Adieu, adieu to you and you and you

Queue the Von Trap family singers; it's time to officially bid the ad-FRENCH-ure farewell.  Dry your tears, friend.  The Hamiltons have not stopped having adventures, and I'll be happy to share more right here!  New blog title & look to come soon.  Today, I'd like to leave you with a medley of tiny European doors as this door in our life has closed....

I don't know what else to say, but why are there so many tiny doors in Europe?

365 Days in Metz

Kyle and I made the decision to move to France back in the Fall of 2008.  At the time the economy was plummeting into something frightful, and we were certain it would be a challenge to both have a wedding and move abroad in 2009.  For so long it felt like we were in preparation mode.   We were on track to have the great adventure~always saving, always packing, always praying it would turn out how we hoped.  What a miracle it was when we finally got on the plane with our buddy passes and were comfortably seated in business class.  Miracle upon miracle!

Kyle and I love on Moonpie right before heading to the airport.

All our belongings and the remnants of the coffee & croissant that sustained us in our journey

 We had very little difficulty once we were in France making the trek from Paris to Metz (minus a finicky turn-style and those stairs between Gare du Nord & Gare de l'Est... we'll be happy to recount that to you another time).  Metz!  What a beautiful train station placed so closely to so many more beautiful buildings.  A short bus ride later, we found Metz Technopole 2000~a city of the future.  With such an impressive name, it certainly appeared to me like a tired office park with too many "a louer" or "a vendre" signs in the windows.  Kyle and I shared our first meal at a kebab shop as many university students from America have been known to do.  We moved into the dorms and quickly rearranged the furniture to make it more like a home.  We made new friends~Kyle started classes in French full-time while I prepared English lessons for dozens of small French children.

Kyle and I pose in front of Jean de la Fontaine~my main primary school.

Kyle spent the better part of his GTL career in this room.

The fall turned quickly into winter, and winter endured for months.  My southern spirit felt oppressed by damp shoes in the snow and hours spent waiting to catch the next bus.  Kyle stayed positive and kept us happy and healthy with all sorts of treats from our tiny kitchen.  His creativity didn't cease with food; he made a wonderful workspace in the kitchen and expanded our flavor by making a small garden for our porch.  With my additions of cute knick knacks in our bedroom and living room, Kyle and I had created our first home.  Even the gray cold days couldn't ruin our sweet abode for us.

Snow covered boots and frozen puddles

Bountiful and delicious foods in the comfort of our home

We ventured to cities and countries I had only heard about.  Kyle helped me add Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, and (soon) Italy to my list of places I've been while my dear friend Audrey from home made going to England a reality.  We've learned about history and become more proud of our American heritage learning how many men and women sacrificed so much to make this area where we live so special.  Our desire to learn has grown exponentially, and we are reading more than ever.  Most important we have grown in our faith in God who has given us so much here in this place far from home~friends, a church, good jobs, education, excellent food, adventure, and abundant joy.

A veritable winter wonderland

Reading and naps go hand in hand

What a life we have had in just one year.  In my heart I know the adventure doesn't end when we leave France in a few weeks, but it will have a completely different feeling.  What will marriage be like without France?  Sometimes I think I'll have to muster more courage for going back to Georgia and everything that is comfortable and busy than it was to cross the Atlantic for Europe.  Neither Kyle nor I want an ordinary life, and we'll have to discover what that means when we are back to what we are used to~Starbucks, commutes, English, and television.  It will be a greater challenge than navigating the yogurt isle, riding bikes, understanding difficult accents, and living without luxuries like dishwashers and walk-in closets.  Only time will tell, and like this past year, we'll take it one day at a time.

No need to worry; there ain't no hurry cause I'm on my way back to Georgia.

Thank you for accompanying Kyle and me this past year by visiting the blog.  I've loved sharing our lives through pictures and writing.  Since the adventure isn't quite over, there will be more to share soon.

Countdowns & Downsizing

This weekend Kyle and I made huge progress getting the apartment ready for a serious cleaning before we move out.  We had all this furniture in the way, and thankfully our friends took a bunch of it off our hands.  We still have so much more to give!  Alas, let's take a look back at the first transformation that turned this dorm into a home and what it looks like now!

The kitchen~outfitted with one hot plate, an oven, and the largest cutting board that would fit in our apartment.  Kyle's first home improvement project was building the spice rack/knife holder.

What was once a pantry & cupboard is now merely a bookshelf with a microwave and everything edible in our home.

