Jeudi, 28 Mars 2013: My Boyfriend is 24

Today was Andréa's birthday. I tried to leave for Marseille as soon as I dropped the kids off but I ended up puking for a good 30 minutes. I had been sick all day with flu-like symptoms. You all know I'm stubborn though and I don't like to take medicine so I tried to sleep it off all day. I put on two layers of clothes, turned my radiator on high, got under the covers and tried to sweat it out during the day. My fever went down but I still had horrible chills and body aches so I just took some super strong pain-killers and took off...It's Andréa's birthday and he told me he'd never forgive me if I didn't come...Traffic was absolutely horrible on the way there, as it always is during this time, so I showed up 10 minutes before we were supposed to be at the restaurant. Of course I held Andréa up because I had to finish getting ready in his apartment. Good thing I can get ready fast. I'm not entirely high maintenance ;-)

When we got to the restaurant, Andréa was "surprised" by seeing his family there. He wasn't really surprised though. He knew they were going to come because he saw that his step-dad had called his best friend Manon. You can't ever surprise Andréa. It's so annoying! It's because he's so nosy! 

Dinner was alright. We had cocktails as apertifs which got me super drunk. I even drank it slow! I'm sure it was because I hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon though. I haven't been able to keep anything down. The pain meds probably didn't help either. Jeez, I'm turning into a freaking druggie alcoholic...

The food was good though I still didn't have an appetite. I forced myself to eat what I could. I would've taken my normal foodie pictures but I had the most awful body aches, I just didn't want to move. I sat super straight the entire dinner--"Humans don't do that." I tried to slouch every now and then but that totally killed my muscles. Stupid flu--can't even relax when you want to. 

As for gifts, Andréa got several programs to learn english which will be helpful if he actually moves to the states with me. He also got this super awesome gift from his friends called Wonderbox. The package comes with a map and a reservation to one of the spots on the map. It can be anything from a beauty treatment to a romantic dinner for two wherever you choose. I guess the point of the Wonderbox is to bring new clientele to already established businesses. It's a really good gift!

From me, Andréa got some Calvin Klein boxers, a zombie game for his Xbox Kinect, and a swiss-made Calvin Klein watch--one of the classic editions. I basically spent all of the money I made last month on his gifts and I'm not usually the gifting type but when I saw it, I immediately thought of him. He seemed to really like it and that's all that matters. Money comes and goes. It's a natural cycle and I'm not worried as long as I have enough money to buy my plane ticket home ;-)

Mercredi, 27 Mars 2013: OFII Process

I had an appointment in Marseille today. It was my medical exam at the Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration. I already have my student visa but the sticker you get after your medical examination verifies that you're healthy and is basically a resident permit. It's a requirement for the long-stay visa which is allows you to live in France for over 3 months. 

Though there was some hellacious traffic, I made it to the appointment on time. There's a group of people that are given the same time as you so when you sign in you're basically given a number and told to wait. It's first come, first serve. The first part of the exam is a chest x-ray. When your number is called you're put into a little booth with two doors. This is where you undress. The x-ray technician then opens up the other door to the x-ray room. They set you up against the machine, take a quick picture, and you're finished. The entire process took a minute or two. 

For the next part of the exam, you are questioned by a doctor. They ask you if you're on any medications, if you feel healthy, and if you've had all of your vaccinations. The doctor also asks you if you're on any birth control pills. I'm on birth control but I'm not on the pill so I had to explain that to him. This turned into a conversation about birth control methods in the U.S. The doctor explained to me that France is behind on contraception because no one wants to do the research. He explained that he's currently working on a project to bring better contraceptive methods to France because the teen pregnancy rate here is also growing.

Speaking of teen pregnancy, I was just told that my 17 year old sister just had her baby. That's a whole nother history that I don't want to get into...

Anyway, the doctor takes your blood pressure, checks your breathing, and looks at your chest x-ray. After that, you're good to go. 

When you get to the counter to get your official OFII sticker, you also have to present 58 euro in timbres fiscals. My host parents and I must've missed this requirement on the forms but the woman at the counter explained to me that I could buy them at the tabac just below. These little stamps that you can buy in any amount are used to pay public agencies. I still don't understand why I couldn't have given her cash. Oh well...Systems. Anyway, I'm official! Now I can finally renew my visa so I can stay until the end of July!!!

In short, the medical examination process was really simple. The only thing that took any significant amount of time was waiting. 

Mardi, 26 Mars 2013: Le Vendredi Saint

Good Friday is three days away but maman came home with a gift to commemorate the occasion, a cross made out of a palm frond. Carine, an associate at her law firm and Gregoire's god-mother made a ton of them for each member of our family. I'm not super religious but I'm a Christian regardless. 

Maman tried to tell me that I have to go to mass with the family this Sunday...Um, no thanks. I love them but I cannot sit through a three hour Catholic service. Not only that but the service is in french and I haven't learned that sector of vocab yet. Luckily, maman was just kidding. She likes to scare me every once in awhile, ha haha.

The kids and I had a discussion about religion earlier. Léa and Baptiste are learning about the history of religion in school so they asked me a question. 'If you're not Catholic, what are you?' they said. I just told them that I'm not a very religious person. I have Christian values but because of my oriental ancestry and the way I was raised, there's a lot of Buddhist influence in my life as well. The triplets asked me if everyone in America was like this. I had to think about it for a bit and consider all of my friends and acquaintances. I decided to tell them that a lot of Americans are becoming more spiritual in this day and age. Most of my friends have no designated religion like me. When we're asked and expected to give an answer, we normally say non-denominational Christian. The kids asked me why people around the world practice less and less religion. I don't really know if that's the case at all, but I told them that religion was the cause of a lot of wars in human history. This turned into an hour-long conversation but I'm excited that the kids wanted to talk about something intellectual for once...

