C'est la vie

Today some family friends from France came to our house for dinner and catch up. We had some amazing discussions about Europe. I am now itching to get to Italy. They were describing all the amazing things to do and see throughout Italy and Europe.

Aside from seeing all the beauty that Europe has to offer, I am so excited to meet the people there. All the people I have met and spoken to from Europe are just so cultured and aware of the world around them. I cannot wait to be absorbed into that lifestyle!

More specifically, I adore some of the French mentality about life. Today, we were discussing how good things can come from bad, and our French guest made a comment along the lines "ah yes, well you know...sometimes thats just life." Now put a lackadaisical French accent on that and you have the key to my esoteric heart. It's true, everything can really be that simple - when something bad happens, thats just life. And when something great happens, well thats just life too. I love the complexity one can derive and apply from that simple statement.

I also got to exercise my French. I am glad that after 5 or so months without French practice, I'm still able to hold my own with a native French speaker.

Oh! An important note - my laptop is broken. Well, the wireless internet refuses to work (I'm using my family's computer). So tomorrow I plan to spend a good hour or two on the phone with tech support. Oh and my cell phone never wants to send or receive picture messages. On top of that, I must spend a few hours sorting out all my papers I need for my visa appointment with the Italian consulate - this includes spending a while on hold with my school's financial aid office as they attempt to sort out what money they will decide to give me for the school year.

I will also be planning a trip or two up to northern California to visit a special someone. :)
So that requires some travel arrangements.

So much to do! And all I want to do is laze around on the beach...c'est la vie, non?

One is silver and the other gold...

Took my camera out again this weekend. Here's a cool shot I got.



I normally hate bugs - whenever I hear anything buzzing near my ear, I automatically jerk my head away from the noise in a very awkward and ungraceful manner - but I was able to get close and capture this bumble bee with the (unintentional) help of my friend.

This weekend, my brother, his friend, and two of my friends came from San Diego to visit me. One of my best friends, who also loves photography, is not a sissy little baby when it comes to bugs and other creepy-crawlers. In fact, I remember going to the beach with her when we were little kids and running away in sheer terror as she picked up a handful of sand crabs like they were as harmless as jelly beans.

So the other day, when I was taking pictures with her (she also has a fancy SLR), she was photographing this bee. I saw the potential for a beautiful photograph and because my friend was able to take a picture of the bee without flinching away from it, I found the courage to do the same.

While my ability to photography this bumble bee demonstrates only the tiniest personal victory for me, I think it says a lot about the worth of a good friendship. If my friend can encourage me (without knowing it) to approach something that scares the crap out of me, I believe that's someone who is worth having around.

I love my friends because they bring out the best in me and cause me to take risks and experience more of life.

Pictures! (finally)

Alrighty, so I finally took my new Canon Rebel XS for a test run. I love this camera so much, but I'm still a newbie when it comes to Digital SLR's. So here are some photos my friend and I captured while walking around IV.

Peace signs and such things crop up all over IV



Love the ocean



Downtown IV



A pretty wall painting and some bougainvillea



And what better represents IV than the public's general attitude toward the infamous IV Foot Patrol? (it says "calling cops pigs is an insult to the animal")