Last week, I took a French cooking class. I have to say that I am a pretty good chef. Okay, maybe some credit goes to the real chef that helped us all prepare our meals, but I still did a pretty dang good job.
As I walked into the room, I knew that we would be having fish, as my nose told me so. We also would be having mashed potatoes with regular and sweet potatoes.
We started by peeling the potatoes and dicing them into small cubes. I really want a peeler like the one I used. I peeled everything so fast. Then we had to prepare ze poisson. We had to pull the bones out of the fish with a tweezer-like tool. Then we moved over to the stove.
I put some oil in a pan and let it get hot, and then put the fish in. Because the fish still had it's skin on it, we were told to press the fish down, so when the skin shrunk, it wouldn't curl. I cooked the fish, while adding just a sprinkle of salt here and there. We also finished making the mashed potatoes, and then served up our plates in a truly marvelous fashion.
We arranged the mashed potatoes with a small dimple in it, and then laid down the fish (found out that it was Sea Bass) near the bottom of the potatoes. Then, we filled the dimple in with a spoonful of pesto sauce that was absolutely marvelous.
It was really good. I have never eaten fish with the skin still on it, but I didn't even notice. It just gave the fish a nice crunch to it, adding texture. My taste buds were begging for more. Dessert was the best part. The chefs there had prepared for us a dark chocolate pudding concoction with a hazelnut crumble on top. T'was to die for.
Last Friday, I saw the Artist. A truly great film, and it deserved to the five Oscars that it won. I have never watched a full-length black and white silent film before. It was very refreshing and I loved the film. France does a pretty good job in reenacting Hollywood.
Saturday night, I saw my second football match. Olympique Lyonnais faced Paris Saint Germain (Booooo). I arrived a little late, and Paris was already up on the board 1-0. The stadium was packed and I could only stand in the aisle at the top of the stairs. Then OL netted their first goal, and two minutes later, they scored their second. Before I knew it, my team was leading 2-1.
I was finally able to find some friends and watch the rest of the game. OL scored again to go up on number one PSG 3-1. Unfortunately, Paris scored in extra time before the half to make it 3-2.
In the second, OL scored again to go up by two goals once more, but Paris answered back late to make it 4-3. Lyon held the lead till the end of the game, but 3 minutes of extra time followed. As getting to the metro can be crazy after the game, we all decided to leave (I know, cardinal sin). I thought OL won 4-3, but to my dismay when I got home, ESPN told me otherwise. It must have happened right after I left, but Paris scored in the final minute to tie the game 4-4. What a disappointment.
Sunday morning, I went swimming for the first time in France. I quickly learned something about French pools. They don't allow board shorts. This was a problem for me, because that's what I wear. You can only wear skin tight, speedo-type suits. Fortunately they had one for me to borrow, but I wore my underwear underneath for sanitary issues. I don't know who possibly used it before me...
Monday, I participated in the International Quiz that was organized for all of the IBP students. We had four people in our group, which was named Eastern Europe. After 3 grueling rounds, we emerged as the winners, no, the CHAMPIONS! It may have been by half a point, but a win is a win baby! As a prize, we all got a free beer.
Tomorrow it is off to Geneva, Switzerland and I can't wait. I get to go to another country in Europe. If I could just find my passport...
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
The Great Sponge Resurrection
Last week, I was washing my dishes. I was using my sponge and looking at it, thinking that I should probably throw it away and start using a new one. I had used the same sponge for about a month. So, I threw it in the trash and pulled out a fresh, new sponge.
Later that day, I went back into the kitchen to wash some dishes again. I saw my sponge by the sink, which was not where I had left it. I always know which one is my sponge, because sadly and grossly, it is the only yellow one in the kitchen. I picked it up to use it, and noticed that it looked really worn and used. This struck me as weird. It was also really wet, and I always ring out my sponge. Then, an idea struck me. An idea that I thought was too absurd to be true.
It ran across my mind, that possibly, this was not my new sponge. Possibly, this was my old sponge.
But how did it get out of the garbage and back onto the sink? Had my old sponge risen from the dead to take up its post as Lord of the Sink again? Was it angry that I had tried to throw it away? Suddenly, fear and terror gripped me. But then, a more logical explanation came to mind.
I thought that perhaps one of my roommates, took my old sponge out of the trash and was now using it. I looked back at the sink and noticed that there was one less brown sponge in the sink.
I then looked to the spot where I remembered putting my new sponge. Sure enough, there it sat.
Still not believing that my idea might be true, I looked at the trash. A quick look, and I found no trace of the old sponge I had thrown away.
It perplexes me on who would take a sponge out of the trash and WHY? I mean, I see the logic in upgrading from a brown sponge (possibly 5 months old?) to a one month old sponge. But, c'mon man!?! Sponges are 1 euro for a 2 pack at the grocery store. Could you not "splurge" this month on a new sponge?
"I just don't think I can afford a new sponge this month. I mean, who do they think I am, Bill Gates. I don't have that type of money laying around."
Well, at least there are two yellow sponges now......
Later that day, I went back into the kitchen to wash some dishes again. I saw my sponge by the sink, which was not where I had left it. I always know which one is my sponge, because sadly and grossly, it is the only yellow one in the kitchen. I picked it up to use it, and noticed that it looked really worn and used. This struck me as weird. It was also really wet, and I always ring out my sponge. Then, an idea struck me. An idea that I thought was too absurd to be true.
