Just a quick update

Hi everyone,
I just got some feedback from my dad about my blog. Apparently it is pretty hard to access my flickr account. I have added an app to the left hand upper corner of my blog. It is a link to my account, so you can see all of my pictures (my residence's firewall does not allow me to post pictures to my blog, so I set up the flickr account instead) So just click on that and keep up with my adventures!

Nous sommes ensemble, et je suis contente.

So, I got the greatest Christmas present ever yesterday. After an insane trip for all of us, my dad finally arrived in Amsterdam, and we had dinner together. Everything that could go wrong with this trip, has. Flights have been delayed several times, passports have not been up to date, suitcases have been lost. It doesn't matter thought. My family is together for the first time in about 6 months. It might not seem like a long time, but being together is a rarity. I live in France/England/Boston, and my brother has settled near Philadelphia. Being in Amsterdam together is truly magical. Our family has our share of problems, but we have put them aside to enjoy being together. It is wonderful.

Finally with the Fam!

My Christmas plans have not gone according to my plans, however I am overjoyed today! I am sitting here in Amsterdam, in the hotel, with my mom and my brother. They are both sleeping (jet lag of course...) It has definitely been an interesting, and exhausting, few days.

I started out early Monday morning, checking the bus website repeatedly, waiting to see if the buses would be running. Sadly, due the 3 feet of snow outside, the buses could not. However, the trains were still moving. I was determined to get to the train station in time for my train to Brussels. So I walked. I live 3 miles away from the train station. Let me say this just one more time for clarity. I walked 3 miles in snow that came up to my knees. With my suitcases. That is dedication to travel!

I got to the train station in one piece, got on my train to Lille, and hopped on a train to Brussels. Well, that last part isn't quite true. I attempted to hop onto the train, but it was so crowded due to the late trains, that I squeezed on. I stood in the corridor for the hour long train ride....but finally...I made it!

I got to my hotel, and received a phone call from my parents. Apparently the snow had cancelled their flight. Dommage. I would have to be alone for another day. I decided that I would spend the day scoping out the city and I could be prepared for my mom and brother's arrival for the next day.

The next day started off with me slipping into a giant puddle of muddy street water. I had to walk back to the hotel, take a shower, and change. Afterwards, I made my second venture out into the city. Basically, it consisted of me walking in the general direction of the Grand Place and seeing what there was to see. It took me about four hours to walk there, because of the icy roads and my complete lack of directional sense. I ended up stumbling upon the Manneken Pis, a fountain of a little boy, well, having a wee. It is hugely famous in Brussels, and they dress him up in costumes all the time. Given the holiday period, right now he is dressed as Santa Claus.

I made my way to the Grand Place, and enjoyed the sights. I bought some chocolates for my family, since they were going to be arriving in the morning. When I headed back to the hotel, I expected to call my dad, and hear that my mom and brother were on their way.

That wasn't the call I got.

I got a quick call from my dad saying 'can I call you back? I am making some travel changes'. I switched to stress mode, realising that my family's travel plans had been canceled again, and dove into the box of chocolates I had bought for them. However things weren't as bad as they seem...my mom and brother would be taking a flight to Amsterdam...the second stop on our whistle stop tour of Europe.

I got up early this morning to catch a train to Amsterdam. After walking into the completely wrong address(seriously, why was it on our hotel's contact us page? It was ANOTHER HOTEL!), I made it to my room and saw my family. It was really really great. It is a rarity for us to be together nowadays, so I am very thankful for this trip, even if it has gone a bit wrong!!

I'll post pictures on my flickr account soon!!

Reflections

So here I am, at the brink of Christmas vacation, staring out my window at the pillowy white snow that has blanketed the ground here in Amiens. Today seemed like the perfect day to reflect on my accomplishments this semester.

After a tumultuous exam period, that resulted in me feeling not so well, I emailed my professor asking for advice. He thought that at this point, it would be a good time to look back and see how far I have come in such a short amount of time.

