Wrap-up

Just like last week, this week has dissapeared before my very eyes! I cant believe the weekend is already here! I've been working mainly on editing men's travel pieces like the weekender, the sports bag & luggage. I did more colorizations and am getting better & better each time! I figured out how to wrap the circus toile fabric around the corners of the suitcases to make it look more realistic! I have my running this week in hopes of getting into some kind of shape besides fat! I run to the Bastille, around the pedestrian bridge & back to the monument, which takes about 20 minutes, then walk back along rue Saint Antoine then continue running back home. I am literally exhausted after that petite workout...I don't know how I used to run SO much when I played soccer without dying! On Thursday, I even did five 30-45 second planks & reverse sit ups! I run by really cool shops & clothing stores & cafés! The cafés are always packed when I run by because this is Paris & that's just what people do! They all kinda look at my funny as I huff-and-puff by because people don't really workout here. I got to skype my mom & dad on Wednesday, which I always enjoy! I showed them the picture of "Ken" (aka Chuang, the student living in the other room with my host family) and we DIED laughing! He looks like a tiny cartoon...or according to Eli "the image that you would see if you googled Crasian!" That's definitely the best way to describe it! He leaves on Saturday & I'm not sure when another student will come in. Patricia's house is like a revolving door because right after an exchange student leaves, another one comes within a week of the last student's departure. Her & the girls have been on vacation for the past 3 weeks & I haven't seen them since I left for London!! Her ex-husband has been staying at the house, I guess so that someone can keep their eye on us. We clearly have opposite schedules because since I got home from Scotland & London, I've only seen him twice! I feel like I have the whole apt to myself because I never see him & Ken goes to sleep around 8ish!

Bible study this tuesday was awesome! There were 20 or so people there & lots of new faces! I met 2 missionaries from the Chicago area! The lesson was from Corinthians & how Paul advised the Corinth's to not believe/trust in new-age religion, which we related to cheesy televangelists & people who are peddling the scripture for a quick buck. It went further into how leaders back in the day thought they were SO smart & Paul kind of mocks them & says "even though you all are SO smart & already know EVERYTHING, there is no way to understand or comprehend how great God's love for us is." The verse basically said that God's amazingness is a mystery & a hidden secret and you can only TRY to understand it through the Spirit. We broke into little groups for prayer before it ended & the floor was open to any prayer requests so OFCOURSE I asked for prayers about the while Pepsi situation. The Purpose Driven Connection from today was about praying about everything that worries you or makes you scared, so I keep praying that God will open the doors (whether at Pepsi or for another job opportunity) because I know that He has something SO AMAZING planned just for me! God has a wonderful sense of humor because I got an e-mail from Lisa Frazier from Pepsi telling me that the NY office has received my résumé and I should be hearing from their HR department shortly so I can proceed with the 2nd interview! KEEP ME IN YOUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS! I really want this to work out!

My peculier eating habits have finally come face to face with the Parisian cook at Camilou. Camilou is a café super close to work & I've been there a few time for lunch...each time hating it, but its where everyone wanted to go, so I just roll with it. The first time I went, I ordered a salad & was expecting lettuce & tomatoes & everything else that comes to mind when ordering a salad. What came out was in fact a plate of boiled vegetables...shredded carrots, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes aka NOT what I was hungry for! The cook or server or whatever he is was like "did you not like this?" I just lied & told him I wasnt hungry. WELL on Tuesday when we went, I was minding my own business just eating a piece of bread when Eric ordered a meat plate as an appetizer. I don't know what it is with frenchies & their cold cut meats, but they are OBSESSED! The packaged meat section takes up the ENTIRE back wall of the grocery store. SICK. But, the meat Eric ordered wasn't regular like you would imagine. It was more like meat spread that had the consistency of crab dip. As he was slathering it all over his bread, I was sitting on the other side of the table trying not to throw up. Then, he asked me if I wanted to try some. One of the things I have noticed about French people is that they like to share...if they have ANYTHING at all & are near you, they always offer you some. I thought he was being nice & politely declined, then he went into a whole schpeel about where the meat was from & that it is delicious & very "French" & that I should try it. If you know me at all, you know that meat is not my favorite subject or on the list of my top 500 favorite foods. Like clockwork, the waiter/cook who already hates me strolled over & insisted that this is their daily special & I should try it. I told him no less that NO in 10 different ways & he put some on bread & said "please...I prepared this. It is the best! Please try it...you will like it!" YEAH RIGHT frog legs! I finally was like "I DONT LIKE MEAT!!!" and he walked away. I ordered a croque monsieur & took off the ham, but basically just ate frites for lunch. When it was time to go pay for lunch, he told me "you owe me nothing because you didn't even eat!" Note to self: never EVER go back to Camilou because the waiter WILL spit in your food! Way to go & make friends, Amanda.

This week has been rainy & sort of cold & thats the same weather forecast for AMSTERDAM this weekend! I dont even care what the weather is because I am so excited about seeing Jessica! We used to sit on her couch in Clemson & talk about meeting up in Europe & ITS FINALLY HAPPENING! Couldn't be more thrilled! I bought my discounted student ticket & leave today at 7:25 from Gare de Nord! Miss Jessica will be waiting for me at the Centraal train station when I arrive at 10:43! I randomly got assigned to carriage # 18 which is my favorite number of all time, so I think that is a good sign for an even better weekend!! I got to borrow some travel swag again! On thursday, I got home & cleaned my room & did all my laundry & stripped all my sheets so that everything would be clean when I got back Sunday night! Jess has all sorts of fun touristy things planned & I cannot wait to get to travel to a place I've never been before! Were thinking about going to the Van Gogh museum, the Ann Frank house, on a canal tour & SO much more! I've googled some places I think would be fun to see too! There is a giant festival in Amsterdam this weekend & I read where it attracts some 500,000 people! EVERY TIME i travel somewhere, it is ALWAYS the same weekend as their big festival...Brussels, Bordeaux, Scotland & now Amsterdam! I get off work at 6, but Im going to try to leave around 5:45 because I have to run home, grab my suitcase, get back on the #5 metro line & take it about 3 stops to the train station! Im crossing my fingers that there won't be complications like there were with the EuroStar!!

I checked the weather for Paris today & it was big rain clouds & a 60-80 percent chance of rain ALL DAY & I'm sitting at my desk right now typing away & looking at the prettiest blue sky! Hopefully the weather man will be wrong about the weather in Amsterdam too!!! BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTT nothing can rain on MY parade this weekend :)