Gardening with an English Major

My grandmother cultivated my interest in gardening from the time when I first learned to stand. She loved to garden and it showed. Her small dirt patch in the backyard of her suburban house was always brimming with beautiful blooms and even had a little kitchen garden at the back. After school, I would play outside and tend the patch for hours.

But if her garden in the city was good, her garden in Vermont was truly outstanding in its size and variety. Hundreds of feet in diameter, she successfully grew any vegetable you could think of. There were rows upon rows of carrots, parsley, pole beans, sunflowers, tomatoes, potatoes, and her specialty, zucchini. In addition to the vegetable patch, she had about an acre of raspberry bushes, with huge yields. By the end of the summer, we had a ton of produce: beautiful carrots, bushels of beans, lots of giant zucchini (I’m talking four feet long and half a foot wide), and gallons of raspberries for pie-baking and jam-making.

I never thought of myself as a gardener; I just kind of hung around in the back, watching and learning from my grandmother’s verdant thumb. I guess it must have rubbed off because I seem to have caught the gardening bug. One of my main summer activities is planning, planting, and caring for my garden which gets bigger and more beautiful each year. I have expanded the vegetable garden (though it is still way too small), now have a giant raspberry patch started from shoots from grandma’s garden (needless to say, they have flourished), and a steadily increasing number of flower beds.

I love my flower beds. I love seeing them look good and getting positive feedback on them. I love seeing the yard in perfect condition: trimmed, blooming, and weed-free.

I have been planning a theme for my garden for a few summers now. Being the epitome of a nerdy English major and a Jane Austen addict, I of course had to have a literary theme for my garden. Then I got an idea: why not plan a traditional English garden with plants mentioned in Jane Austen novels? I googled it. No one else seemed to be that crazy. So, I was on my own to create the perfect Jane Austen garden. But what to plant and how to plan it? Maiden pinks, foxgloves, Canterbury bells, and phlox were all on my short list. I then realized that it would be almost physically and monetarily impossible for me to do. So, I was to manifest my literary plans in another fashion.

In the middle of the night I woke up and was thinking about Jane Austen and how she would play into my garden. Then it clicked. Why not name my different flower beds after Jane Austen heroines based on the appearance and the nature of the flowers in them, distinguished by painted signs bearing their names? Eureka!

The first was “Elinor and Marianne” (of Sense and Sensibility), which would be on the right side of the bilco. The flowers there are very different and, yet, they work seamlessly together. I have giant hostas and rambunctious bee balms, as well as some false mallow and cosmos. The hostas and the cosmos are like Elinor: they are reserved, stable, and strong, but just when you don’t expect it, they bloom with stunning flowers. The bee balm and mallow are for Marianne: they’re bright, overflowing, and vibrant. The two work very well together, complimenting each other’s vastly different qualities in a pleasant manner.

Next, there’s “Anne” on the side of the garage, inspired by the heroine of Persuasion. Anne is patient, loving, and most of all faithful. So are the flowers in her bed. There are bleeding hearts (which I found particularly appropriate), heirloom peonies, and resurrection lilies. All of them are pink and feminine, but sturdy and beautiful. Most importantly, while mostly dormant and less than eye-catching, when they bloom, they create a show that is not to be missed. They are old faithfuls and continue to grow and become more beautiful with time.

I am planning a “Catherine” bed for Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey. Of course, I will be filling it with fantastical and eye-popping beauties, such as sunflowers, perhaps reminiscent of something Catherine would have read about in a novel or fantasized about while daydreaming. “Emma” will be stately and beautiful, and filled with feminine charm and grace. “Elizabeth” (and “Jane” I think) will be beautiful without being presumptuous, and filled with old favourites we might have found growing outside of Longbourn.

All in all, I think this English major has a great gardening season ahead of her.

Parisian Spree, Part 2: Arrival and First Day

ke I arrived at the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport at seven thirty in the morning on May 27, from whence I proceeded to take the Air France Bus to the Gare Austerlitz. Having arrived at the train station, I took the 91 bus which drops me off literally in front of my door.

I have always found that the best and most comprehensive Parisian buses all stop within a 3 block distance from my front door. There’s the 91, which connects you to all of the Parisian train stations: Austerlitz, Montparnasse (from where we take our yearly TGV train to the beautiful region of Brittany to visit my family in the good ol’ ancestral abode on the sea), and Lyons. That’s pretty convenient if you ask me. Then, there’s the 67, which runs to the Louvre, the Hotel de Ville (and drops me at the door of my favourite department store, BHV), Pigalle, and the Bohemian paradise of Montmartre. Finally, my favourite bus is the 27. The farthest away, it is by far the best, running to the Place Saint Michel, Notre Dame, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Jardin du Luxembourg. The best thing to do is to purchase un carnet, a package of reduced bus tickets, and to go wild. It’s fairly inexpensive, extremely efficient, pleasant, and scenic—everything that the New York bus system is not (hence why I don’t ride it).

