TGIF!!

Finally, Friday arrives. This has been such an exhausting week...that 8 page monster very nearly beat me. I've gotten very little sleep this week, mainly because my mind has been racing non-stop for the paper such that even when I did (finally) collapse into bed, it would take me another hour or two to actually fall asleep. This wouldn't have been such a problem, if it weren't for the fact that I was up working on the paper until 12.30 in the morning...on a good day! but it's done and handed in...certainly not my greatest work, but it's DONE.

it was amazing how relieving it was to hand it in. I left the classroom (after M Ligneureux (I can't spell or say his name to save my life) had joked about our "petites textes" - little papers. HAH) and all of a sudden, it literally felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. it's such a clichéd expression, but it was true -for everyone in the class, too! I had a chance to do things I haven't done for weeks - like clean my room, or...I don't know...sleep...

the blessing of the day on thursday, though, was grâce à (thanks to) facebook. I was sitting in the computer lab (4am before the final paper is due...cursing the world that I didn't start sooner and seeing the rest of my class there too! well not really but I couldn't resist the avenue q reference!) before class, putting the finishing touches on my paper. I had gotten environs (approximately) 4.5-5 hours of sleep...I hadn't showered since tuesday (gross, n'est pas? camp whitman this is not...not showering is even worse in France, where all the women are perfectly coiffed every morning. unless they have dreadlocks...but I digress), I didn't even bother with my contacts, let alone make-up - I was wearing sweats and a hoodie, for goodness sake! I was staring at the computer, exhausted and disgusted with myself that I was about to hand in such an awful paper when I decide to check facebook. waiting in my inbox was the following message:

"“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

I love you and I hope the end of your semester is not too stressful. You will survive, as will I."

Thank you, Girl Power Camp. 5 months later, Akeelah and Kristen are still giving me hope and strength to make it through until the next day. and yes, I just about started crying when I read it =D

speaking of Girl Power Camp...I had to laugh during Conversation Club this past week. We were talking about our jobs and I mentioned Camp Whitman...the girls I was talking to asked what kinds of things I did at camp. I mentioned the usual sailing camps, kayak camps, music camps...and then mentioned Girl Power camp. they both laughed and said "what, did you spend the week listening to a lot of Spice Girls?" ...even in France I get that reaction...

This weekend should be good...while I found out today that I still have 3 more papers to write (this time for the classes at the fac that I haven't had for three weeks and wont have until December 11th at the earliest), I'm not letting it get to me. Two of them are practically women's studies papers anyway! I'm going to go to the Marché de Noël tomorrow and enjoy myself and eat roasted chestnuts and drink hot wine and maybe even ride the carousel and then go out dancing at -where else - Havana Café in the evening.

and I plan on enjoying every minute of it, papers be hanged!

à +!