7/7/12


Our first (half) week of school is over and it was great. We took a placement test on Tuesday and I was placed in level 3. The first day of class was fun, and I really like (most) of my classmates, but I also thought it was too easy. I talked to my program director about moving up to level 4, and she said to wait a couple days and see how it goes, because sometimes the classes just start with reviewing and then move on.

I'm getting pretty good at taking the bus everywhere, and I found a little boulangerie during lunch time that I've been going to to get the most delicious, warm, crusty baguettes for lunch. There's a little grocery store next to it and I bought some little mini Babybel cheese to go with it. We get an hour and a half for lunch, so I've either been going to the boulangerie with friends and then walking around and exploring the city while we eat, or bringing a book and sitting on  a bench and reading. It's been a lovely little break during the school day :)

My pretty school

Waiting for the bus

Every day the schedule at school is different, so Tenzin and I don't always start or get done at the same time. Some days I start at 9 and go until 5, and others (like yesterday) I didn't start until 10, and was done around 3:30. Tenzin wasn't out until 5, so I said I'd wait for her, and my friend Laura and I went shopping until Tenzin was done.
Our school day is broken into three sections: language/grammar classes, speaking classes, and listening classes. It's pretty much the same group together all day. In our speaking classes, we have a Monitrice(teacher's helper/student teacher) who is our age, and comes up with games and activities for us. She's really cute, but it's kind of weird to see her at a bar one night, and then have her teaching us the next day :)
The listening classes are in a computer lab, and we wear little casques (headphones) and listen to recordings and answer questions about them. Sometimes they're pretty hard because the people talk super fast, and use slang that I haven't heard before. It's probably my least favorite class.
The first night of school there was a party at a popular bar in town for all of the exchange students. The bar is  nicknamed "the stock market bar" because it has a big screen that shows all of the drinks that are on sale and    the prices are constantly changing. It was really fun to go and meet everyone in the program, and also to meet some new French people and practice speaking to them.


My little host family is so sweet, and very nice about helping me with my French. It's an older couple who are retired, and their 12 year old golden lab :) They make us breakfast and dinner everyday. I've been having cereal, yogurt, fruit, toast with Nutella for breakfast, and delicious five course dinners every night!

My host family's cute little house

Yesterday was our first school excursion. We met at school and took an hour and a half bus ride to see an outdoor show called "Puy du Fou". It was kind of a play mixed with a light show, but much bigger, and for the finale they set off a ton of pretty fireworks. It was about French nationalism and kind of the history of their revolution and of Bastille day(their independence day). It was pretty cool to watch, but it went kind of long, and then we didn't  even get back to Angers until about three in the morning. Tomorrow we have to meet at school at 6:45am to take a bus to see Mont. Saint Michel. I've seen pictures and it's so pretty, so I'm excited!

Tenzin and I at Puy du Fou