would you care for a delicious Red Vine?

I'm sitting here, four days into Christmas break while the snow slowly melts outside my window, plopping sheets of ice from the roof onto my sill, and all I can think of is how utterly amazing doritos are. Yes, doritos, the chips. I've been messing around making a mashup video of A Very Potter Musical and it's made me desperately want doritos, so today at the store, I happened upon nacho cheese doritos (the best kind) and had to buy them.

They are amazing.

I didn't realize I was missing American food that much. I remember the first time I got American food in China, and that was only after two weeks of being there. It was like a breath of fresh air, a reminder that there was something other than rice and noodles in the world (not that I don't love Chinese food, because I do. I ate it for 10 months straight if that says anything and I still love it).

I've found that I do quite like French food, though. Before I came I was pretty ambivalent. I think I was under the impression that it was funny sauces and tiny portions like the French restaurants in America, but it's really quite good. Granted, I spend most of my time eating bread and cheese, but who says that's not French either? At the cantine for school, they make great meals and most of the time I have no idea what I'm eating, but I refuse to ask because God knows what it might turn out to be. It tastes good and that's what matters. The other day I had a coquille Saint Jacques that was delicious.

France has been under a deluge of snow lately which has consequently messed up all the trains and planes. Luckily (funny how it turns out to be lucky after all), I have no plans so nothing was ruined. Instead, I stuck around Arras with another assistant and we hit up the spectacle in the Place des Heros, which was a light show and fireworks show behind the belfry. "Regardez vos pieds. Oui, c'est moi! La place des Heros!" - It was a little odd, and I felt like I was back at Disneyland for Christmas, and it didn't help that half the soundtrack music was from Disney movies.

I have no big plans for the holidays. I'll be spending Christmas with Carole and her family, hopefully for a semi-traditional French Christmas. I do like to experience the "traditional" holidays of a country with real families. It makes the experience so much more interesting. Last year I spent Chinese New Year with a Chinese family, so I have to say I definitely know what happens (hint: they eat and watch TV, A LOT).

On another note, I finally got my act together and planned a real vacation. In February, I will be heading off to Prague and Rome for about a week, and maybe I might go to Amsterdam too if it fits in the budget. I got all the flights (3 of them) for about 170 euros, and if I were to go to Amsterdam, it would be an extra 70. A part of me says I should just go, but the other part asks why I even want to go to Amsterdam. Because everyone says I should? That's not really a good reason. I could save my money for somewhere I really want to go like Edinburgh or Germany.

Well, that's a problem for another day. I'm just going to enjoy two weeks of no commitments and all the chocolate I want.

and if you're interested, the video I was working on: