Redirectioning...

Lately, I've seen that I get A LOT of hits of people coming from France. And I know who they are (thank you Google Analytics and IP addresses), and I'm not comfortable with them reading my blog. I have so many things to say and I'm often auto-censured because I know they'll read this.

At the beginning I told myself it didn't matter, but right now my head is a mess and I need to feel free to talk about it. It's MY blog and I can put whatever I want in it. Whatever *I* think.

So, yeah, I've changed my blog address... Email-me if you want it! andygoesblog [at] hotmail [dot] com

(I've also changed my user, so even if you look in my Profile, it's likely that you won't find it!)

Whoa.

Oh My God. I didn't know one could have weeks like that. After a certain event last Saturday night, my life was turned upside down, and I can only say I am the luckiest girl in the world by having the greatest friends in the world who are there to help me and support me. I may not say what happened last Saturday night right away, but there are a lot of things to say about this last week.

I will say something unrelated to that event, but that also took place this week. I was in the library, saying hi to the boyfriend, I came by and kissed him. He told me my "friend" was in front of me, and at the beginning I didn't see who she was. Then I recognized her, she is one of my ex-roomie's friends. I knew her from school and all, but she was never more than an acquaintance.

I didn't plan on saying hi to her, but then she looked at me. So I said to myself that I wouldn't be impolite and would say hi. So I approach her, and then she turns and slaps "NO! You and I are no longer friends, so don't say hi to me."

Um. Okay. I think I stared blank for a second, because :
1. How rude of her.
2. We were NEVER friends.

I turn my back, I go to the boyfriend, who asks me what she said. I told him what she told me, and then add "Honey, she actually thinks that she was MY FRIEND at some point." He was just as confused as she was. And then he added that before, she'd said hi to him.

So let me get this straight. You are no friends with my boyfriend, you are not friends with me, yet he gets a hi, and I get a rude response? DUDE.

I mean, my ex-roomie and my former best friend, if I see them/have them on the phone, we're still able to say hi. Because we're still polite people and well, you say hi to people you know. People who have the right to tell me those things still don't say them to me. If she wanted to be logical, she should have said "I don't like you anymore, don't say hi to me" or "To me, you don't exist, don't say hi to me".

I could have told her something right there, but I chose to keep my mouth shut. I'm not a bitch, and at the end of the day? She felt proud about it, but to me, she made a huge fool of herself.

On healthy diets...

I have a week vacation right now and I'm kind of enjoying it. The boyfriend went back home to see his family, and I stayed here. My best friend from El Salvador came to visit me from Saturday to Tuesday, but other than that I have been pretty much FREE to do whatever I want.

I have some friends (2 boys and 2 girls) that stayed here, so I've been hanging out with them. Monday night, we had a fancy dinner with lts of wine and it was s'marvelous. :) We girls cooked salad, foie-gras-filled quails (these were already prepared, we just put them in the oven), gratin dauphinois and tiramisu. It was all sorts of yummy and the guys told us they'd tell our boyfriends we were good to marry.

In any case, my point with this whole post was to say that my friend told me he was surprised how I hadn't won any weight while in France. He's been putting on weight (normal, he's doing a master in food and wine), and he's seen other friends that while studying in France have put on SO much weight. I am proud to say that I have actually LOST weight (without any diet or eating disorder or going to the gym).

How is it possible? In a country that loves bread, chocolate and all those things that make you put on weight? Well, it's simple. It can be summed up in 3 words : PORTIONS, QUALITY and WALKING.

- Portions : It's all about self-control. My boyfriend is about 6'4", eats like crazy (seriously, I know few people who eat as much as he does), and still, has a body like this. Except he's a sports guy and must burn calories like no one else.

Since we eat together all the time (okay, we live together but in 2 separate apartments), I had to learn to control myself. As much as I loved many of the things that he cooked for me, I can eat A LOT and had just to learn to control myself.

- Quality : It's easy and cheap to just cook pasta, put butter on, and eat that. But do you know that what makes you gain weight is NOT what you call "grease", but the starches! So eating pizza and pasta and bread and rice and potatoes is what makes you gain weight. Obviously, we need all those (yes, we even NEED pizza), but as I said above, it's all in the portions. Try eating less starches and eat veggies instead. Here in France, veggies are expensive, but it's worth it. You're cleaning your body from all those BAD starches. I'm not going to say that you should stop eating yummy and fattening things, just that in smaller portions, combined with healthier stuff!

