Je Suis Ici!

  

I flew straight from Dallas to Paris, where I had to get off, get all my bags, and transfer to Australian Air. That's where I met Eric, a French guy from Normandie, who became my first friend of the trip! He travels from Normandie to Reunion to Madagascar for work fairly often. And he does not speak English. I was so happy!! Finding myself in a situation where I was forced to communicate in whatever French possible (meaning like gramatically correct or not) to get my ideas across was exactly what I needed to jump start back into the language. We talked for the five hours in Paris while waiting for the Reunion flight...about French poets, Texas, traveling, and I was even able to joke a little in French!! (about the sharks, haha.) After the flight, he even helped me get all my bags and make sure I found my contact, PA, who was waiting for me outside. It was a very good start to my adventure :-)

me and Eric!

Here are today's newspapers from the island: maybe i'll stay out of the water for a while....

PA has been amazing. From the airport, he took me all over the city to help me get important things done that I was planning on having to do on my own. We met the head of the school and signed in, got a french phone and set up a bank account. Then he took me to his giant two story home in the mountains where he lives with his girlfriend Nathalie (they have the bottom house) and his mother (who has the top house, but she is in France right now so it is where I stay). Here is my room and the view outside:

For lunch, PA cooked and then took me around his amazing garden: He grows bananas, oranges, lemons, all different kinds of spices...and honey. We ate bananas and fresh honey straight off the honeycomb. I had no idea honeycombs were all just wax! I feel like I'm in a dream.

Now on to the next adventure....finding a roommate and a permanent place to stay!!!