You can't spell "Spain" without "pain"!

Salut, tous! C'est Julien. Oui, je sais que je n'écris pas souvent, mais je vais essayer.

One day, after school, Sabine was bragging to me about the grade she received on her most recent Spanish dictée. For those who aren't familiar with the French education system, a dictée tests orthography and grammar. A teacher reads a short exercise, and students have to write down what they hear. Many grammatical aspects of the French language are found in writing only, so it can be difficult. However, Sabine and I are good at dictées matter the language. Sabine likes to show off her Spanish skills to me since I am a huge hispanophile, so I just let her. It's kind-of cute.

In France, grades are on a 20 point scale. Normally, it is difficult to get an 18, 19, and especially difficult to get a 20! The equivalence to the American "C" would be an 8-9! However, Sabine somehow managed an 18 on her dictée. She always somehow manages to get high grades, even in subjects she hates like math and science. 

Sabine then began talking to me about how she hopes to study in Spain next summer. She would stay with a host family and vow to only speak Spanish during her visit. I instantly got jealous. Sabine's family is definitely more well-off than mine is, and they can afford to do these things. Even though Spain is below France, I haven't been. I've been to what seems like most countries in Europe, but Spain wasn't one of them. I would love to do a summer study program like that! I told Sabine to at least send me a postcard. She laughed and said, "Maybe you can come with me? That would be even better!"

I sighed. Maybe someday. Someday. Just not next summer...

Then, Sabine changed the subject to Aurélie. She has this weird thing built up in her mind in which she thinks I want to date Aurélie. I swear she gets these ideas from the Americans she meets when she goes to that summer program in the US. Dating in France and dating in the US are totally different. Of course, considering American movies are the most popular among us French teens, Sabine could get ideas from those, too.

I told her that I didn't want to date anyone. I have too much to think about for that. She seemed relived. 

Sabine moved closer to me and said that I looked good in the shirt she had given me. She then asked if I spent the birthday money that Aurélie had given me. I said that I'm saving it to possibly go to Spain. 

"C'est bon," Sabine smiled. "Tu peux voyage en Espagne avec moi!"

I laughed. "Cela serait une bonne idée."

I really hope that Sabine stops the nonsense with Aurélie now that I told her I had no interest in dating at the moment. I'm not about to lose my best friends...especially if it has to do with me. 

-JH

Des problèmes dans la vie quotidienne

Salut! C'est Julien! Je n'ai aucune idée pourquoi je n'ai pas écrit, mais je trouve que je suis timide. Alors, Aurélie a eu des problèmes avec la danse classique et Sandrine, et je lui ai parlé. Malheureusement, cela a créé des problèmes pour mon rapport avec Sabine...

As close as I am to Sabine, I definitely think that Aurélie is more like me personality-wise. We are both on the shy, quiet, and reserved side of the personality spectrum. We best express ourselves through our favorite hobbies--mine being football (soccer) and hers being ballet or playing the flute. However, it is hard when the thing you love most is also the thing that is tearing you apart. Aurélie doesn't really like to verbalize her problems with Sandrine to Sabine because after all, Sandrine is Sabine's twin sister. Although Sabine has her fair share of problems with Sandrine (and shares all of them with me), Aurélie still doesn't want to hurt Sabine's feelings. Though, I doubt that Sabine's feelings would be hurt. Aurélie is just way too nice.

Anyway, I have been spending a lot of free time with Aurélie, and we have been discussing some of these problems. To say the least, Sandrine is extremely competitive and views Aurélie as her only true competition. Aurélie, in some ways, does take that to be a compliment. Sandrine only views true talent as competition, and I know that Aurélie is a beautiful dancer. However, Sandrine makes Aurélie feel very uncomfortable by giving her dirty looks, making rude comments, and talking about her to other dancers. Plus, Sandrine is interested in studying la dance classique at the Conservatoire de Lille alongside Aurélie. 

Aurélie cried. "She is making me hate my one true passion, Julien. I was going to drop my private flute lessons so I can dedicate more time to dancing, but now, I'm considering dropping ballet. That would mean dropping my dreams, though. I want to dance professionally for le ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris more than anything in the entire world, but so does Sandrine. I don't want to have to deal with her."

