Lyon = Olivia all up on my Photo Cabine.

First thing she says when she sees my laptop:

"La Photo Cabine?"

Can't resist her.

Now, I'm gonna miss her. 

Ah, going home tomorrow.

Finalment?! Or pas?!

Wrapping it all up.

I can probably never do that.

But tonight, I'm staying over at my big auntie's house. After dinner (which was exquisite!!), they were asking me about my trip and I was finally able to gather some thoughts. Sometimes, you really don't know certain things until you just say it out loud and then you realize...ah ha! that's what it is.

1. Yes, I am really sad about leaving Paris and every time I think about it, it's like..."man, I'm never gonna be able to experience this, this, and this again". But, it's been such a great adventure in my life and it makes me realize the beauty of life as a whole. Therefore, I'm excited to leave Paris and Lyon and Europe and go onto the next adventure of my life, winter quarter. I have four classes (sad) + a pattern making night class at Saddleback. It's gonna be intense to juggle these hard classes and work and church and family and friends but man, I'm excited!! This just means more challenges and more things to overcome and look back and say, "It was all worth it."

2. I really know 3-4 languages. Spanish doesn't really count anymore but I feel like I can really learn it again. French, I still need to learn more and practice but I can sure as heck hold a conversation now! And Korean...must practice more but I got my family to help me with that. That's so exciting!!

3. All bad things really come to an end. I complained so much about my homestay and the itchy blankets, cold showers, dirty kitchen, and also the hostel traveling with bug bites, drunk hostel mates, and smelly sheets, etc, etc, etc, but that's all in the past now and I never have to face it again. And now I'm living in what seems like luxury! You don't realize how good you have it unless you go through without having it. You can't humble yourself if you don't put yourself in lower positions (or sometimes you're forced to anyways). And it's just nice to know that I am much more appreciative of the little things like hot water and even little money to buy snacks and candy that others don't get to have! Mama will be proud.

High five. 

Yay for life.

Christmas Lunch.

Aujourd'hui, ma tante et mon oncle m'ont invité pour aller chez ses grands-parents pour le déjeuner Noel. And it was really nice to see such a big family getting together and legitly having a French meal - everything I learned about when I was in school. It also reminded me a lot of my family, which I seriously can't wait to get back to and see.

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Mon expérience:

Yes, that would be my name! I'm an adult now.

Les Aperatifs that I helped Auntie make. Including: Salmon topped avocado, beets with caramelized pralines, and foie gras with rhubarb jam. Oh baby~

Big Papa and Big Mama having their champagne.

Story time! Reading their cards.

Legit house and yard. Gramps playing tennis.

The plat principal: Turkey!!!!! + buttered chestnuts + fried balls of potatoes + some vegetable that's only grown in Lyon + salade

Dessert: homemade café & chocolate glace (ice cream) avec meringue (powered sugar)

So good.

Another reason why the French aren't fat even though they eat such good food: They take everything in moderation, even when the food is that delicious. Good food will always be there. We don't have to shove it down our throats and get fat...americans. Good to know, good to know...

I wanted to take more pictures but didn't want to be rude! Saltee.

Today, I also had the best truffles, chocolate covered oranges, and marron glacée (candied chestnuts)...in moderation, biensur!

The last full day in Paris.

My last day in bits and pieces:

I didn't even realize I had one more class Thursday morning...but, I surely did! It was French class where two groups still had to give their presentations on the Boulangerie and Fromage and therefore, we had lots of bread, cheese, and other snacky snacks that I got way too much of!! Our teacher gave us "surprises" which were Surprise Kinder Buenos...kinda like our Wonder Balls but way better. They had cute little Santa ornaments!!! 

Then, I came home and I packed all the food I had + Grace's tumbler filled with hot tea and gave it to a homeless. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." - Romans 10:13. Biensur!!!

Then, it was off to La Defense for Christmas Markets!

Après, je suis allée au Ladurée pour manger de macarons!! Le gout: Caramel et Marron!

