Lundi, 21 Janvier 2013: PART II: Arabian Nights and The School of Life

Muhammad, our driver, stopped the bus at one last shop before our final destination of the day. Everyone other than Molly and I had to buy scarves for our trek in the desert. The scarves are used to protect your face from the sand. Once everyone made their purchase, we made our way further out to the Sahara. The landscape really opened up out there so we could see miles ahead. We recognized our next meeting point minutes before we arrived. There were a bunch of camels waiting up ahead. All 17 of us rushed out to meet our furry companions for the next hour. I had an uneaten apple from lunch so I offered that to my camel. He immediately warmed up to me. 

 

We all mounted our dromedaries and headed out with our hosts for the evening. The ride was comfortable at first but after about 30 minutes I was in pain. It's strange though...I found that the more I spoke to my camel, the more gentle the ride became. He would twitch his ears in response. It was so cute! The camels carried us all the way to our campsite as the sun was setting. It was absolutely beautiful and so romantic...I felt an ache in my heart...I wished so badly Andréa was there. 

Once we got settled into our luxurious tents, we headed to the main tent to eat. We were served mint tea as an apertif. There was a cat fight going on at this time--yes, real cats and yes, out in the desert. One cat climbed the tent wall to pursue the other cat on the tent roof. The cat being chased ended up falling on a few of our people during its escape. Ha haha. We were served dinner soon after--flat bread and tagine chicken with oranges for dessert. I feel like I lost a few pounds during my trip. Not because we didn't have enough to eat. But because we ate so well. Our hosts left us some drums and hand cymbals for some post-dinner music. Everyone was a bit timid at first but a few of us started playing random beats. I decided to stick with 8th notes, ha haha. We actually got a good rhythm down for a few minutes. I totally could've danced to it, except I was part of the musical ensemble.

Lassay, our hostest with the mostest, moved the music outside to the campfire. He and his buddies played for the rest of the night while the rest of us admired. The sky was beautiful--so clear. It was magical. Sarah had a pretty intense conversation with Lassay while the rest of us went to bed. He had asked her where she learned french. She replied "school" and then asked him where he learned all of his languages and she replied with "the school of life." His response really struck a chord with me. The people out there are so amazing!!! Nearly every native we came across knew at least 4 languages fluently and they didn't need any structured establishment in order to apprehend them. These people are who I aspire to be deep within. Sure, I love school and I love structured studies, but I feel like I can learn so much more through traveling.

Lundi, 21 Janvier 2013: PART I: From Marrakech to the Sahara

I woke up around 6h30 to "Fences" by Phoenix playing softly by my ear. I had set my alarm the previous night for our spontaneous excursion. Sarah, Kami, Molly, and I were ready to go by 6h45. We were supposed to leave by 7h00 but no one else was awake. Breakfast is supposed to be free every morning starting at 6h00 but there was no one awake to make it. I found Karim--the hostel manager, passed out on one of the couches. He seemed exhausted so I figured I'd let him sleep but someone started pounding on the door. The girls told me not to open it, and rightfully so, but our driver was supposed to come get us around that time. I tried the door, it wouldn't budge because it was locked with a key from the inside. I had fought against it internally, but I had to wake Karim. He stumbled with the door and fumbled with the keys but he finally got the door open. Sure enough, it was our driver.

One of us had asked Sarah about the other people going on the excursion. Before she could answer, someone popped their head up in the lounge where we were all waiting and said "That's us!" It was Courtney, she's an American. Consecutively, Peter--a Brit, and Carlie--an Australian lifted their heads as well. The three of them are students at Nottingham University in Great Britain. All 7 of us paid for the entire duration at the hostel before we left. It was 6 euro per day. So for Sarah, Kami, Molly, and I it was 30 euro each. The Nottingham bunch didn't have to pay for their first night at Mama Marrakech since they didn't have a room. 

The seven of us got into the van and buckled in to leave. To our surprise he turns around and says "You pay me now please" so we each hand over the 500 diram (50 euro). Once he's satisfied, he turns back around and starts driving. I'm not sure why exactly, but I started getting an ominous feeling after that. The driver stopped in the square and asked us to get on the other bus which was also half-filled to save gas. This scene reminded me of a ton of tourist horror movies. A bunch of men in dressed like gangsters convening in a circle outside--speaking in a language we obviously don't understand while the rest of us pile onto a bus with no map or schedule of the day's excursion. I felt like something shady could happen so I left my seatbelt unbuckled. 

I started to feel more comfortable as we began heading out of town because our new driver was constantly speaking to us. His name was Muhammad. 

 Our driver on the left

When Muhammad ascended on the mountains the view changed dramatically from one point to the next. The tan hills transformed into green, tree-covered mountains into blue, rocky, ice-capped peaks. 

At the beginning of our ascent, Muhammed stopped at a scenic view so we could take pictures. It was here that I haggled for the first time. The man that approached us had a basket full of what looked like rocks. I immediately thought that I wouldn't be buying anything, but when he opened one of the rocks there was a beautiful Amethyst crystal formation inside. I absolutely LOVE geodes!!! He must've seen my eyes light up because he said "250 diram." That immediately translated in my head as 25 euro and I was thinking HELL NO so I countered his offer with 100 diram (10 euro) and stopped right there. I wouldn't even pay $10 for a geode in the states and I wasn't going to start here. I'm so cheap but I know that I can get anything I want for less than half the price advertised anywhere. I walked away to get a picture with my friends and the man followed me. He said "Okay, 200 diram." And I said "No, 100." and I didn't budge. He shook his head no but pursued me as I climbed onto the bus. When I turned around he was still standing there so I grabbed my wallet from Sarah. I kept different amounts of money in different pockets so that the bargainers wouldn't see I had more money. I showed him that I only had 100 diram and some change. I held out the money, we made eye contact--he could tell that I was serious. But then I smiled, and he smiled back at me. He just nodded, took the money, and handed over my new prize :-)

Muhammad drove on and we continued to climb the mountain. We stopped at a few places including a little shop for breakfast and a cooperative for making Argan oil. 

