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For several months now (beginning in November), a group called the Gilets Jaunes have been protesting throughout France.  The movement originated over an increase in fuel prices and grew to include other concerns such as the high cost of living, the low minimum wage and the tax burden on the middle class.  While many of the high-profile, and violent, protests occurred in Paris there have been many low-key protests in small towns too.  Sometimes groups of these protestors would block off toll booth lanes and leave one open where cars could go through without paying the toll.

Many of these protests are planned through social media and this past weekend a major protest was planned in our city.  The news that this protest was happening started spreading about a week before, and it was said that people from other cities in France would be coming here to protest.  Because this was all occurring through social media, the city had no idea how many people to expect or how violent the situation could become.

The week leading up to the protest was eerily familiar to my days living in hurricane territory (Florida).  Offices, city and government buildings, and stores located near the city center were boarding up their windows.  Public trash cans were removed (to prevent people from setting them on fire).  Offices and stores put up notices that they would be closed on the day of the protest.  Supermarkets covered their shelves of alcohol and prohibited the sale of alcohol on the day of the protest.  Cars that normally parked along the streets were moved to safer locations in fear of vandalism and the streets were strangely empty.

Saturday arrived and we witnessed our first serious protest.  The city center was unusually quiet in the morning.  There weren’t many people driving around as the public was warned to avoid the area.  The group of protestors started gathering and marching and it wound up being less people than the city expected.  It was fairly peaceful for awhile but started to turn violent late in the afternoon.  People started fires in trash cans, broke windows to several businesses, pulled up bricks from the street and started throwing them.  The police threw smoke bombs to clear crowds and quickly responded to the issues arising so thankfully the damage was minimal.

The next day we took a walk to survey the damage, and although we saw some broken windows here and there, our little city was back to normal….

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Before Christmas, Santa made a special visit to Makenna’s dance class!  The children were told to dress up in a costume and they danced for the parents for a little while until Santa arrived.  They danced for Santa and then he handed out presents and chocolate.

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We kept very busy in the weeks leading up to Christmas this year.  We made several trips to Place de Jaude so the kids could ride the carnival rides.  One night Ryan and I went out to a very very delicious dinner, where I ordered risotto with truffle and then we rode the Ferris Wheel.  It was so beautiful overlooking the town at night!  My friend Emily had her annual cookie decorating party with a couple of our friends, and my friend Katie threw the annual expat ornament exchange party with a big group of ladies.  And of course, the kids had fun decorating the apartment for Christmas and making a gingerbread house.  It’s almost Christmas!

We were so happy that we were all healthy most of this month and that Makenna was able to attend her school Christmas party since she was sick last year and missed it.  The party was held after school on a Friday night and was for all of the classes together.  It started with a Christmas market, where parents could buy things that the kids made in school or food and drinks donated by parents to help raise money for the school.  It was a bit chaotic with all of the kids and parents in a small space, so we didn’t stay there for very long.  Then Makenna’s class and another class sang some songs that they had learned over the last few months.  They weren’t Christmas songs, rather songs all focused on a theme of books they had been reading.  This year the theme is bears, so all of the books have a bear theme and the school hallway was decorated to match the theme.  For one of the songs, one of the teachers sang and played guitar, and the principal was standing up and clapping along.  It was really cute, especially hearing the songs in French!

We have now been in France for 4 years!  We came here thinking we would be here for 3 years but Ryan must be too good at his job because they have asked us to stay longer.  Clermont Ferrand has really become home to us, and it’s where our kids have grown up so far (Makenna was 9 months when we moved here).  We love it here, in Europe in general, and we will really really miss it when we return to the US.

