

2. This is America. We tip here. There is literally no excuse for foreigners. I don't care if you're from France, Germany, or the freaking moon. For every country I've been to, I've read the country's etiquette on tipping, social behaviors, etc, so you can do the same. Servers in America typically get paid $2.13 an hour, sometimes more, but we rarely see that money with all the taxes taken out. We depend on tips. It doesn't matter if your country doesn't do it like that and you think it's stupid; chances are, I think some things about your country are stupid too.

3. If you're on a budget, pre-meditate the tip. It's always coming. If you have a set amount to spend for the night, factor the tip into that. Don't spend your whole budget and then remember tax and tip later. It's ALWAYS coming. And I'm always making WAY below minimum wage and depending on you.

4. Don't tease your server. If you are chatty and nice, of course it makes a more enjoyable experience for me. I mean, if you're nice to me, then I will bend over backwards to make sure you enjoy your experience, but also let's be real, it's my job, and I'm working for the tip. Don't be super nice to me and then reward me with 15%.. Usually when things go really well, people go above and beyond, so I'm expecting that... then I'm really disappointed to see that all my efforts are unappreciated. From a cold, distant table, I would expect this, (although 15% is fairly low for fine dining), but not from cool people.

Anyways, these are just tips that may help some people. I think a lot of people aren't educated on these things, and until you've worked in a restaurant, you can never completely understand. It's not for everyone, but for me, it's perfect, because it's never the same thing.

xoxoxo

je suis perdu sans toi

I know that I kind of slacked on my blog over this semester. I really meant to keep it updated, and inform everyone at home of every detail of my life, but I kind of got lost living it. I have been working on writing summaries and impressions of all of the places I got to go, so I'll start posting those soon.

I've been back in Auburn for 2 1/2 weeks now, and out of Europe for almost a month. It's really weird because I still remember everything like it was yesterday, and still constantly compare things to there. For instance, it was kind of hard working again.. I mean, I got used to not working, not to mention the awful work ethic and service of the French. The fact that servers here check on you more than just taking your order and delivering food is kind of odd now. Also, a lot changes in 5 months. Sometimes it doesn't seem like it when you first see people you knew, but when you start talking you realize how much has changed, and of course a lot of it is me. It's not that I'm being snobby or anything, I just really realize now how much I've learned. More than I've ever learned in a classroom. About life, cultures, love, and friendship. I've really been missing people lately. Paolo, very much, of course, but also everyone else. I miss beach days, acting like our life was difficult because we had pebbles instead of sand. I miss our IPAG group fb chats trying to figure out where to go that night. I miss Shem always juggling, no matter where we were. I even miss telling Myroslava to stay with the group haha.

I'm fine really, I'm happy in Auburn. But now I see how simultaneously big and small the world really is, and I can't wait to explore it all!

Here's the lyrics to a song that I'm really obsessed with now that I fully grasp the meaning of it(there's an English version too, but the French version is actually much more meaningful):

Simple Plan – Jet Lag (French Version) Lyrics
(ft. Marie-Mai)

Quel heure est-il où tu es ?
Un autre avion et tu repars
Je me sens si loin si tu savais
Et j’attends ton retour encore
C’est comme si on vivait à l’envers
J’aimerais te dire qu’on pourra s’y faire
Tryin to figure out the time zones makin me crazy

You say good morning
When it’s midnight
Going out of my head
Alone in this bed
Quand je m’endors tu te réveilles
Et je compte les heures j’en perds le sommeil
And my heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged
Heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged
Heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged, so jetlagged

Oh Oh

Je te cherche quand tu n’es pas là
Dans une semaine je reviendrais
Je perds mon souffle quand tu t’en vas
Je m’imagine à tes côtés
Même si j’essaie de l’ignorer
Tu es toujours là dans mes pensées
Tryin to figure out the time zones makin me crazy

You say good morning
When it’s midnight
Going out of my head
Alone in this bed
Quand je m’endors tu te réveilles
Et je compte les heures j’en perds le sommeil
And my heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged
Heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged
Heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged, so jetlagged

