This is it

I'm going back to America. I will be in Portland at 9:26pm tomorrow night. It's going to be a very long day of traveling.
This last week has been just enough to make me want to stay here all summer. The weather is fantastic, encore screenings of competition films, dinners out with friends, staying up at night celebrating and exploring Cannes. I know I'm being general- on purpose.
I hate saying goodbye. leaving is difficult.
however I can't wait to be home. it will be welcoming.

thats it for this blog. thanks for reading. next time you see me- i will be sure to talk plenty more about my time here in CANNES, FRANCE.

Ventimiglia and Bikes

I find myself in an anxious time. Both wanting to go home, but not wanting to leave. I really hate leaving: saying goodbye, packing, traveling, knowing that the next time I come to Cannes my life here won't be the same.

The festival is over now, we have to wait until 7:00 tonight to find out which movie recieved the Palme d'Or, the highest honor at the festival.

Being free of my duties from the festival I have been able to explore some more around the area. Friday I ventured to Ventimiglia- its a town right on the border of France and Italy- technically it's in Italy. There's a large open air market. It's supposed to be cool, but I didn't really like it- mostly knock off purses and bags, dyed fabric, kitchen gadgets, belts, but a lot of the same repetitive stuff. I did enjoy walking around the streets, noticing the blending of French and Italien cultures.

My favorite part of the day actually turned out to be the train ride there:
Lauren and I were waiting at track 1, waiting for the train, ready to leave Cannes because we had enough of all the anglais speaking foreigners invading Cannes- when two dudes (depicted above) approached us. "It's so good to hear other people speaking English here." oh- haha. However they were friendly enough, and the four of us quickly became friends- we explained that we were students at the college international and not just here for the festival- however I added that was probably the reason I was here to begin with. They (Jeffrey and David) explained that they were from NY. Jeffrey-the guy with glasses told us about his short films he had in the festival and his comedy club in NY. David-his sidekick told us about his short films he also had in the festival (short film corner) and about his entertainment law career. Jeffrey entertained us with his explaination of the chakra colors and proceeded to analyize our personalities from there. David had just applied to attend Chappytown for his MFA- so I answered his questions about what Chapman is like (the best I could remember at least). I asked Jeffrey if he had a pen, so we could exchange information, he did, and pulled out a foot long pen from his bag. Needless to say the time on the train went by very quickly. David and Jeffrey got off at Monaco because the Grand Prix also happend to be going on this weekend.

Saturday I rented bikes!!!! A fantastic idea! I should have done this earlier. We were able to see so much. And I LOVE bike riding. It had been a long time since I last was on a bike. We started in Cannes, biking around the city and the Palais passing official festival cars and weaving around motorcycles and scooters, we proceeded East along the coastline, pass La Bocca, we crossed a river (which I didn't even know existed until then), then we stopped at a castle and climbed around- I have no idea what it's historical importance was, then began the challenging part of the journey- the road became much curvier, narrow shoulder, along a mountainous cliffside over looking the Riviera. I'm sure we looked ridiculous to all the professional bikers who passed us wearing their colorful spandex. We had to walk our bikes up some of the hills, and experienced some extreme speed going downhill. Fatigue caused us to pull over in the shade by a sewer opening, where we had a picnic lunch of olive baguette, herbes de Provence salami, pink lady apples, cherries, and plenty of water. We returned back to campus with enough time to jump into the sea cooling our hot skin before taking the bikes back. I got really sunburned.

Today I did a bunch of nothing. : )

This week should be fun- making the most of the time we have left.

FESTIVAL de CANNES

It's been eight days.
I've changed my mind often, about what exactly I thought this festival was about. Below are excerpts from notes ive written in various places at various times when I had a free moment.

I understand living/existing in the city of Cannes before apart from the festival now.

I didn't understand until it was gone.

The festival intrudes upon the quiet french beach life here.

What is the festival like?
Extremely high profile- i love how much i dont fit it. its cool. rich fashionable business people. no thanks. the seperation from the somebodies and the bobodies. how about the anybodies?

INTERNATIONAL

This festival is pretty crappy though in terms of numbers and statistics. this is really the first time i have seen the effects of how horrible the world economy is. i hear the words ECONOMIC CRISIS, or some variation of that, all over the palais. the parties are downsized. less people everywhere. its all over the trades. thats all the business people talk/complain about.

my boss richard has the same joke he uses whenever someone asks how he is or hows it going:
Hey Richard, how's it going?
Ok. But ok's the new excelenet.
followed by middle aged man laughter.

sure the entertainment bussiness still makes money but considering this is supposed to be the largest film festival in the world and is covered almost as heavily as the olympics or the world cup- theres not much action. less tourists. less attention. less celebrities. -but i dont care about that.
what i have come to care about is business.
THERE ARE LESS BUYERS. oh no. here in the lerins in the palais, specifically at lighning entertainment R7S8 I work as an intern. Technically you could say I'm helping to sell films at the Cannes Film Festival, but really I'm a receptionist doing the bitchwork for the "industry" that my chosen major hinges upon for any sort of success. Admist the mundance-answering phones, making schedules, and running tickets, deal memos, and scripts to various personnel- i do take pride in being a face for lighning entertainment- we have some good movies. Taking Chances is a romantic comedy staring Justin Long. Human Contract features the directorial debut of Jada Pickett Smith. And we are presaling a gangster movie called The Irishman staring Dustin Hoffman. Of corse we also sell movies like The Reef- a horror film about sharks, throwback to Sharky anyone? And we also have a nice selection of erotics. Erotics at Cannes... hmmm.
I like to meet people and help direct inquiries, even the stupid ones, and especially in ones in different languages. Previously having no knowledge of how distributino among the film industry happens, I have managed to act knowledgable enough about our company to show clients trailers and catalogues, analyize audiences at our screenings, and distinguish the meaning behind industry jargon dropped casually. I'll be glad when my internship is finished to allow me more time to explore more of the festival life, but in some strange way I'll miss the forced importance of it all.

