- home, a word which currently makes me very happy.
Thankfully, my second flight plan went without a hitch. I stayed in the hotel near Bordeaux for two nights, where they fed me dinner and breakfast and I was able to meet other travelers whose plans were also disrupted by the snow in London and Paris. We were able to swap intended travel plans, and I was able to meet a lot of interesting people, including a Hungarian guy who barely spoke any English and a large group of South African choir boys and their chaperones. Sharing a dinner table with the chaperones was particularly amusing because they kept confiscating the bottles of wine from the boys' tables and passing them around at our table.
The flights themselves went smoothly, if a little late due to having to get ice off the wings. It was a pleasant surprise to find that I'd been upgraded to business class for both of them, which had never happened to me before. And let me say this; business class is nice. There's tons of leg room, your seats tilt back really far, and the food is of better quality. And I got to try Dutch wine for the first time, and I found I liked it. People in Bordeaux never drink white wine, so having some was a nice change.
But the important part is that I made it home, and am now sitting on my own couch, in view of my own piano and Christmas tree, my laptop plugged in sans converter. Being home is a wonderful feeling, especially after having to wait for it for an extra day. I got to hug (not bisou!) my family immediately at the airport, and I'm really looking forward to seeing my friends. California, I love you.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Annuler
- to cancel, because it decided to snow in London today...
... thus my flight was annulé. I wish I could say it was exciting, I really do. You know, to have an impromptu adventure in France on my unexpected day off. But it really wasn't an adventure. All it was was waiting on the plane for hours, waiting off the plane for hours, then waiting in line for what seemed like hours while the airline people tried to sort everyone out. The guy in front of me in line was pretty mad about the delay, but I was just sad, because I'd really been looking forward to seeing my family. But I've waited 4 months, so I suppose I can wait one more day.
And you know, every cloud has it's silver lining. All of my meals are getting covered by the airline, and my hotel room is pretty nice. And if I go with my current itinerary, I'll be able to claim that I've been to Amsterdam, even if I won't have enough time to explore it. And my passport now has two crossed-out stamps in it, which is a story in itself. I've always wanted a cool passport; now I'm closer to having one.
Oh, and during the long wait, I saw this arcade game that amused me:
... thus my flight was annulé. I wish I could say it was exciting, I really do. You know, to have an impromptu adventure in France on my unexpected day off. But it really wasn't an adventure. All it was was waiting on the plane for hours, waiting off the plane for hours, then waiting in line for what seemed like hours while the airline people tried to sort everyone out. The guy in front of me in line was pretty mad about the delay, but I was just sad, because I'd really been looking forward to seeing my family. But I've waited 4 months, so I suppose I can wait one more day.
And you know, every cloud has it's silver lining. All of my meals are getting covered by the airline, and my hotel room is pretty nice. And if I go with my current itinerary, I'll be able to claim that I've been to Amsterdam, even if I won't have enough time to explore it. And my passport now has two crossed-out stamps in it, which is a story in itself. I've always wanted a cool passport; now I'm closer to having one.
Oh, and during the long wait, I saw this arcade game that amused me:
California Speed!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Fin
- end.
My last day in Bordeaux was spent:
1.) Eating at Entrecôte, a Bordelais restaurant known for having only one dish. This dish, steak with fries, is so good that people will wait in line to be seated for 2 hours.
2.) Checking out some Roman ruins that I never got around to seeing until today.
3.) Shopping on Rue St. Catherine.
4.) Packing and cleaning.
5.) Eating my last dinner with my host family.
6.) Preparing to wake up at a decent hour for my flight tomorrow.
My last day in Bordeaux was spent:
1.) Eating at Entrecôte, a Bordelais restaurant known for having only one dish. This dish, steak with fries, is so good that people will wait in line to be seated for 2 hours.
2.) Checking out some Roman ruins that I never got around to seeing until today.
3.) Shopping on Rue St. Catherine.
4.) Packing and cleaning.
5.) Eating my last dinner with my host family.
