"Vivre en Amerique, c'est . . . Vivre en France, c'est . . ."

We had to write a poem filling in those blanks for our literature class today. I only wrote two lines. Our classroom isn't very inspiring. I think I'll have to bring my notebook into the city, where there are plenty of great things to write about. Ex: German tourists (they are everywhere), des pains au chocolat, and people making out in the streets. Okay, maybe I'll have to find a nice park or something.

Also, I finally called the doctor today (last night was rough), and I have an appointment for Monday morning. Then, I found out that the very same doctor is coming with us on our excursion to Mont-Saint-Michel this weekend. Quelle chance! At least I'll have her there, just in case I get sicker. Sicker? More sick? Increasingly ill? Sicker? Yes? Whatever - sicker.

So, today I woke up at 8am for classes (again) and was in class until 5pm. Oh the joys of being a student/victim of disorganized class scheduling! These past few days have been VERY long. Today, I had Oral Expressions, Mme Dargan's class, Grammar, and Literature. I love all of my teachers, but that much French in one day is exhausting. Especially when you're sick and just want to be in bed.

Oh! But what was cool, was that after my literature class, the teacher looked over at me and said, "Vous, vous parlez bien le français." How exciting! Not to brag, but this is my blog and I can do what I want, so I'm going to celebrate the fact that my French teacher at a French university singled me out to compliment my French. That's really cool, and it makes me hopeful for my progression with the language during the rest of my semester here :)

So, other than those classes, I haven't done much today. Tonight (it's already 10pm ahhh) I have to pack for my trip this weekend, but at least I don't have any homework or classes tomorrow. I'm going to try to bring my laptop with me on the trip, but no promises about internet or having time to update this. From what I can tell, it's going to be a very busy weekend. Better remember my camera!

Love, Josie

7 Hours of French Classes Later . . .

I don't think I can move. I am so incredibly tired, and I know that tomorrow is just going to be longer and more exhausting. Today, I woke up at 8 for Oral Expressions (where we "learned" the future tense. I'm too tired to even be sarcastic about this, so I'll just say it: it was a waste of my time. I felt like I was back in high scool (or Professor Becht's class) again). After that class, I came back to the apartment, where I got some food and then headed back to the school for a 3-hour-long class on African Studies. Yes, it is extremely interesting, and I love the class and the professor, but three hours of non-stop French is very exhausting. The best part about my Wednesdays? They never end. After African Studies, I hopped on the bus to get to the Musee for my 2-hour Art History class, where we walk all over the museum for two hours and talk about European art throughout the centuries. Today, we covered . . . something. Well, all the answers to her questions were either "Sebastien," "triangle," "classique," or "baroque," so you figure it out.

So, after art history, it was already 6pm so I decided it was time for me to get home. I still have almost all of L'Avare to read, and it's supposed to be finished tomorrow, so I figured I had a lot of homework to do. Have I started it yet? No. I had to watch Glee first. But I'm about to do my work now - it should be a party.

Also, today Emily V. and Allie talked about going to Greece for our break. I am so excited about it, and I really can't wait to start planning. We need to go somewhere for a weekend before Greece though (Allie will be in Spain, so Emily and I want to go somewhere too) - any ideas? Or any ideas where I can find cheap flights/travel options to Greece?

Let's see - that's pretty much it for my day. I'm feeling better (finally). I really think that all my food that I bought has helped a lot. Unfortunately, it's all almost gone (didn't I just go shopping yesterday?) so I guess I have to go back tomorrow. Why is life so expensive?!

OH! I FOUND PEANUT BUTTER! Kind of. It says it's peanut butter, but it comes in a can that requires a can-opener to open it. So, the jury's not out yet on this one. I will be sure to keep you posted though :) Haha, and when I brought it home, my host mom says "Oh yeah, we don't really have that in France. It makes you fat, and we don't like to eat stuff like that." Wow. Interesting point of view, considering we had nutella crepes for dinner last night.

Gotta love it.

It's Moliere time!
Love, Josie

I Am Officially A Resident of France!

Today, the other students and I went to the French consulate/official-ish place where they deal with papers to get our residence visas granted. It was a trip, as everything in France is, but in the end my visa was granted and now I am officially a resident of France (until June 2011)! The most important thing about this is that I can now travel outside of the country. SO excited :)

Other than that, today was fairly uneventful. I was late to the rendez-vous at the gare this morning, and got scolded my Mme Dargan. Typical. And then we went and got chest x-rays, where we were individually ordered around, topless, by French nurses. Awkward. And then we left and got lunch, which consisted of goat cheese, bread, and French pastries. Unhealthy. Then, as we were walking across the Seine River, I walked right past some guy who asked me for my number yesterday without noticing (my friends told me after he had walked by). Weird. And then, we all waited in the waiting room at the consulate place, waiting for our turn for the French doctors to call us fat. Confidence-building.

No, but really - the doctor, after reading my height and weight, says, "okay, so your height is (whatever it is in centimeters), and your weight is (whatever it is in kilos). this means that your BMI is good - it's in the average. But no more - stop!" Seriously? Fuck him - I went out and ate some peanut M&Ms afterwards. Do you think that helped with my BMI, Dr. Dickhead? Apparently he told another girl that she was obese, according to her BMI (she is anything but), and tested a few people for diabetes just based on their weight. Look - it's not their fault that muscle doesn't exist in France. No wonder this country loses every athletic competition. Ever. No one exercises, has any muscle, or can do anything athletic at all. We get called crazy when we say we want to go for a run.

Which leads me to my next issue: I need to start running again. It's SO hard to go here, first of all because I've been sick, but also because there is nowhere to run. It's just busy streets and neighborhoods. And I don't even know if I feel safe going by myself. I just feel like it's really unfair to not even have the opportunity to work out, even when I want to. I really want to be in shape, but it's nearly impossible here. No one does anything. Especially the women - they are, in general, anything but athletic. It's really amazing how little they work out and how tiny they are. I don't understand it. But also, it's not even about size or BMI - I just really like being in shape and feeling strong. I'm already so sad without my Bikram yoga (I totally gave up on running once I found Bikram), but now I don't even have a place to work out at all. It's really hard.

So now, I'm just sitting at home about to do some serious Moliere reading. I went to the store today and bought a bunch of delicious and nutritious things, and I'm really excited about them. I'm so sick of being sick!

Also, I really think that the bus drivers here are certifiably insane. The bus on my way back up to Mont Saint Aignan today almost hit two cars, a man on a bike, a woman and her child, and a curb. Yes, the last one is a stationary object. You would think that, at least, the driver would be experienced enough to know when a curb is coming up, and talented(?) enough to know how to avoid it. Not always the case.

So, that's pretty much it for my day. Oh! I bought a pair of flats for 20 Euro. They are black and beautiful :) The piercing is still looking sweet, and hurting less, so I'm a happy camper. I'm gonna go eat some apples and cashews now.

Bisous!
Josie

My First Tattoo!!!

I wish I had a picture of my mother's face when she read that title.

Oh, and this is a joke, by the way; I just got my cartilage pierced. Mama - that's what you get for not responding to my Facebook chat message.

Also, FUCK. I just wrote this entire long blog post, and my internet kicked me off right after I tried to post it. I'm gonna go ahead and add "internet" to my bad things in France list.

Anyway, today I went to a piercing shop to buy a new nose ring, and left with a new piercing. Of course. But, in my defense, I did leave with a new nose ring too. It's bright blue and beautiful. I would take a picture to show you, but another fun thing about my bedroom in this apartment is that it doesn't have any lights. I'm basically in a cave of darkness right now, which I don't feel is very conducive to picture-taking. I'll take one tomorrow :)

So, the cartilage piercing hurt a ton - much more than my nose piercing did - but it looks cool as hell, so I am definitely happy with my decision.

