29 September 2010

Begining of the first week of actual school

Sunday can be summed up in about one sentence... I ate, watched Aladdin in Spanish, did some homework, took a nap, ate dinner, talked with my host family and went to sleep.

Monday - Garfield from the cartoons always hated Mondays but my Monday actually went pretty well. It started off with being able to sleep in. Then I had breakfast, showered, and chilled as I slowly got around for my day. Then I got my 12-25 card (aka train card for young people ages 12 to 25 which gives you up to 50% off) and had lunch at a cheap (but really good) creperie since we couldn't find a Mexican place that was open. After that we did some shopping and then it was time for school. My first class of the day was  Pepiniere at 3:30. Pepiniere is our Marketing Project class which consists of two 6-person groups being combined. I like my group as they seem nice and are eager to help me understand  what's going on and contribute. The other group however kept looking at me like I was an alien which made me truly feel for the first time that I am a stranger.

Anways, after Pepiniere I met up with Lauren and we went to our Russian class. Russian is going to be super hard but I think it will be worth it. It is defidently going to take a while to get the writing down (they have completly different letters for over half and they have 33 or 36 letters). Also the pronunciation and reading is going to be super hard. After class I went home, had soup and went to bed late after doing homework and wasting time on the computer.

Tuesday - Today started off early at 8:30 with French Civilization. We learned about the different regions, had our 30 minute break and then listened to a presentation on our region - Auvergne. After that we went to lunch with Joelle (our teacher and director of our program) where I had steak and fries. Then I went with Lauren and we had our hospital visit in order to get our Attestation (which is a thing that goes in you're visa/passport so that you don't get deported). The visit took over an hour but overall wasn't too bad. Then we went and Lauren got her 12-25 card and I got my Russian book. Then it was time for more class - European Civilization. European Civilization is going to be an interesting class as we are looking into the identity and what it means to be European. While the course will be interesting  I am not big into philosophy so that part will be difficult. Then after going back home, I had dinner with my host family where we had soup again (because it has been really cold - although at night the heat is on and is so hot I have to sleep without a blanket or sheets). Also the soup is more pureed than soup in the states that is chunky and really filling. Well I should probably get some sleep before my marathon day tomorrow (classes from 8:30 to 6:30pm). Bon soir!

26 September 2010

Regional Visit and Friday night

Friday night my host parents, Eliana, my host dad's god son, and I went to a jazz bar. It was this group called Tricia Evy (the name of the singer) accompanied by guitar and saxophone (tenor and bari). It was really interesting to hear some of the French songs and to hear her sing some English ones. Her voice was really quite pretty and I was glad that I went. The guitarist was also very good but the sax leaved a little to be desired. For the most part he played technically right but it kept sounding really airy like the embouchure wasn't right, or there was a leak, or the mic wasn't set up right. All in all it was alot of fun.

Saturday - Saturday started off early and when I mean early I don't mean before noon, I mean waking up at 6:30 am early! Anways, so I woke up and got around and met Lauren at 7:10ish in front of the school. It was so cold I was freezing even though I had a t-shirt, sweater, jacket and scarf! Lauren hadn't eaten breakfast and I only had an apple so we went to the store and each got a baguette and a jar of Nutella to split. So we walked to the street with the garage sales tearing off pieces of bread and dipping them in the Nutella, it was quite fun. There wasn't much of interest in the sales so we decided to go get a cup of coffee. We stopped in this little place on a corner which was completely stuck in the 70's and got a good cup of strong coffee for only a euro. Then we made our way back to school to wait for the bus for the visit.

At school we talked to some friends and finally the bus came at 9 and we were off. Our first stop of the day was a church in a little village that I forgot the name of. It was nice, but it was rainy and cold which wasn't fun. That didn't dampen our spirits though as Jenn, Lauren, and I sang songs on the bus all the way to our next stop - Chateau Medieval de Murol. The chateau was really cool, and I took lots of pictures which you can see on Facebook. After walking though the castle all of the international students gathered in the hall to wait until we were supposed to leave but we didn't feel like sitting around so we took another tour. When we finally left we walked past a jousting ring which looked pretty cool and then we took a group photo and boarded the bus to go to lunch.

Lunch was AMAZING! It was a traditional Auvergne meal with salad, cheesy potatoes (there's a special word for them but I can't remember), ham, dessert and of course red wine and water. After that we boarded the bus again and after triple checking that we had everyone we left for the cheese farm. The cheese farm in Saint Nectere was really cool. At first we took a trip through the caves (which had tons of cobwebs) and saw the cheese with all the mold on it and tasted some. Then we learned about the history of the caves which was actually kinda creepy because we walked through a total of 3 different caves with next to no lighting and the guide kept popping up out of random places. Then we went down to the farm and saw all of the cows. At the end of the row there was a super cute kitten that we kept playing with. After watching them unwrap the cheese we went back to the bus. Then we got on the bus and headed back. On the way back it was super quiet because alot of people were sleeping.

