So... really?

Hello all,

I know its been awhile but I was just waiting for something crazy to happen so I could get riled up enough to write. Well, thank you Capitol Hill you've done it again. You know, they're right, it makes perfect sense to shutdown the non essential government and pay the workers to do nothing because of disagreements over CUTTING FEDERAL SPENDING.  Just perfect, clear as day, sense. I feel like I'm in Frane all over again. I know I didn't go to Harvard or Yale, like most of the people running the country, but even I, with my lowly state school education, can see that this is very stupid. Especially since it all hinges on a social issue... and a few other things I'm sure. I know my family and friends think I'm a die hard liberal but I'm not. I'm usually pretty impartial because lets face it neither side is all that awesome. I'm mentioning this because I want to be taken seriously. I don't want to be written off as the crazy Austin hippie who hates Republicans. That being said... WHAT THE FUCK republicans? How can you say that you are unsatisfied with the deficit and the proposed budget cuts because they aren't enough, and then cause the inefficiency that you're preaching against? Democrats are willing to make at least a small effort why aren't you? It doesn't make any sense. I'm baffled. How does it get to this point?

I mean what are we really talking about here. Republicans want to cut funding for Planned Parenthood because they provide (privately funded) abortions. Abortions are NOT federally funded, there's a law against that already. So what's the end game here? If you want to ban abortions, overturn Roe v Wade. Or maybe this is just a petty way to prove a point against social welfare programs. Are you really going to cut funding to an institution that provides birth control to a population that needs it most? If so, are you prepared to provide welfare to those children who's families live below the poverty line? I've done the math... birth control is cheaper. F.Y.I

I don't care which side of the abortion coin you are on. Anti, Pro I don't give a shit. You have a right to your opinion. But we've voted on this issue it's done. Right now abortions are legal. Deal with it. Planned Parenthood provides other vital services to women. Without it, many women would not be able to afford STD testing and thats not good for anyone. What about education and prevention? I mean, some girls think that you can't get pregnant when you're breastfeeding. (Sorry to burst your bubble.) What about general gynecological healthcare. It would be really terrible if cervical cancer numbers went up because girls couldn't afford to get PAP smears. To be quite honest, I'm not sure how I feel about abortion. I hope I'm never in a position to have to make a decision like that. I do, however, know how I feel about preventative education. It is great. We should be teaching sex ed. We should  be psychologically preparing people for the decisions they are going to face BEFORE they face them. Maybe if people knew how not to get pregnant they wouldn't need to get abortions. Planned Parenthood provides those things. But I guess that makes too much sense.

You're probably asking yourself "Man, Leah what a rant. I thought this post was about the government shut down. What does that have to do with abortion?"

Fucking exactly. I bid you good day.

Leah

PS A friend from the Ivory Coast says Ouattara is the thug and the bully and that Gbagbo should remain in power. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it American Media.

Technology Shmechnology

Disclaimer: I know I'm guilty too, but I'm gonna say all this anyway.

Nothing frustrates me more than people who make no effort to understand or be understood. It boggles my mind how some people can go through life and not want or care to make any sense whatsoever to their peers. I'm not venturing to say that life is simple but it does not have to be overly complicated. There are way too many people on this earth who hold no accountability for their thoughts or actions, and then just pretend like they don't know any better and just say "thats life". Bullshit. I have a lot of patience for people, even now the only reason I'm all riled up is because I'm afraid that I'll never understand anyone fully. Why don't people ever have normal interactions anymore? I blame social media networks and my overly coddled generation. People are so conscious of feelings nowadays that they are afraid to have any. Whatever happened to the pride that comes from speaking your mind and standing up for what you believe in. Sadly, it seems my generation, and those after, have no beliefs... or minds for that matter. I'm being harsh. But I think its disturbing how many important deep conversations people have over text message or the internet because they're too afraid to say it to someone's face. Its pathetic. Not only is it pathetic, but its often counterproductive because its so easy misconstrue a message like that, when there are no verbal or visual cues. Which brings me back to my original topic; I think people refuse to have real, face to face conversations because it makes them accountable for what they say. If a text is misinterpreted, its the readers fault. If a speaker is misunderstood... well its really no ones fault but their own. I still don't get why people are ok with being misunderstood. Is it lazyness? Is it fear? I don't know. I'm not blind to the irony that I'm typing this particular message on a blog but hey, if you want to have this conversation face to face I am totally down. All I want is for everyone to be straightforward. Our time on this planet is much to short to be guessing all the time what everyone needs or wants when we could just tell each other.

