The Younger Sister I Never Wanted...

There are times when everyone goes out to do other cool things and leaves me and Priscilla by ourselves for dinner.

Normally, this is on a school night, and there's no real issue. We finish dinner, put away the stuff, then go into our respective corners of the house. Amusingly, this means that Priscilla watches 4 hours of television TV/goes on Facebook instead of doing her homework. I am doing the same thing, except that because I am the older, more mature "sibling", I sometimes leave for a couple of hours to "prendre une verre" with my friends.

A couple of months ago, the following conversation occurred on a Wednesday night:

Priscilla: What are you doing tonight?
Me: I'm going out. Why?
Priscilla: Uh...well...I'm gonna go out for a couple of hours too.
Me: (gives her a look) Do your parents know?
Priscilla: Ehh...Have I told you that you are my favorite person who has ever stayed with us?
Me: OK! Have a good time! Don't get killed! Byeee!!!

Well, the last part didn't exactly go like that, but I told her I was leaving and that she should make the right life choice.

I came back later that night around 1 am and saw that her bedroom door was closed, and I assumed she made it in safely.

The following day, I was talking to Priscilla (we were walking behind Madame and Monsieur, en route to the car) and I asked, "How was last night?"

Madame, with ears of a bat and the intuition of a mother who has had 5 children goes, "What did I hear? What did you do last night Priscilla? I thought you were doing your homework?"

Priscilla looks at me with deer in the headlight eyes, so I pause, then respond:

"Well, when I left last night, she was watching Gossip Girls in English, without the subtitles, and I know how hard that is for her."

And Madame goes, "Well, I wish you were doing your homework Priscilla, but at least you were being semi-productive and trying to improve your English."

If I was not Priscilla's favorite foreign student before that moment, trust me, I am now.

Anyway, where I'm going with this is that 10 minutes ago, Priscilla goes, "What are you doing tonight?"

Friday nights for Priscilla are "supposed" to be work nights, and then she is allowed to go out on Saturday nights (until 2 am! What the hell! I NEVER stayed out that late when I was in high school, and even now I'm normally in by 2! And I'm almost 21!).

My response: "Well...I came in really late last night, so probably something low-key, or I'll just stay-in..."

Her answer: "You know I think of you as a sister right...?"

Me: "I should've had you write my French essays for me this past week, in exchange for all I do for you...."

...I think when I leave the apt, she will be the person I miss the most...!!!

Things I've Learned (Part Deux)

...another list with things I've learned since the first posting of "Things I've Learned"...

1. You don't always have to read the assigned reading.
2. Don't watch your host mother cook - because when you see that THERE IS CREME FRAICHE IN EVERY SINGLE THING WE EAT.
3. The best days are days you can eat outside
4. Streaming shows on the internet are the best time killer.
5. Don't admit to your hosts that you have literally slept the whole day away.
6. Don't admit that you are only able to recognize where you live by the key pad outside the front door. And then, don't admit that you walked past where you live 3 times because they updated the key pad and you didn't know any other landmarks...
7. When the illegal immigrant at the sandwich shop corrects your French, smile and accept the correction. Remember that you speak English better than he ever will.
8. The same goes with being corrected by an 8 year old.
9. 10 euro steak tartare does not equal food poisoning. It equals DELICIOUSNESS
10. Blog posts are the best form of procrastination.

Summer Plans

As many of you have noticed, I have stated several times that I will be staying in Paris until mid-July. It's not because I am trying to leave American permanently (if anything, this year has made me realize how much I love the USA), but because I have found an internship here for 6 weeks. (When I say "I found" I really mean, "Thank you Mike & Heather".)

I will be working full time from June 1 to July 11, then coming home July 13. If you are in the area, please let me know! I already know I have 2 visitor for sure, plus Caty (...you better be coming Rooommmmiiieeee) so at least I'll be occupied during the weekends.

Where does this leave me with Sweet Briar? Well, tomorrow starts Finals Week (damn, that went quickly!) and then I'll be done with everything on Wednesday. A week from then, the 27th, I will be in London for the day seeing Emily (from Beijing) and then I'll be a working girl for the rest of the summer (insert joke here).

