Hey you lovely peoples! I'm state side again, AND I'm married! Hee hee. And never fear all there will be a rip roaring polkaing party come August 27th just cause I said so. So gather around my little minions. Anyway, I feel like I am truly American today. After an interview type thing with an amazing housing perspective/job, we went out to eat hotdogs. Yes, I, Rei, ate a hotdog for the first time in my life and I LIKED it!! Then we went to a dollar shop and a garage sale. Gotta love America. So geuss who has dreads? My cutey hottie stuffs. ^_^ We stuck shit in it today too. Wahoo!! Long live the Unicorns!
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 03:56 a.m. *************************
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Come beavers one and all time to do the beaver call. So I just got out of my cinema exam. Only grade of the semester, one question. I sure hope I understood what it was asking... So two tests down, six to go. Wahoo. Still trying to find a summer job. A lot are already taken, so I think that I might go into street performance. I have a spiffy new wisdom tooth coming in so I was thinking I could charge people to touch it. It's probably good luck r something. Wait... their hands'll be dirty... rubber gloves!
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 05:10 p.m. *************************
Monday, May 2, 2005
Hey guys three weeks left and things are going smoothly. I'm not sure whether to blame my soon departure, or the beautiful weather, but I've been really happy as of late. I'm going to miss France a lot. Ummm well I was going to relate a few adventurous, but my cheri has just signed on so you guys all lose. HA
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 06:00 p.m. *************************
Monday, April 25, 2005
Hello world. I just came back from the most incredible week so far in France. I had a week long break with nowhere to go, noone to go with me, and no money to pay for anything. So I took a pilgrimage and it was indescribable so bear with me as I attempt. I went to Taize an international, ecumenical (for all faiths), gathering place. I thought I would have a quiet week to pray and journal at least surrounded by people and that sounded better than staying at home and going nuts. So Taize is set up with prayer three times a day and workshops, discussion groups, and work inbetween. I got there cold wet and lonely, but it only took me a few days to see God's blessings and in a completely different way than I expected. Instead of a time of quiet solitude, God taught me about relationships. My first friend was Wauter a Belgian, and in a few days I had also met Jan, Maggie, Sam and Marcel from Germany (to name my closest companions). We were all on the kitchen crew together (excepting Maggie). And we had a blast weilding spoons as big as me and cooking for more than a thousand people each night. We sang, danced, and pilfered food (completely hygienically). I learned Poi (balls on strings you can light on fire and spin around), Capiuara (no idea how to spell that but it's that brazilian dance/fighting style), french songs, french games, good movies, good music. It was so great to get to know these people. Not all of them were Christians in the technical sense, but they all were looking for God and trying to learn how to love Him. I learned so much from all of them. Really I fit into the same category, I don't always know what it means to be a Christian, but I love God and am learning what to do about the rest. Making mistakes and messing up everyday, but I think that is so much more what Christianity is supposed to be about than having neat little doctrines and churches. So this is what I thank God for. Despite my plans, He always has something amazing for me.
