HI ELDERS!

I love France.

I realize that I say that every other post, but it's where my heart is {along with Utah and Seattle, of course}.

Today I was finally able to go to those bookshops I previously mentioned. On the train ride there I was on my last chapter of Peter Pan {which is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it} when a lady asked me if I spoke French. I responded with my usual "un petit peu" {a little bit}. She then asked, in English, if she could bother me for a moment. I responded in the affirmative thinking I was about to hear that she had 8 blind children at home and a husband with no limbs or teeth {seriously, this happens} and then be asked for money. Instead she said she noticed me reading an English book and wondered it I could explain an English word and what a certain phrase meant.

I gave her the explanations she wanted and we found out that we live in the same city. Small world. She then asked if I would be her English tutor. Oh, why not? I am still debating if I will do it but I think it would be a good thing. I am thoroughly enjoying tutoring Lorraine {although reading Twilight is getting a touch old} so I might as well. She seems nice enough so we will see!

After the train ride I went to two English bookstores. There's nothing like spending a chilly autumn afternoon scanning the shelves of a used bookshop. I adore it! I purchased Wuthering Heights, Uncle Tom's Cabin and Les Misérables-which I'll probably never finish in this lifetime, have you seen how big it is? But I decided {with the encouragement of my best} to read it while I'm in France. It couldn't be more fitting!

I headed home after pulling myself away from the last shop in order to make my tutoring appointment with Lorraine. When my train for home finally arrived at the station, I joined the queue of impatient metro riders hurrying to board the train. While waiting for those that had reached their destination to get off, I saw flashes of familiar black badges, pinned onto black suits worn by handsome young men, carrying large bags of luggage. In my excited but hurried manner the only thing that came to mind to say was "HI ELDERS!!!...." The six of them looked at me and one said "Oh! Hey!" Nothing else registered to say and because my train was about to leave I jumped inside the door. Ever the graceful. These admirable young men reacted so kindly to a crazy girl waiving and yelling "hi" at them. Even if they had been rude it didn't matter because it was a little piece of home in the metro station.

To add to this wonderful day I saw a double rainbow which reminded me of playing "pong" in Jordan's backyard with Jord and Dev and I may or may not have laughed out loud.

I love France.

-M