The Details Arrived (Les détails sont arrivés)

Chris received his information pack (which was only an extended letter from the French Embassy) detailing the invasion, I mean fellowship.


We are going to move to Marseille in early October 2008 and live there for 9 months. They gave us a list of websites to check for housing, told him his stipend (which unfortunately doesn't give extra money to spouses), and he does get his round trip air fare paid.


Now that we have some details, we can get started on our To Do list here. First we have to speak to our landlord. Our lease is up at the end of May, and we have to see if we can (A) go on a month to month until the end of September, or (B) find someone to sublet. I would prefer option A since imagining someone sleeping in our bed and using our stuff kind of creeps me out (although that is what we will be doing in France).


I got the French Rosetta Stone program, and bought the book "French in 10 minutes a day". Every day I spend some time learning the language. I can now say cat, dog, horse, man, woman, boy, girl, car, and my favorites, "get up" and "little eggs" (both of which I said this morning when dragging Chris out of bed for breakfast). Oreo is not quite sure what to think of the French words being thrown around, but he will have to get to use to it if he's going with us.


Speaking of language, today while riding in a cab home, I was called a "gringa Americana" by the driver because I didn't speak Spanish. Terrible when you can't even speak the native tongue to your cab driver. I wonder if I will miss that when we leave the Bronx?