OH MY GOD. The new Desperate Housewives came on last night, which means I can watch it now! I mean . . . I don't watch that trashy show either? Okay, don't judge me. I'm a straight-A student studying in France and becoming bilingual. I fully admit that the shows I watch are horrible, and I embrace it. At least it's not Fox News, right?

So anyway, I'm in love with my new piercing. A few people want to get tattoos while we're in France, but no worries everyone - I will definitely not be partaking. It's not that I'm against tattoos; it's just that I can't think of anything important enough to have on my body for the rest of my life. Maybe I'll get one in the future, but here's my thought: if I have to wrack my brain for a tattoo idea, then it's not meaningful enough. It should be much more important than something that I come up with just so I can get a tattoo.

Sidenote: every time I tuck my hair behind my ears I hit my new piercing and it hurts. A lot. This is always the worst stage of new piercings. But also the best, because you're all excited about how new it is. I still haven't gotten sick of my nose ring though - actually I'm still completely in love with it.

Okay, so that's pretty much it. Today was a success: new piercing, new nose ring, and no rain. Wonderful.

Now, I have to go read an entire Moliere play. Wish me luck :)

Love, Josie

Sunday Morning, Rain Is Falling.

mmmmmmmmm

Quelques photos from my day with the Le Jeunes yesterday :)

Welcome to the wonderful world of autumn in Normandy: rain - all day, every day. It's a chilly, rainy, gray Sunday, and we all know what that means: hanging out in bed, catching up on my American TV shows, and - could it be?! - doing homework. Don't be too surprised; it had to happen eventually. I don't just get to hang out in France without doing any work for 4 months. I get to hang out in France doing hardly any work for 4 months. Unless you want to count sightseeing, shopping, and going to cafes as work, in which case, being a student in France is hard.

My homework that I have to do this weekend consists of three pages of grammar exercises (thank you, high school for teaching me this 4 years ago) and reading a Moliere play (thank you, Moliere movie that I used to watch all the time because it is so awesome). In short, my homework is really just a way for me to relax, practice my French in the comfort of my own bed, and pretend like I'm being super studious. I'm sure it will get more difficult, especially when we have to start writing essays for my African Studies class, but for now I'm enjoying the leisurely grammar exercises and elementary-school-level French plays (no actually- they bought us the "Petits Classiques" version of L'Avare). Love it.

So that's pretty much it for my day. I ate some spinach, rice, and an apple for breakfast/lunch (meals get confusing when you wake up at 1pm), and now am just relaxing to the tune of French homework until the season premiere of Private Practice finishes loading. Wait, what? I don't watch that trash. . .

Anyway, depressing as the day looks outside, I'm really enjoying being warm in bed, reading my Moliere, while watching the rain pour down outside of my window. It's going to be a great -- uneventful, but great -- day.

IMPORTANT: If anyone can figure out how to send me pumpkin pie and/or peanut butter in the mail, please do it. I will sell my soul to you for pumpkin pie. The realization that I won't be home for Thanksgiving just hit me yesterday, and I'm starting to flip out.

Okay, that's all. Love you all very much!

Bisous, Josie

Blast From the Past.

I just got home from an absolutely wonderful day with the Le Jeune family. Henri, Marie Cecile, Anne Laure, and Benoit all came to Rouen to see me today, and we spent the day walking around the city, eating pizza (and if you're Benoit, a pizza for dessert), and remembering all of the amazing times we had when they came to visit us in the United States. It was an amazing day filled with laughter and good company, and it is beyond incroyable to think that it has been three years since I've last seen them!

Henri took a ton of pictures, which he has promised to send me, so hopefully I will be able to put up a few soon :) I didn't have my camera with me though; I just don't feel like carrying it around with me these days. Plus, I don't have a way to upload them yet, so it's not much help right now.

Something that I realized today (besides the fact that I really, really need to buy this beautiful, warm, dark gray, French coat. I'm not going to tell you what it costs. I'm only going to say that is is from the United Colors of Benetton. Yeah.) is that friendship is the most amazing thing in the world. A connection with another person transcends language barriers. I remember when the Le Jeunes came to visit us in the U.S., and we were all trying to communicate with each other, but none of us could really express themselves the way we wanted to (besides my father. Of course). We all have nothing but amazing, fond memories of that time together, but thinking about it now, it's really amazing how we connected the way we did without being able to speak the same language. So what was really cool about today was that I was able to talk to all of them, and say exactly what I wanted about everything. I got to show them around my city (ahhh I love it - my city), give them updates on my family, and tell them how much I want to come back and visit them in Brest. I'm just so incredibly lucky to have this opportunity to spend a semester studying in France, allowing me to improve my French enough to have conversations with my French friends. Also, how amazing is it that I have such great friends in a foreign country? I really, really hope I will be able to visit them in Plabenec before I go back home.

So, that was pretty much my day: catching up with old friends in good old Rouen. Tomorrow, I'm gonna go get that coat.

Tonight, I don't know what the plans are yet. A bunch of my friends went to Paris today, and they should be getting back in the next few hours, and I think they wanted to see a movie (The Town) tonight at some point. Not that this information is AT ALL interesting to you. Just saying. It might be a relaxing night of watching an American movie in French, and then going home and going to bed. Sounds perfect to me. I just wish I had some hot chocolate, my Mama's popcorn, and a cozy blanket to cuddle up in. It's getting to be that time of year, and I am in LOVE with it.

Bisous!
Love, Josie

Teenage Dream.

Don't ask about the title. It's a Katy Perry thing (which is hilariously pronounced "Cat-ti" en France).

So today I went shopping. Oh, I went shopping. Emily Valentine (the most impressive and magnificent shopper I have ever seen in my life) found an H&M nearby, and it stripped us of our l'argent. But, as Maddie's reasoning goes, the clothes we bought will help us to get people to buy things for us, so really it was an intelligent money-saving endeavor. I'm gonna go with that logic, firstly because it's hilarious, but also because I'm in France and if I want to buy some amazing French clothes, I'm gonna buy 'em.

Note: I sound like I was completely reckless with my shopping today, but I'm really just in a good, hyper mood. I, of course, agonized about every cent that I spent and then felt guilty about it all the way up to the register. Not to mention, I didn't even spend nearly as much as some of the other girls. Maybe it's a good thing to be so cautious about money, but maybe it's also a little unhealthy. Who knows?

Anyway, I bought some wonderful things, all of which I am extremely excited about wearing all over the place. I LOVE FRANCE RIGHT NOW. It's just so classy. I wish I could post pictures of my new clothes. Maybe I'll be able to figure that out soon, but I bought a black skirt, tights, heel boots (YES!), a sweater thing, a shirt, a dress, and I don't even know what else, but it was all just over 100 Euro. Actually, not bad for what I got. I'm SO happy about all of the clothes too. There isn't one thing I'm not completely thrilled to own! And that's the way shopping (and life) should be.

So now it's about 7pm and I'm just hanging out around the house until dinner is ready. What a difficult life I lead here. How lucky am I to have this amazing opportunity? I am so grateful.

After dinner, the Swiss girls and I are going to meet some of my wonderful American friends for a few relaxed drinks, and then come back to the house early (j'espère) because everyone is going to Paris for the day tomorrow! Well, except for me. But it's still wonderful because Anne-Laure and her family are coming to Rouen to see me!!!! I am SO excited to see them again.

