Thanksgiving

I never realized how much I took Thanksgiving for granted. Yea, sure, my family is crazy and they drive me insane if I am in their presence for too long, but being away for the holiday made me really homesick. I think this was probably the first time I have felt this way since I have moved to France-actually I think this is the first time I have ever felt this way since I have been out on my own.
I was fortunate enough to be able to celebrate the day of “mercis” in France, so I should be thankful for this. I did not really expect that I would even have this opportunity. So I will describe my evening.
We fêted Thanksgiving at a restaurant called Pumpkins-a very fitting name. The restaurant is owned by an American chef named Bob (a very American name) and his French wife, so we did get American food-not French food that the French think is American. All fourteen of us spread out between two tables in the cute restaurant and chatted over the soft melody of jazz that played in the background. Our first taste was an aperitif with cranberry juice, vodka, and cassis (small tarte red berries) that floated about for decoration. Then we began to receive our plates… one by one they were carried out. I could not wait. I didn’t eat anything the whole day (except for my pain au chocolat- croissant with chocolate swirled around), anticipating this moment. My dish was handed to me, but with my excitement and my inelegance, I nearly crushed the glass that once was filled with my aperitif. Ooops… haha
Everything was purposefully set on the plate and the colors gave my eyes quite the show. I first tasted the white purée, which consisted of parsnips (I know this only because of the last time I visited Pumpkins, Chandra and I spent the night trying to decipher what the flavor of carrots was). Next, I had homemade cranberry sauce, which this was a new experience for me. I am used to the canned stuff that has the consistency of jam. It had the same taste but livelier texture with chunks of real cranberries-It was delicious! I then consumed the turkey. It was good, but just good. This is about the time that I realized it wasn’t really Thanksgiving’s Day. I missed my father’s cooking. My favorite dish for thanksgiving is mashed potatoes-which was replaced by sweet mashed potatoes that had the consistency of baby food. I missed my mother’s mashed potatoes that have chunks of real potatoes (I bet she would never believe that I said I missed her cooking haha). They were still good, just not the same as home. The stuffing on the other hand was amazing. I have never had stuffing that I absolutely loved. To make it better, it had pine nuts… my favorite! The other dish was an onion salad, which wasn’t quite what I would eat, so I abstained. And last but not least, I had homemade applesauce…which reminded me of my grandfather’s. It was great.
After our entrée was devoured, we were then served plates with pecan pie and PUMPKIN pie! My absolute favorite. This is what made my night! I was completely satisfied after that. The pumpkin pie can be described in only one word-perfect! Its texture was like satin and I was pleased to not find chunks of pumpkin in my bites. As if this wasn’t enough, Bob delivered café with bite size portions of carrot cake with sugar frosting.
All in all the evening was nice. It did however remind me how much my family means to me and how hard the holidays will be without them.
More pictures of my dinner

Photo links

I tried for several hours to get my pictures posted on this blog, but it would not work.
Here are some links to the facebook albums:
http://missouri.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2214184&l=f9633&id=15920991
http://missouri.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2214183&l=09a74&id=15920991

Nothing too amazing, just getting used to my new fantastic camera!

Bisous!

The CUEF's Secret Society

So in case you haven't watched the news lately, there is in fact a strike going on in France. Actually, I can't really say much for the US news, but it is all over the French news. This is REAL! It is affecting my life.
Since last Wednesday, I have not had class due to students who have gone on strike, so they have barricaded the doors with bike racks, recycling/trash cans/ and pretty much anything else they could find. The first questions on my mind were "Why bike racks?" and "Why isn't the president of the university not removing the items so I can go to class?" Well, taking a further look at the doors, I realized that these bike racks were not only set in front of the doors, but also locked on with a giant chain. HA! Genius! Anywho, these students can be dangerous apparently and have made it so that no one can get into the building with out threatening. The reason why my classes have been cancelled is for my safety. OK? Where are the police? Well, yea we could get into the school if we really wanted to...someone could take a saw and cut the locks off, but these said students will use force to ensure that I will not learn while they are on strike. If the students use fight back in the building (however they deem necessary), the police are not allowed to enter the university buildings as it is private property.
The whole reason why they are on strike right now is because the universities are becoming more privatized and they will be more selective as to whom they take into their schools, because at this moment, pretty much anyone can go to school and university is virtually free. Tuition will go up with the new bill that has been passed.
So enough of the history of the strike (I could be wrong-these are just things that my professor has told me, and who knows how well my translation is haha), but today class commenced at 8:30... well it sort of started at that time. My program director informed me to meet behind the CUEF building at 8:30 to find out where I would be having class. I wandered passed the students on strike who watched me over their bonfire (aka fire in a metal bin) that they had going to keep them warm while they made sure no one got into the buildings. When I safely arrived to the back, I met with my professor and she told us to go to Hôtel de Ville (city hall). When we arrived there, she drove past and told us that they changed our location so we needed to meet at Verdun Prefecture (just another walk around town). So my class and I trekked through the city together and waited to find out where we were to go next. Meanwhile, it was about 0 degrees celcius/32 degrees farenheit and we are waiting outside on a secret mission. After waiting for about 20 minutes outside, we walk across the plaza into an old school building that is in the process of being renovated. I could smell gasoline as I entered into the dim lobby. The saumon colored paint was chipping off of the walls in large loose leaf paper sized chunks. We wandered around the building for about 20 more minutes deciding which classroom we would take over (switching back and forth from classroom to classroom due to class sizes).
Finally, class began at about 9:45 am. We talked about the strike until about 11:30 and then took an exam.
Tomorrow, I have class at 8:30 as well. I am supposed to do this whole routine again, but there is another problem as it is supposed to be a big day of strikes. Pretty much anyone who works for the state (ie professors (not mine), postal service, and TRANSPORTATION) will be on strike and marching about in town. I live about 15 minutes by bus from campus, but by walking it is probably about an hour long walk. Not to mention that it is freezing outside and it is supposed to rain. When my professor asked me where I lived, she told me that I could walk to class (but this was also when we thought we were supposed to meet at Verdun), hmm... We'll see if I make it to class, this may be one day where I will have to bail out if it is raining/freezing/and random manifestations in the streets.
I do appreciate the fact that the CUEF has been so attentive to this situation as we are paying a large amount of money for our classes (as opposed to the French students). It is nice that even though students are on strike, they are trying to make this situation work so that we can learn. So I will definitely write more to keep everyone updated.
Below are some pictures of the blocking and the graffiti


front entrance


translation: We block all (perhas a bit broken translation?)


translation: blockade sabotage


side entrance