Breakfast at Hannah's

This morning I woke with a craving for a salty breakfast. Given the fact that I haven't been grocery shopping in a week, ingredients are few and far between. However, I had enough to make a delicious egg and hash browns breakfast. The hash browns were simple enough- I peeled and shredded 4 small potatoes with a medium-holed grater while the skillet was heating up. I added vegetable oil before I put the grated potatoes in, however next time I would just spray the pan because they turned out less crispy than I like.

The eggs were a different story. Given my quest for perfection in my cooking, I decided to attempt the perfect omelet rather than simple scrambled eggs. The perfect omelet is elusive in my life. I can never get it to fold perfectly into a half moon shape. I got so far as to fold it almost all the way over so that there was still a small bit of the bottom half showing, and then I was stuck standing there holding it so that the top half wouldn't fall back for several minutes. Am I missing something? I didn't think it was so difficult to make an omelet but I am still searching for the perfect method.

All in all, breakfast was a success. You live and learn with cooking. One day, I'll find the perfect omelet technique. But today, I'm letting my breakfast digest while I enjoy this Superbowl Sunday afternoon.

Kitchen Fire

Well for the second time in one week I have succeeded to set my kitchen on fire. Of course I'm being a bit dramatic, but there were large flames each time licking the air above my stove. Last Saturday, I found out the hard way that a small but very significant piece of food from the night before had melted onto the coils. Next thing I knew, large flames were crawling their way around the pot. I removed it and tried to recall my knowledge of how to put out different types of fires, but for the life of me I had no idea if I should douse the stove with water or smother it with something like flour. Luckily for me, I keep calm in these situations. I blew hard on the flames and after about 10 seconds (which seems an eternity when you remember that you have no renter's insurance) and the flames died down.

Today, I decided to heat up my wok before I put my onions in to cook. Since onions take the longest to cook I assumed it would speed the process along if the wok was already hot. So I put olive oil in the wok and turned around. Again, with my back turned and oblivious to everything, I turned around and saw a billowy column of smoke arising from large flames- this time coming from inside my wok instead of the actual coils. So once again keeping my cool, I picked the wok up from the stove (and imagined myself as a chef in the Japanese steakhouses) as I tried again to pull my knowledge of how to put out an oil fire. The smoke detector's alerting song pulled me from my thoughts and I hurried to the front door to let out the smoke and have my fire doused by the cold for lack of a better idea.

So I continued preparing my vegetables, all the time considering myself an even better chef for having fire-grilled my wok! I cut 3 onions, 1 full garlic bulb, some pieces of ginger and chopped them in my chopper (a treasure I snagged from Ikea a few weeks ago). I tossed them in with the olive oil while I chopped 4 chicken breasts. Those went in the wok too, and I added soy sauce, sriracha sauce, and worcestershire sauce (just a dash of the latter). I let that cook and suck in the flavors of the sauces while I chopped 3 squash, 1 head of broccoli, 2 green bell peppers, and 4 peeled and boiled potatoes. (Yes potatoes are a bizarre addition to a stir fry, and it is missing many options such as mushrooms or something else that is not green or yellow.) I cooked each ingredient separately and added them all together in the wok to mix together at the end. After putting the heat on low, I spooned some white rice (that had been prepared in my rice maker) onto a plate and spooned my delicious stir fry onto the top. A glass of sweet tea would have been the icing on the cake, had I thought to prepare it.

This is my perfected recipe for stir fry. The veggies can be swapped out for different options, but either way this makes for a good filling meal on a Saturday night.

Bon appetite!

