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.