It ran across my mind, that possibly, this was not my new sponge. Possibly, this was my old sponge.
But how did it get out of the garbage and back onto the sink? Had my old sponge risen from the dead to take up its post as Lord of the Sink again? Was it angry that I had tried to throw it away? Suddenly, fear and terror gripped me. But then, a more logical explanation came to mind.
I thought that perhaps one of my roommates, took my old sponge out of the trash and was now using it. I looked back at the sink and noticed that there was one less brown sponge in the sink.
I then looked to the spot where I remembered putting my new sponge. Sure enough, there it sat.
Still not believing that my idea might be true, I looked at the trash. A quick look, and I found no trace of the old sponge I had thrown away.
It perplexes me on who would take a sponge out of the trash and WHY? I mean, I see the logic in upgrading from a brown sponge (possibly 5 months old?) to a one month old sponge. But, c'mon man!?! Sponges are 1 euro for a 2 pack at the grocery store. Could you not "splurge" this month on a new sponge?
"I just don't think I can afford a new sponge this month. I mean, who do they think I am, Bill Gates. I don't have that type of money laying around."
Well, at least there are two yellow sponges now......
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Champions League
This week was back to school. Too bad ski week wasn't ski weeks.
Not much happened this week. The highlight of my week came on Valentine's Day. I have to say that it was the best Valentine's Day I've had in recent memory.
On the 14th, the hometown soccer team, Olympique Lyonnais took on APOEL Nicosie in the round of 16 in the Champions League. It was the first time that a team from Cyprus (APOEL) had made it into the knockout rounds. It also happened to be my first professional soccer game.
The air was electric Tuesday. Even before the game, APOEL fans were everywhere in the city, showing their team pride. As I walked down Rue Victor Hugo, I could hear them chanting. I finally saw them, and they were carrying a sign that said, "South Side Crew." I find it funny that fans from Cyprus were carrying around a sign in English. Thug life I guess.
As of Tuesday, I didn't even have a ticket for the game. I ended up buying one down at the stadium before the match started. I wasn't able to buy a ticket in the same section as some other people I knew who were going, but I did get one in the section next to it.
It ended up not mattering where my seat was. I found a group of friends, and we were all in seats that weren't ours. I don't think they really care about sitting in your specific seat/row here.
Right off the bat, I could tell there was a high amount of energy in the stadium. I have to confess that american football fans have nothing on their crazed European counterparts.
I was in what I would call the "student section" of the stadium, behind one of the goals. It was definitely the place to be. We never sat down, except at half, and they even had a guy on a microphone leading our chants. The people in the "good seats" sat down during the game.
Before the game, as I looked across the field to the opposing team's fan section, I noticed that there were about 20 security guards lining their section. There was also an empty section of bleachers separating the OL fans from the APOEL fans.
Finally, the two teams took the field. APOEL wore yellow, and Olympique Lyon wore their Champions League jerseys, which are a pinkish color. The color seemed vary appropriate on Valentine's Day.
As APOEL took to the field, their fans lit flares. I was shocked to see that, and that no security guards were doing anything about it. It must be a common thing. If someone tried to do that in a football game back home, they would definitely get kicked out.
The game started, and I stood there in my Olympique Lyonnais jersey and shouted and clapped with the rest of them. I didn't always understand most of the chants. Most were just a play on the word "Lyonnais," but I was able to learn one of the chants. "Qui ne sauté pas, n'est pas Lyonnais," which translated to "He who does not jump is not from Lyon," during which everyone jumps up and down.
I watched the first half as OL dominated APOEL. They held the ball 63% of the time and APOEL never mounted an offensive attack. They didn't even have a shot on goal. Lyon was able to get a couple of shots on goal, but they couldn't net anything, and the two teams went into half at 0-0.
Finally, in the second half, Alexandre Lacazette netted the first goal of the game in the 58 minute. That ended up being the one and only score of the game as Olympique Lyon beat APOEL 1-0.
It wasn't the most exciting of games, but I had a great intro into soccer. Plus, it was during a Champions Leauge game. It was a great way to spend Valentine's Day, with one of my loves ....sports. I can't wait to go to the Paris St. Germain game in a couple of weeks.
Not much happened this week. The highlight of my week came on Valentine's Day. I have to say that it was the best Valentine's Day I've had in recent memory.
On the 14th, the hometown soccer team, Olympique Lyonnais took on APOEL Nicosie in the round of 16 in the Champions League. It was the first time that a team from Cyprus (APOEL) had made it into the knockout rounds. It also happened to be my first professional soccer game.
The air was electric Tuesday. Even before the game, APOEL fans were everywhere in the city, showing their team pride. As I walked down Rue Victor Hugo, I could hear them chanting. I finally saw them, and they were carrying a sign that said, "South Side Crew." I find it funny that fans from Cyprus were carrying around a sign in English. Thug life I guess.
As of Tuesday, I didn't even have a ticket for the game. I ended up buying one down at the stadium before the match started. I wasn't able to buy a ticket in the same section as some other people I knew who were going, but I did get one in the section next to it.
It ended up not mattering where my seat was. I found a group of friends, and we were all in seats that weren't ours. I don't think they really care about sitting in your specific seat/row here.
