Day 34:
Thursday, April 23, 2009: Today, we had four hours of oral grammar because the creative writing teacher is out of town. Next week we will have four hours of creative writing so it evens out.
We started with an exercise about expressions like: “I’m as hungry as a horse,” or “I have a frog in my throat.” For that, the French say: “I have a cat in my throat.” So that was what we talked about. We also talked about the levels of slang too.
After class, I went to the university library with Lance to use the internet. It turns out that on Monday they voted to keep the university open for the week and have spring break as scheduled next week. So we could have had classes here this week. I uploaded a bunch of pics and videos onto Facebook.
Then, I had my journal meeting with Katy. I walked to the wrong place and was late. Then we had class again. This time, two groups had presentations. Zoe and Sakinah talked about an MC Solaar song and Rachel talked about a Canadian song. After listening to both, we go through line-by-line and discover the slang and colloquial words that are used in them.
Before class, I talked to Christophe about missing class to spend time with my family in Nice. He approved my request. Katy told me it was against the rules and that I needed to talk to Christophe about it; he had no problem. Then I asked if he could suggest a hotel because Katy told me that he lived there for two years.
His first suggestion was 200E/night; probably a little high for our price range. The second place is an apartment rented by a family. It is all done by word of mouth; they have no website. He gave me the phone number and told me it was worth a shot so after class, I went to Melissa’s with Lance and Meghan and I Skyped to reserve a room. The room for my family has two beds, a bathroom, and a kitchenette a block from the sea for 100E/night! While I was on the phone with the woman, I asked her about another room for Meghan, Melissa, and Lance. They got the same room as us for 25E/person/night. It was really weird because the lady made our reservation without even taking my name or credit card number. She gave me the address and said see you soon.
So then I Skyped my mom and grandma and told them that it was taken care of. I went home and we had dinner. Afterwards, Melissa, Meghan, and I went to Lance’s and Kelby had a bunch of people over and we had a party before going to the club. There were probably ten people there. At the club, it was there anniversary night party so it was really fun. They had an energy drink company there with free samples and they were giving away a bunch of free stuff. I got a messenger bag.
(Google MC Solaar)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Day 32 & 33
Day 32:
Tuesday, April 21, 2009: We started the day by finishing the movie and then it was time for the test. We were allowed to use a dictionary and our buscherelle (a book with conjugations of tons of French verbs. Because spelling changes occur so much with verbs, even French people use them.) And of course, I forgot my dictionary.
It was okay, I really didn’t need it that much. I didn’t think that the test was too hard but I never really know how I do on French tests until I get them back. After our test we had history again. It was fine. Some people really can’t understand the professor because of his accent but I follow pretty well. We also are talking about the Catholic Church its connection to France and some people aren’t Catholic so it is harder to understand.
After class, I went to Melissa’s house to use the internet. We were hanging out at her house and got a text that our next class had been moved up. Excellent planning; no one tells us anything. We got there almost 30 minutes late; it was okay because other people were later than us. We were talking about Balzac again… I do not understand the professor’s explanations all the time.
After class, I went home and chilled on the terrace. After dinner, I went to Lance’s with Melissa and Meghan. We watched Toy Story 2 in French.
Day 33:
Wednesday, April 22, 2009: Today we had a cooking lesson at the market. We were divided into three groups to prepare a Provencal meal. I was with Shawna, Lance, Melissa, and John to make the pork. Katy gave us the money and shopping list and we bought our supplies right there in the market. They have a kitchen area for groups like us and they also have cooking demonstrations on Sunday mornings. The other groups were cooking Ratatouille and apple pie.
We bought our stuff and started cooking. There were way too many chefs in the kitchen, as the expression goes. I didn’t want to fight for a job so I mostly just watched and made sarcastic comments about what everyone else was doing wrong. My only job was squeezing the lemon and pouring the juice onto the pork. Yey! So then we had to wait.
The pork took the longest to cook. The Ratatouille could have been cooked a lot longer than it was too. The pies were done first. Finally, we were ready to eat. Katy bought plats, plastic forks and knives and napkins and we went to a nearby park to eat outside. We had to bring our own drinks… thanks for telling us that one.
After lunch, a bunch of us went to the island because it was a really nice day. Lance and I took the ferry boat there and Melissa and John walked across the bridge. There were like eight of us who lay out and enjoyed the day. While we were there, we were approached by a cameraman and his assistant and they asked us to be in their documentary about spring. We explained that we were Americans and they probably wanted to talk to people with better French skills but they insisted so we obliged. I said that to me, spring was sun, fresh air, and flowers.
We stayed until about 5 p.m. and then walked home. Everyone left before Lance, Melissa, and I because they had to watch a movie for the Resistance class. John suggested our house without asking Jacqueline and Bernard so I didn’t want to be there when five people came over. It turns out that they couldn’t watch the movie on our TV because it was in a different format or something so they watched it in our living room on John’s Mac. Sweet.
When I got home, Jacqueline cut my hair. She told me that I had a really beautiful face and that I could do some really radical hairstyles but I explained that I was happy with what I had. She wanted her son to cut my hair because he cuts hair for L’Oreal in Paris professionally but I will be in Nice with my family when he visits.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009: We started the day by finishing the movie and then it was time for the test. We were allowed to use a dictionary and our buscherelle (a book with conjugations of tons of French verbs. Because spelling changes occur so much with verbs, even French people use them.) And of course, I forgot my dictionary.
It was okay, I really didn’t need it that much. I didn’t think that the test was too hard but I never really know how I do on French tests until I get them back. After our test we had history again. It was fine. Some people really can’t understand the professor because of his accent but I follow pretty well. We also are talking about the Catholic Church its connection to France and some people aren’t Catholic so it is harder to understand.
After class, I went to Melissa’s house to use the internet. We were hanging out at her house and got a text that our next class had been moved up. Excellent planning; no one tells us anything. We got there almost 30 minutes late; it was okay because other people were later than us. We were talking about Balzac again… I do not understand the professor’s explanations all the time.
After class, I went home and chilled on the terrace. After dinner, I went to Lance’s with Melissa and Meghan. We watched Toy Story 2 in French.
Day 33:
Wednesday, April 22, 2009: Today we had a cooking lesson at the market. We were divided into three groups to prepare a Provencal meal. I was with Shawna, Lance, Melissa, and John to make the pork. Katy gave us the money and shopping list and we bought our supplies right there in the market. They have a kitchen area for groups like us and they also have cooking demonstrations on Sunday mornings. The other groups were cooking Ratatouille and apple pie.
We bought our stuff and started cooking. There were way too many chefs in the kitchen, as the expression goes. I didn’t want to fight for a job so I mostly just watched and made sarcastic comments about what everyone else was doing wrong. My only job was squeezing the lemon and pouring the juice onto the pork. Yey! So then we had to wait.
The pork took the longest to cook. The Ratatouille could have been cooked a lot longer than it was too. The pies were done first. Finally, we were ready to eat. Katy bought plats, plastic forks and knives and napkins and we went to a nearby park to eat outside. We had to bring our own drinks… thanks for telling us that one.
After lunch, a bunch of us went to the island because it was a really nice day. Lance and I took the ferry boat there and Melissa and John walked across the bridge. There were like eight of us who lay out and enjoyed the day. While we were there, we were approached by a cameraman and his assistant and they asked us to be in their documentary about spring. We explained that we were Americans and they probably wanted to talk to people with better French skills but they insisted so we obliged. I said that to me, spring was sun, fresh air, and flowers.
We stayed until about 5 p.m. and then walked home. Everyone left before Lance, Melissa, and I because they had to watch a movie for the Resistance class. John suggested our house without asking Jacqueline and Bernard so I didn’t want to be there when five people came over. It turns out that they couldn’t watch the movie on our TV because it was in a different format or something so they watched it in our living room on John’s Mac. Sweet.
When I got home, Jacqueline cut my hair. She told me that I had a really beautiful face and that I could do some really radical hairstyles but I explained that I was happy with what I had. She wanted her son to cut my hair because he cuts hair for L’Oreal in Paris professionally but I will be in Nice with my family when he visits.
Day 31
Day 31:
Monday, April 20, 2009: Today started by sucking. We have class from 12:45-2:45 p.m. so I got up early so that I could go to the university library for some much needed internet time – I was having withdraws. I walk all the way there to find out that it is closed until further notice… great. Now what do I do? The sign said that one gate was open so I figured that I would walk all the way around the block and check it out. I just wanted to sit somewhere and use the network.
So I get to the gate and there are students that have closed it. Basically only teachers and administrators are getting in to prepare for a big meeting later that day to discuss further action for the strike. Excellent. So then I walk all the way back to the main gate where I know I will see other group members and we will decide what to do about classes. I sat there for probably half an hour before I saw someone. I did get asked twice what was going on and I had to explain the situation.
I sat with Lance until everyone else gradually started showing up. Apparently, Christophe sent out an email saying that classes at the university were cancelled all week because of the strike and they had reserved space for our classes somewhere else. We were to meet at the university gates at 12:15 rather than 12:45 and he would show us where we would be having class for the next two weeks (the week after is there spring break).
Thanks for letting me know. I’m so glad I have internet at my house and can check my email 24/7 like at OU… oh wait; I don’t! How was I supposed to know where/when to meet? So much for this phone tree for useful information.
It’s a good thing that the new building is on the street that I live on; otherwise I would be even more upset. So we finally get into a classroom and Christophe tells us what is up with the university. Apparently, some students were taking exams at McDonald’s this week so that they could finish classes and would no longer be affected by the strike.
On today’s agenda: watch the movie “Marius” in preparation for tomorrow’s test. The plan was to watch it on a huge screen at the university but now we were watching it on a TV no bigger than 27 inches. And it was in black and white and had subtitles. Okay, so the movie finally started and it was really good and then there wasn’t time to finish it. For homework on our schedule, we were supposed to write a comparison of the book and the movie. This was obviously not going to be possible. Christophe told us that we would finish it before the test tomorrow. Finally some good news.
So that was the end of my classes and Lance and I walked to the internet café to get our fixes. He doesn’t have internet at home either. We were there for almost two hours. I Skyped with my dad and grandma; Lance posted pics on his flickr. Afterwards, I went across the street and bought more minutes for my cell phone. International texting from my first days in Paris really sucked up my minutes. I got 45E worth of minutes for 35E.
Then we walked home; just before it started storming. Provence has afternoon storms like Ohio. I chilled before dinner. We had fries! (Not French Fries… just fries.) After dinner, John and I had to help Bernard and two of his friends push an old truck into our garage. Bernard is putting a new engine in it.
After the news, I watched the rest of the Marius movie with John and Bernard. John borrowed the movie from Christophe because he is in the class for fun and doesn’t receive credit for it. He didn’t go to class to watch it and doesn’t have to take the test. Bernard served us really good digestifs (like aperitifs after dinner). This drink was a specialty of Normandy and tasted like apples and fingernail polish remover. Marius is a comedy by Marcel Pagnol and is really famous and really well-known in French culture. Bernard had seen it like six times already and still loved it and watched it with us.
After that, I had to start studying. I get really bad test anxiety for French tests. I studied for about an hour and then Melissa sent me a text saying that she was going to Lance’s to study with him and Kelby and I went too. We studied together until 1 a.m. then we went home.