**This is in no way meant to be bragging, just a way to review my successes.

1. I have settled in here. I have even started calling Amiens 'my city'. I came into this year assuming that I would stay here for a year, learn the language, and leave. I didn't think that I would end up having such an emotional connection, and pride for such a small city in the north of France.

2. I have really pushed my boundries to speak French. In England, I would speak French with a few of my friends, but it was only with a select few. I definitely wasn't comfortable speaking French with strangers. Now I have conversations with the chemists, the lady at the till, the doctor, and my French friends. I honestly didn't think that I would be as 'fluent' (and I still use this term a bit loosely...) as I am now. It is pretty easy to speak French without thinking 'conjugate this -er verb in the correct tense, use the correct article, then add the noun.' It is much more like 'j'ai mangé du pain hier.' (I ate some bread yesterday...which is true.) While I am not fluent, sentences come out much more fluidly.

3. I have a bit of a 'wellness' routine. While things here can be pretty crazy, with the strikes, and the differences between UK and French universities...It can be pretty stressful. However I have learned a few things that make me feel a bit more relaxed. For example, I pick up my 'Courrier Picard', a few times a week, and I attempt to read it. If I am super stressed I will walk through the city, taking time to pass the cathedral. It is a little bit of a reminder of the beauty here, and it always makes me feel better.

4. I have traveled until my arms have nearly fallen off from carrying suitcases. I really feel lucky to have had the opportunity to see parts of France that I never would have seen if I hadn't decided to do French as my degree. I got to experience the arrival of St. Nicolas in a tiny town in the Vosges, and I have seen every type of Christmas market out there. This has all been done while improving my language skill, because I have stayed in France. I actually counted today the number of cities I have visited in France, and the grand total is 17! That is more than the amount of cities I have visited in the UK, and I have lived there for two years! I feel like I have truly been given such a wonderful opportunity to see a country and all its different cultures.

5. I have developed a taste for wine. This might not seem like a big deal, but the French are so proud of their wine and cheese, and I often joked that I would be the worst Frenchwoman ever...because I detested wine, cheese, and charcuterie. Still, I have been trying to expand my palate and try new things that I wouldn't have chance to if I were in the States or in England.

6. I have learned to decode some French 'argot' or slang. I now understand what people mean when they say 'mon pote' or 'ma puce'. These little things I can sometimes sprinkle into familiar conversation so I do not always sound like I am giving a formal speech!

7. I kept myself from making friends with just English speakers. Sure, a lot of my friends do speak English, but I have definitely made an effort to speak more French than English in daily life.

8. Just in general, I have made some amazing friends from all around the world, and I feel so lucky to have found them! This wouldn't have been an accomplishment, usually....but I had to do it all in French! That is a big deal. Nonetheless, I am so happy I have gotten to know these people, and they have enriched my life.

So I leave you with those thoughts of mine. Hopefully it didn't come off as bragging, as that was not my intention. I guess I just wanted to make the point, that just as little as 4 months in another country can really mould a person, and make them grow.

Joyeuses Fêtes!

I don't look like a hippie anymore!

I have been here nearly four months now. You would think that I would be able to speak rather fluently, right? Well, this is true, some of the time, for example, I can get myself through any situation at the train station, or ask teachers about exams...but there was one scenario I had not encountered until today, and honestly, I was DREADING it.

The day finally came where I needed a haircut. My hair was getting so long and scraggly that it could knot itself without being touched. I avoided getting a haircut for so long, I even decided to cut my own fringe. That was a complete and total fail. It just looked like I took a pair of scissors and blindly chopped away...which, essentially, is what I did.

The reason I was so afraid of going to the hairdresser was that I do not have the vocabulary to describe exactly what I want. One wrong word and I could have been sporting a very unflattering flapper's bob. However, today I took the step, and made an appointment.

I went into the center of town to a place that has reasonable prices, and seemed pretty reputable. When I got inside, it was almost as if I forgot the entirety of the French language. The woman seemed to sense my nervousness and handed me some books with hairstyles in them. I leafed through them, and when I was ready, I pointed to a picture, tried to explain that I wanted it a bit longer than the photo, and mimed and pointed to my hair quite a bit. I also attempted to apologise for the scraggliness, but I think that got lost in translation. I also completely lied and said 'a friend' cut my hair because I was super embarrassed about it.

