Omurice, the Cold & Smiles

Bonjour!

Today, I made omurice for lunch for my host family!  It is a modern Japanese dish which is an omlette of fried rice with chicken commonly topped with ketchup.  I've eaten it at my home in Canada but I've never cooked it before.   It seemed really easy to make by looking at the recipe, but it was REALLY challenging!  Chop the onions... don't cut your finger... remember the rice is behind you... wait a second - you need the chicken! ...OH NO you spilled some olive oil... and just don't drop those eggs... all these thoughts jumbled in my head, half English, half French (and perhaps a little Japanese)!  My host mother (who was watching me to learn how to cook it) must of had an entertaining show.  I hope I didn't set a bad example!

VOILA! It actually looked and tasted good in the end!

It was successful because my host family members enjoyed the meal, but I mistakenly dribbled spicy ketchup instead of the regular one on top of the omurices... no wonder why there were two opened ketchup bottles in the fridge.

__________________


I learned this week that when one student in your class is sick, most likely you and all your other classmates will eventually get sick too.  No matter how hard you try to avoid it, it is almost impossible here.  It is because the humidity is higher and therefore it's easier for germs to spread.  And what's worse, everyone bisous (cheek kiss) every friend they pass throughout the whole day.  I was so surprised because when I got the nasty cold, I tried to refuse doing the bisous and explain to my friends that I didn't want to make them sick too.  However, some gave me the bisous anyways because they replied that it didn't matter since they were sick too. 

So, this is Sari's life in France.

__________________


Lycée is always exciting as usual and I am still making lots of new friends.  Although I have no clue how the lycée was like without any exchange students during the years before, the exchange students and I who are here now can already sense that our presence at the lycée and Louhans is already making a difference for everyone.  A good one I hope.  Yes, the diversity we bring results looks filled with curiosity, kindness, and even unkindness, but at least the negatives won't bring us down and we are happy to be ambassadors of our countries.

I think one of the most important things I have learned so far on my adventure is the astonishing strength of the universal gesture of smiling.  It does wonders, I swear.  It may not show the same meaning for some cultures around the world, but I know that at least in France, smiling welcomes people with grace and has the power to bring them together.  I think that's why many people who I don't even know smile back at me when I do.  Then somehow like magic, we become friends in the meantime.

À bientôt!
Sari