A Fairytale Christmas

This weekend in Strasbourg was like Christmas out of a postcard, except for the massive crowds of people you had to push through. But when it got to much we just went and had a beer or watched a choir show in the cathédrale. The train strike was over, and I was glad we went to Saverne Friday night because as it was the ride was so long. I don't know how my other friends took the train at 5am on Sat., but they stayed in Colmar to the south of Strasbourg and we stayed to the North (the city's hostels were full). It was wonderful staying in a quaint village, actually the hostel was in a castle! It was so much calmer walking around there before taking the picturesque train to Strasbourg. Once in the city we went to the market where I bought food and some Christmas decorations, went ice skating, and had dinner of galettes. Everything was beautiful with wood architecture being influenced by Germany right next door, and Christmas lights and decorations everywhere. The Rhine river really added to the city's beauty also. I think if I had to live anywhere in France it would be Alsace in the winter and Provence in the summer, in both the architecture is so colorful and you really can tell you're in that region when there.

La musique de ma vie

Music seems to be in my life alot lately, with the new addition to my room of a radio I have been quite excited to have a good mix of English and French music to listen to instead of the same cds. Also last Thursday I went to kareoke night at the pub Le Chantier and had a hearty laugh at the French men signing Whitney Houston and the Bangles, my international friends signing "Yellow Submarine," and realizing that my job is needed here when Shakira's "Underneath Your Clothes" was spelled "Undermeat your clothe". And Monday nights is jazz night at the Mephisto where the adorable Italian Erasmus students got up onstage with the band and started signing in Italian and dancing. I also embarassingly had to sing a stanza of "I Believe I Can Fly" in class yesterday. Its a long story but basically my students randomly asked what that phrase meant and then they wouldn't let me move on with the lesson until I sang it because they thought I had a good voice. Blushingly I tried to divert the subject, then tried to make it an easier sillier song like one from "Lac du Bois" but no they wouldn't let up and I had to sing a stanza if I wanted to continue my grammar correction sentences on the board. To make it worse this classroom is in a portable where the walls are thin, so as I was exciting class my students from another class next door made a comment about how well I sing, so the whole class next door heard too! At least it was good comments (they said they thought it was a cd), but still embarassing. Then last night I went to the Opéra de Saint-Etienne with Heather and Bastienne to see "Les trois pentes de la lumière" by Mozart and played by the orchestra of St-Etienne. For some reason music such as that really puts my mind in a sense of reflection instead of relaxation, so that often I think about a million things while enjoying the music. Its like it gets the brain waves going. One of the reflections going through my mind was that its amazing how one person can individually come up with music for a whole orchestra which then acts as one body when they are playing. Its like all of their souls connect while joined in the song to create harmony. I also love how their bodies move with the music. I wish I had more of an ear for music, I was never one to hear differences when instruments are in tune or not, but I am glad I was in Symphonic Band because it really made me appreciate music more and I miss that connection you have, that feeling you get when you are surrounding by everyone playing and the music goes right through you. There was also a choir last night that sang with the orchestra and there were four prncipal members that just amazed how theuir voices carried all the way up to me in the balcony with no microphones. It gave me chills (chair de poule) and I can only imaginhe what their voices are like standing right in front of them. The concert also made me want a harp someday in my wedding, it was so gorgeous and fluid, and the man played the notes like his hands were made to move that way and know where to pull next, all without sheet music. I find that going to cultural events such as these or to museums don't teach me more about French people because the artists are from around the world, but instead art makes me reflect more on myself and how I view the world. It puts things into perspective for me, even if I don't understand what the artists' original intention was, and I hope I don't forget such reflections when I am away from these exhibits at home.

Its beginning to look alot like Christmas...

Even though its not snowing and I'm not home, this weekend brought me more into the Christmas spirit. I went with friends to look at the Christmas lights in my city on Friday, where we took a ferris wheel next to the city hall to see the market and lights from above. Then chocolat à l'ancienne warmed our bellies, basically the richest hot chocolate I've ever had. The next day I went with a huge group to the Festival de Lumières in Lyon. The festival was all weekend because the 8th of December is a French tradition of lighting candles to the Virgin Mary, in front of the Fourvière cathedrale was a light ficture saying "merci Marie". We went around the Christmas market in front of the train station Perrache, had some hot wine, and then followed the crowds past the filled stores to the Place Bellecour where we watched a band play (sadly not Christmas carols but still really good). Then it was off for a beer in Vieux Lyon until the light festivities began at 6. We saw the beuatiful twinkling lights of Saint-Jean, a bit of the laser light show on the river, and then headed North by the Hotel de Ville to see the lights by the Opéra and the fountain there. On the side of the Opéra were people climbing and dancing, some modern art show, but I don't know how they weren' blinded by the flourescent lights in front of them. After a bit more trekking uphill our little legs were numb and we walked to Part Dieu to take the train home. My socks were gray and wet when I took off my shoes, and I was ready for bed before a day of shopping on Sunday with the stores now open on Sundays until Christmas.
Fun: sparkling Santa hats, being harrassed by the costumed animals, vin chaud (hot wine with cinnamon and sugar added), ferris wheels, twinkling lights, nutella waffles, French people saying "Follow Père Noel" when they needed to follow me to exit the thimble stairs, singing jingles and reminiscing about cartoons from our childhood on the train ride bac, finding a dress to wear for New Year's. Not so fun: train strikes, rain and wet socks, weird people pulling hats or saying they're Ukranian but from the East coast, people leaving Irish pub doors open, drinking hot wine and having to pee but there are no public restrooms, four euros for a waffle, my pretty gloves turning red from wine and brown from chestnuts, wishing my friends and family from home could experience these fun things with me.