I told her that she should never quit. She's worked so hard to get where she is today. It is ridiculous to give up because somebody is being nasty, and I told her that she needs to get tough. I just can't see anybody who wants to dance professionally as being weak. I had to get the courage to defend myself against my dad; now,  it's Aurélie who needs it to stand up to Sandrine and continue to live her dream. 

I gave Aurélie a hug. She said, "You are right. My ballet instructors aren't exactly the nicest, but I can deal with their criticism. I just can't deal with Sandrine's nastiness. Like you said, though. Competition does seem to dominate the professional world...especially when it comes to promotions and getting contracts resigned."

Now, as for my problem? Sabine thought that I had a crush on Carlota, Aurélie's exchange student from Spain. Fortunately, Sabine got over that and admitted that it was a misunderstanding. Now, she thinks that I have a thing for Aurélie because I've been spending so much time with her. I just feel like I can understand Aurélie more than Sabine can. I know what it's like to be quiet and have a hard time raising your voice; I can relate to Aurélie. I don't want to lose Sabine as a friend, but at the same time, her jealousy of other girls I might talk to is getting ridiculous. I'm not interested in a relationship. Relationships in France have an entirely different stigma than they do in the US. I don't want to get into it, but because of that, I don't want a relationship at this time.

What advice would you give Aurélie? What advice would you give me?

-JH

Our Ultimate Christmas Wishlists

Salut, tout le monde! Joyeux réveillon de Noël! C'est Sabine...et Sandrine, Aurélie, et Julien!
Today, in honor of the Christmas season and Christmas Eve, the four of us are going to share our Ultimate Christmas Wishlists with you. I'm going to go first. We posting in different colors, and that color of each name.

Anyway, in a perfect world, I'd get the following things:
1. "Summer in Paris" outfit by Liberty Jane Clothing

No, I don't want this outfit because the title is related to France. It has everything to do with the following photo and a certain celebrity who wore it:

2. "Breakout" by Liberty Jane Clothing 

It's self-explanatory why I want this:

3. "Lightning Ridge" by Liberty Jane Clothing...it's the perfect outfit for traveling!

4. "UK Holiday" tunic by Liberty Jane Clothing...that tunic is my favorite thing LJC has ever made...aside from the Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana outfits. I wish I could own it!

5. "Le Marais" blouse and sweater by Liberty Jane Clothing

I'm not really a fan of the color of the coat, but the button-down and sweater are totally my style! I want both items so badly!

6. Tickets to a Miley Cyrus concert and a chance to meet Miley Cyrus!

This is a stretch, but in a perfect world, this would happen. Sadly, the world isn't perfect.

Sadly, my chances of meeting Miley Cyrus and owning retired Liberty Jane Outfits aren't very high at all because the world isn't perfect. So, here's to reality...

My Totally Realistic Christmast Wishlist 2012

1. The new coat with the bow in the back as seen on the All Dolled Up Facebook fan page...I want it in gray, please!

2. MacBook Air

3. an iPod Touch

4. THIS gray sweater 

5. THIS gray and white striped sweater

6. THIS striped dress

So, I'm finished. I don't even know why I made this list because I got all of my Christmas gifts on my birthday. I am only getting money, so I guess I could buy myself some of the clothing on my realistic list. I definitely think I won't get enough money to purchase a MacBook Air or iPod touch.

Sabine

Sandrine here, and IT'S MY TURN!!! I'm going to copy my sister and make a fantasy Liberty Jane wishlist.

1. "Roebuck Bay" by Liberty Jane Clothing

2. "Military Blues" by Liberty Jane Clothing

3. "Sofia" by Liberty Jane Clothing

4. "Paris Daydream" by Liberty Jane Clothing

5. "Shinjuku Starlet" by Liberty Jane Clothing

5. "Here We Go Again" by Liberty Jane Clothing

Yeah, I'll take anything on my realistic list, too, obviously. I'm not picky. I just want presents.

1. I am dying for THIS beautiful Gaynor Minden leotard!

2. iPhone 5...I'm stuck with a crappy Samsung Galaxy smartphone in the meantime.

3. Classic Freed of London pointe shoes 

4. Tarte Call Of The Wild Amazonian Palette

5. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

6. Hello Kitty eyeliner kit

7. Skirt from Liberty Jane Clothing

C'est tout!