(Google Marius or Marcel Pagnol)
Monday, April 20, 2009: Today started by sucking. We have class from 12:45-2:45 p.m. so I got up early so that I could go to the university library for some much needed internet time – I was having withdraws. I walk all the way there to find out that it is closed until further notice… great. Now what do I do? The sign said that one gate was open so I figured that I would walk all the way around the block and check it out. I just wanted to sit somewhere and use the network.
So I get to the gate and there are students that have closed it. Basically only teachers and administrators are getting in to prepare for a big meeting later that day to discuss further action for the strike. Excellent. So then I walk all the way back to the main gate where I know I will see other group members and we will decide what to do about classes. I sat there for probably half an hour before I saw someone. I did get asked twice what was going on and I had to explain the situation.
I sat with Lance until everyone else gradually started showing up. Apparently, Christophe sent out an email saying that classes at the university were cancelled all week because of the strike and they had reserved space for our classes somewhere else. We were to meet at the university gates at 12:15 rather than 12:45 and he would show us where we would be having class for the next two weeks (the week after is there spring break).
Thanks for letting me know. I’m so glad I have internet at my house and can check my email 24/7 like at OU… oh wait; I don’t! How was I supposed to know where/when to meet? So much for this phone tree for useful information.
It’s a good thing that the new building is on the street that I live on; otherwise I would be even more upset. So we finally get into a classroom and Christophe tells us what is up with the university. Apparently, some students were taking exams at McDonald’s this week so that they could finish classes and would no longer be affected by the strike.
On today’s agenda: watch the movie “Marius” in preparation for tomorrow’s test. The plan was to watch it on a huge screen at the university but now we were watching it on a TV no bigger than 27 inches. And it was in black and white and had subtitles. Okay, so the movie finally started and it was really good and then there wasn’t time to finish it. For homework on our schedule, we were supposed to write a comparison of the book and the movie. This was obviously not going to be possible. Christophe told us that we would finish it before the test tomorrow. Finally some good news.
So that was the end of my classes and Lance and I walked to the internet café to get our fixes. He doesn’t have internet at home either. We were there for almost two hours. I Skyped with my dad and grandma; Lance posted pics on his flickr. Afterwards, I went across the street and bought more minutes for my cell phone. International texting from my first days in Paris really sucked up my minutes. I got 45E worth of minutes for 35E.
Then we walked home; just before it started storming. Provence has afternoon storms like Ohio. I chilled before dinner. We had fries! (Not French Fries… just fries.) After dinner, John and I had to help Bernard and two of his friends push an old truck into our garage. Bernard is putting a new engine in it.
After the news, I watched the rest of the Marius movie with John and Bernard. John borrowed the movie from Christophe because he is in the class for fun and doesn’t receive credit for it. He didn’t go to class to watch it and doesn’t have to take the test. Bernard served us really good digestifs (like aperitifs after dinner). This drink was a specialty of Normandy and tasted like apples and fingernail polish remover. Marius is a comedy by Marcel Pagnol and is really famous and really well-known in French culture. Bernard had seen it like six times already and still loved it and watched it with us.
After that, I had to start studying. I get really bad test anxiety for French tests. I studied for about an hour and then Melissa sent me a text saying that she was going to Lance’s to study with him and Kelby and I went too. We studied together until 1 a.m. then we went home.
(Google Marius or Marcel Pagnol)
Day 30
Day 30:
Sunday, April 19, 2009: DAY 30!!! Wow time really has flown by. It doesn’t seem like I’ve been in France for a month! Today was really fun! I went to Aix-en-Provence with Jacqueline and Bernard. They invited John but he had to stay home and write a paper for his Resistance class that I am not in. They told me I could bring up to four friends but I didn’t have cell phone minutes to ask people.
I would have invited Melissa but she already had plans to go to Marseille with her host mom and family for her host mom’s birthday. I invited Lance but I didn’t know if he could get up and be ready to go by 11a.m. when they wanted to leave. He couldn’t. So it was just the three of us. It takes an hour by car to get to Aix and Jacqueline let me sit in the passenger’s seat so that I could see the countryside. It was really pretty.
We were going to Aix because their youngest son, Mikael, lives there. He is a high school English teacher and is moving to New York City in August to teach. He lives alone but has a girlfriend – more on her later. So we were at his house for awhile we let to go into town. Mikael drove.
We parked and walked around a little farmer’s market. It was an okay day… a little overcast with a chance of showers. They showed me around Aix a little then we found an Italian restaurant and ate lunch outside. I had this really good spinach ravioli with a ricotta cheese sauce and cream brulee for dessert. This was Mikael’s birthday lunch because they were not able to celebrate earlier because they were in Paris for the Easter weekend. He is 31.
They also talked about plans for the wedding of their other son, Phillipe, on June 27. Mikael was making plans for the bachelor party in Paris. Lunch was really good. I discreetly watched Bernard put 100E (between $130-$140US) on his credit card for the four of us. After lunch, we walked around more and saw more of the city. Aix is probably about the same size as Avignon but attracts a younger crowd with more money. The city reminded me of a much bigger Athens because it is built on hills. Avignon is cool but as much as I complain about them, I love the hills in Athens; it adds to the character.
We walked down Cours Mirabeau with its super chic stores (all closed on Sunday; probably better for my wallet that way) and we went to Mikael’s girlfriend’s house. Her name is Leah. She is 21 and studies dance. She’s moving to Brazil in August. She invited us in and we had tea. The conversation then turned to the differences in the education systems of the United States and France. The French think that it is really ridiculous that universities give athletic scholarships. A recap of the French system: all classes and books are free; students pay for food and lodging; students can earn up to a doctorate degree for free. They also think it is strange that we have rural universities in America – like OU. All the universities in France are in cities.
The students are striking in protest now because Sarkozy wants to close smaller universities – like the one in Avignon – and require that students start to pay for instruction.
So anyway, after visiting with her for awhile, we left and wandered around some more. Mikael, Leah, and I went to a Picasso and Cezanne museum. Cezanne lived and did a lot of work in Aix. The museum was free because it was Sunday; it was mildly interesting. After that, we walked down the Cour Mirabeau again and there was an outdoor antique market. There were a lot of people and a lot of really cool stuff but I really didn’t get a chance to look around that much. I think my mom and grandmas would really like it.
So then we walked all the way to the new Theatre of Aix. It has the best view of the city from the deck on the roof; but it, too, it closed on Sundays. Mikael really wanted me to see the view so he insisted that we climb the fence and go. So Mikael, Leah, and I left our bags with Jacqueline and Bernard and went. The risk was really worth the view. No one was going to stop us anyway and there were already 10 people there.
On the walk back to the car, Mikael and I talked about New York. He is looking at an apartment in midtown that is half as much space as he has now and twice as much rent per month. I told him that I just went to the city at the beginning of March and I plan on going again and he invited me to stay with him if I ever needed to!
So we went back to his apartment in Aix and left for Avignon. We had to take toll roads there; it cost almost 10E. The ride back was really pretty too; we talked about my family visiting at the end of the month. We got home and John was not home; we started eating dinner without him. After dinner, we watched the news and I did some homework/blogging before bed.
(Google Aix-en-Provence, Cézanne, New York City, etc.)
Sunday, April 19, 2009: DAY 30!!! Wow time really has flown by. It doesn’t seem like I’ve been in France for a month! Today was really fun! I went to Aix-en-Provence with Jacqueline and Bernard. They invited John but he had to stay home and write a paper for his Resistance class that I am not in. They told me I could bring up to four friends but I didn’t have cell phone minutes to ask people.
I would have invited Melissa but she already had plans to go to Marseille with her host mom and family for her host mom’s birthday. I invited Lance but I didn’t know if he could get up and be ready to go by 11a.m. when they wanted to leave. He couldn’t. So it was just the three of us. It takes an hour by car to get to Aix and Jacqueline let me sit in the passenger’s seat so that I could see the countryside. It was really pretty.
We were going to Aix because their youngest son, Mikael, lives there. He is a high school English teacher and is moving to New York City in August to teach. He lives alone but has a girlfriend – more on her later. So we were at his house for awhile we let to go into town. Mikael drove.
We parked and walked around a little farmer’s market. It was an okay day… a little overcast with a chance of showers. They showed me around Aix a little then we found an Italian restaurant and ate lunch outside. I had this really good spinach ravioli with a ricotta cheese sauce and cream brulee for dessert. This was Mikael’s birthday lunch because they were not able to celebrate earlier because they were in Paris for the Easter weekend. He is 31.
They also talked about plans for the wedding of their other son, Phillipe, on June 27. Mikael was making plans for the bachelor party in Paris. Lunch was really good. I discreetly watched Bernard put 100E (between $130-$140US) on his credit card for the four of us. After lunch, we walked around more and saw more of the city. Aix is probably about the same size as Avignon but attracts a younger crowd with more money. The city reminded me of a much bigger Athens because it is built on hills. Avignon is cool but as much as I complain about them, I love the hills in Athens; it adds to the character.
We walked down Cours Mirabeau with its super chic stores (all closed on Sunday; probably better for my wallet that way) and we went to Mikael’s girlfriend’s house. Her name is Leah. She is 21 and studies dance. She’s moving to Brazil in August. She invited us in and we had tea. The conversation then turned to the differences in the education systems of the United States and France. The French think that it is really ridiculous that universities give athletic scholarships. A recap of the French system: all classes and books are free; students pay for food and lodging; students can earn up to a doctorate degree for free. They also think it is strange that we have rural universities in America – like OU. All the universities in France are in cities.
The students are striking in protest now because Sarkozy wants to close smaller universities – like the one in Avignon – and require that students start to pay for instruction.
So anyway, after visiting with her for awhile, we left and wandered around some more. Mikael, Leah, and I went to a Picasso and Cezanne museum. Cezanne lived and did a lot of work in Aix. The museum was free because it was Sunday; it was mildly interesting. After that, we walked down the Cour Mirabeau again and there was an outdoor antique market. There were a lot of people and a lot of really cool stuff but I really didn’t get a chance to look around that much. I think my mom and grandmas would really like it.
So then we walked all the way to the new Theatre of Aix. It has the best view of the city from the deck on the roof; but it, too, it closed on Sundays. Mikael really wanted me to see the view so he insisted that we climb the fence and go. So Mikael, Leah, and I left our bags with Jacqueline and Bernard and went. The risk was really worth the view. No one was going to stop us anyway and there were already 10 people there.
On the walk back to the car, Mikael and I talked about New York. He is looking at an apartment in midtown that is half as much space as he has now and twice as much rent per month. I told him that I just went to the city at the beginning of March and I plan on going again and he invited me to stay with him if I ever needed to!
So we went back to his apartment in Aix and left for Avignon. We had to take toll roads there; it cost almost 10E. The ride back was really pretty too; we talked about my family visiting at the end of the month. We got home and John was not home; we started eating dinner without him. After dinner, we watched the news and I did some homework/blogging before bed.
(Google Aix-en-Provence, Cézanne, New York City, etc.)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Day 29
Day 29:
Saturday, April 18, 2009: Today, we wanted to go somewhere again so Shawna, Lance, Melissa, and I went to the train station. We bought tickets for Arles with the intention of catching the bus to The Camarague. It’s supposed to be one of the prettiest places in France. It’s a nature preserve on the Mediterranean with wild white horses and flamingos, etc. We wanted to go to a ranch and ride horses. That was the plan anyway.
