cows and cats and bisous

Dearest loved ones,

There is currently someone playing video games on the computer next to us. Pretty sure it is Freddy Fish. So there is this Under the Sea theme music playing AT FULL VOLUME and my mind is all over the place. Which actually works nicely with the nature of this email, because this week was a little all over the place too. I think quirky is perhaps the best word to describe it. 

French people are obsessed with cats. They LOVE them. Like love love LOVE them. Cat place mats, cat postcards, cat t-shirts — they've got it all. This week we went to visit a less active couple who were wonderful and also happened to be cat lovers. We spent an hour talking about their cat that they had to put down, and by the end of it even I was getting teary. He was talking about how he can still sometimes feel the cat walking in between his legs, or if he puts his hand across the couch, he can still feel her paws batting at it. Yes. They are the cutest couple.  

We were on our morning jog, when we went by a large place (I forget what these are called in English, but it is like a big central area?) where there were lots of big white tents set up. Soeur Bradley and I had commented a little earlier that it smelled a little bit like a farm. So I am running and then I glance into the big white tent and there are HUNDREDS of cows. Turns out there was a giant agricultural festival in Nancy, and it just so happened to be a stone's throw away from our house. So the streets of Nancy smelled like a farm this week and it actually made me really happy and reminiscent of my childhood on the farm. Just kidding. But really it gave me this weird nostalgic feeling.  And THEN from that day on every night cows played an integral part in my dreams, and yesterday Soeur Bradley and I were walking by a field and a herd of cows followed us. Like, STAMPEDED after us. What does this mean?

On Sunday we walked into church and Elder Chaston came up to us and asked us if we would mind watching out for a boy who is not a member and was visiting with his grandma. We of course agreed, and then we turned around to see a very nice looking French boy (well, rather good looking) who is our age. The elders rolled their eyes and were like "Hmm thanks sisters, that's a BIG sacrifice." He was very nice and had lots of questions. A little bit of important info — in France bisous-ing people (kissing them on each cheek) is totally normal. But for sister missionaries it is against the rules to bisous boys. This presents some awkward situations, but for the most part is avoidable if you just stick out your hand to give a handshake. DONC, as we are leaving we are talking to him and his grandma, and then I see him coming in for the bisous and I am frozen. FROZEN. I mutter some attempt at "En fait.. je,,, peux... pas" But it was too late. So there in front of the whole ward they see me let a cute French boy bisous me. I'm not going to hear the end of that one for a while. 

Apart from cows inhabiting the ville, cat conversations and awkward moments, this week was good. We have some new amis who let us in this week and they are a hoot. She is from Romania, he is a Frenchman and they are like characters from a sitcom. They let us in and fed us hot chocolate and fruit and showed us pictures from their trip to Italy. We went back later and had the craziest lesson. They have really interesting ideas about religion and God. It was like watching a TV show. They are so animated and loving, and we left there house with a bag full of plums and muesli and mashed potatoes. Every single one of our amis fed us this week, and we ate some AMAZING Armenian treats. Our lessons have been a little rough the past while, with lots of hard, kind of out there questions, but we are having an adventure and I am learning a lot. 

Well, I will stop there and bid you farewell from this attic internet-cafe-turned-into-under-the-sea- oasis. Seriously, the music is still playing strong. 

I love you! 

Love,

Olivia