Seeing movies. Now, at first I was really disappointed, because my badge has very limited access and powers. In fact it's considered a technicians badge... It has a big N on it. for NO perhaps. its still possible to see movies regardless of the badge you have, but there is a whole system of tickets and colors and restrictions, and lines to wait in. And being that most of my time is spent at work, I don't have time to stand in line all day for a movie. Luckily as the week has progressed I have learned more and figured out the best ways to get into movies. Here are the movies I've seen and what my experience has been like:

L'Épine dans le Coeur de Michel Gondry. A documentary about his aunt, who is a teacher. I liked the movie because it was a personal look into a French Filmmaker's family. It had the simplicity of a home movie, with the exception of two scenes that were animated. Michel Gondry was present for the screening, so was most of the principal crew, and his aunt, the theater was smaller, an intimate experience for me to be surrounded by such imagination and creativity.

Then I tried to get into Precious, but failed. bummer. cause i read the book.

Les Yeux sans Visage de Georges Franju. 1960s French horror/frankensteinesk film about a doctor that tried to replace women's faces if they were damaged. obsessive freak. a good movie to watch with an audience, everyone was squirmy and apalled together. I sat next to a French old man in a white suit.

Dogtooth de Yorgos Lanthimos. A new Greek film that ultimately explained how self torrment and destruction are the only escpae to isolation and brainwashing. However the extreme amount of incestual sex scenes really bothered me, and I found the movie to be very distant from its audience.

I Love you Phillip Morris. Yeah!!! Finally something I could laugh during. Jim Carrey-reminded me of his role in Liar, Liar- and Ewan McGregor were fantastic. The tone and point of the movie held consistantly. Refreshing to see a Gay Romantic Comedy in a lighthearted tone.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS DE QUENTIN TARANTINO.
Hey Jen, do you want a ticket to the 12 oclock screening of Inglourious Basterds.
YES!!!
My boss, Mathilde, gave me her ticket!!!!completely unexpected, I downed my espresso, switched badges with an intern from a rival distribution company, and dashed away to the Lumiére theater- the largest theater of the Palais. Someplace I had only dreamed about stepping foot in. I pushed through the crowd. Smiled. Said Bonjour. Scanned Badge. Torn ticket. Metal Detector passed. I was walking up the steps of the red carpet. not really walking more like feet hop dancing - almost like a prance. I took my seat in the HUGE theater. I think I sat in the French people section- there were lots of French people around me. I sat and read quietly until the movie started. Opening credits, lots of cheering, this was one of the most highly anticipated films of the festival- and i was there! The movie was good, not as good as the hype held it up to me. It wasn't as much of a war film as I thought it would be. And I thought the title was misleading, The inglourious basterds, didnt really drive the plot as much as the revenge plot did. I like how Tarantino built the film for the Cannes festival audience: international, different langauges, film lovers. The movie could be sharpend, maybe a good 15 minutes, the end of the second act felt really long. I want to talk with more people who saw the film already and get some more opinions.

Today I recieved two more tickets under the certain regard selection: Morrer Como um Homen de Joao Pedro Rodrigues and Á Deriva de Heitor Dhalia. With unlimited potential to follow.

Oh yeah, I should also say I really don't want to leave.

My Life before the Festival

Today I got my Badge. The 62 Festival de Cannes . I enjoyed walking to the Palias today to the acrediation. I told the man with the beige suit that I was with Mainline Releasing. He told me I could go in. Then I waited in queue with what looked like the members of the press: dudes with hats and beards, ladies with high heels and pencil skirts, and people holding binders with papers. I couldn't sleep last night.
Tomorrow I meet at 11 am at R7/S8 in the Lerins for set up and to meet my employers. Then I will actually know what I will be doing these next 10 days. In the meantime I can only imagine. The city of Cannes has already started to explode: restuarant and store prices have increased, buses and trains are filled, cars line up at stoplights, and beaches are covered with people. I also went shopping, and got a sweet white suit jacket to rock on the riviera.
This weekend was fantastic as well. Saturday I went to Gorges de Verdon and really honestly thought i found heaven on earth. We ventured in a paddle boat, rounded a large turn from the lake to the river, where the gorge narrows, and upon coming out of the turn found ourselves viewing three large waterfalls all in a row. It was pure beauty and I'm honestly sad for anyone who has not seen such amazingness before. Saturday night we went to Baoli- the nices club in Cannes, and got rejected. That was funny not fun. But it wasn't much of my scene anyways, everyone was really really really rich. Sunday I went to Juan les Pins, to go shopping, because stores are open on Sundays there. It was another awesome French Riviera town. The only thing that sucked was knowing that in 3 weeks I will have to leave this greatness.
I got my email back from Riddle today saying: "While the faculty committee was intrigued by your project proposal, they have strong reservations about its suitability for the senior thesis course." Which means by May 29th I have to resubmit, this time an actual script and my reel. This will prove to be problematic being that this deadline completely corresponds with the time of the festival- which right now is all my little heart cares about...

berlinberlinberlinberlinberlinberlinberlinberlinberlin

I knew I was in Berlin when; I heard the techno beats waiting for the SBahn at the graffiti covered station and the wurst/sewer smell intermixed with the Berliner's voices conversing in German. Many of my preconcieved notions of Germany were true, but much of what I encountered over this weekend I would have never thought was going to happen.
Friday, mainly a day of travel. Ashley and i set off from Cannes, Flew out from Nice, Switched plains in Munich, and landed in Berlin. Lufthansa does a good job. We had comfortable seats and ham sandwhiches. Upon arriving in Berlin we found our hostel- The Generator- the biggest in Berlin. Our room was with 14 other beds and Ashley and I were in different sections of the room. No problem, except the other men that I was with didn't speak english. Friday evening Ashley and I walked to the TV Tower, it was a good location to first search out cause we could see it getting larger as we were getting closer.

