Frustrations..

So, honestly, the day started a little rough. I almost started crying in my architecture course because I barely knew what was going on. I have successfully reached the stage where everything is slightly more frustrating. You start to get so tired of feeling like youre missing part of the picture.. sometimes the entire picture.. and to be able to say something easily would make my world a little brighter. BUT something that stuck in my mind during orientation was when they said you will all reach this point at some time or another BUUTT how long you stay there and how you deal with it is completely up to YOU. ahh, i know i know. So, I am going to try and handle this positively and realize the frustration can be a motivation to study and push myself to continue to live outside of my comfort zone (as opposed to only staying in a little group with my american friends.) Also, I know as I grow here and learn more about myself I will grow in my relationship with God.

My day started rough, but it has come to a nice end because I was able to vent a little to lindso on facebook chat (thanks again) and then Alphonse made me dinner. It was almost like a light at the end of the tunnel because usually I can barely understand him because he kind of mumbles and stuff, but tonight we chatted the entire time we ate dinner! My french was nowhere near perfect, but it was still a nice conversation :)

Je suis contente.

So, pretty unsurprisingly, I was almost the only McCain supporter in the joint on Friday night.. but it was still a good time. Oh, i should point out though that out of like the 4 mccain supporters, one wasnt even american haha It was slightly annoying because the whole place was laughing and making jokes when McCain was talking and then just eating up what obama had to say.. so that made it slightly difficult to watch for content and not just emotion, but all in all it was a fun experience. (Lindsay youre gonna have to give me the low-down on your upcoming anthem service "more than politics"- will that go on podcast?) 

The rest of this weekend just flew by- definitely do not feel like I caught up on sleep. Saturday did a little shopping around saint-germain-des-prés and ended up buying a beautiful blue dress from a cute little boutique called shyde (wore it to church this morning :))  So far, most of the time, when I go shopping its with Mariko and it is never for an hour or two. We'll usually meet early afternoon and then all of a sudden it is 10 o'clock! But I love shopping here, because it is so much more than shopping. If we feel like resting in the parc a while, we'll lazily people watch as we enjoy the sun. If we walk by a storefront with edible art in the windows, we just might stop to recharge over something gorgeous and un cafe. We just enjoy the city. 

Paris always has something special going on- and this weekend was the fete des jardins! It is a way the city celebrates the nature and art of gardens. There are activities and shows in the gardens, all geared towards learning and the arts. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we came home with probably 15 new plants and flowers! They just give them away! I got two pretty flowers for my balcony and a plant for my desk. It's cool because my host sister was showing me the plants they got from the festival last year. Side-note- the garden we went to was the one that we live next to and it is amazing. 30 acres of a mixture of lawn and 6 different types of gardens, along with secret paths and hideaways. During the week when I go for runs there it is pretty bare- there are people running or on the benches but thats about all. On sunday and saturday afternoons- its hard to find a place on the grass! It is so busy.. families, couples, groups of friends- pretty much everyone comes and hangs in the parc. Very cool atmosphere.    

Well this is getting long.. hope you are all having a wonderful start to your week! 

bisou 

Proud to be an American :)

So tonight, as many of you probably know,there is a debate between Obama and McCain- very exciting for those following the campaign trail. Unfortunately, since being in France, I feel like I have been cut off from the world of American Politics. I haven't watched TV since I left my home in Lakeville and I don't have wifi at my home here, making it a lot less in your face. BUUT tonight I get to watch the debate! At school there was a little publicité up saying this one particular cafe is going to be staying open and the *live* debate will begin promptly at 3am, pre-coverage starting at midnight haha So me and a few friends rsvp'd with George and are all going to head over after church tonight. Should be fun!

Dieu est bon!

