May, June 2011 - Three Weeks of Greek Mountain Magic

At long last, I have found the courage to gather together my best photos from WWOOFing at Peliti. As I look back on them now, I definitely feel the magic in full force. I can also see things more clearly from distance and time and of course there's quite a bit of sadness. But also the realization that I was pretty self-centered and childish, even during this time. I like to think that I learned about love, generosity, patience and humility during these three weeks through the actions of others. I hope that my mistakes and inconsiderate behavior were not judged so harshly by the wonderful people I met, as I now judge them myself. In any case, I can still say this was (one of) the best experiences of my life, with awe-inspiring natural surroundings, spirituality, delicious food, truly great human beings, dogs, seeds, quiet village life. So so much.

May 16, 2011 I arrived in Mesohori, a tiny Northeastern Greek village in the Rhodope Mountains. 

Of course, it was not quite a smooth arrival, knowing me. I took a 3.5 train ride from Thessaloniki, somehow managed to not get off at the Paranesti station and ride all the way to Xanthi, the end of the train line. I managed to leave a message on my host's telephone and he did pick me up in the evening. I must have been quite busy and awestruck the first day or two, because I didn't start writing immediately. From my first journal entry: 

May 18, 2011
I'm afraid that I will leave this place before I am able to grasp the entire, immense beauty of it all. Today, we planted "Peliti," the Ponti dialect word for "oak tree." Just a few small pots with tiny oaks will grow to become gigantic trees over years and years. Amazing.

Today, we also got the bike going and I am determined to go as far as the thermal springs if I am allowed. 

I am starting to fill up my body with nutrients again - spinach and local rice, salad greens and raw milk. Honey and fruit and walnuts. I am eating just enough to keep me full - maybe I will actually trim down a bit after 3 weeks. 

There is no other time in my life when I will have the chance to live next to old Greek women with whom I can only communicate with short words and gestures.

March 2011 - Mint Tea Memories and Souvlaki Imaginings

Marrakech Market

It is now the end of March. My last day of work is April 15. On May 16, I am supposed to start a 3-week long WWOOFing stint in Northern Greece. Afterwards, I would like to WWOOF in Bulgaria until the end of June, at which point I would like to come back to France for a Lille to Paris bike ride, culminating in the beginning of July. Then, the idea is to fly through Iceland to Boston and figure out what to do next in my life.

Essaouira Sunset

    So yes, it's a whirlwind. Morocco was quite the  

    adventure. I traveled with my friend Kristin, a 

    fellow American assistant and she made a good 

    companion, which was important. We got back on        March 3 after 10 days, but it seems like forever ago      now. It was a wonderful trip - what makes a place 

    great is the people and the Moroccans we met are 

    some of the most open, friendly and hospitable 

    folks around. In short, a welcome change from the 

    somewhat reserved coldness of France, though I 

    don't want to down the great people I've been 

    fortunate to get to know in Lille.

We passed through dreary, chilly Paris on Sunday, February 20. We saw the Pompidou Center, ate some delicious falafel (in preparation for Morocco, I guess) and generally got overwhelmed by the constant craziness of this city which I personally can't take for much more than a few days. We spent the night in a charming, family-owned inn in Beauvais, near the tiny airport. We were met at the train station by the family and we really enjoyed the short stint in the country.

In retrospect, I would have hitchhiked or carpooled to Paris, saving a lot of money, if not as much time. I didn't think too hard about this at the time, though, and you have to make compromises/practical decisions when you are travelling in a pair.

Bright and early Monday morning, we rushed to finish our fresh bread breakfast and hurried into the van that drove us through the rain and fog to the tiny airport - resembles a train station. We crammed onto the RyanAir plane and settled in for a not-so-long flight. I talked to nobody, but Kristin sat next to a French-Moroccan woman and her little son, so they somewhat kept her company.

