The basil arm workout

I work in a place that is filled with people consumed with a passion for food. Their passion is infectious and I often learn many new things about vegies, meat, pastry, bread and other fascinating facts about food. The two owners are constantly researching new food ideas and creating new meals, pastries, breads, etc. It’s inspiring to see so much ardour in someone’s life. Today I taste tested a baked grapefruit with caramelised sugar, yesterday it was a spiced wallaby pie, the day before it was a ‘mighty mulligatawny’ soup! The BEST goddam soup I’ve had in all my 22 years!  -btw Im attempting to make this soup soon so Ill post about it. Everything at the store is locally sourced in Tasmania or are from non-commercial businesses and everyone who works at the store love to cook, buy local and in season and share recipes and ideas. Last week it was kumera (sweet potato) this week the conversation was centred around basil and what to make with the masses we had.

Pesto, obviously!

However, instead of making ordinary pesto with pinenuts we suggested pistou - a simpler version of pesto with basil and olive oil blended to the desired consistency.

The ironic thing is that Pistou is an olive oil based basil sauce from the south of France (mon amour) that closely resembles pesto. True pistou is made by hand, you tear the basil leaves in pieces, then add them to a mortar and pestle with olive oil (garlic can also be added) and grind them together until you’re left with a silky puree of basil and oil goodness.

We (namely them) shared some of our favourite ways to enjoy pistou. The one I tried for breakfast this morning was with poached eggs on sourdough baquette drizzled with a good serving of pistou. I must admit I got a mini arm working out from all the grinding but it was definitely worth it. Peasant fare, to be sure but absolutely bangin'!

I sprinkled it with parmesan cheese to give it a bit of oomph!

Now where to buy a food processor...

Weekend Indulgence: Une tasse de cafe au lait

During the week my morning ritual of a bowl of muesli and a cup of coffee for that effective morning start up has become something of a ‘procedure’ so to speak. I remember the first weeks of this I savoured each mouthful and drank each cup appreciatively. Now, I’ve been so busy with work, my visa documents and life in general I find myself eating my breakfast in a minute and running out the door sculling my coffee - it has become a little more than a passing affair! I love my morning breakfast and coffee but don’t have time to sit and drink a few cups while reading the paper. But this weekend Im going to take the time to use my new vintage coffee cups I bought from an op shop in town and fill them with rich espresso, steaming milk and a bit of honey paired with a bowl of fruit and nut honey roasted museli, a dollop of greek yoghurt and a baked apple, sounds perfect doesn’t it...

Check!

Okay, I've photocopied all important documents, photographed my passport, itentification cards and have half my bags packed! Eeek

Fashion Is My Passion

For fear of sounding like a walking cliché I’m going to put it out there. And I don’t mean just shopping and looking at all the pretty dresses, although I do get an incredible feeling of satisfaction from a good dose of retail therapy. I mean studying, researching, drawing, creating, learning new techniques and discovering new fabrics. I was distracted for a number of years and only just realised how easy it is to become caught up in life’s little traps and become ‘a slave to the meagre wage’ - it’s much more easily done then said. However I have an amazing family, for every ounce of doubt I have they take away two.  And the combination of being surrounded by my encouraging family and a supporting boyfriend, I can feel the heady rush of excitement designing gives me coming back into my life.

My eyes feel like they’re going cross eyed from all the reading and researching I’ve been doing for my visa and my French classes so I decided to take a break and research fashion design schools in France. I’m not going to register or enrol at any of the schools at the moment because I’m planning to work and discover France with mon corpain in the first year I’m there, so obviously the biggest dot point on my bucket list is to find a job. I would love to jump straight into an internship with a French designer or fashion house! But that small dream of mine is but a dream and my heart won’t shatter if I’m not immediately able to find it.

I believe all things in life happen for a reason, having said that, I also believe where there’s a will, there’s a way. And with a little faith and patience I’m sure I’ll reach my ultimate goal, however, at the moment I can focus on learning this beautiful language, culture and staying in blissful happiness with my love.

But maybe, in a year or so depending where my life takes me, Ill fulfil these goals and be able to attend a school in France. If my dream became a reality these would be my top three picks.  

I wish my wants were on par with my budget.

Manifique!

There's signs of Europe and my love everywhere I go! It's incredible!

