Another fun weekend and first exams!

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Well, another school week came and went without much worth reporting after the Roma plans. But on that front, we rented an apartment right between Campo dei Fiori and Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle. That means minutes from the Vatican and Forum areas, right near the Pantheon and Piazza Navona AND right across the river from Trastever, yards from Primo and the study center... basically the best place ever.

Thursday after French class Ruth made curry which was yummy and then she and I and Leanna, Sarah, Fiona and Alix all went across the street to McKinley's for another one of those campus organization sponsored soirees.

We had fun. I got a glow in the dark swizzle stick in my drink and the DJ played a lot more music we recognized which was nice, though he mixed it all so pathetically I have decided that even I could be a dj in Le Mans.

Some of the really nice Germans were there also.

We left there and came back and watched a movie.

Then Friday Sarah and I had lunch with a nice French girl named Amelie. She is studying English and planning on teaching in the UK next year. That was a lot of fun- we used a little French and a little English. We ate at the Vietnamese place we've gone before and I had some delicious chop suey.

Then Sarah and I picked up some groceries and headed back to campus.

Friday night Fiona made homemade chicken soup (the Brits are keeping me well fed!) which was DELICIOUS. We ate and ate and ate some more and then went over to McKinley's again just to visit.

We ended up visiting there for a long time and then came back to campus where the housing had tried to put on a sort of... event? Not sure what they were going for, but it was about 20 people in a room that smelled like pee with an awful sound system and a pool table with no q ball (they were using the 8). SO we decided instead to.... you guessed it... watch more movies!

We had borrowed Newsies from Val so we watched that and then proceeded to watch several funny videos on YouTube.

Saturday I relaxed and read and then went to get Lebanese food with Ruth and her parents, Fiona, Sarah, and Leanna. The food was great - family style where they just bring out tons of things and you pass it around. We went for coffee afterwards. Ruth's parents were a lot of fun to visit and invited me to stay with them for Christmas which I'm really excited about. They live in the very north of England (nearly in Scotland from what I understand).

The waitress was also hysterical- she ran around a lot and just had a funny personality. Fiona said last time she ate there the woman kept going outside worrying about her plants. Also heard a cool version of the Saints Go Marching In.

Then we came back and watched another movie and then YouTube videos of Eddie Izzard. You have to check these out:

Sunday I managed to pull myself out of bed to meet Ruth and her family and Leanna at 9:45 to walk into town for mass at the cathedral. It was fun to hear the French mass and the little alter boys were adorable and there was a little girl that looked like Madeliene.

After mass we walked through the street market. They had all kinds of stuff, but no cool cheap clothes like Rome (cool, expensive clothes yes). All kinds of fruits, veggies, cheeses, meats and.... Chinese. There were 3 stands of Chinese food. Leanna and I couldn't help but get an eggroll.

We headed from there into the deserted centre ville and found an open cafe for some coffee. Then Leanna and I headed back to campus. Just as we were heading back it got warm and sunny.

I leaned out my window to visit Alix (lives a floor below me) and we decided to take advantage of the beautiful day to walk down to the boulangerie. Of course, by the time we decided to go about 2 hours later it was overcast again.

But we went anyway and Sarah came with us and I got some good baguettes. We decided since we'd gone that far we may as well walk to the book sale in town. The 24 hours of books I think it was called.

That was neat- they had all kinds of little boths and different books. Alix got a neat illustrated book of myths or something. We headed back and decided to stop at Speed Burger since it was open and we always joked about trying it.

It was by no means Speedy, but not a bad burger. I got the "Miami" which had a mysterious relish/ketchup/mayo sauce.

Rested a bit when we got back and then we added a little twist to another movie night and made my hot chocolate first. I had no idea when I bought it how long it takes milk to boil! But worth the wait. Mmm. Leanna joined us and after hot chocolate we watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Made a LOT more sense seen straight through instead of in random pieces when Courtney watched it freshman year.

