Saturday, July 01, 2006

I sort the soda cans.

And let me tell you, it can get pretty gross. There was a rotten, fuzz-covered cigarette butt on one of them. Or maybe it was a cocoon or web of some insect. But really, either way - YUCK! :)

So I am in France! Woohoo!! :) I am working and living at a place where people can donate their old stuff, and we sort it and get it ready to sell. And if it is not sellable (is that a word? I don't speak English OR French very well right now, apparently), then we get rid of it. And that is where I come in. :)

We get to choose which part of the company we work in, and for the last three days, I have been working in the metal shop. It's fun - we destroy stuff! No, really. They bring us stuff that can't be sold, for whatever reason, and we dismantle it, putting the wood parts in the (HUGE) fire pit, where a fire is burning all day long, separating out different kinds of metals for recycling, and throwing out the rest. So today I tore apart a futon-couch thing, a knick-knack shelf thing from the 70's, and a baby stroller, among other things. And the other day, I sorted soda cans. See, you probably didn't know this, but some are made of different metals from others. So I went through two bags of cans, testing them with a magnet so I would know which ones to throw into which recycling pile. Good times. :)

And there are people here from all over the world. Yesterday we had a bunch of new volunteers arrive - a guy from North Ireland (HP fans? it's Oliver Wood's accent - oh my gosh, I LOVE it! and I have to be careful to pay attention to WHAT he says, not just HOW he says it ;) ), 4 girls from Poland, and 5 girls from Korea. And in the metal shop I work with a Frenchman, a Romanian, and a Swede.

And a 19-year-old Frenchman is in love with me. :) He's a little cutie, and his flirting really makes me laugh. He kept coming back to the metal shop, just to say hi and tease me about being a beautiful American, and the Romanian said to me, in front of the French guy, "He only comes here because you are here. Before you were here, he never came here." And the French guy totally took it and agreed that I was why he was coming there, and he made a funny little comment about how he and I should be together, because, he said, "American women are beautiful, and French men are handsome." And I laughed and teased him right back, and after he left I translated the conversation for my Swedish friend who was there working, since his French isn't good enough for him to follow conversations. And he said, "It's not true that ALL American women are beautiful," and I said, "Not ALL Frenchmen are good-looking, either," and he said, "No, you have to go to Sweden for that."

And I about fell over laughing. It was A.W.S.O.M.E. And he said it with such a straight face! Way to go, Fredrick!

Anyway, so things are good. And fun. And good for my beautiful American ego. ;) And I am making lots of friends, and having some deep conversations, and some conversations about French grammar and some about English grammar, and I am also doing some deep thinking, some of which I just may share with you, after I get it all settled in my head and heart.

But now, I am going to go take pictures of some real, live French people watching their team play in the World Cup. Allez les bleus!

4 comments:

Janell said...

French team totally beat Brazil! I was horrified! Brazil was playing really, really, really awful.

I hope France beats Portugal for your sake. Then you can have a huge bash when they play Germany for the Cup. (Then again. I thought Brazil beating France was a sure thing. I've watched Ukraine and Germany more though, I don't think Ukraine really stands a chance).

Anywho. I'm thrilled your having a great time in France!

Comm'on. It isn't just because you're a beautiful American woman. Insist that your french admirer adds on the compliments intelligent, witty, and happy.

Yup. That's what I'm here for. Making sure that Maragaret provides her complete personality resume. Um. Bad thing to balance out all of that good stuff. . . um. Um. Um. Margaret packs really heavy book boxes.

That we go. Now everything is in balance again.

Good luck with the thesis! Good luck with the can.! Good luck with setting up for your French class come fall. And I hope you find something of the french equivelence of otter pops ;)

Kathryn Thompson said...

I'm loving the travelogue. It's like a little vacation for my brain. That swedish guy is a crackup! Oh, and I love your attitude about your job. Have fun with the destruction.

Anonymous said...

oki doki im the little swedish guy you think is a crackup...
I thank you from the bottom of my northern heart for your heartwarming comment about my straightup swedish personality, well anyways margaret is a blast.. laughing at like everything.
yeah she is kinda reforming my view of the bossy little american... so keep it up!!!

just a little greeting from a pretty funny guy who does not laugh.

Kindly Regards

Fredrik H

Janell said...

In reply to myself: Sigh. I forgot, Italy beat Ukraine. Too many games to recall.

And I jinxed Germany. Argh.

Yay France =)