After our walk, we got back to the hostel with just enough time to head out with the infamous bar crawl that we were recommeded to by our friends at the college who had stayed at the Generator before. Ashley and I were excited to take on the night, just us two- 'Don't worry we got each others' backs' ... The bar crawl included 3 different bars and then - Matrix, a night club. Much happend this night including beer and jager shots, we met lots of people from different places. Worth noting was the tall guy and Geegle, his friend, from Switzerland, an actor from Dollhouse on Tv- who Ashley was a fan of and he bought us plenty to drink after we told him we recognized him from such as amazing show, the Australian tour guide- who Ashley quickly worked her charm on and ended up leaving with him. Now, this would seem a problem, leaving me in a country where i dont speak the language, intoxicated enough, and alone.

However I was not alone:

Admist the techno beats, drunken laughter, and Germanic Language, I hear: "Portland, Oregon"
I just turn around
"Did you say Portland?"
"Yeah, Portland, Oregon."
"Not Poland?"
"Yeah, we are from Portland."
"No way, me too!!!!!!!"

Then I wasn't alone.

In Berlin German, I happend to meet two guys from Portland, Kurt and Tyson. Quickly bonding over Portland love, peace, and harmony, we had a fantastic night of meeting other people, learning about Germany, drinking, dancing, and the like. To my delight Kurt left and Tyson and I spent the rest of the time together, and once the club scene died out, we managed to take on the city streets and find our way back to the hostel. Unsure if we will ever see each other again, it was a fantastic night. I would have never thought I would have gone to Berlin and end up connecting with Portland.

I have found this to be a reoccuring situation in retrospect throughout my time abroad, the more I learn about other cultures and countries the more I learn about my own.

Saturday Ashley had not returned, and my phone was locked in her locker, concerned, but not wanting to waste the day, I set out for a walking tour, hoping that when I came back to the hostel she would be back. I hoped the Australian tour guide was worth this.

Once I arrived at the meeting spot I happend to run into MarK, who I know from the college international, who also happend to be in Berlin the same weekend as me. Again surprised to see such a familiar face in a foreign country, we were happily reunited. He introduced me to the British and German friends he met at his hostel and we all set off on the tour. It lasted all day, the entire time I felt myself plunged into such a rich and open history, completely lost in the complexity and importance of the world. Brandenburg Gate, The Reichstag, Over Hitler's Bunker, Holocaust Memorial, Book Burning Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, Potsdamer Platz, SS Headquarters, The Berlin Wall, TV Tower, Gendarmenmarkt, Museum Island, Pariser Platz, Luftwaffe HQ, Bebelplatz. Overwhelmed and inspired I returned back to the hostel to find Ashley happy and safe. Together that night Ashley and I went to a lounge bar called White Trash Fast Food, upon the recommendation of the hot Australian Tour Guide. Outside we timidly waited in line along the velvet cord, greeted by friendly German bouncers, we curiously entered to find a basement like-Candle-lit-mirrored walls-cave like lounger, where the beer was cheap, friends were chillin, and everyone was under the control of the really loud modern alternative rock. We had fun dancing to North American Scum and Nobody Move.

Sunday we managed to wake up and hit up the Film Museum- after such a success in Amsterdam I felt inclined to see what Berlin had to offer- I was glad we did- it was a Hitchcock Exhibit- and once again I felt the urge of excitement and anxiety to direct my senior thesis next year. After we went to the Kennedy Museum. It was cool to see how another country percieves one of the most influential of our countries political families. And the museum even wall comparing the Obamas and the Kennedys. I will admit the museum was pretty empty when we were there. Sunday night- the reason we flew to Berlin to begin with - the Lilly Allen Concert. It was a fun concert, the venue was just big enough, the people were all feelin it, and Lilly was cute and rockin. After the concert Ashley and I went back to The Matrix club to see if we could run into some familiar faces again- but the club on that Sunday night wasnt that happening... Back at the hostel I was able to take a quick nap before I had to wake up at 5 in the morning, get online and register for my classes next year.

Monday we took a long walk, and eventually got back to Cannes, where it was sunny, and our friends all wanted to hear what had happend.

Needless to say I really like Berlin. I think going to Berlin was a necesary experience for me to witness first hand how change is completely possible.