Cannes

On Monday, 10 May, I had the opportunity to travel to Cannes in the South of France for a day trip. It was clear that the famous Cannes Film Festival was beginning in 2 days with all the press roaming around and people setting up the red carpet and preparing for events on ocean front venues all up and down La Croisette, which is the main road and boardwalk right along the beach. Talk about lifestyle of the rich and famous! The first shops I spotted were Bulgari, Hermes, and Fred Jewelers. It was really sort of a miraculous day- all the local weather reports called for rain and clouds so I brought an umbrella and prepared to spend the day (in which I was celebrating my one year anniversary) wishing that the sun was out and I could enjoy the beautiful city. However, there was not a cloud in the sky! And now I'm sporting the sunburn to prove it- I wasn't expecting the need to protect myself from the sun, and I was so excited to be in the beautiful city that I didn't even think about sunscreen! Around 4pm I started to notice that my shoulders had turned a nice lobster color, and I had been chalking that up to the straps of my bag digging into my shoulders all day.

Needless to say, Cannes is a magical place. I couldn't stop staring at the water of the Cote d'Azur- it was so clear you could literally see straight to the bottom. It's a teal-green color and then when it gets deeper a rich blue. We took a boat to the Ile Ste. Marguerite off the coast of Cannes, where the prison from the Man in the Iron Mask is located. The water was so clear there I just wanted to drink it! It was very cold though- I could barely dip my toes in for more than a second or two.

The entire La Croisette is filled with high end retailers such as Emporio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vitton, and countless others. We were even stopped and our photo was taken by some people advertising their photo services- but it definitely made me feel like a celebrity!

It was only a 4 hour ride on the high-speed train (TGV) from Lyon, and we arrived at 10:30 and left at 6pm. We had a wonderful day exploring the city in the sun and I would LOVE to go back!

Loss

This post has no accompanying picture, no cute story, and no suave European lesson to be learned. This story is about loss. I lost someone very close to me on Thursday, April 29th, and from that day on I have been struggling with not being their by her bedside with the rest of my family. She didn't want me to return to France because she was so worried about my safety, and I begged God to let her see me come home safely. Little did I know that God wanted her to have the best seat possible to be able to watch over my safe return. Hundreds of people were praying for her when they admitted her to hospice; praying for her healing, for her peace and ours, and a little after midnight our prayers were answered. We don't know God's plans and I cannot question His decision. I was torn at losing her, but I know that she is no longer in pain and suffering. Instead she's better than us all. As one friend of mine put it- "she is the lucky one, not us. One day we will be as lucky as her." And he's right. One day I know that her and I will meet again, and until that day I pass notes to her through Jesus. I know that now she is watching over her family and smiling to see that we all love each other and are supporting each other through this difficult time.

There is a memento (one among many) that she gave me a few years ago, a ring with a beautiful deep blue sapphire in the middle that displays a large star in the jewel when it is held under direct light. She had it re-sized for me so it would perfectly fit my ring finger. I left it home when I came to France for fear I would misplace it in my travels and I do not regret that decision, but I want it so badly. I yearn to have a piece of her with me at all times; just a reminder of her beautiful life and the lessons she taught me. She is on my mind at all times, so it's difficult to explain my want for this ring just now, but I know that when I arrive home, the first thing I do will be to retrieve my ring from it's safe hiding spot and put it on my finger, where it will always be until I decide it's time to pass it on to my daughter and tell her about Mabert and how wonderful she was.

I have begun to write out my memories of her, and the things she taught me. When I sit down to type one memory, the others just keep flowing and i cannot stop them or the tears. I wish I had taken more pictures. I used to call her every week when I was back home in Charlotte and now I wish that I had realized earlier and more often that I could call her on skype. I was able to speak with her a few times and even on her deathbed I spoke to her twice and I am grateful because some people don't even get that chance. But to only be with her one more time, to have one more conversation or garner one more life lesson from her rich time on this earth, I would give almost anything.

I miss her so much and I am grieving her in the way that I think appropriate. It's difficult because she would not have wanted a lot of fuss, but she is more than worthy of it. She didn't even want a funeral so there was none. I don't understand this decision but at the same time I would not have been able to attend anyways. I look forward to seeing my Grandpa and embracing him and finally being able to have some closure. I want to talk about her and her life and her family and her legacy. I want to record all her memories so that I can tell my children. I never imagined my life without her because she was going to live forever. She was going to be at my wedding and know my children and see how my life turned out. It still tears me apart to know that she won't be doing those things here on Earth, but I know that where she is, she already knows all those things and so much more.