However, I have gone into too much detail over my love of the Parisian bus system. I arrived chez moi, ready to collapse in a heap. My tante Eliane lives next door. Therefore, I was on my own for the first time in the petit studio. First thing, turn on the electric. Done. Turn on water. Okie dokie. Turn on the hot water. Hmm. How do I do that again? So after about 20 minutes trying to figure out how to turn on the hot water, I gave up and took a very cold and very refreshing shower. Tasty. Now to collapse. *Bring!* I pick up the phone, fearing that it’s Eliane, who likes to listen for me at the door. But no, it was Marie and Kempy asking whether I wanted to have breakfast.

“We’re at Montparnasse. How do we get to you?”

Heh heh, said I.

“You take the 91 bus and it drops you off in front of the door.”

Score. I salute you, Parisian bus system.

I hurriedly made myself look presentable, which is very difficult to do when one has not slept in about 24 hours, thinks that it’s 3 in the morning, was just dropped into a foreign country, and has to entertain ones friend’s abroad. I went out looking like a mole unhappy to see the light. It was also raining.

Breakfast was lovely and gloriously French.

“Kempy and I were thinking of going to the Musée d’Orsay. Would you like to come?”

I was feeling decent and wanted to spend time with my friends, so I agreed. We took the 27 bus (yesss) to the museum and waited on line in the rain for about half an hour. I felt faint. What I’ll do to peruse room upon room of expressionist art...anyway. We spent several hours in the museum, after which I felt like I was going to collapse. I also still had to go grocery shopping, unpack, and figure out how to turn on the hot water. I went home, ploughed through all of my chores, and died.

Please stay tuned forthe next and markedly more interesting and entertaining installment in my Parisian Spree chronicles.

Ooh la la! Parisian Spree, Part I

Thus begins the account of my Parisian adventure:

On Memorial Day 2008, I found myself aboard an American Airlines flight to the city of light—La Ville Lumiere. After a short sojourn in the Green Mountains of Vermont, I—like the migratory bird that I am—was to fly to Paris to visit my aged French aunt, Eliane, and also to celebrate the birthday of my best friend, Marie, in true style along the quais of the Seine. This was to be my first trip to Europe alone, as well as a true test of the quality of my language skills, considering that I would be unable to speak English for the majority of the trip.

Thus, my bag was carefully packed and checked, I was prepared with reading materials for the long flight ahead, and I anxiously awaited the beginning of my Parisian adventure.
Now, you would think that an American Airlines flight en route to Paris would be overrun with American tourists: Long-Guylanders off to see Paree, old fogies on grand tours of Europe (14 charming European countries in 10 days!), and unnaturally loud children armed with video games and travel gear. Not so; It turns out that the passengers were almost entirely French en vacances, that is, except for me and the crew.

Hmmm, an entirely French flight with an English-only-speaking crew and you have got a sitcom in the making. Case in point: apparently alcoholic drinks are no longer compris on the flight. Indeed, you can no longer enjoy a little bottle of wine with your pre-packaged food. Quel horreur! Needless to say, many Frenchies were obliged to whip out some cash to satisfy that familiar nightly craving. Ah, well. Ça c’est la vie.

Anyway, back to the flight. I found my seat with relative ease and apprehensively waited for the arrival of my neighbour for the flight. Would it be a tight-lipped French businessman? A quiet artiste? The handsome and charming French boy of my dreams? None of the above. Turns out that Travelocity paired me with my exact opposite. A young, Arab-looking man sat next to me and we sat in silence as we waited for the take-off. Suddenly, he turns to me. This might just have been one of the most interesting and, now, entertaining conversations of my life.

The following conversation was conducted in French and broken English. Lines stand for extremely long and awkward pauses in the conversation. He always initiates the conversation. It gets progressively more awkward as it goes along.