Lundi, 25 Mars 2013: Grave Accidents

I had just dropped Gregoire off at the crêche when I got home and heard yelling outside of our gates. I open the window and see that there is a runner that is trying to fend off Google--our family dog. The guy is kind of being a maniac and waving his arms all around and cursing. He keeps on running and then stopping and running and stopping so the dog obviously thinks it's a game right? I could see that the guy was genuinely scared so I yelled out the window 'Don't worry! She's nice!' The guy just starts mocking me and says 'She's nice? Yeah, right.' I could see that he wasn't going to help the situation in any way so I ran out of the house to grab Google. As I was running toward them the man screamed and said 'Ah! She bit me! I'm going to call the police!' That's when I grabbed the dog, threw her in the house, texted my host mom, and left. Google is a sweet dog if you know her but she has major obedience issues. We live in a very scenic area and the weather is getting much nicer so there are increasingly more runners and bikers coming through. In January, Google jumped on an old woman and made her fall. I told Didier about it but he didn't really do anything. Not only am I a nanny, but I'm also a dog keeper as well.

Maman had fixed Andréa up with our family chiropractor and friend after she had heard he had back issues. We visited Serge Monday in Aubagne so that Andréa could get his back adjusted. I was also overdue for my treatment so I made an appointment as well. Today's visit was kind of funny. I was the first one in and Serge did something a bit different today--he cracked my pubic bone!!! I had experienced this painful sensation in the past when I'd be doing toe-touches at cheerleading matches but I hadn't felt it in years. It took me by surprise and Andréa says that he heard me yell all the way out in the waiting room. He wasn't any different when he went in though. All Serge did on him was a back adjustment and he startled the whole waiting room as he screamed. I think Serge maybe hurt him because Andréa never completely relaxes. I can feel it when I give him massages. 

Andréa and I were back on the road after about an hour with Serge. I felt tons better and Andréa felt worse. It's natural for you to have some discomfort after your first back adjustment because most of your muscles have been trained to pull in a different direction. Most of the nerves are also probably feeling sensations that they haven't felt in a long time. 

As we were entering the round-a-bout to take the exit toward Marseille we realized there was a huge traffic jam. It wasn't an odd hour for it because school would just be getting out but there was something weird about this one. The cars were just packed on one side of the circle. As Andréa tried to find an opening through the sea of cars we saw what was holding up traffic. There was a woman laying on the road with people around her. I immediately told Andréa that he had to stop the car because I couldn't stop without seeing if I could help. 

Andréa wasn't even completely stopped before I was out the door. I zig-zagged through the cars until I reached the woman. There was one man holding her down while another man was on a phone. The woman kept on trying to get up, this was when I saw the back of her head which was completely crushed with blood oozing through her brown hair. Words escaped me, I couldn't think of how to speak in french because I kept thinking in english, I was panicking. The girl was about my age, pretty--if you could imagine her without blood coming out of every orifice. Suddenly, the protector in me checked in and I said "Bougez pas!!!" She just started crying and said to the man holding her down "Lachez-moi!!!" I knew that if she kept on pushing about that her blood pressure would keep rising and that more blood would try to rush out. She had already looked like she had lost about a liter on the road. It was an absolutely horrific scene. I've worked in three hospitals in my life in Radiology, Pediatrics, Pathology, and the Emergency Room so I'm no stranger to gore. It was different here though. It was scary knowing that there were no doctors around and no tools to help. I was getting ready to give her my jacket to lay her head on when she started fighting with the guy again. This is when I snapped my fingers and said to her "Listen, you have to stop moving!" She kind of just looked at me with comprehension and just cried. Everyone was starting to get out of their cars at this point and I didn't know what more I could do so I made sure that an ambulance was coming, and walked away. I don't know what France's laws are on good sumaritans but I know that people like me are not always welcomed in foreign countries. I've even read about good sumaritans being sued. But it's not like I've had much medical training anyway. I know the basic stuff and I don't even know if it would've helped. 

I was kind of in a daze the rest of the day. I wondered what had happened to the girl--how she came to have such horrible wounds. The men that were there said that they found her like that. Why did she keep trying to get up? Was it an attempted suicide? I wish I would've said 'Fuck the laws' and done more. I think a little jail time would be worth helping save someone's life. I should have at least stayed there until the ambulance came but I had to remember that I have four kids to pick up everyday. I couldn't leave the kids at their schools and expect them to understand. 

I can't find anything about it on the news or online. French news sucks. If this happened back at home you'd probably be able to find it on multiple news sources. I really just hope the girl made it...I can't stop thinking about her

Dimanche, 24 Mars 2013: Photoshoots from Hell

I woke up around 9h00 this morning for a shoot that I was asked to join. I don't know why I even said yes because each model had to pay 30 euro for participation. Everything is totally backwards in France. In the states, I was the one being paid for the photos! And my portfolio back home is much better than anyone in France could dream of. The only talented photographer I've found here is Andréa but now that he's my boyfriend, I can't work with him. Ooh, the irony...

I normally spend my Sundays with Andréa but he decided to humor me today and drive me to the shoot. Finding a parking spot was absolute hell as it normally is when you try to park in any populated french city. We showed up to the shoot an hour late along with three other models. Andréa left me in studio Hell. There were only three photographers for 10 models. In the U.S. there is never more than two models at each shoot unless it's an overall group shoot--which I've never been a part of. 

The studio apartment was super hot and overly crowded with a ton of girls that thought they were real-life princesses. Good Lord! I was in Hell. There was one young girl that said to her mom "This dress looks really good on me." The other models and I gasped in horror as we all just looked at one another. It's one thing to think to yourself that you look good at a certain moment, but it's something completely different when people are watching you admire yourself in a mirror and you say it out loud...The other girls and I mingled and got to know each other while the young girl kept to herself and her mom. I really hate gossip like this but Noëlle--of of the girls I had kind of gotten close to told me that she had been to shoots with the young girl before and that she had never been a fan. I can understand why. I hate conceited girls but I tried to talk to her anyway. Not that I had much of a choice, we were changing at the same time in the back room so I couldn't exactly sit there in silence. 

