Time just flies by!!

Another week has almost passed! Thursday I will have been in France for three weeks! And I'm really enjoying my stay here! I love the french culture (except for the driving), the food, the cities and towns, and the language, which is I think is improving. I love living in another culture, everything is so interesting. Just watching the way french people talk is entertaining!! I would absolutly love to live and work in France one day!! Have a little appartement overlooking the Seine, or a lovely town square.....Maybe even a view of the Effiel Tower...(That's a majour stretch I know!!) But it would be a dream come true!!!

So this week I have finally started my french course in Sainte-Germaine-en-Laye, and so far they are great!! There are about 9 or ten girls in the class, two swedes, one norweigan, a russian, an amercian, another canadian (!!), three or four german girls and me! Our teacher is named Eleanor, and she seems like a really good teacher. Unfortunatly I have only gone to one class because today Thomas was sick so I had to stay home and take care of him, which meant I had to miss my class today! :( Oh well, hopefully I can make it to Thursday's class!


Like I just said above, there is another Canadian girl in my class who's reppin' Toronto and her name is Melina. She seems quite nice! Hopefully we can become friends and explore Paris together! That would be really nice!! Yesterday after class she took me to Monoprix (which is like a really really small Walmart with a nice grocery part to it and a really, really nice clothes section!) to buy some school supplies. On the way there we were talking about our respective families and her family sounds like a bit of a nightmare!! She is staying with an Italian family in Sainte-Germaine-en-Laye, and got to France around the same time I did. She has to take care of three kids, and she was telling me that the oldest (about ten) is allowed to play Grand Theft Auto, which is an awful, awful video game for those of you who haven't heard of it. Basically the object of the game is to steal cars (stabing and killing people if you need too). It's rated R or something like that and has been quite controversial in the past because of the amount of violence in it. So not only is the ten-year-old allowed to play Grand Theft Auto, they can swear without getting in too much trouble, and on top of that, the mom doesn't even back Melina up! For instance, if Melina punishes one of kids for swearing, they run to the Mom and complain, and the Mom completely gives in and doesn't continue the punishment that Melina gave. It sounds really difficult!! I thought, wow, my family is totally different!! I really like all of them!! Of course the kids can grate on my nerves from time to time, but that's expected.


So I've been meaning to blog about this practicly since I got here, as I've noted a lot of cultrual differnces. So here are just a few of all the cultrual differences I have noted:

1. In houses, there is a room for just the toliet. No sink, no shower, just a toliet. As a result, the French people don't wash their hands.......EWWWW!!! I know. But I make the long walk across the hall to my bathroom with just a sink and shower and wash my hands, just in case you guys were worried!! haha



2. The French don't understand the concept of "customer service". Not only do YOU have to say hello when you walk into a store, just so the person working will say hello to you (well most of the time, there are exceptions), the French speak their mind and don't care. Ex: I was in the bakery today buying a baguette with Thomas, and I let him pick out a little sweet he wanted to eat. He was taking a little while to deciede, and as a result the lady behind the counter said to me: "Could you decide, because I have things to do in the back" Could you imagine if someone said that in Canada??? OOOO that would be bad!! I just laughed and odered my baguette. But for the most part, once you say "Bonjour" the French are usually pretty friendly.



I think I'll include some more differences in my next blog, as this is a lot to write about already!! But now for a few special notes....

Mr. Scott Wilson Myres, HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY!!! I hope you have a fantastic day (and night, hehe!!) and I hope that everything goes well!!

Another note to the lovely Pam Genick, can you send me you mailing address? I would like to send you guys something in the mail...


Anywhoo I think that is it for now, we are having delcious roast chicken for dinner tonight!! I love the food here!!


Bisous!!