Chillin' in Pecs!

While in the mall mom and I saw some cute Hungarian kids dressed up as Mary, Joseph, and the shephards performing on a stage. They were adorable! Pictures are below:

I finally took a picute of the Santa that climbs up and down the rope in the mall!

Kendall and I went exploring around Pecs, and everything went well except my fall!

hahah- i love you even if you are a dork! :)

School in Pecs!

Well I went to school with mom and dad, and I LOVED THE KIDS! We made brownies and pigs-in-a- blanket for the Christmas party in mom's tenth grade class. First dad led us in some Christmas carols, then we made Christmas cards, and then we had our party and handed out the stockings I brought from the AdkinsBouton Sunday school class.

Mom handing out brownies to the students.

Mom and Tamae, one of our favorites :) This is a 10th grade girl who is very impressive with the amount of English she knows. She took Kendall and I around the school, and even showed us her room. I was so happy to meet her! I think we would be friends in the states ha

Risci (pronounced "Richie") and his girlfriend Barbi. They are so cute! Risci is so in love with Barbi that he actually talked his way into my mom's English class because Barbi was in it! He went to the administration everyday for a month, until they finally gave in! Anyways, here they are with their stockings, and they were so happy to get them!

This is Jani. We talked about R&B music for a while. He's a cool kid too.

Risci made me a Christmas card!

Pecs, Hungary... who would have figured this two years ago?!

Well my computer says it's 6:03 pm, but that is true in Dallas. I'm now in Hungary where it is 1:00 in the morning!

I arrived on Saturday morning (Hungary morning, that is), after about 16 hours of travel. It really wasn't so bad other than the fact that Delta decided to show Mr. Bean's Holiday as the featured film on the way over. If you haven't seen it, don't worry about it! I can also tell you the life story of the guy who sat next to me on the plane. We even discussed his spiritual journey (which he started to discuss after realizing I was reading a book called The Year of Living Biblically: One man's humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as Possible... simply hilarious- you must all go buy it now). After he found out I was a Christian, he was upset with me for not correcting him when he cussed earlier on the flight. woops?

The flight over really was wonderful though, and arriving in Budapest was a breeze! My luggage was some of the first on the belt. In other words, I claimed 4 out of the first 8 pieces of luggage! Believe me, I got some pretty strange looks when I just kept pulling them off! Customs was a few Hungarians looking at me pushing a cart with four pieces of luggage, not really wanting to speak English... so I just rolled on through to the exit. I found about 80 people outside waiting- who I amused with my obscene display of baggage- two of which were... MY PARENTS :) We hugged, and of course mom cried while patting me for about 10 minutes. I'm sure you're surprised that I didn't mind one bit! (Who doesn't like being loved on??)

Driving out of the airport parking lot Dad impressed me with his knowledge of Hungarian numbers! He paid with such ease; I thought he was near fluent :) Then he and mom laughed while explaining that was the smoothest it's ever been. Whatever they say, I'm still impressed! Our drive to Pecs was uneventful except for the light snow and my nap :)

Pecs is an AMAZING city. I really love it here. The apartment is in the middle of what you could think of as downtown Greenville (the European equivalent). We are on a walking street, where barely any cars come (except for us, of course, when we had to unload the 4 enormous suitcases). There are two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom with a shower, and a separate toilette room (this comes in handy with multiple people, and one bathroom). The ceilings are high, and the rooms are painted a soft peach color (ish). It is very pleasant, and come complete with a potted Christmas tree! (Which already has some presents with mine and Mary's names underneath!)

Our first dinner was as a restaurant just down the block. We walked there in the snow (yay!) arm-in-arm...in-arm... because it was FREEZING! Dad and I tried to split a pizza, but we somehow miscommunicated this fact (language barrier?) and ended up with a one big pizza each! Thank goodness for "to-go" bags!

I slept through church on Sunday, and mom and dad were already back by the time I finally rolled out of bed. (Keep in mind, this was about 4 am Dallas time!) We had a fun outing to the mall, where I saw a robot-type Santa climbing up and down a rope from the first to second floor! It was pretty awesome. I'll take a picture next time. We went on a grocery store run, which is located in the mall. I swear I saw some vegetables I've never seen in my life. I think we would be willing to try them, but we have no idea how to cook them! ...I think we'll stick to the bananas and peppers :)

Dad and I ran errands today, and I must say I hate being completely helpless with communication. I feel like an idiot when someone speaks to me, and I respond by making a face that says, "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're saying. I wish I did, but I don't! I don't speak Hungarian. If only you spoke English or French! Please don't think I'm a dumb American!"... It's a pretty intense face.

