I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but the tourists have really taken over Seattle. Its incredible. They are everywhere. There are most likely more people here that speak other languages than there are French people. We didn't have history so we were finished at 10 am. I had plans to meet with the other exchanges for lunch, so I had two hours to kill. Tannia and I hit the town with no plans, and, of course, ended up shopping. I told myself I wouldn't buy anything, but I ended up buy a t-shirt at Zara. It was cheap and it had French written on it, and its very hard to find shirts with French on them here, so I needed to get it. Then we met Molly at her school and met up with the other kids and ate lunch. Around Molly's school, I saw a bunch of kids who were were talking English, and looked very American, several were wearing shirts that said "Marquette" and "Wisconsin" on them, so I deduced that they were probably from Wisconsin. We were at Bonlieu, eating lunch and suddenly, a bunch of them came in. And somehow we ended up talking to a few. I was talking to one girl who asked "oh, so you here for an exchange too?"
Me:Yeah, I'm from Seattle.
Her: Oh thats cool, we're here for two weeks, what about you?
Me: Uh... like around 11 months.
Her: Oh. Wow. Are you like, staying with a family?
Me: Yeah, I've been here for seven months now.
Her: Oh My God. Seven months? I cried after like, three days of my host family!
Me: Oh. ok.
Her: So, have you been shopping?
Me: What? Have I gone shopping?
Her: Yeah, like, in the town?
Me: Umm... well, I've lived here seven months... so yeah.
Strange.

easter

Joyeuses Paques! Easter here has been pretty low key, my host family lives far away from the extended family so we can't all easially get together to celebrate Easter. We went to mass today this morning (I got confused because of the time change and wasn't ready on time, but we still got there early) and then went home and ate a big Easter lunch- roast chicken and french fries, and then strawberries and icecream for dessert. We have a big basket filled with chocolate eggs and three bunnies (I assume one is for each of us kids). My host mom said it was difficult for her to find the bunnies, usually in France they have chickens and other things like that, but she looked for bunnies for me. I was explaining what we do for Easter in the US to my family last night and apparently they don't dye eggs and hide them like we do, they just hide chocolate ones. I haven't eaten a real egg all day. Also my host brother told me that they don't have the Easter Bunny here, instead a giant bell brings the eggs. I'm still a little confused, but I think its because the church bells don't ring in the days preceeding Easter there is some story about the bells going somewhere and then on Easter they come back and put eggs in the garden. If you are French and reading this, feel free to correct me. We get a day off school tomorrow as well, but we still have to wait a good three weeks for Spring Break. Its a little rainy today but right now the clouds are high enough in the sky that the mountaintops are only partially covered, the light outside is beautiful. I'm never going to get tired of the beauty of this place.

Happy 17th Birthday Faith!! I love you!

Me and Colombe in Bonlieu last night. Last night my class went out to our last play of the year, "Le Peau de Chagrin", everyone decided that we would all dress up, even though when you normally go to a play in Annecy you wear streetclothes. The play was the best one we've seen all year. 

Virginia and Tannia at Bonlieu 

My Class at the theater in Bonlieu. I'm annoyed that the color in this picture is so bad. Top row: François, Guillaume, Mathilde, Mme Suchet, Mme Mazet-Martinetto. Second Row: Alexandre, Me, Colombe, William, Virginia, Claire, Roxane, Caroline, Miriam, Tannia, Gregoire, and Lucille. 

Virginia, Mathilde, and an Apple Tart after "Le Peau de Chagrin" 

easterbox

This afternoon I ate in town and came home to find a box sitting on the steps for me. It was my "Easter Basket". My parents sent me tons of candy (Pez, Peeps, Cadbury Eggs)to share with my friends, egg dye, tabasco (I like spicy food, they don't have much here), Jell-o, a magazine, and assorted other things. When my host sister came home that afternoon I had her come upstairs to chose what she wanted from my stash. She informed me that they already have Tabasco, Cadbury Eggs, and Peeps in France. Way to burst my bubble. But she poked at the Peeps in confusion and was completely clueless when I tried to explain what Jello is, at least I still have SOMETHING I can share with this family! (Thanks mom and dad!)

Rachel, Molly, Izzy, and Eric at a reststop on our way to Paris. This weekend my district got on a bus and headed to Paris to meet with all the other exchange students in France to wish Rotary a very happy 100th birthday. I have pictures from the first two days up here, but I didn't take digital ones on the third day when we went to Versailles, I'll get another kid to email them to me and I'll put them up soon.  

Reststop.  

Traffic coming into Paris. We left Chambery at 8:30 and got to the hostel at 6:30 that night. 

Jill, Molly, Camille, and Julian on the bus. 

Me and Amanda, the other exchange student in France from my district back in Seattle 

Paris!! On our ride from the hostel to the Eiffel Tower we went past the Louvre and down the Champs-Elysées. 

In case you couldn't figure it out yourself, this is the future site of Louis Vuitton on Les Champs-Elysees.  

Paris is a candidate for the 2012 Summer Olympics along with London and New York. I'm personally hoping they won't win... Annecy is a candidate for 2014- if Paris wins 2012, there is no way Annecy'll get 2014. 

L'Arc de Triomph 

My first view of the Eiffel Tower... what a dissapointment. We were all gathered here to get our picture taken in front of it, we did this, but the picture certainly didn't turn out fantastic, thanks to the fog. 

Rotary Kids assembling for our big picture in front of the Eiffel Tower 

Saturday Morning we took a Bateau Mouche ride, all 331 exchange students and their assorted Rotarians all got on a big boat and rode up and down the Seine for an hour or so. This pic is of kids on the boat.  

Laura, Stas, and Maite on the Bateau Mouche 

Notre Dame from the Seine 

A Japanese girl, me, and Izzy on the Bateau Mouche. While we were on the boat ride we spent more time walking around the boat and meeting each other and exchanging pins than we spent watching the scenery. 

The Eiffel Tower as seen from our Bateau Mouche ride that afternoon- much more satisfying than that morning's view. 

From the Bateau Mouche we could see the statue of liberty (French version) with the Eiffel Tower in the background. 

Me at the Palais du Luxembourg on Saturday 

The Palais de Luxembourg- home to the French Sénat. 

The French Senate 

After we toured the senate we had an audience with several senators. Ten kids were pre-chosen to ask a question to the senators. It was led by the guy who does the weather on France 2, which was cool, cause everyone in the country knows him- we watch him everyday at dinner.