Smells Like... Snow?

I have been checking weather.com daily now, and snow has been in the forecast for a while, but the days keep changing. It is 2C right now (not cold enough for snow) but there is definitely a certain feel to the atmosphere. I had my responsable's BTS class today. "I sink it weel snow," he said in his years-of-English-teaching-but-still-undeniably-French accent, "I can smell eet." I was surprised to hear this, as he looked surprised when I mentioned my forecast findings the other day.

Despite losing my free Wednesdays, I really enjoy his class. He teaches them the stuff they will need to know, but doesn't mind going off-topic and having me discuss, "The way we do it in the US..." and letting the kids have a break from analyzing texts. Although I told myself as I dragged my ass out of bed this AM that I would reviens tout suite for a nap, I instead went and did laundry, bought some groceries and am now at home, well, screwing around online :)

I won't have my other BTS class tomorrow for the second week in a row. So I only have one group of premieres. Luckily their prof told me I could re-use the same lessons I used with the group I had last term, so that's less work for me :)

There has been a fire alarm/smoke detector/shrill sound-making device going off for a good hour now in my complex. Highly annoying. I'll place blame on the elephants upstairs. God these people (I am convinced there's more than one, as one human being could not possible make so much noise)... I'd love to meet them. I'd love to see what it is that they find so amusing about rolling a bowling ball back & forth across their floors. Their apartment must be 100 times the size of mine, as they walk CONSTANTLY. Where to, I don't know-- I could walk from one side of my studio to the next in 10 steps. Maybe they just pace. And every morning without fail, the elephants get up at 7 and march around until 7:30. I assume their job at the circus starts at 8. I have taken to keeping earplugs next to my bed, and when I wake up around 5AM for my nightly pee break I put them in so as not to be woken up again.

Monoprix, as much as I hate that place, has come through. Yesterday I discovered a newly-erected Asain food shelf with "ramen" in several flavors (I use the "" because, as any American knows, ramen costs a dime. This stuff runs 60 centimes-- nearly a buck a pop), stir-fry kits, sauces, etc. I had to have it. Last night I made myself the most wonderful stir-fry I've had since leaving San Francisco. I think Monoprix & I were co-owners of a Chinese restaurant in a past life...

Back on the topic of food, one more rant, dear France... I love me some pasta. And I love that you acknowledge and accomodate this. But WHY can't I find any kind of tomato-based pasta sauce without CARROTS in it?! I don't think this is what the Italians had in mind. Are you just that hell-bent on taking a cuisine that could veyr well rival your own & sabotage it?! Ditto for the pizza with your goddamn emmental cheese on it. That theory would also potentially explain why you don't have decent cheddar cheese (England-- not that Brit cuisine holds a candle to, well, anyone else's!), SPICY salsa (oh Mexico, you may be dirty, but your food is wonderful), or anything open 24 hours (not that "American" food is great, but it's greatness lies within the ability to get whatever you want whenever you want it). You are just that damn proud. Don't worry, the gig's up: the world gives you props for your cuisine. Where would we be without tete de veau and escargots, anyway (don't get me started on the andouillette)...

But you know what, la France? Make me some soft, pretty, powdery snow (not icy rain/snow like weather.com is threatening) and I'll forgive you, just this once...