Time Flies: Up Dated (read the bottom part)

Hellow all my people. What's new? Ca va? Bien j'espere. I just noticed that it has been almost two weeks since I've blogged. I get in this mind set that i haven't been up to much and then time flys by and it gets harder to remember what happened but i should be able to come up with some interesting stuff for this blog. Maybe i'll try to be like Jamey (sorry had had it messed up) and blog regularily every monday or something? I dont kn0w.

Last week i finally finalized my class schedule, that was an incredibly stressful time for me, kinda like finals week, but at the beginning of the semester. I had to go to a bunch of extra classes to find the ones that i would like and t hat would be the right credit... It has been hard keeping up with my homework (very bad as i have 8-10 weeks for this semester left) I feel like i haven't learned anything for the first while. but on the brighter side I am starting to get better about studying, and being in the mood to study. (i can procrastinate and piddle around like no other). And i think i will really like what i learn.

I've also been getting better at setting some for sure time aside for God and I, i haven't done that I think for a couple of years. I've decided to make it my number one priority. I keep trying to fix all the little problems I have (like procrastination (not just a little prob), eating unhealtyily, sleeping in way to long, not seeing God really acting in my life like i LOVE to see, and all kinds of other problems i critique myself on) but since i've been putting my priorities right (definate time for God each day, not just "at least" 15 min prayer, 2 chapters reading Bible etc.) Things have been falling in to place so nicely. Another thing that i did was to take a week fast last week from junk food, white bread (baguettes) and cheese (these have become a staple for me recently, not bad in any sense but the following). I dedided that i needed to do this because I was over eating and i was constantly getting heart burn etc. not fun. It was hard because since i've come to France i've been eating whatever i want... food tourism yum. So yea the fast and the new mind set (which i am not making a legalistic formula (give time to got=receive what want), but just as something I know I need to do to thrive like i desire to (I come that you might have life and that you might have it Abundantly john 10:10 and john 15 or 16: a branch apart from the vine can not produce fruit. (apart = not spending time in prayer, reading bible etc). So yea i have been getting better at setting aside time for study and diciplining myself in that, i dedided to take less of my medicine and that has helped my moods, no more heartburn, i spent a wonderful after noon with a tiwan (sp?) christian after church (the cool Lutheran chruch here). that was good, i haven't really had much christian fellowship here. And the list will continue as i continue to do what i've set my mind on.

Oh I've also been spending time with my Residence friends. Watching movies, talked long time and looked at pics of moscow with some russians. We had a "scabies party" yea we had an epidemic in our building. I didn't get it, had to go to dr and get meds though. (my mattress is still "sitting in the sun" to "debug" it.)

And I am goign to have to cut it short there, I am late for La Chorale!

Au Revoir,
Clay S. (the french are astounded that americans have "two first names"= middle name) Murdock

Ok I'm back to finish up this Blog, I dont know if it is a good idea to do it this way, maybe I should have done a regular new blog, but anyways...

On Friday I met with my parrianage/french buddy from buddy system. I had already eaten, but she hadn't so we went to "Mac Do's" and she had a happy meal while we discussed my crazy list of siblings (I always have to count to find out how many I have, i know that's bad, 4 brothers and 1 sister). Then we went to her appartament and watched the final episode (sp?) of friends.

I think i tried to read for my classes on the weekend, obviously i didn't get much done.

Oh, actually i did have a really good time with a friend after church, ok i'm repeating my self.

On monday i did an oral presentation on how to get ready to go to college in the united states. It went relatively well, i talked for a whole 10 min (including many mistakes of course). My teacher looked extremely bored after the presentation, ha and there were like 3 people who looked at me the whole time (I think they were studying for the upcoming test). But i was happy with it, it was a great accomplishment. I think i did ok on the test. it was over pronouns. le la les l' en y moi toi lui elle soi nous vous eux elles me te lui nous vous leur. That's all of them (object and personal pronouns that is theyre are others.) Ok now i feel good about spending so much time to blog, i did a little homework at the same time.

La Chorale was extremely boring and repetitive, but i got to find out lots of interesting things about the polish and arabic language. I feel like I am meeting lots of people from the countries where my friends are called to, that is so cool to learn what you guys already know. O and we sang a gosple song too... gosple for 3rd graders. It was quite funny to listen to all the french people try to sound like gosple singers, it was good enough for this song, but if we were singing a real gosple song (I like gosple music by the way) it could have gone south (not to "the South"). It sounded more like a choral song than up beat gosple, it will get better, we dont have a piano for choir practice, that would help tons. Oh and I got to sing tenor (1 of 3) it was like the first time in a long time i was able to get my... searching for word... falseto (sp? sorry cassie becca katleen susie and all other musically inclined) (i dont think i ever used it in high school, i could be wrong).

Oh i know something i did on the weekend! I ate lots of really good "oriental" deserts that i had bought after hanign with my friend after church. i had one box, gave some money to a bum then realized I needed that change for the metro (hi lady your poor can i have my money back... no that wouldn't have worked) so i went to another store to get change, bought some lovely pasteries and they could only give me bills. so I went to an epicierie (small grocery store) and bought an Orangina: Fire (grape fruit Orangina (oringina = orange juice + seven up)) and got the proper change and then went home.

Twice this week i got to see Alice!!! I had a wonderful dinner at her place and the next day we met at noon to eat and do homework. I got to speak lots of french with her Yeah! et j'ai bien mangé. (and i ate very well)

Ok well id better end it here, I've been waiting all day to go shopping for some 'stylish' french clothes. I'm excited.

I'll ttyl,
Clay

Up date.

Hello all you people in blogger land, how are you!! I'm just starting the second full week of classes. My schedule is almost figured out. And today was a good day for making progress, i could almost understand and focus on most of what my history teacher was saying! I'm enjoying the cooler weather which was not here when i first arrived. It rains almost every night so its kind of like Missoula, but even more rain. I'm also starting to get my bearings in this maze of a university, it's shaped like an eight with classrooms all the way around. I will get my internet in a few weeks also and then i will blog about all the wonderful (and very funny) pictures i have been taking. How is life back in the states/Canada? I hung out with friends this weekend and we went to a very good Indian resterant in Old Lyon yesterday, right by the River at night, very beautiful. I'm so glad i saw that, i was getting a gloomy dog poop marked view of the city from around where i live. Well i had better go, i need to get some reading done.
See ya
Clay