We landed in Marrakech before we knew it, happy to see sunshine and mountains. In France, the controllers barely glance at your passport, but they like to take their sweet time in Morocco so that coupled with exchanging money and waiting for my ridiculously huge backpack put us into the afternoon when we got out into the parking lot. We were met by Abdoul Bouasria, the short, gray and bespectacled father of my Moroccan friend in Lille  - quite the personality! He was our chauffeur for the duration of the Marrakech stint. I really enjoyed the ride from the airport to their house, complete with Arabic radio music, warm sun streaming through the windows and witnessing the insane Marrakech convergence of cars, bikes, motorcycles, pedestrians and everyone in between. This is a very modern city, with all the noise and pollution that one can imagine.

Our three days with the Bouasrias in Marrakech and the vicinity included highlights such as an unofficial tour through the Jewish Quarter, a hike in the High Atlas mountains, a traditional women-only hammam and clandestinely hanging out with 18-year-old Ali and his friends. I say clandestinely because the parents like to keep a tight lid on their son, so he can successfully finish high school and go to university in France. They don't entirely succeed in this aspect, but the dynamic still persists. Personally, despite the delicious food, comfortable bed, free chauffeur and tour guide services, towards the end I felt sort of stifled by these two retired science professors and looked forward to escaping to Essaouira, the blue-tinged Western port.

And escape we did - on a Moroccan, read: non-tourist bus with no AC and random stops on the roadside, on a hot late afternoon. Essaouira is cooler and more relaxed, though certainly not free of hassle by the locals getting in our faces. In fact, we were pursued more doggedly here because we were
no longer accompanied by a Moroccan male so we really faced the gauntlet of men, boys and women trying to sell us everything from housing to cakes to restaurants. Two white females traveling alone - not so much an outright risk as an open invitation to harassment. However, I enjoyed the freedom of
planning our own schedule, which we were sort of deprived of in Marrakech. We stayed two nights in a hidden hostel, a renovated riyadh. The guard who works there is an extremely sketchy-looking Moroccan man, who speaks nothing but Arabic (possibly Berber?) but who was also very sweet and hospitable. I felt bad, as he seemed to be picked up off the street to spend his time roaming around this place and sleeping on a couch. The hostel was halfway empty for some reason, though it was dirt cheap for pretty good accommodation. We were able to spend one full day and two nights exploring Essaouira, taking in a gorgeous sunset over the sea, not-too-hot weather and authentic Argan products from a women's cooperative in the area.

I didn't like fending off the horribly disrespectful men, especially the one who got in my face with selling his cookies and telling me to go back to France, while I was taking pictures of the clear sunset with the seagulls. Kristin didn't believe that I experienced - maybe I was looking extra feminine, with my dress.
 
We left the coast early Saturday morning, spending an entire day in transit. We went back to Marrakech on a tourist bus and from there hopped a train up north to the imperial city of Meknès. After much needless worrying, we were met by Jamel, his friend Adel and Adel's Couchsurfer Christina, another American. We spent a wonderful two nights with these two guys, staying with Jamel's family and being further impressed by Moroccan hospitality. Meknès' medina is maybe not as interesting as Marrakech's but it has plenty of other things to offer. Our first night, we went out with the guys and tried Meknès wine, all while being thoroughly hypnotized by live Berber music. The drumbeats, droning guitar-like sounds and wailing female vocals will never leave my mind. The second night, we smoked quite a bit of chicha at a café and enjoyed existential rants with the guys, while laughing at Lebanese pop videos and saying goodbye to Christina, who left for the desert that very night.

Monday afternoon, we again felt sad to leave but very much looking forward to Fès, only an hour away by train and I believe the crowning achievement of our trip. Northern Morocco is lush, the opposite of the Southern desert, and hills and mountains surround this beautiful imperial city, truly a jewel of this country from what I can tell. We were hosted last minute by Said, whom we only saw at the end of our first evening. We spent the day getting thoroughly lost and frustrated near the medina, searching for and finally finding the Jewish quarter, with its huge cemetery looking over the mountains. I enjoyed walking through it at sunset, with the shining colors lighting up the white tombs and blue doors. We didn't like being ripped off by the cemetery guard, though. What can I say about Fès? Well, just look at the photos. A fascinating, mazelike medina and again, wonderful people. We spent some time with the Polish girlfriend of Said's cousin, who is studying in Spain. A truly multicultural encounter.