The scenery was beautiful every step of the way. Even the villages on the sides of the hills were picturesque.

We got to the desert about 8 hours later. I didn't realize it'd be such a long drive from Marrakech to the desert. I kind of just assumed we were already there. Boy, was I wrong. I really didn't do any research before I came to Morocco. I thought it'd be more fun to just wing it, but it's smarter to at least get the basic information before you travel anywhere. I picked up some arabic phrases from Muhammad during the tour though. "Waha waha" means "okay" or as he says "okie dokie" and "yahlaa" means "come on" or "let's go."

Muhammad stopped right outside of Ouarzazate for lunch. Ouarzazate is a famous cinema location. Gladiator, The Mummy, and Kingdom of Heaven were filmed here. These are some of my favorite movies!

Soon after lunch the 7 of us went to look for scarves. It was then that I was duped into buying an entire Moroccan ensemble. I really didn't want the entire set, just the head scarf but I talked the guy down from 500 diram to 200 diram--20 euros so I guess that's alright. I kind of just regret it because of how stupid I look in the rest of the pictures from the trip. Ha haha. Oh well, memories. 

Muhammad was continuously a source of cheer for me anytime I was bored during the excursion. He got to know me a bit better after lunch. He asked for my name, where I was from and such. At one of the last stops before we got to our campsite he told me that I was going to be his next wife. Luckily, I keep a ring on my special finger just in case I run into these situations. I winked at him, told him I was already married and he replied with "Me too!" Ha haha ;-)

Dimanche, 20 Janvier 2013: Welcome to Morocco!!!

We were told last night to be at the airport by noon for our flight to Morocco but I was so paranoid that Andréa got me there around 11h00. I told him that he could just drop me off but he walked me in anyway. I appreciate it even though I told him it wasn't necessary. I know it's 2013...and I'm trying to roll with the times, but I still believe in chivalry :-) Andréa and I said our goodbyes again. It was less emotional this time, for me anyway, because I knew I wouldn't be gone as long.

Security was pretty easy to get through today--maybe 5 minutes tops. There was no one in line. Probably because none of the flights were leaving MR2 for a few more hours. As soon as I got to the lounge I saw that the flight to Marrakech was already delayed...Again due to the weather in France. Apparently it was dangerously windy. I waited for the girls in the dining area. I grabbed a table with four chairs expecting the girls to get there at any moment. Sarah, Kami, and Molly didn't end up getting there until 12h45...And within that time I had become extremely aggravated. Not with the girls, No. For all of the people who continuously asked to take the chairs from me, and for the bitch, yes bitch, that threw my bag on the floor and took a chair without asking. All she said to me was "I know you're saving this chair but I need to charge my phone. And I'm going to sit. Thank you." I was so perplexed that she was so rude, I didn't even say anything, I just glared at her and so did everyone else around me. The man at the next table happened to speak english and he said to her "That was really unnecessary and you could honestly do with some standing." HA HAHA!!! This englishman immediately gained a place in my heart.

As soon as my girls arrived, more than half of the people in the waiting room were getting up to leave for the first flight of the day. The four of us got some lunch and after our nearly 2 hour delay we were able to start boarding our plane! When I got to the passport control window I said "Bonjour!" as I normally do. The control officer just drops everything that I just handed to him and said "Dites 'bonjour' encore?" I was scared out of my mind that he wasn't going to let me pass for some reason--especially since I don't have my OFII sticker yet...So I carefully said "Bonjour?" And he just starts grinning from ear to ear. I was so confused because I didn't know what was going on but then he said "J'adore l'accent!" I was so relieved at this point. I let out a great big sigh and said "Je deteste mon accent..." He didn't even look at my paperwork really, he just opened my passport up, stamped it and said "Bon voyage!" It really baffles me how much the french like the American accent whilst speaking french. I think it sounds stupid. But I feel that way no matter what language I'm speaking. Half the reason why I've forgotten a lot of Vietnamese, Lao, and Thai phrases is because I was embarrassed to practice due to my horrible American accent. Looking back though, it's even more embarrassing now...Knowing that I was fluent in 5 languages, and now, as an adult, I really only know 2. Well, I guess I'll have to live in my parents' countries for awhile then ;-) How's that for motivation? Lol.

I slept through most of the flight to Marrakech. The previous aggravation at the airport had exhausted me. There are no set seating arrangements on RyanAir flights so the four of us were split up. It was so strange looking over the African landscape for the first time. It was so bare but so beautiful at the same time...When we finally found our bus and reached the city center it was such a culture shock! I had been to plenty of third world countries before but none of them were Arab. I didn't know what to expect so I was a bit overwhelmed. Kami seemed alright but Sarah and Molly seemed pretty stressed.

As soon as we got off the bus night had just fallen and we were on a mission to find our hostel, Mama Marrakech, which was supposed to be short walk from the main square. We were given extremely detailed directions but still got lost. If you can believe it, the directions were too detailed. We were looking for specific landmarks instead of general signs so we ended up going in circles. During this time, we were hounded by everyone. People in Morocco are always trying to sell you something, even their services. And we obviously looked like tourists with our backpacks. One specific guy was following us around and wouldn't take no for an answer. He wanted to take us to our hostel and for a price of course. He tried to grab the directions out of Kami's hand and she firmly said no, put up her hand, and turned around. We all walked away, and some time later we found a passageway that seemed like the one described on paper. At the top of the stairs we met a guy that asked us if we were looking for Mama Marrakech. The girls hesitated but I was so tired of walking that I said "Yes!" I was also worried about Sarah who is diabetic. The rapid walking and lack of sugar drained her so if he was a haggler, I wasn't worried about having to pay him--I just wanted to get her to the hostel.