Right off the bat, I could tell there was a high amount of energy in the stadium. I have to confess that american football fans have nothing on their crazed European counterparts.
I was in what I would call the "student section" of the stadium, behind one of the goals. It was definitely the place to be. We never sat down, except at half, and they even had a guy on a microphone leading our chants. The people in the "good seats" sat down during the game.
Before the game, as I looked across the field to the opposing team's fan section, I noticed that there were about 20 security guards lining their section. There was also an empty section of bleachers separating the OL fans from the APOEL fans.
Finally, the two teams took the field. APOEL wore yellow, and Olympique Lyon wore their Champions League jerseys, which are a pinkish color. The color seemed vary appropriate on Valentine's Day.
As APOEL took to the field, their fans lit flares. I was shocked to see that, and that no security guards were doing anything about it. It must be a common thing. If someone tried to do that in a football game back home, they would definitely get kicked out.
The game started, and I stood there in my Olympique Lyonnais jersey and shouted and clapped with the rest of them. I didn't always understand most of the chants. Most were just a play on the word "Lyonnais," but I was able to learn one of the chants. "Qui ne sauté pas, n'est pas Lyonnais," which translated to "He who does not jump is not from Lyon," during which everyone jumps up and down.
I watched the first half as OL dominated APOEL. They held the ball 63% of the time and APOEL never mounted an offensive attack. They didn't even have a shot on goal. Lyon was able to get a couple of shots on goal, but they couldn't net anything, and the two teams went into half at 0-0.
Finally, in the second half, Alexandre Lacazette netted the first goal of the game in the 58 minute. That ended up being the one and only score of the game as Olympique Lyon beat APOEL 1-0.
It wasn't the most exciting of games, but I had a great intro into soccer. Plus, it was during a Champions Leauge game. It was a great way to spend Valentine's Day, with one of my loves ....sports. I can't wait to go to the Paris St. Germain game in a couple of weeks.
GAME STATS
Shots (on goal)- Lyon: 18(5) APOEL: 1(1)
Fouls- Lyon: 15 APOEL 12
Corner Kicks- Lyon: 7 APOEL: 4
Offsides- Lyon: 1 APOEL: 2
Time of Posses.- Lyon: 64% APOEL: 36%
Yellow Cards- Lyon: 0 APOEL: 2
Red Cards- Lyon: 0 APOEL: 0
Saves- Lyon: 1 APOEL: 4
Sunday, February 12, 2012
SKI WEEK!!!
Ski Week is now in the books, and it was everything I thought it would be....and more!
I woke up Tuesday morning, packed for my trip, and then headed down to school to wait to board the buses. They told us to be there at 2, but our bus didn't pull out until around 3. In total, there were 4 buses for everybody on the trip. I think there were about 30 IBP kids, and the rest were all French.
The seating on the bus was kind of small. I like being tall, except for when I have to travel. Too bad my legs don't detach. But, at least I had the aisle, so I could stretch out a bit.
The trip to the mountain was only about 3 hours, but it would have been quicker if we didn't have to stop twice. I guess the French can't go 3 hours without having to smoke.
While on the bus, they asked where the IBP kids were, and then they had us identify our countries. On our bus, there were 4 Mexicans, 2 Germans, 1 Russian, and me. They then proceeded to have us all come up front and sing our national anthem. Unfortunately for us, the Russian guy, Evgeny, and I had to do solos. I also noticed that most other nations' national anthems are like chants, while the US has a nice, challenging song....
I noticed on the ride up, that the Alps are very rocky and jagged. They remind me more of Whistler than the Sierra Nevada or the mountains in Idaho. I enjoyed the drive up, being able to see the little villages outside of the big city.
We finally got to our destination around 6, unloaded and found our flat. The two German girls (Lisa and Stefanie), Evgeny, and I all shared a flat. There was only one bedroom with two beds. The other two comprised of the couch, and a bed that pulled out from under the couch. We let the girls have the room.
We were all hungry when we got there, but there was no food in our room. I was able to make hot chocolate, but with water....We finally got food and made some pasta. Then it was off to bed.
I woke up the next morning and went over to the rental shop to get my board and boots before hitting the mountain. They weren't my board or boots, but they worked...sort of.
I made my first run, and it felt AMAZING. It was as if I had found a piece of me that had been missing. The Alps, snow, and boarding....it can't get much better than that. There is nothing like the sound and feel of a board on my feet carving into the snow.
I spent most of that morning with another girl who snowboarded. I did happen to make some treks through trees, but after my second adventure, I had to give up and realize that there would be no skiing through the trees on this trip.
I quickly realized that the summits were the places to be. There was the best snow and nice, open terrain. I had read that there was a boarder-cross track, but I didn't find it.
I ate lunch outside in the sun and had myself an awesome hamburger with fries. Good ole American food hit the spot. After lunch, I got separated from my pack, so I rode solo. I was near the top of the mountain when my left toe strap broke, but I was able to board down and have the rental shop fix it.
With a new binding, I was back up on the mountain, trying to get the most out of my time. I found a run that I really liked, and stuck to it for awhile. It had some nice jumps on it, and I could hall balls down it. I was thankful that the mountain and runs were not crowded.
I finished boarding for the day, and went over to this little ice rink where they were playing hockey. It was a plastic-ice surface and hard to skate on. I played some hockey, scored a goal of my own, and also stopped some.