Well we got on the noon train to Arles and found out that the next bus was not until 4pm. We really didn’t want to wait around and be in The Camarague for an hour before coming home to get our train later. We failed on that planning; my first as a travel agent.
Shawna hadn’t been to Arles with the rest of us the first weekend so she was content with playing there. We agreed, thinking that we had seen everything there our first weekend; we were wrong. We went to the real Van Gogh gardens, not the public parks where we were before. Then we went to the café that Van Gogh painted; it is one of his most famous pieces of work. Shawna has the poster on her wall at school so she really liked seeing that.
Afterwards was by far the most interesting part of our day. We bought tickets for the Corredia (bullfight) that was cancelled on Easter weekend because of rain and storms. As American students in France, we wanted to take in as much of the culture as possible. This may have been more than we bargained for. The Corredia is a Spanish custom but because of the close proximity to Southern France it has been adopted here as well. This was also a good way for us to see the Roman Arena that we otherwise would have had to pay for.
So we get to our seats at the Corredia and there is a band and people selling drinks and snacks. It looks really interesting. At the beginning, all the Matadors process out and present themselves to the president who judges the competition. We weren’t really sure of the scoring system – more on this later. There are also men on horses and other Matadors that are assistants. On the schedule today were three main Matadors – all younger than me – and “fighting” six bulls.
As the spectacle begins, we quickly discover how gory this is going to be. We were fascinated and we all took lots of pictures then we realized what they were really doing. The bull has a ribbon nailed (maybe) in its back and at first they are just oley-ing with it. Then the men on horses come out and one of them jabs and stabs at the ribbon with a really long pole with a spike on the end. The bull reacts by attacking the horse – really sad to watch – but the horse is protected with something like chainmail.
After that, the real brutality begins. The Matador stabs sticks with nails in the end into the Toro’s (bull’s) back. This happens six times; each time becomes worse than the other. Finally, towards the end, the Matador does the most damage by sticking a sword into the bull’s back. The sword is probably a foot and a half long. This brings the bull close to death, but he still has fight in him. The oley-ing continues. Maybe they get points for that?
The sounds that the bull makes are still in my mind. They are awful cries and blood flows from its back and mouth. Finally, when the bull is about to give in to death it lies down, still fighting the taunts of the Matador with small bursts of energy. Now sitting and waiting for death, another Matador stabs the bull in the base of its head and kills it – hopefully instantly but not always.
Next, the horses are brought back in and the bull is chained to them and paraded around the arena for all to see. They also cut off its ears. The bull is pulled off and the Matador walks around the arena to acknowledge his fans. He throws the bull’s ears to two of his most adoring fans – a trophy of his conquest. He bows to the judge and exits. The arena workers come in and re-chalk the ground for the next round.
After this carnage, we all just looked at each other stupefied. We really paid to see this?! We felt like awful people by just watching it; let alone participating. This type of thing would never be allowed in America yet it was like a national sport. It seemed like I was at a Reds’ game of sorts. We looked at the program and that’s when we discovered that we would be seeing this occur five more times. Excellent.
The next Matador wanted to taunt the Toro by sitting on the ground right in front of the doors upon its initial release; smart right. Well the Toro is pissed and comes out and charges him and he can’t get out of the way fast enough and he gets trampled by the Toro. His legs go flying in the air and we all thought he was dead. I knew this was an awful place. He runs off and gets looked at and decides to go back out to fight. Basically, the same carnage occurs again; same blow-by-blow.
Only this time, when the bull attacks the horse, the horse loses its balance and falls; throwing the man on it as well. The bull is still attacking the horse and I thought that it was dead too. The other Matadors distract the bull long enough for them to stand the horse back up – he is okay.
So this was our second day in Arles. It began to rain and I bought a poncho. After the Corredia, we exited the arena and it just so happened that we walked by the butcher that was chopping up the bulls after their deaths and they were bringing the last bull there right now. We stood there mesmerized as its body passed us in the streets. We walked to the front of the arena and the Matador that won – the third one – was signing autographs on his way out. Melissa got an autograph and I took his pic.
Let’s say that no one was hungry after that. Arles is like Nimes in that everything closes at 7 p.m. We walked around for a bit then waited for our train at the station. After returning for dinner, we went to Lance’s and played cards. No one was really in the mood to go out. Now I can say that I’ve seen a Corredia. I’m not sure if I would ever do it again although I was fascinated. I don’t like the idea of taunting and torturing an animal for sport but the unpredictable-ness of it is what undoubtedly brings in the crowds.
I’ve posted two videos of the massacre on Facebook. Viewer discretion is advised.
Saturday, April 18, 2009: Today, we wanted to go somewhere again so Shawna, Lance, Melissa, and I went to the train station. We bought tickets for Arles with the intention of catching the bus to The Camarague. It’s supposed to be one of the prettiest places in France. It’s a nature preserve on the Mediterranean with wild white horses and flamingos, etc. We wanted to go to a ranch and ride horses. That was the plan anyway.
Well we got on the noon train to Arles and found out that the next bus was not until 4pm. We really didn’t want to wait around and be in The Camarague for an hour before coming home to get our train later. We failed on that planning; my first as a travel agent.
Shawna hadn’t been to Arles with the rest of us the first weekend so she was content with playing there. We agreed, thinking that we had seen everything there our first weekend; we were wrong. We went to the real Van Gogh gardens, not the public parks where we were before. Then we went to the café that Van Gogh painted; it is one of his most famous pieces of work. Shawna has the poster on her wall at school so she really liked seeing that.
Afterwards was by far the most interesting part of our day. We bought tickets for the Corredia (bullfight) that was cancelled on Easter weekend because of rain and storms. As American students in France, we wanted to take in as much of the culture as possible. This may have been more than we bargained for. The Corredia is a Spanish custom but because of the close proximity to Southern France it has been adopted here as well. This was also a good way for us to see the Roman Arena that we otherwise would have had to pay for.
So we get to our seats at the Corredia and there is a band and people selling drinks and snacks. It looks really interesting. At the beginning, all the Matadors process out and present themselves to the president who judges the competition. We weren’t really sure of the scoring system – more on this later. There are also men on horses and other Matadors that are assistants. On the schedule today were three main Matadors – all younger than me – and “fighting” six bulls.
As the spectacle begins, we quickly discover how gory this is going to be. We were fascinated and we all took lots of pictures then we realized what they were really doing. The bull has a ribbon nailed (maybe) in its back and at first they are just oley-ing with it. Then the men on horses come out and one of them jabs and stabs at the ribbon with a really long pole with a spike on the end. The bull reacts by attacking the horse – really sad to watch – but the horse is protected with something like chainmail.
After that, the real brutality begins. The Matador stabs sticks with nails in the end into the Toro’s (bull’s) back. This happens six times; each time becomes worse than the other. Finally, towards the end, the Matador does the most damage by sticking a sword into the bull’s back. The sword is probably a foot and a half long. This brings the bull close to death, but he still has fight in him. The oley-ing continues. Maybe they get points for that?
The sounds that the bull makes are still in my mind. They are awful cries and blood flows from its back and mouth. Finally, when the bull is about to give in to death it lies down, still fighting the taunts of the Matador with small bursts of energy. Now sitting and waiting for death, another Matador stabs the bull in the base of its head and kills it – hopefully instantly but not always.
Next, the horses are brought back in and the bull is chained to them and paraded around the arena for all to see. They also cut off its ears. The bull is pulled off and the Matador walks around the arena to acknowledge his fans. He throws the bull’s ears to two of his most adoring fans – a trophy of his conquest. He bows to the judge and exits. The arena workers come in and re-chalk the ground for the next round.
After this carnage, we all just looked at each other stupefied. We really paid to see this?! We felt like awful people by just watching it; let alone participating. This type of thing would never be allowed in America yet it was like a national sport. It seemed like I was at a Reds’ game of sorts. We looked at the program and that’s when we discovered that we would be seeing this occur five more times. Excellent.
The next Matador wanted to taunt the Toro by sitting on the ground right in front of the doors upon its initial release; smart right. Well the Toro is pissed and comes out and charges him and he can’t get out of the way fast enough and he gets trampled by the Toro. His legs go flying in the air and we all thought he was dead. I knew this was an awful place. He runs off and gets looked at and decides to go back out to fight. Basically, the same carnage occurs again; same blow-by-blow.
Only this time, when the bull attacks the horse, the horse loses its balance and falls; throwing the man on it as well. The bull is still attacking the horse and I thought that it was dead too. The other Matadors distract the bull long enough for them to stand the horse back up – he is okay.
So this was our second day in Arles. It began to rain and I bought a poncho. After the Corredia, we exited the arena and it just so happened that we walked by the butcher that was chopping up the bulls after their deaths and they were bringing the last bull there right now. We stood there mesmerized as its body passed us in the streets. We walked to the front of the arena and the Matador that won – the third one – was signing autographs on his way out. Melissa got an autograph and I took his pic.
Let’s say that no one was hungry after that. Arles is like Nimes in that everything closes at 7 p.m. We walked around for a bit then waited for our train at the station. After returning for dinner, we went to Lance’s and played cards. No one was really in the mood to go out. Now I can say that I’ve seen a Corredia. I’m not sure if I would ever do it again although I was fascinated. I don’t like the idea of taunting and torturing an animal for sport but the unpredictable-ness of it is what undoubtedly brings in the crowds.
I’ve posted two videos of the massacre on Facebook. Viewer discretion is advised.
Day 28
Day 28:
Friday, April 17, 2009: Greve Jour!!! (Strike Day!!!) As rare as a snow day in Athens, today we had a strike day! All of our classes were cancelled because of unrest yesterday (as previously noted). Apparently, students were punching administrators and professors were punching each other and administrators.
After going out last night, Lance and I decided to meet at Casino (the grocery store) and buy stuff for a picnic lunch. The weather was so nice; it was probably 75°F and sunny most of the day. We bought salami, bread, cheese, brownies, baconsmaaks (like cheese puffs but bacon flavored), apples, and a bottle of wine for 10E. We packed it in my book bag and headed to the Palais des Papes.
We climbed the hill and sat in the grass on the hill overlooking the Rhone and had lunch. Afterwards, we just chilled and enjoyed the day. Often, I find myself saying that, “This is the life.” To the French, this weather is still pretty chilly. To Ohioans, this is excellent. Jacqueline always asks me why I never wear a coat out and I have to explain to her that it snows in Ohio. They don’t get snow in most of France.
Shawna came by but only stayed for a few minutes because she was feeling really sick; then she went back home. We stayed there most of the day but then Lance got a really bad toothache. He had a root canal before we left and didn’t have time to get a crown so he thought that he broke it. We went back to his house for a few then he wanted to take a nap and I left. I got home just as it started to storm. They have afternoon thunderstorms here like we do in Ohio too, except there are no tornados in Europe.
After dinner, Bernard went to the train station to get Jacqueline as she returned from Paris. I went to Lance’s and we hung out for a while before trying a new club that we had heard of. When we got there at midnight, we were the only people there. It was like being the first people at a high school dance. The club looked really cool but we didn’t stick around.
Friday, April 17, 2009: Greve Jour!!! (Strike Day!!!) As rare as a snow day in Athens, today we had a strike day! All of our classes were cancelled because of unrest yesterday (as previously noted). Apparently, students were punching administrators and professors were punching each other and administrators.
