My life in a List

Making : A bucket list (or adding to it anyway)

Cooking : Nothing, I can't cook to save my life
Drinking : Water with lemon syrup
Reading: A Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Wanting: A familiar hug
Looking: For some black combat boots, as mine are falling apart

Wasting: Time wandering around the city

Listening: Riptide by Vance Joy

Wishing: I had a friend here to share France with

Enjoying: Having my own apartment

Waiting: For my soldier to call me

Liking: The authentic Mexican restaurant I found, it's not Chipolte, but It'll do

Wondering: Why my downstairs neighbor is yelling so loud...There's not a match tonight, is there?
Loving: Living my dream
Marveling: At the fact I live in FRANCE
Needing: to do my laundry/clean my room/do dishes
Wearing: Connor's dog tags
Noticing: The differences between us Americans and the French

Bookmarking: 100 indoor activities to do with kids
Giggling: When I say something wrong in French
Feeling: Grown up, independent and yet still young

(Quick thanks to the Lovely Harmony who let me steal this from her blog. Click HERE to read her list.)

New Years 2013

I had a blast this New Years, not only did I spend it in France, but I spent it with a fellow American which was AWESOME :) It was so nice to have someone around who finally understood what I am going through and experiencing. Most of our conversations started with "Have you noticed how....?"

My Chere amie, Didi, was scheduled to arrive on Monday. I got home from Christmas at the grandparents Sunday night and was not feeling well at all. I think after two kinds of snails and some meat that was probably still breathing as I ate it, my stomach had enough. I started throwing up Sunday night. By 3AM I finally called Didi and advised her to change her ticket date if possible because I was SICK! Just my luck!! I finally got some sleep and wouldn't you know it, by the morning I felt fine! But, Didi had already changed her ticket so she arrived the next day. It was all just as well, gave me some time to recoup.

We had a blast. We spent the first day playing scavenger hunt with my ward and then we went home and got ready for the Masquerade ball. I tell you what, us Mormons know how to throw a party! Some of the music they played here would not have been allowed at a typical LDS dance, but I wasn't going to complain (I'm a sucker for a good bleeped out Thrift Shop song). Man did we get down!! Since the metro stops at 12:15 in the morning and don't start again until 5:00 am, everyone partied until 5AM!!! Including us. There were people there from all over! about 120 people total. It was so fun to meet new people and get to practice my French. Around 3am I started a conversation with two lovely gentleman and one taught me how to correctly cooked potatoes (all in French too!!). We talked about all sorts of stuff, comparing the US to the Congo and France.

The next day I tried to sleep in but no go :P we were up and out by 1pm and touring around Lyon with some other people from down south who haven't been to Lyon before. It was fun to go to all the tourist monuments again and this time I had company.

The day after that Didi and I went on a shopping spree at the mall. I indulged myself with a new sweater, cardigan, tights, black pants, earrings and tights. All necessary, of course ;)  We had a good time and even got hit on some Abainians who I swear their only ambition in life is to hit on people at the mall.

Then we went out on a hunt to find a french thrift shop which was pretty much a bust, we only found one and I made it out with a new sweater too so I guess it worked out.

We also stayed up late one night watching old Mary-Kate and Ashley movies on YouTube. "Getting There" and "Passport to Paris" (Of course). SO CHEESEY!!! I can't believe I once idolized these girls lol their acting was actually pretty terrible. But I was young, so I'll let it go.

We also went out with Mariette and Gilles one night to a Lyonnais resto, I got to try some strictly Lyonnais cuisine...Cow Stomach and blended pork intestines...Yum. It was so nasty I couldn't swallow. Everyone got a kick out of my face. Lets just say, it tasted how a zoo would smell. Imagine my pain.

Didi and I also went to a Cinema Museum that had actual props from old movies. Pretty much all of them were American made films but way to Scy-Fy for me to recognize. I knew a few, however, like props from X-files and even Daniel Radcliffe's Wand from Harry Potter!!! Surprisingly there was only one prop from Star Wars. With all the aliens there, I expected there to be more.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

It was a fun New Years, busy though, I haven't had time yet to make my New Years Resolutions. I will for sure though when I get around to it.