(If she's read this far, Mary might be the only person who laughed at that.)

So... to the important part. I went to school tonight with mom and dad for their Bible Club that meets on Monday nights. We brought brownies and some little stockings for the students because we were supposed to have a Christmas party tonight. One of the most interesting things to me is that teenagers are the same everywhere! These kids are spunky, and fun, and they're laughing, and just having a blast together! They respond the same way to meeting people as teenagers in the states do, and they respond the same way to adults! They like to couple-up and hold hands with whoever they're dating that week, which shows they're not afraid of pda. Most importantly- they love Clista and Glen! They all light up when they see them, and they love to practice their English. Sometimes we'll be walking away after trying to speak, and one of them will shout back the English phrase they just remembered. Some of the students are AMAZING musicians, and you can tell they just love dad! Tonight they asked him to play Rocky Top with them in the hallway, as well as Sanctuary.

The Bible Club went well. We ended up having about 6 students come in and out, 4 of which were there the whole time. We opened by singing songs accompanied by dad on the guitar and Thomas on the piano. Thomas and Sylvie are a Hungarian couple from the church that have helped with the Bible club for years. We sang traditional Baptist hymns- they sang in Hungarian, and we sang in English. We also sang, "Open the Eyes of my Heart" and "Sanctuary," two classic praise songs from the states. I'll admit I had to hold back some tears when we sang Silent Night at the end. Dad was singing in Hungarian, which reminded me of the Candlelight Service in Greenville. It was beautiful with all the students singing. A holy moment for me.

Sylvie (a woman who has such a joy for life, you can't help but smile around her) led the Bible Study. She used a felt board like the ones you use in elementary school Sunday school. The students were fascinated how the pieces stuck to the board. We had a young guy in his second year at university named Máté (Hungarian for Matthew) who translated for us. The lesson was all about the Christmas story, and why we celebrate Christmas.

We ended by singing "He's Got the World in His Hands," putting a student's name in the phrase for each new verse. It was really neat, and I think the students got something out of it. Our Christmas party was a hit with some good brownies, playing around on the keyboard, and the young girls flirting with Máté.

Dad teaching Máté Christmas songs and "Open the Eyes of My Heart: on the guitar.

Thomas (pronounced "To-mosh") and two Hungarian gypsy girls.

Sylvie and Mom reading over a letter my parents wrote for the gypsy students.

So far it has been a wonderful trip, and I can't wait to see what happens next! I'm planning on going to school tomorrow with the 'rents, where we are going to hand out more of the stockings, and some books that have the Christmas story explained in Hungarian (I think... none of us speak Hungarian to know for sure).

Kendall comes on Wednesday from Turkey, and Mary comes this weekend!! Can't wait to have more stories to share!

Best Friends come to Paris!!

Kendall and me in front of Versailles!

Emma and me on the beach in Barcelona :)

Lindsey and me infront of the Louvre! Notice her dark hair... Hottie!

So we got back from Portugal on Sunday, and the following Friday guess who came to town... EMMA! She and a friend came to town, and we spent the weekend going to all the major sites and shops.

We had our most dramatic night of all of Paris while they were here... of course...
It started out really fun, like most nights are with this group of SMU peeps. We went to a club where we partied with French people and American people- and Katie Beal and I ended up wearing headdresses the rest of the night. On our way home, we missed the last metro, so we decided to find a cab or take the night bus. Long story short- some guys started messing with us at the bus, and when Katie tried to defend me, one of the guys actually punched her. It was a crazy evening, and I will forever be greatful to the Italien man who happened to be passing by who helped us. Unfortunately Emma and her friend say they'll always associate that night with Paris, but I hope they can remember the good times too!!

Emma left on Sunday, and Kendall came in on Wednesday! I met her at the train station, and we took her stuff to Elizabeth's for the night. I had a midterm the next day, so we didn't get to celebrate her arrival fully. The next day she came to class with me at the Pompideau- where I hadn't been before. It's a beautiful modern museum with breathtaking views of Paris. That night we went out with all the girls and had a great time! We went to Versailles together, which was also amazing. On our way back into Paris we saw the Eiffel Tower, and we tried to see Napolean's tomb... of course it closed right before we got there- at 4:30 on a Saturday!! What are they thinking?? We went to a fun jazz club that night though, and finished the night with some good crepes!

