Moment(s) of Gratitude

Ever had a moment, when you get completely overwhelmed by all the truths - good and bad? when you are weakened by the facts you love and embrace?

You take that 'moment' to analyse and realize that you have been one heck of a lucky person - born in a great home to good parents, blessed with a windfall of opportunities, memorable moments speckled with tons of humor, that too with friends or family, umpteen chances to get to know and understand different types of people, and some whom we later hold close to our hearts and others who we let pass. It's just plain awesome when you think about it for a 'moment'.

And in that 'moment' of realization, you are overcome by a sort of power.... of gratitude. And when it hits hard like the storm, all the walls around your emotions come crashing down - you now declare earnestly with an outpouring of tears and a quiet (and long) prayer, with THANKS.

You are so alive at that 'moment' and your senses are awake - am not sure if you could have an adrenaline rush, but am yet to discover. That 'moment' (so precious) helps you to see clearly your strengths and weaknesses and also erase all that is bad....'for a moment'. So powerful.

These 'moments' are not a one time occurence. It happens at the right time - 'defining moments'. And the next time it happens, it helps you redefine. And so it is self evolves with our changing lives.

Morale of this blog :-

take the time to recognize those moments and be grateful for it.

Shine on my world

So I am stumped for subjects to write on and have not had any interesting encounters in the past several weeks. The scene has been the same - in the mode of figuring out everything one by one. As I was going through my Outbox, I opened an e-mail, one of my first e-letters that I sent out within days of my landing in France. I noticed how descriptive and yet how concise my letter was - it had a lot of facts that I want to record (perhaps it might benefit a newcomer in future?). So here goes.....

Dear Tina chechi,

As odd as this may seem, this is perhaps the first e-mail ever that I have written to you !! How the situation has forced me to pen down lines that I could quite easily share with you over the phone !!!! I meant to keep calling you yesterday, but i got tired trying. I was using magic jack to talk to you, but the connection is just plain terrible. I miss you already !

Its been a tough couple of days since our arrival. Part of the problem is the language barrier. And generally speaking the French are very fast in everything they do. So it makes it twice as hard. T and I have been getting on each others nerves occasionally. We try to have fun too, as much as it is exasperating to find our way around. We have had our share of laughs already saying all the wrong things at the wrong times...yes all in French !! :)

The french are pretty crazy drivers. We get honked at quite religiously - we are slow to react most of the time, and its quite dangerous.

Am really glad that you visited us chech....very happy actually....i've taken that memory with me to france.

Ever since I arrived here, I have been rather homesick. Anglophones are so few. Today, I painfully realised that there might not be an English church in Avignon and the closest is possibly 1-2 hours away from where we are.

Also, its almost mandatory to know how to drive a stick shift ! Automatics are expensive and rare to come by. We have started car shopping, general household item shopping - and with a very short list you can arrive at fairly large sums of money!!! things are generally very expensive here. We have been told that there are only a handful of French who make a decent income - yet they wine and dine quite lavishly. We have grown to realise that they dont like to compromise on food and drinks. But they live rather frugally when it comes to other aspects.

So many things to learn and very little patience. You know me ! I am always in a hurry. I get tired and feel like im always losing the battle !

But I believe God has a purpose - im holding onto that hope. Im a little upset (Actually quite a lot), that there hardly anything much that is familiar. Everything is in French !!! Its been almost 2 weeks since we watched any TV. And when we thought we had time to relax, there are 2 news channels in English !!! Even googling in English has become a pain. The internet automatically goes to the French version of Google.

T seems a lot more pleasant dealing with the situation - he takes his time. I have been trying to put a pleasant front, but I really miss what I got used to ! Its quite lonely for me and I am hopeful that situation will change once I join university for french lessons - which of course is only in September.

I am grateful that God is providing for all our needs, but am yet to understand why He is throwing so many challenges one after another !! Please pray for us....so that we may transition smoothly into the French system.

Hope you all are doing well. I will try and call when magic jack seems a little more forgiving !!

Do write back when you get a chance. I will update you as and when I can. Love to achach and the kids !

