La Francia, te quiero!

Salut, tout le monde! Des choses ont changé, et je suis assez triste. Toutefois, je suis heureuse. Mes amis me manquent, et il y a un ami qui me manque en particulier. Il s'appelle Julien Hérvagault...cliquez ici...


So I have returned to dreary Lille for the school year. It was a last-minute decision, but it was made by my mom. Not me. I would have stayed in America.

Her reasoning for my return was that American schools weren't challenging enough for me. I pleaded to stay, and I even told her I was taking the hardest classes. But no! That wasn't enough. I am no longer a high school student; I am in 3ème- my last year of collège (middle school).

So oui, I am back in French schools and back to being challenged. The first thing I did was go out to dinner (late lunch) with Aurélie and her family, and we went to my favorite Flemish restaurant in Vieux-Lille. I had konijn in geuze, or in French, lapin à la gueuze. It's rabbit cooked in a certain kind of beer. It's one of my favorites. For dessert, Aurélie and I had ninoofse vlaai, a type of bread pudding. It was nice to see Aurélie and her foster sister Chanson, as well as her parents. Sometimes I secretly wished that I had her family. They are my idea of perfect. Her parents are so kind and supportive- well, my dad is, but my mom isn't. Oh, and to boot, the Fauberts are hosting a Brazilian exchange student named Fernanda Alencar. I'm excited to meet her and share my culture with her. I'd like to learn more Brazil, too, since my knowledge of it is so cursory.

I parted ways with them since they lived in Vieux Lille, and on the way home, I saw Julien. He hasn't changed since I saw him last. His dark hair still hung in his face, and he was still skinny and little. I wanted to hug him, but my inhibitions decided against it. I waved and said, "salut", and he approached me.

"You're back!" He was shocked. He gazed over my body and nodded his head. "You haven't changed except for the fact you wear your glasses now."

I laughed. "I grew to like them."

"That's good. Then you won't ask me what the board says. Speaking of which, are you excited for school?"

I sighed. "Un peu."

"Well, um, do you have free time? Do you want to come to my house and babysit Delphine with me?"

Impulsively, I said "oui". On the way to his house, I told him about Chrissa. When it came to Chrissa, Julien was a secret. If she knew he existed, she'd go crazy and act all weird and obsessive. If Julien ever visited the States with me, I'd have to sneak him past Mademoiselle Maxwell. I can only imagine: "SABS!!!! IS THAT YOUR BOYFRIEND?!?!?!?!"

And the answer would be no. No, no, no, and no. I have a crush on him, but I could never date him. We have been friends for too long- that would be weird. My mom thinks we are dating, which is just wow. She said the same thing about Gérard, too! Oh, so now every guy friend I have is my boyfriend. Why can't they be just friends? Back to my time with Julien...

Delphine, his eleven-year-old sister, claims that he has a crush on me as well, and Julien denies it. Julien and I were sitting on the sofa, which was littered with Delphine's throw blanket and pillow, and Delphine took a photo of us on our cell phone.

"You two kind of look like you're dating!" She proclaimed.

Julien blushed. "No. Dating a friend would be awkward."

Delphine giggled. "Um, Sabine is awkward! Dating her wouldn't be different from being her friend."

I then blushed too. Merci, Delphine. Merci beaucoup. I informed her once again that we were just friends.

"Wait a few years and then tell me," she said. "Oh, and I'm sending both of you that picture!"

Here is the picture:

We were just watching TV. There is nothing wrong with that!!! We are just friends! Though, I did show my brother the photo and he declared "couple", but Sébastien has no idea what he's talking about. I feel that 14 is way too young to date- definitely way too young to date seriously- so yeah. You don't have to worry about me! :)

Anyway, I got in trouble for going to Julien'a without my mom's permission, so Mère took away my laptop for a week and I haven't been able to post.

-Sabine

Le premier jour de l'école

Salut!!! Vous voulez que je vous dise de le premier jour de l'école? Voilà,  je vais vous dire TOUT...
Fine...maybe I won't tell you everything... ;)

Anyway, how does a perfect start to what should be a perfect day get spoiled? Read on for the answer.
Melanie, Lilly, and I were walking down the hallways. Undoubtedly, we are definitely the coolest kids at this place, so we tried to let people know that by acting confident instead of nervous.

Oh, but we were nervous...er, especially Lilly. If there is anything you need to know about Lilly, it's that things like this give her extreme butterflies in her stomach. Probably mammoth-sized butterflies. It's not that she's nervous about school in general; she's just worried she won't have friends in her class and that she'll end up having nobody to work with when it comes to partner activities. That, for some reason, embarrasses her.

With Lilly and her issues aside, I can move on. We saw Chrissa, and seeing Chrissa answers that question I wrote previously. ;) I don't know what happened, but Chrissa actually looked good for once! She normally wears jeans, sneakers, and whatever shirt she can find (normally tees relating to dance), but it appears as if she put some thought into her look. I was impressed, actually.
Sadly, but in reality, Chrissa is probably far "cooler" and more "popular" than Melanie, Lilly, and I are. I don't care because I'm not looking to win a popularity contest. I'm not looking for cliche school popularity. I'd rather have a few close friends with whom I can talk...and trust. I'm just saying that because Chrissa isn't very cool. At least she isn't to me... 

"Hi, Sabs, Lillith, and Mel!!!" She shrieked as she approached us. Melanie and I smiled and waved back, but Lilly acted quite idiotic. She hugged a pole and prayed for Chrissa to disappear.

...and since Lilly's prayer went unanswered, Lilly slipped into her first period classroom.

Melanie chased after Lilly, so I was stuck alone and exposed. Chrissa could now talk to me in private, and I had no moral support or backup. Chouette.

"You're dressed up," I told her.

"Aw, merci!!!" She shrieked in her obnoxious faux-French accent. "It's the first day of school, and I always try to dress up for the first day."

What? No comment. This is the first time I have seen her dress up for the first day, and I've known her for two years. Wow...

She proceeded to pose for me, and then she informed me that the tee and tank are Liberty Jane.

D'accord? So? Does it even matter where your clothes are from? This is something I have noticed about a lot of Americans. They are such name brand and couture snobs that it isn't even funny! Unless you're Alyson, Ashley, or Alyssa, I doubt the average person (those three aren't average, though) could afford all "designer" things. Me, I get clothes from anywhere. I don't have a major preference. If it's my style and I like it, I'm going to buy it. Now, there are some things I consider to be "investment pieces". For example, if my mom were to buy me a Chanel bag. I wouldn't be like, "WOW, IT'S CHANEL! IT'S DESIGNER! IT'S SO GREAT!" (but you so know Chrissa would do that). I'd just consider it as an investment piece and something I can have for years. I don't care about the name. It's the quality I'm after.

Anyway...enough ranting. I know this was where Chrissa was headed though.

Chrissa then pointed out that she was wearing heels, like me, and that she felt "so French". How annoying! Wearing heels doesn't make you "French". I don't get what she is thinking...? Anyway, I know Chrissa can walk in heels and do it properly because she prances around in her character shoes so much. I just hate how she thinks dressing like me will make her "French". If somebody asked me how to dress French, I couldn't answer. We're people, too. All of us have our own styles, and styles vary from region to region! There is no one way to dress French! Mon dieu, Chrissa...

I decided to talk with Chrissa, and she claimed that she understood perfectly what I was saying. We'll see.

I know this whole post seemed very ranty, but I am deeply bothered by Chrissa's cliche and stereotypical view of France and French culture. She loves France, but she doesn't seem to fully get it...

More on my classes later.

Sabine

Un tremblement de terre!

