Flashback

As I sit in my room, I can hear the metro leaving for it's next destination. I see the Eiffel Tower sparkling away. Will this eventually become routine for me? Will my breath still catch at the size and splendor of the Tour when I walk by it? Mon Dieu, I hope so. I believe that the magic of this city will hold for me. ANYWAY. Before I start posting pictures of the Tour au nuit, or mon appartement I have to finish up with Cannes. The picture of "en greve" is the French doing what they do best: going on strike. As long as the metro doesn't go on strike while I'm here, carry on!


Thursday night before we left Carmen, Hayden and I got spiffed up and went into town for some fine dessert and wine. Since it was evening and France has this thing about not working late and closing early, we brought everything back to the dorm and classily drank and dined in Carma's room. It was fun to walk around in my dress though!














Wine and chocolate, mes amis. Wine and chocolate. What a wonderful night.

















After two baby bottles of wine I proceeded to spend a good portion of the night in the crack of Carmen's bed (hey, it was comfortable). I was sad because I was holding some crumbs that I had flung onto Carma's computer.






So yes, that concludes pictures from Cannes. However, I have to go study for my placement exam tomorrow (ughhh). Donc! I will update when possible. Bisous!! **

Ma Residence

Bienvenue a ma residence! Since it's really chilly today and nothing is open (c'est dimanche... Sunday... everything's closed) I figured I'd post more pictures.

















So this is my college. Palm trees all around. We have a pleasant little court yard inside. A cafeteria which serves meals 3 times a day. I've heard a lot of complaints about the food, but honestly, it's not as awful as Miley so I will not say a THING. And weekends they serve brunch, which today I missed due to a rude roommate, but I'm over it.







Plus, I can see the Mediterranean Sea from my window. I don't really have a problem with this school.


















Another view from my window. It is beautiful, no? I am stoked to see Paris though. (5 days!)












This is my bed. I actually ditched the horrible feeling bedspread and just use my Salve blanket. Remember those funky long pillows I mentioned that they had in the dorms in Angers? Guess what, they have them here too. I suppose it's a French thing.








My desk!














My closet.



















I LOVE this hallway up to my room... how great are all those handprints? The elementary school that I worked at last year had it too, and I absolutely love it. It made me really want to paint, but I don't have anything with me.










I wonder if I'd be allowed to this in my apartment? ...hmm...

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 !!