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 02:09 p.m. *************************
Monday, April 11, 2005
Hey all. Things have been happening, time has been passing, what did you expect? I knit a sock... It snowed... I'm hungry... I made friends with the neighbors and I use their phone and sit on their couch a lot. I think I might scare them a bit 'cause I don't leave. But they offered me a nutella sandwich ^_^ Ummm...Let's see here. Life has been uneventful lately really. I've had more angers with french transportation. Went to a crazy concert friday night. Wahoo for dub. I likes it sooo good. Ummm... I read a few books in french. I have next week off and am going to this religious pilgrimage place for the week. That'll be peaceful and nifty I do believe. I'll take my Systematic Theology and Ragamuffin Gospel etc. What else... a cat peed on me the other day. The count is now officially at 13 cats and I'm pretty sure on that one. The crazies. Ummm... right. 6 weeks and I'll be home. Whoot. er... I think I'll go eat lunch now, I was just overcome with guilt for a moment for not telling you what was happening. And now that I've rendered all of you unconcious I will go nourish myself. ::render::render::
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 11:28 a.m. *************************
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Yes, yes, you are all due for an update. I've just been trying to do a scholarship application from France, organize travel, and arrange a summer job these last weeks so my internet time has been occupied. So last weekend I traveled to the other side of France to Bordeaux the wine region and had an equally catastrophic and wonderful weekend with friends. On Friday (of course I didn't skip class!!) we arrived at the train station and started to search for our train and it mysteriously was not on the board, we looked all over and were about to ask someone when we noticed that above the board in flashing red letters they were announcing "Train to Lyon DELETED, we're sorry" So we do the only obvious thing to do: panic. We try to get a bus to Lyon: full. Try to get a taxi: not enough time. Finally we completely reroute our trip and take a taxi to Valence. After traveling most of the way over one hundred miles per hour and getting into a car accident (no one was hurt, I'm just a witness to a crime scene...) We caught our train to Mont Pellier. We had a short layover there and wandered around in a beautiful palm tree ridden market before getting back on a train. This train ride did not go as smoothly however because we had been rerouted to this train and didn't have reservations so we had to sit in the ailes or inbetween the cars. We finally arrived in Bordeaux and after traipsing aruond the city at the whims of the hotel peoples we finally settled. Argh I don't even feel like going into all the catastrophic details... It was a one star hotel that they finally sent us to and was... adventurous. But the next day we were ready to start our wine tour. But alas and alack all two of the wine tours in the wine capital of the world were full. Yes two, no (according to our ever so helpful assistant) are there any other way to see vineyards in Bordeaux. So we went back to the train station and found tickets to a place called St. Emillion and called their tourism office to see if we could get into a wine tour there. And they responded "no problem, you don't even need a reservation." So we hopped a train to St. Emillion. We got "there" and were dumped in the middle of a vinyard ridden valley. And where is this tourism office? Who knows we wander a bit and finally find a man after trespassing on his property that says he'll help us in a sec. We wait and wait and wait and finally call back the tourist office and announce our presence ... somewhere and ask again about the tours. "Tours? There aren't any at this time of year" Aha why we don't need a reservation. We are at the point of starting a massacre against all french in the tourism business when the man returns and gives us a wonderful tour of the vineyards on which we were trespassing. Afterward it starts to rain and Lizzy dons a plastic bag, but the weather soon clears and we see the most beautiful rainbow I've seen for years. Both ends visible above the vineyards and even a double rainbow above. Amazing. That night we dined at this crazy restaurant were a man with an accordion passed out the lyrics to songs and taught us to sing. So... here ends my scattered story 'cause I'm sick of explaining, but it was a good weekend and I'm really greatful for the people I went with. Ummm... more later ::scampers off:: (bah I've hated bloggin lately sorry)
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 10:13 a.m. *************************
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Amazing beyond amazingness!!! Everyone has to watch Making Fiends http://www.makingfiends.com/
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 07:59 p.m. *************************
There's two ways to end up with this result. Either you picked the silliest possible answer to each question, or you answered honestly, and happen to be hyperactive, manic, loon. Assuming you answered honestly, your profile is as follows: You are the 100-sided dice, also known as the legendary Zocchihedron. You are the bit of data that registers so far off the chart that the average person doesn't even know you exist. You are desperate for attention and will get it any way you can. Your jokes have the lowest laugh ratio, but you go for quantity, not quality. Once you get started on a pointless tangent, it takes a group effort to bring you back to reality and make you shut up. You are a distraction who is permanently distracted. You consider yourself silly and entertaining, but everyone else complains about how lame and annoying you are. The one secret they aren't telling you, is how they sometimes actually miss the noise when you're gone.
It's so true!!!!