Wow, my head hurts buuut I am still smiling! Just a little tired, which is much better than the state I thought I'd be in by this time this week. Classes started which means 5x1.5hrs of lecture in French.. somewhat exhausting, but the good news is I think I am really going to enjoy them all. I just need to be very disciplined and follow the reading guidelines.
This week has also been busy outside of class too! It was marikos birthday on monday.. but it is her golden birthday so we proclaimed it birthday week :) So to commence the celebration festivities we hopped around the Marais district monday night- adorable area. It began with a cup of vin chaud -which I came to find that at this whole in the wall meant Christmas in a glass! -mental noted- and then the night ended on the other side of the marais with sparklers coming out of a cake. Definitely a fun time.
Then last night I met up with my friend Kristen for a yoga class. Afterwards we found a complete gem, this funny little place we decided we wanted to be regulars at after yoga each week. When we miss a week they'll worry and mayybe their dog will begin liking us around christmas. Afterwards we hung out at her place for a little while speaking franglish with her husband and their housemate. Once again, nothing but complete patience and kindness- I think God continually puts me in the path of thee kindest people in Paris. Overall, a great night of conversation and laughing. Good for the body and soul.
And to top it all off, tonight I went to my first Hillsong connect group. We spoke more about Brenden's message from the weekend on unity in the Church- some really good stuff. It is so easy to get wrapped up in your own life- or to let your insecurities become your focus- but it isn't all about me (shocking, i know!) and the message was very timely about building others around you and how to create harmony and unity within the body of Christ. Plus- I can tell my vocab is growing! very exciting :)

Ton vie est devant toi.

This morning was the first morning I volunteered at Hillsong Paris :) Ive only been thinking about doing that since I heard about them starting a church here almost three years ago!! It was the first of many great experiences I think.. I helped out on the hospitality team which sounded a little scary b/c my french isn't quite up to par, but it was easy. Nothing to worry about! Mainly because the people are great- extremely welcoming and very patient with my french. It was funny because everyonce in a while they would say ça va? tu comprends? tu n'es pas perdu? (you ok? youre understanding? youre not lost?) Not to mention they can't help but be charming when they introduce you to people and then kiss both your cheeks. I just think it is so adorableé especially when it is like big burly men haha After service I was invited to go to a picnic but decided to go home instead b/c my brain was getting tired which means my french was also deteriorating haha Maybe next week!

All I need is a little culture in my life :)

I just got home from an incredible night. I went to this tiny ethiopian restaurant down this side street not far from the pantheon with my friend Mariko. First off- she is amazing. She is from japan but chose IES, which is a school for North Americans because she wanted to learn French and English. Not a single student nor teacher speaks japanese within our program! I love how gutsy this girl is. Plus, it forces me to use my french b/c it is actually pretty hard to find other American students that want to speak french with one another. 

Secondly, what a fun restaurant. I have never had Ethiopian cuisine before and it was delicious. Your meal is actually all served on one large plate and instead of silverware you just kind of pick it up with your hand/this bread they give you that resembles a crepe/pita- I am kinda wondering if it was made out of rice. So, within the large plate there were probably almost 10 different things to try! All with different spices or veggies- all very yummy. I didn't think it was very hot but all the spices were making my nose run! haha Not only was the food good but the atmosphere was fun- very close quarters, beautiful music, colorful decor. Before I knew it we had been there for almost 3 hours! I couldn't believe it. What a wonderful way to spend a night. 

Je suis une ballerine!

Ok so not really, but last night I took my first ballet class! I have wanted to take ballet since I was old enough to twirl in a circle.. so a long time. So last night I thought maybe I'll just google it and see if there is anything available.. next thing I knew I was out the door on my way to a 'debutante' course for beginners in danse classique! It just happened to be in the marais district.. tres cool.. I was looking for 41 rue temple, but all I saw was 39..43..what?? Then I realised I needed to walk back into this little courtyard. and then- Lindsay you will never believe this- I realised where I was: http://www.paris-danse.com/webcam.asp !! Like I had my class in those second story windows. This just happened to be the little webcam my sister found online sometime last year- the webcam I would go to when I couldn't wait for paris to come! The little cafe gets really busy during lunch and dinner and it is fun to see all the people. But could that be any more crazy?!? I couldn't beleive it.. But the class was a riot - i was definitely the only debutante in this class for debutantes. I felt a little like a whale.. or some other very large and ungraceful creature next to these little french ballerinas. But for some crazy reason I still enjoyed it! It was entirely in french which I thought was just all the more appropriate for my first ballet experience.