The guy introduced himself as he led us back "I'm Karim. I work at Mama Marrakech." We walked down a strange corridor into an unmarked building. When we entered we were in Moroccan wonder. The decor was just what I had imagined. So intricate, so beautiful. It was obviously a hostel from all of the posts on the announcement board and the melting pot of people lounging around. The four of us sat down and Karim brought us a pot of mint tea. This is the most delicious tea I've ever had! There's something about the flavor that makes it unforgettable. There was a sign on the board that said "Free Mint Tea" which made us all shudder with glee.

Since we arrived a day late, Karim notified us that he had given two of our beds away. It wasn't a big deal to me. I was just happy to have a place to sleep for the night. The four of us dropped our things into the lockers and headed back out toward the square to get dinner. Eating in the square is absolutely mad!!! There are 100 food trucks with tents and tables lined up next to each other, pretty much serving the same thing. As you walk through you're plagued by employees of each establishment trying to get you to eat there. We stopped at one particular food truck that had a bunch of tourists. I don't know if this was done on purpose or not, I just followed. Our waiter was hilarious. He offered to give the girls half of Morocco for me. I don't know what it is with Moroccans and orientals but it's funny. The food turned out to be fantastic here though! We tried the Tagine for the first time--a Moroccan staple. 

The four of us had agreed to take turns buying meals so I picked up the tab tonight. It was 150 diram for the whole meal--> 15 euro for the four of us to dine plentifully!!! I could get used to this...When it came time to leave a 'tip' I had thrown down 2 diram. The waiter came by and said "Could you please give a little more? This is nothing." The four of us just chuckled and said "But we didn't know!" so Sarah asked him what was typical for a meal. He said "Maybe one euro" so I looked in my wallet, but all I found was a 2 euro piece. I thought he deserved it though so I gave it to him. We bartenders and servers in Harrisonburg do this thing...We all visit each others' bars and restaurants and tip excessively. At home, I normally give my servers at least a 30% tip. If they're my friends, I normally tip 50-100%. It's just what we do. And they all visit me at my bar and do the same too. I know I'm never going to see this guy again, but he sure made us feel welcome. He got so excited about his tip that he pulled me up for a picture.

The girls and I walked around the market a bit after dinner but headed back to the hostel when we got tired of people trying to get us to buy stuff. We weren't at the hostel long before we headed out with some new friends to see the nightly street shows. It was a bit perplexing to me that you couldn't enjoy a show without someone demanding money from you. In America, and France even, it's up to you whether or not you want to give a tip. Here, it's basically mandatory or you will get bitched out. Everything here is worth something--even something as simple as a guy playing the drums. He's not playing for pleasure any longer. It might have started that way, but now he's playing for money.

The 8 of us headed back to the hostel for the night. The shows weren't that great and we were all tired of saying 'no' to all of the hagglers and beggars. Kami and I went to bed around 23h00 but weren't able to fall asleep because everyone else was still up. Sarah came in around midnight and said that there were 3 people leaving for an excursion in the morning. She asked for our opinions. Kami didn't answer. Molly said she wanted to wait. But I said "Let's do it!" And that's where the real adventure begins ;-)

Samedi, 19 Janvier 2013: Meet The Parents

Krystle's birthday party was last night. It was a costume party. Though I came fully decked out--crazy contacts and all, she decided that my costume wasn't good enough so she dressed me up to be a sexy librarian--though I really just looked like a hooker. She made Andréa into what looked like a cheap car salesman, ha haha. We still looked like we were meant to be together after the transformation, ha haha. 

Andréa and I went back to Marseille after the party and crashed at his place. We were supposed to have lunch at his mom's house so we didn't sleep in too long. I used to be nervous about meeting his mom but that all kind of died after he bombed me on Skype and put me face to face with his mother. He still invited Manon to lunch so that I would feel more comfortable. His mom and her boyfriend are super nice. They were extremely welcoming to me. I tried my best to understand all of the conversations but I ended up getting lost most of the time because they forgot they were speaking too fast. 

The meal was absolutely superb! If you're my friend, you know I love to eat! The best way to my heart is through food ;-) We started out with Screwdrivers for apertifs and little hors-d'oeurves for appetizers. I discovered a new favorite cheese! Montenebro! If you're a fan of fromage--you've got to try this!!! We had Raclette for lunch. This was my first time eating it with hard-boiled eggs. I must say, this was an exceptional meal. It's like they knew me already. But really, I'll eat anything and enjoy it as long as it's not insects.

We all got kind of cozy after lunch and a little more personal. How embarrassed do you think I was when my boyfriend's mom came into the dining room with an 8x10 color picture of me??? Andréa said his family was crazy but I couldn't even fathom this. I must have turned into a million shades of red...Not only had she not met me yet, but she scoured Facebook using her daughter's account to find a picture of me which she printed out. When I realized how endearing it was, I relaxed. Ha haha. Thinking back on it now. It's super cute that she cares so much about the girl that makes her son happy :-) I'm just going to have to make sure Andréa gives her a better picture of me--one that he took.

Around 16h30 we took off. We had to get back to Andréa's apartment so that I could grab my stuff for Morocco!!! I have been waiting for this trip since I booked it in October so I was more than ready, though it was sad to leave my Boo. Manon accompanied us to the airport. They both walked me in. When we got to the security check I could see Andréa getting emotional. I gave Manon a big hug and kiss and then moved in to comfort the love of my life. I didn't really know what to say because I knew it wasn't really goodbye but I knew Manon would be there to help.

