Feeding The Waterfowl Makes the Water Foul!

Today we had the Marché in La Roche Bernard, and so Granny and I were shopping companions, happily galavanting down cobbled streets. Mrs. Granny Peppa bought the household a wallet and we then spent a happy half hour examining some of the finer garments in life... Or undergarments. They certainly make them very different from in the states.

It's been raining today but we still managed to have a nice walk around the countrified bits and a pique-nique. I gave a very stern lecture to my misbehaving about how feeding the waterfowl makes the water foul. Despite this, the soft hearted granny felt the need to fatten up a teenage duck. Lordy loo.

Excellent convo from last night (NO DOCUMENTARY SHOCKINGLY ENOUGH). We have just finished up dinner and are prepping for the dessert course.

Granny Peppa: I'm just going to go change, is that alright?
Grunkle: Yeah, will you go put on something sexy?
Granny: No... Yes... What?

Poor confused Peppa.

No more internets for the next week+half sadly.

I have to say, my favorite thing so far about France has been living with another generation. Too often, I see people my own age as falling into the ageist trap of thinking of old as incapable or rigid. The reverse often goes for the elder generation. Nothing has taught me more respect for my elders than engaging them in lively debate and how completely YOUNG they act. Yes we have completely opposite opinions on many political issues and can argue for hours. But I am constantly impressed by how willing they are to listen to me and my opinions, and as such it has taught me to be more open. Grandparents have been a huge blessing in my life, and I am eternally grateful for them and their jokes which would make a teenager blush.

France Tellycom and The Marseillaise

PLEEEEEASE COMMENT! It's easy now!

When Grunkle gave us the news that France Tellycom and their electriciens couldn't come until a week from Friday to fix our internets, we were a little surprised. Apparently, this was a VERRY big storm that knocked out all power.

So how did Grunkle demonstrate the Frenchie-ness of the bureaucratic mess? By singing the marseillaise. It was great.

This is going to be lightning fast as I only have 10 minutes and 35 seconds to type the last two days of notes. You complain about my typing, I send you a French dungbomb. And the taxes for buying the dungbomb and it's social security and the taxes on its taxes.

First of all, to my French Teachers a HUGE thank you for making me do verb tenses until I wanted to cry. The crying was less fun, but actually being able to speak in a tense other than the present is GREAT. Two things you should know.
-Comme ci comme ca is NOT OLD FASHIONED. People still say it (young, hip, cool people too)
-Same with Choette. Choette is an awesome word, since it means "cool" and "awesome." And when it is choette, it is CHOETTE.

We had a massive storm two nights ago which ate our internets whole sadly. I sleep in the top-most bedroom and as things were getting struck by lightning right next to us, I thought I'd better go downstairs to avoid getting killed. Was greeted by a trembling granny and Grunkle. They soon fell asleep, and started snoring. So I tried to leave, but locked myself in their walk in closet for 5 minutes. And then I went to sleep in my bedroom. Where lightning struck the internet.

We made jam yesterday! Blackberry sauvage (wild) and apricots!

Me: Granny?

GP: Yes My sweet?

Me: Are apricots fibrous?

GP: Yes rather... Why?

Me: I've eaten nine so far today.

GP: NINE?

Me: Or ten. They are so tasty.

They are so so so tasty. I've only eaten four today, all during breakfast.

We speak an odd language in this household. Ganomies (gnomes) and hellycopters abound, ahhhhpricots are eaten left and right (or eaten right and left in the wastebasket.) Granny also has a habit of asking every three minutes, "are you sure?" So now when she gives directions, Grunkenstein and I chorus, "Are you sure?" Poor lady.

yesterday at the taste of happiness I also had an elderly gentleman talk to me about the US. At the end of our rather odd convo in which he recalled all the women he dated in "Le Californie" he said (translated), "I'm glad they still make them cute over there." Thanks :)

Grandparent quote of the day:

Granny: Why don't we have a non-arguing day today?

Grunkle: It's not me that argues all the time, it's you!

