2010

Happy New Year!

I still can't believe that the double digits have started. Another year, and another year of opportunities, I hope.

I had a great time enjoying the cold weather, hosting some friends from Mexico, and spending the holidays the French way with my "adopted" French family - I hope I can call them that because they have done so much for me. I owe them a lot!!!!

As I mentioned before, I'm looking forward to this year being full of new changes. I am in the process of applying to what I think is the perfect graduate school program for me - I am applying to become a  grad student and Middlebury College in Vermont and earn my MA in Mediterreanean Studies. With this program, I am required to take all of my courses in 2 languages (choices being: French, Spanish, or Italian) and also required to study a year abroad. So, if all goes well, I plan on continuing my studies in French and Italian and might be back in Europe again. I'm really hoping to get accepted!!!

I only have 4 months left in France and I am hoping that I will make the most of it. My French is still decent and probably not at the level it should be at. But, I've noticed that it depends on the situation that I find myself in. When I am at work for example, I make mistakes because I always second guess myself because of the fear that since the people I work with are teachers, they'll think I'm dumb. But, when I'm on my own with a stranger I feel no pressure and manage just fine. When I am around Guillaume and his friends, I am terrified to speak because I don't know any of the slang....but I manage even though I speak very proper.

Anyways, Chrismas was fun. We went to the Christmas Mass and then had dinner. We ate foie gras, salmon, and lots of chocolate. On Christmas Day, we went over to Guillaume's Aunt's house where we found the rest of the family - in total, there were 35 adults and children. I met just about everyone in the family (from Guillaume's Mom's side) . We got there at 1 pm and then started with the apero (aperitif). We all then sat down and started eating. We ate non stop for hours, taking breaks between one dish and the next. After eating, we continued to play board games, charades, bulotte, etc. Guillaume, his sisters, his 2 cousins, I did not leave the house until 3am the next morning! We were there for 12 hours! I had never celebrated christmas like that before.

New Year's - from what I remember, we went all the way to the Haute Loire, another region in France next to Rhone. Some of Guillaume's friends organised the event and managed to rent out a room in a club. For 20 euros, I had all you can eat and drink for the entire night. With that said, I drank. And Drank. And eventually put to sleep. I do remember going around and saying Happy New Year to everyone - which in France consists of kissing everyone on both cheeks and saying meilleurs voeux - although the countdown was non existant. I was expecting everyone to come together and countdown as usual but instead, someone just glanced at their cell phone and started the kiss.

We all slept at the club and ate the leftovers the next day. I woke up and was still drunk. We didnt leave until late in the afternoon only to stop at a Mcdonald's. We got back to Guillaume's house around 6pm and went to sleep at 8pm. I slept until 9 the next morning. The first days of the year where a blur.

Now, I'm back at work and already counting down the days until the next break. I have 2 weeks off in February. I am planning on maybe going to Amsterdam with Guillaume and maybe I will do some more traveling with Emily, an old co-worker from the EAP office that will soon be in Milan as a teaching assistant as well.

I will post pictures up for December soon. sorry for the lack of editing for this blog, but I write as I'm thinking. And, sorry if that bothers you.

Happy New Year and best wishes to you all.