Je suis perdu sans toi
Je t’attends encore
Je suis perdu sans toi
Mais rentre il est tard
Je suis perdu sans toi
Et je veux vivre ton aurore
Je suis perdu sans toi
Et qu’on en sorte plus fort
Je suis perdu sans toi
Turn the hour hand back to when you were holding me
You say good morning
When it’s midnight
Going out of my head
Alone in this bed
Quand je m’endors tu te réveilles
Et je compte les heures I miss when

You say good morning
When it’s midnight
Going out of my head
Alone in this bed
Quand je m’endors (je m’endors) tu te réveilles (tu te réveilles)
Et je compte les heures j’en perds le sommeil
And my heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged
Heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged
Heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged, so jetlagged

time of my life

(I wrote this on the plane home)
I really can't express my feelings right now. I will miss my life here in Nice so very much. Not even things like the beach, or Europe in general, but I'll miss the fantastic people I've met.

When I came here, I didn't expect to meet so many different people from so many different places. Now I literally have friends from every continent (except Antarctica). Also, not all of them are people I would necessarily have chosen as friends at home, simply because of the vast differences. In Alabama, I'm in my comfort zone, with people that are similar to me. Here, I was thrust together with people completely opposite of me. But I can honestly say that I have found some of the best, most sincere friends I've ever had. And to think, when I came, I was nervous that I wouldn't find any friends. There were even a lot of people that I regret not getting to know any better than I did.

Four months is simply not enough time. All relationships were put on the fast track. I met "the horses" as we're apparently know, and 3 weeks later we went on a tour of Italy together. And became best friends. We were all thrown into a culture and language completely foreign to us, and had to learn to cope together. We complained to each other about all our horrible experiences with the French, braved ladies' nights at Akathor, and discovered Europe together.

I also didn't expect to find a relationship, much less really fall for someone here. In fact, I came here wanting the opposite. I wanted to be single, and enjoy my youth, and what do you know, I became half of one of the only erasmus relationships here. It may have taken a while (REALLY) to get over the cultural differences and trust each other, but I wouldn't change it for anything. I just hope that we can handle the ocean between us, but I think so.

All in all, I've had the time of my life, and I really don't know how to express it. It's something that unless you've experienced it, you can't understand. I know everyone at home will be asking me about my trip, but how do you put four months into words? I'll probably say that it was amazing, but that doesn't begin to touch it. I've laughed, I've cried, and everything in between:I don't know how to leave.

It's not that I don't miss my family, friends, and of course, my precious dog, but I guess I just know when I'll see them again. As for my Nicoise, I have no idea if and when I'll see them again. I know the people who live close to me I will, but the others, who knows? It scares me to not know and to leave this life behind. So basically, I was scared coming, and scared leaving. Not scared for my future, because I know that in a few weeks everything will be back to normal. But I feel like I'm going to look back on these months as a dream. I don't want to forget everything I've learned and experienced, or the people I've met.

So if you're reading this and you're an erasmus, I just want you to know how much I loved every second with you. I will never forget you guys, and we better have a reunion!!

Songs about the Southland

I've always taken my home for granted. It's always seemed boring to me to be from Alabama, I'm always complaining about how there's nothing to do, and everything is so old-fashioned. But being in Europe has made me really appreciate where I grew up. So when I heard yesterday that my hometown was being ravaged by tornadoes, I was distraught. It is really the worst feeling in the world to not know where your family and friends are, and have no way of finding out. The only way that I can communicate with anyone right now is through the internet, and of course, the internet and phone lines were down.

Being from Alabama, I'm used to tornadoes.. it's a part of life. You get used to the emergency drills in school, to going down to the basement, etc. But when I started seeing pictures of the destruction, I was terrified. I have never in my life experienced anything like what happened yesterday, and I hope I never have to. After a couple of hours, I found out that my family was safe, which of course was what I was mostly worried about. Miraculously, my house was also fine, even though it's surrounded by trees. I thought then that I would be ok.. but then this morning I saw even more footage of what happened and I really never thought I would react the way I have. I mean, of course I feel absolutely horrible for everyone who was affected by the storms, as many lost their homes, and even people. But what I was surprised by was how sad I was for the loss of my town.