Exhausted, I went back to my room where it was time to snack. At 8, we all went to a restaurant where they had a French specialty dish, Tartiflette, ready for us. It was like au gratin potatoes with some sausage and salad. Of course, it was good. To finish it off, we had chocolate eclairs for dessert.
The second day was another great day of boarding. It even started off with some nice french toast for breakfast. I was able to find the "boarder-cross" track (a couple of small banked turns and a little jump) and the park. But, the two jumps in the park were a nice size.
My first run of that day was full of moguls, which was a bad idea to warm up on. I spent most of the morning on the peaks. It was so nice and sunny up there.
At 1, I made my way to the bottom of the hill where we had a barbecue, which consisted of two sausages on a baguette. Definitely a different type of barbecue.
The Big Air competition kicked off just as I got my food, so I scarfed it down and then got in line.
The competition was amazing. We went off a jump into a huge air-inflated pad. It was so nice to not have to worry about landing. I could just throw my body and not care what happened.
My first jump was just an air, but then I mostly did back flips with a twist. My personal favorite jump was when I took a redbull and pretended to be drinking it while doing a method.
After the Big Air, I got in some more runs before going back to the flat to eat a little. I went back out for night skiing at 7. I was disappointed that night skiing was only one run, and only a small rope-tow run at that. But, I made the most of the two hours we had.
We went back to shower and eat. I decided to go last (yes, I know that is a bad idea). I went right before dinner, but the water was ice cold, so I jumped right back out. I decided to wait until after dinner to try for some hot water. As dinner ended, and I did the dishes, I had the water all the way on hot, and there was nothing but straight up cold water. I knew that my shower was not going to be fun.
My shower took my breath away, but not in a good way. It was sooooo cold. All I wanted was just a nice, relaxing, hot shower. But, twas not to be this night.
Friday was the last day of skiing. It was also the coldest out of all three days. We went to the top right away, but the first run chilled me to the bone. My toes were frozen and I thought about going back inside to thaw out. But, we made our way over to the sunny peak, and all was good.
We ate lunch at the mid-chalet, and then went over to where the slalom was taking place. The slalom course wasn't hard, but I had the toughest time trying to gain speed. I did everything I could think of, but felt like I crawled across the finish line. The skiers definitely had an easier time compared to the boarders.
After that, I went down the jumps a couple of times. One of the girls with us ended up going off one and breaking her tailbone. We had to call up ski patrol, and now she has to be in the hospital for a week. Another IBP kid hurt his neck in the Big Air, and has to wear a brace for awhile. Only IBP kids got hurt on the trip.
I continued to shred for the rest of the day, trying to leave nothing in reserve, leave it all on the mountain. I broke my left toe strap again, so my last three runs, I didn't have it. I was able to catch the gondola with 5 minutes to spare and take my last run down the mountain. Once off the mountain, I returned all my gear and went out in search of a pin. It is a tradition of mine to get a pin from the places I have boarded (sorry Bogus, you don't merit a pin).
I searched in all of the ski stores and found nothing. Then, I found a Tabac, which is like a little mini-mart. They had post cards, and even key chains, but no pins that I could see. I was about to give up and decided to ask the woman behind the counter if she had any pins. She did, and pulled out a few from under the counter. I was so excited to be able to keep my tradition going.
On my way back, I ran into a guy from the club that organized the trip. He told me that Happy Hour was going on at one of the bars, and that they would be giving out the prizes for the competitions at the bar. He also said that he thought I won something.
We went over to the bar, but it was crowded and there were no IBPs in there. I left and went outside, where a little match of snow soccer was about to begin. I joined for awhile, and showed how good Americans are at soccer. It was 3 French and I against 4 Mexicans. The Mexicans handled us. I soon left the game as my hands were freezing and I wasn't wearing any snow gear.
I went back and the girls were making dinner. Towards the end of dinner, there was a knock on the door, and it was for me. The leaders for the group told me that I had been missed at the Happy Hour when they handed out the prizes. It turned out that I won the Big Air competition for snowboarders. They then proceeded to pull out a snowboard! My prize for winning the competition was a SNOWBOARD! I had to ask if they were sure I was the one that had won it. The board is awesome. It has a rainbow fade to it, and at the bottom is a wave with a snowboard surfing it. It definitely made my Friday. I just don't know how I am taking it back to the States with me. I think I covered my loses from the trip by winning the snowboard.
Saturday, it was up early to clean the flat. We had to have it cleaned by 9:30. They ended up making us leave our flat around 10:30, and we had to drag all our stuff to a luggage room. We then proceeded to a restaurant and I ordered some hot chocolate. But, they kicked us out around 11:45 because they needed our table. We got our lunch that was provided for us, but had nowhere to sit and eat. There was no lodge at the mountain. It was so cold outside, so we went into a restaurant to eat inside. The manager got mad and asked me if I took my own food inside to eat in restaurants and didn't order anything in my country. I felt like saying that in my country, our ski resorts had lodges. So, that was the cue to leave. That was around 12:30, but the buses weren't supposed to come until 2. We ended up having to wait outside for hours until the buses came. I think they came near 3.
We were all completely frozen by the time the buses came. We loaded up and made our way back to Lyon. I never thought I would look forward to going to my residence, but I wanted nothing more than to get off that bus and take a hot shower.
