today we started our internships. most of the kids work in restaurants but there is one who works in a flower shop and another in a bakery... I get to work in a clothing boutique! we all got dropped off together. I got dropped off last. it was raining and we were all so soaked. I had no umbrella... but I did buy one later.
anyway, I work in a little boutique called Yaya. the lady is super nice. I didn't really do much. for lunch I visited Aaron and his work at the American restaurant-- he made me a great bagel with some dr. pepper. I missed American food!
after work we had free time in Paris. I went shopping with friends and walked around a lot.
then for dinner we ate at a crepe restaurant and had some baller food. loooove it.
bonne nuit.
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Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
on saturday, we returned to Paris as a group and said goodbye to our host families. I cried when we drove away from our house. I hugged papa goodbye and left Valentin there too. the twins and Maman took me to the station. There was a 40 minute layover in the train. I couldn't talk to my family because I didn't want it to be too hard when I actually left.. but we went into the photobooth there since we were bored and took some pictures together. I also talked to the LDS missionaries that I met on Sunday when I went to church with my family. they are super nice and they've been helpful this past week. but it was totally weird seeing them there. I got their address because they wanted me to write and tell me about my tour in France.
we left Blois to Paris and got there in two hours. we got to our hotel and settled in. then we walked to some awesome crepe place and I had an AMAZING CREPE. it was egg, feta cheese, and tuna. probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. I wanted to cry.
then we went to a park and had group time. we shared good and bad moments we had at our homestay and had one-on-one chats with our leaders to make sure we were comfortable here.
then it started raining and we headed back to the metro to get to the hotel to change into nice clothes for the ballet. but we realized we had like 20 minutes to get there before it started and the doors closed so Breeze (my leader) literally ran to the hotel to get the ballet tickets while we turned around and went back. we walked probably 4 blocks in the pouring rain and got sooo soaked.
it was my first ballet. there were 3 acts. the first act had such a boring setting. no costumes, no nothing. the second act had at least some color lighting change. but the third act had a western background and the guys were dressed as cowboys and the ladies like those dancers you'd find in a bar--
gosh, in the olden days, guys! :)
but seriously, it was super weird. my hometown has real cowboys and hicks.... and when I think of cowboys, the last thing I think of is ballet. but it worked and it was fun and interesting that French people would want to watch a ballet about the place where I'm from.
it also made me miss home a little bit.. I miss the dryness and the hot sun. I miss mountains! you know how much sky there is here?? not in the city, but in the country. when I was in Chailles I could see soo much sky if I turned in a 360 outside.
anyways, after the ballet we rushed to another part of Paris and ate at this amazing restaurant! I ate salmon.. the best fish I have ever tasted in my whole life. really great food. ugh but we all looked at the food bill.. let's just say: très cher.
on Sunday, we went to the Eiffel tower. we planned to climb it but it started to get really windy so they closed the top floor. so we went to a cafe and watched the World Cup for women's soccer. we lost-- ooh la la, but it was still fun. we ate at a Russian cuisine restaurant which was very interesting. Inna spoke Russian and French and English all at once haha. it was actually really great food.
today, we helped in a soup kitchen. for the first half we cut vegetables and sorted some of the packaged foods, then we rode the bus to the kitchen location and served food to people. it was very interesting. most of the people were men, but there were also some families and women and babies. it made me realize how lucky I am to have enough to live.
after the soup kitchen we went to eat at a weird restaurant with crap on the walls and I finally tried escargots. it definitely looks disgusting. but it tasted okay. I only gagged a little. and, well....... that's it. goodnight. :) I start my internship tomorrow at a boutique! gotta get up early.
we left Blois to Paris and got there in two hours. we got to our hotel and settled in. then we walked to some awesome crepe place and I had an AMAZING CREPE. it was egg, feta cheese, and tuna. probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. I wanted to cry.
then we went to a park and had group time. we shared good and bad moments we had at our homestay and had one-on-one chats with our leaders to make sure we were comfortable here.
then it started raining and we headed back to the metro to get to the hotel to change into nice clothes for the ballet. but we realized we had like 20 minutes to get there before it started and the doors closed so Breeze (my leader) literally ran to the hotel to get the ballet tickets while we turned around and went back. we walked probably 4 blocks in the pouring rain and got sooo soaked.
