Chamallow

Mme. DeGrotte is absent this entire week since she is supervising a school ski trip, so school let out for me two classes early today!
Since Andrea had really enjoyed some rice krispy treats from this weekend, I went to the 8 A Huit next door and picked up marshmellows and honeyed puffed rice cereal (they only have chocolate rice krispys in France, and there weren't any next door). The problem with French marshmallows (aka Chamallows) is that they only sell multicolored ones that taste nasty. I succeded, anyway, in making the treats.
On the other hand, I also made a batch of peanut butter cookies that are to-die-for!

La Patinoire

This morning we went to the patinoire (ice skating rink). The only problem was that they forgot Andrea, a few other people, and me! It all worked out in the end, though! Don't fret! I spent the first half of the time trying unsuccessfully not to fall and the second half trying to skate backwards. I think I ended up looking more like a duck doing the funky chicken, but I was proud of myself for the two inches that I succeded in skating inverse! Andrea, on the other hand, has a fear of ice rinks, so she spent the majority of the time on the side, watching, but I did see her allowing one of the Mexican guys from the other district to help her skate.
We had leftovers for lunch that included cheesecake, rice crispies, and Finlandish cinnamon buns! The funniest part of lunch was when Michael opened and accidentally exploded a bottle of coke all over Sadie (Minnesota-other district).
The worst aspect of car rides with Hugues is that he likes to blast the music louder than concert level in the car. So I could barely hear our goodbyes when Andrea and I finally arrived home.

Repas Exotique Take 2

Hugues came and picked up Andrea, Michael, and me yesterday right after school. We ate lunch at his house, then Daniel (Mexico), Asaki (Japan), Andrea, and I rode with Hugues to Amiens. (Michael and Keny (Mexico) rode with Ingrid (counselor).) Once everyone else arrived after us at the school in Amiens, we all donned our jackets and braved the cold winds to discover the town. We mingled amongst the market-goers until around 5h30 when we headed back to the school where we had placed all our things.
The dumbest rule regarding the Repas Exotique is that we exchange students are not allowed to eat the food that we make. (We do, anyways! Still, that's not a very nice rule!) So, Andrea, Ardika (Indonesia), and I made nasty Crepe Monsieur sandwiches with American-style white bread, American-style gross individually-packaged square cheese, and ham that smelled like vomit to me.
We then got an introduction to our three new Australians! We already adore Maddie, Kathryn, and Tim, the Aussies! We also met some other exchangers from down-under because two other districts joined in our party and contributed food!
Yes, the buckeyes and meatloaf balls that we made were a great success! Some of the exchangies who came by our table to try our food did not have plates. I felt like I needed a hair net and apron, because I felt very lunch-lady-like blopping goops of fallen-apart meatballs into their hands! The deformed nastiness of it all did not hinder the enjoyment of it, though! An American who had never tried a buckeye before came up to our table and popped an entire one into his mouth. Jess (NY) shouted across the stand, "Duuude! You can't do that! That thing's like 100% peanut butter. You're going to die!" It was pretty funny.
Once we had finished serving, we were all sent to bed in the dorms at the school. We had almost no socializing time like last time. Nevertheless, I had fun sharing stories with Andrea while falling asleep at two!

New Host Brother

At 6h15 on the dot, Michael opened the door and heaved six or so bags into the Helou's foyer. Youpi, as the French would put it.
It's fun to have another English-speaker in the house, but I'm glad I'm not living with him permanately because his always being there would greatly hinder my French learning, I'm sure.
After dinner, Michael, Nicolas, and I watched the movie Taxi Driver, with Jodie Foster and Robert DeNiro. I'm not really sure if I liked it or not; it was really wierd. Apparently a lot of people loved it, though, because it's the 52nd greatest American film ever made, and it inspired John Hinckley Jr. to attempt to assinate Ronald Regan...

