A French Dinner Party, PDAs, and General Conference

Two in a row!!! Last week FLE was canceled so we got to lay out and soak up some sun and I have actually made progress with my tan! I signed up for NAU courses for Fall semester although I didn't get into BIO 416 (Gross Human Anatomy) but I've emailed the professor and I'm hoping I'll be able to get in! I can't believe I only have one year left at NAU before I get my degree, even though I could have graduated this semester! In one week I will start my application for graduate school, and if I get accepted, in three years I'll be a Physician Assistant! Also in a week I have to go to the OFII (Office of Integration and Immigration) to get a medical exam and get a stamp in my passport that way I can leave the country and go to Switzerland and Spain for the upcoming two-week break! I've heard in the medical exam  they take a chest x-ray which you get to keep! I'm actually really excited about this part! I've never had a chest x-ray, but I'm pretty sure I fractured a rib or two when I was 8 and got hit by a stray baseball, and I know one of my ribs the past few years has been unattached from the cartilage, and the fact that I get to keep the chest x-ray is awesome!

This is where I sunbathe.... Be jealous ;)

Now, last Saturday ROCKED. On the way to the market to get my apples and carrots before Anglophones Anonymous I saw the elders and we chatted for a bit. On my way to the café I ran into Maurice and his wife which, of course, resulted in a PDA (public display of affection lol). I joined Molly, Laura, and Alex sitting outside the café and after a few minutes of people-watching, chatting, and laughing about Molly's nearly-nonexistent voice this random old man walked up and stood between Alex and I just staring at me. Awkward enough, right? He started "laughing" (more like wheezing) for like thirty seconds and put his hand on my shoulder when I looked at him and all he said was "Elle ne dit rien!" ("She's not saying anything!") before starting to wheeze again, tousle my hair, and walk away! After enjoying some delicious pasta and getting invited to dinner by Alex we started fretting over what we should bring and wear to a French dinner party! So, we went to Casino (the supermarket) and got some ice-cream, an apple tart, and a pretty bottle of wine and headed home. Sitting on a bench were some older men who asked in French if we were Dutch or English and when we didn't reply he grabbed my bags! Apparently he doesn't do well with being ignored... Honestly! It was like pick-on-Lindsey-day or something! Maurice probably paid those men to make my life even more awkward haha. I should probably make a label for "Awkward old men." I went to the train station, bought a ticket to Toulouse for Sunday to go watch General Conference, saw the elders again, went tanning, showered, watched the Saturday morning session of General Conference with the elders and Caitlin, and then Alex picked us up to take us to Ecole des Mines!

We entered Guinome's flat and were seated on his bed with a coffee table in front of us that had M&Ms and no fewer than 20 different bottles and cartons of different drinks on it. French student dinner party :). Mathieu and a couple also came. We played a few drinking games which thankfully I didn't lose even though I didn't know what was going on! I did have some yummy pineapple juice though! Alex lost quite a bit, and drank more than a bit, and I was a bit concerned about how the food he was cooking would turn out, but there was no reason to worry! Around 10:30 he served us heaping plates of the most delicious rice and chicken I've ever tasted! After dinner we started playing darts and two girls the boys called their "godmothers" who looked like girl scouts joined in the fun. Then we headed to the student union/bar on campus. It was so cool! There were foosball (table football) and pool tables, crazily painted walls, barrels transformed into tables, a dance floor with platforms, and of course, a bar. Poor Molly and I were both suffering from allergies (hay fever) and Molly was especially suffering from a certain kid named Harvey. But, after fake relationships were established between Molly and Henry, and Caitlin and I, he backed off a bit. Alex was very sweet and kept coming over to make sure Harvey wasn't bugging me too much. The boys took us on a midnight stroll to see the pond and when we got back I was getting a water at the bar when I realized I was being stared down by an attractive guy wearing his grandmother's nightgown. Oh yeah! Did I mention that it was pajama night? Lolz.   I smiled and was pretty much instantly surrounded by 5 or 6 French guys: Paul (wearing the nightgown), 'Jardinet?' lol, Simon, and others. We played foosball, had deep conversations about movies and music (I was told I have awful taste in English music and need to see "127 hours"), and they told me I need to cut my fringe back to how it was when I was 7. I danced with Simon, who was fantastic! i was in the middle of teaching him a new move when the music went off at 3am. So, I said goodnight to my fan club and we headed to Henry's room and shared a brownie and chips. Charly finally took us home at 4, I set the alarm for 7:30 so I could catch the 9 o'clock train with the elders, and woke up at 10:30! Woops.

So I caught the 12:27 train and was sufficiently creeped out by a drunk man on the train, and thankfully saw T- (from Tahiti, in the Albi branch) in the station, headed back to Carmaux, and he helped me get to the metro, bought my ticket, and passed me on to one of his friends (Dani? from Tahiti) who was heading to the church. I love that even when you're running to catch the train, there is always time for kisses in France! We got to the church building a few minutes late and I went upstairs to the English-speaking room and afterwards met Elder and Sister Larson (no relation as far as I know) and stood awkwardly in the hall before finding a piano and playing around for an hour and a half. The only room where they broadcasted conference in English was full of missionaries.. and then there was me. By the time the "Sunday morning" session was over, it was 6pm and I decided I'd take my chances and catch the late train (9:20pm) back to Albi. Regiss (from the Congo) took me back to the metro, waited while I got my ticket, and left me to wait. There were only 3 lunatics and one two creeps, so I'd say it was pretty successful! By the time I got home, 11pm, I was exhausted and starving! I love conference though and it was nice to meet new people! I ate some leftover pasta and hit the sack. When I woke up at 7:30 I decided to skip my class and slept another hour, which was perfect because the teacher hasn't been here all week! Then in my French Lit class we were given a take-home exam so I basically didn't have classes! Monday and Tuesday I taught Tilipan (sp?) with the elders. There's a new one from Spokane, WA: Elder Brown. At FHE the past two weeks Amandine has made mini crepes au sucre. So cute!!

Pyrrhocoris apterus AKA Fire Bugs or Fire Beetles
Nasty little bugs, but at least they look kinda cool with the African Mask design!

 Here's some fun facts about these little guys: http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/fire-beetles/