Surfing and camping on the beach!!!

I went surfing and camping in Biarritz, France! It was so much fun! We left Sunday morning and came back Monday night. We camped on the beach in a small tent! I love the sound of the ocean. Getting to fall asleep to the waves hitting the beach was perfect. There were also wild peacocks that woke me up once in a while with their loud cat like screeming mating call.

Anne and I took surfing lessons! It was Anne's first time camping and surfing! I have done both before. It was fun taking the lessons because they were in French! We both got up plenty of times!

A little fun thing that happened a few times to me was when I was shopping the sales woman would ask me where I'm from and blah blah blah and then told me my french was really good! It makes me feel like I have accomplished my goal of learning the language while I'm here!

I also got to meet Angela's fiance Damien. They live near the beach town we were surfing/camping in. We all had dinner together and hung out on the beach! They are planning on getting married this summer in the states! So many weddings this summer!

My last few days in France

I was done with all my final exams and school May 5th! I have less than a week before I go back to the states. Lately I've been hanging out with friends and doing whatever I want! I went and saw Coco avant Channel and Good Morning England. Coco was in French and Good Morning was in English!
I have been doing a lot of drawing. The weather is absolutely gorgeous right now. I keep my doors open and the sun comes in from my balcony. With my music going and a nice breeze I feel very french sitting here drawing! Anne and I will sit by the river near her house and enjoy the sun as well:)
There has also been a lot of very french, very big dinners with the roommates!
I have mixed feelings about coming back to the states. I'm excited and sad at the same time. Of course I can't wait to see family and friends! It will definitely help that the day after I get back I have a wedding to go to and then the day after I'm going to Florida for a week and a half! Nice transition!
Are there any last requests of me while I'm still in Toulouse?

Trip to Perpignan!

Aunt Donna had two exchange students stay with her family years ago - Sophie and Fanny. They are twins and live in France! Sophie and her fiance live in Toulouse and Fanny and her boyfriend live in Perpignan. Aunt Donna got in contact with them as soon as she found out I was going to be in Toulouse. It made Mom more at ease too knowing I had a contact in Toulouse if anything ever went wrong.

This past weekend Sophie and Jerome picked me up and we went to visit Fanny and Marc in Perpignan! If I were to move back to France it would be one of the neighboring towns of Perpignan! It was absolutely gorgeous! Marc has a vineyard and winery that has been in the family for a while as well as an orchard. It was great getting to have a personal tour of everything! One night when we were out for dinner the table next to us was drinking his wine! How fun!!! We went to beach, mountains, other towns....it was a great weekend. Except, I was sick! I'm still getting over a sinus/cold thing. I've had my migrains for the past two weeks with this thing.

The interesting thing was that I could understand Sophie and Fanny perfectly! But, when the guys started talking really fast...it was hard to follow. The same goes for the conversation with all their friends. A little hard to follow at times.

We went to a soccer and rugby match! And, afterwards there was a concert with a bunch of famous French singers! Do you know the French guy who sings the song, "Bad Boys"? bad boys bad boys what cha gunna do? Ya, he was there!

Pictures!

Coffee on the Island!
Temple on the Island! Dates back to 570BC

One of the views!

I was laughing the whole time!

Acropolis

Elias, Demetra's cousin

One of the lambs for Easter!

Girls I met at the Vatican

Colosseum

The David

Venice

Duomo in Milan where I went to Easter Mass

Italy and Greece!!!!

I am truly blessed. For the past two weeks I have been traveling around Italy and Greece and I loved it! My mother was worried because two nights I stayed in a hostel by myself, but it worked out so well! For everyone besides my mother who didn't get to talk to me...here is a run down of what I did!

April 12:
I arrived in Nice, France Easter morning. I spent my time eating breakfast on the beach! I then took a train to Milan, Italy. I was able to catch the 6pm Easter Sunday mass at the Duomo in Milan. The church was absolutely amazing! The streets were filled with people. Street performers, bands, artists, food stands etc. It was so much fun to be a part of Milan's Easter festival!

April 13:
I took a train to Venice, Italy! What an awesome city! I will say though, don't go during the high tourist season! There were so many people there and I'm sure it's because it was Easter Monday and every one in Europe was on vacation. Venice is a great city to visit with a friend and it can be done in a day. Which is why I took a train to Florence, Italy the same night! I stayed with four DGs who had dinner cooking for me when I arrived!

April 14:
I woke and got in line at the museum to see the David before it even opened. I asked an American family if they were in the ticket line or the reserved ticket line and it ended up that they had an extra reserved ticket because their son didn't get up. So, they gave me the ticket and we were the second people in the museum! It turns out that they are uncle and aunt to a friend I know from high school who also goes to UofI with me! They wouldn't let me pay for my ticket and we toured the museum together! It was nice to have a family (mom, dad and daughter around my age a little older) to see the David with! I then went and saw the Duomo, which was huge and beautiful! I went to the leather markets, got a purse! Had lunch with the girls by their school which is right by ponte vecchio. That night we made dinner again and got the best gelato in Italy!