After going out last night, Lance and I decided to meet at Casino (the grocery store) and buy stuff for a picnic lunch. The weather was so nice; it was probably 75°F and sunny most of the day. We bought salami, bread, cheese, brownies, baconsmaaks (like cheese puffs but bacon flavored), apples, and a bottle of wine for 10E. We packed it in my book bag and headed to the Palais des Papes.
We climbed the hill and sat in the grass on the hill overlooking the Rhone and had lunch. Afterwards, we just chilled and enjoyed the day. Often, I find myself saying that, “This is the life.” To the French, this weather is still pretty chilly. To Ohioans, this is excellent. Jacqueline always asks me why I never wear a coat out and I have to explain to her that it snows in Ohio. They don’t get snow in most of France.
Shawna came by but only stayed for a few minutes because she was feeling really sick; then she went back home. We stayed there most of the day but then Lance got a really bad toothache. He had a root canal before we left and didn’t have time to get a crown so he thought that he broke it. We went back to his house for a few then he wanted to take a nap and I left. I got home just as it started to storm. They have afternoon thunderstorms here like we do in Ohio too, except there are no tornados in Europe.
After dinner, Bernard went to the train station to get Jacqueline as she returned from Paris. I went to Lance’s and we hung out for a while before trying a new club that we had heard of. When we got there at midnight, we were the only people there. It was like being the first people at a high school dance. The club looked really cool but we didn’t stick around.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Day 27
Day 27:
Thursday, April 16, 2009: Today was awful until dinner time. We had writing class which was fine except that the students decided to strike again today. The professor told us that they had decided to strike now of Tuesdays and Thursdays – American students would have chosen Mondays and Fridays without a doubt. The worst part of the strike is that there is never anyone with a key to the classrooms so we are forced to wait in the hallway until the professor can find someone with a key and that is willing to help us out.
We had class and wrote a poem about our first reactions to being in France for the first day. It was more creative but I have to think that I’ve written about three of these for different classes now.
After class, we had a four-hour lunch break. This is the worst part of Thursdays. I ate at the cafeteria and used the internet. We tried to make plans for our four-day weekend in May. We’re going to the beaches of Corsica! Shawna, Melissa, Lance, and I then played 18 holes of Golf (the card game). We were so bored!
After we got tired of that, I Skyped some American friends – shoutout to Aimee Rancer, Caroline Flynn, and Haley Smith! Then it was time for class again. We met by the locked classroom for the professor. At the same time she was searching for someone with a key, the students held a rally in the lobby of the main school building of which we immediately became bystanders of. I’m not sure what came of that but they had to cancel our class because no one would let us in the classroom and they didn’t want to put American students in danger if it turned bad.
We were content with no having class. It was a nice day. I was mad because we waited all this time for class to just be cancelled. I was there so I wanted to have class. Some people in our group went to the bar to celebrate. I went to Lance’s house and we sat outside until dinner.
I ate with Bernard and John and then went to Melissa’s. Her host mom’s favorite foreign student was visiting this week and she was going to go out with us tonight so I went there to get them. Every time I go there, I always have to have espresso with her host mom. After that ritual, Melissa, Josephine (the 17-year-old German), and I went to Lance’s.
Lance and Kelby live together and have their own guesthouse (if I haven’t included this in a previous blog entry) so we can go there and chill and be out of everyone’s host family’s house. We were hanging out there when someone got a text from the assistant Katy… she had some excellent news! It seemed that after our class was cancelled, the students were still protesting and one of them punched an administrator and Friday classes were cancelled for the entire university as a safety precaution!
This was excellent for us! But we still wished we knew earlier so we could have planned something for this unexpected three-day weekend! It quickly became known to the group as Greve Jour! (Strike Day; comparable to a snow day at OU.)
We decided to celebrate by going to a new discotheque that was larger and much closer to everyone than the one that we discovered first. On the walk there, it thunder stormed and we arrived just as the hail began to fall! What an excellent end to a day that otherwise would have sucked.
Thursday, April 16, 2009: Today was awful until dinner time. We had writing class which was fine except that the students decided to strike again today. The professor told us that they had decided to strike now of Tuesdays and Thursdays – American students would have chosen Mondays and Fridays without a doubt. The worst part of the strike is that there is never anyone with a key to the classrooms so we are forced to wait in the hallway until the professor can find someone with a key and that is willing to help us out.
We had class and wrote a poem about our first reactions to being in France for the first day. It was more creative but I have to think that I’ve written about three of these for different classes now.
After class, we had a four-hour lunch break. This is the worst part of Thursdays. I ate at the cafeteria and used the internet. We tried to make plans for our four-day weekend in May. We’re going to the beaches of Corsica! Shawna, Melissa, Lance, and I then played 18 holes of Golf (the card game). We were so bored!
After we got tired of that, I Skyped some American friends – shoutout to Aimee Rancer, Caroline Flynn, and Haley Smith! Then it was time for class again. We met by the locked classroom for the professor. At the same time she was searching for someone with a key, the students held a rally in the lobby of the main school building of which we immediately became bystanders of. I’m not sure what came of that but they had to cancel our class because no one would let us in the classroom and they didn’t want to put American students in danger if it turned bad.
We were content with no having class. It was a nice day. I was mad because we waited all this time for class to just be cancelled. I was there so I wanted to have class. Some people in our group went to the bar to celebrate. I went to Lance’s house and we sat outside until dinner.
I ate with Bernard and John and then went to Melissa’s. Her host mom’s favorite foreign student was visiting this week and she was going to go out with us tonight so I went there to get them. Every time I go there, I always have to have espresso with her host mom. After that ritual, Melissa, Josephine (the 17-year-old German), and I went to Lance’s.
Lance and Kelby live together and have their own guesthouse (if I haven’t included this in a previous blog entry) so we can go there and chill and be out of everyone’s host family’s house. We were hanging out there when someone got a text from the assistant Katy… she had some excellent news! It seemed that after our class was cancelled, the students were still protesting and one of them punched an administrator and Friday classes were cancelled for the entire university as a safety precaution!
This was excellent for us! But we still wished we knew earlier so we could have planned something for this unexpected three-day weekend! It quickly became known to the group as Greve Jour! (Strike Day; comparable to a snow day at OU.)
We decided to celebrate by going to a new discotheque that was larger and much closer to everyone than the one that we discovered first. On the walk there, it thunder stormed and we arrived just as the hail began to fall! What an excellent end to a day that otherwise would have sucked.
Day 25 & 26
Day 25 & Day 26:
Tuesday, April 14, 2009: Today we went to school to find that the students had decided to continue the strike. They had blocked all the entrances – a big fire hazard. Christophe made us wait in the courtyard while he spoke with administrators about what was the safest way for us to enter the building and have class.
So we finally entered and had class. Then we had history class again. Afterwards, we had a two-hour lunch break. I got some much needed internet time and I Skyped with my Dad. We went back to literature class to discuss Balzac.
After class, I went home to read and do some homework. John brought a Chinese foreign exchange student to eat with us. It was a little awkward. Afterwards, they smoked a pack of cigarettes on the terrace and I went to my room for more homework. The day was fairly insignificant.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009: Today we had grammar class because we didn’t have it on Monday. Afterwards, Shawna, Melissa, Lance, and I went to the internet to print a paper for the next day. I wrote it on my computer and emailed it to myself but then it wouldn’t open on the computer here for me to print out because I have the most recent version of Microsoft Word and they do not.
After that, we went to the bookstore to buy books for literature. I didn’t need to buy them because I already found them in my room from the girl that lived here last year. Then we walked to the island in the Rhone and had lunch at the restaurant there. It was good but we ate outside and the Mistral was blowing so it was really chilly. Afterwards, we just walked back to Lance’s for more Golf.
It was time for dinner. Bernard came back from Paris but Jacqueline stayed because the baby was sick and her parents needed to work so Jacqueline took care of her. After dinner, I did homework and went to bed.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009: Today we went to school to find that the students had decided to continue the strike. They had blocked all the entrances – a big fire hazard. Christophe made us wait in the courtyard while he spoke with administrators about what was the safest way for us to enter the building and have class.
So we finally entered and had class. Then we had history class again. Afterwards, we had a two-hour lunch break. I got some much needed internet time and I Skyped with my Dad. We went back to literature class to discuss Balzac.
After class, I went home to read and do some homework. John brought a Chinese foreign exchange student to eat with us. It was a little awkward. Afterwards, they smoked a pack of cigarettes on the terrace and I went to my room for more homework. The day was fairly insignificant.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009: Today we had grammar class because we didn’t have it on Monday. Afterwards, Shawna, Melissa, Lance, and I went to the internet to print a paper for the next day. I wrote it on my computer and emailed it to myself but then it wouldn’t open on the computer here for me to print out because I have the most recent version of Microsoft Word and they do not.
After that, we went to the bookstore to buy books for literature. I didn’t need to buy them because I already found them in my room from the girl that lived here last year. Then we walked to the island in the Rhone and had lunch at the restaurant there. It was good but we ate outside and the Mistral was blowing so it was really chilly. Afterwards, we just walked back to Lance’s for more Golf.
It was time for dinner. Bernard came back from Paris but Jacqueline stayed because the baby was sick and her parents needed to work so Jacqueline took care of her. After dinner, I did homework and went to bed.
Day 23 & 24
Day 23 & Day 24:
Sunday, April 12, 2009 – Easter: Today we did nothing. It was only John and I at home so we invited some friends over to play games. I would have lain out but it rained again.
We had Kelby, Lance, Shawna, and Melissa over. I taught everyone how to play golf (the card game). Then, John decided that he wanted to play poker even though no one else really wanted to – the girls didn’t even know how to – plus we didn’t have any poker chips.
Well he devised a plan to play with Scrabble pieces and one piece of real money. He wanted to play for a pot of real Euros but we decided that was not what we wanted to do but we would still play. I got my computer and started DJing. After struggling through the game that John wanted to play, he lost. Lance won and I was second. We decided to not go out because it was still raining and we didn’t think that any places would be open because it was Easter Sunday.
Monday, April 13, 2009: Today there was no school because the French like to celebrate Easter Monday. Even though most of the country is Catholic, hardly anyone practices the faith because they are still mad about the government ties to the Catholic Church that caused the French Revolution. It turns out too that most businesses actually were open on Easter Sunday out of spite.
Today was really nice and sunny so I read Marius by Marcel Pagnol and lay out on the terrace. Later, Shawna and Lance came over for some time in the afternoon. John and I ate and I did some more homework and that was about it of my long weekend.
I wish the excursion could have been on another weekend so that we could have taken a trip on this three-day weekend. But hey what can you do… as the French say: <>
Sunday, April 12, 2009 – Easter: Today we did nothing. It was only John and I at home so we invited some friends over to play games. I would have lain out but it rained again.
We had Kelby, Lance, Shawna, and Melissa over. I taught everyone how to play golf (the card game). Then, John decided that he wanted to play poker even though no one else really wanted to – the girls didn’t even know how to – plus we didn’t have any poker chips.
Well he devised a plan to play with Scrabble pieces and one piece of real money. He wanted to play for a pot of real Euros but we decided that was not what we wanted to do but we would still play. I got my computer and started DJing. After struggling through the game that John wanted to play, he lost. Lance won and I was second. We decided to not go out because it was still raining and we didn’t think that any places would be open because it was Easter Sunday.
