Hey! (15/05/2012) I wrote this a whole week ago and have been too side-tracked to post! I’ll all a bit out of date now but I think it will still be an interesting read. Love y’all lots xx

So, I’ve been back at school since Wednesday last week and I am really enjoying it! Day one was a bit sketchy but every day since it has gotten better and better! I’ve joined in with a circle of friends including Marie, who lives in the same village as me (Rognes), Gabby, whose house I went to on Friday for lunch, Camille who is HILARIOUS (well she sounds hilarious but I usually can’t understand what she’s saying), Laurena, who only today have i bonded with (she’s so nice!!), and there’s another girl whose name I still can’t remember which is a little embarrassing on my behalf.

Every Friday we have two hours of sport and finally on Friday I actually remember to take my tights and joggers so I could join in too. At the moment we are practicing pentabon which is a more retarded version of long-jump (run-hop-step-step-step-jump!) and guess what! I jumped the furthest! Bless my long legs! And it was nice doing a bit of sport aside from my unusually unsuccessful  jog I attempt now and then. I have tried briefly to look into basketball in Aix, because I guy in my class plays and he told me that there is competition for girls, too. However I have a feeling that its getting close to the end of the season. I could start tennis but that is something that you usually play alone and I like to play with a team! Plus its probably rather expensive. And horse riding is out of the question because a) it’s far too expensive and b) the horse does most of the exercise!  I think volley ball is played a fair bit here and I at least know the rules so maybe I’ll check that out too?

This weekend has been a pretty big one for me. On Saturday, we had lunch with some family firend and I also attempted to wash absolute! Although I think I made him look worse because I didn’;t wash the shampoo out properly so he’s a little bit ... crusty. I’ll have to wait for another hot day to finish the job because it turns out he LOVES the hose (the family thought he hated water – which is ironic because he’s a water dog breed).  Then Saturday night I had another one of those fancy shmancy parties to go to, but I had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction and almost gave up the goat. I did end up going though and I wore a $6 dress I got from a second hand store last week. It was still wet from the wash when I threw it on, but my super hot and sexy body dried it up pretty quick.  I thought that every time that had one of these soiree’s it was held at the golf club, but this time one of the organisers had it at her house... or should I say mansion! It’s located just outside of aix in the absolutely exquisite countryside. If there is one stereotype that we got right about France, it is definitely the beautiful south countryside. Only now that winter has gone and spring has arrived, can I fully appreciate it in all its glory. The vineyards are flourishing with new growth (along with every other living thing) and everywhere you go is bursting with a rich green colour, decorated with the wild flowers (especially poppies). I get to see the countryside every morning on the drive to school, and home again, and it is truly magical. My family and I actually went on the hunt twice during the holidays for fresh asparagus growing in the bush all around Rognes. The small, green shoots are not the easiest things to find and apparently we were a little late in the season so they weren’t as abundant. After two hours or so we had a solid couple of handfuls and that night Marie made a delicious Creamy asparagus sauce with spaghetti! (I LOVE MARIE – sorry, little bit of randomness there but I am seriously in love with my family and I’m so happy here!)

Whoa, whoa, I’d better retrace my steps! I was initially telling you all about the party and in particular the divine house/mansion/villa/thing. (I’m actually writing this initially in my exercise book in chemistry class, so just excuse me for a second while I go and partake in a science experiment)... (I had to try three types of milk: fresh, pasteurised and UHT – but I’m a little lactose intolerant so I gave a tummy ache and a LOT of flem going on right now). SO, the exterior of the house was covered in a big lavish vine but the most beautiful thing about the place was not the perfect and fluffy green lawn, nor the water-fountain, but the fact that we arrived at sunset and got to watch the ‘sun go to sleep’ (sunset literally translates to ‘sleep of the sun’) over fields of green wheat and vineyards. I just can’t get over the face that these generous and really rish people throw a party with tons of delicious food, a DJ, lighting and now they even supply their own house just for the pure enjoyment if young kids like me. I don’t even know them! I seriously felt the need to buy them some flowers.

We ended up leaving at 2 in the morning and at 8 the morning after I had promised to Skype mumzy for Mothers day! I however accidently woke up at 9 but when I logged on mum wasn’t online! I got mon ami Giselle (who was online) to call mum and see what was the go, and turns out she was at my unties and I was to call uncle Micks Skype! I had the “morning after” hair and make-up look raging when I unfortunately saw myself in the Skype camera – very attractive – but it was a really beautiful skype with 7 family members on the other end. I sang them my new song (well, tried too) and then my darn internet cut out, when it came-to I had to bid my farewells anyway because the family and I were heading out to Malo’s confirmation ceremony with the catholic church in Aix. I was awfully tires and although the ceremony was very beautiful (with close to 1000 people in the church and 55-60 kids doing the same thing as Malo) it went for 2 hours instead of 1, and I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Malos god-mother is Nathalie (Marie’s sister) so she was included in the ceremony meaning that Pascal her husband was there too, and Maries Parents. Then we all came back to our house for a celebratory lunch (I am addicted to wasabi peas).

