The End of The Journey

     Well, I have officially passed my last day of uni here in Chambery, France. I honestly cannot believe that I have spent the last semester here--time has just flown by. You know what's weird, dear reader? I don't know what to say to you. For that matter, I don't know what to tell myself as I'm winding up this chapter of my life. 
     I keep saying goodbye to people but I'm in denial. Why, you ask? Because I keep saying au revoir, but I honestly expect to see some of these crazy kids again and it'll be weird not making the 25 minute trek up to university and seeing them. Or stranger yet? Not going to bar and chilling for hours and laughing so much it hurts. Any, I've just finished packing and cleaning my room so I guess it's done. It's strange that this room will retain no trace of me--I was just like a shadow passing through the day. Strange thought. Well, I get to see my family (my dad and two sisters) tomorrow! With them, we'll be exploring Italy together. I'm sure we'll have arguments but I can't wait to argue with my family! 

Alsace

      Hey you guys, so today's post is going to be mostly pictures. All the pictures posted (excluding the very last two) are of either Strasbourg or Colmar, France. I just got back from Alsace this past weekend. I went for the Christmas market seeing as how they have the most famous market in Europe--I was not disappointed. It was so quintessentially European that I felt as if I was in a fairytale. 
     The trip: well, getting there was crazy because it was a very long bus ride and we left at 3 a.m. We arrive in Strasbourg around 9 a.m. and had the entire day to explore the town for ourselves. And go exploring we did. I saw so many amazing creations, ate delicious food--including traditional German sauerkraut (choucroutte in French) and several types of bretzels (that's how it was always written--but they were pretzels), and saw  gorgeous buildings--including the Strasbourg cathedral!). That night, I stayed in a castle which had been renovated into a hostel. How cool is that! The next day was Colmar, France. How to explain Colmar . . . hmm. That's a hard one. It's basically a mini-replica of Strasbourg. So, after a busy Saturday and Sunday, I returned to my home in Chambery around 23:00h. 
     That brings us to today. Let's see, well, nothing very exciting happened. I have a final in my course of civilization tomorrow so I really should be studying for that but this blog and The Hobbit soundtrack are rather distracting.  

    Oh, here are some other random tid-bits:
*I ate liver for the first time. It looked like poop. It tasted what I imagine feces would taste like. All in all: gross.
*France doesn't believe in peanut butter: it's like they don't comprehend the creamy--or crunchy if that's your thing--goodness that is also known as peanut butter.
*square pillows: they are stupid. Every
single pillow I have yet used in Europe--which include France, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland-- has been square. I don't like this.

     Also, I've been asked several times, both in France and also back in the States, why/how I landed on a humanities major and what I want to do with it. Well, I never knew how to put this into words but after being asked dozens of times, I think I might have an answer. Ready?

     I am a humanities major because I want to help people. If you know me, you know my ultimate career goal. I wouldn't be able to reach that goal if I had taken a science route. In essence, I am a humanities major because we have enough science-minded people who are daily striving to make scientific breakthroughs, etc. But I don't think we have enough people striving to help other people. Sure, with our scientific community, our world has phenomonal medicine, nuclear power, cell phones that can be turned on by another computer, etc. But we don't have enough people desiring to help the helpless--because what good is a cell phone going to do a starving child or a sexually trafficked mother? As fantastic as our cell phones and modern luxuries are (and trust me, I enjoy them), I dislike the thought of others suffering while I have the ability to help them.  So that's why I am not a science major--not to mention the fact that science is practically Greek to me. With this being said, I don't think science majors are wrong for having their major, society needs them. But I am saying that society also needs a realignment of values.

      Anyway, enough of that! I didn't mean to go on that sidebar but I'm thrilled that I can finally semi-articulate myself on that subject. Moving on, you see that photo on your right? That's the Cathedral de Strasbourg. Absolutely breathtaking. It towered so high that the top of it was obscured in the mist. Umm, another interesting fact . . . oh, people kept thinking that I was German. Instead of speaking French to me, I guess that when people saw the semi-blonde hair and blue eyes they automatically assumed that I was German. Unfortunately for them, I always responded with a quizzical look and they quickly switched to either French or English.
    

      What else? Oh, you see that picture of a road and mountains in the background at sunset? Yeah, that's the view from my campus. I know, it's beautiful. That's why I don't want to leave. That and also the very last photo on this post. You see the photo of me with a group of people all sitting around a table? Yes? Well, let me tell you, this group of kids is one of the strangest I've met but the best. We range from 20 to 26 years old and our sense of humor includes laughing at bathroom jokes, imagining bizarre scenarioes for how one can die, Mean Girl jokes, and puns. As I'm coming to the end of my stay in France, I can say I've seen some stunning places, learned about other cultures more than I thought I would, but most importantly I've made some pretty cool friends and it's thanks to them that my stay has been as great as it has. Alright, now I really do need to study for my exam tomorrow so bonne nuit a tous et toutes!

