And the learning continues...

So second semester has officially started after a long and quite satisfying break. At the international institute, we get a bit of an extended break becuase of the new students coming to the University. They have to go through all the procedures that I had to go through at the beginning of the year: a placement test, orientation and tours etc. The Christmas lights have been taken down, the marché de noël is over, and there is no excuse...the waiting is finally over and I have to use my brain again.

Even though classes have started up again, I find myself anxiously awaiting the next holiday in February. I fear that I have adopted a French attitude (over here there are holidays left right and centre!) I am already planning out how to spend said vacation. So if there are any ideas floating out there of what I should do...let me know!

Last weekend I said goodbye to my good friend Reni from Norway. She is traveling to India, so most of my good friends have left me! I just need to get on the friend-making bandwagon again. I figure I can bribe them with the promise of Canadian maple candy. It worked for Ross on "Friends." Ok, enough TV references, off to study la langue française!






Reni & I on her last night out in Strasbourg.

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I have been very busy this holiday season that I haven't even kept updatingyou!

After the last day of school and our University Christmas party on the 22 of Dec, Chelsea and I went together to Paris by train and spent a quick one night there. We walked around Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and had a very yummy Nutella Crêpe. I then flew to Glasgow, Scotland and she to the Lake District in England.

I was very fortunate this year to spend Christmas with some relatives and, although distant, they welcomed me into their home. I felt very at ease. It is slightly complicated, but Harry Donald is my late Grandmother's cousin. I stayed at his daughter's house (Moira & husband John) in Glasgow. It was a very wonderful time of eating great food, visiting and family holiday cheer. Christmas eve I attended their village's (East Kilbride) Parish Church service. It was so neat to have a service in such an old building!

On Dec 27th Moira and the girls were flying to London to go to a Broadway show, so I booked the same flight and few down to London with them. We then parted ways and I met up with Chelsea who spend Christmas in England. On New Year's Eve, Chelsea and I went down to the London embankment by the river to watch the fireworks by the London Eye. It was pretty spectacular. There were so many people that you could literally not move! When the fireworks lit the sky all you could see was a sea of people!

Here are a few of the views that I saw. The ferris wheel looking thing is the London Eye
(these are not my photos...but you get the idea)





























Now I'm back in Strasbourg getting ready to start a new semester of learning French! I have moved into a new studio closer to town becuase my last studio I had some complications with the neighbours being too loud and yelling at all hours of the night. So I am now I'm in a student residence and I'm loving it! I'll take some pictures and post them soon.

I hope that everyone is doing well, and don't hesitate to make comments on the posts either :)