Said was kind enough to call his cousin in Tangier, where we spent our last night in Morocco. We were very proud of our ability to hail down a "grand taxi" to the airport the next morning. And just like that, in no time at all, we were back in Paris. Of course, we still had to wait for an hour-long train up north to Lille. As I say, this all seems like ages go. Yet writing about it now brings it back, in all its colorful, mint-tea flavored glory.

If I were to regret something, it would be to not have met anyone involved in the social movement in Morocco, specifically the February 20 uprising. The king came to Marrakech and he was welcomed with essentially a parade in the streets, but that's not the whole picture. There is still burgeoning discontent in this least revolutionary of the Northern African countries and it can't be buried. It is a crime to speak out against the king in public, there's no real social security and women with no jobs have virtually zero protection if they are abandoned by their men, so they end up in the streets - often with their kids. I also liked meeting Adil and Jamel's friend Nabil, an older, soft-spoken, dapper, Western/English-style gentlemen wearing a hat and sports jacket. 

Back in Lille, I have just three weeks left of teaching. I've realized now, towards the end, that I really love my kids. Not that they don't make a mess in my classroom on a regular basis - they sure do. Not because I think I've helped them improve their English - I'm not so sure about that. I guess it's the way their crazy energy and excitement to see me can light up my day, and how their innocence is so outside of the world I inhabit. No doubt about it, I learn as much if not more from them than they do from me and frequently, I wish I could drop the authority figure role and just hang out with them. It's hilarious how the same 15-year old kids who literally get up and walk around my classroom, throwing pens and paper and shouting, still walk up to me and make me laugh outside of class. And I'll never forget Nina, the girl adopted from central Africa who enjoys speaking to me in her brilliant English and who seems to appreciate my presence the most.

The makeshift Food Not Bombs Lille project is on a roll, with Thursday afternoons and evenings dedicated to open-air market leftovers, bread pickup, organic and supermarket chain dumpster diving. Friday is usually cooking day and late Saturday morning/afternoon I find myself in a lively group of five to seven folks, traipsing through the city on foot and on bike, with loads of soup and bread to distribute to people we find in the street. The idea seems to be taken up by other French acquaintances, with added talks of a new squat that might host a "cantine populaire" and perhaps joining forces with an alternative cafe to hold a meal outside its door. All in all, I'm extremely pleased with the progress we've made, which started with an innocent chat over a beer with my friend Marine. I've learned of many other social justice projects here and I continue to go out and get to know as many people as possible. Building a network and integrating oneself into a community is not the easiest thing in the world, but when I think that I've only spent five months total in Lille - with vacation cutting down the time - I can't help but feel like I'm jumping forward in leaps and bounds. 

I've learned SO much, from my housemates, environmentalists, anarchists, feminists, musicians, teachers, students - everybody I've met. I would very much like to come back to Lille this fall, but I haven't been able to find a guaranteed way to do so. I'm looking into a Master's in Linguistics at the local public university, but I'm not sure whether I'll be able to fill out all the dossier requirements on time. It seems that the most I can do is to aggressively pursue assistant renewal, which is definitely not guaranteed. I am trying to keep my head up and look at other possibilities, such as teaching English in Asia, with the view of maybe coming back here next year at the very worst. I figure that everything must happen for a reason and if it works out to stay here, great. If not, something just as wonderful will find its way into my life.

Speaking of wonderful things, I am super looking forward to Greece and Bulgaria this summer. I honestly think it will be a lovely experience for me, which will hopefully push me further in my agricultural/food justice work. I'm sorry to say that I haven't taken out my video camera at all this whole time, though I've collected many still photos. Marine reminded me of this recently and so I say, now is the time. Starting this week, I will start filming the life around me, as I see it. We had absolutely incredible spring weather here this week and I spent some magical moments sleeping and digging in my big garden. Working in the earth is one of the beautiful tangible joys of life and I intend to continue with it for the rest of mine.

 

December 2010 - A Northern France Winter

December 2, 2010 

I'm sitting wrapped under a huge comforter in my big, nearly empty room, watching small flakes of snow cover the city of Lille outside my window. For some reason, I felt like listening to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" this morning. I'm supposed to be at an assistants' orientation meeting, but it's normally my day off from work, so I have better things to do. Like plan lessons. So here I am!

