T-givs

hey y'all,

I can honestly say that I haven't gotten homesick the whole time I've been in France. Sure, I miss my family, friends, and American things like Bud Light, college football, and my tahoe, but I haven't really gotten homesick per se. That is until this week. There's just something about Thanksgiving. As I told my students in my lessons on it, it's a time when friends and families come together to celebrate everything they have. It's a time to be grateful, and for the David Senter Sr. fam, it's a time to go to the mountains and just hang out with each other (which is becoming increasingly difficult as we three kids move in all sorts of directions...or across the ocean.) Anyways, even though I'm abroad, I've got a lot to be thankful for: a job, a paycheck that comes along with said job, a great roommate (seriously y'all, I lucked out), and a fantastic support system back home.

Emily and I, along with everyone else in France, had to work on Thanksgiving day. It wasn't too bad, because I did different lessons on Thanksgiving. It's really hard for elementary school kids to grasp what Thanksgiving is. One of the teachers told the class that it was a really special day for me and they tried to guess what it was. One kid asked if it was my wedding day. Oh dang. In another one of my classes, we all went around and said what we were thankful for. Now that was precious.

I'm just going to preface this by saying that I have the best family ever. My mom skyped me in for Thanksgiving lunch. That's an absolute first for the Senter fam. Deb propped her ipad up and let me see the whole table and I could creepily watch them eat their food. It was just my mom, dad, Stephen, and Boots (big brother David was MIA.) It was pretty fun though, to just chat with all of them. I for sure enjoyed it. Emily and I didn't do anything super special for Thanksgiving dinner. I made some pasta with marinara sauce and she made a quasi-green bean casserole. Not too bad, actually.

Last night was the best night ever though. Sarah, the English teacher at my school and the girl I stayed with for the first couple weeks in France, decided to have a Thanksgiving dinner. She invited me, Emily, and 6 other teachers from our school. It was a blast, and the food was amazing. She cooked two chickens (turkey is so rare here), sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and get this - A PUMPKIN PIE AND A PECAN PIE. I legit died. Incredible.

Anyways, I hope y'all had great Thanksgiving! 28 days until America. Whatup.

Luv,
Sarah

More Christmas excitement

Hey y'all,

So the last time I updated my blog, I wrote about the ferris wheel in Grand Place. I went there the following day, only to find that they had put up so many more decorations as well as a massive Christmas tree. So so exciting.

 The big Christmas tree wasn't real, but they lined the ferris wheel area with real trees. Magical.

This weekend has been really chill. We haven't really done too much. Today we went to the market and walked around some. Emily bought some fruits/veggies but I didn't buy anything. I do love seeing all of the flowers there. Some day I'll cave and buy some, but until then, I can just look at the pictures I take of them.

We walked in a couple stores that were selling Christmas decorations, and I'll probably buy some in the coming weeks. I really want a small Christmas tree, but I have no clue where I would buy one/how expensive it would be. Emily is Jewish, so we're currently trying to figure out where we can buy a menorah as well. Lots of holiday excitement.

Speaking of excitement. I come back to the classier of the Carolinas in 34 days. Whatup.

Luv,
Sarah

X-rays, squirrels, and ferris wheels

hey y'all,

I'm SO sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Last week went by super slow and I really didn't do too much to note, but then this week has been busy, so I haven't been able to update.

Anyways. I've been making a list of exciting/funny things that have happened this week.

1. Monday, I went to the OFII (immigration) office to finalize my long-stay residency permit. In order to do that, we had to fill out tons of forms and then have a medical visit. This visit consisted of them weighing me, checking my height, and taking a chest x-ray. Thank GOODNESS I knew that one was coming, because the doctor called my name, led me into a room, and then in super fast French, just said "Ok, take everything off of your top half and come into the next room." OOF! Anyways, it was actually painless, and the really exciting part is that I got to keep my xray! So I get to take that puppy back with me to the states. I'm sure the jealousy you're feeling right now is rather overwhelming. Calm down.

