Jake's Visit and Internet

I got internet! Got it a couple of days ago, but it went out again because of some set-up issues, but then I fixed it so we have it again! Unfortunately I can not get the wireless to work and there's only one ethernet hookup so only one of us can use internet at a time, but whatever. We have it! Fixed it yesterday on my birthday so that was a nice little present. So I am writing from the comfort of my own apartment.
Jake was here this past weekend, got in Wednesday at midnight and left this morning (Monday) at 7:15am. We had a really nice weekend and it was really great to see him. We just spent the weekend walking around town taking a tour, went to the zoo which was free and really nice actually. Did not expect a free zoo to be that nice but it was. Loved the rhinos! We also went to the local rugby match was Renee's host mom gave us tickets to. They were standing room tickets, but hey free is free right? We went out for drinks one night and dinner the next. We had an amazing dinner at this restaurant down the street called Entrecote which apparently only serves one thing but it's amazing. It was the cut of beef in some sort of sauce and these amazing french fries and we had a bottle of wine and dessert. It was just nice. Then we just hung around yesterday and had a little thing with Jade, Jesse, and Renee. Made pie and got pizza from Dominos. That's how I spent my birthday. It's my 22nd...not a big deal. I get this feeling that my birthdays are going to get quieter and quieter as I get older...But yeah. It was so nice to have Jake here and I am really pretty sad now that he left. I got kinda used to him being here so it doesn't seem the same now that he's gone. We hung out with my friends a little bit and he fit right in which was nice. I'll get to see him again in like 2 and 1/2 weeks, but I still am a little sad that he left. Oh well though right? Gotta keep going. That was my weekend and now it's back to class. Time went back an hour here so for this week I'm only 5 hours ahead of home. I might be failing a class here...but oh well...ugh. Well that's about all for now. Back to school and then a week off. Woo!

Barcelona

We went to Barcelona this weekend and it was very beautiful even though it was raining the first day and overcast the second. It's right on the sea so that just makes everything beautiful. The first day we just kind of walked around the city for ever taking in the city sites in general. We just stumbled on some of the big cathedrals and the one big cathedral under construction. The city is pretty typical European, old with some new stuff in between. It's really pretty and lots of tree lined streets and all that good stuff. I have lots of pictures and I will post them whenever I get a chance and/or internet. The second day we went to the Parc Guell, which is the park designed by Gaudi. It was really amazing. Apparently I really like glass mosaics. The park is in a lot of the pictures that they show people of Barcelona. I got to ride the metro there as well and I was pretty good at figuring it out, what with my experience in Paris and all. I am now an expert. And I have been to a McDonalds in France and Spain. Nice, I know. It was weird to hear Spanish. I kept trying to talk to all the shop people in French because to me that's the public language. But guess what? In Spain...they speak Spanish. Well in Barcelona they actually speak quite a bit of Catalan what with it being in Catalonia and all. But they speak English too because it's a major city. I was back to pointing at the menu and doing a lot of nodding. But it really wasn't too hard to get around. Then we headed back to Montpellier, and it was good to be home again. Yes, it's weird but France is now home. It was nice to hear French again because it feels much more familiar to me. Now its back to classes and Jake comese tomorrow!! Yay!! I can't wait. I hope it goes well and he's not bored the whole time. Alright, later!

Yeah yeah

So not much has happened again. Just going to class and sitting around. The usual. Its been pretty nice outside the past couple of days so I guess I have been trying to enjoy that. We go to Barcelona Friday evening with the program, so at least that's something to look forward to. We still don't have internet, which puts me in a bad mood most days because its been like 5 weeks since we set it up and I have talked to them about 5 times about it too which just gets annoying. No one cares and so no one wants to get anything done. They want to close up shop at 4 everyday so they will do anything to make themselves have less work. It's a little ridiculous. I mean I am only going to be here another 9 weeks so they will get paid 2 times before we shut off the stupid service anyway. ALL the have to do is send someone over to activate the phone line. Which to me...sounds pretty darn simple. But maybe I am missing something. Anyway, yesterday was a grumpy day because everything was just not working out. But it was better in the evening time. Got to talk to Jake for a bit which was nice. He gets here next Wednesday, so I have that to look forward to also. School is going alright, same old same old. I found break and bake cookies which was superfantastic. My birthday is in 10 days so maybe I will do something for that too. 22 years old...how old and boring. Barcelona!! First trip in 3 weeks! Yay! Don't really want to travel with the people from the program that much but it was a good deal. Hopefully I can just spend the time just walking around by myself because I get a lot more accomplished that way. I have to read this book for my African Literature class, which sounds pretty cool, but it's in French. Think of how easy life would be here if things were in English! Yeah I know I came here to learn French, but still. C'mon! Alright well I'll write again probably after Barcelona. Yay.

