23. Not Ready for August.

oof, this is the most emotional i've been in a while...i don't really know what's going on. it's just one of those days where NOTHING seems to go right & EVERYTHING seems to be sitting on your heart. (i physically feel it) do you ever get that? it comes up for me on occasion...

ah, it feels nice to blog. *deep breath* buckle up, everybody.

for the past week or so, i've been waking up to the thought that my departure is VERY quickly approaching. summer began with me not really caring too much about leaving only because it was always too far to think of that. i knew the day would come & i didn't want to waste my precious days thinking, but rather, doing, which is why i've enjoyed an absolutely wonderful summer thus far with the beautiful people i call friends.

this morning, i woke up different.

i felt something this morning that i was unaccustomed to: FEAR. that was definitely it. what i realized was that today is the last day of july & therefore, tomorrow is the first day of august, also known as the last month i'll be spending here. (i don't count september cause i'm leaving the 3rd, meaning the 1st & 2nd will feel like 2 seconds: one...two...done.) i don't know if i'm ready for that. it's actually the first time saying "this is my last..." felt so horrible.

i'm such a hypocrite. i keep complaining that people are making my year in france a big deal. asking me questions like i'm never coming back. i keep arguing that a year is not that much. that i'll be back before they know it & that it's not that big of a deal. i'm right. it's A FREAKIN' HUGE DEAL. yeah, HUGE. HUGE, HUGE, HUGE, HUGE, HUGE.

HUGE. (Humongously Unbelievably Gigantically Enormous.)

that's what hit me today, like a huge pile of gold bricks & they've been sitting on my heart ever since. there's also...(this part has been edited out)..., but that's something else.

so i lied on the floor this morning at Goldie's house (i think that's her name...she's a friend, but i can't confirm that that's her blog name) the morning of a sleepover thinking about how AFRAID i am of tomorrow. am i truely ready to go? yes. but for the first time, i'm FREAKIN' SCARED. it's just another one of those "wow, this is actually REAL" moments that all you other afs kids can identify with oh so well. ohhhhhhhh...so THAT'S what the counselors were talking about...

"when you go to the airport, go with the one person you can trust but who's not really close with you. like an uncle or something. you'll think you can handle the pressure, but you can't"

pft, i can handle it. (that's me thinking)

ok now, we're a MONTH away & i'm already feeling...all "this" that i'm feeling.

this morning, laying there, i also decided to picture the last time i'll get to hug my sister. hugs mean the most to me & my sister means the most to me. (wow, i'm actually crying right now) to think that during that last hug, i won't get one for another year? oof...that's hard. that's really hard. i don't know what i'll do without her. she's my other half. no, actually, she is me, we joke, & i am her. we are i, i am me, i am you...(it goes on) you can laugh at us but it's our thing. so i decided that we're stupid. we've never been more than 5 days apart (we used to go to weekly boarding school) & now we've decided to spend a YEAR apart...TWICE. yup. she's going down under, to australia with afs six months after i come back. yeah...we're really stupid.

stupidly adventurous.

but STUPID.

my revelation also brought me another anxiety: the fact that everyone will be moving on without me. to me, it's inevitable but i really hope i'm proven wrong. i mean, i don't really expect EVERYBODY to meet me at the airport when i return; in fact i don't want everybody. but the important ones, the ones i care about...i want them to be there...please? i guess it'll be one of those dreadful tests of friendship. they suck cause there's always the possibility that they won't show. no excuse.

you see, it's quite simple: here i have a life. when i leave, i make a new life. a year later, i leave the new life, come back to my old life, anew. follow? everybody else here has a life. when i leave, they continue their life so that when i come back, they're all somewhere else. like my part is put on pause for a year. so, why would anyone want to "pick up where we've left off" if they've all moved on? together too...:S

ugh. pretty much, i guess i forgot that this last month, august, isn't solely for physical preparation, as in packing & paperwork but EMOTIONAL preparation as well. haha...my emotional baggage is heavy...get it? ugh...but now that i've vented, i feel 1% lighter. yeah, not much but sleep will take care of things. :) just so that you all know, FEAR is not really a [bt] trait. this is new...it's scary, but i like it.

so all of that was going on in my head before i even opened my eyes this morning. imagine how the rest of the day went...the cloudy weather didn't help either. but i least i delivered another 50 "wanted" posters for my garage sale...

recently, a cottage trip was offered to me & i immediately liked the idea & wanted to go. i originally thought that it would be a good opportunity to hang out with some people & bond. but now, i see it rather differently. see, pretty much all of the people attending are not my close friends, which means i'll end up have quite some alone time. with water. with trees. with sunsets. i realize, i need that before i go. alone time. without any of my close friends (family included). i need to prep. i need me time.

now 5% lighter,

:(

[bt]

p.s. *HUGE sigh*

22. Suitcase, baby!

Oh yeah! That's right! I got a suitcase today! Actual valise! My first!

