dear lovelies.
tonight is my night in. it is time, and i am ready. in the past week, i have been: nearly sat on by three men simultaneously, about an inch away from being throw up upon by a frenchman with no conscience, called nice and not so nice things by men of all ages in the streets, and asked out formally by a stranger in MonoPrix, the french equivalent of Wal-Mart. in short, i am done with public places and dijonnais men.
tonight, my friend liz is coming over for a good old fashioned girls' slumber party, and i couldn't be more excited. i'm meeting her half-way between the sketch bus stop and my house. we figure that, if both of us go out, each of us halves our chance of being harassed. worst case scenario, we are both harassed--and in that case, we run toward each other, just like happy people on the beach. only NOT.
***
this weekend is parents' weekend, and i know my mama is here in spirit. i'm done with classes for a week-long break. avignon, flaubert, and a chocolate festival await. as does liz. off!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
no picture this time. too graphic.
tonsillitis round two has struck. pretty amazing, no? i was completely cured, and a whole other case has already developed. three rounds of applause for my fantastic immune system.
my director is insisting that the tonsils will have to come out eventually, but for now he's sending me out of his class and to my third doctor. if anyone (that i don't already know about) smuggles prednisone, please ship ASAP to mlle kimberly parker, dijon france. THANKS.
love to all my fam-bam. and all my friends. and to my sister, who has a category of her own (and a very lonely one i might add if she rescinds on her promise to skype me tonight). by the way, stephanie, my friend liz does that ridiculous tongue-flicking thing when she's excited--just like you! thought you should know. : )
my director is insisting that the tonsils will have to come out eventually, but for now he's sending me out of his class and to my third doctor. if anyone (that i don't already know about) smuggles prednisone, please ship ASAP to mlle kimberly parker, dijon france. THANKS.
love to all my fam-bam. and all my friends. and to my sister, who has a category of her own (and a very lonely one i might add if she rescinds on her promise to skype me tonight). by the way, stephanie, my friend liz does that ridiculous tongue-flicking thing when she's excited--just like you! thought you should know. : )
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
i HATE being called to the board
"Kimberly, pas de chance pour toi, parce que j'aime bien pronconcer ce pronom...mais je ne sais pas pourquoi."
"donc, are you ready to dance? Everybody shake your ass."
"Kimberly, tu es la femme TGV."
tid-bits of my day in the class of stephane dugois, one of my three french professors for the rest of my time here. never before have i been mocked so much within the first five minutes of a class. or called to the board so quickly. OR called a TVG. i feel as though the next two months hold exciting things in store.
my day got even better when i came out of a bathroom stall to see three guys peeing..the french REALLY should mark their bathrooms accordingly, no?
and then an hour and a half of me + three others + a crazy brilliant professor, in his office, reading proust. only here, only now could these things happen.
***
all is well in the host family, except my poor host mother who has la grippe, and is convinced, as always, that i have un peu de la grippe aussi, which i might very well. i am frustrated with my immune system, but i congratulate it for its valiant efforts. i just have a feeling that the tonsil swelling, coughing, and runny nose will all be gone by tomorrow morning. : )
my host sister's german friend anna is visiting, and it's been fun hearing her accent (i'm not the only non-French person in the house!).
tomorrow holds four hours of french class, a meeting at my director's, and a special trip to see Puits de Moise, a piece of art not generally open to the public, with my art history professor Serge (who talks like a 17th century French novel, by the way). "PAR-SEH-CUH" is my favorite word of his (insert flying spit).
as for tonight, i think i'll set my alarm and see just how far i can get in my reading.
"donc, are you ready to dance? Everybody shake your ass."
"Kimberly, tu es la femme TGV."
tid-bits of my day in the class of stephane dugois, one of my three french professors for the rest of my time here. never before have i been mocked so much within the first five minutes of a class. or called to the board so quickly. OR called a TVG. i feel as though the next two months hold exciting things in store.
my day got even better when i came out of a bathroom stall to see three guys peeing..the french REALLY should mark their bathrooms accordingly, no?
and then an hour and a half of me + three others + a crazy brilliant professor, in his office, reading proust. only here, only now could these things happen.