Monday, April 13, 2009: Today there was no school because the French like to celebrate Easter Monday. Even though most of the country is Catholic, hardly anyone practices the faith because they are still mad about the government ties to the Catholic Church that caused the French Revolution. It turns out too that most businesses actually were open on Easter Sunday out of spite.
Today was really nice and sunny so I read Marius by Marcel Pagnol and lay out on the terrace. Later, Shawna and Lance came over for some time in the afternoon. John and I ate and I did some more homework and that was about it of my long weekend.
I wish the excursion could have been on another weekend so that we could have taken a trip on this three-day weekend. But hey what can you do… as the French say: <
Day 22
Day 22:
Saturday, April 11, 2009: Today was our first excursion as a group. We went to Les Baux de Provence. The excursion was really cool but they basically tell us nothing of where we are going. We just get on a bus and we go.
We met our charter bus by the university gates at 9am. It was like an hour drive out into the paysage (countryside). We finally get there and it is an overcast day. Not too cold but when the winds licked up it was not fun. The Baux de Provence is these really old city ruins from like the first century AD. And the ruins are atop this huge mountain so they were protected. This was a catholic community so there were the ruins of a church and all these houses that were built into the side of the mountain – it reminded me of Mesa Verde in Colorado.
We explored for an hour and then they had a catapult demonstration for us. There were three replicas of catapults that were used to defend the town. I volunteered to help out so I could get a firsthand look at how it really worked. Not like the mini catapults we built in physics class senior year at all. Look for the pictures on Facebook and I will try to post some here or on my flickr account. So we catapulted huge water balloons. They demonstrated each catapult one time.
After that, we watched a short video of the sites and villages of Provence. We then had time for lunch and to explore the town that was there now – more for tourists than actually living in. I had pizza with ham. After lunch, it started raining. Our next attraction was the Cathedral des Images. Once again we had no idea what was here and why we were walking in the rain to get there. It was only a short walk away. They gave us tickets and pushed us in; still completely not knowing what to expect.
The Cathedral des Images is an old stone quarry in the side of a mountain. They cleared out all the stone and now it is like a huge cave with white walls and 50 foot ceilings. Well you walk into the darkness and find that it is a Picasso exhibit. They have created a show set to music and they project all his paintings 30 feet high on the walls. It was really cool but a little cold. It could have also made a really good night club with a laser show and strobe lights.
So after visiting there, we boarded the bus and our next stop was the little town of St-Remy-de-Provence. It was really cool and I wish we had more time there but people were complaining that they were cold and tired and wet. We did get to go to a chocolatier that is world famous? His name is Joel Durant or something like that… I met him too. After looking at hundreds of dollars worth of chocolate, I wanted to go look at $150 swim trunks at Villbrequin – I can look right?
So then we boarded the bus and headed home. We had to make a stop at the hospital because Christophe’s squeeze and assistant Katy sliced her hand and needed stitches. Her parents flew in today from Michigan and they were not with us.
I finally got back to my house and ate dinner by myself because the Zemmits went to Paris for a long Paques (Easter) weekend with their son, his fiancé, and their granddaughter. John went with some people that no one knew to Arles for the Le Ferida (bullfight). But it was cancelled because of the rain so they drank in the streets and came home later that night. Lance, Melissa, and Shawna came over and we tried to play French Scrabble but that didn’t work out too well so we just went to the discotheque instead.
(Google a bunch of these places – they are cool)
Saturday, April 11, 2009: Today was our first excursion as a group. We went to Les Baux de Provence. The excursion was really cool but they basically tell us nothing of where we are going. We just get on a bus and we go.
We met our charter bus by the university gates at 9am. It was like an hour drive out into the paysage (countryside). We finally get there and it is an overcast day. Not too cold but when the winds licked up it was not fun. The Baux de Provence is these really old city ruins from like the first century AD. And the ruins are atop this huge mountain so they were protected. This was a catholic community so there were the ruins of a church and all these houses that were built into the side of the mountain – it reminded me of Mesa Verde in Colorado.
We explored for an hour and then they had a catapult demonstration for us. There were three replicas of catapults that were used to defend the town. I volunteered to help out so I could get a firsthand look at how it really worked. Not like the mini catapults we built in physics class senior year at all. Look for the pictures on Facebook and I will try to post some here or on my flickr account. So we catapulted huge water balloons. They demonstrated each catapult one time.
After that, we watched a short video of the sites and villages of Provence. We then had time for lunch and to explore the town that was there now – more for tourists than actually living in. I had pizza with ham. After lunch, it started raining. Our next attraction was the Cathedral des Images. Once again we had no idea what was here and why we were walking in the rain to get there. It was only a short walk away. They gave us tickets and pushed us in; still completely not knowing what to expect.
The Cathedral des Images is an old stone quarry in the side of a mountain. They cleared out all the stone and now it is like a huge cave with white walls and 50 foot ceilings. Well you walk into the darkness and find that it is a Picasso exhibit. They have created a show set to music and they project all his paintings 30 feet high on the walls. It was really cool but a little cold. It could have also made a really good night club with a laser show and strobe lights.
So after visiting there, we boarded the bus and our next stop was the little town of St-Remy-de-Provence. It was really cool and I wish we had more time there but people were complaining that they were cold and tired and wet. We did get to go to a chocolatier that is world famous? His name is Joel Durant or something like that… I met him too. After looking at hundreds of dollars worth of chocolate, I wanted to go look at $150 swim trunks at Villbrequin – I can look right?
So then we boarded the bus and headed home. We had to make a stop at the hospital because Christophe’s squeeze and assistant Katy sliced her hand and needed stitches. Her parents flew in today from Michigan and they were not with us.
I finally got back to my house and ate dinner by myself because the Zemmits went to Paris for a long Paques (Easter) weekend with their son, his fiancé, and their granddaughter. John went with some people that no one knew to Arles for the Le Ferida (bullfight). But it was cancelled because of the rain so they drank in the streets and came home later that night. Lance, Melissa, and Shawna came over and we tried to play French Scrabble but that didn’t work out too well so we just went to the discotheque instead.
(Google a bunch of these places – they are cool)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Day 20 & Day 21
Day 20 & Day 21
Thursday, April 9, 2009 & Friday, April 10, 2009: Since Thursday and Friday were basically insignificant, I decided to include them into one day.
Thursday, I needed to go to school early to print out my writing assignment. Well the students decided to strike again and so it was closed. Good thing I was not the only on that didn’t have it. I really like the writing class. Today we read a poem about people’s rights – fun things like the right to sleep late; it a creative writing class. And then we wrote our own.
I met with Katy and talked about my journal and then had four hours to kill. Zoe and I walked around the school a little and then we just sat in the courtyard on our computers – a sign we are not French. So then I had my oral grammar class. We learned all kinds of French slang and when and when not to use it. Really interesting, but she sped through it.
Thursday night, we went out. Melissa and I went to Lance’s then we went to the bar. We are trying to spend as little money at the bar as possible because we frequent it so often. We go to the grocery store after class and buy the 2E bottle of wine. Students have to economize.
So then we had early class on Friday morning. It was really boring – history. We watched another movie and he stopped it every five seconds and that’s when he lost me. The movie was black and white and silent as well. So then we listened to a song, which he kept stopping too. He handed out the lyrics and we went through it line by line. Really boring.
Then we had literature class. We talked about Marseille again. We decided not to go out because we had to get up early Saturday morning for our first excursion. I went to Lance’s to chill and was home and in bed by 11:30p.m. I’ve been in France for three weeks! Time really flies!
(Use “the Google”)
Thursday, April 9, 2009 & Friday, April 10, 2009: Since Thursday and Friday were basically insignificant, I decided to include them into one day.
Thursday, I needed to go to school early to print out my writing assignment. Well the students decided to strike again and so it was closed. Good thing I was not the only on that didn’t have it. I really like the writing class. Today we read a poem about people’s rights – fun things like the right to sleep late; it a creative writing class. And then we wrote our own.
I met with Katy and talked about my journal and then had four hours to kill. Zoe and I walked around the school a little and then we just sat in the courtyard on our computers – a sign we are not French. So then I had my oral grammar class. We learned all kinds of French slang and when and when not to use it. Really interesting, but she sped through it.
Thursday night, we went out. Melissa and I went to Lance’s then we went to the bar. We are trying to spend as little money at the bar as possible because we frequent it so often. We go to the grocery store after class and buy the 2E bottle of wine. Students have to economize.
So then we had early class on Friday morning. It was really boring – history. We watched another movie and he stopped it every five seconds and that’s when he lost me. The movie was black and white and silent as well. So then we listened to a song, which he kept stopping too. He handed out the lyrics and we went through it line by line. Really boring.
Then we had literature class. We talked about Marseille again. We decided not to go out because we had to get up early Saturday morning for our first excursion. I went to Lance’s to chill and was home and in bed by 11:30p.m. I’ve been in France for three weeks! Time really flies!
(Use “the Google”)
Day 19
Day 19:
Wednesday, April 8, 2009: Today was really fun! Shawna, Lance, Melissa, and I decided to go to Nimes for the day because there are no classes on Wednesdays. French students often have Wednesdays off but are required to go to school Saturday mornings – this might only be for grade school students. They also get a two-hour lunch break everyday because lunch is a huge custom in French culture.
And so we decided to meet at the train station for the 10:30am train. It was too early. We were all not ready to go by then and ended up missing the train. The next one didn’t come until noon so we had plenty of time to kill. Nimes is only a half hour from Avignon. The tickets were 8E per person roundtrip – the same as to Arles.
So once we got to Nimes, we decided to buy the city pass for tourists. Nimes is considered to be home to the largest collection of Roman ruins outside of Italy. It was founded as a retirement destination for Roman soldiers in 31 B.C. The pass cost us 7.50E and allowed us to see the three main sights in Nimes.
We began with the Maison Carree which looks like a Pantheon. There was a 3D movie about Nimes history so we did that. Afterwards, we decided to walk to the gardens and see the Tour Magnan: a lookout tower built by the Romans to keep watch for intruders. The gardens are on a hillside and really big. We spent a lot of time wandering around here before finally finding the tower. We climbed to the top for an excellent view of the city.
Fun fact: Nimes is known the world over for its production of jeans; thus came the name ‘denim’ literally meaning ‘from Nimes’.
We then found a place to eat before heading to the Arena. Our choice: McDonald’s! It sounded so good at the time but I think that, having only been out of the country for not even three weeks yet, I should have waited longer. It was 7E for the meal – almost double what it would be at home. It didn’t matter because it was well worth it. The McDonald’s was in a mall so after eating, we looked around for awhile.
We headed back to the center of town to spend time at the Arena. It was really cool. We climbed all the way to the top to get another great view of the city. We just sat here and walked around for a long time. Our train home did not leave until 8:30p.m.
We stayed at the Arena until it closed at 6:30p.m., then we wandered the city some more. The worst part about any city in France is that everything but restaurants and bars close at 7p.m. We found ourselves in the park with not much else to do but wait for out train home. Nevertheless, it was a great day.
(Google Nimes to discover more).
Wednesday, April 8, 2009: Today was really fun! Shawna, Lance, Melissa, and I decided to go to Nimes for the day because there are no classes on Wednesdays. French students often have Wednesdays off but are required to go to school Saturday mornings – this might only be for grade school students. They also get a two-hour lunch break everyday because lunch is a huge custom in French culture.