I've never necessarily had a problem with Cullman, but it always seemed boring, not like a place I would live forever. I'm not saying that I think I will now, but I realize now how much it has meant to me. I spent the better part of my life there, and all of the buildings that are now destroyed hold memories for me. It's so weird to get on cnn.com and see my little town as the headline. And I wish so badly that I could help with the clean-up. Not just in Cullman, but in Tuscaloosa, where it was even worse. I don't know how it'll ever be the same again. All of the charming little downtown shops are gone, churches I went to Bible school at when I was little are gone, everything's changed.

But I say all of this to say how much I love the South. As much as I love Europe, and somewhat wish I could live here forever, I know that I would always go back home. The south will always be home for me. It's where there's wraparound porches, sweet tea is the beverage of choice, SEC football is king, "ya'll" is a real word, and you know that you can say whatever you want about someone as long as you add "bless her heart". But most importantly, it's where in a time of need, everyone comes together to help those who need it. For example, when my mom had her brain tumor, it was unbelievable the amount of help we got from people. Not just hot meals every night, but people from our church literally packed our house and moved our stuff, because we were also in the middle of that.

So even though everything is mass chaos there right now, I would imagine, I know that everyone is going to come together and help each other. And that is why I'm proud to be a Southerner.

Désolé, mais je déteste les Français..

I realize that I haven't written in a really long time, and I do apologize. But I'm spending the night in an airport tonight so I have some spare time on my hands. I'm going to split this one into at least two posts, maybe more depending on if I get tired. The first post is solely a rant about the French. I know that this is a recurring topic in my blog, but GOOD LORD are they ridiculous. I keep trying to be open-minded and open to new cultures and behaviors, but you know, if the way you do things is completely stupid, then why should I have to pretend like America doesn't do it better? Not that America is perfect by any means, and don't even get me started on politics and things like that, but France isn't exactly a great world power, and could stand to take some cues from America.

And in case you were wondering, every stereotype you've ever heard about them is absolutely true! They are rude, inconsiderate, and definitely don't speak anything but French. I was thinking earlier that we don't necessarily learn other languages in America as a norm, but come on! We speak English, the most useful language on the planet. The one language that unites all the foreigners that I now know is English. I do think that America should put more emphasis on learning foreign languages, especially Spanish as it's the most useful, but with tourism the way it is here, you would think they would at least try. Not only do they not know English, but if you tell them you don't understand what they're saying, they talk louder and faster. NEWS FLASH: that doesn't help. In fact, it makes me mad. I always at least attempt to speak French, but this isn't good enough for them. I don't know if they can't understand me or what, but I feel like I should at least get brownie points for trying.

Speaking of speaking, who can even understand them here??? They speak their own version of French, a mix of street language and Italian, because we're so close to Italy. I've learned proper French, so this is no help to me. For example, the phrase "Je ne sais pas" (I don't know) is shortened to "Je pas". WHAT? that's just dumb. Don't get mad at me for not knowing your language, you don't even know your language.

Last night, one of my oh so sweet neighbors came to inform me that I was being too loud. Granted, it is supposed to be somewhat quiet in my building after 10:00 pm, and it was like 11:30, but it was just music! He went off on me in French, to which I said I didn't understand, and he definitely knows I speak english, because we've met before. I told him I couldn't understand, although I caught his drift. I said sorry, and he kept going and going on and on about his "bambino" (umm that's freaking Italian??). Sorry dude, but your bambino sometimes wakes me up in the morning, when I want to be asleep. Your bambino should know that it's Friday night, and a little music from my weak computer speakers, no less, is not a big deal. It's not like I was having a party, or anything of that nature.. I was asleep by 12:30, it was by no means a crazy night.