Differences

      Oh my gracious, I don't even know where to start. Basically I've complied a list of the banal things I don't want to forget. You see, I figure that I'll remember the big things, but I don't want to forget the small things. So here is my list:
*the word "cool": the french say "c'est tres cool" to say something is interesting. And they say it with such a cute accent and it sounds like 'kewl'--it's adorable
*tu vs. vous: trying when to figure out when I need to use the formal vs. the informal
*smoking: my morning tradition was this--to wake up, drink coffee, step outside and inhale a massive breath of smoke
*old building: when I look up and realize I'm standing beside something that is hundreds of years old. Months later? It's still breathtaking every time.
*people always being in a relationship: I've asked the French and they admit that they often define themselves based on whether they are dating someone or not...interesting
*thursday night party: I still don't understand why the French college students always party on Thursday night and go to Friday classes hungover/still drunk
*winking: people here just wink at you to signify a joke, a laugh, etc. I'm probably going to start doing this in the States and people will think I'm flirting--but I won't be
*bisous: when you stare at someone for more than 2 seconds, it's obligatory to do the French bisous (kiss) greeting
*burning cars: people here burn cars (by burn I mean the car is beyond recognizably burnt) just for fun
*men peeing everywhere: seriously. I have seen way too many men peeing in the streets--even in broad day light
*dog poop: ah yes, this is everywhere. When walking, you are obliged to look down at your path in order to assure that you aren't stepping in dog crap
*beeping the horns for marriages: a caravan of cars full of people sticking their heads out of the windows while screaming, blasting music, and incessantly beeping obviously signifies a marriage. I'm just curious why they make so much noise for a marriage but nada for all the divorces . . . 
*walking everywhere: ah, yes--walking a few miles every day is nothing now. What's stranger? I really enjoy this.
*French people are obsessed with their image: I've actually had several conversations with my teachers and French friends. They all admit that the French are overly obsessed with their body image--it's fascinating to ask why they are like that though because they give so many different answers.
*france is the #1 country in regards to an increase in meat consumption: I actually just find this interesting . . .
*being able to hop on a train and explore other countries: seriously America, why haven't you jumped on board with this idea yet? It's lovely to spend a weekend in Switzerland and then return to France.
*hearing a swirl of languages about you: it's like you're catch in a whirlwind of chinese, spanish, french, etc. It's lovely.
*how people can just walk away from goodbyes: somehow people just can walk out of your life without acknowledging that you'll never see each other again. They say "au revoir"  which literally translates to "till the re-seeing" but you know you'll never see them again.
*religious symbols but lack of religion: there is a massive cross that overlooks the city and the entire town shuts down on Sunday but there is no alive religion to be found
*strikes: I think the French people just sincerely enjoy going on strike. Yesterday I walked by a strike against Hollande and his policy on horses--no joke. 
*the police: I've never seen the police do anything useful. Even the people in Chambery say that. The one time I saw them at work was when they were stopping traffic so that the people who were striking about the horses could take up the entire road . . .
*delicious tarts: need I say more? just yum
*bars: I'm going to miss how bars aren't pick up joints but they're just a place to hang out with friends--and I might add that I have some pretty great friends here
     Well, I'll probably add more later but that's it for now! Oh, I saw a guy do an amazing dance tonight with a yo-yo. Seriously--it's too awesome for words and I don't know how to upload videos on a blog so oh well! Bonne nuit a tous et a toutes! 

Countdown Begins

     It doesn't matter where you are. If you are a collegiate student, the week of finals has arrived. However sadly, this still holds true in France. But that's not dwell on that unsavory little tid-bit.
     Today is going to be crazy--I'm writing this at 7 am instead of studying...--but it'll be the good type of insanity. Today: I have an exam in uni, go home and study, then climbing class, follwed by meeting up with some friends, and then meeting up with a different friend later, only to come home and go to bed due to the fact that I have two more exams on Thursday. Alright, let's do this. 
      It is now 10 p.m. My day has passed and it was excellent. My exam was okay--not super difficult so I count that as a win. I have two exams tomorrow and then I'm done until next Tuesday with tests! But anyway, I had my last climbing class which was amazing. Why? Because we did: blind climbing (when you use a mask and you cover your eyes so you can't see and have to climb "blind"), single-handed climbing (it's when you bind your two hands together with a type of exercise band so that you basically are only climbing with one hand), and other things but those two were the most interesting. And then I met up with two friends at our local bar and it was just lovely:) And that brings us to now: me sitting at my desk writing this.
     Well, I need to hit the hay because I have those exams tomorrow and also more things to do! Tomorrow after course I'm meeting a friend and going to the home of a lady from the church I go to and then I'm meeting up with some friends to go watch a dance recital. 
    I'll try to write about some differences that I've noted since I've been in France. I hardly notice them anymore but I'd like to recount them to y'all so that I can better remember. But!--Bonne nuit a tous et a toutes! 
     P.s: Only ten days left in France :(

La Fete De Lumieres

Hey all! I don't have much to write. This week has been, quite honestly, very normal yet busy. Everyone has realized that we only have two--painfully short--weeks left in France so we're all cramming in hang-outs while managing to somehow study. It's like that picture you always see of a triangle and on each corner is one of the words: sleep, homework, social life. Then, above the triangle is this saying: College: you can only pick two. That's my life right now except I'm trying to cheat and have all three but it's failing. 





       Anyway, these photos are all photos of the Lyon Light Festival--which celebrates saint Mary-- (La Fete de Lumieres) which happens every year on December 8th. It was amazing. Quiet honestly probably one of the most cultural things I've done since I've been in France. The old buildings in Lyon synch up to symphonic music and a display of lights are played upon the facade of these buildings.
    It was really just beautiful to see the lights. But you know the phrase "stuffed in like a sardine"? Yeah, that's what it felt like. Over 5 million people were there. This festival is one of the top 4 festivals in France every year. The worst part? No. Public. Restrooms. 
     Well, that's about it. I have three tests coming up this week--super duper nervous--and I can feel the panic starting to rise to I need to get off this blog and study. I hope everyone has an excellent week and I'll be seeing you guys in less than one month! 
     P.S.: Nest weekend I get to go to Alsace and visit Strasburg!  























I hope you all liked the photos!! 

