(mardi 8 juin - mercredi 9 juin)
Another day in this strange super busy summer camp-esque world passes. Well two days pass but my days are just so packed full that I have little to no time to myself.
I think I've said this before but my days from start to finish are almost entirely scheduled for me. This might be a great thing (example, for a tour group) but sometimes it just gets tiring. Tuesday was regular, class, lunch break, activity (learning about the service industry), study break, dinner, evening activity.
I feel the need to stop here for a moment. These activities, as far as I can tell serve the purpose of ensuring control over us. Well not so much control as much as ensuring we stay as francophone as possible. I shouldn't complain about something like this but when you are only alloted 1 hour increments of time to yourself two times a day it gets to be a bit much. This is especially trying when the activities are things that you did as a kid at summer camp. I will say that this week the activities have been looking up and actually teaching and putting to use the French language. Tuesday night involved teams setting up a fashion show that was described en francais. I guess I just tire of these kiddie activities. It is also bothersome because as much as this is doing me good in terms of being exposed to French I feel like I have no time to actually sit and study the things I am being tested on.
Either way, I ended the night with a wonderful swim.
Wednesday was more of the same but seeing as that is of little interest I should mention my breakfast. Ok, how interesting can my breakfast really be. I usually avoid the 'hot' breakfast at the cafeteria, I do this mostly because I am not a 'breakfast person' and I usually stick to cereal, toast, or some fruit and yogurt. The sad thing is I do like the stuff it is just too much for me all the time (they serve bacon, eggs, hash browns, etc.) now I would love to have these things on the weekend but sadly that is when they don't serve it. Well yesterday I missed out on french toast so this morning I stopped by to see what they were serving, it looked like pancakes and tasted like crepes. This might not be of much interest to you but it threw me.
I headed to class with my (now) mandatory mug of coffee. Class is still great. I wish my prof ran the entire program. Class was followed by lunch, lunch was followed by a nap.
We had our afternoon activity which involved writing a poem. This can only be described as a disaster, a hilarious disaster. After I ventured to the gym, something I haven't done in a really long time out of fear of pain, that fear only lasts as long as I remember it. When I've sufficiently forgotten what it does to me I work-out. There I was on the bike and the stair-master. It felt great. Hopefully I can say the same later on in the week.
I walked over to dinner an had a vegetarian pasta with huge chunks of tofu, it was fabulous. Because this program is a 'better yourself through French' kinda thing it attracts what can only be described as genuine, idealistic, enthusiastic youth. I'm talking the back to the earth vegetarians, girls who don't shave, who are enviro conscious, in grad school, going places with their lives kinda people. People who have brains and use them. These people are great. These are the people that say the hell with being pessimistic I'm going to make a difference with what I can. These are the people that say the hell with social conventions, I'm going to be me. Well a lot of those people are vegetarians. The great thing about having strong vegetarians around is the demand for quality food, real fruits and veggies, with healthy options is strong. I have no desire to stop eating red, juicy, delicious steak but I love vegetarian options. I have even been eating mostly vegetarian here simply because the other options are greasier and generally sketchier.
Well after my great tofu spaghetti with a side of chicken soup I came home to study. I decided that seeing as I had already gone to the gym and needed to study I would forego my nightly swim and although this might have been the better option in terms of my knowledge of French I definitely was missing the pool. Funny how much my childhood love will never go away. It makes me feel amazing and that is something I had forgotten about. Seems when you work at a pool staying any longer than your shift to swim seems impossible. Maybe I can get back into in the summer at home.
Today I learned:
- Crepes can be made as thick as poorly made pancakes, who knew
- I'm still missing Colima, MX and all the lovely people I met. I want to go back immediately.
I am grateful for:
- My athletic past, I like that I know what and how to do things in a gym, some people just don't know what they are doing and that stops them from going. Which is too bad.
- My new running shoes, thanks Asics.
- My over-thinking, sarcastic upbringing. People seem to think I'm hilarious.
- Glee
- My DVD selection at home. Although I cannot watch any right now I can't wait to go home and watch a few. I've got some picked out already.
1) You are hilarious.
ReplyDelete2) I thought you were not "allowed" to eat red meat anymore, even though I understand you are not eating it there, but you sound like you would if you could.