However, all of that being said, what brought on this rant was my experience tonight. This week is our second holiday, so I'm going with a bunch of girls to Paris, Barcelona, and Geneva. I left tonight for Paris, and ended up flying by myself, because everyone else decided to book their flights for tomorrow, and it was too late to change mine. So anyways, that's why I'm sleeping in the airport tonight,because I'm not about to take on Paris by myself. My flight was at 8:35 pm, and I did online check-in, so I was going to try to get to the airport at 7:30, because that's plenty of time for domestic flights here. So I go out to catch the bus to the airport at 6:40 (13 minutes early), and what luck. It never even showed up. I had to wait for the next one at 7:13, by which time I was sweating bullets. In this waiting time, some French guy started talking to me, and I could understand him, but asked "quoi?" (what?) one time. Apparently, it's not appropriate to ask what, because he let me know it. I mean, come on!! If some foreigner approached me in America, I would never have the nerve or the desire to correct them! That's so ridiculous! Ughhhhh. Anway, the bus finally came. I finally got to the airport at 7:50, and made it through security just in time. I was almost through the boarding gate, when some employee from ANOTHER gate came over to inform me that my suitcase was too big to be a carry-on. Now this is where things suck here, because with the budget airlines, it's pretty cheap to get around, BUT you can only carry a small carry-on, and checking baggage costs big time. I have flown on this particular airline before, actually only three weeks ago. Then, there was no problem with it, although I knew I was pushing it. But this time, that guy just HAD to come over and thus I had to pay 35 euros to check a freaking suitcase. That doesn't sound so horrible, but if I have to do that on all four flights, it jumps to 140 euros, or roughly 200 dollars. Not so great. More than all my flights cost combined. SO STUPID.

Anyway, that concludes my rant for now, although I'm sure it won't take long to find more reason to dislike them. What I hate is that I keep thinking that maybe they aren't so horrible, because once in a blue moon, I find a decent one. BUT it's much more common that they're absolutely horrible, so I'm over defending them.

un jour en Nice

I literally feel like I’m on an extended spring break. And I’m never coming home. Only joking, but really, if it wasn’t for missing people, I would totally consider staying here. So far this week, I’ve had one class. ONE. And I don’t have another until tomorrow, when I have two, one of which involves a field trip to a museum followed by dinner and wine at a cafe. This is the life. So if I don’t actually come home on June 1, you can find me at a beach in the south of France.

I haven’t really done anything terribly exciting and touristy in the past week.. it’s kind of weird being all the way here and doing mundane things like running errands, but I guess I’m actually living here, so I have to do those things too. And let me just tell you, these people here make running errands twice as hard as they should be. I had to go to the bank 4 times last week to do something that should’ve taken one time. And signed a bunch of papers that were all in French, so who knows what I’ve done.. probably sold my first-born child. Also, just in case you were ever considering renting an apartment in Nice, DO NOT rent through Giletta Immobilier. They were the company the school recommended, and they are absolutely horrible. It’s like they’ve never rented out apartments before. The first day I got here they informed my poor jetlagged self that I had to pay January AND February’s rent, along with an agency fee of 320 euros that they never even told me existed. So of course I had to use a credit card, because actually I don’t carry around 900 euros. And yesterday they informed me that they had to pay a 12 euro fee to process the credit transaction, so I owed that. WHAT?? Of course there was a fee! Credit card companies always charge a fee, which is usually absorbed by the company!! Have they never used a credit card before? Not to mention the fact that I’m desperately trying to get internet in my apartment, and am only waiting on France Telecom to come install it.. and they called yesterday to get my apartment number, which of course, I don’t even have. So I went to the real estate office to ask what my number is, because I can’t even buzz anyone in right now, and what do you know? The freaking company that rented out this apartment doesn’t even know what my apartment number is! Not only that, but they gave me a number that doesn’t even exist in this building. I hate them, and am going to tell all future Auburn students coming here to NOT rent from them. So unprofessional.

But aside from dealing with stupid things that all involve French people, I love it here. It’s bizarre, because I really don’t hang out with any French people. All of the international students just hang out together, so I really don’t mess with the French. Which is fine by me, because for most of them, the stereotypes are completely true.

As far as food goes, I can’t complain. I haven’t had anything to eat here that wasn’t completely delicious. Last week, I tried my first legit Croque Monsieur, which is really just a ham and cheese melt, but so good. I’ve also eaten lots of pizza, partially because there’s a pizza place right by my house which sells all sorts of pizza for 5 euros per pizza. Which would be an even better deal if I would eat the pizza for more than one meal, but I usually opt for eating it in one sitting. So yeah, I’m going to be a total fatty when I get back. Between pizza, gelato, and nutella, it’s inevitable. Our first holiday is in a week and a half, and I’m soooo excited!! We have a group of six girls going to Italy, and it’s going to be amazing! We’re going to Milan, Verona, Venice, Rome, and Florence, so it’s a pretty good tour of Italy. With the train system in Italy, it’s also going to be super cheap. And we’re staying in hostels, so that should be interesting. But you better believe we’re going to eat well while we’re there. Ahhhh, I can’t wait!!