Hugs A

I no longer think of the French as crazy drivers. They are just very driven and spirited people - driven towards enjoying their lives! My husband is turning out to be one himself. I have figured out a way to get onto Google (english), just type www.google.us. Thanks to an acquaintance, I have made arrangements to join an immersion program - inorder to transition smoothly. I no longer feel lonely - I love the garden in the apartment complex and a handsome tabby who has hunter instincts - what a sight ! He is so entertaining. I love the daily walks I make to and fro the Palais de pape. I love the squares in the city centre and the thick crowds of people who make it so lively - did I forget to mention that the festival season is around and the city is thronging with tourists from all parts of the world!

I am so grateful to the Lord for giving me bountiful opportunities to experience different things. I have become more appreciative of just about everything. Its so awesome to be able to live in the moment. I have progressed and gained so much since that first letter. Its no longer a flicker that I see at the end of the tunnel - its shining bright !

And so my journey continues.....lets hope it will shine on.....and on and on

'Langue' power

Over the last several weeks, I have internalized how empowering it is to be able to understand. Without being able to comprehend, even the simplest of things feels like a ordeal. We have been having an exasperating time trying to decipher manuals, product labels, energy specifications, etc. in a foreign language. Just when we thought we had it all figured out *bhaammmm*

We officially moved into our new apartment, so did some preliminary shopping to get us through the weekend. We bought around 20 items, but it took us a total of 4 hours. At Walmart, it would have taken us under 10 minutes to fetch it all. The time and effort it took to understand word for word, seek help from helpful bystanders for translations and the frustration we were feeling, all led to us completely losing track of time. We were exhausted and for the first time I found shopping to be a nightmare. After all it was day 14 in survival mode !!

After getting some rest, we woke up the next day and leaned back to analyze (what else to do?). Yes, we have come to realize that knowledge of a language matters and more so to be able to communicate!!

Its a huge energy drain on the body and the mind, when one is in survival mode. In order to shift to normal/peace mode, we would have to tackle language first. Once that is taken care of, everything else will fall into place.

Out of gas

I am trying to suppress a smile on my face when I write this blog. It's about "Gaz" man! *chuckles*

As part of our preparation to move to our apartment located within the walled city, we had the gas company send one of their staff to check for leaks and just make sure that the system was in perfect order. So here I am waiting at the apartment and just then the buzzer goes off - I let someone (i assume its from the company) in and am standing at my door to hear the doorbell ring. No ring !

Again the buzzer goes off, I let another someone in, but this time it was "gaz" man. Good heavens !

At approximately 5'10" tall, dark black hair combed to a soft spike, early stubble on the face, a perfect smile and light eyes!!!! I had a weak moment. Sigh ! he didn't know a word of English or else I would have............

He asks to be let into the apartment, and gets on with his routine of checking this and that. He concludes that something is not right and mutters 'Complicat'; so I put him on the phone with AJ's colleague so that we could all understand what was going on.

Anyways, the man left - I had no 'gaz' and remained in a state of 'gas' lessness.

Dreamy and giddy headed I waited for AJ to get back. Once he returned he enquired "How was your day?"

So I quipped,"Out of gas?"

Bosom friend 'Kindle'

Four days have gone by, drenched in rain showers and blown away by ghastly winds. Another afternoon, I quietly spent lounging in the comfort of my room only with a brief break at the restaurant to get a quick meal. Although quick, I indulged, for a change, in a three course meal (the standard being four). It's my birthday after all. I turned a big 32.

I concretized one of my observations about the average French person. They never eat alone. They are always in the company of someone. Four days in a row I had lunch by myself, coz my loved one was in the midst of less loved others.

Day 1 was terribly awkward alone....to myself....no one to talk to. All the chitter chatter that hovered around seemed to come at me rather fiercely. I felt like I was drowning in all that French chatter. The sensation was nearly crippling.....with some fleeting thoughts 'I must run now....'Calm down!' .....I should have skipped lunch altogether....How silly.....C'mon this is all good experience....' .It was all too much. To add oil to fire, I did not know what 'that queer piece of cultery' was used for???? How shameful? But how do I even ask? I don't know how to get my message across in French? I just wanted to get that afternoon over with.

Day 2, I take my Kindle with me. Atleast (I thought to myself) it would give others a different impression of who I was....not someone who looked so lame in front of her food wondering if she should just stare at it all afternoon or perhaps say a prayer?

