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…..