Christmas =)

Sometimes I miss how Christmas as a kid. I remember being so excited to get up and see what Santa brought me, and then rushing over to Grandma's house after cooking a few things to bring with us. We haven't really had a Christmas like that in awhile because everyone's grown up, and we just all have a lot going on. Also, my grandparetns stay in Florida throughout the summer. They aren't a big fan of cold. However, this Christmas is going to be so amazing.

Tomorrow morning my whole family will be here. I haven't had a Christmas with both parents together in a long time. I'm very anxious for that. Then, the day after Christmas, my whole family is packing up and going to my grandparetns. It will be so good to see them because I hardly ever get to. My grandma has leukemia, and just recently had a heart attack, and I want to spend as much time as I can with her while I still can.

I'm also excited about giving Lucas his presents. I feel like I actually got things he wanted this year which always helps with the excitement.

My parents and sister are in Ardmore right now. That's about 4 hours south of where I am in Owasso. The weather is incredibly bad, ice, snow, sleet, hail. So I'm really hoping they can make it home safely.

I realized today that two christmases from now I could be married..beautiful. haha. Anyways, I don't have a lot to say. I'll be back.

-Kristina

GPA

I know it's been a couple of days but I haven't been on the computer much lately and since my last post was so angry I wanted to wait until I had something exciting. Now I do. Well I think it is.

I've been waiting on my professors to post my grades for about two weeks and they finally did. I received 3 A's and 1 C. The C was in my Analysis of French Texts class that was taught in French. I worked so hard in that class that I feel like that C is an A. So it's all good. And next semester I'll take my last French class. And that will be awesome.

I've moved back home for the break. Which so far has been good. But I know eventually I'll be ready to go back to school haha. I feel so bored. And it's nice right now. But again, I'll be ready for school again in a couple of days. I can't wait until my teachers post the book lists. I love ebaying for textbooks. It's fun haha. So as soon as they are up I'll be wasting all kinds of time on Ebay and Amazon and Half.com.

I really don't have a lot to say cause nothing has been going on lately. So I'll be back. Oh, I made cake yesterday. So soon I'll post pictures.

-Kristina

Reasons why you should tip your server

After several tables decided to not tip me this week, I decided to write a list of reasons why you should tip your server.

1. They get paid 2.13 an hour. Since that all goes to taxes, your tip is their paycheck.

2. You most likely have no idea what it's like to be a server, so don't start griping over something that probably wasn't their fault. For example, cold food. Does the server look like a cook? No. Ask nicely or suck it up.

3. See number 1.

4. I understand that servers do make mistakes sometimes. But my guess is, it's not a life or death matter. So, if your server isn't quick enough to fill the drinks once, it'll be okay. More than once, then you can be a little upset.

5. See number 1.

6. While your server's job is to wait on you, it is not their only one. They have several other things they are having to do at the same time. Where I work, here's a few more of my other jobs: roll silverware, fill up the biscuits, make sweet tea, make coffee, bus tables, run food to tables, and keep things clean. So don't expect them to just stand their at your beck and call for the 45 minutes that you are sitting there.

7. Oftentimes, servers only have two table sections. That means if you sit there at their table for an hour and then don't tip, they are counting on their one other table to tip at least $5.50 to bring them up to minimum wage.

8. Did I mention that servers only make $2.13 an hour.


-Kristina

Inspections....gross

Being on the apartment staff I have to do inspections as people move out of their apartments. I just got done doing a few and I honestly don't understand how people can live in filth like that. If there's cockroaches crawling on the floor, why would you not do something about it. Gross. Also, I don't understand why people would leave good furniture behind. I understand if it's crappy falling apart furniture, but good furniture? They do realize that in about a week we're going to take it all to the dumpster right? People are weird.

I'm kinda starting to feel content with where I am right now. I'm really working on the patience thing and I at least am making some headway. It'll be awhile before me and Lucas get married so for now I'm going to look forward to things that are closer. Don't worry, I'm still looking forward to marrying him. I'm just trying to be more patient.

A few things to look forward to:

1. I'm going to Florida with BOTH of my parents and my little sister. I absolutely love feeling like a normal family so I'm very excited about this whole family trip.