Abby

French vs. American Christmas

At my high school teacher's request, I have thought about it and put together a little compare and contrast of what I think some of the biggest similarities and differences are between an American Christmas and a French Christmas in the way of traditions.

I made this list based on the traditions my American family normally observes, and the traditions I took part in with my French family, although I tried to throw in some that "tout le monde" (aka, everyone else besides these families) probably observe as well. Obviously the traditions I am used to are not going to be the traditions that everyone else does, and same on the French side. The ones I took part or didn't take part in this year doesn't mean that it's the same for every family in France. Just throwing that out there.

So, I came up with a list. We will start with the differences first.

America = Green
France = Red

1. Stockings are hung over the chimney with care.

No stockings were hung at all. Granted, the family doesn't have a chimney, but I didn't see any stocking of   any sort. Instead I was told that one would put slippers under the tree and Pere Noel puts little toys inside of there.

2. Traditional Christmas food item: For Americans it's Egg nog, n'est pas? 
This is strictly Lyonnais (like Utahn or Idahoan) but everyone here, and I mean EVERYONE eats Papillots. They are wrapped chocolates of n'importe quoi (assorted chocolates). Nothing particularly special about them (except that they are yummy and addicitng) but since they were created here, everyone eats them. At parties, in homes, at school. Just my family went through six packages. If you think about it, that's a package and a a fifth per person. I count this as a difference because these chocolates don't exist anywhere else, therefore it's not a tradition in the States. 

3. The biggest meal is Christmas Day, and it's HUGE. Typically, turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, greenbean casserole, what have you. Dessert is usually some kind of pie.You eat until you have to loosen your belt, and then you eat some more. The host spends all day in the kitchen making sure everything is perfect and there are a lot of helping hand if they are lucky.
Here, the biggest meal is Christmas Eve. And by biggest, they mean longest. It wasn't big at all. It was very small, but it dragged on and on and on. We started with an aperitif (appetizer of sorts): Wine (or fruit juice for the non-drinkers), peanuts (always there's peanuts), Foie Gras; pretty much geese  puree...HUGE tradition here in France, I was offered it more than once. I tried to eat it as many times as I could but eventually I just had to start say no. And then there were snails. I ate two kinds of snails. Sea snails: They are raw, rubbery and have the taste of all the nasty smells of the ocean. And the I had Escargot. They were cooked in a lot of basil and garlic thank goodness, and I managed to eat three (the kids had 11 each!!) and they were ok, as long as I didn't think about what it actually was in my mouth, I was ok. But, I think I will skip out on the next  round. THEN, we went to the dining room and ate.....a slice of steak and green beans. THEN, we had a  salad THEN, followed by the famous French cheese. THEN, we had dessert which is another tradition, a buche or basically a cake that looks like a Swiss Roll. They come in all kind of flavors, but luckily for me, mine was chocolate. THEN, as if cake wasn't enough we had a cafe afterwards. The whole thing lasted just about four hours. ZZZZZ

4. Santa is a big thing. Christmas Eve the children are buzzing with excitement waiting for Santa to come. Me and my family we check NORAD often to see where he is in the world. Pretty much without a fuss, the children go to bed early, or if they have cool parents, set up  a fort downstairs on the couch with full view of the chimney in hopes that they might catch a glimpse of Old Saint Nick. 
Pere Noel exists. You talk about him, you hear about in in songs, there's a whole history, but when it  comes to the night before it was almost as if he was all but forgotten. He isn't the one that brings huge or expensive toys or fills your stocking with a bunch of candy. I didn't feel the excitement, the pure infantile joy of the magic of Santa. While that is good in some ways, as not to distract from the true meaning of  Christmas, it was kinda sad. 

5. Presents are opened Christmas morning. The children sit on top of the stairs and wait until their sleepy parents get up and grab their cameras. Then they rush downstairs to see what present Santa has brought. Then one by one presents are passed out from under the tree and opened. Generally, we tend to receive a TON of presents. 
Christmas presents are opened Christmas Eve after dinner. They are not under any tree, they are placed on a table (the grandparents didn't even have a tree where I was at). Everyone sits down and one person passes out all the presents to each person. Each person got about two or three presents. Almost as if there was a silent "GO" everyone opens their presents at once. I was too busy opening mine, I didn't get a chance to see what everyone else got. 