6.) Preparing to wake up at a decent hour for my flight tomorrow.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Liberté
- freedom, because my finals are OVER!
And to celebrate, as well as get in one last night out together before we went home, my friends and I went to the huge opera house in Bordeaux and saw a ballet: Romeo and Juliet. I've walked by the outside of the theatre before, but this was the first time I'd seen its interior outside of photos. It was traditional and classy; the lobby was wide and sweeping, and the audience seating area could have come out of a storybook. At least, it seemed picturesque until we realized that certain seats that our group was assigned couldn't even see the stage from their angle. But through a combination of standing, leaning, and kneeling, we all managed to see the ballet, which was as dreamy and graceful as I'd imagined. I realized only afterward that since ballets have no dialogue, I didn't get to use any of the French comprehension skills that I'd learned this semester. But even if I am leaving France soon, I am sure I will have the opportunity to use what I've learned during my lifetime.
And to celebrate, as well as get in one last night out together before we went home, my friends and I went to the huge opera house in Bordeaux and saw a ballet: Romeo and Juliet. I've walked by the outside of the theatre before, but this was the first time I'd seen its interior outside of photos. It was traditional and classy; the lobby was wide and sweeping, and the audience seating area could have come out of a storybook. At least, it seemed picturesque until we realized that certain seats that our group was assigned couldn't even see the stage from their angle. But through a combination of standing, leaning, and kneeling, we all managed to see the ballet, which was as dreamy and graceful as I'd imagined. I realized only afterward that since ballets have no dialogue, I didn't get to use any of the French comprehension skills that I'd learned this semester. But even if I am leaving France soon, I am sure I will have the opportunity to use what I've learned during my lifetime.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Cinq
- 5, because that's the number of full days I have left here.
5 things I'm going to miss when I leave:
1.) The cheese. Oh my goodness, the cheese.
2.) Being able to practice my French all the time.
3.) Professors who don't feel the need to assign homework.
4.) Restaurants that don't have a single spicy thing on the menu.
5.) Nutella.
5 things I always have in my purse (that I don't usually)
1.) Umbrella
2.) French/English Dictionary
3.) Camera
4.) Tiny Notepad (for new vocabulary words)
5.) Photocopy of Passport
5 things I learned about the French school system:
1.) Even though the grading scale is out of 20, no one will get anything higher than a 17. Ever.
2.) When French students take notes, they copy every word the professor says. With color coding.
3.) Some professors will scold you when you're late. Others will happily waltz in a half an hour after class should have started every week.
4.) If you actually want to hear the lecture, you need to sit in the first three rows.
5.) Deadlines don't really matter.
5 phrases I hear frequently:
1.) "Á table!" ("Come to the table!" AKA "We're in for some tasty eatin's now!")
2.) "Prochain arret: Barrière Judaique." ("Next stop: Barrière Judaique." I'm pretty good at imitating that voice now.)
3.) "Tu viens d'ou?" ("Where do you come from?" They all think I'm French... until I start talking.)
4.) "Elle n'aime pas le café, elle." ("She doesn't like coffee." This comes up like every other day; I don't know why.)
5.) "S'il vous plaît!" (Literally "Please!" but the French way of telling a class to quiet down.)
5 things I'm looking forward to when I get home:
1.) Chips and salsa. I don't know why that in particular, but I've had this craving all semester.
2.) Being able to walk to class.
3.) Knowing what's going on.
4.) Not thinking about the exchange rate every time I buy something.
5.) Seeing all the people I've missed.
5 things I'm going to miss when I leave:
1.) The cheese. Oh my goodness, the cheese.
2.) Being able to practice my French all the time.
3.) Professors who don't feel the need to assign homework.
4.) Restaurants that don't have a single spicy thing on the menu.
5.) Nutella.
5 things I always have in my purse (that I don't usually)
1.) Umbrella
2.) French/English Dictionary
3.) Camera
4.) Tiny Notepad (for new vocabulary words)
5.) Photocopy of Passport
5 things I learned about the French school system:
1.) Even though the grading scale is out of 20, no one will get anything higher than a 17. Ever.