“So, you are French?”
“No, American. But my family is French.”
“From Paris?”
“No, from Brittany.”
“I am French—from Paris.” I did gather that you were French.
“Oh.”
“But I have been visiting my brother in Woodside. You know this?” Well, no.
“Yes.”
------------
“You have family in France?”
“Yes, my aunt lives in Paris. My uncle lives in Geneva.”
“And you are staying in France for how long?”
“Ten days.”
------------
“I have been to discotheques every night this week.”
“Oh?” Oh, Lord. He’s a party animal, is he?
“I got home at six in the morning today.”
“Oh my.” Gulp.
------------
“Do you work?”
“No, I am a student.”
“And what do you study?”
“I study English literature and French. I am thinking about doing my specialization in medieval studies.”
“How long will that take?”
“Three years.”
------------
“You speak very good French.”
“Thank you. I have been studying French for four years now.”
“I don’t like American girls.” Oh, good. My self esteem just shot up thirty points.
“Oh?”
“They’re strange.”
“Yes, they can be I suppose.”
“But you, you look French.”
“Well, my family is French.” Indeed.
“And your parents?”
“My mother is French. My father is German.”
“Ah.”
------------
“Do you meet good people in New York?”
“Yes, people are very nice.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“How long have you lived in New York?”
“All my life. I was born there.”
“So, you are English?” Hadn’t we determined this already?
“No, American.” As I said before.
“Yes, English.” Nooo.....
“Well, I am English as in from America. Not from Great Britain.”
------------
Now it gets awkward. The following remark was said in English.
“You are very white.”
Um, OK, then. “Umm, thank you.” How do you respond to that?
“When I was in New York, I didn’t see many white girls.” Pale? Fair? “You are the fourth blonde I have watched.” Wait, what?!? Let’s get this straight; confusing “to see” and “to watch” makes for some uncomfortable conversation.
“Ah...”
------------
“There are lots of blacks in New York.”
“Yes, we have people of all internationalities. Like Paris.”
“But you are very white.”
Hadn’t we determined that? Haven’t you been watching me?
“You look like a European girl.” Well, I am ethnically European.
“Thank you.” I guess.
------------
“Do a lot of people in New York speak Spanish?”
“Yes. English is becoming almost like a second language.”
“Do they speak what they speak in Spain?”
“No, it’s slightly different.”
With an air of finality and accusation, “It’s the Mexicans.”
------------
“Are you married?” Looking at my omnipresent claddagh ring.
“No.”
“Why do you wear that ring then? When we wear a ring there, it means we are married.” That is kind of international, no?
“Well, um. It’s the only finger it wouldn’t fall off of. It’s a Celtic symbol. If the heart is turned in, it means you are married.”
“Ah.”
------------
“How long is it since you have been in France?”
“A year.”
“And have you been to Spain?”
“Yes, I was there for two weeks.”
“Have you been everywhere?” Just slightly creepy.
“Certainly not.”
“Did you like the discotheques in Madrid?” Did I say I was in Madrid?
“I didn’t go.”
“No?!?” Is that such a surprise?
“No, not at all.” I am telling the truth.
“How strange...” Must I go to the discotheque?
------------
“What’s your name?”
“Sorry?” I hadn’t heard him the first time.
“What is your family name?”
“Metzler.”
“Metz-lair. Ah, nice to meet you! My name is Charles.” You said family name, silly!
------------
“Is anyone picking you up at the airport?” Lord, you’re some kind of sketch rapist. I am going to be molested and killed in a dark alleyway.
“No, I am taking the Air France Bus.”
------------
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Do you need to know this?
“No.”
“No?” Can’t you take “no” for an answer?
“No.” So there.
“So, you’re not getting it?” What?
“What?”
“So...you’re not getting any?” What the f#@k?!? How the hell, do you respond to something like that?
“Um.....no....um.” A-w-k-w-a-r-d.
“Hmm. No?” Don’t think you’re getting any, creeper.
“NO.”

And that was the last thing I said. This was all before take-off, which makes for a super-duper-awkward seven-and-a-half hours. I pretended to be asleep the entire time so that he wouldn’t talk to me. I did not sleep. I was not molested. I did not enjoy my dinner, which looked and tasted like tissues and paste. When the flight ended, I ran off the plane and bolted. Talk about an entrance. Bienvenue à Paris! *gulp*

Whilst I Lay Dreaming

It’s official: Summer has officially begun. A few days ago, I arrived in the green mountains hoping for some sunshine and warm weather, only to be met by fog and rain. The sun did manage to break through the clouds yesterday and this morning, however, and naturally I took advantage of the opportunity by doing some gardening. Having so much time on my hands this summer, I have high expectations for both my kitchen garden and flowerbeds. In a spur of enthusiasm and optimism last night, I drew up some cursory garden plans by the light of the television screen. This morning, I awoke early to get a head start while the sun was still shining and went out to the yard.