Fly You Fools

     Yeah, I don't really know why I have a Gandalf quote as my title. Except for the fact that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug comes out in 8 days!! That's exciting. Anyway, I have a test this coming Wednesday and two others scattered in these next two weeks so three tests left until I'm done! I feel like I just got here but I'm about to leave. Strange.
     Anywise! Climbing class yesterday was extremely fun since I have friends in it now. There wasn't anything extraordinary about climbing that made it special--it just was. And judo is today! :D I'm writing this section in the morning so we'll see how I feel about judo once I come back and finish this post. However, right now, my 20-25 minute walk to campus is calling me.  
     Alright, the day is winding down. Judo was okay--I have homework to do for this class so that's kinda dumb. Anywho, I was grappling with a girl and got hurt a bit but the rest was good! I think I'm going to go out and grab a beer with a friend tonight. And then tomorrow I have afternoon class but I leave at 17:00 for the Lyon Light Festival and don't get back till 3am! Crazy! So, on the next post, expect pictures of the festival! 
     p.s: you want a good song to listen to? Artist: The Devil Makes Three and the song is called Old Number Three.
 

Ramblings

     This post will consist of nothing very substantial. I simply want to remark that I have only 3 weeks left in Chambery. How does this make me feel you might ask yourself? Pensive. I've met some people that I haven't liked quite so much while others seem to have woven themselves into the fabric of my life. So, as the French so elegantly put it, what will  find itself missing from me? Because you see the French don't think that when you miss something, that it is actually you that is missing it. The French believe that it is the thing that is missing from you. I like this idea.  Thus, in following that idea: The mountains will miss me. The town will miss me. The culture will miss me. But more importantly? The people will miss me. 
     Don't get me wrong. I am excited to get home. I'm eager to get back into my campus ministry. I can't wait to eat mac&cheese again. And bacon? Let's not even touch on that topic. The anticipation of cuddling my cat is almost killing me. The thought of laying in my own bed is such joy. But, despite these thing and more, I am never going to be able to look at life in the good ole' U.S. of A the same. People here live differently. Think differently. And I like that. I'm grateful that I've had this experience. I wish everyone could live abroad for a least a short time. 
    Anyway! Enough of this. I hope you all have a lovely day:) 
    My funny story for the day: I remember today--about a month before Spring 2014 semester-- that classes actually require that you buy textbooks. I had forgotten that because that doesn't happen in France. Haha, oh you silly French. 

Marche de Noel

      Hey y'all! Well, today has been good. That test I took on Thursday in my grammar course? I actually did really well so I'm thankful for that! Also, that lovely picture of the food on the left? My roommates and I cooked a Thanksgiving dinner today. It was delicious:) Dinner consisted of: eggplant parmesan, corn, peas, green beans, turkey, mashed potatoes, apple stuffing, gravy, Brazilian chocolate pudding, and vin chaud. Sooo good. 
     Well, all this food was after I went to church this morning and for a run. The run was absolutely amazing. Why you might ask? Because I got lost running on the outskirts of Chambery. I never felt too lost though that I couldn't get back so that's good. It was just amazing to feel the cold air in my lungs and pounding some pavement. 

  So, the rest of these photos are from the Marche de Noel in Chambery. The elephants are found in the centre ville and it's adorable because they've put up lights--really, it is quite nice. The other two photos below are just of the streets and of the market. I went with my roommates and Alex the Scot. 
         The market was amazing which makes me extremely excited for Strausbourg because I've heard the Christmas markets there are to die for. Well, it's already night time and I need to do some homework . . . yeah, I know, that's discusting. I hope you all have a lovely night! I come back to the good ole' U.S. of A. in less than one month. It's weird to think that I've lived in another country for over three months now. Please, don't make me leave. Bisous bisous de France! 

Thanksgiving Day!

      Well, let me start out of saying: Happy Thanksgiving!! I am thankful to be here in France. Alright, now that the obligatory Thanksgiving post is out of the way, let's get down to business.
     Wednesday was normal. I had climbing--which was awesome! Thursday. That's today. Hm, Thursday. Overall? Today was alright. I woke up and went to school were I'm pretty sure I failed a grammar exam. That's a bummer. But, I honestly can say I studied by butt off for that thing so I couldn't have done anything more--ce qui passe, passe (what happens, happens).  
     More importantly? Do you, dear reader--however few there are of you--see these glorious pictures of cake? An older lady from the church I go to in Chambery made that for me! I went to her house today and she gave me cake. Win! Let's see . . . after that? Oh yeah, I ate a bunch of ice-cream with that cake because it's Thanksgiving and I'm

thankful for desserts. Then, as per usual on Thursday, I had Judo. But for some reason, maybe it was because I hadn't seen my friends in that class for awhile, I was just super psyched to see them! And, it felt great to grapple again. I have my bruises back on my body and I can proudly say I have earned these mat burns and bruises. Why? Because I gave my all in Judo today. I even fought with two guys and I WON. Disclaimer to my parents: I know that this is not very feminine but I'll do my hair nice tomorrow to make up for it. And? It felt awesome to win against those guys. I felt myself sweating and I knew that I would win that match because I had failed my grammar test and I wasn't going to lose this, too. Anyway, I needed to work off that cake and ice cream. 
     Well, that's it for today. It doesn't seem like I did I lot today but I promise I've been running around all day. I hope everyone had a lovely Jour De Grace (Thanksgiving). What's more, I hope you all ate to your hearts--and stomachs--content! Vous me manquez et bonne nuit!

