Soccer! Barcelona! SOCCER!

Playing around in the FC Barcelona Megastore =) Bought myself the official team scarf! You'll see me with it later.

Hello, I'm back! Well, technically I've been "back" for a week now, but once again I get caught up with friends, school, etc, so I've neglected to tackle the immense task of blogging my vacation in Barcelona! Our school had its fall break from Thursday to Monday, and my friend Perla and I had been planning our vacation to Barcelona for weeks. We went by bus, leaving Thursday at noon and coming back Monday evening. It was seriously a dream vacation, with so much fun, exploration, touristy stops, and non-touristy adventures that it would be near impossible to record it all. So I've decided to, over the next few days, give you my favorite moments and experiences of the week.

So, why Barcelona, and not Rome, Paris, Belgium, etc? After all, Barcelona's pretty close. Well, this weekend happened to be oh-so-convenient to see my FIRST EVER PROFESSIONAL SOCCER GAME. Yesssss! And well, although I don't pretend to be an expert in every soccer team playing in the European leagues, I do have a thing for Barcelona. So, obviously, I was so there. The game was on Saturday at 10 PM. A bit bizarre, no? But it gave us plenty of time to explore the city all day, including the FC Barcelona museum, cook dinner, drink coffee, then come back for the coolest part of the trip. It's probably not a good thing that I went to this game as my first one; the others have a LOT to live up to!

Earlier that day we went to the FC Barcelona museum and stopped by the store as well. The museum was a soccer junkie's dream, and I think I may have spent waaaay too much time in there: but there were interactive touch screens with all kinds of history and clips, memorabilia, trophies, and giant screens spanning an entire hallway that played an amazing program of Barcelona's recent run. It was a lot of fun :)

Referee whistle from the good ol' days. Oh, how times have changed.

 The boots of one of the first ever Barcelona players. Smelly, I bet.

 All hail Messi! (Check out the Ballon d'Or on the left - he's the current holder, and he's only 23!)

I'll spare you more photos and get to the good stuff: the game! Huge stadium, one of the biggest in the world...Camp Nou hold 98,000 people (thank you, museum!), and it was honestly 90% full that night...if not more. It was Barca - Sevilla, and the final score was Barca 5, Sevilla 0. Easy game, but definitely not boring in the least! The stadium was packed, and everyone was really into the game. There were tons of cheers and chants (in Catalan, not Spanish!), and it was just an all around good time. I'm so happy I got to experience that. And, if I'm being honest, I was watching the referees just as much as the players. Ah, what can I say? They were quite stylish (and excellent). Definitely the experience of the weekend. Football fans have got it going on. At one point in the game we did the wave around the entire stadium - at least 4 or 5 times before it finally died down. Not to mention the craziness each time we scored (Messi scored twice - he's amazing!) or a fould was missed/didn't go our way. Listening to an older Spanish man behind us curse was super amusing.

Unoficcial cheerleaders. They were the coolest folks at the stadium, hands down! Nonstop fun, flags, drums, the wave...

Even I think this looks fake. But we was there! Promise! =)

Just before kickoff. Full house!

Modeling my scarf before the game. With more scarves. They were everywhere, and in endless varieties!

Until next time, hope you one day become good enough at what you do that guys in suits can come wipe your nose on-field.

Let's play catch up! Aix-en-Provence

Hey, guys! So guess where I spent the fall break? Barcelonaaaaa! I had an absolutely fabulous time, but I still have a little bit left from my Marseille trip last weekend so let me just say that you will hear all about it next time, and I'll keep this one pretty short.

So I'll take you back to last weekend, where I was free as a bird on my third day in Marseille. Word from the locals: buses depart to and from Aix-en-Provence every 5 minutes all day, for 10 euro round trip. So, before you could say "bust a move," away I went.

Then, I arrived. Realizing that I was at a bus station with little or no direction, I followed the signs that looked the most promising and made my way to the presumed center of town. There I found the tourist office, got myself a handy map, and all was well. I basically spent the day exploring the city's artsy side. I wandered in and out of tons of artisans' stores, had some good conversations, and eventually followed the indicators on the map to see what this place was about.

This photo captures the mood of Aix: Chill, creative, and utterly cool.

My favorite time of the day was linked, unsurprisingly, to the old church tucked away in the heart of town. It's called Saint Jean de Malte, and it was certainly pretty enough from the outside:

Once again, too big for the frame!