C'est la vie!

My days are unbelievable here.. after class today I had a little picnic in the bois de belogne before heading to a guided tour of the Louvre :) The louvre is absolutely amazing.. a perk of being a student in Paris is I am going to be getting a pass to the Louvre so there are so many times during the week that I will be able to go for free! Sarah and I were talking about trying to tackle it one hr at a time. I think if you do it any other way you just get overwhelmed..

Then tonight, my host brother had a few friends over and said I was welcome to have dinner with them. Seriosuly, so far the little get togethers Ive seen here are very different than in the states.. ok so not very different but different in little ways. So I sat there with pizza and wine and just took in the beautiful night.. barely understanding a word haha Its the same with young americans as the young french- they talk so fast and mumble along. I am just starting to understand a phrase when theyre several phrases along already! So every once in a while they would say something to me in English lol Ah even so, I enjoyed the night. C'est la vie en France.

Je voudrais le glace..

Aw it is another gorgeous day in Paris :) Actually it is hard to get dressed in the morning b/c the mornings are always cool, if not cold, but the afternoons will be hot! Not to mention the temp changes going in and out of the metro. Layering is definitely the way to go.

But back to the weather- beautiful friday! So whats a girl to do but go and get a little ice cream. I met a cool girl in the airport in iceland who is actually married to a parisian but is from south dakota- bizarre. We are going to go run some errands for my carte de sejour and carte imagine r (both big pains) and grab some glace for a little reward. Should be yummy!

I almost forgot to mention- the Pope is here today and tomorrow! who-hoo! It is a huuge deal here in Paris. My host brother was saying people will be going at five to wait for mass at 10. C'est fou! There will be a procession later today and I think a speach.. there is a whole agenda for today and tomorrow.

Well I have to run! Bisou.

Je suis à Paris!

**THis post is actually from about 4 days ago.. ive been having internet probems..

Wow, so much has happened since Ive been here I can't believe it hasn't even been a week! Things are going really well.. I adore Paris- big suprise, je sais! Today I had lunch with my family which was kind of exciting and completely awkward all at the same time. The great thing is they are so very patient with me but I still don't understand half of what they're saying. haha Needless to say, I go back and forth from moments of euphoria and then moments where I think "what did I get myself into?!?!"

Which leads me to my next thought: God is great! I went to Hillsong Paris last night with two friends from school. Amazing :) First of all, their friday night building is really cool! The foyer looks kind of like an entrance to a museum while the auditorium is very modern and has super comfortable seats. Lucky for us a new round of small groups begin this wednesday- perfect timing. Praise and Worship was great- about every other song was sung in french/english. But the message was exactly the kick in the butt I needed :) In a very small nutshell, the message was on the story of the talents in Matthew and the difference between the two that did something with their talent they were entrusted with and the one who did not out of fear of losing it. Bevin, the guest speaker, said the two that were faithful to their master were confident in themselves and in their master- that their master saw their ability and that their master's plan and purpose was right. Bevin told us the definition of faithful is not simply a passive act of not cheating, but to come along side and to progress- therefore the master says well done my good and faithful servant. The real kick came when he spoke about the servant who did not do anything with his talent. He was living in fear that if he did something with the talent he risked losing it, so he instead buried it. This shows how he did not even know his master! If he thought his master would rather him lived a life in fear and not do anything then he did not have confidence in his masters plan and he did not see his masters vision or heart. Whoa!

Alors, everytime I think "I can't do this!!" I simply remind myself, Bekah-God has a plan for you here in France. What does the lord say you are capable of? Are you trusting in him?