All 10 of us models had our make-up done by this really amazing make-up artist Sherazada. I haven't seen talent like hers in France before and I would recommend her to anyone! We all got suited up in our dresses and Jenny, the designer decided to offer me a Vietnamese gown. Oh, the horror!!! I looked like an absolute idiot but I decided to make the best of the situation and sit pretty for the pictures. I couldn't really think of many ways to accentuate the dress for the photos though so as soon as the photographers decided to take a break, I told them I was done. My second dress was a nice bridal gown, it was very elegant and something I love to model but the studio was so small and my only prop was a feather. I could have done more with a shawl. I don't know what it is about French photographers but they really don't know how to direct. Sure, I can constantly move and pose but I tried that in the beginning and the photographers didn't know when to take the picture. It was pointless! 

Andréa had been texting me throughout the entire day saying that he missed me and wanted to spend the last day of his vacation with me so I really didn't want to be at the shoot. At one point, he decided to ignore the fact that I was working and told me he was coming to get me. He arrived during my second session and as soon as I thought the photographers looked satisfied, I decided I was ready to leave. I immediately changed, said goodbye to everyone, and we were on our way out. Caty, the event planner, seemed really disappointed but there was no freakin' way I was going to sit there for another four hours. Besides, I had already had two sessions before half of the girls got any. It was so exhausting to sit there and have my make-up done so intricately, and then to sit and wait for a photographer to be ready for me, pose for the pictures, and then do it all over again. You wouldn't think it'd be tiring, but trust me, it is. 

On our way back to Aix, Andréa and I talked about the shoot. He was a part of the same photographer/model alliance so I asked him if he knew any of the people there today. He said that as far as models, he only knew one, Pauline. When he told me this, I immediately told him what the other girls said about her--leaving out the fact that she made a completely narcissistic comment about herself. He kind of backed her up and said that she's a really nice girl. Well, I don't doubt that she's a nice girl, but she sure as Hell is stuck up. He continued by saying that she was his 'chou chou.' Yes, the girl is 16 and she's cute and sweet, I can see her being anyone's 'chou chou.' But chou chou is a term of endearment for someone so it got on my nerves that he would have a soft spot for a girl that would exclaim out-loud that she was pleased with herself. It's one thing to have pet names for your close friends but it's another thing to have a nickname for someone you only know through work, and for someone like that, whew...that rubbed me the wrong way. It made me realize how bad Andréa is when it comes to judging someone's character. He's so naive.

We entered my house together as my family was having dinner. Didier had just gotten back from dropping the boys off in Avignon so he was ready for his night-cap. He offered Andréa and I a glass of wine as I was talking to maman and the triplets about the shoot. Bad timing, lol. Andréa's chou chou was still fresh in my mind so when I brought that up and the family wanted clarification I had to explain. As I explained, I got more annoyed because I realized more and more Andréa's incapability to see people as they actually are or get to know them. I kept on thinking back to conversations that we had had about people with his opinion that this person is nice because of this or this person is mean because of that. I always know something that he doesn't about each one of these people so when he makes his comments I'm always just shaking my head. Most of the people we talk about are just acquaintances though so in the end in doesn't really matter. I knew it was because I was exhausted that little things were getting to me. I got over the conversation when I realized how much it didn't matter in our world. But to keep the charade going I playfully smacked Andréa across the face...a bit too hard I might add. My entire family just gasped...and then busted out laughing. Baptiste was in tears because he thought it was so hilarious. I don't think Andréa felt the same way :-/ I felt bad, but I wasn't serious. It was just another day in the Melinda and Andréa show ;-)

Samedi, 23 Mars 2013: The Annoying Stage

Maman and papa were heading out to a soirée for the night so I had to watch the kids. I told Andréa to stay with Manon and the rest of the gang because they all needed to be there for her. I had seen them all earlier when I was at the apartment and Eek! She did NOT look good. She had just had a nursing exam as well so it hadn't been a terribly good week for her.

I was busy with the kids all night, making them dinner, blowing up the fireworks that Andréa had bought in Spain, and making sure they weren't getting into anything that they weren't supposed to. The kids drove me absolutely nuts tonight! Nicolas wanted to eat his dinner in the TV room and tried to take it in there even after I said 'no.' He even brought a lit firework into the house and scorched the floor. I was already at my wits end with him when the triplets decided to eat everything edible and inedible in the house, use up every plate, cup, and utensil and not rinse it and put it in the dishwasher when I asked them to. I ended up yelling at every single one of them and scared them into submission. I didn't get all Shining on them and pull out any creepy antics though I did get in their faces and followed them as they picked up each thing that they used, went to the sink to wash it, and stared them down until they carefully placed each item in the dishwasher. I mean, how HARD is that?!? Seriously spoiled! The only one that ever listens or does things without me asking is Antoine, though he IS the oldest and he's Didier's kid so he knows how to be respectful. Sure, I'm their nanny but that doesn't mean that I have to clean up all of the messes they voluntarily make. They're old enough to know better and they really shouldn't be that lazy. When I was their age I was doing laundry...The kids started re-using dishes after this episode. It's a good thing when the parents leave them alone with me, but it makes a mess of my conscious well-being. 

I know I had given Andréa the 'go' on hanging with his friends tonight but when he didn't come to Aix when they left, I got really irritated. He had asked if I wanted him to pick me up and I said 'no' because I saw that he had misspelled some words and figured he was drunk. I got super pissed when he said he was going to bed though because I expected him to come, especially after he told me that he wasn't drunk. I'm sure I'm just really moody tonight with the kids wearing me out but I kind of hate it when everyone else can have fun and I can't. I'm kind of a sour puss in that way. Krystle had a party tonight with all of our friends and Andréa was able to see all of his buddies and I haven't seen mine in weeks. It just really got to me so I went off on him. When he told me he was going to sleep, all I said was "you would" and that stirred up an argument like you wouldn't believe. First of all, Andréa knows that when I speak in english that something's wrong. Second, when I tried to explain to him why I was irritated he simply didn't get it even though I was telling him that it was my own fault that I was mad. He ended up losing his temper and I told him that if he wasn't going to try to understand after he demands that I explain that I would find someone else who would. BAD MOVE. 