Finalment, it was Montmartre for The Sacré-Coeur, the Moulin Rouge, and Le Refuge du Fondue, famous for their rude service and drinks in a baby bottle.

Then, at 12:30, I got home and started to pack the last four months of my life into two bags and a carry on. You can bet I had lots o' crap to roll and shove into these bags. And you bet that the seams are about to rip apart and die. And you can bet I just about died moving them bags onto my final destination. Much thanks to Joann and Linda for helping me!! Oh, and Sam for rooting me on. Hehehe.

Freeeeedom!

I officially finished finals on Wednesday at 2:30. Our Histories of Paris T.A. was kind enough to give us only one, not two, essays on the final! My jaw literally dropped. I wanted to get up and give him a high-five. But that's nerdy. Anyways, I hope I did well? Oh well, it's over!

After, I was walking down the street with the happiest smile on my face. I felt like I was the guy from 500 Days of Summer and he was really happy about meeting Summer and he was just walking with songs playing and people coming to sing and dance with him. Yeah, that was me. Minus the people, singing, and dancing. Hehe. I just totally had my alone time before I met up with Jean and Tracy (The Liu Sisters) and Dianne and friend, Julie, all who came to visit Paris. I went to places here and there that was on my check-list and it was just really good to have my alone time.  It was also nice going to places I've been before but still wanted to see/go one more time.

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Places I went alone/with them - Definitely tourist mode: 

COS in the Marais, St. James (discovered as I was walking. Score!), Les Deux Magots, Shakespeare and Company, Briezh Café, and La Tour Eiffel!

So weird! I could never "just go" anymore!

Finals Week.

Finals week was insane. The past four days, I didn't get more than 15 hours of sleep. One of the nights/mornings, I napped for one hour, sitting with my back against the wall, David on VChat, to ensure that I would wake up. Indeed I did and I took my finals. My French Art final was freaking hard that I almost sat there and cried during the test. I probably was just emotionally going crazy because of me thinking about finals and leaving Paris. 

Here are snippets of what kept me going through the madness:

Book signing of cooker/baker man of somewhere in Berkeley who's now in Paris.

His cookies, Compté cheese!! and pretzels.

Joann and I ran away after...ahahha.

Starbucks Hazelnut Latte + Joann

Royal chocolate cake from the local boulangerie.

Leek quiche (my first quiche ever) that Joann got me!!

I forgot I brought myself Christmas lights. Made me feel warm & fuzzballs inside.

I don't know why but I seriously freaked out about finals this semester. Through this, I realized that the semester system is much harder to handle and I really like the quarter system. I just need to get good grades!! was all I thought but again, that is a minor detail in life...right? God is bigger and his plans are greater right?? And he's going to take you there anyways so just try your best and you'll get there right?? Right...!

So hard to align yourself 100%.

Thanks for the grace and mercy, Lord!

Feels so good to be fini (finished) and on break. 

hollaaaa.

How I feel right now.

Seulement un plus!!

(Only one more!!)

There is this tap, tap, tapping that is coming from somewhere in my apartment complex and it's been going for the past 5 hours. Or it feels like it. It's the smallest sounds that annoy you the most. And the louder you turn on your music, the louder the tap, tap, tapping gets and the less you can study because the music is just so loud.

I'm so annoyed that I need to blog about it.

IT WON'T STOP.

I just might cry.

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On top of that, I'm studying for my Histories class that is required 2 random/3 essay prompts with 7 articles in each essay.  If we fail to mention even 1/7 of the articles in our essays, we get an automatic ZERO.

Too intense. Really.

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BLAH, cry me a river.

Yes, yes, I am still in Paris.

Meaning, I just want to not to this right now!!!!!

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At least Roomsies is coming tomorrow!

Ssengshow MASTER.

Oh yeh!

1, 2!

"Wintry Mix" - That's a new one??

Oh well, I like surprises.

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8 more days in Paris?!

Centre Pompidou.