April 15:
I went to the Uffizi gallery, which took up my whole morning. It was a very cool museum and so exciting to see artwork and paintings that are so famous.
I took a train to Rome, Italy and got in there around 3pm. The hostel was very close to the station and is on the Europes Famous Hostel list! I toured the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and watched the sunset from the Spanish Steps all in one afternoon/evening! I took the metro which was very easy and cheap! In my room there were two girls who were traveling together and then a guy that was traveling by himself because his friend ended up staying in Germany to work! We went out to dinner and had a really good Italian meal!

April 16:
I got up early and wen to the Vatican museum! While in line I met four girls who were studying in England. We ended up sticking together and we toured the Vatican twice! Haha, you can ask me why later. The Sistine Chapel was great, but I wish I had known more about each painting. Next time, I'll make sure to have read a few books on everything! After the Vatican we had lunch, got gelato and went shopping! Then, we went to St. Peter's square and saw St. Peter's church. Like every other church in Europe it was HUGE and absolutely stunning! We were all amazed. That night I had a flight to Athens, Greece where my good friend Demetra picked me up from the airport!

April 17:
Demetra showed me around Athens! We went to a market right by her house that reminds me of my market! We did a lot of shopping inbetween site seeing! I bought a reallllly cute pair of sandals!!!! And some clothes:) That night we went to Demetra's village which is about two hours outside of Athens in the mountains! Her cousin Maria who is married and has two kids owns a cafe in the village. The tradition for these small towns of only a few hundred people is for the men to gather in the cafes at night and drink and socialize. Tonight was different though because it was Greek Orthodox Easter! After the church service everyone goes back to the cafe to drink! So, we ended up talking and meeting people. Only a few of the younger people could speak English. And no one spoke French either, which surprised me. Because in Italy and Spain you can usually find people who speak French as well.

April 18:
All day Saturday the families were getting ready for Easter. We walked around the small village and saw all the men preparing the lambs to be roasted! A tradition is that every family has a lamb. For example, we all went to her Uncle's house in the next village over on Sunday and so there were two lambs. One for the Uncle and Aunt and one for the cousin's family. The church service was very different to what I was expecting and Demetra said it was way different from her services back home. We all had a candle that we lit and then we stood outside and made a cirlce around the priest. At midnight he started singing and the church bells went off. And with this came a fireworks show! For such a small village the fireworks were great! After that was over most people go back home for the traditional meal. However, there is Easter Sunday mass if you want to stay. We went back to Ds cousin's house and had the "insides/unknown" of the lamb. This dish is their favorite part. We also did the red egg cracking game! The most surprising part of the night was that at 2AM, Demtra's younger cousin (19 yrs) took us out to a night club because that's what everyone does after Easter mass! I had a great time! I learned how to Greek dance and everyone was so nice to me! When we were finally ready to go we stepped outside and it was daylight! It was 6:30AM when we left. On our way home we saw all the men already making the huge fires to start cooking the lamb! It was such a great experience and memories I'll never forget.

April 19:
We went to Ds uncle's and aunt's house in a smaller village about 20-30 minutes away. To drive anywhere it takes some time because you are going up and down and winding around mountains. It is breath taking beautiful! I could have spent the whole day in the car just looking out the window! Ds grandma is 102 years old and just like the grandma in the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". We ate so much lamb and greek salad and coffee and cookies...they fed us well! That night Elias, Ds 38yr old cousin took us out to a cafe/bar on the beach! And then we went to a night club called, "Up Down". It was a blast and I did a lot more greek dancing!

April 20:
We just hung out in the village and I read and wrote in my journal. Elias showed us around the winery and vineyard. Demetra's family has owned a vineyard and olive trees for ever. Her cousin, Elias built a winery and started selling wine in 1999. It has won a few awards in Greece, Italy and France! Demetra's Dad also sells it in their store!

April 21:
Demetra's two other cousins took me all around Athens and showed me the Acropolis while Demetra had class! It was one of Ds friends birthdays so we went to this really neat club on the beach and had a great time! It was all American music..so no greek dancing for me that night!

April 22:
Demetra and I went to a Egina, a Greek Island for the day! We rented an ATV and drove all around the island seeing the many small churches, beaches and little towns! I had octopus for lunch and it was tasteless. I was not impressed with it. That night there was a famous Greek rapper playing at a place pretty close to Demetra's house, so we went to that! I had to leave at 5AM for the airport to come back to Toulouse, so we just stayed out all night! Demetra and Ashley (other good DG friend) knows the bouncer and so he brought us up to the stage to meet the rapper. The night was mostly us dancing with the rapper and him asking me in very broken english what he should do to get Demetra. Haha, it was such a good night I was upset that we had to leave at 5. He gave us all his CD and signed them...and he got Demetra's number!!!

April 23:
Got back in Toulouse and went straight to the "biggest" party that my school was putting on. It was crazy...