Here are some reflections on our time here:

1. I’ve realized that living here has made me go outside more.  Back home, if it was raining or really cold, I wouldn’t stay outside any longer than I absolutely needed to.  Here, it is the norm to sit outside of a café even if it’s 30 degrees outside and now I find myself doing that!  It’s also a lot easier for me to walk places than to get the kids in the car and drive (especially because of 1 way streets and trying to find parking) so even if it is pouring rain  we grab our umbrellas and walk to school, the grocery store, a friend’s house etc.
2. I’ve accepted that “being excited” is not a thing in France.  I recently read an article that talked about why the French don’t show excitement and it summed up the cultural differences that some people take as the French being rude.  While it is normal for Americans to smile a lot, talk loudly and show excitement easily, it is quite the opposite for the French.  In fact, there’s not really an equivalent translation for “I’m excited” in French (the direct translation would mean “I am aroused”).  It goes on to say how the French are just culturally more reserved and that sometimes Americans are over-the-top with their feelings and enthusiasm whereas the French only show excitement when it is truly meant.  This rang true for me when I think back to experiences of shopping or going to a restaurant in the US and the salesperson/waiter is constantly smiling and asking if you are ok etc, or meeting new people that are too nice and “fake” when they don’t even know you.  And the main takeaway- Americans live in the “to do” whereas the French live in the “to be”….being excited is living in the future, while the French are content where they are now.  On est bien là (we are good, here).
3. In the US, we sometimes focus TOO much on education at a young age.  I once showed a friend some of the things Makenna had learned at school and made.  She said “oh my daughter did some of that in her daycare program”.  Which is fine. But when I thought about it, does a 1 and  2 year old need to be learning colors, numbers, shapes, letters, how to draw straight lines and more? Or should they be learning how to socialize, how to listen to instructions, how to play fairly, how to include others, how to be creative and imaginative?  I recently had to apply to send Makenna to a public school in Greenville that is a language school where she can continue part of her education in French.  It is a public school but we won’t be living in that area so we need to apply for special permission.  The school requested a letter from Makenna’s preschool stating her attendance and behavior, as well as an evaluation of her knowledge.  When I told Makenna’s teacher this, she said “why? she’s only 4”.  Touché.
4. Every now and then I am reminded of my appreciation for American conveniences. In the month of December, many stores will open on Sundays when they are otherwise closed. It reminds me of how nice it can be to run errands on a Sunday if you forgot something or didn’t have time on Saturday.  Or if you would like to order food for delivery before 7pm, that is much easier to do back home than it is here.

As we get closer to moving back home, I think of all the things I will miss about our life here.  And I also think about how much I look forward to having a bigger house with room for guests and more storage and not having the kids’ toys everywhere between the kitchen and the living room…..

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The fall has been full of afternoons at the park, play dates and fun with friends.  This year we have had some really nice weather in September and October, so we tried to take advantage of getting outside as much as possible.  We got together with the Cook family and Adcox family a lot and Makenna and Reese got to spend a lot of time with their friends Lola and Parker.  I am so thankful to have these friends here and this beautiful city to enjoy for another year!

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Being that Halloween isn’t usually a big deal here like it is back home, the expat families usually get together to have a Halloween party.  Halloween was during the 2 week school vacation, so my friend Emily hosted a party mid-October.  There were quite a few expat families there and the kids had a great time playing with all the other kids.  They also painted ceramic pumpkins!

This year the kids went trick-or-treating for the first time!  Most people in France don’t do that, but the mom of Makenna’s friend Milo said when she was a kid it was more popular and she decided to organize one where they lived.  She works for the gendarmerie which is the military police organization and they live “on base” in an apartment complex for the gendarmerie.  The kids went door to door through the entire complex and they got quite a bit of candy.  We noticed that here when candy is given out it is usually sugary/fruity candy versus chocolate candy like we often get in the US.  A lot of it was also loose candy as in it wasn’t individually packaged.  Most people back home would be so worried about someone tampering with the candy, but here it isn’t even a thought.  Makenna had a great time but I think Reese was a little overwhelmed!  When the kids were done trick-or-treating we went back to Milo’s apartment and talked to his parents until 11pm when we finally decided we should get home.

Makenna and Reese will be shocked when we move back and they see what Halloween is like in the US!