Lindsey has also visited me!! She stayed with me and my host family, and it was great hanging out with her! She actually died her hair while she was here!! Yep- she's a brunette now! When we walked into the hair place and told the man she wanted to change her hair from blonde to brown, all I thought is how much I wished I had my camera to capture the look on his face!
(She is a beautiful and natural brunette if you're wondering... hott even ;))

Winter Break in Spain and Portugal!!

Well pretty much one of the most fun weeks in my life :)

We decided to save some money and take the train down on Friday afternoon instead of Thursday night. Juliet's Eurail pass didn't come in in time, so she had to fly down and meet us the next day. So... Katie, Abbie and I caught the train to Barcelona through Montpellier. On our way down we consumed multiple cans of tuna, a good bit of bread, some boursin cheese, and wine... It was a great train ride!

One the train ride down

We got to Barcelona pretty late, and made it to our hostel- a 6 story hostel! It was a pretty place actually. We went out for dinner and realized that everyone in Barcelona is friendly and willing to talk to you and help you out with the language! We found an open place and I tried Sangria for the first time... Good news is Spanish red wine doesn't have sulfites, so I can drink it without getting a migraine!! YAY!! We went to bed after our late dinner (bed at like 1 am), and were awoken when three drunk guys stumbled into the room in the wee hours of the morning. Don't worry.... Katie made them be quiet!

The next day we got up and did some shopping. It was pouring rain all day, so it was an inside day for the most part. We had some great tapas for lunch, and walked all over the touristy part of Barcelona. It is a very pleasant place with beautiful squares. We attempted the Picasso museum, but it was a few hour wait... we decided we can see his work in the museum in Paris for free instead :) We walked to the port and walked along a floating bridge! (Which I later explained to Emma is a bridge that floats... she appreciated the explanation.) We sat and had some coffee and a snack (aka the best chocolate fondue with fruit I've ever had). Then it started to really pour outside, so we walked around the adjourning mall... It was in this mall that I bought the best hippie pants that ever existed. Don't worry- you will see them soon enough!! That evening Katie, Abbie and I went to dinner where the server decided it would be fun to make fun of me all night! It's okay though because we were treated to an appetizer and drinks!! We stayed there until we got a call from Juliet's mom saying that she was in Barcelona and waiting for us at the Hard Rock Cafe... it was then that we realized our phones didn't work in Spain. We ran to meet up with her, and took her back to the hostel.

Us and our waiter at dinner...

KG and Juliet having a drink in the hostel before heading out!

That night we searched for "Rita Blue," a bar Katie read about that serves blue margaritas (go figure!!) We met some American guys that ended up being friends with Emma, my friend studying in Barcelona.

The rest of Barcelona included going to what people refer to as “the Dr. Seuss” park. It was amazing, and you really felt like you were walking in a Dr. Seuss book. We also saw some amazing architecture by Gaudi, a famous Spanish architect with a unique eye.

Dr. Seuss Park!

We met up with SMU people in Madrid, which was fun. Our friend Jett met us for lunch and showed us around the city. We took a day trip to Toledo, which was one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was really beautiful. Toledo is a small town with a beautiful cathedral. We talked along the river there, and Katie and I climbed on some old ruins in the water, which resulted in my trying to conquer my fear of heights, and Katie having an injured knee… but it was worth it!

In Portugal we stayed in a “guest house” in Lisbon. There were three welcoming Portuguese women who worked there, and who took us in as their own daughters. Our favorite was Lydia, who actually cried when we left. Granted- she didn’t speak, English, French or Spanish (the three languages the four of us speak), but we somehow figured out how to communicate.

My favorite part of our Portugal trip was renting a car!! Since I’m the only one who can drive a stick I drove us up and down the coast. We hung out by the ocean… on the other side... It was a blast! We found a little café by the water, where we hung out four hours, in a little village called Cascass. We also visted a mid-evil village called Sintra. All-in-all Portugal might be one of my favorite countries in Europe now. The night life was great too- it’s approximately 10 square blocks of bars where people can get drinks to stay or to go, and everyone hangs out in the streets together meeting up with friends! We met some really cool people before heading back to Lydia!

The ride back to Paris took 24 hours!! It was crazy… we took a night train to the south of France, then had to hang out in the station for our next train. Evidently during the second leg of our trip, there was an accident on the tracks. So we had to hang out in a random train station for an hour and a half before we finally got back on track (pun intended!).

The trip was amazing, and it actually took me about a week to recover after!! But it was well worth it, and I can’t wait to go back to Portugal again sometime!!

Out in Paris... Fondue and baby bottles?!