April 24:
Anne's friend Tom is visiting and so we had an American party last night. We invited the students who studied at UofI last semester and we invited the students who are going there next semester. We tought them how to play beer pong, quarters and flippy cup. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen!

April 25:
I've posted all my pictures on facebook and now I'm about to start studying for my two exam I have on Tuesday!
I only have 4 more days of school and then I'm done!
I leave in 3 weeks!
I cannot believe it!
I will be sad when I come back...be prepared.

Joyeuse Paques! Buona Pasqua! Καλό Πάσχα! Happy Easter!

At the moment I'm eating a goat's cheese, honey and pear sandwich - on a baguette of course:)

Last night we colored Easter Eggs. First of all, there are no white eggs here. They are all brown. It wasn't a big deal...the eggs are just not as bright. It was quite amusing to watch the boys' reactions. Thiago thought that the eggs weren't cooked. He also was telling me something about the pores on the shell being able to breath and how that is going to matter when we dye them. Mind you, this is all in French and I was little confused as to what he was trying to tell me. Pierre ate one of the eggs and told Anne that our coloring didn't work. They all thought that the actuall egg inside the shell would have the color too. It was so funny.

In France they hide eggs in the garden for the children. They have a big meal and mouton (sheep) is the main course. I leave for Italy tonight and they have the same tradition. I'm going to "The Last Supper" at Santa Maria delle Grazie on Easter! I'm in Italy for a week and then I'm going to Greece! I have two good DG friends from school who are studying in Athens. Demetra's family lives two hours from Athens and we are all going to her house for the weekend because it's Greek Orthodox Easter!!!! They do lamb roasts and a smashing game with their red eggs! I love experiencing other cultures! I'm very excited!

And this is for you Mother:)

Every morning at 7:10 I leave for school. And I am always greated by a flock of pigeons. I don't like those birds. They are ugly and annoying. When I return from school, usually around 7pm - once again I am welcomed into my courtyard by the birds.

Here it comes Mom...there is a man who stands at his window and feeds the birds! He throws food down to the ground and sometimes if he's lucky the pigeons will come to his window!

Anyone who has good taste in movies knows that there is a bird lady in Mary Poppins. She sits on the stoops and feeds the birds. Pigeons flock to her. This is my mother's favorite movie!

Feed the birds!

Comments

Are people besides my mother and grandmother reading this? I am getting no comments...and yes I know you have to create an account to leave them.

Shout out to my man

The three things I'm about to write pertain to John.

1.
When John was little he was lactose intolerant. Now he doesn't like or eat anything with milk, cream, cheese, creamy things in general except for pizza and ice cream.

I love milk, cheese, cream etc. In the states I would drink a glass of milk a day.
Well, the milk here has UHT. A hormone that allows it to have a shelf life around 6 months. It's bizzare. The milk sits out until you want it cold. Well, it turns out that I am allergic to the milk here. I cannot eat the ice cream, or any tartes made with cream etc. It is so sad. I'm like Johnny now.

2.
I made an apple pie tonight. It's not a normal apple pie though. Grandma, you will be proud. I made the crust from scratch! The part that reminds me of John is the filling. He made us an apple pie (from memory) using his Mom's recipe. He used oatmeal in his. So, for my filling I used apples, apple sauce and instant apples and cinnamon flavored oatmeal! It turned out great!

3.
Arnulfo bought a wine tasting kit. Along with the white wines, we ate my pie. There were 6 of us doing the wine tasting! Arnulfo bought the wine tasting kit because he now has become more interested in wine after drinking it with me and learning the little info I know! It reminded me of the wine tasting kit that John's dad has. So there we go. Three things that pertain to John:)

Bilbao, Spain

One week ago I was on my way to Bilbao with Anne to meet up with her (and mine now) friend, Colleen. Bilbao is in Basque country - do some research if you don't know what it is! We went to the beach the first day (Saturday) with Colleen and some of her friends! It was only 60 out so we didn't go swimming, but it was gorgeous and drank champagne on the beach! That night we taught her roommates how to play beer pong before we went to a night club! Americans are the only ones who pre-game and have drinking games - so it seems. People don't go to the night clubs until 2am! I wanted to go to bed, but was forced to go. It was fun.

Sunday we went to the Guggenheim museum! It was very cool to see! They had a whole exibit/floor on Murakami! And of course, the best part was the Murakami Louis Vuitton collection and paintings!

Monday. Anne and I took a day trip to San Sebastian! It is a cute little beach town with great views, gardens, beaches, shops and cafes! It was a gorgeous day at the beach! That night we went to my favorite part of Bilbao that reminded me of a european Gold Coast!

We left for Lisbon on Tuesday via bus. It was the most comfortable, beautiful and peaceful 12 hour bus ride. The country side of Spain and Portugal is amazing. Green hills, mountains, trees, farms, animals, lakes, sunset etc.

Moon

It's only 9:20pm and I'm already in bed and ready to go to sleep!