A bit of a throwback, but this was our cozy and inviting living room.

All that remains is a bookshelf with a small number of belongings.

I'm not even going to show you the bedroom because our Dr. Seuss comforter was pretty much the only interesting thing about it.  Without it, it's just two twin beds pushed together a la Dick Van Dyke & Mary Tyler Moore.  To reward us for all our hard work, Kyle and I had saved some very special instant chocolate pudding that his parents sent to us ages ago.

Nothings says a job well done quite like a cup-o-purding (as Miss Foo would say).

Anywho, as we simplify our home, our schedule has filled up.  The Lord has been good to us by providing time to really say goodbye to a lot of our friends.  There really isn't a day where something isn't planned.

I couldn't kick the colored pencil habit after school let out.

We visited the Pounds family Saturday night and had a delicious meal and played fun games.  Yesterday we spent a lovely time with our church family here: Jack, Claudine, Bridgette, JP, Su, Nyanza, Dalip, Joanna, and our Iranian friend (his name is difficult to pronounce so I won't even try to spell it) as well as new friend, Anna.  Only Vincent & Cole were missing... Jack and Nyanza had little surprises for us, which is ridiculous since they gave us tons of gifts back at our Christmas in July celebration.  Nyanza spent the better part of her summer in the U.S. volunteering in Seattle~plus her big sister got married earlier in the summer...

I love a postcard.  My friends Zach  and Evan used to send them to me all the time~my favorite one was from Roswell, and it depicted some creepy alien thing.

A small token from Kahindo & Emmanuel's wedding~we become friends in Strasbourg at Nyanza's birthday bash weekend.

Meanwhile, Jack wanted to help us to keep the gospel close while still practicing our French yet not making it too difficult.  Thus he found the perfect gift~seriously, I have never been so surprised by a present ever.

This is the Manga (re: anime) version of the Gospel (I believe according to Luke) written in French.  When the culture of the Japanese, French, and Israelites combine, it produces something quite spectacular.  That hunk with the long flowing locks in the upper left corner~that's the angel Gabriel.  The best part is the tag line at the top~"Has he come to destroy the world or save it?" So epic.

This whole entry has felt a little like SHOW & TELL, but I am thrilled to bring back this element of the blog one last time!  As I promised long ago, I want to share with you our wall of cards.  Thanks to your thoughtfulness and willingness to seek the appropriate stamps, we were able to have lovely wall art for free and make our dorm feel more like a home.  Kyle and I are so thankful to have friends and family who sent us nice things while far from home~thanks yall!

This would not have been possible without the Hamiltons (extra points for Susan for homemade cards!), the Milligans, the Hudsons, Miss Foo, KDub, Alli T, K8, Lindsey, KHam, my Aunt Pam, Nyanza, and various Globalscopers.  I hope I didn't forget anyone~please forgive me if I did.

 The final item I'd like to share was a drawing from my friend Julie.  She just turned 7 last week and invited me to her ballerina birthday party.  Since we'll be moving so soon, she gave me a little picture for me to remember her.  I'm going to miss her and her family (with whom we do a weekly Bible study) so so so much.  Thankfully we'll see them one last time on September 29th~our last day in France.

Julie and me playing in her yard.  It's fun to be the same size as a 7 year old (she's the brunette & I'm the blond).

The artist's signature

There you have it folks~ as you may have seen from the calendar, we have a good deal of activities going on this week.  On Friday we set out to Paris with our friend Vinod to meet the Hamiltons on Saturday.  If you're the praying type, please lift up safe travels for the whole Hamilton clan flying over on September 10th.  Everybody gets a little uneasy around this time with air travel, but we have high hopes that nothing will be amiss.  Also, there are protests in Paris this Saturday~ The Islamization of Paris has been in headlines a good bit this week.  We hope not to get caught in the fray while sightseeing.  It seems every time I go to Paris, something a little wild his happening.  Last time was in the spring of 2006; there were riots about changing labor laws.  What do you know?  This story has its own wikipage!  I'll be praying all the excitement we get is climbing the stairs in the Eiffel tower and enjoying some ridiculous food with the fam.  I'll keep you posted....

Alsacian Irish Evening

Last Friday night we had a going away bash for our friend Sarah.  She will be departing around the same time that we go on vacation in September.  Sarah has done her masters and is completing her PhD here at GTL.  We will definitely miss her a bunch.  How did we celebrate her coming departure?  La Winstub~the amazing Alsacian restaurant in town!  It's a bit pricey for Kyle and me to do much (plus the food is super heavy), but we always love an excuse to go all out.  The dinner was attended by a large number of PhDs and masters students from an array of countries.