2.) When French students take notes, they copy every word the professor says. With color coding.
3.) Some professors will scold you when you're late. Others will happily waltz in a half an hour after class should have started every week.
4.) If you actually want to hear the lecture, you need to sit in the first three rows.
5.) Deadlines don't really matter.
5 phrases I hear frequently:
1.) "Á table!" ("Come to the table!" AKA "We're in for some tasty eatin's now!")
2.) "Prochain arret: Barrière Judaique." ("Next stop: Barrière Judaique." I'm pretty good at imitating that voice now.)
3.) "Tu viens d'ou?" ("Where do you come from?" They all think I'm French... until I start talking.)
4.) "Elle n'aime pas le café, elle." ("She doesn't like coffee." This comes up like every other day; I don't know why.)
5.) "S'il vous plaît!" (Literally "Please!" but the French way of telling a class to quiet down.)
5 things I'm looking forward to when I get home:
1.) Chips and salsa. I don't know why that in particular, but I've had this craving all semester.
2.) Being able to walk to class.
3.) Knowing what's going on.
4.) Not thinking about the exchange rate every time I buy something.
5.) Seeing all the people I've missed.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Neige
- snow, because this is the closest to a white Christmas I've ever had.
I could list all the firsts I had today, such as first snow grocery shopping and first snow school day, but I'll just post the picture. :)
I could list all the firsts I had today, such as first snow grocery shopping and first snow school day, but I'll just post the picture. :)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Noël
- Christmas, because Bordeaux is decked out.
I don't think Californian cities have nearly this many decorations for Christmas. But on all of the major streets and intersections (and even some of the smaller ones) there are lights, stars, trees, and sometimes all of the above. It's incredible. And beautiful. And sometimes funny, because you can see when a person who put them up really didn't care about what it looked like.
My hands were super-cold when I took these, and it was night-time, so the quality isn't very good. I tried my best though!
I don't think Californian cities have nearly this many decorations for Christmas. But on all of the major streets and intersections (and even some of the smaller ones) there are lights, stars, trees, and sometimes all of the above. It's incredible. And beautiful. And sometimes funny, because you can see when a person who put them up really didn't care about what it looked like.
My hands were super-cold when I took these, and it was night-time, so the quality isn't very good. I tried my best though!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Dinde
- turkey, in honor of Thanksgiving.
Which I surprisingly got to celebrate. French Thanksgiving dinner (put on by some people from the American Consulate) consisted of wine, stuffing, brussels sprouts, tiny potatoes, and of course, turkey and cranberry sauce. Dessert consisted of cheese and this odd pie-thing that was orange but definitely not pumpkin.
When I was there, I actually spent a little time talking to a woman who had gone to Berkeley and was a part of the first EAP program to Bordeaux. Apparently Bordeaux was the first EAP location ever, a fact which both interested and surprised me. She was a very nice lady, but I was extremely amused when she gave us the "Back in my day, we had to walk uphill both ways in the snow!" talk.
Which I surprisingly got to celebrate. French Thanksgiving dinner (put on by some people from the American Consulate) consisted of wine, stuffing, brussels sprouts, tiny potatoes, and of course, turkey and cranberry sauce. Dessert consisted of cheese and this odd pie-thing that was orange but definitely not pumpkin.
When I was there, I actually spent a little time talking to a woman who had gone to Berkeley and was a part of the first EAP program to Bordeaux. Apparently Bordeaux was the first EAP location ever, a fact which both interested and surprised me. She was a very nice lady, but I was extremely amused when she gave us the "Back in my day, we had to walk uphill both ways in the snow!" talk.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Froid
- cold, because Geneva was freezing.
Seeing Geneva this weekend was a blast, even though it was so very froid. Perhaps I did a little too much there to fit into one post, so I'll talk about my five favorite things there.
1.) The United Nations. No, I didn't get to go inside, but the PACS major in me was nerding out at just seeing the outside of the building. I also saw the WTO building, but I didn't manage to walk all the way to the north of town to see the WHO building.