it was my first ballet. there were 3 acts. the first act had such a boring setting. no costumes, no nothing. the second act had at least some color lighting change. but the third act had a western background and the guys were dressed as cowboys and the ladies like those dancers you'd find in a bar--
gosh, in the olden days, guys! :)
but seriously, it was super weird. my hometown has real cowboys and hicks.... and when I think of cowboys, the last thing I think of is ballet. but it worked and it was fun and interesting that French people would want to watch a ballet about the place where I'm from.
it also made me miss home a little bit.. I miss the dryness and the hot sun. I miss mountains! you know how much sky there is here?? not in the city, but in the country. when I was in Chailles I could see soo much sky if I turned in a 360 outside.
anyways, after the ballet we rushed to another part of Paris and ate at this amazing restaurant! I ate salmon.. the best fish I have ever tasted in my whole life. really great food. ugh but we all looked at the food bill.. let's just say: très cher.
on Sunday, we went to the Eiffel tower. we planned to climb it but it started to get really windy so they closed the top floor. so we went to a cafe and watched the World Cup for women's soccer. we lost-- ooh la la, but it was still fun. we ate at a Russian cuisine restaurant which was very interesting. Inna spoke Russian and French and English all at once haha. it was actually really great food.
today, we helped in a soup kitchen. for the first half we cut vegetables and sorted some of the packaged foods, then we rode the bus to the kitchen location and served food to people. it was very interesting. most of the people were men, but there were also some families and women and babies. it made me realize how lucky I am to have enough to live.
after the soup kitchen we went to eat at a weird restaurant with crap on the walls and I finally tried escargots. it definitely looks disgusting. but it tasted okay. I only gagged a little. and, well....... that's it. goodnight. :) I start my internship tomorrow at a boutique! gotta get up early.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
prise de la Bastille
yesterday I watched a basketball game that was America vs. France... haha. there were some kids from my group playing and their host siblings. and there were some players that switched teams because we didn't have very many. we didn't get beat too bad. we all thought it would be just a laid back pickup game, but it was pretty intense. we didn't lose that bad though.
after that we ate at our parents' friends house.... it made me realize how much I love Maman's food. then we watched the Blois fireworks for Bastille and watched a bit of the Stromae concert, which was really good. I never heard of them but I like them now :)
today, most stores were closed but the big department stores were open, so I went with maman and Juliette to go shopping. then we came back home and hosted a big dinner with some friends and family. it was really good. then we walked a few blocks to watch the fireworks in Chailles. it was really cool. we were really close, they blew up all across the sky! the coolest fireworks I've ever seen. it made me think of Independence Day in America--I missed the Fourth because I was in France. so this fireworks filled me up... I'm satisfied :)
tomorrow is the goodbye party with everyone and their families.. I leave on Saturday morning for Paris again. :(
making churros from scratch! they call them ChiChis. I taught them the ways of cinnamon sugar. they were amazing!
Stromae:
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after that we ate at our parents' friends house.... it made me realize how much I love Maman's food. then we watched the Blois fireworks for Bastille and watched a bit of the Stromae concert, which was really good. I never heard of them but I like them now :)
today, most stores were closed but the big department stores were open, so I went with maman and Juliette to go shopping. then we came back home and hosted a big dinner with some friends and family. it was really good. then we walked a few blocks to watch the fireworks in Chailles. it was really cool. we were really close, they blew up all across the sky! the coolest fireworks I've ever seen. it made me think of Independence Day in America--I missed the Fourth because I was in France. so this fireworks filled me up... I'm satisfied :)
tomorrow is the goodbye party with everyone and their families.. I leave on Saturday morning for Paris again. :(
making churros from scratch! they call them ChiChis. I taught them the ways of cinnamon sugar. they were amazing!