Salut, tout le monde!
Mon premier jour de l’école était très intéressent. Il y avait un tremblement de terre, mais je ne connais pas jusqu’à j'ai regardé la télévision! Lilly m'a dit qu'elle l'a senti! Mais, elle parle beaucoup, et elle pourrait mentir...

More on the first day later because I have some photos I need to upload. And really, who cares about sitting in classes and taking notes when there was an earthquake!
An earthquake, oui. A few of my French friends heard about it, and they spammed my email inbox with their questions. To answer those questions, ce n’était pas incroyable! Je ne l'ai pas senti!

With that out of the way, I can safely say that I didn't really feel it. If I did, then I didn't know. I am seriously kicking myself- I sooooo wish I felt that. I could have then added it to my "Strange Experiences in America" list! Lilly claims she felt it because she saw a desk shake and pencil fell off. Hmm...well, that could have been the earthquake, but that also could have been Nellie kicking the desk...

More on school tomorrow!

Sabine

Back-to-School Panic Attacks

Salut tout le monde!
Oui, as you can see, I have been extremely busy, and I thank my Honors English summer assignments for that. School starts tomorrow, and I am so worried that my essays won't be good enough. I had Lilly proofread them, but she claims she isn't good at grammar. I was going to ask Ava, but she said that was busy with the assignments as well. Therefore, she didn't have time to read mine.
It looks like this year will be hectic. Here's my schedule:

I have gym, biology, and photography with Lilly, so that is always a plus. I'm most excited for my psychology class, though. I wish I could have taken sociology this year, but the class was full. :(
Oh well. Photography could be interesting. I've never tried to take artsy photos, but Lilly convinced me to sign up for it with her. I guess this means I could try and hit my parents up for a new digital camera? I have my mom's old one, and it isn't in great working condition. I normally use my phone to snap quick photos, anyway.

I am a little nervous, so I'm hoping tomorrow goes well. I'll update everybody as soon as I get home. I have an outfit picked out and everything. It's so weird to think that in America, 9th grade is your first year of high school. The French equivalent is 3ème, and that is still collège (middle school)! I sent some of my friends back in Lille an email, and they feel like that makes me older than them, even if we are the same age.

I just want it to work out.

Sabine

Mon nouveau chemisier!

Salut, tout le monde!
It finally came- that is, my lovely new shirt from the just as lovely Wickfield!!! It is such a flattering shirt on me. I love the ruffles down the front, and black is a great color for redheads like me.
Here are a few photos. I'll try to get some better ones later.

It's probably my favorite shirt ever. I was completely excited to see the envelope in the mailbox today.
Thanks, Wickfield!

Bises,
Sabine

More about moi

Ugh...nothing overly exciting has been going on here. I'm trying to improve my Spanish some because I desperately need to, but other than that, life has been pretty calm.
I'm sure that will change once school starts. ;)

Anyway, I cannot get enough of these questionnaires, so here's another one:

1. What time did you get up this morning?
10:30 AM
2. How do you like your steak?
Medium
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Monte Carlo
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Hannah Montana
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Nice, France
6. What did you have for breakfast?
Croissant from Panera
7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Um...Lillois or Flemish…what I’m used to.
8. What foods do you dislike?
Fat, greasy foods
9. Favorite Restaurant?
Estaminet Chez La Vieille- it is a Flemish restaurant in Vieux Lille.
10. Favorite dressing
Vinaigrette
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Not applicable
12. What are your favorite clothes?
Nice tops, dress pants, jeans, ruffley skirts (preferably in more neutral colors)
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?Let’s see…I have been numerous places with my family, but I would absolutely LOVE to visit the Galicia Comunidad Autónoma (what the Spanish call their regions) of Spain or Barcelona, which is also in Spain. I adore Spain. I have been to Madrid and loved it. I am also dying to go to LA!
 14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
It’s both. 
15. When would you want to retire?
At either 62 or 65- 62 is the early retirement age in France and 65 is the average.
16. Favorite time of day?
Evening
17. Where were you born?
L’Hôpital Privé la Louvière in Lille
18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Football! (aka soccer) I also enjoy watching dance recitals.
19. Bird watcher?
No
20. Do you consider yourself attractive?
I guess.
21. Pets?
Yes- a chocolate lab named Cocoa Chanel. ;)
22. Any new and exciting news that you'd like to share?
Not really, other than Aurélie might actually come to America this year… 
23. What did you want to be when you were little?
I wanted to be an author, but that changed when I delved into the social sciences. I now want to be a sociologist!
24. What is your best childhood memory?
I was 11 when I first went parasailing- I felt like I was flying!
25. Are you a cat or dog person?
Chien! (Dog)
26. Are you married?
No, but someday…
27. Always wear your seat belt?
In America, yes! In France, no because I normally take public transportation. If I do ride in the car there, I do wear my seat belt.
28. Been in a car accident?
Sort-of
29. Any pet peeves?
Ignorance, excuse makers, all-around rude people
 30. Favorite pizza topping?
Cheese
31. Favorite Flower?
Every rose has its thorn. ;)
32. Favorite ice cream?
I ADORE the rose flavored ice cream I get in Nice. The Nutella flavored ice cream is also delicious.
33. Favorite fast food?
Ew, gross! But if I had to choose, I’d choose Sonic.
34. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
I’m not 18 yet! (18 is legal driving age in France)
35. From whom did you get your last email?
Aurélie
36. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
H&M, Mango, or various boutiques around Lille…it’s hard to pick one.
37. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Nope.
38. Like your job?
I don’t have one yet, but being a student is being a full-time job, and yes, I very much do like school.
39. What was your favorite vacation?
Probably my family vacations to Nice. I also enjoyed visiting Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
40. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Lilly 
41. What are you listening to right now?
“Dream” by Miley Cyrus
42. What is your favorite color?
Rose and sky blue
43. How many tattoos do you have?
None, but if I ever got one, it would say “radiate love”. ;)
 44. Coffee drinker?
Occasionally- if I’m up all night studying.
45. How many children do you have?
Um, none. I’m 14.
46. Pick one super power... what would it be??
The power to get inside people’s minds and read their thoughts
47. Do you return shopping carts at the grocery store?I’ve never been grocery shopping in America, but in Lille, we usually got things fresh and from markets and specialty shops, so I’ve never used a shopping cart.
48. Signature Drink?
Orangina!!! 

On a random note...
¡Hace calor!
And all Lilly wants to do is tan. I don't tan. I burn/fry and my skin becomes as red as my hair.

Bises,
Sabine

New design!

Salut tout le monde!
As much as I liked my old background and header, I decided I needed some change, so I redid my background and header. I know that it is a little darker, but I wanted to do something somewhat classic.
I hope you like it, and if you don't, that's fine! I'd definitely appreciate some opinions/feedback!
Let me know what you think.
Sabine

La Fête Nationale!

Salut tout le monde!

Aujourd’hui, c’est une fête- La Fête Nationale! J’aimerais être chez mes parents ou chez Aurélie. Quand nous avions dix ans, Aurélie et moi, nous sommes allées à Paris avec ses parents. Nous nous sommes promenées et nous avons regardé les feux d'artifice.

Oh, France me manque quelquefois…

I had to relive some past memories for a moment; today is La Fête Nationale! In America, it is probably better known as Bastille Day. Christelle, Sandrine, and I are celebrating, although Christelle is too homesick...

Before I talk about traditions and such, I should share a brief history of this holiday.

On July 14, 1789, the Bastille prison (which represented the monarchy) was stormed by Parisians to show their contempt towards the monarchy, especially in a time of economic crisis. A month later, La Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen (The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen) was written to define and defend the rights of all citizens. The Parisian militia abandoned wearing symbols of the royals (namely the fleur-de-lis in a blue field on a white background) and began to wear a cockade of blue and red. White was later added, thus becoming le tricolore- or “tricolor”- our country’s flag.