***
all is well in the host family, except my poor host mother who has la grippe, and is convinced, as always, that i have un peu de la grippe aussi, which i might very well. i am frustrated with my immune system, but i congratulate it for its valiant efforts. i just have a feeling that the tonsil swelling, coughing, and runny nose will all be gone by tomorrow morning. : )
my host sister's german friend anna is visiting, and it's been fun hearing her accent (i'm not the only non-French person in the house!).
tomorrow holds four hours of french class, a meeting at my director's, and a special trip to see Puits de Moise, a piece of art not generally open to the public, with my art history professor Serge (who talks like a 17th century French novel, by the way). "PAR-SEH-CUH" is my favorite word of his (insert flying spit).
as for tonight, i think i'll set my alarm and see just how far i can get in my reading.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
scenes de la semaine derniere
taylor swift's "love story," anyone?
ellie and i trying to get into the masquerade ball at the castle
the loire river
cassis and gestpacho
perfect, misty weather
chateau gardens
worse than teacups.
my favorite freshman ever: lexi, ellie, eliza, liz
papa jon: professor, chaffeur, emergency medic, and friend
preston and alexandre have taught me patience. lots of it. : )
imitating the fish
\silly liz
it's like the game with the revolving fish and poles!
making a habit of stealing wine grapes
beautiful gardens
meet elizabeth stevens frothingham, my twin and generator of all hiccups
loooove french tourists!
yes, this is for real
chateau une
liz and ellie
chateau deux
wheeeeee!
chateau trois
loire valley
angelina's, paris
i lost the staring contest. go figure.
tower lit in red and white.
eiffel tower
notre dame by night
dinner in the latin quarter
scary climb to the top of notre dame
this french man was too funny not to photograph : )
NOTRE DAME!
my favorite painting ever.
making the louvre interesting. : )
ahh, milo.
paris shopping expedition round one
getting to our room was essentially climbing a mountain
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
missing the Dij
confession: i'm homesick...for dijon.
paris is big, and bright, and noisy, and EXPENSIVE. in fact, paris is everything i expected it to be, and i'm a bit disappointed. i thought it just might decide to turn quaint for me. don't get me wrong--the louvre, eiffel tower, cluny, and notre dame are fantastic. but they're swarmed. always. and you begin to feel epileptic with all the camera flashes.
today is my friend liz's nineteenth (!!) birthday, and i took her to lunch at a fancy restaurant called angelina's with some of the girls. it was fantastic (there is no such thing as being quiched-out), and i hope she's enjoying herself in this city of lights.
i'm very tired today and napped a lot yesterday, as i was up nearly all night making sure a girl who drank way too much didn't fall asleep. needless to say, some of these freshies are on major probation, and need to take care of themselves lest they get home, or worse, hurt very badly. please pray for the girls on this trip that they can watch out better for one another.
off to the loire valley tomorrow until saturday, though i just want to get home. highlight of paris was a painting at the louvre that gave me shivers. and perhaps the eiffel tower at night. didn't make it to versailles a cause de la fatigue, but i figure naps are well worth it.
can't wait to hear that burgundy accent when i get back. everyone speaks english here---this is not the place for me, and i'm so happy i went with the unconventional Dijon, even if i do have to put up with mustard jokes.
mama, methinks you should call me. love, kimberly
paris is big, and bright, and noisy, and EXPENSIVE. in fact, paris is everything i expected it to be, and i'm a bit disappointed. i thought it just might decide to turn quaint for me. don't get me wrong--the louvre, eiffel tower, cluny, and notre dame are fantastic. but they're swarmed. always. and you begin to feel epileptic with all the camera flashes.
today is my friend liz's nineteenth (!!) birthday, and i took her to lunch at a fancy restaurant called angelina's with some of the girls. it was fantastic (there is no such thing as being quiched-out), and i hope she's enjoying herself in this city of lights.
i'm very tired today and napped a lot yesterday, as i was up nearly all night making sure a girl who drank way too much didn't fall asleep. needless to say, some of these freshies are on major probation, and need to take care of themselves lest they get home, or worse, hurt very badly. please pray for the girls on this trip that they can watch out better for one another.
off to the loire valley tomorrow until saturday, though i just want to get home. highlight of paris was a painting at the louvre that gave me shivers. and perhaps the eiffel tower at night. didn't make it to versailles a cause de la fatigue, but i figure naps are well worth it.
can't wait to hear that burgundy accent when i get back. everyone speaks english here---this is not the place for me, and i'm so happy i went with the unconventional Dijon, even if i do have to put up with mustard jokes.
mama, methinks you should call me. love, kimberly
Saturday, October 3, 2009
au revoir
last night there was a full moon, and the city was more spectacular under its glow. each damp spot on the pavement reflected the splendor; no matter which way i tilted my head, the sparkles wouldn't leave the corners of my eyes. i ended up getting home close to three a.m., so i am most definitely in tip-top shape to play chef today--my director decided to put me in charge of getting a group of five freshman to Paris sans issue. he handed me a map, pledged me fifty Euros, and begged me to tell the girls to cover their drinks. i think i can manage, provided that my charges make it back to the hostel every night.