2.) Ice Skating. When we were searching for a monument, we came across an outdoor ice skating rink! Skate rental was cheap, so of course we had to try it out. I'm pretty clumsy on skates and there were lots of small children speeding around and making me nervous, but there's something to be said about ice skating with the snowy Alps in the background.
3.) Giant Chess. Alright, so this isn't necessarily specific to Geneva, but I've always wanted to play giant chess. When we were playing, a man actually sat down to watch us and I felt a little bad that neither of us were talented enough to put on a good show. Here's the ending board; I was black. Can you tell who won?
4.) Greenhouses. I've long been a sucker for pretty and unusual plants, so I couldn't resist exploring the huge park and botanical gardens around the UN when I saw them. In the garden were a few greenhouses which I particularly adored because they were practically like mini-jungles. Aside from their being very pretty, we spent a long time exploring them because the regulated humidity inside was a welcome respite from the cold!
Seeing Geneva this weekend was a blast, even though it was so very froid. Perhaps I did a little too much there to fit into one post, so I'll talk about my five favorite things there.
1.) The United Nations. No, I didn't get to go inside, but the PACS major in me was nerding out at just seeing the outside of the building. I also saw the WTO building, but I didn't manage to walk all the way to the north of town to see the WHO building.
2.) Ice Skating. When we were searching for a monument, we came across an outdoor ice skating rink! Skate rental was cheap, so of course we had to try it out. I'm pretty clumsy on skates and there were lots of small children speeding around and making me nervous, but there's something to be said about ice skating with the snowy Alps in the background.
3.) Giant Chess. Alright, so this isn't necessarily specific to Geneva, but I've always wanted to play giant chess. When we were playing, a man actually sat down to watch us and I felt a little bad that neither of us were talented enough to put on a good show. Here's the ending board; I was black. Can you tell who won?
4.) Greenhouses. I've long been a sucker for pretty and unusual plants, so I couldn't resist exploring the huge park and botanical gardens around the UN when I saw them. In the garden were a few greenhouses which I particularly adored because they were practically like mini-jungles. Aside from their being very pretty, we spent a long time exploring them because the regulated humidity inside was a welcome respite from the cold!
5.) The Alps. So gorgeous. We actually crossed the French-Swiss border for this (we just walked across - it was eerie), and we found a tram that took us up the Salève, one of the smaller mountains in the Alps. It was a cloudy day, but that turned out for the best when we reached the top and realized we could see over the clouds to the other mountains. Even though we couldn't see Geneva, it was remarkably beautiful.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Rose
- pink, because Toulouse was so very!
As you've probably already gathered, I spent last weekend in Toulouse, the third largest French city. Toulouse is actually known as La Ville Rose, or the pink city, because all the buildings there are made out of brick, giving it a pinkish tinge. Very pretty, very unique. Even the churches were brick!
This weekend was also my first time couch-surfing. Basically this means my friends and I found someone on a website who was willing to let us sleep in their domicile as long as we were in Toulouse. It sounds really sketchy, but it was actually a good experience. The guy we ended up staying with was a very chill, hippie-like college student who had many good reviews from previous travelers. He showed us around the city a little bit, and because he was so nice we made him dinner as a thank-you. It was actually the first time I've done some real cooking since I've been here, so that was fun as well.
As you've probably already gathered, I spent last weekend in Toulouse, the third largest French city. Toulouse is actually known as La Ville Rose, or the pink city, because all the buildings there are made out of brick, giving it a pinkish tinge. Very pretty, very unique. Even the churches were brick!
This weekend was also my first time couch-surfing. Basically this means my friends and I found someone on a website who was willing to let us sleep in their domicile as long as we were in Toulouse. It sounds really sketchy, but it was actually a good experience. The guy we ended up staying with was a very chill, hippie-like college student who had many good reviews from previous travelers. He showed us around the city a little bit, and because he was so nice we made him dinner as a thank-you. It was actually the first time I've done some real cooking since I've been here, so that was fun as well.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Tourner
- to shoot. As in filming a movie, not like firing a gun.
