New Year in France

Here's some info on New Year in France, once again from www.french.about.com

In France, New Year's Eve (31 December) is called la Saint-Sylvestre,* and is usually celebrated with a feast, called le Réveillon de Saint-Sylvestre. The feast tends to include special items like champagne and foie gras, and the accompanying party can range from an intimate dinner with friends to une soirée dansante (ball).At midnight, everyone kisses under the mistletoe** and offers their best wishes for the new year.On New Year's Day, le Jour de l'An, friends and family share their New Year's resolutions and may also exchange cards and gifts.The end of the holiday season is Epiphany, on 6 January, which in France includes a traditional cake called la galette des rois.

*Saint Sylvester was Pope from 314 to 335 A.D., during the time of Constantine the Great.
There is no particular link between Saint Sylvester and the new year; it just so happens that 31 December is his feast day. La Saint-Sylvestre is short for la fête de Saint-Sylvestre.

**Interestingly, kissing under the mistletoe is a New Year's custom in France, rather than a Christmas custom as in other countries.

French New Year's Vocabulary
Bonne Année ! Happy New Year!
une bonne resolution New Year's resolution
les étrennes New Year's gifts
le gui mistletoe
le Jour de l'An New Year's Day
la Saint-Sylvestre New Year's Eve

Christmas Highlights

Christmas concert at church!
Christmas lunch, including haggis!





Christmas didn't really feel like christmas this year. Partly because there was no snow and partly because I didn't get to see any of my family. This was my first year to be away from Canada and family for Christmas. It was a hard one, went through a lot of homesickness. But on the upshot, I did have some highlights...I'll share some with you here.
--painting Santons with a friend (Santons are clay figurines made in southern France)
--a Skype call with my parents, my niece, brother and his girlfriend (apparently there isn't any snow in SK either, so I don't feel so bad about missing the snow here)
--Christmas service at church, we shared communion with each other and prayed together since there were only a few of us
--Week before Christmas church service, including a Christmas pageant by the youth and kids of the church.
--HUGE Christmas supper with friends. Most memorable of all, we were served haggis with our turkey and brussel sprouts. For all of you non-Scotts, haggis is steamed oatmeal, sheep heart, lungs and liver with spices, all cooked in a sheep's stomach. Our version came from a can, but it was still authentic enough. What did it taste like? Lots of black pepper, and a rich meaty flavour, definetly could taste the liver. I won't go out and buy myself a can, but I would try it again if someone offered it to me.
--A few interesting games of Mafia with various families nearby.
--Picking up a good friend at the airport. Poor girl, her flight was late, and they lost one of her bags. Argh!
--Another huge meal on Boxing Day with family. Complete with cranberry sauce (no haggis this time!)
--Staying up late to catch up with my friend, even though she had a cold and was super tired.
--Going shopping at the Christmas markets and seeing Chronicles of Narnia. (GO see this movie!)
May you soak up the last remaining highlights of Christmas as we prepare for our New Year's celebrations!
Boxing Day lunch with friends!

Maker of Heaven and Earth

I like to read this quote I found in a book I'm reading. Sometimes I even read it outloud, just to add to the confirmation it is for me.
"The eternal, independent and self-existent Being, the Being whose purposes and actions spring from Himself, without foreign motive or influence; He who is absolute in dominion; the most pure, the most simple, the most spiritual of all essences; infinitely perfect; and eternally self-sufficient, needing nothing that He has made; illimitable in His immensity, inconceivable in His mode of existence and indescribable in His essence; known fully only by Himself, because an infinite mind can only be fully comprehended by itself. In a word, a Being who, from His infinite wisdom, cannot err or be deceived and from His infinite goodness, can do nothing but what is eternally just, and right and kind."
Quoted from Adam Clark, from Pg 76 "The Divine Conspiracy" by Dallas Willard.

Here are the lyrics to one of my favourite songs:
God of Wonders by Caedmon's Call
Lord of Heaven and Earth
(Lord of all creation)
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Lord of all creation
Of the water, earth and sky
The Heavens are your Tabernacle
Glory To the Lord on high
God of wonders
Beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universeDeclares your majesty
You are holy, holy
Early in the morningI will celebrate the light
And when I stumble into darkness
I will call your name by night
God of wonders
Beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe
Declares your majesty
You are holy, holy
Holy, holy
Holy, holy
God of wonders
Beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
Precious Lord,
Reveal your heart to me
Father hold me, hold me
The Universe
Declares your majesty
You are Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy

And here is a collage I put together that kind of explains my understanding of "Maker of Heaven and Earth".