In a nutshell, their marriage.

Grandparent/Grandchild quote of the Day:

Grunkle: I'm very misunderstood don't you think?

Me: And you're very loved, so that's two good things going for you!

Enjoy your internet, cause I don't have any!

Goodbye Parents, Hello Gap Year!

The best quote so far came from breakfast today. My Granny Peppa, the usual font of wisdom and sass, came out with this one.

"People who fight over the little things tend to agree on the big ones."

This is essentially my relationship with my entire family. We squabble, whine, bicker and argue, but when it really gets down to it, we are of one mind. The same is with Granny and her beloved Grunkle. I've never heard an argument over when to change the water in the flower pots for a half an hour before. Or a seriously heated discussion over how one ought to attend to the toaster whilst it does its business. But I learn things everyday, mainly..
a) do not mess with Grunkle's vegetable garden
b) chlorine turning one's hair green isn't a good excuse for not swimming in the pool.
c) Lifting anything will give me back problems.
d) do not hit croquet balls off the croquet lawn and into the veg garden.

Today we visited the fairy rock, which was surrounded by ominous messages in French about how if you vandalize the place, the fairies will get you. We saw no vandalism. Or vandalisers for that matter.

My family left me today, gone back to the United States. Our first motion passed (my Grandparents and I) was to convene over a lunch of cake, ice cream and orange juice. When Grunkle complained about the lack of veggies, he was told sternly to "take what you've got and be grateful." Quite right.

As Granny says, Grunkle is completely bone from the neck up (not) and is "just arm candy and great for carrying things" (and gardening).

Speaking of not so stupid people, I've found it very amusing when people disagree or tell me to do things I don't want to, to pull out the old trick of "I don't speak any french... I'm just an American visitor." Grunkle tried this in the US when getting out of a parking ticket. Unfortunately the cop started speaking fluent french back to him. NICE TRY!

Grunkle is now complaining about how his weekly "soft porn" magazine of Madame Figaro (it's no more pornographic than most things in French advertising, which is to say VERY) is "going downhill. It's just a bunch of bloody children." He forgot to read the cover and see that it is the annual kid's issue.

Earlier today as I was about to leave for work at the Taste of Happiness, I left my elders admiring my collection of 70s male fashion post cards, a packet of "mail order hunks" with the most ridiculous and innuendo'd gentleman ever to deface a scrap of paper.

Work today was GREAT! I got to stick together macaroons, eat all the broken ones and was introduced to everyone as the "young American visiting us." Which led to questions of "do you know so-and-so?" Um, well the US does have quite of few people... Unfortunately I don't think we've met.

Fashion Statement of the day: Couple walked in wearing matching leather fedoras.

Can I taste your clothes?

The best part (in my opinion) about learning a new language is the funny mistakes you make.

Today was market day for La Roche Bernard, and my friend Gaelle very kindly offered to take me around. They have some of the best clothes there, and it was a GREAT opportunity to speak with the locals/natives :).

There is a huge difference in the verbs Gouter and Essayer, namely that one is "To Taste" and the other is "to try." So when I asked to taste the clothes at a particularly scrumptious boutique of lady stuff, I was greeted with gales of laughter.

Sad Day.

I also repeated insisted that I died (je suis fatigue= I'm dead, j'ai fatigue= I'm tired). Not yet!

I worked in the cafe today with the Mila Kunis lookalike and the couple who own the store. Two hours of working with stickers later, and I was permitted to start clearing tables. A little girl started chatting me up. A translated version of our conversation went like this.

Me: I'm just visiting for this week. I'll go to university next week.

Little Girl: But what about your children?

Me: My children? I don't have any.

LG: I think you do.

Me: How old are you?

LG: Seven. And a half.

Me: I don't have kids.

This morning I made a heart shaped egg for Grunkle as Granny REFUSED to do so on anti-egg grounds. I tried apricots for the first time and ate five of them, and ate a gluten free pizza. Nevermind why.