For anyone who enjoys watching foreign films, I have a recommendation. A la folie... pas du tout is an extremely engaging film that I would recommend to anyone. When I started watching it, I thought it was going to be one of your average, feel-good chick flicks. The pink hearts all over the menu screen definitely indicated it as such. However, without giving too much away, I'll say that it turned out to be much more interesting than a simple love story. Plus, as an extra bonus to me, I could understand it without resorting to a translator! Alright, so I used subtitles, but at least the subtitles were in French and not in English.
A couple of points of interest about the movie: For one, the main character is played by Audrey Tautou, the actress who played Amelie (from the film titled as such). Also, it was tourné in Bordeaux! So often when I watched the movie, I could point out places I'd visited, or in one instance, a courtyard from the university where I take classes! How cool is that, right?
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Mode
- fashion, because French ladies know how to look good.
And they always put their knowledge to good use. Every day, when I'm sitting on the tram, walking to class, or even doing grocery shopping I see that the women around me have dressed to the nines. Their hair is always perfectly in place, their coats the perfect shade to match their shoes; it's like every French woman has stepped out of a magazine. Even within their homes, French women look, well a little more casual, but still fantastic; my host mother, sister, and sister-in-law always look elegant long after I've donned my more comfortable sweatshirt.
But after a couple months of living here, I've discovered the secret to their fashion success. A secret which I shall share with you: my readers. AKA the people in the States that haven't yet forgotten my existence. And so here it is: Miki's Guide to How to Dress Like a French Woman:
Step 1: Pull on some leggings or skinny jeans. Preferably an easily matched color, like black or beige, but they can really be any color. The important part here is that they hug all parts of your leg closely. Add some shorts or a skirt so you're not walking around in only leggings.
Step 2: Put something on on top. This could be anything; a nice blouse, a sweater, a tunic. It doesn't really matter because soon you will...
Step 3: Put on a coat. This must be that type of coat with two rows of buttons in the front. Button it up, so the top two thirds of your body (excluding your head and neck) will be covered by it.
Step 4: Fold a scarf in half, wrap it around your neck, and pull the ends through the loop in the middle. The scarf can be colorful, to brighten your solid-colored coat, but this is not necessary.
Step 5: Add shoes. These can be anything from flats to heeled boots. I've actually spotted a type of laced leather heels that seem to be popular among French women these days, but I don't know what they're called.
Oh, and I apologize for not posting photos of this particular phenomenon, but nobody wants to be that creeper taking pictures of random people she's never met before. I'm sure you understand.
And they always put their knowledge to good use. Every day, when I'm sitting on the tram, walking to class, or even doing grocery shopping I see that the women around me have dressed to the nines. Their hair is always perfectly in place, their coats the perfect shade to match their shoes; it's like every French woman has stepped out of a magazine. Even within their homes, French women look, well a little more casual, but still fantastic; my host mother, sister, and sister-in-law always look elegant long after I've donned my more comfortable sweatshirt.
But after a couple months of living here, I've discovered the secret to their fashion success. A secret which I shall share with you: my readers. AKA the people in the States that haven't yet forgotten my existence. And so here it is: Miki's Guide to How to Dress Like a French Woman:
Step 1: Pull on some leggings or skinny jeans. Preferably an easily matched color, like black or beige, but they can really be any color. The important part here is that they hug all parts of your leg closely. Add some shorts or a skirt so you're not walking around in only leggings.
Step 2: Put something on on top. This could be anything; a nice blouse, a sweater, a tunic. It doesn't really matter because soon you will...
Step 3: Put on a coat. This must be that type of coat with two rows of buttons in the front. Button it up, so the top two thirds of your body (excluding your head and neck) will be covered by it.
Step 4: Fold a scarf in half, wrap it around your neck, and pull the ends through the loop in the middle. The scarf can be colorful, to brighten your solid-colored coat, but this is not necessary.
