Sippin' Smoothies With My Best Bud Aubin

So, maybe he isn't my "Best Bud", but after two rendez-vous, I think we are taking steps in the bff direction.

Yesterday, Aubin and I met on the Cours Mirabeau and had a lovely Frenglish chat while we enjoyed raspberry/banana smoothies. Aubin is allergic to pollen and is suffering terribly from the Spring bloom, so we made a lovely pair coughing and blowing ours noses together.

Aubin asked me if Miami was in California. I said no, but that Oklahoma has a town called Miama (Don't worry-- I added the appropriate twang). I tried to explain how archeologists created the plaster casts of those poor souls who died in Pompeii, which involved few words and many hand motions (I mimed a volcano exploding, people covering their faces in fright, and an archeologist injecting plaster into a hole-- which any charades professional would admit is a hard thing to do). Maybe, just maybe, he understood what I was trying to explain. Or maybe, he thinks I'm a petit peu folle, and just nods his head and smiles to appease me.

Today, I took wonderous gulps of fresh Aix air while leisuringly strolling to class in the sunshine. Karinne noticed a hint of color returning to my cheeks, and Natalie even said I looked better (If Natalie says it, you know it must be true).

I was missing home so much today I drew an Oklahoma on my hand, counted down the days in my planner until I fly home, and generally wished that I could have a QT hot dog and large coffee instead of my compulsory baguette and frozen vegetable mix. Oh... only 10 days, and I will say "au revoir" to suculent tarts, constant second-guessing, and cobblestone streets and "howdy" to chocolate chip cookies (they don't have brown sugar in France), a language I know how to explain a volcanic eurption in, and an endless expanse of highways.