- Walking : For someone who was not used to waking like me, coming to Europe is hard. No car means public transportation and walking. Obviously, taking the bus/tram and not doing anything else is an easy escapatory, but what if you walked? I walk a lot everyday, and I will not stop until it gets REALLY cold here. I love walking, and it has given me great results. My legs are starting to get toned up (the 5 flights of stairs to get to the boyfriend's apartment are also useful) and it gives me my daily dose of exercise, without even going to the gym (which I find expensive and weird. For more on this, read this).

Stoooop!

Where the f* does time go? Last time I tweeted, I complained about another week starting, then *life happens*, then it's Friday again. FRIDAAAAY!!

Life has been hectic, but honestly I can't complain. It has been quite a week!! Tuesday night, it was our 11 months with the Boyfriend, so we went out to eat (Yummy tapas at a place I'll be applying to be a waitress on weekends!!), then came back home to watch a movie while cuddling on the couch. Perfect night! :)

Wednesday night, we had hot dogs in a metting we had previously, then we had to run to get to his apartment to take showers and get changed, and then, off to a club because there was a party for the first and second years at the engineering school. Another fun night, I didn't mingle too much with the first/second years, I mainly sat with the 3rd years who were there to say hi. We came back home early, and that was the end of it.

Yesterday, I had 8 hours of class, then went to the library and studied until 8pm, then went to the Boyfriend's apartment, we cooked dinner, and then bam! I feel asleep... I woke up today at noon (oh the joy of not having classes on Fridays), went for a few sandwiches for the Boyfriend and me, ate lunch, then went to get the equivalent of my Green Card, and now I'm here, at the library, studying.

The night will go by fast, and then boom! Weekend. A party planned for tomorrow night, resting on Sunday (under the covers), and then, bam! Another week starts...

I promise I'll be back on Monday with more than a week recap..

Another week...

Oh, goodness, this weekend was just *amazing*. I hadn't had so much fun in a looong time! I had forgotten how much I love acting/dressing up : for 2 nights in a row, I adopted 2 different characters who couldn't be more different from me : on Friday, I was a Fashionista and acted like it, and on Saturday I was a girl from the ghetto and acted like it.

I really liked the whole dressing up, and everything, and even if it wasn't my usual style, I had looots of fun. The Boyfriend also dressed up, so we were quite a couple on both nights! The pictures that I've posted below are just disguises people. I would NEVER be seen with the Boyfriend dressed like that. EVER.

Friday night :

(I told you, we were quite a couple).

(That, by the way, is the Boyfriend's ex. I don't know many girls who actually LIKE their boyfriend's ex, let alone partying with them and such, but I really do love this girl and we have SO much fun together. )

The party's theme was Versailles vs. Volailles (Poultry), and I think this is THE picture that shows it. On the right, my beautiful architecture friend dressed as Marie-Antoinette (she's our student council's secretary) and on the left, a big chicken (he had the whole costume), who is actually our student council's External Vice-President.

I had a great night and had so much fun, it was crazy, BUT my feet were killing me so we got back home not so late.


Saturday night :
2 of my best friends in the world organized their housewarming party (with 2 other roomies). They had a theme, and all, and it was just too much fun. I don't know how I didn't end up drunk knowing that I drank about 4L of beer (except that I had put A LITTLE BIT of grenadine syrup inside, because honestly, there's nothing more disgusting than not-cold, cheap beer).

(The Boyfriend)

One of my 2 very blond but amazing friends.

(Brunette version of Paris Hilton)

(The 4 roomies... As you can see they're as blond as you can get, and as white as snow, and yet their theme was Gangsta Style!)

(Gangsta couple of the year)

Of course, no great party is complete without cops. That's why at 2:30 am, they came by and *politely* asked us to go home, and so we did. C'est la vie, but it was still one sickly fun party!


So, there, in a quick summary, that would be my 2 "intense" weekend nights. On Sunday night, we did a little "tacos" night with the Boyfriend, his 2 roomies, their 2 girlfriends, a great friend, and the boyfriends' ex. It turned out great, we all had fun cooking and it was just the perfect ending for a great weekend.

Hope you had a great weekend too!


PS. If we're friends of Facebook, my October album contains (most of) this weekend's pictures!

Friday!

