I’ve filled my calendar with teas and children’s Christmas parties… if there is an ex-pat group in Grenoble, I think I’ve found it. Ok, I’ve found two. And I’ve joined both.
Monday, I went to a morning tea at the group that conducts all its meetings in both English and French. Since I’m new, I had the thrill of introducing myself. Easy enough. Then she said now in francais? Uh, yea. Ok, you can’t scare me, you native French speakers. I gave the same little introduction speech in French. The room buzzed… you speak so well… you’ve had French lessons before! Nope. Now, all I said was that I am Mandy, I live in St Martin d’Uriage with my husband and daughter and I am American. (Je m’appelle Mandy. J’habite a St Martin d’Uriage avec mon mari et notre fille. Je suis Americanne.) It isn’t like I gave a speech on the importance of world peace. Still, it was a great confidence booster.
Today, I went to an afternoon tea put on by the other group, which does everything in English. There are still French members, ex-ex-pats who want to practice their English. And a lot of Brits.
I was asked to bring along some kind of American food to share. I had a brainstorm yesterday at Carrefour when I saw the genunie Corn Flakes. Marshmallow Christmas wreaths like my grandma used to make. I have never had such an overwhelming reaction to a food I’ve taken anywhere. Here in the land of fois gras (it’s the season), escargot and scary cheeses, I spent my time at the tea fielding questions about those wreaths. How do you make them? (melt marshmallows in butter, put in cereal, form into wreaths) Can I have the recipie? (google it!) What region of the United States is this from? (region?) How did you make it green? (food coloring) What an incredible ice breaker that turned out to be! When I got home, I finally tasted one. It was good, but somehow French marshmallows really are not exactly the same as American ones. Still, they were pretty tasty.
Sunday we’re going to a children’s Christmas party put on by the same group. I’m brining pb+j sandwiches I plan to cut into Christmas shapes with cookie cutters. We’ll see how that goes over…
We used to make these as kids! Did you put the little redhots on it too? I think it is a midwestern thing, Rod, being his California self, had never heard of such a thing until he saw my Mom make one!
I didn’t have red hots. I used to pick them off anyway. I used some red, green and white sprinkles meant for cookies. The people here didn’t know! They thought they were pretty enough to hang on a Christmas tree.