Bonne Année!
(pronounced "buh-nah-neh", meaning "happy new year", literally "good year")
This was my belated Christmas gift from the visiting extended family of my host family (photo taken in October 2005). Can you say, “perfect”? What a thoughtful and
perfect gift!
I posted the above because this is the clan with whom I’m ringing in the new year. There will be fine food, we’ll get dressed up, play games, etc. And we begin the festivities any minute now!
And, of course, “neener neener” because I get to 2006 first. :o)
Bonne année, everyone!
On a Personal Note
(but not so personal that I won't blog about it)
I just sent out a big e-update at the end of which I mentioned my thoughts about what the coming years might hold for me. I had a woman respond (kindly) because she feared that I had omitted marriage and motherhood from my list because I think I have a higher calling, or something. Oh! Yeah, I guess I
did leave out the marriage possibility, didn't I? Now, why would I go and do a thing like that when in truth I'd like nothing better, and as I believe that to be as high a calling as any?
Well, as I've sought to be faithful and contented as a single, I've learned that the best way to do so is to operate in light of what I know about my present circumstances. Right now there is no guy, so I'm planning the next little while without him -- although I must admit that I tend to make choices I could see being compatible with "meeting someone". Of course it's a personal choice of mine, but I think that constantly referring to the possibility of marriage in my future makes it harder to be content as a single now. It's always in the back (or middle or front) of my mind, though, and I do desire it quite a lot.
The problem is that there are girls that become disillusioned because they expect to marry right after college (or whenever), they reach that point, and they still haven't met their man. I decided years ago that I didn't want to be that girl. It's possible that choosing the path of contentedness in the sober light of the possibility that God might
not have a husband for me has made me appear not to have the same desire as the girl who is busily preparing herself for nothing
but motherhood. Maybe I've not been pursued by someone who would have had I seemed to want or expect it more. God only knows! But God also knows what’s best for me, and I don’t think that includes me planning on something that, for all I know, might not happen.
I hope that my efforts at contentedness haven’t kept guys away, although my current take on it is that that mindset should actually be an
attraction to the kind of guy I’m hoping for. I dunno. All I can say is that I’m pursuing faithfulness in singleness the best I can, and boy, is it a lot of mental work! I’ve often thought that
I could write a book about living faithfully as a girl in the world today, since I‘ve thought so much about such issues. If I do (and I might!), an adaptation of the above will probably make it in somewhere. :o)
Quatre. Quatre. QUATRE?!
I don’t have too much trouble with numbers here (time, money, phone numbers, what have you). It took lots of brain-power initially, but has become easier over time. However, I’m still at a point where I usually have to think actively when I encounter them.
So, today I went to the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions. Before going, I read and reread the sheet the doctor had given me, but still wasn’t sure what I’d actually have to get. I was thinking along the lines of “less is more” and “I only have 60 euros on me,” so I was grateful that I only ended up needing two of the scribbles listed on the sheet of paper. And then she asked me to pay. I got out 41 euros and she looked from it to me. She pushed 21 of it back at me, repeated the euro-part of the price, and asked if I didn’t have anything smaller. I was confused. She said it again, “Quatre.” Oh!! You mean, like,
un, deux, trois, quatre-which-means-
four! I apologized, got out a five, apologized again, and explained how expensive medication is in the U.S. By the way, it’s REALLY cheap here! Usually not
this cheap, but cheap just the same. Doctor’s visits are, too. Everything is more than cut in half! It kind of makes it worth the mess of paperwork it takes to live in France. :o)
Have I mentioned euros are totally
pretty?
Christmas in Cavaillon
Wow -- Christmas is
tomorrow! Don’t get me wrong. It still feels like Christmas, just… DIFFERENT.
So, you all probably want to know what the Christmas season is like here in France, huh? Well, I’ll give you my very limited observations and perceptions and you can take them for what they’re worth. :o)
*While Christmas is a big deal here, it’s a bigger deal in the States, I think. It’s hard to pinpoint the reasons for this impression, but I think it’s just.
