Things are starting to wind up...or down... here in Arles.
By winding up, I mean that I bought Harry Potter and refuse to do work until I finish it. And that I have a despicable amount of work that my profs decided to spring on me. I am unhappy with my classes, and perhaps that is because I spent 9 hours in them today, as compared to my usual 3 twice a week.
I went to Venice to meet up with Jess.(Insert hearts and romantic music here.)
Venice = Disney World, Italiano style, beautiful, lots of food, lots of glass, no cars, lots of scary men, lots of beautiful fireworks, eating cheese and wine and fruit and chocolate in your hotelroom by fancified tables, buying Harry Potter, gossip and girltalk, being alone one day there, meeting John's twin.
I'm very excited to come home. The most excited I've felt in a long, long time happened the other day in Venice when the image of me sitting, waiting for take-off in Marseille came to mind... going home. What a nice feeling.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Closing
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
More from France
General update of what has happened to me recently:
-experienced the infamous night bus for the first time ever
-decision made that i never will experience the night bus again-saw Barcelona for three days
-saw Barcelona by night (note: different than seeing it by day)
-experienced night bus again, this time less sketchy-arrived home at 6:30 am...home being Arles
-slept for an hour-went to class
-made plans to go to Venice
-attended a party for my host mom's birthday
-host mom's mom insisted I drink more wine...and more wine...and more wine...and...
-bought train tickets to Venice
-went out for dinner with a genuine French gentleman
-finalized Venice plans
-packed
I can't believe I'm leaving here again to go somewhere else in Europe. Even Chakan (genuine French gentleman) thinks I'm crazy but doing the right thing... I mean, how often am I across the ocean in Europe? Not that often.
Perhaps one of the things I've learned in Europe and really fascinates me is the way people meet one another here. Everything is so open, with cafes on the streets and people cramming into them together...it's inevitable that you'll meet tons of people. I've met all sorts of individuals on my trip, who perhaps I'll never meet again. Chakan is only one of two whose names I've gotten, and the only one I've made a point of seeing again. The only other name I got was Emmanuel, a Parisian who I met at Notre Dame at night. There have been Australians in Barcelona. There have been Frenchmen who speak no English on trains. There have been French college girls at museums. There have been Aix-en-Provence French students on buses. There have been Marylanders on buses. How many faces will I always remember and connect with places, without knowing their names?...
By the way, I'm crazy about French people. I love them. Specifically Claire, my host mom, and her mom. I love girl-talk in French.
I have to get ready for bed. Or go out with my new French friends. Um...one or the other. (This is the way Europe works: Barcelona, Strasbourg or Venice this weekend guys? Meh, we'll see...)