Riddles.

What gets farther away the closer you approach it?

One answer to this riddle apparently could be "the United States," because I have never been more anxious to go home than in these last 19 days before departure!! My whole body has shut down. There is nothing on Reunion Island that I can force myself to eat anymore. I don't want any stupid rice, I am currently no longer amused by stinky cheese...I don't drool over fancy french pastries...not even a warm baguette can entice me these days. You know what I do want for dinner? A giant, delicious (steroided, I don't even care) steak. A Subway sandwich! Real Tex-Mex! Microwave popcorn!! Fresh spinach!!!

Yesterday was France's version of our Independence Day, the day when they cut off the heads of their monarchs and started a democracy. I did not hear one little peep about this holiday, except in the main city where a few days before, lots of little baby French flags suddenly sprung up out of nowhere. I understand they also had some disappointing fireworks later at night, but no one I know actually went.

On the 4th of July I was so homesick I just sat at the computer, you-tubing videos of firework displays all over the US, sobbing hysterically and stuffing my face with make-shift "American" food, that I decided at the last minute we HAD TO HAVE in order to celebrate. Poor Richard was probably terrified, but he took me to the store so we could buy ingredients to make soft pretzels, chicken-like "hot dogs" (which are sooo not hot dogs!) Doritos that cost 3x as much as they do back home, and a bottle of Coca-Cola covered in Thai writing. Then I stumbled upon a video of the Army marching in an Independence Day parade, which made me remember for like the first time since it happened ten years ago that I was once an Army soldier marching in an Independence Day parade. This made me cry all over again and for a few seconds I got all nostalgic about my Army days, which was when I first realized that I have a problem. So I did the only thing a girl can do in such a situation; I called my Dad, and pretended like everything was laughable so we could laugh about it. Except I'm pretty sure we both had secret tears in our eyes all the while.

So I guess since then, you could say I've been emotionally charged. This is my real riddle, though, because I can't really put my finger on it. It feels a lot bigger than just being homesick.

This extra charge manifests itself in quite unusual ways. In social situations, I am much more awkward than usual. Unexpectedly meeting people I don't know sends me into a panic. On Sunday, we had a giant BBQ for Richard's mom's 50th Birthday and the hysteria in that house in the morning was so thick I literally couldn't breathe. No one else seemed phased by all the yelling and running around, but my little emo-charge took on the form of a sponge and just sucked up all of that chaos until I thought my head was going to explode.

Luckily, after we got everything set up and the guests arrived, I could breathe again and we ended up sharing a really great moment together:

Their country line-dancing instructor was there, so between courses, we all learned a couple songs :-)

But then...there's this twitchy feeling that I just can't shake...like I'm supposed to be preparing for something that's about to happen but I have no clue what it is. This is accompanied by crazy vivid dreams at night and a deep burning desire for some spiritual insights. The other day I asked Elena what she thinks life is all about, and she paused for a second. "I don't know, really. Except nature. I believe in nature." I got chills.

Feeling that she's on to something, I begged Richard to take me on an adventure on Saturday. We stumbled upon a park and ended up on a secret trail in the woods. You want to know a thing about Richard? He has two very distinct sides to him, (like many of us) but I don't know if he knows about them. The first one is like a veneer--the refined, proper, parent/boss/people pleasing achiever, who doesn't get his shoes dirty, and the second one is however you might describe someone who is vibrating with freedom. Sometimes when I ask Richard questions, I think his first answer isn't really his, but his mom's. Or dad's. Or society's. But then after the conditioned frame...there is an honesty there, deeper than any shade of blue I've ever seen in the ocean. It really got me thinking about things we say because we've been kind of trained to say them. Maybe we even think we believe and agree with these things. But at a more profound level, we know a different truth.

  

 

  

 So we sat under a line of palm trees, playing with big blades of strange, fuzzy grass, and talked about ideas. I was slightly frustrated because every time I tried to explain the things that are in my head, they would get all riddled and lost and I couldn't straighten them out again. Maybe some things aren't meant to be spoken, but lived instead.

What gets farther away the closer you approach it?

The horizon.

As to what's on the horizon?

That's a riddle I'd like to find out the answer to.... 

we all start as strangers.

I finally got to meet Richard's little sister and her husband! They are currently studying theology in Israel, and haven't been back to Reunion since their wedding which, coincidentally, I celebrated with them on accident. Their reception was a joint party with Richard's 30th birthday, which is when Sylvie invited me to come along and secretly planned to set us up. Oh how funny things turn out...

So Valerie and Emeric are in Reunion for two months, and last week they came to stay with us. This was cool because although I hadn't met Valerie yet, I was already doing lots of sister-like things with her, like borrowing her clothes without her knowing, (if you're reading this, I'm sorry!! haha) and chatting on facebook all the time. But with her here, it was like having a real-life sister and I was super happy! We cooked together (well...we made a salad), joked about Richard's little quirks when he was in the other room, and her and Emeric even brought me presents from Israel!!!  Mud and salt spa products from the Dead Sea!!!

Their first dinner request was fondue, since French cheese is scarce/expensive in Israel...