That was just an extremely brief history; now, onto some things I have done to celebrate…

The most memorable Bastille Day was when I was 10. Aurélie and her family took me to Paris with them, and we watched the parade on the Champs-Elysées. Later in the evening, we took a boat ride down the Seine and watched fireworks. They looked particularly amazing over the Eiffel Tower.

Bastille Day in Lille is extremely similar; there are still military and civilian parades, fireworks, music, dancing, etc.

I’ve also been in Nice for Bastille Day, and that is beautiful…

There is normally a picnic on the grounds of Versailles, and most people in attendance wear white. I would love to go to one!

Tonight, we are going to light some fireworks and celebrate. I still cannot help but miss France, though. I always become extremely homesick at this time of the year; I want to celebrate with my family and friends…

Sabine

Yet another survey...

Salut! 
Nothing much has been going on, and I am extremely obsessed with filling out these surveys/questionnaires/whatever-else-you-want-to-call-them. So yes, I am going to post another one. Feel free to fill this out on your blog, too.
There is so much to know about me, so hopefully, you enjoy reading my responses. ;)

Does being in love make you nervous?
Well…yes and no. Yes because you are trusting a person not to hurt you- you are trusting that person to always be there for you and love you unconditionally. Also yes because you may be the person breaking somebody else’s heart. Every rose has its thorn…
Oh, and no because once you found the right person, love is one of the best things ever…
How bad are heartbreaks?
You never forget your first heartbreak. However, you learn from it and move on. Again, for all the people who broke your heart, you may have broken somebody’s heart without even realizing it.
In my opinion, that hurts even more than having your heart broken.
Has anyone ever seen you kiss the last person you kissed?
Yes…but I kissed him on the cheeks- traditional French greeting!
Do you tell people the truth about your feelings?
Yes, but these people are in France…
Has anyone told you they don’t ever want to lose you?
“I never want to lose you, and if I had to, I would choose you…”
Miley Cyrus lyrics aside, yes, and I told them the same. ;)
Have you ever gotten into a fight with your current best friend since you started being best friends?
Well, of course, but the good thing is, both of us can forgive and forget. I’m sure our fights started because of typical teenage girl jealousy…
I had a minor fight with Aurélie a few years ago. She went to see Miley Cyrus’s concert in London, and she is not nearly as big of a fan as I am. I was so jealous, and I could not talk to her without wishing I was her…
Do you like to have long hair or short hair?
Long! Short hair would bother me…
Do you ever over-react on the smallest things?
I’m sure I have- haven’t all of us? I do sometimes get over-emotional, though.
Have you ever stepped on a straightener?
Nope- I don’t straighten my hair. If I were to step on one, I would probably cry hysterically...
Do you regret your last relationship?
I haven’t really been in one yet…
Do you have an innie or an outie belly belly button?
Innie…haha…funny question…
What kind of milk do you drink?
None!!! Milk is disgusting! I absolutely despise it. I get my calcium in other ways, like through yogurts and cheeses…
Have you ever had mono?
Nope, and I never want to get it…
Do you wear contacts?
Glasses
Are you happy relationship wise?
Well…
Is your phone a flip, slide or neither?
FLIP…ugh!!!! It’s somewhat outdated, but my mom won’t let me get a new one until my birthday…
Do you honestly miss someone?
Honestly? Definitely. I think about my grand-père who passed away every single day, especially when I put on my necklace every morning. I also think of my dad, brother, and friends…being overseas is hard sometimes…
Do you think you are a good girlfriend?
I think I would be. I am extremely loyal, and I would always be there. I consider myself to be understanding, compassionate, and loving. I want to love and be loved.
When did you last receive a text message?
A few seconds ago
How well do you know the last female you texted?
It was Aurélie- she’s my best friend!
Were you single on your last birthday?
Oui
How long does it take you to fall asleep at night?
It depends on what is on my mind or how tired I am.
Have you had any beer this week?
I’m not in Lille! Underage drinking in America isn’t acceptable. ;) Kidding, but I am French, so I was raised in a completely different mindset. The North [of France] is known for its beer, anyway…
Someone tells you that you’re beautiful, you say?
“Tu trouves?”
What’s your favorite holiday?
Christmas! Or La Fête Nationale, which you guys probably know as Bastille Day
Do your eyes change color?
They’ve been brown my whole life.
What are you doing this weekend?
Probably having my own Bastille Day celebration
Do you swear often?
I’m French…what do you think? ;) Hey, at least I do it in my native language…
Who was the last person you vented to?
Lilly
Is your hair long enough to put in a ponytail?
Oui
What does your last text say?
“Vraiment?”
Who was your last hug?
Ava
Are you happier now or four months ago? 
Now, I guess.
Whose sweatshirt did you wear last?
I don’t wear sweatshirts.
Do you know who’s mad at you?
Sandrine, Jess, the four girls who tried to make my life miserable (and succeeded…until I stepped up…)
If you got kicked out of your house, where would you go?
Aurélie’s house! Her family has always been there for me.
Are there any stressful situations in your life?
The situation with Sandrine and my personal situation with my mom
Is it okay to like someone else when you have a boyfriend?
This is such a hard question for me to answer. Isn’t that the ultimate form of betrayal? Then again, if I happened to be dating somebody and I liked somebody else, my boyfriend wouldn’t know if I kept it to myself…
Last awkward moment?
I pronounced a few English words wrong, and Ava starting commenting about it…
Where did you get the shirt you are wearing?
Liberty Jane Clothing
How has the week been?
Average
Who have you texted today?
Aurélie, Gérard, my dad
Were you happy when you woke up today?
No because I am not a morning person.
Anyone crushing on you?
I hope so… ;)
What is your favorite color?
Blue! It reminds me of Nice, my favorite place in the world.
What movie do you want to see?
I am dying to see the American version of LOL, and I also want to see So Undercover. Both star Miley Cyrus, so I am kind-of obligated to see them.
Do you have any tattoos?
No, and I don’t really want one. If I were to get one, it would say beau coeur in homage to my grandfather. But there are no places on my body that I would want it to be on.
Do you like chocolate?
BIEN SÛR!!!!!!!!!!!!
Connection between you and the last person who text messaged you?
MEILLEURE AMIE!
Kiss with eyes open or closed?
Closed
What are you doing tomorrow?
Not sure
Who was the last boy to give you a ride home?
Mon père- my dad.
Have you ever been addicted to something that was harmful to your health?
Chocolate
Whose house did you go to last?
Considering I attend boarding school, the last house I went to was Aurélie’s and that was in 2008 before I came to America.
Did you copy and paste this survey?
Oui
Do you consider yourself a study freak?
OUI! I have to succeed!
Have you ever thought about getting your lip pierced?
No way!
Have you ever been a cheerleader?
Haha, really funny. See one of my previous posts for the answer.
Have you ever been to SeaWorld?
Never
Did you send someone a good morning text this morning?
No
What can’t you wait for?
FOR AURÉLIE TO COME TO AMERICA!

-Sabine

Cent vérités

Salut, tout le monde!
To all my American readers, happy Fourth! I'm personally anxiously awaiting Bastille Day, which is next Thursday. I'll be sure to do a post about that for those who are curious about one of France's major holidays.
Today will probably not be too exciting. Lilly is dying to see the movie Monte Carlo for whatever reason, so I'll be seeing that with her. I might join the Americans and watch some fireworks tonight. Lilly claims to have a Katy Perry song for the occasion...great. If I had to choose a song for today, I'd pick "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. ;)

With the 4th aside, I decided to fill out this fun meme. Feel free to do the same!