2. Next semester I get to start my elementary education theory classes. This means that one day a week I get to spend my mornings assisting an elementary teacher. I'll also have to teach a few lessons as well as write lesson plans. It'll be exciting to be in a classroom teaching. I'm super excited.

3. I think that my dad is planning on taking a vacation to Vegas for my 21st birthday. If this happens then Lucas will most likely go with us and I'm super excited.

4. I'm going to be changing apartments next year to live with Allyson. This will just make everything so much easier and better and I'm very anxious for this to happen.

See all these exciting things that I have to be patient for? No wonder I'm so impatient, I've been blessed with amazing opportunities.

-Kristina

Break?

The second I got done with finals I immediately started thinking of things I needed to do: laundry, a serious apartment cleaning, buy books for next semester, and various other things. Then I realized that all of that stuff could wait, at least for a little bit. It's been such a long time since I've taken a real break. This semester was really long and really hard and I know it's just going to get worse next semester. Therefore, I'm going to try my hardest to truly relax. I will be going to Florida in a week and a half and that will definitely help me to not do anything.

I've always had trouble taking breaks. Or taking time to myself. Even when I do "take breaks" I'm doing something else. For instance, if I'm working on a paper, my break is to work on other homework. Sometimes I really do need to just stop. But, I hate feeling unproductive so I feel like I always need to be doing something. I actually did a little better this semester and took some time to read a few books throughout the semester. I think that this seriously helped with my stress so it's something I need to continue to do.

Part of my problem is I'm so goal-oriented. I see something I want, and then I work towards that. This is something else that messes with my patience. I don't understand sometimes why I can't have something if that's what I'm working for. Patience. Blah.

Okay. I'm going to go continue reading the Chronicles of Narnia. See, I'm breaking.

-Kristina

Humph

I've realized over the past few days that blogging can be a good thing. I realize that it's been a long, long time since I've posted, but, I'm a college student and therefore very busy. One of my friends recently updated their facebook status with a link to their blog. After reading it, I felt not only encouraged, but inspired to return to blogging. And so here it is. My return to blogging.

I was thinking recently about how important this time of my life is. In college you make so many decisions that will effect the rest of your life. And they are not small decisions. Huge decisions are thrown at you every day. There is also so much happening that I know I will never want to forget. Which is another reason for this return to blogging. I want to remember this time of my life and everything that was important in it. So here it goes: Project Scrapbook. I've decided that is what I will name my blog. I have no where near the time that is necessary to make a real scrapbook. So instead this will be my virtual one.

I just finished my fall semester of my junior year in college. Because I will be graduating a little late, that means that I only have 4 semesters left. It also means that I have completed 5 semesters. I realize that means I'm over halfway done but 4 more semesters seems like so long. I just hope they all go like this past semester: super busy and therefore super fast.

A lot of things have been different this semester. I'm on the apartment staff, which I love. I quit band, which I miss. I changed my major, again, to elementary education, which I am excited about. And Lucas and I have become closer than ever, which is frustrating at times because I am even more impatient for marriage. Which brings me to something else. I read someone's blog recently about being patient for God's time. God will make the pieces all fit together eventually and it will definitely be worth the wait. Patience is something that I have always struggled with because I'm always waiting for the next thing. Tying patience to God's time is definitely something that I needed to hear and it's something that I plan on focusing on.

I think that's all that I have for now. I'm positive that I will be back.

-Kristina

Changes.

As my time in France is slowly coming to an end, I have begun to think about how this journey has changed me. While some changes I expected, others I would never have even considered. Also, I have not made a lot of changes that I thought I would. I don't feel as though I've matured, or gotten older. I don't feel like my French has really improved too drastically, although, I'm sure it has a lot more than what I think. And, while before I thought I would want to move to France immediately, I'm still content with staying in America.

I have changed in these ways though, most of them having to do with food:

1.) I can successfully eat a full meal with my left hand. In France, it's rude to change hands if you are cutting something, so if you have a knife in your right hand, you are suppose to eat with your left hand. At the beginning, this was very very difficult. I would get so frustrated and sometimes end up just eating with my hands instead. Haha. Now, I've learned the ways. I've studied my family, and my professors while they ate. Prefecting the art of eating. Haha. It really is a lot more difficult than it seems. So, I'm sorry if I look funny while eating when I come home, it's normal here.

