Monday, February 23, 2015

Skiing Sundays

Since I last wrote, I've been getting into the swing of a new schedule, started private tutoring, read another book for book club, been to two birthday celebrations for the same person, learned to play another board game (Eldritch Horror), and I fell back into love with skiing.

I was never hugely into skiing. It was just something I did on Tuesday afternoons growing up. Now that I'm an "adult," I am tremendously happy that I know how to ski, and that I learned it when I did. It's the type of thing that just comes back to you after one warm-up run.

Not to mention, skiing in the Alps is beautiful and amazing. Here are some photos:

Valberg






Isola






I hope to go on several more ski trips before I leave Nice. Who'd a thunk Nice was a good place for a skier??

Until next time!

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Being Back and Around

Hello! I've been a busy bee since returning to Nice. I'm happy to report that my days have been filled with work, personal projects, and social time--whether it's relaxing or upbeat. The weekend following my return, Alessandro and I (and Raphaela, really, even though she doesn't live with us anymore) hosted a cheese and wine party, which was absolutely delightful. Raphaela invited many of her Erasmus friends, Alessandro invited his, and the lecteurs got an invitation from me. It was a melting pot of people, and I'm fairly certain the attendees had fun. I did, anyway.

On that Sunday, I went to Valberg, a nearby skiing village, with Alessandro and his crew. The drive to Valberg is a beautiful and curvy car ride through the mountains. Once we got there we found a nice place for lunch, and then went sledding! It was a treat to experience snow in France--the stuff that sticks, like I'm used to back home. I also got to listen to and speak French all day, although everyone spoke enough English that we could switch back and forth comfortably enough to enjoy one another's company.

The first week of classes ensued; in short, it has been chaotic setting up a definitive timetable for this semester. The lecteurs are responsible for additional hours in the Centre de Langues, which is sort of like The Writing Center at Hartwick, but for a bunch of languages. I'm going to be designing a night course twice a week, and I'll offer workshops on other campuses (e.g. the business or law school, etc.). It should be a good change of pace. Variety being the spice of life and all that.

This past weekend I got to see my dear friend, Casey, in Paris, as well as Mark Wolff and the Hartick J-term France class. It was freakin' awesome. Highlights include: a Bateaux Mouche ride at night, the Institut du Monde Arabe exposition, tea at la Mosquée de Paris, dinner at Nos Ancestres Les Gaulois, mass at Notre Dame, and seeing Olympia at Musée d'Orsay (finally).

This week has started off rainy and dreary, which adequately reflects my energy level. I must push through the tired to teach, and hopefully have another enjoyable weekend.

Friends at lunch in Valberg

The sledding scene at Valberg

Casey standing before the Institut du Monde Arabe

Casey and me at the Gaulois-themed (think French viking) restaurant, Nos Ancestres