With the Kindle under my arm, I walk confidently to the restaurant to take a seat...take a cursory look at the menu and am ready to place an order. I lifted my head and saw a few people look at me. I'd say from their looks they may have been thinking "ooo....that woman must be busy....maybe she is a writer....what's that notebook like thing in her hand?" For once, I felt like I was onto something - a person with a purpose, an agenda. Never knew that my Kindle would make me feel so.

T, an electronics buff, purchased his 'new gadget' (to his infamously large collection of electronic goodies) on the pretext of my 30th birthday. I knew very well what his motives were. He would always 'kill 2 birds with one stone' - that is his style. I did not complain. I began to use it several months after it was 'gifted' to me. On the side, I have to admit that I have become a lot more techno-savvy ever since we hitched.

On day 2 and 3, I had curious observers who enquired (in their French ramble) what I was using? E-book? they asked. So I replied..."No, its the Amazon Kindle, v.1".

With Kindle v.2 and I-pad out in the market, Kindle v.1 will soon become outdated. But my Kindle (yes, my Kindle) will remain close to my heart - bosom friend.

KAVC

So we have all heard the acronym ROTFALMAO which expands to - Roll on the floor and laugh my ass off. I get pissed when Mallus who are already poor in English resort to such writing. How we Mallus think its all 'kewl' (not even spelt cool) to stay in the game by occasionally remarking to someone's comment with "Whadda F***?" or "Whadda hell?"

Question is 'Who is kidding who?' Its like taking candy after making sure your teeth have already become rotten with all the soda pop that you gulp down.

With Manglish being spoken by a third of India's population, how I fear that it will make its appearance on a global platform. 'Lolakutty' made a lot of Manglish usages popular, thanks to (was it Asianet? or Surya?) it has been aired to and accepted by many more Mallus.

Anyways, the point I was coming to was that it would nice of us Mallus to maintain some form of purity in the language, even if we were to spell it out in English.

For example, if mallus wanted to exclaim that a column or post was really funny...why not use KAVC - 'Kamizhnu Adichu Veenu Chirikkuka? Sounds novel, doesn't it?

Flit(ter)

Ever noticed how a bee 'flits' from flower to flower? It astonishes me everytime I see a bee in action - moving ahead with so much 'goal orient' (edness). There is no such word as orientedness, but you get the point !

Such is the case of a focussed businessman or an opportunistic employee or a clever and conniving student. They are so focussed and move on with intent. They waste very little time on anything that is not 'fertile' - be it people or information.

This is exactly how I have felt about some types of businessmen - i call them flit(ters); my opinion about them is always 50-50 or comme ci comme ca. I feel 'like' and 'hate' towards them all at the same time. You don't want to be around them for too long, yet you want them in your midst. So confusing !

They are not particularly 'perfect' in what they do. But they get it done anyways. I am not sure if I want to emulate them, but would like to internalise the secret to their success. More often than not, these are very successful individuals in their own right by virtue of their own ways - lame or not. The types who don't waste time pondering - they are all about action or better still, sealing a deal - fast and furious !

Several years ago while in Canada, one afternoon, I had a similar encounter at a restaurant (this was during one of my business trips in Nova Scotia). I was waiting to be served and recognized another customer across me from me who I had befriended that morning. Turns out he was Indian, born in France and is a Franchise owner/operator for a French establishment.
A successful entrepreneur in his own right, he makes quick eye contact and stops to enquire"You want ..errr...speak French ...errr...very very quickly?" This was in response to the casual interest I expressed in learning French, that morning. My company (at the time) had several clients in Montreal and Quebec city and therefore was on the attempt to boost the number of French speaking employees to serve those sites.

He talks as though he is on 'fast forward' mode, makes a few mental notes and then spits out translations in English. He continues "In PEI....err....there is a biig biig place....errr......a previous hotel sold to man from Belgiaaam. He has 'agence' for peeple from Denmark...errr....et so many many autre countries. I know one man - no speak English , las premiere semaine, but en 10 jours....his english....very very gooood. The name of 'agence' IFL .