So those are my plans for tonight. Not too exciting, but I'm still happy anyway. So I'm gonna go try to sneak in an episode of Psych before dinner (I have no life).

Bisous!
Love, Josie

Across The Universe.

So, I am so sorry I haven't written in the past couple days. I know some of you (*cough* my father) use this as a way to check up on me, my health, safety, and happiness abroad, so I'm sorry I took away your security blanket for a little while there, but I'm back now :)

I've been sick for the past few days, and didn't really feel much like writing or going out and doing anything (so really I didn't have much to write about). Things are better now though - I'm eating good food, sleeping well, and hanging out with friends. Not to mention, finally doing homework (not as fun as I thought it would be).

But what is really amazing about today, is that it has now been one year since Grandpa Nick died. Unbelievable. How could it possibly have been that long ago? I truly can't believe it. I love you Grandpa :) It's also amazing to me how recent that entire period in my life seems. Starting college and loving classes and being excited about being at SLU all seems so recent, but a little far away at the same time. It's hard to explain, but I guess it just feels like it's completely wrong that it's been a whole year since I've gone to Grandpa Nick's to see him, or since I saw him shuffling around the house with his stuffed-animal-clad walker to check up on everyone, or since I heard his voice, or gave him a hug. How can that be?

You know, when I was at Nadine's in the countryside, I was talking about Grandpa Nick and I was telling her about how he was a soldier during WWII (a very popular subject with families in the Normandy area, for obvious reasons). She asked if he lived through it, and I said yes, but that he had actually died just this year. I knew it had to be months since he passed away, but still in my head it was "just earlier this year." Also, being here has made me lose track of time . . . a lot. I barely even know what month it is, especially with school starting so late here and things being so hectic. So when I realized that today was September 23rd, I was completely floored. I had no idea that this day was coming up, and it took me a little while to actually believe it. I still comprehend it intellectually, but emotionally I think that time got messed up somewhere.

Now, if I were taking a more Buddhist approach, I might say that today is just like any other day, in the same way that birthdays and holidays are no more special than any other days of the year. No matter what I might label it, today is just another day, and will only be defined by how I live it. But at the same time, why do I always encourage myself to have this attitude about life? Human beings are sentimental creatures. Maybe we need to set aside one day of the year in which we are sure to remember someone we love, honor someone's life, or remember the effect that someone had on us. Of course, I think about Grandpa Nick all the time; it's not as if today is the only day I will ever remember him. But, today was not just another day for me. Today was the day that I remembered having to say goodbye to my grandfather, the first loved one I ever lost. It has special meaning to me, and I'm not ashamed of that.

Today, I am in a beautiful city in France, eating French food, meeting French people, and speaking the beautiful French language. I am so far away from where I was one year ago in so many ways, both physically and internally, but the most important thing in my life has remained strong: love. My family and friends are the most incredible people in the world, and I am so lucky to have them. I can't imagine having better parents. I don't know anyone who loves and protects their children more than my parents love and protect Rocco and me, and I am grateful for them every single day. Rocco and I are also incredibly blessed (in the non-religious sense, of course) to have so many family members who love and support us just as if they were our own parents. We have the most incredible grandparents in the world (if I could even tell you all of the important life events that my grandparents have been there for . . .), and thinking about all they have done for me brings tears to my eyes every time. The same goes for the amazing aunts and uncles. It is too difficult to describe what they all mean to me (I'll have to send out individual letters trying to tackle that one), but I just want to say that I am so appreciative of all of the support that they show me every day. I can't say what it means to me. Of course, there is also the undying encouragement and love that Alec shows me every day. I am always hesitant to write gushing words of love about my boyfriend, because I don't want to be "that girl," but in this case, it would just be wrong to mention my family without mentioning Alec. He is always there for me, even when we're in different continents, and being able to rely on him so strongly, even when we can't be together means the world to me. I am so lucky to have such a strong, beautiful, loving family, and even though I feel a little bit "Across The Universe" today, knowing that they are all behind me makes me feel like the most loved person on the planet.

So right now, it's almost 2am, which I guess half-explains the sudden burst of sentimentality. I promise you'll never have to read something so un-sarcastic on my blog ever again. Mostly. But I'm going to go to bed now because I have school tomorrow, and I have to be there in the morning to unlock the doors (but I'm getting paid 10 Euro per week to do it. Booyakasha).

Bonne nuit! :)

Love, Josie

Samedi Soir Fail.

So, as amazing and memorable as Friday night was, last night was completely the opposite. Well it was memorable - not amazing. Basically, I was just a little shaken up by a guy who wouldn't leave me alone at the bus stop. Everything is fine, I just will never take the bus alone at nighttime again. I thought it would be safe, but - you know what? - nothing is safe for a woman (especially in the city) at nighttime. I paid for a taxi on the way home (and I think I got overcharged, but I didn't care because I just wanted to get back) because I didn't have anyone to ride the bus with. It's just not safe. Also, I can't go out every weekend, because I really just can't afford it. I have to make sure I have a plan of how to get back home before I go out.

So anyway, while I was actually out last night, I hung out with Ariel, Kyle, Leslie, and Emily V. It was fun, but I was still pretty tired from Friday night, and I just wasn't really feeling hanging out, so I went home after about an hour. And then I didn't fall asleep until 7:30am.

It was just a really long night, but it's a new day now :) I'm hoping to go into the city for coffee and some Moliere with Emily later. Also, two new Swiss students are coming today! Yay!

Any questions about last night, feel free to Skype or message me. I don't really want to talk about it on a public blog. BUT I just want you to know that I am okay, and everything is fine :)

Okay, have a beautiful day everyone!

Love, Josie

3 Bars & A Pajama Party.

Is it currently 12:01 pm in Rouen? Yes. Did I just get back to my apartment from last night? Also yes. Here's what happened:

10pm: Met the group at the gare in Rouen to go out for drinks as a group bonding experience.
10:30pm: The group split up, and went to different bars. Solid. I ended up at a chill Irish Pub with Ariel, Emily, Ante, Charlotte, and Maddie. We were outside and I was freezing. I had a Desperados. That was the only drink I had to pay for that night.
probably somewhere around 11:30pm: Left that bar and went to another one (the same place where I went with Evelyn and her friends the other night!) Had sangria - which reminds me, I owe Ante/Maddie 2.50 (or something like that).
maybe sometime around midnight/12:30am: Arrived at La Réserve. Stayed there until it closed at 2am. Maybe that had something to do with the group of men who bought us a giant (and flaming. seriously. it was on fire) bottle of rosé. There were three Italians (Enzo, Erwen, and Francesco), a French guy (I can't remember his name, but Maddie has his scarf), and a guy so drunk that no one knew what language he was speaking. Oh yeah - and the giant bouncer, Phoenix. It was a blast. Completely harmless, but I was still grateful that Ante was there to have our backs just in case. Granted, I could probably beat up most of the men there if I had to because they were Italian and French, but still.
2am: We got Maddie and started out trek up the hill to Mont Saint Aignan.
2:45am: Finally made it home, walked all the way up the stairs, made it to my apartment door, and my key didn't work. My host mom's key was in the door from the inside, so I couldn't make my key work from the outside.
3am: For some reason, continued to try to unlock the door.
3:05am: Finally realized that I needed to do something other than try to get the key to turn in the lock. Called Ariel.
3:10am: Headed back down the stairs in my heels (genius choice of footwear, by the way) to figure out how to catch the bus back down to Rouen to meet Ariel at the gare.
3:15am: Couldn't figure out the night bus schedule, and was thinking about just heading back to the apartment and ringing the doorbell. Better to make a strikingly bad first impression on your host mom than to be kidnapped, I always say.
3:16am: Saw someone across the street from me. Thought about running back to the apartment, but then saw that it was another student. Maybe this could have been a bad idea, but I just had a good feeling about him. Called out to him from across the street asking if he knew when the next bus was coming. He checked the schedule and said not for another 40 minutes. I know this sounds sketchy, but it really wasn't. You can just tell that certain people are good people sometimes. So anyway, I told him about my situation, and he said that he was walking back into Rouen anyway, so he could walk with me to make sure I made it to Ariel okay, or he would pay for me to get a taxi to the gare. Like I said, he was just a really good person. I called Ariel to let her know I was on my way so that she was expecting me, and then Henry Michel and I started walking towards Rouen, hoping that we would see a taxi on our way and be able to take that. Didn't happen. I'm really glad I ran into someone so helpful, because there really weren't very many taxis out and about at 3am. I am most definitely planning my way home better next time. And by that, I mean I am making sure that my host family doesn't lock me out of the house at nighttime.