And so we decided to meet at the train station for the 10:30am train. It was too early. We were all not ready to go by then and ended up missing the train. The next one didn’t come until noon so we had plenty of time to kill. Nimes is only a half hour from Avignon. The tickets were 8E per person roundtrip – the same as to Arles.
So once we got to Nimes, we decided to buy the city pass for tourists. Nimes is considered to be home to the largest collection of Roman ruins outside of Italy. It was founded as a retirement destination for Roman soldiers in 31 B.C. The pass cost us 7.50E and allowed us to see the three main sights in Nimes.
We began with the Maison Carree which looks like a Pantheon. There was a 3D movie about Nimes history so we did that. Afterwards, we decided to walk to the gardens and see the Tour Magnan: a lookout tower built by the Romans to keep watch for intruders. The gardens are on a hillside and really big. We spent a lot of time wandering around here before finally finding the tower. We climbed to the top for an excellent view of the city.
Fun fact: Nimes is known the world over for its production of jeans; thus came the name ‘denim’ literally meaning ‘from Nimes’.
We then found a place to eat before heading to the Arena. Our choice: McDonald’s! It sounded so good at the time but I think that, having only been out of the country for not even three weeks yet, I should have waited longer. It was 7E for the meal – almost double what it would be at home. It didn’t matter because it was well worth it. The McDonald’s was in a mall so after eating, we looked around for awhile.
We headed back to the center of town to spend time at the Arena. It was really cool. We climbed all the way to the top to get another great view of the city. We just sat here and walked around for a long time. Our train home did not leave until 8:30p.m.
We stayed at the Arena until it closed at 6:30p.m., then we wandered the city some more. The worst part about any city in France is that everything but restaurants and bars close at 7p.m. We found ourselves in the park with not much else to do but wait for out train home. Nevertheless, it was a great day.
(Google Nimes to discover more).
Day 17 & Day 18
Day 17 & Day 18:
Monday, April 6, 2009 & Tuesday, April 7, 2009: Because Monday was so insignificant, I included it in Tuesday. Yesterday, the only cool thing that I did was go to the Rhone after class to work on a paper. I went with Lance, Zoe, Melissa, and Shawna. I discovered that there was wireless access there so naturally, little work actually got done. I went home and wrote the paper and did my homework after dinner. Also important to note, today marked the end of the students’ greve (strike).
Today (Tuesday) was pretty insignificant as well. The only interesting thing today was that after I returned home from 6 hours of classes, Jacqueline and Bernard had a friend and her daughter over for an aperitif. It was the daughter’s 5th birthday. The mother (I wish I could remember her name) lived in England for nine years and married an Englishman; the girl’s father. She could speak both English and French but was too shy for either.
We talked about American and French politics and when she had to go, she invited John and me over for an aperitif another time so that we could meet her husband. In France, it is a huge deal to be invited over to someone’s home.
Tuesday night, Lance and I went to the bar to meet Melissa’s correspondent. She was born in England to English artists who moved to the South of France to work and raise their daughter. She is 25 and bilingual. She wants to work as a translator or books after she graduates. She also has an American boyfriend and wants to move to the U.S. to live with him.
She was rather boring and not very social. So Lance and I kept drinking until the rest of our friends arrived later. We stayed at this bar for a while before moving to the Pub on Rue de la Republique – our usual watering hole. We decided not to stay out too late because we had plans for tomorrow.
(Use Google.)
Monday, April 6, 2009 & Tuesday, April 7, 2009: Because Monday was so insignificant, I included it in Tuesday. Yesterday, the only cool thing that I did was go to the Rhone after class to work on a paper. I went with Lance, Zoe, Melissa, and Shawna. I discovered that there was wireless access there so naturally, little work actually got done. I went home and wrote the paper and did my homework after dinner. Also important to note, today marked the end of the students’ greve (strike).
Today (Tuesday) was pretty insignificant as well. The only interesting thing today was that after I returned home from 6 hours of classes, Jacqueline and Bernard had a friend and her daughter over for an aperitif. It was the daughter’s 5th birthday. The mother (I wish I could remember her name) lived in England for nine years and married an Englishman; the girl’s father. She could speak both English and French but was too shy for either.
We talked about American and French politics and when she had to go, she invited John and me over for an aperitif another time so that we could meet her husband. In France, it is a huge deal to be invited over to someone’s home.
Tuesday night, Lance and I went to the bar to meet Melissa’s correspondent. She was born in England to English artists who moved to the South of France to work and raise their daughter. She is 25 and bilingual. She wants to work as a translator or books after she graduates. She also has an American boyfriend and wants to move to the U.S. to live with him.
She was rather boring and not very social. So Lance and I kept drinking until the rest of our friends arrived later. We stayed at this bar for a while before moving to the Pub on Rue de la Republique – our usual watering hole. We decided not to stay out too late because we had plans for tomorrow.
(Use Google.)
Day 16
Day 16:
Sunday, April 5, 2009: Today was excellent! I did nothing! I woke up and showered and had coffee and decided that since it was such a nice day, I was going to do my homework and read on the terrace.
I did grammar and Jacqueline came out joined me for lunch. I wanted to make up for missing dinner the night before so I made no plans for the day. We had a huge salad and pasta. The weather was so nice! She joined me on the terrace after lunch to lie out.
I read Marius by Marcel Pagnol for class and sunned myself. At one point during the day, it was 30°C! (84°F!) Melissa came over later for a while and we attempted to do homework but it was her first time meeting my host parents and we ended up talking most of the time and she got little done.
After she left, I read some more and then it was time for dinner. It was just Bernard, Jacqueline, and I because John was still in the Alps skiing. After dinner, I realized that I was sun burnt! Surprise surprise! I wrote in my journal after watching the news and called it an early night.
(Google.)
Sunday, April 5, 2009: Today was excellent! I did nothing! I woke up and showered and had coffee and decided that since it was such a nice day, I was going to do my homework and read on the terrace.
I did grammar and Jacqueline came out joined me for lunch. I wanted to make up for missing dinner the night before so I made no plans for the day. We had a huge salad and pasta. The weather was so nice! She joined me on the terrace after lunch to lie out.
I read Marius by Marcel Pagnol for class and sunned myself. At one point during the day, it was 30°C! (84°F!) Melissa came over later for a while and we attempted to do homework but it was her first time meeting my host parents and we ended up talking most of the time and she got little done.
After she left, I read some more and then it was time for dinner. It was just Bernard, Jacqueline, and I because John was still in the Alps skiing. After dinner, I realized that I was sun burnt! Surprise surprise! I wrote in my journal after watching the news and called it an early night.
(Google.)
Day 15
Day 15:
Saturday, April 4, 2009: Today, nine of us went to Arles! It is a small town on the Rhone about a 20-minute train ride from Avignon.
Originally, I had planned to go skiing in the Alps my first free weekend, but I did not feel like spending 12 hours round-trip on a train. There was also the money factor; I had the money but after spending quite a bit in Paris for spring break, I decided to take a break – something my Dad will like to read.
So seven in our group decided that they would be going to Arles for the day and Lance and I decided the night before that we would join them. Van Gogh lived and worked in Arles for 15 months, creating many of his most famous paintings.
I met Lance at the train station at 11:45am and we bought tickets for the 12:20pm train at 8E apiece. We found the train and were the only ones on it. Granted, we were early and it was Saturday, but where was everyone else? We stood around on the platform before boarding. Right before the train left, the girls got on at the last minute.
It was a gorgeous day; the sun was out and there was not a cloud in the sky. When we arrived in Arles, we walked from the train station to the center of town. Arles is much smaller than Avignon but I think I preferred it. The day would show that it was friendlier and more fun than its neighbor. In a way, Arles felt a little like Athens (Ohio).
Van Gogh had a house on the road from the train station into town, but the Nazis bombed it during World War II and there is nothing to see. We arrived with no plans of what we were going to do but it was really nice to not feel pressured into running all over the city. We were able to take it all in slowly and at our own pace.
Because the group was so large, it was naturally going to split. There was no way that everyone was going to be happy as such a large group. I ended up being with Lance, Zoe, and Melissa. We found a spot overlooking the town where we took some pictures before leaving the city walls and exploring an old cemetery. Afterwards, we wandered around some more. There is a big open air market every Saturday on the main road but it was over at noon and we only got to see the cleanup.
We found the public gardens that Van Gogh loved and walked through town some more, making our way towards the Rhone. We stopped at a little Moroccan store filled with authentic gifts. We tried on shoes and looked around and kept walking. We found the Rhone and sat beside it to rest. We decided to wander back to the center of town and eat a late lunch. I knew that I would have dinner waiting for me when I returned home so we only needed something to hold us over until then. And so we had paninis in the street as we walked back to the center of town to the Roman Arena and met up with everyone else.
We hung out for a long time on the steps of the Arena before splitting again. The other group decided that they wanted to find a place for dinner; we chose to find a grocery store at which we would buy wine and drink in the public gardens like Van Gogh once had.
We relaxed in the gardens for about an hour and a half until they closed then we headed back to meet up with everyone else. Tonight was the first night of a carnival alongside the Rhone and as the sun went down, we decided to play there to kill time before our train home.
But the carnival was closed. So we loitered and made our way to the train station. After we arrived home, Melissa and I went to Lance’s for some drinks before returning home for the night.
(Google.)
Saturday, April 4, 2009: Today, nine of us went to Arles! It is a small town on the Rhone about a 20-minute train ride from Avignon.
Originally, I had planned to go skiing in the Alps my first free weekend, but I did not feel like spending 12 hours round-trip on a train. There was also the money factor; I had the money but after spending quite a bit in Paris for spring break, I decided to take a break – something my Dad will like to read.
So seven in our group decided that they would be going to Arles for the day and Lance and I decided the night before that we would join them. Van Gogh lived and worked in Arles for 15 months, creating many of his most famous paintings.
I met Lance at the train station at 11:45am and we bought tickets for the 12:20pm train at 8E apiece. We found the train and were the only ones on it. Granted, we were early and it was Saturday, but where was everyone else? We stood around on the platform before boarding. Right before the train left, the girls got on at the last minute.
It was a gorgeous day; the sun was out and there was not a cloud in the sky. When we arrived in Arles, we walked from the train station to the center of town. Arles is much smaller than Avignon but I think I preferred it. The day would show that it was friendlier and more fun than its neighbor. In a way, Arles felt a little like Athens (Ohio).
Van Gogh had a house on the road from the train station into town, but the Nazis bombed it during World War II and there is nothing to see. We arrived with no plans of what we were going to do but it was really nice to not feel pressured into running all over the city. We were able to take it all in slowly and at our own pace.
Because the group was so large, it was naturally going to split. There was no way that everyone was going to be happy as such a large group. I ended up being with Lance, Zoe, and Melissa. We found a spot overlooking the town where we took some pictures before leaving the city walls and exploring an old cemetery. Afterwards, we wandered around some more. There is a big open air market every Saturday on the main road but it was over at noon and we only got to see the cleanup.
We found the public gardens that Van Gogh loved and walked through town some more, making our way towards the Rhone. We stopped at a little Moroccan store filled with authentic gifts. We tried on shoes and looked around and kept walking. We found the Rhone and sat beside it to rest. We decided to wander back to the center of town and eat a late lunch. I knew that I would have dinner waiting for me when I returned home so we only needed something to hold us over until then. And so we had paninis in the street as we walked back to the center of town to the Roman Arena and met up with everyone else.
