Griffin Family

7/5/86 Samedi Today we went to the post office and the market.  I sent another 6 letters and 6 postcards (40F)  From now on I will only write when I get letters. Today Sue sent me a letter.  Of course she wasn't one of the people I wrote to because she knows everybody I wrote, oh well.  Another letter to write. Today was a real lazy day.  Didn't do much.  Read chapter 22 for History and started the questions.  They have nothing to do with the chapter as far as I can see! Some of Colette's favorite sayings are: Oh..la..la.. Ca Suffit!  (That's enough!) Qu'est que fait?  What are you doing? Impossible When she is talking to the dogs. I still don't know all their names.  Coca - cutest most loveable smelliest thing I ever met. Tessibu - not sure which one she is. Misty Gris - cat - always up in my room, cleanest animal she has Zorro - oldest dog Sometimes I think I could really like it here and then something comes on T...

7/4/86 Independence Day and I missed it!  At this very minute everyone is probably just finished the 2nd parade and is going on to party. I spent the day in Paris.  We went to a really big mall with museums and things in it.  A modern art type building.  Outside people were all over the town sitting and shopping, drawing caricatures and playing instruments.  It was really neat! We walked through the very crowded streets to Notre Dam Cathedral.  I wasn't impressed.  Many of the other cathedrals were much more beautiful and a lot less crowded!  Then we walked some more and saw a Monastery of Jerusalem -- really pretty and then finally the National Archives. It took an hour and a half to get home because of all the traffic.  It was a nice day out. We finally got hot water again!

07/03/86 Thursday I think I've learned to tolerate some things.  Since last Friday we've had no hot water and I've been taking COLD baths (no showers here!). Musee Jacques Andre Also I think I might like animals except all the dogs here smell SO gross! Also they have fleas!  There is one cat here that is ok.  He looks like mittens only he doesn't have white paws.  He is pretty clean too. I have got to meet some people my age or I'll go crazy!  I can't stand not going out and going things for a whole summer.  I'll go nuts! I miss home so much! I guess I shouldn't complain.  I do have a nice house and Colette is nice but when I think of what I gave up I want it all back.  I loved my job, marching band, church, Rob, driving, freedom, understanding what people said, Mom, Dad, Becky, Ruth....EVERYTHING!!! Senlis Cathedral If I had some real friends here I would enjoy this A LOT MORE. Today we went and saw a real big castle (Musee ...

7/2/86 Wednesday As long as I'm doing something away from the house, or if we have company, than I am not homesick.  Every morning I wake up and I'm dreaming about doing different things with everybody from home.  I want to sleep longer so I can keep dreaming.  I always hate getting up and facing reality. Today was a pretty good day.  I'm glad I got up.  We drove out to "Cantelope" and I saw her pony.  It was a very long drive and Colette didn't know where she was going so it was pretty amusing to listen to her yell at herself and her directions and anybody else who got in her way! After lunch I went with Jerome and his best friend (missed his name) to see "Hitcher"  Of course it was in French so I didn't get much but I think I understood a lot of it.  Then we walked around the little town.  His friend had to leave so Jerome and I walked around for 1 1/2 hours by ourselves.  He is a little boring to talk to sometimes because all ...

7/1/86 Tuesday It is a good think I keep a diary or I'd never know one day from the next.  I have seen a lot of really good movies.  Of course they have been in French so I haven't necessarily understood all of what was going on! After lunch we went to Paris.  We went up to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel tower.  It is kind of expensive (24F)  It was really neat!  I took a few pictures.  We also drove around a bit.  I met her sister and her niece. Very much rich snobs as far as I could tell.  After that we went to St Germain Cathedral. I saw Jerome.  Colette says we will go to Notre Dame and other places later on.  She said next week we are going to Normandy.  She is really funny.  Always talking and murmuring in French.  She will start saying something and then talk real quiet so I can't figure out the end of the sentence.  I am finally beginning to understand a lot of what is going on - as long as people are ...

6/30/86 Monday Another day has quickly slipped away.  Today we went to get fuel for the car.  Afterwards we stopped at the drug store.  I am feeling much better. I went to the pool. It is really nice.  It costs 9F to get in.  Not bad.  I think I would do okay if I wasn't so shy.  I really hate that! I made a funny mistake at the pool.  There are these little baskets where you put your things and they are numbered.  I had 195 but I wrote down how you say 185.  It was kind of amusing.  The attendant was laughing.  The next time I came back he remembered my number!  I suppose he knows me now.  One friend! I wrote 5 more letters today.  I probably won't send them until I get some post cards then I will send everything at once.  I think I like it here! Bon Soir! Oh yea, Tonya called.  She is one of the girls from AFS. We roomed together in New York. She says we are going to get together and visit ...

I don't  where the days go. Today, once again I stayed home all day.  A friend of hers, Steven, came over.  He is working on becoming a lawyer.  We talked for 1 or 2 hours.  He was very nice.  The most normal of her friends yet.  He is 23. Also Gerome's mom came over and I listened to them talk for almost an hour.  I really like her even though I don't understand a word she says. Sometimes I can pick up most of what is said but I don't have the vocabulary to say anything back. My allergies are going absolutely nuts because of the animals and the smoke.  I used almost 1/2 box of tissues.  Colette is concerned but I'm not sure what she wants to do because whatever she says doesn't make sense. I've been watching TV some and can make out many of the words.  Sometimes I think of things in my head and can translate some of it to French.  The words I don't know I look up. I wrote out a few pages of essential lines and I've bee...