Step It Up

Mom left this morning at 6h15 with Franck and Nicolas, who had come home last night only to discover that Elton John was sick, and his concert was canceled. No, I did not cry, thus confirming my reason to believe that I have some emotional abnormality. However, after waking up at five, I could not fall back to sleep, so I distracted myself by watching Beauty and the Beast.
At one, I went to school, quickly practiced the step routine, rushed through English class, and prepared for the real-deal. The E.P.S. coach gave us twenty minutes to warm-up before he switched on the music. He filmed our group of Cloe, Camille, Florine, and me first. I made a slight mistake, but I think Cloe blocked that from the camera's view. We did our routine eighteen times. Goodness gracious! We had two minutes in between each two rounds, but I can confidently say that everyone's legs shook by the end.

S-Y-N-O-N-Y-M-O-U-S

This evening, I tried to read aloud an amusing passage from an American book I am currently reading. Suddenly, I reached the word, "synonymous". Of course, I know what it means, and I have used it countless times in everyday speech. However, I could not manage to pronounce it! It took me about ten tries at sounding it out, syllable for syllable before I finally achieved it!
How embarassing it will be when I return to the USofA, and I butcher a reading in school. Or, if I mispronounce an English word in front of French classmates or teachers who know the proper pronounciation! My brain is melting!

Buckeyes or Buttereyes

Michael came over this afternoon. We walked down to Carrefour and purchased 47 Euro's worth of ingredients (except peanut butter) to make meatloaf and buckeyes. Once we had mixed the ingredients for the meatloaf, I had the genius idea to make them into meatballs, so they would be easier to serve. Sadly, my plan failed as when we pulled them out of the oven, they crumbled to pieces.
To buy the peanut butter that the Carrefour in Vimy does not carry, Catherine chartered us to Lievin where we ran, bought sugar-less beurre de cacahouette, and spent an extra 20 Euro.
The recipe that I chose to use, which makes a perfect 170 Buckeyes, called for 5 sticks of butter. Since butter in France comes in huge blocks, we converted that into 567 grams! Although they look and smell delicious, I will not be touching those come this weekend! They must be good, though, because Andrea and even Nicolas loved the peanut butter-butter-sugar mixture!

There's a Big Difference Between 10 and 1

Mom and I took the train from Lens to Lille yesterday morning. I'm so glad I got to show her Vieux-Lille and the Grande Place because it really is so much prettier than the regular mining region! We spent all afternoon admiring architecture, walking the cobblestone streets, and sitting in massage chairs in the nature store!
Yesterday evening, we went over to the Pecqueur's for dinner. On the way over, Catherine told us that we would not stay later than ten o'clock since she had to work the following morning. Catherine, Franck, Sabine, Christophe, Mom, an English teacher from Sabine's school, and I all sat down and ate yummy pink salmon pancakes made by Heloise and peanuts for appetizers until around nine. I remembered that they always started dinner late, but I did not expect a full French supper that late in the evening. We had a spectacular time, and the food was superb, but we failed to exit the party at ten as planned. Instead, we parted from the others at no earlier than one in the morning.

Voyages aux Villes de Vermelles et Lens

Mom and I slept in on Monday morning. We rushed when we woke up to catch the bus to Lens. There, we walked around the stores for half an hour or so, then headed over to Lycee Saint Paul. I really had no idea if I were allowed to show her around my school, but it was lunchtime, so I assumed there would be no problem. I introduced Mom to random classmates that we bumped into during the mini-tour, and it seemed like she liked all of them! She noted that the school appeared more like a University in layout. Thankfully, the sun shone off and on, so it made it look a little prettier than usual. We then hurried to the busstop and jumped on a bus to Vermelles. There, I showed her my first and future third host homes. Unfortunately, the bus that went all the way back to Lens did not come for a whole two hours after that, and the cold gray clouds had creeped back into the sky, so we hung out in the E.Leclerc for the rest of the time.

We Are Family

Mom was supposed to stay until Thursday until last night when she decided I needed to attend school more. This morning, she woke up at the crack of dawn to go to the airport to catch an early flight back to Charlotte. Fortunately for me, the only flight leaving today had a layover in Philadelphia. Mom hates layovers, so she changed her mind and came back to stay with me until Thursday as originally planned!
I barely made my train this morning. Since I had forgotten the map, I lugged a huge suitcase for at least two miles to the train station. Unfortunately, I got lost and went in two huge circles before I actually found the Gare du Nord instead of Gare de L'Est.
After lunch, Catherine, Franck, and I took Mom to see the Canadian Memorial. It was sprinkling, so we only stayed a short while. We then headed over to their E.Leclerc. Since everything closes on Sunday, we got to see a completely empty, lifeless supermarket!
Around seven o'clock, Sabine, Christophe, Heloise, and my next host family, Nadine, Philippe, Mathilde, and Pierre joined us for an aperatif. We had a great time talking. I'm especially glad we had the reunion because now I'm more excited about changing to my next host family. I will still miss this one, though!

