In case anyone was wondering, I'm alive and well, with very limited internet access. I started working yesterday, so I can use the internet at the school, which I'm doing now.

I moved into my apartment on Friday. It is wonderful - it's a perfect size for me, perfect location, and I love the furniture. I'm starting to feel at home. This weekend was pretty boring for the most part - it seems like no one really lives in Allaire. One of my friends came to visit on Sunday, so I got a little break from the overwhelming tranquility. Otherwise, it is close to the tiniest place on earth... at least that's how I feel. I've actually started running (believe it or not), but everytime I think, "Ok, I'm going to run around half of the town," I'm home within 20 minutes. There's just nowhere to go. Supposedly, there are a couple of very pretty ponds in the village, but they're hidden in some forest and I haven't found them yet. I think I'll try to run by there today and see what I find.

The kids are really cute, and they're happy to learn English. I never realized how difficult it is to say "My name is..." We're taking baby steps. For the most part they have been very nice. One boy asked me how to say "zizi" in English.... I'll let you guess what that means. But otherwise, they're fine.

The teachers are nice, but I'm a little lonely during lunch because, naturally, they talk about things that concern them, so I don't really have much to contribute. Every once in awhile the conversation turns to "Oh my! What is a young girl like you from New York going to do in Allaire?" Needless to say, I've had many offers to be driven to the closest city.

Anyway, I hope all is well. I have an address and phone # now, so I guess I'll post those. Until next time...