I heard some music when I wandered close, and I decided to go in and see. As it turned out, I had come in while the organ player was rehearsing for the mass the next day. The music was extraordinary, and I had to sit down and just listen for a few minutes (which turned into 15?). It really was a joy to listen to, and the chapel was exquisite as well as nearly empty. The occasion didn't call for many photos, but I did end up snapping a few for memories' sake.

That's quite an instrument you've got there, sir.

Great acoustics, and stunning stained glass!

Afterward, I noticed that there was a museum directly to the side of the chapel, so I searched on my map and it said it was the Musee Granet, and apparently it's pretty famous. I decided to give it a shot: as a student, I got in free, and I was absolutely STUNNED at the art there. Photo taking was forbidden (and very strictly enforced: there were guards in nearly every room, and even though I was the only person wandering through some, just moseying slowly and enjoying what was there, I was followed. Like a duck. It was a little ridiculous. One woman guard got so into her job that after she haunted me at every step, I turned around and finally gave her a frustrated look. That solved that problem, and eventually I found myself in the area of the museum with the cute security guards. The portraits were nice, too. =)


Okay, seriously. I wish I could share the museum with you all. It was amazing in spite of how unassuming it was, with fantastic sculptures, landscapes, and even portraits and scenes that were 7, 8 feet tall. I spent hours there, and eventually I left, got myself something to eat at a kebab stand (yum!) and found my way back to Marseille for the evening. There, I met some friends at the new hostel and chatted for awhile while I made dinner. Eventually we shared bread, cheese, and beer, but I declined going out on account of how pooped I was. The next day, I woke up late, went to mass, and the weekend ended well. I'm going to go back at some point. The weather and construction made me miss a couple things, but overall I love love loved the town. I'd highly recommend it to anyone...alone, or accompanied. Stay tuned for the account of my trip to Barcelona!!

Until next time!

Marseille, Day 2: Good food, good times!

Hello hello! I'm back again, with more news of day two of Marisa's Fabulous Marseille Mini Vacation. As I was "that girl sleeping on the couch," I got to know several people at my hostel pretty well. Sad, since I had to leave the next day, but it was fun staying up and chatting with whomever, sharing travel experiences, making plans for the next day. As it turns out, an American couple, Stuart and Kara, also had plans to wake up bright and early the next morning, so we decided to do so together and see what the port had to offer in terms of its early morning catch. The boats literally pull right up onto the edge of the Vieux Port, the fishers have their tables, and they place their catch right there and make up signs detailing how much it all is. I was pooped from the previous day's walking, but the early morning atmosphere was definitely worth it!

Something seems a little fishy here...nah, probably just me.

And, whaddya know, Stuart works on ships and knows pretty much everything there is to know about them, so it was endless fun listening to him talk expert sailor speak while Kara and I snapped photos. We even ran into a slightly sad, old vessel that was permanently docked and converted into a restaurant. Although rotting from the hull and showing obvious signs of decay, you could totally imagine the glory of her illustrious past. We even ran into a guy who works on the boat. Stuart wanted to know more about the boat, so the guy said he could come up for a bit, so on we went. Of course, I had to take a moment to unleash the pirate within:

Yarrrr. I be a fearsome scallywag. =D

After a while, though, I decided it was time to part ways (for the moment) and continue on my first mission for the day: exploring the other side of the Vieux Port and old town (remember that fort I was peeking at yesterday?). I ran into Stuart and Kara intermittently throughout the day, which was quite nice, and we made plans for dinner later that evening. Me, I went at a nice slow pace and enjoyed the beautiful, sunny morning where rock meets sea, watching the boats go about their business. This was one of those times when not having someone to talk to made the moment even better. Some good daydreaming and thinking took place here. =)

This guy looks like he's off to do cool things.

My old digital camera's about as honest as they come. You know the view's special when a photo like this shows up :)

So, with fort number two down and lots of morning time left on my hands, I decided it was time to see what this part of town had to offer. I ran into another stunning, unfairly beautiful cathedral (and back into Stuart and Kara!), then wandered around a bit before seeing on my tourist map something called the Vielle Charité. Probably just another nothing special church, right? Not worth seeing? Right, I went anyway, and as a church compared to the others it was nothing special, but as it turns out there was a sculpture exhibition inside one of the buildings. What started as a small detour ended up as an hour's worth of me (and only me, nobody else was at the exhibit at the time) silently gawking over statues like this:

 Well, that's not the proper way to wear a robe, ma'am.