Andréa and Manon left and I got in line for security. Sara, Kami, and Molly took the bus from Aix so I decided to wait for them in the lounge after I was cleared. The girls were about 20 people behind me so they arrived not long after I did. When we got to the waiting room, we found out that our flight was already delayed. A little while longer, we found out that it was on a 3 hour delay. And after that 3 hour delay, we found out that our flight was totally cancelled due to weather. We were all super upset, especially after waiting so long, but we were all transferred on the flight flying out the next day. 

I called Andréa immediately. The phone must have rung once before he picked it up, lol. He was at the airport just 20 minutes later :-) When we got back to his apartment, Andréa told me that he had been drinking because he was stressed about me leaving. He is so cute!!! At least we got one more night with each other ;-)

Vendredi, 18 Janvier 2013: The Necessary Paperwork

Andréa told his parents he would be leaving for the states with me at the end of the summer. Eek!!! I know that's important information to share with your family but Oh la la...It stressed me out. I guess his parents are all for it except his mom is scared he won't find a job. So, I've started looking for him. Rosetta Stone, the language specialist's headquarters is in Harrisonburg where I'm from. I contacted a few friends that work there to see if they might have any ideas of where Andréa could be placed. I got a lot of positive answers which makes me hopeful. 

We've started looking into the process of the U.S. visa. The process is so intricate and tedious that it sounds nearly impossible without getting married. But...we're not ready yet. We know that we want to marry each other someday, but not now. Does that make sense to anyone? I know, for a FACT, that I am completely in love with Andréa and that he is my soul mate, but I want to wait until the time is more appropriate. I'm a stickler for old tradition so I enjoy a good, genuine courtship. I want to be able to spend time with my significant other, as a young, unmarried couple. People keep saying "Well, if you know you're going to do it anyway, why not do it now?" It's just not my style. Sure I rush into some things, but marriage is important to me and I want to take each step carefully and I want to be able to enjoy every moment up to and beyond the words "I do." 

Thinking about this reminds me of one line from Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldeen's song Don't You Wanna Stay..."Let's take it slow I don't want to move too fast. I don't want to just make love, I wanna make love last."

Jeudi, 17 Janvier 2013: The Battle Continues

I went to the post office after I dropped Gregoire off at daycare. There were two women lolly-gagging as I was waiting at the desk for service. They pretty much ignored me so I took an envelope, used one of the stamps lying on their kiosk, threw my letter in the outgoing box, and went on with my day. I don't know what it is with people working in the post office or grocery stores but they seem to really hate their lives. Honestly, if I didn't know how to do my job, I'd hate myself too. Lol. 

I immediately left for Marseille after mailing my forms. I spent a good 4 hours with Andréa and his roommate before heading back to Aix to get the kids. Camille had a swim meet in Jas de Bouffan that evening so I had to meet up with Céline so we could split up the responsibility. She was going to drive Camille to the meet while I would keep the other 3 kids busy. We ended up having a lot of extra time so I went to centre ville to drop off some spring rolls I had made for Kami but the kids got so rowdy that I just sat in the parking lot waiting for Céline. 

All of the kids wanted to go to the meet and I was all for it, but maman convinced them to stay, and they fought all the way home...It was horrendous. Baptiste had gotten some Tic Tacs from his mom and decided not to share them with Léa because she was being obnoxious. She started to hit him so he was even more firm about not giving her any. About 5 minutes later she starts crying. Meanwhile, 3 year old Gregoire is telling the two of them to "Shut up!" and "Stop!"

I continued the lice treatment today after we got home. I made sure to double the shampooing on the kids because this $#!^ is getting ridiculous. Léa got all upset when I told her I was going to shampoo her hair for her because she doesn't do it well. She took her bath and when she came out, her hair still looked and felt unwashed. She said she did it twice. Lies I say! I made her get back in the bathroom, this time I washed her hair for her. People can either do things the right way or their way. I'm going to be doing this MY way. You mark my words...In a week or less, this house will be lice-free and if anyone gets another infestation, I will be cutting those greasy locks. It's my job to take care of the children and if cutting their hair is the last effort, then I will resort to that if I have to. And yes, maman agrees!

Mercredi, 16 Janvier 2013: The Lice Epidemic

Wednesday was an unusually busy day. I had started painting another batch of closet doors. I wanted to get these done before I left for Morocco so I kind of did a shoddy job. They look pretty good though, if you're going for the shabby/chic look but we're aiming for clean and modern. These doors are half the size of the other ones I painted last week but it's still a tedious job. 

I picked Baptiste up from soccer practice around 18h00 and found my poor boy to be frozen like a popsicle. It was such a cold evening and the kid still had practice. Good thing the car was already heated by the time we got in it, not that it helped much. He stayed in the car while I got some groceries for dinner that night. I knew we were having burgers so I stopped at a Casino to grab some cream cheese so I could have my burger Jack Browns' style. I also got some cute little cubes of cheese made by Laughing Cow, they come in multiple flavors per carton. This box in particular had herbed tomato, bleu cheese, and ham flavored cheese nuggets. This is probably one of my favorite snacks. Baptiste felt a little bit better after he put something in his stomach. I felt somewhat relieved when he was laughing again.

All of the kids were home by 19h30. At this time I grabbed each head and combed through the hair to see if anyone had lice. It seems to be a huge problem in this household but the only reason why it hasn't been eradicated yet is because treatment isn't being administered when the triplets are at their dad's house. Apparently all the kids at their schools have it too, though I don't believe that. I found lice on all of the triplets' heads so I commenced with the shampoo. They all fussed but I told them I didn't care. I told them in really bad french "This is disgusting and I don't want to do it. But I'm doing it because I love you. You're going to high school next year...Any questions?" That shut them right up and they happily sat still while I massaged the shampoo through each strand of their hair and pulled all of the bugs out with a fine tooth comb--for hours. They didn't even argue when I told them that I would be administering treatment every day until I saw zero lice. I made sure to have a discussion with Céline and Didier tonight about how this is getting out of control. They both agreed and Céline made sure to send the triplets' father a message about keeping up with treatment.

