It's not unusual...

because EVERYTHING here is unusual, unusual is the norm, nothing ever turns out like I think it will. For example: when did it become normal to sit on the floor of a shower and discuss Remington Steele w/a guy from Berlin at 3 in the morning? I've come to the realization that being an assistant in France is absolutely nothing like I thought it would be. I mean, nothing is ever quite as you expect it to be, but this is just surreal.

True my French is improving (imperceptibly), I am getting slightly better at teaching, and on good days I almost feel that I am a functional part of French society...but really, I am just a glorified babysitter, I spend my week baking things, bonding w/my stray cat, and occasionally teaching. Weekends are spent in the most unlikely of locations, speaking the usual creole / patois / esperanto of assistants and drinking into the wee hours of the morning. It's not a bad life, I think I'm just starting to feel guilty that I do so little and actually, amazingly, get paid to do this. And guilty that I still don't really speak French, and don't really feel compelled at all to try harder. And guilty that I'm just bouncing around Europe meeting a lot of people I'll probably never see again, and doing nothing serious with my life, no planning for a stable future. The grass is always greener I suppose.

Speaking of baking I had my first major success ! A chocolate cake made entirely from scratch for Jesse's birthday. The cake wasn't too chocolately but the icing was positively decadent!

Family portrait:



And a close up. Notice inspired decor. Like Martha Stewart but w/out the elegance!




Nothing else is really new here, about to repeat the proccess of another week where anything could and probably will happen. Best news is that Kathy is coming to visit me in 10 days!!! Tentative plans to visit Belgium. Should be great! And unusual per usual. Off to go make snickerdoodle dough. C'est la vie, c'est la vie ici...