But anyway, it was really cool because I got to meet another student, and get this - he's from Senegal! I was telling him about how our group is going to Senegal in November and he freaked out, because that's where all of his family is. Quelle coïncidence!

So we hiked all the way down that freaking hill into Rouen, and finally made it to the gare a little before 4am. There, I met up with Ariel and we took a taxi up to her house in Bihorel, where I spent the night next to Alejandro (the giant bull painted on her bedroom wall). This morning, I left her house around 11am, and then finally made it back to the apartment at noon.

So, in short, I had a wonderful night. What I really don't want is for you (i.e. Alec and my father) to read this and start worrying about me. I promise I was in control of everything all night long. I was with a group of friends (including one boy) my entire night, until I got to my apartment (they walked me all the way home. I love them). I will never be locked out of my apartment again, so I won't have to deal with that situation anymore. I understand that me meeting Henry Michel sounds really sketchy and dangerous, but I was close enough to my apartment that I could have run back inside if anything wasn't safe. He was just another student trying to get home for the night, and was so kind and helpful. I'm so grateful that there are still people so selfless in this world - especially in the city. Also, I called Ariel to let her know who I was with, and when she should expect me at the gare, and we talked periodically throughout my walk to the train station. I promise I was safe and smart the whole night, so please don't worry about me :)

I like how I started that last paragraph with "so, in short . . ." That wasn't short at all.

Anyway, I'm going to go scrounge for some food now. I'm starving (but safe. So stop worrying).

I'm so hungry!!!

Much love, Josie

Happy Vendredi!

Finally back to running! And I haven't gotten lost . . . yet.

It's a beautiful day, I have no classes today, and I went for my first run in Rouen this morning. So far, so good.

I have no idea what I'm doing today, and I like it. I might just head into the city and walk around - find a cute cafe or something :)

Have a beautiful day everyone!

Love, Josie

A Rainy Normandie Day.

There's really not much to write about today, besides just to check in and let everyone know that I'm alive and well. Well actually, I'm a little sick, but I spend almost all day in bed and hanging out around the apartment, so hopefully I'll be feeling better soon.

Today, I had my first class with Dargan, and we just talked about the book that we all (supposedly) read about D Day. After that, I headed back to the apartment where I had lunch (baguette and framboise confiture) and then watched some episodes of Psych on my computer. I actually started reading some of the Moliere that we have to read for class, but I didn't get very far.

Other than that, I didn't do much today. Evelyn is leaving tomorrow (c'est triste), and so I'm hopefully waking up at 7am tomorrow to say goodbye, and then going back to bed because I don't have any classes tomorrow :)

I don't have any specific plans, but I'm definitely hoping to go for a nice long run, and then hang out with some people in Rouen later in the day.

Sorry this post lacks imagination and excitement - I'm exhausted today for some reason. At least I get to sleep in and relax tomorrow!

Love, Josie

Je Suis Fatiguée.

I'm really feeling bullet points right now. I'm too tired to write about my day in great detail, so I'm going to give you the highlights, and fill in the rest tomorrow.

1. Had a 3-hour-long class on Sénégal.
2. Saw the impressionist exhibit at the Musée des Beaux Arts in Rouen (real Monets and Pissarros! Incroyable!)
3. Asked every person in France how to get to l'église Jeanne d'Arc. Everyone gave us the same answer: "Go to the right. Then stay right, keep to the right, keep to the right, and then ask someone else for directions because it's complicated."
4. Finally met Evelyn and her friends at l'église and went out for crepes!
5. Made new friends (Yves, Peter, Phillip, Michael, and 2 girls whose names I don't know), and learned that Swiss-German is NOT the same thing as German.
6. Went out for drinks with a bunch of Swiss-Germans.
7. Came home really tired.

I would also like to thank my parents for teaching me how to count to 10 in German as a child. It provided many laughs tonight.

I'm really going to miss Evelyn when she leaves now! She is so great, and I had a blast with her tonight. It is also really awesome that she knows how to get around town without asking everyone she sees. One day, I will be like that.

So, bonne soirée for my friends in les Etats-Unis, and bonne nuit for me and my friends en France. Tomorrow, I don't have class until 1:30pm. I love this place.

Love, Josie

First Day of Classes!

This is my beautiful city! Located right on La Seine.

I didn't post a picture of my university because it is hideous. Not that I don't still love it.

Anyway, am I currently sitting in my room eating taboulé and watching If I Can Dream on Hulu? Maybe. But you can't say it's not a great way to relax after spending all day walking around beautiful downtown Rouen. (And If I Can Dream is the only show that Hulu will allow me to watch overseas.)

So today was my first day of classes. Well, it was just one class, and we didn't do anything in it. But I guess it still counts. Kind of. It was a grammar class, and we spent the whole class taking a French grammar placement test. But after class, Emily and I walked into the city, and met everyone else there (they took the bus). Emily and I accidentally went a different way, and ended up finding this crazy shortcut through a small and extremely steep hill that led us right into Rouen. Once we met up with everyone, we went into Monoprix (that place is amazing), and I bought my taboulé and three apples (two of which I ate immediately) for lunch, all for 3 Euro.

After Monoprix, we walked around downtown a lot - did some window shopping, visited Ariel's host family at their jewelry boutique, etc. I grabbed the bus to Mont Saint Aignan at the gare downtown, and rode it up all the way to my apartment while listening to Ingrid Michaelson through my new orange headphones. Also, I figured out the stairwell lighting situation thanks to my new Swiss flatmate (we're so European), so unlocking the door doesn't feel like a scene from a horror film anymore. Yes Papa - it was a small button low on the wall, just like you said it would be. Merci :)

So now, I've just finished watching this week's episode of If I Can Dream (embarrassing) and am thinking about doing some reading for class. It's not due until Thursday though, and it's not in my character to get a head start on school work so that may or may not happen. Maybe I'll try to find somewhere to watch the first season of Psych online.

Soon I need to figure out what I'm going to do about bus passes. I have what is basically a public transportation card that I can use for the bus, metro, or train all around Haut Normandie. I just have to pay for however may voyages I want added to my card, and they will automatically be added once I pay. Yesterday, I payed 6.80 Euro for 10 voyages (I figured I wouldn't be riding the bus very often since I live right by the university). One of my classes, however, is at the Musée des Beaux Arts right in downtown Rouen. It's only twice a week, and I can walk one way each time, but still, it might be nice to have more bus trips on my card. Espeically since Rouen is where everyone hangs out after classes. So there's an option for a month unlimited for 20-something Euro, and I think this is what I might do next time. For now though, I'm going to walk as much as possible and see how far these 10 (well, now 9) trips take me :)

Also, can I just say that I LOVE living in a city like this one? It's not insane like Manhattan, and it's not boring like Annapolis. It's a completely perfect mélange. I am so happy here.