When we finally got back everyone went back home to take a nap. At my house, I wasted some time and then went out into the living room to watch Simpsons with my host brother. Then we had aperatifs (the first was a specialty of some French region and had rum, sugar and lime and was so strong I needed a couple of ice cubes, the second one I had a rum and coke instead) and snacks like chips and hummus or little cheese pastry rolls. Then we had dinner (shrimp and pasta, yum!) and I left before dessert to go see my friends. The four of us met at the Place de Jaude and walked around as we tried to find a bar. We went to one near our school because it was cheaper and all got rum and cokes. Then half of us reordered while I got a coffee. After lots of chatting and relaxing we all left for the night because we were so tired from our long day.

Sunday - I defidently havn't done much today. I ate breakfast, took a shower, did some homework, ate lunch, relaxed, and now I'm watching Aladdin in Spanish because I couldn't find it on megavideo in English or French. Lol, so basically I'm having alot of fun here but I defidently need to sleep more.

24 September 2010

Three Monkeys - Alright now, let's kick off the weekend right!

TGIF! Alright so the morning wasn't so good (listening to presentations and zoning out/waking up friends around me because they are sleeping during the lecture wasn't so much fun) but then we had lunch and our day really began. So in the afternoon we were supposed to have this lecture about the first year at the ESC which we have already heard 3 times so we decided to skip it. We started out after lunch by going to Place de Jaude and stopped in a shop. Then we went to the SNCF (aka France train/travel agency) and tried to get tickets to Germany so that we could go to Oktoberfest but there wasn't any ones at a time that we could go so we scraped that. Then we wandered about and I got my phone recharged and some postcards and then we found the tourism office. After a stop in there to get boatloads of pamphlets and a map and other info we decided to start heading to our chest x-ray appointment for our Attestation (aka official french documentation that allows us to reside in France without being deported).

However, as we were going to out appointment we saw an antique store with a cart outside loaded with books and a sign saying one euro each. How could we pass that up? We start looking and I find a book that I thought looked good so I went in and bought it. When I went out Lauren and Jenn went in to buy theirs. While they were in there a lady and a guy came up to me and asked me if I liked books (since I was looking through them) I said yeah and she pulled out a book from her purse and gave it to me saying it's really good and I should really read it. I was like ok and they left. So I got a book for a euro and a second book for free - excellent! So then we left and got to the office 15 minutes before our appointment. I checked in and sat down as I thought it was going to be a while but as the receptionist was checking in the second person my name was called and I got my x-ray done in like two minutes. Then I waited in the waiting room while Lauren and Jenn got their x-rays and less than 5 minutes later we had our results. When we left we had been there less than 10 minutes which is absurd because in the states it takes over half an hour for something like that and then another couple of days for the results.

So of course we decided that we should celebrate so we wandered around a different part of town looking for a pub. When we saw one called the Three Monkeys we knew we couldn't pass it up so we got some drinks and relaxed. I got a martini which was better than I thought it would be. After relaxing we decided to go home for the day since we are leaving early tomorrow to go to the market before our excursion in the country. Also I am going with my host family tonight to a jazz bar so that will be fun. Well that's all for now!

23 September 2010

The Impression That I Get (Mighty, Mighty Bosstones)

Wednesday - Woke up late and got around in order to get to school where my group dove right into our project. It was really quite hard for me because they would keep speaking really quickly to each other so for most of the part I was lost and for the other parts I didn't have anything to do so I would watch as they would correct the writing and help out a bit with the computer stuff. Then lunch was quick and after meeting some friends in the park it was time for more project stuff. More sitting and watching/doing minimal work on the project. Finally when it was all done I was excited to leave and be done for the day but then it took forever to find the right place to print but finally we found it, got it printed, and turned it in. Then I walked home and took a break from french by talking to Liz and Susan. Then I had dinner which was strange tasting lasagnae - why strange, because there wasn't enough pasta and the cheese was french - oh american food, how I miss you...

So anyways, after dinner my host dad and two host brothers and I sat down and watched the Mentalist for 3 hours which was loads of fun. Then it was time for bed because having class at 8:30 means getting up at 7ish.

Thursday - Woke up late again, hrm maybe I need to start going to bed earlier (oops), but was on time to my class which was french language with Isabelle. After that I had FLE which is going over alot of grammar points that I consistently miss on a daily basis. Once FLE was done, I went to see if I could register for dance class but they aren't open until Monday so hopefully I can register then. Then Lauren and I had a nice lunch in the sun of kebab which was like roasted meat on a yummy flatish bread with fries. Afterwords, we got back and tried to figure out where we were supposed to go because our schedule said to go with Lisa but she wasn't in her office so we left a note and sent and text and went to lunch number 2 because most of our group only had a snack during lunch time and not a full meal. So while four of us ate, Lauren and I had a glass of red wine which I still cannot get used to.