Easier said then done I guess, but my new New Year's resolution is that I will not send a text message that is longer than one sentence. Also, in that same vein I will refrain from having more than 4 text exchanges in a conversation. Good luck to me.

Love Leah

0 to 60 in 24 Hours... Degrees that is

This was on Friday morning. At noon there was little trace of snow save the few spots that hadn't been in the sun yet. The next day was so warm that you would have never known the morning before had snow on the ground. Weekend was awesome. Friday night I saw some old friends that I hadn't seen in way too long of a time so that was really nice. I also didn't know that they worked with me at Computer Place, so now I have new chat buddies! Then we saw Elephant M (a band with some kickin bass lines) and continued on to my friend's house party, where there were some other cool bands playing. The house is magnificent; floor to ceiling windows overlooking Zilker Park. It's an older house so it has lots of charm and personality which is added to by the eclectic way it's decorated. This chick was singing, I think they were called White Dress , and it was mesmerizing. Looking back on it, I don't think it would have taken a lot to mesmerize me, but I'm pretty sure they were good.

Next day was a rough one. I was like a pitiful, shivering zombie with empty eyes, turns out all those zombie movies got it wrong... coffee is the only cure. After some java, I was raring to go and we met up for some soccer in Zilker Park. I haven't played soccer since my days at the YMCA (when I would only play while wearing a tiara) so I was a little apprehensive but it was super fun... minus the ball I took to the stomach. Then we feasted on Polvos. I recommend the fish fajitas and the maragaritas. After all that I went to bed at 10:30, on a Saturday. I'm proud of me.

Sunday was a lovely if not very very lazy day. Of course it was the superbowl so I went to a superbowl party and I'd be lyin if I said I watched the game. There were so many people that I had never met before that I was too distracted by mingling. I think the Packers won... right? Oh well.

I wish I had some more pictures but my camera died so next post should be a little more interesting. I hope everyone had an amazing weekend!

Listen to the Two Gallants station on Pandora, specifically My Madonna

"And I curse my own comfort for the deaf and the blind,

cause it's dark as a dungeon way down in my mind

And I wake on the floor with my country at war,
and I wish I could care but my liver's too sore.
And if liquor's a lover, you know I'm a whore,
if liquor's a lover, you know I'm a whore"



Love Leah

If Winter comes can Spring be far behind?

These pictures were taken on Sunday January 30th. The most beautiful day, I think, that has ever existed in January. It was 77 degrees and the sky was speckled with just a few puffy clouds to provide a smidge of relief from...yes... the heat. In January. I post these pictures in remembrance because it is now around freezing and the threat of rain/sleet is imminent.

This post of happy thoughts is dedicated to the nice old man in the Wal Mart who let me cut in front of him. I only had two things and he was stocking up for World War 3, so he was nice enough to let me go first. God speed my friend.

Happy thought 1- Even though it is disgustingly cold and windy right now, it is not snowing and it will be warm again soon. I have evidence... a slight tan from my long Sunday bike ride.

Happy Thought 2- My parents are coming to visit in two and a half weeks and I couldn't be more excited. I miss them and I'm pretty sure they miss me. It's even cooler because we are going, as a family, to see Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at La Zona Rosa. I was boycotting this venue but have lifted it for this special occasion.

Happy Thought 3- I know how to read. It's something I think most Americans take for granted, especially this generation. But reading is amazing. You can learn so many things; consider so many ideas that you might have never otherwise considered. There's not really an excuse to be uneducated if you can read. I suggest reading The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. It's short and beautifully written and truly insightful. Right now I'm reading Oil! by Upton Sinclair.

Happy Thought 4- I get off work at 5 now which means I can go to spin class. My mother knows why this is exciting.

Happy Thought 5- Life is good to me and she's good to you too, as long as you put on the right glasses. It's all about perspective, people. You can sit around and think about how shitty your life is right now, or you can think about how much better it was at one point and therefore can be again. Life is not a downward spiral or an upward one for that matter, it's a rollercoaster. It's a majestic range of mountains with awe-inspiring peaks yet intimate knowledge hidden in its valleys. Be strong enough to climb back to the top after you've slid to rock bottom.