Yes... it's true... We went out in Paris one night for fondue, and at the restaurant (where half of the party actually has to climb over the tables to get to the booth!!), they served wine in baby bottles!!!... It was nuts. The night consisted of lots of cheese, 100 pictures, our two Scottish guys, metro fun, walking a couple of miles (in heals), late night at my favorite club in my neighborhood, retired Canadian NHL players, getting a man to open his creperie for us, and coffee with Abbie at a cafe until the metro opened.... it was a good one.

Study Trip

So Instead of sending out another mass email, I decided I would just write a post, and those who want to read it can.

So much has happened since my last post... where to start?

Study trip:

We went to Belgium and Lille on our study tour, and it was amazing. We all met at the train station, and believe it or not- Everyone made it!! When we arrived we took the metro to our hotel. The metro in Belgium is nuts- they're as small as buses, but it seems as thought they go from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds! haha :)

We dropped our stuff off at the hotel, and headed out for the main square in Belgium. It was freezing, but we spent a lot of time outside anyways. We went to the square where all of the buildings were constructed at different times, which is evident by the architecture of each one. They were beautiful, and we took a lot of pictures. We also viewed a museum of the history of Belgium, but I won't bore you with (what are actually very interesting) details.

We split up for lunch, and I must say that this is the first time I've ever been heckled to come into a resaurant! The people line the street, and practically grab you and pull you in! All of us were told how beautiful we were, and evidently lots of restaurant workers fall in love instantly when a potential customer walks by... Perhaps we should impliment this at Blue Ridge... Anyways, we finally picked a place, and it was really funny to see the guy standing outside our restaurant smirk at all the other people in the street- he was actually proud that he got customers!!

The rest of the day consisted of going to the European Commission to listen to a lively German man speak to us about the EU. At one point he got on some tangent and stood up, raising his voice, and asked us how we would finalize a contract for buying a car (still not quite sure what it had to do with anything...) After we suggested such ideas as "Go to an office;" "Sign the contract;' "Get a witness;" "Go to a bank;" he finally said: "No!! You go to Starbucks!!"

.....WHAT?!?!?! Yeah- we didn't get it either... something about going to a public place to sign a contract... Evidently the EU has it all wrong, and the reason the constitution didn't pass is because they weren't meeting at Starbucks... at least that's what I got out of it...

We had the afternoon off, and believe me we all went for some Belgian Waffles in Belgium!! And yes... they're amazing!

That night was dinner at the hotel, followed by all of us being lame and staying in for the night.

The next day we went on a tour of "Undergroud Belgium." The palace burned down hundreds of years ago, and they ended up just building on top of the ruins.

Me, Jilian and KG feeling like we're in Willy Wonky in "Underground Belgium."

This was probably the best tour I've ever had... Our tour guide was absolutely amazing. As in, I'm pretty sure he could make the instructions in a manuel to put a desk together sound as exciting as The Da Vinci Code. Of course it was a bit over the top, and many of us made sure to take video!! The best part was probably his use of a massive flashlight instead of a laser pointer... He seemed pretty proud of it too :)

We saw some Ruben paintings in the museum there, and ate another waffle before heading onto the bus to Lille, France.

On our way to Lille we stopped to visit what used to be a coal mining village... Above is our tour guide on the right with the most amazing mullet I had seen up to this point in Europe!

---Here's where the trip gets interesting....

When we got to the hotel, Abbie and I decided to have a drink downstairs at the bar while waiting to meet up with her friend who lives in Lille. There was one wall separating the bar from the main entrance, and the concierge managed both. He tended to give us attitude, but I think it's just because he had been working all day. We all had dinner at the hotel, and then met back downstairs later for a drink before going out... I went to pay the concierge at the front desk, and heard Lifehouse coming from his laptop. We started talking American bands, and he got my email address asking me to keep him up to date on good music (yeah.... me... hahahaha- since I'm so up on my music). He was about to get off work, so we invited him to meet us out... Well, long story short, by the end of the night he was professing his love to me... Which was helpful when our cab never came because 8 of us piled into his car to get back to the hotel!!

The next day we were fortunate enough to have our bus not come when it was supposed to, which gave us ample time to sleep in the hotel lobby!! Then when the bus finally came, we took it to Lens, where the future statlite of the Louvre Museum will be. It was really neat to stand on the ground where masterpeice paintings will one day hang (such a romantic, right?)

Abbie and me standing where the future Louvre will be!

