Walking home with P in freezing January and spotting a hedgehog ducking between parked cars. Stooping down on the ground in heels and searching for the little guy, willing him to reveal himself and appease my curiosity. I didn't even really get a good glimpse of him and the only reason I could understand what P was excited about was because I recently read "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" and had researched the translated title. Apparently they always show up on that street, only during the month of January.
Walking back from a class I just taught and hearing my name being called in a thick french accent. "Laurenne! Laurrrenne!" Turning and not seeing anyone initially, and then spotting 3 teenage boys hanging from a third story window, who then shouted in english, "I love yoooou! Lauren I love you!" Without skipping a beat and without having any idea who they were I blew several kisses to them and kind of skipped back to my studio.
Trying to explain what is Mac n' Cheese to a classroom of french teenagers and getting "preservatifs" (condoms) confused with "conservateurs" (preservatives).
Dancing with P to the song Johnny Be Good in a crowded bar in which no one else is dancing and then being dipped and twirled while everyone watches.
Playing drinking games in french with the french and the terror that gripped me for almost a whole hour while I tried not to lose first.
Telling a 19 year old in a bar that I'm 25 years old and having him respond with, "Fuck! You could be my mom!"
Being proactive and asking P's mom and sister if I could help with lunch and then having absolutely no idea what their response was, and staring blankly while they tried to employ french and pantomime to help me understand.
Debating hip hop with a Senegalese 27 year old.
Debating English imperialism and superiority with an Englishman.
Teaching one class wherein the students are awed and impressed by my "excellent French" and then teaching a class directly after that wherein not one person can understand my words and snickering ensues.
Playing "I know someone who" - a game where everyone sits in a circle with one less chair than people and if the phrase pertains to you, you must stand up and quickly change chairs; if not, then you stay seated. Having a student stand in the center and say, "I know someone who loves Lauren" and having every single student stand up and change chairs.
Thinking that 52 degrees Fahrenheit is time to break out the skirts.
Knowing that everyone that I meet here is a learning experience about myself, my shortcomings, my strengths, my passions, and the world itself.
