From Cowboys to Castles
Bonjour everyone!ok, if you want to read this e-mail 'French style', go pick up a jar of nutella and toast a piece of bread, put on a scarf and read away and enjoy, I hope!
My blog is named 'From Cowboys to Castles' becuase I flew from Nashville, TN, home of country music, to Dallas, TX(you get the picture), and on to Paris! The castles come a bit later on ...
So I've been here almost two weeks and my life is now coming into the slower pace I like it at. I started classes today, and I am thankful. I'm taking french 19th and 20th cent art, French romanticism (the literary kind), France and the US in the middle east since 1945, language grammar and composition, and translation. Its all in french and, though I like learning french, it can be exhausting. My classes meet twice or once a week, except my grammar class that is 3 times a week. I'm glad to have a schedule for the days, to have places to go, and a rhythm to my life.
This past week and a half, I've had lots of orientation. we had an orientation in Tours, France and placement tests. We got the chance to visit 4 magnificent chateaux: Amboise
, Chenonceau
, Cheverny
, and Chambord.
Then we had a week of orientation back in Nantes along with conversation and grammar classes. I got to explore a lot on my own on Saturday. It is really fun to start walking from my house and end up somewhere I know because the city is becoming more familiar to me. When I go to school, or don't feel like walking a whole lot because of the rain or something, I take Tram Line 1 from Mouttonerie to Mediatheque or Commerce. The whole public transportation is really useful, but sometimes I just want to drive something haha.
, Chenonceau
, Cheverny
, and Chambord.
Then we had a week of orientation back in Nantes along with conversation and grammar classes. I got to explore a lot on my own on Saturday. It is really fun to start walking from my house and end up somewhere I know because the city is becoming more familiar to me. When I go to school, or don't feel like walking a whole lot because of the rain or something, I take Tram Line 1 from Mouttonerie to Mediatheque or Commerce. The whole public transportation is really useful, but sometimes I just want to drive something haha. No, don't misunderstand me, I am so thankful for being here, but it is hard not to miss what is comfortable.
My host family "ma famille d'accueill" is wonderful. They talk extremely fast so a lot of times I'm completely lost until they repeat it without the french mumble :) They are Dominique and Francoise, who have 6 children, 5 who are a home! Yves (boy), 21, is the oldest but he lives in Toulouse. Bruno (boy) is the next and he is either 19 or 20, I can't remember. Then Madeleine and Clemence (both girls) are 17, Then Bertrand (boy) how is 15, and finally Priscille who is 9. I have a room on the third floor of a skinny french house and share a bathroom with the twins. my bed is so comfortable ha ha! I have no clothes. well I do, but I thought I'd be real smart and pack in just one bag that had to be less than 50 pounds. Well I did it! At 49 pounds! However, when I unpacked I realized that all added up, I had like 10 things to wear for 4.5 months haha. No-- I'm being dramatic, but its funny.
My host mom is a great cook, and contrary to popular belief, the French eat a ton! Just not in between meals. Seriously, I am stuffed after dinner and dessert.
At home, I don't have wireless internet. They have a home computer which I am free to use, but it is a European keyboard so the a and q are switched, so are the w and z, the period needs a shift and so do all the numbers. therefore when I use it all my sentences end with a semi colon haha. So I don't use it a whole lot. I have a lot of time to read and journal which is good for my heart.
Well there is update number 1 for now! I hope you enjoyed it!
A bientot from Nantes!
Julia Suddath
Great to hear from you, Julia! How great that you have twins in your host family. Coincidence?
Posted by: Amy Lancaster | January 23, 2008 at 02:04 PM