On the bus ride back we realized we might not make our train!! When we stopped a light beside the train station, we all jumped off the bus, grabbed our bags, and ran to the train. We jumped on the first train car and all made it on just before the doors closed. Although we were happy to make it, we were all a little stressed when we realized our seats were on the OPPOSITE side!! We walked more than 20 cars to our seats carrying our luggage!!! Needless to say, I was a little sore the next day hahaha

Above is a picture of our bus driver NOT watching the road... yeah- he did it enough that I had time to notice, take out my camera, and get this good shot... we felt safe.

That's about it for the study trip... not to much drama, and everyone made it back. All in all I would say it was a great trip! If you're wondering, French guy has emailed me some, but upon my request he now leaves out any more professions of love or references to a future together....

Mass Email # 4

And the fourth mass email from Paris:

Bon Soir!! (aka- "Good evening!!" in French)

I'm told it's time for another update. You know what I say to that?? I want updates from you, too!! Where are MY emails, huh? Just kidding... I've actually gotten a lot of them, and I LOVE reading them. Keep them coming... you might think your everyday stuff isn't interesting to read, but contrary to popular belief, I really do like knowing what's going on. By the way- I'm kind of tired (it's 11:15 here), so don't expect the usual amazing humor I provide!! haha

So- In Paris... There's not too much to report. I mean, life here is pretty wonderful, but going places like the Louvre has become second-nature. (That's a lie...) I absolutely love it here. We just finished our second week of classes. My French class meets every morning at 9:30, which means I have to get up in time to take the metro there. Our class meets earlier than all the rest- go figure! But I love our French teacher- she's one of the spunkiest teachers I've ever had. This week, while working on verbs, we discussed the verb 'se lever', which means 'to get up or to stand up.' If you're like me, you automatically think of Bob Marley at this point. Well, so did my professor! To practice what we learn in class she will say a phrase in English and we have to repeat it back to her in French. On my turn, she sang Bob Marley's classic song, and made me sing it back to her in French!! It was really fun. Don't worry- I'm planning on giving a concert when I get back.

I'm also taking an Impressionistic Art class. It's different from any art class I've ever taken (wait... I've never taken an art class before) in that we actually have class in Musee D'Orsay! I love standing in front of the original work while learning about it. When you come to visit I'll take you around and teach you about some of the paintings. (And yes... I actually have some people coming to see me!!)

Not only am I learning about famous people's art, but I'm making some of my own, too! I'm taking a drawing class, and I must say it's probably one of my favorite classes of all time. My professor's name is Ivo, and he is Italian. He has a studio, where he also lives, in my area of Paris where we have class. Katie Gage describes him as "squirely," and despite how many different ways this term could be interpreted, it fits perfectly! He is lively and finds himself hysterical!! (and so do we!) He makes us coffee half way through class everyday, and he just has us draw the whole time. We don't waste time learning terms and practicing shading (sorry Hillary- don't hate that we skipped this!!) Instead he just comes around and helps us as we go. Today we had class in the Louvre and got to choose any statue to sketch- how cool is that?! I was just happy because we don't have to have any nude models.... yet.

I won't tell you about my other class- it's interesting, and I'm learning about French politics... not sure what you would want to know about that. (Everyone knows the French hate Bush... that's about all that applies to America thus far.)

We haven't had too many crazy stories since we've been here. Random highlights are as follows:
- Katie Gage almost getting kicked in the metro by a stoned bum, resulting in us running away.
- Meeting some really funny Scottish guys in a bar who want to meet up for drinks next week.
- Running into Elizabeth Brigham (a friend from high school) on the street in Paris, realizing we live 2 blocks away!
- Getting lost and walking 2 miles to meet up with people just by the time they finish their glasses of wine.
- Eating some of the best Mexican food I've ever had... and yeah- in Paris!
- Trying Indian food and LOVING IT!
- Getting to know my amazing French family
- Winning sunglasses at happy hour because for guessing the type of martini we were drinking!! (okay... Juliet won them, but she gave them to me... they're definitely pink aviators!!)
- Seeing some amazing hip hop dancers right outside the metro, who I plan to ask to give me lessons next time they're there! (no lie... don't worry mom- I'll be safe!)
- Finding out that I'm going to have 3 friends visit in the month of March!! (when are YOU coming??? :)
- This weekend's trip to Belgium with the program... yeah- I'm gonna eat plenty of waffles and chocolate!
- Chocolate and banana crepes... the best late-night food ever created... and any other time of day for that matter
- Paninis
- The ability to download the finale of America's Top Chef from iTunes (I'm not ashamed...)
- Your emails
- Nutella
- Planning my upcoming Winter break to Spain and Portugal!