Love Leah

Hot damn I love this City

Every Day is Sunday

I'm not sure there is anything scarier than riding in the backseat of a mini cooper with a questionable driver (sorry dude) and the top down, zipping around 35 traffic, clutching a metal bike frame in front of me that's ready to break my fall in case of accident. Luckily, I came out of it unharmed.

We began the night at Gingerman. For those of you who don't know Gingerman, it is a bar with somewhere in the ballpark of 40 taps, I'd say. The kind of place where you get judged for ordering a Coors light. But then, I guess that's most places. Anyway they have a lovely patio, and my friends and I were just hanging out drinking various types of ales and hefeweizens and shootin' the shit. There was a beer brewed by Spaten, called the Optimator. It's double bock and is delectably sweet and malty. Worth giving a shot if you're an adventurous beer drinker.
Finally, after a few hours and a few pitchers we moved on. My Cameroonian coworker showed up right as we were leaving and told us about another bar further south. I was positive I knew which bar they were talking about because, before I left for France, there was only one bar there, Lustre Pearl. So they got in the car and I hopped on my bike ('cause I'm eco-friendly like that) and I met them there. Except when I got there, 3 new bars had popped up. That's cool I guess but I didn't know which one so I stood around and talked to the door guy at Lustre Pearl for awhile. He was a cool guy, used to be the guitar tech for Cory Morrow until he got "laid off". I wonder if he got a severance package...
Eventually, I found my friends at a bar called Clive, it was nice in there. One of those new, trendy Austin bars, a lot of 30 something ex hipsters. But the tables and benches were all solid blocks of wood, I'll hand it to their designer, it was pretty in there. My Cameroonian friend and his bud, also from the homeland, were telling some pretty ridiculous jokes and talking about Africa... I've decided that my next big trip (if I ever get one) is to Africa. Hopefully by the time I can go there it may have settled down a little bit, but I won't hold my breath.

Last stop of the night was Star Seeds which was surprisingly quiet. I got an eye opener which is biscuits, gravy and scrambled eggs and ate Every. Single. Bite. I went home (this is where the terrifying car ride came in), my friends dropped me off and I immediately went to sleep. Guess my food didn't really live up to its name now did it?

It's a beautiful day. I'm going to take advantage of it on my one day off. My last piece of advice... Listen to the Bandulus (I think their on Itunes) and turn your subwoofer up. Their bass lines are kickin' and their singer got soooouuuullll.

Love Leah

I'm alive

I'm bringing back the blog. I haven't touched it since I got home from France and a lot has changed since  then. I suppose I can give you a quick rundown, my life in a bulleted list if you will. Here goes:

•  Came home from France. Ate lots of Mexican food. Discovered I was Lactose Intolerant
• Lived with Mom and Dad. Got job as bartender (it was the best job ever)
• Went to Austin. Got hired at a computer company. Moved back in with Sarah in Austin. Was very happy
• Mathieu came to live with me. Broke up with Mathieu. Mathieu moved back to France
• Learned to camp and snowboard. Survived.
• Still work at said computer company. Am single (and content with that). Decided to apply to nursing school. Made Mom very happy.

So I guess that is the very quick version of my life from May 2010 to January 2011. The one good thing about this job at Computer Place is that I have a lot of time to ponder while waiting to have 2 minute conversations with people. Its interesting how much you can learn about someone in a two minute phone conversation about technical support. One, you can quickly assess what region the person is from based on accent (obviously) but also, more comically, word choice. I can pick a Canadian out faster than he can say zed. Two, you can learn a lot about their patience level. They are calling because their computers are broken and their businesses aren't running. That can piss a lot of people off, not to mention the less than 5 star service Computer Place is known for. So, I also commend people on not speaking to me like I'm an idiot. Some people, however, are ignorant and rude for no reason. I think they've just gone through life getting their way by being belligerent (sadly it often works). I was raised with a thick skin, thankfully, so they ain't rufflin my feathers. I mean come on, don't bite the hand that feeds, you know?