At about 5 that afternoon after snoozing on the day-bed all though pre-lunch nibbles and also after post-lunch drinks, I said my farewells and went to bed when I slept to 6:30 the next morning, only stirring once to use the toilet! My family are actually considering taking me to the doctors because I am tired ALL THE TIME. Even the Monday morning after that huge sleep, I still slept in class. I tried telling them that it’s normal but even I am starting to wonder... Marie bought me some stuff from the chemist so hopefully that will give me a boost.

Oh I forgot to mention that during my lunch at my firnd Gabby;s house, we discovered that she had a piano, and Marie (my other friend) plays piano beautifully so we have been trying to collaborate (so finally it happened)! An artist called ‘birdy’ did a cover of ‘Skinny love’ by Bon Iver on the piano and Marie could play is so well so we did that one and Camille recorded in on her phone (that’ll be interesting to see). Marie also offered to bring some cherries to school for me because she has a few cherry trees at her how which are sagging under the weight of all the cherries. Maybe tomorrow I could go help her pick them! That could be fun.

I have also got a fair few fun things to look forward to during my year in France. Tomorrow night I am going to Cleas house for a dinner party with some of her other friends and my instructions are to bring a plate of food and my swimmers because apparently the pool is very hot! I have decided to make two plates : one savoury and one sweet. The first is Vietnamese spring rolls (YUM) with prawns, vermicelli, julienned carrots and cucumber, lettuce, mint, basil and coriander. As for the dipping sauce I had to venture into an Asian supermarket which is conveniently located at my bus stop on Aix, to buy some hoisin sauce and peanuts. And what a gem it was to find! It has all the things needed for making anything Asian like sushi etc and it is really cheap! let me put it in perspective for you: yesterday I bought a huge bottle of hoisin sauce, a big bad of peanuts for only 5 euro. Today I went to some posh coffee joint on the Cours Mirabeau and payed 3.40 euro for a freaking hot chocolate. Its a bit of a joke really, so I’ll never do that again. That hot chocolate is almost double the sodt of a bit slicve of ‘pizza capri’ , its more than a toasted Panini (a foot long sandwich toasted with cheese and herbs or whatever), and its 4 baguettes! AND IT WASN’T EVEN THAT GOOD.

Haha I get side-tracked so easily! so, Vietnamese rolls for the savoury and for desert I am going to make chocolate covered strawberries. Yesterday I also experimented with dark-chocolate covered orange pieces and it was awesome! I carefully peeled each individual segment of orange and took all the white stuff off, then dried all the excess juice with paper towel. Then I dipped/rolled it in some dark chocolate and into the fridge to go hard! So there you have it – I’m practically masterchef.

...what was I originally telling you? Ahh yes, I was going to list all the exciting things that I have coming up! So to recap, dinner at clea’s on Wednesday night, and then on Thursday if the weather is nice, my family and I are going to have a picnic at cassis. Cassis is on the ocean so I’m going to throw my swimmers in again i think. We have Thursday and Friday off school so that is a 4 day weekend!

Then on the first of June I have been invited to lunch by a lovely girl called Solene who was in my class before I changed. Her family are really nice so that will be fun. Then on the second I have a rotary meeting with all other exchangers in my district who are both in-bounders like me and out-bounders like Malo who is going to Korea in August.  And after that I am going to my friend Sllys house for her 18^th birthday. She is an  exchange student from America.

Then around the 10^th of june I am going to spend a week with my uncle bob and auntie heather on their Canal boat. How great will that be?! They have been coming to France every two years for 3 months or so to travel around slowly on their canal boat. Im also going to stay a week with my Auntie Peita, Uncle Ivor  and cousin Hannah who are staying in a house just north of Limoges on the 27^th of July. I am so excited for this!

In September mamma bear is coming over and we’re going to spend a glorious 3 weeks together around Aix and then down to Barcelona!

And finally the last trip I know of at the moment is with rotary and it’s a euro bus tour with all the other Aussie’s in France and I think the Argentineans too (PARTY BUS!). and that goes for 12 Days.

Somewhere in my trip I want to squeeze in a trip to London to stay with my cousin who has been living and working there for a year with her boyfriend.

You know what? I think I have just about covered everything. I usually write a little list of thinks to remind me of what I am saying when I weave my way off track and now that list is completely crossed off!

Until next time,

Lots of love – Dan xxxxxxx