Yogurt (or as they say in French --- Yaourt)

I know this might seem like a strange title for a blog, but when I explain, you will see. So, I think that I do pretty well with my French pronunciation (I might not always know what I am reading aloud, but I think that I sound fairly French…) but there is one word that I cannot seem to get right, and that is the word for yogurt. I wish that it were a grander word, so at least I would not feel so bad about not being able to pronounce it, but in fact it is a very important and extremely simple word that I use every day. My charge, Sarah, loves yogurt (consequently, I have really come to love plain yogurt --- not a bad thing since the bacteria aids in digestion and there is no sugar!) Well, she eats yogurt twice a day, and I always have to tell her mother what she ate. That is when the embarrassment gathers around me as I try to spit out this word and absolutely cannot say it. Today was not a particularly great day for my French anyway, but whatever, that is beyond the point of this entry.

I really do love my charge. She is such a darling and great at entertaining herself. Who knew that pulling out grass could entertain her for a whole hour (not easy to do with a very active little girl). I really respect more than ever those with little children, though, because my goodness, it is a challenging and tiring activity. I am runner, but this makes running seem simple, because I never know what to expect, and of course, she cannot really communicate with me, except to cry. Oh, I hate that about little children. I just want to give them speech so I do not have to hear that sound!!! I think that I would rather be run over by a car then have a crying baby for whom I do not know how I can help.

That brings me to another contemplative subject about speech. You know, it would seem as if it were possible to just say all the words you want in your own language and everyone would understand, but of course, this is not the case. Language is something that I will never understand really but desperately want to, so I think that it is a subject I will continue to contemplate. Anyway, yesterday, I was talking (in French, of course) with the mom of the household, and I was trying to explain something simple about the dishwasher, but for some reason, I simply could not spit the right words out, until, she just told me to say it in English (which she understands and occasionally speaks). Why can I just not get what I want to come out my mouth? Somehow, English is so ingrained in me, that it is going to be a long while until I have some room for another fluency. It is all about being patient in the process. I plan to continue to have that patience and force my brain to make room!
It is just unbelievable here. I was walking down a path along the river with Sarah, and in the distance, I saw a castle. I was slightly flabbergasted! I mean, how often are you walking and look off into the distance, and there is a castle J I think that is something very unique about Europe. It is simply so old, so if one loves antiques and the outdoors, this region of France is definitely for you. You see, there are many rivers and as a result, a lot of rich vegetation. Every time I ride my bike down the road, I feel like I am in an impressionistic painting…pretty cool, huh? Well, my adventures continue as an au pair. It is an interesting line of work, really. It seems like I am part of the family; yet, I am most definitely hired help. I do not mind the distinction. I just learned that I have three days off per week, but the other days I work about 12 hour days. It is not a bad trade-off. This week, I am going to wine country for a little visit…more stories to follow J