 

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When Ryan’s friend Jason moved to Dubai for work, we knew we had to take advantage of the opportunity to visit our friends and experience a new country and culture.  It had been awhile since we last saw Jason, and since then he had gotten married and had a baby so we were so excited to see his wife, Lindsey, again and meet Hunter.

We weren’t looking forward to the long trip with the kids (we had to fly to Paris, then fly 6.5 hours to Dubai) but it actually went really well.  Because Ryan travels a lot for work, he has access to the Air France lounges at the airports and me and the kids got to experience it for the first time during this trip.  We enjoyed some food and chocolate, and Ryan and I had a glass of champagne.  When we boarded the plane to Dubai, the kids were amazed at the tvs and the kids packs that the airline gives out.  Makenna watched movies most of the flight and Reese kept busy with toys and walking around the plane.  We arrived late at night and went to our AirBnb which was an apartment in the same building where Jason lives.  The apartment was in the Dubai marina so we had an amazing view of the buildings, water and of course some very nice yachts.

Our first day we started out by going to Jumeirah Beach.  It was so hot and humid and even the gulf water was so warm that it wasn’t a relief from the heat.  I was so hot wearing just shorts and a tank top and it made me wonder how the Muslim women cover themselves from head to toe, especially in black.  We went back to the pool at the apartment for a little while and thankfully the water was colder there and a welcome relief to the heat.  We then headed to the Dubai Mall and it was bigger than any mall I’ve seen.  Unfortunately we didn’t have time to see the aquarium that is inside the mall, but we did take Makenna to Build a Bear.  She had such a great time picking out a rainbow colored bear, stuffing it and and picking out an outfit, then naming it Bella.  After having dinner, we went outside to watch the light show on the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world!) and the fountain show…both were amazing!

The next morning we went to Souk Madinat, which is an indoor souk with traditional Arabian architecture.  After shopping for some souvenirs, we went to see the Burj Al Arab which is the 5th largest hotel in the world and the shape is made to look like the sail of a ship.  It was very hazy so we weren’t able to get great photos.

That night we went out without the kids.  We had a babysitter that Jason and Lindsey had used in the past watch Hunter, Makenna and Reese.  I was nervous to have someone we don’t know watch the kids, but the lady was super sweet and the kids loved her.  We went out for sushi and drinks in the marina.  While Dubai is an Arab city, there are many expats and tourists so the dress code is not as strict.  Though some women try to dress more conservatively, many dress in the clothes they would normally wear especially at the bars and restaurants.

The following morning Lindsey and I did a fitness class in the pool called Float.  Each person had a floating mat that we stood on and the teacher had us doing all kinds of exercises like jump squats, jumping jacks etc that were difficult to do because you had to balance yourself on the mat without falling into the pool!  The pool was really nice and we had a beautiful view of the marina which made an awesome setting while getting in a great workout.

After the class we all headed to Abu Dhabi to visit the Sheikh Zayed mosque.  On our way we stopped at a place called Last Exit, which is a food truck park off of each side of the highway.  There were all kinds of food trucks as well as a large indoor area with seating.  We had lunch and coffee and then drove the rest of the way to Abu Dhabi.  Lindsey and I were so concerned about what we should wear, as women have to be fully covered including covering wrists and ankles and wearing a head scarf.  When we arrived, we were taken to a dressing room where we were given an Abaya (the traditional robe you see Muslim women wearing), so we worried for nothing.  We met the guys outside and heard the call to prayer over the speakers.  We were surrounded by huge white columns, pools of water and palm trees.  The mosque was absolutely beautiful, and huge!  For awhile we stood outside taking it all in.  It was so peaceful.  When we entered, we had to take our shoes off and walk barefoot.  We walked around and admired the large white domes, the floral tile work on the floor and on the columns, and how large and open it was.  The kids were getting a bit tired and weren’t handling it very well, but we really enjoyed walking around and getting to experience, in a very small way, another religion.