Step 5: Add shoes. These can be anything from flats to heeled boots. I've actually spotted a type of laced leather heels that seem to be popular among French women these days, but I don't know what they're called.
Oh, and I apologize for not posting photos of this particular phenomenon, but nobody wants to be that creeper taking pictures of random people she's never met before. I'm sure you understand.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Maison
- house, because I just realized I haven't shown you were I'm living yet!
So here you are! 3000 words worth of description!
So here you are! 3000 words worth of description!
Kitchen
Dining Room
Living Room
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Grève
- strike, because if the French want something, they'll make sure everyone knows it.
And what they want right now is to keep their retirement age at 60, instead of changing it to 62. It seems a bit trivial to me, but perhaps that's because I'm not 59 years old and seeing my oh-so-close retirement slipping away from me. There have been several protests in Bordeaux so far, especially in the large space in front of the social science university where I take some of my classes.
The main way I've been affected by this is by the public transportation. You see, when public workers go on strike, this includes the bus drivers and tram operators. Even though they still operate, they come much less frequently, and are therefore always full whenever they do come. Several times, I've been thankful for my small size - it makes it much easier to squeeze into the space between the tram door and the other commuters. Of course, squeezing isn't the only option - yesterday a guy literally pushed all of the commuters back so much that not only could he get on, but two members of his family could too.
And what they want right now is to keep their retirement age at 60, instead of changing it to 62. It seems a bit trivial to me, but perhaps that's because I'm not 59 years old and seeing my oh-so-close retirement slipping away from me. There have been several protests in Bordeaux so far, especially in the large space in front of the social science university where I take some of my classes.
The main way I've been affected by this is by the public transportation. You see, when public workers go on strike, this includes the bus drivers and tram operators. Even though they still operate, they come much less frequently, and are therefore always full whenever they do come. Several times, I've been thankful for my small size - it makes it much easier to squeeze into the space between the tram door and the other commuters. Of course, squeezing isn't the only option - yesterday a guy literally pushed all of the commuters back so much that not only could he get on, but two members of his family could too.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Efficace
- efficient, because why make up different words when you only need one?
Have extra cheese? Baguette.
Leading a symphony? Baguette de chef d'orchestre.
Burning incense? Baguette d'encens.
Defeating Voldemort? Baguette magique.
Eating hot pot? Baguettes chinoises.
Playing percussion? Baguette de tambour.
You know, if all French was this efficace, I'd have learned it much more quickly!
Have extra cheese? Baguette.
Leading a symphony? Baguette de chef d'orchestre.
Burning incense? Baguette d'encens.
Defeating Voldemort? Baguette magique.
Eating hot pot? Baguettes chinoises.
Playing percussion? Baguette de tambour.
You know, if all French was this efficace, I'd have learned it much more quickly!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Grande Roue
- ferris wheel, because even if I didn't go on it, it was still pretty!
Carnival! Bordeaux has a carnival!
And it's a legit carnival too. A large space in downtown Bordeaux was filled with things that I usually only see in fairs: games with stuffed animal prizes, roller coasters, and of course, a gorgeous multi-colored grande roue. But of course, French fairs have their differences from their American counterparts! Here are a few that I saw today:
- The abundance of claw machines. I believe there was at least one space in every row of carnival booths which housed at least ten of these things. There was much more variety in the types of prizes that could be won as well; who knew that there was a company that made plushies of hands flipping the bird?
- The types of food being sold. Of course I was expecting to see the crepes, but I've never seen plate-sized, holeless doughnuts before, nor churros being sold by the dozen in cones.
- The "scary" rides. In American scary-rides, they can show glowy faces, creepy skeletons, and even hire workers to jump out at you, but no matter what, they cannot touch you. In France, this is not the case. Holy smokes, there is nothing more startling than when you suddenly hear a chainsaw right behind you and it "slices" a line down your shoulder. Though it was funny afterwards, I cannot promise that there was no shrieking involved in this encounter.
Carnival! Bordeaux has a carnival!