Where has the week gone? WHERE?

Oh, but well. It means the weekend's here, and with that, 2 great great fun parties!

Tonight I have a Versailles vs. Poultry party, where we can choose to dress either as Parisian fashionistas, or as farmers. I am still debating about it, but I think the fashionista will win.

Tomorrow night, I have a housewarming party, and the theme is "Bronx style, Westcoast, Eastcoast, Nigga Gangsta, Biatchh and Doggy Style Baby". Since I usually don't dress like a "slut", I will wear a short short dress (without pants underneath, gasp!) that I usually wear as a long shirt .

Pictures to come. Have a nice weekend!

A message from the Universe...

I get these daily from TUT. If you ask me, they are great. They are right there every morning when I check my emails and they always boost me up.

Today's actually made me get the hugest smile on my face...

Visualize, show up, happy dance.

Andy, you can do this.
Dip,
    The Universe

I visualize myself in the future. I try to visualize myself in 5 years. What do I see? A great man by my side, great friends surrounding me, me having my master's degree, me getting my first real job, having a nice apartment with said man of my dreams.

I am showing up. I am showing myself to the world as I am. I'm not a bitch, I'm just someone who knows what she wants from her life, who she wants to share her life with (be it Boyfriend or friends), and is determined to get it all. I am who I am, and I'm proud to be so. I do what I do and I don't look back. I have no regrets, and I think things happen for the best.

I happy dance all the time lately. I have all these things to be grateful for, and I don't know how I couldn't happy dance seeing I haven't been this happy in years. I seem to be a very blessed person from every point of view that's possible. I am finally studying what I like and I am surrounded all the time by these great people. Honestly? I am LOVING the life I am living.

Of course I can do this. Of course I can dip.

And not even for a second will I look back.

Universe, get ready, because I'm coming out, and I'm coming out stronger than I ever had.

On friendships...

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out". - Walter Winchell.

 "A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."

I am going to discuss something here that I had told myself I wouldn't, in case the people who I talk about read it and felt uneasy about it. But then again, not taking any news from me for MONTHS should indicate that they don't want any relationship with me, and if they read this, it means that they're stalking me and following what I do. Hence, that they still care what happens to me, for good or for bad. Maybe if I get a miserable life, they'll be delighted. So, I'll just write about it, and if someone feels offended, well in that case I invite you to tell me about it.

Being in the same school for 15 years, you grow up with the same people for 15 years. You see how everyone goes from 3 year old toddlers to 18 year old almost-adults. I had an awkward childhood, it was not easy for me, being top in the class and all, to go through 15 years. I had a group of friends just as childhood-awkward as me. And this group of friends, I kept it until I was 18 and graduated.

Then I landed in Strasbourg, away from my 4 best friends : 2 of them were in Paris, and 2 of them were in Lyon. I lived with someone who was more of a person I knew than a friend. And then in Strasbourg I met new great friends who were in my class (1st year), and most importantly, I met my best friend (aka. my love, my soul mate, etc.).

Feeling no real friendship bond to my roomie, I quickly felt that this wasn't going to work. She was and is uberly immature, and I didn't take too much time to realize that. She was too comfortable, as well. I mean, if yoghurts sit in your fridge for over a week after expiration date, wouldn't you throw it? When beer bottles sum up, don't you want to take them outside? If the garbage stinks, well, you take it out, right? It's what a normal person would do.

A normal person wouldn't just feed herself on everything BUT vegetables/fruits. Dude, you're not going to get an allergic reaction by eating a tomatoe or salad, or cucumber. Don't complain that you're gaining weight when all you eat is bread and cheese and nutella. Not even beef/poultry. Not going to class for 3/4 of the year and sleeping in is easy, but if you're not going to class, what are you doing here in France? I bet your parents didn't send you to France to pay for you not doing anything.

It was only normal that I related more to my friends who understood that I felt frustrated by her behavior. Not only did I make friends with people in my class, but the fact that I participated in the Gala association in my school and then going for the Student Council, I made contacts with people from 2nd 3rd, 4th, 5th year in my school. And for the first time in my life, I discovered that I was with people who were just as mature as I was.

Because one of my friends in Lyon, as much as I loved her, is VERY immature. And irresponsible. And inconsistent. Going out to party everyday may have worked her, but the other one didn't pass. Why? Because party nights, dinners, Glee nights, Gossip Girl nights won't allow you to work. And we're in France to work, not to party. If you have the time to go out, and have fun, great. But our parents are making sacrifices to keep us here.

