FIELD NOTE 5.7 - Winter again?

It figures that the weather here would take a drastic turn. After having packed away all my winter clothes into my suitcase this weekend, I was not at all surprised to find it incredibly cold inside my room on Monday morning.
The low temperatures were enough to make people wonder whether winter had ever really left and were enough to make me dig unceremoniously through my suitcase to find a suitable coat for the day.
Even still, the day was a pretty one. And, as much as it pains me to admit for all the shivering I did, it was a nice break from last week's unseasonably warm weather. I have a feeling in a few weeks I will be willing to trade almost anything for even 5 minutes of today's weather as I'm sweating on the streets of Paris.

FIELD NOTE 5.6 - Conversation.

The most intellectual conversation I've ever heard when people are drinking. The topic: popular American misconceptions about Chinese culture. (L to R: Ziming, Jacob, Sharon)

FIELD NOTE 5.5 - Sunday brunch.

Today Sharon invited me to over to a small brunch with her at her apartment. Being raised in the South I was ingrained with certain Southern customs from an early age, one of which is to always ask the host if I needed to bring anything.
Bread, orange juice, and champagne.
Simple enough. Today though was Sunday, a day when almost everything tends to be closed. Add to that the fact that today was the Sunday after a national holiday and things seemed a little bit difficult. Eventually it was decided that I would just bring the orange nectar I already owned and stop by a bakery at the 50 Otages tram stop for a few baguettes and a boule.
Before I knew it I was at Sharon's apartment with a mimosa in hand and being introduced to her boyfriend Jacob who is visiting from the UK. For more than 7 hours my glass was never empty and other people began to arrive. The time passed quickly and yet was still filled with memorable moments - I was called BCBG by Jacob, Sharon broke a wine glass by accident, Darryl feigned falling out of a window.
This though, like all things, had to come to an end. And 6 bottles of champagne and 2 of red wine does tend to slow one down. Outside the rain was coming and it was decided that it was time the party came to an end. It wasn't until later that I realized that Sharon's brunch is one of the moments I will treasure the most about being here, but it is a potent memory and I will live off of it for months.

FIELD NOTE 5.4 - Wild iris.

FIELD NOTE 5.3 - A sudden shower.

I should have been expecting it to rain. The sky had been constantly cloudy today but still the weather held and I hoped that Darryl and I could make it back from our walk just before the first sprinkles began.
The sky grew darker and Darryl asked which way I would like to go home: the short way that would take perhaps 8 minutes or the long way that would take 40. I patted my bag to make sure I had remembered my umbrella and, finding it's comfortable bulk there, started off in the direction of the long way.
We were walking along the path beside the river when the winds suddenly changed. Having learned early in my youth that a change in the direction of the wind normally proceeds the rain, I quickly put up my umbrella and a few minutes later it began to rain.
We didn't rush back after this started, but dawdled and took our time - perhaps the French culture is finally starting to rub off on us after all.

FIELD NOTE 5.2 - A slip.

I somehow ended up standing in line with Darryl and McDonald's this afternoon. After walking for more than an hour from our dorm and winding up in Commerce we decided to seek out a little snack. What started out as the intention to buy just an order of fries somehow ended up being a Big Mac, fries, and a Coke Light.
But I've been pretty good for the last few weeks and some slips are worth it!

FIELD NOTE 5.1 - Le muguet de mai.

Today is 1 May, the French equivalent of our Labor Day. This means no running public transportation system and no open stores for the day. This day also means something else in Nantes: le muguet - a plant you and I know by another name: lily of the valley.
While it is sold all around France on this day, Nantes is particularly known for its muguet and ships it out all around the country each year. Here it is sold on almost every street corner as farmers come into the city to sell what they didn't ship out.
There are many customs and sayings that surround the flower. Men are supposed to buy it for women and, when given to them, the women are supposed to exchange the flower for a kiss. Stems bearing 13 flowers are a particularly good omen and insure good fortune for the year ahead.
We saw them, Darryl and I as we walked in Commerce today. After having heard me talk about the flower for nearly 2 weeks, she asked if I wanted to buy one from one of the many vendors. I hesitated for almost a minute before ultimately deciding not to buy a sprig for myself.
I love being here in France and witnessing the all culture and the customs, but I always hesitate when it comes to participating in events like le muguet. Yes, I know that no one would begrudge me a single flower and that the farmers would all be just as happy to have my money as anyone else's, but still I must recall this world is not mine and it's best that the good luck go to someone who can truly appreciate it.
Still, it's a wonderful thing to see and to experience just the same.