Spa Day!

Today I woke up at 5:40 because I wasn’t sleeping well at all. I had a final this morning at 8:50 and I was really worried about it. I usually don’t sleep well before tests but when I don’t feel prepared for it at all it is almost impossible. So I did exactly what I do at home, woke up and went to study in the living room. Madame wasn’t even up yet but then about twenty minutes into studying I could hear Beebow meaowing and Madame shushing him. Then he realized that someone was awake in the living room because he came in and started eating at the plant so I threw mice at him until he stopped. Madame woke up not too much longer afterwards and she was pretty shocked I was awake. She had breakfast while I studied and she asked me about how it was going. And I told her it was going not very well. 

And then really bad thing happened. I opened my email to look for notes and found that our train to Paris this weekend was cancelled because of a strike. So then it was a major freak out on top of an already freak out, and then Madame tried to help me figure it out but she didn’t really know what was going on. So then it was kind of a real disaster. I ended up buying new tickets for a train that we learned would be running. It gets in later so that kind of sucks but in the long run we can get a refund for those tickets and then I bought new ones which ended up being cheaper than the first ones. So that is a good thing! 

Then after that I commenced again at freaking out for the test and then Dad told me to cool it and I tried. I stopped studying and got ready to go to class. I walked there and then when I got there I learned that I wasn’t going first at 8:50 but wouldn’t do my test until 9. So that was a bit stressful in itself because we had to be at the spa afterwards and I had to go back to get Cassidy to go relax. It was a stressful process. I ended up getting the map of Aix which I had to explain all of the history of the city and point to where things were and name neighborhoods and stuff. Yeah it was not easy to do and I was definitely nt prepared for it because it wasn’t on the original list but was added. And it wasn’t limited to this part of the term because it encompassed the whole term which I think is a bit unfair. I did really terrible on it but for some crazy reason he gave me a B+. I was shocked. I think it was because he was taking pity on me. At the end he was like you didn’t want that image did you? And I was like NOPE. Especially because the girl before me had literally the EASIEST image! It was totally unfair. But I got an A in that class because I never missed any days so I got bumped to the A rank from the B+.  YAY! And now that class is DONE! Win! 

After that I had to run home in order to find Cassidy which as a bit stressful. I was worried we would be late. On my speed walk home though I noticed that one of the dumpsters that I usually walk by had been melted/lit a fire in. So now it was melted green plastic and burnt stuff all over the corner of the road. It was kind of interesting to me because I have never seen anything like that. Anyways I got home and then Cassidy was chilling at the table but was ready to go so I grabbed my swimsuit and then put away the breakfast stuff before we headed out. We had sort of purposefully forgotten our sandals so we got there and bought two pairs of white ones for 8 bucks. Not bad but I liked them because they were not dirty and smelled like plastic rubber (which I liked) and then we signed in and they took us and we got our bathrobes and towels which we could exchange whenever we wanted. We also got a little locker where we were able to put our stuff with our own four digit combo. It was safe. Then after that we went and sat in the waiting lounge area but not for long because then we were called for our first spa treatment!

The first one that we did was a air bath. It was a standard bath with air jets that was like a massage thing and then it also had grapefruit oil added into it. It was pretty cool. I had the lady turn mine up to be nice and warm. She was really nice. The bath was funny because it would boil over all the time but the room was designed to be like that. It was nice and relaxing and smelled nice too. 

Our second one was actually like a class. It was an aqua ball stretch class which was in this little like pool thing with two instructors. There was only one other lady including us in the class and after we took it we thought to ourselves, yeah that was kind of a class for old people. We did some light stretching on the bars which felt really good because I haven’t had good stretching while I have been here because the floor is uncomfortable to do it on and then the bed I just want to sleep in it. So it was kind of nice to do that and then near the end we floated on pool noodles (called fries here!) and had our ears under the water and just floated and then every once in a while one of the instructors would come around and turn you or move you. It was very relaxing and felt kind of weird but it was nice at the same time. 