Axon Provence

The sunshine, late nights on the beach, and newly purchased speakers have all been treating me far too well here in Cannes. So well in fact that this weekend I left- to Axon Provence. This is a list of where I went and some of what that entailed:
Ales- Van Gogh is a big deal here
Roman Arena
Night Café
Marché (another one) Provencal
Espace de Van Gogh- quote from a pamphlet "where the misunderstood genius spent 15 months of his life painting" The actual building was closed, but that didn't stop us from sitting around the fountain in the garden enjoying the sunshine.
Cathedral d'Images- very difficult to explain, this tops my list of coolest things ever, it was an exhibit of Picasso's work projected three dimensionally all over a big cave, accompianied with music, and it was really cold.
Les Beaux de Provence Village. Medival Ruins. Just like Helms Deep. Except more French. There was a catapult show. We had audioguides. I climbed around.
Avignon
Our Hotel was right by the Palais des Papes (The Pope's House).
Fancy Dinner: Veggy Soup, Salmon, and Cottage Cheese.
Hanging out of the hotel windows, just like the brady bunch.
Out to Red Sky. Bar. Large Outdoor Seating Area. Started to rain ( yesssssssss) Everyone flocked under one umbrella, we were lucky to get a space. Molly and I were the only nonFrench people there, no one bothered us, able to observe, decided that Avignon people are chill and not pretentious, off in the rain to meet up with our other friends at the Irish pub, Born in the USA was playing (????)
Tour of the Pope's house. We had audioguides. If I lived back then I would have definitley sat on the rat hand side of the pope in the Grand Chapell and watched the Pope cut his meet with his Ivory Knife and could only hope I was the recepient of the Golden Rose. The rain falling off the stone work sounded beautiful.
Lunch and chillin.
Wine Tasting.
Home at Cannes.
Good Weekend seeing Axon Provence in France.

Amsterdam

"PAIN. My eye. My eye. The left one. It hurts. I can't get it out. It's stuck. Aude and I race across the street. The pharmacists asks me. What's going on? It's my eye. Is it too late? For a doctor. Wait here. I'll get the forms. Don't move. I'm not. Ok, lay here. Probe and look. Je ne sais pas. The doctor said that. I don't know the word in english. Cornea is damaged. Back at Pharmacy. Get yellow drops and vitamin A cream. 3 x a day. Next 7 days. I'll get better now. "

This happend on Thursday night, the night before I left for Amsterdam. Scary and bad- but no one worry, cause the medicin healed me and i'm fine now. It bothered my that my sight was impaired, I pretended that my other sense of hearing and touched were hightend. -they probably weren't.

Friday morning I took a bus to Nice and a plane to Amsterdam. Now I'm not going to detail my trip here. The words I would write do not fit here and are out of place. Trust me when I say I had a fantatic time. Amsterdam is a magical city. Couch Surfing is fantastically cheap way to meet people, prostitution is gross, metro is expensive and confusing, the park is the best place to be, Amsterdam Film museum and 3 film majors - almost too perfect. Next time I go, I'm bringing a bike with me.

Now I'm enjoying the rain in Cannes, doing research for my internship with Lightning Entertainment, an international distribution company, and working on some plans for the future.

American Woofer

I had a fantastic Spring Break. It was the first time I strongly considered staying in France longer. I want more than anything to go back to Annemasse and stay with the Beytrison Family and work on the farm. Today's class was optional and the only reason I went was so I could talk more/brag about my amazing Spring Break. No matter how much I miss my home/friends/family-it's even more rewarding/satisfying to discover the familiar within and admist the unfamiliar. Living with a family reminded me of how much I love my family. Working with the Earth reminded me of how beautiful life everywhere is. At times I felt even more distant than I do in Cannes because I didn't access a computer or phone. Returning back to Cannes, finally checking messages and getting caught up, showed me that all the time I was thinking of my friends and family they were also thinking of me. It is easy to go home, but difficult to stay, but thats only because I had no idea what to expect.

All I want to do is tell everyone about how great my week was- but I want to preserve its sacricity for myself by enjoying the mystery of how everything worked out so well. This happend to me.

When I first got off the train in Annemasse I was absolutely terrified- I had no idea where I was, who was picking us up, or how to talk to anyone to figure any of this out. Then we met the family: Français, the hospitable and herb knowning mom, Bernard, the strong quiet dad, and Ulysse, the 17yr old charming european teenager. My shyness and lack of knowledge of the French language had a firm old on me and it wasn't until sometime during the aukward small talk at the dining room table when I was sipping on my glass of later that I was able to actually say something worthwhile. I told a joke- in french- a lightbulb joke about blonds, next time you see me, ask me to tell you, and I will make you laugh. It was difficult to translate, and it might have been the longest I have ever talked to a French person all at one time, completely on the spot, pausing occassionally to either think of the word I wanted to use, or laugh at myself and the situation. When I was almost ot he punchline I thought to myself- why am I telling this joke- and I remembered because I'm trying to express myself to others (in another language). Laughter is often the best form of communication. I still don't know if the joke translate very well- but I think my new family understood the fact that I just wanted to spread some happiness and it was well recipicated.

My communications in French improved greatly this week. Granted I still said a lot of stupid shit. Part of my improvement came from necesity, but I think what made this week so much different compared to my other weeks in France was that I had a real emotional response to communicate. I wanted to tell others about how happy I was, how grateful I was, how I cared, how amazing others were. I had a lot to talk about on the farm with Bernard, Français, and Ulysse.

There was a Radiohead Poster in the room I was staying in, I wanted to steal it.
When I first met Bernard he was wearing overalls and was fixing the washing machine,

Mealtime was very important. The meals were leisurely and enjoyable although there was many aukward moments of not knowing the proper way to eat something or silences in the conversation. Meals are often finished with tea or coffee. Table manners are veyr important. The first night we had kir was homemade currant sryop, soup with crutons and grated cheese, then salad and potatoes. Then the FROMAGE!!! After every lunch and dinner Français would ask Ulysse to go to the basement and he would bring the circular cheese plate to the table. There was a variety of 5-8 cheeses each time. Legit cheese mind you. I can't even describe how delicious and awesome it was to try so many different types of cheeses. My favorite was Tomme. It also was Bernard's favorite. Throughout the week we also had organic wine. Bernard was skilled at opening the bottles with his firmly sculpted forearms.

Raclette is better than Fondue.