Love, Josie

PS. You know you can write comments on my blog entries even if you don't have a Blogger account, right? So if you have any questions/comments/suggestions/words of encouragement, you can comment here instead of having to go through the trouble of writing me on Facebook. I don't mind either way; it's just a thought :)

Bisous!

Bliss.

Look! My very own apartment keys!

I can't put into words my excitement about what I am going to be doing in the next few months. Here are a few highlights:
- I'm in France.
- I'm taking an art history class that takes place inside le Musée des Beaux Arts à Rouen.
- Anne-Laure and Benoît are coming to visit me in Rouen!!!!!!!!!
- I did all of my back-to-school shopping for 14 Euro.
- This art history class that I'm taking also involves working in studio art with an artist.
- My new bed is extremely comfortable and not infested with arachnids.
- My apartment is right above a patisserie (I don't know if that's good or bad).
- I'm in the most amazing city in the world!
- I get to speak French everywhere I go.
- All of my new classes sound absolutely amazing.
- Did I mention I'm in an apartment, with complete independence, in the city in France?!

I'm so ecstatic. I'm excited about everything in the world right now. I do have to read an entire book for tomorrow though (luckily, it's short and not difficult). But for now, I'm just relaxing after a long (but awesome) day walking around Rouen.

This morning, we all had to be at the school at 10am to meet with Prof. Dargan in order to fill out registration forms for the university. There, we heard about all of our classes (which sound amazing), and then had the rest of the day free to do whatever we wanted. Ariel, Emily V, and I came back to my apartment and had some tea (we're so typique française) and then took the bus into Rouen to do some back-to-school shopping. I bought the basics: notebooks, folders, a plan book, and a toothbrush, all for 14 Euro. We also got some baguette sandwiches (2.50) for lunch, but I didn't eat all of mine because of the insane amount of mayonnaise that was on it (though that did remind me of the glory days at Nadine's house).

After the shopping, we walked around for a little bit, then tried heading in the direction of the gare, and almost got it right. The first person we asked for directions asked me something about my toothbrush, told me I was charming, and then gave us complicated directions that I just didn't follow. So we kept walking up the hill until we came across Man 2, who gave us a better understanding of where the train station was (basically on a street parallel to the one we were on), and so we headed in the right direction and after asking one more woman for help, we successfully made it to the gare. There, we added trips onto our bus/train/metro cards, and then split up and headed back home. I walked with Ariel to the bus stop at the art museum, and then took bus 4 from there back up to Mont Saint Aignan.

And so here I am :) I'm back in my room now, where I will probably be for the rest of the night. I'm going to dedicate the rest of my evening to getting organized, unpacking, doing homework, and figuring out where all the food is in this house. Also will make it a priority to figure out how to turn the lights on in the hallway/stairwell of the apartment. At this point, it is extremely creepy and I feel like I'm in a horror film every time I am trying to unlock the apartment door in the darkness.

Other than that though, everything is just wonderful. La vie est belle.

Love, Josie

Bienvenue A Rouen!

I am in an apartment, with a view, with a balcony, in France. It feels so amazing to be somewhere cute, modern, and clean. Bonus: It’s literally directly across the street from the university. I am so excited to be here right now.

So my host mom isn’t actually going to be home until next Sunday (one week from now), but her friend is living here until then, making sure we’re fed and taken care of. I say “we” because I am not the only student staying here with Mme Lasserre. There is another girl, Evelyn, who is a Swiss student studying at the law school in Rouen who is staying in the apartment with me. She is fluent in German and English, and is here to practice her French, so naturally I am very excited to have her around too. Apparently Mme Lasserre often houses foreign students. She has three spare bedrooms, so she tries to circulate students in and out of them as much as possible. Evelyn says that Mme Lasserre herself is nice, but is very work-oriented, and so she doesn’t really talk to the students that much. She sounds like the exact opposite of Nadine. Though it doesn’t sound like I will be having a bonding host family experience, I am still excited to meet the other students who will be staying here over the course of the next few months, and I am really happy to have so much freedom. I’m living in an apartment in Rouen for three months, and can basically do whatever I want. Also, both Clément and Camille have apartments in the city, so I will hopefully be able to see both of them.

Also, I just this second had my first conversation on the phone IN FRENCH! And I could understand everything, and say everything I needed to say! Granted, it wasn’t very complicated-- Mme Lasserre’s son called to help me out with connecting to the internet – but still, it was so cool to have to figure it out in French! (I wrote this in a Word document before blogging it, because the internet was being complicated.)

So, now I’m just hanging out in my new chambre, and loving it. I definitely miss Nadine and all of the other host families, but I am excited to be living in the city now!

Bisous :)

Josie

PS. I no longer have a picture-uploader thingy (I was using Nadines), so no pictures for a while until I buy one. Sorry!

Au Revoir!

I'm leaving my countryside host family today. In 2 hours to be exact. I guess I should start packing.

But anyway, this morning I slept in a little bit and then went for a 40-minute run around Gournay. It was beautiful weather (at first I thought it was going to rain, but it turned out to be beautiful), and I felt so happy the whole time. I also got to see new parts of the village because I had to find more places to run around to fill up 40 minutes. I, of course, stopped at stretched at the end at my favorite little shady spot by the pond. It is the perfect place for stretching, relaxing, doing yoga, and just lying there uninterrupted. It was a really wonderful run, and I'm a little sad I'm leaving this place behind when I'm just starting to know it well.

After the run, I came back home, showered, and ate my last meal with Nadine and Moise. We had champagne, pommes de terre (which were actually delicious and not covered in cream), couscous (no idea where that one came from, but I'm not complaining!), baguette (mais oui), mushrooms (not my favorite in general, but they were still pretty good), and some pasteries for dessert (which we haven't eaten yet. I'm hoping that happens soon).

After lunch, Nadine and I went to another Foire a Tout. And yes, that means another giant village-wide yard sale in the burning sun. I seriously think I'm getting more sunburned by going to these things than I am by going to the beach. How white trash is that? But still- it's always an experience, and I'm glad I got to spend some more time with Nadine (and got to wear my new hippie pants).

So now I just got back home and am in my room "packing." (I'm currently listening to Eminem while building up the courage to go through my stuff, hoping that I won't find any spiders lurking around in anything). Also, I have NO IDEA how I'm going to get all my stuff back in my suitcase. Merde.

Wish me luck!
Love, Josie

Bye, Bye, Bye (Bye, Bye)!

m

Today is my last full day with my Gournay host family. To enjoy it to its fullest, Nadine took Ariel and me to the beach in Fort Mahon, were we spent all day swimming, being attacked by giant waves, and walking around. It was amazing, and I'm so glad we went. The weather was perfect and the water wasn't nearly as freezing as the water in Dieppe, so I greatly appreciated that. I'm still sandy from the sand sculpture that Ariel made on my back, but I loved every second of being at the beach. Especially since I didn't get a chance to go to the beach this summer, it felt so great to finally be back in the sand and salty waves of the ocean.

Also, this morning, I went to Ariel's house before the beach where she and I were interviewed by a reporter for the newspaper! Talk about a stressful way to start off your morning. It went really well though, and I felt like I was able to effectively communicate everything I wanted to say (which is a truly great feeling). So after the interview, we left for Fort Mahon (about an hour and a half car ride) where we spent the rest of our day.

