Note: Today's events were the reason I had to leave an internet conversation so abruptly, so the person with whom I was conversing, here is my excuse.....
If I had known I would be spending hours on end trying to decipher the rapid speech of my host mother and her friends, I would have brought a book like my host sister did (way to throw me to the wolves, Salomé). I spent the day at an outdoor market and then drove an hour to visit my host mother's cousin and have a picnic.I can now add camembert to my list of cheeses I have tried. We had a lovely casual picnic and then walked down a quaint country road (everything was very French). It was along a river and I couldn't help but imagine scenes from the 10th Kingdom in my head. Photos soon to come. Everyone kept asking me if I was cold and I had to keep insisting that I was from the Pacific Northwest - we don't get cold easily.
After the lengthy time outdoors, we went back to the house and had a meal I refer to as afternoon tea. I sat and endured mindless gossip between the two cousins and then was told I could maybe read the French Sunday paper and try to understand. Salt, meet wound.
Apparently, I am the expert on hurricanes and the current turmoil going on as a result of hurricane Irene. Note: ouragan = hurricane. I keep wanting to think orangutan whenever I see the damn word.
I have noticed that when the French pronounce my name, it sounds similar to "ce matin".
Also, my stress level has gone from " get me a glass of wine and a plane ticket to the States" to "get me a shot (or three) of fisk and a plane ticket to the States".
One more thing: now I can officially add paté to the list of things I have eaten while in France (just got back from dinner at grandma's - apparently she makes paté). My philosophy is quickly becoming "eat first, ask questions and quietly vomit in the shrubs later".
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