Being a Malayali, I could not help but read into this 'opportunity offered' (that too by a fellow Indian) without a little cunning of my own. So, I put him to a little test. I replied that I was aware of IFL and that I had already discussed with my company and that my request was turned down on the pretext that IFL's in house courses/programs were too expensive for the company to carry. I enacted 'expensive' by briskly moving my right forefinger against my right thumb.

I waited.

And Voila ! I saw it - the look of disappointment that escaped his face like a blink of an eye ! The change in expression was so subtle - invisible to the dull mind.

T calls me "tigress" because he says that when I put out a heavy sigh, I close with a 'purr' - like a 'big cat'. It would be totally out of place to call me "pussy cat" - that's how mallus refer to cats. I like to think that I am rightfully compared to a tigress because I can read the faintest of expressions and sniff out deeply buried truths. I am reminded of one of Rajnikanth's hit movies in which he croons "ATTACK LIKEA TIGAAAA" like Appa would say ' in tamilshingam style" (jokes aside).

If I were to agree to the IFL program, how much of a cut would he get? was my instant thought. He wasted no time, but flitted away with the charm of an expert. His closing statement, "Err....Je nais se pas....program expensive???? hm..." with a quick change in direction, he disappeared towards the lounge.

What am I supposed to make of this? 'What to do?' like T would respond. ' Oh Well !

I continue with my preparations for my next site visit until my food arrives.

Think French, Stay Thin

Isabelle Adjani, Monica Belluci (italian actress popular in the French and American movie industry) and countless other timeless beauties !! What is it about French actresses that make them so attractive? Well the accent certainly helps - it is hard not to be drawn to the delicate musicality that emanates from the French throat ! Even a simple order of say "egg sandwich", sounds very poetic ! Poetic abilities (atleast to my deceived perception) aside, these women tend to be gorgeous, leggy, toned and slim.

Nothing spectacular about the obvious - those traits seem to linger in great concentration among the stars, regardless of their birthplaces! That being said, there is this popular belief, that despite the buttery croissants, extensive selection of foie gras, steak frites et chocolat, regular French women do not get fat. Now, what is their secret?

During an extensive dinner yesterday at our hosts' it was revealed that "its a common misconception that all French eat and still stay thin; truth is that they don't. Many compensate for mismanaged eating by various methods - smoking to name one!"

I have heard several who say that smoking increases metabolism and so helps burn calories. Even that information (I realise now) is skewed. The truth is that smoking causes a faster conversion of food into blood sugar giving one an instantaneous feeling of fullness. This helps one to curb the need to "dump" anymore junk onto themselves !

I have always heard Mom chant her famous mantra for staying slim and fit "Eat slow, feel full with small portions and exercise". I hate to give it to you Mom - but YOU ARE RIGHT ! At 63, she continues to be in the best shape of her life - a slim figure of 5 ft and 4 inches weighing at an ever steady 53 kilos ! Mind you, she lives in Kerala and not in France and yet so global, her perspective !! Who am I kidding? - she's a highly qualified physician with over 30 years of medical practice under her belt.

Basically what she is trying to say in laymans terms is that by eating slowly, you are giving your brain enough time to send " FULL, now STOP" signals to your stomach, which helps us weak humans place down the cutlery which we were using to gorge down all that deceptively healthy and wholesome food.

T has taken on the reins from my mother in becoming my new health coach. His mantras are only shaping up. His best one by far - "Have a bowl of fibre enriched cereal with cold calcium fortified milk for breakfast".

Quoted by Lifestyle magazine in 2009, America continues to be the fattest nation in the worldwide - this is not alarming. Unlike Americans who reward their children with food and turn to food for comfort, the French don't. French families monitor their childrens' eating habits quite seriously.

Aren't we still baffled by the so-called French paradox (the mystery of why French fatty diets do not cause heart attacks)?

That being said how can we discount the French lifestyle - work less (therefore low or no stress), say NO to work on weekends and overtime, long and frequent vacations, free healthcare and nice tasty slices of brie!

Bon appetite !

French gluttony hits the gut

Day 10 at the hotel and I have grown far too spoiled with all the pampering I have been getting from housekeeping. I want to defend myself by saying its all well deserved. I worked tirelessly for 2 months to help organize our move to France, sort out things in Canada and coordinate the sale our home in the US. Its big ! So whats a 10 day affair with housekeeping? Nothing to complain about is there?

