Toa

miracle

2011-09-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Miracle i need a miracle someone to wake me up/ what is this that i have one but what the cost of another one/ somewhere in this crowded mind I am one of a kind and nothing can turn me back/ a revolution of my imagination, i cant tell ou what would be stranger/

something is odd but you cant always predict everything I mean utimatly I think that people who are cloes really are the ones who can hut you the most. Because they know how you react and waht makes you upset. And sometimes there are just things that are inexplicable. People can be out of lack of something to say.

2010-01-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

I havent posted anything for awhile but I just had vacation and clebrated my birthday Christmas ans newyears with My family. My birthday and Christmas where in Toulon which was a verry pretty town on the mediterian coast. The last picture was taken during a walk on christmas day. So you cann see Toulon is a little like florida including flamingos and palm trees. The first Two pictures were taken on my birthday which was in our smal rented appartment where we stayed for the week. The cake we had is called an opera cake though im not sure why and the 18 candles are in the shape of 18. It was funny because the cake was frozen and in the picture its acctually being held over a bowl of floating candles to defrost it. I had fun on Newyears too though It was different Because I didnt get to watch the Ball drop and the concerts that go with it but it was still fun I went to a party with marin and talked a little to some of her friends.

Ill be home in a month and its almost hard to beleive but I think Im readdy to see everyone again.

A French Thanksgiving

2009-12-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

Last week I made a thanksgiving diner for my family and we had a neighbor come over for dinner. The neighbor Gorge, is 84 years old an although he travled alot when he was working he has never had a thanksgiving diner so he was happy to come to a nice dinner last minute. The dinner took me about 5 hours to make all together not counting the pie crust and vegtables I prepared for the stuffing the day before. In the pictures one shows the cooking one the meal and one my apple pie dessert. I have to say Im proud I prepared a whole meal by myself and it came out really well everyone liked my stuffing the best so there was no leftovers of that or the pie. I also never relized how messy preparing a turkey is not and i didnt get to the gravy but it was good all in all.

Cirque and weekend outings

2009-11-22T02:05:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I went to the chateau de Breteuil with my family The castel is famous for a french fairy tale writer who lived there so there are lots of firuines of puss in boots and some of sleeping beatuy and Cinderella. There was also a maze and a pretty cool playground which my brothers and I fooled around on. It wasent a particualry nice day but it was q fun trip and we had a picnic outside.
Yesterday I went to the Cirque de Hiver (winter circus). It was in a ruilding and is acctually a year round circus. The most interesting thig about the circus was for an hour before the show there was an heur de gout. Which was pretty much a social period with tables of treets like candy ,cake, and crossiants (all of wich were yummy). the acctual show was pretty good to we sat really close to the ring so we could see everything. There were all the normal circus acts: clowns, accrobates, trapeze artists and animals. The clowns were really funny and they all were really good musians which was interesting. The acobates were inpresive, they all looked so strong and when they balanced on top of eachother in twos or threes it was amazing they didnt fall. There were all of the normal animal (horses, dogs, lions) but the most interesing was they had trained lamas that jumped over bars. I didnt know you could really train lamas or that they could jump. The music at the circus was also really good . It was played live in the first circus picture you can see where the band was abouve the preformers entrance. It was alot of fun and as most circuses are exciting

