Cœur Qui Soupire N'a Pas Ce Qu'il Désire

Sorry I have been lazy everyone! I'll do my best to keep posting everyday. This post is for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The title is my new favorite French proverb! If you translated the words literally, it would say "the heart that sighs does not have what it desires". It sounds beautiful in French, and it is used when someone seems unhappy or is longing for something. We would say, "Hey you look sad, what's wrong?" I can't wait for the day I can actually use this saying and understand the response.

Speaking of responding to the French people, there has been a few times where a French person tried to start a conversation with me. The first time was a photographer that was tried to sell photos of the kids sailing. Luckily, I said, "No merci," and he walked away. Then next time was a middle-aged woman. She noticed I was speaking English and asked if I was English. I was very grateful that she was trying to use what little English she knew. I explained to her using basic English and basic French (what I like to call franglais, français + anglais) that I am an au pair and I am an American. Eventually we ran out of words that we knew, so we said our goodbyes. The third incident was when I was sitting on my towel on the sand. An old woman that takes a swim every morning started chattering away about something. I tried to tell her that I don't speak French, but she didn't hear me. She just kept gabbering away until I said, "Je ne parle pas français," louder this time. Then she kinda just sighed and said oh la la and went to basic questions. I once again said that I was an au pair and American. She asked if it was for my studies. I said no, but didn't know how to say it was just for an experience and to learn more of the language and culture. Then she said, "Vous êtes très jolie," which means you are very pretty. At first I didn't know if she was saying I was pretty or something else, so she clarified with the word belle (beautiful).

I have decided to show you how crazy the tides are here, so I took pictures of the ocean before and after the sailing lessons. Insane, right? P.S. the beach was FREEZING! I was in jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and a sweatshirt laying face down on a towel with my hood on. I probably looked ridiculous, but my spot was warmer so I didn't want to move...

When we got home from the lessons, Bertrand had his mom and some friends over. I guess we were supposes to eat before they got here, but I didn't know that until we were walking home 40 minutes after the lesson ended. Anyway it worked out and later I went to the beach with the kids again. Living by the sea here makes me want to always live by a beach... It is so relaxing! And I'm getting a slight tan.

So on Wednesday, it was pretty much the same story as Tuesday. Except on Wednesday, we went back to the beach to hunt for crabs! We weren't too successful in our hunt, but we did catch five. But I guess I can only say we caught four because one ran away at night...

I learned that I don't have to do any of my own laundry while I am here in France. I'm beginning to think that this au pair thing isn't even a job! I feel like I'm getting spoiled here! My phone was activated so I can now contact Karine and eventually Brooke. And I'm finally going to get to go to Rennes this weekend! I am so excited! Rennes is bigger than my city, and since it is a college town, there are people my age. So Brooke and I plan to go to a restaurant and finally attend church. I love Saint-Malo, but it is filled with older people. At least they seem nice! I'm sure when I start my French class in September, I will finally see people my age. Hopefully there is someone who speaks English...

Naptime

This week, the kids still have sailing lessons. But unlike last week, all the lessons are in the morning. This morning, the sea was the closest it has been. I had to pick a different spot to camp out on the beach. It was a beautiful day! Not too hot, not to cold, a nice breeze, and lots of sun. I was in the sun for the majority of the day, and it looks like I got some color! But then again, it could just be the lighting from this room... Since it was so nice out, I let the girls go for a swim after their lesson (today it was just the girls, Aymeric was having surgery in his mouth). On the way home, I bought some chocolate and caramel and shared some with the girls, after their lunch of course. For lunch, I had to cook meat similar to burgers. Sure I've cooked chicken and fish before, but I don't think I have ever cooked beef before, especially on the stove. I think it turned out alright. I just wish I didn't cook it as long.

Later today, there was an ambulance and police car outside the house. The girls were very excited about them, but no one knows what happened. My guess is that some elderly person fell and couldn't get back up. But I could be wrong. While the girls played with their toys in the backyard, I tried to take a nap. My first mistake was leaving my window open. The stupid cop cars outside kept opening and closing their doors, I kept hearing neighbors talk, and a dog started barking. After the dog, I got up to close my window. Then Aymeric came back with his mom from Rennes. I think I slept 5 minutes when I had originally scheduled out an hour. Oh well, c'est la vie.

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The Pirate Labyrinth

I think I'm allergic to a type of cheese here. This morning, I woke up sick again. I find it extremely strange that I have woken up two Sundays in a row, sick to my stomach, when I rarely get sick. It reminds me of when I was little and somehow got a sickness, that didn't come with a fever, every Sunday morning before church... Okay, but this time, it is for real. So from now on I get to test cheeses to figure out which one is making me sick. Lucky me.