*The town’s major streets have decorations and the
centre ville (downtown) has holiday music playing. My favorite decoration is the bedecked
étoile, the marble star of the main roundabout. (Sorry, no photo!) It’s all very festive.
*Do you all have those hanging Santa-with-backpack decorations? Actually,
here they’re hanging
Pères de Noël (since Santa doesn't exist over here). They’re e v e r y w h e r e! It’s quite a trend. Not many people decorate their houses apart from them. A few have Christmas lights, but not like in the U.S. Here are a few shots I snuck of my neighborhood’s collection:
*I just found out that Christmas Eve is a big affair. I don’t believe most churches do a Christmas Eve service, though the Catholics have their midnight masses. The evening is spent at home (with family, friends, or other party goers -- as the case may be) and includes a meal that’s just as big as Christmas Day's, complete with singing and celebratory fun afterwards. The evening is usually very late.
*Tradition states you put your slippers out for
Père de Noël (when he comes in from the 40-degree "cold") and carrots for his reindeer to eat. They don’t really do stockings. Full-sized trees are more of an option, and not the rule. Here’s ours, with the
crèche (nativity) beside it.
*Christmas Day, while for family, could just as easily be spent with good friends rather than extended family. It doesn’t seem to be as family-focused, is I guess what I’m getting at.
Again, I’m no authority! I’m sure that some of my impressions must be wrong, though I’ve tried to be as accurate as possible. Culture is one slippery thing to try to get a hold on!!
Merry Christmas to my loved ones in many places!
Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
My host dad made this for you all, apparently. :o)
Here’s my abbreviated, modified translation:
And at last,
a photo of the
infamous pizza taken before we ate it up (courtesy of my “host aunt”, if I‘m allowed to have one of those).
If you’re interested in making messages of your own, check out
www.letterjames.de/(Can you say, "
All your base are belong to us"?)
I Had a Dream…
…with French subtitles! Really. I woke up laughing because of it, as I‘m sure you can imagine.
I blame it on
the Bollywood film I watched last night. There was supposed to be an English language track, but the DVD player wouldn’t let us access it! The only subtitles were in French. The film in its original form was in Hindi with smatterings of English. What with that linguistic mess and the fact that I watched it with a German… well, it was a funny scene. Kerstin had seen it twice but in English so, as she is German, she was missing some of the finer points of the plot. It got particularly tricky when we were trying to talk through a plot point (in Franglais*) with the 3.5 hour film still going, and me trying to keep current with the French subtitles. I worked hard for that film!
So it’s no wonder that I dreamt what I dreamt last night. I only remember a couple of lines which were delivered by one of the Indian actors from the film, and in the same somewhat cheesy, dramatic style. (Though dreams are always somewhat personal, in this instance the funny far outweighs any embarrassment I might feel in relating the subconscious workings of my mind to any who might read this!)
Actor in Hindi (w/ French subtitles) to the girl he loves: “...something in Hindi...” (Mon p’tit lapin./My little rabbit. --> a made up term of affection in my dream)
Actor in English (w/ French subtitles), a sorrowful shift to the serious: “It’s done.” (C’est fait.)
Maybe you just had to be there. :o)
*Oh, and if you're looking for a film with some choice
Franglais, let me recommend
La grand vadrouille/Don't Look Now - We're Being Shot At, a 1966 WWII comedy with mostly French, some English, and some German dialogue. (Yes, I know the following poster is in Italian, but I think that adds to the fun!)
Stop. Breathe. Reflect.
My Christmas vacation started a little early (a welcome surprise!) because my classes were cancelled this afternoon due to holiday fun for the kiddos. I kicked off my two-week vacation properly by spending the afternoon giving my room a much needed cleaning. :o) I’m livin’ it up in France, my friends!
