"Amster Amster, dam dam dam..."

so can you guess where i am??? We arrived (we = me and five other assistants...three more are coming in tonight) on tuesday night and have so far had a great stay here at the flying pig hostel...of course i must make the typical american observations about the "coffee shops" but quite honestly, they don't interst me...so what is there to interest a 'non-smoking' tourist here in amsterdam, you ask...quite a bit actually...

yesterday we went to the rijksmuseum and saw their masterworks collection (unfortunately the museum is undergoing rennovations so the exhibit was only a small selection of their mammoth collection of dutch paintings)...i went to see their Vermeers, but they only had three on display and his most infamous work (girl with the pearl earring) wasn't even there (it's in the hague)...either way it was a good exhibit...this afternoon we're going to the Anne Frank House and probably do some shopping...tomorrow it's the van gogh museum and the heineken brewery...amsterdam doesn't feel that foreign...especially since everyone here speaks english and we've listened to nothing but american music here at the bar in the hostel....i must say a very quick 'thank you' to No Doze for recommending this hostel...everyone is really nice and it has a great atmophere....very laid back, reminds me of spiderhouse in austin...

we'll be heading back to lille on saturday and then going to paris on tuesday for an all night election watchin' extravaganza...should be interesting, i'll post more later....adios
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"I, I always believed in futures
I hope for better in November"
- 'futures' jimmy eat world

I heart John Stewart

ok...so i'm really missing the daily show and i found these links on another assistants blog...so funny...i love john stewart...add him to my list of people i'd love to meet...

clip of john stewart on "crossfire" http://mediamatters.org/items/200410160003

daily show clip about his discussion on "crossfire" (scroll down, its towards the middle) http://www.crooksandliars.com/

ahhhh...i wish the elections were just over already, i'm so tired of thinking and worrying about bush being reelected...
anyways, i'm off to look for more daily show clips online...

yeah, it's one of those stupid survey things

the mountain girl sent me this a couple days ago, and since i'm too tired to think up an interesting post, this is just going to have to do...


1. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR KITCHEN PLATES? at the moment, i own two kitchen plates...both purchased at ikea (woo hoo) and they're bluish-gray

2. WHAT BOOK/S ARE YOU READING? oh geeze...i've read four books in the past 3 1/2 weeks...The Secret History by Donna Tartt is amazing...Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenedies...The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier...and Ask the Dust by John Fante...and i just started The Little Friend, also by Donna Tartt, yesterday....

3. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? some french mouse pad...not my computer, i'm in the computer lab at my lycee

4. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BOARD GAME? scrabble, hands down...bring it on, i'll kick your ass :)

5. FAVORITE MAGAZINE/s? Readymade, BUST, Jane

6. FAVORITE SMELL? that fantastic bakery smell on everystreet corner...my mom's tortilla soup (god, i need tex-mex!!!!)

7. LEAST FAVORITE SMELL? the smell in my apt. stairwell...i'm not sure what it is, but it's really gross...stale cigarette smoke...yuck

8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? why is my alarm clock going off...it's still dark outside...

9. LEAST FAVORITE COLOR? gray

10. HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE? it usually takes me a while to dig my phone out of the bottom of my purse, but usually i'm pretty fast...one or two rings

11. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME? children??? i'm 23, it's too early to be thinking about that...but i really like the name emma

12. WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE? friends

13. FAVORITE SOUND? music...um, let me be more specific, good music...

15. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? at home i sleep with my stuffed dog Le Mutt, but i didn't bring him with me :(

16. STORMS: COOL OR SCARY? very cool...a really impressive storm woke me up this morning

17. WHAT TYPE WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? 1989 Nissan Sentra

18. IF YOU COULD MEET ONE (or TWO) PEOPLE DEAD OR ALIVE? jeff buckley (increadible musician) or jake gylenhaal (obvious reasons)

19. WHAT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY? december 20

20. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OFF BROCCOLI? of course

21. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB WHAT WOULD IT BE? geeze, not to rip-off "office space" or anything...but i wouldn't do anything

22. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY COLOR HAIR, WHAT WOULD IT BE? hmmmmm...this question is stupid

23. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE? yes....

24. IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? full

25. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES? garden state (everyone and their dog should go see this movie), willy wonka, donnie darko, eternal sunshine of a spotless mind, lost in translation

26. DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS? oui, oui

27. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? nuthin

28. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER? 85 ga-gillion

29. WHAT IS YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST FEAR? ...too personal to answer honestly at this moment...sorry...i could cop-out and say "not realizing my potential" or "never finding happiness" but they wouldn't be true...

