Packing and Reflecting

Well, the semester is coming to a close. The semester I thought would last forever, only lasted 3.5 months. We enjoyed our time here, going to Paris, Rome, Spain, and many other exciting places. We have all matured over this experience. I think that everyone who goes through this journey should mature in one aspect or another of his/her life. It could be just as simple as becoming a kinder or a more understanding person.
This program combines all aspects of life: social, academic, religion, etc. For those who are about to replace us in Ambialet, do not take a day here for granted.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for being thankful. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to come to France.
This was probably one of my most memorable Thanksgivings. We had a big gathering of 40 people. Some students from a vocational school came to give us a wine testing presentation. We invited our friends from Albi. It was many people's first Thanksgiving here because they do not celebrate it in France. They soon found out what it was about. We feasted on the usual stuff: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
We finished the night with some good song and dance.

Our Second Trip to Paris

Our second trip to Paris was great. The most memorable thing that we did was visiting the Picasso Museum. I realized how much of a genius Picasso actually was. He had great talent, even at a young age. The above painting of a man is a work of Picasso from when he was a very young boy. He chose to express art in different ways than his predecessors. Picasso helped to lead modern art into the 20th century with his naturalism and abstract paintings.
We were also invited to Gerry's house to view a rehersal of three-piece symphony. There was a piano, cello, and violin. The performers were very talented, and it made us feel somewhat civilized.
I also visited the Louvre one more time because once was not enough.
Another memorable moment was getting to watch American football at an English bar. It brought a tear to my eye, even though I was not watching the Steelers dominate.

Our Trip to Spain

Our weekend trip to Spain was awesome. We first stopped in a city called Girona. Girona is in the Catalan region, which is an autonomous community of Spain. The Catalan people basically have their own language, not the traditional Spanish as one may think.
After Girona, we stopped at Barcelona. Here was visited the incomplete Sagrida Familie, which means Sacred Family. It is a massive cathedral that is being constructed as we speak. It was designed by Antoni Gaudi, who was a brilliant architect.
We also went kayaking on a calm river during our visit to Barcelona. We had to wear funny wet suits. Enjoy.