heeeelp!!!

Today is supposed to be the hottest day ever...37 degrees celcius....you do the math.

I sit in my room with my face practically in my tiny little fan, waiting for a friend to accompany me on a grand adventure - finding an air-conditioned cafe nearby. Oh, it will be quite the conquest.

Later, I'm going to take my camera gear to a local cathedral, where hopefully I will get an interview with a nun. I'm trying to film a little something something that may or may not work out so we'll see....it's so hard to get people here to open up to you though.

First, it's hard to form all those vague, non-threatening, complimentary, connotations-laden sentences that I can in English when speaking to people in the states.

Next - in Tours, you don't really talk to strangers and get them to reveal their life story to you...it's just never done and doesn't really work :(

Third - everyone really really values privacy...like liquid gold... or solid gold...or ...platinum? And religion is just absolutely not spoken about (I think I mentioned this in another post).

So hopefully I'll get a nun or two to talk to me today....that is, if she actually shows up. I mean, I don't know ... nuns are generally untrusworthy, shady people, so I need to think of a plan B in case I get stood up. Again. Two days ago, I was supposed to meet one of them at 15 oclock on the dot. I showed up, panting from lugging my equipment in the heat of the day, and expectantly entered the grand cathedral. My eyes flew to the little booth where we were supposed meet.

The light was off, and there was not a habit in sight.

:(

It was like being knocked on the head by a giant lollipop. Strange and ...nonsensical.


Yay for Ireland tomorrow! And Paris in 1.5 weeks, and then CA. I miss America. I'm sorry, I can't help it. Thought it has been an adventure here, I really really am so excited to come back home.

mwah
jean

quick update

2 weeks left to go! Trying to wrap things up with Rotary, see if I can get some more footage (of the little I have), and enjoy!

Last Friday, went with French Grandpa, French Grandma, and my Swedish Friend Sarah on a tour of Tours. French Grandpa, Andre, and French Grandma, Josette, took us to 2 castles, their garden in the suburbs, 3 parks, a painter's studio (their friend), and finally back to their summer house for a 6 course meal, 4-hour dinner complete with all traditional foods of Touraine. Quite the experience! And I gave him the fish-shaped soap I bought for him in Marseille :)

Leaving for Ireland in 3 days..for surfing, cliff jumping, exploring castle ruins, guiness touring, hiking mountains, etc. Woot! Paris next weekend, and then back to the US. Sorry I've been such a delinquint during the second half of my stay...I just don't feel like writing out everything that's going on....and that's my lame excuse.

Hopefully that'll change when I get back from Ireland...and I'll try to post photos from Marseille...but my start-up disk/memory drive is almost full :( My poor macbook...I've used it so hard for the past 3 years...

love
Jean