Just when things were falling into a comfortable routine here in Pau, the circus came to town! I mean that both literally and figuratively. Starting last Saturday, the Cirque Amar, one of the 2 or 3 circuses that tours all over France, came to town for a 4 day engagement. So, always thinking of you, dear readers, I decided to go see the show so that I could present you with a fascinating and detailed description of how a French circus differs from an American one. First of all, there was only one ring, or “piste” as it’s called in French. [View Full Entry]

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(Or the story of Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte) Once there was a little boy born in Pau to parents of humble origins. They rented the second floor of a house near the Chateau for 9 years. Jean-Baptiste, as he was named, joined the Royal Marine in 1780 when his father died and left him broke. During the French Revolution, he became general of a brigade and in 1797 the Directory put him in charge of the Italian campaign, under the direction of one Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1798 he becomes the ambassador to Vienna, then comes back to Paris where he ends up marrying [View Full Entry]

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As many of you stateside types may be aware, my adoptive country suffered a 9.0 on the cultural Richter scale this past week when smoking was ban from all public bars and restaurants. Bad news for nicotine addicted French people, good news for oxygen-loving Americans. The difference was immediately noticeable on Wednesday night when some of the assistants went out for our first get together of the New Year. I met Sam and Anyah in Place Clemenceau, and we headed over to Leslie’s studio where she and Helen and George were cooking dinner. I’d brought a box of Do-si-do Girl Scout [View Full Entry]

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So I’m a little behind in my blogging (what else is new?). I didn’t really post anything while I was home in the states because A) I didn’t have time and B) Since most of the people reading this saw me over the holidays anyway, I figure they know what I was doing. However, for the 3 or so non-family members who do occasionally read this, I’ll do a quick recap. One of the most exciting things for me about being home was getting to have a kitchen all to myself again that I could destroy as I liked. I spent [View Full Entry]

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As I write these words, I am officially on Christmas vacation and home in the good ol’ US of A. I actually ended up with an even longer break than expected, because Laurence Chapelle had a training workshop all day on Thursday, so I didn’t have to teach any classes! This was kind of bittersweet though, because I would have loved the chance to say goodbye to my 4emes and 6emes at Clermont. Still, working fewer hours hasn’t made my week any less busy. I spent a good portion of it finishing up Christmas shopping and cleaning my room to get [View Full Entry]

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I can’t believe how the days are flying by here…and how quickly the Holidays are sneaking up! So, for all my die-hard readers out there (and I know there are oh-so-many of you), here’s this weeks installment of new adventures from my Pyrenees home. Tuesday night meant the much welcome return of Christine’s parents. Mamie and Papi, as the girls call them, are so sweet and adorable. I feel like I inherited a third set of grandparents with the family. We had boudin blanc for dinner, which is a poultry based sausage, with caramelized apples and endives. For dessert [View Full Entry]

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Framboise—it’s the French word for raspberry, it makes a delicious tarte, and it’s also the color of my new studio! After much debate with the ladies of the household and nashing of teeth over their lack of accord, Patrick decided to paint the walls a beautiful shade of raspberry. Sabine told me to go and have a look, and when I walked in I couldn’t help squealing from sheer happiness, which was just the reaction the Canterot’s were hoping for, I think. It’s absolutely charming and I can’t wait to move in. We’re just waiting on the furniture [View Full Entry]

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So, all I’ve been hearing around here for the past month is how the Fac (or university, if you will) is “bloquée”, which means blocked. I assumed it was a figure of speech—a way of saying that the students and the government were at an impasse, too deadlocked to work things out. This is France…I should have known better. If I’ve been a bad blogger recently, it’s because in addition to prepping for and teaching classes, I’ve been trying to cram obscure English words and math formulas I haven’t used in 3 years into my head so that I c [View Full Entry]

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That’s the question I’ve been trying my best to answer all week long to various French people who are trying to get their heads around the concept. I usually give a little bit of the history (leaving out the whole Indian oppression, of course, because let’s face it….the French already have a low enough impression of us), and then go on to explain that it’s a time to celebrate with family and be thankful and eat a huge, carbohydrate-laden meal. I’m usually met with interested but vaguely confused stares and the response “oh, so it’s like No [View Full Entry]

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Well, the French have been back from vacation for almost a week now, which means it’s just about time for them to go on strike! Seriously, it’s getting a little ridiculous over here. The students at the university are on strike, the transportation industry is on strike, the electricians are on strike, the professors are on strike….I think you get the picture. Sadly, I’m not on strike, which means it was back to work for me on Thursday. However, I guess I could be on strike if I wanted to be, because I’ve finally gotten my “be French” card from t [View Full Entry]

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