Christmassss

The past two days were really good, and I got to experience more of the french culture. The night of the 24th, the day of my last post, we left the house around 6ish, and started to drive to Angers. 5 to 7 minutes into driving, we realized that we had left some presents at the house, so we turned around and went to pick them up. Once we got to Angers, we parked about 2 or three blocks away from the church (an extremely catholic church), and then walked / jogged to the church, 1. beacause we were late, and 2. because it felt like 40 degrees outside. We got the church, and there were already a bunch of poeple inside, so we had to stand the hour and half. I didnt really understand anything, not that I was really listening, but I was pretty tired from running that morning (at 10ish, went running with Ceciles dad 3 miles, super super cold). After church, we got back into the car and drove to a relatives who live farely close to Angers.

We all sat in a big circle in the living room (maybe 20-25 people) and started with the appetizer. But, here its called the appartif, or something, and its not only an appetizer, but whenever someone comes to the house to say hi, or drop something of, you offer them the “appartif” (sp?), which usually conists of alcohol and something to eat. So for the appartif, we drank some kind of alcohol, the best yet, and they pasted around little plates of food. At around this time, it was already midnight. After the appartif, we sat around, and started with the ACTUAL appetizer, which was oyesters and shrimp, the traditional for a french christmas dinner, so I was told many times. After that, they cleared the tables, and we opened some gifts from random relatives in the family, and im not even completely sure who gave what to me. I got a candle shaped like a chirstmas tree, a bowl with chocolates (and written on the bowl is Etriche, the name of the town I live in), and a book with pictures and discriptions of all the castles in the Loire Valley.. I think. Either after or before that, we went into this little boys room, and he played his lion king, and cecile sang in french, and I sang in english. We then satdown for the actual meal, proabably around 2 oclock, and ate Garic Potatoes, Celery in the form of Mashed Potatos puré, or what not, and Boar. Hey, and I didint eat Fois Gras, cause thats like torture and just plain disgusting in my opining, but I did eat a snail. And I still have its shell (and no it was not good). After dinner we exchanged our gifts that were ”blue anf liquid”. Every chirstmas, they have this santa gift exchange thingy, were you have to buy a gift under 2 euros and that fits into the catagory. And this year it was blue and liquid. After that we had desert, which was coconut and mango ice cream.. We then said our goodbyes at around 3:45, and I got home and went to bedaround 4:30. One of the things here in France is that things begin super late in the evening, and you dont leave till early morning.
The day of christmas, I got up around 10:30, so I could put a little stuffed animal in Ceciles sisters car. Everyone else got up around 11 oclock, and then we gathered in the dining room with the presents and small christmas tree. We told cecile that she was the first one to open a present, but she said no, so we all opended them together. I got a photo album, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Yannik Noah (a french singer), a sweater, a scarf, a T shirt, and loads of chocolate. And also juggeling balls, cause I was always juggeling oranges, and ceciles mom didnt want me to drop it on the floor and ruin it. At around 12 oclock, Cecile and I walked to her grandmothers house about 3 blocks away. We greeted everyone, and waited for the rest of the family to arrive before starting lunch. For lunch, I find the usualy family thing is carrots, hard boiled eggs, all mixed with some kind of vinagret sauce. Afterwards we ate chicken and turkey, potatoes, and green beans. While there I talked to another exhange student who lives close by with the family, hes 20, and for chirstmas his sister and twin brother were there. They are all super friendly. Its kinda funny though, cause the guy, Pedro, speaks only spanish and french, and his brother know spanish, italien, and some english. So I was speaking french to pedro, and he speaks only spanish to his borther, and his brother speaks english with me. Its like a three way thingy. Ater lunch, we played Monopoly, and I whooped everyone with 7 hotels. Afterwards was a short dinner, cause everyone was still full from lunch, at least I was, and then we left.

While leaving, Anthony and his cousin were outside, so I went to Anthonys and we watched Star Wars 3 in french, but not before I stole the remote and switched it to english…Haha, Hayden Christiansen definitely sounds better in english. Afterwards they walked me home and the three of us drank hot chocolate, and chilled, and then they left at around 11ish, and I called my mommy, chelsie, and grandparents. It was a pretty good christmas in FRANCE…..

X-Mas is on its way...

I dont know why I havent posted so long, but in acutality, I think Ive been trying to use my actual website than this, cause its my mom who set it up, and a lot more people have that address, like my grandparents for example.