2. Because they said I was medically okay (and thus not moving to their country just so I can take advantage of their AMAZING health care. but seriously. amazing.), I get to stay in France. Word.

3. Monday afternoon, I picked up Duke (the French-American child that I babysit) from school and hung out with him for a couple hours. And by hung out, I mean that we worked on his English homework, and then played beyblade for over an hour. And I loved it. WHO AM I?

4. Tuesday, I got to skype with my big brother, Stephen. Fun stuff.

5. Today, I got a postcard from said brother. I adore mail, so that was exciting.

6. I kid y'all not, every single one of the teachers I work with (so about 10 people) has said to me "how relieved are you that Obama won?" They just love him. One teacher, when talking about Romney, said "Mormons. Can't drink coffee, tea, or even wine! Doesn't seem like much of a life to me." Made me laugh. But really, what is life without a little bit of vin?

7. I babysit Duke again on Wednesday afternoons, and I have to take him to rugby practice. The last time we went, we took the bikes, but the mom has an automatic (!) car, and she let me drive him to practice. So I got to drive a car for the first time in two months. It was actually exhilarating. It's a straight shot from their house to the rugby fields, and doesn't even take five minutes, so it's not bad. Before I drove it, she asked me if I was used to driving really big cars (her car is an old mercedes station wagon), and I was like, "have no fear - I drive a tahoe in the states." I sure do miss that 'hoe.

8. Yesterday, we went and saw the new James Bond movie. I'd never seen a movie at the theaters in France, and fortunately we had the option to see the English one with French subtitles and not the dubbed one. It was actually incredible. You should go see it.

9. We sang "head, shoulders, knees and toes" today in one of my classes. The kids loved it.

10. One student asked me today in French, "Sarah, are there squirrels in America?" Wait, what?

11. Emily and I were walking around town tonight, and walked to the Grand Place, only to find that they had put up a massive ferris wheel for Christmas. Oh happy day. The streets all have lights up, but they're not lit yet. The Christmas market opens the 21st, so I'm hoping they'll light the streets then. Cannot wait. Noël arrive.

12. Even though I'll be working on Thanksgiving, Sarah (the English teacher I work with and stayed with) suggested that we cook a dinner at her apartment with French friends to celebrate. So excited for that.

Miss y'all.

Luv,
Sarah

Rien de neuf

Hey y'all,

I've had a pretty uneventful day the last few days. I don't want to say that I'm bored. But I'm bored.

Tuesday was election day, but more importantly, the one year anniversary of when I collapsed at the NC Battleship Half Marathon. Unconscious for for 4 minutes. Unresponsive for 10. Scary stuff. This is me at l'hôpital.

You don't even have to tell me. I know I looked good. I'm not diggin' the nail polish choice though. Should've planned that one better. You never know when you'll end up getting your photo taken in a hospital. 

Anyways, since I have very little to update y'all on, I just received the sweetest picture from my rendez-vous avec Bonnie in Paris a couple weeks ago. We unfortunately didn't take too many pictures together, but the one we took together was great. Love it.

Sistas in Paris. (anyone?)

I had for sure missed my sweet grandlittle.

And I for sure miss ALL OF Y'ALL. Seeya in Raleigh in 44 days, folks.

Luv,

Sarah 

A Few Good (French)Men

hey y'all,

So, as it turns out, the library is closed on Mondays along with the rest of France (kidding but not kidding), thus I spent the afternoon in our salon working on my grad school apps. So fun.

After I'd eaten my final chickpea and cauliflower for lunch, I decided it was time for a trip to the supermarché. Emily went with me and I stocked up on so many great things. Veggies, fruits, eggs, chickpeas, milk and so much more - I had TONS of pasta/couscous/rice left over from my last trip to the grocery store approximately 3 weeks ago. I know, that's impressive.

