Mon jardin d'hiver

     So this afternoon I went on a few walks in the rain- really enjoyable. It's peaceful, I think, walking in the rain, especially here. It's all just brick houses and fields. It's almost like watching a movie, the people are so friendly, saying hello in the streets and such. Now, I am eating some dinner alone in the kitchen because there is apparently this huge music award show tonight. Mathilde's sister has about 10 friends over- and they are all around 14... Think about it.
     I am enjoying my salad and tea. It's so nice not to be eating pasta, bread, or cheese at the moment. I think that my stomach just might explode soon from the starch and fat. Blah. I'm drinking a ton of water here because the tap is actually clean, unlike Paris, which is good. I have nothing exciting to say right now, I feel bad. I think I might go on another rain-walk, I enjoy them.
I'll be in touch!
Gros bisoux.

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Neuville en Ferrain- Roubaix

      I finally made it to Roubaix! I didn't really know when I was going to go, so I just packed a bag one day and left Mathilde's house to go see my friend- I had a really good time. Roubaix in itself doesn't really offer much, but there were some amazingly beautiful buildings and sculptures. Unfortunately, when I was packing, I forgot my camera charger, so I had a dead camera for the whole trip. I did get one photo before it died though, it's the Hotel de Ville, seen below.
     I got to go to Melrose's school, ESAAT- nations unies! It was really interesting. I met him there after school was out and he let me come into the studio and paint. We took turns posing and did 10 minute sketches for about 2 hours. I wish I could have taken some pictures of some of the paintings that we did! They were pretty cool, just pencil and red and blue watercolor. Now I really want to take some art classes- I can't even imagine going to school for art, it just be too fun.
     After that, we kind of just hung around his apartment, and I wandered the city a little bit. Roubaix is really just city with a mall in the middle of it, so there wasn't much to do. I got a really good coffee at this little cafe by the Gare de Roubaix, which was nice. The owners came out to meet me because they heard my accent, and they were very surprised to hear that I hail from Alaska! It's funny to watch people when they say, "ALASKA? Non!!" It's a nice little pick-me-up.
     So, after two days in Roubaix, I am now back in Neuville en Ferrain, at Mathilde's house. I made an egg sandwich and maitenant, je suis rempli! I am charging my camera finally, so I promise that I will make up for my lack of photo-posting this week. I have to go on more walks and find interesting things to photograph. For now, here's a few!

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MY NEW PLAN!

     Seeing how I have a love affair with Paris, I've decided this:
I am going to double major in French and English. After grauating fro undergraduate school, I am going to come back and attend AUP- American University of Paris- for graduate school. After that, I am just going to stay here and teach English, buy a tiny apartment, and live happily ever after.
      Sounds good, no?

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What's happened to me?

     So, the internet where I am staying was faulty last night, sorry for the lack of post. I am now packing some things for my overnight trip to Roubaix. I came to Lille this morning with Mathilde- she went to school, I browsed the stores, like usual. Seeing how I had to throw away my FAVORITE boots, I picked up a pair of really cute heels from H&M.
    And so the story goes. My legs have been hurting for some reason for the past couple of weeks, and today, the epitome of pain. I put these shoes on and started to walk. At first, my legs were fine; they miss wearing heels. And then, to my surprise, pain started shooting up my legs. WHY???! Why do you choose to cause me pain, heels? And now, after hobbling a few blocks, I am sitting in Gare de Lille Flandres, waiting for my legs to not hurt anymore. I am literally afraid to walk. I don't know what's going on with me. I have another 2 hours until I need to get on the Metro, and I think I might just sit here the entire time. I am embarassed to walk because my feet turn in and I look like I am going to fall over.
     I always made fun of people who couldn't walk in heels, and now I am one of them... I am so sorry. I think that this just might be what people call, "KARMA." I hate this. I know this has just been a rant, but it's killing me.
     Other than that, I am not doing anything of importance. There's supposedly this really interesting museum in Roubaix that used to be an old pool- I think I might go see that tomorrow. Wait for pictures though, because I forgot my USB cord at Mathilde's house. Oh! I got to meet their housecleaner, Corrine, who talked my ear off. She has a really strange accent, so it was really difficult for me to talk to her/ understand her. It was fun though.. Okay.
     I have nothing else to say, but I am afraid of looking like a creeper at the train station, just staring at my laptop. I'll be in contact soon, I promise. Love, love, love.

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Un jour tranquille.

     Today has been a quiet day. Mathilde and her family are all off at work or school, and I am staying in the house. I read quite a bit of Baudelaire's prose- it takes me forever to translate it! As of right now, I am sitting in their kitchen listening to classical music, waiting for my coffee to brew. I went on a run this morning in the rain, which was really nice.
     I am headed off to Roubaix on Thursday after a day at Mathilde's school. Her professor wants me to speak to her English class about what I've found odd or surprising about the French or France in general. I am a little bit scared because I am supposed to be speaking in French- that's really hard for me, I get timid when I have to speak in French.. We'll see how that goes. I am, however, really excited to get to meet new people in Roubaix.
     I still miss Paris. I'll post some pictures of the house that I am staying in a bit later.
With love.

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Sorry!

     Hiatus, I know. I'm sorry that I haven't written, I've been actually travelling. As some of you now know, I arrived in Lille just yesterday, and I've been fighting to find wireless internet everywhere. I am actually staying with a friend of mine, Mathilde, in Neuville de Ferrain. It's a smaller city on the outskirts of Lille.
     She has school everyday, so I came with her into Lille today, and I've been spending my day in and out of cafes, fighting the cold, and searching for WIFI. Ugh. I have a ton of photos to upload, but I don't have my cord, so expect some Lill-ian pictures later.
     And, I miss Paris. I am so in LOVE with that city. I miss it so much. There's just something so magical about that place, and I feel a void forming in my heart. Another thing that is bothering me is that all of a sudden, I've started gaining weight. I lost a few pounds when I first arrived in Paris, but now it's starting to catch up to me. No more bread or cheese. Now I am going to survive on cafe alone, because it is now the only thing that I can afford. All of the cheap food is like, Nutella Paninni, Pan au Chocolat, Croissant, etc. and it kills me. Everything here is very expensive, and when I start to convert the prices into USD, I want to cry. I am getting to be so broke, I hate it. And all of the clothes here are to die for. KDJHALKJAD. Frustration.
     I am hoping to see a friend of mine sometime this week who lives in Roubaix, an even smaller city by Lille. He attends an art school there, and it would be nice to see a familiar face.
     Family, I miss you. Mom, come to France soon so that I can go back to Paris- I miss it already and it's only been one day. I don't even care about going to Italy now... Let's just stay in Paris, okay? You'll like it better, I swear. I think I'm going to move there sometime in the next few years. I'll just practice y French and attend college here. It's really really cheap. Better than the 40,000 USD here.

     A bientot.

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