French Frenzy

Redirectioning...

2010-11-09T21:18:00.000+01:00

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.

2010-11-07T20:49:00.000+01:00

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...

2010-10-28T23:16:00.000+02:00

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!

2010-10-15T17:25:00.000+02:00

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...

2010-10-12T16:57:00.000+02:00

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!

2010-10-08T17:40:00.000+02:00

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...

2010-10-07T16:26:00.000+02:00

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...

2010-10-05T13:00:00.006+02:00

"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)

2010-10-04T13:00:00.001+02:00

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.

2010-10-01T16:38:00.000+02:00

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

My city.

2010-09-09T20:27:00.000+02:00

Things have gone kind of crazy lately, but it seems that they're slowing down and that they're finally going to get back to normal. In the meantime, I try to admire the beautiful city I'm in.

I've been walking quite a lot and have discovered new things in this city. New things that amaze me everyday and make me say to myself that there's nowhere else I'd rather be right now. And for the next 5 years.

In a sort of way, I have been adopted by Strasbourg. By its people, by its pace, by its life, by its culture. Strasbourg likes me, and I've liked it since the very first moment. We have the greatest relationship ever. Of course, as in any couple, we have a few fights : rain, traffic at peek hours, cold weather, etc. But it's NOTHING compared to the love I have for this city.

It was this city that made me realize how valuable I can be, that showed me that possibilities are infinite and that gave me the sense of being useful. I can actually tel what the purpose of my life is when I'm in Strasbourg. Who am I? I don't know. But I do know that I'm in the right place to be, and I'm doing the right thing to do.

I was reading Eat Pray Love, and at some point, one of the character says "Don't you know that the secret to understanding a city and its people is to learn what is the word of the street?"
The word for this city would be, either PEACE, either BEAUTY. The second word is kind of obvious, because you guys should see the lovely buildings, parks, streets one can see in this beautiful city. It's overwhelming.

But PEACE? Not so obvious. Especially when you see the context of this region of France. They were the place where the war happened 3 times : 1870 when the Germans took it, 1914-1919 for WWI, 1939-1945 for WW2... And yet the city screams PEACE. People have a calm pace, they seem to take in every second of their life.

They seem to enjoy living here. And I'm loving it.

Strasbourg, city of my heart :)

Leaviiing!

2010-08-30T12:32:00.001+02:00

See you on the other side of the pond lovelies!!

Ugh.

2010-08-27T08:26:00.000+02:00

There's some people who truly get on my nerves. But you know what? I don't care anymore. I know this is for the best. I have everything I could have asked and more. I don't need them in my life. A great family, a great boyfriend, the best friends you could ever ask for, the opportunity to live/study abroad, self-steem and maturity.

I knew I said I wasn't going to say anything about all this mess here, because they may read this, but you know what else? If they're reading this, it's because they obviously care too much about what I'm doing and what I'm thinking and such. And this is MY blog and I'm free to put up whatever I think here. This is my outlet. None of my readers know them, so why bother censuring myself?

Oh, and what actually calms me down in all this it's called KARMA. What goes around, comes around! And I know things have gone craptastic for some of them, and I won't say it makes me happy, but I WILL say that I somehow knew things would settle in this game called life for all of us.

I recently read something like : "Anything you give to a woman, that she will do something great : give her a sperm and she will give you a baby ; give her a house and she'll give you a home ; give her food and she will give you an exquisite meal; give her a smile and she'll give you 100 more. She multiplies and enlarges what you give... So, give her a problem and get ready!!!"

The exact same thing happens with friends. Give me your loyalty, and I'll be your best friend. Give me your hating, and I'll just cut any friendship that bonds us. And I won't even look back.

And to think these were my childhood best friends. The girls I would have thought would stand by me in important events like my wedding, as bridesmaids.

But as anything in this life, it happened for a reason. Maybe I'm meant to find people more worthy than them.

Heck, I actually ALREADY met some people who know will be there "through and through".

Ugh.

Belated Monday's French Weirdness!

2010-08-26T06:06:00.001+02:00

I had completely forgotten that Monday, I was supposed to do another Monday's French Weirdness! So, I am still doing it, just that it's 2 days late.