I told the triplets that they are no longer allowed to lay in my bed or use my hair ties. I freaked out a bit tonight though when Léa rested her head on my shoulder. I kind of just shuddered and said "No! Tu ne peux pas rester comme ça. Les poux!!!" She recoiled with a sad face, but she seemed to understand. I don't want the kids to think that I don't love them but this is seriously gross. It's beyond gross. My mom found lice on my sisters' head when we were younger. She didn't even think twice. She just shampooed everyone's hair for a week even after she didn't find any lice. And that's what I'm going to do with these kids...At least I'll know how to handle this if I ever have children.

Mardi, 15 Janvier 2013: Winter Wonderland

I didn't go back to sleep after I dropped Maggie off at the airport. Instead, I did two loads of laundry and ironed until everyone woke up for the day. When Céline and Didier got up at the crack of dawn, I had already finished all of the housework I had planned for the day. I was in the middle of my latté when they came upstairs.

When it was time for everyone to leave for work or school, we found that the roads were completely covered with snow! This was the first snow that actually stuck! Everything looked so beautiful but I was so scared of driving considering all of the hills. I had to go down a big hill when I drove Gregoire to the creche. No matter which route I took to get there, they all involved long, steep hills so I took the smallest one. The car slid...A LOT!!! And I freaked out, A LOT!!! It would be one thing to get into an accident alone, but with a baby in the backseat??? NO WAY!!! I waited until the first car got to the bottom of the hill before I started descending. Like I said, the car slid all the way down but I pumped the brakes lightly as we went down and we made it safely. I grew up in Virginia and went to college in Indiana so I know all too well how snow affects your driving. I've had a lot of practice. 

I was going to visit Andréa in Marseille today but the snow didn't let up until 14h00. I was running on empty by then since I didn't sleep after the airport so I decided to cancel. It was too dangerous to drive anyway so closed my shutters and slept until I had to pick Gregoire up from the creche at 18h00. I skipped dinner tonight and slept until the next morning...

Lundi, 14 Janvier 2013: Rainy Days and Mondays

My car was still dead from the previous week so Didier and I went to a shop this morning to replace the battery. He gave my car a quick jump and I followed him with the baby in my Renault. The new battery was 105 euro, that is so expensive compared to America!!! The last time I replaced a battery in one of my cars was 2007 and that battery was $60. And yes, that same battery lasted 5 years until I sold my Tiburon. I'm sure it's still working without issue now. I hate how expensive everything is in France but it's part of the experience. 

The rest of Monday was pretty uneventful. I did my rounds and picked up all of the kids from their schools, ate dinner with the whole family and then passed out reasonably early because I had to be up by 3h00 to take Maggie to the airport. Yes, my dear Maggie is going back to Philly permanently.

I was at Maggie's apartment by 3h30. She and Kami met me downstairs by the door. I followed them upstairs to help with the suitcases--all SIX of them. Ha haha. I came to France to stay for a year with only one suitcase and one bookbag...It was a good thing I didn't let Maggie take the bus because I don't know who would be there to help her with all of her bags that early in the morning. Plus, I couldn't let her leave France forever without anyone seeing her off.

We had a bit of trouble with all of the technicalities at the airport but after a few fees, Maggie made it to the security check. It was sad to see her go. But she's moving onto the next chapter of her life. 

I almost killed Kami again on the way back to Aix. It's always with my driving. The first time while driving on the tram tracks in Nice. The second time when we were dropping Danny off at the airport and I drove the wrong way in a bus lane. And this last time, I took a sharp curve at about 100km/hr because the lanes were unmarked. Jeez...I've gotta get this driving on point! Lol. People are going to think I'm the stereotypical asian driver...NOT the case. Promis ;-)

Kami was probably making that same face as I whipped around that curve...Minus the excitement

Dimanche, 13 Janvier 2013: Obligations vs. Relationships

My alarm went off at 8h00 this morning. I had promised maman that I'd be back in Aix by 9h00 to finish prep for Gregoire's birthday party. Andréa had a bit of trouble getting up but he mustered up the energy. As soon as we got back to my host family's house we went straight to work. I cooked, Andréa helped Didier move furniture, and Céline cleaned and decorated until our time ran out. Luckily, it was just the right amount of time.

By noon everyone was starting to arrive. We had 14 guests on top of our 10 person family so I was hustling to make some food--hoping it'd stay hot. For appetizers, maman and papa deep-fried the eggrolls. We had the cold noodle salad and my favorite vietnamese spring rolls for the main course. Everyone ended up rolling the cold noodle salad in the rice paper. You usually don't roll these spring rolls with noodles of any sort, just leafy greens. As for noodles that are rolled in the classic spring rolls, they're just plain rice noodles--not the clear rice vermicelli that I used for the cold noodle salad. I didn't tell anyone that this was uncommon because it turned out to be pretty awesome. I ended up making way too much food. I'm always afraid of making too little when it comes to dinner parties. I guess it's better to have too much but we'll be eating spring rolls for the next few days ;-)

When I felt the party start to die, I pulled Andréa into my room to watch the sunset. The clouds were plentiful so it was very beautiful and romantic. We were alone for a few minutes before Léa walked in. The girl wouldn't leave us alone no matter how many hints I was dropping. I think she has a little crush on Andréa and that's all fine and dandy, except when I want to be alone with him. I got frustrated so I left the room and finished cleaning up. By the time I was done, she was still in my room with my boyfriend. I decided that this would be one day where I couldn't have Andréa to myself. Everyone had been hogging him all day so I got really irritated. I'm grateful that my host family loves my boyfriend but I can't handle them trying to steal his attention all the time--even when I'm skyping with him. It's so obnoxious!!!

