I'm a Californian, living in France since 1996, in Alsace since 1999. This originally was a general blog about our family but when I couldn't post pictures, I abandoned it. Now I'm reviving it to recount my Cancer Journey. I was diagnosed on Oct. 22nd, 2013 on a routine check for Breast Cancer.
(2005-2007 covered in http://calgirlinalsace.blogspot.com)
This is just an extra shot of the two girls whom I took to Solidarity Day last weekend. Ronnie had a birthday party and I was secretly grateful to just deal with two.
We didn't end up buying much but it was fun anyway, if much smaller than in past years.
Sunday we went to lunch at the Hilton and then drove up to Northern Alsace to visit a glass blowing factory. The kids enjoyed watching them make Xmas balls.
Ronnie and Davina at the Hilton;
Here's the process at the factory;
Then Ronnie got the chance to try it out;
We bought a vase and a dish, plus a paperweight for Ronnie, a dolphin for Davina and a swan for Talia.
Our train was cancelled, thanks to the strike. We decided to go anyway. We played with the idea of pulling the kids out at lunch from school and leaving then but I thought since they were going to miss a week in December, to refrain...
We left immediately from school, didn't stop at the house. It's 500km from here. We did hit traffic leaving Strasbourg at 4:30pm but then it was clear and we made good time. We arrived a little after 9pm. Luckily the video was working. This worked like a charm on the kids. They stayed nicely in their seats the whole way. We didn't have to stop at all!
The pool was great. The service was less so. http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/features/index.html?propertyID=1104
The next day we went to the actual Bar Mitvah. Ronnie and Daniel went earlier and I kind of put it off. I didn't relish the idea of bringing a 3 and 5 year old to a religious service where I don't know anyone and where the girls wouldn't understand, nor have much to do (me either).
We walked around the neighborhood, stopping for hot chocolate since it was -4C. We did eventually arrive just for the end. It's a beautiful synagogue, especially inside. This is all I could find on the net;
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Images_de_Versailles
We then had lunch with Daniel's cousin Florence, her husband Olivier and their 16 month old daughter Raphaelle. I don't have any photos because it was Shabbat and would have been rude to have taken any. They're very religious. They only live about 20 minutes from Versailles.
The husband had all sorts of books in English on Judaism. It was a goldmine! He even had a book "Yiddish for Idiots" which was hysterical. I told him how Yiddish expressions are a part of American slang. You tell a black American that he's a Schmuck and he wont be happy. You tell an Irish America to not give you a speile, he'll know exactly what you mean but once arriving in England, it was a different story. "What is this German you're saying??" they'd ask confoundedly. The one exception was when I was around a British Jewish person, who without fail, would correct my pronunciation (being that I was only vaguely aware of the fact I was using any Yiddish in the first place, since it's so a part of the lexicon back home...)
We also got to hear all the Horror Stories of the Strike. Florence was even putting away a table setting for someone who couldn't make it. They are much more affected in Paris since their entire transport is also messed up. Traffic in Paris is already a nightmare. A huge three week strike happened about a month before I moved to France in 1995 which crippled the city.
The food and drink were good. The only small incident was that Talia had thrown up right as we were arriving. Why didn't she do that on our long drive? Because I had drugged her! Seriously, I had bought some pills for the cruise I never needed. I gave some to Daniel's aunt who suffers terribly. They worked like magic on her return to Paris after the first wedding. She also took them down to Biarrtz and back. I decided to try the children's version on Talia with success. It was Bonine, which apparently is available here too.
That evening, Sophie and Dith came over with their daughters. Lassamie is a little older than Ronnie and Arouny is two months older than Davina. They also live in the area. Lassamie brought her suit and the kids went swimming in the hotel pool. Arouny stayed out since she had been sick the day before. We then went for Tex Mex. The men are hiding in these photos. They're in the front.
The next day was the party for the Bar Mitvah in the Bois de Bourgogne. It was hysterical as we passed at least two other Bar Mitvahs being held in the area and Daniel's sister was attending yet another the same day. Tis the season! Actually, it is since the new years' festivities are past and in western countries, it's easier to avoid the Xmas rush.
The food was good. It was a smaller group than events like this held in the past. They had a DJ and these dancers for entertainment. It was easier than Nicholas' Bar Mitvah in that we could walk around and mingle. At that one, everyone had to sit the whole time and watch the entertainment in the dark (even though it was a beautiful day). This was not a pretty day so staying inside didn't bother me a bit!
By the way, the red eye on my camera doesn't work.
They did a great redition of Fiddler on the Roof complete with the Bottle Dance. I was happily singing along but the French didn't know it! One woman liked the music so much, she had me write it down. Most French Jews are actually from North Africa or maybe Poland, especially those in Paris. Very few Russian Jews. The musical also, is in English.
I got Davina dancing but forgot that I can't film sideways. Oops!
We did make it to the end. Here is the big dessert display that always ends these events;
Then we hit the road. We ran into a huge traffic jam on the way back. We had to snake around Paris but the other road wasn't better. We saw that one leaving and we were in the west, and were headed east so we really didn't have a choice.
