Pruthvi and I Candy Shopping in Privas

Besides a dinner party, a new Just Dance disc, and my friend from India visiting, vacation has been, for the most part, very laid back and quiet. A lot of exchange students jetted off this week to Paris or London or somewhere else, but I was completely content to stay at home. After many long days and weeks at school, I am just in the mood to sleep in late and do absolutely nothing.

 Pruthvi and her family came on Tuesday. It was pouring rain all day, so we played a lot of Just Dance and stayed up late after eating lasagna and crème brûlée for dinner. (The creme brûlée was really good, and now I have decided that my first kitchen investment will be a blowtorch.) I felt kind of bad because apparently Charlotte had heard us talking super late when she got up to go to the bathroom during the middle of the night, so by the next morning, everyone knew that we had been up almost all night. Although what do they expect? We are exchange students who have no other friends to stay up late with any other time.

Pruthvi and I spent most of the vacation talking, eating, laughing, and watching movies. I learned a really cool magic trick with cards that I'm going to impress everyone with when I come back home, and I also became really good at making card towers. I would have had a really impressive one, (as I was going for over 6 layers) but Antoine knocked it down because he needed more cards for his.

Almost every time I meet a new adult in France, I am quizzed on American and French politics and history, and considering we had two guests for 3 days, I was kind of nervous when the questions started coming up in conversation. Since I've been in France, here are some of the questions that I've been asked:

1) How come the army wasn't flying in planes over NYC on September 11?
2) How many kilometers is JFK from the Twin Towers?
3) Is Obama going to get reelected?
4) Do Americans like Obama?
5) Who are the Republican nominees for president? And are they governors or senators? Which state are they from?
6) What do Americans think of Sarkozy?

Come on - give me a break. How many kilometers between JFK and the Twin Towers?!?! Does anyone know the answer to this question? And as for number 6, I bet if you asked the majority of Americans what they thought of Sarkozy, they would probably think it was some Japanese car or some foreign actor or something. Not that I responded with that - after all, I am supposed to be putting up a good image of America. As for the other questions, I usually just try to make up some diplomatic answer and hope that they just go along with it.

On Pruthvi's last full day in Privas, we took a drive around Ardèche. The weather wasn't very nice, but with the heat on and some music playing, we had a good time. We drove all the way to St. Martial (picture on the left), where we had a nice lunch in a little restaurant. It was kind of cold, and I know that I'll have to buy warm clothes (in slightly bigger sizes) soon.

I will admit that I was a little depressed when Pruthvi left. She lives over 4 hours away from me, and even though she's my best friend in France, I don't get to see her very often. She knows exactly what I'm going through, and it's so easy to go on for hours just talking. And that is something I definitely cannot do with anyone else here. The only reassuring thing is that I've still got until next Thursday off from school, so I'll be hanging around and relaxing some more. And on one last final side note: I hope everyone back at home has a Happy Halloween. Eat lots of candy for me, because I know I will be doing the same for you!