You know how this works, it's 3 tips per week so you don't look like this when you go to France :

Yes, we want to avoid that. So, onto business!

French Weirdness #1 : Rum.

Andy, being from a country in Latin America is used to drinking rum. And not ANY kind of rum, but the BEST kind of rum in the world : Ron Zacapa Centenario. And when Andy gets to France, she is surrounded by 3 kinds of rum : white rum, extra-sweet rum and already-piña-colada-mixed rum.

White rum in my opinion is disgusting. It tastes like alcohol with a little bit of sugar in it.

Extra-sweet rum usually comes from the Martinique and Guadeloupe, 2 French colonies. And it tastes like cough syrup, only worse.

And finally, the worst kind of rum in the world… The one that they call "Mixed Rum" but it's actually rum and piña colada mix, except in a disgusting version. It tastes like you're drinking your favorite tanning lotion.

French Weirdness #2 : Tequila

Continuing in the alcohol topic… Tequila. Oh, I love some tequila. Love, love, love. José Cuervo grew up to be one of my best friends. I even learned how to drink it no lime, no salt. Just taste the tequila. And then, bam! I have to move to France. And then, the hot bartender offered us tequilas. And I learned things are different in this side of the Ocean.

The taste of Tequila is gone. Now, all you taste is tequila-flavored vodka. The thing is just too strong and tasteless. It's disgusting. But what can you expect of a liquor made in Morocco, and not the region of Tequila, Mexico?

Oh, and don't even get me started on that beer, "Desperados". You want to know what it is? It's tequila-flavored beer. Yucky. And then, there's "Desperados Red", to which grenadine syrup is added. Yucky yucky.

And finally, a French Weirdness that touches too close to home…

French Weirdness #3 : Becoming a couple.
And it's even sometimes related to the alcohol topic (Not in my case, of course)! To those who knew how my relationship with the Boyfriend started, you may know that I didn't know I was in a relationship until the next day when I asked my best friend. Why? Because he never asked me to be his girlfriend. Of course, after 3 hours of kissing under the cold, I did know we'd hit it off.

But sometimes, you may meet someone at a club, and drink craptastic tequila and rum, and get a bit tipsy, and kiss that someone, and suddenly, YOU'RE A COUPLE. And you will say to yourself "But, but I just KISSED HIM/HER", but actually no, you just got into a relationship. "Congratulations." And good luck!

On packing...

2010-08-25T05:39:00.001+02:00

Because I have a crazy mom and because I am beyond happy that in 5 days and 8 hours I shall be leaving to France, I am packing already. The problem is, I am carrying TOO MUCH STUFF. And it's driving me nuts. I looked in the internet some packing tips, and I don't see any that could help me.

They say for example "only take the clothes you'll need". Um, I am going to France FOR A YEAR, I guess I'll be wearing pretty much everything I own. And I'll be needing lots of shoes. And I bring beautiful and way-less-expensive-than-in-France towels and bed sheets. And a DVD player. And 2 pots.

So honestly, my advice would be... Pack everything rolling all your clothes and filling all the gaps with underwear, and then wear a sexy shirt and in the airport, go to the guy in the counter and smile broadly and smile even more. A lot. A push up bra wouldn't do bad to anyone either. Some lipstick and mascara, and hop! You're ready to travel!

But if you're traveling for a short period of time, The Universal Packing List may come in handy :)

You will be dearly missed.

2010-08-24T05:31:00.001+02:00

On Saturday, we had to put to sleep my oldest dog, Negra. She was 16 years old, and I can still remember the day my aunt brought it home for me. A few weeks before, we were at the beach, and she asked me if I wanted a dog. Mind you, I was 3 and had never had a pet before. So, without hesitation I said yes.

She came as a birthday present, on the day I turned 4. That day my mom was out of town so that cute but very hairy puppy slept on my bed. When my mom came back, she came home to this hairy thing in our living room.

For 3 years she was kind of my sister, because I was an only child. She was sort of independent, so she never was much to sleep with people or be kissy and all, but she was a good dog.

After a few years, she started to get old and sick, but we took good care of her and she made it through 16 years. A few months ago, she started getting really sick : her heart had swollen (fact that I like to conclude to the fact she loved us even more), an ulcer, back problems, etc. But still, she made her way through it, little by little.

