"I Don't Want To Be Here" Days

A few days ago, I had one of those "I don't want to be here" days. One of those days when everything goes wrong, you feel small and lost, you feel homesick, sad, annoyed...all at the same time. I know I live in a beautiful part of the world and am experiencing amazing things and seeing amazing sights. But that just doesn't help when you're having one of those "I don't want to be here" days. Nope, on those days, you just want to get on a plane and go home. Home--where they speak your language, where you understand the culture, where you can deal with banks, shopping and parking, where your family and friends are--those that understand you.

The "I don't want to be here" days don't come very often, nor do they stay very long. But when the come, they hit hard. It's a challenge to fight those feelings of homesickness and annoyance. Even the smallest things can annoy you on one of those days, like trying to cross a street and almost getting run over. Like trying to window-shop in a market and getting hassled by the vendors. Like trying to find your way to work through an endless maze of narrow streets.

It's times like this that I question and wonder why I'm here, why I came all this way to put myself through this "torture". That's when go back to the needs of this country and the people that I work with. I know I’m here for a reason and I know that somehow or another, I will make a difference. But it’s just getting through those “I don’t want to be here” days that is the hard part. I’m glad I’m not doing this one my own strength!

France's National Anthem

Here is an English translation of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise. There's been some controversy lately about a new civil law meant to inforce the public schools to teach the lyrics to the school children. As you read the lyrics you can see why. Lots of people are questioning the good in teaching their children such a violent song. But it was written in a violent time, the French revolution. Maybe they could soften some of the lyrics up a bit?!

Click on the link to hear the anthem...maybe you can try singing along.... http://streamer.burlee.com:8080/ramgen/~ambafrance-us.org/mars.ra

Arise children of the motherland,
Our day of glory has arrived!
Over us, the bloodstained banner
Of tyranny holds sway!
Oh, do you hear there in our fields
The roar of these ferocious soldiers?
Who came right here in our midst
To slaughter our sons and wives.
To arms, oh citizens!
Form up in serried ranks!
March on, march on,
May their impure blood
Flow in our fields!
Supreme devotion to our
Motherland,Guides and sustains avenging hands!
Liberty, oh dearest Liberty,
Come fight with your shielding bands!
Beneath our banner come, oh victory,
Answer your soul-stirring cry!
Oh come, come see your foes now die,
Witness your pride and our glory!(chorus)
Into the fight we too shall enter,
When our fathers are dead and gone;
We shall find their bones laid down to rest,
With the fame of their glories won,
Oh, to survive them care we not,
Glad are we to share their grave,
Great honor is to be our lot
To follow or to venge our brave.(chorus)

Bastille Day

I was able to celebrate France’s national day—July 14th, Bastille Day. It is a national holiday, so I enjoyed shopping at a nearby market, a picnic in a city park, a BBQ and watching Marseille’s fireworks from the roof of our office building with friends. Here’s a little overview of Bastille Day courtesy of www.french.about.com.

“Bastille Day, the French national holiday, commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis the 16th's Ancient Regime. By capturing this symbol, the people signalled that the king's power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers.

Although the Bastille only held seven prisoners at the time of its capture, the storming of the prison was a symbol of liberty and the fight against oppression for all French citizens; like the Tricolore flag, it symbolized the Republic's three ideals: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for all French citizens. It marked the end of absolute monarchy, the birth of the sovereign Nation, and, eventually, the creation of the (First) Republic, in 1792.”

There were lots of proud French citizens around town that evening, most of them heading to the old port to get a close up view of the fireworks. We decided to avoid the crowds, parking hassles, etc and opted for a quiet private viewing from the office’s 4th storey rooftop. We saw the whole 25 minute show, including when the turned the lights off at the church Notre Dame de la Garde and began shooting the fireworks from atop that hill that overlooks the city. We tried to sing a little of the French National anthem.

One thing that stands out for me is that we could hear the call to prayer from a nearby mosque as well as Arabic music. France is a very diverse nation, home to over 10 million Muslims, about 10% of it's population.

We all headed home around midnight, but the celebrations continued into the wee hours of the morning. Fireworks and firecrackers were lit off all around the city, including my neighbourhood, so it wasn’t a good nights sleep. But it was a fun day of celebrating!

A Closer Look

Marseille is France's 2nd largest city, after Paris. It is also the largest commercial port in France. Population of about 1.5 million.

Click on the link to visit a cool site about Marseille. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and click on the "interactive virtual tour" you can see different 360° views of the city. Just click on the little orange dots and then use the arrow and pause button to guide the picture viewer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille

Also try this link http://www.marseillenet.com/marseille-castellane-1-1.html
to see more 360° views of the city. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the "with pictures" icon. Then you can see views from different landmarks around the city. Click on the small grey button on the right so select the view you want to see. Click on the pause button if you want to look at something longer. Have fun! And don't get too dizzy!

Map Of France

Here's a look at where Marseille is compared to the rest of France. Paris is north, about a 3.5 hour train ride on the TGV, which travels about 300 km/hour. Marseille is the longest inhabited city in France. Phoenicians settled in the port area around 600 BC.

Get Lost!

One of the many ironies since my move to Marseille is that people here stop ME and ask for directions. It's happened at least 3 times since I arrived little over a week ago. Of course, once I start to speak in French, they realize that I am an "étranger" or foreigner. I usually just smile, explain that I just moved here and they smile and continue looking for someone else to help them. I don't usually mention that I've taken "the long way home" a few times already, as I like to explore the side-streets and then can't quite seem to find my way back to the main road. Ah well, just part of the adventure, I say! And along my "detours" I've found an antique store, a Vietnamese restuarant, and a dress shop (where I bought a nice black skirt--on sale!). So it is worth getting lost every once in a while!

Marseille
After over a year of preparation and planning, I have finally arrived in Marseille!

My first weekend was full! We started out by celebrating Canada Day, complete with a BBQ, cake and a table hockey tournament. Then a morning spent at the beach. (Growing up on the land-locked Prairies, I think I could learn to be a beach person!) Church was on Sunday, followed by a picnic in one of the city parks and a drive out of town to see the nearby lavender fields. Lavender is one of the main crops in this area of France. It’s used in perfumes, soaps, etc. (See photo)

My first week in Marseille has been filled with changes, adjustment, meeting new co-workers and neighbours, and exploring. I’ve been studying maps, bus routes, and guidebooks—a change from studying French grammar and conjugation books!

Work has begun at the office, and I’ve already got a few projects under way. It feels good to be in “work mode” again. The office is quiet now, as most people are away on summer break.
I’m trying to be brave and use my French more. The office uses both French and English so whenever possible, I’ll use French. And of course, day-to-day stuff like buying groceries and going to church forces me to speak French. : )

Some of my first impressions of Marseille:
It’s a big city, with lots of small twisty roads. And right now, LOTS of construction as they are building new metro lines, etc.
It’s a city with a lot of history. Phoenicians first landed here in the 5 century BC.
It’s a diverse city. There are many cultures, languages, and nations represented here.
It has beautiful scenery from the Mediterranean Sea, the Old Port, the city parks, and the Calanques (large mountains that surround the city).

Favourite...
Sight: the bright blue sky turning to orange and pink as the sun sets
Sound: the cicadas (insect) the hotter it gets, the more they chirp (see photo top right) http://www2.arnes.si/~ljprirodm3/tibialb.au for a sample of what they sound like.
Smell: jasmine flowers (see photo left)
Touch: the feel of the Mistral wind, which can last for up to 5 days and gust up to 93mph or 150 km/hr.
Taste: lavender ice-cream, a flowery sweet taste