*~*PaRiS*~*

*~*PaRiS*~*

dimanche 9 décembre 2007

Sunday

I slept in until 13h00. I didn't get to bed until 7am this morning. I awoke to Eliana's call. She apologized for my wallet being stolen. No worries, it's all replaceable. Then I made some pasta. I studied. and now I'm blogging and I have a partiel tomorrow. I feel like crap. I just need some rest. I really don't care about this partiel tomorrow anymore. I'm sooo tired. My mom and sis get here on Friday woohoo! Wait til she here's about my wallet she'll freak out! Marion offered to lend me some money, that was sweet. She's a really good friend, I'm so lucky to have met her! I missed mass today and they had a bilingual mass today for Marie Immaculée, to cute. I didn't go because: I should be studying, I'm tired, I have a headache, and it's raining cats and dogs!

This week: three midterms, project due, grève on Thursday, family arrives on Friday...aye aye aye! I don't know how I'm going to do this...The Week From HELL!

Dec. 8th Samedi


I spent my afternoon in the 17th bossing chez Marion and Myriam joined us. We hit the books hard and had some intervals of gossip and snacking. Marion invited me to play pool but I had promised my friend Eliana long ago that I would go to her autumn party. So at around 22h45 I was in the 3d arrond. punching in her code to get into the bldg. when in the shadow of the courtyard I see two familiar figures...It's Topher and Alain! yay! This was going to be a good night I could feel it! and not just because my horoscope said so LOL! jk!
We finally got in. I got to meet Sally an English fille who teaches here in Paris. Two of my classmates were there as well, we had never talked before so it was nice getting to know them. Erin is from Louisana and is a fabulous belly dancer! Sebastian is from Waterloo, and is fluent in German. We had such a good time (that was an understatement)! Alain is a fabulous dancer. He picked me up and twirled me around the room, too bad I was a terrible follower considering I was bourréd! Tophed was mesmerized by Phillip (a friend of Eliana's working in animation here), he knows magic and had us all in a trance over his card tricks. (see above picture)
mini story: How Eliana and Phillip met. Eliana was walking in the wee hours of the night and a man started following her, she grabbed the closest guy around and asked him for help, she asked him to walk with her. This man was Phillip, he didn't understand French, Eliana said "english?" he said yes. She was saved and a friendship was born! How neat right!?
Well we danced the night away while Alain kept snapping incriminating photos of us LOL it was so funny. Around 3am I checked the "coat room" my tote was on the floor and my stuff was everywhere, my wallet however was gone. I spent the next hour looking for it (it killed my buzz!) and then the following hour coming to terms with the fact that it had stolen. Phillip let me borrow 20euros to get home. I was chez moi by 6am and called to cancel my credit cards.

Gone: american credit cards, 20euros, my carte bleu (debit card), my hostel card, my ISIC, my Franch student ID card, my California Driver's license, my $200 Coach wallet, and photos of family and friends.

oh well, no use in crying over spilled milk...*tear*

Dec. 7th Friday

After much consideration, I decided to watch Ratatouille. The movie was a lot more than I expected; it had humor, amour, and character. I really liked it and definitely recommend it. I had lunch at my school's CROUS resto. Loreto and I stood in a hideously long line to eat mediocre food. I had veggies, frites, fish, and some sort of mystery salad. For only 3 euros, what a deal! As we ate, we talked about, traveling, school, and our ambitious dream to do volunteer work in 3rd world countries...we'll see.
I headed to my Phonetics class. Paul (who's from Trin&Tobago) and Pio (who's from Spain) gave a presentation on France's immigration reforms. It's an awful law...that's all I have to say about that. The presentation launched a debate as to whether or not to limit, restrict, or forcefully remove all illegal immigrants! MY ASS!! I'm sorry it just makes me so mad to listen to all of these European students bash immigrants. Poor Paul wants to stay in France and can't because of immigration issues, and I know a few people here and the only way they can stay is by maintaining their student status. I hate it...I'm an immigrant and it's just not fair to treat hard working people like this, people who are contributing to your country, our country! It makes me upset! A french politician was quoted saying "La France ne peut pas soutenir la misère du monde!" food for thought... *injuste*

Dec. 6th jeudi

I actually went to bed at a decent hour last night and was able to get up on time in order to go to the BU (bibliothèque Universitaire) and study with Marion for our Marketing midterm on Monday. We studied and then I went home and came back for our Marketing lecture. The professor told us we needed to know the terminology of the course in order to do well on the partiel. So Marion and I grabbed some caffeine and headed back to the BU to bosse (work). I was going to crack at about 18h30 so I decided to leave. I went home and studied a bit more. For some reason I thought I had to be at work at 20h00 and not 19h30. Needless to say while I was on the metro I realized I was arriving 20min late to work! mèrde! I was so ashamed! I was sooo late! GGRRRHHH! Where is my tête these days!?!
Tom was home alone too! Luckily he had already started dinner. We started eating and then Lucas showed up. They were about to start arguing again in one of their brotherly rants. (it happens every time) and I just about had it with that so I cut in and said "stop! not again! You guys do this everytime, I can't stand it!" They were surprised I said anything and quickly apologized and stopped. Great, I won't have to deal with that anymore!
Tom was very tired and went to bed early. Lucas and I practiced on his oral Spanish and then we called it a night.
I got home and talked to my folks. Boy, do they miss me! I love them so much...I can't imagine my life without them...my mom and sister get here next Friday, woohoo! We're still trying to find a logement in Barcelona, crap! Time is running out!