What was good was that we went straight past Trocadero with its famous view of the Eiffle Tower. It was sunset and the Eiffle Tower was all lit up. The kids gasped and begged to go up it sometime. I was secretly pleased. This had been our first trip to Paris when we didn't see either his uncle or sister, partly because we were staying on the other side and were only there for the weekend. Our trips in the past have been sister/uncle/sister/uncle/sister... Daniel, quite frankly, can skip the rest. I'm the one who has actually lived in the capital, not him so I'm happy to hear that the kids want to see more than just visit with Daniel's uncle and sister all the time! With the TGV, IF there isn't a strike, it's now possible...
Talia declared with pride that she officially has a "wiggly tooth". She has now found a new excuse to reap attention from everyone. She shows off her wiggly tooth. She scolds me for brushing it too hard. She has drama at the table because she "did bobo" to the wiggly tooth. Our family life is now centered on the drama of Talia's wiggly tooth.
Agnes Mihalik, born June 5, 1955, Miskolc, Hungary, died July 31, 2007 at Berkeley, California. Agnes Mihalik was a teacher, a writer, a dancer, a music lover, a culinary artist, and devoted mother. In her short life, she mastered 3 languages: French, English and her native Hungarian. She received an M.A. in English and French from Lajos Kossuth University in Debrecen, Hungary. In her native country, she taught English at the University of Economics in Budapest from 1979 to 1981. At the same time, she was teaching English literature and language at Miklos Radnoti High School. She also taught Hungarian as a second language to foreign students. It was in this program that she met her first husband, Jay Stebley, who brought her to the Bay Area in 1981. Ms. Mihalik became a lecturer in the Slavic Languages Department of UC Berkeley in 1982, a position she held until her death. There, she developed and administered the Hungarian Language and Cultural Studies Program. She is lovingly remembered by her students, not only for her knowledge, generosity and creative teaching methods, but for the parties she would throw for them at the end of each term, at which she would serve her delicious home made Hungarian delicacies. While teaching at UC Berkeley, Ms. Mihalik also received an M.A. in Education, producing essays and an impressive thesis, flawlessly written in a language that was not her native tongue. She went on to organize and conduct a series of workshops on teaching English as a Second Language at the School of Education at UC Berkeley. Writing was a favorite pastime of Ms. Mihalik's, and those recipients of her witty cards and letters cherish them. She was also a dedicated diarist and voracious reader who loved literature and poetry in all three of the languages she was at home in. She also kept up online correspondence with her many friends in France, Hungary, Canada, and around the United States. A keen appreciation for dance and music led Ms. Mihalik to the Shawl Anderson Dance Center, where she studied modern dance. Among her teachers was Reginald Ray-Savage, founder of the Savage Jazz Dance Company. Her interest in dance led her to attain a Certificate in Dance/Movement Therapy from California State University in Hayward. She put this to good use in her work with geriatric citizens, through the Oakland Unified School District, Pleasant Valley Adult School. For the last twelve years of her life, Ms. Mihalik taught Creative Movement and Communication Skills to participants in their Frail Older Adult division, in Oakland adult day centers, as well as at nursing homes and rehab centers. Her humor and vitality managed to coax out a spark of life from many patients who had not responded to other stimuli. The daughter and granddaughter of bakers, Ms. Mihalik was a gifted and prolific cook and baker. Many a friend was the recipient of a grand wedding or birthday cake, or delicious pastry. At one time, after making 200 Hungarian rolls for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution, Ms. Mihalik had considered renting time at a commercial kitchen and opening a catering business. One of her most memorable creations was a cake in the shape of the Parthenon for an event at her daughter's school. As frequently as she could, usually every other year, Ms. Mihalik would take her daughter on a summer trip to friends in France and Hungary, to immerse her in European, and in particular, Hungarian life and culture. Foremost in her life accomplishments, Ms. Mihalik counted that daughter, Mahlika, now 11, the child of her second marriage, to Joseph Al Fresco. This catalogue of degrees and talents, however, cannot begin to describe the vibrant, generous and brilliant spirit that was Agnes Mihalik. She touched the lives of hundreds of people through her work and friendship. She was truly supremely interested in everyone she met, and made you feel as though you had known her always, that she was your best friend, or sister. At a memorial held in Budapest in August, one of her compatriots said that she was "the most loveable person you could ever know." There will be a celebration of Ms. Mihalik's life at the UC Berkeley campus, Tuesday, November 6, 2007, from 5 - 7 p.m. in the Great Room of the Faculty Club, which is open to the public. (Stanford University will also host a memorial on Monday, November 12, 2007 at noon, in Building 240, Room 201.)
Here is it in the Chronicle; http://www.legacy.com/SFGate/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=96863496
This is a "open letter" to Aggie a friend of hers' wrote "wherever she is". It had me in tears!