Blah Blah Blah

     Sorry, I know it's been a few days since I've blogged but I really just have nothing new to report. I have a massive test on Thursday and I've been studying all day--it hasn't helped much seeing as how I've (literally) failed every practice exam I've taken. Um, let's see . . . Christmas is in one month! Also--in much sadder news-- I only have one month left in Chambery:( I'm going to miss this place. Alright, well, here's my story for the post.
     On Sunday, as I was walking back from church, I decided to duck in a buy some supplies to make "vin chaud". As I was checking out, the cashier look at me and said "you're not 18". I then realized I had no way of proving that I was, in fact, older than 18 since I had no form of I.D. on me. Therefore,  simply looked at her and said "I'm 20". She looked at me in disbelief but rank up the wine anyway. Oh, France. 
     Well, that's it! Short and sweet. Bonne nuit a tous et toutes!

Winter Is Coming . . . Brace Yourself

     It's been snowing for 2 days straight. But I don't mind--except for how cold the rooms are. On the plus side? Snow ball fights!! The picture is of Fang Fang and me in snow at the uni campus. 
     Story time: I just walked into the kitchen and the first thing Sandra--the housemate--says is: "wow, you don't look good--are you tired?". Ha, thanks, girl. I've woken up the past few nights during my REM cycle so sleep has been a bit hard but I didn't realize I looked so bad! 
     On a side note, I still haven't found housing for Spring 2014 semester. I have one month left . . . as of right now? I am homeless. It's a great feeling but! Isn't this what college life is all about? Not knowing your next step and doing life as it comes along? --that's what I am telling myself. I know I'll figure out something, I hope, j'espere. 
     Oh, and I have another test next Thursday. It's a grammar test--yikes! Time to study! Bye all! Bisous bisous!

Snow Fall

     Oh my goodness: today (Wednesday the 20th of November, 2013) has been insane and it's not yet 13:00! Let me just go through today and you'll see why.
     5:25 am: I wake up because I had a crazy dream about a giant centipede. That sounds silly. In my dream it was much more frightening. 
     6:30 am: My alarm goes off to wake up for school and so I do.
     8:00 am: I'm walking to class IN THE SNOW! That's right folks, the first snowfall of the year for Chambery has occurred!! 
     8:02 am: I realize I am wearing my Toms--which are a cloth shoe--and my feet quickly become soaked.
     8:26 am: I arrive at class with numb  feet but overjoyed at the arrival of snow. I go to my class and take off my shoes and place them on the heater to dry. I then pull out my plastic chair and sit down only to jump off the chair in .05 seconds. Seriously you guys, Usain Bolt could not have jumped up faster. Since my feet were numb, I didn't realize that my big right toe was underneath one of the feet of my chairs. Thus, when I sat down, I sat down on my big toe and let me tell you, all these baguettes and cheese I've been eating? Yeah, I could feel it then.
     8:27 am: I look down at my big right toe and I see blood, a blood blister, and a bruise forming under my nail. 
     8:28 am: I search for a band-aid yet to no avail. It's okay because it doesn't hurt too bad so I just let the throbbing go and then class starts!
     8:32 am: My teacher asks me why I'm not wearing shoes which then leads the whole class to look inquisitively at me while I stutter.
     9: 20 am: I realize I really need to use the restroom because I drank a lot of coffee this morning but I still have 40 minutes till our break. I decide, fully believing at the time that it was the correct choice, to wait till the break to use the toilette.
    10:20 am: Our class break is 20 minutes overdue but since our class is having a heated debate about homosexual parents right to adopt children, our class break has passed us by. I am forced to get up in the midst of this debate and leave--however, it looks like I am raging out of the class because I was too emotional disturbed by the topic....great. Hahaha!
    11:30 am: Class is over. Yay!
    12:00 pm: I arrive home and decide that I will make some homemade hot chocolate. I heat up the milk. I then heat up the chocolate and meanwhile decide to check my email. A bit later, I hear a crack and smell smoke. The bowl in which I had placed the chocolate had broken into easily over two dozen tiny pieces in the microwave and the chocolate was smoking and burning. You know what?, I tell myself, this is okay. I clean up the mess and go on to make a successful (and delicious) cup of hot chocolate.
     12:12 pm: I check my French university email account and realize that a French girl-- with whom I did a via ferrata expedition-- had emailed me over a month wanting to be friends. Of course I emailed her back apologizing for my stupidity in regards to my French email account. I hope she replies and wants to be friends still!
     Well, there you go. I've caught you up to date with this day in my life. The most bummer thing is that I can't go to climbing today because of my toe. It's bruised and yucky looking. And, I can't go to climbing because in climbing, for those of you who don't know, you use your toes a bit to climb and I really don't want to put any more pressure and weight on my big toe than necessary.
     But! All in all? I still judge that today is awesome. Why? Well, why not? I have so many things to be thankful for. I hope your day goes well dear reader!

A Mundane Week

     As I wrote  "A Mundane Week" for the title, I realize that this week won't be mundane because I'm in France. However, the entire week calls for a mixture of rain/snow so the weather won't be pretty. But, c'est la vie. Today is nothing special except to mark the 5 week count down until uni (university) is over. You know how on grey days you want to curl up with a warm drink and read all day? Well, since that's how the weather is every day, I really can't use the excuse "oh, but it's a rainy grey day" to do nothing because that's just how it is here. Pity. Alright, I must head off to classes.
     Bahh, I just got done with classes that went straight starting at 11:30 and ending at 17:00. It was not enjoyable. Also, here's my story for the post: I'm too scared to ask my land lady to use her oven so Sandra always pretends that she needs the oven and asks Madame for me. Today was no exception. Except for the fact that Sandra went to class and Madame is "keeping Sandra's food" for her below and I can't ask for it because then I would have to awkwardly explain that it's actually my food and that I am a massive wimp. Which obviously isn't an option. Oh well, on the plus? I've discovered that I really enjoy The Arctic Monkeys as a band.
     I hope everyone has a jolly splendid day! (If you read that in a British accent it sounds much cooler). Bye all! Bisous bisous from France!

