Lille Weather

It got cold…not terrible cold, just winter cold. We had a huge snow on Sunday that was a lot of fun but they say it doesn’t snow much here. Also the ground is pretty much always wet from the daily rain…no big deal until it got cold and now in the morning when I walk to the train station its all ice! Should be familiar to me I know but its kind of hard to maneuver without blades!! People are falling down everywhere and it’s pretty funny until you eat it on the steps! The biggest difference in the whether is that in France, I have to be tough and deal with it more. If it’s cold in NC, I only have to endure it for the 5 min. walk to and from the car. Here, my only means of transportation is walking so I’m outside in the elements weather it rains, snows, or hails (which I have been caught in a few times)! I’ve learned to live with wet toes…apparently my southern boots aren’t waterproof enough for Lille!

Christmas

Ever since I got old, maybe around 17, Christmas hasn’t been the same as it was when I was a kid. That is…until I moved to Lille! They turned the lights on about a week ago and the whole city is Christmas crazy! There are lights and garland EVERYWHERE, all the storefronts are Christmas themed, and they play Christmas music in the center. Also, there is a huge ferris wheel in the center surrounded by fake snow and Christmas trees…it’s awesome! In another of the big squares there is a Christmas market where the booths are little log cabins. They sell all kinds of crafts and gifts along with sugar waffles, crepes, cider, French style pizzas, and hot wine (haven’t tried it…I’m a little scared). Sometimes I like to just walk around the streets at night b/c it’s so pretty and festive!

"Cook Out"

On the day that the grill arrived, we had all the girls over for a cookout. I was expecting some big gas grill that sat out on the balcony but instead it’s the cutest electric grill I’ve ever seen. I didn’t even know electric grills existed! We cooked ‘out’ kebabs and sausages in the kitchen and my friend Abby got to come meet everyone too!

Life here just kind of revolves around food and coffee. Whenever we get together, everyone is cooking all night and we eat forever…meals are so long it’s great! I’m reading this book my friend Laura in NC gave me before I left and it’s about the French people’s obsession with food. There are so many festivals and celebrations of food around France at different times throughout the year. Each area has a specialty dish, cheese, and wine. Like I said, lunch is the big meal and it’s really making sense to me. A long lunch gives you a nice break in the middle of the work day and then you are less hungry for dinner. After all, you just go to sleep after dinner while all the food sits in your body. After lunch you walk around, work, shop, and work off all of the food you just ate. Speaking of walking I walk A LOT! If all I do is go to work and then sit for the rest of the day, its still 2 hours of walking…not including shopping or visiting friends!

I’m also cooking…like real cooking, making my own sauces and everything! It’s crazy how little we learn to cook in the US. We are doing a Thanksgiving with all of the assistants but nobody knows how to make anything!! All of the young French people I’ve met know how to make all kinds of things! Donc, I’m learning! Groceries are the one thing that is cheaper in France than in America I think. Vegetables especially are so cheap; it just makes more sense to cook here! Also, restaurants are more expensive in France and there are less fast food options.

Coralie's Birthday Party

I didn’t have too much time to be sad because on Friday we left for Coralie’s birthday party! Her friend Jeanne and Coralie were having a big birthday party in Dominois (about 2hr. drive from Lille) at Jeanne’s parent’s country house. Friday night there were about 15 people and we cooked a huge dinner and had fun all night. Something different here is that we always cook for parties whereas at home we would get pizza or go out to a restaurant. Most of their friends spoke good English so it was easy to talk to them and both sides got some language practice. The house was so cute with a kitchen, living room, and then 2 rooms of nothing but beds so everyone could stay there! Saturday night the girls rented a little event house down the road to have the big party. We spent all day cooking the food and cakes and decorating the room. It was so nice and everyone pitched in to help. Its funny b/c when you walk down the country roads here you have to wear a fluorescent vest so people were all dressed up with fluorescent vests!! There were about 40 people at the party and everyone had a great time! Coralie’s girlfriends all went in together and bought her a grill and a plant for the house! Parties go late here and we didn’t go back till 6am!