My day started with me cramming onto the metro and then the bus with everyone else who was on their way to school and work. The man next to me on the bus was watching something on his phone and laughing/moaning. It was weird. The man on my other side was whispering the words of the newspaper as he read. I thought to myself, is this how it is in Toulouse or is it just public transportation in general.

I had class all morning. I am understanding French a lot better than when I first got here, but I still cannot understand it at all when it is spoken fast. I'm starting to get the hang of writing notes in French while trying to listen at the same time. I mostly catch key words and not really the small words in the sentance. Instead of having class from 1:45-5:30pm we got to work in our groups for our reports. I am writing a report with three other students on Agriculture Paysanne. It is only supposed to be 4-5 pages and ours is 9. The hardest part for me is the writing. I am able to find information and read it, but then when it comes time to put it into my own words, I struggle. Luckily though, my other group members understand a little English and they have me tell them in English what I'm trying to write, and then they will re-write it in French!

I got home around 7pm and had fois grois with a warm baguette from down the street! And ate left overs from last night...pasta with a yummy sauce I made! People here never have left overs. I always do.

Right now I am laying in bed looking out my window at the most beautiful full moon! My very French feeling day is ending how it should. Fairy tale like. Me being content in the safety of my own room and bed with the moon shining in! Good night Toulouse.

John's Spring Break 09

John came to Toulouse!

Lucky me, I have a boyfriend who is willing to travel all the way to France for his spring break! Not bad!

We had a relaxing week because

1) I had class

2) John was sick

3) Toulouse isn't exactly a Paris.

-Johnny tried Moules-Frites!

-And he came to my french class with me!

-We took a few nice long walks around Toulouse!

-Made dinner with my roommate

-Went out to a bar/pub

-Went to Pau, France for the weekend!

Pau was both of our highlights for the week! John's neighbor has a friend who owns a Chateau in Pau. Henry the 4th lived in the Chateau, but now it's a vineyard and winery! The first night we got there, Dave (the owner and friend of John's neighbor) took us on a tour of the Chateau! And, of course, we got to taste his red and white wines right out of the vats! It was awesome to be tasting the wine at least a year before it would even go into the bottles! And, was good! Argon was added to the white wine, thus making it full of gas. It tasted like sweet peach champagne!!! John and I wanted to bottle that one right then and there!

That night Dave made pizza and it was great! It's hard to find good pizza in Europe, especially in Spain!

The next day we went cross country skiing. I love skiing. I have been doing it since I was little. The mountains were beautiful and the drive was gorgeous! That night Dave had his neighbors over for dinner! The man was from England and the woman from California, but lived in the UK and France for the past 20 years. It was perfect. They spoke French and English! For dinner we had an aperitif, fois grois, salmon cakes, duck, fresh veggies, dessert, an after dinner drink and then coffee and tea! It was one of the best meals I've had in France!

The week John was here went by so fast that I don't even know everything that we did! These are just some of the highlights!

Mallorca, Spain

I just spent the weekend on an island off of the coast of Spain! It was a wonderful weekend! The first day was sunny and around 60! We watched the sunset on the beach and ate tapas! Anne's friend Tom met us there. He also brought 3 other students who are studying with him in Wales (they all go to Iowa). Later that night, Colleen who is Anne's and Tom's friend from high school came in from Bilbao, Spain. Everyone was fun to hang out with! In two weeks Anne, Tom and I are meeting Colleen in Bilbao for her birthday and then we are going to Portugal!

The second day on the island Coll, Anne and I took a bus to a different city tucked in the cliffs along the coast! It was picturesque. A tiny harbor with cafes, shops and beaches! We had lunch overlooking it all and then went on a hike! That was a perfect day!

See more photos on facebook! If you don't have an account with facebook make one!

It's not just the language barrier

Anne, Arnulfo and I were going to make our last dinner together before he leaves. Well, I get a call from Arnulfo saying to come over to his friends at 8pm and we are going to eat there instead if that's okay. So, Anne and I get over there and we find out that we are going to a restaurant in another town!

Here we are in a car with all our friends heading towards Blagnac to find out even more that this is a school event! A university was hosting a party at Bocha Chica - a restaurant/dance club on a lake!

We ended up paying 12 euros for all you can eat and drink! However, we got there with only 30 minutes left for that deal. So we ate, had a glass of champagne and then danced the night away!

The funny thing is, Arnulfo didn't understand that we were going to a university held event! I like to think, that the misunderstanding was not my fault this time! The night was a success!

You always get more than what you pay for

Look what I found nesting with my eggs? This is what happens when you buy them from the farmer at a market!

When one door closes another opens...

Oh man. I'm bumming right now. I believe that when one door closes another one opens. Same thing for me as saying God will take a bad situation (that he has no control of b/c its the devil at work) and make something good out of it.

Example One:

Aunt Donna's cancer is back. She has started a more intensive round of chemo. I keep on praying that this time the cancer will never come back. I pray everyday for her. She is so strong and amazing.

