Paques). As a gift from God, my host family left Friday after school to go visit their family in the North. I WAS SO HAPPY. Not only a great weekend to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord but a weekend to relax all to myself!
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Joyeuses Pâques
Easter!! Easter weekend consists of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (Lundi de
Paques). As a gift from God, my host family left Friday after school to go visit their family in the North. I WAS SO HAPPY. Not only a great weekend to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord but a weekend to relax all to myself!
This led to an Easter Fete at my house and a sleepover with Aubrey! I invited Hannah, Aubs, and Niv (a French girl from my ward) and we ate and spoke in Franglais all night and then played Just Dance which really killed my back! It was a good substitution to family holiday celebrations. Aubrey stayed the night (we watched a ton of Friends) and then in the morning, we continued the Friends watching! Not knowing when the host family would be back, I was so nervous for them to get home (they are weird about guests) but whatever, we played it cool. We ended on the wedding of Chandler and Monica!! Then we went into Paris so I could enjoy my last moments of freedom for the weekend. We simply just went out and walked around the city. Loved it!!
Paques). As a gift from God, my host family left Friday after school to go visit their family in the North. I WAS SO HAPPY. Not only a great weekend to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord but a weekend to relax all to myself!
Je suis Bloqué
The term in French referring to "I CANNOT MOVE".
Saturday night, sore and in definite pain from my back, turned me into a broken person! I bent down to put on some pants and pulled up when something in my spine definitely moved or popped or slipped in the wrong direction. From there, I flopped myself onto my bed and decided to just watch some Friends and fall asleep. Sunday morning, I was determined to go to church so, despite the inability to really find a pain-free position, I headed off to church. I wanted to cry all day! So. Much. Pain. Ironically, it was International Day of Happiness. Boy, am I good at covering up pain.
I called it quits after second hour, even after Aubrey kindly massaged my back on the nursery floor, and went home to lie on the ground. I texted my host fam and said I'm upstairs and not able to move. They were kind enough to bring me some tea and dinner on my floor while I went through about two whole seasons of Friends in three days.
This definitely isn't the type of job that you can call in sick from but I was given two days of modified walking to school with the kids. I went to see a normal Dr who did me nothing but gave me some Ibuprofen where we spoke the last half in French. Next was an Orthopedic Dr who spoke very little English so I did the whole appt in French (!!!) and he actually helped me. And then a massage therapist who helped me relax the muscles around the spine. I have never spent so much money on Dr appointments! Of course, since I don't quite have insurance yet from the pain-stakingly slow Securite Sociale here, it was all out of pocket for me. But I guess you can't really put a price on feeling better. Huuuuh.
At least the weather was improving! That lifted my spirits a bit. Spring has arrived!!!
Saturday night, sore and in definite pain from my back, turned me into a broken person! I bent down to put on some pants and pulled up when something in my spine definitely moved or popped or slipped in the wrong direction. From there, I flopped myself onto my bed and decided to just watch some Friends and fall asleep. Sunday morning, I was determined to go to church so, despite the inability to really find a pain-free position, I headed off to church. I wanted to cry all day! So. Much. Pain. Ironically, it was International Day of Happiness. Boy, am I good at covering up pain.
I called it quits after second hour, even after Aubrey kindly massaged my back on the nursery floor, and went home to lie on the ground. I texted my host fam and said I'm upstairs and not able to move. They were kind enough to bring me some tea and dinner on my floor while I went through about two whole seasons of Friends in three days.
This definitely isn't the type of job that you can call in sick from but I was given two days of modified walking to school with the kids. I went to see a normal Dr who did me nothing but gave me some Ibuprofen where we spoke the last half in French. Next was an Orthopedic Dr who spoke very little English so I did the whole appt in French (!!!) and he actually helped me. And then a massage therapist who helped me relax the muscles around the spine. I have never spent so much money on Dr appointments! Of course, since I don't quite have insurance yet from the pain-stakingly slow Securite Sociale here, it was all out of pocket for me. But I guess you can't really put a price on feeling better. Huuuuh.
At least the weather was improving! That lifted my spirits a bit. Spring has arrived!!!
