Quatrième Jour

4th Day

Today was somewhat more a chill day. I woke up early, which is a lot different from my normal like back in America. Actually two nights ago I woke up at 2am because there was a massive rain storm that woke me up because it caused the window sills to move all over the place, so I had to close them. I really do enjoy keeping my window open, it's too cute :p.
Anyways, today I went with my host mam to buy my cell phooone ! So that's exciting. Phones here are pretty cheap I must say. I kept seeing phones for 1euro, which i think mine was too. Well I got my phone, but I somehow blocked it and now it won't work 'till Monday. Is coo, don't matter, I have no one to call, well txt since my plan consist of unlimited texting and about an hour of calling.

I wan to discuss stores, like Walmart type of stores. They are so so different from the ones back home. They are pretty advanced if I say so myself. You could either check out normally or carry around the laser that marks the prices and scan everything as you go along. I guess once you're finished you insert your credit card in the laser and it charges you. That's pretty new to me :p. I guess I'll have to take video of my time in a store someday  :))

First time in IKEA today. It is a huge ass store. 'nough said

Versailles

I'd like to write what I do everyday so I can look back and remember what I did, but I'm pretty doubtful that's going to happen,, but I can try.

I'll start with yesterday.
So on August 26 my niice family took me to Chateau Versailles. It was about an hour and a half drive and well worth it. Versailles is a beautiful and antique city that has a feeling of the olden times :p. Think Marie Antoinette times. Speaking of which, her castle is so grand and lavishing. Makes me wonder how great the parties she through were. There was people from all over: Japs, Spanish, Brits, too many. Even though the weather wasn't all that great because of the cold wind and sprinkles, it was spectacular.
After wondering through the castle for a good maybe 3 hours or so, we went to eat at this really cute restaurant. Now keep in mind my french is pretty bad and this menu had no pictures, so I just had to wing it. I did love my dish, I believe it was escalopes, something like that, but my dessert... eh no. I ordered fromage, not knowing what is was. Turns out it's a Normandy cheese, and it was so strong, it just took one bite. I just settled for ice cream after that.

Surprisingly, not many people speak English, which is good for me, only one person has spoken to me in English since I've gotten here. It's weird how I understand what they are trying to say, I just wish I could reply with something other than, "yes", "i know", and other little things. Not even the young people speak english, and if they do, I guess they don't feel like it :p.Which they have every right to

:))

Wow

That pretty much explains it. I'm in France now, and it is just lovely. I arrived yesterday at about 1pm with an ok flight. It wasn't all that bad, but I didn't enjoy it much because, well, it was long.
Normandy is so green and very peaceful and it's not that far from Paris, probably about 2 hours I would say. I didn't tour around Paris, but on the way through it, I did get to see the notorious Eiffel Tour from the distance ! It was great feeling. I'm in France !

Both Elbeuf and Cadube-les-Elbeuf are beautiful towns that are just so different in their looks from the cities in the US. Cobblestone streets, Normandy architecture for their buildings that are so close to each other. Also the streets, woa, they are so tiny, I would say that a lane in Brownsville, TX is both lanes in comparison to them here.

My family is really great and patient. They are talkitive, as in French though, so I have to attempt to understand. A lot of the times I do understand what they are trying to say, maybe not word for word, but I get the picture.

Today I went to my future school to get my schedule. I don't really remember my classes, but I know I'm taking math, english literature, french, geography. I think, I'll repost when I'm sure. I also went to the store, think of walmart, but with other little stores inside it, to get my picture taken for my bus card and school.

my school

Seems as though everything is working out fine.

I smell really good food cooking downstairs :))

A bientot !!

When the Truth Is

The reason for this blog has finally come. My departure date has arrived. I guess the reality that I am leaving my comfort zone for a good 10-11 months is hitting me and my feelings differ. It's hard to say that I am completely excited and glad to be leaving because actually I'm not. Nostalgia is perhaps what I'm getting at the moment. I am not all that frightened, I'm just sort of sorry that my mom will spend this year alone without my presence. But I will make sure to keep in touch with this side of the world as much, yet as limited as possible; If that makes sense.

The luggage's are at their full capacity, and might I add, it was not a pleasant task to organize and eliminate clothing options. "Should this stay or go", it's a pretty difficult scenario to be placed in knowing I'll most likely buy stuff over in France and have to leave some of my now favorite clothing articles there for a lack of room. So, hopefully this does not have to happen.

Hastle

Well I am looking forward to opening a new chapter in my life that I have waited for for quite a while now. Seeing all my friends moving on to their college lives makes my move somewhat easier, everyone moves on, why can't I. Therefore I'm heading out on a good cheery note.

byeee

When the truth is, I'll miss you

Eh... Stuff

Just a bunch of stuff has happened since my last visa post. Some positive others just blah. For starters, I got my wisdom teeth off recently so I've just been under meds and not all there. Let's go back to the Saturday of my last rotary meeting. So the meeting was more of a lunch where two of the three outbounds from this past year were and talked about their time abroad. Both of them went to Europe; one in Belgium and the other in France. There I received my business cards, which I'm not too satisfied about :p, more Rotary Texas pins to trade, and my name tag. It was an enriching experience over all.

I'm not that short, every one's just really tall :p

On the 25th of this month I purchased my plane ticket ! :D So that's always exciting. I'll be doing two stops, one in Dallas, TX and another in the London airport. English accents! Yea. I'm soso on this, I've never actually flown on my own, so I'm hoping not to miss my flight, but I have good times between flights. I'll be arriving in Paris at 1pm. Hopefully I'll be wide awake to sight-see if I'm taken :)).

A week after going in to get my visa, it arrived at my house. Now, I was excited to see it in the envelope, but once I saw my limit to be in the country, I was just disappointed. I honestly thought I would be given lee-way for an entire year. I wasn't planning on staying exactly a year, but I would have loved to stay for Bastille Day, which is like their Independence on the 14th of July. I have to return by July 1st, 2012 :/. My school in France doesn't even end by then, so this is the downer of France. I'm not excited to go anymore. If I do end up liking it, I'll have to be home before summer even starts. So I'm kind of hoping I want to come home early, I don't know. I'll see if I can do anything to extend it by a few weeks or days. Anything will help. I'd like to come back July 16th, sometime around there.

:D

My sister left to Peru to do a semester in a University there yesterday ! I sometimes wonder 'what if' I would have chosen South America :DD. Oh well, c'est la vie. So that's about all that's been going on :))

Ah Yes, Success !

As I posted before, I had my visa appointment today, and it went very well. I had everything I needed which made everything go pretty fast. I thought that the people working in the consulate would be rude, but on contrary they were joking around with all the people they attended. It was pretty chill :)) So I should be receiving my passport with my visa in about ten days ! :DD Now, I just need the plane ticket and I'm good to go.

Houston

I stand corrected, I have 32 days until departure

The Dreaded Visa

Yea... the visa appointment is just around the corner. I leave today to Houston, TX because that is where the nearest French consulate is at. That means a 6-7 hour drive of nothingness and thinking of all the negative scenarios that can happen with me not getting my visa in time :p. Well I'll update how my July 21st appointment with the frenchies goes.
My official last Rotary gathering is this upcoming Saturday, and I'm looking forward to it because I'll finally get my business cards and some other important things. Business cards are basically cards that have the student's information like email address, number, etc., and they give them out to people they meet. I like to refer to them as trading cards.
On an off note, I got contacts today, and it took me a good on and off hour to take them off... I'll make a better progress soon :))

36 days, i think...   : 3