"N-Y-C... THAT'S WHERE I'M GOIN'"

There is an innate uniqueness to the city.

That is both good and bad...

It smells. It doesn't matter where you are for the most part, it stinks.

There's SO many people milling around ALL the time.

It is loud unless you are far enough into Central Park, but even then there is a chance you won't get much quiet.

You feel dirty and grimy because of the pollution and I hate to imagine the nastiness that crawls about in the subway. And I don't just mean the tunnels, I am talking about the subway cars too...

But it is magical.

There is an energy and a sense of being alive that belongs only to this beautiful city.

There is culture of every kind. Food, art, theater, history. It is so rich and so wonderful.

I have always loved New York City.

The last time I was in the city was in 2009 with my mom.

Today I walked around Manhattan's Upper West Side, Central Park, and maneuvered through the subway like a pro.

I love the energy that this city provides. I love that there is so much to be seen and so much to be learned. I am really looking forward to spending more time in the city. Hopefully I will make some friends in New York that I can spend time with in the city.

Today Ali and I rode into Grand Central Station and made our way to the B train at 42nd Street near Bryant Park to go Uptown to 72nd and Central Park West. The destination, Strawberry Fields.

       Plaque at Strawberry Fields                                                  The Entrance to Strawberry Fields

In my minds eye, this is an iconic place. Dedicated to the memory of John Lennon on October 9, 1985 which would have been his 45th birthday. He lived directly across from the park in the Dakota Apartments before he was murdered.

I was very excited to go here and see this place not only because I love The Beatles, but because it is a huge piece of music history etched into this city; named after the song "Strawberry Fields Forever" with a tribute to "Imagine" in the mosaic circle. For music fans, it is a big deal. It was crowded, but I am so glad that I got to go and see it.

                                         "Imagine all the people living life in peace"

                                                       The circle is often decorated with flowers, candles, and

                                                       memorandums of John Lennon.

It was wonderful! After seeing the Imagine Circle we walked through Central Park to make our way further uptown to go to Barnes and Noble on 82nd and Broadway. We spent a LONG time perusing the aisles and enjoying the air conditioning. I purchased a post card to send to Josiah and a book. I realize now that I probably should have bought more postcards. There will be time for that next time I suppose... I simply love bookstores.

We stopped in at Le Pain Quotidien which is a French cafe and bakery. We had a "platter" or assiette of meats and bread; salami, prosciutto, and ham. THEN we ordered a White Chocolate and Dark Chocolate mouse cake. That was absolutely heavenly!

 

                                                      This is the bakery at which we ate...

I would say all in all it was a successful day. We enjoyed the city, we ate some yummy food and most importantly we made it home alive. Haha

FRENCH MUCH?

I just ordered Rosetta Stone's French curriculum. It is expensive and I am always leery of spending large chunks of money, so I am hoping it really pays off in the end.

Over the past couple of days I have made attempts to learn some new French words and phrases. I know very few as it is now and sadly, my seven year old has a hard time properly translating for me.

I HAVE learned some new things, but I think I need a program, such as Rosetta Stone to really help me get the language so that I can speak with the kids in French as well as English.

Adi told me today that she doesn't want to be embarrassed which is why she will say things in French rather than English to her mother or siblings sometimes when she doesn't want me to be able to understand. While I can I understand not wanting to be embarrassed, I supremely dislike not being able to know what people are saying. Also, I believe this is a tremendous opportunity to be able to learn a new language and put it into practice.

Last night some very good friends came over for dinner and the majority of the time everyone was speaking in French. That made dinner a little awkward for me... I am determined now to be able to speak and interact in French so that they can continue to speak their language and I can join in... Hopefully.

Some of the new words and phrases I learned that have actually stuck with me, I shall share with you.

Mangue which is mango. Pronounced like MONG but with that kind of raspy hiss sound at the end.

Je ne sais pas which means I don't know. This one, I sort of knew before. I always said it wrong though. I said je ne sais quoi... Adi fixed that today. Haha

Garçon means boy and fille and femme mean girl. Accents and pronunciation are a big deal. I think I say a word right and Adi has to correct me in just the tiniest way.

Sucre is sugar. Jus is juice, pronounced kind of like JEW.

