Oooops!

Well it's finally happened, I've gotten more into post-dinner movies rather than post-dinner blogging...luckily I can quick fix it with one of my favorite things on earth.
A LIST, top ten list to be exact.

So here goes, the top ten notable things that have happened since I last updated

10) I watched a woman get dragged screaming into a police car on my way out this Tuesday night.

The police had the dogs out walking down the street with them and when they started barking, I knew something was going down. Then from across the street lights started flashing and she starts going crazy. I've never really seen anything like it, it was more intense than a lot of movie scenes. Yikes! Good thing I only had a bottle of wine in my hand and a beer in my pocket.

9) I got kicked out of at least one bar last week, and am now semi-infamous in Aix.

I pregamed with my own bottle of wine, then had 2+ pints of beer, 3 shots and god knows what else. All I remember before my tragic walk home is a floating head telling me I had to leave the bar. This story relates to number 8.

8) I realized that French people enjoy pranks as much as Americans do

So on that hazy Tuesday night last week, my other drunken half Emma and I were absolute MESSES. At one point someone ordered me a tequila shot and I said no (impressive, right??) so she took it back and told the bartenders I didn't want it, and they traded it for a different shot. Right about then a light bulb went off in Emma's head. "OMG let's trade water shots for real shots!!" It worked at first, then the bartenders got savvy and confronted us. We played the stupid Americans card and they walked away incredibly frustrated. After much convincing we went back this Tuesday for Lauren's birthday. We were at the bar, thinking everything was cool, patting ourselves on the back for making it back without anyone noticing us...then we let the bartender know it was Lauren's birthday and he was like 'OH! BIRTHDAY SHOTS!!" and he gives Lauren and Emma a shot. They take it and Emma is just like...that was...water? And the bartenders ALL start cracking up and high fiving, jumping around screaming AMERICANS: 1, FRENCH: 1, YEAH BABY, YEAH!! She got punk'd in France.

7) I danced all night in Piazza Saint Marco in Venice on Saturday.

Carnivale in Venice was probably one of the most incredible experiences of my life. We drove a total of 22 hours, bought Venetian masks, ate exorbitant amounts of gelato, laughed ourselves to tears, fell further in love with jam, toured the basilica, watched a costume competition, peed in every alley in Venice, and were part of the longest conga line in history. Oh yeah, and we were on Italian TV dancing like fools to Michael Jackson in our masks.

6) I've begun chronicling my relationship history.

So the other night I was a little homesick and I looked through an embarrassing amount of IM conversations, amongst them some with very old crushes, flings and boyfriends. I made a list of the substantial ones and begun typing up a storm. 5 single spaced Microsoft word pages later I was finished typing up brief anecdotes and long summaries of my love life up until college. It's become a project for me and I'm actually learning a lot through reexamination. Who would've thought, self-reflection really is cruc!

5) I cried for the first time abroad.

Nothing too serious, just missing people at home. Hey, I made it a couple of weeks right? That’s better than I expected. You can bash crying all you want, but I think it’s totally a legit thing to do every now and then. (Cut to a 50 year old Greg living alone with 10 cats, scheduling in his daily cry hour)

4) The sales in Europe are about to end.

I’ve loved walking to class every day seeing ‘SOLDE’ in absolutely every store window, and markdowns of 10-70%…but give it one more week it’s all over folks. I need to get my head in the game and make some big purchases while stuff is in (or somewhat kinda maybe nearby) my price range!

3) I got an A on my first French test!!!

That’s right, a solid ‘Tres bien!’ A! I could basically teach the language now, aka introduce myself to Jean-Paul and thank him very much for the package, both formally and informally.

2) The weather here is incredible.

Since the skies are always so blue here and it seldom rains, I feel like I need to get outside before things change…but then I realize it will only get better. The trees are all bare right now, but apparently when they begin blooming they create the most gorgeously thick canopy over roads and parks. I’m waiting, I’m ready, CANOPY ME. Oh PS, it's supposed to be 75 degrees in Nice this weekend and I'm visiting!!

1) I’m obsessed with French food

Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday there is this amazing farmers market where dozens and dozens of local farmers bring in their wares for sampling and sale. I have a two hour break between classes where I stuff my face with fresh bread, cheese and carrots. The fruit and vegetables are better than any I’ve ever had, and after falling in love with French carrots, I’m really nervous to go back to the US. We’ll see how it goes. Plus, Madame T is like chef city and makes amazing meals every second of life. I’m trying things I would probably never eat at home. Politeness has turned out to be delicious.

I'll be gone for the weekend a la Nice and Cannes but after that I'm cracking down and making this blog more blangin.