ROX-ANNNNNE, you don't have to go class today...

Not really. I actually went to all of my classes today. Yesterday one of my teachers said "why are you only going to American for a week? Stay as long as you like, you're friend (meaning Carrie) can take notes for you." Huh?

Today, my history teacher said, "why would you bother to come back?" Which makes me wonder... what do they think we're here for? Apparently, the Spaniards are going to school simultaniously here and in Spain. They never go to class; they just show up for the tests. Like Seth.

I do love what I like to call "The Tangental Teaching Method" wherein the professor teaches about everything except the subject of the class. I'm not being sarcastic (I know, I have to clarify because I'm typically dripping with sarcasm). I actually really love it. Anyway, it makes me regret missing class for a week.

Today I learned all about Guy Fawkes Day. On November 9, this is a former British national holiday (still an unofficial one) in which british school children burn effigies of a Catholic terrorist from the reign of James I & VI who once tried to blow up the house of commons, the house of lords and the royal family at the same time. I like these genuinely educational holidays. We have President's Day (like, whatever) and Columbus Day, which doesn't count because we don't burn statues of Columbus who was technically a terrorist too.

Then, in French History, I learned that the first time the french had ever seen a Christmas tree was in the trenches at the Battle of the Marne. They were sitting there in the snow and dirt and they heard all those crazy, heathen Germans singing (oh, tennenbaum...) they peek their little heads out of their little holes and what do they see? The Germans are cutting down the trees and hanging things on them. Nut jobs. Apparently, the French ignored the whole stupid idea until they saw the Americans doing the same thing in WWII. Ever since then, they do it too and, like us, probably have no idea why. My, how we live our pagan rituals.

I could tell you for an hour about the reduculous hell that is buying a last-minute ticket to America on the internet but I'll spare you the pain and just remind you instead that this whole thing may be a mess but it's our mess and we love it.

What that cryptic statement means, no one will ever know.

Phrase du jour: En Principe, pas d'hommes, pas de bébés. (In priciple, if there aren't any men, there aren't any babies. Use this useful phrase as often as you can.)

And for a treat:

Deuxieme phrase du jour: Il ne marche pas. (IT DOESN'T WORK. Learn it, live it, love it. It's the most important sentence you'll ever use in France.)