My host sister finally left the room. Andréa smiled at me and I just glared at him. He asks what was wrong so I told him that I was tired of sharing him. He then tried to diffuse the situation by telling me that he wanted to see me everyday before I left for Morocco. I ended up telling him I didn't want to see him at all. That was a real bitch move because I didn't completely mean it.  I told him that I wanted this time without him to see if "absence makes the heart grow fonder." It's a thing for me...If I can go a few days without seeing my boyfriend then I know I'm not really into him. Andréa got really upset. At first, he couldn't look at me. Then he said "Okay, if you need to. But after? If you don't miss me?" I said "Then I would break up with you." And I was totally serious. But then he started getting tears in his eyes and I realized that because he was so hurt, I was upset with myself. It really hit me when he started getting emotional. I realized how much he means to me and I really didn't need a few days to see if I would miss him, because at this point, I already knew that I would. 

I tried everything I could to take it back and make him feel better. I told him I was sorry, kissed him, and hugged him. He seemed better but I knew that there was nothing I could do to take back the memory of what I said. We decided to take a drive to the overlook in my neighborhood, just to be alone together. I made sure to give him as much love as I could before I let him leave for Marseille. I know that I made a huge mistake tonight, but I can't erase it. All I can do now is make up for it. And I will...

Samedi, 12 Janvier 2013: O' Glam Rock

Gregoire's birthday party is on Sunday so Andréa and I came back from Marseille to help with the prep. Didier needed Andréa to help him move furniture around but I was given the task of making the birthday meal. Céline and Didier requested that it be traditional oriental food, but simple so I decided on egg rolls, spring rolls, and a cold rice noodle salad. Everything but the spring rolls could be prepared ahead of time so I got to work on the egg rolls and noodle salad. The noodle salad was easiest to make so I knocked that off of the list first. For about four hours, I was prepping food for 23 people, Céline had cleaned the entire lower level of the house, while Andréa and Didier had moved all of the heavy furniture into the house for adequate seating and decor.

As for food, the egg rolls were much more difficult than usual because the rice paper that I bought was dry. Everytime I tried to roll the rice paper, it would break. Didier ended up buying new sheets for me at a different store and Andréa, Léa, and Camille helped me roll about 70 egg rolls.

As soon as the all of the egg roll filling was used up Andréa and I left for Marseille because we had plans to go out with his friends for the night. As soon as we got to Andréa's apartment, I drew on some heavy eyeliner and lipstick, threw on a leather jacket and deemed myself ready for a night out on the town. I knew that Andréa was worried about making it to the bar on time because he kept on checking the time so I tried to get ready the quickest way possible.

When we got to Glam Rock, only Sophia and Thomas were there. A bit of time passed before Manon and Yossef met up with us. The bar was really nice. It looks like a normal irish pub but with a lot of flair. The bar was dark with gold highlights and crystal chandeliers and leather seating throughout. There was also a high fashion show displayed on every screen. If I had a bar, this is what it would look like.

The six of us stayed for a few hours before we all decided to call it a night. I feel like I got to know Sophia and Thomas a bit better but they are still a quiet couple so I have a feeling there is more to discover. I always feel so welcome when I am out with Andréa and his friends but there is always Manon and you all know I absolutely love that girl. We shall see how comfortable I feel if she ever doesn't come out...

Andréa got the girls to take pictures of us tonight. He's always signaling to them by taking photos with an imaginary camera, lol. He always says it's the girls that want the pictures of us, but it's actually him ;-) ;-) We finally got a picture out together though. Enjoy!

 

Vendredi, 11 Janvier 2013: Secrets

You all already know that Camille, one of the triplets is a hyperchondriac. She's always claiming she's sick so finally Céline allowed her to stay home from school. She asked for a packet of Smecta for her stomach in the morning, but for the rest of the day she ate a monstrous amount of crap. Not only did she eat the lunch that I made and had seconds and thirds, but she also had ice cream, and an entire bag of American candy. She planted herself in front of the TV the entire day while I was doing laundry, painting, cooking, and cleaning. I'm sure anyone who's ever had kids can tell when your child is actually sick, and she is a fraud. As much as I love her, she is a faker.

I was supposed to pick the kids up from school and take Baptiste to soccer practice tonight but my car was totally dead. None of the lights were on and there is no other obvious reason why the battery would be drained. I didn't wait too long to call Céline because I wanted Baptiste to get to practice on time, but he never made it. By the time Céline had picked Gregoire up from the creche it was already too late to make it to the field. It's so sad for me because I know how much he loves his soccer.

When the rest of the family arrived home this evening, I started getting ready for the night. Andréa, Vanessa, Caroline, and I were going to meet Steph and Ludo at Secrets--a discotheque in Plan de Campagne where the guys photograph. Steph had planned on picking us girls up because my car was out of order. Andréa arrived in Plan de Campagne on time, as he always does, but Steph hadn't left yet so the girls and I were still in Aix. His patience was getting low so he came to get us.

I came downstairs when Andréa said he had arrived. When I got into the car he was clearly irritated. And yes, I would be too if he was the one that was continuously late, but tonight, it had nothing to do with me. I didn't have any control over my car breaking down. I didn't have any control over when Steph would be coming to pick us up. I couldn't have made it to Plan de Campagne faster if I had wanted to. But when he told me that my lateness was starting to annoy him, it really struck a bad chord with me because it wasn't a situation that I had put myself in. I didn't speak to him during the car ride except to give him directions. When he put his hand on my lap, I pushed it away. When he tried to kiss me, I turned my head. That's just how I am when I'm in a bad mood. I just don't want to be touched. Him being upset made me upset. When he realized how sour his comment made me, he tried to take it back. But that doesn't work on me. When you say something to me, the deed is done. You can't change what you said, and you can't make me feel any better about it. I don't hold a grudge for long, but if you keep trying to fix it before I have time to process, I stay upset longer. When I realized he had a right to be upset even though it wasn't my fault this time, I got over it and kissed him for re-affirmation. We weren't allowed to kiss for two days due to his bug being contagious, so it was nice to be able to do that.

