So the latest chapter in our adventure has come to a close. After nearly 3 years overseas, lots of traveling, and a whole bunch of language issues, we have both made it back to California.
What a great time we had. Even through the difficulties we encountered (and there were many), it was such a fantastic learning experience for both of us.
Thanks to all our readers for hanging in there with us, even during the less-than-enthusiastic postings.
Happy travels to you!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Last day of work
Today is my last day of work here at Amadeus. It's hard to believe it's been just over two years! I don't know where the time has gone...
I am very sad to leave all of the nice people I've met here, and there have been many. However, I'm also NOT sad to leave some of the not-so-nice ones I've met. But it's the same everywhere you go. There are all kinds of people.
The overall experience here has been very good. I really liked working with and meeting people from all over the world. And I was lucky that my department was pretty well-managed, which I can say is a bit unusual here based on what I've heard from friends who work in other departments.
But really, the overall atmosphere is still corporate, and that seems to be international in my experience. And in general, the people are the same anywhere you go.
I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity to work here because it has given me so many interesting experiences and allowed me to meet such great people.
I am very sad to leave all of the nice people I've met here, and there have been many. However, I'm also NOT sad to leave some of the not-so-nice ones I've met. But it's the same everywhere you go. There are all kinds of people.
The overall experience here has been very good. I really liked working with and meeting people from all over the world. And I was lucky that my department was pretty well-managed, which I can say is a bit unusual here based on what I've heard from friends who work in other departments.
But really, the overall atmosphere is still corporate, and that seems to be international in my experience. And in general, the people are the same anywhere you go.
I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity to work here because it has given me so many interesting experiences and allowed me to meet such great people.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thanksgiving 2009
So here in France, Thanksgiving is just another work day. So there was no day off or long weekend for us. But, for the expat community, there are enough Americans floating around that you can normally find someone who is having a dinner.
I was invited by my friend from New Zealand (actually) to go to a dinner at her friend's house. The hostess was an American from the Sacramento area, of all places, and her mom had flown out for the week.
So there were 16 of us treated to a true Thanksgiving dinner, turkey and all the trimmings. I met some really nice people there and had a great time.
Then I proceeded to go home and make phone calls to family. Finally got to bed around midnight. That 9-hour time difference is a killer sometimes!
I was invited by my friend from New Zealand (actually) to go to a dinner at her friend's house. The hostess was an American from the Sacramento area, of all places, and her mom had flown out for the week.
So there were 16 of us treated to a true Thanksgiving dinner, turkey and all the trimmings. I met some really nice people there and had a great time.
Then I proceeded to go home and make phone calls to family. Finally got to bed around midnight. That 9-hour time difference is a killer sometimes!
Monday, November 30, 2009
A bientot, Paris...
I took a quick, 3-day solo journey to Paris from 11/23 to 11/25. I had seen an advertisement in an English-lnaguage newspaper for a Gregorian chant concert at Notre Dame on 11/24. And I thought, "Wow, that would really be an experience." Not to mention the fact that Paris is my favorite city in the world...
I got the camera out just in time to catch the boat!
So I got the time off of work (11/24 was a Tuesday) and took the train up Monday morning. It's just over 5 hours on the TGV and you end up right in the middle of Paris.
A view out the window of the TGV between Antibes and Cannes.
I found a great deal on a hotel in the Latin Quarter, the 4th arrondisement, which is an area I really like. The hotel was in a pedestrian area and there were lots of cheap restaurants and shops. The 4th is the district that contains the Sorbonne, so there are tons of students around and the area has a really relaxed, funky vibe.
After I dropped my bags in my room, which smelled quite smokey (more on that below), I went out for a stroll. I happened to see a flyer posted on a wall for a piano concert that night at a church that was less than a 5-minute walk from my hotel. So I decided to go to that after dinner. I took myself out for a nice meal at a restaurant just across from my hotel where I felt like the mystery woman having dinner alone. It was really interesting to hear the conversations going on around me (the tables at restaurants in France are normally very close together, so it's almost impossible not to eavesdrop).