And last but not least...one of my favourite Psalms from www.biblegateway.com (Contemporary English version)
Psalm 121
(A song for worship.)
The LORD Will Protect His People
1 I look to the hills! Where will I find help?
2It will come from the LORD, who created the heavens and the earth.
3The LORD is your protector, and he won't go to sleep or let you stumble.
4The protector of Israel doesn't doze or ever get drowsy.
5The LORD is your protector, there at your right side to shade you from the sun.
6You won't be harmed by the sun during the day or by the moon [a] at night. 7The LORD will protect you and keep you safe from all dangers.
8The LORD will protect you now and always wherever you go.

Cheese!

This is Quentin! My friend's son. He's a little movie star, loves the camera obviously! What a cutie! Thought you'd get a kick out of his expressions. I assume it's a happy/excited look. Or he could have just eaten a lemon.
Not sure why, but the French call little kids by some strange nicknames (once translated into English). Nicknames like "little cauliflower"(petit choux), "flea" (puce), " and "mon coeur" (my heart). My favourite is "mon petit bout d'chou" (my little cauliflower end).

Dang, my lips hurt real bad!

Here is what a good friend back in Canada sent me for Christmas. Sweet, eh? You can never have enough lip balm. Especially with the mistletoe season, hehe. I'm kidding! I should watch "Napoleon Dynamite" again. Gosh! I feel like throwing a steak at someone... 

Frost on the windshields and sidewalks today! Brrrr!

Random happenings this week

1) The garbage man was wearing a Santa hat.

2) 3 Litre jar of Nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread) at the grocery store. No I didn't buy it.

3) Watched "Mary Poppins" in French. They even translated the singing. Yes, you can say "supercalifragilistic" (did I get that right?) in French.

4) Smurfs (remember those cute little blue things on Saturday morning cartoons?) are called "Schtroumpfs" in French.

5) Ground almonds and almond powder are not the same thing. Therefore, if your cookie recipe calls for GROUND almonds, don't use powder. I got almond and egg soup instead of cookies. Yeck!

Joyeux Noel

I thought you might find this interesting. Got it from http://french.about.com/cs/culture/a/christmas.htm

French Christmas Customs and Traditions
In France, Christmas is a time for family and for generosity, marked by family reunions, gifts and candy for children, gifts for the poor, Midnight Mass, and le Réveillon.
The celebration of Christmas in France varies by region. Most provinces celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December, which is a bank holiday. However, in eastern and northern France, the Christmas season begins on 6 December, la fête de Saint Nicolas, and in some provinces la fête des Rois* is one the most important holidays of the Christmas season. In Lyon, 8 December is la Fête de lumières, when Lyonnais pay hommage to the virgin Mary by putting candles in their windows which light up the village.
*In most countries, Epiphany (la fête des Rois) is the 6th of January, whereas in some places in France it is celebrated the first Sunday after 1st January.

French Christmas Traditions
French children put their shoes in front of the fireplace, in the hopes that Père Noël (aka Papa Noël) will fill them with gifts. Candy, fruit, nuts, and small toys will also be hung on the tree overnight. There's also Père Fouettard who gives out spankings to bad children (sort of the equivalent of Santa Claus giving coal to the naughty).

Le Réveillon
Although fewer and fewer French attend la Messe de Minuit on Christmas Eve, it is still an important part of Christmas for many families. It is followed by a huge feast, called le Réveillon (from the verb réveiller, to wake up or revive). Le Réveillon is a symbolic awakening to the meaning of Christ's birth and is the culinary high point of the season, which may be enjoyed at home or in a restaurant or café that is open all night. Throughout the French Christmas season, there are special traditional desserts:
La bûche de Noël (Yule log) - A log-shaped cake made of chocolate and chestnuts. Representative of the special wood log burned from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day in the Périgord, which is a holdover from a pagan Gaul celebration.
Le pain calendeau (in southern France) - Christmas loaf, part of which is given to a poor person.
La Galette des Rois (on Epiphany) - round cake which is cut into pieces and distributed by a child, known as le petit roi or l'enfant soleil, hiding under the table. Whoever finds la fève - the charm hidden inside - is King or Queen and can choose a partner.

French Christmas Decorations
The sapin de Noël is the main decoration in homes, streets, shops, offices, and factories. The sapin de Noël appeared in Alsace in the 14th century at a time, decorated with apples, paper flowers, and ribbons, and was introduced in France in 1837.
Another important aspect of French Christmas celebrations is the crèche filled with santons, which is displayed in churches and many homes. Living crèches in the form of plays and puppet shows based on the Nativity are commonly performed to teach the important ideas of Christianity and the Christmas celebration.
Mistletoe is hung above the door during the Christmas season to bring good fortune throughout the year.
After Réveillon, it's customary to leave a candle burning in case the Virgin Mary passes by.

Christmas Carols

What a great day! I caught a ride to church, then had lunch with friends, worked on a puzzle with them until about 4pm. Then we had a Christmas carol party! There we about 20 of us altogether, mostly Anglophones from various countries. We had song sheets and sang our favourite carols for about an hour altogtether, plus read some verses from the Gospel of Luke and Matthew about the birth of Jesus. We also had some fun songs thrown in, like Frosty the Snowman and The 12 days of Christmas (did you know there were actions to this song? The kids tried to keep up with the actions as we sang faster and faster...what a riot!)