BASICS:
1. What's Your full name: Sabine Aurélie Bouchard

2. Nicknames: None because I hate them- Chrissa calls me Sabs, but that doesn't count...

3. Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

4. Male or female: Female

5. Middle School: I went to Collège Paul Verlaine when I lived in Lille.

6. High School: I'm not in lycée...yet.

7. College: I want to go to L'Université Paris-Sorbonne, even though Paris isn't my favorite place.

8. Hair color: Auburn/red depending on the lighting

9. Tall or short: Shorter for my age...just a little bit below average

11. Sweats or jeans: Jeans

12. Phone or Camera: Phone! My cell has a camera on it, so I'm covered.

13. Health Freak: Nope!

14. Orange or Apple: Apple

15. Do you have a crush on someone: Two very nice boys :)

16. Eat or Drink: Eat

17. Piercings: Nope; I'm scared of needles.

18. Pepsi or Coke: Coke, if I had to pick.

19. Been in an airplane: Of course!

20. Been in a relationship: Well... ;)

21. Been in a car accident: Kind-of; I was driving with my cousin through the French countryside and we ran out of gas. Oh, and we were rear-ended...
22. Been in a fist fight: Jokingly

23. First piercing: Ears...eventually

24. First best friend: Julien Hérvagault (later on came Gérard Pelessier and Aurélie Faubert)

25. First award: I don't remember...

26. First crush: Julien!

27. First word: Mère

29. Last person you talked to: Lilly

30. Last person you hung out with: Lilly

31. Last person you watched a movie with: Lilly

32. Last food you ate: a croissant from Panera

33. Last movie you watched: Bad Teacher

34. Last song you listened to: "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus

35. Last thing you bought: a Fuze

36. Last person you hugged: Ava

37. Food: Waterzoï

38. Drink: Orangina

39. Bottoms: black pants or my black flounce skirt

40. Flower: Roses

41. Animal: Micki's Yorkie, Sugar

42. Color: pastel and midnight blue

43. Movie: Bienvenue chez les ch'tis and The Last Song

44. Favorite subject: English or AP World History

HAVE YOU EVER: (Put an X in the brackets if yes)
45. [ ] gotten baptized.

46. [x] Celebrated Halloween (once!)

47. [x]Had your heart broken.

48.[x] went over the minutes/texts on your cell phone. (back before my parents got me unlimited texting)

49. [x] had someone question your intentions.

50. [x] had somebody not believe in you
51. [ ] Stole something.

52. [x] been bullied.

53. [x] Did something you regret.

54. [x] Broke a promise.

55. [x] Hid a Secret.

56. [x] pretended to be happy.

57. [x] met someone who changed your life.

58. [ ] pretended to be sick.

59. [x] left the country. (many times)
60. [x] tried something you normally wouldn't try and liked it.

61. [ ] cried over the silliest thing. (I only cry when things upset me...)

62. [ ] ran a mile.

63. [x] went to the beach with your best friend.

64. [x] got into an argument with your friends.
65. [x] hated someone.

66. [x] stayed single for a whole year

CURRENTLY:
67. Eating: Rien

68. Drinking: Rien

69. Listening To: "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus
70. Sitting/Layin: Sitting

71. Plans for today: Going to see Monte Carlo with Lilly and then watch fireworks

72. Waiting for: Aurélie to come to America
YOUR FUTURE:
73. Want kids: Two daughters someday

74. Want to get married: Definitely!

75. Career: Sociologist

WHICH ONE in a significant other:
76. Lips or Eyes: Eyes

77. Shorter or taller: Taller

78. Romantic or spontaneous: Romantic

81. Hook-up or relationship: Relationship

82. Looks or personality: Personality!

HAVE YOU EVER:
83. Lost glasses/contacts: Yeah!

84. Snuck out of the house: My mom thought I did once even though I asked if I could leave...she must have ignored me when I asked...

85. Held a gun/knife for self defense: Non! Jamais!

86. Killed somebody: Yes, Courtney DiLaurentis...kidding! I always tease Lilly about her obsession with Pretty Little Liars.

87. Broken someone's heart: Probably...

89. Cried when someone died: Oui

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
90. Yourself: Oui!
91. Miracles: OUI!!!!! Anything can happen in this world for an ordinary girl! ;)

92. Love at first sight: Definitely!

93. Heaven: I don't know...

94. Santa Claus: Never have, never will.

95. Dinner or movie: Both
96. Kiss on the first date: Depends...I'd only date a guy I knew for awhile, so maybe...

TRUTHFULLY:
97. Is there one person you want to be with right now: OUI!!!!

98. Do you know who your real friends are: French friends- oui. American friends- I'm slowly learning

99. Do you believe in God: Sometimes I'm not sure.

100. Post as 100 truths? Oui

Have a great day!
-Sabine

le 26 juin

Delphine wanted me to take her swimming, so I did. I didn’t swim because guys have to wear Speedos if they want to get in the water. I don’t think I have it in me to publically wear one now. It wasn’t an issue when I was little, but now, it’s just a way to get harassed by tourists who know nothing about French culture.
Gérard tells me that I need to loosen up. Of course he would. He likes the attention he gets from tourists.

It also isn’t like Lille is the hottest place on the planet. I don’t consider 20* (Celsius of course) to be a pool day. Delphine clearly does, and that’s enough to make me have to go.

I tried to talk her out of it. I said I would take her for some crêpes before Maman returned home from work, but she said we can still do that and go to the pool. I asked her if she wanted to walk through the Citadelle, and she told me that parks are extremely boring.

The second time I met Sabine was at the Citadelle, and I just wanted to walk through to think about that. Since I was around four when this happened, Maman reminded me.

A band was playing “La Vie en Rose” in the background, which is probably the most cliché French song ever written. Still, good old Édith Piaf- her legacy lives on. Sabine was humming along, which wasn’t unusual. She has always loved music. She just couldn’t play it. Her piano lessons ended in tragic failure- the woman instructing her claimed that Sabine was simply not teachable. I can’t remember if Sabine was upset or not. She did, however, want to punch the instructor I am sure…

Back to that day in the Citadelle, Sabine was singing and swinging on a swing. She was minding her business as usual until an impatient girl shoved her off the swing. Her knees and arms were scrapped, and she was in tears. Although Sabine didn’t like me whatsoever, I still made sure she was OK. I talked to her and comforted her until our mothers stopped talking and realized that Sabine had had an accident that would be the first of many notorious accidents. I told the girl who shoved her, “tu es méchante!” Sabine laughed through her tears, and I actually think we had a conversation after that- well, as much of a conversation as a four year old can have.

But that wasn’t the first time I met Sabine, like I said. The first time was far more entertaining, and it showed a side of her that I didn’t know could exist…

-JH

Too much togetherness!

Salut, tout le monde! Lilly sait. 
C'est tout. 

Our conversation went something like this:
Lilly: Why did you cross your name off the list?
Moi: What list? (Playing dumb is always a smart, good option.)
Lilly: Don't play dumb with me. You know.
Moi: No, I don't.
Lilly: You crossed your name out. Just admit it.
Moi: I think somebody really, really hates me and doesn't want me to be part of the team! Jealous girls these days...you HAVE to love them!
Lilly: Nobody thinks you're potential competition. Just confess, please!
Moi: Fine. I did.
Lilly: But why? I wanted to be apart of something for once! I wanted my best friend to be apart of it, too!
Moi: I'm sorry, Lilly, but I know that I do not have the ability or desire to cheer.
Lilly: I get it. No, really, I do. I'm not mad or anything. I'm just disappointed. That's all.
Moi: Why don't you ask Jess? You're just as good of friends with her as you are with me!

