About Time

So... I figure it was about time to update my blog...who's still out there, following me? It doesn't seem like anyone really is, so am just writing this for myself, but you know... If you're following, drop me a line =)

So, what's happened since my last post? Well, MAJOR Culture Shock. Ha. That's fun. Not. But I got over it with a kick up the bum and major help from the best host family ever.

I finished off the school year by dressing up as a cowgirl and dancing YMCA, Bet On It and doing the Haka in front of the entire school, because I'm totally cool like that. I love small private schools... I actually think that Notre Dame is the best school I've ever been too. We might not have all the facilities and it may be old and whatever, but it's MY school, and damn, I love it there. Some of those people are incredible.

Then I did work experience at SNCF, the rail company here. I did it because everyone else in my class were on exams, but I didn't do them, so work experience was suggested for me. It was actually quite cool. I learnt a lot of things and talked to heaps of people =) i also had to do a rapport de stage, or a report, on it. This is not work experience Aussie-style. It's work experience French-style. Which means a report detailing everything that you've learnt and how the company works and the history and everything. Which ended up being 23 pages long. I spent hours and hours on it and I have to say, that I'm damn proud of what I've done. And if I don't get at least 10 I will cry, which is no joke. I also got a deal with my host mum, being that if I got 15 then she would come and get her belly button pierced with me, because she's scared of needles but I really wanted her to come with me. I love her! Coolest host mum EVER. So now we are playing the waiting game.

July was spent travelling Europe... I love the casual manner in which I say that! I flew out of Toulouse to London on July 2, to meet my mum and sister. The UK Border was very scary with the whole interrogation thing going on, but two hours later I was through and jumped on my sister in greeting. We went straight to Becky and Mike's house- my mum's friends who live near Gloucester. They live in a tiny little typically English village and it was lots of fun to see that =) Then it was off to London to be typically tourist. Truth be told, I think London could have been a lot better, but there you go. We also visited places Harry Potter was filmed and walked in amongst the rocks at Stonehenge... and I saw Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Chicago and Legally Blonde on West End. i heart Legally Blonde, talk about AMAZEMENT. And I met the main actors/actresses, which was pretty cool. (THE PACKAGE GUY! ...If you don't get this, get yourself to London or New York and watch the show). Then it was off to Paris, which was once again pretty awesome, especially EURODISNEY! We were really lucky because on the day we went there, it looked like it was going to pour down with rain, so there was no one there, but it didn't rain, not one drop. YAY! It was amazing, I love Disney. After that it was direction: Barcelona. This was my favourite place on the whole trip. I loved it there... the people, the culture, everything, and I can't wait to go back to Spain one day (hopefully) and be able to explore of the beauiful country. There were also some interesting experiences with the language, like when I mooed at the shop assisstant to try and find out of the meat was beef... it worked though! Kind of... After Spain, we returned to my house for a little so Mum and Sam could meet my incredible host family. It was really weird seeing them together and I think my mum and Evelyne got on really well, which was great. Then we headed over to the Cote d'Azur for a couple of days. We based ourselves in Nice and visited Cannes, Grasse and Monaco. This meant awesome times on the beach, lots of photos and an epic cactus garden. I cried a lot when I said goodbye to them at the airport, the blubbered in the train, but got over it after two or three days. So all in all, the best July ever.

In July it was also my 18th birthday, yay! I had a small party with my family, with pink, purple and pirate balloons, a pink tablecloth, pink glasses, pink and white napkins and flowery pink plates. It was awesome =) Two days later, the village party started up, which last for five days, and on the first night I had my two best friends here, Marie-Anne and Michele (better known as Kiki and Mimi) over to party the night away. And party we did.

August has been relatively calm... lots of work on my report and lots of going to the pool with the host mum and sis. And I'm not scared of water anymore which is pretty cool... It's actually the main way I've exercised in the past month. Yes, I did laps. Of a pool. Voluntarily. And I bought myself some pinkn goggles which are uber sexy, because the chlorine was killing my eyes. Weirdest thing ever here though... you're not allowed to wear board shorts in the pool because apparently it's "unclean"...

About four days were spent at Nini's house, who is my host mum's friend. She's absolutely adorable, Spanish and has a dog that waddles... I kid you not. It was incredibly relaxing just spending time there and sleeping, and I even got to hold a frog that we caught =)

Bryani from Sydney came and passed three days with me, which was quite epic to see and hear another Aussie =) Had lots of fun cruising Toulouse and Carcassone and watching A Very Potter Musical- only the best youtube thing ever. Watch it. Seriously. You will not be dissappointed.

And so now I'm on holidays at the beach =) My host family found another host family through EF for a week or so, so I could see how another family lives, so I'm here for about 10 days, and it looks to be great, they're incredibly nice =)

And that about sums up the last three months... waiting excitedly for the next exchangers to arrive (August 28!)

I LOVE my host family.