Parenting

I am an official holder of a Carte de Sejour and yes I had to pay the 300 euros, well E and S paid for half of it. Supposedly the money is for the medical exam that I HAD to take in order to get the card, even though I HAD to get a physical before I even came to France so it's all pretty stupid if you ask me. E says it's because France doesn't want foreigners to come and live and work in France. Students only have to pay 50 euros for their card because they are visitors and are going to go back home, but since my visa is an au pair visa and not a student visa France thinks I am some horrible job stealing immigrant who isn't going to leave, hence the exorbiant fee. Either way that mess is taken care of.
Alex is here!! His study abroad program is finished which makes me sad because he won't be so close. He is coming back to Europe in June for his London internship so that's not so bad. We both are going home on Saturday. I have a week of vacation which is fantastic but mostly I have to get all the stuff for my classes and thesis taken care of, or else I would have gone to Naples with the family.
I am getting a lot closer with the family here. Nothing like my own family, but what could ever be? I have been thinking alot lately about different parenting styles. There were times growing up when I thought my parents were horribly strict, but in retrospect they really weren't so bad, I mean I turned out alright:) I got to do a lot of things my friends didn't get to do and my parents have a high degree of trust in me that I know is pretty unique. Even within my close extended family there are drastic differences in parenting between myself and my cousins. Despite those differences my one cousin that is getting older is proving to be such a sweet, fun, caring guy. I think that the imoportant thing is making time for the kids, and the other stuff like rules, limits, discipline, all equals out in the end. E and S also have their own parenting style and while it is different than what I am used to I am definitely beginning to appreciate it. They both have full time demanding jobs but they manage to be involved with their kids and find they always find the time to be there, it's really quite extraordinary. Being here makes me realize I will never be able to be a stay at home mom, ever. I don't have the patience or enthusiasm required. I hope that some day when I do have kids and a job I am able to find the balance that E and S have managed. Being here also reaffirms the fact that I don't want kids for a very long time. How does my mother do it?

I took the second picture because my mother's maiden name is Schuler, *shoutout* to my grandpa! Alex and I saw it on the train in Germany on the way to Baden-Baden

Prefecture

Before I came here I got my visa from the Consulate in Chicago, it was good for three months. When I got to Strasbourg I went to the prefecture to get another piece of paper that replaced the visa which expired today. In order to eventually get my carte de sejour, the paper that allows me to stay for the year I had to go to the medical exam, which I did, and wait for mail. I got the mail and today I went to the prefecture to finally get the actual carte de sjour.
I got there and all my papers were in order everything was fine and then the lady behind the desk asked for THREE HUNDRED EUROS!! At first I thought I misheard her so I asked her to repeat herself, and yes I heard correctly 300 euros please! Perhaps this wouldn't have been a big deal if I had known I would have to pay it then I could have saved up for it but I had no idea that I would have to pay anything at all, I just assumed that E and S would have told me. 300 euros is what I make in one month. Needless to say I don't have that money. True I don't have any expenses here but I have been traveling and that adds up, fast. So I was on the verge of tears while this lady is quickly losing patience with me, I was trying to ask if I can put it on a credit card, not a smart thing but I don't have the cash so basically my only option. She either didn't understand me or the answer was no.
Then I tried to say I would come back tomorrow, thinking I would have to borrow the money from E and S and just go without getting paid at all for the next month. Except my stupid paper expired today so I had to get the card today or something. Then I tried to call E but of course my dumb phone was out of minutes, I never ever use the thing how does it run out of minutes so quickly?? Then another lady comes up and takes me aside and tires to explain everything to me. The thing is I understood what the first lady was saying, I got all of that and I could even understand the second lady. I just don't know how to respond in French so she thought I didn't understand which meant she just kept repeating herself while I kept saying je compris, which I think means, I understand.
I think the second lady was saying come back tomorrow with the money, I will keep your carte de sejour at my house and tell the prefecture you already paid so you don't get in trouble. The problem is I am not sure if that's what she was really saying all I know is that she said goodbye and see you tomorrow and left with my papers....GREAT. I don't know her name, or when I am supposed to come back tomorrow to secretly meet her and give her 300 euros, geez this is a mess. Also she took with me the paper I got in the mail saying my stupid card is ready in the first place, so if she isn't there tomorrow and I go back I have no paper.
I didn't cry throughout the whole mess, despite really wanting to. I guess I will have to borrow the money from E and S tonight (not get paid for the entire next month) go back tomorrow, and wander around the place looking for the lady who has my papers...Wish Me Luck