Lilly then froze in her tracks. "Silly," she scoffed. "You know Jess already made the varsity soccer team. She doesn't do cheerleading. Whatever is going on between you two needs to stop. It's pathetic and ridiculous."

I sighed and headed for my room. I consider myself to be an introvert, and I very much enjoy my quality thinking time. Being around people sometimes overwhelms me, and it just overwhelmed me right now. Lilly is my only true friend in America, but she has been really bothering me lately. Maybe we just need some time apart? I probably was wrong for making sarcastic Jess remarks, but Jess is just the absolute most annoying person ever. She is my academic competition that I don't even want to compete with! After she realized that I was just as smart and well-traveled as she is, she decided to start competing with me when it came to school-related things. Oh, and the best part? She is a huge know-it-all. And she LOVES to brag about her accomplishments. She is gifted, yet before every test, she declares that because of soccer practice, she didn't have time to study and she'll probably fail. How annoying. She never gets anything but As! It's like she just wants attention...

The thing is, her twin (Zan or Alexandria...whatever you know her by) is smart, too, but she never brags. She does her own thing.

Oh, girl drama sometimes. It can be buckets of fun...

Sabine

le 24 juin

There is practically one month of summer left, and I haven’t had time to do anything that I wanted. I guess that is what comes with having a single, working mother as a parent. My eleven-year-old sister Delphine and I had an option to visit our father in Marseille, but we hate his wife (never will you hear us call her our stepmom!). She’s, for lack of better terms, a nerd. She doesn’t allow for us to have any privacy, and she needs to know where we are 24/7. If I am relaxing in my room, she’ll freak out and accuse us of sneaking around.
Paranoia. They have to have something to hide. Delphine and I prefer to wait until Père comes to Lille to visit us so we don’t have to put up with la putain.
Anyway, my friends are in Lille, so if I EVER had free time, I’d want to spend it with them, NOT la putain’s 13 year old daughter Léa. She’s basically crazy, to say the least. She has a deranged crush on me, and she constantly asks me invasive questions.
Some people have it worse, though, like my friend Sabine. I considered her sister to be crazy until I learned the dangerous truth. I couldn’t live with that. I basically protected Sabine when her sister and a group of awful girls went against her. It was the right thing to do, and I’m happy that Maman raised me to be the “perfect gentleman”. She said that she didn’t want me to end up like my father, and considering who my father is with, I want to be the furthest thing from him. My parents got divorced when I was six because he was having an affair with that creep. How low. I could never treat a girl that way, especially if she was my wife. Adultery is the lowest thing a person can do, and it destroys lives. My mother suffered from a rough bout of depression, and I hated seeing her like that. Delphine drew numerous fun, happy pictures for her, and it made me sad to hear Maman tell her that those didn’t make her feel much happier.
After Maman got the treatment she much needed, I vowed never to treat a girl like that. I even encouraged Maman to date again. Fortunately, she did, and her boyfriend Christophe is definitely a better role model for me than my dad was.
I miss talking to Sabine about this. I could email her all I wanted, but it wasn’t the same as talking to her in person. She basically grew up with me, and she was a friend when I needed it. The least I could do was be the much needed friend when those girls tried to make her life miserable. I will admit that I had a crush on her (had being the key word), but I was always uncertain of whether she liked me back or not. When Gérard moved here, I was under the impression that she was extremely impressed by Gérard, his passive aggressive and bitingly sarcastic sense of humor, and his perceived wealth. Gérard is one of my closest friends, but I do need some time away from him. He wears thin on me too quickly. Sabine doesn’t, though. She never really has. I mean, she could basically be a total maudite vache at times, and she could scream and get nasty with you, but something about her makes me overlook that. I’m not sure what though.
Maybe “did” was an understatement. I still DO like her. I enjoy the few emails she sends me each month, even the ones that contain Miley Cyrus fangirl material. That’s another thing- because of Sabine, I have a few Miley songs on my iPod. I ask her when she plans on coming back to Lille, and she either ignores that question or says je ne sais pas.
Then again, I’m not sure why I even care so much. I know we men are supposed to break girls’ hearts, but once again, the gentleman in me cannot fathom doing that. At a risk of sounding like a typical American middle school girl (in Sabine’s opinion, anyway), Sabine broke my heart. Plain and simple. I don’t think she’ll ever realize it, nor do I think she thinks what she did would matter so much. But it does/did matter. It still upsets me to think about it.
There’s so much more to that, but I don’t have much time to explain. Delphine wants me to take her to buy a new CD.
-JH

A lack of team spirit

Salut, tout le monde! Est-ce que quelqu’un a fait quelque chose que vous n'avez pas aimé? Ce matin, j'ai voulu tuer Lilly...pas littéralement, bien sûr!

Lilly was in quite the hurry this morning. I passed her in the hallway, and I said my usual bonjour, and she said her usual "hey". As she ran, she shouted, "I signed you up!"

Instinctively, I asked, "For what?"

She brushed off my question and said, "Well, I have somewhere to be, but I just wanted to let you know that I signed you up!"

Again, FOR WHAT?!?!?! She couldn't at least tell me that much?!
I had no idea where she was off to, but I'm pretty sure I didn't want to find out, either, so I avoided asking. Besides, I'm sure she was going to harass Micki as usual.

After walking a few more inches, I saw it. Part of my soul died.

She signed me up for cheerleading tryouts. I am not the kind of girl who does cheerleading. For one thing, I don't even know the basics! I can't flip, tumble, or whatever the heck cheerleaders do! I'm not flexible, coordinated, nor do I have the desire to scream corny cheers at the top of my lungs. The outfits are awful, and ugh. It's just way too American for me. The "appropriate clothing" mentioned, which probably consists of short gym shorts and tank tops, doesn't fit my style. And sneakers. Mon dieu. I dislike those things with a passion. So not cute! The running laps part, though, was what particularly turned me off.

So, I did what every not-flexible, uncoordinated, not-cheerleader-material girl must do. I ran back to my room, grabbed a pen, and ran back to the sign-up sheet.

What on earth was Lilly thinking? To top this off, she has even less athletic ability than I do! I know that she wants to be apart of a school sports team, but she just isn't a gymnast. I'm not, either, so I'm not putting her down. I just happen to know my limits. She...well, doesn't...

Sabine

A chapter's ended, but the story's only just begun...

Bonjour, tout le monde!
Another school year down, and many more to go! Friday the 3rd was our last day of school, and it was a little more eventful than the last days of years past. I would have posted about this earlier, but things were busy around here.

It was all about dumb, boring movies that week.

Lilly was about to literally die of boredom in history class. We had to watch a war movie, and she HATES war movies. I do, too- it’s not like they are overly entertaining or anything. Anyway, she could not sit still for the life of her. I just rested my head on my purse and tried to take a nap. That’s what 99% of the class did. It was awful. Just awful. War movies must be a guy thing; my brother and dad love them. Lilly says her dad and uncles do, too. Chrissa’s brother is obsessed with them as well…

We are now going to “surprise” her and make her watch Dear John. That isn’t all war, but still...I didn’t really enjoy it. I doubt she would like it.

In English class, we watched like every animated Disney movie ever. Bolt wasn’t included in this, sadly. That’s the only animated Disney film I enjoy.

In Spanish class, we watched West Side Story…yeah. I have nothing to say about this. Fortunately, it was in English. On a side note, Micki (who wore actual clothes this time) downed another bag of Goldfish.

We didn’t really watch movies in any of our other classes. They were just boring. We kind-of sat there, and some people had their hands in their purses and were texting. Yes, I was one of those offenders. If you do it right, you won’t get caught.

When the final bell rang, Lilly and I skipped down the hallway and sang as loudly as we could. Melanie dragged behind us and laughed.

