Toussaint

Things have been settling in here, with the bank, at school, setting up private lessons, validating my visa, etc. I am by no means finished in terms of the slue of paperwork that, depite having already lived here a year, inevitably await, but I am very comfortable in my room at Gisèle's (see photos of new editions i.e. bathroom) and at work.

Since I didn't know I was coming back, I closed my bank account last year. I am still working with the very nice woman who opened my account last year, however, in typical fashion, immediately after opening my account, she left for two weeks vacation. Once you open an account you don't have access to the money until you receive your ATM/debit card, which takes about a week.

My little "foyer"

Having only the cash that I came over with (that I ran out of days ago), I was naturally counting the days until that card came. She had said the card would arrive either Thursday or Friday so on Thursday between classes I stopped into the bank and spoke with the secretary. I explained what I was there for, and she begrudgingly obliged to check to see if it had in fact arrived, though seemed skeptical that it would be there so "soon." I waited patiently and she came back with raised eyebrows, as if she were personally offended at my efficiency and lack of waiting. When I explained that I did not yet receive the pin number in the mail she quickly corrected me saying that was "normal" as she herself had only received the card this morning. Best not to get uppity and try to speed things along, the longer you wait the more respect your earn in these parts.

View from inside the bathroom, looking out

Anyway! In other more exciting news, Gisèle left today for Stamford, CT where she will be spending Toussaint vacation with my family! We bought the tickets together last February, and it was strange and exciting to see her pull out of the driveway, knowing she would be sleeping in my house and eating with my parents later that night. I'm very happy for her and she is incredibly excited for her trip (as are my parents).

The reason I came to France

Last night we had an exceptional dinner for the birthday of her companion's daughter, Eugenie. We started with cold shrimp, followed by fabulous oysters served simply with a lemon. Next we had torteaux (a kind of large crab?) which I picked up at the market earlier that day. Gisèle had warned me they would be alive, but I, nor the cashier, nor the people next to me on the metro, were quite prepared for just how alive they were. They almost completely destroyed the plastic bags they were in! We ate the warm meat with a homemade mayonnaise that I prepared - my very first! Next, we had mussels in a simple white wine, shallot, cream sauce. Finished with a  cheese platter and praline mousses that Eugenie, a fabulous cook, made.

My first "mayonnaise maison"

Tomorrow I'm off to Cassagnabère for a week on the farm. On the agenda: continuing the normal harvest of carrots, squash, potatoes, etc, and also making the jus de pomme, or apple juice, that they bottle and sell at the Saturday market. I'm very excited.

Our torteaux, pre-cuissance. 

Tomorrow France faces New Zealand in the rugby World Cup final. All my students warned me that I MUST watch the match that starts at 10am, so Allez la France!

A bientôt!

Neat concert I happened upon last night in my neighborhood, St Cyprien

Linz