Sarah, the party girl, is to my right.  This is most of the Americans, Jing Fei from China, and Julia from Canada.

Kyle dodged this photo while I distracted him with a ceramic chicken.  Manas is from India while Peter is a yankee.

Salute France, China, and Canada.

At the end is the larger delegation from China, plus more Frenchies, and... wait.  Is Konstantinos from Greece?

Thanks to Vinod who took all these pictures.  Since he took none of himself, I'm forced to share this picture of him from the last time we ate at la Winstub.  Note~the staff always puts us in the back corner of the restaurant under that big mirror.  I think it's to keep all the foreigners from offending the delicate sensibilities of the regulars.

I am still coveting those amazing dessert waffles.  The joy is written all over his face. Oh, in case you were curious, he is a Parisian.

Since the theme of this entry has been largely nationality, we couldn't resist to end the night with a little Irish fun.  Manas, Vinod, Peter, Kyle, and I walked over to the generically named "Irish Pub" where on the third Friday of every month, they have traditional Celtic music.  It was our lucky day.  We had fun playing cards over a pint with lively tunes.  Peter, a true Irishman, even sang along with one of the songs.  It was a terrific night.

I love Guinness so much~this one came with a flawless shamrock on the top!

Maybe we can convince our friends to go out for our farewell night to la Winstub one more time.  I'll never tire of eating there...

Gray

By this point I had hoped to share photos and memories of our visit to the Metz plage (or Metz beach).  Towards the end of July, a park area along the river was transformed into a sandy beach with loads of coastal activities.  I anticipated riding bikes into town with my swimmies on under shorts and a tank top, but it was just not meant to be.  Since last Saturday the sky and been remarkably and steadfastly gray.  Sometimes there is rain, and we even experienced a thunderstorm (a rarity in these parts).  The cloudy cover brought a companion~ temperatures in the 60s.  No beach.  No fun.

It's been a few months since complaining, but this weather here is terribly frustrating.  Life feels so limited without sunshine and heat (I'll even take Georgia humidity).  We can't play outside very much, and trips to the grocery store or out to see friends are less than appealing.  I had it on good authority that summer would take place between June and August.  When I was wearing my winter coat in June because the highs were in the 50s and lows in the 40s, I said to myself, "Surely I'll have July and August.  No one escapes the heat in those months...".  Well, July came through.  We had a few days in the 90s, and many days in the 70s.  August has been cool and fairly sunny, but not even a week into it we are back to what it looked liked here last October.  Le sigh...

In other news, Kyle has been interviewing a lot with companies in the U.S. by phone.  I'm hoping a number of them turn into good offers very soon.  He makes me so proud with all the effort he spends job hunting.  I'm looking forward to my opportunity to do the same once we know where we will end up.

I have been staying busy with a new exercise routine.  I go for a long jog on MWF, and get my quality time in with Billy Blanks on TTh.  On my runs, I'm discovering a lot of trails through farming fields, old war forts, and neighborhoods.  There's this one place that seems like a castle; it's surrounded on 4 sides by farm land and makes me feel like I'm in a Jane Austen book.  I'd love to take pictures and share them, but it's awkward enough running with my iPod.  Maybe I'll work this out before we leave...

We've been trying to get in a lot of social time with our friends here before we pack up for vacation.  In the past couple of weeks we've had lots of lunch and dinner hang outs.  It's strange because it feels too soon to say goodbye, but we'll not have much longer until it's over.  My mood on the matter changes a good bit~ this week I'm rebelliously not thinking about leaving and enjoying my home, shopping, and exploring.  Even still, at the grocery store, I think that we ought not buy a new bottle of olive oil or so much flour because we really only have three and a half weeks in our apartment.  Oh well, I suppose this is normal.

I don't really have any more to say.  Life is good here.... gray today... not a permanent home, but very good. Who knows~ tomorrow is supposed to be warmer and sunnier. Perhaps we will make it to the plage after all.

Summer Fling

We had an action packed few days on the calendar this week.  Thursday night we always have Bible study at the Pounds family's house.  We had a special summer style potluck this week to send off two of our friends here~Sarah and Cole.  They are both fellow teachers (Sarah at U of Metz & Cole at 2 elementary schools), and we've gotten to know them better in this small group this year.  It's always sad to see friends off, and I'm dreading our departure a bit more now than I ever have.  Thankfully it's still a few months off.  We had a lovely time, and thankfully I have a picture to share (all credit goes to Maria who brought a camera~I'm such a dope for forgetting!)