Workin' Out
I'm done with school!! French school is finallllllllly over and I'm free at last. Well I may have skipped the last 2 weeks of it but now I am guilt-free free! So since Emily has been done for a while and is the only person really free during the day, I decided it would be great to start up a work out club on Mondays and Thursdays.
First we met up to run through Luxembourg gardens which was short but beautiful! Not much of a workout if you get what I'm sayin. And it probably didn't help that we went to Marks & Spencer and got some chocolate milkshakes after....definitely didn't need/deserve/earn those.
However, I nearly died our second day. We met up at Invalides park, a popular workout spot, and with the weights in my backpack, we squatted-jumped-lifted-held-balanced-ran and stretched our way to soreness. (Me at least. I was so sore!) Just another testament to how out of shape I am. Eww.
Well, I injured my back over a month ago while running 9 miles and decided to just ignore it. Not a good idea. That really backfired on me a few days down the road. It was fun while it lasted!
First we met up to run through Luxembourg gardens which was short but beautiful! Not much of a workout if you get what I'm sayin. And it probably didn't help that we went to Marks & Spencer and got some chocolate milkshakes after....definitely didn't need/deserve/earn those.
Well, I injured my back over a month ago while running 9 miles and decided to just ignore it. Not a good idea. That really backfired on me a few days down the road. It was fun while it lasted!
Chateau de Fontainebleu
A much cooler chateau than Versailles, this beauty began in 1100 and slowly grew to the palace it is today!
Home to Phillip III and Isabella of Aragon, Charles VII, King Francis I as a winter home where he showcased the Mona Lisa and The Virgin of the Rocks before they lived in the Louvre, Henri II, his Mistress, and his wife Catherine de Medici who birthed 6/10 kids there, Louis XIII and his sisters who were baptized in the Chateau's Cour Ovale, Louis XIV, the wedding between Louis XV and Marie Leszczynska, visitors such as Czar Peter the Great, the king of Denmark, Moliere and Voltaire, and then Napoleon refurbished the whole thing after it was trashed during the Revolution making it his second country residence, an imperial palace, and home to his Military Academy.
Napoleon is the most well-known inhabitant of the palace. It was at Chateau de Fontainebleau that Napoleon announced his divorce
from Josephine. It is also where he fled after Paris fell in the
Campaign for France. The Treaty of Fontainebleau, which ended Napoleon’s
rule as Emperor of France and stated his exile to Elba, was ratified by
Napoleon on April 13th, 1814. He then attempted suicide after the
realization that his empire had come to an end. It is on the grand
staircase at the entrance of the Chateau where Napoleon bid farewell to
his army in the Court Adieux on April 20, 1814.
Napoleon III preferred this chateau too. They demolished a part of it to begin constructing a new gallery. Then it was shuttered and closed to the public but JD Rockefeller Jr from America helped bring it back to $life$. The Chateau was used as a German operations site during World War II. It was freed by the allied forces in 1944 and was used as NATO headquarters from 1945 until 1965.And now its a UNESCO Heritage site.
-Don't even think about sitting on their chairs. Rooms and rooms of cushioned butt spots with little "No Sitting" signs. Cause that makes sense! :)
I walked these halls!! I can only imagine what the gardens must look like in full bloom. Much like the Chateau de Versailles, it's got a canal and statues but on a much smaller scale. The inside was way cooler than Versailles. And there were no lines or crowds! And it was free to us students. Oh ya. So much happened in these halls and rooms; Europe is so cool!
Napoleon Rubiks cube for Malo!
Home to Phillip III and Isabella of Aragon, Charles VII, King Francis I as a winter home where he showcased the Mona Lisa and The Virgin of the Rocks before they lived in the Louvre, Henri II, his Mistress, and his wife Catherine de Medici who birthed 6/10 kids there, Louis XIII and his sisters who were baptized in the Chateau's Cour Ovale, Louis XIV, the wedding between Louis XV and Marie Leszczynska, visitors such as Czar Peter the Great, the king of Denmark, Moliere and Voltaire, and then Napoleon refurbished the whole thing after it was trashed during the Revolution making it his second country residence, an imperial palace, and home to his Military Academy.