A door closing: Aunt Donna getting cancer.

A door opening: All the awesome and wonderful things she has done through her fight.

Example Two:

John (my boyfriend!!!) was supposed to get in this Friday and stay for the whole week and leave on Monday. Well, plans changed and he is now getting in Monday and leaving the following Monday.

Door closing: Losing a whole weekend with my Johnny.

Door opening: Getting to go to Palma de Mallorca for the weekend with friends! It's an island off the coast of Spain!

Example Three:

Arnulfo (my roommate) just got his diploma for his masters in engineering. He had an internship at Airbus (Boeing's number one competitor). I consider us friends. We cook together, go out together, hang out with his friends and mine, etc.

Door closing: The french love to protest. Researchers are protesting and Arnulfo is not getting paid anymore and does have a job at Airbus. No choice. He has to leave because he can't live here without his job and income. He leaves this Saturday to go live with his girlfriend in Paris.

Door opening: ? (will let you know when I find out...yes, I'm sad)

LONDON!!!

I just spent a week in London with my Mom! It was the first real vacation that we spent alone, just the two of us. It was perfect. We got to see all the places we wanted to see without boring anyone. We got to go shopping without feeling rushed! We ate at some of the most wonderful places:) And, we got to spend quality time together.

Here is a little list of some of the things we did!

Day 1:

Arrived in London and ate lunch in our hotel, JW Marriott Grovesnor Place! I had duck confit and a glass of wine. We went exploring around our area. The hotel is right on Hyde Park, two blocks south of Oxford St. and two blocks west of Grovesnor Square and Berkley Square. Perfect location!

Day 2:

Worked out. Got my hair cut!

Had High Tea at the Dorchester! What an awesome experience! To think the queen started that tradition!

For dinner we had to go to Garfunkels...a popular chain.

Day 3:

Saw the guards change at Buckingham Palace!

Walked to Westminster Abbey...oh my goodness!!!

Went to Nobu for a sushi dinner!

Day 4:

Tour of Kensington Palace! Saw Princess Diana's dresses!

Don't buy tickets for "The Big Bus Tour Company".

Went shopping!!!

Went to the 5pm mass at St. Paul's Cathedral where Princess Diana and Charles were married. It was so cool to go to a mass here!

Had dinner at a very trendy and hip vegetarian restaurants before we went to ICE BAR!!!!!

Ice Bar was AWESOME!!!! We had to wear huge capes to keep us warm and everything including our glasses were made out of ice! Brrr!

Day 5:

Another great day!

Had lunch at a local pub, went shopping and then went to dinner at Cote a French restaurant before we went to the theatre and saw Dirty Dancing!!! It was so much fun! The theatres are very small here so wherever you sat you had a good seat! However, my wonderful mother (with the help of Mike!) got us GREEEAT seats up front! It was a great night!

Day 6:

Took a Day trip to Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath with premium tours! All three places had something unique to offer. Windsor castle, stonehenge formation and the Roman baths! Check out pictures on facebook!

I'm so happy and fortunate to have the chance to spend a week with Lynnie! And, that we get along:) Thanks Mom! Love you<3

Life as we get old

I'm a very fast walker. When I have class at 8AM I have to leave for the metro at 7:10AM. I don't like to waste time. Therefore, I walk fast. I have gotten used to walking fast, so says Arnulfo. Today, I was stuck behind an old lady taking her time. I slowed down, realizing I had no where to go. I was taking in all my surroundings - cafes, markets, people in general. And then she stopped for the first time to look into a store window. My first reaction was to feel sad for her. She was looking at a motorized wheelchair. At first I thought she was looking for helself. Maybe she was in pain as she walked, but no - she seemed to be doing fine. It made me really curious about who she was thinking about. Perhaps a husband or just a friend. The fact that someone needs a motorized wheelchair makes me sad. I kept on walking hoping that I would never be in that situation.

Bisous > Kisses

I think that sometimes the people here lie to Anne and me knowing that we won't know they aren't being serious. Everyone knows that in Europe/France when you say hello you do "bisous" which is the kiss on each cheek. Everyone does it. Girls to girls, girls to guys, guys to girls, and guys to guys. And to just put it out there, I love when guys do bisous. It makes them so unmanly, yet so confident at the same time. Okay, not all guys do it...and that's where the "fooling Anne and Jordan" comes in.

Anne's roommates told us that you do bisous with someone you meet or with people you know every time you see them. They also told us that if you are really good friends with them, you can do an extra kiss on the cheek or lips. I have not seen a guy give a guy an extra kiss on the lips...but I have seen the extra kiss on the cheek with girls and guys and from time to time on the lips. I can't decide if that is true or if they are just telling us that to be funny.

However, for example, my roommate who has a girlfriend living in Paris does the extra kiss on the cheek with his friends here (only the girls). So, it makes me think maybe Anne's roommates were telling the truth. I know some people in the states who give a kiss on the cheek or lips to their good friends without anymore intentions then just, "Hi really good friend of mine, who I don't like sexually, but you're just a good friend".