Anyways, I bought a lot of food and was rushed to throw it all in my reusable (go green!) bag because the checkout areas in France are not very big. It would seem only logical to big builder ones, but hey, that ain't how it works over here (in regards to many things - houses, cars, etc.) So I paid with my new chic French check card, and just stuck it in my coat pocket as opposed to back in my wallet, because I was so rushed. The lady at the checkout was already hurriedly placing the next customer in line's food next to mine. Emily and I got outside and were crossing the street when I realized I didn't have my wallet. Uh oh. I thought that maybe I had just thrown it in my grocery bag to save time, so I searched through my bag on the street (definitely NOT blending in), but to no avail. Nbd, I walked back across the street, went in the store and asked the lady at the cash register if she'd seen it. She hadn't, and I looked all around the aisle and couldn't find it. But I didn't cue the freakout just yet. I decided that it had to be in my grocery bag that I could inspect more thoroughly once in my apartment (a 1-minute walk away). So we went back, looked through both our bags and there was no wallet.

I was getting kind of panicked, and figured I had to call my parents and cancel my credit card. I had remained rather calm until I got on the phone with my mom. Lost it. I'm surprised she was even able to figure out what I was saying. I walked back across the street to the grocery store and stared in the window at the cash register, searching for my wallet. It's a small grocery store, so I could see the whole checkout area from there. But there I stood, staring in the window, while on the phone...while crying (AGAIN with the whole not blending in thing. what a sight).

I deemed it a lost cause and I told my mom the latest charges on my card. Exactly as she was saying to me "I'll call dad and get him to cancel the card", I heard someone say "Excuse me". I thought they were either asking me for directions or for money, and let me tell you, I wasn't in the mood. I looked over though and they were holding my wallet and asked if it was mine. I obviously told my mom I'd call her back. I thought for sure that wallet had been a goner! They had been speaking to me in English but I asked them in French where they'd found it. He said that it was right at the door when they walked in. He had picked it up and told me they were going to call Bank of America in the morning. I thanked them profusely, holding myself back from giving them a big hug. I must have been at the cash register asking the lady if she'd seen my wallet when they picked it up. I had missed them the first time because they were in there doing their grocery shopping. Since they had seen my B of A card, they knew I was American and when they came out of the grocery store and heard someone crying on the phone in English, it had to be a match.

I opened up my wallet, and everything was still in there - cash included. So glad to see that there are still nice people in this world.

Crisis averted. What an ordeal.

Luv,
Sarah

Venice of the North

Hey y'all,

I got back a couple hours ago from my trip to Amsterdam and am so glad to be back and to sleep in my bed. That being said, I can't lie - I ADORED Amsterdam. I'd heard that it was a cool place,  but never really had any interest in going until my friend Jenn suggested we go. Oh my goodness am I glad she suggested that. Amsterdam is amazing. It's gorgeous, the people are super friendly, and even though it's a large, touristy city, it's super manageable. It's nicknamed the Venice of the North, as it's built around tons and tons of canals. I am almost embarrassed by the number of canal pictures I took. A ton.

Like, really. How beautiful is that? 

We got to Amsterdam around 10pm and met up with Jenn's friend from home who's studying at the University of Amsterdam for the semester. She showed us around a little bit, and then took us back to her dorm. We slept on the floor, but it was fine by me because it was free lodging. Honestly, next to free food, free lodging is my favorite. We got up on Friday and Lisa had class, so Jenn and I decided to go to the Anne Frank house, which was about a 5 minute walk from the dorm. We got there around 11:30 and had to wait in line for over 2 hours to get in. Fortunately we had a pass that got us in for free, otherwise we might have ditched the line. It was SO SO cold. I think what made it so bad was that we were just standing there and not moving. My fingers and toes went numb. It was rough, but we eventually made it inside. The tour took about 30 minutes, and it was really neat. I think I'm one of the few people who has never read the Diary of Anne Frank, so I'm going to have to  check that out. I bet the library has it here. Although it might be in french. Strugs. 

