New Beginnings

The flowers have bloomed. The trees have sprouted new leaves. Birds chirp. Cafés bustle non-stop. Spring has arrived.

The regenerative miracle of Spring never ceases to astonish me. The short, cold days of winter give way to long, sun-filled days. Bare, gray trees cede to sprouting leaves and flourish. People shed their dark, heavy coverings to reveal light, colorful linens. What was once dormant awakes and lives without apology. It really is a site to behold.

This Spring is particularly astonishing for me because Winter seemed so long. So dark. So cold. These adjectives describe not only real, tangible phenomenon, but also a state of mind. Somehow I (someone who generally loves the Winter) was affected by a sort of seasonal slump, and it is truly amazing what some warm weather, sun, and renewed personal relationships can do to chase those blues away.

I've rediscovered old friends and what a pleasure it has been! Color is back in my life, flowers are blooming, and smiles abound. I hope your Spring is as full of life as mine!

Evolution

Life has a funny way of evolving without our consent. Little by little things change and then, one day, we realize just how much things have changed. I'm suddenly quite aware of this phenomenon in my life. And in general, evolution is treating me well.

Only a few years ago, I was toiling away on a Masters and then PhD in French at Ohio State with the goal of becoming a university French professor, and now I'm teaching English (loving it too!) in Rennes. With this change came a slow and steady evolution of professional and personal goals.

I've evolved physically too. Not surprisingly, I've lost more hair and have gained some more wrinkles. While not thrilled about the prospect of going bald and getting wrinkly, I've accepted that it's part of life, so no biggie, right? I weigh less than before, but still eat like 2 normal people. The effects of working out more or getting rid of bad, processed American food? Either way, being trim is always in style, right!?

Relationships are where slow yet steady evolution is most visible in my life. While I see my family much less due to distance, I feel even closer to them. I cherish the time I have with them even more now, and weekly phone conversations are so much more meaningful now than they were when I was calling from just a few miles away. Normal!

Circumstances and life have a funny way of separating the meaningful, long-lasting relationships from the ephemeral and short-lived friendships that dot all of our lives. Being away means not seeing friends, and so some of us have grown apart. This makes me sad, but at the same time it's a completely natural and normal part of life. We all have people that come in and out of our lives at different moments for different reasons: friends, colleagues, acquaintances based on what we're doing, where we live, etc. Just because we don't remain close forever doesn't mean that the relationships we've had with them were not meaningful or important to our own development. I think of close friends from high school, marching band, grad school. There are some who transcend places and periods of our lives, but those are few and so, even more cherished.

I don't know what my life has in store for, be it experiences, jobs, or relationships, but I've become more aware of how much each individual with whom I've crossed paths has affected and continues to impact me.

"Who can say if I've been changed for the better? I do believe I have been changed for the better. Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

Le Printemps du Cinéma

This evening was the last night of "Springtime at the Movies," a lovely little promotion the theatres here do to welcome in Spring. There were huge lines and tons of people. Then again, not surprising considering that the tickets are only 3.50, compared to the usual 9.30! I went to go see Shutter Island with my friends Sarah and Anthony.

I had heard mixed reviews, but I was curious. While there are some parts that are just trop, it is, overall, an excellent movie that leaves you wondering at the end what really happened. So, if you get a chance, go see it and let me know what you think.

Throne Room Restored

After months of having a broken, unattached toilet seat(my second of the year), the throne has finally been restored to its former glory!

The American Myth

America has the best health care system in the world! We've all heard this on political talk shows and from members of Congress, but saying it doesn't make it so. I wish it was true! But just because we're America doesn't always mean we're the best. In fact, this blind acceptance of American superiority has become so wide-spread that I think it has begun to prevent us from seeing something really important: reality. The reality is that the WHO has consistently ranked the country where I live, France, as the country with the best health care in the world. Why? Because it is fairly paid for, it is of high quality, and it provides access to 99.9% of the population. Even non-French residents like myself. The USA, if you're wondering, ranks 37th. The best in the world! Except for those 36 other countries...