Lilly then forced Melanie to skip with us. Lilly belted out “We’re the three best friends that anyone could have”, which is from The Hangover, one of her favorite movies. She repeated it until Melanie and I finally joined it. Hey, we had to make that girl happy somehow…

The skipping randomly stopped when Lilly caught sight of Micki. She left us and chased after her.

And I have no idea what happened. “It’s going to be okay, Sabine. I’m taking care of things,” was all Lilly said to me when I asked her about her confrontation with Micki…

This cannot possibly be good…

-Sabine

Goldfish and Llamas

Salut, tout le monde!
I have been so busy with the end of the school year- who knew it could be so stressful? I have a written and oral Spanish proficency test tomorrow, so wish me luck! I have been studying forever. I even skipped out on International Club and went to the Spanish study session.
And guess who my partner was?

Oui...Micki. Lilly is convinced that Micki has an eating disorder, but I definitely don't think that is the case. She had a bag of Goldfish hidden in her lunchbox, and she ate the entire bag- no, she INHALED the entire bag! I asked her if I could have one, and she flipped out and said that the Goldfish "weren't mine". Um, yeah, but giving me one won't hurt. Maybe she's just territorial? If so, I can understand. I'm extremely territorial, too. ;)
We were quizzing each other on basic phrases, and I asked her, "¿Cómo te llamas?" BUT!!! I made a Chrissa joke with the "llamas" part after I asked because it reminded me that Chrissa is obsessed with her pet llamas. Anyway, she gave me the death stare and walked away.

"First you want to heist my Goldfish, then you make Chrissa jokes out of the Spanish language? Wow, Sabine, just wow. You are so not an honorary Sun Queen anymore," Micki told me.
D'accord...who said I even want to be an honorary Sun Queen? The point is, Micki has been acting strange lately, and I want to get to the bottom of it.

-Sabine (qui ne comprend pas Micki...)

PS- Those Americans and PJs...why must they flaunt them in public?

Un bandeau et un foulard...

Bonsoir, tout le monde!
Lately, I have been growing quite bored with my wardrobe, and you should be seeing some new clothes soon! I promise! :)

I'm certain people are under the impression that the French have expansive wardrobes full of designer clothes and such. However, that isn't really the case. We buy the best quality items that we can afford...and that isn't necessarily always Chanel,Yves Saint-Laurent, or Christian Dior. We don't necessarily have large wardrobes, either. We like to wear things that can be mix and matched in different ways to create "new" outfits.

Accessories also help to spice up an outfit or create a new look. Because of my boredom, I decided to spice up my style with a cute headband and a scarf that I normally wear around my waist...

Just a quick post...you'll hear more from me this week. I hope I could help share ways to spice up the clothes you already have. Take this as inspiration...and inspiration only. ;)

-Sabine
(PS...this post was inspired by the girls at Into the Woods.)

Make Some Noise

Cher tout le monde,

Everybody has a voice. This voice includes your opinions and interests. This voice tells people who you are and what makes you unique. This voice tells a story.

Everybody has a story to tell.

But, what happens when somebody steals your voice? They take a part of you with them. They take part of that story.

I almost had my voice stolen.

It has been over a week since I have written anything. I need to talk about the Teen Dance and the other amusing things that happened, but I was afraid of having my voice stolen more than it already has been.

This has been going on for at least a year now. Some people just cannot help themselves. They love my thoughts, opinions, interests, style, ideas, and more. They want to incorporate me into themselves. They cannot let me go. They are in denial and embarrassed, but they put themselves in a position to get caught. They cannot continue to make up excuses. This is ridiculous.

To be honest, I wanted to stop writing. I wanted to make my blog private and only available to select people. I decided this would be unfair, not only to me, but to everyone who properly uses my blog. I was heavily considering even deleting my blog, but then, I had an epiphany.

There will always be those disrespectful people, but for every disrespectful person, there is one that cares. I was informed of this today when somebody in real life told me that I have a story of interest to tell and I should do so. Plagiarism shouldn't stand in my way. There are people that care...online AND off.

For those who enjoy my blog and use the material properly, I want to say thank you for your continued support! I almost had that voice stolen, but because of those who care, I didn't let them take all of it. With what I have left, I want to tell those people to stop. Stop stealing my voice. Find your own. Grow! Do not allow yourself to be stuck in identity vs role confusion!

Again, thank you to those who care! Your love and support means a lot!

Bises,
Sabine

My Heart Beats For Love

Bonsoir, tout le monde! Désolée que je n'ai pas écrit. J'étais très occupée.
To start off, je suis très fatiguée. I am beyond EXHAUSTED, thanks to the lovely Lilly Poullian. She woke me up at four because she wanted somebody to watch the royal wedding with her. Um, yeah. Half of the girls were up. She didn't need me! I value my sleep time.
Anyway, the royal wedding...je m'en fous. Seriously. I don't care, and I don't get the fuss. I've never really been phased by the British. I, however, do LOVE Monaco's royalty, but I'm not sure I'd want to be Princesse Sabine de Monaco.
Speaking of Monaco, this movie looks like it will be great:

Oui, I hate Selena Gomez. She is one of my sworn enemies, but still. Why would I avoid this film just because of her? I mean, these girls go to Paris and Monte Carlo. I never miss American films that somehow involve France (and Monaco). This won't be an exception. I'm too in love with cities on the Côte d'Azure! I thought Ratatouille was, however, dumb, but that was maybe due to the fact that Miley didn't provide the voice for any of the characters. I forgive Disney. They let her voice in Bolt. :)

The royal wedding made me think about my own wedding. Chrissa wants to get married under the Eiffel Tower (shocker), but I yearn to do something less stereotypical. I'd love to get married on the rocky shores of Nice...or outside of my beloved Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille. I'm just dreaming of the day I get to marry my beloved Julien (or Gérard), and I will be wearing a strapless white dress. To some, I'm too young to consider my future, but I just love to daydream...

While I am all gushy and lovesick, I might as well say I have a beautiful heart. Or so, my grandfather told me and my necklace continues to tell me.

It was a gift from my maternal grandparents before I came to America. The day it was given to me will always remain unforgotten; it was the last time I saw my grand-père before he passed away. I was going through a tremendously difficult time when I was given the necklace, and he told me it served as a reminder of how beautiful my heart was. Cheesy, but hey, what are grand-pères for? I miss him so much, and it reminds me of him every single day. It also reminds me to keep my cool in unpleasant situations. So, obviously, it is completely special to me. It even comes before my Miley Cyrus CD collection on the "my special things" list!

Enough of that...I'll have more to share tomorrow. The Teen Dance is tonight at 10, so I should be getting ready...

Sabine

An interlude in E minor

Salut, tout le monde!
The teen dance has unfortunately (definite sarcasm) been rescheduled for next Friday because the people who are hosting it weren't aware that this Friday is Good Friday.
So in the interim, I am learning how to play the flute. And guess who's teaching me?
Oui. Melanie.
To be honest, I never knew that Melanie played the flute and piccolo until yesterday when I heard her hit an octave that most normal people can't reach. After hearing her, a super brilliant idea popped into my head- I bet I could play Miley Cyrus songs with the flute! I've always wanted to play an instrument, but I didn't have the motivation when I was little. Mère once hired a private piano teacher for me, but she said that I was hopeless and she quit on me!
The good thing is, Melanie seriously promotes music education like it's going out of style, so I begged and pleaded with her to teach me how to play the flute, and she said she would. She is also a fabulous pianist, too...maybe she can teach me how to play that, too, since I never really got the chance to learn...? Two of my favorite Miley songs ("I Hope You Find It" and "When I Look At You") EVER have the best piano music in them.
So, Melanie taught me the B flat major scale, and it went OK. I then looked through her folder of sheet music because I was so impressed with my scale, and guess what I found? "WHEN I LOOK AT YOU"!!! Yeah. She said it was written for piano, but could be easily rewritten for flute. I'm not sure how that would be easy, but I'll take her word for it! She also said it was in E minor and that I didn't even know all my major scales yet, so I wouldn't be able to play it until I learned.
I basically know nothing about music. Like, what do "major" and "minor" mean? I, however, did learn some Italian, for example, poco più mosso and vivace. Next time I go to Italy and encounter a slow walker, I will so use the term poco più mosso with them. Just kidding. ;)
Sabine

Let's Dance!