A French Language Breakthrough

Michael Thomas the world famous linguist is helping me slowly but surely work my way through to French fluency with the ease of a hot knife through unsalted butter. His language course (available for $5.95 per hour through iphone application store) relies on his ability to teach rather than your ability as a student, there is no need to write anything down, memorise phrases or revise words. He simply instructs you to relax, think and repeat after him. It’s a thinking process not memorisation. What I enjoy most is the fact that he breaks down the language into sizeable pieces and challenges you to string these bits into longer sentences with the information he has given you. His technique is to use literal translations, because he is not just teaching French. He is teaching French to pupils who already KNOW English and takes advantage of the vast overlap between the two languages. Part of his method is to let you identify the similarities of the two languages which helps you remember and use the correct words in which context.

For example the French word for ‘today’ is ‘aujourd’hui’ the correct spelling and pronunciation comes easily to my mind because I not only learnt the foundation of the word, but also the word association he gave with the example.

‘aujourd’hui’ is literally a combination of six French words

au is a contraction of á & le  - at the

jour                                            - day                                                        

d’                                                - of                                                         

hui                                              - today

 I would definitely recommend anyone wanting to learn French to buy his courses which are not only  available in book stores but also a click away on the application store of iphone, they’re a bit pricey but it’s definitely  worth it!

Look Out World

                                                                                     I'M REACHING FOR THE STARS......

Happiness

I came to a massive realization tonight as I reflected upon my day. I realized that my happiness depends on the attitude I take. I know many would say - that’s just common sense, but sometimes when you hear something over and over again, you might understand it mentally but feeling it with your whole heart and knowing what it means takes experience.

Lately I have been feeling a bit off. I am usually a very positive, energetic and happy person. But, for the past month and a half or so, I have been feeling abit, weird. I will describe this for you: grumpy, insecure, sad, stressed, anxious, negative, needy = NOT MYSELF!! I was simply blaming it on Tasmania’s’ cold, dark and dreary days, however, today this mood has come to its peak. I realized that it’s affecting others in my life.

This mood comes down to this crappy attitude I’m beginning to develop. This is not who I am and this has got to stop! The antidote: gratitude, love, courage, faith, confidence, compassion and belief in myself.

In the past I would make a goal. I would be so excited for it, I would dream about it, think about it and everything would run smoothly in my life because I am so focused and motivated on this one goal. I would be so grateful for everything, my energy would be up and I would be genuinely excited for the future. I would treat people better, show more kindness, be more respectful and be confident in who I am. And my mood...? Absolutely, positively FEARLESS!

Then, as I began to realize the challenge this goal entails the end result always looked too big for me. I would give up when I barely began. I would begin to only see the problems, complain and blame others. I would lose energy, worry constantly and finally give up!

This time my goal is to get to France in mid-December. This is no small goal and when I first set it I was feeling ready and on top of the world. Now all I am seeing are the challenges ahead, whether this is learning the language fluently, saving a tonne of money, getting all these documents, working 2 jobs 6 days a week and trying to balance other parts of my life as well. Lately, I have been feeling defeated, like the goal has already been lost and I have already failed. As the trip is getting closer, these challenges seem larger and my attitude is screaming “This is too big for me.”

Well, I’ve decided my attitude freaking sucks! Who decides whether or not this challenge is too big? I do. Who decides to focus on all the negatives instead of the positives? I do! Who decides what my attitude is? I freaking well do!!!!! So I am going to tap into my own power and be the best person I can possibly be. I’ll be confident, ready, positive, compassionate, loving, grateful and everything I usually am!! I CANT WAIT!!!

                                                                                                                                                                               

Abientot mon amis

THE DREDDED VISA

vi•sa                        /’vēzə/

Noun                          An endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter,                                     leave or stay for a specified period of time in a country.

When I started researching how to go to France I found that it was not possible for me to stay there for over 3 months UNLESS I possessed a Schengen visa. After countless hours of investigating the who’s, what’s, where’s, when’s and how’s I came to the realisation that I had three options;

1. Get a 12 month working visa, requirements are I would have to organise a job in France while still living in Australia, and rely on the goodness of my employers’ heart to organise and sponsor my trip

2. Become a tourist for a year where I would have to have enough financial support to get me through a year without an income PLUS sign a contract stating that I will not obtain work in France,

Or

3. Apply for a Schengen working holiday visa, which is pretty much a mix of the top 2 and hope my application is better than the other couple of hundred Aussie hopefuls trying to experience la vie en rose!