But last week, she just stopped eating. She was having bloody diarrhea and bloody drooling. She wouldn't get up anymore. Keeping her alive would have been making her suffering last longer. So we decided to end it. I can only say it was a gray afternoon. Dad buried her in the backyard.

You will always be loved.

On manipulation...

2010-08-21T03:56:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, one of my friends told me (on my Facebook wall) that her boyfriend (MY boyfriend's best friend) and her always wondered if the Boyfriend and I ever got into fights. I told her, half-jokingly, that we did. Especially when I tell him he's ugly when he shaves, when I tell him I'm going to get married to a Spanish hottie, and when I tell him that he's calling me a cow (even if he's never done so).

The girl replied with a ":( Those are not real fights". I told her we DO have disagreements, as any other couple, but we don't "fight" : we don't scream at each other, we don't punch each other and we don't throw objects at each other. I do give him the silence treatment that drives him crazy after 15 minutes, but else, we talk in an almost civilized way.

My boyfriend just replied that she seemed disappointed that we don't fight, and that she should have sent us an inbox, to avoid the conversation being too public. Oh, he's so naive. He didn't believe me when I told him that she knew very well that her boyfriend would read the thing and would say to himself "What if when we fight we talked things through instead of yelling at each other?".

And for a second he was like "But... but.. that's manipulation!"

Of course that's manipulation, honey... Every woman should be able to perfectly manipulate the man into doing things AND thinking it was his idea. How do you think I get you to do me back rubs when I have a sore back? ;)

In love.

2010-08-20T01:56:00.000+02:00

And I'm not even talking about my boyfriend. Well, I was talking ABOUT my new crush TO the boyfriend, but that's another thing...

I'm talking about Sheldon Cooper. I can't tell you which part of his geekiness I'm most drawn to, but I swear I love him. And I decided if one day Sheldon Cooper (not the actor, the character Sheldon Cooper) asked me out, I'd probably consider leaving the boyfriend. And I decided to inform said boyfriend.

Me : Can I ask you something?
Bf : Would it change anything if I said "no"?
Me : No, not really. Say, if one day Sheldon Cooper comes by and tells me he wants to go out with me, would you agree? I mean, would you lend me to him?
Bf : :( [Finishes video chat] What do you mean by "lend"? You're not an object. And all this is starting very well. We're not even married yet, and we haven't even moved in together yet either, and you already want to go looking elsewhere.
Me : [Reinitiates video] Honey, I'm sorry, but the guy's asexual. He doesn't even know how to hug. I bet he would just use me to do an experiment and that would be it. It's for everyone's well being.
Bf : [Unhappy face]

Me : I love you.
Bf : That's easy. And well, I am kind of geeky too, I *DO* play Treasure Isle every day.

Oh, yeah. Well, I guess I'll have to settle with my own nerdy boyfriend.

I'm "busy".

2010-08-19T04:20:00.000+02:00

Oh yes, today I have watched 15 episodes of the Big Bang Theory, and would have looked at 10 more if divxden wasn't so mean with me by making me want to pay for faster loading and if my internet didn't suck this much. At this pace, considering yesterday I watched 13 episodes, I'll be done with it in 2 days.

In the meantime, I'm leaving you the link to one of the most fantastic blogs I have found : New Dress A Day. She was featured in the Yahoo! homepage, and honestly, she just makes me want to be a little bit more crafty.

Her goal is to make 365 new outfits in 365 days with 365 dollars. This means this girl buys (REALLY UGLY) second-hand clothing from thrift shops and turns them into the most beautifl dresses and shirts I have ever seen. I could say, she just cuts and stitches, but if *I* tried such a thing, all you'd get would be a really ugly piece of fabric with no shape and badly hemmed.

What goes around, comes around...

2010-08-18T05:35:00.000+02:00

And even though this could apply to a lot of stuff in my life, I'll be keeping it "light" and go with a funny subject.

In fact, I was thinking that after writing yesterday's post, it may be possible that the French people will make fun of me when I get to France. Starting with the guys that will check my luggage for any drugs. Because, yes people, I'm taking a lot of embarrassing stuff on my luggages. Here's a quick list...