Anyway, I still speak French everyday with my coworker who's from Cameroon. I still have a lot to say about things so I figured I should dust off the old blog and see if she still fits. 'Spose she does.

Should I change the name?

Leah

Je ne sais quoi

I thought about describing to you my doings of late. My trip to Montpellier (which was the best weekend of my life), my trips to Paris or even my mundane daily activities of... well...nothing. Instead I think I might just talk about random things.

Have you ever seen the movie or read the book the Outsiders? I like it because it talks about what it actually means to be an outsider. It seems at some point or another everyone in the book feels like they don't belong in either their own group or the other cliques that exist. I've been thinking about this situation a lot lately because lets face it I am an outsider in many ways. Then I realized that its ridiculous. It's a weird defense mechanism. Protecting yourself from being judged by giving others something to judge on purpose. That way what they are judging isn't you its your fake image. Brilliant. Now though, not only are you protecting yourself from the people that aren't in your "group" but those who are in it as well because once you step outside your house wearing a mask...you have to wear it all the time. Its not like Ross's british accent where you can slowly, sneakily get rid of it (it didn't even work in tv world). So en gros I shouldn't be afraid to talk to people just because I'm afraid they won't like me. Because that's stupid. The end.

Next I'm coming home on Monday and I've been thinking about lots of things lately.
Notably:
Dos XX
Refried beans
tortilla chips
baked beans
the 4th of July
outdoor swimming pools
ceiling fans
orange dogs that breathe in peoples faces

Last. All you LOST haters should just be quiet and let those of us who like it bask in the glory of the sweetest ending ever. Sure it didn't answer all of the questions that were ever posed on the show but hey, when in life do you have all the answers? Exactly. AND the show wasn't even about the questions it was about the people and I think the ending was perfect and open leaving you the viewer to interpret how you see fit. RIP Lost.

Love Leah

Do Ré Mi

Hello world,

I did two things this weekend. I went to a cute little island on the Atlantic coast called Île de ré and I finished Sarah Palin's book. Let's start with the island.
It was ADORABLE. Cute little white houses and flowers everywhere it was out of a picture book. We rode bikes everywhere on Saturday and saw all kinds of animals like baby lambs and a llama. Finally we got to the beach which was deserted but beautiful. The beach was huge, the water was a crystal turquoise color and the sand was pristine-no trash at all, and all along the coast you could see Blochauses, you know those concrete stations that the germans used to fight us off. It was really cool from a historical standpoint and as my friend Anne put it, "How could anyone fight a war on this beautiful beach?" We also saw the hugest jellyfish I've ever seen in my entire life. I mean seriously. So the water was a little cold but I had my ridiculous amount of excitement to keep me warm. I really love the  beach. So I went swimming and Mathieu attempted haha. All in all, a lovely weekend.

The second thing I did was read Sarah Palin's book. Before you judge me let me preface this with the fact that it is important and responsible to understand everyone's ideas even if in general you don't agree. Since we as an American public really didn't know Sarah Palin, I felt obligated to get to know her... even if it is too little too late. What I found out was that she did some things in Alaska, things that no other governor has done. I also found out that it wasn't her that ruined John Mccain's campaign, it was the campaign itself who decided to stifle her which is why only the bad shit got out which she admits was some pretty dumb stuff. They made a lot of mistakes in regards to how they dealt with her, even choosing her was a mistake but whatever. I also found out (well already knew) that the media is a horrible source of information. Finally, I found out that the people most to blame for how that election was handled is us. People who swallow disgusting rotten pieces of trash like pigs, instead of forcing our news to report things that are A) true and B) important. On both sides. Sure its my fault that I didn't do enough research before I voted, but I'm really disappointed with the picture that was painted for me of both sides. I always admitted that I liked John Mccain it was Sarah Palin that ruined it for me... I still would not have voted for her even after reading her book..
Yes we do need change in America but from where I'm sitting it doesn't look like we're getting a whole lot of it. Or maybe I'm just guilty again of listening to hearsay. I'll tell you one thing... I never realized just how free we are to do whatever we want in America until I lived here.