Don't worry, the blog WILL continue (though I won't be blogging on work) until the end of my time here so there is an additional 6 weeks for entertainment for all!

...and now I should probably study...

Umm...coupez mes chevaux? oops..mes cheveux?

I know, it's hard to be as attractive as me. (Prior to haircut)
Yep, still really, really attractive! (After haircut)

If you get a Skype account, you too can see all my attractive facial expressions!

So 2 weeks ago I decided to get my haircut. And when I say "I", I mean my mother suggested it, my friends suggested it...and then I stopped brushing my hair 'cause I didn't have enough patience to get out all of the knots. And it was 2 days after that, that I decided I REALLY needed to get a haircut.

Back story:

My hair has almost always been at the length that it is right now (after cut). But while I was in China, I let it get long and it looked REALLY REALLY good. Mainly because there's almost no humidity there so I was tricked into believing that I can have long hair. LIES. I came home in December, got my hair cut right before I left in January - but didn't cut it short, I kept it long-ish. WELL - France isn't the same as Beijing and my hair started to get crazy long (and puffy)! But, I actually got some compliments on it too, which is why I kept letting it get longer and longer. (Heather's comment at the time (March): it looks luxurious!)

But the days went by and it started to triangle out...and my roots started showing. I'll admit it, I've been dying my hair since 8th grade. And then once I decided to stay here in Paris until mid-July, I knew I couldn't wait that long for a touch-up. So my decision was easy:

Me: EVAAA!!! I need a place to cut my hair.
Eva: Ok.
Me: Where do I gooooooooooooo?
(10 minutes later)
Eva: Thierry Lothmann. Use Mendi.
Me: Well that was easy...

2 days later:
(on the phone, at the Sweet Briar Office)
*Bring Bring*
Lady: Allo?
Me: Umm...est-ce que je peux faire une rendez-vous pour une coupe et les meches?
Lady: Oui.
Me: OK. Le nom c'est Jay. G-A-Y.
Lady:...Ok....
(give details, hang up)
Sarah: You never learned the alphabet, did you?
Me: Ummm maybe? Once?
Sarah: Do you realize you spelled your name "G-A-Y"?
Me: Fuck my life.

(The letters "g" and "j" are switched in French, Sarah assured me it's a common mistake. As did Jenny, who on the first day of SB spelled her name: Genny Kanj...)

2 days after that:
Went to the salon, got my hair did, and am actually pretty pleased with it! My hair was getting too long (Mother commented: It was starting to look a bit like Alice in Wonderland), so I'm glad I did it now instead of waiting for July, back at home.

YAAAAAAAAY for using French in real life! YAAAAAAAAAAY!

How was YOUR weekend?!?!

So when I was invited to the "country house", I really didn't know what to expect, except that Madame promised me that there would be animals there. I mean, give me animals and I will travel.

We set out on a Thursday night, 5 of us (Monsieur, Madame, Priscilla, Camille - Lara's best friend - and me) in the back of the car. Lara and Grandma were going to join us later that evening at the house.

En route, Madame turns around with a wicked grin and says: "Oh, I forgot to tell you Michelle, the drive takes 6 hours."

Priscilla then chimes in, "Well, we are at the Bois du Boulogne...you can just jump out now and make some money on the side." (The bois is where all the hookers hang out.)

If there was any re-affirmation that I was placed in the right homestay, this would be further proof.

But I digress.

2.5 hours later...we pulled up here:

I kid you not. This is the "country house".

Even more proof I was put in the right family. I love me some taxidermy!

Does your country house have a name? Oh wait, you don't have a chateau as a 2nd property!

So actually, the point of the trip was to go to the church where Lara is getting married in the summer. Camille and Olivier (another one of Lara's friends who will be playing the organ at the wedding) were there as well, in order to do a dry run through.

Church!

Priscilla (front) and Camille start singing!

Me and Manon

We took the care-taker's daughter to the Church, too. (All chateau's need year-round, live-in help, as I was told.) It became evident to all that she was going to glue herself on to me (why are kids like cats?! Cats ALWAYS attach themselves to me because they know I am NOT a cat person. Kids apparently are the same deal too...) and I played baby-sitter for a very, very long 3 hours.