Then we had to watch more Eddie Izzard on YouTube. Just had to. And a clip of some funny British show Alix loves.

Monday I went with Fiona to get groceries so she could show me where Super U is and then I spent the rest of the day pretty much studying for my geography final.

Tuesday was the final and I think it went alright. I wrote 6 pages so let's hope it was legible and good enough for a 10/20 (what is supposed to be both the class average/passing here. the go 1-20 but like 18-20 is unheard of).

The test consisted of the professor handing out 2 pages of demographic graphs and tables on China and saying start. So we decided we needed Chinese food afterwards (Leanna drew a fantastic drawing of take out Chinese food while we were talking about the test that afternoon in the Geo TD).

So, Leanna, Sarah, Fiona, Alix and I went to China Town (as I call it, Rue Nationale has like 12 Chinese restaurants). They were nice and the place was cute. My pineapple pork, eggrolls, and cafe were all good, but the beef and brocolli Sarah and Leanna had was made with cauliflower.

Wednesday night we had another movie night and watched Failure to Launch which was great fun.

Thursday was a long day of class and then Thursday evening Sarah, Ruth, Alix and I went to Mulligans an Irish pub where the English major club was having a Halloween soiree. There were quite a few people there and we visited some really nice French students. Wednesday they're going to bring some French music for us.

It was really funny to see all the French students sing along to the Grease remix. Alix and I ended up staying until close and were given a ride back home by two girls who live just across the street from the university which was nice.

By the time we got back it was about 2:30 and Alix was supposed to meet Val, Tuyen and Nici for a train to Paris at 5 am. So rather than get just under 2 hours of sleep we watched the Triplets of Bellevue. And then I slept and slept and slept...

Friday I got up and went back to Super U with Fiona and her friend Lucy (also from Sheffield but studying in Paris right now). We got everything for the high tea they decided to do Friday afternoon. Then I met Ruth there and we also got everything we needed for fajitas and s'mores.

Super U didn't have tortillas though so we went to monoprix and also grabbed a burger at McDonald's. It's true- the Big Mac is bigger back home. But it satisfied that grease craving I'd had all night and we got back to campus just in time for high tea (4 o'clock). Leanna and her mom who just arrived joined us.

We had tea, different cakes and such, and cucumber sandwhiches (cucumber, bread, butter). It was delicious and we had fun visiting.

Then everyone went off to rest a while but Ruth and I were too tired to leave the kitchen, so we sat and drank more tea until we deemed it late enough to open the port and limonade she just bought. About that time Lucy and Fiona came back to try the 80 cent wine they'd bought (not bad actually, and it was not in a box).

Then Ruth made fajitas and I helped clean up. Lucy and Fiona left to go to a restaurant that serves obscene amounts of meat, uses a leather menu and gives the bill tucked into a bone. Yum. Leanna and her mom came back to join us and we enjoyed the fajitas and then s'mores we made in the microwave.

Then Leanna and I went into town and met Lucy and Fiona for a drink and visited (Ruth had one too many s'more and opted out). My favorite story of the evening: Lucy hitchhiked from Sheffield to Bucharest. On only 15 pounds. For a university sponsored charity fundraiser. Man. And we do 10ks???

Well, today I'm taking a study rest day and tonight I'm going to an MC competition with Fiona and Lucy and Leanna (if she and her mom get back from Renne in time).

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Photos

Alix getting into character
Some of the girls were drawing with eye liner for the halloween theme, so I made Alix a cat.

Sarah and I
At Mulligans...

All of us
Self portrait at Mulligans

Yum...
The marshmallows were sugar coated which made them especially stretchy.

Look!
I really can cook!

Leanna
Eating just a marshmallow. Where's the fun in that?

Yeah chocolate teeth
Mmmm

Comments

[B Gutierrez]

what's wrong with this picture?!
i can't believe you have not updated your blog in so long. what's wrong?! you're messing me up, because i came here hopping to read a lot and see some good pictures, i need to procrastinate, you know.