Dec. 5th Wednesday, Mercredi, Miercoles

Yay! Arabic class! I did my Arabic homework and hour before class. I arrived 5min late as usual. We reviewed a little bit and learned some new stuff. I went up the board and said a few phrases in Arabic, it was awesome! I didn't stutter and my pronunciation was so much better! The professor clapped and said "bravo!" I was so happy. He brought cookies for the entire class, they had a date filling, and tasted like fig newtons, blah! They were good, but they made my throat really dry and there wasn't any water. The class was being obnoxious and talking over the professor while he was teaching, that's so annoying! I'm trying to learn here! I have a crush on someone in my class! AH! He is such a BG (beau gosse), but sssshhh don't tell anyone. I won't name names either hehehe.

mercredi 5 décembre 2007

Romina fait dodo...

faire dodo: go night night...
I stayed up 'til 2am last night, ouch don't ask what i was doing, it wasn't anything worthwhile lol. I was doing my devoir and surfing the net. Anyway i had class this morning at 8h30 and as you can imagine I was 5min late. I was falling asleep throughout the entire class. My eyes kept trying to close and my vision blurred from exhaustion. The prof asked me a few questions and I couldn't answer like a con because I was half asleep. GGrrrhhh! I need to get in gear! After class i went straight home and dealt with the overtly complicated deposit system at the bank. I passed by a Starbucks and there was an employee outseid giving free samples with whipped cream, (it reminded me of the States) but I knew if I had some it would take away my immense need for a sièste so I decided to go home and sleep...Romina fait dodo...
I got home and set my alarm to wake me up in an hour. I was to sleepy to realize that my phone was on 24h time and I wanted to wake up at 2pm setting my alarm at 2h00 and not at 14h00 like a con! I had to be at work at 16h30 and I woke up at 16h00! Putain mèrde! I got up in a mad rush and bolted to the metro! Luckily, the RER is very efficient (when there isn't a grève) then I ran to the school with 2min to spare! I made it!

I was supposed to go to Dupleix, but amie was too fatiguéd. Instead we went to the quartier Juif and had us some Israeli grub. I had a Falafel assiette and Israelien jus. The neighborhood was trop mignon! Then we were supposed to go bowling and arrived to the "Américain Billiards" only to find out that it was closed to the public for a private event. So we decided to go have a drink. We went to a bar called "Toi" it was über-chic! It's off of the Champs-Élysées. I had a "red apple" it was a mix of vodka and other fruity goodies. We talked about our sisters, friends, religions, and our sisters! We're both really close to our sisters and it was great having someone to talk to about it.

On our way home, we saw a guy in a banged up car trying to look very cool. He had the seat back, and his chin raised, music blasting, and windows down. He was a small man lol. Marion says to me "he's such a banlieuesard! Trying to look so cool!" I said, "how do you know?" She pointed to his license plate and affirmative the mec was from département 93, lol, too funny. We mocked the banlieue accent and said things "eh mmef , je te kiffe!"HAHAHA trop drôle!

Anywho now I'm home wide awake. I didn't go clubbing, and I'm a little buzzed. I'm too comfy now to go out...dodo...z...z...z...
Tomorrow Arabic class, woohoo!

Countdown: 9 more days 'til my sis and mom arrive! ah j'ait hâte de les voir!

dimanche 2 décembre 2007

Primer domingo de Adviento

Today was the first Sunday of the month and the first Sunday of Advent. I woke up and the wind was howling and there was a pounding rain. I went to the Champs Élysées and bought a phone from FNAC. The walk back to the metro station was a challenge. My umbrella was no match for the wind. It was being turned upside, and the fabric was tearing...time for a new umbrella. I wore my faux leather boots and when I got home my toes were soaked!
At 15h00, I had a rd (rendez-vous) with the nuns. Our youth group got together and watched "Pay It Forward," it was a beautiful movie! Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey, etc...a great cast. Then Sister Pilar asked me to read the Second Reading during mass. I have never done a reading in front of the entire congregation...not even in my own church back home. But I was über-excited and honored that she had asked me. So I went up the priest (very nice man) and asked him for the reading. He said, "here you go, read it over, and when you go up to read remember to read slowly." I sat at the pew tout seule and read, read, read...then I read it aloud to Sister Pilar and she helped through some of the pronunciation. She said I was ready! She was very encouraging!
I sat close to the altar and there was no one in my section! When the lady finished the Salmo Responsorial, I got up walked to the altar, bowed, and stepped onto the podium. I can't remember if I was reading too fast, or too low. I just remember crossing my hands, and having the words just flow out of my mouth. Not once did I look up, well only when I said "Palabra de Dios." I walked back to my seat and trembled...it was awesome!
After mass, our youth group met up, we talked about the movie, friendship, and family. We ate "merienda." We didn't finish until 21h30. ouch! We made plans for January to visit Versailles, eat la Gallette du Roi, and have a Christmas exchange. Nice company...:)