Today, Karine, Aymeric, Brooke, and I went to a pirate themed corn maze. Bertrand and the girls went swimming at his mom's house, but because Brooke and Aymeric needed to take the train back to Rennes, they went somewhere closer to the station. The Labyrinth was fun! Aymeric ran ahead down different paths to see if they went through or were just a dead end. Within the maze, there were little riddles and illusions that we had to solve. Of course the riddles were completely obvious, but we still managed to get them wrong. The best one was... The father of Maryse had daughters named Chacha, Cheche, Chichi, and Chocho. What was the fifth daughter's name? I won't say the answer, but when we checked our answers, we all got a good laugh at how obvious the answer was. At the end of the maze, there were bounce houses and other blow up courses. On my favorite course, you were attached to elastic bands and had to run as far as you could before it launched you back to the beginning. On my first try, I ran until the velcro belt ripped off. It was hilarious! I think we got some pretty sweet action shots, and laughs, from this event.

My random piece of information on this post has to do with my name. I absolutely love how the French pronounce my name. It makes me believe I am actually a French mademoiselle. Instead of the normal pronunciation of Annalise (anna-lease) they pronounce my name like anna-leeze. Okay so I just said it out loud, and from the typed pronunciation, it sounds lame. So I am just going to tell you all to keep in mind that they have French accents. Maybe I'll record someone saying my name here and post it...

P.S. Once again, if you want to see more pictures, click on this link
---> Facebook and you will be lead to my A Year in France album.

P.P.S. I think I am going to start putting the Facebook link at the bottom of every post. So if you see it, click Facebook for more pictures.

Intramuros

Today Bertrand took me and Brooke to the old city in St-Malo. From the outside it looked beautiful! The walls surrounded a city with tall buildings and cobble stone streets. There are lots of shops inside the old city. Now I know where my first shopping spree will be... Don't get mad at me Dad! My favorite building within the walls, was the cathedral. I really wanted to take pictures from the inside, but I felt like it would be rude to all the people lighting candles or praying. Bertrand lead us to the top of the walls and the view was amazing! The sea was so clear and colorful. I even saw the Bon-Secours beach (before coming here I looked at the beaches and Bon-Secours was my favorite, it was a pool, including a diving board, that gets filled with the ocean). Bertrand tried to explain more about the history of St-Malo, but I was too distracted with the sights. Oh well, just means I have to go back! Unfortunately, it was very cold and very windy, especially on top of the walls. It is summertime and I am already freezing. I will probably have to do my winter clothes shopping soon because my Arizonan wardrobe is definitely not prepared for the weather I will be experiencing...

Later, while Bertrand and Karine were playing a match of tennis, the kids, Brooke, and I walked to a park to play. We brought some sport equipment to play volleyball, bocce ball, and badminton. I tried a couple of times to play volleyball with Aymeric, but it wasn't very successful. I don't know if any of you have tried to play volleyball with a nine year old before, but I can tell you that it is more like playing fetch. Good thing he had a lot of energy to run after the ball. The girls just wanted to play house/restaurant. They made Brooke, Aymeric, and I pretend like we were customers and they were the people who owned the restaurant. I'm not gonna lie, their pretend dishes looked pretty legit. I wish I took a picture of the main dish. They found big leaves for plates, and then picked a whole bunch of wildflowers to act as the food. Aymeric threw his food, and I picked off the petals and tried to put them in Aymeric's hair. Brooke was the only one who didn't play with her food. Then for dessert, they took the birdies from the badminton set and put leaves and flowers inside. After 'eating' our meals, we played cops and robbers in a darker, creepier part of the park. Oh yeah, we are awesome au pairs... It was fun, until I stepped in dog poop.

This is of me freezing.

Speaking of poop, Karine bought pink toilet paper! I know. Very random, but c'mon, you don't see pink toilet paper everyday! The last time I saw pink toilet paper, it was strung through our trees by some anonymous kid(s). Another random thought, the candy I have tried here is pretty good. The kids are obsessed with a candy called Scoubidous. They remind me of Twizzlers but longer and colorful. And they taste better. The other day, Brooke bought some chocolate called Côte D'Or. It was soooo good! I've been making lists about the best candies here, but I do miss a good 'ole Butterfinger. And peanut butter M&M's. Those two are my favorite! I wonder if I will be able to find them somewhere...