It's a Samsonite set: check-in, carry-on & personal bag. I'm pretty sure I'm leaving the "personal bag" behind though cause I like the bag I have at home better. :P

Come to think of it, I should really start packing! (Il me reste seulement 36 jours!)

(there's supposed to be a picture here of my luggage but the seemingly limitless internet apparently has it's limits...)

C'est tout!

<3

[bt]

21. Friendly Neighbourhood Services

Ok so my internet just gave up on me so I'm writing this on good ol' Word. Sucks cause my best mate really needs me right now on MSN & um, other reasons too...

Firstly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY n00b!!!!!! Not that he'll read this anytime soon but you know, I've always wanted to make some kind of shout-out to a friend. :P

Ah, so the point of this post is actually to show off the pamphlet that I've worked on all day (took me 12 WHOLE hours, to be exact). I gotta admit, it's pretty dang sveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. Voici the screen shot...
Wooot!

hoping these pamphlets do their deed once i send them out,

<3

[bt]

p.s. just to clarify, it's july 29, 12:54 a.m., as the automatic blog date & time will be inaccurate by the time i actually post this...

p.p.s. 38 days & counting...

20. Random Ramble

it's been a few days & it's late so i just feel like rambling. it's gonna be long, i warn so buckle up!

• recently, i've been thinking about how i may be the most un-opinionated person ever. hm...how should i say this? when it comes to politics, arguments, other people's opinions, etc., i rarely take sides because i believe in considering all sides of a situation, no matter. it's a very different approach, i know but it's cause for me, if someone believes something, then it must be "right" for them so how does that give anyone else the right to say that they're wrong? wow, i'm so bad at explaining this...anyway, somehow, i think it reflects in my calm, almost bland personality? well, i don't think i'm bland cause i'm actually insanely goofy but sometimes, goofy looks scary so i resort to calm, which is bland...maybe i'll go in depth another time...(oh yeah, i'm more passive than active meaning my attitude is, "go ahead life, give me what you've got" rather than "ugh, i want it MY way", not that ppl are spoiled or anything)
• today was a good day. i saw all of my FAVOURITE FAVOURITE people & i got to do nothing with them. i genuinely appreciate doing nothing. it's wonderful! nothing is underestimated though, cause for me, its definition is laying on the soccer field chatting, feeling the breeze, listening to music, occasionally picking at the grass & doing random stuff with it. soaking in the sun, laughing, barefeet...i'm so darn appreciative. that's all it takes for me to be happy. honestly. just a good, solid dose of nothing.
  
• my bestest friend is throwing me a going-away party! i'm really excited although all i really want is to spend a day like today with those people with a little bit of attention on me just to acknowledge my leaving. not a whole lot though...i don't exactly thrive on attention, you see. anyway, it's at a surprise location! i love surprises!!!! should be happening august 18.
• i am absolutely ROCKING my summer list! it's amazing! here's the update:
  1.Do at least 50% of what's on this list... (CHECK!)
  2.Go to the Amusement Park. (woot!, CHECK!)
  3.Run 1.5 mile in 9.0min. (probs not...)
  4.Read 3 books. (i'm on my 3rd so...CHECK!)
  5.Go to a Fine Arts Exhibition. (not quite yet)
  6.Have at least 15 blog posts published. (CHECK!)
  7.Have a going-away party. *sniff* (coming soon...CHECK?)
  8.Go to the Animal Museum. (my wallet is dry so i can't but i'll go to the Ice Cream Parlour instead!)
  9.Watch Crocodile Dundee. (edit: Grey's Anatomy...CHECK!)
  10.See my peeps! (CH-CH-CH-CHECK!)
  
• i feel like i'm completely neglecting my fund-raising :S it's just so hard to face! i pledge: i will do everything according to the schedule i made before i allow myself to go on that trip
• i got my first [bt]log follower! her name's Lucie & i've no clue how she found me! hi Lucie!!! she's leaving september 3rd to France as well (i've decided to follow a few blogs meself since)
• 2 weeks ago, i cut about 10in. of my hair & donated it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths to make wigs for people who have gone through chemo. i just thought it'd be nice to give someone else some happiness :) why not? i really like my short hair too!
  
