Well, folks, only 5 more days to go!!! But since I haven't updated in about that long, here it is!
20 juillet 2006
I had class, of course, some
lab work and grammar excercises. We also had a large test, but I
think it is one of the last for the summer. Our class had a
picnic (Katy came too) and I even tried some curry chicken which was
pretty good! It was fun just hanging out with everyone, even
though we had to speak French since the teachers were there.
After that I think I came to the lab to wait for Katy. Then we
left in search of a nail place so that we could get pedicures.
However, every place we tried required an appointment, so we made one
for Tuesday. That should be interesting. But we got to walk
around in some different parts and found a bigger grocery store and
stuff. It was fun. Then we hung out in my room and I
started packing for the weekend. Dinner was good, then more
packing and bedtime.
21 juillet 2006
Class, which felt like it took
forever!!! Then we were off, grabbed some lunch down a pedestrian
street that we had no idea existed on the way to the gare (train
station). Did you know that Claire's is international??????
Well, it is. Got to the train station and picked up the tickets
(for my first train ride ever!) then settled in a bit to wait. Oh, and
I called Luke and then we bought some snacks for the train. The
board that tells what voie (platform) the train is at is cool, it flips
really fast and it sounds like a bunch of those annoying clappy things
all at once, except much cooler. We got on our train (a TGV fast
train) and headed to Paris. It was pretty nice even though we
were delayed for about thirty minutes for some unknown reason because
we didn't understand the french. When we got there we booked it
to the Metro and got on the no. 4 line to go to the next train
station. That was pretty easy, especially having had to navigate
the Metro so much in Paris that first week. We got there with
time to spare, so we could look around at that train station.
Pretty nice if you ask me, but there were lots of armed guards there -
sort of scary. We got on our next train and settled in for
Metz!!! It was really nice because the train wasn't crowded and
we took over one of those sets of four that faces each other and sat
opposite each other to talk. I also got to watch the countryside
out the window. France is really beautiful and pretty
rural... I feel deprived not having really even seen much of the
US's countryside unless you count somewhere like Tifton, GA... We
got to Metz about 7:45 ish and David and Susan were there to meet the
train!!!! I've never had someone meet me at a mode of transportation
before!!!!!! (that would have changed with the airplane going back to
Birmingham, but still) We went and dropped our stuff off at the
apartment that Susan is staying at (which is TOTALLY normal by the
way... I don't think I realized how much I missed normalcy until I went
to that apartment) and then went off to eat. We ate at this
little restaurant that had incredible pasta (yes, I tried something
new) - it was spaghetti noodles with a type of alfredo sauce and ham in
it. It was soooo good. After dinner we went and watched
this really neat play type thing. Apparently they are acting out
Alice in Wonderland in the streets, scene by scene. We got to
watch the tea party. It was cool and they did a really good
job. There were three sites we walked around to, starting in one
place, a middle spot, and ending at the tea party. Susan got
dragged into the tea party too, which was funny, especially when the
"cheshire cat" started rubbing on her leg (a girl, no worries).
It was neat though. Then we went back to the apartment, which has
three bedrooms with normal beds, normal couches, a normal kitchen,
dining area, and even a computer desk with a computer on it!!! It was
so fabulously normal (granted it is an American man and a Spanish woman
who live in France, so there are bound to be normalcies).