I Need A Decontamination Shower STAT!

I discovered yesterday morning at breakfast that in France, ther exists a wonderful condiment called whipped honey.

Since checkout took place at noon, we left out bags at the front desk and went out walking. We turned the corner and immediately fell upon the Arc de Triomphe de Marseille followed by the St. Charles train station. We passed a blackened, charred church before arriving at the Palais Longchamp. When I grow up, I want to be a princess! After observing the majesty of the semi-circular shaped palace centered around a splended waterfall leading to fountains, we mounted the stairs and promenaded in the park behind it.

We passed the park cat ladies, surrounded by twenty felines with food at their feet.

My water addiction then showed its nasty side effect. My bladder had filled, and I had to begin the search for the dreaded restroom. What I found could definitely be better defined as a "water closet". It was the nastiest thing I had ever seen, yet I could not forego the inevitable. I held on for dear life to the doorknob as I crouched, partly because it had no lock, but mostly because I needed not to fall to a fate I was certain was worse than death!

After lunch, we walked around to the Cathedrale La Major and La Charite before taking the 5h30 bus back to Paris.

Vive le Soleil a Marseille!

I love the sun! This morning I discovered the hills of Marseille as we climbed to the top to see Notre Dame de la Garde. The walk was long and slippery because it had snowed the night before for the first time in two years. The mostly melted snow and ice, however, did not hinder us from reaching the church and enjoying the view it gave us of the Mediterannean, the town of Marseille, and the snow-capped peaks of the end of the range of the Alps. The 360 degree view was breathtaking!
From there, we headed down the hill to eat lunch. When we walked into the restarurant that was smaller than my bedroom, I thought it was wierd that some customers started talking to me randomly. Two minutes later, they stood, read us the entire menu, told us what was best, gave us a sample to convince us, and had convinced us of the underrated charm of hole-in-the-wall eateries. I highly recommend the soupions at the Cafe des Arts, if anyone ever comes to Marseille.
After lunch we walked to the Palais du Pharo, a beautiful chateau given to Napoleon III's wife as a "just because I love you" gift. It was lovely from the outside, but the lady at the front desk informed me that it wasn't furnished or available for tours because it is currently used as offices and a meeting place for congress.

Allons a Marseille

This morning we slept in, probably later than we should have. We originally had wanted to catch an 8h00 train, but decided we would find one later at 11h15. I got up around nine, and we still had to hurry. We arrived at the Gare de Lyon at 11h05; we still had not purchased the train tickets. We had clearly missed the train, so we ate a little lunch and took the 1h16. During the period we waited for the train, we discovered the most unexpected, antique and beautiful restaurant, Le Train Bleu above a little bistro in the center of the station.
The train ride to Marseille took around three hours. I loved watching the scenery outside of the window. The sky changed from dull gray to deep blue, the further south we went. It's so exciting for me to pass castles and chateaux in the train, nonchantly seeming to announce the history of the French countryside.
We arrived to bright blue skies and bright sun, neither of which is readily available in the Nord-Pas-De-Calais, at around 4h30. The reality of wintertime soon hit me, though, when the sun set at six, right after we had checked into the hotel. We did have a little time to enjoy the setting rays, during which we headed down to the "Vieux Port" and mingled amongst the Marseilleoises.

The Things We Do For Love

I woke up yesterday morning at 4h45 AM! If perhaps you're wondering if I'm going through a strange insomnia phase, I can happily answer that negatively. No, I awoke that early to catch a 6h24 train from Arras to Paris! An hour later, I saw my mother's beautiful face for the first time in almost five months! Since the clock had recently hit seven, none of the stores had opened, and neither of us had slept well the night before, we went back to her hotel and took an early morning nap after catching up for a few hours. When we awoke, we spent the rest of the afternoon walking up and down Boulevard Hausmann, laughing, shopping, and hugging!

