This has been a very busy and eventful week!

I am happy to announce that Easter Sunday at Cite went very well! My friend and I had decided to host Easter dinner at our residence (because there is a big kitchen/sitting area/ping pong table in the basement of Cite) and in total there were about 12 of us! On Saturday, Hillary and I had gone to the market to pick up some supplies, including champagne and wine (what Easter is complete without these goodies), stuff to make a salad (by this I mean lettuce and a red pepper), and our main meat dish. Originally we decided to bake a ham (traditional American Easter fare) however wouldn't you know that the French do not sell full hams - just ham lunch meat. So we scratched that idea and walked out of the supermarket instead with a "BBQ pack" of pork chops, steak, sausages, chicken, and some sort of bacon- no lie it said "BBQ pack" on the label! We got back on Saturday and organized some of the food and then I was able to chat with home which was very nice indeed. On Sunday people started showing up around 5 PM and we set off searching for pots and pans to cook in (which required raiding the 10 different kitchens at Cite). Finally we had what was required (sharp knifes, silverware, plates, pots, pans, utensils, a strainer, etc) and we started cooking! When we were finished cooking we had our BBQ pack meat selection, spaghetti in an olive sauce, fried rice, potatoes with cheese, a salad, fresh strawberries and grapes, beans, bread and lots of cheese, Oasis (an amazing fruit drink, limonade, and a lot of wine! It was a lot of fun because everyone brought something and we ended up having a great spread! After dinner we organized two Easter egg hunts which were a ton of fun and we also played some intense games of ping pong that may or may not have consisted of using cutting boards as paddles.

Tuesday was my 21st birthday! What a strange sensation! I ended up going out for dinner (we went to Bistro 32)with my birthday twin Michelle and a few friends, and after we went back to her dorm and had a great cake, limonade, and cider. I also tried my first ever Reese's Peanut Butter Cup - which I had mixed feeling about. Overall a great night, although it consisted of absolutely no alcohol (hey, I had class early on Wednesday)! Anyways, I'm sure I'll make up for at some point in the near future ;)

Tonight I saw Alice in Wonderland (called Alice au Pays des Merveilles in French) in 3D at the cinema in Forum des Halles. The movie was in English, with French subtitles and we used very funny looking 3D glasses. This was my first movie since being in France and I had a great time. Interesting fact: in France you can choose to have salty or sweet (kettle) popcorn at the movie theater!

Tomorrow I leave for a two day trip to the Loire Valley with API. Should be a great time!