Dear Agi, I hope you enjoyed the memorial service we held in your honor on Tuesday night at the Faculty Club. In case you missed it, here are some of the highlights: Frances and Rachel played their hearts out, performing some of your favorite Hungarian songs on the piano and violin. Mahlika was beautiful, as usual, surrounded by her Black Pine Circle friends, and with her big sister Kaya, who had come specially from Santa Barbara, at her side. Parker flew in from New York to be there to honor you. The Great Room was packed, and the speeches were many, full of the joy of remembering you. Julie spoke, with tears on her cheeks, of how you had also helped raise her daughter, Kaya, and the many kindnesses you had shown her. Sirpa spoke charmingly of her years as your office mate in the two woman Finno-Ugrek Department. There was a butterfly motif running throught the evening. Tomas described a butterfly escaping from his cellar, teetering on the window sill, and then taking off, climbing above the trees, and he thought of you, free of all the cares and pain down here, soaring free. Frances asked Mahlika to remember something that you said in your last conversation with her: that you would not be able to come to her 8th grade graduation, but you would make some appearance, maybe as a butterfly. Earlier in the day, when I bought the brightest bouquet I could muster in November, of magenta sweet williams, purple striped lisanthius and variecolored roses, I had my eye on a delicate fabric butterfly, which the florist, without a word from me, plucked and poised above the flowers, declaring it the perfect final touch. One of the celebrants, whom I don't know, spoke in Hungarian. There was no translation, but it was fitting, because she spoke with such emotion, and it was your native tongue, the only word of which I ever learned was kishlanyu(sp!), which I think means sweetheart, because you always called Mahlika that, or in the alternative, in English, "my little sweetie." Zahwa gave an amazing tribute to you, that brought you back to life for all of us: elegant, witty, generous, earthy and brilliant. She quoted the poet, Khalil Gibran, and called on all of our deities to bless you and lead you to dwell in Heaven. I am thankful for the gift of your life, Agi, which was far too short, but oh, so full, and touched so many people in a positive way. Love forever, Pat, Ted and Parker
I'm sorry I missed it but I'm so glad it went well. She deserved it!
The next weekend, we were headed not to a wedding but just the party. Even though the couple live in Paris, a mere 2 hours 15 minutes away, the wife was born in Paris, doesn't speak Basque but she feels "attached" to the area and therefore wanted to celebrate their year old marriage down there. She's pure Basque background and her parents have retired down there.
With no non-stop flights, Daniel left a couple of days ahead of time with the luggage (yes, I was packing right after the previous wedding) to see some clients en route. I wanted absolutely to spend Halloween here in Strasbourg so bright and early, we flew down to Bordeaux. Daniel met us and we drove the last 200km together.
Taking the train meant changing stations in Paris and still, it's another 5 1/2 hours from there (plus the 2 plus from here, plus the time to change...) The flight involved changing in paris too but cost over 1000 Euros for all of us...I shook down the net and this was the best we could do. The parents of the bride came down the same way but rented a car in Bordeaux.
I've actually been to St. Jean de Luz before. My friend Todd taught English there and while I was living in London, I flew down to visit. It wasn't much easier from London. I took Sabena, connecting in Brussels to Bilbao and then a bus to St. Sebastian. The Basque country just isn't an easy place to reach!
So we had a hotel with a beach view and really nice rooms;
The was such a comfortable bed. Daniel claims I didn't snore the whole time!
Here's the view. By the way, this was the only sun we saw the whole time.
The kids checking it out;
The first evening we ate in a restaurant across the street. Here's Ronnie reading the menu;
He loves his sister!
Since I was so close to San Sebastian, I just had to go back there. What a stupid idea! We weren't alone. Even though it was a Friday, it was a holiday weekend and it seemed that everyone and their pet hamster were headed there too. It took over an hour to park (would Daniel let us off and then meet us after parking the car??)
Once there, all I managed was to get the kids to the beach and the park. No shopping for me! We went to the beach, even though it was kind of a dismal day. San Sebastian was much bigger than I remembered it.
Davina liked her monkey, although Judy's are still better!
Can you believe these are the only pictures I took of the actual event?
You can see Samantha, their cousin, and their second cousin Elan on the right.
It was very tiring. We were supposed to be there for a group photo at 5pm but didn't sit down to dinner until 11pm. It was held in a hall and although babysitting was provided down the road, this was a pain. I had to actually leave my meal because the clowns who were entertaining the kids until 11pm left and we still hadn't finished eating.
I put all three into the same foldaway bed in the gite (hostel? B&B??) with Talia whining "I can't sleep without my cow" but she did. We then had to haul them out of bed when we left at 2am.
Except for a bit of Alsatian wine and some munster cheese, it was almost exclusively a Basque event. The groom is actually anti-religious so the only thing Jewish at all was a small hora at about 1:30am, which came on request of some of the guests.
The next day was spent at the hotel, hanging out with the others staying at the same place. The kids got a little time at the beach and some ice cream.
Here's our hotel, as seen from the beach;
Getting back was kind of long. Again, we rode the 200 km with Daniel to Bordeaux. Talia threw up in the car but it wasn't too bad (her aim is getting better). The flight was easy and uneventful. I ended up paying more than I thought for the parking. Other than that, it went fine and we were glad to be back...and glad there aren't any other Basque relatives to marry off!