Bisous,

Sandrine

Bonjour! C'est Aurélie! 

I'm not a big fan of Liberty Jane Clothing at all (désolée, Sabine et Sandrine!), so the items on my dream wishlist would probably be from Melody Valerie. Idealistically, I would like the following MV dresses:

1. The Joie de Vivre dress

2. The Margot dress

3. The Cecily dress

4. The Vintage Fresh dress

...and

5. Most Likely to Travel the World by L'Atelier de Sitara

Going off things I could actually get, I would love:

1. The same All Dolled Up jacket Sabine was talking about- I want it in the pink that it is shown in, though. ;)

2. THIS argyle-print dress

3. THIS skirt from Sew Urban Designs

4. THIS skirt from Forever18Inches

5. Repetto ballet slippers

However, my parents have already bought me presents. I trust them, and I'm sure I'll love whatever they get me.

Joyeux Noël!

Aurélie

C'est Julien! The truth is, I don't really want that much for Christmas. In that perfect world that Sabine was talking about, my gift would be a trip to various autonomous communities and cities in Spain. However, since money is tight and the world isn't perfect, I'll settle for...

1. A new LOSC football (soccer) jersey

2. New soccer cleats

3. a $25 iTunes gift card

4. A new cell phone...probably that Samsung Galaxy that Sandrine hates. Leave it to her to think it isn't good enough, though. It's a nice phone.

-JH

So...we told you what we want for Christmas. What is on your wishlist, if you celebrate Christmas?

Joyeux réveillon de Noël! 

Sabine, Sandrine, Aurélie, et Julien

Trois films

Salut- c'est Julien.
I never got to share three of my favorite movies with you, but I will now, if you're interested.

1. Jeux d'enfants (2003)

This movie tells the story of Julien Janvier and Sophie Knowalsky. Sophie recently moved to Belgium, and she was being bullied by some other children on her way to school. Julien noticed that she was upset, so he offered her a tin box (which was a gift from his mother). Julien, however, told her that he'd like to have it back every once in awhile. Sophie wanted him to prove to her how important it was to him, and that is how the game of dares began. Whoever had the box at a given time was supposed to complete a dare. The two continued this game well into adulthood, and even though Sophie and Julien are clearly in love, they don't realize they were meant for each other until the end of the film. In the interim, both get married.
Sophie was a better match for Julien, yes, but I think I am a bit biased when I say that Julien should have stayed with the woman whom he married because her last name was Bouchard. I wonder why I think that? ;) Anyway, this movie reminds me of all the silly things that Sabine and I used to do as children, so it brings back memories every time I watch it.

2. Entre les murs (2008)

Inspired by a true story, François Marin is a French teacher who teaches at a diverse in Paris. He deals with frequent fights and outbursts on a daily basis, plus his students simply do not want to do their work. Marin tries his hardest to encourage his students to use their talents to do good, and he helps them with this in many ways. He learns more about them when he instructs them to write self-portraits. All in all, Marin learns that he can only do so much and this his students have to do the rest.
I like this movie because I plan on being a teacher someday, and it has inspired me to want to dramatically impact the lives of my future students in positive ways.

3. Les Tuche (2010)

Unemployment runs in the Tuche family, so when Jeff Tuche gets fired from his job, he celebrates endlessly. Then, during dinner, the family discovers that they won 100,000,000€, and they head to Monaco. Along the way, they have many mishaps as they try to fit into the luxurious lifestyle. At the end, they learn a thing or two about being yourself.
I like this movie because it isn't too serious- it's just a lot of fun. I thought the family's obsession with potatoes and fries was entertaining, and I also thought each of the children were very unique. I was happy when the youngest child, Donald, decided to be himself and stop pretending to be "stupid" to please his family. He excelled at an exclusive school. Considering his family's history, that took courage.

-JH

Sept Choses

Bonsoir. Comment allez-vous, tout le monde? 
I never got to do my "seven random facts" post, and since I'm on the private side, I think that this might help you to get to know me better. Here it goes:

1. My parents are divorced, and they have been since I was six years old. The reason for the divorce was my dad's fault, but to be honest, I'm glad that my parents are separated. Even though I was young while they were married, I knew my dad was nothing but trouble. He didn't treat my mom, sister, or me very nicely, and he always caused an argument over his late returns home from work. Ha, he wasn't at work, and it took one of my mom's friends to figure that out.