Rain, Rain Go Away

Bonjour! First off, I found out why there are shutters we close every night. It's to make the rooms dark! Because the sun stays up past 8, we shut the shutters in the kids' rooms so they can fall asleep easier! I guess you can use shutters to prevent Peeping Toms as well... And I have a few pictures of my room to show you all. There isn't much to see because it is so small. At least in the winter, when it is freezing, my room will be able to heat faster. If the heater is working... And yes, my computer screen is showing blogger in the first picture.

So today started out sunny and beautiful! We ate lunch outside in the sun, and Brooke and I wore our swimsuits the the sailing lesson. We laid out maybe 10 minutes and then the sun was blocked. Eventually I put my jacket and shorts back on because it was getting cold. So much for getting a tan today... People got up and left the beach when the thunder started, but Brooke and I just sat there. I mean, it was just thunder. Maybe three minuted later, it started to a sprinkle. And within a minute, the sprinkle turned into pouring rain! We threw everything back into our cart and started to run away, but we didn't know where to hide! Luckily, the shed where all the life jackets are stored was open. So, both of us hid there hoping the rain would stop soon. Then this big old lady ran into the shed huffing and puffing. I have no idea where she came from, but she was in a swimsuit that she eventually took the top off. She did have a towel to cover herself up, but it didn't do its job very well... I saw way too much and it was really hard not to giggle. Well it poured for about 10 minutes and all of a sudden it stopped. We were soaked, and all the kids came back from the sea (some of the boats even blew over!) and then the sun came out. It is really weird how fast the weather can change.

I have one more random thing to tell you about. I bought a small satchel to use in France. I wanted a smaller one because I feel like it would be much harder for people to pick-pocket out of a tiny bag that I always keep in front of me. Plus there are no outside pockets. Anyway, I am amazed at how many things I can pack into this tiny purse! I can fit... my phone, passport, a pack of gum, my camera, my iPod, my keys, my chapstick, money, and then I still have enough room to stuff in something small like a travel sized bottle of lotion. I call it my Hermione purse because it is seriously magical. I guess I could call it my Mary Poppins bag too...

And I was wondering if anyone knows how to change the main language on Google? My Google is in French and I can't figure out how to change it to English.

Pastries

Today was a lazy day. I slept in and then just laid in bed for a while because I was so comfortable. I missed eating breakfast with everyone this morning... Oops. Somehow I didn't see anyone until the afternoon, even though we were in the same house. But eventually I saw them and we went to the beach for, you guessed it, the sailing lesson. It was a little more rainy today so Brooke and I decided to walk around town instead of sitting on the cold, wet beach under an umbrella.

We started off trying to get into the Chocolatier, but it was closed, so we went to the boulangerie instead. There were too many things to choose from so we each chose two things. I got an éclair du chocolate and a beignet filled with nutella. Oh man was I in heaven! I tried eating it slow so it would last longer, but it didn't last long enough! I'm definitely going back for another éclair soon...

While eating our decadent pastries, we decided to try and find a museum about Jacques Cartier, who had something to do with discovering Canada. The road to the museum had no sidewalk, we didn't even know if it would lead us to the museum, and every car driving past was going wayyy too fast. Oh and it was practically a one lane road. It was very sketchy, but we kept pushing our little yellow cart down the road. We stopped a few times to take some pictures. First for flowers of course. I couldn't say no to the sunflowers! And when we got closer, there were even more colors of flowers! Then we stopped at a cemetery. Creepy? Maybe. But I liked how all the tombs were above ground. Eventually we got to the end of the road and we saw a sign for visitors parking, meaning we found the museum! But we got nervous because there weren't a lot of people and it sounded like we missed the tour. So we turned around and walked back towards town.

Eventually we found ourselves sitting on wet rocks, waiting for the kids to come back from the sea. It was raining and I didn't know what to do, so I decided to take some pictures of the seashells I found on the beach there the other day. I love them because they actually have color unlike the shells I find on California beaches.

If you want some more pictures, go to my A Year in France album by clicking on this link here ---> Facebook.

Hooray for Soleil!

First off I want to thank all of you who read my blog! I looked at my stats today and saw that I had 84 views yesterday! I don't know if that is above average or anything, but it made me feel special. It makes me feel good to know people are liking this thing. I hope I can keep all my fans happy!