2 small pots
Cutlery pieces
Plastic dishes
A kitchen rug
A shower curtain
A plastic cutting board
A set of chef knives
Towels
A large stick of cinnamon
A DVD player
10 pairs of cheap aviator sunglasses
60 plastic whistles

Yes, I know I'm not heading to a country where this doesn't exist, because duh, I'm moving from an "emerging"country, to a rich one. So, obviously, these things ALREADY EXIST IN FRANCE. But they're wayyy more expensive there. Plus, here my parents pay for those things!

But I can picture the custom's guy's face when he opens up my suitcase. Because not only will he find 2 bottles of José Cuervo (they don't exist in France... *tear*), another one of rum (because the French have a weird concept of what rum is), and let's not forget the 10 pounds of mashed red beans in packages... But he will also find all those items and he will ask why I am importing all this, when those things exist in France.

Let's just hope he believes me when I tell him it's because it's cheaper and I don't spend my first night in jail instead of cuddling with a certain hot French guy.

Monday's French Weirdness.

2010-08-17T03:00:00.001+02:00

iI've realized that this is a blog called "French Frenzy", and it's supposed to be about me being culturally shocked. And yet, I have not posted what has shocked me in all these months. Since I expect to turn this into a weekly thing, I will not list ALL the French Weirdness' today. Oh, and also because it's a LONG list.

Instead, I'm giving you "tips" for not looking like this when you go to France :

Yes, in case you're wondering, yes, I DID look like that. Except I did that face mainly to my boyfriend. As you see, I learned all this mainly when I was living with him. It often led to surprised faces (me), questions of "WHAT?" (him when I tell him it's weird), small&jokingly fights (to decide what's weirder : him doing these stuff or me NOT doing it) and finally, me trying to accept these things as "normal".

So, onto the firsts things, no? Great.

French Weirdness #1 : Eating melon or kiwi or mango as an entry.
Yes people, you read that right. If it's melon/mango/kiwi's season in Africa (because I doubt they can even produce melons/mango/kiwis in France), and the people you're eating with likes melon/mango/kiwi, chances are that for an entry for your many-course meal is going to be MELON/MANGO/KIWI.

In this case, do not ask why you're eating dessert first (I did), but rather erase that surprised face (IF you have one, since you'll all be prevented from doing it, thanks to *moi*) and take the spoon and dig at it. Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT eat it with your hands (I did, hey, before you judge me, I come from Central America and have never eaten a fruit with a spoon. A fork/knife maybe, but never a spoon.).

I can just say that I'm a bit sorry for the French, because, explain to me what's the logic behind eating fruits as an entry? NONE. So just smile and say it's really yummy. It'll boost the other person's ego and if he/she is your partner, you will be nicely rewarded after eating ;)

French Weirdness #2 : Having many-coursed meals.
Following with the same thoughts, I was raised in Central America, that has the same eating habits that the United States, except with less junk food and more traditional food. This means, that you're served ALL OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO EAT AT ONCE. Some picky people like me won't eat it in the same dish, because GOD FORBID the salad's vinegar touches my steak. But in general, you do get served all at once.

The French people? Oh no. They have up to 7/8 courses for a dinner... The appetizer (snacks and drinks), the salad, the soup, the sorbet (to "clean" your palate), the first main course, the second main course, the dessert, and sometimes, the dairy (cheese/yogurt). Of course, this means a meal can last for hours and hours, in which you imbibe copious amounts of wine and after 3 or 4 hours of "eating", you're tipsy.

And honestly, after so much time eating, I'm not hungry at the end. And people tell you "Eez it not good? So why are you not eating?" and you just smile and force another piece of camembert or brie down your throat. Oh, and of course, FORGET ABOUT SECOND SERVINGS. Which is lame. Because that Tiramisu was all kinds of yummy.

French Weirdness #3 : Sex.
Well, here I won't complain much, but honestly, French LOVE sex (again, I don't complain). It's everywhere! If you think that in the US you have plenty of sex in the media, you haven't seen French commercials, TV shows, music, movies ; and especially, their mouths (No, not in THAT WAY). Don't get me wrong, I am not a prude and have never been so. I am pretty open about sex and everything, but one thing is to be open about it, and yet another to BRAG about it.