When we got to Lyon, it was 6, and I had tickets to a soccer game that started at 7. I went home and ate, and was debating on whether or not to go to the game because I was tired. Ended up that the game was already over because they had bumped the starting time up to 5. So, that cleared that situation up. My HOT shower felt amazing last night. I didn't want to get out.
Overall, Ski Week was a grand success. Even though Saturday may not have been much fun, the three days of boarding completely erased Saturday's pains. Plus, I had an awesome time during the Big Air comp and an even better time when I found out that I had won. If those are the only three days that I get to board this winter, then I will be completely satisfied.
I woke up Tuesday morning, packed for my trip, and then headed down to school to wait to board the buses. They told us to be there at 2, but our bus didn't pull out until around 3. In total, there were 4 buses for everybody on the trip. I think there were about 30 IBP kids, and the rest were all French.
The seating on the bus was kind of small. I like being tall, except for when I have to travel. Too bad my legs don't detach. But, at least I had the aisle, so I could stretch out a bit.
The trip to the mountain was only about 3 hours, but it would have been quicker if we didn't have to stop twice. I guess the French can't go 3 hours without having to smoke.
While on the bus, they asked where the IBP kids were, and then they had us identify our countries. On our bus, there were 4 Mexicans, 2 Germans, 1 Russian, and me. They then proceeded to have us all come up front and sing our national anthem. Unfortunately for us, the Russian guy, Evgeny, and I had to do solos. I also noticed that most other nations' national anthems are like chants, while the US has a nice, challenging song....
I noticed on the ride up, that the Alps are very rocky and jagged. They remind me more of Whistler than the Sierra Nevada or the mountains in Idaho. I enjoyed the drive up, being able to see the little villages outside of the big city.
We finally got to our destination around 6, unloaded and found our flat. The two German girls (Lisa and Stefanie), Evgeny, and I all shared a flat. There was only one bedroom with two beds. The other two comprised of the couch, and a bed that pulled out from under the couch. We let the girls have the room.
We were all hungry when we got there, but there was no food in our room. I was able to make hot chocolate, but with water....We finally got food and made some pasta. Then it was off to bed.
I woke up the next morning and went over to the rental shop to get my board and boots before hitting the mountain. They weren't my board or boots, but they worked...sort of.
I made my first run, and it felt AMAZING. It was as if I had found a piece of me that had been missing. The Alps, snow, and boarding....it can't get much better than that. There is nothing like the sound and feel of a board on my feet carving into the snow.
I spent most of that morning with another girl who snowboarded. I did happen to make some treks through trees, but after my second adventure, I had to give up and realize that there would be no skiing through the trees on this trip.
I quickly realized that the summits were the places to be. There was the best snow and nice, open terrain. I had read that there was a boarder-cross track, but I didn't find it.
I ate lunch outside in the sun and had myself an awesome hamburger with fries. Good ole American food hit the spot. After lunch, I got separated from my pack, so I rode solo. I was near the top of the mountain when my left toe strap broke, but I was able to board down and have the rental shop fix it.
With a new binding, I was back up on the mountain, trying to get the most out of my time. I found a run that I really liked, and stuck to it for awhile. It had some nice jumps on it, and I could hall balls down it. I was thankful that the mountain and runs were not crowded.
I finished boarding for the day, and went over to this little ice rink where they were playing hockey. It was a plastic-ice surface and hard to skate on. I played some hockey, scored a goal of my own, and also stopped some.
Exhausted, I went back to my room where it was time to snack. At 8, we all went to a restaurant where they had a French specialty dish, Tartiflette, ready for us. It was like au gratin potatoes with some sausage and salad. Of course, it was good. To finish it off, we had chocolate eclairs for dessert.
The second day was another great day of boarding. It even started off with some nice french toast for breakfast. I was able to find the "boarder-cross" track (a couple of small banked turns and a little jump) and the park. But, the two jumps in the park were a nice size.
My first run of that day was full of moguls, which was a bad idea to warm up on. I spent most of the morning on the peaks. It was so nice and sunny up there.
At 1, I made my way to the bottom of the hill where we had a barbecue, which consisted of two sausages on a baguette. Definitely a different type of barbecue.
The Big Air competition kicked off just as I got my food, so I scarfed it down and then got in line.
The competition was amazing. We went off a jump into a huge air-inflated pad. It was so nice to not have to worry about landing. I could just throw my body and not care what happened.
My first jump was just an air, but then I mostly did back flips with a twist. My personal favorite jump was when I took a redbull and pretended to be drinking it while doing a method.
After the Big Air, I got in some more runs before going back to the flat to eat a little. I went back out for night skiing at 7. I was disappointed that night skiing was only one run, and only a small rope-tow run at that. But, I made the most of the two hours we had.
We went back to shower and eat. I decided to go last (yes, I know that is a bad idea). I went right before dinner, but the water was ice cold, so I jumped right back out. I decided to wait until after dinner to try for some hot water. As dinner ended, and I did the dishes, I had the water all the way on hot, and there was nothing but straight up cold water. I knew that my shower was not going to be fun.
My shower took my breath away, but not in a good way. It was sooooo cold. All I wanted was just a nice, relaxing, hot shower. But, twas not to be this night.
Friday was the last day of skiing. It was also the coldest out of all three days. We went to the top right away, but the first run chilled me to the bone. My toes were frozen and I thought about going back inside to thaw out. But, we made our way over to the sunny peak, and all was good.
We ate lunch at the mid-chalet, and then went over to where the slalom was taking place. The slalom course wasn't hard, but I had the toughest time trying to gain speed. I did everything I could think of, but felt like I crawled across the finish line. The skiers definitely had an easier time compared to the boarders.
After that, I went down the jumps a couple of times. One of the girls with us ended up going off one and breaking her tailbone. We had to call up ski patrol, and now she has to be in the hospital for a week. Another IBP kid hurt his neck in the Big Air, and has to wear a brace for awhile. Only IBP kids got hurt on the trip.
I continued to shred for the rest of the day, trying to leave nothing in reserve, leave it all on the mountain. I broke my left toe strap again, so my last three runs, I didn't have it. I was able to catch the gondola with 5 minutes to spare and take my last run down the mountain. Once off the mountain, I returned all my gear and went out in search of a pin. It is a tradition of mine to get a pin from the places I have boarded (sorry Bogus, you don't merit a pin).
I searched in all of the ski stores and found nothing. Then, I found a Tabac, which is like a little mini-mart. They had post cards, and even key chains, but no pins that I could see. I was about to give up and decided to ask the woman behind the counter if she had any pins. She did, and pulled out a few from under the counter. I was so excited to be able to keep my tradition going.
On my way back, I ran into a guy from the club that organized the trip. He told me that Happy Hour was going on at one of the bars, and that they would be giving out the prizes for the competitions at the bar. He also said that he thought I won something.
We went over to the bar, but it was crowded and there were no IBPs in there. I left and went outside, where a little match of snow soccer was about to begin. I joined for awhile, and showed how good Americans are at soccer. It was 3 French and I against 4 Mexicans. The Mexicans handled us. I soon left the game as my hands were freezing and I wasn't wearing any snow gear.
I went back and the girls were making dinner. Towards the end of dinner, there was a knock on the door, and it was for me. The leaders for the group told me that I had been missed at the Happy Hour when they handed out the prizes. It turned out that I won the Big Air competition for snowboarders. They then proceeded to pull out a snowboard! My prize for winning the competition was a SNOWBOARD! I had to ask if they were sure I was the one that had won it. The board is awesome. It has a rainbow fade to it, and at the bottom is a wave with a snowboard surfing it. It definitely made my Friday. I just don't know how I am taking it back to the States with me. I think I covered my loses from the trip by winning the snowboard.
Saturday, it was up early to clean the flat. We had to have it cleaned by 9:30. They ended up making us leave our flat around 10:30, and we had to drag all our stuff to a luggage room. We then proceeded to a restaurant and I ordered some hot chocolate. But, they kicked us out around 11:45 because they needed our table. We got our lunch that was provided for us, but had nowhere to sit and eat. There was no lodge at the mountain. It was so cold outside, so we went into a restaurant to eat inside. The manager got mad and asked me if I took my own food inside to eat in restaurants and didn't order anything in my country. I felt like saying that in my country, our ski resorts had lodges. So, that was the cue to leave. That was around 12:30, but the buses weren't supposed to come until 2. We ended up having to wait outside for hours until the buses came. I think they came near 3.
We were all completely frozen by the time the buses came. We loaded up and made our way back to Lyon. I never thought I would look forward to going to my residence, but I wanted nothing more than to get off that bus and take a hot shower.
When we got to Lyon, it was 6, and I had tickets to a soccer game that started at 7. I went home and ate, and was debating on whether or not to go to the game because I was tired. Ended up that the game was already over because they had bumped the starting time up to 5. So, that cleared that situation up. My HOT shower felt amazing last night. I didn't want to get out.
Overall, Ski Week was a grand success. Even though Saturday may not have been much fun, the three days of boarding completely erased Saturday's pains. Plus, I had an awesome time during the Big Air comp and an even better time when I found out that I had won. If those are the only three days that I get to board this winter, then I will be completely satisfied.
Monday, February 6, 2012
My one month anniversary
It's hard to believe that exactly one month ago, I stepped foot in Lyon for the very first time. So much has changed in that time period.
I have gone from getting off the plane and not knowing where the heck I was going, or what I was doing, to feeling like Lyon is my town, my stomping grounds so-to-say.
And now, after being here a month, I am so ready to leave this town....and go snowboarding in the Alps. The trip that I have been looking forward to since I saw the words "SKI WEEK" on the school calendar is finally here. Tomorrow, I pack my bags in search of some powder. I never got to go snowboarding once before I left Idaho, and the itch has now become unbearable. La Norma (the name of the resort), HERE I COME! I just hope that my board isn't mad that I will be snowboarding on another board....you know how they can get jealous like that.
Now, lets go back in time to sum up the week.......
Last Sunday, I went to the other English speaking church here in Lyon. It's called the International Christian Community of Lyon. It was really small, about 20 people total in the service, but I like it better than the Anglican church I went to. They also have a young adult group that meets on Fridays.
I went to the group this past Friday. We had pizza. I love free food. There was this one pizza that had a creamy white sauce with ham on top, ooohhh it was good. After that we had a bible study and then dessert afterwards. I decided to have coffee with the cake we had for dessert. I am not much of a coffee person, but you know, when in France.....I have decided that it doesn't matter if the coffee is a lot better here than in the US, it all tastes bitter. I guess I am definitely a person who needs sugar, creme, or some sort of chocolaty mixture in their coffee. The cake was really good. It was a heavier cake, more like a log, and it had pralines in it. Lovin the food here.