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 03:02 p.m. *************************
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Rei has can
Rei has forehead
Conclusion: crush can against forehead
*AIEE!!* (emits battle cry)
*wack*
*crimple*
::Rei falls down::
::People stare confused::
"Dude! French cans aren't made of aluminum! It's steel and thick!" Josh
::Rei learns something new about France::
Rei has a can shaped bruise on her forehead
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 04:11 p.m. *************************
Monday, March 7, 2005
Hmmmm... my rib is still in a suspicious amount of pain from snowboarding... maybe I was too optimistic in assuming it was bruised... heh heh oops... In other news: cats. I was counting the other day and decided there were definitely more than six and was guessing around 8. And then I got her to teach me all the names and my count went to 9, then I was asking her a few more questions and discovered that there are actually no less than 11 cats!!! 11 cats in one appartment! Argh! So she has 6 cats. But her son Arnou has one, she's keeping her daughter's cat, and there are three wild ones. One of the wild ones got under my bed last night and wouldn't come out (of course not he's a wild cat...). Yeah so I still have not had any problems with them, but if the number keeps increasing...
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 11:33 a.m. *************************
Thursday, March 3, 2005
Here are some pictures a guy on the trip took including a few of me looking ridiculously stupid... ::hangs head in embarassment::
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 02:37 p.m. *************************
Thursday, March 3, 2005
All right world, I've moved into my new home and I love it. I'm living with a crazy cat lady who has "only two cats." Uh-huh no less than six of those varmits crawling around infesting the appartment (yes that's right appartment) with cat hair. I even caught one cuddling Conrad! But miraculously I have had no trouble with allergies. I hope things continue well and this is the best way to get over an allergy, so that'd be cool. So the woman is great and a little crazy and has a son that hides in his room all the time. She says he's shy, I figure he's just scared of her. But we watched a special on unicorns last night so I'm happy. ^_^ So my new adress is
Rei chez Debande
28, Rhin et Danube
38100 Grenoble
France
and my new phone number is
6.24.86.20.51
but that's her cell phone so be careful when you call I still have to see how much she cares if I use it, but if all else fails, I can call you back on the pay phones outside. So in conclusion I think this will be a really awesome situation but pray that my amusement at her eccentricities does not wear off, and that I don't choke to death on cat hair.
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 02:09 p.m. *************************
Monday, February 28, 2005
I have conquered the alps! I have never displayed so much courage in my life and I am very proud. So last weekend I was finally able to hit the slopes, and while I'm an adequate skier I thought I would finally live my dream to try snowboarding. So I got tickets to a huge ski resort, rented my snowboard and went. I got to the top of the mountain thrilled to try my hand at snowboarding, but when I strapped both of my feet in for the first time I realized I had a problem. I have never snowboarded, or taken lessons, nor was there anyone to give me a few pointers and I was faced with the alps dropping off below my feet. Now what? Well... I just kinda tried to figure it all out. The first time down the hill took me four times as long as a newbie skier I was with and I descended mainly on my butt with specacular wipeouts that I wish I could have seen without trying to swallow the mountain. Once I got to the bottom I think I was shaking from fear, pain and adrenaline. I never realized the amount of courage it takes to keep getting up and trying again. So I prayed. This was something that I really wanted to do so I was going to do it for God's glory. I was not going to give up and I would draw courage from Him to keep standing up. Three times down the mountain had given me a bit of confidence in stopping but a lot of straight up discouragement. I took a lunch break. Then I needed a change in scenery so I went farther up the mountain to the longer trails. I'd been on a blue all morning and decided to gain some confidence on a green. Great idea, but the greens were iced. I bashed my head a few times in some of my most spectacular wipeouts of the day. Picture head of snowboard over insert random body part twisted into an unnatural location. I had to take off my snowboard and walk down the rest of the hill with the jeers of the people on the lift. ::shakes fist:: But then I still had to get down the rest of the mountain which required going up even farther and going down the other side. But I did it. I made it down the longest and most difficult slope of the day without giving up and finally arrived safely at the bottom. I had conquered. I have pain like you can not imagine to show for it, but I didn't give up, and I'm proud.
Adventures in French:
Last night Sonia runs to answer the buzzer naked with a skimpy towel wrapped around her. She answers the buzz muttering that she forgot that her friend was coming to visit then turns to me and says
"When Marlene comes home can we do a menage-a-trois?"
::blinks:: ::swallows:: ::tries to remain calm::
"Do you understand?"
::shakes head nervously::
"The hallway and the living room, we need to clean them, it takes too long alone."