Wine Party

We had a little get together last night with some of the other American people with some wine and it was a pretty good time. At first there was just 4 of us because other people went to play laser tag but then people started to come over and there was like 10 people. Then Jade invited 3 random french guys over for some reason and they were there for a little bit. Our neighbor came over and yelled at us for being too loud and called us typical Americans who only think about ourselves and party all the time. Which made Jade mad and she let him know it. She told him thats she's tired of people putting us in this American box because that's not how it is at all and whatnot. Then he felt bad and got really nice and just told us to please try to keep it down but we should still have fun because we are young and all that. Then a bunch of people left and we were just sitting around and the old lady from downstairs came up and yelled at us for doing "gymnastics" on the floor or dancing or something because we were making a lot of noise on her floor and we don't understand that in these old building the floors vibrate and it's 1 in the morning and I was like...we're all sitting, not even walking around. And she told me that's not possible and I was like... do you want to look in? She said no but just keep it down and I said I am sorry we will sorry sorry sorry. Then I went to bed annoyed at the whole building. It was a good night though. Did not get out of bed till 12 pm but it has still been a good day. Really nice weather. Almost went to the beach but then was too lazy to go. Now I am going to go sit around and knit and read and watch Friends because I don't want to do anything. It's a night for relaxin'! Sounds beautiful to me!!!

A another week almost done (plus more)

I am almost done with another week of class. Classes are hard to take seriously here because they're once a week and I don't really know what's going on and none of the French people seem to take classes very seriously either so I can't hear the professors and all that good stuff. I talked to my dad yesterday and he changed my flight for me!! Yay I can stay and now I just have to figure out where we want to go for this time period. I got some knitting stuff so I hope that will keep me a little amused. It's kinda colder outside so I need to get something like a fall jacket, but its really too expensive. Trying to figure that all out too. Internet still is not working after 4 weeks of setting it up. We have gone in 3 times and they keep telling us more time and then now we have to call the customer service people and if it still does not work they will have send someone to do it so basically we will have internet for a month and it will be so much fun. Alright, well I actually have to go and get some stuff done before I have to go to class and take a quiz on phonetics which will also be bad. But the class won't count for anything so its hard to be overly concerned about it. One of my two courses that won't count for anything at all. Good times, Time to figure out the internet!!!

Ok so we called and it turns out that they forgot to send someone to our place to set up our phone and activate it all in the first place. And the people at the main office apparently couldn't look at their pretty little computers and tell us that. This is France for you people. They really just don't feel like telling you things. SO now they tell us that they are sending someone as fast as possible, hopefully by tomorrow night but more realistically by Monday night, because once again it IS France. Yeah. I don't believe it either to be honest. I am pretty sure we are just never going to have internet. These things happen to me though. Anyone remember my CampusFrance fiasco? These are the things that happen. I had the sinking feeling that things would get messed up and they did. Just had that gut feelings. Hopefully...hopefully. Now time for the aperatif at the office. Yay?

A weekend of Nothing

I spent my weekend doing absolutely nothing which is not surprising to those who know me and know that I never do anything. I was so bored that it put me into a really bad mood for awhile, but I am coming out of it now. I can't think of anything to do really so that's why I don't do anything. It was just Renee and I because everyone else was in Dublin having a grand old time but it was just a lot of money to go and I don't have that kind of money right now. Oh well. I am kind of saving it all for after the program. I really should go somewhere in France though soon before I go absolutely crazy sitting around Montpellier. Its not really all that big of a place so once you walk around for 3 weekends in a row, you kind of run out of places to go. But I did make enchiladas using an Old El Paso kit and then some homemade chocolate chip cookies though apparently though don't have brown sugar in France and baking soda is something people do NOT even imagine cooking with. Renees host dad really though we were strange for wanting to find it. He told us to go to the pharmacy haha. They have Old El Paso, but not brown sugar. Who knows. I just need to be better at finding things to do with my time. I don't know. If you aren't going to out to eat or out to the bar, it's a little more difficult to find things to do really. Oh well. This weekend Renee's cousin is coming so that will be something and then next weekend is Barcelona, and then the next weekend Jake will be here, so at least I will be able to find things to do soon. Well that's really all I have to say. Very exciting I know!