2. My favorite school subject is Spanish. I am completely enamored by the Spanish language and culture, and one of my dreams is to visit various regions and cities in Spain someday. I am particularly drawn to the southern autonomous communities.

3. I like to read Catalan for fun. Catalan is a romance language that is spoken in various Spanish autonomous communities (namely Cataluña), and it is also the only official language (as well as the national language) of the principality of Andorra. It's easy to read because it is so similar to Spanish and French. I probably couldn't speak it or understand it verbally unless I had further practice.

4. I love football- what you know as soccer. It is my favorite sport to play at watch. I have been playing for community club teams since I was very young. I always cheer for LOSC, Lille's team, as well as France's national team. I'm also a big fan of some of the players on Spain's team as well. I don't plan to go professional, but it's a good way to have fun.

5. My best friend is Sabine, hands-down. There is no competition with this one. Although she can be a little exasperating at times, she is the best friend I'll ever have. She listens, lets me talk, and tries to give me advice. She has an answer for everything, and sometimes her advice has lead me down some rocky paths, but everything turned out better than it would have if I had just stayed quiet. Sabine has encouraged me to do so much- take a stand against my father, continue with football when I felt I didn't have the time, and much more. She stood up for me when some guys were picking on me, and I did the same when she was in the middle of a sticky situation. Not only do I share everything with her, she shares everything with me. I have grown to have a crush on her, but not because of her appearance alone (though I'll say she's attractive). She is genuinely one of the best people I know.

6. I'm close with my sister, who is two years younger than me. Most guys my age would think that was weird, but it's been my life. My dad left when she was only four, and I was the only male role model in her life for the longest of times. We have done most everything together, and when money was tight, I gave up getting new things for school so she could have more.

7. I hate liars, backstabbers, manipulators, traitors, and things along those lines. If you are going to lie to me or be kind to my face but destroy me behind my back, don't even talk to me. I consider these types of people to be lower than low. I have experienced too many people like this in my life to want to deal with them some more, though I know I'll unfortunately have to.

-JH

The concept of "test driving"

Bonjour, c'est Julien.
When I talk about "test driving", I'm not talking about driving cars around before you decide which car to actually buy. I'm talking about dating many different people in order to determine your "type". I wouldn't call it serious dating. It's more like using it as an opportunity to get to know others.

This concept, however, is new to me. Sabine's friend Lilly brought it to my attention a few weeks before I returned home.

We were going to go out to lunch, but Sabine was sidetracked by a Miley Cyrus concert tour book, so I decided to talk to Lilly.

I've never really spoken with Lilly before because to be honest, she has always intimidated me. She is very social and outgoing, and I sometimes have a hard time reacting to that. While Sabine was reading, Lilly rested a hand on my shoulder and said, "So, I see you really admire Sabine."
I blushed. "Is it that obvious?"
Lilly laughed. "Dude, let's be real. It's obvious. You aren't hiding anything. I mean, nothing is a secret!"
I wanted a serious opinion, and I was also wondering if Sabine told Lilly anything about me. Even though I normally don't ask these types of questions, I had to ask, "Do you think I should ask Sabine out?"

Lilly grew very animated. "NO! I mean, I'm pretty sure she likes you but is in denial. She'd probably say 'yes' if you did. Hey, I'd say 'yes' if you asked me, but I just really want a boyfriend at this point in time. Here's the thing, Julien. You can't just date somebody who's your best friend. It could destroy the friendship if something happens, and you don't want that. Plus, you'll have plenty of time to date her when you're older. For now, you have to 'test drive'."
I looked shocked. "'Test drive'? What do you mean?"
Lilly nodded. "Hmm. It's simple. You date some other girls and see if they're your type. Play the field, get to know others...you know. If you don't like any of them, just date Sabine. It's just good to have experience with relationships."

Lilly then poked Sabine. "Did you hear any of that?"
"Hear what?" Sabine jumped, shocked that Lilly tapped her.
"That's fine," Lilly said quickly. I was actually thankful that Sabine was so absorbed by the concert book. I was afraid of how she'd react.