Ah, realization strikes. "Menager" the french verb for cleaning, I have no idea where the English term came from, but I was much relieved.
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 11:06 a.m. *************************
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Alright, hopefully I won't have trouble with the computer today. So I spent last week in Paris. I've never been a tourist for so long in one place but I am nonetheless exhausted by trying to see even a portion of Paris. I got to see Notre Dame, Saint Chapelle, Chartres, the Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay, Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur etc. It was an awesome time. The morning were spent sightseeing with the group, and the afternoons were free for us to wander on our own. It was a really good time for me to have crazy fun with the group (breakdancing in front of the Eiffel Tower, chasing each other down the people movers, getting lost etc.) Ummm... I'm afraid to start because there is so much to tell and I can't possibly tell it all, but I can give you some highlights. Chartres was amazing, it's a cathedral outside of Paris with the largest collection of medieval stained glass in Europe. It's breathtaking. We had an amazing little old english man as a guide. He's devoted his life to studying the cathedral and he was great. Reminded me of Grandpa. Another favorite was Musee de Cluny where I stumbled across the unicorn tapisteries "La Dame et la Licorne." I had no idea they were there! I dunno of course everything was fabulous. And it meant a lot to me to be able to just have fun with the group. Yeah.. I can't really explain what we did, it was just a lot of crazy fun. But it was a good time. I was getting sick the Thursday before I left, but God was good to me and I xas fine the entire trip; Take that cold! (there's a flu epidemic here and other nasty stuff passing around our group). Other than that, I might end up moving host situations just because it would be nice to be in a family, and the woman I live with is very busy. She's kinda hurt that we're thinking of leaving though so these last two days she's made an effort to do stuff with us. Last night she was teaching me some dance steps and took us to the movies. Strange these french movies are. We didn't get in til 1:30 this morning but I was able to BS my way through the translation homework I didn't finish so all is good. My translation prof is soooo funny. She's the crankiest woman ever and if people come in late of go to the bathroom during class she throws a fit and complains for several minutes about how disrupting they are. I just laugh at her, it's hard to take her seriously, but I learn in the class all the same, so it amuses me. I am one of the few however. Alright you guys, take care. I try to pray for you all so send me requests if you have them. *des bisoux*
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 04:05 p.m. *************************
Monday, February 21, 2005
Ok so after my computer has crashed twice you don't get my update on Paris, but I do need to say that I'm moving so do not send things to my old address anymore, thanks
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 11:30 a.m. *************************
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Hey all you beautiful peoples. Well life is progressing as normal. Go to class during the week and sleep on the weekends. Other than personal tragedies and traumas it's been pretty uneventful. Last night was Mardi Gras so a bunch of us went out to experience the "real french Mardi Gras" and all that rot, and they don't celebrate it here! No debauchery or carousing in the street, I was so disappointed. So we contented ourselves by requesting Billy Jean in a bar and then dancing to the amusement of the drunk french men. Then Thriller came on so of course I bust out my Thriller moves. ^_^ Then some french men started buying us drinks and I was making sure they didn't pull anything funny and firmly refusing their offers much to their irritation. But hey they'll get over it. So this Saturday I'm heading up to Paris for a week. That'll be stellar. I'm excited. I'll catch you guys up on my return!
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 11:15 a.m. *************************
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Hey world,
thank you all for your prayers. I had some really dark days, but I'm doing better now. Came face to face with God's amazing love and it's hard to despair when you see that. Classes are going better, getting into the groove of things, and while I still speak a lot of English, I'll still learn French eventually I'm sure. Class nearly killed me today: the intracacies of the past subjunctive tense and translation of a complicated paassage of the Holocaust into French. But almost killing is perfect in my mind. Keeping busy between classes, went bowling on Saturday, first time since prom... and I broke a hundred and came in second (yes the girl who is exited about breaking 100 came in second, go figure). Ummm... so that's about it I think. It snowed yesterday and it was pretty (it NEVER snows here) and the buses were on strike this morning so I had to walk and on the way I found some ice over puddles to break (thought of you mon cheri, remember when you "swooped" me, you dick?) Alrighty I should head home... come to think of it I have a long walk... stupid France and it's strikes...