Well that's about it for now... hope that wasn't too boring for you! I realized the other day that I'm going to be here during the Super Bowl... I'm pretty upset about it, but I WILL watch it! I think I'm gonna meet up with some people at a bar when I get back from our study tour. Yeah... kick-off is at midnight here!! Ahh!! we'll see how long I last. I wish I was at the Ridge to watch it! (I miss you Cameron, Marlo and Josh! Tell everyone I said hey!!)

Send me your address if you want me to send you a postcard!! I haven't sent any yet, so if you let me know I'll do them all at once! Feel free to request a cliché' location pictured on your postcard ;) haha. And if you want to send me postcards from your respective cities (no lie- this would be fun for me), my address is:
30 Passage Thiéré75011 Paris

By the way- tomorrow is National Crepe day in France... how great is that? A whole day devoted to a skinny pancake.

Okay- I've written enough for now. I look forward to hearing from you! I'm not in the states to celebrate Julia's Birthday so everyone be sure to tell her you love her on Feb 9th!! (Unless you don't know her....)

I love you all!-- KB

Third Email from Paris

Third Mass email:


So this is a really long one... sorry- I wrote it for myself too so I could remember my trip! (I don't have or really like journals). Read what you want, don't read it at all if you don't want too... but i would love you to write me anyways- I love the messages!! I miss you all! :)

Well I’m in Paris!! I moved in with my family last night. Right now I am sitting on a leather sofa, surrounded by the papers and other things belonging to the family I live with. There is one word to describe this apartment: cluttered. I have my own room though, which is actually a pretty good size, and at least now I will be motivated to keep it clean for myself.

The last time I emailed everyone was from Nice, right before Katie’s B-day. Well- the celebration was very fun! The first night we went to a club that was empty except for our group, but we encouraged others to come in and join in on the fun! Of course I danced, and I even got some of the other people in the group to dance with me!! (some). The bouncer, who was really more like a greeter b/c no one got “bounced” was also the person who made the crepes at the stand next to the club… and you KNOW I got a chocolate crepe when the night was over!! His name was Moose, and his brother owned the club- don’t worry- I got pictures with both of them! From the club, we found ourselves heading to the gay club with two gay guys. We called this one the “ding-dong” club because you had to ring a doorbell to get in. We only stayed there for a few minutes because I think Robert wasn’t having quite as much fun as the rest of us! We headed from there back to the hotel, where we went to be pretty late. The next morning we got up early for our French lessons with a French woman named Fabbiah. She’s the one who makes us talk about what we ate for breakfast and what our families are like.

The rest of the day involved a visit to a museum, and a tour of “Old Nice.” We learned the history of the city, and got to view a couple of very elaborate churches, and a home composed of three separate apartments that made up a home built for nobles. This building still had the same tile as its construction hundreds of years ago, which I found amazing. My favorite part was probably how the walls were painted to look EXACTLY like marble, although it wasn’t marble at all… those French are so tricky ;).

That night we went back to the same restaurant where we had eaten the two nights prior with our program. They put a candle in Katie’s chocolate moose dessert, and we all sang “Bon Anniversaire” to her in the restaurant. We went from there back to the hotel where everyone got ready to go out again for KG’s b-day. After pre-partying with some wine in Robert’s room, and my refusing to perform a hip hop dance for everyone (despite Katie’s request), we headed out. We walked all around Nice looking for somewhere to go, never making a consensus. Then we ran into two guys who said we should go with them. We went to a club they told us about, and despite our hesitations on their ability to suggest somewhere we would enjoy, it was AMAZING! The place was packed with people, and one of the guys working there was able to find a table for all of us upstairs. They announced Katie’s birthday over the entire place, followed by they’re playing “Celebration.” And yes…. We were at a karaoke bar! You know KG and I got up and danced and sang our hearts out, and we were able to get Jillian to join us. Jillian and I proceeded to sing the American songs, out-singing the gay guys beside us when Britney Spears came on- including the dance!

While dancing, a French guy came up behind me to dance with me… I subtly rejected him and kept on with Jillian. He came up to talk to me after, asking me about America and whatnot. When he came back again later, I explained that I only spoke a little bit of French. The conversation went like this:

Me: “Je parle un peu de francais.”
French guy: “You speak a little French? You like French?”
Me: “Yes.”
French guy: “You like French men?”Me: “Umn… I guess, yes.”
French Guy: “You like French kiss??”
Me: “hahahahahaha….. Je ne sais pas!!” (I don’t’ know.)… walk away

And where did I walk? Straight to sign up to sing a song… I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is yes. We did sign up to sing Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” upon the karaoke guy’s request. The rest of the night consisted of singing, LOTS of dancing, some girls making out with random French guys, a lost purse (later found), NO LATE- NIGHT FOOD L, saving someone from a crack-addict lesbian prostitute, a few tears, and lots of laughter. Needless to say- that one will be hard to top!