After the concert, I went back to my room and had a quick chat with Kev on the phone. I had to close the window to try and sleep because the room was just on the street and it was a bit noisy. However, once the window was closed, the smoke smell in the room became overwhelming. I guess the person in the room before me was an extremely heavy smoker, because it was overpowering. And they must not have cleaned the room properly or something. So at 12:30, I put a sweater over my pajamas and threw on my cargo pants and went down to ask if I could change rooms! So they gave me a room just across the hall which ended up being twice the size of my original room, minus the smoke smell. It was really nice. (And the best part is that when I left, they didn't charge me any extra!!)
My new and improved room!
Tuesday, I went out around 10am and just walked around for hours. That's the best part about Paris...there is so much going on all the time and so much to see that you can walk for hours and not realize it. I poked my head into a couple of shops, had a great falafel lunch and even went back for a quick nap.
The tomb of St. Genevieve, patron saint of Paris.
Saint-Etienne du Mont, the church where the tomb is located.
After I picked up my concert ticket at Notre Dame.
The concert at Notre Dame was amazing. There were about 20 singers in all, but they only all sang together for the very last piece in the performance. During the show, it was sometimes 1 or 2 singers, sometimes 6. And the cathedral is always amazing.
At the end of the concert.
I was up early the next morning for my train at 10. After the cloudy skies the last 2 days, the sky was clear, so I decided to walk back to the train station rather than take the metro. (This was the first of the many times I've been in Paris where I *didn't* take the metro.) It only took about 1/2 an hour and the sunrise was incredible.
Wow!!!
A fantastic quick trip in all.
I got the camera out just in time to catch the boat!
So I got the time off of work (11/24 was a Tuesday) and took the train up Monday morning. It's just over 5 hours on the TGV and you end up right in the middle of Paris.
A view out the window of the TGV between Antibes and Cannes.
I found a great deal on a hotel in the Latin Quarter, the 4th arrondisement, which is an area I really like. The hotel was in a pedestrian area and there were lots of cheap restaurants and shops. The 4th is the district that contains the Sorbonne, so there are tons of students around and the area has a really relaxed, funky vibe.
After I dropped my bags in my room, which smelled quite smokey (more on that below), I went out for a stroll. I happened to see a flyer posted on a wall for a piano concert that night at a church that was less than a 5-minute walk from my hotel. So I decided to go to that after dinner. I took myself out for a nice meal at a restaurant just across from my hotel where I felt like the mystery woman having dinner alone. It was really interesting to hear the conversations going on around me (the tables at restaurants in France are normally very close together, so it's almost impossible not to eavesdrop).
After the concert, I went back to my room and had a quick chat with Kev on the phone. I had to close the window to try and sleep because the room was just on the street and it was a bit noisy. However, once the window was closed, the smoke smell in the room became overwhelming. I guess the person in the room before me was an extremely heavy smoker, because it was overpowering. And they must not have cleaned the room properly or something. So at 12:30, I put a sweater over my pajamas and threw on my cargo pants and went down to ask if I could change rooms! So they gave me a room just across the hall which ended up being twice the size of my original room, minus the smoke smell. It was really nice. (And the best part is that when I left, they didn't charge me any extra!!)
My new and improved room!
Tuesday, I went out around 10am and just walked around for hours. That's the best part about Paris...there is so much going on all the time and so much to see that you can walk for hours and not realize it. I poked my head into a couple of shops, had a great falafel lunch and even went back for a quick nap.
The tomb of St. Genevieve, patron saint of Paris.
Saint-Etienne du Mont, the church where the tomb is located.
After I picked up my concert ticket at Notre Dame.
The concert at Notre Dame was amazing. There were about 20 singers in all, but they only all sang together for the very last piece in the performance. During the show, it was sometimes 1 or 2 singers, sometimes 6. And the cathedral is always amazing.
At the end of the concert.
