So I know I haven't written in forever. After the last weekend trip I was supposed to write and then we got back to Paris and had a super busy week at school. I was planning to write the coming weekend then I started to feel sick. This is Rachael by the way. And then I slept all the weekend that I could. Then I kept getting worse and after a few days went to a French doctor. The appointment lasted all of 5 minutes with him asking how I felt, looking in my ears and throat, poking my neck and then prescribing medicine. Ends up he gave me allergy mess so it should be no surprise that I kept getting worse and was a walking fever that couldn't breathe within another week. By the time my professors were actually saying things like "I'll leave Rachael alone but the rest of you need to answer." ( because I almost fell over while she was lecturing and she hadn't seen me without a tissue to my nose for2 weeks) I had another appointment with a new doctor. This one didn't even touch e just asked my symptoms and prescribed all the medicine. I almost didn't see him because katie and I couldn't find our way into the building but she just pressed all the buttons until one worked. Also side note doctors have tiny offices in apartment buildings here and you have to go. Through 3 or 4 locked doors to get to them. It's strange. Anyway, after taking the medicine I started to feel human by the next day and stupidly went with Katie, Dina, and Robyn all over Paris. Don't get me wrong it was awesome and but by the end of the saying felt like death.
We visited Sacre Coeur and walked through little artsy roads in Montmartre and after that found le Grand Epicerie which is the coolest grocery store ever. It has everything! After that we went to the catacombs and millions of dead people are kinda creepy but surprisingly cool. Also whoever designed how the bones are laid out got bored or felt artistic and there were some fun shapes. My favorite is the heart of human skulls. Super romantic... After that forever hike up and down stairs and 2 km do walking in the tunnel we went to the Champs élysées Christmas market/ village. I should mention here that I have drug katie there at least 5 or 6 times and there is a stand with beautiful chicken soup that got me through the illness. This time I shook Katie like a rag doll because the lights were too pretty then got soup for dinner and corn on the cob and then mulled wine but she took my pretty returnable cup and gave me an ugly one, which was sad. We tried to go on the Ferris wheel but that was like 10 euros a person and I was not about to pay it nor were the others. Of course katie wasn't planning on going up since she is deathly afraid of heights and acting like I was killing her for suggesting it. We wandered some and went down to the champs élysées to look at shops and went in the Paris Disney store. Which was awesome if packed. Then Dina left to meet another friend and the other three of us went to the arc de triomphe. We climbed it and the view was beautiful but Katie almost ripped off my arm when she had to get within 2 feet of the edge. She really doesn't like heights. We saw the eternal flame. It started to rain and I went home to sleep and recover from doing too much.
Of course the next morning I realize Katie and I forgot that last night was the night of Calacas a horse spectacle that we had been looking forward to all semester. I almost cried then pulled myself together looked online and found student tickets for 30 a piece for that night and we ended up going. It was sad wasting the other tickets but at least we didn't miss it. During the day we wandered my quartier and visited the montparnasse cemetery which was surprisingly beautiful but sad especially when we found a plot for a Jewish family that had all passed in an extermination camp in WWII. I got misty eyed and took a moment for prayer then we headed out in search of happier things. We walked down the main roads in my quartier and saw some cute shops and after having Italian for lunch we wandered to a park near me. It was super pretty and had free public restrooms ( very hard to find) and ducks. Oh and ponies! Katie was super happy about that. That night we went to have this famous hot chocolate but the line was way too long and we had to get to the horse thing so got soup at the Christmas village that happened to be nearby. The horse show was so neat. It was a ring and the horses and people performed in the middle and all around the circle of seats. It was more than worth the money and we adored it.
That Sunday I went to Robyn's house early to make thanksgiving lunch since we wanted more of an American meal and on Thursday the school took us out to eat but it was very French. The bistro was adorable but not what we wanted. So we made chicken, mashed potatoes, a makeshift green bean casserole, salad, and Katie bought awesome croissants. It was fun and we hung out for hours though it just ended up being Robyn, me, Katie, Dina, and her friend. The others couldn't make it. But most exciting part of my week... A money! A capuchin monkey lives at Robyn's home stay. Her name is Lola and she likes to make whistly noises at everyone. We went to say hi and apparently she doesn't overly like strangers but while we were chatting she jumped on my shoulder and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I about imploded from happiness. She is adorable and I wish I could have a monkey.
Sadly after that my days are boring. I have gone to class and feel a hundred times better. I did see a wonderful Pixar exhibit with Katie and Jeremy yesterday and it made us want to watch all the movies. We are all counting the days till we get home. France is different and has exciting moments but it's Christmas time and we all miss our families. In less than two weeks I will be in the states! Whoo!
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