Hotel and restaurant food over the past 10 days have definitely made its appearance around my mid-section. Even size 12 jeans have started to tighten. Until 2 days ago, I needed a belt to secure it around my waist. I am not exactly making a good progress. I also know exactly the kind of acerbic comment my sister would come up with, if she were reading this blog. She happens to be very lean and tall and extremely beauty conscious !

As much as I want to languish in self-pity (oh..am so fat and short and ugly), I must admit I truly have been savouring French cuisine. More so, I have fallen in love with yaourt (yogurt)...and specially the way these folks consume it. I wake up in the morning just to get my bowl of yaourt which I can sweeten with either honey, abricot, orange, berry or a selection of 10 others ! T loves his new selection of cereal.

I do miss my home made instant coffee though :( I can't seem to make ado with expresso. It's a shame ! Like T says, I have my mental blocks about many things. I may be missing out on several things....I still have time to convert !

So I'm temporarily a culinary connoiseur till I move to our apartment next week - all our bills are paid off until then ;) I am determined to get into shape in my mind. I have always had a weight problem as a child. It was my physician mom who always ensured that I stayed presentable in public (I miss her !)

Here in Avignon, there are very few overweight individuals around. Its true I have not travelled far and wide but I am sure I have observed correctly. My comparison is with North American states like Florida in the US, New Brunswick in Canada and a few other small states/provinces.

Another couple of days, before our first consignment of belongings arrive. Then it will be a new routine, same responsibilities in a new abode and many more.

I like it thus far and whats pending is that I just have to work on my gut from now on !

Une nouvelle coiffure

The image to your left shows a picture of me sporting a hairstyle that is 17 years old. I always believed long hair suited me mostly because of the constant rantings from my mother which went like "Perhaps that is the only feminine thing about you, so keep your crowing glory !" and so it was written in stone. Taken 2 days before our departure from United States, I thought this picture of me looked decent.

Once we reached France, we had a chance to relax and carefully examine what we missed out. And the obvious hit me - it has been atleast 4 months since I last colored my hair and all of a sudden my greys were more than just noticeable. So we discover this shopping mall called Auchan and I find two hair salons - Franck Provost and Interview Coiffure. I automatically lean towards I.C since it is 40 Euros cheaper for what I want to get done.

After a long wait, a session that consisted of "coupe, coleur, shampoo, conditionneur" all accomplished in nothing less than 3 heures and 70 Euros later....pretty alarming for a rather small head of hair (also the translation efforts took half the time), I waited for AJ to pick me up and hoped that my new looks would stir a comment - a compliment really !

But to my dismay, AJ walks past me and then turns around to look at me (as though he did not recognise me the first time!) and wrinkles his nose like i can't see...and says with bated breath "you look different". I am already in pain that my hairstylist nipped my tresses and so wished that would be wiped away with a nice remark. Alas, after much wait and careful examination he said "Nice !"

So relieved I was, considering I took this brave step to change styles after 17 years ! The last time I remember sporting a similar cut was when I was in grade 7 or something. But like anyone else I'm secretly telling myself - " it will grow back in a year, enough time before I visit Mom again !!"

Fights and bites

Its a misleading title - but I have a point to make....eventually.

2 days ago, T and I got into a serious argument. This was serious enough to sleep the night on separate beds ! And how foolish I was to think that I could have it my way or else would go separate ways ! Here I am in an alien land, sans speaking and driving skills and no where to go until for sometime. Who am I kidding? Well thats the practical side of my brain speaking.

For some background - I have been a fiercely independent woman for a good portion of my life. But things have changed in the last 2 yrs - I have come to depend on someone and though it seems easy, frankly its not enjoyable when your ego keeps interfering with your brain.

Excerpts of the argument went like this, " Who are you to ask? I will do as I please !" so on and so forth - this is so common that I will leave it to the readers to imagine the rest.

