Finals are over and the Spring 2011 semester is now closed.

Last night was my last of 2 finals this year, my first was last week.  I totally aced my History of Photography final and I feel very confident with my Northern Renaissance Art History final essay. It is hard to produce a stellar essay when the student has been out of class for the entire semester and the essays rely heavily on lecture and in class discussion.  I have my books already purchased for the Fall 2011 classes, and  I have my maps and guide book ready when I hit the streets of Paris.

I have started to learn the French language and its proving to be difficult.  You see, I have spent some time in; Holland, Germany, Austria, and a wee bit in the Czech Republic.   I have no problems with conversing with Spanish speaking people, so long as the conversation uses elementary words and the speaker does not speak muy rapido.

So for fun and practice I am going over the niceties and polite phrases that I need to know in order to be accepted into polite Parisian society. Upon walking into a shop or cafe, and definitely upon entering my hostel for the summer I am staying, I am to say,  "Bonjour madame", and for practice I am playing the second part in answering myself....although I hear that if you talk to yourself and then answer yourself you are going insane....but that's blog for another time. Every. Single. Time. I answer, "HOLA!" no, that's wrong; wrong language, let's try again.  Let's pretend that I am given something like a coffee, I should say "merci", instead I am saying "dekuji" which is thank you in.............wait for it........................CZECH! Oy ! I have started to use  YouTube French lessons, I hope it helps.  In all honestly I am not too worried about it.  I seem to be able to pick up the local language pretty quickly, but it would be nice to be prepared.

I contacted the company that is flying me over for my trip and I was recently told that I will have to stay in Europe for an additional 6 days....that's right S I X whole extra days.  I have a friend in Sweden that has been after me to come and see her for years so I will be flying into Gothenburg, Sweden after my 6 days in Venice.

I would like to add Uncle Rich to the list of donors for the "Send Ona to Paris Fund", WAY TO GO UNCLE RICH! and Kharyssa Rhoads gets a second gold star!

Ciao!