So, now I'm just hanging out until dinner is ready. I can't believe I'm about to do the whole awkward "meeting your host family" thing again. I feel like I just got here, but at the same time, like I've been here forever and I'm ready to move on. Also, when I think about it, I can't believe I haven't started school yet. I mean, it's the middle of September and I just spent my day at the beach in Normandie. It's awesome, but also bizarre when I think about it. I wonder what getting back into school will be like. For once, I'm actually really looking forward to it.

Today was also weird because it was September 11th, and it meant nothing to France. Though I never really payed much attention to the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center while I was living in the United Sates, I was at least used to hearing about it on the news, or seeing a rejuvenated patriotism in my neighbors, manifested in the sudden appearance of American flags decorating lawns and houses. It was truly bizarre to have the entire day pass, and not hear a single word about New York, the United States, or terrorism. I don't consider myself to be particularly patriotic (I'd rather be a citizen of the world than of one country), but my distance from the United States on this day made me feel a certain connection with America that I don't often feel.

So anyway, I'm moving out of the country tomorrow and back into the city. I can't even begin to express my excitement at being able to live in a city like Rouen for 3 months! I will truly miss Nadine when I leave though. I can't put into words how kind and generous she has been to me. While we were driving in the car together yesterday on our way to her mother's house, she really opened up to me and told me some amazing and horrible things about her life. Stories about abuse, depression, love, and independence. Nadine is truly an amazing woman, and I am so lucky to have met her.

Well, it's shower time! I'm so sandy! I hope my next house has internet, because my new campus doesn't. Yay France!

Love, Josie

Just Another Day In the Country.

m

I just got back from my second run in the French countryside. Well, it's more like a neighborhood, but it's still in the country and definitely more beautiful than my usual neighborhood run. Right now, I don't really have a route - I just run to as many places as I can without getting lost. Today, after mastering my own neighborhood, I got brave enough to cross the street and run around a little bit in the neighborhood across from mine. Luckily, it was beautiful out. It's hard to get motivated to work out in the evenings sometimes, but if I could do it for yoga every day, I can do it for running on the few days that I don't get up early enough in the morning.

So, the run was great, but now I'm back at home and haven't showered yet. Why? Well my host family's sink is broken, so they turned off the water of course! It should be coming back soon, I think and hope.

For now, I'm just hanging out on the floor, listening to Moise and Luic trying to fix the sink and Nadine's grandson listening to English Christmas music on the computer. Hey! Nadal is playing in the US Open right now! And for once, we're watching sports instead of French soap operas. But really - check out Plus Belle La Vie. It's getting very addictive.

Anyway, today before the running and water shenanigans, I went to an elementary school and then hung out with Nadine and her mother. At the elementary school, I was told that I would be talking with students who would be talkative and asking me questions about my life in America. Not the case. Emily and I sat in the back of two different classrooms while the teachers taught HOUR-LONG CLASSES without acknowledging our existence. Sweet. That was a bizarre little way to start the day.

After that, I had no idea if Nadine was picking me up or not, so I went to the market in Gournay with Mme Sokal (Emily's host mom) and Emily, where I had the most delicious baguette I have ever tasted. When I got home for lunch, the bread chez moi just tasted like cardboard in comparison. So I guess that's one way to stop eating so much bread all day.

After lunch, we hung out around the house for a little while, and then Nadine and I went to her mother's house to say hi and go for a little promenade. Her mother is 91 years young and I couldn't believe how able bodied and minded she was. We basically walked around and bought an unreasonable number of lottery "joues," from which I won 2 Euro!

And that was pretty much it. After Juliette's house, we drove around the countryside a little bit, and then headed back to Gournay, where I got ready for my run (and you know the rest from there).

YAY! The water has returned (for now - they have to finish fixing it tomorrow morning). I'm gonna go take a shower now, and then mentally prepare myself for dinner. At least I got my run in!

Love, Josie

A Change of Pace.

Today was wonderful.

Sometimes it's difficult to be positive and remember how wonderful life is when a whole bunch of things are hitting you at once. I know I've been complaining about my France experience (maybe more than I should), and I've really let the bad things get to me at times, but to be fair, I have been sick 3 times now since I've been in France, been fed really unhealthy food, and had to deal with spiders, bedbugs, and homesickness (oh my!). The amazing thing about life though, is that we have the power to change it. Yes, there are always going to be things I can't control: begbugs, spiders, illness, the food that is made for me at dinner time, but there are always things I can do to better my situation. "Pain in inevitable; suffering is optional." I'm opting for joy and positivity.

So, yes, last night I wore long socks, leggings, skinny jeans, a tank top, a long sleeved shirt, and a jacket to bed in order to evade my disgusting little bed companions, but this morning I woke up at 8am to go for a nice long run around the neighborhood. Maybe I slept a little bit miserably, but I got to start my day going for a run in beautiful weather in France -- that's pretty freaking cool.

After the run, I got ready for the day - showered, got dressed, brushed my teeth, drank my thé -- and finally started taking my vitamins. We all met at the train station in Rouen and then took the bus to Mont-Saint-Aignan to see our university! I am SO excited to go back to scool!!! Yes, the university is a little bit hideous, but there are SO many people to meet and so many things to learn. Plus, it's in the city!!! I can't even describe how much I miss living so close to a city (or three), and while I have had some amazing experiences in France's countryside, I am really aching to get back out there into the hustle and bustle of city life. I've already mapped out a running route (yes, Papa, it's safe), and have picked out a few restaurants and patisseries I'm dying to try. This visit to the university has really given me the drive to keep going, and has given me so much hope for the rest of my stay in France.

We ate lunch at a restaurant on campus, and I had a delicious salad (oh how I have missed you, raw fruits and vegetables!) and an even more delicious tarte aux pommes. After we were finished with lunch, Ariel, Kyle, and I met up with Clément and walked around the city, got some drinks at a café, and got to see his apartment in Rouen. Then we headed back to the Andrieux house for some insane card games, where I hung out for a few hours until Clément had to go to soccer practice, so he drove me home on his way. His family also gave me some spinach and cheese (but not an insane amount) tarte thingies, because they heard about my eating situation from Ariel. I love that family. I can't wait for dinner tonight! Now I just have to figure out how to evade the cheese, cream cheese, cream, and zucchini (you can't taste it, I promise) soup.

So, now I'm home, and feeling great. Well, actually I'm sick, but psychologically, I'm good. I'm snacking on apples (I finally bought some at the marché!) instead of cookies, I'm going running, and I'm dealing with the bedbug situation. Yes, I am still incredibly excited to move on from this place, but I am also so appreciative of what I have been given by the wonderful families out here in the countryside, and I'm trying to enjoy every moment that I can with them before I leave on Sunday.

I didn't take any pictures today, but decided to live my day instead of trying to capture it. So, I apologize, but I also really enjoyed not worrying about my camera for one day.
Tomorrow, I'm going to a collège (elementary school) to speak with the students about what it's like to be an American. I'm going to give them an amazing impression of Americans so that that asshole in Florida isn't what they think of when they think of the United States. I could rant about that man all day long, because what he is doing is completely disgusting, but instead I'm banishing him from my mind and showing love to everyone I meet, in true American style.

Love always, Josie

Just checking in after my breakdown . . .

m

Hello everyone! By everyone I mostly mean my father because I think I freaked him out with my tearful panicking phone call last night.

Last night was insane, and definitely the worst night of my trip so far. I hope it is also the worst night I will ever have on this trip, because I am ready for things to start going well here! Basically, I keep getting food that is making me sick, and yesterday I also discovered a crazy amount of bug bites all over my body that were making me itch like crazy. Fast forward to last night, it's 1 in the morning, I still can't sleep, I'm freaking out because I'm convinced that my bed in infested with bed bugs, and I look on the floor and see a GIANT spider crawling around. It was the scariest, hugest, most horribly creepy spider I have ever seen (and I've seen a tarantula).

