Le Weekend et La Jour de Saint Valentin

So another weekend has passed already. It's crazy that I've almost been here exactly a month. Time is flying by and I can't even believe it.

Anyway, Friday I went out...but we don't have to talk about that...soo

Saturday I ate lunch with my host mom and brother who is visiting from Lyon. Lunches here in France are pretty big, and it reminded me of something I would eat for dinner. Roasted chicken and rice with this mushroom sauce. Completely delicious. My host mom is a great cook, gotta say. I then videochatted with Mom and Grammy, and sang her happy birthday :) It's so great being able to skype with people you love and miss. After a short vid session, I headed to "place" aka place de la comedie to meet my friends to go to the soccer game-Montpellier v. Grenoble. Though we had some issues receiving our tickets (ie. we went on the tram for a few stops until we realized we had to go back to comedie to pick up our tickets at the fnac), we finally made it to the game. Megan and I managed to get into this section that we were not supposed to be in but it was literally on the field. We were three rows back--AWESOME. The game was a fun experience--there was this rowdy section singing and chanting with signs..and a lot of security. I really wanted to be in that section...it seemed so fun! It was quite amusing sitting among all French men and hearing them shout profanities in French...gotta love it! It was freezing at the game so we all left early and went to dine at un restaurant. We looked so classy in our hoodies.

Sunday, was La Jour de Saint Valentin, or Saint Valentine's Day. Now, in France, Valentine's Day is celebrated a lot differently than in the U.S. What's the difference you ask? Well, here, you have one valentine, and that valentine is your loved one. Here, your valentine has to do with love--a relationship, a marriage, etc. You can't have multiple valentines. Imagine Valentine's Day in the states without exchanging cute little valentines in elementary school. Sad right? Well that's how it is here. If you don't have a lover to be your valentine, valentine's day is just another normal day. My host mom laughed when I received a Valentine's Day card from my parents--she said..."That would never happen in France."

For le jour de saint valentin, I met up with Laur, picked up a bottle of rosé (for a splurge of 3,50euro) and headed to Aila's. At Aila's, I realized I was developing a pimple under my eye and it was really bothering me. Of course, I asked all-knowing Aila if she had any miraculous cures and of course...she did. And of course, it was myrrh.

Aila: "Myrrh, Laur...myrrh..."
Laur: "Oh perfect, Aila, now that you've repeated it two more times I totally understand what you're talking about."
Aila: "Myrrh - as in what they gave to the baby Jesus?"

Yes, that's what she put under my eye. And what happened then? Well Aila had told me my eye would probably water, but I didn't realize that my eye would decide to CRY. Literally, my eye would not stop tearing. So of course, another brilliant solution Aila had was to make me an eye-patch. As she said, "Siobhan had a pimple, I made her a pirate." After that debacle, we decided we needed to go out to get some treats for our day. I looked awesome walking around town with one eye tearing like crazy--they must have thought I was distraught over not having a valentine, but I wasn't! My valentine was just across the ocean that's all.


We came back with one baguette, a round of Camembert (a delicious cheese), another bottle of rose, a bottle of champagne, and three pastries. I think we did pretty well. The day continued with music, chatting, and eating delicious paiella that Aila created. It was a lovely day. When we finally toasted to "Our Signifiant Others are Across the Ocean" Day, I thought it appropriate to sing the lyrics of Brand New's "Seventy times Seven", "I hope you choke and die"...and so THAT was what our toast was. Fitting?

All in all Valentine's Day was great. Though I wish Mark could have celebrated with me, it was awesome spending the day with good company, filled with lots of laughs, and tons of memories.