2.) I love eating fruit. In the U.S. it would take a good piece of fruit already cut up and ready for me to eat for me to really enjoy it. Here, I go to the supermarket all the time, and then as soon as I leave, start eating my fruit. Without cutting it up, and most of the time without washing it. It's just so delicious. I think that I will come back craving fruit on a fairly regular basis.

3.) I look forward to dinners that involve cucumbers or tomatoes. If I had been given a meal in the U.S. like that I probably would just have walked away. I guess I really just needed a push to try these things. In fact, today at lunch, I ate a handful of cherry tomatoes without giving it a second thought. And they were delicious.

4.) My instincts have started being in French. When I bump into someone I instantly say pardon, or excusez-moi, rather than sorry. I never thought I would do that. It's hard to break old habits, but I have apparently.

5.) I wash a lot of clothes in the sink. At home, doing this would be crazy. But I'm actually okay with it. It only takes a few minutes and then they're ready to wear the next day.

6.) Sleeping without air conditioner to keep me cool was a big change that I had to make. At the beginning, it was difficult, and I would wake up in the night sweating and uncomfortable. Now, more times than not, I sleep through the night even though I'm sweating. I've actually forgotten what it's like to have air conditioner. Use to, I would walk into a building, expecting the coolness to come over me. Now, I walk into a building already anticipating the higher temperatures of being indoors.

I think thats all the really major changes. And that's all I have for you.

Kristina



p.s. I miss my boyfriend more than anything in the world. But I get to come home to him in 7 days.

Annecy, c'est beau.

Once again another week has passed. The good news this time is that there is only one more. Yep, that's right. In 9 days I will be back in the wonderful United States.

Last week went very fast. We only had two days of class so it wasn't really a big deal. And then on Friday we went to St. Remy's de Provence. That's a city that van Gogh spent a lot of time in. It's where the mental hospital that he stayed in is. It was kinda neat to see his room and where he lived. There was also a bunch of roman ruins in this town. They had just recently been dug up, like within the last 100 years. It was really really cool to see because the ruins were still so intact. You could still see the structures of the buildings.

Saturday I went to Lyon with Lexy and Jared. It was fun we just hung out and walked around all day. Lyon is the third largest city in France, but yet, there wasn't a whole lot to see. However, it was a lot more modern than Paris and a lot more relaxed.

Sunday was the best day I've had here I think. Me and Lexy went to Annecy. I'm completely in love with that town. It's so beautiful. It's a small town that is located at the foot of the Alps. It has a beautiful lake at the edge of the town and on the other side of the lake is the Alps. The lake was crystal clear and it looked more like a pool than a lake. Me and Lexy rented paddle boats and went out onto the water. It was so fun.

On Monday IES decided that all of us students should attend the theater festival in Avignon. So we all were brought back to Avignon. It was a really long day. And the plays weren't very exciting. For the most part the plays were monologues, so it was very difficult for us to understand without much action.

Tuesday went by with nothing exciting happening. Once again though, I was glad to be home. It was a nice feeling.

This week is almost over and now I only have 3 days of class left. I'm so anxious to come home. It's all I think about all the time. I miss my boyfriend like crazy.

Well, I think that's all I have for now.

J'aime le buerre de cacahuetes.

Another week is nearing an end. And yes, while it feels like I have been here forever. It has gone by quickly. If that makes any sense at all. I spent the week-end in Paris. Therefore. I have a lot to talk about.

It all started Friday morning. At 7 o'clock to be exact. We all walked down to the gare. Ready and excited for the adventure ahead of us. We all love the TGV and it has quickly become our favorite way to travel. The TGV is a big train that goes all through France. It's great because one, it's air conditioned, and two, it's fast. So, we got into Paris around 11:00.

After navigating the subway systems and getting lost in the 14th, we found our hotel. And what a nice hotel it was. The people were so nice. It was kinda funny, because she spoke english to us, and we responded in French without even really realizing it. Good times.

After finding our hotel we decided that finding food would be an awesome idea. So, it was off to a supermarche. We all bought stuff for a picnic and returned to the hotel to have a picnic on a hotel bed. It was great. We then decided to be a little more ambitious. We traveled back into the center of Paris and went to an Andy Warhol exhibit that was at the bottom of the champs elysees. It was really neat and I think we all enjoyed that. By this time, of course, we were hungry again. It's amazing how often we ate. But we ate at a cafe and then we got on a boat called the Bateaux Mauche. It took us on the Seine around Paris. It was very beautiful and a great way to see Paris by night.

