But aren't French women really skinny?

[rebecca_in_blue]

Nathalie wasn’t able to take us shopping today, so Heather and I decided to walk to the store. (I needed warm clothes, and she just came because she didn’t have anything else to do.) The store, Leclerc, could be described as a French Wal-Mart but not as big – of course, stores in France are never as big as they are in America. The walk took us about 40 minutes, and because we left in the late afternoon, we got there about 30 minutes before it closed, so we didn’t have much time to shop. But I managed to buy a nice coat, two long-sleeved tops, gloves, a hat, and pair of jeans. I’m wearing the jeans right now; they have glittery designs that I don’t really like on the pockets and the butt, but I needed another pair, and they were the ones I could find that fit me. The vast majority of clothes in the store were much too big. It was expensive, but it was well worth it, because I wore my new coat and gloves on the walk back and actually felt warm! Feeling warm outside is not something that has happened to Rebecca often since she arrived here.

This morning I e-mailed Laura (my cousin) asking if I could stay with her and her family in London during Christmas. She wrote this afternoon back saying yes and that Johnny and Betty (her parents) were flying in from New York to also stay with them during Christmas and it would be nice if our visits could overlap. I worried it would be too crowded with all of us, but Laura assures me that they have enough room. I am really looking forward to it, because I haven’t seen Johnny and Betty since 2005, Laura and her family since 2004, and they are all very cool people. Besides, I am going to be in London, which more JM Barrie sites than any other city in the world! If I can visit the Duke of York Theater on December 27 (Peter Pan’s birthday), I might just die. But this isn’t to say that I won’t be incredibly homesick at the same time. I think this will be the first time in my entire life that I don’t spend Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house.

One thing that I have resolved to do is buy a ticket to London well in advance. Leaving my trip to Belgium until the last minute has been problematic, but I am determined to go. I will just have to spend some of the money that’s sitting in my French bank account. It’s meant for travel and emergencies, so I don’t know why I’m so hesitant to spend it on travel. I keep imagining myself at the end of April, about to fly back to America with as much money as I brought to France, because I spent all my time here waiting for an emergency instead of travelling.

Comments

[makebeliever.livejournal.com]

"I keep imagining myself at the end of April, about to fly back to America with as much money as I brought to France, because I spent all my time here waiting for an emergency instead of travelling."

That's cuz yuh chup! Yuh wuh chup huh and yuh chup thuh! (It's a Cowie family trait, I suppose.) Your Christmas in London sounds like so much fun! Maybe you will meet Hugh Grant the Prime Minister on the street and he and his chauffer will sing to you! Or at the very least see AB at the Duke of York theater, where you can say, "Your face is the ugliest one I ever saw." HA!

I will miss you at Christmas, Boo. I don't think it will be the same without you making us watch A Hard Day's Night and playing horrible Christmas songs like "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." But think, when you come back you will have new French Christmas songs to torture me with. Heh.

[rebecca-in-blue.livejournal.com]

I don't think it will be the same without you making us watch A Hard Day's Night and playing horrible Christmas songs like "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."

Don't forget "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays"! And "That's What I Want for Christmas," by Shirley Temple! "I like pretty shoes to wear / But if I could give a pair / To poor little children everywhere / That's what I want for Christmas." Heh heh heh. But you like just as many horrible Christmas songs as I do! Need I remind you of, "I'll feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage!"