Napoleon III preferred this chateau too. They demolished a part of it to begin constructing a new gallery. Then it was shuttered and closed to the public but JD Rockefeller Jr from America helped bring it back to $life$. The Chateau was used as a German operations site during World War II. It was freed by the allied forces in 1944 and was used as NATO headquarters from 1945 until 1965.And now its a UNESCO Heritage site.
-Don't even think about sitting on their chairs. Rooms and rooms of cushioned butt spots with little "No Sitting" signs. Cause that makes sense! :)
Cherubs for Jaycee!
American in Paris
....the struggle! This week has been so bad. All I want is to make a midnight run to Winco for cheap snacks. Or get a big bag of nuts and popcorn at Costco. Or go to a store and have GOOD cereal choices! These cravings are insane.
Look what we have o deal with here.
Look what we have o deal with here.
Palais Royal du Louvre
A BEAUTIFUL sunny Spring day in Paris warranted a nice stroll through an undiscovered piece of Paris. Amongst a courtyard of black-and-white striped columns, all of varying heights, Hannah and I found a lot of laughs, bruises, and relaxing.
Miss Long-Legs could mount the columns that I could barely see over. Not fair! A lot of running and jumping left my knees, thighs, and armpits very bruised. But it was worth it. How else do you enjoy a courtyard of random pedestals? Jump on them!
Then Ems joined Hannah and I on the docks while we chilled in the sun and reveled in the fact that we live in Paris.
Sunday afternoon consisted of eating and napping at Chez Hannah's. Can you tell I just woke up!? We sat on the quai side of the Seine and watched the sunset and, once again, loved life in Paris.
Miss Long-Legs could mount the columns that I could barely see over. Not fair! A lot of running and jumping left my knees, thighs, and armpits very bruised. But it was worth it. How else do you enjoy a courtyard of random pedestals? Jump on them!
Then Ems joined Hannah and I on the docks while we chilled in the sun and reveled in the fact that we live in Paris.
Sunday afternoon consisted of eating and napping at Chez Hannah's. Can you tell I just woke up!? We sat on the quai side of the Seine and watched the sunset and, once again, loved life in Paris.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Rome
After I foolishly bought a 6am train ticket from Naples to Rome instead of a 6pm one, I was trying to think of a way to get to the ghetto at 6am from Pozzuoli....but instead I just bought a new ticket, thank goodness! Trains in Italy are so cheap, I love it.
Rome was a dream! Our hostel was awesome, wifi at every square inch, great location near the train station, and so cheap! By the time our two days were up, I had Rome navigated perfectly in my head- so different from Paris. I am terrible with directions. Somehow, Italy solved that problem for me. Just another reason to love Italy.
I have been putting off writing these posts about Italy because I know there is so much I want to say and not a sufficient enough brain capacity and finger mobility to get it out correctly. So...Here are my highlights!
-When we were visiting the Colosseum, the weather went from partly sunny and agreeable to a 10-minute torrential down pour! Everyone around us was not only SOAKED, but laughing because there was literally no way of escaping the monsoon that was upon us. It was actually quite hilarious. Afterwards, the sun came back out and gave us beautiful weather for the first half of our day. We walked wherever our feet would take us and luckily, just happened upon the things we wanted to see!
-To the left of the Colosseum is a hill covered in beautiful olive trees and is simply picturesque Italy. The building on the hill turned out to be a quaint little church that had candles inside to light. Upon Grandma Colleen's request, I lit a candle in honor of Great Grandma Susie. Leading up to the church was also a really cool display of carved wood plaques that documented Christ's life.
-In search of Emily's golden sunshine mouth thing, we wandered a bit, asked someone where we could find it by using the one word that the Sister Missionaries taught us in Naples (dove) which turned out to be the MOST helpful word possible, and then didn't find it again. Turning to an old, friendly looking food-cart vendor,we asked "dove boca di...somethin'..." He looked at us like we were the dumbest people in the world. To our left was the line for the Boca di somethin'.
