Throwback WAAAAY Back!

HELLOOOOOO EVERYYYBODDDY!!!! BONJOUR!!!

This is waayyyyy overdue, but you know, better late than never, right? 

My mom complains that I don't blog enough, so THIS ONE IS FOR YOU MOTHER! Moving on.

Wow. What was the last thing I blogged about? Umm, hmmm. This goes to show that I haven't blogged for a long time. 

So let’s start with Christmas. Flash back to December, a hard task, as some days I can hardly remember five minutes ago. ANYWAY (you're getting off track Aidan!), for Christmas I was with my new family. I was extremely excited to begin the following six months with an important holiday to me. It began on Christmas Eve. My host family and I went to my host mom’s parents’ house for dinner, and what became a very late night/early morning. That night, it was my host family, host grandparents, and my host mom's two sisters and niece. This is an extremely small family for me, it was still great and I had a great time, but I am used to a huge family party with loud Irish cousins and family members, so it was a reasonably large change. 

At dinner, I am proud to say that I tried escargot for the first time. It took me a minute to get over the fact that it was indeed snail to eat it. It was not what I was expecting. Before, when I heard escargot, I always thought of a scaly, slimy, snail greenish brown in color and its eyes still visible on a plate with some fancy decoration to make it look a little edible. So when I heard there was to be escargot at dinner, I had a mini heart attack. But I told myself "Aidan, you are here to try new things! This will be a new thing! You will get over your worries and try it no matter what!" And that is what I did. Truth was, I had nothing to worry about. It tastes what it is cooked in, and on that day’s menu: butter and herbs. The consistency was just a little unusual, but I liked it. I think I had maybe three that night. 

I am analysing. 

I am trying. 

I am thinking. 

I am liking! 

After that, we finished eating and I waited. And waited. And waited. 

Lost somewhere in translation, I missed the memo that we were staying up till midnight to open presents at the beginning of Christmas and leaving after. So I was slightly unprepared for that and was at an exhausted state well before I should have been. I guess it's a state of mind. I ended up getting a few books and a scarf that night (side note: was GIVEN to me. *cough cough graeme, haley cough*). After saying thank you to one another and talking for a little bit longer, we left at around 1 A.M, and got home around 2ish. I was ready to sleep, but I had a great night with everyone. The next morning, we did the presents under the Christmas tree with just our family and that was nice. We had breakfast and went back to the grandparents for lunch. We spent the day there and then came home at around 5 P.M. I was also very happy because later that night, I got to Skype with my family. I don't mean just my mom, dad, sister, brother family; I am talking EVERYONE! I got a quick conversation with almost everyone and that was maybe the greatest Christmas present I got this year. Just seeing family an ocean away can really make it a special Christmas. 

We also had a few AFS things in this time. Caution, never EVER put random articles of clothing in a bag, and then have exchange students pick them out and make them wear them. It will make everyone feel awkward and laugh really hard because honestly, we were fierce. If you have the inability or want to laugh at me (bless you, you poor human) please skip the smexy pictures you are about to witness. 

Alrighty then... I can at least say I'm comfortable with my body.... I think...

During Xmas break, I went to Lille with Natalie (PA homegirl) and Sarah (Red-headed Boston beauty). We did your typical Lille stuff like shop, hang out, and my new personal favorite, the American Diner!!

This is for your amusment, not just my own personal embaressment

Representing America the right way!

AFS bowling!

And then this happened...

I am terrible at bowling. Of course.

The Americans taking over the American Diner in Lille!

And yes, the food tasted as good as it looked!

It's not actually called that, but I cannot remember for the life of me what it's called so from this moment forward it will be called American Diner. This reference may (probably) will be used in the future. I love me some burgers so its worth it. 

Here is the beauty of what I got, and the rosemary fries. My sister would approve. 

Oh yeah... You won't be seeing this because of my over use of profanities but we went on la grande roue (ferris wheel) and I had a panic attack, and I for some reason put it on video. Dumb Aidan. But here is my reasoning behind my behavior. 

First: it was cold. I don't like the cold.

Second: It was high. I am not a huge fan of heights when it is not moving fast or at all. 