Even though not going home for Christmas makes July (and my return to the U.S.) seem ever so far away, knowing that I’m already one third of the way through my contract in France makes me realize how short my time here is! There are still so many things I want to visit, so much about the language & culture to discover, and almost all of my 280(ish) students’ names to learn, as it is my earnest hope to do. What with those and the rest of my long list of goals for this year, I’ve got my work cut out for me! :o)
Let me, again, just thank all of you who have prayed for me. It is oh, so evident that Someone has prearranged every moment of every day I spend here. I’m dealing with so many obvious blessings this year -- though that’s not to say that everything’s cake, either! Please pray that I trust God just as much when things are easy as when they’re hard, and that I don’t let myself get into a comfortable rut as I continue on into the new year.
God be with you all as many are traveling to be reunited with loved ones. And praise be to Jesus, the Son, the Savior of the world!
A Poem
I was talking with Audrey last night and she brought up this poem. I've never seen it before and got such a kick out of it that I thought I'd share. (They probably use it in America too, though I've never heard tell.)
Rain, reign, rein,
English is a pain.
Although the words sound just alike,
The spelling’s not the same!
Bee, be, B,
I’d rather climb a tree
Than learn to spell the same old word,
Not just one way, but three!
Sight, site, cite,
I try with all my might.
No matter which I finally choose,
It’s not the one that’s right!
There, their, they’re,
enough to make you swear.
Too many ways to write one sound,
I just don’t think it’s fair!
To, two, too,
So what’s a kid to do?
I think I’ll go to live on Mars
And leave this mess with ewe!
As Promised: Fête de Noël Photos
A big thanks to Kerstin (a German assistant) who was kind enough to photograph the occasion for me. The following are some photos that I believe are representative of the afternoon.
We did several carols with all who were assembled. (I found out the morning of that I was on keyboards. I’m pretty sure they had asked me last month, but it seems I forgot or didn’t wholly understand the proposition or something! It went fine anyway.)
“The Prison” mime was well done and its soundtrack was very good. The first picture is Satan mocking all the people he’s locked up during the sketch, and the second is Christ earning the right to the keys of death.
The “Wisdom and Folly” sketch was probably my favorite. I wish I could’ve watched it more carefully, but I was busy corralling 2-year-old Baptiste.
The skit I was in was called “The Temptation” which was about the Fall as though it took place in a restaurant. I was Adam & Eve’s conscience in the form of a pesky old lady who is on the same doctor-prescribed, apple-free regime as Adam & Eve. The maitre d’ is, of course, Satan, who is encouraging his customers to order apple this or that. The fun part was
my costume, though there isn’t a good picture of it. My wig was actually a Santa beard, but it worked perfectly as a frizzy, white, eccentric hairdo. (Beforehand, my host dad told me that if I acted well in the sketch he’d let me eat with the family that night -- he likes to tease, you see. I told him that when he saw my costume I’d earn the right to eat with them all month. Afterwards, he grinningly conceded that it was worth two months, at the very least.)
I also read
the entire book of Jonah aloud in French, which took about seven minutes. I had happened to bring with me to France copies of the Jonah children’s storybook I grew up with, in which Jonah is a mouse, the “great fish” is a goldfish, the Ninevites are cats, etc. We made transparencies of those images and projected them throughout the reading. I think it “worked” very well.
*whew*
The finale was a procession of the kids & youth to a
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring recording. Each had a candle and recited scripture. (You can see little Baptiste -- on the right, with the “T” t-shirt -- trying to blow his candle out. Fuh-nny.) It took me until seeing my pictures to figure out that the t-shirts spell out “L’Étoile du Matin/Star of the Morning”. Ohhh.
A big THANKS to all of you who prayed for the Fête de Noël. As with all such events, there were many who were invited who didn’t come, which is disappointing. However, our location was pretty well maxed out as it was, so it’s hard to complain! People lingered afterwards for food and talk, and I think a good time was had by all. Pray for God’s continued work in the hearts of all who attended. And
praise because I feel like I got to know the church better and they got to know me better through this effort.