Romaric Came : )

Romaric came to visit me!!!! Cedric and I got up at 4:30 to drive to Brussels and pick him up and it was soooo good to see him! I had a 2 week vacation from school so we had lots of time together! The first weekend we had a party with the entire NG crowd which was really fun and he got to meet all of my new friends. Romaric and Cedric hit it off so Hono and I teased them about being boyfriends. They didn’t stop talking from the time we left the airport!

Hono’s parents were in town too so it was a full house and a lot of fun! Monday and Tuesday all of us went to the Ardennes where Romaric is from to see his Grandparents. Thilay, where they live is a tiny town in the NE of France and it was so beautiful, a nice change from the flatness of NG and Lille. All the leaves were in fall colors too. We went to the restaurant in Belgium where Romaric’s Aunt and cousin work for a 4 hour lunch! I ate some local wild boar and it was delicious. Lunch is the big meal here and it usually lasts a few hours but this was my longest to date. The restaurant is right beside a little stream with swans. We had a huge table with so many family members and it was so much fun!! For dinner later that night (they eat around 8 or 9 here) we had escargot pizza…delicious! Romaric, Hono, Cedric and I stayed up really late playing an UNO tournament where the girls of course won and the boys were caught cheating on more than one occasion! For lunch the next day, Romaric’s grandma roasted a rabbit over a real fire and again….AMAZING! I can’t get over how good the food is here! Romaric’s grandpa ate the rabbit head and then made the skull look like an eagle…see the picture included! We had to leave too soon as with all good family visits but it was a really great trip.

The eagle made out of rabbit skull.

Thilay

My delicious lunch of wild boar!

Cedric and Romaric's Grandfather

We got home from Thilay that night and left for London the next morning. It really is amazing that I can walk out of my apartment and from my door its about 2 hours until I’m in London. We walked to the station, hopped on a train, and got off an hour and a half later in Kings Cross. Our hotel was really cute and right beside the station! The first day Romaric had an appointment with Credit Suisse (his company) to see the office and do some kissing up so he can get transferred there. We decided to walk from Kings Cross to the financial district and it literally took all day to get there! It was really fun and we got to see London on the way and we stopped for a big English breakfast…yum…but we really walked for at least 3 hours straight! After lunch with his colleagues, we needed a nap and took the metro back to the hotel. We made some quality speakers for Romaric’s Zune out of paper cups while we got ready to go out. Then we met up with Morgan, one of Romaric’s friends and went out in London. What a great city! I really, really love it, there is so much to do and so many different people and most importantly everyone is so nice! The next day we went to the British Museum to see some mummies and then we got some starbucks (British people LOVE starbucks). I LOVE LONDON!!
Romaric and Morgan in front of a park
london at night

the full english breakfast!

ghetto speakers we made in the hotel out of paper cups!

I was supposed to work Thursday and Friday but due to a train strike I didn’t have to go to work and we got to hang out in Lille!!! Friday we left for Paris and met up with Romaric’s friend Damien and his girlfriend/our friend Marie. They have the coolest apartment in Montmartre really close to Sacre Couer. I’ve always been to Paris as a tourist but this time was really different. We did Parisian things like sleep in late on the weekend and have a huge brunch on Sunday. Saturday night we went to an ‘ice bar’ in Paris. There are only 20 people allowed in at one time and they give you huge coats and gloves to wear b/c its so cold. Everything is made of ice…the chairs, the cups, the bar, the decorations. It was so cool…literally! You are only allowed in for 30 minutes. They change the colors of the lights and it was so pretty you didn’t mind the cold! I worked Monday and then we had the family over for dinner at the apartment. Romaric made some quiche and then I taught everyone how to play spoons and it was a huge hit! Romaric left Tuesday morning and then I was sad : ( Its better now that I’ve gotten back into the swing of things here but after he left I realized how much I miss everyone from home!!! Just a little longer until I come back for Chrismas!!!

Marie and Damien

INTERNET!

Great news...I finally have internet in my apartment!!!! Lots of information all at once...here it goes!