(Dana, that title means "I am tired but happy.")
Ok, so I know I haven't been great yet at updating this thing, but I think from now on I'll be able to do it on a regular basis. I've figured out my schedule and everything and I'll be checking email at least once or twice a day, so hopefully that means I can update this at the very least every other day!! I go to class most of the day- from 9 in the morning until at least 3 or so in the afternoon. It's not really serious class time like I thought it was going to be, so that's good. A lot of the time I spend in class is discussion and doing various exercises that aren't important or for grades but mainly for improving our language skills. The first day we took a placement test to put our different groups into our skill levels. Mandy and I placed in the same group (thankfully, so we are together) and that is level 6 out of 8. And no Mom, level 1 is not the best- level 8 is tops! There are quite a few girls from USA in our class, 2 girls from Mexico, 1 girl from Taiwain, 1 girl from Libya, and 1 boy from Italy. :) hehe. And yes, he's cute! He speaks a little French, a little English, and a lot of Italian and Spanish, so we can communicate well enough. Today he gave me his email address and told me to come visit Bologna (the city in Italy, not the sandwich meat). So.... after I'm done in France I might not come home right away... haha. JK! I'll be back--June 27--and I'm expecting big celebrations from all groups of people reading this blog.
The family I live with is woooonderful. The mom is probably in her 50's and she doesn't work. She just does lots of going out and reading and social activities. She is very funny and I love to talk to her during and after dinner. (We talk for hours in French and we both understand each other--it's great!) I have my own little room on the top floor of the very, very, very old house. Think 1800's. The downstairs has a bathroom, kitchen, dining room, sitting room and then you go up the wooden spiral staircase to the second floor which has the mom's room, Aldona's room, and a bathroom, and then you go up the winding spiral staircase again to the third floor which has a bathroom, Agnes' room, a small study room, and my room! For those of you who don't know, a few weeks before I left home I fell down the entire length of the staircase at my house-- a straight staircase covered in carpet. I can't tell you how slowly I walk down the three stories of spiral wooden staircase so that I don't completely killy myself everyday. They have one small TV in the sitting room, but I was told the first day that no one watches it. They don't have internet and the girls are very distressed over that. As am I. I eat some kind of cereal or small bread product in the morning for breakfast, with orange juice. (Someone should explain the values and benefits of me drinking caffeine in the morning. I want my Diet Coke!!) For dinner, I have had mostly stuff that I like. I ate pate' last night for the first time. Not exactly sure of what I thought, but I ate it with salad and poured lots of dressing on top so it was do-able. I've eaten several different kinds of goat cheese, some kind of unidentifiable soup, lots and lots of bread, and yogurt for dessert. I went grocery shopping so I could take my lunch to school and I am happy to say that they make "pain au chocolat" in individual packages. Basically croissants with chocolate inside, aka my favorite food in the whole world.
I don't know the plan for this weekend, but I get out of class at noon on Friday, so I'm sure I'll find something to do. I think we might go shopping. I am hanging out mostly with Mandy (the other grad student from Memphis) and Rachel, a 20 yr old girl from UWestGA who roomed with us the first few days at the hotel, and Sam, a 21 yr old guy from UGA who I sat by on the 8 hour plane ride! So we all have fun together.
Ok, I think that's all for now but I'm going to try to put up some pictures from my castle visits last week. I'll try to take some pics of my house to put on here later.
Bisous,
Catherine
Ok, the top picture is Mandy and me in front of the Chateau de Chambord.