Fête de Noël 2005
So,
my church's Christmas program is
this Saturday, the 10th. For those who are interested, I'm including the schedule below along with who's involved with what (just for fun!).
And for any Christians reading, I ask that you please pray for this event. Pray for the preparation, execution, and follow-up, and that God would use our efforts to change the lives of those who attend. Lots of people come who aren't associated with any church. It should be an exciting and fun celebration! (Oh, and pray that my voice will be strong enough for my part, as I'm getting over a cold. May it be so for His glory!) Thanks, all!
-------
Start time: 2:30pm
Welcome (Natalie)
Song : «Voici Noël/Christmas is Here» (with all assembled)
Song : «Les anges dans nos campagnes/Angels We Have Heard On High» (with all assembled)
Sketch : «Noël chez les Chouans/Christmas With the Chouans» (Léopoldine, Esther, César, Bernard)
Reading : «Psaume 23/Psalm 23» (Nadine)
Song : «Toc, toc, toc/Knock, Knock, Knock» (the little kids: Naïs, Laure, Sterling, Eléonor, Sonnette)
Marionettes : «Au-dessus d’un bourg de Judée/Near the Town of Judah» (François)
Song : «In Christ alone» (Kate)
Sketch : «La sagesse et la bêtise/Wisdom and Folly» (Sylvie et Jean-Joseph)
Poem : «La naissance de Jésus/The Birth of Jesus» (Samuel, Kevin, Paul, Matthieu)
Song : «Il est né le divin enfant/He Is Born, the Divine Christ Child» (with all assembled)
Projection, Reading : «Jonas/Jonah» (Kate)
Sketch : «La tentation/The Temptation» (Marine, Audrey, Esther, Kate)
Song : «Celui qui a changé ma vie/He Who Changed My Life» (Marine, Audrey, Kate)
Mime : «La prison/The Prison» (Paul, Alden-John, Chantal, Stéphanie, Jacques et Samuel)
Song : «---»
Finale (The 14 children & youth)
Song : «Salut blanche étoile/Good Day, White Star» (with all assembled)
Thanks (Patrice)
Conclusion (Patrice)
Surprises (Magali)
End time: 4:00pm
Goûter/Snacks
-------
This translation is imperfect, to say the least. I haven't seen anyone else's material yet, and this is just the information that I received. Anyway, there it is. Again, any prayers would be appreciated!
Guess Who
As I mentioned in my last post, my friend Mary Ann (who has the same job as me, only in Paris) visited me this weekend. We had a good time together. :o) One *memorable moment* was when we left the house to find two women standing at the gate. And who do you think they were? JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES. IN FRANCE. (Did you know that? I didn‘t know that!) And as I‘m sure you can believe, it wasn‘t enough that I said I lived in that house with a pastor and his family, it wasn‘t enough that I agreed with everything she said that wasn‘t containing falsehood, and it
still wasn‘t enough when I recited the Lord‘s Prayer
with her
in French! (I would have been happy to “rock the boat” -- even in French -- but Mary Ann & I had a schedule to keep.)
sigh Anyway, they talked until Patrice drove up, at which point they wrapped things up pretty quick-like, almost as though they didn’t want to stay and try include the pastor in the stimulating one-sided conversation…
Guess Who ElseLast night, Mary Ann and I missed an evening in front of the TV watching Miss France. (
Miss Languedoc won.) I caught just a snippet of it and found myself simultaneously sickened, outraged, and highly amused. Man, I haven’t watched or even
thought about one of those things in many years. It’s *almost* sad that my girlhood dream of competing in the Miss America pageant as Miss Nebraska has passed me by completely unnoted. Now I’m too old (just), don’t exactly meet the residency requirement (ha), and continue to be so over-short that I could never even consider such a thing in the first place. :o)
I like when life is ultra random!