But we’ve also got the Carnaval du Nice starting this Friday, so that’s really exciting too! I really don’t know much about Carnaval, but apparently it’s a big deal in a lot of places around the world, and Nice’s is one of the biggest. From what I can gather, it’s mostly just a lot of parades and such, but there’ll be a ton of tourists in town for those 3 weeks.. yes, 3 weeks. These people like to party.

For all of you people who told me that I was going to fall in love with a French boy, I have one thing to say: Yuck. French boys are the absolute worst. They’re incredibly rude, incredibly persistent, and for the most part, look like a bunch of guidos. I don’t know why they have such a reputation for being sexy, but just to clear it up, it’s not even a little bit true. They’re always trying to talk to us, and it’s really horrible. I was at the beach with some friends the other day, and one just walked up to one of my friends, sat down and starting talking to her, telling her he liked blondes and such. She kept reading her book, and he still stayed there for 10 minutes, pestering her. So rude. I don’t know why they think they have a chance.

Despite the fact that I obviously don’t care much for the French, I really do love it here. It’s beautiful, and I love that I’ve met so many new people from all over the world. It’s really eye-opening, and I’ve learned so much. And with that, I bid you adieu!

lately..

Well life has definitely picked up since my last post. In the past week I’ve started classes, made lots of new friends, and walked unfathomable distances. I mean, seriously, my legs/feet feel like someone beat them with a baseball bat.

Classes were supposed to start on Monday, but I didn’t actually have any until Thursday, so I did more exploring this week. I feel like I somewhat have a clue what’s going on now, and where things are, at least on my side of town, so that’s a good feeling. I don’t really think my French has improved at all, but who knows. Maybe I’m absorbing more than I realize.

The school schedule here is really ridiculous. At Auburn, we have the same classes every MWF, and the same classes TR. Here the schedule is literally different every day, and you have to check online to see what classes you have the next day. It’s so frustrating and impossible to plan anything. But anyways, so far all I have had is French on Thursday and Friday. Somehow, I placed in level 4, which is kind of high. Probably too high, because I feel like everyone else in there knows a lot more than I do. I’m hoping to pick it up quickly.. also, the class is for 3 hours. I will never again complain about a 75 minute class feeling long, because a 3 hour class is miserable, especially if you go out the night before.

Also, Friday night I had my first “discoteque” experience. A discoteque is basically a club, but I’ve never been to a club before, so either way, it was new. It was so very European, like something you would see in a movie. They played “house” music, which is basically like techno/dance music, and well, basically everyone dances. It was really fun, but I honestly felt like everyone there was way cooler than me, and that my American-ness was obvious. But fun, nevertheless.

So after that I got about three hours of sleep and then woke up Saturday morning to go to Monaco. It’s so cheap here to get around. It cost 1 euro to ride the bus all the way to Monaco. But on the way, we talked to a French lady who told us we should ride all the way to Menton because it was prettier and then stop in Monaco on the way back. It was good advice, because Menton was like the perfect little seaside village, so beautiful. We ate lunch at a beachside cafe, which was delicious. I had gnocchi in a carbonara sauce. Gnocchi is in my opinion, one of the more underrated foods in America. Most people don’t even know what it is. It’s basically like potato pasta, which sounds odd, but it’s delicious. I think carbonara sauce might not have been the best choice, as it was very heavy. But it was still really good. It felt good to finally be eating real food, even if it was Italian and not French.

We really had no idea what we were doing, but had fun anyways. We went back to Monaco and let me just tell you, you have never felt poor until you’re in Monaco. Literally every other car was some ridiculous luxury car. I saw my first Bugatti, which was probably the most extreme one of the day. We went to the Monte Carlo, but of course, didn’t gamble because we weren’t dressed appropriately, and oh yeah, we don’t have millions to blow. But it was cool just being there. We then trekked up to the palace, which was on top of the mountain. It was closed to the public, but we explored the little village outside of it.