"Come on, Julien. Let's grab a bite to eat. I'm starving!" Lilly said. I nodded in agreement. I really was beginning to feel hungry.
"Wait for me! Don't leave me behind!" Sabine shouted, running behind us.

As we walked, I thought about what Lilly had said. Maybe I should give other girls a try? It's worth a shot, considering I don't really want to wreck my friendship with Sabine at this point...especially now that my dad is entering my life again...

-JH

Être libre

Salut, c'est Julien.
Être libre- en anglais, c'est-à-dire "to be free". La vie est pas toujours facile. Il y a des difficultés, et on se sent quelquefois pris au piège. Il y a aussi des petites choses qui sont heureuses: un sourire d'un ami(e), un cadeau, ou une danse...
...une danse: la plus heureuse chose dans ma vie...

Normally, I hate dancing, and never once did I believe that it could be so freeing. Looking back on the dance, I can't believe I even worked up the courage to ask Sabine to dance. I thought she would refuse since she was surrounded by all her American friends. I thought that she would be too shy or to embarrassed to dance with me.

Mais non. Nous avons dansé. 

I reached for her hand, which was probably a little bit awkward for both of us.
Elle a ri. "J'ai peur!" 
J'ai dit, "Pourquoi?"
She just giggled nervously. She didn't know why she was scared, she claimed. However, I think I did. I was scared and nervous for the same reasons she was. I knew that people would talk- that they would say something about this. Still, confidence defeated doubt and anxiety. We didn't care about what others might say or think. That would have been a waste of time. It was more important to live in the moment than let the moment pass because we were afraid of reactions. 

The dancing didn't begin well. Sabine stepped on my feet, and she lost her balance a few times. Her mom always used to say that Sabine just pretended to be highly uncoordinated, but I honestly am not sure if Sabine is pretending. I think she may be exaggerating it some out of nerves, but nothing's changed. She's still the spastic, klutzy, uncoordinated girl I knew when I first met her.

I decided to get creative and spin her, and that actually worked out well. It didn't result in an injury. She smiled at me and said, "Je me sens libre...comme un oiseau!"
Of course she'd say that, and it brought back good memories of our childhood. We were once sitting on her balcony watching the birds fly high above us, and Sabine proclaimed that she wanted to do that. She wanted to be a bird who could fly away and be free. No restrictions, no strict parents to hold her back. Free.

That was how I felt when I was dancing with her- free. Even though others were staring, we didn't care. Dancing with her was the closest thing we as people could get to being birds. She wasn't being controlled by her mother, and I wasn't being controlled by my father. It was just us, the music, and the dance floor.

Je me sens libre. Je suis libre.

-JH

Le plus heureux garçon

"Devine qui!"
I shouted that when I spotted her. A smile spread across her face.
"Julien, qu'est-ce que tu fais là?" Sabine asked me, still shocked at my arrival.
I sighed. This one would be hard to explain. "Mon père."
"Tu détestes ton père!" Sabine, who was now also shocked by my statement, declared.
"Je vais éxpliquer plus tard," I replied quickly. Sabine nodded, though she still looked uneasy.

I'm a very private person, which is why I don't blog as much as I probably should. I don't think I have ever gone in-depth about my family or relationships with my family members. To put it to you this way, my parents are divorced. My sister and I live with our mom and visit our dad sometimes...correction- my sister visits our dad. I stopped because I want nothing to do with him. I really don't feel like going into details, but there you have the summarized version. Sabine was shocked that I was in America because of my dad. This is the first time I have done anything with my dad in a year, and let me tell you, it is not easy to be with him now. While he is in the state for something business-related, he reluctantly allowed me to visit Sabine. There's another thing I cannot stand about my dad: he hates Sabine. He thinks she is bad influence and that my mom should have ended the friendship between us a long time ago. I understand that she might seem too wild for him, but he doesn't understand how much I need her in my life. She's the person that I go to for everything, and without her, I'd have nobody to share my feelings or secrets with. She knows what a jerk my dad is, so she didn't take too much offense. She was the one who suggested I stop visiting him in the first place, so of course she is shocked I'd want anything to do with him. Sabine especially cannot stand him after he swore at her over the phone one evening years ago...

