epic...like the bottle i'm posed with

I'm surprised an entire month has gone by since I last blogged about any of my mischief in France and thereabouts. I've been busy (which explains lack of blogging I suppose) and this month seems to have lasted an eternity. Perhaps because the days are longer (the sun sets at almost 9:30pm now) or the languid days of summer and their accompanying habits seem to establish themselves in a more eventual way in French society. This is also the first Spring since 1986 when I haven't been able to define the passing of the season with a final report card or occassional diploma. Instead, I find myself dragging my feet about writing my final exams for my students in a way similar to how I always approached end-of-the-year school projects. But I don't have to take the tests this time. Ha!

This blog will explain what's been going on with me in Paris in a rather anachornistic way since all the events of the past month are now a gentle blur in my mind. Let's start with the picture on your left. This is me with a Balthazar bottle of G.H. Mumm's Cordon Rouge Champagne. They really do make this size for purchase which is the equivalent of 12L or 16 bottles of wine. And no, I didn't drink it after taking the photo. A and I did do some champagne tasting after the tour of the champagne caves, but only two glasses each. We also visited Le Chateau Pommery and the incredibly large, Gothic cathedral in Reims. I bought a bottle from Pommery and it's safe and sound in my bedroom, waiting to be opened for my going away party in late June.

As spring break began with champagne tasting, it was only fitting that I go to Amsterdam, finishing it out with a visit to one of the many "coffeeshops" and participating in all the vices Europe has to offer. Luckily, I was able to stay for free with two good friends L and E. Though I didn't make it out to the colorful tulip fields to inhale their sweet perfume, I did make the rounds to the Rijksmuseum (saw original Rembrandts and Vermeers), the Van Gogh Museum which happened to have a special exhibit featuring both Starry Nights, and Anne Frank's House:

Amsterdam was a short and much needed break from the madness that is Paris and my budding professional life. Since moving to Paris, I've adopted the classic Parisienne look of tall boots, skinny jeans, a black jacket, and a colored scarf -- at first, an attempt to hide my Americanness and blend in; now, my preferred outift. This was the gear I wore on the train up to Amsterdam and as soon as I stepped off the platform into Centraal Station, I felt overdressed for the occassion. Much to my astonishment, no one was there with judging eyes leering over their Gucci eyewear. I'm pretty sure I saw more than one person wearing socks with sandals, a style phenomenon which just doesn't exist in the fashion capital of the world. Besides for the discrepancies in outward appearances, it also turned out people were much more calm and I was delighted to see bikes in use as a prominent mode of transportation. I've never seen such an array of gadgets and accessoires in bike stores designed to maximize transport capacity, whether you are toting groceries for a party to make Dutch 'pancakes' or your three small children and the family dog. These things need to exist in America. They need to exist everywhere for that matter. Somehow, I managed to have never ridden with more than one person on my bike, even during the more rambuncious years of my childhood, until I went to Amsterdam. I 'rode' and was 'ridden', as the local students succinctly described it, and would have to say it was almost the highlight of my trip since I felt the same initial terror and gradual giddyness as an 8-year-old trying it for the first time. There was a lot of giggling while bike riding which may or may not have had to do with the "coffeeshops".

L and E as well as their two friends E and M came back to Paris with me the following weekend so I could repay the favor of hosting and the Servant Quarters were once again temporarily converted into a youth hostel. I was a little stressed to return to Paris where half a book awaited my translation skills and an unorganized semester at Marne required a strategy to wrap up the end of the school year in a semi-coherent way, at least enough to warrant a fair evaluation of my students. At this point, Marne professors were still holding weekly meetings to debate whether the entire semester ought to be cancelled due to the possible unfair evaluation of the students so I had a hard time even perceiving teaching a real responsibility (Just last week, they finally decided the semester would conclude with finals after all).

Nevertheless, we went to the Eiffel Tower, I got robbed of my crepe, celebrated E's birthday, took a fantastic stroll to my favorite Jardin de Luxuembourg, ate escargot (I think I make everyone try it who comes to visit me), stopped into the Louvre, caught a free jazz show at Duc de Lombards and had a picnic + crafternoon in a local park.  This particular week was also hectic because my new flatmate B was in the process of moving in. At this point, she's officially been here for just over two weeks and it's been fantastic. After J left, I really felt the apartment was too big and as B was having a bit of a housing crisis, living together was the best solution for both of us. Besides, living in Central Paris for the same price as a loft in downtown Lincoln is a bargain that you just cannot pass up. If we agree to extend the flatmate situation through next year (it's only temporary through September at the moment), this means I would be able to afford travelling to Iceland next Winter or Spring. :)

I have finished the first draft of the 160-page book translation and have to work on revisions for the next month, but I don't mind doing this type of editing as I can print the pages and make my red edits in a park. Probably at Luxuembourg. The last week I spent crouched over my computer, trying to complete the final third portion of the book translation, almost drove me insane. I seldom slept, got paranoid about possible radiation from my ancient computer, and felt as if someone had sucked the life right out of my bones. I really am not made for computer work (What human being is?), but I never seem to consider this factor when a generous paycheck may be involved. The current plan is to have an initial version ready at the end of June to send to publishers, but both Nicolas and I feel the writing is too dense and not accessible enough for a wide audience so he will work on a second version this summer and we'll meet up again in September to write a new contract, discuss changes to the book, and hopefully submit to and find a publisher before the new year.

Y otra noticia: Nicolas introduced me to a professor in ENPC's English Department about a month ago and this man, John, sent me an email recently suggesting I apply for the next academic school year. So I did. Went for an informal interview over coffee (or hot chocolate on my side of the table). The best thing is that it's only a few hours a week and the building is on the same campus as Marne, though the universities are officially unaffiliated as Marne is public and ENPC falls into the category of being a private grande ecole. Other best thing (if it's possible to have two best things though the English teacher in me says it's not) and only upside to disorganized French education systems is that you can start from scratch and run with an idea for a class if you really want. Example: at ENPC I will teach a class about multicultural perspectives and travel writing, at Marne I will teach a class about American culture through current sitcoms. I'm excited about preparing both courses, besides, I have a hard time fathoming the idea of not working this summer.

What I have an easy time fathoming about this summer is going roller skating, seeing Neko Case at Slowdown on my birthday, road tripping to Chicago, visiting Joel and Ericka in Portland, eating spicy Mexican food, reinstating crafternoons, and spending quality time with all my friends and family who I've missed dearly. I'll need to soak up as much of this last item as possible in order to make it through Year 2 before I am able to reclaim my roots in Nebraska, though I am already taking bets on how long I will stay before the restless need to travel the world takes hold again. Any bets? Reward to the winner is a souvenir of your choosing.

Last book read: "Last Night in Paradise: Sex and Morals at the Century's End" by Katie Roiphe.

Last movies watched: "Je l'aimais" and "Wolverine: X-Men Origins" (both were fantastic; I hope they make more X-Men movies, though the preview for the first doesn't to justice to the heartbreaking film)

Weirdest dinner this week: deviled eggs, assorted berries on oatmeal, samosa and white wine.

I just realized I didn't even cover half of the other exciting things going on, so I will have to write the second installment of this epic blog tomorrow as it's late in Franceland and I have to administer final exams tomorrow. Bonne nuit!