Yay! Today was finally sunny! Which is where I got the inspiration for this post's title. Soleil is the French word for sun, and is pronounced so-lay. So hooray and soleil rhyme! Anyway, today was sunny so Brooke and I finally got to lay out. We always joke about how white we are compared to Saint-Malo's locals, and because of our whiteness, people can probably pick us out as tourists. We are determined to get tan! But the weather hasn't really been cooperating... For once in my life I put on sun screen, so I feel like I didn't get a lot of sun. However, Brooke did not put on sunscreen... Which is why she is so red in this picture.

We spent all day at the beach. It all started with a picnic, then the kids' sailing lessons, sand castles, laying out, etc. Which brings me to a horror story... I pulled out a towel from our little bag/cart thing and then I saw a massive, black spider crawling towards my hand! Brooke is really scared of spiders. I usually don't mind spiders unless their big, like the one today. We probably looked silly running around a towel screaming. I tried to flip it off, but it was like latched on the towel! I finally flicked it off with a shoe, but no one wanted to use that towel after the spider dilemma.

After coming home to have goûter (snack), we went to a beach close by to make sand castles and roads. Well the kids and Brooke made them, I wanted to get tan. We only stayed there about 40 minutes because we had to get back so the kids could shower before dinner, and so Brooke and I could make dinner. On the menu you tonight was spaghetti! I love making spaghetti. I love being able to flavor something by taste instead of a recipe. It makes me feel like I am a legit cook. I like to think my spaghetti is delicious. And what do you know, the family literally wiped the pan clean of the sauce. We only had noodles left over, and everyone laughed at me when I put them in a zip-loc baggy. Hey, it is normal for my family back in AZ...

Speaking of AZ, I miss it! Well, basically home in general (which includes Utah). I miss being able to take long showers. Here I have to use the water to get my hair wet, turn it off, rinse the shampoo, turn it off, rinse conditioner, turn it off, and so on. The water finally gets warm by the time I'm done. And the kids don't ever flush the toilets here. Ha so that is a little annoying.

I'm homesick. I miss my friends and family. I miss some modern conveniences USA style. And I miss talking to people I know! So feel free to email, FaceTime, or Skype me! My email and FaceTime is annalisekatherine@gmail.com and my Skype name is annalise.katherine.dyer I like talking so call away!

Which One is the Grossest... Speedos or Canned Peas and Carrots?

Nothing super special happened today. Things went the same as yesterday for the most part. The kids' lessons started later today because of the tides or something. And for some reason, I thought the lesson was 30 minutes later than yesterday's when it was actually an hour later. So when we got to beach, we were extra early. Since yesterday was so cold at the beach, I decided to bring sweatpants to put over my shorts while we waiting for the kids' sailing lessons to finish. Oh boy was I happy I brought them. We had the same weather as yesterday, minus the random sprinkling showers. Brooke and I decided we are going to start bringing French books to read at the beach. That way the two and a half hours won't be a total waste of time. Although, I don't think nap time is ever a waste of time... While sitting around on the beach today, a hairy French man was walking around taking pictures in a jacket. And it really looked like he was only wearing a jacket... Every time he walked by I wanted to take a picture, but I didn't want to be rude! Eventually he raised his arms to take a picture of something (there are lots of somethings to take snapshots of in France), and there it was! His small black speedo. Ew. But at least we knew he was wearing something! It's still going to take a while to get used to this whole speedo fad here...

For those who don't know, one of my jobs here is to cook every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and sometimes other days. Tonight was super easy, canned peas and carrots, sausage hot dogs called Knacki's, and of course, bread. I have never cooked canned peas or carrots before so I was a little nervous. Silly how such an easy meal could cause me to worry! We didn't know if we were supposed to boil them or kind of do a stir fry with them. So we tried to read the label, but there were no directions, then we looked online and saw that people mostly just put them in casseroles. I decided to just plop them into a pan with butter and salt. I knew that would be way too plain, boring, and gross for any of us to eat. Suddenly I remembered something my dad did! Whenever we had carrots for Sunday dinner, he added lots of butter and brown sugar. Oh man, those carrots are tasty! So I found the sugar and put a generous amount in the pan. When I tasted the peas and carrots, they were much better, but still too plain for me. It needed some seasoning. So I went searching through the cupboards, hoping I would find either rosemary or thyme. Luckily, I found both, and after mixing them in, the peas and carrots actually tasted good! I was so proud to see everyone go back for seconds and thirds until all the peas and carrots were gone!

Mon Jour À La Plage

Title translation, my day at the beach. Today was the kids' first sailing lesson. We woke up, had our breakfast, packed the lunches, and headed out for the beach! Sadly, it wasn't how I pictured our task. I pictured the sun shining bright, warm sand, and a nice salty breeze coming from the sea. Instead we had overcast, sometimes sprinkling, cold, damp sand, and a freezing breeze that seemed to come from all directions. Brooke and I sat on the beach out in the open for a while... But then decided to move to an area that blocked more wind.