Love Leah

I do not heart Paris

Well hello,

Seems to have been a long time since I last wrote. I'm not really sure whats was going on last time I was here but lets see if I can bring ya'll up to speed. Lately I've been helping Mathieu move to Paris, well sort of helping him. We finally got all of his stuff into his new apartment which is cute and pretty large considering its Paris. Its in the 17th arrondissement and the area is pretty calm. But, even if these are all positive things I've been saying, I still get physically ill when I enter the Paris city limits. The more I go there and the longer I stay the more I realize I hate it, ok maybe not hate. You see, even though I'm not from the country , in Texas even the cities are the country compared to the dense metropolis that is Paris. Geographically its not that big but its like hundreds of thousands of people stacked on top of one another living in tiny apartments for hundreds of dollars. Sure its Paris, there's the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe but after awhile you get tired of going there, not to mention that it probably takes an hour on the metro to get there anyway. Everyone tells me, "but Leah theres so much to do in Paris." Yeah there is, like seeing the sights and looking at art in one of Paris' many museums. But I can't take advantage of that if I have a job, which I'll need to pay for the 6 euro beer.
Ok, ok  I know I'm being harsh, its just resentment because its a lot of change at once. Not only am I thinking about moving to place I never wanted to live but I'm wrestling with the fact that I might stay indefinitely across the ocean from my family and friends. I don't know if I can  handle it.
On a related note, this is the last week of work for me. I'm coming home in about 1 month. May 31st I'll be getting on a plane and setting foot in America for the first time in months. I want a steak, a baked potato, and some yellow squash. I want my phone back with my unlimited phone calls and text messaging. I want my sunday softball games and my breakfast tacos, my pure, untouched nature AND my right to sit on the grass anywhere I want to.

Anyway its springtime and I will say that France is absolutely beautiful in the spring. And I'm lucky enough to have someone who really wants me to be happy so I'm going to be happy. I'm going to try. If Paris is the sacrifice I have to make, then its totally worth it.

Love Leah

ps. I'm reading Sarah Palin's book.... ha ha

Pass the Courvoisier

Ah the sun, le soleil. J'adore. I had the best weekend. First Mathieu, Amanda (my roommate) and I drove to her house which is in Cognac country. Practically everyone that lives there works in the cognac industry. Whether it be growing the grapes, distilling, bottling, what have you. We stayed with Amanda's family who are the most friendly welcoming people, even though her dad was a little hard for me to understand because he has a thick accent and talks really fast. But anyway we walked around and went to a distillery and tasted some cognac...ok a lot of cognac. Amanda's family has a big ole Saint Bernard who is 6 months old and weighs over 100 lbs. He was so cute. And I got to play with Amanda's nephew Hugo who's so adorable I could have squeezed him to death... good thing I didn't.
So then, Mathieu and I said goodbye to her family and moved on down the road to Bordeaux which is a beautiful city, if not a little old looking. I really liked it, lots of flowers and its super sunny.So we spent about a half a day there and then we went to hang out with Mathieu's dad next to the ocean. Man I wished it were warmer I wanted to go swimming so bad. So it was beautiful and we drove forever to get home but all in all it was a perfect weekend really. I'll put some pictures up when I think about it.

Also, I'm gonna stay in France. I'm looking for a job, and even if I don't find one I'm coming back here. So, I'll be home in a month and a half, say goodbye to me then and hopefully it won't be the last time you see me.

Love Leah

An Automatic Kind of Girl

Long time no type! Its been a busy week because my parents were here! It was awesome and I'll tell you a little about it, unfortunately they took all the pictures so I can't enrich my post with photos like usual. Ok so I went to pick them up from the airport and then forced them to drag all of their luggage through many metros which was a huge pain in the ass but hey thats how people get around here. Finally we got to their hotel which was in a part of town I'd never been too so that was cool. It was around Gare St Lazare. So all we did pretty much was walk around and eat. Not too bad. On Monday I had to return to Orleans because I had to work. They came down Wednesday afternoon and we quickly realized that my mom had left her wallet on the train...byebye wallet forever. Luckily her passport was not inside. Then after many administrative wallet related shenanigans we ate dinner at my house with Amanda, Raina and Mathieu. We didnt' eat just any dinner mind you... we ate Raclette. MMMMMmm melted cheese and potatoes. Then the next day Mathieu was kind enough to drive us to a castle and then to a wine cave and we got a cool little tour and many glasses for wine tasting. Then we went out to eat and to one of my favorite bars where we partied way to hard. Saturday I met back with my parents in Paris and we went to Centre Pompidou and saw a really cool exhibit by Lucien Freud. I recommend it.  All and all it was a good trip for them. They really liked my friends I think and they really liked Mathieu which is awesome.

