Cheap wine and the best rain (of life!)

I still haven't turned in my paperwork for the residency permit. I really have been meaning to do it, but I've been slacking on getting my pictures taken. I think the current plan is to get my hair cut (RE-cut!) tomorrow and then get some pictures, and then turn the papers in on my way to my oral test this Wednesday.

I'm prepared for the oral test just about as much as I'm prepared to pay for my school this semester. Which is, absolutely not prepared. I haven't been studying my French. At all. I feel a little bad about that, but I'm really lost on where I'm supposed to start. It's strange. I feel like there is giant brick wall in front of this part of my mind where I used to know French... and I don't know how to break that down. But, I think I've been spending far too much time feeling sorry for myself and not nearly enough time being proactive, which is a pattern I find myself in often times (even when not in a new country), and I think it's time that changes. Beginning today I'm going to start Pimsleur, which is conversational audio tracks aimed at teaching the listener only the most commonly used words in the French vocabulary. My goal is to study two hours a day, but I suppose we'll have to see where that goes.

As far as paying for school goes, I'm hoping they will work something out with me while my truck is selling, instead of telling me to just go away. But, I really have no idea. It can go either way really, and I think if it goes the latter way, there is going to be some serious restructuring of my goals here. I will let you know.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to try to wake up at a decent hour for a haircut. I got my hair cut about a week after I arrived in France by a friend of Coline's parents. I had high hopes as it was getting cut, as the nice lady was telling me "Ohhhh man, I have a good feeling that you're really going to like this." Ha, I didn't. The only word to describe it is frumpy. It donned on me, after that feeling I got, looking at myself in the mirror... that I really like my hair. I would even go so far as to say that I'm self-conscious about my hair. ha. But anyways, there's this very hip looking salon just at the end of my street that is looking for models... and I'm hoping they can do... something.

And hopefully you will be able to see a good haircut on the top of my head soon... now that I've gotten the rest of my things from Coline's parents... including my webcam. The internet that I'm stealing is kind of lame, so I hope it works out, but look forward to it. Also, look forward to some video blogging in the near future!

um.

Oh right. Rain.

So, upon my failure to produce all the required documents for my residency permit application, I decided that instead of sitting at home and doing a lot of nothing (which I've become very proficient at) that I would, instead, take the walk down to the office anyways and meet Coline, who would just be finishing her African dance class. I threw on that green American Eagle jacket that I've had since forever (and recently rediscovered) and walked out the door of my apartment building. I was greeted by a pleasant surprise: fatty raindrops that soaked straight through my clothes and right into my skin. It was incredible. I think in all my time in Seattle, I have never once seen such glorious raindrops. I didn't hesitate at all. I walked. I breathed the cold, wet air in as deep as I could and appreciated each step. The people in the streets were running around like it was WWIII. They were running around, arms flailing, a look of panic in their eyes, as I casually strode past them, lighting a cigarette on my way. They peered into my almonds like I was a mad man, and I smirked a little.

How many French people can you fit under one umbrella? Not many. But still, they tried to huddle together under their canopy in groups of four and five. The poor saps on the outside of the huddle were probably too confused from the madness to understand that all the rain that hits the umbrella was just going to roll off the sides and soak their half-shielded bodies.

I didn't smoke my cigarette to the filter. I stopped when it started to feel more like a straw in my mouth, and water gurgled at the little pores in the end.

I imagine myself making my way through this madness with a evenly paced stride, my body slowly blending in more and more with the surrounding palette as my clothes faded to darker colors with each drop that hit them. Before I hit the Cours Mirabeau, I was shades of dark greens and blues that any artist would love to place on this setting.

I followed the rivers that appeared on the streets, down to Aix-Marseille I faculty. Lightning was striking in every direction and the thunder was shaking my bones.

It was just beautiful. And I wanted to share it with you.

The rain slowed and then stopped. The next day was 70 degrees and sunny.

That night Coline and Maude's parents came to drop off the rest of our things. There is furniture in the apartment! And I have all my clothes now, and my books. And, a bed! a bed! Things are swell in Aix-en-Provence.

Have you ever seen a bottle of wine for less than $2? Neither have I. After Coline told me a story about her ex's father, and how he had a goal in life to try every bottle of wine in France that cost just around 1 euro, I became fascinated with the concept and headed over to the Monoprix with Coline. We searched the racks until we found the perfect bottle: Mabillon Rouge (1.15 euro). Unable to find a corkscrew in any of the boxes we'd unpacked, I took a screw from the bed and sunk it into the cork with screwdriver. I pulled it out with a bottle opener. "Surely," I thought to myself, "this is the only way to open a bottle of cheap wine."

The wine was surprisingly good actually. I drank most of the bottle as I unpacked my clothes and things, and didn't feel bad about it at all. With each sip, I wondered to myself "How much did this sip cost? 3 cents? 4?" Coline says that we should start measuring things in life based on bottles of cheap wine. For instance: "What?! It costs 4 euro to ride the bus!? I can get drunk three and a half times for that much!" I think Coline is right.

Wednesday is approaching, which means, if you haven't heard, that I'll be taking care of little Gabriel for four hours in the morning. I met the kid. He was a lot of what I don't like about kids.... loud, banged hard plastic things against the ground, pissed the cats off, and just wanted soooooo much attention until you actually turn your head and say something to him and he becomes completely quiet. But, the boy does have a beautiful sparkle in his eye, and I wonder how two very unattractive parents could have created something so pretty. A mystery. I've been on the fence about taking care of him since I was offered the job, and as of writing this, I still don't know if I'm actually going to do it. The parents decided it was a nice thing to lowball the foreigner and offer him 4 euro per hour to take care of their precious treasure. It doesn't make much sense to me either, and I felt rather.... bent over, after they said so, but Coline will call them today and ask for at least minimum wage which is 7E, and I think I would maybe consider it even for 6E. Because man... I have no money at all. And now I'm finding out that Coline and Maud's parents are demanding that I start paying for part of the rent, which was a surprise to say the least. It seems next to impossible to find a job in France without a residence permit, and even then, it's rare for someone to hire a non-EU citizen, especially one so incapable in the language. But still I'll try. Today, I think I'll post ads for teaching English, photography, and house cleaning/childcare. Wish me luck.

I've been broke before, but maybe I didn't know what that meant. heh.

Who's with me?

luvU4eva!
<3 jon