-We found the Trevi Fountain! My favorite place in Rome, hands down. That night, we sat and people-watched for hours and witnessed a guy propose to his girlfriend!! Right in front of us!!! Oh my gosh! Coolest thing ever. When I saw what was happening, I began cheering and clapping and after an awkward moment, people realized what I was cheering for and joined in. So special! I threw my three coins in for 1) a return to Rome, 2) a love affair in Italy, and 3) marrying an Italian man. Let's just sa, I want my Paolo to come and sweep me off my feet. Those Italian men are fiiiine.
-While searching for the best gelato cafe that Emily's sister-in-law went to, we were caught in a wide open square when the hardest rain storm I have ever been in, hit. Wind blowing sideways, rain hammering into our bodies, drenched in a record breaking 0.38227 seconds, and squealing like little girls. I have never been so wet and cold in my life. Once we saw the Pantheon, we warranted ourselves a stop in an over-priced-but-cute cafe where I ate my first Italian tiramisu! Delicious, of course. But I think my favorite was in Venice. Complimetns to Nico. :)
-Our hostel was 5 minutes from the train station and it was awesome! On our way out, we took an overnight train to Venice. No it was not one with beds. Not it was not comfortable. And what we didn't know was that it was about to be the Inferno Train of Death.
Rome was a dream! Our hostel was awesome, wifi at every square inch, great location near the train station, and so cheap! By the time our two days were up, I had Rome navigated perfectly in my head- so different from Paris. I am terrible with directions. Somehow, Italy solved that problem for me. Just another reason to love Italy.
I have been putting off writing these posts about Italy because I know there is so much I want to say and not a sufficient enough brain capacity and finger mobility to get it out correctly. So...Here are my highlights!
-When we were visiting the Colosseum, the weather went from partly sunny and agreeable to a 10-minute torrential down pour! Everyone around us was not only SOAKED, but laughing because there was literally no way of escaping the monsoon that was upon us. It was actually quite hilarious. Afterwards, the sun came back out and gave us beautiful weather for the first half of our day. We walked wherever our feet would take us and luckily, just happened upon the things we wanted to see!
-To the left of the Colosseum is a hill covered in beautiful olive trees and is simply picturesque Italy. The building on the hill turned out to be a quaint little church that had candles inside to light. Upon Grandma Colleen's request, I lit a candle in honor of Great Grandma Susie. Leading up to the church was also a really cool display of carved wood plaques that documented Christ's life.
-In search of Emily's golden sunshine mouth thing, we wandered a bit, asked someone where we could find it by using the one word that the Sister Missionaries taught us in Naples (dove) which turned out to be the MOST helpful word possible, and then didn't find it again. Turning to an old, friendly looking food-cart vendor,we asked "dove boca di...somethin'..." He looked at us like we were the dumbest people in the world. To our left was the line for the Boca di somethin'.
-We found the Trevi Fountain! My favorite place in Rome, hands down. That night, we sat and people-watched for hours and witnessed a guy propose to his girlfriend!! Right in front of us!!! Oh my gosh! Coolest thing ever. When I saw what was happening, I began cheering and clapping and after an awkward moment, people realized what I was cheering for and joined in. So special! I threw my three coins in for 1) a return to Rome, 2) a love affair in Italy, and 3) marrying an Italian man. Let's just sa, I want my Paolo to come and sweep me off my feet. Those Italian men are fiiiine.
-While searching for the best gelato cafe that Emily's sister-in-law went to, we were caught in a wide open square when the hardest rain storm I have ever been in, hit. Wind blowing sideways, rain hammering into our bodies, drenched in a record breaking 0.38227 seconds, and squealing like little girls. I have never been so wet and cold in my life. Once we saw the Pantheon, we warranted ourselves a stop in an over-priced-but-cute cafe where I ate my first Italian tiramisu! Delicious, of course. But I think my favorite was in Venice. Complimetns to Nico. :)
-Our hostel was 5 minutes from the train station and it was awesome! On our way out, we took an overnight train to Venice. No it was not one with beds. Not it was not comfortable. And what we didn't know was that it was about to be the Inferno Train of Death.
Friday, March 18, 2016
St. Patrick's Day
Until Aubrey sent me a snapchat to remind me of the non-celebrated holiday in France, I had no idea it was St. Patty's Day! I was hopeful of continuing some sort of green/Irish celebrations...but that wasn't happening. At least not in my house.