Obviously neither of the first two visas work for me because a) I don’t possess any special qualifications at the moment and b) I don’t have $15 000+ in my bank account killing time. Upon further research and plenty of whinging I found that I could qualify for the working holiday visa. Everything seems easily enough for me to get except; the complex insurances and the proof of $5000 in my bank account. So, for the last 2 months I have been saving every penny to come up with the required money.

The documents I will be presenting for my Visa are:

Passport*

Passport photos - at least 2 and an extra one for the application form, 350mm x 450mm

An Attestation d’accueil from the host family

Proof of funds   - $5000

                             -Letter from the bank*

                             -Bank statement & payslips of the last 3 months*

Insurance            -Letter from medical insurance*

                              -Receipt of medical insurance*

                              -Photocopy of insurance card

                              -The policy brochure

X2 Platinum Express post envelopes, filled out and ready for my passport and visa (fingers crossed)

Travel Itinerary*

National Police check*

Application Form (in black ink and block letters)

Checklist

Cover letter in English with French translation

Resume (in French)

Photocopy of birth certificate

Photocopy of Australian Citizenship.

                                              *requires a photocopy of original document

The rest is manageable and all will be presented in a pretty display folder with numbered pages....that’s just how I roll. This week I’m holding myself responsible for researching possible insurance companies, finding out how to get personal liability insurance, writing my cover letter and translating my resume and said cover letter into French - not an easy feat for someone if they don’t have a handy French boyfriend and great French teacher.

I am currently a waitress and barista at a busy gourmet bakery/café in a sleepy suburb of Tasmania and have been raving on about my decision for my new adventure to everyone within eyesight. Luckily for me I’ve received tonnes of enthusiasm from everybody and the gift of personal knowledge from experience; the good, the bad and the ugly. It made me realise, not only do I have a limitless amount of “firsts” to appreciate but I also have a whole WORLD just waiting to be discovered! It’s the first initial step that’s the hardest to get the ball rolling but once it’s started, you’re halfway there.

Abientot mon amis

French Introductions

Okay, first things first! How to meet ‘n’ greet. This is my first entry on my endeavour to immerse myself in a new culture, so don’t shoot me for breathing. Let me just say I’m no expert, just riding first class on the knowledge train throwing my Hansel and Gretel trail along the way, vous comprendez?

Basic Greetings & Salutations:

Formal (for adults, strangers or anyone you wouldn’t usually say; “How’s it hanging” to

                                                                                English Translation                             Literal Translation

Bonjour                                                             Good morning/Hello                     (bon - good, jour - day)

Bonsoir                                                              Good evening                                 (soir - evening)

Bonne nuit                                                        Good night                                      (nuit - night)

Au revoir                                                           Good bye                                         (revoir - to see again)

 

Informal (for friends, relatives, animals or of course; the garden gnome)

Salut                                                                                                                     

Ça va?                                                                (Ça - this/it, va - is going)

Introducing yourself:

Je me presente                                                Let me introduce myself

Je m’appelle....                                                 My name is...                                    

Je suis...                                                             I am...  

Bien                                                                    Well/Good

Très                                                                    Very

Mon prenom est...                                          My first name is...                           

Et vous                                                               And you (formal)

Et toi                                                                   And you (informal)

Enchanté(e)                                                       Pleased to meet you (feminine)

Comment vous appellez-vous?                    What is your name? (formal)

Comment t’appelle tu?                                  What is your name? (informal)

Comment allez-vous?                                     How are you going? (formal)

Comment ça va?                                              How is it going? ( informal)

Here’s a brief conversation of introduction:
Bonjour, je m’appelle Valerie. Comment allez-vous?
Hello, my name is Valerie. How are you going?
Enchante Valerie, je suis très bien et vous?
Nice to meet you Valerie, I am very well and you?
Je suis bon merci, comment vous appellez-vous?
I am good thankyou, what is your name?
Ah, mon pre nom est Beau.
Ah, my first name is Beau. 

Now to find someone who can practice introductions with me!

Abientot mon amis