• yesterday, my mom, my sis & i went shopping mostly cause i want to get some stuff before departure. my goal was to get an mP3, walking shoes & hair elastics. i got none of those things. hehe. instead i bought 4 tops & a dress from Old Navy & Zara. wow, they're gorgeous! i'm so pumped!

hoping that the stuff in the dishwasher is dirty so i don't have to unload at this hour,

<3

[bt]

19. My Food Idols

in trying to find a place to buy a blowtorch for tonight's maple crème brûlée, i decided to google "blowtorch canadian tire", whereupon the first result presented was a blogger blog directing me to aisle 5.

anyway, i decided to further explore the blog & ended up at a post called "niche". after reading it, i was really intrigued & eventually discovered that Jason Leizert was the owner & chef of niche, which has been getting extraordinary reviews. i want to go so bad but it's in vancouver! but, more importantly, i discovered that he is also anthony sedlak's executive sous-chef at the corner suite, a newly-opened french bistro in vancouver.

ANTHONY SEDLAK?! OMG, WOOT!

yeah, see i had this obsession w/ him cause i LOVE his style. he hosts "the main" & he's a good speaker & obviously passionate about food. but, he steers away from strict tradition just enough to make things tastefully new, similar to jamie oliver, whom i also adore. they don't over-do or over-glorify & they cook with a sense of taste in mind & with instinct.

oh yeah! anthony's lost 58 lbs. in the past 2 years & he's completely unrecognizable! he looks REALLY good. he's a scary mix of tom cruise & adam sandler. he says he's exercising to maintain the stamina required to last through the grueling hours of being a chef. makes sense. however, it's trendy & done so in the footsteps of gordon ramsey, who runs marathons to stay in shape. we all know i've got my opinions on "trendy", but i guess you can't deny good health either.

looks like tom cruise (left)...



looks like adam sandler (right)...



nah, it's anthony sedlak :)...

wanting to do some mise en place in a restaurant kitchen,

<3

[bt]

18. Heat

There's something so captivating about reading about food...at least pour moi. I just finished "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert Wolke in a rush to begin a new book called "Heat" by Bill Buford.

So far? Love. It.

First, I have to rant about Wolke. He's this accomplished university professor who's got a PhD & a high degree in food chemistry. He's also a food columnist & the list goes on & on & on...

My reaction: so what? No need to be all cocky about it, which is exactly his voice/tone/attitude throughout the text. He basically puts old wives' tales to rest in a duhhhhh-how-obvious-is-that-how-stupid-are-they? way.

Eeeeeew.

Woot! for Buford though! He is also a writer, a journalist actually. Contrary to Wolke however (ick!), he put himself in challenging situations & through countless obstacles SOLELY to grow as a person, which I really admire. He is less aggressive & more humble, which I also really admire. AND he takes you through his experience from being a "kitchen b*tch" to being an apprentice to a Tuscan butcher, which I really really admire. Yup. It's fantastic!

Pretty much, he wanted to be more than just the average home cook so after inviting THE Mario Batali to his home for a dinner party, he convinced the chef to hire him as an extern (non-paid intern) at Babbo, the Italian restaurant in NYC. From there, it's all just beautiful...*sigh*

His use of language is incredible but he's also reflective in a light, humorous way. His personal style is clearly established. His punctuation is interesting, but you know I love interesting. :P Buford LOVES side-notes & he definitely overuses parentheses to put them in but, it's so wonderful! His digressions are so relevant & add authenticity to his work. He's very observant; he's done his research so everything is detailed & realistic. Bill's descriptions make it effortless to picture European landscapes, to feel the scorching heat of his grilling station & to smell warm Italian homemade pastas. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Every page makes my mouth water. Every page is deliciously inspiring.

Last note: For some reason, profanity ALWAYS makes me laugh. Chefs & cooks alike totally OWN the F word. Seriously, by the end of this read, even I'm going to let one slip! :P

Anyway, "Heat" is a great read for foodies. Buford writes like a journalist but thinks like a cook. That's my kinda book. (& definitely worth having zipped through Wolke's glossary. hehe.)

to be continued...

starving for sushi,

(can't sign on a french keyboard...:S)

ok, i'm back, & VERY full from sushi (not unusual :P)

So, just to finish off: this book is really giving me the motivation to try as many things as I can in France...mostly food-wise, but really everything-wise too. In fact, you know, I think I just might document everything I eat. We'll see...