Anyways, it was a great day, full of Christmas cheer and helped get me in the mood for Christmas (even without snow!). Lots of Christmas lights up on people's balconies, and most city streets have some sort of light display or a tree. I enjoyed the Christmas markets again yesterday, but they were a tad too busy. Not surprising as it was the 2nd last Saturday before Christmas. Oh my! I'm glad I'm done my shopping! Freedom!

Right now I'm on a bit of a chocolate/sugar high...there were sweets after our singing, and I, uh, well, I ate a few too many chocolate truffles. But man, were they worth it!

Trip Summary

I wish...
I could have stayed longer.
I could have "adopted" a baby kitten and puppy living on the garbage heap next door.
I could have travelled south to Sousse and other cities.
I could have found jasmine perfume that I wanted to buy.

I'm glad that...
I got to meet coworkers and talk to people about the possibility of working with them next fall.
I ate a HUGE meal in a nice restuarant, complete with mint tea and chocolate mousse.
I found a pair of shoes on sale, the exact kind that I was looking for.
I wasn't sick on the ferry ride (just really dizzy).
I got to visit the Bardo museum, an awesome place filled with ancient Roman statues, mosiacs, and stunning Arabic architecture, tile work and doorways.

It's too bad that...
one taxi driver seriously ripped me off...charging me 4 times the amount for a ride home.
it rained or was cloudy the whole time I was there.
I have a cold now, a "souvenir" from my busy travels.

I'll always remember...
the smell of jasmine from the medina.
the sound of the Muslim call to prayer at 5:30 am from a nearby mosque.
the taste of Tunisian rice with seafood and hot sauce (harissa).
the feel of digging through piles of used clothes on row upon row of tables in the flea market.
the sight of centuries old mosiacs, towering above me, taking up entire walls of the Bardo museum.

I recommend...
that you don't take a taxi from any touristy spots (like the Bardo musuem) because you'll get charged an absurd amount.
always having Kleenex with you, because you never know when you'll need to go...and there's never a guarantee there'll be toilet paper.
being prepared for anything, being flexible and willing to change plans at any given moment.
avoid taking the metro during rush hour, unless you like that sardine/claustrophibic feeling.
taking a walk down the main street at night, the lights are beautiful, there's a clock tower and fountain.
buying fresh produce at the grand marché, the big veggie and fruit outdoor market.

Rogata's epitaph

This is an epitaph from a Christian's tomb found in Sfax, a southern city in Tunisia. It dates back to the 6th century AD. The cross on the right is an early Christian symbol using the first two letters (in Greek) of name of Jesus Christ. The X and the P form the cross. The inscription tells us her name was Rogata and that she lived only 4 years, 11 months, 3 days and 7 hours. This made me stop and think about the fact that time is ticking away and it was a reminder to me that life is just too short. Not to be morbid or anything, but it was a reminder that death is a reality. It also made me think about how I use my time, or rather waste my time on some things while I should be putting other things first. I want to take another look at my schedule and reprioritize some things. I want to make my life count, to savour the good times and to enjoy each moment as it comes. Little Rogata may not have had much of a chance to live life but ironically her life has effected more people than most who get the chance to live to be 80. Each hour, each minute counted for her. And it should for me, for us, too. Her epitaph speaks of her short life, but also her faith in an eternal God, Jesus Christ. The things on earth come and go. And at some point or another we all need to look at the end of life and ask ourselves who or what we are really living for. Who or what rules our time? Not that I have the answers or have arrived at perfection. I've got a looong way to go, but this was a good reminder to seize the day, carpe diem, and make my life count for the only One I believe is worthy...Jesus. That was true for Rogata 1400 years ago, and it's still true today. 

My new friend

My new friend and I at the Bardo Museum in Tunis. He was a bit too quiet for my taste (and honestly a bit too tall). I don't think we'll see each other again, he's going off to fight in some Roman war, and as you can see...he doesn't have any arms. I don't think he'll last long. Don't get me wrong! I'm sure he's a great soldier with or without arms. It's just that it must be hard to stay on a horse and throw a spear without them. Not that I've tried... And I was a bit weirded out that he was wearing a skirt and prettier shoes than me. Am I being too picky? Guess I'll keep looking....
 

Fave pics

One of the many beautifully designed doors in Tunis (and much of North Africa). This is outside the Bardo Museum. 

Fave pics

This is La Major with Notre Dame de la Garde in the background on the hill, as we leave Marseille port. 

Leaving on a ferry to Tunis

That's me trying to control my hair long enough to get a picture taken on our ferry the "Casa Nova" as we left the Marseille port. That's Le Palais de Pharo behind me. Click on the link on the right to see more pics from my trip.