After the meal we went back to the ESC and found Lisa and got the rest of our information for our attestation and turned in some stuff to go to Volcania on the 9th. Then Lauren, Jenn and I hiked to the CROUS center so that we could get our doctor's visit and chest xray done. After making the appointments it was time to go home and relax for the day.

Some of you maybe wondering why "The Impression That I Get". Number 1 it's a good song and number 2 it kinda reflects how I feel some times here. Well aideu for now!

21 September 2010

Projects galore!

Monday - Woke up and meet the other K students as we realized that we were half an hour late because our schedules were wrong, awesome. So we snuck in the auditorium, where we were supposed to be, and started trying to pay attention to what the lecturer was saying. However we were really far away from the screen so I couldn't read it and to top it off we didn't understand everything the lecturer was saying so I just started doodling wile others did homework or whatever. Then we went on break and Lauren, Jenn, and I really wanted to make sure we were in our other language courses so we waited for over an hour and a half (meaning we missed some of the lecture) and finally got it all sorted out. (FYI I'm going to take Russian!) Then after dinner, we went back and sat some more while we listened to more lecture (but this time we actually understood it). Then we broke off into groups to choose which one of the projects we wanted to do. It was funny because my group kept speaking in rapid french to each other and after a while they asked my opinion and I just said (in french) "I'm american and  don't understand everything that you are saying because  you are speaking too fast". They were all like OOOOHHH and so then they started speaking slower and were really nice about it. After our groups, Lauren and I met up and decided to get a beer and go shopping because I needed jeans. Then I went home and had a late dinner, read some more of my book for class and went to bed.

Tuesday - Today started off with us getting to school at 8:30 when we didn't need to be there until 9. (I can't wait until our actual courses start so we don't have to worry about weird scheduling). So today was all about the Project ESC which as far as I can understand involves people making their own groups, brainstorming about a certain entrepreneurial idea and presenting said idea in a paper or (if their ideas are really good) to the entire freshman student body. Needless to say I don't want my group to be one of the best and have to present in french in front of 400 people. Anyways, after getting into groups (which we didn't know what to do so we had to ask some professors and after alot of mess finally got into groups) we got down to business.

My group is very task-oriented which is kinda nice, but at the same time kinda difficult because they speak really fast and I can't understand half of what is going on. After a couple hours of that, lunch in the park, and a couple more hours of that we were done with the project for the day. So then I went and got a chocolate chocolate chip muffin (which by the way isn't as good as those that I have had in America, it was kinda sad) and then came back for my french literature/philosophy class. After a seemingly long class everyone went home. When I got home it was 6:30 already! It was such a long day and so much french my brain was really stretched. After relaxing on the computer (and looking at planning trips in Europe with friends) we had dinner which was really fun because we went over body parts and some other french stuff. Then I got to skype with Spencer and now its time for bed. Bonsoir!

19 September 2010

Sunday, sunday, sunday

Mmmm, sleep! I slept in until like 10 even though I went to bed really early. By the time I had woken up and gotten a shower the family had already gone to mass so I ate some breakfast and wasted time on the computer until they came back and we had lunch. Then my host dad, Eliana, Jean Baptiste, and me all went to see some sights in the town. It was the "journees europeennes du patrimonie" which is an European holiday where lots of historical sites are free to go to. So we went to the Hotel de Chazerat which was cool because it was a different type of architecture than most of the city. Then we went to see the archaeological site near my school which had some stuff dating back to the first and second century! After that Frank, aka my host dad,  and I went back to the Hotel so that we could attend a harpsichord performance. It was really good and made me want to dance. Then we walked back and looked at some more architecture.

When we got back, everyone was preparing for the other host families to come over (Eliana's other host families because she's here for so long she has to switch). Eliana and I tried making brownies which failed. It started well enough but then it said to put 90 grams of sugar in. Not knowing how much we used the scale and was surprised to find 90 grams was two bowls. As soon as we put it in we knew there was something wrong because it was way too dry. After alot of fretting and re reading of the recipe the host mom came in and we realized that the scale was off by a factor of 10 - aka instead of putting 90 grams in we put 900! So she told us to scrap it and  throw it away so we did and then we did it again with the correct amounts and put it in the oven. Then we cleaned up and got ready for the families to come.

When everyone came it was strange for me because I didn't know anyone but it all went really well. We had an apperatif and then pizza for dinner. The brownie was really good and then before you knew it it was time for everyone to leave. So now it's time to sleep because I have class tomorrow (well Pepiniere which from what I hear is going to be really interesting).

