Blog slacker

<-----------All of the American's (we found more)

THE BOYS!!!

Tis I! The blog slacker. Attempting to catch up! Im going to attempt to give the low down of my last few weeks.

So for break I went to Nice for the Giant Carnival. It was a really great time, and really refreshing as Nice is on the Cote d'Azure where it is sunny, sandy, and lush and so unlike Le Mans or Nebraska. We went to festival and stayed with some awesome guys who taught us Hebrew, let us eat sabbath with them and made us delicious food!

first sighting of the eiffle tower

Russian Orthodox church

The View fromVille-Franche


and the view from a giant ferris wheel

Well, my other photos dont want to load now. But it was a great break. I had a great many thoughts and ideas. But the best part was definately the guys!

some funny guys in the flower parade

The biggest vending machine

These are funny people who were singing to a song in the flower parade.
And here is some of the confetti!. There were tons of kids who just go around and spray you with silly string, and you are allowed to throw confetti at them.

All in all a great vacation. The 11 hour train rides werent great, but all part of the adventure. As was the wine on said trian ride, and the u

Discovering the French Suburbs

If you have ever wondered if there is a bit of suburbia in Europe the answer is yes...but it is a little bit country and not alot of rock and roll. It includeds driving down very very scary one car roads with no lights and lots of fog, but also includes a great view and beautiful stars at night.

Hanging out at a french students home is interesting... and if people tell you that europeans dont get drunk its a lie...I saw a french guy fall down the same stairs twice in one night!

But they are also very sweet. One new french guy friend let me sleep on his air mattress since I was not hooking up with anyone, and another who has a little sister my age tucked me into bed. It was endering.

It is always fun to talk about cultural faux pas...like if and when you can say your mom jokes in forgein cultures. And also how in style is the loser sign.

Tonight... I leave for Nice!

:)

I am pretty happy here.

Today I went to class ( cut short by ANOTHER strike). Then had a bus adventure - because all the corporate stores are like 1./2 hr away) with Amanda trying to buy our sleeping bags, and then sitting like vagrants for half an hour at a bus stop. We also ate at the delic cheeseburger place in Republique (the big shopping center in town). After I attempted to make cookies from a box recepie that turned out more like buscuits and headed to Davids suprise bday party where all the americans and others came to celebrate his 21st bday! We ate alot of food, and taught the drinking game :Circle of Death: to the others. It was a really awesome time, just hanging with some good friends for a bday, I just am happy to have met so many great people.

I am also feeling very grateful for the people I have back home.

I think one of the strangest things about studying abroad is the compare/contrast phenomenon. I find myself comparing and contrasting things....not to say that one is better or worse because each has its ups and downs...but just realizing the things I appreciate....

For example: I love that Le mans has
history, greenery, fresh air, and public transportation


perhaps that is part of why we travel; to find the THINGS or QUALITES that we like so that we may find them agian in our own lives, or find the places that will create the atmosphere we desire.

Lame days

So basically Ive been laying around all week, because of the strikes there has been almost no class.
Last night we had a shots party in kitchenette and taught some European men to dance...sorta :)

I have decided to become a really good cook.

I also found the cutest little knick-knack shop...

We havent recieved our stipends yet...so I will soon be a starving artist.

70's night at the bar tonight.

I am having flashbacks with some musical music

Boof

I feel like I dont know anything about myself...or maybe that there are just two of me?

And maybe I should get on a more normal time scheduel.

I hate that with art everything has to have so much theory, it sometimes...is just fun.

oy veh.

I leave you with this:

Take this kiss upon the brow!

And, in parting from you now,

Thus much let me avow—

You are not wrong, who deem

That my days have been a dream:

Yet if hope has flown away

In a night, or in a day,

In a vision or in none,

Is it therefore the less gone?

All that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream.

Disco Bitch

The past two days have been kinda crazy. We didnt have class thursday because of the strike...which I slept through, but stole pictures of anyways.

It was called black friday and the transportation was supposed to shut down, but it didnt.

I also ate wine and coco puffs for dinner the other night...just because.

I am trying to design my tatoo. I think I might get it while I am here.

I visited the most beautiful gothic cathedral here in Le Mans. Its wonderful and was built throughout different times. It is the perfect example of europes ability to change and adapt while building on older things.

Today I woke up and went to the train station to inquire about tickets to Nice. A very nice woman helped us. She was very patient with my broken french and told us to buy a pass that gets us around the country for about half price most times. We are going back tommorow to buy them

Then we left there and went to republique where we found a cool bookstore. I bought a dictionary (dumb idea not to bring one) and a map and a little book about cheap cooking. There were so many cool books and stuff there and the cutest little cafe. Very MOD.

We stopped at a walk in crepe place and grabbed a snack ( such a mistake to know where it is ). We also went to the delicious candy store and got some snacks.

And I cut my bangs :) I know I know so exciting

Anyways, tonight I went and hung out in Christines room with the Ukranian students and some others. Afterwards some of us went to the Internationals party on campus. It was a blast...there were tons of new people all with lots of energy and friendly, many whom I hadnt met before. It was a great time. I learned to make a new drink from the Spanish students:

1pt blueberry liquor
2pt red wine
mix with coke

it sounds gross but is delicious.

The spanish guys I met are so funny and they danced on the tables :)




Also, we danced to the hot singer in france discobitch


its crazy how much american music they know. Rihanna, red hot chili peppers, etc etc..

A man needs to travel..

""A man needs to travel. By his means, not by stories, images, books or TV. By his own, with his eyes and feet, to understand what is his. For some day planting his own trees and giving them some value. To know the cold for enjoying the heat. To feel the distance and lack of shelter for being well under his own roof. A man needs to travel to places he doesn't know for breaking this arrogance that causes us to see the world as we imagine it, and not simply as it is or may be. That makes us teachers and doctors of what we have never seen, when we should just be learners, and simply go see it."
---- Amyr Klink (Brazilian sailor and writer)

I found this quotation on couchsurfing.com. It is a very cool site full of amazing people all reaching out to eachother. It reminded me of a movie I saw recently that talks about how amazing and absurd it is that we as humans do reach out to eachother. Not always for survival or love or lust, sometimes we just reach out to someone. :)

Today was a slow day with frustration in classes and wine for dinner.
Tommorow we have a strike to attend!