Au revoir Nice...Oh Hello Roma...

So its no fun when I haven't written for over a week... I feel so overwhelmed about all the things I want to talk about haha...

Lets begin back in Nice.

Before all of the craziness started because of Nice's 150 year reattachment to France celebration there were some beautiful fireworks!! Host aunt/uncle and Nabil and my host family went to eat chinese before= yummy!!

Tuesday= american dinner party night at my host family's house. Appareltly they do this once a month, where some of their american friends come over and they all speak english- its crazy. I felt like I was cheating beacuse I was allowed to speak english in from of them--- crazy feeling. But interesting to be able to communicate in another language!

Well the rest of the last week passed by so quickly. I blame the overwhelming amount of work we had to do/turn in and all the tests/presentations. But, they all went well enough and after a loooong day of everyone's presentation on Friday- we were finished! What a weird feeling.

A couple of us went straight out to watch the 2nd half of the USA game (a little disappointing- but okay!). And then out to dinner (and there was eight of us: Maia, Sam, me, Annalise, Lorraine, Alejandro, Sargis, Vera and Michael.) Tender. Except that it lasted about three hours so after that we were all exhausted- so instead of going out dancing we just went and sat at a bar/lounge (which turned out to be a "club privee"= how to become members: write your name on a business card... hmm yep that sounds legitimate.. haha). And after almost falling asleep, we all parted ways and I went home to sleep!! It was amazing.

Then Saturday morning came around and after rolling out of bed a couple of us decided to explore Nice for one last time. So we went hiking around the castle/fort on Mount Boron, and then around Vieux Nice (the old city), and then up to the waterfall we always saw from the beach but never got a chance to go! It was sooo much fun, but a little bittersweet because we knew that it was going to be all over that next day! Sad.

Then that night we had the "fete" (=party) to say farewell. It was fun (aka there was lots of wine...and all of my friends too!) And then after lots of pictures and hugs - most of us decided to meet back out for one last night at Wayne's Bar. So fun!!! But again I was exhausted so I headed out a little early to go to sleep. But it was a difficult good-bye to the ones I knew I wouldn't be seeing again!

Then next day I got to spend with my host family. It was great to have that one last experience with them. They first took me in the morning to a different church- it was a lot bigger and had a lot more families and children than the one we normally went to and I love it! It reminded me more of mine at home! Then off to the host-aunt and uncle house for lunch (but minus Nabil since he had already gone home= triste!!!) But the food was good and so was the company!

Then I had to pack....

Then one last trip to Fenocchio's for one last taste of their delicious ice-cream with Alejandro, Melissa, and and Annalise. (and a sad goodbye to Ali!)

Then one last dinner with my host parents - of course we had tuna. haha.

Then airport- and one very sad goodbye to them!

Then it was goodbye Nice and hello Rome!!!!

And here I am right now!!!!!






Alright, now I know this is long, but this is my recount of my first days in Roma!

We got here and settled in (aka Melissa and I passed out in out amazing hotel beds)- and then after waking up to an amazing breakfast (mmmm eggs and coffee!!) we headed off to meet the others at the Colosseum. It is so beautiful here- different than France though- so much older and there is literally history on every square meter (literally- there are just old columns strewn about the grass here!)

Then we walked around some of the more famous sights- the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, and everything we saw in between! Haha. It was so nice but we were (as usual, exhausted afterwards). So after a quick lay down at our respective hotel/hostel and then back out for a delicious dinner! (oh and I forgot to mention lunch- even the lasagna at a side random cafe was the best thing I have ever tasted!! sooo good!) Dinner consisted of, in this order, half a pizza, cheese ravioli, good wine, half a berry/pasty dessert, and a cafe. mmmm so amazing.  After that we just wandered along these riverside shops. Pretty amazing day and night!!

The next day everyone kind of split up and I got to sleep in, yayyyy! Then we met up for a litte bit before they all had to leave for the airport. (By the way it was, here in Rome, it was me, Melissa, Annalise, Sargis, and Joe!) Everyone minus me were headed off to Venice for a couple of days before they all split off in different European directions after that.

