The Vie de Chateau started.I am back to school after almost 11 years of free homework and no assignment. But this time I made it in style. I am living in an almost Chateau (Pictures to come), with 8 others students. We are as diverse as the school could be and represent 4 contiunents out of 5. My first week was really difficult because I did not use my brain for so long -some say that I don't have one, why bother- and staying still for our of lecture in a 70 or so classroom for hours is still a challenge right now. "No gain no pain" (in French in the texte) like my Boulanger friend said once.
Last saturday we went in the Fontainebleau forest to do some team work. Sort of light army test where you have to walk blinfolded in the forest grabing some tools on the way in a team of 4, or climbing a rock only with your teammates help, or falling reverse from a man high hoping your new frend will save your life. It was totally insane, not because of the different activities (one month in any collective environment will fix your social bad behaviour), but because it rained 2 days before and it was hot the day before. I know that you dont really understand what I talking about, but if you were from the area you would know what it means.
The forest was full of Cepes de Bordeaux. I lost it.Rather than participating in all these wonderfull activities, I was looking for the famous mushroom and could not do ANYTHING with. I could not grab them and cook them because we had a debriefing later on, and I did not had any bag with me (neither my teamates, what a team afterall !). What I did instead I took pictures of the different mushrooms, and I just took one, the most beautifull and smell it all day long. I was in pain no being able to collect them.
At one point a French family came over in my direction and ask me if I saw some, I honestly respond that I did not saw anything in the direction where I was coming from. This is not a lye, just a French custom of not saying where there are. French are very concern with environment issue such as mushroom in the forest (in some in pacific as weel).
At the night, during the debriefing of the day, I only thought of my mushroom and how I could go back next day, and what I am going to do with. I could not say to anyone that was a bad day for me, nobody would have understood why. I lye a second time and said that It was a fantastic opportunity to meet my teammate in such an extreme condition.
The next day I try to look for them again, and I could not.
Safe they thing there are, but next rain, I will be out there to look for them again, even if I have to make a fool of myself in class with my rain boots and my wet suit. You don't really know what I am talking about unless you had them once in yoiur life.
The spirit of the Cepes will preveal on us one day hopefully ...