Stromae:
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Tuesday, July 12, 2011
kayaking and camping on the Loire
On Monday morning, all the group members and their host siblings all came together for a camping trip on the Loire. We kayaked all day in canoes, splashing each other and tipping over boats. When we arrived at the campsite, the night was filled with laughter and games. We had a rap war--girls against boys. It got a little crazy and a tired old man came and got mad at us for being loud. But it was still pretty sweet... Us crazy teenagers talked well into the night. I hardly slept at all. Plus, it rained :[ so in the morning i was soaking wet and feeling gross, but still pushed through another day of kayaking, but without the swimming part because it was super cold. And after lunch we made a fire and cooked s'mores together! It was Rafael's first camping/s'more experience. I'm so proud! ^_^ Even though i pretty much hate camping, it was really fun and I'm glad we had that bonding experience together. I was super careful with my sunscreening, and hardly got burned at all :) I wish I had pictures of the trip but I was too scared to bring my camera along on the water.... The most important thing is that it was a wonderful memory I'll keep with me for forever. EIL is amazing.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
encore "observements"
•The French like to eat fresh baguettes with their meals, which I like very much.
•They don't have real cheddar cheese. they have the fake stuff. but not the real kind.
•They like packaged foods with lots of preservatives. yuck.
•they take good care of their belongings. (some would call it OCD)
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•They don't have real cheddar cheese. they have the fake stuff. but not the real kind.
•They like packaged foods with lots of preservatives. yuck.
•they take good care of their belongings. (some would call it OCD)
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Fun filled day
After I ate un pamplemousse for breakfast, my mom took Juliette and me shopping at the supermarket. Nothing special... pretty much the same as an American supermarket. Except we were looking for cheddar cheese because i was going to cook dinner, but the French. don't. have. cheddar. Of all the things to not have. It's my favorite cheese :[ burkkkk!
Then the twins helped me stamp some postcards to my sponsors and family.
Then they took me to see the Villelouet Castle in Chailles. It was very pretty. We got a private tour, and were invited back to go swimming in their pool. There was a very beautiful chappel. I loved it.
Then we walked back home, then drove to Blois and went to the mall. There were many department stores. I thought it was very American :) but maybe it's French? We prepared for the kayaking trip we will have with the rest of the group on Monday, and i found some great souvenirs for my family and friends.
Then we came back home, and all the girls were tired, and papa was hungry. I made them grilled cheese with tuna. (I didn't bother to hold back on the butter.) we also had watermelon. they said they liked it; yummy!
Friday, July 8, 2011
rainy days
another thing I have noticed about this place is that the weather is very bipolar. one minute it's freezing cold and the next minute it's so hot you just might melt.
but anyways. today I didn't really do anything. I think my host sisters don't know what I want to do. I guess I should help them out a bit, and say hey. let's do something. because today was really boring and I didn't get much done. so from now on I am doing SOMETHING or seeing SOMEONE or getting something ACCOMPLISHED. :) whew.
I just feel weird now because my host brother Valentin broke his hip at work the other day and I can tell they are all really stressed so I hate to be demanding...
this is our dog (le chien). Vanille. soooo cute. he's resting with his stuffed monkey toy.
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but anyways. today I didn't really do anything. I think my host sisters don't know what I want to do. I guess I should help them out a bit, and say hey. let's do something. because today was really boring and I didn't get much done. so from now on I am doing SOMETHING or seeing SOMEONE or getting something ACCOMPLISHED. :) whew.
I just feel weird now because my host brother Valentin broke his hip at work the other day and I can tell they are all really stressed so I hate to be demanding...
this is our dog (le chien). Vanille. soooo cute. he's resting with his stuffed monkey toy.
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Wednesday, July 6, 2011
things I have noticed while in France:
-there are not very many cute French boys, but many older men are handsome. (I'm not saying I'm digging older guys, it's just something I noticed haha.)
-they drink their water a little bit warmer than Americans.
-EVERYBODY smokes! and they don't try to be courteous about it either. :( c'est disgusting.
-it's very hard to transition between French and English. being at the homestay is like being in a full time French class, no way of turning it off! haha.
-I don't like the French computer keyboard. it takes forever.
-my host sisters are afraid of Mormons. haha.
-French TV is no better than American TV. waste of time.
-stupid people are everywhere and anywhere you go. you just have to get over it.
-France is hot in the summer. go figure.
-the French are nice if they notice you're a stupid American but you're trying to speak French anyway.
-they drink their water a little bit warmer than Americans.
