Day 4 in France - 8/29/00

8/29/00

Already today, I've mailed my first batch of postcards, bought stamps, paper, envelopes, and pens, had my picture taken for my 12-25 card, and had the photo affixed to the card.  I ran errands with Nicole today - the butcher (where they know her name), the bank, and picking up photos.  We walked, of course.  Delphine is here now.  We're going to eat lunch and then go see the movie.  Later tonight I get to call Jamie!  I hope I don't cry.  Someone's coming - Delphine.  Lunch time.

[Later]

I got 1800 francs from the ATM.  I think it's about $257.00 american.  I also changed some money.  I've already spent quite a bit!  I bought stamps, postcards, paper, envelopes, pens, my train ticket and 12-25 card, and today, a movie ticket.  Delphine's friend, (also called Delphine), is coming with us, which is a little awkward for me, but I think that after this year there won't be much that feels awkward!  I need to buy an alarm clock.  I don't think I can wait until Mom sends me one.  I wish I hadn't told her to!  Today, after the movie, I'm going to give myself a manicure and re-organize all of my things.  I need to do laundry tomorrow!  While I'm thinking about it, I'm going to find my dictionary and look up some words.

[Later]

Delphine told me yesterday that Cassandra told her I speak French better than Meme.  Where in the world did she get that idea??  I'm counting down the hours until 7:00!  Jamie!!  I'm worried I'm going to cry, though.  I'm positive I will if he does.  The smoke here hasn't been any worse than the US so far (though people smoke in the mall and everywhere else), but the smell of unwashed bodies can be pretty bad.  I had thought Jean & Nicole had their own shower downstairs (perhaps they do and I'm mistaken?), but yesterday Jean came upstairs in his bathrobe to tell me he was going to shower since it was hot.

Delphine is a bit easier to talk to since she's closer to my age, but when she was with me and her friend Delphine today, I remembered just how far apart 14 and 20 are.  She talks to me like I'm younger than I am.  I guess it's like the same way I treated Yulia [the Russian exchange student who lived with us my senior year in high school] at first - not like she was stupid, but like she was younger than her actual age.  Even though it was just her second language that was behind.  I have so many thoughts to write down, but I don't know where to start.  And my hand cramps before I can get to even a few of them.

Levi's jeans here are about $71.00.  Wow.  After MI2 today, we had about 25 minutes until Nicole was coming to pick us up, so Delphine, Delphine, and I went into the "centre commerciale" next to the movie theatre.  (Both are mostly underground.)  The mall was big, and I only recognized a few stores.  Printemps, Haagen-Datz, and the Disney Store. I'm going to buy something Chanel before I leave France, just to have it.  I'm ready for Jamie to join me.  It feels right to think of him coming soon, but then I think about how long it actually it .

I was just thinking that I hope Jamie reads this so he can know what my year was like, but I'm going to fill at least one of these books.  [I filled four.]  It's going to be a long diary!   I want to take a short nap, but I don't have an alarm clock to wake me up.  And I'm afraid that if I sleep through 7:00, he'll think I wasn't excited to call him, when the truth would be I just didn't have an alarm.  I am going to lay down.  I hope I'm awake before 7:00!  I'm sure I will be.  It's not quite 5:00 yet.  I hope I do sleep; it'll make time go by quicker.

[Later]

I slept a bit and then had lots of trouble calling Jamie.  The number I have for the Charrons has a "4" in it that shouldn't be there, so it took us a while to finally get a hold of each other.  I wish I could call him again right now.  I love him so much!  [etc., for another paragraph.]