Cannes

Bonjour!! Sorry for the lack of update from sunny Cannes. Monday we took a placement exam to figure out what level we would be put in for classes while in Cannes. I placed low-intermediate, which is fine with me because between class and Intermediate French for Dummies (I am a dummy) I hope hope hope I will be prepared for the Sorbonne. I feel comfortable in the class. My professor speaks rapid French for the entire 3 hours of class from 9 to 12 and I am able to follow what she says. How crazy is that? Two years ago I was just beginning to learn French.

Yesterday, two representatives from the Sorbonne came down to talk to us about the program in Paris. I will be taking "cours pratique" which is a language class (hopefullyyy at the intermediate level!) I will also be taking "Histoire de Paris" (formally the architecture class) "Societe Francaise" and "Civilisation Francaise."

Today we signed up for housing. Elke, the woman in charge of the housing for AIFS students will be matching us up to our host families. When we get to Paris next Friday we get into a taxi and are taken to where we will be living for the next several months. I wasn't going to sign up for a single, but I consented to live in one when Elke asked me if I would want to live close to campus (umm... YES!!!!!) There is no guarantee of anything but that would be spectacular if I did. I'll find out in 9 days!

Alright, how about some pictures of my local surroundings?

This is the view right outside my window. Yes, that is a palm tree. To the right of my window is the Mediterranean Sea. Palm trees, sunshine and sand. I could get used to this.

There are a lot of tiny, winding streets. Tres "Beauty and the Beast". There are many cafe's set up along the street, as well as fish vendors as you get closer to the water.

This is a very cool old wall. . . Yeah.








































12th century tower.





































So, remember from Angers I took a picture of a condom dispenser? Well, there are several scattered on the streets of Cannes. The girls I went into town with had the same reaction I did, and all I heard for the rest of the day was "I took a picture of the condom dispenser!" It totally doesn't phase me anymore; I don't even have a reaction when seeing people walk down the beach naked. C'est la vie.













Oh God... MONOPRIX. I got a little school supply happy (finally!!) (oh... and Ben... you'd be proud.... I didn't get paper clips!!! (: ) and a towel. I also got my cookies... oh man I can't even tell you how good they are. My good Monoprix mood was snuffed by the mediocre reaction from the people I was with. "Well, they don't have flip flops." Grr, don't bash my Monoprix.













Anyone who knows me well, knows that I do not do "groups" well. I can compose myself and interact, but when put in the same group of people for an extended period of time, I tend to lose it. It happened in Angers, and I can sense it happening now. I try to hang out with different people, but people have already formed their own little clicks. My roommate tends to be with me at all times, and today was the first time that I was able to have some breathing room: I went to the beach.




It's exactly what I needed. Sand all over. Ocean spraying all over me. The sun warming me.













I went with a girl named Carmen, and she went on a walk down the beach so I was able to have my alone time. When she got back she read aloud from my copy of Le Petit Prince so I could help her with pronounciation. She's taken French for about six years and I am the one helping her. HAH.








So that is that. Yesterday I got pretty darn homesick, but I'm dealing with it. I feel better today. But everyone, I do miss you and it's difficult for me to deal with how long it will be until I am home again. I will write soon! I have pictures of my residence et chambre to share.















GROS BISOUS !!