So I took a deep breath, and let her snip away. At the end, she dried my hair, and I was incredibly surprised. My miming/basic French seemed to actually work! My new French hair cut is super cute!

Now, I have a new set of vocabulary from my trip to the hairdressers: Degrader--to layer, bayalage--highlights, frange--bangs. I'll be ready to go for the next time!

Check out my new look on my flickr account!

I am officially sick of trains.

Sorry it has been awhile since I have posted anything, this month has been incredibly hectic! I cannot believe that the holidays are nearly here, and I will have been in France for 4 months...that is definitely a scary thought. There are days here that just seem to drag on and on, and then there are days where I realise that 4 months have gone by incredibly quickly. The good news is, I am really enjoying being here, and I don't want the time to go by any quicker!

So anyway, onto news. I have been travelling a lot this month. I counted, and I have been on 18 trains in the last month. That is just RIDICULOUS. I have become really good at entertaining myself in train stations by people watching, or just going for walks around the towns when I find myself stuck somewhere for hours.

I went down south to visit my friend Jemma in Lyon for a weekend. It was lovely. Lyon is a beautiful town with so much to do. It was a bit daunting for a two day stay, so mainly we just focused on being together and catching up. It had been 6 months since I'd seen her, so even if I was in Lyon, we definitely needed a girly film night. We did, however get out, and see the Lumière Museum, as well as a nice walk around the centre part of the city. When we went out for a drink, I was surprised at how many Irish or English pubs there were in Vieux Lyon. Everyone there spoke English! I guess the English caught wind of how beautiful Lyon is, and decided to move. Of course, the one weekend I was there, it decided to downpour in Lyon, and be sunny in Amiens...figures...I had a wonderful time anyway.

This weekend was when the majority of my train rides happened. I took three trains to get to Raon L'Etape to see Emily, as well as three trains back. However, on Saturday, we went to Strasbourg for the infamous Christmas Market (This was four trains, two there, two back...) Strasbourg was absolutely gorgeous. It is the perfect mixture of French and German culture, and there is so much to do. Of course, I felt a little bit of pride when I went, because the city of Strasbourg is twinned with Boston. Both cities have similar winters...absolutely FREEZING. I looked at the weather forecast the night before, and Strasbourg was the coldest place in France at -5 degrees (celsius...I don't know the conversion). However, we bundled up, and met with two of Emily's friends when we got there. The cold did hit me like a ton of bricks, but after awhile, and a few sips of mulled wine, I felt considerably warmer.

The market itself was enormous, spanning the entire city. There was so much to see, it is a bit of a blur in my head. Hundreds of stalls selling traditional fare, as well as plenty of gift ideas for family and friends. It was just mindblowing how many people were there. Needless to say, I have had my fill of mulled wine, crepes, and sauerkraut for awhile.

My trip home took close to twelve hours. We got an early start, so Emily could get to the airport on time. In Nancy, one of our stopovers, it started snowing. Her train was delayed, and while I boarded my train on time, it ran late because it couldn't go full speed. I had no intention of missing my train to Amiens and spending an extra few hours in Gare du Nord, so as soon as the train stopped, I legged it! I somehow made it in the metro, one stop from Gare de l'Est to Gare du Nord, through the corridors, and up the steps in less than 10 minutes. I literally sprinted towards my platform. Not an easy feat, considering I had a rolling suitcase with me! I would like to apologise if I accidentally hit any old people on my way to the train station...I am pretty sure I did. Not exactly a proud moment, but I was running late!

Anyway, this week is super hectic, I've been trying to prepare for exams and finish reports and projects that are due in next week. It is a bit overwhelming, but I will get through it. Then I will be rewarded with several train rides to go visit the family in Brussels, and spend Christmas in Amsterdam!

I've uploaded photos from Lyon, the Amienois Christmas Market, as well as my trip to Strasbourg...check them out!