However, my bucolic pleasures were to be short-lived. My father came out and informed me that my Uncles Bob and Bobby, who had spoken of paying a visit from Boston, had just called to inform us that they were 30 miles away and planned to drop by the house for lunch. Now, I love my uncles, but today was not the day. The house was a mess, I badly needed a shower, and we were running out of food. My gardening was to be put on hold. Bob and Bobby arrived, right on schedule, “so happy to have caught us.” I made a haphazard lunch and we entertained them for a few hours out on the patio whilst the air grew chill and the clouds darkened. We will be meeting them for dinner tonight and for lunch tomorrow. No more gardening for me. At least for today.

On another note, when the weather is as changeable and unsatisfactory as it has been these past few days, I have to spend my time indoors. And what better way to spend time indoors, but to do crafts (I now have a playlist on my computer, jokingly entitled “Crafty Music”) and read.
After graduation last year, I remember thinking how much time I had to do reading that I had put off. Being OCD as I am, I made a list of what I hoped to read by the end of the summer. Sur enough, by the time September rolled around, I had completed all of the titles on my 15-book reading list.

Well, this year, I have even more time, and I have already gotten busy on the reading front. This time, however, even before the summer had started I had a 14-book list. That doesn’t even account for the books I will find along the way. So....perhaps I will be looking at maybe 17/18 books. Let’s see what I can manage...

***

Below, I have my reading list (as of today—May 21st) in case anyone is interested:

*An asterisk denotes something already completed (yay efficiency!)

*Everything is Illuminated (Jonathan Safran Foer)

Les Fleurs du Mal (Charles Baudelaire)

Catch-22

The Memoirs of Giacomo Casanova

Mansfield Park (Jane Austen)

Emma (Jane Austen)

*Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov)

Daisy Miller (Henry James)

*The Return of the King (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Wives and Daughters (Elizabeth Gaskell)

Cranford (Elizabeth Gaskell)

A Room with a View (E.M. Forster)

A Whirlwind End to Freshman Year

It's over. My freshman year of college is over. It's been hard telling that to myself over these past few days, but now, the realization of the fact is finally setting in.

Final exams were, needless to say, intense. Not in a bad way, but in a, "Let's make you sweat a little" way. Thankfully, I had a a few days' respite before beginning my exam schedule. My first exam was, without a doubt, my hardest--Dr Paul's Medieval History test. I am pretty sure that I drilled myself more for that exam than I did for the SATs. But, by the end of the exam, I was confident that I had done my best. After all, all we ever wanted was to make Dr Paul proud. God, how I will miss that man. Anyway, my other exams were not as difficult but still ensured that I would be attending many, many study parties (often several hours in duration), stressing into the wee hours of the night, and consuming more units of caffeine than is probably good for my health. Let's just say that by the time Friday afternoon rolled around, and I was beat. After my French exam on that rainy, cold, and generally disagreeable Friday afternoon, I was ready for some down time.

Within half an hour of my departure from the exam, I was on my way to Manhattan for a night of fun and frivolity made possible by Cara's excellent planning skills. Cara had about a week of free time between her final exams and decided that she would spend her time doing all of the New York things she had been meaning to do. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend most of the festivities which included walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, going to a Broadway show, etcetera. However, on Friday night, I was ready for some fun.

Reed, Cara, and I first took the magical D down to the MoMA, which I had never been to before. Now, I'm usually not a fan of modern art, but considering that 1) I felt I should go at least once 2) I was with good museum buddies 3) It was free, I was ready to go. There were a lot of interesting things, as well as many disinteresting things, and some things that were just ridiculous, but I had a great time. Afterwards, we met up with Lindy and went out to my first Thai restaurant. Stop three was the Strand aka the best place ever. Finally, we went down to the Upright Citizens Brigade, a comedy club down in Chelsea. What a way to spend a Friday night!

Saturday, Tyler and I went down to the city to roam around the village. Thankfully, the weather had cleared up. First, we actually went down to Ground Zero on a whim. I hadn't been down there for at least thre years. Everything around the site looks completely new and filled with life. The area is filled with tourists and trendy new restaurants, but the actual site looks the same as it did seven years ago. There are still construction workers everywhere and the site is still eerily empty. Creepy stuff. Afterwards we wandered around the Village, went to many street fairs, and got lost many times. However, the day passed pleasantly enough.

So, it was my last night at Fordham. The last night in my room, the last night in Queen's Court, my last Sodhexo dinner for a few months. Most people had left and the building was uncomfortably quiet. I sat down in my room and started to pack up what had become my life: my photographs, my knick-knacks, and my books. It was all very sad. In the midst of my packing, I heard a rap at the door. It was Reed and Cara, both dressed up, and looking very excited. Cara came up to me and said, "You are a freshman at Fordham, it's your last night, and you have never been to Tinker's. You're going!" At first I was less than amused. But then, as I got ready in record time, I was a little bit excited. I was going to see the place after hearing so much about it. So, we got there. There was a great band playing, my friends were not drinking, the place was not too crowded, and I must admit, I had a great time. Afterwards, we sat out on Eddie's and just enjoyed the night air.