Here's a list to start me off:

*crème brûlée (sometimes, you've gotta do things just because :))
*chocolate truffles (I've NEVER been impressed with any local handmade chocolate, as esthetically appealing as they may be...too bad. i'm actually really disappointed since this city is known for it's gastronomy! are truffles really as good as they say?)
*Camembert (i've heard great reviews & apparently it's illegal to import-that makes it a definite try for me! :P)
*macarons (very french; very hard to make perfectly; i'm desperate to inspect some macaron feet! i also have like no clue what they're like to eat...i'm thinking airy/spongy, a tad chewy & maybe jammy?...we'll see!)
*crêpes (i want a real french one!)
*ragout (the only person i hear saying the word is Heston Blumenthal...???; again, not really sure what it's like...stew?)
*croissant (a nice buttery one for breakfast would be nice :))
*café au lait (just because?)
*petit pain au chocolat ('cause Miranda talks about them all the time & she makes them sound so good!)
*chocolat chaud (à la française, SVP)
*escargots (WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT)
*beurre blanc (they make it all the time on Iron Chef-what the heck is it???)
*truffles (the fungus, if i can afford any :S)

Pretty much, my philosophy is that I'll try anything. & I don't mind pushing the limits. :P

<3

[bt]

p.s. I should really start packing & shopping! Don't fret, I'll post a list (packing, shopping or both!) soon...included will be a personal (not shared) camera so I can finally upload some pictures of my own! I also have to start mentally prepping for leaving for an entire year! Il me reste seulement 44 jours! eeeeeeeek!

p.p.s. I never meant to write an entire critique! (11:12 p.m.)

17. Fundraising Ideas

here's how i plan on raising the rest of my AFS money although some are kind of flimsy:

-support letter
-car wash
-garage sale/ebay
-bagging groceries
-sell paintings
-host golf/bowling tournament
-gift-wrap
-babysitting
-raffle
-answering machine message?
-curse jar?
-neighbourhood errands/chores: grocery shopping, painting, sweeping driveway, mow lawn, wash car, yard work, print colour address labels, collect recyclable electronics & bottles, selling products through Cakes & Cards and Little Ting's

notes: ALWAYS have posters, AFS info & donation jar & a little COAXING is necessary

spread the word,

<3

[bt]

p.s. i think i'm giving up on promoting my [bt]log. i think i should start writing it just for me, which i've been doing but yeah...i was right about the whole lack of interest thing. the light bulb went off when Grandma was trying to recount her entire trip to China tonight. understandably, the enthusiasm just cannot be shared...it's too bad cause i really want to tell ppl :(

16. Fold-walk-fold-walk-fold-walk-fold

When I look back on July 14th of 2009, that's what I think.

I'm actually at work right now but work is over. I'll admit it was a productive day but I can't feel my fingertips & I think I rubbed off my fingerprints, if that's possible. My job today was to fold 1800 pamphlets for some restaurant. Please note that it's two folds per page. I had help but still, it takes a heck of a long time...

(about the fingertips: I had already folded 600 of those things yesterday PLUS last night, I spent a while trying to learn playing a guitar with all metal strings. I can play the intro of ONE song & like three chords. trust me, my fingertips aren't nearly as callused as they could be. therefore, they hurt.)

The other reason I came to work today was so that I could go back to the Consulate to hand in the stuff I forgot/didn't have yesterday. Upon arrival, Scoffy Entrance Guy (SEG) told me that I was to be back in three hours to pick up my passport. Those of you who've been following my [bt]log know who I'm talking about. :P

"Reviens en trois heures."

At noon, which was three hours later, I went back to face a locked door and an intercom voice saying, "On n'a pas dit en trois heurs mais à trois heures."

Oh.

And in my disappointment, I walked back to do more folding.

So at 2:45ish, I left yet AGAIN. Honestly, I don't want to complain. The walk is nice but it's tiring to do it so many times in one day. Plus it was raining & freezing. Anyway, this time, I was presented with my passport by Mr.Scoff a.k.a. SEG who showed me my passport picture. I was like, "Yeah, I realize that's me." But then wait...

He flipped the pages to another picture.

(me = confused :S)

"Et voilà madame. Bon voyage."

Really?
OMG.
Yes!

Oh..so that's why I had to miss Pavillion Wong...;)

<3

[bt]

p.s. I got my visa!

15. The French Consulate

Ugh.

At 9:15ish this morning, my mom and I left work & headed for the French Consulate for my 10:30 appointment in the spirit of being "better early than late". Personally, I expected most of the workers to be français, meaning from France, and for them to just collect my documents.

um, sort of...