I love you Grandma.

French Mornings

Long has it been since I've returned to this page to recount my adventures in Europe. There are many reasons for that- none of them legitimate so I will not waste time writing them. I often find myself in a peaceful moment and feel the need to write about it. Through a series of unlikely events, I found myself at a bakery at 9am recently- and what a wonderful experience! Why have I never done that before? It's magical to walk outside of my apartment in the beautiful French early springtime and be amidst the first customers of the day as they make their morning choices from the large selection of treats. The boulangerie wants for nothing at this hour- nothing has been picked over, nothing is running out, and I get my choice of all these things laid out in front of me on a golden platter.

Unfortunately the man behind me was not so taken with the magic of it all as I was, and he and his business suit had things to do. I chose a selection of pastries and returned for a magical breakfast of pastries, coffee, tea, juice, and bananas. I wish I had photos to document that tiny amount of time which bored itself into my memory, but I do not so word pictures will have to suffice. It's just a small little thing...like most boulangeries. It looks simple on the outside, and as I push the glass doors to get inside a tinkling bell goes off alerting the lady that a new customer arrives. There's a long glass showcase of pastries that makes an L-shape, and I walk back and forth in front of it, prowling like a caged lionness in the zoo. I want to be sure that I don't waste my choices...and there are so MANY choices! I took two chocolat russe - which is a doughy bread in a sort of pretzel shape with chocolate morsels all throughout, and 2 chausson pommes, which I'm told is the equivalent of an apple turnover although I can't be sure because I've never had that American treat.

But the sheer amount of bread- yellows and golds everywhere! Different types of baguettes in large bins and baskets behind the counter for me to choose from- and nothing about 1 euro 50! I went in with 5 euros and came out with 4 pastries and change. The walk back to my apartment just around the corner was all too short- the morning was brisk and beautiful and sunny- oh how I love the sun in France! It's been such a rarety these last few months. I've missed my Carolina blue skies amidst the white and dreary French skies. So since I've been cooped up all winter, I'm chomping at the bit to get outside and take as many walks in the park and around the city as possible, and join the ranks of French people who are also venturing out from their apartments for the first time in a long time for the purpose of leisure time. I want to take my new huge book to the park and read while the children feed the deer and mosey through the zoo...maybe hear the lion roar another time. Maybe take a bike ride through the park..or a canoe on the lake. Is that even possible? I'm not sure but I intend to find out...these last few months will not go wasted on my journey!

a toute a l'heure...

Thanksgiving in Lyon

Well it's now time for the promised Thanksgiving post- and I don't even know where to begin! I had an excellent holiday away from home with my friends here and I'll never forget it. Cooking began around 4:30 pm and we finally sat down to eat around 10 pm with 7 of us total in attendance. We had all the classics, including pumpkin pie, turkey, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, and steamed veggies. The turkey was a bit of a challenge because in Lyon they don't sell full turkeys, so we had to settle for two huge pieces and find a recipe somewhere online that allowed for only a few pieces instead of the full turkey. We also bought two roast chickens to supplement our turkey pieces. But even though the food was excellent, the fellowship was even better. We all gathered in the kitchen and cooked and made an event of watching all the F.R.I.E.N.D.S Thanksgiving episodes, and then moved onto challenges of who can do the weirdest things with which extremities. I began my day a little teary eyed at the thought of being so far from all my family gathered round to give thanks, but ended the day more thankful than I could ever have imagined for my amazing friends :)