 After bonding with the marble, I decided it was time to move on. I took a break from the tourist stops and decided to see where my feet took me. Several random turns, a twenty-minute walk, and one hill later, I find myself in this place: just a bunch of buildings/apartments set around the remnants of an old windmill in a square, with a little elementary school filled with noisy kids inside. It was wonderful.

 Kids are the same everywhere. They're all horrible drawers. :)

 Nothing really special about this picture, it just says "Marseille" to me.

Afterward, lunch in the Panier, the area of town where the artisans have their shops and the more bohemian crowd historically frequented. I bought some wonderful soap (Savon de Marseille- they're known for it), and lunch at a boulangerie for 5,50 euro. I got a pizza with goat cheese and tomato, a fruit tart, and a twisty chocolate bread thing. I sat on some steps and, again, watched the world go by. I must have looked quite happy; one couple walking past wished me 'bon appetit,' and another smiled and said my tart looked delicious. I also ran into a dude from the hostel with his girlfriend out for a walk.

 Yumyum. Also, I should be more patient and take pictures of my food without bite marks in them.

So, now that I had a full tummy, what was next? According to my tourist map, the Jardin des Vestiges, a place I'd wanted to check out if I had some time, was also right next to Marseille's very own history museum. With my student card I got into both the park and the museum for free. I checked out the park first, and my full tummy told me it was time for a 2:30 nap. I followed the example of one or two others, picked my spot, and snoozed half-in half-out of the shade for 40 minutes.

 Remnants of ancient domiciles. Unassuming, utilitarian. I like it.

Afterward, refreshed and perky, I learned all about this old town at the nifty museum and made it back to the other side of the port and the hostel in time to meet up for dinner. I (and they) got recommendations from the locals for this one place with a fabulously jolly mustachioed chef (Monsieur Loury) that serves up excellent bouillabaisse at a reasonable price (considering that it can run you 50 euro at the best restaurants, 19 euro was nothing! And it was divine). We got there well before dinner service commenced, so we enjoyed aperitifs and music from the street.

 

 Creme de cassis. And I can buy it. Legally!

Afterward, the main course, the one we were all waiting for: multiple fish, one tasty broth, some potatoes and croutons. Yes, everyone, it's bouillabaisse, the Marseille specialty and the seafood lover's dream. Oh, was it tasty.

Humble in appearance, divine in the mouth. Peasant dish elevated to incredible heights.

 After a few hours of chatting, a bottle of local wine, and some delicious dessert (chocolate truffles and crème brulée), we were ready to stroll off our meal. We found our way to the most spectacular fountain I have ever seen. It doesn't even have a name, it's just le chateau d'eau by the Palais Longchamps, but it's two stories high and breathtaking by night. I only wish I could have gotten closer, but it's closed after dark. Alas, for the next visit, I suppose?

 sigh...

 And eventually, it was finally off to bed, to rest and relax for the next day's adventures- a day trip to Aix-en-Provence. Until next time!

Full moon. Watch out for werewolves...

Some crusty old fishing town: Marseille, Day 1!

Hi, everybody! The same day I wrote the post detailing the closure of the university, I hoofed it over to the train station, deciding that this was a prime chance to get away from it all and do a little sightseeing. The options were mind-numbing, and the careful consideration required due to the multiple train suspensions made the decision process bizarre, but I decided that before I go gallivanting off to some other foreign country, maybe it's best to see a little more of my own backyard: so Marseille it is! After all, it's the oldest city in France, dating back thousands of years, it's by the beach, and only an hour and forty minutes away by train. Very doable in a situation where I can only know what train I'll be taking less than 24 hours before departing. So, 11 euros poorer and with a hostel reservation made online, away I went.