Needless to say, by the time we got home, it was all I could do to walk back to my apartment. I slept for 13 hours, and am still tired. Not to mention sore. I’m not really sure why, but both of big toes feel like they’re broken. What is that about? They’re actually both quite necessary, as it turns out, so this is not good. I’m just going to take it easy today (not that I have much choice, we all know how Sundays are here), so hopefully my feet can recoup by tomorrow. I have two classes tomorrow, so that should be fun...

That’s about it for now, so xoxo!

rainy day in paradise

It has been a rainy weekend here in Nice, and I found that I’m surprisingly helpless in the rain with no car. I had a really touristy day planned yesterday, starting with a trek across the city to the Russian cathedral (I know, another cathedral), and then walking along the Promenade des Anglais, finishing once again in Old Nice. However, I stepped outside into rain, so all of my plans were shot. You can’t very well walk across a city in the rain, not to mention that I take pictures of everything, and rainy day pictures are just not quite the same. And so, I spent most of the day in my apartment, reading and watching French TV, which is somewhat entertaining despite the fact that I understand almost none of what they say.

After a really boring day, I decided to trek to the closest Carrefour, which is basically the European version of Walmart. Except in my opinion, more interesting, but that’s probably just because I’m not from around these here parts. I finally was able to find a card reader, and thus able to post pictures, so yay for that. Also, spent another evening in McDonald’s soaking up all their free wi-fi. I went to bed unusually early, prepared for a big day of sightseeing today, and what do you know. Not only was the sky gray and gross today, but apparently the city of Nice shuts down on Sunday. I don’t mean like how Cullman shuts down on Sunday, or how the ABC store is closed in Auburn on Sunday. I mean, like if you don’t have any groceries, you starve.

Which brings me to my next issue with Nice, and really France in general. Bread is kind of a conundrum here. It’s a necessity, and a way of life almost, but only because it goes bad so quickly, in my opinion. From Tuesday to Saturday, I ate 2 whole baguettes all by my lonesome, which is way more bread than I usually consume. But I was eating it with meat and cheese, nutella, and jam, making whole meals around bread. That’s how people do here, so I was trying to adopt their methods. However, I don’t think I actually would’ve eaten so much of it if I hadn’t known that it was about to go bad. You literally have to buy bread at least every two days here for it to not be hard as a rock. I don’t understand this, because when I buy bread in America, it is usually good for up to a week. What is so different and crazy about their bread here that I must keep buying and buying?? Issue #2 with bread is that when you run out, you are SOL. This happened to me today, but I was planning on going out for a decent lunch, so I figured I would just buy some on the way home. Well, since it’s Sunday, EVERYTHING is closed, including almost every store. So I looked into my fridge, trying to think of some sort of decent meal I could eat. Well, I have jam, meat, cheese, nutella, and cookies. That does not make a meal. Bread ties all of these together. There are at least 3 boulangeries (bread stores) just on my block, not a one of them was open today. What was open? McDonald’s. And so here I am, back at McDonald’s because they were the one beacon of light in this sometimes ridiculous town. Someday perhaps I will time it right and actually get to try la cuisine that France is so famous for. Right now I’m more concerned about sustenance, however, and McDo will do for that.

I don’t know about this everything being closed business. What do these people do on Sundays? I know they’re not going to church, which is America’s excuse. They aren’t even out walking the streets (where would they go, nothing is open). So what do they do? Just sit at home? I suppose that wouldn’t be so bad if I had anything to do at my apartment, but as it is, I have no internet, only French tv, and I’ve already read every book that I brought with me. Also, I still don’t know anybody here. Luckily, class starts tomorrow, so that should solve both problems. I’m supposed to go out tonight with other students, so we’ll see how that goes. It seems weird that they want to go out the night before class starts, in America that would be called an imminent disaster. Craziness.

