EuroTour!!!

Here are some pictures from my frolicking around Europe with 44 other Rotary Exchange Students from April 16-27

Enjoy!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/BrentinParis/EuroTourParisToVenice

http://picasaweb.google.com/BrentinParis/EuroTourVeniceToDijon

Cheers Here’s to Life (on Vacation)

Last week a couple of my friends from the first bus trip, Jim and Zach, came up to Paris early for their bus trip that was leaving on Thursday. So we hung out. Tuesday we met up with an exchange student from Canada who is going on their bus trip, and Wednesday with a Colombian exchange student who was visiting Paris. Good times.

The sound of my alarm Friday morning wasn’t very appealing to my ears, so I turned off the alarm and fell back asleep, waking up at 9:00, exactly when my class was starting. While explaining this to my host mom I was interrupted by the beautiful sentence “oh, don’t worry Brent, I’ll just call you in sick and you can come to Good Friday Mass at Sacré Coeur with me.” The service was a lot different than the somber, candle lit services I am used to. There was simply a lot of singing (no Spencer, we did not sing “our God is an awesome God”). It was peaceful to sing songs, and it was something I really enjoyed although I may have spent more time focusing on my French pronunciation then on what the words really meant. All of this was of course sweetened by the fact that I was in the process of missing 4 hours of science labs, and that the only class between me and vacation was one hour of math later that afternoon. After math I went to Parc Monceau and read for a while, then a little later I met my friends to surprise our other friend Marion for her birthday. We threw her a hoppin’ party, and the night consisted of dancing, fun conversations with friends and new acquaintances, me being hungry as I hadn’t eaten yet, music, and well, an all around super-duper time.

Saturday. I stayed at Andrew’s house because my host parents left for the weekend. We ate Panini. He left. I watched “Ensemble c’est tout”, a French movie with Audrey Tautou (that sentence rhymes by the way). I ate Doëner. I slept.

For Easter, my church went down about an hour south of Paris to the country home of the parent’s of a member of the church. We had a traditional Jewish Seder meal on the Sunday outside in the beautiful sun and warmth. The Seder meal is for Passover, but it works as well for Easter because of all the parallels between the story of Passover (the blood of the Lamb etc) and Easter (Jesus=Lamb of God). The food and fellowship were amazing both Sunday and Monday. Monday I was a little tired after sleeping in a maximum five foot bed Sunday night. The length of this bed also did not help my legs, decimated as they were by the intense soccer match played Sunday. Monday night Andrew and I kicked it at his house, ate some pizza that reminded me of Positano’s (but did not completely reach that level of greatness) and watched 24 and the Office.

It has been gorgeous here in Paris for the last couple weeks, which suits (or creates?) my intensely joyous mood lately. Just thought all you suffering through cold weather in the states ought to know that. In light of this gorgeous weather, yesterday I went to the Musée Rodin. Rodin was a sculptor in the 19th century, and his work is displayed both inside the museum and outside in the garden (thus justifying my going to museum on a beautiful day). The museum is amazing. I fell asleep reading outside on the grass. That night, Andrew’s parents took me, Paul, and Taro out for dinner. Andrew picked out the restaurant, called “Le Timbre”, which means “the stamp” and is called that because it is so small. The staff consists of a cook and a waitress, but the food and atmosphere are impeccable (despite being surrounded almost completely by other English speakers). It was probably one of the last times I’ll get to be with Andrew, Taro and Paul all together, so although it was amazing, it was a little bittersweet at the same time, knowing that my time here is slowly depleting. In other news, after almost 8 months in France I still struggle drinking red wine and keeping it off my lips and/or glass. That is on my list of things to learn before I leave. Along with hangliding. And quilting.

Almost done. Today Melanie (exchange student from New Brunswick) and I went to explore the Versailles Gardens (which are free), as we are too cheap and it was too nice out to warrant a visit in the actual museum. It was such a relaxing day. We vented about the French school system, walked around, fell asleep near the canal (where I got semi-sunburned), ate Sherbet, and eavesdropped on adolescent British girls with funny accents. Solid day. Man do I love vacation.

Brent!

I Roll With the Cripz

So I pretty much can’t believe it’s already April.

In other news, I am doing pretty much amazing. Paris in the springtime is gorgeous. I have a week of school until my three week vacation. Bref, I am loving life.

This weekend was one for the books. Friday after school Victor and I walked around and talked, then I went and saw the 300 with my friends Guillaume and Marine. I thought I was sitting next to Johnny Depp the entire time, but finalement when the lights were on it was most definitely not him. I was a bit disappointed.

Waking up Saturday for Badminton really melted my butter, but I only have 2 sessions left, which excites me. Not having any plans in particular for daytime Saturday, I was very happy when Brie, an exchange student just outside Paris, called and wanted to hang out. So Brie, Rebecca (from Cali) and Rike (Germany) hung out most of the day Saturday, eating, walking in the rain, smoking hookah, and eating the most amazing, fresh out of the oven baguettes. That was a once in a lifetime baguette.

That night was similarly amazing. I went to the largest apartment in the history of history for dessert with friends from school, as it was a girl’s birthday party. They are a close group of friends and are super funny and great to hang out with. We then went to this kind of chic, bourgeois, “I’m Parisian and spend my parent’s money” bar where you drink cocktails out of baby bottles. There was a competition where trivial pursuit questions were asked in order to win suckers, and I won two. Take that French people and the stereotype of American ignorance. I got home at 3. I wasn’t really tired. Good night it ‘twas.

The sun was shining nicely Sunday morning for the picnic my church was having at the Jardins de Luxembourg. My friend Andrew and I played an awkward version of Pickle with some little girls from the church and these two French boys. It was really hot. The sun. Not the game of pickle. Andrew and I then went to a cemetery near by (Parisian cemeteries are the bomb diggity) and talked for a long time. It was amazing.

Usually on Mondays I have a history class with the Juniors (Premieres) from two till four, but as they were taking a test today, my teacher said I could learn the French “of the bistros.” I took this grand opportunity on this fine Spring day to walk to the Eiffel Tower, which took about an hour, where after several miscommunications I met up with some friends from my first bus tour, who were in Paris for their Euro tour. It was great to see them again, if only for a little bit. I then proceeded to lay in the grass under the warm sun and read. Perfection.

And that my friends, is how I roll with the cripz.

Brent