I can handle the extra kiss on the cheek with guys and girls. But, I'm not sure about the kiss on the lips...makes me think of the song, "I kissed a girl". If you don't know that song, download it and listen to it. It's hilarious. Thoughts on this subject anyone?

Jogging along the canal and my garden!!!!

Today I woke up freezing only to find out that the heat had been turned off (I think it was one of my roommates...). I was so cold that I couldn't wait to go wash my face with warm water. Ha. That wasn't working either! And yes, things do come in three because when I went back into my room to turn on the light...the bulb flickered and burnt out! My day got much better though!

I only had class until noon today and it was beautiful here! 60 degrees and sunny! I went for a run along the canal and felt great! When I got back I checked how far it was on google maps...6 miles baby! I knew I had been running for a long time, but I was not expecting 6 miles!

I made homemade alfredo sauce last night with onions, mushrooms, garlic and all! The one thing I was missing was chicken! So today, when I bought a new lightbulb, I also bought some chicken! And, while I was out and about - I bought two plants for my balcony!

I now have a Calathea Crocata with orange flowers and a small red rose bush! I wasn't sure what else to put out there with them, so in the picture as you can see...there are wine bottles! I hope that the plants don't blow over...I'll have to keep a close eye on them! And, if you have suggestions on how to keep either of them alive...more than what I can find on the internet - let me know!

Right now, my roommate Irene is making dinner and dessert and singing to her iPod. At the same time, Arnulfo - the other roommate is playing his guitar! And, I have on Nora Jones with some bread, cheese and wine! What a French mixture!!! If you can't tell...I'm fitting in just fine and having a great time over here!

Prom once again

Last night my school had a "Gala" or Ball...also known as a dance kind of resembling an American prom. I was told to come dressed up with a date and that Champagne, wine, beer and food were going to be served!
I still can't get over the fact that a university although private, hosts events and serves alcohol! It was a fun night! There was a live band playing in one room and then a mixture of American and French music in another. It seems like all the french guys and girls know how to dance really well (especially swing)!
Girls were dressed up in everything from prom dresses to skirts and the guys wore suits. It was so bizzare to be in a setting like this again. The whole school kind of reminds me of one huge Greek system.

I got Yelled at by a French Prof!

That's right, I was yelled at today in class. Well not really yelled at, but totally got called out! For nothing! The very first day of this class I went up and introduced myself and told the prof I was an international student and was learning french...etc. So she knew I was American and that I couldn't speak or understand french fluently.

Well, she must have forgotten that tiny detail because today when she said something and I didn't understand I asked the boy next to me what a word meant. While he was explaining it she said all in french of course, "Girl in black, what did I just say? Repeat what I just said." Or course I didn't know what she just said because I was asking the boy next to me. And so I just smiled and was confused and not totally sure if she was talking to me. And then I was told to pay attention and I would know what she just said! Oh my gosh!
Let me give you some background information. Everyone talks in the classes here. It is so annoying and rude. I have a hard enough time understanding what the teachers are saying and on top of it I have students talking and being loud. So, in this case it's not like the kid next to me was the only one talking. And I have never seen her or another teacher call out a student like that before. It was so bizzare, and all the French students agree that it was weird.

I was a little bothered by it at first, but now I find it all a little bit funny and ironic. The student who wants to learn and is trying gets in trouble. Only me.

A Trip Around France in a Week

Anne and I went on a mini France tour this past week! We went to Rennes, Strasbourg and Lyon! I have pictures up on facebook of everything we did! Here are a few highlights of the trip!

Rennes:
We took a day trip to a city that is on an island! Mont Saint Michel! There is one main road that we had to climb up in the rain!! If you can imagine slippery, wet rock...then you can imagine me struggling to climp up the steep incline of the street! Thank goodness there were plenty of shops and cafes along the way up to the top! The best part about reaching the top of the mountain was the church! We did an audio tour in French and I understood most of it, which makes me feel great!

Strasbourg:
My friend Matt from UofI met up with us and we did a day trip along "The Wine Road" also called the "Route du Vins"! We went to Riquewihr, one of the best cities along the 100 mile route so we were told! It was beautiful! There was one winery after the other lining the streets. The wines in the Alsace region are mostly white german wines. We tasted Riesling, Gewuvztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat and Pinot Noir. My favorite part of the day was the walk from one city to the next. There is a walking trail that goes through the middle of all the vineyards leading from one city to the next! It just so happens that the day we were walking around, was the same day all the vitners were prunning their vines! It was a great experience to watch!

Super Bowl:
In Strasbourg Anne and I were told about a bar we could find the Super Bowl playing. If you're not good at math, the super bowl started around 1AM here. We found our way into a bar called Snookers and with that a private party for the super bowl! We didn't know it was a private party at first, but then some guys asked me how I found out about it? The Strasbourg football team had rented out the bar to watch the game! It was awesome! There was food and a tab at the bar and they loved us! They couldn't believe that two American girls wanted to watch the super bowl, especially since it was so late! That was a game / party I'll never forget!