30. SAY ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU. i love the mountain girl...she may change her mind a bunch ;) but i love her for it and she always does what makes her happy...and that makes me happy...plus she's the best person to just "be" with... love ya babe

31. PERSON YOU SENT THIS TO WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? ....um...doesn't apply

32. PERSON YOU SENT THIS TO WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? ditto

33. FAVORITE CD's currently? Jimmy eat world, futures (i think i listened to the song "kill" 15 times yesterday")....garden state soundtrack...the kings of convenience, riot on an empty street...rufus wainwright, want one

34. FAVORITE TV SHOWS? at the moment STAR ACADEMY...lame, but i only have 3 channels

35. HAMBURGERS OR HOTDOG? veggie dog, thankyouverymuch...

36. FAVORITE SOFT DRINK? orangina!!!

37. THE BEST PLACE YOU HAVE EVER BEEN? ...i must agree w/the mountain girl on this one, dumb question

38. SCREEN SAVER IS ON YOUR COMPUTER RIGHT NOW? once again, not my computer...but my screen saver at home is black (boring, i know)

39. CATS OR DOGS? dogs...cats make my eyes red and itchy...

40. WHITE HOLIDAY LIGHTS OR MULTI COLORED? who cares....

Crazy Weekend...

...so crazy it's taken me until tuesday to post about it (ok, it's not *that*crazy...but i'm feeling very dramatic today)...saturday i spent the day in Lille with two of the assistants from Dunkerque...we shopped, had a nice italian dinner (with another american assistant we met on the street...but thats a long story in and of itself) and went out to Mc.Ewen's, an irish bar with about 10 other assistants...techno music and weird drinks aside, it was a pretty decent bar...it had this weird unisex bathroom (which i'm beginning to realize is pretty common here) where we ended up having a political discussion with some of the locals for nearly 20 minutes...it seems like everyone in this country has an opinion about Bush and they're all very eager to share it with you..

so we made it back to the hotel around 5 am and checked out at 11 on the dot...unfortunately the bus to my town doesn't run on sundays (the scheduld says it does, but apparently bus schedules are only suggestions around here) so i had to take the train to seclin and then walk to gondecourt...it's about a 45 minute walk through the country...very nice...except right as i got off the train it started pouring...so after one very wet hour (thank god i rememberd my umbrella) i made it back to my apt and a nice warm shower...i spent the rest of the day drinking tea and reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt (go buy it now and read it...it's soooooo good!)...

yesterday i was back in the classroom, continuing to teach about the american school system...it's amazing how much difference there is between classes...some are so eager to talk and learn, while others just sit there and stare at me...but it's definately getting easier...i've only been at it two weeks and it's already time for the first vacation...god i love the french!
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"Could it be that everything goes around by chance
Only one way that was always meant to be
You kill me, you always know the perfect thing to say
I know what I should do but I just can't walk away....

...So go on love
Leave while theres still hope for escape
Gotta take what you can these days
There's so much ahead
So much to grab
I know what you want to say
I know it but cant help feel differently
I loved you, and I should have said it
but tell me, just what has it ever meant?"
- kill, jimmy eat world

First day with the students....

So, I've spent two weeks here in France...it seems much longer than that. Sunday I treid to go into Lille to visit the street market, but the bus never came....i waited and waited. I felt really bad, because I was supposed to meet another assistant in Lille at noon...and I had no way of getting in touch with him to let him know I wasn't coming. I emailed him today, I hope he's not mad!!! Sunday was spend lazily in Gondecourt. I felt like a needed a weekend like that, though, after coming down with a cold on thursday. Friday I had my immigration physical at the OMI. They took an xray of my chest (to make sure I don't have TB!) For the xray you have to remove your shirt and bra...but the French do not believe in little paper gowns like they do in america. So it was a very chilly and uncomfortable xray!! :) But it went well, the xray was normal, i got my official certificate (and I got to keep the xray!) and i got to talk about american politics with the doctor! The waiting room was filled with other assistants. They were all talking about apartment hunting (some have been looking for a month with no luck!). It makes me realize how lucky I am to have an apartment waiting for me when I arrived.
I talked to Mom on Saturday and my grandpa is doing well. Hopefully he'll be out of the hospital tomorrow.
Today was the first day in ALONE with the students. It went ok...but, they had a hard time listening. They talked a lot amongst themselves. It makes me realize that I need to have more activities to keep them occupied. Just having class discussions isn't going to work. But they did like learning about the american school system and seeing my yearbook and photographs. I have one more class this afternoon and then I can go home and crash!

Bad news....

I just got an email from my mom telling me that while in Montana, my grandpa had another heart attack...this is one of those times I wish I wasn't here. I have to find an international calling card and call home. I'm at school right now, yes, in France they have school on Sat. mornings...evil right? But fortunately this won't be a regular occurance...its just for today. So next week I get to start working alone with the kids. I think my first lesson is going to be on american school systems and highschools. I have my yearbook, my class ring and pictures to show them. But honestly, working is the last thing on my mind right now....I'm off to the tabac to see if they have phone cards.