Je suis lorraine; je serai espagnole; je suis impresionée

First thing's first-- I got the email today confirming that I got the assistantship in Spain!!  Yay!  What a relief.  Knowing that I have employment next year (especially in Spain where unemployment has hit 18%) in this economy is a big source of relief.  And at this point I will take the position even if I don't get placed in Almeria.  Like with the French assistantship, when they tell you that you have been accepted to the program, they don' tell you the city you are in, just the region.  So I know that I will be in Andalucia, which is good because that is the region that Almeria is in, but it is also the biggest region in Spain so I could end up anywhere.  Now to try and pull some strings to get placed in Carlos' city.  I wrote in my essay and basically every white space of my application, "Please place me in Almeria."

Second news of the day...the blocage at the university is getting resolved.  And the president decided that we will make up the missed classes--this came as a big surprise.  I'd gotten so spoiled that I'd scheduled other lessons and doctors appointments and sundry other things at the times I used to have class and now I have to reschedule all of that stuff.  I am glad that my students will be getting their educations,  but selfishly frustrated that the job I thought was over will continue.  The second round of exams is going to take place in September, and this means that I don't have to stay in France any longer than I thought I would.

Now on to my latest adventure.  Life has been so monotonous lately.  It was about time.  My British friend who is dating a French guy named JB invited me to a "bison-themed party" with a bunch of his friends.  I didn't know any more details...but that is ok since the best adventures always start out like that.  Turned out to be in a tiny town--population 86...does that even constitute a town?, which was having a bison-festival since some farmers in the area raise bison.  They brag about how such a small place can get together and put the festival together to attract (they claim) 10,000 "fools" to come hang out and spend their money there.  The atmosphere was quite festive.  There was a nice flea market and well plenty of bison to eat.  My friend's boyfriend's friends were really fun people, and we had a good day.  At one point, I met someone, who I know believe to be the son of the mayor of said village, who after a five-minute conversation (unbeknownst to me) fell in love with me.  After this, I ventured out with my new friends to see the bison grazing, and upon our return to Tiny Village, I realized the son of the mayor had already told the other 85 residents of the town about me and immediately started introducing me to them as his wife.  The news that I have a boyfriend came as an unpleasant surprise, and I spent the rest of the night ignoring his cries of the one sentence he was able to muster in English, "I love you."

In the meantime, the residents of Tiny Village were astonished to meet an American.  This sort of thing doesn't happen in Nancy, but in rural villages, which barely get any visitors from neighboring towns, seeing foreigners is pretty rare.  Now I have to take a moment to point out that the beverage tent, which was charging visitors for beer was giving free beer to locals, and they were taking full advantage of this privilege.  So the drunken villagers took to all calling my name loudly, then yelling their opinions at me, and then telling me what a surprise and a pleasure it was to meet me (which seemed strange because I was never able to get a word in edgewise with all their ramblings).  At this point I was ready to go home, but we had to stick around for a barbecue at a guy's house.  And I was glad I did because I am pretty sure that he made himself the sausages that we ate, and wow...just amazing stuff.  Drunk villagers also attending the barbecue continued haranguing me.  One man in particular followed me around all night telling me how great it was to meet me. The last thing he said to me was...

"Je suis....

Je suis...

Je suis...

Je suis...

Je suis...

Je suis...

Je suis...

Je suis vraiment impressioné de faire votre connaissance."

It took him five minutes of bumbling "je suis"s before I was actually able to understand what he was saying.  

My day at the Bison Festival was long, not always pleasant, but I really liked JB's friends, and well it was just the sort of spontaneous adventure I needed to pick me up from all of my stressful work lately.  And also it was a chance to explore the rural parts of the region was nice  

since I haven't done too much of that.  I jokingly referred to myself as "une lorraine" the other day, but realized that even though I will be moving to Spain, after two years here in Lorraine, I can call myself "lorraine" at least a little bit.  Not too much though since I still can't stand choucroute (sauerkraut)...