Europe

Today was cloudy after a week of sunshine.  Bradie bought me lunch and we took long aimless walks.  I was supposed to go on the wine-tasting excursion, but when I got to school, I found out it wasn't leaving until three and wouldn't get back until 8.  Colette had planned making me a nice dinner, so I decided I would go on the next wine-tasting excursion with my school instead.  
Something I love about Bradie is her effortless ability to articulate things that I can't put into words so easily.   This is one of the reasons I enjoy talking with her so much, especially during a time when there are so many things I feel like I can't describe and put words to but they're really crucial to my experience here.  For example, she brought up how in art the reason we're frustrated is because our teacher talks about these abstract concepts as if we should already understand, as in "remember that class we had on relationships?".  And when we saw some middle schoolers commiserating nearby, we started talking about the awful truths of middle school life and its universalities...silly things like that, or more important things like what it feels like to be changing here.  I like having someone who enjoys trying to put it to words as much as I do.
We decided since we were staying the weekend in Aix that we would go out one more night, either tonight or tomorrow night.  Only one night, though, because I like to stay in and because midterm week is coming up.  We finally decided on tonight and tomorrow would be completely free.
So I went back home and spent the chilly, cloudy afternoon reading in my bed.  It was my birthday, so I read a novel instead of doing homework.  Colette made a delicious dinner of paella.  Of course, as usual she wouldn't let me help her prepare it, even when I told her I didn't have homework.  It was delicious.  And afterwards she had a strawberry tart and peach-flavored champagne.  It was a lovely night.
Later that night I met Bradie and Becca at one of the fountains, and we were all going to go dancing at one of the places in town that night.  Bradie and I shared a bottle of wine to make us feel giggly before dancing.   Although I don't really drink, Becca actually doesn't drink, so it was just the two of us.  After sipping it between us for about a half hour, we didn't feel any effects.  I knew it was probably because I had eaten such a big dinner.  But wine was cheap at the épicerie and it was my birthday.  Plus I was enjoying just talking with the girls at the fountain before doing anything, anyway.  So we decided to get a second one.  But as we were purchasing it, I started to feel the wine-effects creeping in on me.  The whole walk to the dance place had me in a fit of laughter.  It was really fun.  We girls danced all night.  It was probably the most fun I've had dancing here, because they played a variety of music (and by variety, I mean that some songs were not techno) and we danced like no one was watching.