So, life is still the same, the language is still improving with time, but Im starting to think I need to put a lot more effort into this, and not get lost in just having fun in France (I dont want this to be another episode of Algebra 2). Lately Ive been trying to read this kids book, quite hard, I always manage to get the concept, but there are incredibly a lot of words that I dont know, or if I know the word, I dont reconize the conjugation foorm, making the sentence totally wacked.

Other than that, christmas without my mommy, and instead a HUGE familly is totally gonna be different. Here, we dont spend it with just the family at home, itslike with all the freakin relatives, and its crazy. Im already kinda missing just being home alone with my mom. Christmas will be allight though, not as good as anyother, just because im not exactly looking forward to the whole christmas Mass at church, these people here are more religous than others, and... its interesting.

School is going..allright. I guess it really could have been better, especially if I had actually put some effort into my math class, instead of blowing it off. I dont really pay attention too much, and I completely bombed the test that I took wednesday, like the worst test eveer for me. French class is surprisingly the best class...or the one im best at. The others..are just kinda there. Dont really do much in them..

Home life is good... I wont get to see Anthony for three days, but maybe thats a good thing. Get away and live some family life. Yesterday when I got home I cleaned my room, and then lit a candle, and it looked hella good. Céciles sisters are here, thats cool, I dont get to see them too often, and its break for me know, and I have a good amount of french homework, and I seriously hope that I dont just blow it off. So, I finally got my box that I was waiting for... Had my book, another pair of shoes, well, cause my mom ordered some online as well, accidentaly (long story, its on my website), and some fuzzy warm socks and chocolate. The book...was like the greatest book everrr. No joke.. I seriously took it every where, especially since I had been waiting for that book forever (its the second one in the series). Hella good, I read it in 4 days, and last night I had a dream with the hot and sexy vampire in the book...damn, hes hella fine. But it took my box soo long to get here cause my mom accidentally switched the numbers, sending my book to Paris. lol. Oh welll....

"HAPPY HOLIDAYS"

Where are you?

Why haven’t I received my box of love?

Filled with shoes and great book…

The nights are endless,

When I think only of you my precious cardboard,

And how I hope you havent lost your way,

Its just something I cannot afford.

This afternoon..

While opening the mail box,

I thought of you and your sweet ways,

But there was nothing there…

Please hear my cry,

And come my way,

At least before…

My birthday.

Never Again.... ?

Ysterday was Tuesday. It was..an "OK day", and surprisingly soccer practice was the best part. There were only five of us there, and we laughed hella much (actually it was me being completely ridiculous that was making them laugh..singing songs from hella random ass disney movies). One of my favorite girls there put like a worm in my sock, and then I tried to put it down her shirt, but failed miserably. Ysterday after school I dragged Sarah to the english library and I read Green Eggs and Ham to her. Good times....

I dont know, these last few days have been..just so something. I can never put my finger on it, but I started ultimate with my PE class, and its just a bunch of ruckus, and we play indoor on like two big basketball courts (but two games on these courts). It made me miss Dark Meat so incredibly much. And I tried to tell the girls this and that, and they were like were not sure, so were gonna ask the teacher. Im like.. I play, I think I know the rules. Seriously, the coach thought the rules were this way, im thinking thats incredibly stupid, thats not how you play, and I told her how it went down, and shes like no. I was like Ok OK, and then finally she found the rule somewhere and said that I was right. That made me feel a little bit better...

Today Im staying at home until 1 ish, lucky me I dont have to take a test today, and I got to sleep in. It was excellent. Really sucks though, cause I know I need to do my homework but I managed to miss place it, cause its not in my binder, and I dont want to get up and search for it.
Okay I take that back, I just found it.

A years a long time.. but its going by incredbily fast. Its really interesting to me how I managed to leave you guys for a year, whitout even thinking twice about it. I thought that you would all still be there when I get back, and its true, and I guess I didnt think about leaving you guys because I would be returning. But here, just thinking about it now... Im getting attached to people without even thinking about it, but in reality, I may never see them again after schools over. I mean.. my friends at school. School life is almost completely seperate from my home life, except for Anthony and Cécile. My friends Sarah and Marion...they live in completely seperate areas, and I really doubt that I will see them again, its almost wishful thinking. But with Cécile, she'll proabably be coming back with me after the programs over for a couple weeks during the summer. And If I return here to visit, Anthonys here as well.. But the others..its almost impossible, and it makes me feel as if Im just being friends with them, and then im just gonna lose them in 7 months, and it sucks hella bad.

Dear Maya...

I hate it when people post annoymous shit, and then Im not sure who posted.

And I didnt reply to your email.. but eh. So tonight im gonna go to this huge carnival, its gonna be "tite". Hahaha.