Although angry as I was the night of the fight, I woke up with hardly any memory of it at all. But I had to put on a show. Come evening, I am trying hard to put on a show......but I love him too much to act any longer. Well I realize that this is what love does to you. It weakens you. Good heavens ! I almost sound like Suzanne Enoch.....the incurable romantic

So here we are after a bitter evening of fights and another evening belabored with bites. Ah ! the delight that follows a little despair

Andouillette

What was perceived to be bacon wrapped sausage turned out to be beef tripe and pork. This I consumed with semi-displeasure on a Monday afternoon, at Courtepaille (a grill restaurant, 5 mins away from Best Western Paradou) after being told that the kitchen @ Paradou was closed until 7.30 pm. Well, I took it for granted that it would be open 24 hours....my bad!

Anyways, this would be disappointment no.2. Day 2 of my arrival, I met with disappointment no.1 when I had lunch consisting of duck terrine avec figs et tender bouef et polente frite. Its seems that this may be the way to get a feel for the cuisine.....face your fears head on.

Regardless, I am determined to move forward, inspite of my sensitive palate.

I was educating T that it might be best to steer clear from fois gras atleast initially till our palates acclimatize to all the new tastes.

"Foie gras belongs to the protected cultural and gastronomical heritage of France."[courtesy- Wikipedia]

After a week on the french soil, my confidence is gradually being restored. Despite my pathetic French speaking skills, I have mustered courage to place an order at a stall or at a restaurant without worrying about feeling embarrassed. I have resigned to the fact that there aren't going to be a lot of people who will volunteer to help you. So make a dash anyways !

Bienvenue à Auchan

So I spent an entire afternoon of April 26, 2010 and a good part of the evening (until my husband came to pick me up) at Auchan. Auchan is this humongous hypermarket (a french enterprise originally, controlled by the Mulliez family - a wealthy French family) with a range of services and goods that is mindblowing. For those of us only accustomed to Walmart and its size, I must inform you, this is sensational. In laymans terms, consider having two aisles just for cheese or better still four aisles for meats! My amazement does not stop there. One can behold an extensive variety in the categories of lait, fromage, pasta, pain, dessert, de glace, poisson, viande.....so on and so forth.

The term kaleidoscope comes to mind, when I think Auchan - or perhaps its a reaction from a naive foreigner ! But take a look at the official English site, if you are the curious kind !

http://www.groupe-auchan.com/activites/Organisation.html

The expanse of Auchan is largely European with its extensions into Asia and the Middle East. Regardless, first impression is truly global ! The exception however is that it does not have any presence in the United States - actually North America. Why? Je nais se pas ! I am yet to research into that subject. I cannot help but make the connection between this fact and that the French have low tolerance towards English and Anglophones. Ce'st possible !!

See below for some key dates that i pulled out from the site itself.

Key dates
1967 Six years after Gérard Mulliez opened the first store, the first Auchan hypermarket was opened in Roncq, in Northern France.
1981 Alcampo is created in Spain.
1989 First Auchan in Italy.
1996-1999 Acceleration of growth: acquisition of the Docks de France group (France, Spain) and the Spanish and Portuguese activities of Pao de Açucar. Partnership with the Rinascente group in Italy, first Auchan hypermarkets in Luxembourg, Poland, Hungary and China.
2001 Alliance with Mart in China. Acqusition of RT Mart hypermarkets in Taiwan.
2002 First Auchan hypermarkets in Russia.
2004 In Italy, acquisition of the totality of La Rinascente food business.
2006 First Auchan hypermarket in Bucharest (Romania), opened in partnership with MGV Distri-Hiper.
2007 Auchan signed a agreement with Az SpA, to operate franchised hypermarkets in the Calabria region. Partnership agreement signed with the Furshet Group in Ukraine.
Agreement with Enka Group in Russia for the operation of 13 hypermarkets.
2008 Auchan opens it's first hypermarket in Kiev (Ukraine).
Agreement with Dubai World in Dubai to develop the Auchan banner.
2009 Acquisition of 100% of the capital in Romania (6 hypermarkets).
First Auchan opening in Dubai, in partnership with Dubai World.

I have not figured out today's agenda, except get translations for a 1000 labels that I penned down at Auchan ( mind you, most of the labels are in French or German....very rarely in English).

Bonne étude!!

Is “wise” or “informative” better?

To put it simply

Wise = gained over long term;

Information = can be gained over a short term.

So where does knowledge stand? Is it a combination of the two?