I can't believe winter is here already and that the year 2010 is drawing to a close. This has honestly been the most intense, challenging, rewarding and in some ways, most joyous year I've ever had. I remember how it started - in Boston, the snow having fallen all day long on New Year's Eve. (I had arrived just the night before from Houston and it was strangely warm.) An early morning walk to the liquor store, through the nearly silent falling snow. Staying in, cooking and chatting. And then later hopping from apartment to apartment, finally ending up on Litchfield St. in Lower Allston and staying up until 4 in the morning with loads of random and not-so random people. At the time, I was still living in the Cambridgeport house, trying to build up the courage to get the hell out. It was right in the middle of the drama. But, it was a NEW YEAR with new possibilities and I was on a high. I think we listened to Simon and Garfunkel's "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" on vinyl. Beautiful.  

And I still had NO IDEA about all the unbelievable, overwhelming things that 2010 would bring. I didn't know that I would finally get the courage to come to a Sunday Food Not Bombs meal in Central Square, in the dead of winter. I had no idea that on a boring day in February, where I didn't leave the house at all, I would fill out the application that would lead to me moving into the Cambridge Coop in May. I didn't even know that my mother would get remarried that month. And that I would see my father get remarried and start a new family at the end of July. That I would get the crushing "waitlisted" email from the teaching assistant program in the beginning of April, forcing me to live in the present in Boston. That I would grow to love my job at Filmmakers' Collaborative so much and stay there right up until the end of August, just a few weeks before leaving for France. 

That I would have an AMAZING 3.5 months at the Cambridge Coop, transforming my life completely. That I would meet people that I may never have met otherwise. That I would become a regular Food Not Bombs volunteer and see the group put on a beautiful festival in the Boston Common at the end of May. That I would go to an anarchist conference and dance through the streets. That I would bike all the way to Walden Pond and swim there three times this summer. And finally, that getting the "you are accepted to the Academy of Lille" email at the end of June would tear me in half and force me to choose...when back after 2009 graduation, I was 100% sure that I wanted to leave Boston.

And now, I'm in France and I have no regrets at all. I did have a bout of homesickness in November, which is always a hard month for me. So many things have gone down in the past 1.5 month, some of which I can't write about here. Some wonderful, some painful, all unforgettable. Over Toussaint vacation, I spent three lovely, spontaneous days in Brussels with another assistant. Brussels is a city worth visiting, worth discovering the secrets hidden behind the EU big ugly building façade. There's Arabic and African neighborhoods, with delicious food and jazz cafes. There is also a cinematheque that shows silent slapstick comedies with live piano accompaniment for 3 euros. There is a GIGANTIC comics museum - seriously, this place is intense. Also, people speak an interesting mix of Nederlander, French and English, all of which are heard in the metros. 

I also went to Paris, which I happily realized is too intense for me. I did finally see the permanent Cinematheque exhibit though, dedicated to Henri Langlois. The weather was beautiful and I enjoyed spending time with Ratasha, her cousin and friend. I even spent some time with my current housemate Patricia, her boyfriend Hervé and his friend - it was funny to go to the Rodin museum for the 3rd time because for them, it was the 1st time!

Back in Lille, I've begun to settle into the teaching regime. It's more challenging than I thought because I have 12 hrs of totally separate classes - some of which I take on by myself - and I spend a lot of time planning lessons, as well as hopping from one school to another, sometimes in one day. One of my goals for the New Year is to become a more effective lesson planner because once I get into the classroom with at least *something* prepared, it usually works out OK. The 3éme 14-15 year olds are pretty tough to rein in - they're ready to get outta there, so they don't want to focus or pay attention to anything you throw at them. The 6éme 11-12 year olds and 4éme 13 year olds are better. Levels of English vary from class to class. For example, I recently saw a 3éme class that knows NOTHING, less than the youngest kids. Makes me wonder about the quality of teaching they're getting ;) What I don't like about taking on small classes by myself is never knowing when to speak French, getting laughed at for my accent/mistakes, and dealing with discipline. Also, at one school, I constantly have to remember when to pick up the kids from outside, when to get them from Study Hall, when they come meet me and which half of the class I'm taking. My schedule varies from week to week and it's difficult to keep track of all the kids, even with the lists I have. Even though I like most of the kids, I prefer the second school where I can concentrate on just teaching the lessons I prepare, which is challenging enough. My referring teacher agrees with me - that system works better. However, now that I'm getting the hang of it, hopefully I can start really improving.