From left to right~Jing Fei, Cole, Sarah, Rocky, Maria, Kyle, me, Steve, and Viky.  We are a happy bunch.

Friday I had the whole day off.  I had initially been invited to attend a field trip with my Marly school students.  I was subsequently uninvited because the bus schedule wouldn't accommodate the early morning departure and the late evening return.  Blasted buses are ruining my life... more on that later.  It turned out to be alright.  Though I would have loved the quality time with the little ones, they were headed to Hackenburg and mines which are no longer worked.  Though the war landmarks are cool, the industrial sites are less appealing to me.  Poor kiddies~should have taken them to the zoo or something.

Friday was not a total loss (or so I thought).  I spent the afternoon outside reading the rest of Narnia by the lake.  It's warm enough to start to worry about sunburns.  In the evening, my other school was hosting a fete de l'ecole (sort of like our spring flings back home).  I was pumped about seeing all the kids at school yet completely unencumbered of there studies.  Kyle and I headed towards the event a little late.  While strolling to our bus stop, we saw our ride zoom by us.  In an impulsive moment, I thought we could jog to the next bus stop.  So we sprinted towards our new spot only to be deterred by serious construction~mounds of dirt and caterpillar machines at rest and large tubes that would soon be interred.  We didn't make it.  Our detour  had only made us sweaty and more discouraged at our spring fling prospects.  It was at this moment~the moment that I was filled with frustration that I hadn't planned ahead better~yes, this moment when a bird blessed me with a gift from above.  I was taken by surprise because this bird must have consumed a cherry (they're everywhere here right now).  I believe I had been struck by the pit of a cherry among other materials.  It was an unnecessary blow.  I had been defeated by the bus, the construction, and an unseen bird.  Kyle and I returned to our dorm.  I cleaned up and we settled in to catch up on So You Think You Can Dance.

Saturday was a much more successful day.  Kyle and I spent the better part of the day reading and listening to music.  We had a lovely picnic with Lauren and Michael.  They have the cutest little grill which was perfect for 4 beef patties and a sausage for all of us to split.  Kyle and I made a potato salad for the first time~we employed the use of dill!  It was a hit.  Our friend Sarah (a PhD gal at GTL) joined us, and we spent a lovely couple of hours by the lake enjoying good food and good company.  I shouldn't forget the delicious apricot pie which Lauren made from scratch.  It attracted plenty of ants, but we were able to fend them off until the tasty tart was fully consumed.

We had the best Sunday ever~ Church was delightful.  The hymns were mostly easy to sing along to (except this one which was in half time and half notes got the beat... it was tough for our congregation to master in just 3 verses).  Jack preached on how Jesus turned over the Talion law (an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, etc) by telling us turn the other cheek instead of condemning those who sin against us.  Many of our friends were there to greet at the end of the service.  Rocky and Maria invited us to have lunch with them in their classy little apartment.  We had a delicious salad, risotto, and duck wings.  They were sweet enough to invite us on an excursion during the afternoon to a wonderful place called THERMAPOLIS!

 It looks like a simple aquatic center on the outside...

 

...but on the inside, it's a veritable water wonderland!

 Did I mention the lazy river?

Well, Thermapolis implies thermal springs.  Though it didn't appear to be spring fresh, the water came from natural springs unseen to the visitors, and these springs heated the pools.  It gave the indoor water a sort of greenish tint from time to time which could make one wonder what their pool neighbors are up to...  There is a dress code~the men are required to dress like women (the Euro-suit looks like half a bikini) and the women are free to dress like men (read: no tops required).  It was an adjustment to take in all the fellas in speedos, but thankfully only one woman bared it all.  My dear husband, as reluctant as he was, sported his (borrowed) swim suit with style.  It was a modest black number which covered all the necessary parts.  

We spent the afternoon floating around the lazy river.  There were different stations of water jets to massage different parts of the body and large jacuzzis to gather in.  One pool had a current which you could swim against for exercise.   There were hot baths and cold baths~Maria explained that it's supposed to be good for your circulation to spend some time in hot water and then switch to cold water.  There were saunas filled with an incense-like smell; they were super hot and relaxing.  It was a really nice way to pass a warm summer day.  

No pictures from Thermapolis... there are certain things that should stay among Europeans.  Hope yall have had a lovely Sunday (or any other day) today!