A little before the lesson ended, Brooke and I went to the boulangerie (bakery) to buy a baguette for our lunch. We decided to go together, but only one of us would go in to buy it. I decided I was ready to make my first purchase in France. After waiting in line for a moment, I told the lady behind the counter, "Je voudrais acheter une baguette traditionelle s'il vous plait." Meaning, I would like to buy a traditional baguette please. Oh man, I know I sounded totally silly, but we got our baguette! And even better, she understood me! I was very happy that I remembered something from taking French at school. We walked back to the beach feeling very proud.

The kids have never-ending energy. In the morning they sailed. Then they played on the beach. After lunch, we played tag (I'm still finding sand in my hair, ears, etc). They took four 15 minute walks. They jumped on the tramp outside. They played ping pong in the basement, games upstairs, and at dinner, they were still bouncing off the walls! We got them in bed at 8, but then the thunder and lightning came in... We ran outside to get their wetsuits so they could dry inside, instead of getting soaked in the rain. After singing and then putting all the kids in the same room, we finally got them settled. So much for getting to bed early... I sure hope they crash tomorrow night.

While walking around town today, I took a few snapshots! Some are just flowers that I liked, or roads/buildings I thought were pretty. If you want to see more photos, click on this link ---> Facebook and it will go to my photo album, A Year in France.

P.S. The last photo is a picture of my house!

Drawing, Sickness, Tickling, and Quizzes

Yesterday my shower was cut short because the basement was flooding. So I got to shave my knees and my right thigh, but that was as far as I got. They asked if I wanted to go to the beach with them, but since I didn't get to finish shaving, I decided it would be better if I finished packing instead. After they got back, Marion and I drew pictures together in her room. It took awhile to get her to understand what I was asking her, but when we finally got to drawing, it was fun! I drew Marion a dog. She loved it so much, she gave me a big hug! Then I drew Sarah a tiger which she liked too, but she was too busy with her Nintendo DS game to give me a hug, I guess. Dessert last night was by far my favorite yet! We had bowls filled with some type of apricot sauce/syrup and in the middle of the delicious liquid in my bowl was a big scoop of the creamiest, most divine vanilla ice cream I have ever tasted!Later that night Marion wanted me to say goodnight to her. I gave her a hug and kisses, but she wouldn't let go! I didn't know how to say get off so I just kept repeating, "Bonne nuit," over and over again. (P.S. bonne nuit = goodnight).

Okay, I am sorry, but I only have two pictures so far from Saint-Malo. But I have a legitimate reason! This morning, I woke up feeling TERRIBLE! I felt annoyed because I was going to wake up early to go on a walk with the girls, but instead I just wanted to throw up. I sat in my bed for about an hour, and big surprise, I threw up. Thinking about it later, I realized that I had a dream last night about running so much I got sick. Well, I found it weird... I felt so bad that I was sick! Everyone came over and explored St-Malo while I sat in my room by myself. Karine decided that it was probably from the stress of going through such a big change and told me that the au pair before got sick within the first few days too. Around 1:30 pm, I felt much better! I finally cleaned up and went downstairs to spend time with the family. I was very sad I was sick that day. Lunch looked so good! But Karine and I thought it best if I just take things slow and start with rice. Luckily, I was still feeling good so I got to eat dessert with everyone. Brooke's host family made apricot pie and it was absolutely mouthwatering!

After lunch, we went to the beach where the kids will take their sailing lessons. At the beach, I finally got to take pictures, but only two... This picture is when it was low tide. At the lessons, the water will come up all the way to where the sand gets dark. I wish I took more pictures on our walk back to the house. We saw a lot within that small time of 15 minutes! But Karine was walking fast, and I didn't want to slow her down... So we will save the pictures for tomorrow :)

For dinner, it was just Sarah, Marion, Maelle-Marie, Aymeric, Brooke, and I. The kids are definitely more loud when the parents aren't around... And they kept tickling me all day! I hate being tickled! But the thing is, when I tell them to stop, I am always laughing from being tickled. It's hard to take someone serious when they are laughing, and it's hard to look serious when you are laughing. It's frustrating. During dinner, the kids quizzed Brooke and I on our French. I won. But then the kids started saying things like touch the fork, cup, white shirt, basically things that we were already touching. The kids wanted their own au pair to win. We will see who crosses the fluency line first...