6. In my family it is tradition for the first born son to read "T'was the Night Before Christmas." at 19, I probably have it memorized. 
This wasn't read here. Maybe because it doesn't exist here or it's just a tradition not observed in my family or what but there it is. 

7. Decorating the tree is a family matter. Every one is there, everyone participates. Each ornament has a special meaning as it has been collected over the years. Each kid receives a new ornament each year that describes their current interest or like. I know this isn't the same in every family: I've seen picture perfect trees in windows with matching ornaments and lights, and I've seen trees like mine with an Elmo ornament from when I was three, Champagne glasses with the year my parents were married written on it, and my dad's model train ornaments. But, I grew up with that being a huge tradition.
The mom decorated their three foot tree by herself. The ornaments were cute and probably homemade but didn't look very personal. I was actually pretty dissapointed that I missed out on that tradition because it's probably the one I look forward to the most. There isn't anything like pulling out my gingerbread choo-choo train and picking a place where I can always see it. 

8. Christmas Eve is reserved for Jesus. As a religious family, we spend Christmas Eve reading the birth of Christ out of the bible and just being a family. It's reverent and full of the spirit. 
Jesus wasn't mentioned once. And I know it's because my French family isn't religious at all so that would make sense, but I missed it. 

9. Christmas PJ's. Every Christmas Eve we get to open our Christmas PJ's (As I type this, I am wearing my Nightmare Before Christmas PJ's from last year). My family likes to play Boolah Boolah with them and hide the PJ's somewhere in the living room and chant quietly and then loudly until the person finds them. 
No PJ's. 

Ok, I think that is long enough. I could go on but I'm afraid you guys will stop reading. This has already begun to be a long post. Sorry about that.

Alors, similarities:

• Christmas is about family. I spent it in a small village with the ones who are closest to the family. It was quiet and small and calm and not commercialized at all. Very down to Earth I think
• There was plenty of "Joyeusx Noel" and "Joyeuse Fetes" to go around
• All the children has a Christmas recital of some sort. I went to a choir recital of Lucile's in which they sang Christmas songs and it was adorable
• The malls are crowed as heck during the holiday season
• Starbucks has their holiday drinks
• Santa/Pere Noel
• Work parties
• Christmas decorations. I saw a lot of lights on apartments and houses
• Travelling to family members houses or more commonly to the grandparents house
• Nativity scenes 
• Catholic Mass

That's all I can think of...Again this is just what I have observed. Mais en effet, these are just thing's that I have observed. It's not going to be the same if you were to talk to the other person to write a blog about this.

Kind of cool to read about though, non? 

Et toi? What are some of your traditions? 

Christmas in France

I think my Christmas vacation would be better described in pictures. On y va!

All ready for Christmas Eve dinner

Yes, these are sea snails

The Aperitif

 

Christmas Eve Dinner

Our Little Excursion

 

 

 

Snails. Yes, I ate three. Blech

Him on the other hand had 11

My Face before I ate the snails

 

He's Pere Noel

That and I don't particularly feel like writing my whole week out...Hope every one had a very merry holiday!!

Joyeux Noel!

Merry Christmas Everyone! Enjoy a French Carol on me!
Abby

Who Turned Out the Lights?

Yesterday, The sisters convinced me to go caroling with them. Normally I don't do this, but I said yes. They lured me in with the words "Chocolat Chaud" (Hot chocolate). When it came time to meet up, they told me to go to Hotel de Ville, which is the smack center of Lyon, home to their largest street and the biggest commercial area...Great. One of the sisters said something that sort of helped soothe my burning desire to run and hide my face, she said: "If they see you, they see us." At least I'm not alone.

Overall, there were about 12 or 13 Missionaries there and awesomely enough just about all of them were from the US. We had a Texas, California, Arkansas, Nevada and one other. When I introduced myself to Sister California, she exclaimed, "That's my name!" Her name was Abby too!! I am totally going to Facebook stalk her, is that bad? There was one sister there from England who was 19 and had only been out in the field for 1 week!! I think she felt connected to me because of our age and asked a lot of questions about how it was for me to learn French, since she her French is still very basic. It was very fun to get to talk to her.

