this girl hearts RBX.

First off, yes, it's been nearly two weeks since I've blogged. We've been a lot busier than I anticipated. Besides that, the internet connection is set up so that only one person can get online at a time. Obviously this means that I, who takes up to three hours per post, don't have enough time to formulate a whole post.

I'm really enjoying being in France. There are a few things I cannot get used to, mostly co-ed public bathrooms and the smell of pee everywhere.

To illustrate: Christine (friend, not sister, contrary to everyone's guesses.) and I were having a coffee outside a cafe a few days ago. After we finished, we went inside to use the restroom. To get to the bathroom, we had to walk the length of the smoky cafe/bar to the very back of the room where there was a doorway. A doorway, but no door.

I poked my head in, and the entirety of the bathroom consisted of a urinal to the right, a toilet stall to the left, and a sink directly in front of me. I hopped into the stall, and Christine "stood guard." When I finished, Christine went in, and I started to wash my hands.

A man walked in behind me and I heard him start to unbuckle his belt. Of course, I freaked out and left, waiting outside in the tiny little hallway.

The sink was still running.

Christine was still in the bathroom.

As soon as she got out, we hightailed it out of there.

Such is France.

Besides things like that, I've really been enjoying it.

We spend a lot of time out on the streets, just talking to people and making friends. Christine and I had a fun conversation with two Moroccan sisters, and we have a coffee date set up for later this week.

My mom and I've been to an area (it may actually be another town) called Roubaix several times. Supposedly, and I'm really not sure how true this is, Roubaix is either just under or just over 50% populated by Muslims. Regardless of the actual facts, it's quite a cool city. We wandered around for a few hours today, and I bought the above sticker to put on my wall.

Tomorrow is Bastille Day, so: there will be fireworks. Stores will be closed. There'll be lots of celebration. I'm hoping to get some fun photos of the fireworks tomorrow night, but I won't make any promises.

Since I've been offline so much, I haven't been able to keep up with what's going on with you! If you'd like, tell me in five sentences what you've been doing in the past week or so. The books you've read, the movies you've watched, the places you've been; anything works. :)

I have just one week left in France. Before we leave, I'm hoping and planning to eat escargot, visit Point Zero Paris, and buy a book from the Shakespeare & Company bookstore. Next Wednesday we'll spend mostly in Paris (it'll be my fourth time there- and I cannot wait) and then fly home on Thursday. I'm actually really ready to be home.

So yep. That's what's up with me!