Upon which Mary discovers her ego is tougher than her knees

hello lovlies,
it's been so long.
in the computer lab again/still. computer diagnosis: bit the big one. but the hard drive is salvageable so thank goodnessss. large official package in the mail pending. it should be arriving with the other requests of my lovely, appeasing mother: sweaters. our class rooms are a small fairly inconsiquential step away from being straight up outside. sorry our friend julie from new mexico. but you're starting college at Colby in the middle of January. Others would be so lucky to have this training.

Highlights, neutral lights and lowlights as follow:

Last Friday - we got the results from our tests back on Friday morning after a long strenuous week of spontaneous vacation.
Am in level 5 now (first semester the CIEF has 5 levels and second semester they add a 6th). Guess that's good although we are doing intensely big kid grammar of which I/every other American present have no knowledge. That is without a doubt the most difficult class.
We also have two classes at the university called Thème and Vérsion which teach translation from French to English and English to French, respectively. The first is so much easier. (Sidenote: at least I'm told by Kassie and Liz. I'm yet to be in attendance which is a huge problem since it means I missed the first session of all the possible choices. Not my fault - I showed up today and no one was there. All the uni kids heard that it was canceled indefinitely. Those of us lowly foreign kids missed that memo.) But Vérsion. my gracious. the degree of development through which my language will go in the next semester has no bounds. At least our section is only translating more modern excerpts - right now The Da Vinci Code. Liz and Kassie have to translate Agatha Christie from English to French. That sucks. These people also learn and speak British English. 40 year old British English to French translation is the devil. Most of our homework time was listening to them say "psh, whaa?? what the hell?? you can't even use that word like that." Subpar for international relations for all countries involved.

Classes are ok once they are all sorted but that's one hell of a goal in itself. Today was one of the most stressful days since getting here - aided greatly by the inexistence of a crucial class - and there were seriously multiple verges of tears until - brace yourself -

So here's how it happened. Had just missed my (nonexistent) Thème class which meant there was none other that fit in my schedule and I would have to rearrange things and talk to people and be that annoying American etc etc etc.
In la Maison de l'Etudiante (commons type, study area) I was walking up to Kassie who was sitting at this table responsibly and quietly working. I was walking pretty fast - it's how I do - and I was carrying stuff. I turned this corner too fast and didn't realize there was a solid wood bench sticking (perilously) out just waiting for me. There is probably no word except "hurtling" to describe my state at that moment. Hurtling. Through the air. Limbs, bags, objects liberated. Run free, little ones! Landed on my stomach. People staring. Polite ones coughing aggressively into their hands, the others (myself and friends included) outrightly looking, laughing, gesturing, no limit to the possibilities. I conversed with Kassie from the floor for a while. "If you do anything with enough confidence, people will buy into it" can be applied to this situation. "Oh tables? You sit at them?? I just use them as a means to get to the floor faster."

It was, as my sister expertly classified it,a "who brought this awkward American?" moment.

Oh man. Good times. Needed a laugh real bad. Thank you, gods of potentially horrible situations.

It's been real. Talk to you all later.
xoxox