We hung out for a long time on the steps of the Arena before splitting again. The other group decided that they wanted to find a place for dinner; we chose to find a grocery store at which we would buy wine and drink in the public gardens like Van Gogh once had.
We relaxed in the gardens for about an hour and a half until they closed then we headed back to meet up with everyone else. Tonight was the first night of a carnival alongside the Rhone and as the sun went down, we decided to play there to kill time before our train home.
But the carnival was closed. So we loitered and made our way to the train station. After we arrived home, Melissa and I went to Lance’s for some drinks before returning home for the night.
(Google.)
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Day 14
Day 14:
Friday, April 3, 2009: Today we had to get up early for history class. It was fine. We talked about the Hundred Years’ War again. We watched a movie about Joan d’Arc and the prof stopped it every 5 seconds! It was awful!
We had another literature class in which we talked about the founding of the city of Marseilles. The prof had Rachel explain what virginity was… in French! After class, we bought more wine in preparation for the night. There was a rendez-vous with everyone’s French correspondents at a bar at 8pm. A little early.
We had dinner and Shawna and I went to Lance’s for a drink. We got to the bar at about 9pm because none of us had correspondents to meet there. Mine is in Marseilles this semester for an internship.
Also, I don’t think I’ve mentioned this but the university is on strike. Everything is closed. All the doors are blocked with desks and chairs. Students loiter in protest to new rules about to be imposed by Nicolas Sarkozy increasing the cost of attending university. Currently, it is completely free for anyone to receive a university education all the way up to the doctoral level. Students don’t even have to buy books. But Sarkozy wants to make France more like America and require students to cover part of the cost of their education even though taxes cover everything.
And so we got to the bar and Lance, Shawna, and I sat inside; away from the American. We met a group of French soldiers. They were headed to Afghanistan. They were very diverse. One was from Russia; another from Brazil; another from Estonia; the rest French. They were all about our age too. They bought the three of us drinks and we talked (in French) about the War in Iraq and Afghanistan. They hated George W. Bush and loved Barack Obama – us too. The Russian told me that he loved America because we were rich and Russia was very poor.
As it got later, we were ready to move to another bar… consensus – the discotheque! We drank on the way there and five of us went in. It was cool and they played a lot of hip French techno music. Youtube: Day N Night, Ca m’enerve, One 2.3 Four. We danced all night and headed home around 3am. Good thing I have a door to my room on the outside and I was very quiet coming home. It was a really fun day!
Google; Youtube.
Friday, April 3, 2009: Today we had to get up early for history class. It was fine. We talked about the Hundred Years’ War again. We watched a movie about Joan d’Arc and the prof stopped it every 5 seconds! It was awful!
We had another literature class in which we talked about the founding of the city of Marseilles. The prof had Rachel explain what virginity was… in French! After class, we bought more wine in preparation for the night. There was a rendez-vous with everyone’s French correspondents at a bar at 8pm. A little early.
We had dinner and Shawna and I went to Lance’s for a drink. We got to the bar at about 9pm because none of us had correspondents to meet there. Mine is in Marseilles this semester for an internship.
Also, I don’t think I’ve mentioned this but the university is on strike. Everything is closed. All the doors are blocked with desks and chairs. Students loiter in protest to new rules about to be imposed by Nicolas Sarkozy increasing the cost of attending university. Currently, it is completely free for anyone to receive a university education all the way up to the doctoral level. Students don’t even have to buy books. But Sarkozy wants to make France more like America and require students to cover part of the cost of their education even though taxes cover everything.
And so we got to the bar and Lance, Shawna, and I sat inside; away from the American. We met a group of French soldiers. They were headed to Afghanistan. They were very diverse. One was from Russia; another from Brazil; another from Estonia; the rest French. They were all about our age too. They bought the three of us drinks and we talked (in French) about the War in Iraq and Afghanistan. They hated George W. Bush and loved Barack Obama – us too. The Russian told me that he loved America because we were rich and Russia was very poor.
As it got later, we were ready to move to another bar… consensus – the discotheque! We drank on the way there and five of us went in. It was cool and they played a lot of hip French techno music. Youtube: Day N Night, Ca m’enerve, One 2.3 Four. We danced all night and headed home around 3am. Good thing I have a door to my room on the outside and I was very quiet coming home. It was a really fun day!
Google; Youtube.
Day 13
Day 13:
Thursday, April 2, 2009: Today we had our first creative writing and oral grammar classes. Creative writing was first. Mlle Mathis is very nice, but she has a little b.o. We used adjectives for each letter of our name so she could get to know us. Then we read a poem about the authors likes and dislikes and we wrote our own. I would post mine but it is in French.
After class, I drunk Skyped and we decided to keep drinking. We had more wine and then it was time to get home for dinner. Good thing I was toasted because we had fish… not a favorite of mine. We also had artichoke and mayonnaise too. After dinner, I fell asleep watching the news and was sober enough to go back out.
I walked to Melissa’s so we could go back to Lance’s. I had a café with her host mom and we were off. We went to Lance’s and had plans to meet friends at the Pub but we didn’t leave until midnight.
Once we got to the Pub, we realized that none of our friends were there and I was pissed. So then we just walked home.
(Google)
Thursday, April 2, 2009: Today we had our first creative writing and oral grammar classes. Creative writing was first. Mlle Mathis is very nice, but she has a little b.o. We used adjectives for each letter of our name so she could get to know us. Then we read a poem about the authors likes and dislikes and we wrote our own. I would post mine but it is in French.
After class, I drunk Skyped and we decided to keep drinking. We had more wine and then it was time to get home for dinner. Good thing I was toasted because we had fish… not a favorite of mine. We also had artichoke and mayonnaise too. After dinner, I fell asleep watching the news and was sober enough to go back out.
I walked to Melissa’s so we could go back to Lance’s. I had a café with her host mom and we were off. We went to Lance’s and had plans to meet friends at the Pub but we didn’t leave until midnight.
Once we got to the Pub, we realized that none of our friends were there and I was pissed. So then we just walked home.
(Google)
Day 12
Day 12:
Wednesday, April 1, 2009: Today we didn’t have class but we had to meet at the Palais des Papes for a tour. We had to be there at 9am!
The tour was guided and mildly interesting. The Popes lived in Avignon 700 years ago so the building was constructed in the 1300s. It had many uses over the years and is a museum now. We saw the Pope’s bedroom, etc.
After the tour, we went to the Pont d’Avignon. It was used to traverse the Rhone River in ancient times but part of it has collapsed and now it is a tourist attraction. After that a small group of us: Lance, Shawna, Zoe, and I. we had lunch at an outdoor café and then the girls left to go shopping.
Lance and I walked down Rue de la Republique and sat on a bench and had a bottle wine. Afterwards, Lance had to use the public restroom. It is completely automatic and self-cleaning. When you are finished using it, the door closes and it hoses itself down from top to bottom. Very high-tech!
After that, I needed to go to the Post Office to buy postcard stamps. The Post Office has the most bureaucracy in France. We could not use the automated machine to buy stamps because it would not take my Mastercard. Note: when you come to France, bring your Visa; they are accepted everywhere! So I had to take a number like I was at the deli and wait for service like you would for a pound of salami.
Finally, they called my number and I got my stamps – 12 for a little more than 10E or 0.85c/each. So then we called it a day and I went home. I had dinner, did homework and went to bed.
(Use Google)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009: Today we didn’t have class but we had to meet at the Palais des Papes for a tour. We had to be there at 9am!
The tour was guided and mildly interesting. The Popes lived in Avignon 700 years ago so the building was constructed in the 1300s. It had many uses over the years and is a museum now. We saw the Pope’s bedroom, etc.
After the tour, we went to the Pont d’Avignon. It was used to traverse the Rhone River in ancient times but part of it has collapsed and now it is a tourist attraction. After that a small group of us: Lance, Shawna, Zoe, and I. we had lunch at an outdoor café and then the girls left to go shopping.
Lance and I walked down Rue de la Republique and sat on a bench and had a bottle wine. Afterwards, Lance had to use the public restroom. It is completely automatic and self-cleaning. When you are finished using it, the door closes and it hoses itself down from top to bottom. Very high-tech!
After that, I needed to go to the Post Office to buy postcard stamps. The Post Office has the most bureaucracy in France. We could not use the automated machine to buy stamps because it would not take my Mastercard. Note: when you come to France, bring your Visa; they are accepted everywhere! So I had to take a number like I was at the deli and wait for service like you would for a pound of salami.
Finally, they called my number and I got my stamps – 12 for a little more than 10E or 0.85c/each. So then we called it a day and I went home. I had dinner, did homework and went to bed.
(Use Google)
Monday, April 6, 2009
Day 11
Day 11:
Tuesday, March 31, 2009: Today was my long day. I have six hours of classes. We started with grammar again. Christophe has a good way of explaining grammar; he made it seem easier. We read and discussed the first part of the play and that was class.
We met Monsieur Boura for history next. Lots of students were overwhelmed and scared because he speaks quickly and with a Provencal accent. I did not think he was too hard to follow. We will be discussing the Hundred Years’ War between England and France. We also talked about Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc, en Francais). French professors do not give syllabi of book lists.
After a cafeteria lunch for 3E, it was internet time! I started by Skyping with my Dad at 8:30a.m. Ohio time; 2:30p.m. in France. It was good to talk to him and then I called my Mom and Grandma. I updated this blog and checked my lifelines – Facebook and email – then it was time to go back to class.
The next class was literature with Monsieur Bory. We began by talking about Charles Baudelaire and reading one of his poems, Le Vin. He was pretty easy to understand as well. We ended class by indulging in the wine and cheese he brought to welcome us.
I returned home for dinner and the news once again. Bernard left to go skiing in the Alps with a friend so it was just John, Jacqueline, and me. After dinner, we went to the Pub again because we don’t have class on Wednesdays!
Note: My name is extremely hard for native French-speakers to pronounce. Introducing myself if extremely difficult. I need a French name (thanks parents! JK!). Ninety-five percent of the time, it becomes Blad; not Brad. The French ‘r’ is really different and it’s placement in the middle of my name causes the difficulty. I have to say: “My name is Brad, like Brad Pitt!”
(Google proper nouns that you do not know.)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009: Today was my long day. I have six hours of classes. We started with grammar again. Christophe has a good way of explaining grammar; he made it seem easier. We read and discussed the first part of the play and that was class.
We met Monsieur Boura for history next. Lots of students were overwhelmed and scared because he speaks quickly and with a Provencal accent. I did not think he was too hard to follow. We will be discussing the Hundred Years’ War between England and France. We also talked about Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc, en Francais). French professors do not give syllabi of book lists.
After a cafeteria lunch for 3E, it was internet time! I started by Skyping with my Dad at 8:30a.m. Ohio time; 2:30p.m. in France. It was good to talk to him and then I called my Mom and Grandma. I updated this blog and checked my lifelines – Facebook and email – then it was time to go back to class.
The next class was literature with Monsieur Bory. We began by talking about Charles Baudelaire and reading one of his poems, Le Vin. He was pretty easy to understand as well. We ended class by indulging in the wine and cheese he brought to welcome us.
I returned home for dinner and the news once again. Bernard left to go skiing in the Alps with a friend so it was just John, Jacqueline, and me. After dinner, we went to the Pub again because we don’t have class on Wednesdays!