Turin, Italy

      Alright, well this blog post starts on Friday. I had a test and a presentation in class. Update: both went as well as possible. I bribed the class to like my presentation with chocolate cookies so of course it was good. What was exciting though was the fact that a girl in my class (Fang Fang) invited me to her apartment after class. She cooked traditional Chinese for me--it was delicious! The coolest part was though just talking to her. She's around my age but she's spent years traveling. She's been all over northern Europe, Tibet, and Cambodia and her plan for after she's done with France is to visit Southern America (like Chile, Brazil, etc.). The craziest thing? Most people say things like that but this girl will do these things. Also awesome? She literally hitch-hikes her way around. She's cool. 
     Well, after dinner with Fang Fang, I went out and met up with Alex the Scot, Malcom the Hipster, and my house mates to just chill at the local Bar de la Boule. I tried a Gin&Tonic and felt so grown up (even though I dumped much more soda into the drink than there is suppose to be so really the drink was mostly lime flavored soda...oh well!). I ended up getting home around 12am and into bed around 1am only to wake up at 5am to head off to Turin, Italy! All the below photos are of my adventure that I had today in Turin:) Ready?

      So, you see those mountains? Yeah, those surround Turin. Pretty gorgeous! The first few hours that I was there I spent it exploring the massive outdoor market they have. It was awesome because the food section was huge. The above left picture is of me at a water fountain! I know it's silly, but these fountains are adorable. The photo directly to the left is...oh, I forget...but probably a government bulding. 

      Alright, so the photo to the right here is of a gate that protects an art gallery. I took this photo (besides the obvious fact that it's pretty) because it reminds me of Versailles--because of the style and color. So, after the market, I walked around for a few hours and tried to see everything. One of the coolest things I got to see was an old bridge from Roman times. Sadly though, not much of the bridge was surviving. Alright, so, what was the highlight of Turin? I got to eat Italian food: pizza, cannoli, gelato and pastries! So yummy but man I feel unhealthy now. And even more so because we got stuck in a traffic jam on the way back for an hour and I got stressed and ate--and for those of you who know me, when I stress it? It's a frightening and unhealthy act. Anyway, I just got back from Italy now and it's 10pm and since I didn't much sleep last night, it's time to chill and then sleep! I'm sure I'm forgetting something but oh well. Bonne nuit a tous!

Shnanigans

     Bonjour! Today was just a typical day in France--except for the fact that it is becoming markedly colder. Let's see . . . I went for a run today (it sucked) but hey! That's okay because my other runs this week were fantastic. Err, what else . . . oh, I have a test tomorrow in my grammar course. Not excited for that. And nervous. We'll see how I do! I also have a presentation due tomorrow so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that as well. Oh, and a Chinese friend of mine here (her name is Fang Fang) invited me to her place tomorrow to have a lunch/dinner after course! I'm super excited. Why? Because this girl is awesome. Fang Fang also wants to go a movie theater (well, really it's more just like a room that shows movies in some dilapidated building) and we're thinking about next Wednesday going so yay for friends! 
     Alright, I know you've all awaited in eager anticipation for what my story will be today and here it is: the story of a French teacher who was unpleasantly surprised. And, before you tell me how lame this is (and fair warning: it is a lame story) you can stop reading the blog here and I will have no hurt feelings--I mean, I won't even know so feel free! Here is the background information you need to know: My school building has two bathrooms. One of which is designated solely for teachers (there are less than 10 teachers) and one of which is for students and teachers (there are over hundred students). You probably already see a problem...but let me continue. There happens to be this one teacher I take for a pronunciation course who is, hmmm, shall we say she is a bit mean? She's not encouraging (in fact, she made a girl cry) and she's super freaky about her teacher's bathroom. So, one time, there was a really long time for the student bathroom and class was about to start so people started using both bathrooms. I ended up using the teacher's one and right as I come out, who is there to (and I kid you not) in a very loud voice scold me as if I had robbed her of her inheritance? This pronunciation teacher. This has happened to several students. So, today, the sign that clearly states that the teacher's bathroom is solely for teachers (it says this in French, English, and Chinese) conveniently went missing and this teacher had a freak out (but please notice that none of the other teachers went off their rocker). She just "couldn't understand why someone would rip down the sign?!" and several students enjoyed her display of craziness. Although there will be, without doubt, a new sign up tomorrow, today the bathrooms signalized equality and freedom for all. It was a great day for students in Building 14, Campus of Jacob-Bellecompte, Chambery, France. 
     That is all. Tonight, I'll be studying and eating. Have a great night y'all!

Living The Good Life

      Hey all! I don't have much to tell you about today. Classes were normal. I have a presentation due on Friday and the girl I'm working with hasn't done her part yet so I'm starting to freak out just a bit...trying not to worry too much though. Let's see, I also went running today. It was 45F and perfect weather. I decided to have an adventure run and just explore places I didn't know. I'm so glad I did, too, because I ran upon an amazing place with trails and a mini-waterfall-kind-of-thing. It's hard to explain but it was really lovely. 
     So, let's get to the real topic at hand: the food pictures. I figured I haven't posted really any photos of food so here are some! The one on the bottom right is of eggplant parmesan with pasta that I made for dinner tonight--so good! The bottom left is the tomato thing I talked about before--also to die for. And the above photo? That my dear friends is a scrumptious chocolate pastry from Barcelona! Yumyum. And the middle photo on the right? That's called a Spanish omlette. It's a bread thing with potatoes and that really is a horrible description of it. Here, allow me attempt to describe it again. Take two: it is like when the clouds part on a rainy, cloudy, and cold day and sliver of sun peaks through and turns the whole day around.