Life Thus Far In France

Unfortunately for this post, there are no photos to accompany it. I've lost my camera and have turned my apartment upside down in search of it but with no reward, but hopefully soon my luck will change. This is just an update to my life thus far in France, I suppose, so I can't promise you much excitement but I can at least give you something to read. Every day is a change of emotions for me- some of the days I feel myself settling in and being happy and feeling as if I'm at home, like yesterday for example. We wanted to have Subway for dinner since they, like many institutions in France and the European Union, have student prices or discounts. Not exactly a "French" choice but when you are low on funds you can't exactly go out to eat for a delicious 10.50 euro "Saladier Lyonnais" every day. So we stood in line, gave our orders, and specified that they were "à emporter" which is the French version of "to go." Of course Subway is a good test of your French language skills because you don't just order one thing off of the menu and wait- you have to indicate which kind of bread that you would like, what size, that you would like the "ménu étudiant" (student combo), and then correct them when they accidentally over-charge you. So I felt accomplished when I left the line with exactly what I had wanted when I entered it, and the exact price I had assumed. We walked back to the metro without even paying attention to where we were going because these acts are now so ingrained in our daily activities- it isn't even an actual thought process to figure out which direction to go now. Almost everything is instinct. And so yesterday evening I found myself wondering at the fact that possibly I could be happy here. As of right now it isn't my first choice, or even my second, but I still could make a life here if I must.

And then there are the other days, and I can't honestly figure out which is the most common of the two choices to be honest. It distresses me, because I can't actually remember having to work hard to be happy somewhere. But sometimes for my in Lyon that is the case. Most of the time it occurs when someone in an office somewhere has failed my American image of what a good business should be and how they should operate. During the second month, in particular, of my stay in Lyon, this was a huge problem. Frustration would overcome my entire being and my day would be ruined as I only saw the negative in all situations and wondered why in the world things can't be done "the better way." It was always a shock to me, during that second month (because the first month- or most of it anyway I stayed with a friend and her family and they helped me deal with things, but then for the second month I was on my own to face the world) how it seemed that people just didn't care about good business, which is a principle on which America operates.

Now, I'm coming to the end of the third month and the beginning of the fourth month in Lyon and I accept these things, not with resignation yet, but without surprise, that much is sure. Still there is frustration, but it's almost like it's wearing me down because I know that sometimes that's just how things are here. A friend recently explained it to me the best way I've heard so far: most of the jobs are government jobs, and in those jobs it's extremely difficult to get fired so there's not a lot of thoughts of working hard so that people keep their jobs- they're automatically safe. It's good for the employee but not for the general population when the employee doesn't care about doing their best since they don't really have to. It's the same with the university- for French students (unlike in America!) it's very cheap to go to University, so again the faculty is employed by the government and not extremely motivated to do an excellent job.

So at least I have an explanation and I'm not wandering around thinking "why why whyyyy!" anymore. And it's only certain times that these things happen, but it's always for very big issues, such as my "Carte de Sejour" which is my permit to live in France!

Life is in fact becoming more like home here though, and I am noticing it more every day. I'm looking forward to getting all the paperwork out of the way once and for all so that I can just enjoy the second semester with my new friends and travel as much as possible. Now that I know how the system works for choosing classes I expect next semester to go much smoother.

And it is now the week of Thanksgiving in America. I've never been away from home for a holiday, much less Thanksgiving! It's difficult for me because I'm also not in America at all, which means it's just another ordinary day for France and I (along with the other Americans scattered around) will be the one thinking of my family back home with their giant Thanksgiving feast and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Football game and Christmas music. I'll be the one sleeping in on Friday while America hustles and bustles during Black Friday. I can't imagine not participating in those events, but this is one of the sacrifices I have to make in order to further my education and open as many doors for myself (figuratively speaking) as possible. So I am ridiculously ecstatic that I'm going home for Christmas for a few weeks, but I am very sad to be missing Thanksgiving.

However, my awesome friends here are coming together for a Thanksgiving feast of sorts of our own and for that I'm so grateful. I'd rather be around friends than be on my own for sure on that day. We will attempt to put together a Thanksgiving meal in Lyon! The country representations are (other than me- the lone American) Sri Lanka, Mexico, Italy, Canada, and the Netherlands. Such an international way to celebrate the American holiday! But I'm very excited and hopefully I will find my camera before then and be able to document the day in pictures as well as words for all to see!

So until the Thanksgiving post- à bien tôt!