French couchsurfer...

I was talking to my friend last night and she scolded me for not blogging about my "bizarre life." She's right. I need to be a little more regular.

About 2 months ago, I got an email from a French couchsurfer that was going to be in South Carolina for an extended stay. He asked if we could get together for drinks. I said sure, but I was directing a play and very busy (sheesh, I had no idea). Then after the play was over, I got the flu or something that is still lingering. So, on the last night before he left for Paris, he emailed me and said that he was cooking dinner for his host and a friend, and would I join them. I asked another couchsurfer that had actually spent some time with him to come along too.

So let me tell you about this guy. He is in his early 30s. Get what he does for a living??!!! He advertises on CraigsList to teach French and cooking. Some rich lady in Bennettsville, SC paid him to teach her French and cooking for 3 months. He cooked for us and words cannot describe it...but it's the kind of cooking that takes 3 hours just to make "a leetle sauce to put on your rice. Eets nuhsssing, really..." It was exquisite. We had whole pears poached in wine for dessert.

Say what you will about the French, and this guy was really French, they don't bathe like we do (I'm not so sure we have to to the extent that we do), they smoke...a lot, they have an attitude (although he did not really, and who cares when he can cook like that), but can they cook??!!! Oh, yes they can. Also, it was so lovely to sit and listen to a Frenchman speak again. At one point he and I were left at the table. We had a lovely chat and he got up to go smoke outside. He said, "my bad habeeet." I said , "Oh, your French..." He laughed and told me in Europe you can't smoke everywhere like you used to be able to. He said, "I like South Carolina. You can smoke anywhere." Sigh.....

The friend of his is also probably in her early 30s. Get what she does for a living?! She cooks on chartered yachts. She also imports and sells Swedish Gustavian antiques (oysterwhite.com). Sheesh...and her home is GORGEOUS! She is Canadian and came to SC to be close to the ocean and I-95 and to find a home that she could afford. So, she ended up in Benettsville. Weird. I felt so, un-South Carolinian. It was fabluous.

All for now. I'm catching up on laundry after the Thanksgiving trip. More later...really....