Rain and Selfishness

One more blog before I settle into a LONG night of studying for my midterms. I have millions of them, and I am only halfway through. I am just now realizing how spoiled I am as an English major at Linfield: Midterms? What midterms? You want to write a paper or two for your midterms? Sure, go ahead! Write about anything you want, and everything will be right. Turn in the papers whenever - never, if you want!

I have so much studying to do this week, I've forgotten to be excited for the vacation coming up in just a couple days. I am a little bit stressed, but...c'est la vie. I'm going to Paris Friday, which still sounds so ridiculous to me, because Paris seems more like a fairytale than a reality. Also, I'm going to England afterwards to see Beth, and hopefully go to the Scottish highlands together to search for Nessie, just in time for Halloween! SO fizzily excited all over about this.

This trip feels like a very selfish trip to me. I am studying in France,a very spoiled white girl thing to do, rather than studying in Ecuador or Mexico like some others. I am studying literature and architecture and art - taking a painting class - and writing in cafes and travelling and spending a lot of time thinking. This is why I was really excited to finally do my travail benevole this past week, our weekly community service that is required by the AUCP. I'm working with students at a community center, helping them with their English homework. I love it. I worked with two little boys, ten and thirteen, and we did their homework and went over English lessons and talked in French about American football. The ten year old, as I was leaving, looked at me with sweet eyes and asked if I would be there the next night. I am SO content to be able to work with the students there. It is energizing to me, in a way that Starbucks never will be. I would really like more of it. THIS is how I want to use French. I want to be really really good at it, so I can teach and help and understand my little students when they talk to me about American football.

Anyways, it's raining and storming here now, just as it has been all day, and so I am plopped in front of the fire with my French-dictionary-bible and a riproaringly fascinating study of French cultural patterns to read. There are a couple leaks in the house somewhere that I can hear. The house is all shut up for the night, but I might leave my inner doors open in my room so I can hear the rain.

Bonne nuit. :)