The first two nights dinner was interrupted with Candied, a cat, would escape the house and climb the big tree in the backyard only to get stuck and meow for help. The family would all race outside yelling at the cat. The ladder would be brought out. And the cat would be removed. Then all would return inside and resume the meal.

We worked every morning from 8:30 - 12:30. Lots of weeding. we had to pick out wild onions from the herbs, kinda like serfs, also worked inside sifting petals off of dried flowers, took breaks inside for tea. Thursday we drove for about an hour to a forest and gathered wild garlic leaves. We picked them at the base of the leaves to leave the bulbs underground so they could grow back. We put all the leaves on blankets and loading them in baskets in the car. Our hands smelt like garlic all day. Fresh garlic leaves are beautiful. It was fun to be with a group of French women working together out in the forest. There was a waterfall in the background and birds sang. I listened closely to the sound of the leaves breaking off the plants. Another day I used a big pitch fork like tool and uprooted a patch of dried up bushes.

The afternoons were mostly lazy. Listening to records, hiking along the river, walking into town, wandering.

chariots > shopping carts

We also went to Annecy, Geneve, and Chamonix Mt Blanc.

I have a lot more to say about the other vistitors that came to the house, dance party mania, and the beauty of the land.

Nature is real. I want to be a farmer.

It ain't coincidental that you are lost in place.

The rest of it

FRIDAY
wake up happy and refreshed
hopped on the metro
crossed La Loire
off at Pirmil
followed yellow Pieton signs
little hiking man with walking stick on map
followed La Serve Nantaise
A BEAUTIFUL four hour walk along a small and peaceful river
tree lined path
small country houses
pastures of cows and horses
wind blowing petals from the trees
other old people
walk, run, bike
dogs too
to a damn
then return
my ipod powering the way back
knowing that tonight will be real

back at hotel
i rejuvinate
and wait

I knew it was good when I saw you smile getting off the metro. I love your familiar laugh.
I was the happiest being with friends again.
Trying to puts words to how fantastic Animal Collective was at L'Olmpic
I danced and celebrated
I took pictures because i wanted to hold onto each moment forever
my video is lame compared to the live experience
I could have rocked forever
Well worth the wait, the travel, and the expense
After the music was finished
We continued the high in the hotel
Complete with spaghetti feast served on plates on the floor
Carefree conversation carried us into a slumber

SATURDAY
said goodbye
hopefully see you soon
NIGHT TRAIN BACK TO CANNNES
switch in PARIS
i knew i would be back to the city
even though it was only for an hour
the bus ride to the other train station took me right by my hostel from last weekend, i wanted to stay
got to the austerlitz station, but then couldn't find the platform
definitely ran around like a crazy person to find it
im glad i did
listened to outside lands as i left paris
fell in and out of sleep to ratatat
definitely not a comfortable ride
and it smelled like barf
i got back to my dorm today at 9:00 am.
its sunny out.

tomorrow i go to class.

A form of Procrastination Apparently

TODAY
I woke up knowing I could do anything I wanted to.
I got ready and eventually left to explore.
I found the École des Beaux Arts, after asking for directions. However when I got their I found the place to be a bit disapointing. It was kinda scary to be there by myself. Something about the all the Baroque art just freaked me out. And the building was scary, the rooms were huge and the ceilings were tree times as high as they had to be in every room. I did see a self portrait of Poussin, who I just started studying in art history class.
After I left I walked to the Eglise Ste Croix and ate some raisins and nuts. Then I went to the Cháteau des ducs de Bratgne and the Duchese Anne Cháteau. I had never really been to a real castle before. It felt like spring. Flowers were blooming on trees around the castle moat, ducks were swimming, and there were Italien Teenagers in love. It was happy. Then I went to La Lieu Unique, it was just an expensive store, so I left.
I recieved an email about senior thesis proposal deadlines... It was a good reminder, that I know I need to take seriously.
I took a short 20 minute nap in my aweseme bed and then went to the OBSERVATORY. It was small. I convinced the lady at the front desk to let me in as a student. I went to the "Spectacle" which showed the constalations and planets. There were only 4 people there. Myself, a small boy, and his grandpa and grandma. Oh and the operator, he had long hair, and talked really fast french, I didn't understand a word. While I was staring at the stars the grandpa fell asleep and then the boy woke him up by jumping next to him and he yelled in french awake. That was the most exciting thing about the planetarium. Oh and the ticket stub had a picture of Neil Armstrong and the American Flag on it. America's cool.
On my way back to the hostel I bought a bagette and then back in my kitchenette I made Spaghetti with some sauce and noodles I had brought. It was delicious. Unfortunately I fell asleep early cause I was really comfortable. So now I'm awake again. I told myself I didn't want to sleep until I had written my script. So now that I'm awake, I have the time. I have an idea. So I should see if I can comit to something.
CAN'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!

Consensus: ham and cheese is lame

For those of you who wake up every morning checking their computers to see what I have posted, you are in luck. Currently I have much to discuss and the time to tell it.

I'll start with the now. I'm rockin to the Kings of Leon, drinking a Desperado, eating un abricot caton (sans conservateur o colorant) in my FANTASTIC HOSTEL ROOM. I have a room for four, but I'm the only one here until Friday. Its huge!!! in a quiet location, the reception understands my franglish, nice hardwood, ample lighting, its very comfortable. Pictures when I get back to Cannes, I promise.

6:40 am
wake up before my alarm goes off
i distantly hear peacebone in my mind
i cant wait
but
the after effects of celebrating st. patricks day are preventing much efficiency in these early hours
scribble map of where hostel is in notebook before leaving my room
"I'll find it when I get there"
good thing i stole a rasperry tart from the cafeteria
sitting across from a skinny man who could not stop rubbing his nose and mustache

it was a long train ride.

