partiels, shmartiels

This picture has literally nothing to do with this week, but it reminds me of less stressful times. And it's pretty. That's Liz and I at the amphitheatre at Arles. It was so cool. They still have like big events there. It's crazy.

Anyway. This week was midterms (=partiels), and it was extremely exhausting. Something that was a little strange was that although I didn't really study much/enough for I feel like any of my exams, they all seemed rather okay. There were always a couple of things I just did not know, or forgot, or something, but it was kind of amazing. Because if I study like I did this week for an exam at Williams, guaranteed I'll get like a C. But here, I get the impression that I didn't do too bad. And really, I only need to pass my classes, I don't actually have to do well. Nice.

But yes. A long week. A long, rainy week where the Yankees failed to close out the ALCS twice. Dammit.

MY VACATION HAS STARTED. ALSO I JUST ACCIDENTALLY PLURALIZED (is this a word?!) VACATION BECAUSE IN FRENCH VACATION=VACANCES AND IT IS PLURAL. GAH.

Anyway. Here's my itinerary for the next week-ish:

Tomorrow (Saturday-samedi), 24 October
Arrive in London (after flying to Birmingham then taking a bus from there) around 11pm (which sucks...), where I meet up with the lovely Isa St. Clair. I'll spend the next day and a half-ish with her (totally wish it were more, but I want to go too many places...).

Monday (lundi) 26 October
Fly to Dublin, get in around 3pm (I think?), find my hostel, and explore my homeland. Or, well, the capital. I am stoked. It's been so long since I was last in Ireland, and it'll be the first time that I'm there alone. I don't even know what to expect, but I cannot wait.

Wednesday (mercredi) 28 October
Take a ferry and a coach to Edinburgh. Theoretically. The fricken website, for some stupid reason, won't accept my card or my mom's, so I'm thinking it's just a matter of like international incompatibility. Kind of like what we talked about in French Cultural Patterns--how pretty much a "heterocultural" relationship just won't work, because you'll never understand fully the other. Kind of depressing, I think.
Anyway. I'll be staying with the glorious Tarra Martin in her flat in Edinburgh, and then Mindi, Joy, and Terrence from AUCP will be there also and we'll have a GRANDE FETE for Terrence's TWENTY-FIRST!! Wooo. I'm excited. Also, it'll be my first time in my secondary homeland. I'm not as Scottish (ecossaise!) as I am Irish (irlandaise), but it'll be super cool anyway.

Friday (vendredi) 30 October
After taking a bus from Edinburgh to Glasgow, I'll fly from Glasgow to Paris, where I'll meet up with the MAGNIFIQUE Emanuel. I suppose this is when I'll resume speaking in French (un peu), and we'll tear up the City of Lights. Yes. I am so excited. The 24 hours I had in Paris 3 years ago really didn't quite do it for me. I need more!

And finally,
Sunday (dimanche) 1 November
Take the high-speed train (TGV=train grande vitesse) from Paris Gare de Lyon back to Aix, getting here I think around 3. Or maybe 6. I forget. Whatever. I'll figure it out.

I really should get packing. And a shower would be good. It's very odd to me that I won't see most of my American Center-ites for over a week. Tristesse. But everyone is going off on some wonderful adventures, so it'll be great to come back and hear about it all. And I'm kind of jazzed to be off on my own. It's actually my first time traveling alone. I can't wait.

I'm sure I had more to say about this week. Hmm...