Oh, and boy they LOVE to brag about it. During their 7-course meals. And you even hear OLD PEOPLE bragging about it. At the beginning, you laugh at it, but after an hour talking about the same subject, yeah, it DOES make you feel uneasy. And after that, someone even DARES to point out about the time you were having sex at 3pm in the afternoon (HOW did he find out?).

And of course, let's not forget the public sex. Oh yes. Scenes in bathrooms like in Amélie happen ALL THE TIME. And of course, this happens when the restaurant/bar/club only has 1 bathroom and you're dying to pee and all you hear from the other side are moanings and someone hitting their heads against the door. Oh, and when they're done in the bathroom, they take it to the club's dance floor. I have already seen a dress go up up up to the waist's level.

VOILA my first 3 French Weirdnesses. I hope you liked them! (Feedback is welcome)

Comeback.

2010-08-16T06:05:00.000+02:00

It's been 2 months since I left France. And honestly? I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK. And since I haven't been in France, my excuse for not blogging has been "I'll do it when I get back.". So, now, 2 weeks away from going back, I have no excuse. And it's been months since I've been CRAVING to get SERIOSLY back to blogging.

This summer has been pretty lousy if you ask me. I loved being with my family, but after spending 10 months on my own, I know I was made to live independently. I would love to come home for like 2-3 weeks tops, spend quality time with them and then go back to my new, improved life where security and freedom are the 2 main ideas. Oh, and being broke too, because when you're student in Europe, you never have enough money.

Basically, the fact it's been so lousy is mainly because I've spent 2 months practically in prison. Actually, at home. Since I have been hitting a rough patch with my friends (I would discuss it here, but I know they come and read this, and I'm not up for a battle with them as for why I posted this on Blogger), I've been staying at home.

The beginning of the summer was also marked by a depression I fell into. Not because I was hitting a rough patch with my friends, but because I HATE being locked up in this house, because I can't walk or use public transportation without fear of being robbed. To this, add the fact that it means going long-distance with the boyfriend, and weee, it equals SO MUCH FUN. In fact, I was depressed because I felt like the most useless person on earth.

Right now, I'm super-duper excited because I'm organizing with the boyfriend the integration activities for the first years AND I'm dealing with the school's clubs and associations (alone) AND I'm organizing a team for the integration weekend ALSO for the firsts years AND I'm organizing the Boyfriend's birthday (which was on July 20th, but since I wasn't in France, it'll be celebrated in September). So, yeah, I'm busy. Oh, and you want to know the funniest part? The first 3 things, I'm doing them ALTHOUGH I'M CHANGING SCHOOLS.

Oh, and in case you're asking yourselves what I'm offering the Boyfriend for his birthday (although I doubt so), they're actually 20 gifts, which are nothing compared to what their friends got him : a parachute jump. And just because he looks ridiculous in this and would absolutely kill me if I posted it all over the internet...

Oh yes. Super sexy, honey.

Granted.

2010-05-20T13:52:00.001+02:00

Granted, granted, I have been a TERRIBLE blogger. For a month, I haven't given you any updates.

So... In a nutshell...

I got out of Houston after a week of exasperation (or as my Bloggy BFF Magpie would call it, SEXasperation). I went through a BAD flight back to France (I could barely sleep), and even worse train trip to Strasbourg. The only positive thing was that Mr. Potato (The Boyfriend) was waiting for me at the train station. Huge smile ensues.

What differentiates this picture from our situation is that *I* was the one traveling, and that my suitcase was 50 pounds, and that I had my purse, and ANOTHER bag.

I came back "home", and I after skipping a week of classes, I told myself it was useless to work hard to have ALL the classes I lost, and then study hard, if next year I'm going to be in a totally different university and that no credits will be transferred anyway. So in other words, I "quit" school. I am still going to a class or two, but just the ones that interest me (like Communication classes).

So, what do I do of my days? No, I don't spend them in bed, watching movies and "How I met your mother" episodes. Though I wish I did.