Host Family Fun

Friday - Waking up early to go to school at 8:30 is getting super old but anyways class was actually really interesting. We watched a movie called "Pars vite et reviens tard" which means something like Leave quickly and return late and it's based off a book by Fred Vargas. It was really interesting because it was a murder mystery which had a basis in a historical plague. I liked it alot. Then got a sandwich for lunch and ate on the steps by the Place de Jaude. Then Jenn and I got the problem with our phones sorted out and we got ice cream to celebrate. I don't know if it's because I hadn't had ice cream in a while or not but it was super good (I got vanilla chocolate cookie and mint chocolate chunk). After that I went home for a nap. Then I came out to the living room and watched the Davis Cup on TV with my host brothers and Eliana. It really made me miss tennis but hopefully I will get to play soon.

Then we had an aperatif and started celebrating Xavier's birthday. We had calamari and mussels for appetizer which was better than I expected (there were also some mustard chips which were interesting and cheese puff balls). Then we had dinner which was really good. After dinner we sang happy birthday in 3 languages - French, Spanish, and English and dug into strawberries, cream and shortcake. Then we relaxed for a bit and turned in for the night because we had to wake up early tomorrow.

Saturday - Started by waking up at 7 then leaving the house at 8. There was 5 of us, my two host parents, Xavier, Eliana and me. We drove over two hours until we got to Rhodez where we got out and looked around the town for a little bit. We saw some really two really old churches/cathedrals (think before the 1700s) then we walked through the farmers market and looked at all the old architecture. Then we got back in the van and drove to the airport. Once at the airport we realized there was no where to have our picnic so we drove down a little road and pulled off and ate in the middle of farm country. Now I thought there was alot of farming in Michigan or even when we would drive through Iowa or Kansas but this was more farmland than I think I had seen in a while. Then we went back to the airport and saw Xavier off.

Next we went through some super winding and tight roads to a little village in the mountains of the Midi-Pyrenees. We were going really fast through those roads which combined with my headache wasn't very fun even though the views were fantastic. Then we got to the village and looked around, apparently it's on this really famous trail called the chemin de compostelle. This path (chemin means path) is a mecca for lots of people and is a really big touristic draw. After touring the cathedral and some of the town we went back on those tiny winding roads and I started to get carsick. We stopped twice more just for a quick break and the second time I got really sick. Apparently rapid altitude changes + motion sickness + being super tired + headache from not having glasses = not good. Finally we got on a highway and got back however I was so tired I just went straight to bed even though it was not even 9 on a Saturday night.

PS If you want to see pictures check them out on facebook.

16 September 2010

Thoughts on France so far...

All right, I've been in France for 13 days and have noticed quite a few things that are different from the United States. Voila.
  1. Food - All of the meals here are very different then in the states. For the most part they are lighter and not fried. For breakfast they have cereal like in the states but they also eat toast or bread with jam and butter. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day and people usually eat salad, a sandwich (not square but like a very long rectangle), and sometimes a dessert. For dinner, usually they eat cold meats (like ham) and salad and they use bread to wipe their plates completely clean. After dinner is bread and cheese or yogurt or fruit. Right now I'm missing macaroni and chesse, hot meats (like grilled chicken), pasta with sauce (usually its a really light butter sauce if anything), carrots, and ice cream. The desserts here are to die for but are rare. Tonight I had chocolate mousse which was unlike any mousse I have ever had before!
  2. Classes - Students here dress more formal for class aka no pajama pants or sweat pants. Teachers do less interactive activities and more lecturing. Also students learn different things than in the states. Philosophy is very popular and languages are learned alot earlier than in the states. Also, one cannot just get up and leave if they need to go to the bathroom, it's considered rude. The paper is longer by 2 or 3 inches which is very strange. Also it's not good to use pencil, teachers prefer if you use pen and if you make a mistake use white out, don't just scratch it out. I havn't had that many classes though so I will have to update this once they actually start next week.
  3. The day - The day is divided rather differently in France. You start early in the morning and have breakfast and go to class by 9. Then you have classes until noon when you have an hour and a half for lunch. Then you have classes until 5 or 6 at night. Then you eat dinner at 8 and usually everyone is in their bedrooms for the night by 10 or 11. Also they use military time which throws me off all the time.
  4. The structure of the country and city - The country is not divided up into states but regions which are further divided up into departments. For example I am in department Puy-de-Dome in Auvergne. The city itself is similar to cities in the states. People drive super fast and crazy (but most people drive stick-shifts), lots of people walk or take the bus or tram, there's a train station (their train system makes America's look like a real wreck) and lots of universities and schools. However, the buildings themselves are usually older than any in the states. In addition, the streets aren't a grid like most cities in the states but are a mix of streets that are super small, curve in and out and change names alot. It's very confusing and I blame getting lost on those curving confusing streets. 
  5. Clothing - Most people don't wear sweatpants or sweatshirts and "junky" t-shirts unless they are going or coming back  from the gym or some sort of sport. Also short shorts are not acceptable. Most people wear nicer clothes which doesn't mean fancy, just not old and ratty.
Anything else? If you are curious about anything don't hesitate to ask - there's so much going on here it's kinda hard to explain all of it.