Before you wonder why there's a noticeable lack of me in all these pictures, I made this journey toute seule. But isn't it lonely/scary, you may ask? Why no, not at all! This is my first "vacation" without somebody by my side, teaming up on decisions or making them for me, so I was interested to see how it all panned out. What I did find is that I'm actually quite happy being solo on my travel adventures. I'm pretty independent and don't have a constant need for accompaniment. I could wander anywhere I chose, and I only had one tummy/bladder to attend to throughout the time there (Thursday-Sunday). Decisions were mine and mine alone, and I never had to worry about matching stamina with anybody else. (As a result, I totally tore it up out there. Who knows how much walking I did?) Would I travel this way all the time? Probably not, having a companion to voyage with means lots of memories and experiences with that person. But, for my first extended trip outside of Montpellier, I'm very glad I went it alone. Now I know I can do it. =)

To make things a little simpler with the volume of photos I took (a lot by my standards, but few by those of the insanely camera happy), I'll divide my story into days. =)

 It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...:)

I took the first (and only) train to Marseille that morning, departing at 9:41 a.m. We left half an hour late due to manifestors physically blocking the track. Was I concerned? Nah, no really. I had bough a baguette, a wedge of Brie, and ham at Monoprix just before arriving at the station so I was happy as a clam in my little train seat, crumbs galore. After the initial delay, the train ride went smoothly and I got to Marseille feeling rather guilty with the amount of cheese I'd eaten...but I did end up walking it all off.

 First look at Marseille once leaving the train station. One girl, one bag, and all the time in the world!

I got there, went to my hostel, and found out that they'd overbooked! I was the last person to make a reservation online before it "filled" and apparently the computer let them do one too many, so the hostel apologized and said I was welcome to crash on their couch (for free!) or find another hostel. I was very happy to get comped a couch, considering that I can sleep about anywhere. But what did I do with myself that day? I put on my walking boots and went first to the major landmark of Marseille: Notre Dame de la Garde, aka "La Bonne Mère." It's the largest, grandest cathedral in Marseille, set at the highest natural point in the city. It offers a panorama of the city and the sea that is to DIE for.

 Me being small next to this big ol' thing.

 Not even close to doing the view justice. Not a chance!

The church had essentially two "stories," if you will. The upper is the basilica, the most ornate portion and very grand. I went there first. It was extraordinary, as the pictures will show. Along the sides of the chapel were tons of memorabilia and paintings reflecting the city's maritime history; ships, life preservers, etc. It was an unusual assembly, but you could definitely tell that this is part of Marseille's character. This church is fiercely loved and said to keep watch over the city ("Our Lady of the Guard" is the translation from French).

 The tabernacle, and a hint of the gorgeous mosaics that were everywhere.

 Up close view of a portion of the ceiling.

 On my way out to do more exploring. Magnificent views abound.

Afterward I headed down to the crypt. No, no dead bodies...it's actually just another chapel, though a bit more somber and understated. I'm trying to post only my favorite photos of the bunch, but it really is going to be hard. All I can do is direct you to my facebook for the rest. Overall, the atmosphere was one of reverence. It was at this point that I made a note to go to mass at some point this weekend (I did!).

 Not sure of the purpose of this little chamber...but would you like to be locked up in here?

After finishing with this, I made the trek back downhill and decided to check out the historic old port. It's been around, much like a lot of this city, for a couple thousand years. It's flanked on either side by a fort for protection.Very lovely place to stroll around and visit, and I made a point to make it up to one today, and one the next. As it turns out, they're slightly limited access: I'm curious as to what goes on inside the fort itself, but I was received by a sign dictating something or other dealing with the military. Essentially, "No tourists allowed." Aww.

 Cool, but slightly confusing structure atop the fort. Giant gold sword guarding a hole?

 

Playing lookout (that's the other fort across the port)

 The Vieux Port seen from atop Fort Saint Nicolas, in the evening sun.

After this, I decided that I was in the prime situation for one heck of a view if I could find myself a beach before sunset. I made my way back down the fort, checked my map, and saw I had a bit of walking to do to, but also some time, so I set off and followed the water. I found the Pharo Gardens with a small palace (small palace??) and more lovely views and amused myself people watching for awhile. There was a party of people watching their dogs romp around off the leash, parents playing with their kids, and of course, cute French couples of all ages enjoying the evening. I made casual conversation with a couple and eventually got myself in a photo near a nautical-themes statue. Evening sun makes everything look nice. =) After that, I continued walking and eventually found myself a beach and one breathtaking sunset.

 A photo of myself I actually really like =)

 I've got my spot, right here!

 Oh, I also found "The door to the orient and distant lands," (so it reads). Me, all I see when I look at this is "Touchdooooown!"

 Oh, yeah. This is livin'.  More pics tomorrow. Until next time!