A completely unrelated but funny story. Yesterday Mathieu and I went to his mom's house to eat lunch. She lives in the country a little bit so we decided he should teach me how to drive a manual. I was a little apprehensive but whatever I have done it before. So I get into the car and he gives me a some last minute reminders and I start crying because I'm so scared (I was laughing at the same time and so was he at the ridiculousness of me crying) I think I have a phobia. So I calmed down and then started driving I even got it into second and went back down into first but then I had to turn around and I couldn't quite do a u turn so I was going to stop and do a 3 point turn. Then Mathieu starts aking what are you doing and I freak out and the car stalls because I didn't push the clutch while I was breaking or whatever. Then I really started crying because we were headed for a giant hole and I could've killed someone.

That is the end of stick driving for me... ill  just have my toyota shipped over.

Love Leah

Stickin to Croissants

Well it's official. I'm boycotting baguettes because one of them decided to injure me. I cut myself on the sneaky razorblade that is french bread. Its actually kind of a gross cut. I didn't think it was possible to hurt yourself on bread but I guess I was wrong. On the brighter....or less dark side I think it might be getting warmer...finally. I'm tired of being cold all the time. I'm tired of being told I look tired because my skin hasn't seen the sun in god knows how long. Anyway
Wednesday night we went to L'Astrolabe which is the venue of Orléans and I was pleasantly surprised at the sound quality there. There was a battle of the bands sort of thing going on but not like in Austin where, whoever has the most fans wins. Here there were actually judges. There were all different styles of jazz and some of the best saxophone playing I've ever heard. Not that I'm an expert on sax playing or anything but whatever, it was really good. I'm hoping they'll have some more good concerts because I was looking on the wall at who had come through there and it gave me high hopes that someone cool might play soon. There was however one band who totally sucked. (yep it's time for the rant) They were called the sound orchestra or something dumb like that. There were maybe 6 of them on stage, a dj, a bassist (with 6 strings mind you), a trombone player, a sax player etc... I guess since the bassist had a six string bass I assumed that they would either be good or reeaaalllly bad. Because honestly who buys a six string bass unless your trying to show off. Really good bassists can do amazing things on 4 or 5. So anyway, they turned out to be reeaallllly bad. They were just making noise. There was no rhyme or reason and it wasn't even pretty noise. The bassist was rubbing a spoon on the strings to play it. Oh I get it, that's why you need six strings, more surface area to rub your spoon on. It was ridiculous. At first we gave it a chance just in case they were just fooling us and were gonna break into some mad funk or something. Wrong. They made noise for thirty minutes. I'm sure in their dweeby minds they are making a statement about how music can mean anything. About the principle of jazz music and being avante garde and creative. Look dudes, there is a reason that people play music the way they do, because it sounds good. People have been playing music for thousands of years based on the musical theory we use today... because it sounds good. And really isn't that the principle of music? I think when people are being obstinate like that, just being different because its cool to be different, they are really missing their mark. Its hard for me to believe they actually thought what they were doing was good and interesting, but I imagine if I asked them they would have this speech prepared about what music really is and how they're redefining the scope of musical appreciation. A lot of big words to say nothing... I lived in Austin for 5 years I know how to spot musical bullshitters.

Then again maybe it made them feel good and happy to play that "music" and I can't hate on that.

Lately I've been thinking about how I should have been a lawyer, no matter what someone says I can argue with it. Maybe I'm wrong but I can usually convince someone I'm right for at least a little while. Or maybe I should have been in sales.
"He could make a woman in white gloves eat a ketchup popsicle"

Love Leah

Its a Lame One

There are two common english words that you quickly learn cannot be said in a french classroom;
Beach and Sheet. So now I say, do you like to go to the ocean and will you please take out a piece of paper.