Then after that we had a color changing shower. It wasn’t exactly a shower though it was like a mist room. Or like a sauna but with hot water mist. It felt almost like what sitting in a rainforest would be like where you don’t feel like you are really getting sprayed but it feels warm and you are like dripping all over. It was interesting. I like that it changed colors. Both Cassidy and I were like confused on what we were supposed to do because there was a chair but it was folded up when we went in so we both did a bit of standing and sitting. It was fun though. The water felt good and then after each thing I could feel my skin getting softer and softer. I liked it. Then the lady came and said it’s time to get out! Cassidy and I had about forty minutes before our last thing which I think was because it was lunch time so they want you to eat at their restaurant. But we kind of decided to wait until afterwards and then we would do something. So we went to dry our hair in the meantime because our last treatment didn’t involve water, and then we would be ready to leave after and it gave us something to do. 

We dried our hair with the fancy and quick hair dryers. They seemed really strong to me, but Cassidy said they were pretty normal so I bet I just don’t know hairdryers very well because in the States I never use them. But after we dried our hair we went and sat down to wait in the lounge when the lady came and asked if we wanted to do it early. We said sure why not and then went with her tout suite. We got instructed to sit on the heated table and then they rubbed oil all over us and when we laid down they wrapped us up in plastic and then we just got to lay there all cocooned and warm with oil. It was very relaxing and I had to concentrate on not falling asleep because not only was I that relaxed but I was also very tired from this morning! We laid there for a long time it felt like, I think longer than the 20 minutes it was supposed to be. Then eventually she came back and uncocooned us and we showered ourselves off from the oil. It sort of worked getting it off and sort of not because of the whole oil-water thing. But we did the best we could and then called it good. 

We got out and changed and then I accidentally forgot to change out of my swimsuit bottoms but by the time I realized it, it was too late. So oops. Then I ran over to the school because it was the closing ceremonies and I was originally going to skip it because I would be so late, but then I decided to go anyways. Cassidy got sent to the cave to wait and read while I went to that. It was kind of fun but also a bit boring. How many times can you hear someone give an award for a class and say “I wish I could give it to the whole class but I can only give it to one person. But the whole class was sos great…etc.” before you are like okay it would have been faster to just give every person at the college a stinkin’ award and just give one speech. But Jonny got an award! That was pretty cool! There were also a bunch of students there that I didn’t know because they were from the art school so they were never around. It was an interesting thing and a few people gave nice speeches about their experiences here, and then it was over. Well almost. They had the idea that it was going to be possible to get a picture of all of us… All 140… I said hahahah yeah no I am starving and grumpy and am not going to wait 20 minutes while they try to get a picture where you can see all of our faces. No one will notice when I am not in it, and I have taken so many pictures it is not like I will be forgetting who went to school here. So I ditched and grabbed Cassidy and she said I am starving so we left and went to get food. We were going to get crepe a go-go but we decided that we were so hungry we would get real food at the 24hour place (which is called le Cintra). We both ot cokes and then the breaded chicken that I like with green beans and French cries. The chicken this time was twice as thick as it has ever been when I have gone there before and it was just SO MUCH food. It was very very very good and I got about half but then could not finish it. Cassidy couldn’t either so we just called it quits after we were full.
 

After that we went back home and grabbed our computers/homework and went to Coco Boheme again so that I could get some work done before going to class. Cassidy insisted that I get a hot chocolate because she says that it is the best she has ever had. I have to say, it was very good. But I also have to say that the hot chocolate at the Lindt candy store by the Opera house in Paris that I went to with Grace was indeed better.  But it was good and I translated some Hemingway to French for my class and actually did a pretty good job! I left Cassidy to go to class and then once we got there my professor gave us all callissons and chocolate which was very nice of her. They were both very good and this was the first time I actually thought that the callissons tasted good. Before then, I had figured they were kind of over-rated. But these ones were good! I did well on the translation part and we talked a lot about different words and had more questions than usual today.

Then after that she gave us the verbs we need to study for the final which was super nice of her because that was the problem that I had on the last test so I will be good this time because I am going to do a good job studying. I am really happy that she did that though, I may actually not get a C in that class now? One can hope. 