Saturday was my favorite day. We went to Versaille and went to the Palace and the gardens. The gardens were my favorite part. We had brought food and so we had a picnic in the gardens and also rented bikes for an hour and rode around. It was so pretty and one of the most relaxing things ever. Saturday night we wanted to chill because we'd been going so much. So we returned to the hotel, for another picnic in the room for dinner, and then we went to see Public Enemies. It was an okay movie, but the part I liked was that it was in English with French subtitles. We all enjoyed reading the subtitles because it was interesting to see how they translated certain things.

Sunday we got up early and went to Musee d'Orsay as well as the Pompidou. I liked both of those museums a lot and hope to someday go back and visit them when I have a little more time. It was my first time to be at a museum with really famous artists. I enjoyed it a lot.

Monday we went up to Sacre Couer. That's a big church on top of a big hill. Not only is the church beautiful, but it gives a beautiful view of Paris. We then were all anxious to get home.

It was so weird to us how we all felt like we were going home. On Friday, when I left, I would never have thought of this place as home, but after having been in Paris all week-end, it was home. I was happy to be home and it was good for me because it gave me new confidence. I only have 15 days left and then I'm leaving. I just have to make the best of it and keep going.

Yesterday was Bastille Day. For those who don't know, it's basically France's independence day. I was really excited to get to see fireworks since I didn't get to on my birthday. They were really pretty because they did them on the far bank of the Rhone river. That way, everyone was on the other side. It was beautiful because you could see the reflections of the fireworks in the water. Also, there was a boat in the middle of the river that had fireworks coming off of it. It was just good.

School is going okay. I only have 7 days of class left. So that's good.

Okay. That's all for now.

A la guerre, vraiment?

It's been awhile. I know. It's more difficult than I expected for me to find time to write on here. Mostly because I'm so exhausted all the time. Also because my thoughts are so tangled with French that it's sometimes difficult for me to think for long periods of time in English.

It's been an okay week. My family was here for a lot of it. So that was awesome getting to see them and such.

Last Friday we went to Avignon. That was my favorite place so far. We took an audioguided tour through le palais du paupes. I think that's how you spell it. Anyways, it's where popes used to live. I believe it was before there was a Vatican city. But i'm not sure on that information. Bertrand even let us listen to the tour in English. So we were very excited about that.

I'm starting to learn the ways of the Arlesians a little more I think. They do things so much differently. Dinner never consists of one course, it comes in three, or sometimes first. Eating is definitely my favorite thing here. There has really only been one meal that I didn't like. And that's because it was some weird fish stuff. I really enjoy eating outside, however, it has to be hot when we eat outside or "les moustiques" eat us a live. I have so many mosquito bites it's ridiculous.

My classes haven't really gotten any better. But that's okay because I'm halfway done with them. I'm also halfway done with Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and almost Tuesdays. Personally, I think that's exciting. I have a countdown to when I come back home, and I definitely like the number being in the 20s rather than the 40s. In a few days it'll be in the teens, and that is very exciting.

On Friday, I'm taking a trip to Paris with some of the other IES students. I think that it will be fun, and it will help to pass the time.

While here, I've realized just how shy I am. It's difficult enough for me to talk to strangers in English, but, en francais? C'est impossible! Okay. It's not really impossible. It's just really hard.

I guess I should talk about the title of this post haha. A few days ago we were stitting at lunch. Oh. Sidenote, Monday through Wednesday we eat lunch with the other IES students and some of our professors. It's really cool and very language intensive. Anyways, we were at an IES lunch and someone said they had to go to the gare to get their train tickets. The french word for gare, is pronounced gaaaar. If that makes any sense. Only, this person said it how it looks, like a word that rhymes with care. Anyways, the way she said it was the word "guerre" which means war. So she told the professor she was going to war. And it was funny. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to post that story in English and describe the sounds, but, there you go. Sorry if you don't understand.

Anyways. I'm going to go now. I'm very tired.

Au revoir!

Feeling a little homesick...

I'm beginning to feel a little homesick. I'm just so exhausted all the time and I would really enjoy my bed at home. I'd also like so McDonalds haha.