As for me I just got to hang out here by myself for a whole day!! It was pretty great, except for this dang cough I have developed. But after I got some meds, I felt better.

I just walked around this main area of town where there is lots of shopping (since it was raining I wanted to be able to go inside every once in a while ...haha)- and I even went into some of the fancy fancy shops (Prada, Gucci, you know places where I couldn't even afford to buy one of their business cards.) But it was nice to just be able to be on my own schedule and not have any real agenda to follow. Peaceful. And I was in ROME!!! haha... it was pretty cool.


Then back to the hotel because I had literally walked around for four and a half hours straight!! I took a relaxing hour to just hang out- and then decided to grab a panini for dinner and take a night stroll- and Rome is even prettier at night!!

Then I pretty much passed out in bed.

And now here I am...awaiting for the arrival of my lovely sister and then we are off to watch the USA wold cup game!!! USA USA!!

Yay. well that was lot... so I am going to stop writing now. Byeee!

Presque fini...

Wow. Wait. Where did the past five whole weeks go. No, but really??

I really really want to write more but I can't cause I have to go to bed because I have to give my big "rapport de stage" tomorrow. And I have to wake up at 6:45am. Not cool.

But anyway, in the event that I forget all these things that I am planning on writing about I am going to post a little list reminder for myself:
-description of Dr. Monpoux (pretty much the same as my dad... ha)
-description of my host parents in detail
-my last few days here :(
-things I'll be sad to leave/things I am looking forward to.

Yep. Thats pretty much the plan...for maybe Saturday ou Sunday??? haha. I have zero time.

Oh well the second this final presentation is over we are off to watch the USA game!! Its going to be a good night after a looooong day! Oh well, at least there is something to look forward too!!

Night!!! Wish me luck tomorrow!
Liv

Je dois étudier mais....

So I should be studying- so I guess I'll make this a quick update (haha).
Next week I have a 10 minute presentation on case studies that I have seen at the Hospital and a rapport on how everything runs on the floor etc..  AND two huge finals (one on medical literature and one on completely random  medical topics) AND we still have class/musees/hospital like always. Hmmm going to be a busy busy week.

For the very reason that I will be chained to my books for the next 5 days- we all had a fun fun day yesterday!!  And here is how it went...

Woke up around 10:30 and took my sweet time to get ready- it felt so nice to sleep in! I even got to catch up on the latest Glee episode (=a little dramatic but I love it haha, in case you were wondering). Then I headed off at 1:00 to meet up with about six others to eat some lunch. We went to this pub basically that Callie had recommended to us- for the sole purpose of eating red meat. (Side note= the Mediterranean diet does not favor red meat= I crave it all the time now). And we got steaks, and boy was that steak so delicious. Best thing I have eaten in a while haha... amazing. I was literally full until I woke up the next day!!

Then after that we all took a couple of hours to rest at chez nous and then re-met up around 7:30 to go and watch the US-England WC soccer match! (=everyone judged us because we decided to only speak english and act "american" for the evening, but it was sooo much fun)! Im pretty sure we were at an "English" pub and didn't get the memo- because we were the only ones cheering (loudly) for the US, well it was us and four older French/Chinese women sitting behind us- haha. So funny. We were pretty excited about the outcome since the odds were not in our favor- and good thing we didn't lose since we would have been heckled all the way out by all the English!

Then it was off to "Wayne's", which is an "American" bar were you can have drinks and also has music and lots and lots of dancing. Its so funny because if you want to dance they have all these tables set up beside the stage, and that is where you dance. Not on the floor, on the tables, haha. Someone just pulls you right up and thats that. So fun. It was a good time. (And I was super pumped to run into one of my friends from school, Megan Wanee!!! And excited to have dinner with her and her mom tonight!)

Anyway, what a good night of fun with everyone! And there were lots of us that ended up at Wayne's, probably half the group- and that was great!!

Alrighty, I guess I should go study now (=dommage).

Liv

(ps I keep forgetting my camera and hence no pictures t update with- but Ill steal some from Vera when I get a chance and put them up haha...)

