STRIKE!

Its starting to get a little colder…but I have said that before. It is really warm some days here and I only wear a t-shirt! Can’t say I usually do that in Canada this time of year! I got up this morning for school feeling drained and got ready anyways. Barely caught the tram to the city center where I catch the second tram to the university. Well today, I waited…and waited…and there was only one tram running but it wasn’t the one I needed and tons of people were just standing around and so I finally just went and bought something to eat and walked around until I saw this huge multitude of people walking down the street. ANOTHER STRIKE. Lovely! So, I can’t get to the uni today for class. Awesome hey. I hope that I don’t miss anything. I am way to far to walk. By the time I get there class will be over and I will be worn out. Yesterday, while I was on the tram TONS of people got on the tram about 3 stops before mine and started banging on the tram and screaming and chanting and I was just standing there like wow- is this seriously happening right now. I laughed it off. A lot of people get really nervous like they are gonna get trampled or something but I just laugh, get out of their way and observe. The only way you are going to get hurt is if you start mouthing off to someone. The police are everywhere and it is absolutely crazy. Right now, I am sitting in McDonalds because they have free wifi and it is a lot better than the internet at my flat.

I am loving my school here- especially my conversation class. The last class we had to make up an alibi with another classmate and then memorize it so that when questioned by the “police” (the other students in the class) we would be able to match out stories and have a great alibi. Well, I am not sure why, but the class is just hilarious. There is this girl who can’t speak any French and isn’t supposed to be in our class- but she is because there was no room in the class she needed to be in. So she is being even more challenged. Anyways- she gets up in front of the class and we start questioning her and I was like cracking up because she was acting like it was real. I said to the teacher – does anyone else feel like this is real because I do! And the teacher and classmates were all like totally! Haha. So after it was my turn to go up and get questioned…while my partner went outside…we went through the whole thing and after when it was Chloe’s turn to get questioned (she was my partner) this boy named Viktor from Ukraine holds up a picture he drew of a gun and says, “Do you recognize this?” without cracking a smile I said in french- “No, I prefer to use a knife.” The teacher and class were laughing so hard. It was pretty funny. They probably think I am a little bit crazy!! Ha.

Next weekend I am traveling to SWEDEN and GERMANY with a friend from BYU-Idaho named Abbey and I am really excited. It has come quickly and the time here is passing so fast! I know that since my arrival here I have improved a lot in my French, but I also want to get WAY better too. I am moving to a new place for the rest of my time here and I will be living with a French family from my church. It should be really great. I will be able to sit and have meals with them as a family and speak in French way more. The mom teaches English to young children and I feel like she will be really patient with my child level of French. I really feel blessed to have the opportunity to live with them. So as of November I will no longer be living where I am. I am really lucky to have such wonderful opportunities here! It seems like so many amazing things are happening right now in my life. I am in FRANCE for starters, I have been traveling in Europe…Sweden and germany are next, then I might be going to London for 4 days at the beginning of November to see some family friends who are more FAMILY than friends. Then the weekend after that Dane is coming to visit France just to see me. Then school starts to wind down and my friend Justin who speaks French is most likely coming my last 2 weeks here and we are touring france together!! I don’t think my life could get any better right now. These last 4 months have been worth waiting for. The quote I love really is true….

"When you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better.”

This blog has been really fun for me to create and to write on. I am not sure if anyone has loved it as much as my dad, who I have been told checks it daily, but I hope that it has been entertaining and also been a way to show so many people I could never be here without their support.