    
     Well, that's my blog for today! I hope your at least semi-enjoyed it (and if you didn't like it, well, it's not like I held a gun to your head and forced you to read it so whatever). I'm tired so it's time to get ready for bed and then relax and bit before hitting the sack! I sincerely hope that all is well with you:) Bonne nuit!                                                              

Barcelona & Old Lyon

      Bonjour a tous! I want to first say that I am sorry it has taken me so long to blog again. This past weekend (8/11-10/11), I went to Barcelona (as pictured on the left) to visit my friend Matt! Craziest thing about Barcelona? I was wearing shorts! The weather, as you can tell from the photos, was absolutely gorgeous. I got into Barcelona around 17:00 on Nov. 8th and immediately started seeing some sights. However, it night quickly fell and we returned to Matt's residence building where I promptly fell down an entire flight of stairs managing to bruise my left leg in an ugly way. Worst part of me falling? A group of random people saw it and they probably

assumed that I was drunk (which would at least be an excuse but I don't even have that!). That night I saw the Arc de Triomph (it's the picture on the right) that imitates France's famous Arc (and I personally like France's Arc much more--go France!). Later, we met up with some of Matt's friends and went out to a bar where you pour your own drinks, not to mention you receive free popcorn. Heyoh! It was pretty cool because it was super chill and you could just relax and listen to the hubbub of Spanish being spoken while thinking your quiet thoughts in English. And that night? I stayed out until around 4 am. That's right, I'm a big girl now! Not really, I was exhausted the next morning because I woke up at 6:30 thinking I had school. But at least I got an early start on sight-seeing the second day! The photo of the market was actually shows one of my favorite things--a massive indoor/outdoor market in Barcelona. It was just amazing to see fresh fruit, veggies, meat, and fish and

 that doesn't even begin to cover all the chocolate and candy there, too! So the second day (Nov. 9th) was just a complete exploration of Barcelona by foot. Something that I've noticed is that everyone in Barcelona is beautiful, even the ugly. I'm not joking. We all know that some people are just naturally physically beautiful, right? Well, imagine seeing that in every person. Got that pictured? Okay, then welcome to Barcelona: Land of The Beautiful. Later that night we went out to a bar and heard a live beat-boxer. This guy was incredible. I've never heard someone do that before and I can honestly now say that it is a true talent. Well, after the bar and chilling, I went to bed and the next morning (Nov. 10th) it was time to catch my flight back to France. But here's the catch: I missed my bus stop for the airport. Oh, that's right, I missed my stop. So what did I do you ask? I asked the bus driver to pull over on the side of the road (which he kindly did) and I ran, hopped, and jumped over rails, roads and small bushes for 1.5 miles to make it back to the airport in time for my flight. I eventually got
back into Lyon (which is pictured on the left) only to realize that I had a 5 hour wait to catch a bus to take me back to Chambery. Therefore, I did a very natural thing: I stress ate a lot of chocolate while ease-dropping on conversations. One of the more interesting conversations I over-heard

 was between two older couples. The wives were talking politics while the husbands were gabbing about the new Thor movies and Marvel Comic movies in general. I also met a guy who has traveled the world and just got offered a professorship and is returning to Lyon for the job (to give you an idea of how cool this guy was? He had visited Asia, Russia, Central America, Brazil, Argentina, Europe and had just moved from living in Venice where he worked for the Russian government). Alright, I finally get home on Sunday at 19:30 and I shower in order to go to bed only to discover that I actually was going out with my house-mates to a local place in order to meet up with some people. We ended up leaving Melodie (which is were we were at) to go wake up Matt (because if you remember, he woke me up one time at an insane hour so I wanted to return the favor). But it turned out he was still up--at 2am, too!--so us girls and Matt, Alex, and Craig (those three guys live together) all stayed up talking until 4am and by 5am I crawled into bed. However, I had promised Matt earlier that I would go into Lyon with him on Monday, Nov. 11th (even though I went to bed at 5am on Monday night!). So, it is now Monday night and I've returned from my adventure in Old Lyon (the panoramic photo and

 the three of the churches are all things I visited today). And although I am now beyond tired, I'm glad I explored Lyon today because one of the cathedrals that I visited (it's the one on the right--the picture of an inside of a church) is easily one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. The inside was covered in vibrant colors, gold, mosaics and old stone work. 
      Alright world, well, that's about all that's going on with me. Oh, a funny tid-bit, I went out on Thursday (Nov. 7th, the day I left for Barcelona) to catch up with some girls from my classes but here's the story: I ordered a beer but the three Asian girls I was out with all ordered tequila shots! I was shocked but never more so when the girls took the shots and then had no reactions because, according to them, "the tequila tasted like water". My reaction? Utter shock. What do the Chinese drink that makes tequila taste like water?! But that's the only thing they drank so it's not like anyone got indecent. Okay, that really is all I can think of now to tell you. I hope your day goes well! Bisous bisous!