Andréa was immediately on his way to Aix, calling me every minute, with me ignoring each call. I don't know how long I let this go on before I picked up. He came in the house. We argued in my room while all of the kids were sleeping. He kept on bringing up the fact that I say hurtful things, and I already knew this. I got the immediate realization that he deserves better than me. Because hey! I AM MEAN!!! I would never want to be like my mom but I'm exactly like her in that when I'm tired, I take my stress out on those that are closest to me. It's always my boyfriends that suffer. Though, with my exes, once they figured out what situations stressed me out like that, we were able to avoid the arguments altogether. I still feel like no matter how much I love Andréa, I know that he'll suffer too. 

I decided that I had made Andréa's life harder than it should be. I mean, the guy is trying to move back to America with me--away from all of his friends and family that he is so close to. Am I really good for him? I don't think so. I don't care if it's out of love. I'm still taking him away from his family. I decided I'd push him away. He brought up the fact that I was upset when Yossef was mean to Manon but that I was exactly like him. I didn't argue with that at all because it's true. I am a Yossef! Yossef and I are kindred. That's why I understood him so well and why we got along so great. I told Andréa to leave. He refused. I kept on saying it until he said 'You know if I leave, I'm never coming back.' And I just replied with "I don't care." Andréa threw his favorite scarf I gave him on my bed and walked out with tears in his eyes. You guys know it kills me when he cries. Geez, what a great softening tactic on me...I went after him a minute later [DEFINITELY not a Melinda move], but he wasn't there so I called him back. No matter what he said earlier, he turned around. 

When he came back, we didn't really do much talking. I just held him, kissed him, told him that I loved him, and that I was sorry. God, I am a really huge bitch...I have no idea where I got the idea that I can take back the mean things that I say and do and I don't understand why people let me. I am a horrible, horrible person and I know this. I really love Andréa though, and I'm willing to put in some effort. I seriously need to zen out...It's really difficult to de-stress the ways I normally do here in France though...

Vendredi, 22 Mars 2013: Nanny-Capades and Break-Ups

I took Andréa on my rounds today to pick up the kids. He accompanied me on the drive to every building and saw how hellacious my evenings become as I retrieve each kid. In the hour route that it takes me to go from Camille's school to Léa and Baptiste's school in centre ville to Gregoire's daycare by Bibémus I become drained. Not to mention the awful fights that the triplets have with one another in the back-seat...It's horrific!!! Gregoire has picked up so many "gros mots" from their pointless arguments. Most of the time, I shut the music off on the way home and tell the kids that they won't be allowed to snack when we get back if they continue. This normally works, but today, Andréa was in the car and they were less annoying so I didn't have to resort to that. 

As the parents were getting home from work, Andréa got a call from his best friend Manon...Her boyfriend of 4 months dumped her...the day after her birthday!!! How horrible!!! Manon is one of the nicest girls I've ever met so I got pretty upset when I heard about this. I even got teary-eyed if that shows you how much I care about her. If there is anyone in this world that doesn't deserve to be treated like crap, it's her. She's the type of person that will give the guy she loves everything. And she did!!! I've had multiple conversations with Manon where she's told me that Yossef has done something to upset her, but she won't bring it up because she doesn't want to fight with him. She doesn't want to fight with him because she knows that their relationship is limited and that they WILL break up and there's no avoiding it because he's basically orthodox Jewish royalty and she's catholic. It's kind of like a Romeo and Juliet story but their history isn't really all that romantic. If I told a guy that I loved him 4 months ago and he still hadn't said it back yet, I would've let him go a long time ago. But that's just me. 

Andréa and I headed back to Marseille tonight to spend the evening alone. I was really distracted in the car. Andréa being his nosy self kept on asking me what was wrong but I didn't feel like talking about it, and I didn't think it was necessary that he knew. I was just thinking about all of my ex-boyfriends and all of the guys that have ever loved me that I hurt or never loved back. I really hate to say it, but...I'm a Yossef. I've broken hearts and did not give a shit. I kept thinking about all of the guys that haven't had another serious girlfriend since me. What did I do to them??? I'm the girl that makes boys cry and I have to admit, I kind of like it. Though I really hate it when Andréa cries. He's so good at making you feel the pain that he's feeling...I couldn't stop thinking about Manon or my exes the entire drive though. All of these break-up songs kept on playing on the radio and each song seemed to have been made for Manon in particular, like Taylor Swift's new song "I Knew You Were Trouble [When You Walked In]" or Shaka Ponk's song "I'm Picky"--a song about a guy who thinks he's too good for people. I wish I could pass on some of my strength to Manon. She looks like a tough cookie on the outside but I know that she's torn up. I've never been dumped before so I don't know what that feels like. I just wish I could make her feel better...

Jeudi, 21 Mars 2013: "Quel âge as-tu?"

Andréa is still on vacation for the rest of the week so he promised he'd come to Aix everyday so I wouldn't have to blow my gas on visiting him. I don't know what it is really, but he still slept the same hours that he normally would if he were working from 4h00 to 12h00. Maybe it was out of habit or maybe it's just really, really boring at our house. Ha haha. It was still nice to spend time at home for a change. Plus, I was still able to do some housework while he was napping.

I spent the better part of my morning looking for four pairs of 3-D glasses. Maman and the triplets had been invited by another lawyer to a screening of Cirque du Soleil on the screen. That evening I picked up Gregoire and the triplets while I left Andréa at home. I walked the kids to maman's office where the kids were yelled at for being too loud. I kind of just laughed in their faces because they always get themselves in trouble with strangers. I always warn them ahead of time that they need to be respectful but they never listen so when the lawyer came out of his office and told them to shut it I just kind of gave them the "I told you so" look and they ran up the stairs to their mom. 

I left the triplets with their mom, said 'hi' to everyone in the office, and made my way back to the car with Gregoire. He was upset that he didn't get to stay with everyone else but maman had given us chocolate and when I unwrapped a piece for him, he gleefully chewed away and didn't make another sound. Gregoire saw Andréa through the back door as soon as we got home and ran up to him for a hug. We always joke that Gregoire and Andréa are best friends. The triplets get a kick out of that. 

