My umbrella has become a permanent fixture inside my purse, to the point where if I left my wallet home, instead of my umbrella, it would be no big deal.
Nantes is still beautiful in the rain. The drops falling on the River Erdre and the Cathedral give the city a serene and peaceful ambiance. Contrarily, the way it rains in Nantes is quite chaotic. The drops never fall in a vertical manner,neatly onto the shelter of my little green umbrella, but rather in a disarrayed chaos of horizontal showers, diagonal curtains, and even upside down sprays. As a result, I have become quite the expert in yielding my umbrella like a Samurai's sword: in swift strokes, slightly changing the angle at every turning corner, anything to avoid the demented raindrops that are out to get me no matter what. This uneven falling of water often results in bizarre patches of wet: a left shoulder and a right shin completely soaked, while the rest of me is completely dry. Quite an adventure, this rain.
You might be wondering why I picked the rain as my opening topic, and moreover, why I spent 2 paragraphs speaking about it. Well, that's because, I won't have to put up with it anymore...
That's right Ladies and Gents, I'm leaving Nantes. I'm moving to NICE!!! (Please, I'm begging from now on, don't make any lame "oh Nice is so nice" jokes) I had been toying around with the idea for a few weeks now, since I was contacted by a family who lives in Nice, offering me an AuPair job (no, not out of thin air- I know I'm awesome and everyone wants to work with me. I subscribed to an AuPair agency search thing on the internet that I got from the University). They seemed like a lovely family, young parents, a 2 year old girl, and a 5 month old baby. I struggled with my decision for a while, since my very responsible, organized, side was telling me to stay where I had planned to stay since the beginning. But really, that side of me usually gets its way too often, and I don't give enough credit to my more adventurous, carefree side. So, deciding to root for the underdog, I made the administrative rounds at the university, met with the family, and voila. I'm leaving October 25th!
Let me explain a little bit better what an AuPair usually does. She lives with the family in their household, and takes care of the kids for a maximum of 30 hours a week, as regulated by the French government. In exchange for her services, she is given Room and Board, she is given time to take French courses, and she is given a weekly stipend of a minimum 65 Euros. There are horror stories out there about au pairs turning into the house servants, working overtime, and having to share a room with the kids... Naturally, I would never consider a position like that. This family is the JACKPOT of AuPairing. This is my official job description:
1) I do NOT live with the family. Instead, I get my very own 2 bedroom apartment in downtown Nice. Walking distance from the University. Walking distance from the beach. Walking distance from the bus and tram. Walking distance from the Outdoor Market.
2) I have access to their 2nd vehicle, to drive the kids when needed, as well as one night a week when I do late night babysitting, so I can drive home and not have to take transportation at night.
3) I get way more than the average weekly stipend, with 100 Euros/week
4) In addition to the meals I have with the kids at home, I get 150 Euros to buy food for my other meals.
5) Did I mention I get my own apartment?
6) They pay for half my courses from now until December, and my full courses from January-May.
7) I get 3 days off a week.
8) I will be living 25 minutes away from Monaco, 45 minutes away from Cannes, 2hr ferry ride away from Corsica, and next door to Italy.
9) I may have mentioned it before... but I get my own apartment!
SO really, I would've been a fool not to take it. The French Riviera is one of the most expensive places to live in in the world, and I will be enjoying all its glitz, glam, and gorgeousness (not a word, I know) for practically free.
It's funny, even though I'm approaching 7 weeks of being in France, I feel like my real adventure isn't starting until now. I'm glad things worked out this way though, because here in Nantes, I've been able to really think and know what it is that I want to get from this year abroad. When I was sitting at the airport in Vancouver, I was kind of numbed, not really expecting a whole lot other than to learn French. But these 7 weeks have opened my eyes to the possibilites for growth, adventure, and change from the mundane that this trip is affording me. In a way, I'm glad that this time in Nantes has been calmer and more relaxed, as it's allowed me to ease into a more open mindframe, and be ready to make this year another notch in my belt of successes.
It goes without saying, that now that I'll have an apartment, you're all more than welcome to come and visit. There's plenty of room for all of us :)
As for the latest tales, there's not too much to tell. The French continues to improve day by day, and I've surprised myself a couple times having deep and meaningful conversations, and not really having to think too much about what I'm saying. I think in another 7 weeks, the talking and thinking in French will be automatic! Very exciting! I was given quite a compliment the other day. A French friend (her name is Justine) told me that I had the "Penelope Cruz accent of French". I was SO flattered, because I've always been jealous of Penelope Cruz's spanish accent when she speaks English. I think it's the most adorable thing ever... and now apparently I have it when I speak French. Oh-la-la.
There have been a couple nights of debauchery, both with my new French friends. I met a dude at the library about 3 weeks ago, his name is Geric, and we agreed to help each other, I'd help him with his Spanish, adn he would help me with my French. He's introduced me to his little group of friends, and we've all had a blast. I've always been a beleiver that the best way to get to know a culture is to drink with the people from it... so far I'm right! But, the Frenchies definitely drink me under the table, they have such a tolerance for alcohol, I don't think I could ever develop anything similar without acquiring liver cihrrosis in the process. So I'm not going to try :) (Don't worry mom and dad, I'm not becoming an alcoholic).
I hope I can find a cool little group like this one when I move to Nice too. The "I'm foreign and I want to learn French" face and eyes seem to break the ice everytime! hehehe
As a last note, I've acquired Skype, so any of you who have it, let me know and we can talk. I will keep you all updated on the rest of my trip preparations!
Missing all of you :)
Biz,
Maria
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