Hoo-rah!

Hey, guys! Update! Hot off the presses! The university, as of Wednesday, 20 October, is closed until Monday of next week. Like, seriously. Closed. All of it. As in, there are gates blocking off campus. Should the academic in me be concerned? Perhaps, but now all I can do is say, "Yippeeeeee!!" I'm going to find a way out of this country come hell or high water, and let's see where the winds take me. I'm feeling like now is the time to travel.

Strikes are continuing, and all of France is pretty much in a general sense of outrage over the stated retirement changes. I, for the most part, don't seem to feel the effects. I stay away from the manifestations and mind my own business. However, I will say, for any of you worried at home, that strikes in France are quite different than the sensational, violent, burning buildings and causing riots you see elsewhere in the world. They're actually more like one big party. I've seen singing, marching, even an enterprising vendor selling roasted chestnuts where the strikers will be passing. A friend of mine has apparently also seen a vendor selling coffee and beer. In general, people seem to be upbeat and festive. Again, kind of hard for me to wrap my head around, but I'll take it for what it is and see where this takes me.

In case you're interested, here's the news from the university itself: Apparently, some students have blockaded themselves in one of the ampitheatres on campus! Oh, my.

"Les étudiants, en assemblée générale ce mardi 19 octobre 2010 ont voté pour la reconduction du blocage de l’Université Paul-Valéry – Montpellier III jusqu’au jeudi  21 octobre 2010 et ont décidé l’occupation nocturne de l’amphi A par une courte majorité de circonstance.

Au-delà du fait qu’elle dessert le mouvement social en cours, cette occupation est inacceptable pour la direction de l’Université qui ne peut assurer, dans ces conditions propices à générer des incidents et des dégradations, la sécurité des personnes et des biens.

Dans ce contexte, la direction de l’université a demandé l’intervention des forces de l’ordre pour évacuer les quelques personnes occupant l’amphithéâtre et décide, de la fermeture administrative du site « route de Mende »  jusqu’au lundi 25 octobre 2010 au matin.

En conséquence, les cours sont suspendus et le personnel du site n’est pas tenu de se rendre à l’Université.

Un conseil d’administration extraordinaire se tiendra la semaine prochaine pour décider des mesures à prendre et des modifications du calendrier."

The general sense of it is that authorities have been called in to get rid of these students, the university is unhappy about this interference with academia, and will meet next week to decide what measures will be taken. More updates to follow! Thank you for tuning in to News with Marisa. Until next time, stick it to the man.

Perturbations, manifestations, et grèves. Oh, my!

Ladies and gentlemen, we are under siege. Retreat to the safe house, recon, and wait for reinforcements. In the meantime, somebody set up watch at the perimeter to monitor the enemy.

Ok, ok. So I've watched one too many war films in my young life. Not-at-all-serious melodramatics aside, France is so totally on strike. And not just a "hello, let's march a bit, chant, let them know we're here and go home" kinda deal, but the whole country. And what's it about? Retirement, people! Read all about it here on the world socialist website: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/oct2010/fran-o15.shtml

Interesting read (English, too), but the jist is that Sarkozy's upping the minimum retirement age for full pension by two years, and people are totally up in arms. Aside from that big demonstration I mentioned a few days ago, there have been more. And more. No joke. The tram lines are constantly being interrupted and redirected by random masses of people (manifestations), there's probably going to be a gas shortage if oil workers continue to strike, and train services are becoming sparser and sparser (they're "perturbed," according to French jargon- oh, the new vocabulary!). I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. As long as I'm not caught in the middle, I continue to be mildly amused. It's almost like watching some kind of sideshow.

Like, for example, I took the tram this morning to go to my appointment with immigration. I, being the prudent person I am, got on extra early, figuring I'd get to my appointment way ahead of time and get out quick. The tram services have been in and out all week, which I've noticed as I ride merrily by on my bicycle (haha). As it turns out, I needed that extra twenty minutes, and I arrived at my appointment just on time. Halfway between Point A and B, the tram is forced to a halt by a solid mass of young people just standing in the way, and all around. Trying to understand the method behind all this madness isn't entirely working out, but hey. Pas de souci (no worries!).