For dinner tonight, I made the worst spring rolls I had ever made. First of all, I used the wrong type of noodles and they sat in water for too long. The boys still ate them. I don't really care whether anyone liked them or not. They served their purpose and my belly wasn't empty :-)

Gregoire threw tantrums several times throughout the evening for reasons probably unknown to himself as well. Everytime he started crying or screaming I'd say "Gregoire, tu as quel âge???" When he'd reply with "3 ans!!!" I'd say in french 'No, you're not. Do you know why you're not 3 years old? Because you're always crying.' That got him to stop immediately. And everytime he'd start up again, I'd mock him, and of course kids don't like to be made fun of, so he shut right up. I'm hard on him on purpose. I don't want him to be spoiled. I really hate to say this but the triplets think that they can get whatever they want by crying, screaming, or throwing tantrums. They're really nice kids but they have no idea what the real world is going to hold--and they think life is hard now... I don't want Greg to expect everything to be handed to him. Thankfully, Céline and Didier are on the same page and back-up my lessons. 

After I put Gregoire to bed, Andréa and I put on 50/50. It's a movie about a young man who discovers he has cancer. This is a wonderfully done film! You laugh, you cry. It feels like it could be real! I highly recommend this film to anyone. Check it out!

Mercredi, 20 Mars 2013: The 11 Hour Bus From Spain

Andréa and I woke up simultaneously around 1h00. We were passing through Tarragona, Spain to pick up the next batch of people. It was here that we saw a huge plume of smoke emanating from the city center. We didn't completely miss the burning of the Fallas sculptures after all. 

www.ihspain.com

Everyone on the bus was in and out of sleep for the next 8 hours as we prepared to cross into France. That was until a guy got on with some really noisy luggage. The bus ride was so peaceful before the arrival of the aimless clacking of his zipper against the plastic luggage cabin. I kept on telling myself I'd be the one to get up and say something to him or move the bag myself because I knew everyone was thinking the same thing, except no one wanted to be the one to do it. I decided I'd try to let it go because I'm always the girl that says something. An hour passed, and then two with that incessant noise. Eventually, I got so tired that I passed out. When I woke up again in Barcelona, the rattling was gone and so was its keeper. 

I'm somewhat glad Andréa and I took the bus back to France. I got to see parts of Spain that I wouldn't have otherwise experienced. Tarragona and Barcelona were especially beautiful--even at night. The part of Spain that we vacationed in was okay. Peniscola was honestly like any other beach town I've been to, except that everyone spoke spanish. It wasn't at all life-altering for me and even though everyone told me that I'd fall in love with that city, I'd honestly never go out of my way to re-visit. Maybe it'd be different in the summer. 

As we crossed into France our bus was stopped by the border patrol. The border police came on to check everyone's papers. One guy didn't have sufficient documentation apparently and was directed off the bus. Andréa is french, obviously, but he didn't have his passport on him and his driver's license was being renewed so all he had was a little piece of paper with a stamp on it. I was worried myself because I hadn't gotten my immigration sticker yet to go along with my current student visa. I wasn't sure how strict they were about the OFII certification so I started to panic. Not only that, but my passport was in the cabin under the bus. One of the officers walked straight to the back of the bus and as I tried to flag him down, he totally ignored me. This didn't put me at ease at all. I decided to wait patiently for him but he took such a long time with each of the four people behind us that I thought he'd never get to me. I guess his colleagues were getting tired of waiting for him so a younger officer came back to help. I immediately got his attention. Andréa explained his situation and all was fine. But then he looked at me and I said in french 'Mister, my passport is underneath. Can I go look for it?' He saw that I had two forms of IDs in my hand so he held his palm out. He took a good look at my Virginia driver's license and said "Etats-Unis?" and I said "Oui." That was when he just nodded, said "Ca va" and pulled his partner off of the bus. Andréa is always making fun of me for that now. He knows that there is some sort of weird sweet spot French men have for American girls and that I'm always getting off easy because of it. It's so freakin' annoying when he mocks me though. Whenever he tries to get under my skin now he always says in a sweet voice mimicking my own "Monsieur??? Mon passport..." Agh!!! I want to wring his throat when it does it!!! 

We had multiple stops in France before we got to Marseille. There was Perpignan, Narbonne, Béziers, Montpelier, Nimes, Avignon, and even Aix-en-Provence. I honestly could have gotten off in Aix since the stop was just off from my house but Andréa convinced me to stay with him. It was better that I had anyway because he was still burning a fever and had a ton of bags to carry. 

Our first bathroom break was 10 hours into the trip in Salon-de-Provence. I had to pee as soon as I got on the bus the night before so I was one of the first ones to jump off. The bus driver locked the bus so Andréa met me inside and got us some coffee. During the 20 minute break in the Total station, Andréa managed to annoy me. He was talking about how he needed to go to the doctor as soon as we got back to Marseille. The conversation went like this:
\
ME: "Why do you have to go to the doctor???"
HIM: "Because I'm sick!"
ME: "No shit. That doesn't mean you need a doctor. You're always sick anyway."
HIM: "Yes, but it keeps getting worse and he can give me medicine to make me better quicker."
ME: "Why don't you try a more natural method?"
HIM: "Melinda. In France, if you're sick, you're not allowed to work."
ME: "You're annoying me."

I know, I know. I'm mean. But seriously, people who medicate themselves for every little thing really get on my nerves. Yes, I'm on the road to practicing medicine but that doesn't mean I would prescribe pills for every ailment on the planet. Andréa has pill bottles all over his apartment for multiple maladies that had plagued him at one time or another and honestly, it makes me think less of him. Where do people think most drug dependecies start? The only time I've ever seen a doctor for being sick was when I had bronchitis as a kid and when I had the flu in college. Yes, I get sick just like everyone else, but I'm the type of person to fight through it. I also know that popping pills might make the symptoms go away but you're not allowing your body to build up its immune system by doing that. I believe this is why I get over my illnesses quicker and more efficiently than most people. I let my antibodies do the work. My extent of medical care when I'm sick is water, echinacea, hot tea, and sleep. When I get all of those, I'm normally better within a day. Anyway, after that conversation with Andréa, I didn't feel like I could explain my reasoning any better and just ignored him. The last thing I said to him before I walked away was 'When we have kids, they're not going to the doctor for every little thing.' It's probably not completely his fault that he thinks he needs pills for everything. I mean, when he told his mom I had an upset stomach, she gave me pills [though I did ask for one] and she also told me to drink coke. FACT: Coke does not help an upset stomach, the carbonation and sugar actually makes it worse--unless you need help expelling gas though I wouldn't recommend it for that either. If you're ever sick to your stomach, drink Pedialyte, Gatorade, or flat Ginger Ale--if there is real ginger extract. Check out this article. Coca-Cola for stomach problems is so old school, I can't remember the last time I even heard it. I've never seen a study proving that brown soda is good for an upset stomach. And believe me, I have my nose in scientific journals on a daily basis. There are some college habits that you can't kick. 