On a happier note, I asked Sabine what she has been up to, and she mentioned that she's been busy decorating for the end-of-the-school-year dance. I told her that I thought it sounded like fun, and if she needed somebody to go with, I'd be more than happy to go with her.

I was very nervous asking her that, but I figured that I'd be around and that I might as well try to have some fun. I was afraid of being rejected, but I apparently had nothing to be worried about because she squealed "oui" with much delight. She then laughed and added, "Chrissa sera jalouse!"

Chrissa will be jealous, true, but that wasn't my main concern. I hoped that this would be the start of something so much more than a beautiful friendship...

-JH

Promets-moi toujours

Buenas tardes, todo el mundo. ¿Cómo estáis? Lo siento; es tarde pero fui ocupado. 
Sometimes when I am upset, I find myself writing in Spanish. It is such a nice language once you learn it, even though it can sound silly in a French accent. I have to force myself to pronounce those endings...something I'm not entirely used to doing. Sabine always laughs at me and calls me a Hispanophile. I wouldn't go as far to say I'm obsessed, but Spain is a beautiful country. I love learning about its various regions and languages. Speaking of languages in Spain, Sabine and I are somewhat nerdy. We spent our time (two nights ago) watching The Parent Trap and reading websites in Catalan. Hey, if you know French and Spanish, Catalan is a breeze to read. I feel that I can understand written Catalan, but understanding spoken Catalan might be a bit tricky. 

Perhaps Sabine is right? I might be a bit of a Hispanophile. 


Said evening reminded me of last summer when I was talking to Sabine about Spain. I told her how badly I wanted to go there, and she laughed and said we needed to check out the Cataluña region (where Barcelona is, in case you're curious) and practice our Catalan.
I laughed. My spoken Catalan skills were limited to per favor, which means "please" (and also looks quite similar to the Spanish por favor). Yes, our fake obsession with Catalan quickly became an inside joke of ours. I made Sabine promise me that one day, when we are old enough to travel on our own, she would come to Spain with me.
She promised...as long as Catalan was involved somehow.

Then, Sabine said, "Promets-moi que nous serons toujours amis."
"Nous serons toujours amis, Sabine. Pourquoi est-ce que tu me demandes?" I replied, confused.
"Parce que," she began. "Si nous sommes allés à l'Espagne et nous n'étions pas amis, ça serait bizarre."
Just another reason to always be friends with her. As she said, if we went to Spain together and weren't friends, that might be weird.

Before she left, she asked for me to promise one more thing. "Promets-moi toujours que tu seras mon premier amour." 

I definitely agreed to that. I wanted her to be my first true love, too. When we're older...

Julien

Jeux d'enfants

I feel like it is time for me to make a confession. I have a crush on Sabine, and I have for awhile- even before I could truly pinpoint what a crush was exactly. There was always something alluring about her. She has always been a dreamer who liked to think outside of the box. She has always loved her independence, and I remember talking to her about how she wanted to "escape" and see the world. Even when she was out in public with her strict mother, she always had a hint of mischief in her eyes. She did things her way, and she always came up with the craziest ideas.
I don't have a crush on her because of her outward appearance, though I do think she's attractive. I love her personality- it was the first thing I truly noticed about her, and it was made me want to get to know her. She is my best friend who told me everything and to whom I told everything. She's perfect because she's imperfect, as corny as that may sound. I am not infatuated whatsoever, so do not even think that. My admiration for her stems from friendship, and nothing more.

One of the best memories I can recall occurred when my family ate dinner with her family sometime in 2003 when we were 7. Before dinner, I immediately spotted Sabine in the corner playing with her stuffed animals. She looked bored out of her mind; she was never much of a toy person.

I felt it was safe to interrupt, so I greeted her. "Bonjour, Sabine!"
"Bonjour," she said under her breath.

She quickly stood up, even though for a second I was convinced that she wouldn't. "Julien, j'ai vu un film avec mon frère et ses amis hier. Il s'est appellé Jeux d'Enfants, et c'était amusant! Un garçon sur le film s'appelle Julien comme toi! Il y avait une fille qui s'appelle Bouchard! Bouchard...comme moi!"
That was the nice thing about having an older sibling. Sébastien always took Sabine and Sandrine out to do fun things. I can relate to him now, seeing as I do the same thing with my sister. Jeux d'Enfants later became the movie that Sabine and I would make inside jokes about.