After finishing up the tour around 2pm, we went and grabbed sandwiches and met up with Lisa. After that, we had the brilliant idea to go to - wait for it - the Heineken Brewery Experience. It was a pain to get there on the trams and whatnot, but I'm so glad we went. It reminded me a lot of the World of Coke in Atlanta, but obviously with beer instead. It was definitely an enjoyable experience. 

What a vat. 

There was even a 4D ride which did a simulation of a beer being made and bottled - lots of water thrown on our faces. It was actually thrilling. We then went to the tasting room (OBVI my favorite part), in which we all stood around and all had to yell Proost which is cheers in Dutch. Then after that, there were a few more interactive things to do and then we were given a couple more free beers. Like I said, very fun. 

Jenn loved it too. 

Saturday consisted of going to a massive market about a 15 minute ferry ride away. I bought a jacket and a skirt for 7.50 euros total. I loved it and wore my jacket the rest of the trip. 

Then Jenn and I wandered around some, just exploring the city. We eventually made our way to the Red Light District. Come on, when in Amsterdam. I really wanted to see it and I'm glad we went. We made sure to go during the day, as we imagined it'd be a little creepy and unsettling at night.  Not that it was much better during the day. I guess I can just describe it as a cultural experience. It's on one of the canals, so it's actually a really pretty area...as long as you keep your eyes straight ahead and don't check out the windows to your left and right. YOLO.

We also visited a cheese museum. Again, when in Amsterdam. There were tons of cheese samples, and I was in heaven. 

Yes. This place actually exists. 

Saturday night consisted of going to a thing called Museumnacht. Starting at 9pm, all of the museums opened up, and were open until 3 am. We crashed at about midnight, but it was a fun thing to do. We made it to about 7 museums, so we definitely got our money's worth. 

Jenn had to catch an early train from Amsterdam back to Germany, and I didn't have to catch my bus until 1:30, so I got up and walked around some more. I was looking for the famous "I Amsterdam" letters, which was apparently a mile from where Lisa lived. So I packed up all of my stuff into my little rolling suitcase and set out. Unfortunately,  I took a right out of her building instead of a left. Honestly,  what a strug. I walked for about 2 miles and then realized things just weren't looking right. So I called Lisa, got straight, and turned around. I bet it was a hoot seeing me walking around on those cobblestone streets while dragging that suitcase. Sometimes I feel like I really blend in with the locals. Today was not one of those days. I clearly did not know what I was doing. Oh well. Can't win 'em all. 

I guess you could say I partially won though - a draw, let's say - because I found the letters! It was pretty neat, but it would've been cooler if I hadn't been alone. But don't cry for me, Amsterdam. I still enjoyed the visit. 

Here are a few more pictures from the trip. 

I'm not positive, but I think this picture was taken on the Red Light District canal. So there's that. 

Check out all those bikes. So many people bike in Amsterdam. It's pretty insane. They're super aggressive and so that was one more thing to watch out for. I'm normally used to watching out for cars speeding by me, but here I had to watch out for cars AND bikes. It was a tad intimidating. We considered renting bikes, but decided against it. 

Y'all know I wasn't going to leave Amsterdam without having an Amstel. 

I'd like to go back. Right now. 

So I spent about 13 hours roundtrip on a bus in order to get to and from Amsterdam. So worth it - 57 euro roundtrip! That's actually incredible, and over 200 euro cheaper than it would've been on a train. After those 13 hours, I can safely say that I know every word to every song on Taylor Swift's new album Red. Don't judge me. I regret nothing. 

Amsterdam was seriously great. Emily and I are already making plans to go back in the spring. I still have a week off of work, so I'll be camping out in the bibliothèque working on grad school applications! 

Luv,

Sarah 

Hi from the Netherlands!

Hey y'all,

So technically this is a hello from my bus, which is in the Netherlands. The bus has wifi which is amazing, and making this long ride much more bearable. We dropped people off/picked people up in Brussels and Antwerp, but hopefully that's our last stop until Amsterdam!

I picked up Jenn from the train station yesterday and had a great time showing her around Lille.

My phone says we're a little over an hour away, and you can see where we are on the map!

Luv,
Sarah