Third: It was pretty windy and shaking the ride really badly. 

I probably won't be doing that the next time I come back to Lille in the winter holidays. This was also taken BEFORE the ride. 

I somehow manged to compose myself for about ten seconds to take and have a relatively nice picture of Natalie and I. 

New Years. Probably one of the few days I was really, really sad not to be home. I wasn't homesick, just missing probably the one party where people come to my house without being invited (at least to my knowledge). It's a huge party at my house with family friends that are almost all our age and its fun and great every year. So it was a little weird to be going to a party this year with people I really didn't know at all! 

I went with my host brother to a party with his friends, and honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better night. Everyone was super nice and fun, and super shocked after the first hour when I managed to pass as French and everyone found out I was American. I met some really cool people there and it was just an overall great night! The one down side was, it didn't seem to end. I think the music and lights were finally turned down to let some people sleep at around 8:30ish in the morning. This caused me to discover I can't pull all-nighters. I need sleep. Next day I slept all day. AND WITHOUT PORK AND SOUR CROUT!! WHOOPDEEDOO!

A few weeks after, I said good bye to Kinzie as written in the last post, so I won't go into detail about that. 

School is continuing to go great! I am understanding more and more and I am just feeling at ease with my new friends at my new school and it’s just great! Teachers still talk really fast, so I'm up to understanding about 40% of what they say. I call that progress. 

I am able to have conversations in French with very little effort! My friends point out that I'm picking up the little phrases that they say and that I am "trop mignon" with my French phrases and American accent. Thanks guys... Merci à tous... 

Host family is continuing to be amazing! I just feel so at ease here and that's all I wanted. I feel at home here! I think I have finally passed all of the major bumps in the road and I am ok with that. 

Next week we start our mid-winter break, which is two weeks off of school. I'm trying to be getting together with friends often, exchange and French both! 

Uhh more stuff! 

Two new students from our chapter in the north of France. A girl from California and another girl from Australia. I have only met them once and they were both suffering from SEVERE jet lag and utter confusion from all the French at one time. At least it only gets better. 

My friends apparently LOVE peanut butter. They are all keepers! 

I have passed my half-way point and it feels like I could have just gotten here. Wow how fast time flies! 

So that's all I can think about for you all this minute. 

WAIT! I ALMOST FORGOT!

 Actually I did forgot and displeased my mother. I went to Belgium for a day with school back in my old school with other foreigners, the Australians and the line Korean who I actually miss because he was/is really cool. We were in Flemish Belgium at a WWI memorial at a place called Ploegstreet. It had one of the most stunning sceneries I have ever seen. So naturally, I took pictures, as seen below! Note that this was before Thanksgiving so I really forgot about this. 

Back to Australians. We had a group of Australians at my old school for a few months and they sure were an interesting bunch. They were all great, but wow! They sure made me smile when I was having a bad day, then I would walk away and wonder, what the heck just happened? Miss those dudes.

Now THAT is all that I have for now. I shall be back soon and until then, Au Revoir! 

-Aidan!!!

QUICK RECENT UPDATES

I am currently on my two week February vacation! So far I have been to a party, nuff said... And I went to my first professional football (soccer for the Americans) match! I was invited to go with my AFS friend Erik, who is from It was a tie game between Lille and Lyon but I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed myself!!!

Today I spent my funday in Lille with the lovely Americans Natalie, Allegra, and our newest member on the north of France, Isabelle! We like her. We can keep her. 

We did everything from eating macarons, to drinking special milkshakes (I won't say the special secret, but take a guess. Chances are you're right!), attempting to help german students searching for the ch'ti, playing hide and seek in French bookstores, and mock a really poorly photoshopped model. Plenty of good food (luckily) and a great day although my legs hurt from walking.

Perfection

This was tried and we are normal people. I PROMISE!

Now we are all caught up on current events in my life. I promise I will try to keep an effort as I was scolded by someone other than my mom for not writing recently (what?) but I try to keep this honest and as unforced as possible! I think I do a pretty good job of that! 

For the LAST time in this post, A prochaine!

-Aidan