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 05:50 p.m. *************************
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Hey world, got my results back from the placement test that I took last week and despite my fever I did pretty well. I was really impressed. Had my first class this morning and the teacher is really nice. Who knows if I'll be moved or not though... we'll see. And for those who want to call me the first zero of my phone number needs to be dropped. Ok off to fight with that *%?&§! AOL of mine...
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 10:53 a.m. *************************
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Hello all. I've been here a little over a week now and of course it seems so much longer. I start school this week and that will be a relief. This last week has been a lot of free time a lot of waiting in the cold for buses and, little wonder, a cold. But I'm better now and I have some fun stories for all you inquisitive types. First I had an awesome experience at church today. I stumbled through my first meaningful conversation in french. I was talking to a guy, Matthieu, who used to have dreads and we discussed the problems of having a hairstyle that represented, in a way, a religion we do not agree with. Because at the same time that appearances do not matter people often judge accordingly. He used to run with a rasta crowd and left both the crowds and the dreads behind. I was so thrilled to be able to connect in this way in french. As for other stories, on my first night with Sonia we were fighting with the oil lamp tyopoe thingamabob that I gave her and spilling the scented oils on my hands and all sorts of stuff. And then the man who is helping her with some renovations of her apartment came over to hand me a lighter, but I didn't know what he was doing. So for some reason I thought the most logical thing to do was lean down and smell his hand. Yeah... that made sense. Yay for first impressions. It was pretty funny. Then later in the week I stepped out of my room in the morning into a puddle ::sploosh:: "are?!" Then Sonia runs up to me through the flood that is the hallway and asks me if I showered in the sink last night... now there's something to wake up to. I assured her I used the shower and then retreated back into my room to find my waders. Yeah.. those are my stories. Life's kinda tough right now since I've been pulled from all I know and love and have little with which to replace it. But this will get better once school and activities start up. Love you all and keep me in your prayers!
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 02:52 p.m. *************************
Monday, January 10, 2005
Hey peoples. Well I'm moved in at last. The woman I'm staying with just moved so here is her new address.
Rei
chez Hamouda
112 Avenue Marcel Cachin
38400 Saint Martin D'Heres
and her number is
04-76-03-06-47
SO I moved in last night and it's sooo nice to have everything unpacked and to finally be settled. I'm staying with a single woman, 30 years old,and I think she's Muslim. There is another girl staying with me named Marlene (also from Calvin) and I think I'll like both of them a lot. But I am kinda irritated with all the orientation and stuff we're going through and what wimps so many people seem to be. They are all very nice and I like them but they seem so... squeemish about cultural differences and we spend all day jabbering in english. I feel like an obnoxious tourist rather than a student and there is little room for me to practice french when all I ever see are english speakers. Even in the home there is still another english speaker. It's frustrating when I want to experience France not mini-Calvin abroad. I dunno, it's just a very different experience than my previous exchange and is somewhat irksome. But for the first time I'm on my own and get to explore and do my own thing for the first time since coming here. I like that a lot better because I can blend in and observe better. I am a little lost on what to do though because I have three hours or so before I can return home and it's cold outside. I'm wearing my new pink skirt though and it looks amazing despite its itchiness. ^_^
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 05:44 p.m. *************************
Saturday, January 8, 2005
Well I'm in France, and if I thought Japanese keyboards were screwed up wow... the keys are all in different places. So pardon my typos... Goodness I will kill this computer... anyway. So far I'm having a wonderful time. The city is unreal in it's beauty. I get an allowance for meals and am having a blast with the cafés. I have one more night in the hotel and am looking forward to moving into my permanent residence. I'll be right downtown which sounds amazing. More amazing is my discovery that I will not be in normal french classes, I'll be part of an international program. This is a huge relief. As for my group, they are awesome. I'm making friends and getting along with everyone pretty well. I just have to continue reaching out. Oh and probably the coolest thing is that even though we are all obviously American, everyone speaks French to us! Yippee! Love you all!
Rei danced in the faerie ring @ 02:28 p.m. *************************