When we got to Secrets, Steph and Ludo were outside waiting for us. They had a short word with the bouncer and signaled the four of us to come in. Secrets is...okay...It's a pretty small space. The music was good, the people were questionable, the drinks were okay--but ridiculously expensive. Our bottle of Smirnoff vodka equipped with fireworks and "free" mixers was 80 euro. So between Vanessa, Caroline, and I it was about 25 euro which I would NEVER spend on a night out. I'm such a light weight that after two or three drinks, I'm good for the rest of the night. 

The theme this evening was Chippendales so there were two male dancers that came in. It's really not my scene. I thought they looked really gross--overly muscular and their expressions were just too pornstar-ish for my taste. Though the show was aimed toward girls, there were still a lot of guys there. Andréa hid at our table, ha haha. The night was fun overall, but I don't think I would ever go back. I'm the dancing type and there was just not enough room or energy for me to get my groove on and feel comfortable. 

Halfway through the night, the bouncer came up to us and said that Vanessa had to go outside and sober up a bit. She had pre-gamed with Caroline before we picked her up. By the time we got to the club, she was already drunk so buying that bottle of vodka probably didn't help matters too much. Steph and Ludo are friends with the bouncer so he allowed Vanessa to stay, for awhile anyway. Around 1h30 the bouncer came up to us and said that she had to go. I wasn't about to leave Vanessa outside by herself and I was pretty much ready to go anyway so the four of us left together. Vanessa and Caroline were supposed to ride home with Steph but Andréa was kind enough to take the girls back to Aix. Overall, it was a good night but like I said earlier, I would never go back to Secrets. Visit it if you must but heed my words!!!

Jeudi, 10 Janvier 2013: Moving Onward

I was fixated on getting the closet doors done so I immediately got to work after I dropped Gregoire off at the creche. I painted every little nook and cranny that wasn't completely covered before I headed to Estebelle for a waxing appointment that wasn't properly booked. Andréa had taken off the next two days to recuperate from his stomach bug so I went to Marseille to help nurse him back to health. We spent about five hours together before I had to go back to Aix to pick up the children.

When I got home, I got a message from one of my girlfriends from Virginia. I told her that I was looking at this one particular house for July when I move back home, but it was a four bedroom so I proposed that she be one of the roommates. Luckily for me, she's totally into the idea! Lauren is an awesome girl!!! It's almost impossible to meet someone as sweet and fun as her. I haven't known her much more than a year but she's such a great person with such a giving personality. She's all about making others happy as I am and is completely undramatic so I figured she would be a great roommate.  All of my roommates in the past have been random and I've been so lucky to have gotten along so well with all of them. I loved Caitlin, Vince, and Meagon so much that I lived with them for three years during college. We were so close-knit--they were my family away from home. Meagon and I were in Caitlin and Vince's wedding at the end of our time together in Indiana. Ah...Memories...Those three will always be in my heart. I hope that this upcoming year with Lauren, Herminio [maybe], and Andréa will be the same.

YES. Andréa is planning on coming back to the states with me :-) I told him in the beginning that I would be moving back home to work because I have an excess of student loans that I need to pay off before I continue my studies or even move on with my life. My bartending job at Jack Browns is like no other. I make such good money there that [if my calculations are correct] I could pay off all of my student loans within two years. If all goes well, Andréa will live in the states for two years and after I've paid back a significant amount of my student loans I will go back to France and make cute half-asian babies with him. Well, ONE baby. I only agreed to give him one child, ha haha. We're already looking up jobs and the process to obtain a visa for him now...Wish us luck!!!

Mercredi, 9 Janvier 2013: Connection

Andréa had had an accident yesterday on his way back to Marseille so I was already worried about him. I was even more uneasy today when he told me he went to the doctor. Luckily, it had nothing to do with the accident. But, he was put on antibiotics so we weren't allowed any "bisous" for a few days. Merde! Oh well, I wouldn't have wanted to catch whatever bug he had anyway.

Since we didn't see each other today, we Skyped. He's always telling me that I'm beautiful and perfect...It's irritating when I know that I look like absolute crap but I still like hearing it at the same tie. I'm always saying "Arrete!" or "Stop!" and he always knows that I'm going to say that when he starts with the compliments so before I even say anything, he's already mouthing the words that are going to come out of my mouth. Ha haha. It's super cute, and hilarious :-) We've gotten to the point where we won't speak to each other for hours and message each other at the same time or finish each others' sentences. For this, Andréa has coined the term "connection." He originally called it "bluetooth" but I like "connection" better. Now those of you that are my Facebook friends know what those wall posts are all about. Ha haha.

Andréa is so cute! You all will be hearing a lot about him for awhile. I just find some of the things that come out of his mouth incredible...For instance, he told me "Tu es mon soleil..." Ahh!!!! So cute!!!! This is the type of romance that I need in my life. And it's the forever type of romance...I spent hours looking up pictures of half asian children so you know that this guy has changed my life. I didn't want children previously, but I'm sure I found the perfect guy for my life...And when you have that, and each other, you can have anything--including confidence in family life...

Mardi, 8 Janvier 2013: "One must act in painting as in life, directly." - Pablo Picasso

From 10h00 to 21h00 (minus a three hour gap) I was painting. Painting what? All of the kids' closet doors. No, I'm not the next Picasso. I'm just determined. Céline had made sure to tell me that I didn't HAVE to do anything, but if I wanted to, that I could paint. I know that I'm never obligated to do anything but now that I'm not taking classes, I have much more time on my hands. I thought that painting would be fun and somewhat relaxing but after my mild OCD kicked in, it became a bit of a pain--especially after the 3rd door. There were 8 total...I started out with one coat of primer, but that didn't completely cover so I did a second. Then I moved onto the real painting. I ended up doing four coats on each side before I was completely satisfied. Oy vey...Sometimes I wish I could be one of those people that could half-@$$ jobs and just let it go. But noooooo...