I’m hoping that this next week is better than the past one. Not that the past one has been entirely bad, but it would be nice to meet some people. Being all by myself has made me extremely lazy. Not something you usually think about, but if there is absolutely no one around to account for you, there is very little motivation to get out of bed. Even in Auburn, I have roommates and responsibilities, so I try to be up by no later than 11. But here? There is absolutely no one to judge me, not to mention no sunlight in my apartment. I have to physically check my phone to even have any idea what time it is. I have a window, but there are solid blinds in front of it that are apparently glued to it. So, I don’t know the weather until I step outside. Which explains why I’ve gotten ready for nothing these past two days. Oh well, the sun is supposed to be out again by Tuesday.

Ciao for now! xoxo

bonjour mes amis!

I really do promise to get better about updating this. I know it's been a while, but now I am finally in France, so I actually have something of interest to write about. Now I have SO much to write about.

I've been here for 5 days now, and have walked for most of that. Oy, I'm so tired. I will literally be in the best shape of my life by the time I get back. Between not eating a whole lot and walking so very much, there's no way I can gain weight. Not that I haven't eaten. I just haven't really eaten a nice, sit-down meal yet, mostly because I don't know anyone yet, and I don't really want to be that loser eating by myself. I have been grocery shopping a lot though, mainly because the markets here are fascinating. My second day, after sleeping for 18 hours, I bought bread, cheese, meat, and wine, because that seemed like the French thing to do. I'm always very skeptical about cheese, because I don't like to eat anything that smells weird. I got Camembert, and let me just tell you, it STUNK. But honestly, it didn't taste very bad. However, every time I open the fridge now, it's all I can smell. For the wine, I bought an inexpensive Cote du Rhone. And wasn't really a fan. It was very strong, and I don't know if that's just how that type of wine is or if mine just sucked. I wish I knew more about wine.

Another weird thing about France. THERE IS NO INTERNET. I figured I wouldn't have it at my apartment, but thought that there would be plenty of internet cafes and such to use along the way. It took me 3 days to find a cafe with internet. By wednesday, I felt so completely cut off from the world, it was ridiculous. If there's one thing I'm learning on this trip, it's to be thankful for all that I have. Never again will I take things like internet, dollar menus, dryers, or my beloved CAR for granted again. I vow never to call my car a piece of crap again. I finally found free wireless at mcdonalds. Thank God for McDonald's. I knew that I loved them. Not only do I finally get to communicate with people, but I get to eat a Big Mac.

Today in my wanderings, I stumbled upon Old Nice, which is basically the old part of the town. It was really quaint and pretty. It's basically just alleys filled with shops and restaurants, but there's something very comforting about that. It leads out to the beach, which is pretty much true with everything in this city. The beach is of course, beautiful. However, the old men in speedos in January are not. WHY?? Oh Europe, you never cease to amaze me.

I really, really want to post pictures, but of course dumb me left my camera cord in Auburn. Really? I brought every other cable I own, including the one for my old camera, which I also brought just in case, but I left my current one. Ugh. I bought a new one today but it wasn't the right size, only to find out that since my camera is a Casio, I have to have a special cable. So tomorrow I set out to find a card reader. C'est la vie.

Also tomorrow, I'm going to try to go to some museums around here. There's quite a few right over next to my apartment, so that should keep me occupied for a while. For all the walking around I've done, I haven't actually done that many touristy things. It's been more about getting my bearings, and familiarizing myself with the city, at least my part of the city. I did go inside a random cathedral today. I wish I knew what it was called, because it looked important, but that's the problem with being your own tour guide. You never actually have any idea what you're doing. But back to the cathedral. I mean, I've been in many a cathedral before, but it just struck me today how completely ostentatious they are. I don't mean to offend anyone, but aren't there better things to do with money than spend them on ridiculously ornate decorations? Is that really furthering the kingdom of God? I appreciate that they're beautiful, but it also kind of makes me sad, thinking about the billions of dollars the Church has spent over the years on appearance. But I'll get off that rant for now.

Everyone keeps telling me that in no time, I'll be fluently speaking French. Umm yeah, I'll believe it when I see it. I can basically get by and understand, but as for complete conversations? No way. You'd never know that I've taken 5 years of French. Of course, that's the difference in an American teacher speaking French and an actual French person speaking French. We'll see about this.

Well that's it for now! xoxo