flannery's is our favorite pub, and it's open late. the problem is that those fantastic city buses stop running at midnight. solution: drop one another off, one at a time...and hope you're not the last one to navigate those streets alone. the city is a place where you're harassed, but never attacked. threatened, but rarely hurt. i've learned to keep my head up, walk quickly with purpose, and ignore whatever is shouted my way. ca marche.
i leave on the TVG for Paris at noon, and my host parents are dropping me off at the station, after ensuring that i've packed my picnic and towel. again, i'm well taken care of. i won't have my computer for quite some time, as i don't get back from Paris until Thursday, and then leave for the Loire Valley shortly thereafter. i'm ready to leave dijon for a bit--the city is indeed small, and if you run into someone once, the chances are that you'll run into him or her again.
i've successfully turned in a six page paper in French, and i still can't wrap my head around the fact that i'm supposed to be speaking in another language. BUT, i have camus and cocteau packed, a notebook and pen, and i think Paris is just the place for french-ish thoughts, no?
i miss my friends at colby. my family at home. my girlies in and soon to be in england. and especially that one off sailing the seven seas. oh, and case anyone hasn't guessed already, i miss my grandma like wooah.
love. love. love. off to the eiffel tower, versailles, the louvre, the arc du triumphe, and fabulous parisien cuisine. thanks for reading. : )
flannery's is our favorite pub, and it's open late. the problem is that those fantastic city buses stop running at midnight. solution: drop one another off, one at a time...and hope you're not the last one to navigate those streets alone. the city is a place where you're harassed, but never attacked. threatened, but rarely hurt. i've learned to keep my head up, walk quickly with purpose, and ignore whatever is shouted my way. ca marche.
i leave on the TVG for Paris at noon, and my host parents are dropping me off at the station, after ensuring that i've packed my picnic and towel. again, i'm well taken care of. i won't have my computer for quite some time, as i don't get back from Paris until Thursday, and then leave for the Loire Valley shortly thereafter. i'm ready to leave dijon for a bit--the city is indeed small, and if you run into someone once, the chances are that you'll run into him or her again.
i've successfully turned in a six page paper in French, and i still can't wrap my head around the fact that i'm supposed to be speaking in another language. BUT, i have camus and cocteau packed, a notebook and pen, and i think Paris is just the place for french-ish thoughts, no?
i miss my friends at colby. my family at home. my girlies in and soon to be in england. and especially that one off sailing the seven seas. oh, and case anyone hasn't guessed already, i miss my grandma like wooah.
love. love. love. off to the eiffel tower, versailles, the louvre, the arc du triumphe, and fabulous parisien cuisine. thanks for reading. : )
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
morning
L'arc a la Place Darcy (where i catch my bus)...sarkozy is IN. but he isn't nearly as chic as obama.
jon weiss' house, where i take my culture class
pharmacien
morning rush
les drapeaux
leaving the suburbs
my bakery
FLOWERS
okay, so i totally stalked a group of french children this morning.
a
my favorite part of the day here is my walk to centre-ville. inevitably. always. rain or shine. id rather be late to class than take the bus farther than necessary, despite the fact that bus encounters are bound to be interesting, especially as i smile, upon boarding, at the people who've laughed at me running desperately, hand out to push the doors open. if i don't get my morning walk, things don't feel right and i arrive at class unsettled--it's on those days that french sounds more foreign to my ears than it should at this point.
the sun hits the sidewalk just right around 8:30, and i love to watch the vendors put their flowers out on the sidewalk, to see the pharmacists mop their linoleum floors as the doors open at 8:55. men, women, grandmothers, aunts, everyone walks babies in perambulators down the cobbled streets, and les drapeaux blow colorfully in the wind as the streets narrow beneath the wheels of the buses, one after another. bakeries are bustling, and people of all ages are ready to meet the day, baguette in hand.
***
today, i had the honor of interviewing my host parents about immigration, racism, and french identity. they were honest with me, informative, patient, and most of all--candid. i am very greatful to them for their authenticity and their willingness to let me into their world. i have a lunch date with another francais tomorrow to ask more questions about being french, and i'm praying i get more answers.
my host mom gave me a latin book of Ovid's today--she teaches latin, and she knows he's my favorite. flipping through it has been a nice break from church architecture and history for me.
Mama, thanks for making me go to sunday school when i was small. you have no idea how many students i've explained bible stories to over the past two weeks. i am officially bible-knowledge girl who also knows random facts about St. Jerome and owns the vulgate. got to love that this here junior is useful for something.
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