I GOT TO HELP WITH AN "INTERVENTION CHIRURGICALE"!!!

Wowza.

Can I just talk about how AMAZING today has been. Okay, because I am going to .... (and today isn't even over yet!?)

So I went to the Hospital this morning, even though I knew my the Dr. I was supposed to shadow at "medecine fetale" wouldn't be there, and I was just kind of sitting around waiting for everyone to get up from our morning gathering table and leave for their "stages"... And then Vera asked if I just wanted to come with her to visceral surgery since she was the only one down there. ... and after a minute I agreed.. It couldn't hurt, right!???

And so I went. We scrubbed in and I was just in awe of being in the operating room area in general. Its like a whole different world.

Picture this: it is just me, Vera, and Alejandro. The Surgeon come in and says to us (in very loud and funny English) "WHO WANTS TO HELP ME TODAY??" ...and Vera immediately raises her hand haha! And so it began... we all got to assist with our own individual surgery. AMAZING!!!! I mean I was freaked out at first- which is why I did not raise my hand right away- but after seeing one, I knew I had to help! Vera got to help stitch up a circumsicion. Alejandro got to stitch up some kind of mini-invasive surgery (so cool to see everything on the camera- like the inside of the body did not even seem real!!!!)
AND then after a 10 minute hand washing lesson from the intern (haha- good time)... I got to assist on a surgery to descend a testicle of a 7ish year old boy. So cool. I got to hold open the skin with the tools while the surgeon worked..and then he let me tie lots of the stiches knots- and he said I was very "gifted" and had great "dexterity"!! Hmmm... never thought of being a surgeon- but maybe now??? Geez, it was just so eye opening- and I just loved every minute of it (...even if I was like a big rubbery jello nervous mess afterwards haha...).

Best day at the hospital yet- I am so glad I got to have that experience! So worth everything!!

Then after we headed to the beach and me and Vera laid out for a while.. and then Sarg, Lorraine, Audrey, and Callie came and we just hung out et the beach. Then got delicious ice cream. THEN delicious happy hour at a bar to watch some of the first world cup game! And that is actaully where I am off to know. Vive la France!!

Night night...
Liv

Vous-etes Américains??

Hmmm well update: I will be on a plane leaving Nice 10 short days from now...WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN??

I am going to miss all the lovely friends I have had the lucky chance to get to know for a short short period of time!! I feel like I've known them forever- geez- crazy to think about that I haven't.

Well the hospital has been kind of slow this week. I got switched from neonatology to "medecine fetale", which is basically a gynecologist who just gets to do ultrasounds all day. Its still amazing to see all these little not even born yet babies.. and the technology is so great you pretty much see a 3D picture of what there little face looks like. AMAZING. But that does get a little old after a while- well when you can only watch (haha).

I did get a little break from the ultrasounds on Tuesday though because there was another scoliosis surgery. Neat story: Five American doctors came to watch the surgery and to learn the special technique the Dr. Clement (from Lenval in Nice) invented!! Wow! Anyway, so we were all sitting in the lobby getting ready to go to our "stages" and we hear all these doctor-looking 40ish men sauntering around in their American way which is so obvious - and they plop down right next to our table with their coffee. Well since we were both the only ones speaking English it was pretty inevitable that we would end up chatting. And it was so neat to talk to them- and they just loved me and Alejandro's southern accent because they were from the south too (but now from Dallas). And we went up to watch in the auditorium where they project the surgery onto the screen...and so did two of the American doctors did too...which was perfect because they explained everything to us (in English) every time we had a question- so now we actually we understand what goes on (ps thats a picture to the left of an example where they put the rods in...pretty cool-- and below are actual pictures of the surgery we watched- so intense!)

So thats what I am doing in Nice... pretty nice, eh??
                            

Well nothing else really new this week- just writing papers, reading french lit, and working like crazy. Tomorrow will be a fun day though because we are going to go hiking :)

Bon nuit!!!
Liv

We'll always have Paris...

Well Thursday flew by... and then it was Friday!!! And we were Paris bound....