I was up early the next morning for my train at 10. After the cloudy skies the last 2 days, the sky was clear, so I decided to walk back to the train station rather than take the metro. (This was the first of the many times I've been in Paris where I *didn't* take the metro.) It only took about 1/2 an hour and the sunrise was incredible.
Wow!!!
A fantastic quick trip in all.
Friday, November 27, 2009
A day out on our day off...
November 11 here is a national holiday, Armistice Day (Veterans' Day in the US). We had the day off, so I made plans with my friend Sari to go out for a walk to the lighthouse on the Cap d'Antibes.
Le phare
We had gorgeous weather that day. Sunny with just a bit of a cool breeze blowing. It was really nice in the sun, but quite coolish in the shade.
She met me at my apartment in the old town and then we walked towards the Cap, stopping for a quick coffee on the way. The walk to the lighthouse is not too long, only 10 minutes or so from street level, but it's really nice. There is a church on the hill as well and the views are really nice.
A view towards Nice
A view towards Juan les Pins
Afterwards, we walked over to Juan les Pins and met one of Sari's friends for lunch on the beach. We had to wait about 35 minutes for a table, but it was worth it because the day was gorgeous and the food really good.
I was too lazy to take photos at lunch, so you'll have to take my word for it! :-)
Le phare
We had gorgeous weather that day. Sunny with just a bit of a cool breeze blowing. It was really nice in the sun, but quite coolish in the shade.
She met me at my apartment in the old town and then we walked towards the Cap, stopping for a quick coffee on the way. The walk to the lighthouse is not too long, only 10 minutes or so from street level, but it's really nice. There is a church on the hill as well and the views are really nice.
A view towards Nice
A view towards Juan les Pins
Afterwards, we walked over to Juan les Pins and met one of Sari's friends for lunch on the beach. We had to wait about 35 minutes for a table, but it was worth it because the day was gorgeous and the food really good.
I was too lazy to take photos at lunch, so you'll have to take my word for it! :-)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Things I will NOT miss about France
More random thoughts:
- Dog poop. Everywhere.
- The coffee. It's too bitter and the cafe au lait is too watery.
- The way people drive. Absolutely insane. (although Italy is the worst...)
- Clothes shopping. The clothes are cut are for petite Gallic figures, not broad-shouldered Teutonic ones.
- Getting yelled at to "Just speak English!" when I'm trying really hard to speak French.
- The utter refusal of some people to cut you some slack when you are having difficulty speaking French.
- The unbelievable expense of going to a bar for a drink. At least down in the south here.
- Drunk yachties falling all over the place at said bars. (a particular phenomenon in this region)
- Those who still don't understand the concept of "deodorant" or "washing". Not as frequent as you'd think (considering the rep France has for this), but pretty bad when it does happen.
- Being looked up and down and sneered at by French women. Not all of them, mind, but enough where it gets annoying. I get it, I'm not a fashion plate, OK?
- Squat toilets.
- The way that people cannot seem to form a queue. It's a mad crush instead. Especially to get on a bus or train. You really have to stand your ground or you will be trampled.
- Not understanding enough of the language sometimes to know what the f*** is going on.
- The much-reduced sense of personal space. I'm getting more used to it, but it can be annoying when someone is RIGHT behind you.
- Most French pop music.
- The mountain of paperwork which is required to maintain your life here. Everything official has to be done by letter. And you have to keep copies of anything that you need to give someone else.
- Dog poop. Everywhere.
- The coffee. It's too bitter and the cafe au lait is too watery.
- The way people drive. Absolutely insane. (although Italy is the worst...)
- Clothes shopping. The clothes are cut are for petite Gallic figures, not broad-shouldered Teutonic ones.
- Getting yelled at to "Just speak English!" when I'm trying really hard to speak French.
- The utter refusal of some people to cut you some slack when you are having difficulty speaking French.
- The unbelievable expense of going to a bar for a drink. At least down in the south here.
