Back to life... back to reality

*sigh*

=\

One can not lose...

a hundred kilos in 4 weeks. The photo's don't lie! ;)
I think I've lost my 2nd chin, however and that makes me happy. ok... onto other things...



Things I miss about the US of A...

Cheeseburgers and all the different varieties of them readily available at a moments notice

7-11's

no wet moist squishy dog poo on the sidewalk

reliable - fast internet

cheese fries w/ranch dressing

shower doors or shower curtains

we don't blame all of us for the actions of a few of us, (you few freaks know who you are...) *ahem*

driers... cheap driers (though kudos to John for cluing me in on the lack of them here prior to my flights)

corndogs



and internet that doesn't end at 6:30 PM when the school kicks us all out of the computer labs. =)


'til tomorrow! Avoir!

Le Mont-Saint-Michel & St. Malo

Spent all day yesterday on le bus and a few hours running around along the northern coast of France at Le Mont Saint Michel and Saint Malo Arrre me matey! =)



Today - hanging out at the The Pale Irish Pub, blogging away, journaling and sippin down a Guinness. As Bart Simpson would say... "Ah the life of a frog."



Will try and upload some pictures as long as my battery pack lasts for my laptop. Ran out of the house without my power cord after lunch.



Weird to think that I'll be coming home soon. I'm kind of able to order a meal in a restaurant with little or no use of English now. That's a bit of a trip. =)

And week trois comes to a close...

Demain, je vais voyage a Le mont Saint Michel.



In the meantime, here's the blog of Michelle, who somehow is ending up in a ton of my pictures. I have no idea why.

There must be 50 ways to leave...

your host mother...

just slip out the back jack,

make a new plan stan,

just hop on the bus guss

and get yourself free...



so i did.


To make a long story short, my ability to speak french was not at a level where I could effectively understand Mme BLONDELLE nor explain myself to her. By the end of the second week I was just seeing too many miscommunications building up between us. So, I've changed families. I'm sure she thinks I moved because of something else, but that just illustrates the problem. My new host family, the LAURMENTS have more experience in hosting foriegn students and so far, it's been really good. A little too good perhaps. I'm so relaxed now I'm having trouble waking up in the morning like I do at home. So... but that's my problem. As those of you who know me so well already know I'm not a morning person. ;)


In other news I've been wondering why my back left side has been spazzing on me. I will just be standing there and then my left hamstring will just spazz for a moment then be fine. I *think* I figured out why today.

At 9:00 AM I climb the stairs to the 3rd floor for class.
At 10 AM I descend the stairs for a break, then climb them again.
At 11 AM repeat what I did at 10 AM
At Noon... descend for lunch. Then... repeat again on Mon., Tues., & Thurs. a few more times for our classes in the afternoon. Yeah... I think the left leg is starting to complain a bit.

Paris - un freaking believable...

So, it's a city. A fairly big city, an old city, was founded approximately 2600 years ago on the little island in the middle of the Seine river by the Notre Dame Cathedral. There's a little marker infront of the cathedral called "Point Zero" which is the center of Paris. I expected to be a bit in awe.



What I didn't expect was the sheer opulance of the place, the overt turn a corner and boom something amazing, turn a corner and boom something amazing, turn a corner and boom something amazing, turn a corner and boom something amazing, turn a corner and boom something amazing, turn a corner and boom something amazing, etc. etc. etc.



And I knew the things were big... pretty big... but didn't quite expect "HOW FREAKING BIG!" they were. I have to run to class now, but I thought I would share one of my favorite pictures. (of which I now have over a thousand favorite pictures and I'm only half way through the experiance.)

Thank God for friends with allergy medicine

My english is starting to degrade. I'm misspelling words left and right. I'm pronouncing things wrong and I just screamed in frustration on the street earlier today. Luckily, I was only with a friend. :)



I think I understand the frustrations two & three year olds must have. I can basically comprehend what is going on around me. But I can't express what I'm thinking.



but, the computer connection ended before I could finish this thought. Just wanted to say that I think I would be miserable if Michelle didn't bring a huge jar of allergy pills. AAAAhhhh... this stuff is great and keeps me from digging my eye balls out. :)

Week Deux begins

Here's a video of the train ride to Tours from Paris. (If I ever get it uploaded.)



So, the weekend was interesting. We explored the city more, checked out the gardens. Hung out at the Place Plumereau and got drenched a few times. Saw on the news a neighboring city got flooded from the storm. But here things are ok. Just wet.



The internet is quite slow here compared to the U. I'm very spoiled at home. I miss the speed. In the words of my friend Michelle, "I think that's what's making me homesick. Everything else is fine. I just want my internet!" Yep... we're a couple of information junkies...



Well, time to go to class...



after class



So, didn't get the video to upload. Will keep working on it.



It's weird to get reprimanded for not going out enough. Mme BLONDELLE shooed me out of the apartment Sunday. That was strange, but interesting. Luckily I had already made plans to visit the gardens here.



Well, we're off to a cafe and then it's to home. I have to be home at 7:30 PM sharp.

In the words of Stewie - Victory is mine!!!

We toured Le Musée de Beau Arts this week.

So so much to write about. I've been falling asleep before I can write it all down,and now that I'm sitting here I can't think of a thing to write. Except I don't think my skin has felt this good in a very long long looooooooong time.

I can honestly say...

I don't want to be anywhere else today.

This is the main classroom building of the school. My class is on the top floor and the stairs are incredibly narrow. :)

Yesterday we took a placement exam and I placed in the 2nd level elementary. So, I'm not totally deficient. After the exam we went on a walking tour around the city and it's incredibly gorgeous. And the food... oh my... the food. I don't think I've ever eaten apples this sweet.

With all the walking and all the veggie eating I'm glad I packed a couple of belts.

Je vais à Paris.

Post production work will be halted for the month of June. For five weeks I will be attending classes at l'institut de Touraine in Tours, France.

So a slight change in the purpose of this blog for a short while. I'll be writing about mes petites aventures en France.

I am flying out of the US this Saturday and will return June 30th.