The next day we had our usual French lesson, then we traveled to the Maght Foundation where we saw art by Matisse, Chagall and others. Then we went down to a small, stone-walled village called Saint________something_______, where we ate lunch and walked around the charming place. I got to see where Chagall is buried with his wife, Vava. I’m not gonna lie- I mainly wanted to see it b/c of his wife’s name!

From there we went to the airport where we stood in line for about an hour to check in. Not the most efficient thing I’ve ever done. The flight was probably one of the worst I’ve ever experienced. The turbulence was awful, and I found myself praying that we would actually land, and that I wouldn’t get sick. Don’t worry- we did land, and I didn’t get sick. Once at our school from the airport, we met our families. My “mom” shook my hand, took one of my bags, and we pretty much sprinted to the car. In the car we spoke a little, but it was a bit awkward… and by that I mean only as awkward as it usually is when you meet someone who doesn’t speak your language who you are going to live with for four months… Anyways, she eventually let-on that she does speak English, as do all three of her children. Thank goodness!! We ate dinner with two of her children after I gave them their presents I brought them. The ice seemed to break when I gave them their CDs and chocolate, and the Louisianan food to the mother. After dinner we went to buy my Metro pass, and she explained how I would get to school in the morning.

I went to bed after finishing packing, and of course after an episode of Sex and the City (thanks Mary!).

I made it to school today via the metro all by myself!! And by that I mean I wandered around a good bit when I got off at my stop, wondering which street led to my school. I eventually saw one of my professors, and I followed her to my other home for the semester- Reid Hall. Believe it or not, while sitting in the front of the building waiting for class, I saw a guy I know- NOT from SMU- walk in!! I didn’t catch him in time to talk b/c I was so shocked he was there. It’s a guy from a Duke TIP program I did the summer after my junior year in high school, and I haven’t talked to him in years… and here we are- both in school at Reid Hall in Paris, France. What are the odds?! I’ll find him next week.

We had a little free time between French and our orientation meeting, but then we had a long time for lunch. I went with three other girls to get some lunch and eat in Jardin du Luxumbourg (a garden). One of the girls, Abbie, was here last semester, too, so she was a big help with our exploring. We left the garden and ended up walking all the way to the Pantheon. We went in to find an exhibit about the resistance against the Germans, honoring the Jews. It was fascinating, and also a bit depressing and scary. I saw a story about it on the news tonight, and I knew what they were talking about- it felt good.

We sprinted back to school, also using the Metro, in time for our first class on French culture. I’m going to learn so much- it’s very exciting.

We all went to the National Assembly where the Republic de Francaise resides. It was fascinating. There were some of the most elaborate rooms I’ve ever seen, and I felt honored to be able to go in there. I tried my hardest to understand the tour guide, and I was pleasantly surprised with my ability to comprehend what she was saying!

From there, four of us headed to the Louvre to see some dancing that was supposed to take place in one of the sections. However, it started too late for me to see it, but I did walk around the Egyptian exhibit with Abbie. I have a free pass to the Louvre, so I will be back… We’re going as a group there tomorrow.

There is a metro in the Louvre, so I took it back to the Bastille, where I live. No one was home when I got here, so I went exploring around the neighborhood- I live in such a great place! It’s pretty touristy, so there are many restaurants, including Thai, Indian, and of course- Tex-Mex. Haha! There are also some cute shops around, and there are HUGE sales right now. They won’t happen again until July, so I may have to partake in some good shopping J.

I ate dinner with the fam tonight, and my “mom” and one of my “sisters,” who is 14, were fighting with each other. I had no idea what they were saying until my other “sister” who is 22 explained what was going on. She spoke to me in English the whole meal, which I really appreciated since my brain is definitely in over-load and truly exhausted from the day. My “brother” is 20, and he stays pretty quiet. I guess that is to be expected since he lives with three women. The French are not so different from us- the 14-year-old is on the phone and has been for about an hour now. All teenagers are the same.

