new hobbies

New hobbies

So i've taking up a new hobby. Midevil fencing. I have done modern for about 4 years now and I thought a little change of pace would be good. So now I am learning from one of the best fencers in europe. Its in a German style and I get to learn how to use all sorts of fun things like, two handed broadswords, shortswords, axes, daggers, pretty much anything old and sharp is fair game. Unlike modern fencing, midevil is not faught on a piste and is no way linier. It simulates the battlefield and is totaly open borderwise. It is also very realistic in its style. The various body techniques, tripping, punching, bashing people with a shield are just as important as the movements of the sword. O and by the way there is no protection, supposedly the lack of any means we are supposed to pay more attention. Well thats about it, midevil fencing is pretty cool and very physical. This is my weapon of choice, a Viking short sword, its longer than the nomal short sword and very heavy. Wielding it with a shield really kills the arms but gives me a big advantage. Most people dont like using it because its so heavy, but I feel that it gives me harder blow when I wield it.This is a bag full of goodies, lots of long sharp objects inside. oooodles of fun ^.^

some more pics

Half way there

Well its amost halfway over. The last few weeks have been pretty cool. I have hit the soldes and I got some new duds. I am quite happy at my new host family. I am passing most of my classes, and I am prepping for my job shadowing experience. I am really looking forward to going on vaycation in Switzerland.

Well Happy New Years

Alot has happend since I last wrote. Christmas has come and gone. I have changed my host famly. I am now at the Chevalliers. It was very hard to be away for home for the holidays. Much harder than I thought it would be. I got some really great gifts for noel and have to get to work on those thank you notes, tomorow, or maybe the next day.... School has started up again and I am back to working on that. Its all easy street from here exchange wise. At least I hope so.

first free weekend in a while

Well all my various events have finished now and I finaly have a weekend to chill. Not that I mind jaunting off to different places to see new things and have new experiences. Quite the contrary I love it. Two weeks ago I went to a rock fest up in lille called les inrocks. Saw four english bands. It was a blast. The crowd was great, everybody there was really into the music and it was fun to here so many people speaking english. A huge crowd came down from england with the bands I guess. Me and max were standing around talking when we heard a guy say "where the hell are you guys from?" it was the merch vendor. We replied that we were from california. He was like "Well than what the F*** are you guys doing in lille? we told him that we were forign exchange students. He got a kick out of that, but unfortunatly didnt give us any deals on stuff. The Kaiser Chiefs were great. They really put on a great live show. The futureheads and maximo park were also really good. Hard fi was average. Then I went back to school for almost a week and headed into paris. Versailles is absoultly incredible. It has a grandure that is indescribible, it is just amazing. We visited that and Les Invalides, then The towers of notre dame de paris. We stayed with my host uncle who is a wine and beer connaisseur. So I now have a modest knowledge of french wines and belgian beer, not to worry, its a very small knowledge. But both are very very good. Paris really is an beautiful city, it just has an atmosphere that I really dig, ill think ill have to go back. Well thats all from here in france. Ben Bloomfield

I am safe

Just for the record I am safe and ok. The riots and violence havnt hit my town very hard and no where near my area. All is ok in my immediate area.

vaycation, only half begun

I am now halfway through vaycation and its only beggining to rev up. The first night I spent the night in a french friends beautiful house. They might be my third host family wich would be very cool. The second night was a party. Well thats what they called it anyways. It was seriously straight out of Miami Vice. Rich white kids in pastel polo shirts dancing disco. I kid you not. DISCO, well it was a fun time anyways. Then my friend elena came up despite all resistance from her rotary club. We just kinda hung out in St Quentin, shoped a little, met up with some of my friends. Then we went up to douai wich was cool. Ate really good food at the host grandparents house. My host family and I went up to berc on the coast. It was pretty ok, cold and gray but still nice. Saw some friends of the family up there and ate crepes mmmmm. Got my hair cut today. Really short, feels kinda wierd. My side burns got shaved off too, first time in a long while I havent even had side burns. facial hair is a no no on the kids here. Well have to go pack for the second leg of my vaycay.

two month update

So ive now been here for over two months. I like it most days. I have a routine and friends and I sometimes I really feel as if I have completley integrated into the community and on other days its like im still stuck at the first day. My french is getting better most times, but sometimes I cant get my point across at all. Very frusterating. Elena came over for a few days and that was a blast, we hung out and went up to douai. So far vaycation has been pretty cool, we are heading up to the ocean tommorow I think. here are some pics of my life, me in a cafe with friends, le hotel de ville, my friend florin, a group of friends, le basalique. so thats all for now. Ben Bloomfield