I did have plans to take the train to Marseille for the weekend, but they got derailed. (Ha ha, get it?).  There are trains departing and returning, but they're a lot less frequent than normal and at cruddy times. And the last thing I want to do is get stuck, so here I am. Disappointing, but why complain, right? It's not like I'm the only one inconvenienced by this, and I'm here for nine months. That old French city on the coast ain't going to get up and move anytime soon. If it does...well, then, life just doesn't make sense anymore.

So we'll see what happens in the weeks to come. There's a chance of classes being canceled at some point next week due to all this mess, so perhaps a mini vacation is in order. Who knows? Until next time, fight the power.

Out of order: updates on life!

Okay, so this past weekend I enjoyed happy hour crêpes and went to Sète, a cool fishing village 15 minutes away by train, but since the internet here is quite awful I can’t upload any photos now. I realize that I'm sounding quite like a broken record, but they will come! Promise! So you’ll find out about Sète as soon as I can. Maintenant, here’s how my week’s been so far.

 I am apparently miraculously accident prone. Within five days, I injured both somebody else and myself. How do I accomplish this? I don't know, but I find it rather amusing. It's a good conversation topic, though, I find. I mean, I was absolutely mortified when, while I was dancing up a storm one night at la soiree latina, my ring apparently hit my partner's hand at just the right angle to cut it. Yes, I made a guy bleed. I'm dangerous, man. Stay away from me. Of course I can laugh about it now (the guys I were hanging out with find it amusing to me moquer about it, all in good fun of course), but at the time it was quite the embarrassment. I'm glad I didn't count how many times I apologized. Combined with the fact that my French comprehension is garbage in clubs, it was all one big, hilarious mess! How do I get myself into these strange situations? More important, I suppose, is that I always manage to goof my way out somehow.

So what else is new? Ah, yes. Since I've been here, France has had not one, not two, but three (!!!) national grèves (strikes). The stereotypes are true, people. They don't typically bother me since I'm pretty chill and have a bicycle, but it's constantly amusing to learn exactly who decides to take the day off in which administrative positions. Can a doctor really go on strike? Apparently so, I've been told! But what interested me most was as I was bike riding to the Comédie to take care of business and buy my youth train card (cuts all your train prices in half! Oh happy day!!), I found myself facing down hundreds- yes, hundreds- of people. It was overwhelming. There was singing, chanting, drumming, and tons of people walking who knows where. Apparently they were such a big crowd that for a little while they actually halted the few trams that were still running. Fight the power, man. Me, I think I'll leave the demonstrating to the activists. Something about a crowd of demonstrators that big with all the noise frightened me a bit, so I gawked very briefly and silently wished them well as I slinked through the crowd to do my shopping. Really, it's hard to describe in words. Quite a sight. I've never seen anything like it in my sleepy Alabama town. Love it or hate it, it's very much a part of French culture to demonstrate about just about anything semi-regularly.

I've adapted surprisingly easily to constant, unexpected inconveniences. For example, through random chance, I find out while on the way to the latin party tonight that it's canceled. Having waited 20 minutes for this tram (strike, remember?), I wasn't keen to get off. So, we ended up meeting for a drink at a hole in the wall bar and had some excellent conversation as well as a cassis-flavored beer. So, I know actually know what cassis is: it's the French word for blackcurrant (thank you, Wikipedia), a tangy berry that made my drink quite fruity. I felt so feminine drinking it in comparison to everything else I've had here, but it was amazing.  On a side note, I've seen beer here with 11.9% alcohol content. I think I'd have to pass on such an adventure, but talk about something that'll put hair on your chest, eh? If it tells you anything, the beer was Dutch. They must have some really hairy chests.

So, after that? As is typical of the centre ville, at the tram station while waiting another 15 minutes/indeterminate amount of time, we ran into some more friends who were also on their way home. These fabulous ladies happened to be from the same crowd who typically goes out dancing Tuesday nights as well, so we said hello, ont fait des bisous (kisses on the cheek!), and suddenly we were instant friends and laughing about this one slightly crazy but harmless gentleman singing on the tram. Nothing says bonding like giggling in bemusement over the characters you meet in this town. Two of the girls live at Vert-Bois, so I had more company on the way home. We jammed to some tunes on one's Blackberry, and the evening ended marvelously. To top it all off, I got high praise from my expression orale professor on my exposé today, which made me happy since I practiced a lot to make it sound coherent and clear in front of the class. So give me some credit, here. I am working. =P

Until next time, sorry for the absurdly long post of nothing but words!