it is too hot in your country...ok, ok, OUR country

tho i love summer, and the speaking of the english so rocks!!!

ok.
in this post alison describes the ppl she hung out with through general descriptions and fun quotes taken out of context.

SO:
there were 8 of us, myself,
ketki
katherine
emma
binafsha
michael
renée
jasmin

katherine, using her eyes, manipulates unsuspecting french men to carry her suitcase for her, which is understandable, seeing as it is twice her own body mass. ketki is far too intelligent, far too fashionable, and far too nice :D and we love her. emma has stepped straight from a historical/musical/comical/tragic/romantic/mystery film, and is anxious to return, preserving her being in the meantime in film by photographing herself. binafsha is quelquefois silent, then bursts out laughing at what she's thinking of...she also can be deadly serious. michael is the poster boy for katmandu, hates boots in any context, and can make presque anyone laugh. ANYONE.renée always has buckets of style and is resilient to the point that it's frightening, yet laughs. lives in elizabeth. selon elle, that says everything. however, i live in Sydney, so that goes over my head. jasmin deals with french people, life, confusing films and everything in between very similarly - calmly, yet watchful for the next opportunity to alert the authorities.

QQ's
CONTEXT:Iced tea in a can
KA:the tea's weird...like watered down
ME:yeah, they do that
KA:(bitterly) Bastards

CONTEXT:None...
KA:You can't give birth when you're dead...or can you?

CONTEXT:Just before leaving one of the few cafes of Vichy
KA:Hmm,but maybe an english guy wouldnt swear
ME:I think they're actually quite fami-
KA:EAT THAT FORSAKEN BROWNIE!!!!

CONTEXT:...self-explanatory...ish
RENEE:lets do something tonight
KA:Lets go get hospitalised...i want a drip!

CONTEXT:photos
EMMA:Yeah, i take photos of myself when i'm bored (takes photo of a sausage)

CONTEXT:conversation about conversations...in french
ME:it's really hard to fake surprise
EM:or interest

CONTEXT:bus trip, and photos
BINAFSHA:B tired, B sleep now. (puts coat over her head)
EM:ok alison, pose: you are a snail(B instantly rips coat off head, then inspects photos)
B:oh, you DO look like a snail!

CONTEXT:em's new hat
ME:Joli chapeau dude
EM:thanks
KETKI:Oh!its a kepi!
EM:ok...yay, i have a kepi
KA:Sounds like a disease

CONTEXT:conversation de host families
KA: She's likes noone lives near here, and im like ok...she's like i am your only friend and im like ok...as long as you feed me...i'm best friends with everyone who feeds me...(shocked)i'm like a dog!

CONTEXT:on bus
ME:Has everyone got their seatbelt on?
B:Yes mum (ok, i know three ppl read that and laughed)
JASMIN:Not me, i'm just a rebel without a cause.

CONTEXT:odd names
JA:I know two brothers that are named Citizen and Wellington...they're really hot tho

CONTEXT:looking up words
KA:Yeah, nuque means nape of the neck
MICHAEL:What?naked men?!

CONTEXT:...french culture conversation...that went on a while
EM:Imagine...mixed french chinese food...stir-fried endive...with cheese...

CONTEXT:australia day evening...after wine...and singing of australian songs...
EM:I'd swear there's a song about koalas

CONTEXT:...bathrooms...
EM:Yeah, anytime you're in trouble, just start kneeing the furniture

yes, i have put in french...its a subtle process...ill have you all speaking french before you know where you are!!!!hahahahahahahaha
"ah ah, en français!"
honhonhonhonhonhonhonhonhon!!!

yeah, kidding, i love english so much.
night all, i am getting more tireder, and i haven't slept much...since sunday...what is it, tuesday?oh...good.
hugs, sparkle*

Sigh...mixed emotions suck

yay, posting from the mije in paris!
ok, there is no way i can sum up everything that has happened in the past month and a half, it's impossible, so much has happened, ive seen so many english...things, spent an awesome Christmas with family ive never met before, had a new years eve that was...well, part of it was great, and part of it id prefer not to recall.
australia day where i am...the others have gone to an australian pub.
i can hear the howls. why am i not with them?
a)its 10 past eleven, and im tired
b)im desperately trying to throw this cold before i get home
c) i have nothing good/pretty to wear, its all skivvies, jeans and ugly yet practical boots, wearing anything more festive would strengthen this cold tenfold( i have like,ONE nice outfit, which im saving for tuesday)
d)im trying to save the money i have left, id prefer not to throw it away on overpriced alcool(everything here is overpriced)
e)id get way too paranoid about security and would try to take care of whatever posessions i take with me, and wouldnt have fun.
f)id be the only one not comfortably tipsy/drunk, and that is rarely ever amusing.

SO IM NOT GOING OUT.
i didnt think id be sad to leave...well, not very sad. but now i can feel the cracks as everyone organises to be able to catch their planes, and i feel sad coz ill miss all these ppl ive spent this month with, theyre all lovely.
and my french is like the bomb now...i mean, never perfect, but who cares!even french people make mistakes, so thats not so serious,and i basically get the hang of whats going on. i wouldnt work in a francophone job, but apart from that, im very comfortable.

but i have to come home. i have to have to have to have to have to have to come home.
i havent been to church this month, which obviously has left a mark, have managed to read Bible and pray...fairly often, when you dont for a few days you realise as soon as you start again why you need to. somehow reading the Bible has the added effect of making me forget all the little things that get to me, all the worries about myself, all my vanity and selfishness, all the things i waste time thinking about just vanish and its such a relief. we praise God everyday, He is good everyday.

and ive missed tom so much...by now it's like i can barely remember some things, but i remember that i forgot them, and that hurts so much more. if i ever come back here, he's coming with me.

I MISS SUMMER.GAH how i miss summer!!!!it was below 4 yesterday...today it wasnt so bad coz i didnt go out much, but there is a reason we're all sick!!
I MISS WARMTH.
and i hate layering up clothes so much. i also hate my coat. it makes me look like a marshmallow, and while it keeps me warm, i do not enjoy permanently looking like a marshmallow.

and i miss my family and everybody.

i get tired a lot here too. the sun isnt up properly until 8-9ish in the morning,and it goes down at 5, so you live it the dark, and it makes me sleepy. getting up is so difficult.

but this was great. specially staying with host families(familles d'accueille...pronounced fam-ie da-kay-ie) who were LOVELY to me,who spoke such little english that i just had to get by, and i did, and they were always there to help...

in short, i was really glad to be here, but im really glad to be going home day after tomorrow...and the next day...and the next day.

damn flights. plz pray for me on the planes. PLZ pray for the ppl on this thing, that they might know Christ...some of them are looking for Him, some aren't, but they all need Him desperately. as we all do.

i miss you all.DOES ANYONE WANT A KEYRING???NOW IS THE TIME TO ASK!!!
of course, would look out for the 'my friend went to france and all i got was this lousy keyring' but i dont think they have them.quel dommage.
YES, there will be more french on this blog from now on. partly coz its in my head and makes up part of my thoughts, like a mechanical arm.
mainly coz itll drive Tom bananas.

miss you all. take care of yourselves, and look both ways crossing the road.
a bientot, hopefully.
Sparkle*
p.s. quotable quotes coming soon!!