I'm already thinking about renewing my contract next year, but of course, that's not up to me. And I can never be guaranteed a spot in Lille either. There are just so many things that I want to keep doing here - I want to work onstarting a Food Not Bombs chapter, volunteer at a cinema, work on an organic farm in the summer, keep practicing French, etc. etc. Even though it's far off, I can't imagine going back to the States in May and leaving everything hanging in the air. That's what's so tough about constantly moving around like I do: every time I start getting attached to a place/people, I get up and go on to the next place. I would like to actually build a community in Lille, if possible, and as a new person and especially as a foreigner, that really takes time. So I don't have illusions, but I'm trying to be as engaged as I can. Sometimes the assistantship actually gets in the way of that and sometimes I end up spending hours in my house. Which is not all that bad, because I do get to interact with my housemates, but they are out doing their own thing as well. So I plan on spending more time working at a local cafe, which my assistant friend and I just realized has free WIFI! It's a great little alternative coffeehouse/bar, with four floors and tons of events/flyers/fun people hanging around. Even though it can be discouraging, it usually pays off to go out as much as possible and put myself out there - eventually someone responds! 

Christmas Break is coming up in just 2 weeks! First I'm going to visit Ratasha in Athens and then.....????? I can't make up my mind on whether I want to go to Sofia, Bulgaria and then to Spain to stay with another assistant. Or come back to Lille for New Year's? Hopefully I can make a decision soon. In any case, it will be nice to travel again and see some warmer weather for a little while! Who knows what other crazy things this last month of 2010 will bring! :) 

Meanwhile, tonight I'm going to see a concert for free. One of my housemates talked me into joining a "montévideo," which takes a small group of people less than 26 and older than 55 and gets them into shows at the big venue called Aeronef. We get interviewed on camera and it's posted on the website - I'll send a link soon. I have to speak French and it's kind of intimidating, but also fun. The live music scene is alive and well in Lille and that's definitely a picker-upper during these cold winter months. The Vaselines, an old Scottish group, are coming at the end of January!

October 2010 - Northern Hospitality

October 14, 2010

Three weeks in France have gone by pretty fast. Whaddya know - there's lots to do in this somewhat unknown Northern corner of Frogland :D I'm not sure I can possibly capture, express or process everything that's happened/is happening but I can try.

First of all, Lille is a great city to live, for anyone. It's a very special place, with a unique vibe that combines Northern hospitality, Flemish influence, typical "Frenchness," urban life and small-town charm. I think people here use their friendliness and vibrant culture to combat the pervasive gray skies and chilliness. It certainly works, because so far I don't feel particularly melancholy or lethargic because of the weather, which was my biggest fear. In fact, we've had several gorgeous fall days, with all those oranges and yellows shining through. However, it is getting cold now so good thing I packed my overweight suitcases full of warm winter clothes!

Transport

So far, I've been biking everywhere. The bike is...OK, could use some work, but it definitely works and it's very easy to get around this way. Bikes are very well integrated on the roads. The metro and buses are also very clean, fast and efficient but I've just never felt the need to use them unless I'm traveling with someone without wheels. I love exploring my new city in the open air! I have a lot of company on the road and I've met people involved in the local non-profit bike organization that has open workshops and an occasional Critical Mass - for you non-cyclists, that's a worldwide monthly city ride that sorta blocks traffic but is super fun. I can't say I'm super involved yet, but I also live with other cyclists, so there's stuff around for DIY tune-ups...which brings me to...