Château

Today we had French Language class with Isabelle. It's a good class and I feel like we learn alot. Pretty much the goal of the class is to improve our french for an important test. Anyways, after class we had a short lunch (meaning only 45 minutes!) and then met to go to the Château. All seven of us Kzoo students plus Joelle and a driver went in a minivan to Château de Chavaniac. This happens to be the place where Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier was born aka Lafayette (aka helped us in the French Revolution). It was really interesting to hear about everything and the architecture was really cool. We toured a little bit of inside and a little bit of outside (until it started to sprinkle). After that we drove to Issoire and toured a Greco-roman church. It was really dark inside and had a crypt which was damp and musty smelling. Then we had some coffee and went back to Clermont.

15 September 2010

Second week of school

Monday - School was really boring. We attended the first year introduction seminar which was stuff we had either already heard twice or didn't need to know. After lunch we didn't know where to go since our names wern't on the sheets so we just took the rest of the day off. Joanne, Lauren, Jenn and I went to the french version of Walmart which was alot cleaner than an american Walmart. After that I went back to take a nap and  chill for the rest of the day.

Tuesday - School was a bit more interesting this time. First we had pictures for our school Id's. Then we had our FLE classes which are intensive french classes. While we covered things that we already knew, it was kind of nice to refresh our memories. It was kind of weird because we were supposed to have that class on Monday but we didn't know so all 7 of us skipped it. Anyways, after lunch we had a little bit more of the class but with a different teacher. Then we went to a presentation on a project that we have to do. They presented it in french and I didn't really fully understand what I'm actually going to be doing. Oh well, I will do my best but at least we aren't being graded on it! Then we left for the day. Later that night there was a party for the first years which was quite fun.

The party started out at a bar called the Buddha. I got there before Joanne and Lauren and felt really awkward sitting by myself drinking a beer waiting for my friends like a loner. Finally they came and we decided to walk around for a bit. We found the sketchy red light district and had fun finding different things in the city. Finally when we walked back we rounded the corner and music was blaring! The Buddha was now super packed there was loads of students everywhere and we quickly found some other international students and hung out with them. We got a beer and relaxed as we got a free slice of pizza and talked in English. Close to midnight we headed to the nightclub. At the nightclub there wasn't hardly anyone for the first 20 minutes, but then it got quite busy and when we finally left at 1:30 it was packed! We had alot of fun dancing and thought it was really funny that all of the songs were from the 90s and up to today  and pretty much all American music. Sadly, I lost my little black sweater but it's kinda old and  falling apart so it's not that big of a deal. After finding my way home I tumbled into bed for a brief sleep.

Wednesday - Being woken up at 7 by an alarm clock after going to bed at 2:15 is not very fun. But I got up and around and got to school and class on time. Class was mostly going over stuff we knew (again) and then we had lunch and then more class. Once FLE was done we had French Literature class - a class that I am finding kind of difficult. First of all our French lit class is turning into a french lit and philosophy class. In my opinion french, literature, and philosophy are all pretty difficult so all three in one is kinda intense. But the teacher is pretty nice and its a small class with just the 7 of us so it isn't that bad. After school Jenn and I went to the Place de Jaude to get our phones recharged. Then we got some delicious chocolate dessert and after we split it we left for home. Once at home I learned that it would be super expensive to try and get glasses over here so I will be getting them shipped from home which should be fun. After dinner (Eliana made sushi) we watched some Mentalist and now it's time for sleep. A bientot!

12 September 2010

Weekend!

I can't believe I have been in France for one whole week, it seems like it's been longer. Anyways, its been a very... interesting weekend as you will see below.

Friday - Started out with a class on French Literature. We went over some of the expectations for the class and got some homework assignments. Then we were taken to the bookstores so that we could get our book for class, L'etranger by Albert Camus. After that we were free for the day so we got some food and ate in the park by the fountain. Then everyone left to take naps and chill. Later Joanne, Jenn, Lauren and I all met up and walked around the Place de Jaude and hung out. After grabbing a quick drink at a bar Lauren and Joanne left for dinner. Not feeling like walking all the way back to our host families houses we decided to walk around and split a pizza in town. Then we met up with everyone and went to a bar to watch the rugby game.

Now I have never watched rugby before (except for Invictus which doesn't really count) so I had no clue about the rules or anything. We watched the game with Julien (a french student) who explained alot of the game which was a big help. Sadly, Clermont lost but on the other hand I discovered that I like rugby alot more than American Football so I have a feeling I will be watching more games in the future. After the game we went to another pub and all hung until Jenn and I got cold so we left for home.