So, we sang. All in French, and from the Hymn Book. While I was singing, I came upon a very interesting question. Are the Hymns in the Hymn Book known to non-members too? Like, for the rest of the world, is "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger" normal Christmas songs too? I realize this may sound like a very stupid question, but growing up in an LDS home and having LDS relatives I wouldn't know the difference. I have only ever heard these songs inside my home and at church and just assumed that the rest of the world did too. The same way I assumed that Funeral Potatoes were as common as green beans in the homes of the rest of the world too...Can anyone answer this?

The reason I thought this was because as we were sings, loads of people stopped to listen, and I didn't see any of them join along. No mumbling under their breath or even full out joining in. Maybe no one wanted to, or could it be that no one recognized the song? It was a little intimidating at first to be watched by all these passerbys on their way to do shopping but I got over it. All the sweet Missionaires seemed to be having fun. I saw a lot of them talking to those who did stop, and even one Missionary pulled out her appointment book. This was a great way to make some contacts. Bravo guys.

So yes, it was fun. The hot chocolate tasted watery but in the end, it didn't matter. I got to talk to a lot of different missionaires from all over the world (All in English thank goodness, my French wasn't working that day).

  

 

Went I went home that night, I opened my computer and connected my phone so I could import these pictures and start to blog about my evening. But then something happened that made my night just take a bad turn :/

My BFF necklace that Malorey and I have together slid off my table and landed right on my converter (that makes it so I can plug my American electronics into European outlets) plugged into a serge protector on the ground. The necklace is a metal of some sort so I'm sure it was much like sticking a fork in an electrical socket. There was a HUGE spark and then everything went dark. Oh dear...

I turned on the flash light on my phone and immediately unplugged everything because I was afraid I was going to start a fire after the size of that spark. My poor necklace was fried. In that millisecond it had broken and then re-welded itself. Now I have a charred necklace and a mini necklace that fits onto my finger. It's amazing how quickly that happened.

And my poor converter...It looks like a war zone on it really. I was screwed, how can I charge my phone and computer now if I didn't have an electrical converter? But, I had more pressing issues to worry about, like how do I turn the lights back on???

It was far too late to wake up my family, I don't even know how I would have explained what happened in French so I set out to fix this problem on my own. I knew where the breaker box was but that was about all I knew about it. I've seen movies where they flip switches so that's what I did. Nothing worked and I was starting to get scared. Yes, I could have just gone to bed and then asked Gilles in the morning but I couldn't do that, I had to fix this now. After 20 minutes of no luck, I was frustrated and I started to cry. I hadn't had the best day to begin with and this was just icing on the cake. Then, I had an idea..I should do what I normally do in a situation like that: Call my dad. He's always been there to fix things for me, why can't he do that now?

So I called my daddy. In tears and barely able to form words, I explained what had happened. I sent him a picture and he coached me through it. After just 5 minutes and from thousands of miles away, my dad was able to help me turn the lights back on!

So, thank you dad. I am so glad to know that I can call you whenever I am in trouble and you will always be there for me. Even if you are not even on the same continent as me, it really means a lot. I don't know what I would have done!

Here's some pictures of the aftermath...

 

Ps. The converter still works thank goodness, and I'm really sorry Malorey! It was an accident and now I'm super sad because it was the only necklace that I've worn since I've been here. It also make the third necklace I've accidentally broken in two months :/

It's kind of funny now lol but in the time, I was a wreck. At least now we can all look back and laugh...hah hah hah...


Abby

My Bucket List

It seem's weird to put this into actual print, because this list is still growing, it's not finished. But, I have a bucket list, and I would like to share it. Maybe it will inspire someone else to add something to theirs, or even start their own.

I take this list very seriously. It's short because a lot of contemplation goes into it before I add a new idea. I do this because this is a list that I actually want to complete. That before I die, I can actually cross everything off. So no, you won't see "Go Skydiving" on here because in reality I know myself well enough that even if someone manages to get me on a plane, once I'm up there, my anxiety will be so high it'll probably be medically prohibited to let me jump anyway. And you won't see anything like "Defy Gravity" either because quite frankly, to me, isn't possible.