"I could be productive currently, but I'm just enjoying th(my h key sticks. its annoying)e ride, dozing off, thinking, not speaking. I am going somewhere, which is exactly wat I want to do right now---- this could be a mistake because technically I should be in class-- maybe this will be the mistake I need. It's good to be away from Cannes, especially after seeing Paris - I want to see everwere. When I get back I will have 5 days of hard work and most importantly improvement before I go to the farm."

I brought some nuts and raisins with me for the train ride- it reminds me of Sasquatch.

NANTES
its like PORTLAND, but in FRANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I arrived in the city safely. I walked to the metro, soaking in the skyline over the river, green trees, skater kids, bikes everywhere- wait where am I???
The street signs here are on buildings and walls. Power and telephone lines are attached to buildings. no poles.

Then I got really lost. It was getting dark. I was walking around- my rusack became increasingly more heavy to lug around the city. It turned out this morning when I scribbled my map, well my homemade map was completely incorrect, and I found a differently building that looking like an abandoned apartment building with the same address as the hostel. After some dispair I walked in a circle to find a fancy building with a neon sign. oh there it is.

I have a million ideas of what I want to do these next two days before I see Animal Collective. Currently I'm just extremely happy to be in my safe big room with wifi listening to music.

LOVE from my new favorite city- am I allowed to change my mind so quickly?

Paris

only 16 €
for a beer?
no a bear.
it was purple.

All I want right now is a picture of me and the Eiffel Tower.

have to wait for the musée Pompidou, je mange un banane sucre.

Friday, not superstitious
2 Friday the 13'ths since I've been in France
Vic's Blue Shoes

NAPOLEAN

Patent Leather shoes
white kness socks
pleated skirt

Escaloters build anticipation
Edgar Dregas

Les Dindons 1887
made me cry
light from the sky a field with tukeys

La Bançoite
I want her dress

Diamond leaves
Nature Morte du roses et anémons

What if we just double backed just to see things oppisitely

Ok now for something that might make more sense:

Paris is my new favorite city of the WORLD. I haven't told Portland yet.

I have to go back, maybe not anytime soon, I'm pretty tired, but now I know at least.

THURSDAY: fly to Paris, bus tour, meet vic, dinner at iguana, Scarlette O'Hara, my new favorite drink, Mecanique Ordulatoire, 70s/80s Margaritas, CJ, other Americans, Teach Beer Pong, Old Habits Die Hard, Epic walk of greatness.

FRIDAY: Roll out of bed, Continental Breakfast, Pompidou Modern Art, Get confused, Orsay, understand, Louvre, enjoy the beauty, new black dress and killer heels, dinner stea tartar, Le Lido Cabaret show, out to many places, talking, dancing, don't sleep.

SATURDAY: Easy to wake up, continental breakfast, Opera Garnier, I wish I lived back then, meet ELIZABETH!!!!!!! familiar happiness. travel to restart, musical communication, oranges, crepes, walking past colum bastille, café, notre dame, chocolate millkshakes, meet another Jennifer, Italien Corridor, Fondue, Confusion and mistakes, Locked building, restlessness.

SUNDAY: You should leave, breakfast, boat tour, Eifel Tower, dont go up, calzones, dont be late, airport, mechanical failure, delayed, dinner back at Cannes.

These lists I wrote to get my memory going of the events and places and people. My mind is still stuck in the feeling of Paris, that I will not forget. I loved being a foreigner there, asking people for help, acting like an idiot, wandering on my own, mastering the metro, trying new food, needing coffee, experiencing ART EVERYWHERE. fun and action everywhere. If only I spoke French better.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Nantes. A new journey awaits.

cell phone

I BOUGHT A CELL PHONE!

06.21.62.19.98

Mostly because I'm traveling many places outside of Cannes and the need to communicate with others has increased. I also have been generiously blessed with a finacial gift and therefore am able to breath and sleep much better at night.

I haven't had a cell phone since the middle of January. Having that power of telecommunication is fantastic. I feel much more at easy and safer.

Money shouldn't be a reason not to do something.

I leave to Paris in the morning. I should sleep now, more to come.

Thanks to those who understand.

Love, Jennifer

Je marche

Aujourd'hui est important

Je vais á ma classe français le matin. Après déjeuner Je suis inquiet. Je parle avec mon amie fantastique et je comprends que les gens sont le plus important dans la vie. Il est nécessaire pour les amis de nous aider mutuellement. Après je joli sourire, je me sens mieux.

Dans après-midi, je marche au bord de la mer. Je marche á La Palais des Festival . La Palais a un événement avec beaucoup de sécurité. Je marche á vers le centre de la ville. Maintenant Je vois ensiegnes des La Festival partout: les murales, les statues, les plaques de rue, des cafés spéciaux, des souvenirs, et d'autres memorablia. Je regarde la ville et de penser comme un optimiste. Je suis content á Cannes. J'ai attendu d'être ici. Maintenant, je suis ici.

And yes, it was also rainy today.

Because music is sometimes a better communicator than words, here is the playlist i mentally willed my ipod to play on shuffle while I was on my walk.

• Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
• Les jeunes pousses, Francoiz Breut
• Heads Will Roll, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Instead, Ola Podrida
• Fireworks, Animal Collective
• Till I Get My Way, The Black Keys
• Yoshimi battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1, The Flaming Lips
• Around the World, Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Maps, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Jigsaw Falling Into Place, Radiohead

Spring Break

L'Herberie du Saleve
Françoise BEYTRISON Department: Haute-Savoie
807, route du Saleve
74560
Monnetier-Mornex

Travel: Peut aller chercher à la gare d'Annemasse (3 Km)
Description:
We grow organically 40 different kinds of herbs in our 3000 m2 garden. Our house is located in Mornex, a small village close to Geneva and Annemasse. Our herbs are dried to make teas and herbs for cooking. We also grow vegetables for our family. If you want to learn a lot about herbal teas, if you are green fingered, then come and join us. French and English spoken. Nous cultivons environs 40 espèces de plantes aromatiques et médicinales biologiques dans notre jardin de 3000 m2. Notre exploitation se trouve dans le petit village de Mornex, avec une très velle vue sur les Alpes, à 5 km de Genève et 3 km d'Annemasse. Nos plantes sont séchées sur place pour être tranformées en tisanes et plantes aromatiques pour la cuisine. La récolte est faite à la main. Nous avons aussi un potager familial. Si vous voulez tout savoir sur la menthe, la camomille, la verveine et bien d'autres encore, si vous aimez le jardinage, venez nous rejoindre ! Français et anglais parlés.

I'm going to work on this farm during spring break. We work from 8:30-12:30 eat lunch and then we can do whatever we want to- like rock Geneva or climb mountains. The owners are welcoming and eager to have us. I still have four weeks to wait and prepare. And before then im going to Paris and to Nantes. In more recent news I have a test tomorrow, it's our first one. I have to do well, I will, I've been crazy studying, today at least. :)

About learning French.
French is fun
French is fantastic
or whatever other F
you prefer
Learning French
Just accept it
Just like aliens.....

I'm from Portland, not Poland.

Art uses a pattern or code to show change, when the eye finds a new focus.

This week I made a perfume at the perfume capital of the world in Grasse. I call it le fluere jaune. I also went to the Picasso Museum in Antibes.

Pay Hommage.

Ne t'inquiéte pas

The Clock in the Church

I have been meaning to write about this ever since I returned back to Cannes. Last weekend I traveled to Florence. It was an exhausting trip, full of good food, walking, being lost and confused, dancing, long bus rides, and lots of historical discovery.
One part of the trip, that hasn't left my mind since I saw it, was visiting The Duomo of Florence. Basically it's the really big church that the city was built around. The outside of the church is quite extravagent, but upon entering the large space is mostly plain and simple. The altar in the front of the church is special and has more statues and colors, overhead there is a large fresco depicting judgement day. Although not aimed for a comical effect, I thought the skeletons were funny.

This cathedral seemed like most cathedrals I have seen, large and awesome, but in the back of the church is a clock. Built in 1443, it still works to this day. There are 24 roman numberals, sunset is maked by 24, the four is iiii not iv, and it moves counterclockwise.

At first I just thought this clock was cool because it stood out against the plainness of the interior of the church, and is an historical wonder. But of corse, I thought more. It seemed funny to me to have a clock, a measure of time, in a church, a place of worship. But not as funny considered that the Duomo was not just a place of worship but a symbol of power. Does time matter when making the effort to be with God in a designated place on Earth? Regardless of that answer the clock shows how much power the Catholic church had. The Church was able to plan, design, and construct this time peice, and designated it as law. It was decided how the time should be measured- with 24 roman numerals, and that it was important to have this information available in the inside of the the church, and was constructed with the intentions of lasting longterm- of which it was a success in doing.

When I was gazing upon the clock, I thought about time in my own life. I have been in Cannes for 3 weeks- 3 very memorable week that I will work to relive in my mind forever. I also feel that no time has passed at all, which makes me think how fast June is going to come. This adds to my urgency of living every moment as much as possible. Taking this mindset with me, I definitely rocked Florence, and I know I will be talking about my experiences here for quite some time to come.

Il est important de dire l'évident.

quick before i go to class

at night
I tried to climb
an orange tRee
I only found
the leaves I
could not reach
the orange
the group walked
and my boots slammed
against the
sidewalk to
catch up

Expressions Françaises Utiles

J'étudie le français chaque jour. J'apprends beaucoup quand je ne suis pas dans la classe. Ci-dessous, c'est une liste des expressions Françaises Utiles.

• d'accord: O.K.
• ouistiti: what you say when you smile, meaning small monkey
• des oufs brouillés: scrambled eggs
  
• un frigo: casual for the refrigerator
  
• Je m'en fiche! : I don't care, no preference
• clocharde: bag lady
• Bon Anniversaire: Happy Birthday
• le rêve: dream
• mon chéri/ma chéríe: my darling
• C'est une blague: It's a joke
• le ciel est blue: the sky is blue
• C'est claire! : It's understandable/clear
• Il est Réalisateur: He is the director
• La vie est belle? : Is life beautiful?
• Faites l'amour pas la guerre! : Make love not war
• Amour et Paix : Love and Peace

I'm glad people read this

Hello blog readers, I would just like to say thank you for reading my blog. It makes me happy.

A small update. This weekend I'm going to Florence. I hope I don't suffer from Stendhal Syndrome . I think it's funny that even exists, at least according to wikipedia.

Today I saw a movie, Je Crois Que Je L'aime. I only partly understood, being that it was in French. But it was a romantic comedy, and the plot was straight forward so I got the point. It was dificult to have to focus my brain to understand the language for such an extended amount of time without any other distractions, but about a quarter way into the film I almost forgot I was hearing French, a foreign language, and instead just understood it as the language that I am trying to learn. So I quickly aculmated to having to understand the film in French. The theater we went to was within walking distance of school and it was a nice sunny walk along the sea. Entrance cost only 3 Euro, which is always appreciated. It was the first film I had seen in the movie theater since.... I don't remember when. So it was enjoyable to sit in a red seat. Also it made me smile to go to a movie at 2:30 in the afternoon on a Tuesday because that seemed to be a popular time for the senior citizens of cannes to enjoy the movies. And I would also like to add that the senior citizens of Cannes are definitely the happiest and able to enjoy life that I have ever seen.

