Sunday, March 29, 2009

The End of the Worst Month of the Year
















Well, here I am a whole month and a half from my last entry not knowing where the time went. It’s March 29th, people. MARCH 29TH. Do you all read this date with the same sense of shock and awe as me? Do you all look at this date and say “Lord, was it really over 7 MONTHS AGO that you landed in this strikingly strange yet similar country? Was it really a whole 214 days ago that you didn’t know how to properly use ‘oh la la’ or purse your lips in French disgust?”, because that’s what I’m thinking.
In addition, I HATE March. It's such a blah month. Blah, ugh, ehh. But I loved this March and am sorry to see it go. This year, when I look in my planner and this incredibly advanced date pops maliciously out at me, instead of a sigh of relief, I feel confused as to how quicklky it passed. Now, when I look at this date I say to myself “Gee-wiz, a bunch has happen” and my mind quickly recaps through:

+Winter Break and a few more trips to Paris.

+ The Rotary one week bus trip through the south of France and Spain. When thinking of this, images of silliness, sun, forgetting to buy mustard in Dijon, bull fighters in very tight pants, rain, Barcelona, speaking Spanish, sangria, Picasso and Dali, 40 other exchange students , BAGELSSSSSS, some slightly shady hostels, and sleeping on the bus dance through my head while a slightly nostalgic and yet mischievous smile spreads across my lips.

+A very French speaking visit with Stephane (last year’s exchange student from France to Oneonta) in Paris.

+A few soirees here and there.

+Several visits to a local kindergarten class to teach English as well as a 5 year old slightly accented chorus of “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”.

+Some babysitting and slight panic as the 4 year old boy is now prone to nightmares which I try desperately to sooth, occasionally to no avail.

+Another French strike. You guys, it’s not cute anymore. You work 35 HOURS a week with 5 WEEKS of vacation each year. I’m afraid they’d die of shock if coming to work in America for a year; they’re itch to strike so strong that they face scratching off their own skin if they don’t get out of there as quickly as possible.

+Flowers. In early March. I didn’t know such a thing existed.

+Another Rotary trip, this time 6 days to sunny Toulouse. All 350 exchangers to France from 28 separate countries crowded into one room for dinner: the chaos of so many languages and so much adrenaline as a hearty cheer of “YES WE CAN” from all the Americans tried to drown out Mexico’s loud “Viva Mexico” and Brazil’s even louder “-insert something Portuguese here-“. Poor Russia, with only three lowly voices trying to overcome the rest of us.

+My 6th month mark in France.

+My 7th month mark in France.

+A whole lotta lovin’, and a whole lotta livin’.

So, as you can see in addition to my internet not working, I’ve also been incredibly busy. It’s not entirely my fault I didn’t update…

Anyway, my last few months here are equally as occupied. This Tuesday I’m heading up to Lille for a Jason Mraz concert (!!) and next weekend I change my host families for the final time. April brings a weeklong visit from my family (:]!!!) and directly after that the Rotary Europe Bus trip where we’ll visit Germany, Austria, Italy, Monaco and the south of France. Then it’s May where I hope to visit Meredith in Italy for a week, maybe go to London with a friend and have a few Rotary things here and there. And then it’s June and my exchange is at its end. This thought is greeted with both melancholy and excitement. Oh dear.

So, that’s all for now. Sorry for such a pitiful update - I’m tired, I’m busy, I’m French. Blah, blah. I also don’t have that much English left; boy was it a shock to speak with other English exchangers and realize how poor my vocabulary, grammar and basic understanding of my native tongue has gotten. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the warm weather I hear you’re having. I’ll let you all know when I’m in and settled at the new host house and as always appreciate all your love and support during this unbelievable journey.

Gros Bisous,

Kristen
*EDIT: I added some pictures as I'm at my new house WHERE THE INTERNET WORKS!! I plan on updating...sometime.