On another food note, I tried to make fajitas one night because I was getting sick of making pasta and chicken, though I guess tortillas and chicken isn't much of a change-up. The packet of spices to cook the chicken with was really good, but the salsa that I had tasted horrible. It was like putting red pasta sauce on my tortilla. But, the different taste of the meal was a nice switch up.
That same night that I made my "fajitas," it started to snow very softly. I got excited because I didn't get to see any snowfall while back home. I awoke the next morning to about 1-2 inches of snow on the ground. It just made me that more excited to go snowboarding.
Also, the International Business Program had a international food night on Tuesday. All of us were supposed to bring something native to our country. The obvious choice, being American, was to take hot dogs or hamburgers. But, I didn't want to go that route. The next idea that came to mind was to take chili dogs, or chili fries. But, I could not find chili, and did not want to go through the hassle of making it from scratch. Then I had a great idea; Apple Pie. What is more American than that? And what is more French than not having an oven? So that idea was quickly shot down too. But, I did have another great idea...
PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY! A: it's easy to make B: I need to "spread" (notice the word play) the word of peanut butter to my fellow humans around the world. As Jesus said, "Go into all the world and spread the joy of the peanut butter..." or something like that. And C: PBJ is very American. To my satisfaction, my plate was pretty much empty the last time I saw it. As my good friend George W. Bush would say, "Mission Accomplished."
It has been pretty cold here, staying in the teens mostly. The dreary fog/ inversion lifted to bring in cold weather and clear skies. Apparently it is abnormally cold for France this winter, especially in Lyon.
Last Friday night, I got to feel this cold on a whole nother level. My heater decided not to work. I got up in the middle of the night, freezing, only to find that my heater was as cold as I was. I went back to bed, but not before laying down my ski jacket and my towel on top of me for extra warmth.
I awoke the next morning to find out that the whole "apartment" had lost heat, as well as hot water. I think it is hot water that flows through my heater, thus heating my room. Needless to say, it was pretty dang cold until about 2 o'clock when it started working again.
Saturday, the funniest thing happened while I was grocery shopping. I went to the store to pick up a few things. I saw this little kid while I was walking around, he had to be between 1-2. He saw me and I smiled back. I continued to shop, but came across the kid again. He was walking with some sort of meat package in his hands. As he went past me, he saw me and my basket, and dropped the package of meat into my basket. I started laughing and pulled it back out to give to him. His mother must have looked over and put together what happened, as she started to laugh too. Kids really do the darndest things. I have to say that scene made my day, and still makes me laugh whenever I think back on it.
Sunday, I watched the SUPER BOWL. Well, actually it was Monday, as the game didn't start until 12:30. So I guess it was Super Monday?? I took a pre-nap to make sure I was well rested before the game. I went over to a pub to watch it, and there was a pretty good amount of people there. Not a lot, but a good amount. Unfortunately, the European channel that we were watching it through didn't have the commercials. It only showed NFL highlights during commercial break. That was disappointing. Also, I didn't have any game snacks to much on; hot wings, burgers, fries, chips, dips, pizza, all that good stuff.
At half, we tried to find some food place that might be open on a Sunday around 1:30, but that failed. Most everyone left at half, even my fellow Americans. I had to disown them as Americans. You never leave the Super Bowl, even if you do have class in the morning.
Only two of us ended up staying, me and Andres (he's from Mexico). I was able to watch the rest of the game, as the Giants beat the Pats once again (I was going for the Giants) 21-17. It was my first international Super Bowl. The game ended around 4, so not too bad.
Afterwards, I thought I would be able to catch the night bus back home. Wrong. The night bus only operates from Thursday to Saturday. Andres and I split a cab down to Perrache, where I then had to walk up the hill. But, this time, I found the short cut, which really took a lot of time off my ascent to Allix. I was all bundled up, as it was like 12 degrees outside. I noticed, as I neared my residence, that the breath going through my scarf was turning to frost on it.
I got back to my room, and found the commercials online. My internet works AWESOME that late at night/ early in the morning cause no one is on the WiFi.
I also skyped my friend from home, and we had the best and clearest conversation in all our attempts to skype.
I ended up staying up till 6-6:30, a time which people had started going to work. I thought that this would be a good time to go to bed. Thank God that I only had one class today, and that was at 3:45.
I still need to pack to go boarding. Did I mention that I can't wait to be on the mountain? We travel to the resort tomorrow, with our first day of actually being on the mountain being Wednesday. It is so time for me to "faire du snowboard."
I have gone from getting off the plane and not knowing where the heck I was going, or what I was doing, to feeling like Lyon is my town, my stomping grounds so-to-say.
And now, after being here a month, I am so ready to leave this town....and go snowboarding in the Alps. The trip that I have been looking forward to since I saw the words "SKI WEEK" on the school calendar is finally here. Tomorrow, I pack my bags in search of some powder. I never got to go snowboarding once before I left Idaho, and the itch has now become unbearable. La Norma (the name of the resort), HERE I COME! I just hope that my board isn't mad that I will be snowboarding on another board....you know how they can get jealous like that.