Hostel in Lyon:
Let me start by saying that I wound up getting my money back for the one night we stayed in this hostel. We were sharing a room with two other girls (8 beds total) who were already sleeping at 11pm when we got back from dinner. We decided to go play cards and meet other people at the bar in the hostel. Right as we were leaving a very old woman came into the room. She started looking for a bed that was open and choose a top bunk that had a light that didn't work. When we came back around 1AM there was note on the door that said, lock does not work. There was no handle or lock on our door! We walked in and the very old woman had all the lights on, the two other poor girls were wide awake and looked very annoyed. So, I went to bed spooning my backpack and purse the whole night thinking I was going to get robbed or killed because the door didn't close. Well, in the middle of the night I was woken up to the very old woman asking someone to turn on the light for her! I'm sorry, but if she couldn't get down her own bunk, then she should have taken a bottom bunk - and one that had a working light! So we were all woken up by her nonsense of having to have the light turned on, only for us to have the pleasure of hearing and smelling her have the runs...if you know what I mean. It was horrible. At this point I wanted the door wide open. The same routine happened in the morning except the toilet was clogged and I almost died of the stentch. I complained and got my money back:) I am proud of that! There was no right for them to take off the lock and handle of a shared room, just because an old woman...who was staying in a YOUTH hostel couldn't unlock the door. I said a prayer for her, me, Anne and the other two girls and got on my way!

Random little Happenings

Some things that have gone on in the past few days:

1. My roommate Arnulfo asked me if I wanted to go see a movie with him and his friends. We saw Slumdog Millionaire and the theatre was packed! Besides the movie being great, the best part about it was that it was in English with French subtitles! And, when the characters in the movie would speak the Hindi language, I had to read the French subtitles to understand what was going on! After the movie we went over to his friend Lia's house and had some very sweet red wine. It was fun to meet new people and talk about life! They were all very nice to me!

2. I finished one my classes already! Marche du Vin (Wine Markets) was a week long class that I found to be very interesting, but difficult because I only understood about half of the lecture. And, the lectures were about 7 hours each day! So on top of being tired from having to work so hard to understand what was going on, I was trying to stay motivated and attentive in the very long class. We had two guest speakers, one was the Directeur Marketing des Vignerons du Sud-Ouest and the other a Professeur associe a l'Uiversite Montesquieu Bordeaux IV et Directeur du Master 2 de Droit de la vigne et du vin Bordeaux IV!!! I was supposed to have the exam today, but my professor canceled class and hasn't told us when it is going to be. I've asked him twice now because next week after my 8AM class on Tuesday I don't have class for 7 days and Anne and I want to go travel around France...this school system is a little bizzare.

3. Yesterday I had four different guys hit on me. One on the bus, one in the metro, another one on a bus and then one while I was walking down the street! I was with Anne for all the occasions and my theory is that they are attracted to women who don't shower. I had the worse case of greasy hair and face going on and Anne had just showered...but really, the French do shower.

4. Last night there was a wine tasting at my school! Only 5 euros. I took a placemat and the wine glass home (shh). It was very well organized. About 200 people were all sitting at long tables in the main foyer. They had a slide show going and information about each wine we tasted. There was food and music after. It was a lot of fun. The awesome part was that when we left, there were two guys standing at the gate of the school checking the drivers for their BAC. Anne wanted to see what her was..she blew a zero.

5. Anne and I went with my roommate Arnulfo to his friends going away party at an Irish pub. It was a lot of fun! The drinks are so expensive! I got cidar for 5 euros and then a vodka cranberry for another 5 euros. One of the Irish girls going back home lives near Dublin and said that when Anne and I come for St. Patty's (we are going to Dublin and Glasgow for St. Patty's Day) that we can all meet up! Very nice people!

Inauguration in Toulouse

What a cool experience to watch Obama's Inauguration in Toulouse! I am sitting here with wine, bread and cheese feeling French, yet so proud to be an American! It doesn't matter who you voted for, because now Obama is the president and we must support our country. Within minutes of his speech, religion and the Bible were mentioned. I'm happy to know that our country and most of the world is still based on religion and believing in a God. I was also tickled when he mentioned France because I'm here! If you haven't watched it yet, you probably should. It's only 20 minutes!

http://www.nbc.com/news/watch-the-inauguration-live-online/

Amsterdam!

The first thing people think of when they hear Amsterdam is marijuana. Although there are "coffee shops" on almost every street, I never saw anyone go in or out of them. From what I was told only regulars do that and they are losers. There is so much more to Amsterdam!

I had the chance to visit my very good friend Vanessa, who I've known for 12+ years. Her Dad lives in Amsterdam and she was visiting him. We had the time of our lives! Just to give you an idea of my four days in Amsterdam here is a look at some of the things we did!