PARIS:

…and so we arrived, after Annalise had consoled me on the turbulent flight…haha, and we were in Parsi!! Oh how I had missed you!

Well that day, after we dropped off our bags etc at Vera’s friend’s boyfriend’s apt (haha) and grabbing some lunch, we decided to do some sightseeing to get everything started. So we walked to Notre Dame and around that area! Notre Dame is just my favorite place in the world…so beautiful and inspirational!

Then once it started to get dark we found an area to sit along the Seine in between a group of drunk, guitar playing frenchies and another group of four Frenchmen about our age… and we just hung out there… had some 1664… and relaxed. Paris is such a different atmosphere at night compared to Nice (aka Nice is like the Florida/retirement community/relaxing vacation spot of France and Paris is the NYC/night-life/never-sleeps kind of place. It was very fun…and the Zak and Sarg (the two boys with us) even bought all the girl pretty red roses… tender.

Well it was a great start to a fun, but hectic, trip.

The next day we woke up at the crack of nine and were out the door by 10:30am.  Here’s a run-down of all the touristy things we managed to fit into one day:

*Saw the George Pompido Centre for Modern Art and its surrounding areas

*The Lourve and its surrounding areas

*Musee D’Orsay

*Champs Elysees

*L’Arc de Triomphe

* Tour Effiel

…and that’s a lot for one day…

But I just lurveeee the Lourve… me and Zak (since we had been there before and thus had seen all the “must-see” attraction before) just wandered around and really got to appreciate the art.  It was nice to be one of the only people in the room and just to sit on a bench and reflect… its much nicer than the millions of people trying to sneak a peak at the teeny-tiny Mona Lisa.

Oh and the Musee D’Orsay= my favorite thing in the whole world. Pretty much French impressionism just makes my heart flutter. So I was pretty much in heaven there…. So amazing!!

But after alllllll that my feet we about to fall off (since we walked everywhere= Paris is large), so we took the metro (=relief...) and went back to chill at the apt for about an hour. By this time it is 10:30.. PM.. yes we still haven't dinner, for those who were following the closely! And so we all set out in our cute little dressed and Sarg in his designer shoes and sweater..and Zak in well.. his cargo shorts (oh well, haha). We found a little bistro about a block away from the apt and we snagged a table for six. Well, this particular table just happened to be the one right next to the table housing three 30ish year old Frenchmen (who just also happened to work at this very restaurant also...). Well automatically they knew we were American (=its the English, and maybe the cargo shorts) and they started chatting with us. They were the usual boisterous womanizing 30something aged men (after they have had 2 bottles of quality wine in them...) and it was quite amusing. They recommended things off the menu for us and explained a few things. Well we stared out with delicious red meat (=finally, its not really part of "l'alimentation mediterainne") and wine (=mmmmm). AND then came the escargot. Well I did not eat any (=I am not an adventurous eater) but Zak, Vera, Lorraine and Annalise did- and they liked it okay so I will just take there word for it. Needless to say, the French were highly amused by this fact... haha. 

So that was that and we hung around for a little while longer and then crashed when we got back to the apt at about 2am...

8:30am Sunday morning: think we are still sleeping?? Think again! Lorriane, Annalise, and I were so good and got up early and went to mass at Notre Dame. It was amazing. But too touristy- but I did my best to really take away something special from the mass- I mean its just so beautiful and has soooo much history... Well after mass, it was raining so hard- so were ran to the cafe next door for some breakfast!! Mmmm yummy eggs and coffee- just what we needed! Then to a souvenir shop for a scarf (=necessity when you go to Paris) and then we were back the apt to meet the others to leave for the airport.

Airport= interesting story. Well we left about 2 hours before our flight was scheduled to take off. First mistake. It literally took us an hour and a half to get to the airport. So after a maze of metro, RER, and airport shuttles (which cost us 7euros!!!) we were at the airport. We literally got our boarding passes at the kiosks, flew through security, and walked straight into the "now boarding" line. Good. Well at least we made it.. 

And then it was a beintot Paris!! Tu me manqueras!! 

Boulangeries et "chirurgeries"....