Richard fabricated a little mini fire with books and aluminum foil on the table to cook the cheese :-)

A little Creperie near our apt.

Cool foreign presents!! 

After Val and Emeric discovered just how obsessed I am with travel and culture, they captivated me every night at dinner with charming tales of what life is like in Israel. I'm pretty sure I'm a little late with this knowledge, and certainly I've heard of the Dead Sea before...but I never knew people come from all around just to rub the mud all over their bodies! Or that the water is so dense with salt and minerals that you just float around! Needless to say, Israel is now on the top of my New Travel Wishlist ;-)

I borrowed this photo from allwellness.wordpress.com

In other news, my super cool artist friend, Salomon, invited me to an art show called Nuit D'art de Plein Lune...which I mistakenly translated in my head as it was an art show during the full moon, and not outside, under the moon. This was a sad mistake as it is "winter" (60 degrees is freezing to me now) (I'm a little ashamed but not really) and I was not dressed to be outside. Thankfully, all of our blankets from the gypsy party were (and still are) in the trunk waiting to be taken to the cleaners, so I just walked around in a purple blanket the whole night and pretended to be a superhero. 

Anyway, I have to admit, I have rather low expectations for shows of any sort in Reunion. It's never going to be Paris here, or New York, or even Dallas. But I love Salomon's work and style and I trusted him...and thank goodness for that because this art show was one of the coolest things I've seen--and not just in Reunion!! 

The show was held in an old plantation museum, which Richard says, is reputed to be haunted. The Madame of the house, Mme. Desbassayns, was apparently known for being unusually cruel with her slaves, and it is said that a number of them are still roaming restlessly around the old mansion. However, this information seems to be local legend...when I tried to research Mme. Debassayns online I found nothing of her extreme evilness, but instead that she opened a hospital for slaves which was unheard of at the time...

The art incorporated the theme of slavery and was displayed with the existing museum pieces...drawing on what was already there and twisting it to show a darker aspect. It was incredible. For example, in one of the old bedrooms, an artist added sculptures of grotesque giant spiders and bloody hearts lying in the corner. My favorite part was when you left the mansion and entered the slave's quarters. There, the theme transformed into something sad but hopeful. Every exhibit there had wings. I loved the solitary swing outside that stretched up into the sky, covered in feathers and lit by one single spotlight. It was impossible to take a picture that would do it justice. Very powerful. I'm excited to see what other little treasures are hiding here in Reunion!! 

This guy was throwing giant canvases on top of burning coals and then twisting them so that the ashes eventually took a  (tortured) human form---

In the slave's quarters...you walk in and see a line of empty bird cages... the lighting on them casts their shadows on the wall of torture devices in the back.

Grand Boucan

Every year in June, Reunion Island has a huge Mardi-Gras like party called Le Grand Boucan. No one seems to know why this party exists, but apparently it's the biggest party Reunion has to offer. As I was in the US this time last year, I had no idea what to expect. Usually when Reunion does big parties I try to stay away...can you imagine the traffic/parking/crowd chaos on an island the size of a large city with one major road and eight hundred thousand cars? Luckily for us, Grand Boucan happens to be just outside our apartment...granting us front row, crowd-free access to the show. So obviously, we threw a small VIP masquerade party. 

All weekend, carnival rides, snack stands and construction workers invaded our tiny little street, preparing for the arrival of about 10,000 people. The parade is the first official event of the day...and this year, the theme was "Extra-Terrestrial."

The parade is lead by a giant float called the Dodo, which they burn on the beach at the end of the night. This year, this lucky guy was King Dodo. 

Richard had been sick since Friday, and I'm relatively claustrophobic, so we opted to hang out chez nous and not descend into the throng of thousands. Our friends arrived to join us around six. 

We snacked, drank and laughed for a couple hours. I kind of recently swore off alcohol after feeling like crap the morning after having a mere two glasses of wine with our wasp dinner. I figured I'm getting old and needed a detox! But I couldn't pass up Alien Super Party atmosphere, so Richard made me a rum punch...

Then we all ventured into the madness and made our way over to the ocean for the burning of the Dodo. We snuck over to the beach next to where the action was in order to avoid the crazy mass of people...but it turned out to be super windy there, the show was a half hour late, and a freezing Elena and I were ready to run back home...when...

...this amazing firework show started, and I was so happy we stayed. I think this is the closest I'm going to get to the 4th of July this year ;-) 

On the walk back, I started to feel horribly sick, so I stopped back at the apartment with Richard and by the time he got back out to the group, they had been flung somewhere out in the current of partying drunk people. I hope they had a little fun!! 

I, on the other hand, spent the night going from cold to hot with constant nightmares running through my sleeping little brain. Thankfully, our gracious house guests cleaned up the party for me this morning, and I was able to reschedule my immigration appointment for tomorrow. Also on the bright side, staying in bed has given me lots of time to catch up on my pinteresting and, of course, to write this blog. I can't decide if Richard's germs are to blame or if I really need to give up alcohol permanently...

Now it's time for some chicken noodle soup! I wish my Charlie dog was here to snuggle with me!!!