Porquoi is why?

Un, deux, trois is one, two, three. Just about the only thing I pronounce properly.

Poisson is fish. I learned that from The Little Mermaid. :)

The other day we went to Red Mango... OR, Mangue Rouge. I told Adi continually today, "je ne sais pas" when she would ask me a question. I kind of love attempting to speak this beautiful language; I love this learning process. I look forward to getting my program and really diving in and hopefully beginning to speak more soon.

Until next time...

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Tomorrow is my first full day alone with the kids. Things have gone quite well thus far and I am confident that they will continue in a positive fashion. It has only been two days since I arrived in New York and somehow it feels so much longer. I have eaten foods I have never before eaten, been places I have never before been, and heard a WHOLE lot of spoken French, understanding almost none of it. I would like to be able to speak to and partake in conversations that are happening around me in French. I am thinking of investing in Rosetta Stone. I think that will be my best option to learn the language. And I will have plenty of opportunity to practice. I am also open to alternate suggestions.

So, a little about where I am living, where I have been thus far and the food! Oh yes, the food!

Mamaroneck is a village in Westchester county, just a short train ride into Manhattan. I live across the street from Mamaroneck Harbor which opens up into the Long Island Sound. It is a small and lovely village. ---Here's a little known fact, according to my sources; the great wide inter-webs, Norman Rockwell was from Mamaroneck. So, that's pretty cool. The main road is Boston Post Rd. It is supposed to be the first actual route ever made from the olden days, which is why it is called Route 1. There is a large French community in Mamaroneck.

Around Mamaroneck is Larchmont, New Rochelle, White Plains, and Rye. I have been to  Larchmont and New Rochelle so far. I will do my banking in Rye or White Plains. Larchmont is a village directly south of Mamaroneck and is very similar as well. New Rochelle which is the next town over, south of Larchmont has a big shopping mall and movie theater, which is why I was there today. So far, things seem quaint if you ignore the crazy impatience and constant honking of the New York drivers.

I have had several different types of cheese because French people like cheese. And bread, lots of bread. We eat both daily. Nutella, which I had only had once before coming here. It is somewhat of a staple with the kids. I had lamb for the first time in my life and I quite liked it. Apparently there is a bit of technique involved in eating the rack of lamb though, which I was not good at. I had this thinly sliced beef "cold cut" which is very similar to ham. That's new to me. I have enjoyed the new flavors mostly.

I am hoping to really learn about the culture and language and absorb as much as I possibly can. So, two days in and I have learned a lot, experienced some new things, and look forward to the rest of the year. School begins next week; the French-American School of New York (FASNY... NOT a French word, like I initially thought upon first hearing it). My schedule will change majorly once the kids are in school. I hope to meet some people and perhaps make friends, take some trips into the city and enjoy the culture. There is so much opportunity available and I am just excited for it all!

Until next time... Jusqu'à la prochaine fois.

MOVING ON UP... MOVING ON OUT

This southern bell is headed North.

In less than forty-eight hours I will be sitting on a plane on my way to the great state of New York. I finally, after a long and faith filled search, have a job; I can officially say I am employed! Excitement doesn't even begin to describe my state at the time. I am absolutely elated to be moving to New York. I am so blessed that I am going to be able to work in the area of my interest and even more blessed that God has provided this opportunity for me in such a GREAT city.

For those of you who know me well, you know I have always loved the whole idea of New York City, Broadway, Central Park, and all the beautiful city has to offer. I hope to be able to spend a great deal of time IN the city. I will be living in a suburb a mere thirty minute train ride into Grand Central Station!

The first and only time I was ever in NYC I got a little less than forty-eight hours to spend. I saw two shows, The Little Mermaid and Mama Mia; the former of which was spectacular and the latter I was not a fan of... I got lost in the middle of the night trying to get back to the Port Authority where my fairy to bed would be. I barely made it in time for the last ride back. It was a crazy time.

And somehow, I want more! ("We want more, we want more, we like it, we want more.") If you know where that is from, you win at life... So, big days ahead. Opportunities to hopefully touch lives and make a difference for someone.

Exhaustion is setting in. I don't think I have much left in me to stay awake. Goodnight inter-webs. Goodnight friends.