J'écris

Un

Blasts of confetti
in the air
you understand
I can feel it here too
Now, with a new perspective

Deux

Read Kerouac
Listen Yorke
I write
Cannes, France
only now

Trois

I'm a foreigner
in a new place
I haven't been lost
not surprised
I choose my words
language
communication

répéter s'il vous plaît

Wordy and Dramatic

Being away from home is a completely obvious factor in the study abroad experience. It’s so obvious that it seems almost unnecessary to even think about, however it can be a very overwhelming a prominent thought, especially in my mind. Before I left I didn’t think of the distance or the time away as a problem. Ever. Really it seemed like that would only a benefit of studying abroad- that I would get to leave. And I also thought that the distance wouldn’t really matter because I could still communicate with people via post, phone, and the Internet. Funnily enough I have decided that sometimes these other forms of communication can make me feel even more far away from home. It’s a bummer when no one is online to talk, or I find myself waiting around for a response on fb or email, or I call and there is no answer. And it’s even worse when I get a response that has bad news or something painful or hurtful entailed. But then again, there’s always the other side when I get an unexpected message or someone just being a fantastic friend. So it’s important to take the good with the bad, because together they create a balance, but when I’m in an exaggerated state of being –example in a foreign country- it’s harder to keep that importance of balance in mind.
I have decided that the best way to correct this negative effect of communication is to put a stronger emphasis on the now and the here, especially in my relationships with other people, which maybe until now I didn’t care too much about, since I had this extreme mentality that I was here really just for myself, which I am, but in order to help myself I have to be able to communicate effectively with people here both with people in France and with other exchange students. However, even now it is hard to communicate with people here because people are often on their computers, ipods, or cell phones quite often. Or the case is sometimes that people here are more preoccupied with what is going on at their respective homes or past events. Granted we’ve been here only a little more than a week, and routines and people are still settling down and working themselves out.
So my point is after this very wordy and overly dramatic that it is important to live, act, and think in the present, here, and now.

Dimanche

Monaco is its own country.

A perfect place to explore on a Sunday.
The buildings are colorful and all right on top of each other.
The streets are windy and narrow
It was the sunniest day I've seen in France so far
One giant rain cloud
but the sun was shinning right through it
making the sky really pretty.
my camera ran out of batteries.
i made some sketches
went to an aquarium,
i stared at some colorful fish for a while
we went to the Monte Carlo casino, and then we left
and went to this crazy medieval place called Eze,
and climbed a whole bunch of stairs to an amazing view of the area.

I've been in Cannes for one week.
It's still new, but much more comfortable.
But going to a new place, even only 25 minutes away
made me remember how BIG THE WORLD IS
overwhelmingly so
i have much more to explore the next four months

La langue française

I would like to take the time to write a non cryptic message about how much I have come to appreciate the French Language. Starting classes this week has given me fuller understanding of how important and necessary it is to be able to communicate with another person in a different language. I feel like I learn so much both in and out of class each day, improving my French, and I can only imagine what my language ability will be like at the end of these four months. Something interesting about learning a new language is how I've held onto the Spanish that I have learned, and how for some reason I have a tendency to speak in Spanish when I don't have the words in French. It can be frustrating to communicate because I can understand others easily but don't always know what to speak.
We have class Monday through Friday from nine to noon, and for the month of February we are only taking French class to allow us to really focus on the language without the work of other classes. As we progress we will be placed in higher level classes depending on how we improve. Soon I intend on writing my blog posts in French, since I will be using French to communicate in every other aspect of life here.

On an unrelated, but equally as important topic: I am trying to figure out where exactly I should venture to during Spring Break. I have a whole week and nothing planned and I should figure this out soon... if anyone has any suggestions please leave a comment or let me know.

I also intend on uploading my amazing and lovely pictures and videos to flicker soon, more anticipation is necesary.

making lists

my notebook is full of lists
this is a transcription

pdx apple fritter with mom
obama convo overheard
the dutchess- inflight to chicago
big green & small and mighty
science museum free
water cycle- world of mirrors
dinosaurs ecology darwin

On land and in the sea life on Earth is powered by a single energy source.

Monet made my makeup messy.

Things that Rock:
the Mediterranean Sea
balconey from room
french maid service
not showering
night air

this is incomplete. off to sunday brunch.

I wrote this on the back of my paper itinerary on the plane

2.5 hours until we land according to the map guide on the screen in front of my eyes
watching the plane image progress along the flight path
characteristically my impatience continues even traveling across the atlantic
i hate this cough. im not sick
i dropped my notebook in the seat crack
the passenger next to me is going to Israel.
It's really dark out. Millions of stars on the wing tips
My concept of time is even more fucked up now. time zones are crazy.
I like watching the map better than the inflight movie choices. distance traveled 4122 km. i wish i could sleep. tailwind 23 km/h ground speed 912 km/h -47 C outside air temp. METRIC

Inauguration Day

Today the 44'th President of the United States of America was sworn into office.
President Obama presented a powerful speech this morning. His power and eloquence with words promise Obama to be a great communicator for my country. I know his words will not be forgotten soon. Communication, in our ever changing world, is becoming increasingly important to keep our local and global communities flourishing.

It's my Birthday

15 Jan 20 0 9

MLK JR

Legal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l94S1yDJEE

Predepature Preparation

January
The begining of the end
Continuing to live in every moment specifically
Plenty to worry about
Better not to
I hope people like my blog