2009-11-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

Last week was vacation week in versailles and I went tothe coast of Britany and stayed at my grandmeres house. On our drive there halloween day we stoped at Mount St.michelle it was verry pretty and I loved the small allys even though they're now filled with tourist shops its still really cool. I got a chance to see the Mere Poulard a resturant which specializes in omlets made traditonaly with lots of wisking and over an open fire. The house was very busy the first couple days françois has 6 sisters and one brother who all together have 27 kids. 13 out of 27 where at the house and there were so many people that only the kids could fit at the table the adults either sat in the livingroom or ate after. There was enough room for everyone to sleep though since the house is an old farm house. There was one main house and Two smaller ones I slept in one of the smaller ones aith one other girl, in a loft that was turned into a room at somepoint. It was a slightly chatoic place with people always comming and going and i only remember name of about five people but it was fun and i like talking and plying cards with the other kids. Through most of our visit it rained so we decided to leave Britany a day earlier then planed and Visit St. Malo which is where the first picture is taken behind me it says Amanda loves ST. Malo in the sand though its hard to see. Bruno wrote this for me just for fun. St. Malo was another very pretty place and I'd imagine it'd be great in the summer but, surely enough as we were walking around the original town wall the wind started to pick up we watch the rain come over the sea till it hit us. We then proceed to run the rain getting socked in the prosses. we dried off eating creps and by the time we finished it was dark. We went back to the sea to see the change in tide which britany is know for. The water rises two meters and it was stormy and wavey too when I saw it. The waves came over the wall and splashed over the walkway it was really impressive. I Had a nice vacation but now im back to school except for my feild trip yesterday and my day off for a french holiday tomorrow.

2009-10-25T03:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was asked to make a cheese cake for my host father as a suprise dessert when he came back from a camping trip aith his friends. I of corse used my grandmas cheesecake recipie because its the beest one I know. I think it was pretty good for the first time making it. I only missed two egg whites in the recipe! which is alot better then my first try at making sugar cookies and forgeting the sugar °0°. I also had to substitute cream cheese and they dont really have whiping cream either. All in all it tasted good even if the crust didn't stay together. Im now on vacation for a week and a half so ill be leaving for britany soon where Im going to meet grandparents hopefull Ill gather more pictures.:)

Fall and such

2009-10-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tI2vPStihQ&feature=player_embedded# This is a video we watched in my music class it was for the music and not the video itself which is tacky because its from the sixties. In my music class were listening to a few modern composers this one John cage's prepared piano and Gorge crumbs black angels have been my favorite so far. Right now music is my favorite class because i understand about 90 pecert of what were doing.

Today at school I was asked again if my school has pom-pom girls and if they do a cheer with letters (this led to singing YMCA). I have been asked varrious odd questions. Ive been asked about having lockers that you can put pictures in which apperently is a funny idea to the french. People also asked me about school colours and if the school is decorated in just those colours (which it is a little)I think the best questions Ive gotten are "Does you school sing like high school musical?" and " I think french accents are sometimes sexy in america am I right?"- this was said in english which made it funnier I replied to this saying "yes with some people." then people started joking that it could be just not with him (the person who asked) I also showed off my moon walk skills in the hall because for some reason Paul-Marie (the same person who asked about accents) was trying to moon walk and not succeding.

Its also getting cold here yesterday was the first frost. I rode my bike to school, people where scraping their windows clear and my fingers where litteraly frezzing to the handle bars. I was wearing glittens I just happened not to put the fingers down which just left me with numb fingers when I got to school. Today was tad warmer and typical fall.

SCHOOL

2009-10-03T11:49:00.001-07:00

This isnt a great picture or a verry interesting one but thats a typical school. My school in france is diffcult because it is in french but besides that its like any other school. the school is about 1,400 kids 200 more then my school in Connecticut. This is one of two main buildings in the school. this is the littuature section and the science is behind it up a long set of stairs. As far as teachers go they're nice. My english teacher likes that I have a american accent as opposed to her english one and my philosophy teacher reminds me oddly of a garden gnome if he had a longer beard and pointy hat. The most different part about the school is the cantine or cafeteria. Everyone gets a card to get lunch but its just like an ID to prove ur a student, apperently you pay at the begining of the year. They also have acctual food in the cafiteria you have one apartif like salad or grape fruit, cheese bread, dessert and a main meal. the main meals are normaly a starch meat and vegetable and you can have any combination of the three. The meals are a lot different because you could have roast chicken or fish and pasta and it acctually tastes ok. The cantine is also really big it holds 400 people and is just one long room (it also randomly has a piano which is sometimes played by students durning lunch). The lunch room is an interesting place on my first day i was hit in the head with a tray, I made freinds there and a tide to go pen saved me from a pudding stain. There was also one time when some one threw bread at someone playing the piano, but thats a normal high school I think.