22 juillet 2006
We woke up in time to go meet
David at his dorm, but not before we ate scrambled eggs with ham for
breakfast!!!! It was so fabulous. Oh, and we had sweet tea to
drink too. So totally fabulous, one of the best breakfasts I've
had in France to date. We walked to the dorm, which was pretty
far away from the apartment, but not too bad. It was pretty hot
though. But we got there and it is a really nice dorm, not that
they've done a whole lot with it, being guys and all. But they
have a lake and such, so its neat. He showed us the Technopole,
where they have classes and he works. It is really hot in there,
except for the computer lab which is miraculously air
conditioned. I even got to see the infamous screen
he built in his dorm room. Pretty cool. We went to a kebab
place and got kebabs, which I must admit were not as good as the ones
here, even if they are more authentic. We watched and episode of
NUMB3RS, in English, and then some homestarrunner.com and some other
stupid videos. It was raining, so we didn't go anywhere for a
while. Later we went to the downtown area, walked by the river,
saw the incredible cathedral that I had only seen in picture form,
walked through a park where we were greeted by terrible sights of
people who were getting a little too friendly, including some
guys... We went to this mall which has a full-blown grocery store
inside of it, which was pretty cool, and got stuff to drink before
meeting up with some more of David's friends. We had to go back
inside the grocery store to get the stuff for our picnic because the
market we wanted to go to was closed. But we were successful and
had a pretty good picnic including bread and meat and fruit and
cookies. Oh, and cheese, but I didn't eat that. We sat in
the park and chilled, ate, the started an Uno tournament. That
was fun, but I didn't win. Ever. But we weren't keeping
score so it was okay. We stayed for this light and music show,
which was pretty cool. Lots of fountain-type water shooting and
cool lights and such. It drizzled a bit, but that just kept
things cooled off. Then we had to run to catch the bus, and we
all went our separate ways (well, there were really only two ways, to
the apartment or the Technopole, 3 to one, 4 to the other). That
was really a lot of fun, just hanging out with everyone. Metz is
really pretty too, lots of different architecture that is not in
Tours. We got back, all checked our e-mail and such, then went to
bed. I got up at 4:30 to talk to Luke, but then went back to
sleep until 10 the next morning...
23 juillet 2006
Slept late, ate the last eggs
for breakfast, plus like three glasses of sweet tea, then David came
over and we played some games. That was fun, especially since we
just kinda made up our own rules. We ate lunch, fabulous turkey
type sandwiches with mayonnaise and tomato and meat and bread... so
good. Oh, and more sweet tea. Then we had cantaloupe, which was
fabulous as well. Then we packed and just chilled for a little
while until it was time to catch the bus to the gare. Made it
there in time and said good-bye to David and Susan 
and boarded the
train. We didn't get the facing each other seats this time, but
we each got our own set of seats to stretch out in. I did some
homework, but then just watched out the window. I like trains for
the most part, I think. We got off in Paris and went and grabbed
McDonald's for dinner. It was pretty good. Then we went and
got on the Metro again, to get to the other station. We had to
wait there for about an hour before we could board our TGV train, then
we sat on that for about 30 minutes. That wasn't bad. We
got into Tours, albeit the wrong station (so, apparently there are two
stations in Tours, one where they go through, and one where they come
in and go back out the same way.), and had to take a taxi once we
figured out where we were. It was only 11 €, but the guy said
because we had bags it was another 1€ which was rediculous because our
bags were NOT heavy in any way shape or form. But that is okay
and we paid him, a good trade-off considering the miles we would have
had to walk. So, we got back and such. I also started
packing my suitcases last night... can you tell I am ready to go?
But then I got to sleep!
24 juillet 2006
More classes today, which
weren't too bad, but the room was cold most of the time. Lunch
was peanut butter and jelly again, delicious, with Bar-b-que flavored
Lays!!!!!! YUM! Then class again and now here. It has been
a decent day. I think now I am going to go lay on my bed and
either take a nap or watch a movie... I have yet to decide.
Well, I think that is it,
mostly about my wonderful weekend in Metz. Oh, and pray for Luke,
he is basically running a camp this week in correspondance with his new
position for next year, and we all know how crazy organizing all that
stuff can be.
I'll be home in 5 days!!! I cannot wait!!!
Until later,
~D~
Psalms 139:4
"Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord."
Oh well. I'm off on another semester that is quite possibly one of my craziest and in the meantime trying to fit in a gazillion things at once. (Is that a real measurement?) 
), eating dinner, and going to the talent show. It was fun, and I enjoyed the talent show for the most part. The Pakistani dancers were fun, they did a traditional dance to some funky music. The Cypriotes (kids from Cyprus, and yes it is a country) did a mock wedding and their traditional wedding dance. That was by far the most awesome thing to see. Getting pedicures was fun too (me and Katy) and felt wonderful. I also went in the French version of Claire's - just like the one back home. All in all, a pretty good day, but really hot.
Recent Comments