Housing

I haven't had my own room in a house for nearly 2 months, but that's about to change. One of the teachers I'm working with didn't findout he was my responsable, or administrative guide, until school started o _ O so he couldn't find me a legit temporary spot. However! I stayed at his place for a night and then I spent a week at his neighbor's apartment - a really lucky find, because these are awesome people who know a former assistant from BU and are just really nice, fun and helpful. They are the bike folks and they also managed to *magically* find me my current apartment! Literally, one of them made a call to a friend who mentioned there was a housemate opening and wham! I visited the place and it's pretty perfect in most ways so I decided to take it with almost no hesitation because it is VERY hard to find an apartment in Lille - lots of students, etc. The slight downsides are: 1) it's sort of under-the-table without the landlord's knowledge so I'm not getting housing financial assistance or signing a lease which makes housing proof slightly less easy 2) it's not super close to my schools so the morning bike rides are a bit long. BUT my housemates are an awesome bunch of 5 French folks, with that familiar age + gender range, food & chore sharing that I had at the coop : ) There's an urban studies student, an environmentalist journalist, a financier of sustainable energy, a gardener and an accountant that takes care of the house account. I've been crashing in the living room, but this weekend I am finally moving upstairs to the open room which is gonna be great. Also, there is a sweet CAT with one blue, one green eye and hopefully he can stay on after his owner peaces out. I like the neighborhood, though it's a bit sketchy at night. Tomorrow I'm going to check out a concert at a squat which I realized is literally a 5-min. walk from my place.

Teaching

I haven't had nearly as much observation of classes as I hoped/expected but I like what I've seen so far. Next week is the last before Toussaint (All Saint's Day vacation) so hopefully I will get to have a fuller schedule then to gear up for actually taking on the kids. I am assistant teaching 6 hours at two middle schools in the same area, 11 - 14/15 year olds. Most of them are a very curious and friendly bunch and I think I will enjoy working with them. The teachers I work with at each school are very good, but I also observed a teacher whose style I really, really disliked and never want to emulate. We discussed this at our assistant orientation and I'm glad that other teachers agree that you must respect the kids or they will hate you and obviously be disruptive. As much as I don't like formal education/hierarchy, I think there are great teachers out there and that really makes or breaks the learning experience. I won't say much more on this until I actually take them on, but I am excited about my work. My colleagues are nice and I hope I will get to know other teachers soon.

General Life

I've been looking into the anarchist/activist scene, movie theaters, media and local/organic food. All of these things are good and plentiful in Lille. With the big hullabaloo about the retirement reform, radical politics is also out in the open. I could be wrong, but I *think* radicalism is much more active and not so underground here. There's a long-established self-managed space here called Centre Culturel Libertaire and they have a full calendar every month which has helped me meet people. I've made it a point to come to events where I don't know a single person and not leave until I've met at least one. This has really challenged me because everyone is French, so I'm pushing myself on both the foreign language & foreign place front. I've found people to be friendly and open, though, and I've enjoyed an interesting range of experiences, from American rockabilly with a French accent, to a smoke-filled basement of noise followed by post-punk followed by moshing to funk hXc, to a typical birthday party with dancing to cheesy dance music (these are different places, of course!) I also picked up some clothes at a clothes exchange - I've noticed that kids seem to be more included in all kinds of get-togethers here, but maybe that's just the people I've met :)

Eating vegetarian/vegan is totally doable here despite its rarity, because there are plenty of markets, organic stores and my housemates are all about that. The CCL also has a "vegan cantine" every 2 weeks which is like Food Not Bombs except more of just a get-together dinner than feeding the needy. Still really fun though! The demonstrations have been pretty intense as you read in the media, definitely nothing like the US. The government is not listening this time, though, them reforms are surely going to pass, I believe. 

So, in general, my experience thus far has been far superior to my semester abroad in Paris. I feel much more comfortable here, yet also constantly challenged and excited for the new things I learn every day. I haven't developed an itinerary for traveling yet, mostly because I feel overwhelmed by all the moving around I've done this year! Part of me is itching to take advantage of Europe and the other part just wants to stay in one place - Lille - for a bit and chill out. I've met a few fellow assistants but not anyone yet that could be a potentially excellent travel companion and I'm sort of not in the mood for going at it alone at the moment.