Now, lets go back in time to sum up the week.......
Last Sunday, I went to the other English speaking church here in Lyon. It's called the International Christian Community of Lyon. It was really small, about 20 people total in the service, but I like it better than the Anglican church I went to. They also have a young adult group that meets on Fridays.
I went to the group this past Friday. We had pizza. I love free food. There was this one pizza that had a creamy white sauce with ham on top, ooohhh it was good. After that we had a bible study and then dessert afterwards. I decided to have coffee with the cake we had for dessert. I am not much of a coffee person, but you know, when in France.....I have decided that it doesn't matter if the coffee is a lot better here than in the US, it all tastes bitter. I guess I am definitely a person who needs sugar, creme, or some sort of chocolaty mixture in their coffee. The cake was really good. It was a heavier cake, more like a log, and it had pralines in it. Lovin the food here.
On another food note, I tried to make fajitas one night because I was getting sick of making pasta and chicken, though I guess tortillas and chicken isn't much of a change-up. The packet of spices to cook the chicken with was really good, but the salsa that I had tasted horrible. It was like putting red pasta sauce on my tortilla. But, the different taste of the meal was a nice switch up.
That same night that I made my "fajitas," it started to snow very softly. I got excited because I didn't get to see any snowfall while back home. I awoke the next morning to about 1-2 inches of snow on the ground. It just made me that more excited to go snowboarding.
Also, the International Business Program had a international food night on Tuesday. All of us were supposed to bring something native to our country. The obvious choice, being American, was to take hot dogs or hamburgers. But, I didn't want to go that route. The next idea that came to mind was to take chili dogs, or chili fries. But, I could not find chili, and did not want to go through the hassle of making it from scratch. Then I had a great idea; Apple Pie. What is more American than that? And what is more French than not having an oven? So that idea was quickly shot down too. But, I did have another great idea...
PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY! A: it's easy to make B: I need to "spread" (notice the word play) the word of peanut butter to my fellow humans around the world. As Jesus said, "Go into all the world and spread the joy of the peanut butter..." or something like that. And C: PBJ is very American. To my satisfaction, my plate was pretty much empty the last time I saw it. As my good friend George W. Bush would say, "Mission Accomplished."
It has been pretty cold here, staying in the teens mostly. The dreary fog/ inversion lifted to bring in cold weather and clear skies. Apparently it is abnormally cold for France this winter, especially in Lyon.
Last Friday night, I got to feel this cold on a whole nother level. My heater decided not to work. I got up in the middle of the night, freezing, only to find that my heater was as cold as I was. I went back to bed, but not before laying down my ski jacket and my towel on top of me for extra warmth.
I awoke the next morning to find out that the whole "apartment" had lost heat, as well as hot water. I think it is hot water that flows through my heater, thus heating my room. Needless to say, it was pretty dang cold until about 2 o'clock when it started working again.
Saturday, the funniest thing happened while I was grocery shopping. I went to the store to pick up a few things. I saw this little kid while I was walking around, he had to be between 1-2. He saw me and I smiled back. I continued to shop, but came across the kid again. He was walking with some sort of meat package in his hands. As he went past me, he saw me and my basket, and dropped the package of meat into my basket. I started laughing and pulled it back out to give to him. His mother must have looked over and put together what happened, as she started to laugh too. Kids really do the darndest things. I have to say that scene made my day, and still makes me laugh whenever I think back on it.
Sunday, I watched the SUPER BOWL. Well, actually it was Monday, as the game didn't start until 12:30. So I guess it was Super Monday?? I took a pre-nap to make sure I was well rested before the game. I went over to a pub to watch it, and there was a pretty good amount of people there. Not a lot, but a good amount. Unfortunately, the European channel that we were watching it through didn't have the commercials. It only showed NFL highlights during commercial break. That was disappointing. Also, I didn't have any game snacks to much on; hot wings, burgers, fries, chips, dips, pizza, all that good stuff.
At half, we tried to find some food place that might be open on a Sunday around 1:30, but that failed. Most everyone left at half, even my fellow Americans. I had to disown them as Americans. You never leave the Super Bowl, even if you do have class in the morning.
Only two of us ended up staying, me and Andres (he's from Mexico). I was able to watch the rest of the game, as the Giants beat the Pats once again (I was going for the Giants) 21-17. It was my first international Super Bowl. The game ended around 4, so not too bad.
Afterwards, I thought I would be able to catch the night bus back home. Wrong. The night bus only operates from Thursday to Saturday. Andres and I split a cab down to Perrache, where I then had to walk up the hill. But, this time, I found the short cut, which really took a lot of time off my ascent to Allix. I was all bundled up, as it was like 12 degrees outside. I noticed, as I neared my residence, that the breath going through my scarf was turning to frost on it.
I got back to my room, and found the commercials online. My internet works AWESOME that late at night/ early in the morning cause no one is on the WiFi.
I also skyped my friend from home, and we had the best and clearest conversation in all our attempts to skype.
I ended up staying up till 6-6:30, a time which people had started going to work. I thought that this would be a good time to go to bed. Thank God that I only had one class today, and that was at 3:45.
I still need to pack to go boarding. Did I mention that I can't wait to be on the mountain? We travel to the resort tomorrow, with our first day of actually being on the mountain being Wednesday. It is so time for me to "faire du snowboard."
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