Saturday - Saturday started out pretty boring. I did some homework and took a nap and took a short walk to the park. I also watched Spiderman with my host brother, Jean Baptiste. The parents were away for a wedding or something so Xavier cooked lunch and dinner which were pretty good. After dinner there was a party which was kinda weird for me because I didn't know anyone so Eliana and I hung out while Paul played on the computer. Then my friends texted me that they were going out to a bar so I went and joined them. After meeting some international students and walking to see where a club was I went back to the house. As soon as I started to open the door to the building all of these people came out. It happened to be Xavier and his friends who were going to a club. I decided to join them because I didn't have much going on for Sunday.

On the way there we drank a little and when we got there I was feeling like I had a little too much to drink. There wasn't very many people at the club so it was kinda weird when I danced with one of Xavier's friends because we were the only two dancing. At the club we realized that I had somehow left my glasses so we tried looking for them but to no avail. By the time we got back it was around 5am.

Sunday - Woke up with a hangover at 11 so I took a shower and had some breakfast. After a couple of hours we had lunch and I took a nap and relaxed. That pretty much concludes my first week in France which was pretty interesting. All I can say is that these next 5 months are going to be nothing like anything else in my life, which I'm pretty sure is a good thing. Well it's almost 8 so I gotta go eat dinner. A tout a l'heure!

10 September 2010

L'internet ne marche pas!

For those of you who are non-french speakers, the title to this post means "The internet doesn't work!" Anyways, now that it does, here's an update:

Wednesday - Third day of class
Classes were not very fun today, we got lectured at and then we got the results of the writing portion of our test as well as took the speaking portion. I did REALLY REALLY badly (mostly because I went back and changed alot of it to a different tense when its just present tense, oops). Then all 7 of us had lunch at a cafe across the street. I had a croque monsieur which was quite good. Then more learning about the Auvergne region and finally school was out. Yesterday we were debating going swimming but instead decided to do it today so Lauren and I went to the "Stade Nautique Pierre de Coubertin" which was alot of fun. They had an olympic sized pool (where we swam in the open lane), a kiddie pool and a slide. After figuring out how to lock the doors to change (the locks wern't on the door), finding a place to put our stuff (the lockers only took one euro and all we had were two euro pieces), swimming in a lane filled with people, getting dressed and out of the changing room maze, I got lost getting back to my host family's apartment.

Honestly, I think its super sad that I got lost three days in a row. I guess its  a good thing Vicksburg isn't that big, lol. Anyways, a nice bus driver pointed out the way back and I got back just fine. Then I took a shower and looked over some of my paperwork and ate dinner w/ Jean-Baptiste (the youngest), Eliana (the Bolivian girl), and that was it. The parents had gone to some show which they invited me to but I was too tired after swimming. It was a fun night as we ended the day by watching the Mentalist.

Thursday
Today we met all of the international students which was fun and also quite nice because everything was in English. First we listened to a lecture about the different staff and stuff. Then we went on a tour of the building and after we got to relax and talk some before we went back in. So we met some different students like Louise who is from Kansas and seems really nice. We also met a German student who is named Silka. Then we went back in for some more lecture and finally it was lunch time. We went to the Canteen which is really good and cheap! After that we walked around the Place de Jaude for a little bit and then went back for some more lecturing. Then we were supposed to have a mini cocktail party  to welcome the international students, but there was no alcohol so we decided to go to a bar.

On the way we stopped and got the rest of our school supplies. We (Jenn, Lauren, and I) decided to go to the Carpe Diem where we got a beer (1664) for a couple euros.The owner was nice and talked to us a little bit. When we were all done we parted our separate ways. As I was walking back I started feeling the affects and was like ooh, I haven't drank in a while. When I got back Claire (my host mom) was hosting a party so I went in the kitchen with Jean-Baptiste, Eliana and Frank and we had dinner. Dinner was really good because it was a specialty from Brittagne (where my host parents are from) and it was like a crepe with egg, cheese, and ham. Then we tried to get the internet to work but finally decided to give up and go to bed.

Friday
School was very short today. We  had one class which wasn't that bad and were free by noon. The class was French Literature and we mostly talked about what we are going to be doing in that class and went on a tour to find the bookstore. Then we decided to eat lunch in the park so we grabbed some food from the Canteen (I got pain au chocolate and an apple) and ate on the grass. Now I'm killing some time before we go to the bar to watch the rugby game. A toute a l'heure (See you later)!

07 September 2010

And....Second Day of School!