Night 1: (thursday night)

Dinner at "The Mansion" a five story bar, night club, lounge, restaurant and private floor. Vanessa's father, Mr. Rondini made reservations for everything knowing that I was coming! The food and drinks were amazing! And our table was at the window which overlooked the streets! Then we went to Mr. Rondini's favorite neighborhood bar called "Harry's".

Day 2: (Friday)

Vanessa and I went to the Rijks museum! It was so cool to see! Then we did some shopping! For dinner Vanessa, her Dad, his wife and I went on the supper club dinner cruise! Everyone sat on beds and it was a five course meal with entertainment as we cruised around the bay area! It started at 7:30pm and we got back around midnight! Then, we went to "The Zeebra Lounge" which is a really fun and hip bar! There are special tables that only VIP customers get to sit at and so we did! We had champagne and all danced!

Day 3: (Saturday)

Vanessa and I went to Anne Frank's house, but there was about an hour long line and it was raining, so we decided to say hi (she has been twice before) and then went shopping! Had coffee at a cute restaurant...and had Indian food for dinner! Then we went to a famous bar called "Three Sisters".

Day 4: (Sunday)

Got up and went to another cute little cafe for breakfast! Then we bought all the dutch donuts we could find! They were huge balls..the size of your fist and very dense with powder sugar on them! Some had fillings like bananas, strawberries and cream! Then I headed back to the airport!

Some of my favorite things I have done is eating or getting drinks in little tucked away cafes and bars! You never know what you're going to find or eat! This past weekend in Amsterdam was an experience of a lifetime!

Is is true that the French are rude to Americans?

Donc, aujourd'hui j'ai achete des nourriture a une epicerie. C'etait bon passee mais une fille etait impoli a moi! Il y a un garcon qui a parle avec moi, et je ne l'ai compris pas. La fille a dit "c'est ton cheque".

Today I bought some food at a grocery store. It was all going well except when I was checking out. A guy was ringing me up and handed me the receipt. I wasn't really paying attention and put it in my bag. He said something very fast and I did not understand him, so I said "sorry, I don't understand, what?" He said something else, handed me my receipt - which was when I realized that the first one I was supposed to sign. But, who hands someone a receipt that needs a signature without a pen? He asked me if I was English, I told him American and then....the other employee working, a girl - said "That's your receipt" in a very rude tone.

I might be taking this out of context, but she was only rude once she found out I was American. That was the first time something like that has happened to me while I've been here. Even when I was in Paris, if they found out I was American they tried to speak slowly and use hand gestures so I understood better. Which is usually the case here as well.

Maybe she just having a bad day. Or is a rude person in general. I'll never know. But, I walked out of there with a smile on my face...said merci and left with my two bags of groceries.

I am very excited for my new food! I bought duck! Along with many other normal things! It's weird what is expensive here compared to what is and isn't back at home. For example, I bought a bag of Lays Barbecue chips and they were 1.46 euros or $2.00. For the same size bag at Jewel it costs almost twice as much. I also bought some ham lunch meat for school. It cost 3.98 euros or $5.45 for only 6 slices. The slices are a little larger than the normal American lunch meat, but that is still a lot for only 6 slices. It will take a while for me to figure out what is or isn't a good buy. For now though, I'm doing just fine!!!

Sunny in Toulouse

Last night Anne, Dan and I went out! I slept over at Anne's because I didn't want to walk the 20min back alone at night to my flat. This morning I woke up to a protest going down their street for justice among palestinians in Israel. It was huge and very loud!

It is a beautiful and sunny day so I'm going to go explore with my camera!

The one interesting thing I've picked up on is the amount of American music played everywhere. Cafes, bars, stores, people's flats etc.

I find it flattering when people know I'm not French but they don't assume I'm American right away. Not because I'm not proud to be an American, but because that must mean when I speak french I don't have a super strong American accent!

Snow in Toulouse!!!

Today it snowed all day long and it "never" snows in Toulouse! Anne, Pierre, Bensuss, Vincent, Guillum and I had a snowball fight in the streets. It was very cold. And, I do not have boots because it's not supposed to get this cold here! However, it is the huge "sale" week for all the stores in Toulouse...so I think I'll just have to pick up a pair!

Last night I went to Anne's apt. and the boys had a huge party! It was strange because among their friends, who are all students of Purpan if you are invited to a party you just bring a bottle of something for everyone to share. So, there were many different kinds of drinks there. I didn't like very many that I tasted. Maybe because they are poor college students and drink how we drink at college? LOL.

Tomorrow I find out what classes I will be taking! Tres exciting pour moi!

First Day in Toulouse!

This was the first time I flew abroad by myself! It was a little scary, but I did it!
Two girls my age from Purpan (the university I'll be going to) picked me up from the airport and were very nice! The radio station in her car was playing American music.
I am now sitting in my new room after figuring out how to get to school tomorrow! I cannot believe I am here. I have several emotions flowing through me!