At first, we waited about 5min. outside the office for check-in, which consisted of two men. One was a strict & impatient man who asked for both me & my mom's passports. When my mom asked if she could show her driver's license, he was like, "Oui, c'est de ta choix. Passeport, permis de conduire..." in a very wtv tone. He just kept scoffing impatiently...nice.

The other man was kinder. You could see it in his eyes. :P Basically, he POLITELY asked for our bags so that he could check them for security reasons & for cellphones, which they confiscated. I was given waiting-number 507 and then we were sent into room 1.

In room 1, while I read my book of food wonders, the news was playing on the television above my head. It was all blah blah for me, as much as I wish I were a little more interested in current events...

Anywho, about a half an hour in, we were called to a booth and that was HELL. I don't want to go into details so I'll rant in point-form:
-why would they put a solid piece of glass? do they not want me to hear what they're asking for??? (there's no holes or anything. the sound waves were totally bouncing right back to the speaker.)
-that ugly man was impatient, arrogant & couldn't stop scoffing (this is a different man, btw)
-the tiny slot intended for passing documents through was blocked by his table calendar so i kept stuffing my papers into it
-i forgot to get a notary's approval of a signature so while the man was tapping his fingers as i got out other papers, my mom was beside me, whispering her parental disappointment...I WAS GOING NUTS! Sry but I can't handle that while I'm trying to apply for a visa?!
-the Consulate somehow expected me to bring things they didn't ask me to bring...

Anyway, I'm still glad that I even got the appointment & that I can hand in everything I missed by tomorrow 10:00 a.m. phew...

working again tomorrow,

<3

[bt]

p.s. I spoke to my host sister on MSN the other day & I wasn't really sure what to say so I just asked her a lot of questions about school. I've realized that lycée is very much like CÉGEP. Days aren't from actually 8-6. You go when you have class. :) I'm in Terminale, like her.

14. Miranda's Trip to France

I'm reading Miranda's AFS blog & it's getting me frrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeakin' EXCITED about France!!! She's coming back yesterday/today/tomorrow/the day after tomorrow.

(brain teaser: Miranda wrote a post entitled "2 Days", as in she's got two days left in France on July 10 at 9:53 a.m. from France BUT, it's currently 12:59 a.m. July 12 here and yet the computer insists that it's July 13. Is Miranda leaving yesterday, today, tomorrow OR the day after tomorrow? Please answer relative to "here". )

http://mirandastriptofrance.blogspot.com/

c'est tout.

:D

[bt]

13. Lucky Number 13

Wow. You see that title up there? It's so fitting, I just just came up with it. :D (I'm proud)

Here's why:

At first, my appointment with the French Consulate to hand in my visa application was set for August 13. Boo hoo.

A few days later, luck stroke & I found an appointment for August 12. Woot, but still not satisfied. However, it did give me optimism & assurance that somewhere out there, someone was going to cancel a slot in July for me. :D Come on, big money!

(JSYK, i did have a dream about landing an appointment on the 11th, today, two nights ago!)

About an hour ago, IT HAPPENED. I was in the basement getting a big black garbage bag in getting ready to cut my sister's hair. (yeah, that's right! we pay $0 for our faaaabulous hair cuts :P) Passing the office, and being the late & delaying bug that I am, I decided to make a quick stop at the computer. Just for the sake of it, cause I'm also a very optimistic bug. :) And sure enough, when I entered my sign-in information, only ONE date & ONE time appeared: July 13.

"My heart made a pause. Really? Could it be true? Was it the one? July...right? Hurry, click the pencil, you fool! Click the pencil! (that's what you have to do to confirm the slot) Now click confirm! Ok, done. Really? For sure? Double check...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"(that's me screaming joyfully in the realization that yes, the appointment was actually mine...i'll assure you that it's not a very attractive scream...but it's funny. you have to be there :P)

And as my mom would say: "And that was it."

