Drunken 2 AM convo with Francesca:

Francesca: You're just so....joyous. That's why I was attracted to you when I first met you, because you're just such a joyous person.
Me: Joyous?? I'm cynical and bitchy.
Franesca: Well even when you talk shit about poor heartbroken Kevin, about how much you hate him, and how annoying he is...you do so....
Me: Joyously?
Francesca: Exactly!


Montpellier continues to be awesome; the amount of homework I have is literally unbelievable -- in the sense that there is so little, I can't even believe it. I have so much free time. Which is awesome, but hilarious for me who is used to the psychotically intense Columbia workload, 20 hours of work a week, plus babysitting, plus "occasionally" going out, plus visiting family and friends, plus doing the million and one city things that one *has* to do (i.e., the new Met exhibit). I am sleep-deprived around 90% of the time and I am NEVER at a lack for something to do -- be it entertainment or work. Here, I have no homework, like ever. I have no job (although I'm trying to find one). When we go out, we do so early, and generally return at like 1 or 2 am. Nothing is open on Sunday. Everything closes early on Friday. Lunch hours last from 12 - 2, during which only restuarants and cafes are open. The combination of all those factors leaves me with so much time on my hands. But it's great, because now I get an average of 9 or 10 hours of sleep practically every night. I take frequent naps. I'm finally reading all the non-school books I've wanted to read but never got around to because I never had time. I take bike rides. I go for walks. I think a lot. I write. Basically, all the things I SHOULD be doing otherwise but for which I never have enough time. It's like a fucking 5 month long vacation; it's amazing.

I absolutely LOVE my avant-gard art history class; it's all my favorite artists. My history of french foreign policy course is a joke, I might as well not be taking it because I can't understand more than 20% of what the professor says because he speaks at light-speed AND he mumbles. My other courses are just grammar, phonetics, and translation. Nothing fascinating, but good for improving my French. Grammar is a painstaking 3 hours, phonetics is 2 but it's hell -- mostly because I'm almost always hungover when I go to class (even though its at 2 pm...haha), and because phonetics is the most tedious class in existence.

My french is definitely getting much better -- the best night I have had here thus far was last Friday. I went to a bar with some American friends but we hung out with a whole bunch of French guys and we got into this really amazing conversation about French vs. American cultural values, stereotypes, etc. Basically all the things I love talking about in English. And I was totally holding my own -- I understood everything, I communicated everything I wanted to say correctly and quickly...the conversation really picked up a rhythm, which is sometimes hard to get when one person isn't fluent in a language, because you're always stopping here and there -- "je ne comprends pas..." "je ne connais pas le mot en francais..." etc. So it was just so satisfying that I was able to communicate so well, and on top of it it was just awesome to have such an interesting convo with real live French people.

We went to Provence last weekend, it was amazing. For pictures, check out my facebook album titled "Provence" -- not to brag, but I took some fucking awesome pictures on that day (although I admit that that's mostly due to the amazingness of my camera and not my own skills).

In 2 weeks we have our 10 day February break. Grant, Francesca and I are going to Belgium and Amsterdam, maybe even Luxembourg. I'm soooooo fucking stoked to travel, and of course being the token stoner college student that I am, I'm really excited for Amsterdam. My dad already lectured me, he's like "I'm assuming because pot is legal there, it's stronger. So just be cafeful, because you don't want to get so stoned that you lose your passport or something."

I recognize that this blog is probably semi-boring, so after today I'm going to start trying to post more interesting things -- i.e. top 10 lists, quotes, etc. As fascinating and exciting as my life is, writing a blog makes one feel incredibly self-aggrandizing, which is a quality I generally try to avoid.

I miss everyone, and I'll leave you with the most amazing Hunter S. Thompson quote I've ever heard (there are so many, but I really think this one takes the cake, and pretty much sums up my feelings on Bush-lovers):

"Who are these Swine? These flag-sucking half-wits who get fleeced and fooled by stupid little rich kids like George Bush? They speak for all that is cruel and stupid and vicious in the American character. I piss down the throats of these Nazis. And I am too old to worry about whether they like it or not. Fuck Them."