-EVERYBODY smokes! and they don't try to be courteous about it either. :( c'est disgusting.
-it's very hard to transition between French and English. being at the homestay is like being in a full time French class, no way of turning it off! haha.
-I don't like the French computer keyboard. it takes forever.
-my host sisters are afraid of Mormons. haha.
-French TV is no better than American TV. waste of time.
-stupid people are everywhere and anywhere you go. you just have to get over it.
-France is hot in the summer. go figure.
-the French are nice if they notice you're a stupid American but you're trying to speak French anyway.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
shopping in Blois
this morning, I cooked Myrtille and Juliette scrambled eggs for breakfast. they said the French don't have eggs for breakfast.. c'est bizarre. :) but they liked it I guess.
then, for lunch was fish and green beans. Yumm.
after lunch, we met up with Inna and Romane and rode the bus to Blois, where we shopped for about 3 hours. it was fun. every minute I spend with the twins, I learn 10 times more than if I was in a classroom. I wish every French student could experience what I am right now. it's amazing.
Julliette, Myrtille, and I have nicknamed notre frère, Valentin, "Monsieur Grumpy." hahaha.
bonne nuit. it's late.
then, for lunch was fish and green beans. Yumm.
after lunch, we met up with Inna and Romane and rode the bus to Blois, where we shopped for about 3 hours. it was fun. every minute I spend with the twins, I learn 10 times more than if I was in a classroom. I wish every French student could experience what I am right now. it's amazing.
Julliette, Myrtille, and I have nicknamed notre frère, Valentin, "Monsieur Grumpy." hahaha.
bonne nuit. it's late.
Monday, July 4, 2011
host family
I am with my amazing host family! my twin sisters are very patient avec moi... because my French est terrible!! =( but we are still having fun together, no matter my lack of speaking skills. Yesterday i got my first French sunburn. ouch! Today, we went to Blois in the city and met up with the whole group and their siblings.. it looks like everyone is loving it. i know i am!! we visited castles en Blois, and went shopping a little bit too.
I'm supposed to send like a bunch of postcards but apparantly it's super expensive. so we'll see =)
au revoir!!
I'm supposed to send like a bunch of postcards but apparantly it's super expensive. so we'll see =)
au revoir!!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Day 3!
Warning: the following posts may be written in franglais (half English, half French. Sorry for all the non French speakers)
Day one: we were exhausted from the plane ride--I didn't sleep at all on the plane. (by the way, first time flying... I LOVE it). We did a scavenger hunt, walked around, rode around on the metro system, went to a terrific dinner at a restaurant (I kept nodding off), and then a nighttime visit to la tour Eiffel, which was gorgeous! They lit it up with sparkling lights :)
Day two: another scavenger hunt, we lost Leslie and Brian, but they found their way back to the hotel just fine. We visited le Sacre Coeure, which is the most beautiful church I have ever seen in my life!! I couldnt take pictures inside but definitely google it. I gasped out loud because of how beautiful it was.
Today: It's 4 PM in the city of Paris. We are finishing up our lunch of bread, cheese, les
fruits, and wine (but I didn't drink any). They're just passing out dessert. yum!
Day one: we were exhausted from the plane ride--I didn't sleep at all on the plane. (by the way, first time flying... I LOVE it). We did a scavenger hunt, walked around, rode around on the metro system, went to a terrific dinner at a restaurant (I kept nodding off), and then a nighttime visit to la tour Eiffel, which was gorgeous! They lit it up with sparkling lights :)
Day two: another scavenger hunt, we lost Leslie and Brian, but they found their way back to the hotel just fine. We visited le Sacre Coeure, which is the most beautiful church I have ever seen in my life!! I couldnt take pictures inside but definitely google it. I gasped out loud because of how beautiful it was.
Today: It's 4 PM in the city of Paris. We are finishing up our lunch of bread, cheese, les
fruits, and wine (but I didn't drink any). They're just passing out dessert. yum!
Friday, July 1, 2011
starting day 2
Paris is so amazing! i didnt sleep a wink on the airplane and was so exhausted yesterday. everyone was. saw La Tour Eiffel yesterday and had an amazing time with my group. these guys are wonderful. i will try to write soon. =)
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