Then after that I went back to Coco Boheme to get Cassidy and then we headed back to the house to get Madame. I changed my clothes and then we grabbed Madames two cakes that she made and went off to the potluck/party thing for students and hosts that the school was having that night. It was in the same place as Thanksgiving but it was more of a walk around style. There were a ton of people and it was very loud. I mostly hung out with my friends because Madame kept telling me to go join them when we stuck by her. She was happy to be able to show me off though and my friend who came all the way from the states to see me and stay with her. She told me she didn’t really know very many people but that she had fun talking to them and getting to meet some. The school had bought drinks for everyone and the food was brought out in groups. It was all easten very fast though! The school drinks were champagne and apple juice. I stuck with the apple juice. But the stupid thing was that there weren’t enough servers for the drinks because Yamina when she asked for helpers had said no to all of the girls because she said it was too hard for them… So it was Kelan and Michael who poured the drinks for everyone. Because as a girl I obviously can only help serve 100+ pieces of pie and wash dishes, but I can’t lift a bottle of champagne or apple juice four inches off of the table to pour it. Okay. Yeah that isn’t sexist at all. >.> I hate sexism like that. Or I guess maybe it is gender roles. Well whatever it is it is something I disagree with and do not like at all.

After a while Madames cakes got brought out and I told everyone that it was my host moms and then grabbed a piece for me and Cassidy. It was very much liked by the students. I even said that sometimes I get to eat it for breakfast with nutella. And some of the sorority girls heard and were like “You eat this for Breakfast?!” and I was like “yeaaah” Apparently they did not approve. But whatever. Like they have never had pound cake for breakfast. But it wasn’t exactly pound cake. Cassidy thinks that it might be beer bread or that it tastes a bit like beer bread but more cakey. I have never had that so I wouldn’t know but I don’t think there is beer in it because I never saw any on the counter when she has made it. We missed the chocolate cake because I wasn’t sure if it was hers or not until it was too late. But that is okay. I have had it and I know it is the best. :-) 

Then after a while we decided to leave and so we said bye to Madame who told us she was leaving soon too. She told us to go out with my friends so we did. Tonight was the Merry Unbirthday party/white elephant secret santa party that I had come up with like two weeks ago. I had drawn LaSia’s name and had bought my gift for her when we were on our trip to Vaucluse. We walked along and took pictures of the Hotel de Ville and then I picked Patacrepe for dinner/dessert because they had lots of options and lots of seating inside that would be able to fit us. Cassidy ended up buying me a drink saying it was for helping supply alcohol for Megans Bachelorette party. So that was nice of her, and then she got one as well. She also had a super chocolatey crepe which she couldn’t finish and I had a fruit salad. My drink was so strong I ended up dumping the sauce from my fruit salad into the drink to make it taste a bit better. But it was very nice of her. We did secret Santa and LaSIa guessed that it was me who gave her a keychain of both a box of tampons and a can of raviolis. I thought it was a pretty good gift myself! Useful because you can put it on your keychain but also pretty stupid. Cassandra got Patrick a Pont magazine and a pony trivia game. Patrick ended up getting me and gave me a really nice glass ball with the shape things inside of it which is really pretty but also very heavy. But it was a nice gift, not really a white elephant. Gina got a bar of soap and loved it even though it was supposed to be funny. I made a snowman from Cassidies merangues and marshmallows that are so strong that no one wants to eat them. 

Then after that we called it quits and left for the night. I made a stop over to Cours Mirabeau because we were so close so that Cassidy could see it lit up at night before she leaves soon. Kind of sad already… But it is nice. Sometimes I look over and I am just happy to see a familiar home face. And happy that I don’t have to try to make everything okay. I can just talk and nt have to explain people or places or things. And sometimes I look over and just think, I’m really glad that someone it here to experience this with me.
 

When we got home we raved to Madame about how great her cakes were and how all my friends like them. Then after that we loked at the trains to be sure they would work and I made a list of things that I needed to print. I figured out how to get remboursed for the ticket tht was cancelled and then figured out after a mini freak out that indeed I had only cancelled the wy there and not also the way back. That was a bit frightening. The second train actually ended up being 20 euros cheaper than the first, so that is nice! Extra ten euros to spend on something else! Then we made a plan for the next day and after attempting to talk to Thad who’s internet was totally busted, went to bed.