AFS weekend.

2009-09-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend was an AFS weekend where all the kids in the are meet up we meet in Possiy at a hostle by the sein river the first picture is the view from the river in the moring around 8. The secound picture is all the Afs kids and I do relize im not looking at the cammera. I saw some people at the meeting from the us orientation and from the paris orientation. There where also new people that I made friends with. All the students in AFS seem to be in sumular situations as me they are getting used to the language and the schools and sometimes making mistakes. During the day we played games and talked about what was happening i our homes and schools;and in the night we had a talent show which I played my flute for. The AFS volunteers were really funny they all put on costumes and let people make up stories for thir characters. I had alot of fun being with the other kids and it also gave me a little break form hearing french. I am learning though and school is getting a little eaiser everyweek!

les veux trains

2009-09-20T04:05:00.001-07:00

Today I went to an military area of the fifth regiment of versailles to see les veux (old) trains. Some were interesting they had the old post train and some with bars and kitchens in them for long travels. We took a short ride on one train and sat in the secound class car. the colour of the car showed what class it was the green was secound class and the red was first. In the first picture ma mere and Malo are on the train.
I also now know where the starbucks and the Mac Donalds are in versaillas. Truthfuly Id rather go to a more french cafe though.
Ive now been in Versialles 2 weeks and the secound week dosent even seem like its happened yet!

cars

2009-09-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Last sunday I went to paris with my family and walked around the champs elysees. When comming back to the car after lunch at a resturant called the hippo I saw this car! an original mini cooper! it dosent even have real bumpers just boat bouies tied to the back and front. I've also relized that people in Versialles and Paris are really good at paraell parking, all the cars are six inches or closer to eachother its really inpressive. I also just noticed the guy in the backround on a bike with his daughter on the basket or something. Its very typical french. I ride my bike to school every day and the bike rack is always full. i also always see people going to work oin suits on bikes its a little funny.

2009-09-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

Yeah!! my room. and it already has my stuff all over it! My house is a little small but i have my own room so its nice. Right now im listening to my brother alexander play no woman no cry on his trumet lol. Normaly in the house music seems to come from somewhere weather one of my brothers is playing trupen my nother is singing in the kitchen or a cd is playing there is rarely ever scilence. (btw mom alexander like his CD it plays alot thx for the idea)

2009-09-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

sorry this picture is the wrong way idk how to turn it. im at my house for five month in versailles but before i came here i was obviousily in Paris. i met alot of people some from new zeland and austraila who liked my accent and others who spoke little english from china,spain, and italy. there where also mor from ice land switserland germany and poland. all coming to france.

School started on monday and it is hard right now but its not to bad. i havent had spanish yet which i think is the secound hardest because i dont understand thre hour lectures in philosphie about "q'est que je suis " (what am i). I like my family and my town. more pictures to come!!!!

2009-07-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

C'est ma famille! I got this information yesterday. In Sepetember i will be living and going to school in Versailles avec le famille Coudray. The family has four kids: the girl Marin who is a little older then me will be in college but she may be home for hollidays I expect ,the next oldest Jean-Baptist will be away on a AFS trip of his own so I will probaly stay in his room, The next son Alexandre will be home he is about 13 (so my brothers age) , the youngest is Malo who is only 8 and probaly wont be going anywhere. Apparently all the kids now play instruments which is really cool the two boys that will be home both play trumpet. The family also likes to travel which is alot like mine.

When going to school I can walk or take a bike the family has a computer so I will be able to update my blog/facebook (maybe?). Au revoir

bloging

2009-07-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

So Ive created a blog because Iwanna show people what im doing while im in France for five months. Hopefully i will have computer access and Ill be able to put up pictures and videos and such here so everyone can see my adventures. If anything exciting happens Ill post it here first. Facebook will also be posted with some pictures maybe but its eaiser to describe stuff i do here.
Au Revior.