And so it was week number three:

 Monday:

Monday I switched to the "grands enfants" side of the hospital floor (= children from 2-18ish). I like it, I do miss my bebes but I think it super interesting to be able to have the patients actually be able to tell us what is wrong with them (especially in their cute little french voices...). They have "maladies" that range from attempted suicide to muscular dystrophy to chicken pox. So its pretty much something new everyday, even if the rounds are super slow (the doctors and interns spend about 20 minutes talking and discussing in between each patient).
Monday afternoon we had a "mandatory" visit to a boulangerie (=where the french make/buy bread and pastries) and I was pretty excited- sounds super fun, eh? No. We pretty much just listened to this guy talk about bread for three hours and then got to eat some at the end= not fun, especially when you are hungry the whole time haha....
But dinner was good with my family and then I pretty much passed out and fell asleep as usual after doing some reading ...

Tuesday:

So Tuesday we got to do something in lieu of our "stages"... we got to watch an "intervention chirurgicale" = surgery. It was of a girl who was 18 years old and who had scoliosis- pretty much the most interesting and intense thing I have ever seen. First, well after they cut into her back a couple of inches, they put in eight screws into each side of her spinal cord. Then, they attached a spin-shaped metal rod to each set of screws... and then came the intense part... they took pliers and forced the rods to be in correct alignment by turning them towards each other and the center. It was crazy to be able to watch that live (we weren't in the room though... we had it projected onto a screen.) Geez Loius...

Then we had our first test. I think I did well... I guess... It was super super long and just kind of a hassle but I guess not too bad. Then class as usual...

After all that we decided to go to get some ice cream/crepes.. mmm delicious!

Then when I was nice an full I went home and studied a little bit and went to dinner- mmm the best dinner my host-mom has made yet= true french cuisine= meat and potatoes and dessert. C'etait parfait!!

Then skyped and fell asleep haha... wow I am sensing a pattern here...

Wednesday:

Well then it was Wednesday and back to the grands enfants... geez I just love being at the hospital. It is amazing all the things we get to see and interacting (=smiling and saying "coucou") with all of the patients. I am just so lucky to have this experience... I just can't believe even after two and a half weeks that I am even here, in Nice, and standing alongside real life doctors and interns. Crazy. Is this real life??

Anyway so after that we got to go the the "simulators" Nice Fac de Medecine (=med school). We were spilt into two groups- and the first simulator that we went to was sooo intense. So bascially the doctor that was running the simulator (= a mannequin who had vital signs and the doctor can speak through a mic to make it seem like he is talking...) well this doctor thought we were actually in med school. Even though we tried to explain "pas encore" (=not yet!!!!). Anyway, so this doctor starts the simulator and a patient who is a 69 year old male, who recently changed his treatment/medecines, smokes, and "came" in with tachycardia and having a terrible time breathing. Yep, like any of us knew what to do... haha. Also, he threw the MRI and EKG up on the screen and asked us to interpret. Again, "will anybody who knows how to do this please speak up". Again, silence... haha. Yep, we kind of felt like idiots. But I guess after alllll that he finally realized that we knew nothing about medecine and diagnosis and treatment JUST YET and so he kind of backed off... but really?? haha. Crazy intense experience.
Well, the next simulator was a lot more "hands-off". It was a "laparascopie" simulator (=mini-invasive surgery). Which was soooo amazing to get to try out- it was kind of like a video game except with medical instruments and a screen where you could see "organs" etc. It was fun because there wasn't as much pressure haha.... more like playing and learning.

Then we had the fete for Maia's 21st birthday and the little cakes and bieres were tres delicious!!! And then we just kind of romped around the streets for a bit and then back to my apt...
Then I had a lovely dinner with my host mom (with delicious cheese/potato/ham/onion baked casserole... sooo delicious! and with cherries and caramel ice cream for dessert!). Then a great conversation- its so nice to get to practice my french etc and also meet a lovely family- especially since they let me make mistakes and help me along the way!! (Def the best way to learn...)

Well so it is wayyy past my old-lady bead time...and since I have been frustrated with travel plans.... I am going to partir!

Goooood night!
Liv