The Second Day of School... oh so much fun, kinda. In the morning, I wake up and eat breakfast and am just about to take a shower when Aliana wakes up and needs the bathroom to brush her teeth b/c shes late for school. So I let her and  then I shower and get ready for the day. When I say goodbye to my host mom she asks if I have an umbrella b/c its raining, when I say I do she makes sure that I know my way to school, I say yes (it's one turn and then a straight shot, how hard can it be?). So I leave and start walking, and I keep walking, and then I start thinking.... "I don't think this is right. I have never seen this part of town before". Realizing I passed my turn I go back as I look at my watch 17 minutes until I have to be at school and I'm supposed to meet Jenn in 7 minutes, crap! So I decide to take the next road and  then cut up to where I need to be but somehow I end up passing the apartment so I just kept going and took this other route. I check my watch - 8:20 - 10 minutes until I get to school and Jenn is leaving. So I start running which was oh so much fun because for some strange reason I thought it would be fun to wear heels... very very bad decision (especially since because it was raining and I was running and these were new shoes I got some nice blisters). So I pass the place where I am supposed to meet Jenn - 8:28- I'm supposed to be at class in 2 minutes. So finally I get to school, out of breath and pretty wet, at 8:40! I felt really bad because the day before they told us how important it was to be on time and I was late the second day! Moving on...

So when I came in they were discussing alot of stuff that we have heard several times before which, when combined with no coffee, and being tired from running equaled me yawning about every minute and wanting to take a nap and spacing out. Finally we took a break and I got some water which perked me up. Then we went back and took a French Language Assessment Exam. I finished about the same time as Lauren and Jenn so we went to lunch.

We went to a little sandwich shop nearby that was really good and cheap! I got my coffee and a yummy panini (which was nice because it was hot and it was rainy, nasty and cold outside). Then we hiked over to the Place de Jaude where Lauren and I got cell phones and Jenn got her phone activated. Then I had to leave for my ICRP interview with Joelle. For my ICRP I will probably do something with a french school. I am really nervous because this is such a big project but hopefully everything will go smoothly. After my interview I talked with Sam, Jake, Angela and Joanne. After they left Jenn and Lauren showed up for their appointments so I waited for them and then we got all of our paperwork finished. We went to go turn in our paperwork but the people wern't there so we decided to go home for the day.

This time I didn't get lost! Once back home I looked through my schedule and put some bandaids on my blisters. But now I smell something cooking so Au Revoir for now!

Exposition and First day of school

To pick up from last time....

The girls (my host mom (Claire), Aliana (the Bolivian exchange student), and I) went to an exposition while the boys went to a rugby game. The exposition was at the musee Bargoin archeologie - tapis et arts textiles (aka the Bargoin archeological museum - tapestries and textiles) and was called L'ailleurs dans un miroir (which translate to something like "elsewhere in a mirror"according to babelfish.yahoo.com). It was really cool because we saw lots of different clothes from people around the world such as India and the middle east and China. Claire explained that they put on a show where students would wear the clothes so it was kind of like a fashion show. Anyways, after that we took a walk through le jardin le coq (aka the garden le coq if you cant get the second part sound it out, it will come to you). The garden/park is very pretty and even has wifi! After we got back we had dinner and then everyone went to bed early because school starts the next day (aka Monday, aka Labor Day back in the US).

Monday - First Day of School!
I woke up early, showered, changed, ate breakfast and started walking to school with my host mom. On the way she explained where we were and such and asked me if I was nervous. When I replied yes she was like you should have no problem your french isn't bad. That made me feel better, but of course I was still nervous - all I knew was meet in the lobby at quarter to 9 - sketchy instructions if you ask me. We finally got there (its only like a 15-20 minute walk) and I said Au revoir and went into the atrium and sat down with the rest of the crew. At quarter to 9 Joelle came and started talking to us and took us to another room. Then we got some paperwork and went on a tour of the building. There are two parts of the main university building- an older and a newer part. They connect at the first and second floor but not the third - I swear this was repeated in french like 5 times to us. Anways we go back and get some more paperwork and leave for lunch.

For lunch we are taken out by Joelle (who is the head of our program) and a bunch of other professors and administrators. We walked for like 10 minutes and arrived at a little restaurant. We had red wine, fish or beef, and tart or ice cream for dessert. It was really interesting because we sat professor student, professor student which ended up with the professors having conversations in rapid french with the professor on your other side. Also as we were walking there and back they would point out interesting sites and discuss lots of other things. But it really annoyed me when they would talk at the same time because I would just give up and listen to only one. After lunch we went back to the ESC for our interviews with Joelle. I was chosen first and the interview wasn't very bad, it was mostly alot of questions that in my head added up to "is this child going to be a problem over here". She asked about our drinking habits and lots of other things. Also she gave us our lunch stipend for the first two months - its 8 euro per day. Once I was done I decided to leave because it was starting to rain.

While walking home I took a wrong turn and got a little lost, after a roundabout way and a little trouble with the door (I have never been very good with keys) I was home. After some R&R, I heard someone come in. Closing up my laptop I went to see who it was. As I walked into the kitchen I saw my host mom so I said a cheerful "bonjour" and she jumped and freaked out (which was pretty funny)! After she explained how she had been out taking a bike ride when her chain broke we decided to go to the store to get some school supplies. At the store (which is literally less than 20 feet from our door) I got a notebook.