During the first week, I trained hard to become a, wait for it, CHEERLEADER. Oh YES. Andy was a cheerleader for INSA Strasbourg in the INSA "olympics". We had pom-poms, short skirts, big necklines, a good choreography, etc.

Oh but WHAT THE HELL. You guys want to see PICTURES!

Awkward looking me. Cheering for our Handball team!

Ditto. I look awkward in every pic.

In the half-time, cheering for our ice hockey team!

Cheering for our rugby team!
I am JUST going to say I loved being a cheerleader. And I have yet to find the pic where we did the pyramid. I was on top (no pun intended) ;)

And after being a cheerleader, my days have involved... Looking for an apartment. I got one that's BEAUTIFUL, though small, like every apartment in France. It's 20 sq. meters (or 215 sq. foot), with everything inside : kitchen, shower, WC, bedroom. But well, I like it, it's closer to university and the building has an INSIDE POOL and a tennis court. Hell yes.

So that has been my life lately, I still have to catch up on everybody's blog, I have about 600 posts to read, so off we go!

Great. JUST PLAIN GREAT.

2010-04-16T22:41:00.000+02:00

I am in Houston.

At the same time, millions of people are stranded because we can't get to Europe.

So I'm staying here until, get a grip, THURSDAY.

And I miss my boyfriend.

I want to go to Strasbourg :(

*sigh*

This is what happens when...

2010-04-15T23:28:00.000+02:00

Oh HELL NO.

Did you see the eruption of the volcano in Iceland? And the ensuing winds that are directing an ash cloud? And the ensuing chaos in air transportation?

So yes... Things seem to say I'm going to be stuck in Houston for a day or 2 until things get to normal. So tomorrowat 6 I get on a flight to Houston and from then I don't know when I will get to France...

Luckily Dad has friends in Houston who are going to give me shelter for a few days. But still...

I WANT TO GET TO FRAAANCE!

"Home"...

2010-04-13T20:34:00.000+02:00

For my trip to El Salvador, the Boyfriend (aka. Mr. Potato) gave me a book for me to read... "East of the sun" by Julia Gregson.

The book itself is not as good as I had thought. I mean, the promised "descriptions of India" are very limited and the stories the characters go through are not that realistic.

But what I love about this book is that all the 3 main characters seek a "home". At one point in the book, one of the characters says "Home is knowing that you're in someone's center of the world".

Lately, and by that I mean the last 2 weeks, I've realized my old "home", the one I grew in for 18 years is no longer considered my "home". I mean, I KNOW that I'm my parent's center of the world, but when you spend 10 out of 12 months elsewhere, you feel like you're just in vacation.

I know my parents will always love me and support me and everything, but at the same time, I came into the house and I felt like a guest. A guest they had the need to take doing tourism, to take souvenir-buying, etc. As if I was a foreigner.

And even before getting here, when I was still in France, coming back here for 2 weeks didn't seem as exciting. I mean, yes, I was thrilled to see my family and my house and the sun for 2 weeks, but at the same time, I could have spent 2 weeks in Strasbourg or in Belgium and I would have been fine as well.

When I was in the plane, it felt weird when I was writing "Country of Residence : France" in the immigration forms.

Once I got here, I felt something that not even when I had just gotten to France. I felt homesickness. I felt that I missed like hell my apartment, my friends, the Boyfriend, my life, etc. Each time I saw Mr. Potato on Skype I got teary eyed... Not even when my parents left me alone in Strasbourg had I felt just as sad.

It's confirmed. I have a new home.

On dental caries...

2010-04-12T23:25:00.000+02:00

I just got back from the dentist. And I must add, I've never been the kind of person who panics each time they go to the dentist. I'm not afraid of the inox instruments, I'm not afraid of the things that turn making awful noises, etc.

But there's ONE thing that DOES scare me when I go to the dentist... The one thing I am scared about is...

is...
Caries.

Yes, I'm petrified of having caries. I must say I often just wash my teeth twice a day (which is already not that bad), but I know I should wash them 3, ESPECIALLY after eating sweets.

But Andy is absent-minded. I FORGET. So each time I have a pain on my teeth, I panic and I think I have a caries.

So when I go to the doctor I pray all the saints for it NOT to be a caries. And today, it wasn't. I'm caries-free.