Rain Rain Go Away, Come Again Another Day

     The next three days call for rain. That's a bit of a bummer but I suppose it happens. A plus is that I've discovered a great station on 8tracks that plays worship music and it has several tracks so I don't have to try to search for new music every 20 min--it's nice. Another plus is that I leave for Barcelona to visit a friend this Friday! I just need to get through 3 more days of classes then *poof* I'll be in Espange! Since I don't have much going on in my life right now, I'll tell you a story so sit back and relax.
     A few weeks ago, I was going out at night to catch up with some friends. As I'm walking on my way to the designated rendezvous point I happen to see a very elderly couple. The wife appears to be having some trouble walking. But the sweetest thing is that her husband is giving her his best efforts at stabilizing her and helping her walk. "Awww, that's really precious that they've been married for so long and he still cares so much about her", I thought to myself. However, upon closer inspection, and as the elderly couple drew closer, the truth slowly dawned upon me. No, this woman was not having trouble walking due to her age. Oh yes, that's right dear reader, this women was having issues standing up straight because she was flat out drunk (not to mention the husband was a bit soused as well). The two were stumbling home, drunk as skunks, at 9 pm on the weekend. Oh well. At least they were efficient and got trashed early on in the night so that they can go home and get a good nights rest!
     Well, that's all I have for you. I hope everyone is doing well!
     P.s: I've discovered a new favorite type of food. You cut up slices of fresh tomatoes, put mozzarella cheese on top, then sprinkle with olive oil and basil. Yuummm.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

   Hey everyone! So I've been absent for awhile but for good reason: I've been traveling in Switzerland and Germany with my housemate Sandra. The below photos are of Geneva, Switz (those are the photos until the green light) and Berlin, Warberg, and Braunschweig, Germany (these are the rest of the photos). Alright, you guys ready? Warning: this will be a long blog post--don't feel compelled to read it all. Let's get started!

     Day One: Took a train to Geneva in the morning and on the train Sandra and I met up (completely randomly) with Matt and Alex (both Americans who come from Sandra's and my university). So the four of us hung out for the day visiting Geneva and having fun. The right top photo is a famous fountain  in lake Geneva and the top left photo is me just chilling at Lake Geneva. Haha!! How cool is that? The white building is an ancient church in Geneva--to give you an idea of how old Geneva is, the town was founded around this church in 400 B.C.(whhhaaaaa???--crazy old). This church was destroyed and re-built every single time and each time they added new things while keeping as much as the old as possible. So that tour of the old city took quite a few hours and afterwards we toured a bit more but decided to rent a paddle boat and go out on Lake Geneva! The picture of the rainbow and the other one of Sandra and I are when we were out on the paddle boat on Lake Geneva. That's still so funny to me when I type the word 'Geneva'. I mean, how insane is it that I get to visit these amazing places? Pretty great. The weather was gorgeous during my vacation. Alright, so of course, since I was in Switzerland, I tried some Swiss chocolate. I visited a tiny little Chocolatier tucked  away by the lake and bought some sinfully delicious chocolate.
                                                                                         
     Pictures of Lake Geneva

      I'm going to be honest with you, dear Internet, the picture on the left of the awesome looking statue-ish/thing? I know it's suppose to be a memory to some war person but that's it. I just really liked the style. But that's just it. The fact that I can walk around the city and stumble across stunning monuments like this? Awesome. Alright, so my day is quickly (too quickly) passing and the four of us--if you remember it's Sandra, Alex, Matt, and I in Geneva--decided to go to a stupid expense restaurant and order something. Well, we did just that. We went to a restaurant on the lake and can you guess what the cost of a bottle of wine was? 1,500 chf. Whattt??? So,

 naturally, at this expensive restaurant I ordered a chocolate milkshake which cost 9chf. However, it was a wickedly yummy milkshake. The picture of me on the right with wine was at dinner. Because there were four of us (two girls and two guys) everyone kept thinking we were on a double date. Several people thought that so they kept offering us roses to buy. The photo below (the one of the mirror and post-it notes) was actually taken in a bathroom. It was an awesome bathroom

because everywhere people posted post-it notes and also there was a foosball table!! All of this IN A BATHROOM. Cool. The below photos (the one of the green light and of me with an apple) are super simple to explain. The green light was at a lighthouse in Geneva and the green light blinked out over Lake Geneva which reminded me of the Great Gatsby (any fans out there??). The photo of me with an apple was taken because it is at 4am. We had to wake up super early to take a train to catch a flight to Berlin.

      Day Two: Thus begins day two of the trip! Since Sandra and I had to wake up at 4am, we tried to get some sleep the night before but to no avail. Thus, our day in Berlin was fueled by coffee. Let me just say, I had no clue how big Berlin is! I though that we would be able to walk around it. That fantasy was quickly popped. Due to the fact that Berlin is so big, we took the metro system. Because of the metro system, we got very lost for several hours. Haha, it didn't help that I don't speak or understand German! However, we managed to have a fabulous second day of vacation in Berlin. We visited the East Side Gallery (the Berlin Wall) and the picture of me to the right is of me at the Wall! The photo of me sitting at the river is also in Berlin. The East Side Gallery was simply stunning to visit. One of the coolest things (besides all the graffiti and the symbolism of the Wall itself) was that on the back side there was an exposition of all the walls that still exist today in the world which separate people solely for political reasons. Also, another really awesome thing that Berlin (and Germany
in general does) is that they have little bronze plates in the ground which represent the place where people (a lot of Jews) lived and were killed during WWII. I was extremely impressed how Germany really does embrace their history, in regards to WWII. So many nation ignore what happened yet Germany--while not overly dwelling on the horror--acknowledges and honors the memory of the victims. Alright, enough serious talk! While walking, we grew a bit tired as the coffee began to fade away so we took a break by a park beside the Berlin Wall. It seemed like a harmless idea but oh how wrong
I was. Why you ask? Let me explain. We sat down and a few minutes later a man sat 
down beside us (seemingly harmless enough). A few minutes later, he kicks aside some leave and pulls out a bag a weed. Not a minute later he starts dealing weed with us sitting (I am not exaggerating) directly beside him. When he wasn't dealing weed, we actually struck up a conversation with him. I learned about his life (he was adopted by Canadian missionaries as a young child from Africa but eventually left and now has several ideas about religion in general). The funniest part was that when someone came up and bought pot from him, since we were talking to him, the drug-seekers actually came and shook our hand while purchasing their drugs. No one can say life doesn't have a sense of humor!  I talked to this man for about 30 minutes about his life and religion and then Sandra and I left to finish exploring Berlin. Alright, the above photo of me pointing to the ground (I'm wearing my glasses) is a photo of me standing on the approximate place of TN! After Berlin, Sandra and I traveled to Warburg and a neighboring village had this map so obviously I had to stand on it and represent Tennessee! The above photo on the right (the one of the bottle with animals in it) is a funny story. So, after being awake for almost 24+ hours, we arrive in Warburg--which was our home-base while traveling in Germany. We stayed with a family in which Sandra knew one of the sons. Anywise, back to the story! We arrive at the host family's house (who live on the grounds of a castle!) and the dad insists on having us try a display of beer, sausages, bread, etc. ( the photo of the beer below are the ones we tried that night--so so so good! I learned a bit about the differences, the quality standard that exists in Germany, etc.). But then he shows us a bottle of alcohol from China that has a
dead snake, scorpion, and other assorted dead animals. Ewwwww. But cool. Well, eventually I get to sleep and shower.