KNOWLEDGE applies to facts or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience . LEARNING applies to knowledge acquired especially through formal, often advanced, schooling <>. ERUDITION strongly implies the acquiring of profound, recondite, or bookish learning <>.

(Courtesy-Websters Online Dictionary)

Moral: One must learn with a desire to become knowledgeable and therefore be able to make wise choices and decisions

I know I know , it sounds very first grade….but I needed to put that down rather simply – for my own sake…… my comprehension has muddled up so much over the years. Sigh!

Minimum Education

Over the past 27 years, I have had the good fortune of witnessing the ever changing requirement - minimum education. Being familiar to an Indian School system for the major part of my life, I was always accustomed to Grade 10 as being the minimum required education for anyone. Even to this day, Grade 10 continues to be required minimum as per national educational guidelines. But really, is that enough???

In this new day and age, where communication methods have elevated from merely a telephone conversation to e-mails, phone textings, blogs and twitters, there seems to be a big gap between the demands of the job market and what government stipulates as enough ! and what a large gap indeed !!!

Personally, I thought I would be at par with the day and age with just an M.S. But after 2 yrs of the program and another 4 years at work - I dont seem to have gotten anywhere ! So here I am again, with my books, through with a GMAT exam and pondering over a program in business - in the hopes of becoming marketable or better still...indispensable ! will this tiring journey ever end?

Information Overload

Its day 6, monday morning....actually 11.02 am; Venue - Best Western Hotel Paradou. Had a weekend packed with activities (none of leisure), all geared towards settling down in our apartment in the city centre of Avignon (centreville !) We thought it a simple task (atleast in our minds) to find our way into our new home....but alas it was not so.

2 hours and 15 mins later, after battling one way streets, unfamiliar signs, taking helpful directions from senior citizens (who barely said a word in Anglaise) and several others via blackberry and telephone, voila ! we got in. We realized one thing or it may be just a one time incident - that atleast for us, nothing came easy. Although we enquired, we were not given directions or pointers. As exasperating as it was, it seems to be making us stronger. We painfully realized that our brains (wired in English) needed a RAM upgrade to process all the information (in Francaise, of course) ...fast !

So here we are, into semaine numero deux.

Did I mention, that the closest English church is located in Montpellier, an hour and 15mins away? ....oh mother of pearl !

April 25, 2010 - Avignon, France

I tossed and turned all night trying to figure out details about our house sale, which obviously kept me awake until the wee hours of Sunday morning. So I thought, lets find a church. We are determined not to wait an entire year without going to a church, for the simple excuse of not knowing French.

After a quick breakfast at Best Western Paradou, off we were to Eglise Evangelique Libre, at 1240 Chemin de Massillargues, 84000 Avignon, with a little help from the front desk. Our acquaintances in Florida had already explained to us that this was a free church that welcomed all denominations of Christians and which would suit us well in our initial months. What they forgot to tell us was that the service was only available in French !!!!

We waited patiently outside the church doors to befriend the pastor and few other who might guide us to English churches. We were able to converse with a few English speaking Frenchmen, who turned out to be English teachers at a school and another at the University D'Avignon. They were Christelle and Christian. From the brief chat, we came to understand that the closest English church might possible be located atleast 1-2 hours away from Avignon. Now what ?????

We came back to the hotel disappointed but with a new resolve. There seems no way around learning French it seems. So off we put aside our customary " Je ne parle pas Francais" and kick start with "Bon jour, je m'appele A et T et je suis indien" .....we hope to get better by the end of the week !

A Fresh Start in France

Bonjour tout le monde !

So after several months of contemplation, planning and coordinating, we have finally reached Avignon, France to begin yet again another phase of life together. Its amazing how we got past the volcanic disruptions and reached on time. Everything went according to clockwork.

Of course we are struggling with the language - who doesn't for the first time?

Landed on 21st, paid a visit to T's company, said hello to a few, had dinner at Best Western (menu - carpaccio salmon et lentils, tout verte salade, grillade bouef, lamb steak and greens, champagne)

Opened a bank account on 22d, skipped breakfast, had a bagnat for lunch and went over to our hotel - slept ! For dinner @ Buffet Wok - familiar tastes, it was very satisfying.

Started 23rd, another day - trying to figure out how to enroll for French classes.