S, why am I afraid? I don't know. It's not that I'm afraid of the treatment afterwards. Because I'm not.

I think it's like I had unprotected sex and I'm afraid to have caught an STD, and then I go to make the test and I'm clean. I feel that for my bad BAD behavior, I should be "punished" by my body, but then I'm not. So then I'm relieved but I still feel awful because others don't have the same luck.

(Oh, and before I get all the criticisms, I KNOW STDs and caries are not the same thing, I'm just making a comparison. I know STDs (and especially HIV) KILL people, and that caries just gives you awful pain... I know that caries can be cured, but that STDs can't. I'm not saying they're equally bad.)

(Oh, and I just want to make clear I don't have unprotected sex, and I don't encourage it on anyone. Unless you have made the test with your ONLY couple and you know for sure he's not going to be sleeping around.)

So all this to say I'm caries-free and I'm happy. And that I should brush my teeth more often.

What are you afraid of?

Ghost

2010-04-10T15:50:00.000+02:00

No, not the movie... That'd be my new name. Every since I got here, my family hasn't stopped telling me I'm "translucid" or "transparent" or "white". I KNOW I LOST ALL MY COLOR!

You would have, too, if you lived in Alsace. Every since October, we haven't had many "sunny" days. And when it was sunny outside, it was -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit). So, yeah, the coat was mandatory. Hence, NO SUN HITTING MY SKIN. I can count on the fingers of ONE hand the times I've worn dresses or skirts every since October. It's too cold to use it.

So, this weekend, I'm going out to paradise : 2 days at the beach, with LOTS of sun and lots of Margaritas! :)

Oh, and OBVIOUSLY...
THIS beach

And THIS pool

See you bloggies on Monday! :)

New look...

2010-04-09T16:07:00.000+02:00

Most of you may not know I have a new look. Oh yes.

I went from this

To this...

Thank you Photo Booth. And thank you, Boyfriend's apartment for providing me the LOVELY background of "Inglorious Basterds".

Okay, another one. With a prettier background!

No need to say my mother almost killed me when she saw it. Oh, and actually, I've given her the possibility to kill me with her OWN BARE HANDS. The day I cut my hair, she called me on the way out of the hair saloon to tell me that she wanted me to come home for Spring Break. I told her "Yes!" and then I realized. DAMN. MY HAIR.

So Saturday night, after going through 3 airports and 30 hours of traveling my mom saw me... She was like "I BET that bitch cut your hair just to sell it for wig-making".

Yeah, right.

(And I just realized I just wrote a post about hair.)

TMI Thursday.

2010-04-08T14:19:00.004+02:00

(My very first TMI post.)

(Starting with the right foot, right?)

(By the way, if there are any guys reading this, I don't know if you're going to be able to read through the end of this.)

So... TMI post...
I'm just going to say that I've been DYING to blog about this. Even if it's likely the most embarrassing thing I have ever gone through.

This happened a few weeks ago, maybe a month, I'm not really sure. The thing is, it happened not SO long ago so my memory is FRESH. And the thought of all this still haunts me.

One night, I woke up around 2am and went peeing (oh no, this ISN'T the TMI part). To my big annoyance, I discovered Aunt Flo was going to be in town in the next days (no, not the TMI part yet). Oh joy. I didn't know where I'd put my pads, so I went for a tampon... At 2 am, I wasn't very lucid, so I didn't put much attention to what I was doing...

I think you can see where this is going. When I woke up around 7, I went into the bathroom to pee and change said tampon. So I looked for the string. It took me 5 seconds to realize the string was, yes my dear audience, INSIDE. Oh great.

For half an hour, I struggled with it. I put my leg up, took all sorts of different positions, took a bath, etc. but NOTHING seemed to work. Around 8, covered in sweat and almost tears, I decided to go to the hospital. I took my social security papers with me and off I went with the Roomie.

I got to the hospital and went to the "Gynecological Emergencies" aisle... There, a secretary stared at me and asked me "What's wrong with YOU?" I was like "I... I put a tampon last night and I think I pushed it too far so now it's... It's stuck." The secretary looked at me for 10 seconds, as if saying "You dumb girl, how do you manage to be so stupid?" and told me "Okay, I'm going to take your data."

