Bonne Année!

Happy New Year everyone!

It's weird to think that I'll be going home this year instead of next year.  Now that Januray 2012 is here and my beautiful oldie is going to be leaving, I'm going to be next.  In just over 7 months I'll be going back to Windsor! :/

So I got my report card from school.  I only failed one exam! and, to my surprise, I passed geography! Overall, it was the worst report card I've ever had, but I was satisfied enough.

Christmas went well.  I got a few gifts, including mascara, a shirt, a book, and a scarf.  Everyone I gave a gift to all seemed to like them.  So I didn't go to church at all this Christmas.  I don't think a lot of people here did.  But this is the first time I've never been to church at Christmas time.  I'm not complaining and I can't say that I missed it, but it was just something else that made my Christmas different.  On the negative side of things I missed over the holidays... well, food is basically all that list is made up of.  Not to say that I didn't eat here, nor that that food wasn't good, but I just didn't have annolini or Mom's Christmas cookies.  Otherwise, Christmas wasn't really all that different.  All the family got together and ate for two days in a row, and then we did it again on New Year's Day.

On Christmas Eve, the family all came over and we started with champagne and little appetizers.  The little appetizers included oysters (which basically feel like a huge soft booger plus a bunch of salty sea water going down your throat - do not recommend), pistachios, chips, salmon on melba toast, foie gras on little crackers, little sausages and salami slices, and things like that.  We had also prepared some things to eat with spoons out of little glasses.  One that I made was basically finely cut up tomatoes and applies with pesto, olive oil, and basil.  By George it was delicious.  After that + socializing, we all went to sit at the table and proceeded to eat soup, asparagus risotto, duck a l'orange, and cake for dessert.  It was all very good.  The evening finally ended at 2h30 and I was very tired.  Christmas Day was here at the house again with most of the same people.  We didn't really have a huge meal, but the meal we did have together was earlier in the day.  We basically just had salad, cheese and lunch meats/bacon.  But we got to melt our own cheese and cook our own bacon on these big hot apparatuses that were on the table... I enjoy that kind of meal very much.  We had one just like it again on New Year's Day.  On New Year's Day, it's tradition to go to the home of an older member of the family's house, so in my current host family's case we went to my host dad's parents' house in the early afternoon, and we went to my host mom's parents' house in the evening.  On New Year's Day, we do a greeting of three kisses instead of just one, so it takes three times as long to greet everyone.

In between Christmas and New Year's, Alejandro came over and we made Butterkuchen together.  It wasn't baked perfectly, but it was still pretty darn good.

On New Year's Eve, I went to a party in Baileux with some friends, and I spent the night at my third host family's house.  It was the first time I'd been to my third family's house and it seems very nice.  The house is a different style than where I'm currently living, and it's also different from my first house.  I like that each place I'm staying is different from the last.  I'll have a big bed!! I'm very happy about that.  Maybe I was just exhausted from the party when I went to sleep in it at 5am, but it was quite comfortable too.

Next Saturday, I'll be going to Amsterdam with Greta, Claire, and Greta's host family! I cannot wait! Greta and Claire are extremely fun to hang out with, and every time I've been with them, I've always had an amazing time.  I don't expect this to be any different.  I am super excited :)

Also, my host family keeps saying that they're going to bring me to Paris soon.  It'll be sometime after my host sister, Anne, is finished her exams.  She studies non-stop, the poor thing.  I'll be happy for her once her exams are finished.