But Todd, it's a government-run, socialized system, so doesn't that mean that there is rationing and long waits for treatment?

As a matter of fact, no! Even though it is government-run, you choose your own doctor and they are free to refer you to whomever they see fit or prescribe you whatever treatment they see fit, even if that means you'll need to miss a week of work. By the way, there are no limits on sick days in France. If the doctor deems it necessary for you to miss work to get well, then you get an arrêt de travail and your employer has to continue you to pay you.

That must cost a fortune! Right?

Well, France spends a lot on health care, about 11.2% of the GDP, which is still far less than the US, which spends 15.2% of its GDP. And the French are taking actions to reduce fraud and abuse, and investing in new technologies to further reduce costs. This is, of course, difficult, but far simpler when it's a single-payer system and not a web of complicated private systems that vary from state to state, like in the US.

Yeah, but socialized medicine stifles research and medical advances. That's undeniable!

Actually, no. This may be the case in some countries, but this is certainly not the rule. France is consistently in the forefront of medical advances. From isolating the HIV virus to advances in stem cells and medical equipment and surgical procedures, the French have demonstrated that single-payer health care isn't incompatible with medical advances.

Today, the US Congress may pass an historic bill that will reform health care. It will not, unfortunately, create a system like in France. It won't be socialism. It won't be a government take-over. People will remain uncovered, people will still spend far too much. The reform proposed is far from perfect, but it will be an improvement. We won't be #1 anytime soon, but 37th is unacceptable!

Avranches

Last Friday, I went to Avranches with Hélène, where she is doing her student teaching in the local high school. She invited me to a dinner hosted by her students who were raising money for a ski trip to the Alps.

It was a very interesting and wee bit hilarious evening. It was, however, not exactly like any high school dinner/fundraiser I'd ever seen in the USA.

Let's start with the commonalities:

People in rural areas, whether in the US or France, have no idea how to dress/put on make-up.
People in rural areas tend to be a bit heavier than city folk.
There are always people who live in the country but try to act like they come from the ghetto.
People from small towns are à la fois close-minded and welcoming.

A few notable differences:

Alcohol is served at the dinner.
Parents don't care if their kids are outside smoking or drinking.
A dinner means dinner: apéro, main dish, cheese, dessert, café.
Songs with vulgar lyrics are not banned. For example, a song about smoking a big joint or touching "la chatte."
There is no prayer before the meal. Church and state do NOT mix here!
The dinner/dance lasts until at least 2am.
Students come not in cars but on scooters.

Autumn Leaves

I've taken a long break from blogging. I really haven't had the time and still don't, but this is another excuse to avoid reality for a few minutes.

The fall months have flown by with the speed of a TGV. Faster even. I feel as if I've just arrived, and yet here it is the end of November. The principal reason for this blur of a season has mostly been due to my work. I've taken on quite a bit more this year than last, so it hasn't been all cafés and clopes like last year. I'm teaching 5 classes and have all of the responsibilities of a lecturer, which means roughly 35 hours a week at work, not counting the grading and prep time. Eh oui! Ca bosse!

My work life has been intense, as has my personal life. I've met new friends, reconnected with friends from last year, and yes, I've even met a boy. A lovely law student who kept me busy and smiling for over a month. Things between us right now are not quite so great. Our collective stress and neurosis have led us to take a break, and I'm not sure what will come of this, but whatever the result, I'm glad he has been around, and I hope he will remain a part of my life here, even if only as a friend.

Thanksgiving is almost here, and I miss my family and friends terribly. It is difficult knowing that they will all be together, having fun, eating my grandma's delicious stuffing, laughing... I'll be home for Christmas at least, so that will make up for missing them this week.