Long story short, I had a mental breakdown, managed to trap the spider in a glass, freaked out some more, got in bed, put 3 layers of clothes on, cried some more, left my light on, and slept on and off for a few hours. I am exhausted today. And a little sick. Hopefully that will go away soon.

So, today I went to a goat farm, and walked around it in the rain, learning how goat cheese is made. The goats were actually adorable, and I liked that they weren't killed, but were instead used for their milk. Pictures to come. Right now it's dinner time, and I'm hoping not to have to eat more butter stuff. But of course I will.

Beauvais.

m

Today, while you were just waking up and starting your day, I was going on strike in France. Okay, so I just stood there and looked really excited for the photo op, but it was still awesome. Recently, President of France, Nicholas Sarkozy, announced that the retirement age in France was going to be changed from 60 to 62. Naturally, this resulted in une grève because this is France, and everything results in a grève. Everything.

So today, the streets of Beauvais were filled with people chanting, holding up signs, playing drums, lighting off flares, and stopping traffic. This also occurred all over the country, but I got a really close look at the one in Beauvais (because I was in it)! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

This morning, I woke up at 11:30 because Nadine told me I could sleep in as much as I wanted this morning because we had no plans until the afternoon. Since I was up until almost 3am last night, I decided to take her up on this offer. As usual, however, I got a knock on my door at 11:30 (even though I was already awake - just not out of my room yet), was force-fed lunch, and then made fun of for sleeping in. Look- if you don't want me to sleep in, tell me. If you really don't mind, then stop giving me shit for it. I wake up on time every day you give me a time to wake up, so either give me a time, or shut the f up.

Anyway, after lunch we went to Ariel's host family's house for a reason that I still don't understand, talked with her host mom for 10 minutes, said hi to Clement and Ariel, and then left and went to Kyle's. From there Elizabeth and I went with Kyle and Perrine to Beauvais to see the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre (the church with the highest ceilings in all of France - maybe Europe. I can't remember). Beauvais was beautiful, and the cathedral was magnificent - no pictures could ever do it justice.

The greatest part about Beauvais, though, was the strike that was going on while we were there. Everyone was pissed off about the retirement age being changed from 60 to 62, and so they were expressing their anger by infuriating other people who were now stuck in traffic due to their obnoxious strike. We, of course, didn't care because we were on foot and most of us had never seen anything like it in our lives. Naturally, we turned the strike into a photoshoot. Also naturally, I now have a picture of me in a crowd of old people, holding up a Socialist Party poster while standing next to a man (very excited to be in the picture with me) who is holding up a sign calling the President of France a theif. I love my life.

After Beauvais (we managed to get out of there unscathed), Elizabeth and I went to Wai Lin's to babysit Lucas, Kilian, and Gabin for a few hours, and it was a blast (besides the apple in the eye fiasco). Everyone is happy and friends again though after eating buckets of Nutella and bread and playing tons of football. And when I say "football," I mean the true football. Not that American shit.

Anyway, the day was a success overall. Finally a good balance of relaxing and seeing cool stuff. The food on the other hand . . . Tomorrow I'm going running.

Love, Joey

Organic Farms and Saucy Tapestries.

m

Le Chateau de Martainville

Today, I went to an organic farm with Elizabeth, Ariel, Kyle, and Wai Lin. Coincidentally, its inhabitants were Ante and Teo's host family (though we didn't see either one of them because Teo was in Paris and Ante was asleep). It was actually really interesting to see the different parts of their farm: where they make the cheese (yay Neufchatel!), where they dry the hay, where the cows live in the winter, where they leave dead calves, where the dog likes to fight the geese, etc. I didn't have my camera then, so I didn't take any pictures, but Liz did and I'm sure she'll put them on Facebook soon.

Oh! That reminds me: I have finally been reunited with my appareil photo! It was an extremely joyful reunion - I will never let it out of my sight again. Also, I am very appreciative to Nadine for letting me use her camera these past couple of days, especially with all of the beautiful places we have gone.

Anyway, after the farm, we all went back to Wai Lin's for an indoor picnic because it was raining. Guess what had been prepared for me for lunch? You guessed it: a butter and cheese sandwich. Not to mention, a butter and confiture sandwich (from which I removed ALL of the butter), an entire huge bag of BBQ chips, a package of butter cookies, a bottle of water (!!!), and some sugary apple sauce thing which I gave to Kyle. By the end of this stay in the country I will have diabetes.

Which leads me to my next thought: I am really getting sick of the food here. Why does everyone think French food is so great?! I would probably rather have any other cuisine in the world than French. There is nothing delicious about heavy amounts of butter, salt, sauce, and liver of various animals (ex: wild pig, as in Ariel's lunch today). I mean, that sounds delicious, but I would rather eat a cockroach.

I don't think I can handle eating like this much longer. This family literally NEVER eats fruit, and hardly ever eats vegetables. I AM A VEGETARIAN. WHAT ELSE DO YOU EXPECT ME TO EAT? Yes, I understand that I am a guest in their home, and I am so grateful to them for that, but if you're going to agree to house a vegetarian, at least do some research. I love my host family, I really do, and I appreciate how much they work to take care of me, but this food is literally making me sick. I can't live off of bread and butter and the occasional vegetable. It's just not healthy and it's so frustrating to me that people think it's okay to make fun of you for drinking too much water, but suddenly it's an issue when you don't want to eat disgusting amounts of meat FOR EVERY MEAL.

In short, the one thing I will NOT miss about France is the food. It is horrible. And no, it wouldn't be better if I ate meat, because it would still be disgustingly coated in butter and fatty sauces. Seriously no one should ever eat like this. Ever. It is not okay.

Anyway, after the farm we went to another chateau (Le Chateau de Martainville), walked around there for a while, saw a hilarious tapestry of a "saucy scene" in which a man was "stealthily moving his hand up towards a young woman's knee" (it was not towards her knee), and then went back home.

At the house, I played cache cache with Gabin and Killian, and played with them until they left and I ate dinner (a can of lentils drenched in butter). And now, here I am.

I can't wait to eat Chipotle again. And basically anything that's not French food, because it sucks.

Love, Josie

PS. I HATE FRENCH FOOD.

People Selling Shit & Gerberoy.

m

Okay, so I actually have no idea what I did today. I guess it got lost in translation, but let me tell you the story from my point of view (duh):

So, last night, Nadine tells me that I have to wake up by 11 so that I can be ready to go see a chateau at 11:30 or 12. Okay, perfect. I get to sleep in, and I'm really freaking excited about it because I am still a little bitter about being woken up after the discotheque experience. Naturally, I am woken up prematurely at 10am this morning, and then told that it's too late to go to the chateau because we won't be back in time, so we're going to do something else. Right now. Now, at this point in time, I had NO idea what we had to be back for, but apparently it was at 2 and it was important.

So I get dressed (I conveniently left all of my makeup at Liz's) and stumble out the door, into the car, and off we go. This is when I saw a side of France I never expected to see: the white trash side. I felt like I was back at home in Canton! There was a huge field with people everywhere having one giant yard sale. There were tables upon tables of old posters, albums, toys, clothes, and my personal favorite: a little girls' t-shirt that said "I love to flirt, I love to tease, but most of all I love to please." I have a strong feeling that that shirt belonged to one classy 5-year-old.