Day Three: The next morning we're off--but not before a delicious breakfast which is depicted in the below photo! The family really treated us splendidly, if you don't believe me just ask yourself who else gets a beer tasting and a breakfast like this?? Georg (Sandra's German friend) showed us around that day. The coolest thing (hands down) from that day is getting to see the Iron Curtain.
 I've posted a picture of the Iron Curtain below (it's the  one with the white wall). Fun fact: did you know that the Iron wall had 60,000 land mines, 6,000 guard dogs, car barricades, several fences--not just this one--, a clean dirt path so that the soldiers could see any footprints, and so much more just to keep East and West Germany apart? It's scary how efficient people can be sometimes. The rest of the day we explored Braunschweig--which are what the photos below are of.

     As you can see from these photos, Braunschweig is an absolutely beautiful town. The town itself is over 1,000+ years old. The streets were mainly cobble stones (of course the main streets were paved but that is it). One of the funniest things (and maybe this is a bit sadistic) but watching women walking on the cobble stone roads in high heels? Priceless. Also, something which I enjoyed was the different style of architecture. I had always heard that Germany was famous
 
for their houses and buildings that had wood built into the outside but hearing about it and seeing it are two very different things. Also, knowing that some of these building have been here for hundreds upon hundreds of years? It's breathtaking. The photo of the candles in the church is here because the walls and the ceiling of this church were painted in the ancient days. Talk about stunning. This church was one of the prettiest (I really shouldn't use the word pretty but I am at a loss of how to accurately describe this building) things I've seen. So, we're on the third day of vacation and I've already seen so much. But the adventuring continues and I keep seeing buildings that blow my mind. The picture of the locks was
something that I saw a lot in Germany. I have no clue what it represents (if it does symbolize anything even) but I kept seeing it so I figured that I should take a photo. So I get back to the family I'm staying with on this vacation (shout out to the Link family for letting me stay with them!--you all are amazingly generous!) and, after a delicious home cooked Germany dinner, the dad asks me what I want to drink tonight. Thinking that he was kidding, I laughed but no. He shortly brought out some wine and oh my gosh, let me tell you how good that white wine was. I am studying in France and I've visited Bordeaux (the nation and city of wine for crying out loud!) but that German wine was the best I have ever tasted. The dad offered me a bottle of it but I had to decline because I didn't have a checked bag to pack it in for the return flight. Let me tell you though, I was extremely

tempted to somehow buy a new suitcase just so I could take this wine back with me. 
     Day Four: I woke up a bit early and took a walk in Warburg. This area of Germany is big on harvesting sugar beets. So, the photo on the right of what looks like a mound of dirt is actually a heap of sugar beets waiting to be processed by a local factory. It's not really anything super fascinating but it's just interesting because it's a part of the German culture in Warburg and it's cool to see how proud they are of it. Well, day four was mostly exploring so I saw a lot of cool things but I won't bore you with explanations. 
     



     Day Five: Time to go back to Berlin! Sandra and I had decided to go back early to Berlin because there was so much we didn't get to see. Therefore, in order to maximize our time, we hopped on a bus tour and saw some wicked sites. Just to name a few: Checkpoint Charley, the Holocaust Memorial, and Victory Tower. Well, after the bus tour we had to attempt to navigate the terrifying monster also known as the Berlin metro system. We got on the metro and handled it pretty well if I do say so myself! We got to the Berlin airport and caught our 9 pm flight back to Geneva. Side note: the picture of me with the beer was at a cute local bar in  Braunschweig on Halloween night. Alright! Time to move onto day six of the adventures!

 

Day Six: We arrive in Geneva safe and sound only to discover that the French trains were on strike on the weekend so we couldn't catch a train back to Chambery! We ended up sleeping in the Geneva airport and caught a ride out of the airport thanks to Blabla Car (which is basically an online site where you can organize hitching rides with random people and pay them a bit of money in return) the next day. Well folks, that was my vacation! So much happened that I don't think it's possible to explain it all in this blog post. Oh, real quick, let me explain the above right photo of the weird looking line: it's the degree and angle from Berlin to Paris and was given to Germany by the French government.
     Well, I hope that this blog post (albeit long) wasn't mind numbingly dull. If so, it's not like I was forcing you to read it so why did you? But good job in finishing it and reward yourself with some chocolate! Okay, I have to go to school tomorrow so I need to be getting to bed! Good night world:)