Besides all that, classes are going ok. I still have issues with one of the classes full of 12 year olds at the ghetto school. There is this one kid that always starts teasing the other one, but quietly so I cant hear and when the other one retaliates the first kid screams at me "MISSES MISSES HE SAY  ZE BAD WORD!!!!!" Of course I tell him not to interrupt me and that "if you hadnt called him a douchebag first, he might not have called you a dickhead." So that way he learns cause and effect with his english. I also taught them the golden rule. No, not that whoever has the gold makes the rules... you know the one you learned when you were little and that most people quickly forgot. Yes that one, do unto others as you would have done unto you. Obviously they don't understand...

Anyway, its not too long before my parents come. YAY. That means Im getting peanut butter :) Im excited. Then after that its not too long before this job is over and I come back to the US. I've been looking for jobs for next year here and finally I got an interview as an english teacher at a university in Grenoble. But guess what... the interview is the day that my parents are here. So I asked for another day but its not looking good. Oh well its at least encouraging to get an interview.

Sorry France, you'll have to put up with me a little longer.
Love Leah

Terminé, Bonsoir

I know you've all been waiting to hear about Prague and how awesome it is. Well, here goes it. I wish that I could just recount my entire trip on this blog but that would take entirely too long and I know ya'll wouldn't read it anyway. So I've chosen some pictures and hopefully with my captions you can piece together how incredible my trip to Prague actually was.

So when we first arrived in Prague we put our stuff down in our hostel, which was cozy and had free coffee. Then we left to briefly explore our surroundings. Seeing as Mathieu chose a great hostel right in the middle of town this is one of the things we saw first. It is St. James Cathedral. Does it not look like it could be the castle in Sleeping Beauty? I think so. Anyway it was neat because you have this gothic building jutting up from these low renaissance buildings like a mountain next to hills. Which is a really good example of Prague architecture in general. Its a giant hodge podge of different styles and different eras all mixed together in one city. Ok next slide....

There were four of us that went to visit a friend. It was Raina, Alex, Mathieu and I going to visit Maxime, an Orléanais who is "studying" in Prague for the semester. I put studying in quotations because you don't study in Prague... you drink.

Here we are at Charles Bridge the oldest bridge in Prague and also the only bridge up until the late 1800's. Imagine that. Prague really isn't that big we walked everywhere and basically saw everything.

Here is some really horrible english that we saw standing outside of one of the many parties Maxime took us to. I guess instead of having class they have parties...until 6 in the morning. But thats cool

So here is a typical Czech meal. Pork and saurkraut...and lots of it. Oh yeah and potato dumplings. I'm not going to say Czech republic is the culinary center of the world, but their sausage is damn good. And look how they made it look.

Also an important thing to note is that the beer is not only cheap, but it's cheaper than water. So thats what you drink and there are only two kinds. Light beer and dark beer. Surprisingly the people of Prague aren't the obnoxious drunkards, its the foreigners.

Here is a traditional czech dessert. Its just fried bread and sugar. I'm positive that every culture has its own version of fried bread and sugar...doughnuts, sopapillas, beignets etc.


Ok well I'm tired of writing captions. But I should just tell you that it is really worth going to Prague. There is so much to visit. I spent an entire afternoon visiting a series of Jewish museums because Prague has the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe... and you all know how much I love to visit cemeteries. The architecture there is like brain overload because everywhere you look there's tons of little details to look at. What I heard was that even though they were invaded by Germany Hitler decided not to destroy it so it still has a shitload of stuff to look at. Also think about this. We went out to a restaurant every afternoon and evening, we went to see museums and tours and we stayed in a Hostel... in all I spent 200 euros. That's all. Terminé Bon soir!

Love Leah

Glitter in the Air

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Closed your eyes and trusted
Just trusted
Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, "I just don’t care."

It’s only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg
The sun before the burn
The thunder before the lightning
And the breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you’re not alone
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It’s only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table
The walk before the run
The breathe before the kiss
And the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?

La La La La La La La La

There you are, sitting in the garden
Clutching my coffee,
Calling me sugar
You called me sugar

Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight?
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself will it ever get better than tonight?
Tonight

------

I saw this on the Grammy's and thought it was awesome. Sweet and simple just the way I like it.

Love Leah 

Snow Angels

Apparently this has been the worse winter in 22 years. Thanks. At least next week I get to leave the country and go to Prague. YAY! And after that its only a month until my parents come! YAY! Well at least thats what they say... I'm not gonna get really excited until they buy their tickets. I don't really have anything to say I'm just bored and I thought I'd write.