:D (very smiley on the inside, my grin could never stretch as wide)

<3

[bt]

p.s. And I wouldn't be surprised if this was the thirteenth time I checked that website...;)

p.p.s. And how is it not the thirteenth today? Well, actually, cause it's G & G's 75th b-day! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

12. One! I got one!

Yiiiiiiiiips!

i've been checking the French Consulate website for the past three days non-stop and...SUCCESS!!!

i've officially scheduled an appointment for August 12, as opposed to my previous appointment, August 13 thanks to someone else's cancellation. and yes, that extra day DOES make a difference. technically speaking, it increases my likelihood of receiving my visa on time by 17%...i think. wtv, the point is, it's a good thing. :)

anyway, it gives me hope that i may possibly end up with an appointment in say, July?

cheers to perseverance & praying to the consulate gods,

[bt]

11. Merde Again.

ALSNKFASIOGVH AWOEITANHSL;DTKJ AO[WTGJINSEO;TJASOTIGKHJAS;GFOA:ogtAIO;H;

that's my frustration expressed in letters...

i'm soooo mad at myself right now, you've no idea...

I FORGOT AN AFS LANGUAGE TEST APPOINTMENT.

FORGOT.

WHAT IS MY PROBLEM?

here's why it sucks:
1.i was looking forward to this since it was presented to me
2.i've disappointed 4 people at the least: my mom, the AFS test-scheduler, the AFS head & the person from the US who was waiting to test me. Merde.
3.now my day is boring...
4.i'm demonstrating lack of dedication. Merde.
5.ppl are mad at me
6.i feel like merde.
7.i half blame forgetting on my staying up too late every night & the fact that i was sick-ish last night (not very legit.)

so there.
that was my morning.
shame. :(
gah.
bye.

[bt]

10. Merde.

Man, this post was all good news until about 5min. ago...

(5min. ago...)
Merde!!!!!!!!!! The earliest appointment I can make with the French consulate is August 13. That gives them only 3 weeks to accept my request when it clearly states in the instructions: Le traitement de la demande prend environ 6 semaines après réception d'un dossier complet. Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. This is so bad. It's soooo bad. :( I'm gonna cry if I can't go. Like, actually.

N.B. I'm a good 8.5 weeks from my departure date. I really thought I was handling things well...:(


(5h ago...)
mom: I got your host family's portfolio!
me: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!

That is right, mesdames & monsieurs, I've got actual pictures & more information on my family! Good stuff:

#1-NO one smokes (you can't imagine how happy I am about that)
#2-NO religion (I'm not against religion, I'm not atheist; I was just afraid of being forced to practice. I had a nightmare about it ~6 months ago...:S)
#3-INDOOR POOL (wow. really? i'm flabbergasted! it's totally the cherry on top :P)

Oh yeah, AND I get my own room for the first time in my life. Cool!

(soooooo nervous about my visa now :(...I'm so scared. I want to go so bad!!!)

(Console me. Anybody. Please.)

:(

[bt]

p.s. The more & more my trip abroad approaches, I more & more I realize how right the AFS camp leaders were to say, "Your friends won't care." They're right. It's true. They don't want to hear about it now, and they won't want to hear about it when I get back. I don't blame them cause I'm the one that's leaving but it's too bad that not even my closest friends really care that much...

p.p.s. I know, eh? The new header is BLOWIN' MY MIND too! :P

9. Bonjour!

IT'S HAPPENED. It has finally happened! My host mother wrote back to me! In fact, no, my entire host FAMILY wrote back to me! Yip! Yip! Yip!

She's got my lycée set up for me & I'm in classe internationale: section scientifique. Good stuff. :) I've got siblings, I've got pets, I've got parents. Heck, I'm even gonna be an aunt!!!!

It's so nice to hear from them & they're already so inviting. I feel so special. :P They're doing my room over the summer & they want me to choose a colour...I'm thinking blue but I'm not sure. It's only one year, so I'm thinking EPIC. Hot pink? Maybe another year...

Visa forms are coming along...Who knew it would be so long? Like I expected long, but now it's l-o-n-ggggg. (haha.) It's getting there though & the AFS people are soo helpful.

To do:
-get presents for my host family
-get my darn visa already?!
-up that Fund-raise-o-meter!

<3

[bt]

p.s. I'm totally enjoying summer & I'm actually checking things off my summer list! Tomorrow: Amusement Park I go with my favourite peeps...:) That's TWO things off my list, you know.

8. Accidental Death & Dismemberment...Benefits?

So this is what's stated on my Medical Plan:

"This insurance covers expenses for accidents or medical illness...In addition, Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefits are available to participants in amounts up to $10 000."

Ok...well, all I've got to say that it sits poorly with me that my life is WORTH something. Eew. Eew. Eeeeew. It's like, "Sorry your daughter died. Now here's some monetary compensation to make you feel better." Do you get that? Cause I don't get that.

(btw, I know they always say that on medical/life insurance statements. It's just the first time I've seen it apply to moi.)

AND they say life is priceless...

Pft.

[bt]