5 minutes later, I was waiting for the doctor. I was crossing my fingers for the "doctor" to be a she... And then the "doctor" came in... Oh My GOD. Not only was the doctor a HE, HE was all kinds of handsome.

He reached out for my hand, but I didn't get what he was doing and I gave him my papers... He was all smiley and told me "Haha, no, your hand"... I was all nervous and giggly and OH MY GOD I HAVE A BOYFRIEND.

I looked at the Roomie and she ABSOLUTELY got me. By the look on her face, I could tell she also found him hot. At this point, I had forgotten why I was here. When I remembered, I went numb. HOW ON EARTH WAS I GOING TO EXPLAIN THIS TO HIM? And OH MY GOD, he was going to be REMOVING IT later...

So I sat down and he looked straight at me... "What's wrong?" I gulped. I couldn't talk... His blue eyes and the piercing on his right eyebrow were calling me... "I... I... I... I have a tampon. A stuck tampon. I thought I had my period, so I put one in, and actually it was a false alarm. But I still have the tampon inside."

He laughed a bit and told me "Hey, it happens to everyone." After that he told me to go undress next door... When I came back I sat on THE chair. You know, the Gynecologist's chair... Legs wide open he told me "We're going to take a look in there..." He made all sorts of uncomfortable comments that made me lose my words for 10 minutes... "Oh yes, I feel it... Actually, it's a pretty big tampon, so it's going to be harder to take it out... Well, at the same time, it's easier to grab... Okay, it's out... I'm just going to check if it's ALL outside..." And then we were done.

No, in case you're wondering, NO, it's not nice to have another ridiculously cute man (other than your boyfriend) go "search" for something down there. Afterwards, he was STILL asking me another bunch of weird questions...
Hot Doctor : "Did you have sex with the tampon inside?"
Andy : "HELL NO"
Hot Doctor : "Are you sure you put it in last night?"
Andy : "HELL YES"

When we were heading out, he approached to shake my hand, but I thought he was going to kiss me on the cheek (of course that in the cheek. NO, I don't fantasize THAT much) so I leaned in awkwardly... A perfect ending for my already all-kinds of awkward story.

Voila. TMI Thursday story. Go over to LivitLuvit's blog for more stories!

Hi (again, again)

2010-04-07T22:39:00.002+02:00

I think I don't even remember HOW to blog. I used to have a blog (Life Isn't...), but then someone in my entourage found it. Then I had another blog (Too Witty To Be A Lady), but then I landed in France and dropped it because I didn't have the time.

So, back to basics. Let's not cry over spit milk. I'm starting a new fresh blog.

For those of you who may have forgotten about me... I'm Andy, I'm 19 and I live in France. I'm originally from El Salvador, a tiny country in Central America. After 15 years of studying in a French School, I decided to move to France for studying Engineering.

When I didn't get the school I wanted, I landed in Strasbourg, a charming city. 2 weeks after getting to Strasbourg, I got interested in the person who handled my integration... I thought he was a 4th year student, but I also thought he was the most handsome Frenchie ever. To my big surprise, the first day of classes I realized he was IN MY CLASS. We were together in every class. And let Andy's flirting begin.

2 months later, a day before my birthday, we became a couple. By the way, 3 hours of kissing in the cold means "we're a couple" for the Frenchies, because I was NEVER asked "Would you be my girlfriend?" In words of my French friends "that's what you do when you're 5".

5 months later, everything is going perfectly between us. I think that him, alongside with my new French friends are the best things that could have happened to me.

On the other side, this year has also been awful when it comes to school. I must be honest and say I had never failed at school. So this year, when I ended 183/198 in my class, I knew this wasn't for me. I made the effort in the second semester, not because I liked what I was seeing, but because I LOVE the school life.

But it wasn't enough. I honestly could almost say I HATE what I'm doing, so next year I'm changing careers and universities. I'm staying in Strasbourg because right now, it's MY CITY. I love this city because in a sort of way, because it has shown me what life without any violence worrying is.

So, yeah, I'm back to blogging. I don't promise daily updates, but I sure promise to keep you guys updated!