I think I'm exhausted all the time because it's exhausting speaking another language. It's exhausting having to pay so close attention to everything that everyone says just so you can understand.

I've realized over the past week that I'm like the only one here who is at such a low level. I've only had two years of French while other people have had more than 5. I feel like everyone just thinks I'm stupid because I don't talk very much, when really I'm just trying to keep up with the conversation. They don't understand why I'm so quiet. I'm trying to just not care, I know why, so who cares what these people think.

I'm really wanting to come home. A lot. But that's okay.

A couple of days ago we went to the beach. That was pretty fun. I actually enjoyed that day because it went so fast. When time goes fast I'm a happy person.

It's getting hotter here now. The first few days I was cold, but not now. It's 90 degrees but there's not air conditioner. And so when the wind isn't blowing, it's hot.

I had my first test today. I think that I actually did pretty well. I was surprised, because it was on about 100 pages of information. I read what I could but it's difficult to read that much in French in such a short amount of time. But it seemed to work nonetheless.

I really don't like my classes very much. My photography one is just difficult, so I can handle that, but the grammar one is retarded. We read poems and analyse them alot. I don't really see what that has to do with grammar. Like, she makes us talk about what the poems mean to us and stuff. And she doesn't have things very planned out. We spent 45 minutes of the 1.5 hour class time playing a charade like game because she didn't know what else to do. That was a little ridiculous to me.

Anyways, I don't really have a lot to say. I miss home. The end.

I love eating outside.

Okay, so Sunday afternoon we met our parents. They came to the hotel to pick us up. I ended up rooming with another IES student and I didn't know that was going to happen, but that's okay. My mother was the one that came and picked us up. Her name is Farida. She's really nice but she talks fast and it's hard for me to understand a lot of things. I really hope that part gets easier, and quickly. After she picked us up she took us to her house. It's such a cute house and I love my room. We have a dog and it likes to come lay on my bed with me.

After we got here me and Rachel, my roomate, went to lunch with our neighbors, who are also hosting a student. That was really not a good experience for me. First I had to eat fish, which wasn't too incredibly bad, I just definitely wouldn't have chose it. They were also serving wine and they looked at me really funny when I said I didn't want any. So then they started talking about how religious people are weird and stuff, and how no one should be a virgin after the age of 14. It was probably the most I've ever been made fun of for being a christian. But that's okay. I survived.

I love eating here because we almost always eat outside. I've only eaten inside at the hotel and at one of the cafes we went to. The weather is perfect. Sunday night we ate dinner with our family. At the beginning there were 6 places set at the table, then my "brother" called and he wasn't coming, and then my "father" called and he couldn't come either. I didn't even meet one of my brothers until last night. But we ate chicken and carrots for dinner and it was very very good.

My classes are good. I just have a lot of problems understanding. And I hate that. It's so hard for me to keep up. But, it'll get better I think.

I don't really have a lot to say right now because I'm so exhuasted.

au revoir.

Orientation

Orientation started with a bunch of nervous chatter from all of the students. We waited anxiously in the lobby wondering what was to come. We talked about simple things, our names, colleges, where we were from, what our major was. Then a lady walked in announcing her presence by singing "bonjour, bonjour, bonjour bonjour bonjour." We laughed uncomfortably and then she starts talking to us very quickly in French. We all looked around having no clue what she was saying. Then she turned around and left the room! Someone said, she said sortie, and she said ensemble. That means to leave and together, so we followed, not sure what else to do. She walked into the "street." I say that because all of the streets are alleys. They really aren't big enough for cars but somehow cars squeeze through them occasionally. After a few moments of us talking to each other she turns around and says, "Il y a trop bruit." There is too much noise. "Maintenant, il n'y a pas l'anglais, seul francais." Now, there will be no english, only French. It's amazing how quiet it was the rest of the way.

Those first few minutes of silence were the worst because we were all wondering what we got ourselves into. But, once we started talking in French, it was easy to continue. We went to a building where our classes will be held. She talked a lot, most of which we didn't pay attention too because we were all so exhausted from our flights in. But then we fianlly got to eat. Pizza. I thought it was funny that our first meal in France was pizza.