Andréa must've had a light bulb go off in his head, or maybe he was just tired of me ignoring him because he tickled the irritation out of me on the bus. Let's re-cap on how to get me to chill out. 1. Take me on a hike. If that's not possible in the near future, try step 2. Make me laugh! It always works. 3. If your efforts to make me laugh are fruitless, you can tickle it out of me, but be warned, I will probably punch you because I hate being tickled.

When we got to the bus station in Marseille, we were picked up by Andréa's cousin Stéphanie and her 2 year old son. The two were super sweet and I fell in love with both of them immediately. Stéphanie is Tonton Patrick and Tata Rosy's daughter so I can see where she gets her charm. As soon as Andréa and I got back into his apartment, I fixed him a glass of Airborne Vitamin C as he took an aspirin. We were both exhausted from the trip and he still had a high fever so we both passed out. When we woke up later in the afternoon, he was drenched in sweat but no longer burning fever. He must have boiled it out of himself. Whatever. This just proves that you don't need a doctor. Yalah!!!

Mardi, 19 Mars 2013: Adios España!!!

I decided that no matter what the rest of the family was doing today that I was going to stay at the apartment and recuperate. Andréa and I waited at the train station for over an hour last night after standing on the train for about the same amount of time. We had gotten even more sick due to the wear on our bodies. Andréa and I both skipped dinner last night and passed out early.

We both got up late this morning. I guess the rest of the family decided they needed a day of rest too because everyone stayed in. I didn't shower, didn't put any make-up on, I didn't even get dressed really. I just threw a bath robe on and called it a day.

Tonton Patrick, Albert, and I laid out and got ourselves some tans. Well, Albert got red, the rest of us got tans. The parents went out and got take-out from their favorite restaurant. We had lunch on the terrace and it was a beautiful day. 

We spent the majority of the day playing Just Dance 4 on the Wii. Yes, EVERYONE danced. Not gonna lie, the adults were way better than me, ha haha. When the evening came to a close Joelle fixed some home-made pasta and sauce. I really had no appetite because I was still feeling sick but I ate anyway because my body needed some form of nutrition. Joelle kept on trying to get us to take another helping of food but I couldn't and when she asked why, I had to remind her that I was sick. She had a look of amazement on her face and said "No! Toi aussi???" Um...Yeah. I've BEEN sick since the trip began, or did you forget? Just because I don't bitch about it doesn't mean it's gone. I just know that complaining isn't going to make it any better. You just have to accept the pain and discomfort and attempt to regain your health. That's it.

Andréa and I got all of our bags packed pretty early so we basically just had to wait for the adults to get themselves ready before we headed out. Joelle, Albert, Tonton, and Tata were going to see the Fallas sculptures burn after they dropped us off. Unfortunately, the departures back to the south of France were very limited so we had to miss the burning ceremony. 

The six of us waited at the bus stop for a good bit. Tonton Patrick stood in the road to make sure the bus driver didn't miss us. The bus was a little late but it wasn't a big deal. The whole family was waiting with us. We exchanged quick and unemotional goodbyes and Andréa and I hopped on the bus.

Andréa still had a high fever so once we got settled in the back of the bus I pushed myself against the window and laid his body against mine. We passed out immediately and slept like that for a few hours.

Lundi, 18 Mars 2013: Fallas in Valencia

Andréa's mom woke us up around 7h00 this morning. The six of us dismounted a train by 9h30. We arrived in Valencia, Spain for the official Fallas festival. Joelle's aunt and uncle greeted us at the train station and we accidentally met more Spanish family members outside of the gare. The hoard of us, about 16, partook in the churros or beignets with chocolate tradition for breakfast. I'm not a big fan of chocolate of course but I love rituals. 

We spent the next EIGHT hours walking around Valencia looking at all of the monuments and getting the history from Joelle's aunt. We spent maybe a few minutes at each sculpture, long enough to take photos, before moving to the next one. They were more intricate here and greater in size than they had been in Benicarlo. More artistic--and in a way, more grotesque even.

There were hundreds of sculptures and by the 20th one, I had had ENOUGH!!! When we were out in the sun, it was boiling hot. When we were in the shade, it was freezing cold. I think it was this constant temperature flip-flop that got me sick. My body didn't know what it was dealing with. I was constantly sneezing and coughing so I kept my distance from everyone else. I thought it was the pollen at first but my symptoms weren't those of allergies. I had a fever, body aches, chills, extreme fatigue--all with sudden onset. Classic flu characteristics. I didn't say anything but I felt like absolute shit. Andréa ended up getting sick too, and it seems much worse than I did, or maybe he's just a big baby. But as soon as I found out, I suddenly 'forgot' I was ill and made sure to take care of him. He and I split up from the rest of the family and waited at the restaurant to give our bodies a break from all of the walking. The rest of the relatives had already taken off because they were tired of all of the walking and constant stopping and waiting. I wish I was with them!!! By the time the rest of the family arrived at the restaurant, I was no longer hungry. I really have no appetite when I'm sick but I didn't want anyone to ask why I wasn't eating so I got something anyway. I ordered hake, whatever the heck that is. It's a fish. That's all I know...

