Happy Birthday to Mom!!!!!

Yes I got my visa stuff pretty much all taken care of, I will pick up what we call my "titre de séjour" on the 15th of October. (The titre de séjour is what lets me stay here on french soil and it's good for about a year.) But it is a crazy process to get it renewed. What happens is on wednesdays and thursdays the office (called the pre-fecture) does renewals and you line up outside the building before it's open. It is most the time on a first come first serve basis so we left our appartment at like 4:30 in the morning to get a good spot in line. The only problem with that is there are alot of people here that are not from here and when it comes to lines and waiting, well frankly they act like children. I had a really great place wednesday morning but because people were cutting in line and well pretty much just massing around the door I was near the back. In any case this time it didn't matter, the lady came out and just asked for people who's visas had expired in july, then august then september, and then all the places for that day were filled. So that means, we had to go back the next day. I was in the crowd the next morning and the office opened and the lady came out. (just as an FYI there are armed police with her in case the crowd gets out of hand. One of the police had his hand on his tear gas the whole time) but she came out and someone said that they needed to change their address, and so everyone who needed to change their address raised their hands and she said ok come here, then she pointed at me and said "come!" I was really surprised and was not just changing my address but I went up there anyway. She was handing out these little tickets from one pocket in her folder to all these people and then when I came to her she gave me a ticket from another pocket. AKA she totally hooked me up because she saw me there two days in a row and I was one of the few acting civil. Then when I got in the lady who took my case was upset because I was supposed to get a list or something with all the papers I need and then come back. But we know what papers I needed so they just sent me with them. I insisted that she look at my papers and she did and now I'm getting my visa next month. Other elders were not so lucky and they have to come back in a month to do what I did in one visit. so that is really good.

The week was pretty good, it is like we are in a blanked area, but that's fine we have been finding alot of new people lately. Oh and about pîctures, my camera stopped working...so I haven't really been able to take any pictures here on Guadeloupe. It was working just fine until I tried to look at pictures last week and it didn't work. It's something about the screen, I am not sure what to do. I don't know if I have enough to buy a new one. Perhaps you could tell me how much is in my account? that'd be great

The elders on Martinique sent my package to you so be watching for that in like 2 or 3 weeks. I sent some things I don't need and then some things for you. I sent you a Doll that resembled the one you described to me on mother's day, a cool turtle made of Coconut wood, a drum with an image of Guadeloupe on it, and some sodas that I really like here. (I really think you'll like the one called "L'ordinaire" make sure to drink them cold)

That is about all for this week, thank you much and love you!