Speaking of the pizza, who in the world puts unpitted olives on a pizza. I thought my tooth was going to fall out after biting down hard on that. It's good now though, no worries.

Yesterday started with a tour of Arles. While this was interesting to see, no one could understand Bertrand because it was windy and we couldn't understand his deep French accent. To me it is so much harder to understand males because they emphasize the throaty sound even more then the women. He took us to a cell phone store after a while and told us to buy our cell phones there. But then he left, leaving us alone and helpless with our little bit of French. After someone got the courage to start the conversation we were all able to make it work. However, I still don't have a cell phone because the guy was really slow and we didn't have time to wait. But that's okay. I'll get it Monday.

Yesterday afternoon was long and exhuasting. We sat through 3 hours of orientation about safety policies, what are classes would be like, and how to treat our families. It was amazing to us the stereotype that French people have of Americans. Bertrand talked for a long time on how we can't binge drink here because it's not Spring Break. I'm pretty sure that he's never even been to America. We also found out that only 10 percent of the population of Arles speaks English. That's such a small number.

After orientation we went to a house that was in the Alpinnes. It was a beautiful house with a pool and an amazing view of the mountatins. We all "swam" for the 2 hours they gave us to swim. I sat on the edge of the pool for a bit and then got to cold and had to change back into my real clothes. We ate dinner there. Chicken, that still had feathers on it. I'd never even seen that before, but I just pulled the skin of and ate it anyways. I also ate tomato with mozarella on it. Apparently that's a really big thing here. Oh and i forgot to tell you what I had for lunch yesterday. It was salad with hot goat cheese on the top. Haha. It acutally wasn't too bad.

Today is Sunday now and we are all just waiting around to meet our families. I believe they are supposed to be here around 11:30 ish and then we move in at noon. Around then. But I have to be out of my room within the next 15 minutes. So I really should probably go. I'll tell you all about my family and house in the next post.

And so it begins

I just thought I would start a blog so whoever wants to know what I'm doing can know.

It's been such a long day/two days. They all run together when you have an 8 hour flight and a 7 hour time change. So if I ramble on and on and make no sense, it's because I haven't slept in two days.

Thursday morning I got up and boarded an 11:30 flight from Tulsa to Chicago. That flight went smoothly but then I had a 4 hour layover. Which sucked. I absolutely hate flying, so sitting on a bench for 4 hours waiting for an 8 hour flight is kind of like getting teeth pulled. Haha. And what a fun flight it was, let me tell you. For the first half of the flight the baby behind me was screaming at the top of his lungs, while his mother sat across the aisle not even trying to comfort him. I say baby, but really he was like 3. Old enough to know how to behave on a plane, or at least try to. After four hours of baby screaming I was exhuasted and annoyed. I wanted to turn around and pick up the kid myself. But the baby finally settled down about when it got dark.

This darkness was the weirdest part of the trip. You saw the sunset behind you and then about an hour later you could see the sun coming over the horizon. It's weird when 15 hours goes by in 8. This plane ride, while the longest, was probably the easiest I've been on. I had zero nauseau, probably because I continuously ate, and I had some okay seat mates. One was a french guy who could speak English, but the one thing he said to me was, "Zut, no ordinateur, no job." It was just funny because he tried to sleep the whole time the baby was crying, with many moans of unhappiness. And then as soon as he pulls his laptop out to work his computer dies. The girl on my right was just kind of crazy. She was obviously used to flying in more prestigious airlines in a much higher class. She just continually talked AA down. Oh well. She didn't even buy her plane ticket so she needs to get over it.

Landing in Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France was just like landing in any other airport. Except this time, there was a little guy in a cubicle shoving our passports back through the window after we handed them to him. Although this sounds unexciting, I'd never been through customs before and I thought it was neat that I got a stamp on my passport.

The trains were the most complicated thing. Our whole group sat at the wrong terminal for 3 hours before realizing 10 mintues before our train left that we needed to be way on the other side. Talk about stressful. But that was nothing compared to when our train got to Avignon. There are two different train stations in Avignon and we had to go from one to the other to get our trains. It was complicated, and confusing, and the bus driver just said 1 euro 20 over and over again. But that's not what we were asking haha.

Eventually we got to our hotel. After much walking and stress and exhaustion. And I'll tell you all about orienation tomorrow or some other time. Peace out.