After walking around and talking for about an hour (I think Nadine literally knows everyone in France), we got back in the car and drove home. I was so confused as to why that had happened instead of the chateau, but I was excited to get back home and relax. So, we got back, I went in my room to read my new books (in French!), and then Nadine called me outside. It was not yet 2pm, but there were two strangers outside ready to go. I was confused, again, but got my shoes and got in the car.

First, we drove to a carnival-type festival thing 2 HOURS away, got out of the car, talked to the people who worked there, found out it was too expensive or something, and then got back in the car and left. Weird. Even weirder was where we went next: another freaking yard sale. Fast forward to 3 hours later, and Nadine's friends had just dropped us off at home, when Nadine gets in her car (so I follow), and we go to . . . another yard sale! Apparently, today is the one day a year when everyone in France goes through their dumpsters and sells its contents. And I got to enjoy every second of it.

So, finally, after the last yard sale, Nadine and I went to Gerberoy, the most beautiful village in the world. I took SO many pictures. Everything about it was storybook magnificent. I couldn't believe how amazing it was. We went in a bunch of art galleries and shops and I wanted to buy everything!

OH FUCK YES DINNER IS READY. I HAVE TO GO. I HAVEN"T EATEN ALL DAY BYE

Return To The Sea.

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First things first: Today, I had my first beret sighting. Extremely unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me because, naturally, it was left at someone else's house. But I'm already getting ahead of myself.

Last night, I went to a discotheque (which is only called a discotheque by old people. All the cool kids call it "la boite"). Anyway, I got ready for it at Liz's house after a delicious, political discussion-filled dinner where her host parents gave us a 4 course meal and got us drunk. Okay, maybe not drunk drunk, but I was feeling good after a cider, two glasses of wine, and two shots of limoncello. If you think about the fact that I can't even remember the last time I had any alcohol, this makes sense. En tout cas, after dinner, we all went to Liz's room to get ready (by "we all" I mean Liz, Charlotte, and moi) and in the process of getting dressed, undressed, and redressed, all while trying to figure out what to do about the fact that I was literally a redneck (sunburn courtesy of a promenade I had with Ariel and Clement at that lake named after Canada), I had scattered all my stuff all over Liz's room. Shocker. Also, sorry for that run on sentence. But the point is that I left basically everything chez Liz because I didn't want to bring all of my shit to a club.

To be fair, I didn't completely realize that I was going to be woken up this morning and told to get up after only sleeping for 6 hours. If I had known that, maybe I would have brought some of my stuff home with me.

Anyway, la boite was awesome. I want to live there. Okay, not live there, but I would seriously consider making it routine to go there every week. My favorite part though had to be when Nadine walked us to the door and told the bouncer that we were American. I laughed so hard. We felt like we were in a movie. Did that really happen? Oh yes, yes it did.

But really, Cesar's (the name of the discotheque) was sick, and I really want to go back. The actual best part (besides when they played my jam!), was being the first people on the dance floor. Us Americans were such trend-setters. Long story short, I got home at around 3am and didn't get to sleep until about 4. Needless to say, when I was woken up at 10am, I was a little bit groggy.

The day ended up being BEAUTIFUL though. I was exhausted and hardly understood anything Nadine said because I was half asleep, but we drove along the coast and got out and walked on the beach and in little villages, and had a Chai tea in the cutest little outdoor cafe. Pictures soon.

Also, I witnessed some great things today:
1. Someone wearing a red beret.
2. A man driving 100 miles per hour in a tiny French car yelling at the person in the passenger seat while also eating a baguette.
3. A wedding procession driving 10 miles per hour on a highway with their emergency lights on and honking their horns all the way.
4. A man fishing at the ocean while smoking a cigarette.
5. 60-year-old women sunbathing topless.
6. Did I mention I saw someone wearing a beret?

Vive la France!

Danone & Discotheque.

Salut tout le monde! Il est 13 heures maintenant, et je suis chez moi pour manger avant que je vais chez les Andrieux pour l'apres-midi.

This morning I went to the Danone (Dannon) yogurt factory in Pays en Bray where Ariel's host parents, les Andrieux, work. It was actually really cool! The factory is one of 5 in France, and is the biggest of all of them. Their products go to the UK, Belgium, some other countries I can't remember and, of course, France. First, when we arrived, we had to get dressed in the proper factory attire: orange hair caps, really cute full length white lab coats made out of a material reminiscent of toilet paper, bright orange ear plugs, and clown shoes. Needless to say, I have successfully found my outfit for the discotheque.

After that, we got a complete tour of the factory - where the milk is pasteurized, where it gets turned into either yogurt or fromage, and where it gets packaged and stored. All of the machines were HUGE, and everything was so efficient and mechanical. It was incredibly cool to see the giant machines making and packaging all of Danone's products. Unfortunately, photos were forbidden (as was taking yogurt home with us. Bitches.), but I did get a shot of the whole group of Americans with M Andrieux in our sexy outfits.

And so now, I am just hanging out at home until I go to Ariel's house this afternoon. Everyone is going to a discotheque tonight, and we're all meeting at Elizabeth's beforehand to eat and get ready. I'm foggy on the details, but I'm pretty sure that Ariel's host family is driving both of us to Wai-Lin's. I know that Nadine has an enterrement to attend this afternoon, so I know she can't drive me around. I'll have to ask her (again), and see if I can pick up some more details from this response. On verra.

Also, at lunch this afternoon, Nadine told me to stop drinking water because I drink too much water (which apparently is unhealthy) and don't eat enough. Okay people - if you gave me more than a tiny wine glass to drink out of, maybe I wouldn't have to fill it up TEN TIMES per meal. Additionally, drinking a lot of water isn't nearly as mal pour le santé as, say, I don't know, eating cheese and butter sandwiches.

That is all.

Love, Josie

The Return to Rouen.

nnnn

Today, the whole group met up at the train station in Rouen to be reunited with Mme Dargan (and to turn in homework - oh merde! I have to do that still). Anyway, we all met up at 11am and took a petit tour of stuff having to do with Jeanne d'Arc. It was early, and Mme Dargan has a tendancy to speak so that only the people directly next to her can hear what she's saying, so I'm a little vague on the details, but I know that we saw the remains of a fortress in which Jeanne d'Arc was held (it is now a dentist's office. Of course). We also climbed up an extreme amount of windy stairs in a tower where Jeanne d'Arc was also held - it is now a museum of all things Joan. I feel that this makes more sense than a dentist's office, but that is just my humble opinion.

So, apres ca, we ate lunch at a place that also didn't recognize the existence of vegetarians, except with an "assiette vegetarienne": pasta, rice, carrots, and peppers on a plate. Yummy. After lunch, we were free to walk around Rouen, so I went with Leslie, Teo, and Ante to a cafe where I had a cafe (naturally), and Leslie and Ante had beer (also naturally). I love them. After that was the best part of my day (Safety Joe - if you are reading this, which I know you are, arrete ici. Merci.): I walked around Rouen all by myself !! It was awesome. I headed over toward the train station because I was supposed to meet Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Kyle there to meet up with Charlotte's host parents who were giving us a ride back. It was so awesome to be walking around a French city, with my new French jacket, speaking French, and being independent. I asked for directions from a French couple once just to practice my French, but I didn't even need to because (for once) I wasn't lost! It was the greatest feeling.

So after I met everyone at the train station, we walked around some more, went to another cafe, avons fait une petite promenade, and then drove to Ry, where we saw the tomb of the real Madame Bovary! Very cool. We headed home after that, where I played with Gabin and Kilian for a few hours - we scootered around, played board games, and talked. It was a ton of fun. They are super mignons!

And so, now, I am in my room waiting for dinner to be ready and hoping it isn't coated in butter.

Love to everyone who is reading this :)