Bye Bye, Mme. Castelain

So my SVT (Earth Science) teacher, Mme. Castelain, is leaving us next week to have her baby girl! Our substitute until May, when she returns, is a man that nobody has ever met. Apparently all students ar predictable and the same in that we, like all of Madame's other classes asked immediately, "Is he young? Is he handsome? Is he funny and nice?" She gave us vague answers. My real question for her is what she will choose as a name for her baby! She and her husband refuse to tell anybody, not even her parents.

Demolition of a Gingerbread House

I jumped out of bed this morning, sunrays warming my face, freaking out because I thought I had missed the bus. The moment my feet touched the floor, I let myself fall back onto my bed and moaned a sigh of relief that today is Sunday!
So, Thursday morning I made gingerbread cookie dough, Friday I rolled, cut out the house shapes, and baked it, and Saturday I assembled my first 100% autonomously made gingerbread house! Catherine, however, waned to save it for today, so we began the demolition at lunchtime.
After lunch, Catherine took and showed me Notre-Dame de Lorette, a beautiful memorial to WWI.
When we returned, Jean-Pierre and his wife, Helen visited us at the house. I had never met Helen before, and eventhough I barely spoke to her, she loved me! She kept telling everyone that I was adorable, that I had the nicest smile, that I had the cutest accent, and that she only wished she had a son to marry. She also raved over the gingerbread, icing, zucchini brownies, fudge, gingerbread cake, and carrot cookies I had made while she was there. (I personally think my gingerbread cake and carrot cookies were nasty!) She was so nice!

I Laugh When I'm Scared

Tonight Andrea, Catherine, Franck, and I went to see Le Dernier des Templiers (Season of the Witch) with Nicolas Cage. I didn't know what the English title was when I went to see it; thus, I had no clue what to expect. Within the first five minutes, I was holding my knees to me in my chair, and I knew that I would hate the movie. I do not enjoy scary movies AT ALL! So, to calm myself down, I laugh. It might seem like a bizarre reaction, but for me it's better than crying or screaming. Andrea does not appreciate the horror factor either, and when we left the theater, we joked that the next movie we were going to see would be Yogi Bear. As soon as I got home, I went and gave a big hug to Deby, the dog!

Yes, I Can Read, Thank You Very Much!

While I answer questions here and there, none of my teachers have actually asked me to read a text in class. That is, until this morning...
There I sat in Political-Science, leaning over the notes I was copying on the French Constitution when I heard the teacher say my name. I immediately jerked, sat up straight, and looked at the teacher as a reflex. She asked me if I could read the text. Yamina, sitting next to me, interjected, "Of course she knows how to read!" I really enjoyed reading in French class last year, and I would have liked this, too, if it had been a no-big-deal type situation. I read through Article IX, stumbling once or twice, and looked up at the teacher when I had finished.
"Very good," she approved. That would have sufficed for me, but Yamina sitting next to me then opened her mouth and practically shouted, "I think that deserves some applause. Let's applaude her!"
OH NO! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I cannot get angry in French. My mind went blank as I stared at her whispering, "Shhh! Be quiet!" I was mortified.
"Your face has gone all red," she noted afterwards.
"Really, Sherlock?" was all I could think.

J'en Ai Marre

I'm sorry, but even though I have lived here for four months, I have not adjusted to the nine hour school days. Those extra few hours are absolutely exhausting! I miss the days of kindergarten naptime and school ending before the sun sets.

The Bathroom Pass

So, apparently if anyone at my school wishes to use the restroom during class time, a hall pass does not suffice. In French school the teachers require a bona fide doctor's note. I learned this when a girl in my double-hour Italian class asked to leave for a minute. Nah-uh!

Dom Juan

Today we finished watching the movie Dom Juan in French class. I must say that for a man who is supposed to be one of the classic big-time players, the man who played DJ was uggggly! Not only that, but he was mean, too! Goodness, those French guys!

It Is Odd, Isn't It...

"Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover that, despite all the progress that has been made in the last thirty years, many foreign people still speak in foreign languages."
~Dave Barry

Malade Comme D'Hab

Here's to another day spent in bed sick! Lovely.