- Drunk yachties falling all over the place at said bars. (a particular phenomenon in this region)
- Those who still don't understand the concept of "deodorant" or "washing". Not as frequent as you'd think (considering the rep France has for this), but pretty bad when it does happen.
- Being looked up and down and sneered at by French women. Not all of them, mind, but enough where it gets annoying. I get it, I'm not a fashion plate, OK?
- Squat toilets.
- The way that people cannot seem to form a queue. It's a mad crush instead. Especially to get on a bus or train. You really have to stand your ground or you will be trampled.
- Not understanding enough of the language sometimes to know what the f*** is going on.
- The much-reduced sense of personal space. I'm getting more used to it, but it can be annoying when someone is RIGHT behind you.
- Most French pop music.
- The mountain of paperwork which is required to maintain your life here. Everything official has to be done by letter. And you have to keep copies of anything that you need to give someone else.
Things I will miss about France
Just some random thoughts:
- My friends and all the nice people I've met.
- Fresh bread every day.
- French wine and cheese.
- The bisous. It seems weird, but it really is less intimate than a full-body hug. Plus, you get to kiss all the cute boys!
- The saying of "bonjour" and "au revoir" anytime you go into/out of a shop, get on the bus, etc. It makes you feel acknowledged and more civilized somehow.
- The amazing range of skin products available for sensitive skin like mine. And they are of excellent quality.
- The Marseille soap. It's so pure and awesome. And I can even use it on my sensitive skin.
- The way that two random strangers can get in a heated argument on the street and never come to blows.
- Really cool French fashion. Feminine without crossing the line into "working girl".
- The abundance of cute little, reliable, gas-sipping cars (if I wanted to buy one).
- Having the occasional glass of wine with lunch, on a proper one-hour-ish lunch break, and not being looked at like you're the devil.
- Leisurely meals where you can stay at the table as long as you want and no waiter rushing you out the door.
- Meals at the beach, picnic-style and restaurant.
- Hacking my way through the French language.
- French lingerie. Gorgeous.
- The little shops everywhere.
- Being able to stroll along the street and look at all the menus for restaurants before you choose one for your meal.
- The high-speed trains (TGV).
- The automated train lady's voice at the station that says, "Antibes. Ici, Antibes." whenever a train arrives.
- The healthcare system. At least based on my personal experiences, it works really well and is quite efficient.
- The old buildings, squares, etc. The building I'm living in now is probably at least 400 years old. Cool.
- Watching rugby with my friends.
- My friends and all the nice people I've met.
- Fresh bread every day.
- French wine and cheese.
- The bisous. It seems weird, but it really is less intimate than a full-body hug. Plus, you get to kiss all the cute boys!
- The saying of "bonjour" and "au revoir" anytime you go into/out of a shop, get on the bus, etc. It makes you feel acknowledged and more civilized somehow.
- The amazing range of skin products available for sensitive skin like mine. And they are of excellent quality.
- The Marseille soap. It's so pure and awesome. And I can even use it on my sensitive skin.
- The way that two random strangers can get in a heated argument on the street and never come to blows.
- Really cool French fashion. Feminine without crossing the line into "working girl".
- The abundance of cute little, reliable, gas-sipping cars (if I wanted to buy one).
- Having the occasional glass of wine with lunch, on a proper one-hour-ish lunch break, and not being looked at like you're the devil.
- Leisurely meals where you can stay at the table as long as you want and no waiter rushing you out the door.
- Meals at the beach, picnic-style and restaurant.
- Hacking my way through the French language.
- French lingerie. Gorgeous.
- The little shops everywhere.
- Being able to stroll along the street and look at all the menus for restaurants before you choose one for your meal.
- The high-speed trains (TGV).
- The automated train lady's voice at the station that says, "Antibes. Ici, Antibes." whenever a train arrives.
- The healthcare system. At least based on my personal experiences, it works really well and is quite efficient.
- The old buildings, squares, etc. The building I'm living in now is probably at least 400 years old. Cool.
- Watching rugby with my friends.
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