Once back at the ranch, we had engaged in other fun activities such as:

Cluedo!

(That's "Clue" in French. DUHHH) I did better in Cluedo than in Trival Pursuit, in which I was dead-weight.

And then we got to do the one thing I set out to do:
Ride horses!!!!

Hey Eros. Sorry you were such a spaz-face.

So Lara and I decided to ride, which would have been good, minus that the horses hadn't been ridden in months, Lara hadn't ridden in 10 years, and I was wearing a hunt cap. ("Wait...this isn't a real helmet?! - Lara)

After it became clear that Eros was not having this "Michelle gets on and rides game", I decided to ride Jason, instead:

Ignore the crappy leg, forward position.

Why yes, we DO ride in front of the chateau, thanks for asking. Don't YOU?! It was nice to finally get back on a horse, even if it was for a short time. (I also rode Eros in the end, because I couldn't let him get away with being a jerk. Good thing I had my hunt cap to protect me...)

We also took a long walk in nature, ate leg of baby deer, and celebrated Grandma's 80th birthday. I have great video of that, but it's not going up here...

A succesful week-end was had by all...

And then we loaded up the car (complete with Cookie), Monsieur put Madame's hat on his head, and we drove off back to Paris.

Yet the question remains...What did YOU do this weekend?!?!

LOOK! LOOK!

So I will admit it, I'm a pretty blase person. Except when I'm not. So this morning, I was en route to one of my favorite places in Paris (St. Ouen flea market) with Sharon when the following conversation took place:

Sharon (randomly, to some English guy): Excuse me, do you know you look a lot like Jim Broadbent.
Random Guy: Uhmm.
Sharon: Wait, ARE you Jim Broadbent?!?!
Random Guy: Uhh....(1/2 nods and gives Sharon a "Please go away look")
Sharon: COOL! HIIIIIIIIIIIII! I'm Sharon.
Me: (head in hands) I can't take you anywhere....and who the hell is this guy?
Sharon: He was in Bridget Jones's Diary and Moulin Rouge AND he's Professor Slughorn in the new Harry Potter.
Me: OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!

On further research, he is also an Oscar winner. I was so excited for one of my first celebrity spotting in ages ('cause Anne Hathaway doesn't count when it's just around town).

5 hours later:

Lara and I were en route to the bus, when we walk in the path of some people getting filmed on Velibs (the free public bikes in Paris). I decided to do a double glance to see who exactly where on the bikes when...

Me: OH MY GOD!! IT'S DITA VON TEESE
Lara: Qui!?! (Who?)
Me: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG. OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG.
Lara: Ummm....
Me: I need to call Sarah. OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

I know that now all of you are going to Google Dita von Teese. But I was sooo excited esp. 'cause I wanted to see her at Crazy Horse but the tickets were too expensive. But I was totally like, bugging out 'cause I saw 2 celebrities in 1 day. AHHH!!

(Real update tomorrow, I promise.)

RIP "fIphone" 2008-2009

Today marks the 6th month anniversary of my iPhone, belovedly called, "fiphone" (pronounced, fie (rhymes with pie) phone).

He had a good life; he traveled from China to America, and had many voyages throughout Europe as well. He even got to work in Morocco, too. He withstood multiple injuries: falling out of my purse, falling downstairs, being accidentally stepped on. He was a super-trooper.

His favorite things were being confused with the "real" iPhones and his pink carrying case (which sadly broke 3 weeks ago). He also liked it when I wiped him down with sanitizer.

He was to be passed on to Priscilla at the end of my stay here, but that was not to be.

Today, at about 1.20 pm Paris time, I sat down on my fIphone, and the screen cracked. (Before you start the fat jokes...it was at a weird angle AND I've lost 5 pounds while being here, thank's very much!!)

Luckily, to my foresight that the fIphone might crap out, I brought mr. Motorola (my first phone in China, pictured to the left in the photo) along for the ride as well. He is willing to accept the call of duty in a new country, and has already been employed several times in the last hour.

Good-bye, Mr. fIphone, I will miss you.