2. Mexican Food. I know, I know....not exactly 
American but kind of is an essential part of American life, right? The only type of food that I have missed since I have been gone is Mexican. Rio Grande, Cafe Rio, Diego's all call to me. In an attempt to fill this void, I tried to find a decent Mexican restaurant but have failed every time. So, I made Mexican food with Madame and Monsieur Nottin-Dufour. They loved it! The salsa, fajitas, rice, and cookies turned out well!
3. The elections. I cannot even express how amazed I have been as I witness this French obsession with American politics. I talk about the Presidential race any and every time of day with almost everyone that I meet. On Election Tuesday, I felt like I needed to do something patriotic (I had voted via an absentee ballot a few days earlier and got to go into the US Embassy which was kind of exciting) A few friends and I went to a famous American bar thinking a small group of ex-Patriots would just sit and watch the results. Au contraire 
American but kind of is an essential part of American life, right? The only type of food that I have missed since I have been gone is Mexican. Rio Grande, Cafe Rio, Diego's all call to me. In an attempt to fill this void, I tried to find a decent Mexican restaurant but have failed every time. So, I made Mexican food with Madame and Monsieur Nottin-Dufour. They loved it! The salsa, fajitas, rice, and cookies turned out well!
mon frere. Immediately, I saw swarms of people. Rather than celebrating democracy or the elections, we (mostly the French youth and I) celebrated Obama. I felt like a celebrity because 1- I support Obama and 2- I voted. Plus, everyone loved me even more (cameras were literally flashing all over the place) when I held up Obama sign. If anyone out there has doubts about the potential good our President can do....let me tell you that our foreign relations have already improved. 4. Normandy. These last couple of days I enjoyed the rainy beaches of Normandy. I recommend that anyone who comes to France visit these World War II sites. The War Museum in Caens gave me the chills, brought me to tears, and rekindled my pacifist inclinations. But the beaches and the American Cemetary definitely hit me the hardest. As the clouds cleared and the weather improved, I walked through the rows of graves trying to imagine all of the little blanks left in the unfinished lives of these dead soldiers. For example, what did he plan on doing for his career? or who did he leave behind? Seeing that Armistice Day/Veterans day is coming up I figured I thought it appropriate that I realized the price of liberty. We owe so much to veterans and victims of war.
3 comments:
I love the picture of you in the street! I bet that was a crazy experience to be there for elections! love you!
Oh, how I love Normandy! We stayed at the most charming old farmhouse where the owners left us fresh bread and goat cheese for breakfast before they left to go set up at market. Also, wasn't it such a spiritual (if I may say so) experience to walk along that cemetery? Truly life-changing. Miss you!
Oh, nearly everything about this post made me cry---though WWII always seems to get to me, and the European fervor for our new President swept me away, too.
Goodness, I miss you. Can't wait to reconnect and reminisce!
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