Sept. 14, 2007
Hey guys!,
More and more I appreciate american imperialism,(translation) I am using the free WIFI (wireless internet) at McDonalds again… Anyways I found one in Rennes finally, and it isnt too far from where I have class, so the only other problem i faced was the possibility of a pick pocket taking my laptop fom my bag. well that was solved yesterday randomly when my frinds and I took the metro and a bus or two to go to Cora, which is a huge store much like walmart in the us; I got some suit case locks so i can lock up my bag while I walk around.
Ok, so Ive gotten some questions about my host family, so I guess Ill tell you all about them. The mother or Mdm. Vandomel is a house wife and is always taking care of not only her kids but me as well. She is extremely sweet, and makes a huge effort to help my french comprehension and prounounciation. The father is an Engineer and man does he bring home the bacon (the house is absolutly gorgeous). He is pretty cool and had working in England for a while as a young man, so he speaks english, though he has forgotten alot. I get the idea that they are not only welcoming me out of the kindness of their hearts, but also to imporve their english as well. The learning is defnintely going both ways. The nineteen yr old boy is Pierre-Alexandre, and he and his sister are extremely well brought up. He is currently finishing up highschool at the same high school the the famous French author Victor Hugo attended when he was young. Peirre-Alexandre seems to be real cool, but unfortunatelynot quite my type of friend. He is a little quiet and he doesnt go out much with his friends. He does play the piano amazingly well tho. absolutely amazing! The youger of the two children is Anne-Cécile is 13 and she is a very cute little girl, she is consantly chasing le petite chat (little cat) Théo around the house. And when I say constantly, I mean CONSTANTLY. Its ok though, before this trip I really didnt like cats, but they are starting to grow on me. Anne-Cécile also plays the piano, but is more accomplished at playing the violine; which is also very impressive to me.
I have my own room downstairs, with pretty much my own bath room and salle de bains which in france they normally seperate the wc (aka water closet aka toilet) from the shower and larger sink into two seperate rooms. Weird at first, but very nice in the end. Its been a week with them so far, and I have seemed topretty much become part of the family already, which is nice because it is very hard to enter the inner circle of relationships when it comes to a french person. Normally the kitchen and bedrooms are very off limits and it is considered to be rude if one helps themselve to the food in the kitchen. They have told me that it is totally fine if I get food in the kitchen, as long as I dont spoil my dinner. Which by the way I have no intention of doing ever, les rapas (meals) that Mdme. Vandomel makes are extremely good. I might actually get fat before I get home… nah, prolly not.
Well as your prolly tired of reading all the things I have had to say today, I will end there until next time.
Please if anyone would be interested in reading these emails such as family and or friends feel free to forward them to them, and tell them to email me as well so that I can include them in on the other emails I send. Even if I dont know them personally, I dont mind. But I would especially like to be able to send this to other family members, so encourage away. Hope all is well in the states. I also might just adding adresses as well so if you got this, I was just thinking maybe you would want to read it or have family that would.
-John
September 17, 2007
Random Facts/stories of France and attack of the Car Monster!!!
Thats right folks its a double feature today, because its raining (which aparently happens alot in Rennes) and I am bored. First random facts
1. It is not ok to eat while on the metro/subway, all the people wind up satring at you like yur an ass
2. If in doubt, act like a dumb american who doesnt know anything at all. They will feel bad for you and help you out.
3. People will take yur money if you act like you know what is going on, For example the lady who took me for 5 extra euros. Non! J’ai payé pour 2 sanwhichs! Un croque monsiers et un crédité! J’ai besion d’une croques! (translation no! I paid seven euros for 2 sandwhichs, and you gave me one sandwhich) yup didnt get that second sandwhich…
4. It rains alot in Rennes
5. French people talk real fast.
6. If you dont want the evesdropping french to understand what you are saying speak english faster.. they cant keep up…
7. Never go out drinking with Lisa Parente in Paris while she is wearing high heels. She will complain way too much and you will get lost. (It was fun tho finding our way back from the Hooka bar, still drunk and getting back to the hotel at 4am, even with a complaining Lisa)
8. If a bum asks you for money, just be rude and keep walking, in fact if anyone wants anything from you, just keep walking….
