This last week in France has been crazy.
Stressful.
Emotional.
Memorable.
Magical.
Beautiful.
Etc...
All week I was stressing because I had finals and a big paper to write, but it all ended with the best. After class on Friday our test ended so quickly and right after, Herve (our "sexy" prof haha) was ready to say goodbye and everyone started to leave... I all of a sudden got really sad and started balling haha. It was the saddest thing to give everyone a hug goodbye. When you spend nearly every day with these people for 4 months, it is heartbreaking to walk away, never knowing if you will see eachother again. =(
But for the positive... Friday morning, when I left the house to go to school, everything was covered in snow!! Of course I have been to the snow many times in my life, but to actually wake up and experience the whole snow overnight thing was just amazing!! I walked to the bus stop, and I kid you not, I was giggling and skipping. I was just so excited!! haha It was seriously the best thing that could have happened on the last day..
Today, Sam, Katie and me (aww the 3 of us.. it was just like in the begining) went out to have our last lunch at the St. James. We shared stories, played our last games of "Perfect Match" and frolicked in the snow!! =) Like I said, it could have not ended any better than having Lyon covered in snow!! AH! I loved it! =)
Also, tonight I had my last dinner with my family. =,( I am was so blessed to have lived with them. They were so nice, so generous, so hospitable.. just the best family that I could have had. I was able to have such an awesome experience thanks to them! I really don't want to leave =( I cried 3 times today already haha.. But it isn't sooo bad, because I know that I am going to come back next year ;)
THIS WAS THE BEST 4 MONTHS OF MY LIFE!
I LOVE FRANCE.
I LOVE FRENCH.
I LOVE ALL MY FRIENDS THAT I MADE HERE.
VOUS ALLEZ ME MANQUER.
VIVE LA FRANCE.
and since you soon.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Le dernier voyage a Paris
I spent this weekend in Paris with my host family and it was great! =)
It was cool because since my host mom is from Paris, I was able to enjoy it differently than the average touriste. I actually did NO touristy things (well almost). The first day we hung out with my mom's friend Judith. She had private invitations to some boutiques around Paris and I got to go with her and Anne! =) It was so awesome! This boutique sale we went to was filled with about 60 different designers who were selling their couture clothes, accessories and home decor. It was such a cool experience. And I bought some Christmas presents here for a couple of people back home, so be as excited as I was please!! haha.
Ew.. (this is for Anne haha) um.. this day for lunch, everyone (expect me) ate the head of a pig.. and when I say head, I don't mean it was just meat from the head, I mean the HEAD was on the table. The most disgusting display of "food" I have ever seen. Look:
Yea.. anyway.. That is Nicolas (Judith's husband) who thought that it was funny that I was grossed out by this haha. Because I am "in France" I had to try this "French specialty," but after the first bite, I denied the rest haha. Judith's daughter was hilarious, she kept looking and the pieces she was eating (i: the eye and the meat around the jaw and teeth EEWW!!!) and she was saying "Oh, c'est beau ca!" translation: Oh, this is beautiful! Haha she probably said it 10 times, no joke.
Sunday I woke up and it was snowing in Paris! =) It didn't last long, but it was the perfect moment! I then hung out with Anne, Jean-Marc and Zoe (all my family) and we went to le Sacre-Coeur and walked around Montmartre.
Anne also took me to the Galerie Lafayette because the huge Paris mall has special decorations for Christmas time.. The showcase windows were absolutely fabulous! Look:
OH!! And I went to the best second-hand thrift store I have ever been to in my life!! I'm a bit low on the cash, so I didn't buy anything, but it is a MUST that when I come back to Paris, I visit this thrift store! It is on la rue des Martyrs. Dont Forget! ;)
I'm so glad that I got to go to Paris one more time before I go home. I go home in 6 days now. These passed four months have past by way too quickly.
As they say, Je t'aime, Paris!
It was cool because since my host mom is from Paris, I was able to enjoy it differently than the average touriste. I actually did NO touristy things (well almost). The first day we hung out with my mom's friend Judith. She had private invitations to some boutiques around Paris and I got to go with her and Anne! =) It was so awesome! This boutique sale we went to was filled with about 60 different designers who were selling their couture clothes, accessories and home decor. It was such a cool experience. And I bought some Christmas presents here for a couple of people back home, so be as excited as I was please!! haha.
Ew.. (this is for Anne haha) um.. this day for lunch, everyone (expect me) ate the head of a pig.. and when I say head, I don't mean it was just meat from the head, I mean the HEAD was on the table. The most disgusting display of "food" I have ever seen. Look:
Yea.. anyway.. That is Nicolas (Judith's husband) who thought that it was funny that I was grossed out by this haha. Because I am "in France" I had to try this "French specialty," but after the first bite, I denied the rest haha. Judith's daughter was hilarious, she kept looking and the pieces she was eating (i: the eye and the meat around the jaw and teeth EEWW!!!) and she was saying "Oh, c'est beau ca!" translation: Oh, this is beautiful! Haha she probably said it 10 times, no joke.