Once back in the apartment, I read some of a book i'm borrowing from my host family (it's L'etranger or the Stranger by Albert Camus) and then worked on some of my paper work. Then we had dinner which was really different - fish and beans with onion on salad. Then we had yogurt for dessert. Then we decided that it would be fun to watch a movie, but as I was looking through their immense collection I decided I was too tired to watch one that night. So we picked out Spiderman to watch the next night. Then I brushed my teeth and went to bed listening to music.

05 September 2010

Planes, food and sleep.

So much has happened in the past 48 hours it's unbelievable! Friday morning, woke up and my parents drove me to the airport. I didn't sleep well the night before and was hoping to be able to sleep on the plane (which never really happened). When we got to the airport we were really early (we left at 8am because we thought there would be bad traffic) and so the person checking me in asked if I wanted to get on an earlier flight. I decided sure, why not? So I got aboard a plane at 11:45 and got off two hours later at 1:45 in Philadelphia. The flight wasn't bad but there was some turbulence. Then I met up with the rest of my group as we waited for the flight to Paris. After a minor hassle with Jake's passport and alot of sitting we got on the plane.

I love the large planes for the international flights for two reasons, one they are usually very quiet (because everyone is sleeping) and two they have the screens in the back of the seats so you can watch tv or movies and such. One thing I do not like about these flights however, is that they make me really tired but no matter how tired I am I cannot fall asleep for more than 10 minutes. Anyways we finally make it to Paris and get past the mean customs officials (I swear the one that I had did not like me at all!) we decide to hang out in the upstairs lobby before going over to our gate so that we can get food and relax since we have 7ish hours to kill. We tried to nap, ate food, played some euchre, and finally went to our gate a couple of hours early. When we got to our gate we relaxed for a while until when we were less than 30 minutes from boarding because of a  slight problem. The screen with all of the flights on it showed that we were delayed... first it was ten minutes, then it was twenty and we were starting to get anxious. Finally we got on the tiny plane and took our short flight to Clermont. When we arrived we were greeted by Joelle who was very excited to see us. We got all of our luggage and walked into the atrium to see our families.

My host mom walked right up to me and said "Are you Breanna?" I was like "oui" and got introduced to both her and her husband Frank. It was my first real chance using French and I am please to say I didn't fail. After two group pictures we were off in their van. As we toured a little bit of the city before going to the apartment, they asked me questions about my life and I answered (all in French). It felt quite rewarding to be finally here with my host family talking in French. When we got to the apartment I was surprised by the size because it was quite a bit bigger than I imagined. Then I got introduced to three of their five children and the other exchange student who is from Bolivia and arrived on Wednesday. After a tour of the house and unpacking we sat down for an "Aperitif" which is drinks before dinner. I had a small glass of wine which was considerably stronger than what I am used to. Then we had dinner.

Dinner was great, there was lots of food and lots of fun. The bothers like to pick on each other which creates quite an entertaining and homely environment while the parents and the eldest brother would ask questions of me and the other exchange student. The food was really good, we had beef and mini potatoes and salad and cheese (of course!). When we were done we had fruit tart as dessert (it was this fruit that is kinda like grapes and kinda like prunes). Then I explained that I haven't gotten hardly any sleep on the plane and little the day before so I turned in after a shower (at about 9pm their time, lol). I slept so soundly and when I woke up I realized I had slept for about 11 hours straight!

As soon as I woke up however, there wasn't much time to get around because as soon as I had changed the host mom informed me that they were going on a walk so I brushed my teeth and combed my hair and had a quick bite to eat and then we were off in their van. We made our way up to a plateau nearby and hiked for a while. It was just the two exchange students, the two parents and Jean-Baptiste (the youngest son) but it was alot of fun. I really wanted to take some pictures but couldn't because my camera wasn't working. Anways, I am going to see an exposition so Au revoir!

03 September 2010

Getting ready

So after days of packing and unpacking and repacking my one suitcase I finally have "everything" in. I don't know how living out of just a suitcase and a backpack will go, but I'm sure it will be very interesting. I'm just nervous about having to actually lift my suitcase, lol! Anyways I have said my goodbyes and taken care of everything so all there is left to do is hop on the plane. 24 hours in airports and airplanes here I come!

01 September 2010

"The Foreigner in France"

I can't believe it. Ever since middle school I have wanted to go on study abroad and now here I am just days away from one of the most interesting, crazy, scary, fun, thrilling, exciting, biggest, most outrageous thing I have ever done! The closer it gets, the more nervous I get. I keep hearing everything will be fine and all right, however I won't believe it until I am sitting on the plane as we are taking off. But while I am preparing to leave, I feel the necessity to document this great change in my life hence "The Foreigner in France". 

I have lived in Michigan all of my life, but now I will be living in a completely different country. For those of you back at home, I hope to update this blog as a sort of fun way to stay connected and also provide at least a glimpse into another culture and another world. So stay tuned to hear how it feels to be a foreigner in France as I am sure there will be many stories to tell.