Oh I sent my first batch of resumés out to french universities hoping they'll hire me for next year. We will see.

Love Leah

Gala 2010

Man prom would have been so much better if you could drink.
Last night was the infamous gala that Ive been talking about and it was exactly like a prom except you could drink and boy did we. Well not so much me because I had to sing but anyway. What was even crazier was the horrible ratio between dudes and girls there. I could have been 300 hundred pounds and gotten hit on I think. First we got ready at our house (Amanda, her friend, Raina, and I) and then we took a bus to get there.

That is me and David and here is Amanda and her friend

They were so pretty... well they still are haha anyway... You went in and there was a runway show in one room and in another room bands were playing (thats where I sang). It was pretty tight and then there was this huge room with a DJ and it was awesome everyone was dancing I mean like hardcore sweaty dancing. Especially Mathieu who at one point had his shirt unbuttoned and his tie around his head. And people say engineers are boring ha. Anyway it was really really fun. And apparently the band I sang with wants to record the songs so maybe you guys can hear them. Well Im off to clean my room and nap.

Ah I forgot Im on vacation yay!!!
Leah

Speak to Us Of Love

When love beckons you follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you, yield to him, though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden. For even as love crowns you, so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth he is for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses the tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth. Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself. He threshes you to make you naked. He sifts you to free you from your husks. He grinds you to whiteness. He kneads you until you are pliant; And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become the sacred bread for god's sacred feast.
All of these things shall love do unto you, that you may know the secrets of your heart and in knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure, then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing floor,
Into a seasonless world where you will laugh but not all of your laughter, and weep but not all of your tears...

... But if you love and still have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And bleed willingly and joyfully...

-Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Put Another Dime In the Jukebox Baby

Hello world,

So this week marks the end of another chunk of school which means that Friday marks the beginning of yet another vacation. I thought teaching in the US would be awesome because of summer but this is just ridiculous. Anyway for this vacation Ill actually be doing something interesting, IM GOING TO PRAGUE! So thats exciting. Ill be sure to send lots of postcards.
So we had a dress rehearsal for the gala and apparently our group was one of if not the best. I wish that meant we were totally awesome (we were good) but it really just means that the rest of the groups werent so good. This one group covered some of my favorite songs that Ive always wanted to cover and they did it horribly. Oh well. It made me feel better at least. So the list of songs Im singing includes... Hit the Road Jack, Sunny, I love Rock and Roll, Fever and then some back up stuff. Its cool.
In other news I have to tell my gym when i want to end my subscription and send a letter to my landlord about when Im moving out... sadness.
Im doing Valentines Day with the kids today. Last week I had to break up a fight in this class so we'll see how it goes. I changed the seating chart so I dont think it will be a problem anymore. Plus they are 12 and barely come up to my chest so if they do get in a fight its not like Im risking injury in pulling them apart. But who gets in a fight during a lesson about Valentines Day, its LOVE people!! Im having them write poems. I realize it could be kind of cruel to make middle school kids write love poems considering its the most awkward age ever but oh well, theyll learn someday. And why not today? Ok Il faut que j'y ailles.

Love
Leah

Angel Whispers

I believe in Karma now more than ever. People are being so patient with me right now and I can't really seem to figure out why. The only way I can explain it is that normally I'm the one who is patient... so the world is rewarding me. Awesome, I'm really lucky that people will put up with me sometimes. Anyway. The gala is approaching and I'm kind of nervous about it. The gala is like a graduation ceremony for the engineering school and most of my friends are in the engineering school... when I say most of I mean all. And I'm singing at it which is cool and I'm not really nervous about singing but I don't really know whats going on and I don't like that. I don't know what we are going to do on stage, I don't know what order the songs are in, I just feel unprepared and that makes me nervous. I bought a really pretty dress though so at least I'll look good ;) And since Polytech is mostly dudes I guess it really doesn't matter what I do or how I sing haha I'm wearing a dress. So i'm excited.

I got the best birthday present. A my little pony!!! Sarah is awesome. She also sent me my favorite type of scented candle called Angel Whispers... who names a candle Angel Whispers? 

Anyway tout va bien and its sunny today so thats good

Love Leah