Bonsoir, tout le monde!
Well...I have a somewhat interesting story to share. It's not really a story, but you get the idea. ;) I think the title of this post (which is also a Miley Cyrus song) is perfect.
As Lilly and I were walking around campus, we saw numerous posters advertising a "Teen Dance" that is to be hosted by the recreational center. I think it sounds like a great way to meet new people, even some guys, but I heard those dances were lame.
Let me explain.
Apparently, they only play the popular music, like Lady Gaga and Ke$ha. I, for one, gag whenever I hear them singing! The people who sponsor these dances don't realize that some people listen to Miley Cyrus and French pop. Since Americans like making everyone happy, they need to take this into account.

With that aside, I've never been to one, so I think I may go. Lilly wants to go, too, so it won't be that bad. Maybe we can even convince Melanie to come? Who knows? Maybe it won't be too lame?

I think that people must feel bad for middle schoolers because high school students have their prom, so this might be some dumb way to make up for potential jealousy. This is totally casual, though, so je ne sais pas. Isn't prom in the spring? This is in the spring, so I only made up one excuse.

Josefina and Samantha were trying to tell me that these dances were "inappropriate" because the music has swear words and innuendos. Well, um, I don't like that music, but I don't care about swearing and stuff. I'm French. My whole culture would be inappropriate to those two. Anyway, they were talking about how they may go because they wanted to be "wild". Um...excusez-moi? Wild? Josefina Esperanza Montoya and Samantha Rose Parkington? To them, "wild" is playing games on Webkinz, whatever that is. I'm sure it's popular with the elementary school crowd...the crowd we aren't and shouldn't associate ourselves with!

So oui, I had fun poking fun at them...I have no shame in doing this, as they don't take me seriously, anyway. They think I'm a "bad influence" on people because I drink wine. Yeah, shows how much Americans know about other cultures...

Sabine

Hey, Micki!

Day 6- A Song That Reminds You of Somewhere
"Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. Crois-moi, with some of the girls I go to school with make life a party in the USA...

On a side (and happy note), I'm getting new clothes soon. I hate to say this, but it's about time. I'm so sick of the things I have. One thing will make the perfect outfit for my trip to DC this summer.
Yeah. Micki and I are taking DC. Be prepared.

Before anybody says anything, oui, I actually like Micki. She basically is Nicki-Vicki, but she has a normal side to her. She can behave like a narcissist or a normal human being depending. Part of me feels like she is seriously insecure deep inside. Like Melanie, I don't know about her. Micki is anything but quiet, but she won't talk about her insecurities. She talks about them with Nicki and Vicki, and I confess to pleading with the twins for answers. They don't say anything except for, "all you need to know is that she a beautiful Sun Queen now."

Étrange. Très, très étrange...
Maybe I should put Lilly on the case? She can find out anything by means of the Internet.

Sabine

Day 5- A Song That Reminds You of Someone

"Can't Be Tamed" by Miley Cyrus. It reminds me of my twin, Sandrine. "For those who don't know me I can get a bit crazy/Have to get my way/Yup/24 hours a day/Because I'm hot like that". Oui. Those lyrics (and the rest of the song) fit Sandrine perfectly.

Day 4- A Song That Makes You Sad

"I Miss You" by Miley Cyrus wins this award. She wrote it about her grandfather's death, and I can't help but relate it to my grandfather's death, too. Like Miley, my grandfather was a very influential person in my life, and I think about him everyday. I miss my grand-père so much! I also think of my immediate family whenever I hear this song. Yeah, they're alive, but they are an ocean away.

Mademoiselle Melanie L'étrange

Before I get into the important stuff, days two and three of the 30 Day Song challenge.

Day 2- Least favorite song
Too many contenders. Anything by Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, or whoever else the Americans adore top my list. "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga tops this at the moment.

Day 3- A song that makes me feel happy 
"Fifty-Sixty" by Alizée is my feel good song. The music is so catchy, as are the lyrics. The music video is very animated (not "animated" as in "lively"- "animated" as in fun, pop art-inspired cartoons). I always want to sing along to this song whenever I hear it. I particularly love the lyrics, "Rêve de gloire et de fortune/Chic en Chanel/L'amour sera toujours glamoureux". I somehow feel like those lines describe my life, too. I dream of fame, fortune, and glory in that area. I have a small Chanel bag and some perfume, but I adore the clothes (especially the coats) and I can't wait until the day I can afford them. Oh, and love will always be glamorous.

Now, onto the subject of Miss Melanie Christine Holland...

Melanie (whom I occasionally call Mélanie because it always sounds better in French) est un peu étrange. It's not that she's strange in a bad way, but she is just different. She is somewhat avoidant...wait. Bad word choice. She's extremely introverted. She doesn't want to talk to Lilly or me. In fact, she doesn't even talk to Taylor and Amanda that much anymore. At lunch, she hurriedly eats her bacon, egg, and Mozzarella cheese sandwich and leaves us. We have no idea where she goes. We ask, but she never answers.
At first, I thought she was just a genius when it came to Spanish, algebra, and English, but according to Ava, she's like this in almost every other class.
The worst part about Spanish class is constantly being degraded by the teacher. Senora believes that Melanie is the only one who will have a successful future. She doesn't seem to like any other student, even Malorie who is just as precocious AND Spanish Club president to boot! This happens in algebra and English, too. My English teacher is OBSESSED with Melanie. She is always like, "why can't you guys be quiet like Melanie?" or "why can't you write like Melanie?"
Melanie doesn't talk to anyone, even those like me who try to talk to her. For the most part, nobody talks to her. Nobody wants to talk to her. They ignore her existence. A few people (Kailey, Kaya, Kirsten, and Hayley) call her terrible names and say the worst things about her. I can't help but feel bad...

Sabine

Day 1- Favorite Song

Bonsoir, tout le monde!
In addition to all my random ramblings, I'll be doing a "song a day for thirty days" challenge in which I'll post about a song every day for, um, 30 days.
As the title says, today is Day 1, and I will be talking about my favorite song...

This a hard question, actually. I have too many favorites. At the moment, I choose "I Hope You Find It" by Miley Cyrus. Here is some in-depth analysis of how it relates to my life.
Piano solo: Beautiful. There's no other words I could use to describe it. Melanie can play it (and the rest of the song) on piano and flute. I need to learn. I'm obsessed.
Now, onto the lyrics.
"These clouds are going nowhere, baby. The rain keeps coming down." As you have come to know, I'm from Lille, where the skies are always gray and dreary and rain falls incessantly.
"And I hope that you get this message that I'm leaving for you/I hate that you left without hearing the words that I needed you to..." One word: Marcelle. Long story. I don't want to get into details since it's nothing I want to share or relive, but yeah. Before I left for the US, she wanted to talk to me about what she and some friends, um, did.
"I hope you find it/what you're looking for/and I hope it's everything you dreamed your life could be and so much more/And I hope you're happy wherever you are..." Where do I even begin? This, in a nutshell, describes my move to the US. Enough said.