Andréa had been fighting with his mom all afternoon. He was sick and tired, literally, and I guess she didn't believe him. By the early evening Joelle finally got the drift that everyone was tired so we started making our way to the train station. This is when the parade started. And this is what it consisted of...Hundreds of girls modeling the same dress with different patterns. You can only watch the same shit for so long...Let me tell you...Yes, the dresses were beautiful but the same dress style only stays interesting for, about...a block. 

After the fourth group walked past us, I was getting red in the ears. I kept on saying that if Joelle, her aunt, and uncle stopped ONE more time that I would just walk off. And I did!!! They led the group down the middle of a market to basically look at nothing while I found a clear sidewalk and got through while no one followed. They ended up stopping to look for me in the ocean of hundreds of people so I ended up waiting for 10 minutes. AHH!!! Oblivious people kill me...They really do. I was done after this. Andréa and I left them to get off on Fallas and boarded the train without them. We were sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Dimanche, 17 Mars 2013: Fortresses and Facials

Andréa and I started this morning with a jog up and down the beach. I must've been under the weather still because I couldn't get much running in. When we got back, we had a good session of Just Dance 4 on the Wii. When I say 'we', I mean Andréa, his mom, aunt, and I. I've gotta say it, the moms have a lot more energy than me. I was worn out after one dance...

They showed me the castle today. It's a nice old fortress set high on a peninsula. It was beautiful but nothing I hadn't seen before. 

We had lunch at some quaint little resto close to the apartment. The guy working was super nice and again, treated us like family, though I don't think they knew each other at all. The food here has been my favorite so far. There are menu deals all over Spain because of Fallas so we were able to drink, have appetizers, salad, an entrée, and dessert for about 10-15 euros each. Today, I went for baked cannelloni as my appetizer, and swordfish as my entrée. Andréa had sole which I thought was pretty well done.

The rest of our night was pretty relaxing. Andréa's mom is an aesthetician so she gave us all facials when we got back to the apartment. Yes, she put masks on all three of the men as well. Spa treatments always make vacations better ;-)

Samedi, 16 Mars 2013: Boardwalk Jogs, Barra Alta, and Fireworks

I slept so well last night that I woke up around 7h00 this morning. I heard the adults get up around the same time and I didn't want to face them on my own so I stayed in bed. I passed out again until Andréa woke up around 9h30. I decided I was ready to get out and walked out to a cute breakfast table. I sat down with Joelle, Rosy, and Andréa for coffee, freshly-pressed orange juice, and toast with apricot marmalade. Albert and Patrick were out on the terrace doing sit-ups.

We all prepared ourselves for a day of leisure and put on our jogging attire though Andréa and I are the only ones that jogged. Patrick brought along some bread and we fed ducks and fish on our way to the beach. 

The six of us did a long walk along the boardwalk and just took in the fresh air. On the return trip, Andréa and I ran the whole way back. We ended up waiting for the adults for a long time so we sat down and had a bit of romantic alone time in front of the ocean. 

Our lunch was right beside the beach today. We were served two pitchers of beer, crostini with fresh tomato and cured ham, and a house salad. For the rest of the meal, everyone got something different. I ordered fish soup for my appetizer and paella for my entrée. As for dessert I went for the crème brulée and a coffee with a bit of milk. Everything was absolutely delicious! Not only that but the staff treats you like family. I understand why Joelle and Albert always go back to the same place. It's all been tried and true! The place is called Barra Alta. If you're ever in Peniscola, I recommend it!!!

The next stop was a pyrotechnics factory on the out-skirts of town. Andréa wanted to light up some fireworks and I wanted the box so we found the factory and waited in a long queue of enthusiastic pyromaniacs. We weren't looking for anything fancy so Andréa got the kid's package for 15 euro. I was one happy camper with my purple box ;-)

The adults took us to a shopping center next. They wanted to go on a bit of a spree since everything in Spain is a fraction of the price in France. We visited pretty much every store in the complex and by the time we got to the odd shop I was feeling sick. It must've been the super strong coffee I had at lunch because I got super jittery and light-headed. I was in a flea market when I suddenly got hot flashes and started blacking out. I managed to keep myself together enough to pay for my stuff, tell Andréa I was feeling sick, and leave. The only thing I felt was keeping me from fainting was moving--keeping my circulation moving throughout my body. Everyone was still in the shop while I speed-walked back to the car. I felt like I was getting ready to black-out while I was waiting at a pedestrian crossing so I kept on moving--just as a car was whizzing by me. The close proximity of the car to me scared me so much that the adrenaline started pumping. I kind of snapped out of La La Land with this sudden clarity in my head. Somehow I safely made it back to the car and Andréa was there to unlock the car a minute later. I don't know if he was being honest or not, but he said he felt sick from the coffee too. Who knows...

We had dinner at the apartment tonight. Joelle and Rosy made homemade sangria, tomato and ham crostinis,  and I think a pumpkin soup. I was happy to have found a nice, fluffy pink house robe to take resident in. I put on some headphones, turned up the metal, and caught up on blogging....If you're into the metal genre, check out my friends' band Within Our Gates here.

Vendredi, 15 Mars 2013: Food Poisoning and Road Trips

By the time Andréa left for work this morning I had gotten no sleep. It was 4h00 but there was something wrong. I had been tossing and turning all night long. My stomach had cramped so badly that my entire body ached. This feeling was familiar...It reminded me of my first bout of food poisoning!!! It wasn't nearly as violent as the last time but the symptoms were all the same. I really hate to say this but I think it was Flora's lasagna. I'm sure it was nothing she did but somehow there must've been cross-contamination somewhere. It was the last thing I ate since noon that day so I know that it wasn't anything else.

Andréa and I were leaving for Spain around noon with his mom and step-dad so I tried to be super cheery when he came home from work. I couldn't fake being well though :-( A sleepless night of feeling like my intestines were being ripped open wasn't easy to hide. I fessed up to Andréa when he found me curled in the fetal position on the daybed. He immediately called his mom and she was on her way over with medicine.