What a great way to end my freshman year. The next day, I woke up early and packed the remainder of my belongings. It was sad to leave but I felt fulfilled. I had a great first year, met wonderful people, and have become a better person. I feel as if I lived my time to the fullest. The last few days, spent with my dear friends and filled with new experiences, were a great way to wrap up the year. So when I went to my last mass, had my last brunch with Cara, and received my last good-bye hugs, I was sad, but more so, I was so excited about the great year ahead in the fall.

Thank you, Fordham, for a great year. Next year's going to be even better :)

Wherein I contemplate the effects of spring on the psyche of a college student...

One of my favourite hobbies has always been people wacthing--On the subway, on the street, in a cafe, on the Ram Van, in the caf (especially in the caf). Let me clarify one thing before I continue. When I say "people watching" I don't mean it in a stalkerish way, or in a creepy way; I just love observing people's habits and tendencies, and perhaps trying to speculate on their characters.

Anyway, now that spring appears to have offically sprung (pardon the cliche), I have noticed a few key effects that the warmer weather has on the brain of a college student:

1. A lack of motivation to do anything other than take naps in the sun and sit outside. It's nice out and we want to be outside. That's all. There's no harm in that. The problems kick in when the amount of time spent outside eclipses the amount of time spent going to class, doing work, and doing anything productive in general.

2. An increasing number of people (read: Fordham students) who have changed their appearance drastically in some way. In the past two weeks, I have seen more people dying their hair (especially guys dying their hair red, very peculiar) and people with faux-hawks. Wtf. Perhaps the rebirth of spring inspires people to have personal rebirth. Maybe they're just crazy. Who can tell...

3. Everyone is falling in love. I know that spring is the time for lovers, but the recent change is kind of ridiculous. I swear that in the last four weeks of people watching, I have seen at least an 80 % increase in people holding hands. PDA has hit harder than allergies. Everyone is confessing their love for everyone else. These extraneous signs of affection, of course, make me all the more glad that I am single. Now, I'm not bitter; I believe that everyone should love someone. However, it makes a girl feel really good about herself when everyone seems to have someone and she's in the dust saying, "What about me?" Good times.

4. An extreme heightening of school pride or an increasing hatred towards the place. Take your pick. I know a lot of people who don't want to leave, who thought it went by way too fast, and just as many people who have professed a strong desire to "get the hell out as soon as they can."

Anyway, my people watching is not creepy. In fact, it lets you learn a lot about people in general and about yourself. There's no better way to spend an afternoon.

Lazy Sunday...

Spring. The weather is beautiful, the birds are singing, everyone is happy and frolicking, I'm in love (yay! cheesy!), and life is--on the whole--pretty darn good.

Unluckily for me, my internet had decided that it no longer wishes to function. Therefore, posting updates to this blog has been a little bit difficult. However, thanks to the kindness and generosity of Amanda Deal I have been able to write this.

Luckily for all of us, however, today was a day of unparalleled beauty which has inspired me to write in lofty and unnecessary prose. But, seriously, today was spectacular. Everyone was so happy: girls frolicking in their brightly-coloured sun dresses, boys in shorts and occasionally without shirts, general merriment all around. The weather might have just made up for the Sodhexo's banana-on-a-stick-drenched-in-white-chocolate specialty. That's right, kids, it was that good.

Anyway, to celebrate the beauty and general splendour, the girls of Robert's Second went on a field trip to Eddie's. Marie and I set up camp underneath the partial shade of a tree and just sat there, being happy. Others soon joined and what had been two girls playing Mika became a full-out event. Now, I don't really like the sun. I'm pale and pale people don't like the sun. First of all, we can literally feel our skin burning when the sun comes out in the morning. Second, sun produces heat which produces sweat and discomfort. Third, and perhaps most importantly, pale is the new tan. C'mon now...let's admit it. Now that I have had my little sun rant, let me say, I did enjoy the sun today (with beaucoup de sunscreen, of course!).

I also had rehearsal today, which Allegra thankfully moved outside. And yes, we did perform Romeo and Juliet on the steps of Martyr's, facing out over the lawn, being stared at by passersby (they had no idea why they were biting our thumbs...*giggles*), and literally performing by the light of the sunset. Sigh. Why can't life be a musical? I'd really like to know.

If every day could be like today, I might just die from happiness.