Note: My name is extremely hard for native French-speakers to pronounce. Introducing myself if extremely difficult. I need a French name (thanks parents! JK!). Ninety-five percent of the time, it becomes Blad; not Brad. The French ‘r’ is really different and it’s placement in the middle of my name causes the difficulty. I have to say: “My name is Brad, like Brad Pitt!”
(Google proper nouns that you do not know.)
Day 10
Day 10:
Monday, March 30, 2009: Today was the first day of classes! Well really just one class – grammar with Christophe. The day began at noon with all the students and their host families meeting at the university for authentic Provencal cuisine and wine! An aperitif, en Francais.
After meeting, socializing, and mingling (and getting a buzz to help my language confidence) we began class at a later time. He gave the syllabus and book list and called it a day. There is also the Résistance class about World War II but I was not taking it because it requires a higher level of French. I’m taking everything else – 20 hours this quarter!
So Katy (Christophe’s squeeze), Jenny (the grad student assistant), Shawna, Kelby, Lance, Melissa, and I went into town to buy the books. We are reading three plays by Marcel Pagnol, set in Marseille. They cost 16E. I skipped lunch.
The group gradually broke apart and we were left with Lance, Melissa, and me. We walked to see Lance’s house because he and Kelby live in a guest house in their host family’s courtyard. It is really cool, but no internet here either. France might be behind with the wifi service. I walked Melissa home and went home for dinner.
We had a casserole with cheese and the leftover sausage from last night. We also had leftover cauliflower. I watched the news again then had to do grammar homework. Grammar is two hours on Mondays and Tuesdays, not what I am used to.
(Google proper nouns that you do not know.)
Monday, March 30, 2009: Today was the first day of classes! Well really just one class – grammar with Christophe. The day began at noon with all the students and their host families meeting at the university for authentic Provencal cuisine and wine! An aperitif, en Francais.
After meeting, socializing, and mingling (and getting a buzz to help my language confidence) we began class at a later time. He gave the syllabus and book list and called it a day. There is also the Résistance class about World War II but I was not taking it because it requires a higher level of French. I’m taking everything else – 20 hours this quarter!
So Katy (Christophe’s squeeze), Jenny (the grad student assistant), Shawna, Kelby, Lance, Melissa, and I went into town to buy the books. We are reading three plays by Marcel Pagnol, set in Marseille. They cost 16E. I skipped lunch.
The group gradually broke apart and we were left with Lance, Melissa, and me. We walked to see Lance’s house because he and Kelby live in a guest house in their host family’s courtyard. It is really cool, but no internet here either. France might be behind with the wifi service. I walked Melissa home and went home for dinner.
We had a casserole with cheese and the leftover sausage from last night. We also had leftover cauliflower. I watched the news again then had to do grammar homework. Grammar is two hours on Mondays and Tuesdays, not what I am used to.
(Google proper nouns that you do not know.)
Day 9
Day 9:
Sunday, March 29, 2009: Today was very chill and relaxing. After breakfast with John, he and I walked to Melissa’s house. She lives the closest to us. Breakfast consisted of fresh bread with butter and raspberry jam and a cup of coffee.
We decided to walk around the city some more to see what was up. We walked to the Place d’Horloge at the end of Rue de la Republique again and around the Palais des Papes. There is a park nearby so we went there too. It overlooks the Rhone. The day was overcast but the Mistral was really strong. These are really strong, cold arctic winds that whip down the river valley.
We walked down to the river and crossed it to the island. This is the largest island in a river in Europe. There is a free ferry that makes the ten-minute journey at least 20 times a day. There is also a little restaurant on the island that looks toward Avignon that would be a good place for lunch one day. It was closed today. Almost everything is closed on Sundays (except for bars!).
We walked around the island and crossed back to the city via the traffic bridge (Pont d’Europe, I think it is called). There are also the ruins of Pont d’Avignon which was built by the Romans in like 40 A.D. (more on that and the Palais des Papes on Wednesday).
We walked home and had a dinner of sausage and cauliflower with a cheese cream sauce and vegetable soup. We again had wine, cheese, and bread. One thing you hear about the French and dinner is that meals generally are drawn out for hours savoring delicious course after course. Well at least not true with the Zemmits. They devour dinner! The food is delicious but I find myself struggling to keep pace.
After dinner we watched the news again. I received a text that a group was going to the Pub in preparation of our first day of classes, so naturally, I partook too. John followed along. The Pub is really cool because you can sit on the patio/sidewalk and socialize when the weather is good. It was also Zoe’s birthday and her mom was buying the drinks; what more could I ask for (at almost 6E a beer!)
(Google proper nouns that you do not know.)
Sunday, March 29, 2009: Today was very chill and relaxing. After breakfast with John, he and I walked to Melissa’s house. She lives the closest to us. Breakfast consisted of fresh bread with butter and raspberry jam and a cup of coffee.
We decided to walk around the city some more to see what was up. We walked to the Place d’Horloge at the end of Rue de la Republique again and around the Palais des Papes. There is a park nearby so we went there too. It overlooks the Rhone. The day was overcast but the Mistral was really strong. These are really strong, cold arctic winds that whip down the river valley.
We walked down to the river and crossed it to the island. This is the largest island in a river in Europe. There is a free ferry that makes the ten-minute journey at least 20 times a day. There is also a little restaurant on the island that looks toward Avignon that would be a good place for lunch one day. It was closed today. Almost everything is closed on Sundays (except for bars!).
We walked around the island and crossed back to the city via the traffic bridge (Pont d’Europe, I think it is called). There are also the ruins of Pont d’Avignon which was built by the Romans in like 40 A.D. (more on that and the Palais des Papes on Wednesday).
We walked home and had a dinner of sausage and cauliflower with a cheese cream sauce and vegetable soup. We again had wine, cheese, and bread. One thing you hear about the French and dinner is that meals generally are drawn out for hours savoring delicious course after course. Well at least not true with the Zemmits. They devour dinner! The food is delicious but I find myself struggling to keep pace.
After dinner we watched the news again. I received a text that a group was going to the Pub in preparation of our first day of classes, so naturally, I partook too. John followed along. The Pub is really cool because you can sit on the patio/sidewalk and socialize when the weather is good. It was also Zoe’s birthday and her mom was buying the drinks; what more could I ask for (at almost 6E a beer!)
(Google proper nouns that you do not know.)
Day 8
Day 8:
Saturday, March 28, 2009: Today we started with breakfast at the hotel. It was basic but good. We had time to shower and pack up before moving our bags to the lobby. We would be meeting our host families there at 5pm.
Christophe, Katy, and Jenny took us on another tour of the city to orientate ourselves at noon. It was insignificant. We were on our own for lunch so a few of us had Italian. I had lasagna. It was excellent. The French really know how to eat. Afterwards, we had time to shop on Rue de la Republique but I wasn’t really interested. Shocking, I know.
So we found our way back to the hotel by 4:45ish and waited for the selection. Some were terrified, I was anxious. Basically, it is like an orphanage full of Americans. French families would come in and demand a name and you would go. I was selected first! (and my housemate, John; more on him later).
My new dad, Bernard Zemmit, walked in and we went with him. He put our luggage in his car and off we went. He did not live far, but of course: it was raining. We turned a few times and we were at our new house, pool included.
He helped us with our bags and we walked through their yard to the front door. Jacqueline, his wife (the French have no word directly translating to wife. The closest they get is calling her “his woman”. Sorry feminists) opened the door with a smile. We gave her bisous (kisses on the cheeks the French way; three in Avignon) and she sat us down for first impressions.
They both are very nice and willing to work with us on our French. Jacqueline wants to use us to improve her English too. They have two sons and a granddaughter. One son works for L’Oreal in Paris and the other is an English professor nearby in Aix-en-Provence. He is moving to New York City in July to teach French. They have been hosting foreign students for ten years.
We took the tour of their house which is very un-French. Normally, it is an extreme privilege to be invited to a Frenchman’s house for dinner and guests are never given a ‘tour’ like in American; that is seen as bragging. They explained at dinner that we were now a family so there were mutual expectations and boundaries. Next, we were shown to our new rooms.
John went first and got the upstairs room; smaller and more loft-like. I got the spacious downstairs bedroom with a huge window looking into the garden and my own door to the pool! We were given about an hour to settle in and relax by ourselves before dinner. Normally, I am a picky eater, but I knew that would not be possible here. It is seen as very rude to not eat what is put in front of you.
Dinner began with a fresh salad. Salads in France usually consist of only lettuce and tomatoes and in the south they generally use a balsamic dressing. The main course was a vegetable soup with carrots, potatoes, and chicken. We had bread, cheese, and wine for dessert.
After dinner, we watched the news and afterwards, Jacqueline and John went to bed, but I stayed up with Bernard for a while to watch the French soccer team play Lithuania. The Blues won 1-0 but I only watched about half the game and went to bed.
(Google proper nouns that you do not know.)
Saturday, March 28, 2009: Today we started with breakfast at the hotel. It was basic but good. We had time to shower and pack up before moving our bags to the lobby. We would be meeting our host families there at 5pm.
Christophe, Katy, and Jenny took us on another tour of the city to orientate ourselves at noon. It was insignificant. We were on our own for lunch so a few of us had Italian. I had lasagna. It was excellent. The French really know how to eat. Afterwards, we had time to shop on Rue de la Republique but I wasn’t really interested. Shocking, I know.
So we found our way back to the hotel by 4:45ish and waited for the selection. Some were terrified, I was anxious. Basically, it is like an orphanage full of Americans. French families would come in and demand a name and you would go. I was selected first! (and my housemate, John; more on him later).
My new dad, Bernard Zemmit, walked in and we went with him. He put our luggage in his car and off we went. He did not live far, but of course: it was raining. We turned a few times and we were at our new house, pool included.
He helped us with our bags and we walked through their yard to the front door. Jacqueline, his wife (the French have no word directly translating to wife. The closest they get is calling her “his woman”. Sorry feminists) opened the door with a smile. We gave her bisous (kisses on the cheeks the French way; three in Avignon) and she sat us down for first impressions.
They both are very nice and willing to work with us on our French. Jacqueline wants to use us to improve her English too. They have two sons and a granddaughter. One son works for L’Oreal in Paris and the other is an English professor nearby in Aix-en-Provence. He is moving to New York City in July to teach French. They have been hosting foreign students for ten years.
We took the tour of their house which is very un-French. Normally, it is an extreme privilege to be invited to a Frenchman’s house for dinner and guests are never given a ‘tour’ like in American; that is seen as bragging. They explained at dinner that we were now a family so there were mutual expectations and boundaries. Next, we were shown to our new rooms.
John went first and got the upstairs room; smaller and more loft-like. I got the spacious downstairs bedroom with a huge window looking into the garden and my own door to the pool! We were given about an hour to settle in and relax by ourselves before dinner. Normally, I am a picky eater, but I knew that would not be possible here. It is seen as very rude to not eat what is put in front of you.
Dinner began with a fresh salad. Salads in France usually consist of only lettuce and tomatoes and in the south they generally use a balsamic dressing. The main course was a vegetable soup with carrots, potatoes, and chicken. We had bread, cheese, and wine for dessert.
After dinner, we watched the news and afterwards, Jacqueline and John went to bed, but I stayed up with Bernard for a while to watch the French soccer team play Lithuania. The Blues won 1-0 but I only watched about half the game and went to bed.
(Google proper nouns that you do not know.)
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