She then proceeded to tell me about the game involving dares that the main characters, Julien and Sophie, played. Sabine said that she wanted to play the game with me, so she dared me to kiss her. I didn't know what to think at the time. I had only seen teenagers and adults kiss, and I didn't know what to do! I was completely nervous. I came closer and closer to her cheek, and then something happened...

...she ran away from me and laughed until she couldn't breathe.

Throughout dinner, she flashed me large smiles that indicated what she had done. She was quite pleased with herself, and looking back on it, I can admit that was a good prank for somebody who was 7. The genius behind such a scheme drew me into her world, and I knew I wanted to be her best friend.

As embarrassing as that may have been, I had to get it off my chest.
Julien

le 15 octobre

Salut!
Je m'appelle Julien. Normally, I'm a private person, and I wouldn't put my life on the Internet. But all of us have a story to tell, and I figure that I should tell mine. I had a blog prior to this, but I forgot the login and had to make a new one. The previous posts are from the summer.
I guess I should state the most important thing: I did not create this blog to talk about me as a person (though I'm sure I'll share some of that). As weird as it sounds, I created it to talk about Sabine and my rather strange friendship with her. OK...so maybe it isn't strange and it's just a normal friendship, but she has had a large impact on my life in different ways.
Enough about Sabine as I'm sure you read her blog. I know I said I wouldn't do this, but I will introduce myself more in-depth. I am fourteen years old, and I am in 3ème at Collège Paul Verlaine. I play football (soccer), but not for a school team because we don't have those in France. I love traveling, other languges, and other cultures. My favorite place in the world is Valencia, Spain. Spanish is my favorite foreign language, and I recently discovered that vosotros/as and its verb forms are not used in the Americas.
There are two things I want to be when I grow up- the world's best dad and a cours préparatoire (first grade) teacher. I'm fine with young children (considering that I have babysat my little sister Delphine forever), so teaching that age group doesn't bug me.

On to other things...

I haven't seen Sabine since 2008. She left the country for some boarding school without personally telling me "goodbye", and I won't lie. It kind-of hurt, considering we're good friends. She returned to France a few months ago as a result of her mother's demands. When I first saw her face, I felt like America had changed her. She actually wears her glasses now; she used to hate them.
Fortunately, she didn't change much personality-wise. I'm glad of that. If her personality changed, that would have been like having a whole new Sabine. Her clothing style is still the same, and I'm glad that she hasn't adopted sweatpants. I appreciate it when girls dress nicely. It looks much more respectable.

Things between us weren't too awkward as I had expected they would be since we hadn't spoken face to face in so long. The first thing she brought up was Miley Cyrus, which was expected. I then asked her if she wanted to help me babysit Delphine, and she said "sure". We talked some about America, and Delphine insisted that we had crushes on each other.

I thought she was being the typical little sister who liked to get on my nerves, but maybe her words had some truth to them. Some truth...I mean, I admire and respect Sabine and I love her in friend sense. I wouldn't say I have a romantic-type of crush on her. I don't think I could ever date my best friend because I wouldn't want to destroy our friendship. I have much more respect for her, and I'm sure she feels the exact same way*.

*Or maybe not.

Sabine invited me to her house for dinner, and afterwards, we went on her balcony to talk as we usually did when we were younger. Her brother snickered at us, and once again, I was assuming he was being the typical older brother. Her parents didn't think anything of us going on the balcony, but then again, we French seem to be more relaxed about relationships with the opposite sex. Sabine told me that some Americans are weird with boy-girl friendships, and I can safely say that society is more liberal in Europe. We don't always assume the worst.
We were talking about America and Miley Cyrus again, and in the midst of conversation, I remembered I had something to give her. I handed her a note that she had written me three years ago, and after she read it, she looked like she was going to faint from shock.

After I left, I regretted returning it to her. She gave it to me, and giving it back was rude. I was expecting a confrontation about it, but fortunately, she dropped the subject. In some ways, it's just best to leave the past behind.

-JH

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

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