Well that’s about it for now. You’re caught up from the last email. This is already a great trip. The group is still getting along very well, except for one girl who would best be described as needy. Of course she somehow tends to end up in the group I’m in, too. I haven’t quite figured out how someone who has traveled internationally doesn’t know how to figure at least some things out for herself. Or at least not to interrupt people to ask a random question when they’re in the middle of a conversation. Something’s going to have to change, and it’s not going to be my ability to answer questions while continuing to carry on a conversation… We’ll see.

All-in-all everything is great! I get a phone tomorrow- finally- if I take my money in… I’ll call when I can!! Love you all- let me hear from you!

Second Email from Paris!!

The second mass email I sent from Paris:

So according to Matty B I'm supposed to add more humor into my emails, but according to my sister I'm the funniest person on earth... I'm gonna go with Mary on this one- Matty B and anyone else who doesn't find me funny needs to re-evaluate their senses of humor!! (just kidding)

We're in Nice... after I sent the last email, we found out our flight was canceled to Nice, so they made us get seats on a flight 4 hours later. That stunk, but they did give us a food voucher for the airport- 50 Euros for all five of us. We had already eaten, so we went to a small eating area in the airport and ended up getting about 50 Euros worth of beer! haha... Needless to say we had a great time finding our way back through the most convoluted airport I've ever been in- luckily I wasn't body-searched by a woman again like I had been earlier that morning. As would be expected, we all passed out on the plane to Nice.

There are 10 girls and one guy in the program... It's pretty funny, but Robert is amazing (aka Cancun for those of you who go to SMU). He is determined to watch out and protect all of us, which I'm sure he will do until he's drunk enough to need the taking-care-of! Today he opened the door for one girl, then looked down the line and in an exasperated voice said, "oh yeah.... 10....." I couldn't help but laugh. Everyone is pretty cool here. out of the 10 girls, there is a Katie Gage, a Katie Beil, and me... Everyone says they're just going to call all three of us Katie because it's easier... evidently the "Beth" makes it hard...we'll see how long that lasts... :)

Today we had to get up early for an orientation meeting, and then had a french intensive with a woman who speaks very broken English. I can't tell you how much fun it was for KG and I to discuss with her what we ate that morning for breakfast... beginning and/or reviewing a language often leaves something to be desired in conversation.

I won't bore you with the details of the tours we made this afternoon, but if you're interested I may write about them on my blog. (that was for you Matty)

It's KG's 21st birthday tomorrow, so the celebrations will begin tonight after dinner!! Everyone is very excited- two girls asked the hotel reps about good bars in the area, and they suggested a great gay bar- (I guess we really will have to protect Rob...) Don't worry- the next email should have some good stories!!

I don't have a cell phone yet, but please keep the emails coming- I loved all the ones I got today!! (PS I loved the juicy gossip!) Oh- and I got one email mentioning visiting over spring break... I think everyone else should consider that too!!

love- KB

First Email

Hello All!

I made it to Germany!! But not without a whole lot of running. While in the G'ville airport, I found out my plain to Chicago was delayed 45 minutes- which wouldn't have been so bad if my lay-over until my flight to Germany wasn't 40 minutes. Let's just say I'm now a pro at running with a book bag and a roller carry-on. I sounded ridiculous running down the moving sidewalks- it was pretty funny to see people turn around, see me, and know to immediately move to the side. Well... it wasn't funny at the time, but looking back I guess I can muster a chuckle. (By the way- it's 4:30 am my body time and I slept maybe a few hours, so sorry if this message seems incoherent.) Anyways- I sat to a very nice Indian man named Rankin (I think) who felt the need to tell me all about how he had just been trained in computer programming in Chicago. All I could think of was Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat as sitting right there beside me... in other words, my dorky side came out. I went to the bathroom to bring a nice end to the conversation. Depends on the day, but I'm not typically into needless airplane convo that gets you no where. The plane was huge- one of those two-story planes. I hate how they make you walk through all the first-class and business-class people on your way to the "Economy" section... just rub it in our faces... oh well- I happen to like my little seat :). Thankfully Rankin and I had three seats to ourselves, so we both felt free to over-flow into the third one. (I mean with our belongings- neither of us physically over-flowed- if so, he would have been the biggest vegetarian Indian I've ever seen.

Okay- this is probably getting boring, and I only bought 15 minutes of Internet time. I'm supposed to meet up with some of my friends here in Germany, but I haven't seen them yet. Evidently no gate is permanent until an hour before the flight, so I have some time to kill before heading to Nice!!

Let me know what's going on with yall! I will send another update soon, perhaps after some sleep so it will be more interesting, and maybe even funny.

love- KB