Sunday I woke up and it was snowing in Paris! =) It didn't last long, but it was the perfect moment! I then hung out with Anne, Jean-Marc and Zoe (all my family) and we went to le Sacre-Coeur and walked around Montmartre.
Anne also took me to the Galerie Lafayette because the huge Paris mall has special decorations for Christmas time.. The showcase windows were absolutely fabulous! Look:
OH!! And I went to the best second-hand thrift store I have ever been to in my life!! I'm a bit low on the cash, so I didn't buy anything, but it is a MUST that when I come back to Paris, I visit this thrift store! It is on la rue des Martyrs. Dont Forget! ;)
I'm so glad that I got to go to Paris one more time before I go home. I go home in 6 days now. These passed four months have past by way too quickly.
As they say, Je t'aime, Paris!
My weekend in Geneve, Switzerland.
December 4, 5 and 6 2009. Geneve, Switzerland and the French border.
This weekend was one of the best weekends of my life, seriously. I have two friends (french friends) named Mathéa and Gaby who I have been very happy to meet while my stay here in France. They both live next to Genève and invited me and my friend Meg over to their houses for the weekend. It was absolutely beautiful! Mathéa took me and Meg to Genève Saturday where we saw the beautiful Alpes over Lake Léman and the Geneve L'Escalade festival =)
Mathea, me and Meg
Sunday morning was magical. First Meg and I took a walk in the open countryside of France with Mathea's momma (sweetest little thing) and we were sounded by open fields of grass and snowy Alpes. One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It was like a dream. When we came back, we drank homemade swiss hot choclate (by Coki, Mathea's mom) in front of the fire and sang French songs =) Mathea and her mom are so talented. At first they sang a song called, "Dis, quand reviendras-tu?" harmonizing with her mom playing the guitar; it made me cry, one because it was so pretty but also because at that moment I really realized how much I was going to miss France. Please listen to the video below. It is of Meg, Gaby, Coki and Mathea singing a famous French song called "Tous les garçons et les filles." This was worth the whole weekend to me.
This weekend was one of the best weekends of my life, seriously. I have two friends (french friends) named Mathéa and Gaby who I have been very happy to meet while my stay here in France. They both live next to Genève and invited me and my friend Meg over to their houses for the weekend. It was absolutely beautiful! Mathéa took me and Meg to Genève Saturday where we saw the beautiful Alpes over Lake Léman and the Geneve L'Escalade festival =)
Mathea, me and Meg
Sunday morning was magical. First Meg and I took a walk in the open countryside of France with Mathea's momma (sweetest little thing) and we were sounded by open fields of grass and snowy Alpes. One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It was like a dream. When we came back, we drank homemade swiss hot choclate (by Coki, Mathea's mom) in front of the fire and sang French songs =) Mathea and her mom are so talented. At first they sang a song called, "Dis, quand reviendras-tu?" harmonizing with her mom playing the guitar; it made me cry, one because it was so pretty but also because at that moment I really realized how much I was going to miss France. Please listen to the video below. It is of Meg, Gaby, Coki and Mathea singing a famous French song called "Tous les garçons et les filles." This was worth the whole weekend to me.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
I love France too much.
All I wanted from my experience in France were 2 things: Become fluent, and figure out what I wanted to do with my life...
Well I have got more or less than that. I am not fluent, unfortuneately, and I still don't know what to do with my life. However, I have made some real awesome friends, I have had the opportunity to see more of Europe than I thought that I would have ever seen. It has been an experience of a life time that I do not want to end. I only have 2 weeks left from today til I will be home in California, and don't get me wrong, I am excited to come home (I wanna see my family and friends), but I am so terribly sad to leave.
If I have any idea what my next step is after school, I would like to return to France and teach English in the elementary schools here. I am not finished with this place. Il faut que je doive revenir a la France. Mega emphasis. I will be fluent someday. C'est "Le Fabuleux Destin de Mallory Venema."
Well I have got more or less than that. I am not fluent, unfortuneately, and I still don't know what to do with my life. However, I have made some real awesome friends, I have had the opportunity to see more of Europe than I thought that I would have ever seen. It has been an experience of a life time that I do not want to end. I only have 2 weeks left from today til I will be home in California, and don't get me wrong, I am excited to come home (I wanna see my family and friends), but I am so terribly sad to leave.
If I have any idea what my next step is after school, I would like to return to France and teach English in the elementary schools here. I am not finished with this place. Il faut que je doive revenir a la France. Mega emphasis. I will be fluent someday. C'est "Le Fabuleux Destin de Mallory Venema."
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