Uh…I Pretty Much Have No Idea What To Even Say To Begin To Explain This Week

I guess I’ll give the semi-quick overview. So Monday was good, I didn’t go to Math because I talked to my guidance counselor type guy and thought that he found a French class for me in place of math, so I asked him if I needed to go and he said no. So then Tuesday I get called into the real princpal’s office (basically the Dean of the school that half the students have neither seen nor talked to) and he tells me he doesn’t like how things are going. So he was mad because I didn’t go to math (which turns out was just a big misunderstanding) and about other stuff like how I’m “arrogant” in class etc. Basically just the most ridiculous crap (yes mom, I said it, that’s the only way to explain it) ever, since after my host mom talked to me a month and a half ago I’ve taken notes in all my classes, I never talk during class, and I try to do my homework. So they said they were going to review me with the teachers at this “conseil de classe” majing thingy which is next Friday and decide whether or not I can come back in January. So basically all this week I spent worrying about that, at some points wanting very much to just get sent home to make it all go away (these times were usually in the morning), or really wanting to stay (usually later in the day, like tonight, which I will get to later). So basically I believe I know what it feels like to have a period, but I’m going to go ahead and say my mood swings have been much worse than any period could bring. But I’m not sure, I’ve never experienced that. Anyways…so ya, if you guys could pray that God will just work everything out with this, because I really do want to stay and finish what I started, it’s just things need to be worked out at my school so that there’s an understanding between me and the teachers of what they expect of me etc. This week has definitely been a lesson in patience (while trying to explain myself without yelling to people who didn’t really care what I had to say) and trust (trusting that God’s going to work through whatever happens and me worrying about it is pointless). But anyways that’s the overview. I'm not really as worried as I was earlier this week, as one of my best friends is the class delegate so he's going to stick up for me, my rotary counselor is writing a letter, and this kid at lunch told me he'd go on a hunger strike if i got removed from school. Basically the hunger strike thing relieved my worries.

I actually had a good week apart from all that. On Wednesday I went out to coffee with a girl who goes to the American University in Paris and who was on a Rotary exchange a few years ago. We had a great talk. It’s always good to talk to a former exchange student because they know exactly what you’re going through and are a big help. So if you’re reading this Nikki, thanks. But she went to Kruse, Boltz, and Fort Collins High so it was fun to talk about old teachers and how much better American high school is than French high school. After that I met some Rotary girls who live North of Paris, and we walked around for a while (they were buying food for Thanksgiving) and it was fun to talk to them and see how similarly/differently our exchanges are going.

Yesterday, as you all know, was Thanksgiving. I guess I thought it would be a lot harder and that I would be a lot more homesick, but as no one celebrates it here and everything is decorated for Christmas, it didn’t really feel like I was missing anything until I told Victor about how I should be at my brother’s house, eating monkey bread, playing video games, and being with family. So all you people out there with your families, don’t take it for granted. Like Tyler said in his blog, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, and I never realized how much my family meant to me until I came here.

This is getting long so I’ll cap her off with today’s events. After school was amazing. Victor, Guillaume, this girl Hélène and I went walking on the Champs Elysées, went and looked around Louis Vuitton and played with toy cars in the Disney Store. Then Victor and I went to visit one of his best friends from his former school, Eva, at her apartment. She was extremely nice and easy to talk to, so it was good to meet her because I’ll probably see her again as her and Victor are really good friends. If there’s one thing I am thankful for here (although there is not just one, but you know what I mean) it would be Victor. He is seriously one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He is easy to talk to and puts up with my somewhat constant asking of how to say things in French. After Eva’s house we went and got Starbucks (oh man, the Christmas cups are out, and I got a Latte Praliné…uh-mazing) because I had been telling myself I was going to get a Holiday drink sometime as a treat, and I figured since I had an eventful week this was the time. So we got Starbucks (which reminded me of getting coffee with all my friends, and made me somewhat sad), and talked for probably 2 hours. I don’t know what it is, but there’s just people that are awkward to talk to and people that aren’t. Victor is in the “aren’t” section. We had a great discussion, then while getting on the Métro to go home, stopped and watched a performer play acoustic songs for probably about 45 minutes. There was a funny lady that kept dancing, and this guy who took the mic from him and freestyle rapped during “No Woman No Cry.” On the Métro Victor said that this was probably the best night he’s had in a couple months. I couldn’t agree more. So I’ll end with that.

Brent



(the pictures are from Thanksgiving 2 years ago, my my how time flies)