So these things on my list are very practical, and very achievable in my lifetime. Some may require some travelling, or a little bit of money, or the right timing, but I can do all of them, and I will.

1. Live in France for an extended amount of time. -This has always been number one to me and look folks, I'm doing it! I can't cross it off yet because I'm not finished, so we'll call this one in progress.

2. Be fluent in French. -This one is in progress too. I don't know about fluent, but I'm definitely getting there.

3. Go on vacation with a friend. -This one comes with criteria. I've been on mini weekend visits to friends houses which in my head doesn't count. I mean me and a friend catch a plane or a bus somewhere far away and spend at least 5 days living it up. So far that hasn't happened, but if anyone would like to, hit me up!

4. Travel Europe again. -One could classify this as "in progress" as well but since I've been here, I haven't been doing so well on the travelling part so I can't decide. For this, my criteria includes: Italie, Austria, England, Switzerland and Spain. So I can't cross it off yet.

5. Get ice cream on the top of the Eiffel Tower. -I've mentioned this a few times before, and have gotten close not once, but twice! (The first time, I was in line for ice cream when our tour guide decided it was time to leave). This one came about when I was in France before. I was 16 and with a group of Student Ambassadors. Everybody was talking about what it would be like to be kissed on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Suddenly I got afraid that someone might try!! So instead I came up with "Me, all I want is ice cream!" to make it really clear to anyone who was even considering it, that I wasn't interested! Not that anyone was probably lol...

6. Go snorkeling. -I've been to the ocean twice in my lifetime: California. I have yet to actually see the ocean where the water is bluer than my eyes. But, when I do, I'd like to see it first hand, in the reef.

7. Get kissed in the rain. -If my memory serves me right, this has already happened, but I don't want to cross this off quite yet because who doesn't want to get kissed in the rain?? I think this one will be forever on my list.

8. Have crutches. -I'll admit, this one is kind of morbid. But crutches doesn't mean that I've done anything serious to myself, and trust me, I'm not going to do anything on purpose to ensure that this one gets fulfilled, but come on, they look so fun! Yes, no one ever has anything good to say about them but I don't know that for myself so I HAVE to have them at least once so then I can be one of those people who can complain about how much of a pain they were.

9. See a Broadway play. -I've been to New York before, and even Times Square, but I didn't get to see a Broadway play and I would like to...that's really all there is to say about that one..

10. Dance in the Georgia rain. -Growing up listening to country music, I always heard about "the rain in Georgia" like "Night's in Georgia" by Conway Twitty and Trisha Yearwood's "Georgia Rain" so I've always wondered what all the hype was about. But, the one song that really wanted me to dance in the Georgia Rain is a song that Reba McIntire sang but for the life of me, I can't remember what song it was. All I remember is watching a music video where she was singing while the Georgia Rain was falling. It may not have even be Reba lol, I don't know. Buy anyway I remember reading somewhere that Georgia Rain is warm? Is that true? I'll have to look it up again. But I really want to experience warm rain lol...and this one takes perfect timing because I don't know exactly when it rains in Georgia, but I figure that when I get there and it doesn't rain, I'll just take a shower there and call it good.

11. Sleep in the bed of a truck. - Pinterest gave me the good idea to fill the bed of a truck with a mattress and lots of pillows and sleep under the stars. I think that would be a fun date for me and my hubby to do someday. Maybe make it so we have a projector on the side of a wall and have our own little drive in movie theater.. Which brings me to number 12...

12. Go to a Drive-in Movie. -Sadly this might prove to be difficult if I don't do it soon because Drive-in's are quickly disappearing. Which is exactly why I want to go, so that when they disappear all together, I can at least say that I've been once. Criteria though: I want to be with my sweetheart. There's just some romanticism to it that wouldn't make it as fun if I just went with my friends or alone.

13. Go on a cruise. -As much as I hate water, I really wanna experience a cruise. I would love to go on a Disney Cruise that is just for adults so there's not a thousand kids running around everywhere and it's a little bit more classy. I also wouldn't mind spending my Honeymoon on a ship, I think it would be fun.