Sabine

Des cadeaux de Paris

Bonsoir, tout le monde! Je ne pense pas que je vous vois ses photos! 
I don't think I have ever posted photos on my blog of what we got from Paris. I thought of this when I opened my bottom clothing drawer and saw my little notepad. We got these things in the summer of 2009, so I think I am a little late sharing photos. I took new pictures, since I can't find the old ones. Enjoy!

Up first is a photo of me with my notepad. If you're lucky, you may get a letter/autograph from me (written on one of these sticky notes) someday. ;)

 Christelle got one, too. Sadly, the store was out of Sandrines, but Sandrine got earrings, which makes up for this.

This Eiffel Tower figure makes the most perfect room accessory:

I also got this set of drawers for my room...for TWO EUROS. Awesome deal!

Alyson got a purse...

...and an Eiffel Tower statuette thingy. It is the perfect addition to the glass candy, which was gifted to Alyson from somebody who lived in Italy, so it's authentic Italian blown glass.

Yeah, I know this post isn't overly exciting, but it needed to be done. It should have been done almost two years ago, but I forgot. Désolée. I promise I'll get on to bigger, better, and more exciting things next time.

Sabine
PS- I was reading my older blog entries (from 2008-2009), and I realized how much my English has improved! I'm completely impressed with myself.

Stalk Lilly!

Because she probably stalks you. :P
Kidding, she's my best friend. Bien sûr, I would promote her new blog. The stalking thing is kind-of our inside joke. She has a bad habit of searching for people on the Internet...
CLICK HERE to check out her blog. Leave her a comment, say "hi", and totally annoy her. I give you full permission to do that.

Sabine

La Vie en Noir

Salut, tout le monde! 
Hopefully, you know what this is a photo of. It's blurry because somebody was scared the rain would destroy her camera.

Quelqu'un est allé à la ville de New York...
...and somebody didn't buy anything for me. Apparently, AGPNY doesn't open until 10, and she was only on 5th Avenue before ten. NICE GOING. All I wanted was the shirt from the Recital Outfit. Is that really too much to ask? It's not like I want all the brightly colored items that most of the Americans here die for. One little shirt. That was all I wanted.
I hate to say this, but Chrissa could have taken the pants from that outfit. They'd work for her jazz class. Seriously, if you don't wear them for a dance recital (which is what they look like they're for...hence the term "recital" in the outfit's title), they are basically a fashion fail.

I spent this morning reading some magazines that Mère sent me. I really miss getting to read and buy French magazines all the time. They are so much more informative than American magazines, plus they feature the cutest clothes!

Julie is very similar to American Girl magazine. Let's put it this way: I don't really like Julie as much as I like other French magazines. I mean, the girls that read this actually have crushes on Justin Bieber and Rob Pattinson. Um, EW! How about the cute guys like Jérémy Kapone or Éric Greff (better known by his stage name Helmut Fritz)? Bien sûr, I have crushes on guys who aren't celebrities, but even they are way cuter than Justin or Rob.
Just saying. These girls clearly don't know what "cute" means. Maybe it's because I'm kind-of past Julie's target audience and I don't buy into American media too easily? The oldest girl in there was 12, I think. There are some American things I like, but I do think more highly of French movies and stuff.

This magazine, Jeune et Jolie, is more my thing. Plus, the outfits featured are awesome. I'd love to own most of the things featured. The articles are more of an interest to me.

 Apparently, Chrissa loves J et J, too! Kidding- I doubt she knew what it was before she saw me reading it. She came up behind me and shouted at the top of her lungs, nonetheless, "SABS! AWESOME FRENCH MAGAZINE!"

She startled me for numerous reasons...

Reason #1: ses vêtements. Everybody should know who and what she is trying to dress like. I'm going to take the time and explain a few things:

1. Son béret- bérets do not make you look French. They are just...ugh...so stereotypical! Don't ask me why Christelle wears them. I think she is trying to fit the stereotype or something.
2. Son écharpe- yeah, French people do wear scarves, but then again, the stereotypical thing can also come into play here. Take caution while wearing one- it can go both ways. The French can think you look cute, or they can think that you're a walking stereotype. You've been warned.
3. Son tee-shirt- I will ridicule this to no end. D'accord, what is with the giant logo, the stars, and the sequins? How does wearing this make you look French, especially since the words AMERICAN GIRL PLACE: NEW YORK are plastered on the front? Oh, Chrissa...
4. Son pantalons- she wears those to dance class. Enough said.

The thing that annoys me about this is that she tries so hard to dress "French". Black does not equal French. For some reason, I feel like because I wear black and am French, she needs to do the same. I don't get it. Yeah, black and other neutrals are common in France, but people wear clothes in other colors, too. I don't wear black because I'm French; I wear black because I'm a redhead and don't look great in a lot of colors.
Which, by the way, leads me to my second point. There is no particular way to dress "French". The French that I know (and I know quite a few...:P) dress in clothes that fit their bodies, styles, and personalities. They wear what looks good on them in colors that suite them. I repeat, neutrals are the most common, but people do wear other colors! Obviously, some things do scream American...like 99.99% of Lilly's wardrobe...but wearing black doesn't instantly make you French. Sorry, Chrissa.
Black really doesn't suit her...or her personality.

Oh, more Chrissa talk. This involves her boyfriend. Lilly and I discovered Chrissa talking to him on the phone, so we eavesdropped and laughed. It is such a cliche teen relationship that it's not funny! I highly doubt that they "love" each other. Lilly determined that this guy MUST be very tolerant, though, because let's face it: he could do so much better. How does he tolerate her?

Anyway, we are predicting that this relationship will end very soon. First of all, he is from her hometown in Iowa and they have been dating since sixth grade. Chrissa came to PPBS in the spring of that school year. There is no way that such a long-distance relationship will last, especially one like this. I bet he has already "cheated" on her or something...

Chrissa: you can't live with her; you can't live without her. Without that girl, my life in America wouldn't be too exciting...

Oh, I was tagged by The Green Girls, so I will list "7 Things" (Miley Cyrus pun!) about myself that you may or may not know:
1. I consider myself to be a secretive person. There is more to me than what I reveal.
2. I love traveling, especially around Europe.
3. I don't really try to dress "fashionable"; I actually effortlessly put together my outfits. But I do love clothes...
4. I do not like to wear my hair up. I prefer wearing it down or wearing it a half-ponytail.
5. Aurélie really needs to come to America. She needs to stop being so indecisive about it and just do it. I need one of my best friends here with me...long story...
6. I would never be caught dead in sneakers, hoodies, or sweatpants.
7. When I go to college, I plan on majoring in sociology, thanks to the Americans. ;)

If anybody else wants to do this, they can. I tag anybody who wants to do this.

Sabine

Fermez-la!

Salut!
Have your parents ever totally annoyed you to the point that you want to scream "FERMEZ LA BOUCHE" at the top of your lungs?
My mother. What an evil person.

She has never complimented me (or Sabine, but Sabine doesn't matter here, duh!) before. She has never called me pretty or told me what a talented and magnificent dancer I am. All she does at yell at me. Like I'm going to listen to that. She tells me that I need to do better at school and blah blah blah. She tells me to treat others with respect. Um, I DO do that?! It's not like I'm mean to people or anything. They just aren't respectful of me or my views.

Yeah, and I can't help that. I can't help a lot of things, but whatever. Nobody needs to know anything. Sabine doesn't need to spread family secrets around the "anonymous" Interwebs. She needs to stay out of my business, just like Mère.

Well, anyway, my visa has expired. I better get that little situation checked out and fixed before Mère decides to nag on me further.

Bises!
Sandrine <3