So I just stuck with people who understood that working hard every night during the week and then partying hard during weekends was the normal thing to do. And that by partying and talking on the phone and via Skype with your friends every night is NOT how you're going to get your year.

And then I moved in with the Boyfriend. Why? Because it was easier. I worked hard the moment we got back from school, he helped me when I didn't understand, if I needed help there were many other people in the same building who were willing to help me, etc. And during my second semester, the only times I went "out" included going upstairs to my Boyfriend's best friend's apartment, eating quickly, and then going back to study. And because I felt I could eat healthy without feeling guilty.

I tried to explain to my friends this, but they didn't seem to understand, and soon I became their number 1 enemy. The one who betrayed them. The one who changed them for my new French friends. At the beginning, it really affected me. During the summer, I realized that I actually didn't need them. And coming back to France, I realize my life is perfect the way it is. I have really great friends who are there for me (and who were for me during the beginning of this year's depression) and who love me.

And that's all I need.

My city (Part 2)

A few weeks back, I posted that I am in love with my city. (And she's in love with me, of course.) Harley told me to post pics of my favorite parts of the city, and here they areee!

Place de la République.

Around this square, there's the National University, the National Theater of Strasbourg, the prefecture, and the "Rhin Palace".

The Universitary Palace.

This was the main building of the old university campus. Right now, just some classes are held here, but I still find the building impressing. It must be among my favorite ones in all of Strasbourg. The picture up here is the Atrium.

The river borders.

Strasbourg is traversed by the Ill river, and everywhere it passes in the city, there is a little area on both sides so you can sit there and take a sun or just watch the ducks and swans pass... It's just perfect to go there and sit with a nice book and a can of soda!

La Petite France

This must be my favorite part of Strasbourg. I dream of someday being able to live in one of the houses made of wood, and with a view to the river. The houses are goooorgeous. And the view is, too.

The Cathedral

In my opinion, the most beautiful church of France must be situated here, in Strasbourg. The Cathedral is so WOW. And by that I mean I can't think of a single word to describe it. Its height, its gothic decor, its history, etc. It's all breathtaking. Oh, and in this neighborhood you can find all sorts of fun little cafés and such!

(Ignore my awful lovely smile).

The European Parliament

We have the chance of having the EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT just under our noses. Strasbourg is Europe's capital, baby! ;) (If my former friends come and read this, the Interpol is nothing compared to this, sorry, girls.)

And finally... my favorite place in Strasbourg must be...
The view from the cathedral's "platform".

  

What's NOT to love about this city? Nothing. It's the best city in the world. And where the best people in the world are (Except for my family, who's in El Salvador). :) Nothing beats a night of drinks and talking and laughing with the Boyfriend and the rest of my friends.

As I said before... I am in love. :) Happy 1-year-and-a-month anniversary of relationship, Strasbourg. I come to love you a bit more everyday.

From my deathbed.

I am going to die. I know it's sounds obvious, but I mean I am going to die SOON. As in, one of these days.

As I lay here, in bed, I realize that a human really needs his/her lungs, and that seeing the way I'm sneezing and coughing every 30 seconds, I may not have lungs in 2 days. I am sick, and on top of that, Aunt Flo is in town. So, in short, menstrual cramps, coughing, sneezing, fever and all that jazz make a really sad Andy.

Thank God I have the best boyfriend on earth who cooks for me, and doesn't let me do the dishes and who prepares me the best hot water + lemon + honey mix ever when I have a sore throat.
And who still wants to kiss me even though I am coughing my lungs out, and who, even though I say "No, no kiss, you'll get sick!" still steals them from me.
And who listens to me ramble as to how I have a nose that is skin peeling and that looks disgusting and tells me my nose is beautiful.
And who still cuddles with me at night even though I cough all the time.
No need to say, he rocks my world.

(That was when the weather was nice and I wasn't sick. Seriously, it's SEPTEMBER, and it's already super cold and super rainy and ugly weather-y and all. YUCK.).

So. Back to the blogging. I have been really lousy at it. Maybe now I'll lay on my bed waiting for Death I'll have more time for it. For the moment, I'll try to discipline me to at least blogging 3-4 times a week. There.

Love,
Andy