I was in the middle of re-hydrating as Joelle and Albert arrived. I still wasn't feeling great but I sucked it up because I didn't want to hold up their trip. I just popped the pills that Joelle gave me and tried not to puke. During the drive I got horrendous back pains. It was either a side effect of the food poisoning or a result of sitting in the car too long. I felt like such a bitch. I guess it was a blessing that I didn't get any sleep the night before because I was pretty much out the 8 hour drive to Peniscola. Andréa had worked the entire morning but couldn't sleep due to the sun. Poor babe...Oh well, he's much better off than me. You don't want to hang around me when I get no sleep...That's for sure ;-)

The four of us arrived in Peniscola just as the sun had set. I met Andréa's aunt and uncle as we were getting out of the car. Joelle and Albert own an apartment here so we went straight up. They definitely have style because this place reminds me of an article out of Architectural Digest—one of my favorite mags.

We didn't hang out in the apartment long before we headed back out. The six of us went to Benicarlo to see the Falles festivities. Falles is a festival that occurs in Spain about three times a year. There are intricate paper sculptures all over the town centers the size of small buildings. At the end of the festival all of the sculptures are lit on fire and they burn to the ground. It's pretty sad that these pieces are destroyed...they're so beautiful and look as if they took a lot of time and work!!! It's tradition though...

One of the things that baffled me were all of the little kids with fireworks. They buy a wooden box which they decorate and fill with tons of firecrackers. The kids I saw were as young as 4. Imagine a 4 year old with a lighter and a firecracker in America...I didn't see a single kid get hurt here and there were tons of them! I guess you've gotta learn fire safety at an early age in Spain ;-) I'm sure the kids are better for it. It kind of scared me though...Not gonna lie...

After a walk-through of the festival grounds we had dinner at one of Joelle's friends' restaurants. The Spanish don't normally eat until 22h00 so he was doing us a favor by letting us eat earlier. For 15 euro per person, we had sangria, crostinis with fresh tomato, mini-patties of chicken, fried calamari, mussels, and fried potatoes in aioli for appetizers. As for entrées, most everyone got grilled squid except for Andréa's aunt Rosy who ordered the steak. Normally with this deal dessert and coffee are included but we were all so full we decided to opt out.

Everyone was dead after the day's travels so we cut the night short. By short, I mean midnight-ish. We ARE in Spain here...Andréa and I took the kids room with the two twin beds while his aunt and uncle slept in the living room on the pull-out. Finally...REST!!!

Jeudi, 14 Mars 2013: Preparations for Spain

I've been spending all day packing for my week-long trip with Andréa and his mom's side of the family. I'm normally the girl traveling with one backpack but the weather in Spain is predicted to be somewhat bi-polar while we're there. I've packed one bag for my dresses and tops and my backpack is filled with technology, underwear, bathing suits, socks, and shoes. I will be wearing the one pair of jeans I'm bringing. That's not too bad for 5 day all-weather wear, right???

As usual, I tried to get the house in complete order before I left. By the time I was ready to pick up the kids, everything was spic and span. Once the kids got home there were already marks on the freshly mopped floor. Agh!!! This annoys the shit out of me!!! If Céline would make the kids take turns cleaning the floors, they'd never make a mess on it ever again. That's Mama Xaynhasone--Lesson 101. I know how I will and will NOT be raising my kids because of my own mother. She's a crazy one but she's taught me a lifetime of lessons.

I had spoken to Céline and Didier earlier about prospective modes of departure for my trip. I could have driven to Marseille Friday morning after dropping the kids off at school and left my car there for the whole week. I knew this option would be less preferable to my host parents due to property left and vandalism in France's second biggest city, so I made a proposition. I told my host parents that I would double-check that the house was in complete order, get all of the kids bathed and pajama ready so that Andréa could come pick me up before work tonight. This way, I get to leave my car within the safety of our gates and they wouldn't have to worry. They were both all for it so by 20h00 I was on my to Marseille with Andréa.

On the way to Andréa's place I was a bit silent. I just kept thinking that I was getting ready to spend 5 days non-stop with this guy and I've never loved anyone more, but...I kept wondering if he would get on my nerves like everyone else does when you spend too much time with them...We'll see.

Mercredi, 13 Mars 2013: Good for the Soul

I've been a health nut today. It's normal for me to eat fruits and vegetables all day but I included water in my regime! Ooh!!! I NEVER drink water and I really should. Not only for skin clarity and moisture but to rid my body of toxins and just be healthier overall. 

I continued my health kick by running laps around a track while I waited for Baptiste to get out of soccer practice. I made it around 8 times which is probably a mile here. I was so dead afterward! The air was so cold, my lungs hurt. I also have exercise-induced asthma so that doesn't help. I haven't had a good run since I moved to France. My body is so blasé right now. I can't wait until it's nicer out so I can be more active. I hate gyms...

I decided to get my family on the healthy track with me since we mostly eat pasta, red meat, cheese, and bread. Maman loves soups and vegetables as much as I do so I decided to throw together a tomato-based vegetable soup tonight. I didn't want to leave any protein out so I added some tiny pork meatballs. Bam! 

Mardi, 12 Mars 2013: Macaron Mania

Since I had all of the equipment and ingredients, I decided to try my hand at macaroons today. I've been doing a lot of online research, learning from each recipe and style. I felt ready. Today was the day! Surprisingly, the macaroons were a hit with the family! I didn't like them at all. They were way too sweet and I only used ¾ of the sugar recommended...I think I'm going to come up with my own filling instead of using any of the recipes. They're all either ganaches, custards, or jams. EW!!! I'm more interested in a flavored buttercream. I tried a lemon custard filling for my first batch. It was good but too runny. I'm looking for something more firm. Other than that, I think I'm going to have to adjust my cooking time or oven temperature as well because there were hairline cracks on top of some of the shells. I'm pretty impressed with myself though. I can't believe it worked out! 

STEP 1: Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form

STEP 2: Add granulated sugar while mixing and incorporate your coloring one drop at a time

STEP 3: Fold in sifted confectionary sugar and almond meal

I used these silicone templates in between two sheets waxed paper but the wax paper is not necessary

STEP 4: Pipe out your macaron shells             STEP 5: Make filling as shells are baking

STEP 6: Test readiness of shells by gently pressing on top

STEP 7: Pop the shells off of the tray when fully cooled             STEP 8: Fill and enjoy!