14. Be a black belt in Karate. -This one is also in progress! I'm about two or three belts away actually. I have my brown belt but I stopped going when I went to college, and well, now I'm in France. But I've witnessed a woman in her late 50's early 60's achieve her black belt so she gives me hope that one day I can start again and get my black belt too.

15. Go to they Olympics. -I don't mean compete in the Olympics, I just want to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics. That mean's I would have to travel to where ever they are, which could be an adventure in and of itself. Oh, and I would prefer to go to the Summer Olympics.

16. Fly first class. -I would like to fly first class one day. I'll probably kill two birds with one stone, and as I'm flying somewhere to accomplish one of these goals, fly first class there as well. But it has to be a long flight so that I can lay back on their bed like this and watch a movie as I sip expensive something or other, and then roll over and take a nap. Yeah, that sounds nice.

17. Visit a castle. -If we are going to be technical, I've been to Versailles. But I don't count that because this wasn't on my bucket list then, and it didn't look very castle-y. I want one that looks like Cinderella's castle. I found one called Vaux-Le-Vicomte which is about an hour east of Paris and I'm going to try and convince my parents to take me there when they visit next summer. Or, there are plenty of old, old castles in the Loire valley that are just as good too.

18. Run a 5K. -For the past few years, my dad has taken part in organizing several 5K and 10K races, but being family, I've always been sucked into helping out instead of running. I am nowhere fit enough now, but I think it would be awesome if I could get into shape enough to run a 5K. It's not so hard right?

19. Meet a Prophet. - I don't know how I am going to accomplish this one, this might be like the Georgia Rain one and I'll have to rely on good luck. Living in Utah I don't think it would be impossible lol, and I've heard of stories of people sitting next to General Authorities on a plane ride or something, so I think it can be done. I just wanna shake their hand at least, a conversation would be nice, but I'll take what I can get.

20. Visit Pearl Harbor. -I added this one recently after my best friend, Harmony, went there in Hawaii. Being the Girlfriend of a US Soldier, I have become very interested in military history and well, anything Army. Pearl Harbor was a huge military and nationwide event and I would really like to visit and pay my respects to those who lost their lives for their country. Another one that isn't on my list but I'm now considering it is to visit Arlington Cemetery as well. For the same reason. I'd like to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

21. Go to a NASCAR race. -An old Sunday tradition for my family was to eat quesadillas and watch NASCAR...Oh heavens, if that doesn't sound redneck, I don't know what does...But nonetheless, we had our family favorite driver and car and everything. I've seen so many races on the TV, I'd like to experience the Indy 500 in person one day. Maybe I'll just take a visit to the south and knock out the Georgia rain, NASCAR and Arlington all in one.

22. Attend a Masquerade dance/ball. -Just once I want to buy an expensive ball gown and a pretty mask and go to a ball like Cinderella. I want to be whisked off my feet by a "prince" and dance the night away. Yeah it probably won't happen like that, but as long as I feel like a princess and get to dance, I can dream can't I?

23. Put a lock on a bridge and throw the key into the river. -I see this all the time, if you look on my earlier post, there is a bridge in Paris that has so many locks on it I have no idea how it just doesn't collapse. I'm not picky about where the bridge is, it doesn't have to be in Europe, but I want to take my husband there and seal our love with a lock and eternalize it by throwing away the key. I am a sucker for romantics.

24. Drive a car in England. -Because they drive on the opposite side of the road, I want to see how that feels. Preferably not in the heart of Britain though because I'm too afraid I'll forget like they do in the movies and have to swerve back into my lane suddenly to avoid an oncoming car!

So there is my list. There was 25 but this summer I crossed the very first one off my list: Dye my hair. I've dyed it blue, brown and then bleached it blonde on my own, which was not the best idea I've ever had, but it was on my list so I did it. Unfortunately now I'll probably have to keep dying my hair for the rest of my life, but since I'm in France my roots are pretty much grown out several inches so maybe I'll just deal with funny looking hair for a year longer. I am missing my blue though, I wish I had blue tips again.

Anyway, that is my list. What do you think? Those are practical right? Maybe a little expensive at times but I have my whole life to do these things. And a few of them I will be able to cross off by the end of this year!! Yay!

Abby