9. It rains alot in Rennes
10. “I have to see all the arts!” Jackie and Rachel
ok enough of that… Now Attack of the Car Monster
This story takes place in Paris at about 2am. While walkng to the Hooka bar (definition of Hooka: smoking hooka is a turkish favorite past time. It is flavored tobacco which is smoked out of a water bong with a hoses and pipes. disclaimer: #1. if you dont know what a waterbong is, ask your parents, or if you are the parent, ask someone else… #2 Hooka is not weed, or a mind altering substance.) we met 3 french kids and asked them for directions (we were already lost) they wound up going to the hooka bar with us and on the way we saw a very peculiar vehicle parked in the middle of the road… Just as I turned to one of the French kids to as what was going on a car alarm starts telling all of Paris that the attack has begun. In an instant the car next to this peculiar looking vehicle begins to float in the air, lights flashing, and horn blaring. If you have ever watched a lion take down an elephant on the discovery channel… well it looked nuthing like that, but picture that same lion taking down a sheep that was sleeping, and you kinda get the picture… Once the car raised up about 5 feet in the air, the crane becomes obvious because as the car is being swung onto the back of this strange truck, the car is swinging back and forth like a pendulum. It swang so much that it gave the innocent bystander the idea that it was going to tople back onto the pavement at any moment, taking to truk with it, but at last car made it directly over the bed of the truck. The sheep was caught. It was then lowered down to the bed of the truck and the car monster moved on to its next victim, a black BMW down the street. The best part of this story is not the awsome contraption which Picked up a car to take it away, but the explanation by the French kids, that these drivers had not broken the law in any way. The streets in Paris are so congested that from time to time, Private tow truck driver often drive around at night impounding random cars… yes RANDOM cars. Yet another reason not to drive while in Paris, or Europe for that matter…
By the way, Two cups of coffee, rain, and boredom has helped me retell this story, so if you find it weird, it because I am in a really weird mood right now, halway between boredom, frustration, and having way too much energy.
Last Disclaimer if you have received this email, and do not know why, it is because I thought you might enjoy hearing about my journies, and random occourance whil I am here in Europe, If you dont want to get this email, just send me an email telling to stop sending them to you. It wont hurt my feelings; i just thought you would enjoy them. Also of you think any one else Especially family and friends of mine, please forward an email of mine to them and tell the to email me a response so that I can add them to the list of people I send these emails to.
I will send something with more substance next time…
Hope all is well. -John
September 21, 2007
Hey guys, not much is going on here, so instead I will bore you with a somewhat interesting anecdote from this morning.
I was riding the bus on the way to Rennes this morning as per usual when towards the end of the route the bus decided to take a strange little detour. Normally the bus ends at Republique, which is the busiest place in the city, but instead today we were droped of about 300 feet from out usual stop. It seems that there was some what of a comotion in the center of town this morning. Upon reaching Republique, I found tons of emergency vehicles all over the place, a triage center set up (a medical tent where people are sorted into three groups to decipher which patients get treated first due to the severity of their injuries) a command post communication vehicle equiped with a very large antenna, and tons of fire trucks.
Across the place (which is a large open area in french) there was a large appartment builing missing it’s roof and smoke bellowing out of it into the sky. This must have been a huge fire because of the amount of damage that was caused to the out side of the 5 story builing. I had about a half hour of extra time, so instead of buying the croissant that I was planning on getting for breakfast, I decided to stick around and watch along with the hundreds of other bystanders… We later heard a rumor (once we went back after class) that the fire was started by a trash fire…. kinda weird… O and by the way, the fire helmets here are much cooler than in the U.S. They get to have these huge chrome helmets that almost look like they would be out of Star Wars.
Well its officially the weekend here… Plans.. Tongiht I plan on being a good kid and watching the Rugby game (France v Irland) with the H. Fam tonight. By the Way… you should do a google image search on Chabal. This guy is a freakin Caveman!!! Tomarrow is mike’s B-day, so we are going out to hang out around the city until the we hours of the mornin. and sunday I am doing homework slash relaxing… hope all is well at home.
-John