On our last day, we had the babysitter watch the kids again while we went to the textile souk,  the spice souk and gold souk.  After having gone through them, I was so glad we didn’t take the kids with us because it was very overwhelming and the vendors were very persistent.  We started at the textile souk and I saw a shop with really pretty poufs and pillow covers.  The vendor saw my interest and took us inside and after I picked out 2 poufs and a pillow cover he gave me a price.   Thankfully I’ve somewhat mastered the art of haggling and we paid a lot less than the initial price.  Once we left that shop and walked a little bit we realized all of the vendors would stand in the middle of the walkway and get in your face and ask you to try something or to come into their shop.  They were relentless and we just wanted to get out of there.  As we walked through, many of them would call me and Lindsey “Lady Gaga” or “Shakira” and even called Jason “Jack Sparrow” haha.

We quickly finished walking through that souk and got on an “abra”, a traditional small boat, that took us across the Dubai Creek to the spice souk.  Though it was a short ride, it was a glimpse into the origins of Dubai and the more “down to earth” aspect of the city.  We saw the older neighborhoods that are where foreign merchants came as a trading post, where many of the immigrant workers live now because that is where they can afford to live.  The spike souk was much like the textile souk where we felt very pressured by vendors.  There were also many of them who came up to us offering knock-off handbags, wallets etc.  The selection of spices, dried flowers and herbs was amazing!  We didn’t want to take much time to look at anything and be hassled by the vendors, so after browsing for a short time we walked to the gold souk.  The gold jewelry that was in some of the windows was so large and gaudy, it was hard to imagine who would wear them!  That souk wasn’t as overwhelming with vendors, but none of us were in the market for gold.  After the souks we went out to lunch and then returned to the apartment to relax.

I had really wanted to go into the desert and ride a camel, and maybe a quad, but it was just too hot when we were there.  Luckily there was a man offering camel rides on Jumeirah Beach, so we ended our trip by me and the kids riding on a camel with the gulf on one side and a sea of skyscrapers on the other.

It was such an amazing trip between seeing our friends, meeting their baby, and getting to experience a great city and a new culture.  Seeing the Muslim women fully covered and seeing many of the men in traditional clothing with very expensive watches/sandals/cars was a bit of a culture shock.  We were also in awe at the amount and variety of restaurants and stores, and the convenience of everything similar to in the US (stores open long hours, a large selection of food/drink that could be delivered to your door).  Makenna’s favorite part was all of the lights!

And the Dubai airport didn’t disappoint…the Air France lounge offered any kind of alcohol you wanted, a separate kids room with toys, a tv room and of course, plenty of local grown dates.

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I can’t believe Reese is 2 years old! His birthday was on a Wednesday so we just had cake at home and went to the park.  On Friday we went to dinner with Katie and her family (including his bff Parker) and they gave Reese a car with a race track.  On Saturday I had planned on celebrating his birthday by taking him to a farm in a nearby town with the Adcox’s and Cook’s to see the animals, but it happened to be closed for vacation.  Then I thought we could take the kids on a donkey ride near Lake Aydat, but when we arrived that was closed too!  We wound up taking the kids to the indoor playground and the kids had a great time, so it worked out in the end.  We are so blessed to have our sweet boy!

This year Makenna started what would be K4 in the US.  Here it is called moyenne section and the class has children ages 4-5 years old.  In Makenna’s school (like other schools in France) many of the classes are mixed with a lower grade or higher grade class, and her class is mixed with children in petite section (ages 3-4).  Most classes have about 28 children and have a teacher and a teacher’s aid.  Both Makenna’s teacher and the teacher’s aid are named Sophie 🙂 Makenna was happy that 8 of the children from her class last year are in the same class as her this year.

We are both looking forward to this school year with the friends she has already made and despite my struggle with speaking French I now know many of the parents, some of whom I talk to and get together with.  I’m so happy we chose to send Makenna to the local public school as it has been such a great experience so far and has made us branch out from the expat community a little bit.