Meanwhile, I've got two Thanksgiving dinners this week: one at the Richter's and the other with a bunch of friends and a few colleagues. They'll both be a blast, but it is going to be a stressful lead-up to the weekend. Cranberry relish, stuffing, pies, cakes, etc. Il y a de quoi faire!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

La lunette

Two weekends ago, I had a bit of an accident in my apartment. Nothing serious, just an inconvenience really. Saturday morning, I got up and made coffee as usual. While the coffee was brewing, I went to the restroom. I was still a bit tired and not fully functioning, so I decided to sit down on the porcelain throne. Not out of necessity, but rather out of laziness. I sat down normally. Well, perhaps with a bit more force than normal. As I came into contact with the seat, I heard a pop and promptly slid off to the left, arms flailing, catching myself before I landed on the floor. I was now wide awake! I had popped the seat right off the toilet, breaking the cheap plastic clasps clean off!

Instead of going to the market, which was my original plan for the morning, I decided I had better head to Leclerc and get a new lunette, which is what the Frenchies call a toilet seat. I rode to the store, wandered around a bit, and finally found the aisle with bathroom furnishings. There were only two choices, both of which were over 35 euros, so I decided to put it off and deal with squatting for a few days.

On Sunday I called my friend Hélène and asked her if it would be possible to go to Leroy Merlin (a kind of Lowe's or Home Depot) at some point in the week. She, as usual, was more than willing to lend a hand, though she couldn't stop laughing at me and how I broke the thing!

On Wednesday, we went and I got a new, sturdier seat for only 10 euros! I was pleased. After we had finished, she dropped me (and my new toilet seat) off at the university. Needless to say, my colleagues asked lots of questions and, naturally, had a nice laugh at my expense. After I was done working, my toilet seat and I took the bus home, receiving strange looks from people along the way. "Why is he getting on the bus at the university with a toilet seat?" "Is that really a toilet seat he's got in the seat next to him?"

After arriving at home, I immediately installed the new seat and took it for a test spin. Solid, roomy, doesn't pinch: perfect!

Two days later, I closed the seat cover to sit down and put on my socks, which I usually do in the living room, but since I had a new, sturdy toilet seat, I thought, "Why not?" I got one sock on and as I bent over to put the other one on, shifting my weight, I heard a creak. A few milliseconds later...pop pop pop!! The effing seat exploded beneath me and into the toilet! So, needless to say, I will soon be taking another trip to Leroy Merlin for yet another toilet seat.

This is all that's left of the lid after my FA got done with it...

Photos

I put photos on my blog from time to time, but I have the rest of my photos on Picasaweb, so if you want to see where I spend my time, what I've seen, etc., feel free to check them out here

L'Administration française

France is a highly centralized country and is often considered to be the birth place of modern bureaucracy. As a foreigner who works for the Ministry of Education (my official employer), I've had the privilege of dealing with lots of administrative agencies.

Today, my carte de séjour, the piece of paper I need to be allowed to live and work in France, expires. As such, I had to renew my card yesterday. I should have gone before, in case there was a problem, but I was waiting for documents to arrive from HR at the university, which was waiting for documents to arrive from the ANAEM (the agency that deals with foreign workers in France). I never received the documents. To be fair, I never knew which documents I actually needed, since every time I asked someone I got a different answer. Oh, the joys of complicated and constantly changing administrative procedures!!

Yesterday morning, I got up early, ran down the street to have identity photos taken in the lobby of a grocery store (a machine, not just a random person who takes photos in the lobby), and then hopped on the bus to go to the Préfecture. I arrived at 9:05 (it opens at 9:00) and found a line out the door. I thought to myself: "If I wait three hours and don't have the right documents, I'm going to kill someone!" Once inside, I took a number, found a seat, and waited. There were people everywhere. I probably heard 10 different languages. Slavic, Asian, Arabic, and random African dialects. Some people were there to renew cards, to get one for the first time, to apply for asylum. Others, French, were there to get titles for their cars, get a driver's license, renew their ID cards. If you think the BMV is chaotic, you should visit a Prefecture.

After about an hour, my number was called and I nervously approached the window. I greeted the woman working very politely and with a big smile. Every little bit helps! I explained that I came with every document I was able to acquire. I was missing the authorization to work, but she told me just to send it as soon as I got it. Lovely woman! She could have refused me, and then that would really have complicated things. But she didn't! I had my provisional card, a récépissé, within 5 minutes (see photo above)! As such, I remain a legal immigrant in France.