A Good Year

The other day with some friends I watched the movie, A Good Year. It takes place in a French Vineyard and involved love and passion and money and French scenery. Needless to say I loved it. In the movie the protagonist, Max, is a British stock broker he is ridiculously rich. His uncle dies and leaves him his vineyard in Provence. He rediscovers his love for wine, France, himself, and a life less hurried. Life here does seem to be less hurried. There are two weeks in October, three weeks for Christmas, two weeks in February, two weeks in April and five weeks in the summer for holiday. Of course not everyone takes all that time off but in general you get the idea. In the states for people with jobs there are uumm two three day weekends half a week for Thanksgiving, and a week for Christmas...if you're lucky. It's very different. Better...who knows I think I am still too blissfully young to care :)
Everyone always asks me how my French is coming along so I might as well tell you it's horrible. Not as horrible as when I came but not noticeably better. I know shake your heads and point your fingers. I never ever have a chance to practice. Really I swear. The family speaks English with me or Greek amongst themselves mostly. All of my friends here are international so we all speak English together. I am friends with ONE actual French person. We get along very well and love to get coffee together, she doesn't indulge in my sinful partaking of pastries...do the French ever? She however is more determined to improve her English then I am to improve me French, once again shake heads and point fingers. Also, she generally just gets annoyed with my atrocious French and switches to English after she hears my very successful attempt at butchering her beautiful language...her words not mine. She tells me that foreigners shouldn't be allowed to learn French and I tell her English is more useful, like I said we get along swimmingly! So in short I need to try harder but as of yet it's still "like to death to my ears"

Spring

It's amazing how suddenly spring came. Two weeks ago when Alex was here it was cold enough for winter jackets. Today it's 75 and sunny. The flowers are in bloom, there are trees on the leaves it's fantastic! My allergies are killing me though, thanks dad. People are still wearing heavy jackets though, I don't understand. E makes the girls wear at least three layers in the morning plus a jacket haha you can imagine how much they enjoy that. My friend Estelle and I are taking our bikes out today. I will let you know how that goes. Strasbourg is a very bike-friendly city. On all the streets there are lanes for bikes, but the bicyclists are crazy so I am not sure how I will fare. I miss you all!

Three Months

I have been here three months today, I can't believe it's been that long already! The weather here is gorgeous! Sunny and in the 60's I love it every nice day we have I meet up with my friends Emily and Rachel and we walk along the river bank with pastries :) I am not sure if it's just my imagination or not but people here do not know how to dress for nice weather. I am wearing jeans and a short sleeve shirt or capris, you know spring clothes. Yet I still see pea coats, big bulky sweaters under leather jackets, and everyone is still wearing black...time for some color, come on!
This weekend is Easter break and the family is going to go to Switzerland to go skiing...I hate skiing. Luckily I get the weekend off as well to do with as I like. I originally was going to go see Alex and his friends in Cinque Terre (Italian Riveria) but because it is so close to the date and absolutely everyone in Europe is traveling this weekend the trip would cost around 500 euros. Sooo that's definitely not happening, I might just stay in Strasbourg and finish up homework and relax with my friends here, maybe take a day trip somewhere.

The past week the NATO conference took place in Strasbourg and neighboring Kehl. Obama was here with other bigwigs so the city was on lock down. The entire center was barricaded off and parts of the cities were in red and orange zones depending on proximity to the conference. Thousands of protestors came to Strasbourg to stir up a little attention, someone tried to set himself on fire in front of the Court of Human Rights. Honestly it didn't really phase me because there have been strikes taking place since I have been here. It was fun to join a little bit of the craze though.