Thankfully, Hannah wanted to keep the Nelson family traditions alive and invited me over for some green-food feasting and watching an Irish film. Well, the feasting consisted of our Carrefour icecream, green Pringles, and some Pistachio chocolate. Nothing like the corned beef and cabbage that I would have died to eat that night! Especially after the circus-dinner that occurred with the three extra kids that were in town . I was about to go crazy.
So a brisk night walk over to Hannah's was really quite wonderful. We watched "The Silent Man" and 'manged' on our unhealthy goods. Unfortunately, I got out of there late and saw that the trains I usually take to get home were no longer running and it was by bus that I was to get home...in another hour and a half. I wanted to die. Not only was it a long journey home at one in the morning, but I was surrounded by drunk, obnoxious people who reeked of ale and sweat.
Moral of the story: never again.
I got to Sevres at 1:30, walked home in the freezing weather, and finally hit the bed at 2. Only to wake up at 7 and do the whole morning routine again. Oh I am going to be sooo happy to be done with this job! So. Happy. But so sad to leave Paris! Oh well, I can't dwell on that yet.
Funniest part of the night was when I told my host parents that I was going out and they immediately started recommending great bars to go to for students and to wear green and to drink green beer. Ya....I didn't have the heart to tell them that my version of "going out" on St. Patty's Day was to eat green things and watch a movie at a friends. Us Mormons are certainly a peculiar people in this world!
Thankfully, Hannah wanted to keep the Nelson family traditions alive and invited me over for some green-food feasting and watching an Irish film. Well, the feasting consisted of our Carrefour icecream, green Pringles, and some Pistachio chocolate. Nothing like the corned beef and cabbage that I would have died to eat that night! Especially after the circus-dinner that occurred with the three extra kids that were in town . I was about to go crazy.
So a brisk night walk over to Hannah's was really quite wonderful. We watched "The Silent Man" and 'manged' on our unhealthy goods. Unfortunately, I got out of there late and saw that the trains I usually take to get home were no longer running and it was by bus that I was to get home...in another hour and a half. I wanted to die. Not only was it a long journey home at one in the morning, but I was surrounded by drunk, obnoxious people who reeked of ale and sweat.
Moral of the story: never again.
I got to Sevres at 1:30, walked home in the freezing weather, and finally hit the bed at 2. Only to wake up at 7 and do the whole morning routine again. Oh I am going to be sooo happy to be done with this job! So. Happy. But so sad to leave Paris! Oh well, I can't dwell on that yet.
Funniest part of the night was when I told my host parents that I was going out and they immediately started recommending great bars to go to for students and to wear green and to drink green beer. Ya....I didn't have the heart to tell them that my version of "going out" on St. Patty's Day was to eat green things and watch a movie at a friends. Us Mormons are certainly a peculiar people in this world!
Playing Tour Guide
...In Paris!
The Odom's came into town for a short visit and I offered to show them around to some beautiful spots in Paris if they wanted. And I'm so happy they did! Unfortunately, April injured her knee really badly in a skiing accident so mobility was a bit hard but we accomplished a lot! I took them through the Marais district, showed them the best falafel joint in the city, then down past Hotel De Ville, the St. Merri church building, Notre Dame, and then over to St. Michel for some paninis, crepes, and Mojito 7-Up for lunch. I may have had more fun than them:)
And I didn't get a picture with them, darn it! Good memories, thank you to the Odoms!
The Odom's came into town for a short visit and I offered to show them around to some beautiful spots in Paris if they wanted. And I'm so happy they did! Unfortunately, April injured her knee really badly in a skiing accident so mobility was a bit hard but we accomplished a lot! I took them through the Marais district, showed them the best falafel joint in the city, then down past Hotel De Ville, the St. Merri church building, Notre Dame, and then over to St. Michel for some paninis, crepes, and Mojito 7-Up for lunch. I may have had more fun than them:)
And I didn't get a picture with them, darn it! Good memories, thank you to the Odoms!
Sunday, March 13, 2016
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