The doors were originally an ugly brown color. Now they're a soft white which dramatically brightens up the rooms. This change seems to have affected the childrens' psyche. They spend much more time in their rooms and seem to be more cheerful--OR...this could just be a coincidence.

During the 3 hour painting break, Andréa came to visit. He texted me before he arrived and asked me to come downstairs. I wasn't sure why, but the suspense was killing me. When I saw his car pull in, I went outside. When he opened his door, I saw a baby-faced Andréa. It was so weird because he looks so much younger without his beard and with his hair shorter. I felt like a cradle-robber...He's already 3 years younger than me. Ha haha. After we went back inside, I found myself staring at him at random intervals--not because I thought he looked funny, but because he is just so damn handsome! I love being able to see his face.

Andréa had worked from 4h00 to noon so he was pretty beat. He watched me paint for awhile and I watched him watch me before I made him go lie down. I continued to paint for another 10 minutes before I went to check on him in my room. He's always uncomfortable at my host family's house because he doesn't want to impose but they absolutely adore him and I always ask maman for permission before he comes over. I eventually got him to lay down. I cuddled with him until he passed out. I ended up passing out too--only to be woken up by my own snoring. Ha haha. We chuckled together and I recommenced as big spoon. He was the only one asleep this time, and when I was sure of it, I snuck out of the room and went back downstairs to paint.

When Andréa woke up he came downstairs to find me. I had been blasting 90's pop hits and singing at the top of my lungs while painting so I was a bit embarrassed when I realized he was there. Ha haha. I put the roller down and went back upstairs with him for a bit. We sat on the couch together and cuddled with 98° and Mariah Carey playing on Grooveshark. When "Whenever You Call" played, I thought about the lyrics and how beautiful they were. It was already romantic, sitting there on the couch alone with Andréa in this humongous house so I decided to add a bit of a something to it. I explained to Andréa in french "This song is beautiful...If you understand the lyrics. She says 'I won't ever be too far to feel you.' " He just closed his eyes, dropped his head on my chest, and said "Sooo cute...." Ha haha.

As 17h15 rolled around, it was time for both of us to part ways. I was going to pick the kids up from school so he was going back to Marseille. We were both waiting at the stop light at the bottom of the hill when Andréa ran out of his car. I was so worried! I didn't know what was wrong! I rolled my window down as he came toward my car and yelled "quoi???" He replied with "nothing" and shrugged his shoulders. I must've looked bewildered but he gave me a quick kiss, and smiled before jumping back into his car. Ahhh!!!!!! I died with happiness inside. Not only do I love surprises, but cute surprises like that??? Oh la la...I really enjoy those moments when you start out feeling like something's wrong and you end up overwhelmed with happiness. Andréa is so perfect!!! If it's his goal to make me fall in love with him then he's already succeeded!!!

Lundi, 7 Janvier 2013: J'ai dit...F#%&!!!

Gregoire woke me up at 1h36 this morning, crying and SCREAMING! "Maman!!! MAMAN!!! MAAAAMAAAAANNNN!!!!" It scares the crap out of me when he does this. It didn't take him long to go back to sleep after I told him he had no choice. Because of this disturbance in my sleep though, I was exhausted after taking him to the day care. I did about two loads of laundry, folded, and ironed it all before I laid down for a nap--a FOUR hour nap!!! I tried getting up after an hour or two but I still felt dead so I went back to sleep. I threw the last load of clothes in the dryer before I went and picked up the triplets and Gregoire.

The kids were alright today. Camille was dumped by her boyfriend Victor for an American girl she's friends with. She tried to be strong for me but she ended up breaking down and crying. She'll find out later in life that relationships get much more difficult. I said the usual "There's plenty of fish in the sea" which she didn't really understand. I followed that up with "un perdu, dix de rétrouvés." She understood this well and relaxed. 

Nothing else happened until I was on my way home with all four of the kids. Baptiste had been spitting on everyone in the backseat for play. He ended up spitting a huge loogie in my freshly-washed hair and it pissed me off so much that I went off on him. When he said he didn't understand what I was saying I just said "J'AI...DIT...FUCK!!!!" I knew he actually understood but was playing dumb. I was just so absolutely disgusted with him and with what he did that I just stopped speaking. When he got the drift that I was super mad, he stopped talking, stopped moving, everything. Everyone in the car was silent except for Léa who continuously tries to diffuse the situation by asking really stupid questions. In the midst of one of her ridiculous demands, I just turn to her (ALMOST Linda Blair style), glared at her, and said "Stop!" And that's all I had to do. 

When we got back to the house Léa said to me "Mélinda...Baptiste ne veux pas que tu dis à maman de lui."--> 'Melinda....Baptiste doesn't want you to tell mom about him.' I turn the car off and just say "J'ai déja dit. C'est ta fault Baptiste. Le prochaine fois, tu ne vas pas faire comme ca." --> 'I already told her. It's your fault Baptiste. The next time, you're not going to do that.' He just lets out a little 'Oui' and we all walk into the house together. 

I continue to ignore all of the kids for the next hour or so, hiding in my room, folding clothes until Baptiste comes in and asks fake questions as if he needs something. He then completes his exit by saying "Et, désolé pour...dans la voiture...Je t'aime" --> 'And, sorry for...in the car...I love you' and gives me a big kiss before walking out with his head down. I grab him really quick and give him a kiss back. Kids hate it when you're mad at them. It makes them uncomfortable. But really, he's 10 and that behavior will never be okay. He's past that age...