Day Trip to Bruges!

This afternoon when school let out, Anne, Adrien, and Andrea picked me up and we headed to Belgium! After about an hour or two's car ride, we arrived in the beautiful, walled-in town of Bruges. Adrien, who just recently earned his driver's licence, spent a good ten minutes parallel-parking the car. The meter, however, was just as uncooperative, so he had to unparallel-park the car, and we left the car in an underground parking garage instead.

I learned today that Bruges is the location of Purgatory!

I also learned that the Flemish do not know how to spell! On the other hand, they do know how to properly use a waffle iron!

They also know how to mix sinful chocolate! The best part of the day was the free-sampling of Belgian Chocolates! Yummmmm! Not only does it taste like Heaven, it comes in creatives shapes and sizes like swans, teddy bears, or high-heeled shoes! While walking around the town, I mapped out my free-sampling route that I would take every day home from school were I an exchange student amongst the Flemish.

Bruges is known as Venice of the North. Well, I honestly cannot compare as I have never been to Italy. I will say that it is a charming town with lovely architecture and rivers cutting through the buildings like scissors cutting out a maze.

The only negative aspect of Belgium is that no matter where you go, ALL of the toilets have a charge.

At around five, we left Bruges for Brussels. We drove two hours, ate in a Lebanese restaurant, deposed Adrien at a friend's house, drove down to Saint-Omer to pick up Nicolas, and returned to Vimy.

Cats Don't Like Vick's VapoRub

I'm still a little congested, but not enough that I need to use anything to help me get better except a tissue. Still, I love the smell of Vick's VapoRub, so I put some on last night anyways. After I did so, I tried to pet the cat. He recoiled as soon as my hand neared his face, and he dashed to the opposite side of the room. When the other cat came into the room, I opened the jar of Vick's and stuck it under her nose. She had the same reaction.

Add a Dash of Bird Feathers

The other day, Catherine asked me to bake more cookies, so this morning I baked two batches and almost missed the bus to school because of it! I love cooking here! The eggs are so fresh that they have wispy chicken feathers in the cartons.

Repas des Rois

Last night I baked cookies for my Pastoral class. Today in Pastoral, however, the teacher had forgotten that we had planned a breakfast, so I ended up handing them out throughout the day instead.
This evening I went to a Rotary meeting called the Repas des Rois. In France there is a tradition to eat a cake to find a porcelain baby Jesus hidden inside. Somehow, this represents the three wise men. The food was great, and I witnessed the induction of a new member into the Lens-Lievin Rotary club!

A Pretty Relaxed Rentree

Usually I enjoy going back to the hum-drum routine of the school day after a long break, but for some reason I dreaded it this time. I had no desire to return to sitting at a desk from eight to five and never seeing the sunlight but for lunch time.
Luckily for me, as soon as I arrived at school, the announcement board showed that my Economy and Geography teachers were absent. That meant that I had no classes after my morning classes. To top that off, it's a Q2 week, meaning that I did not have a first period class today!
This afternoon I made cookies for Pastorale tomorrow morning.
Going back to school is fun!

Noisy Neighbor

While I have never met my neighbor, I now know she exists. I have a neighbor who is a deaf mute. Apparently, she goes out into her garden once a day and screams at the top of her lungs. I do not know why I have never heard this before. It was so depressing, listening to her. The agony in her howl truly introduces others to empathy.
I now have two more things to add to my list of blessings.

Nouvel An

Last night Michael came over and we had an English movie marathon. We started with Angels and Demons, went and ate a dinner of fois gras, duck a l'orange, and chesnuts with sweet potatoes, and finished with Hancock and half of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. We did not fall asleep until after three o'clock in the morning.
This morning we awoke to one of the male guests screaming that it was ten o'clock and ringing a bell. Ugh! I personally would have preferred cheeping birds or breakfast in bed. It was fine, though, because after eating, I fell back asleep until two in the afternoon.
For lunch we had more fois gras followed by pasta sprinkled with a grated black Perigord truffle (between 1000 and 3940 Euros per kilo). I think my host family enjoys fine dining during the holiday season.