And it's a legit carnival too. A large space in downtown Bordeaux was filled with things that I usually only see in fairs: games with stuffed animal prizes, roller coasters, and of course, a gorgeous multi-colored grande roue. But of course, French fairs have their differences from their American counterparts! Here are a few that I saw today:
- The abundance of claw machines. I believe there was at least one space in every row of carnival booths which housed at least ten of these things. There was much more variety in the types of prizes that could be won as well; who knew that there was a company that made plushies of hands flipping the bird?
- The types of food being sold. Of course I was expecting to see the crepes, but I've never seen plate-sized, holeless doughnuts before, nor churros being sold by the dozen in cones.
- The "scary" rides. In American scary-rides, they can show glowy faces, creepy skeletons, and even hire workers to jump out at you, but no matter what, they cannot touch you. In France, this is not the case. Holy smokes, there is nothing more startling than when you suddenly hear a chainsaw right behind you and it "slices" a line down your shoulder. Though it was funny afterwards, I cannot promise that there was no shrieking involved in this encounter.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Petit
- small, because I was not expecting St. Emilion to fit this adjective so well!
Last weekend, I thought I'd see if I was capable of traveling independently. Since some of my friends had already visited a nearby town, St. Emilion, and found it to their liking, I thought I'd check it out myself. By myself.
The verdict?
Yes, it appears I can travel independently, at least for a day-trip. However, I might need to plan a little bit better. When I got off the train, I was surprised to see that the station was in the middle of nowhere. No maps, no open office, nothing. So after the train left, all that was standing on the platform was me and three Korean doctors, who also appeared to have no idea what was going on.
So what do I do?
What I often do when I'm in France. Pick what seems like the most viable option, and try really hard to look like I know what I'm doing. In this case, it was walk down the biggest road and do it confidently. And you know what? This time, it worked for the best! Not only did I pick the right direction, but I'm pretty sure the Korean doctors were following me, even though they were two blocks behind.
Other than this initial confusion, my day trip in St. Emilion went pretty smoothly. The city was smaller than I anticipated, so I ended up leaving earlier than I'd planned, but it was overall a very cute little French village, surrounded by vineyards. When I was there, I climbed the bell tower, checked out some shops, did some wine tasting, and generally explored the entire (tiny) town. Though being by myself was a little lonely at times, it was nice to be able to set my own pace and change direction at my flight of fancy. And when I found that grassy clearing, I got to cat-nap in it as long as I wanted. Now that's when you know you're on vacation.
Last weekend, I thought I'd see if I was capable of traveling independently. Since some of my friends had already visited a nearby town, St. Emilion, and found it to their liking, I thought I'd check it out myself. By myself.
The verdict?
Yes, it appears I can travel independently, at least for a day-trip. However, I might need to plan a little bit better. When I got off the train, I was surprised to see that the station was in the middle of nowhere. No maps, no open office, nothing. So after the train left, all that was standing on the platform was me and three Korean doctors, who also appeared to have no idea what was going on.
So what do I do?
What I often do when I'm in France. Pick what seems like the most viable option, and try really hard to look like I know what I'm doing. In this case, it was walk down the biggest road and do it confidently. And you know what? This time, it worked for the best! Not only did I pick the right direction, but I'm pretty sure the Korean doctors were following me, even though they were two blocks behind.
Other than this initial confusion, my day trip in St. Emilion went pretty smoothly. The city was smaller than I anticipated, so I ended up leaving earlier than I'd planned, but it was overall a very cute little French village, surrounded by vineyards. When I was there, I climbed the bell tower, checked out some shops, did some wine tasting, and generally explored the entire (tiny) town. Though being by myself was a little lonely at times, it was nice to be able to set my own pace and change direction at my flight of fancy. And when I found that grassy clearing, I got to cat-nap in it as long as I wanted. Now that's when you know you're on vacation.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Quoi?
- "What?" because of all the things that get lost in translation.
Here are a few of the exchanges that might amuse you:
Host Parents' Son: (upon meeting me at the train station): Est-ce que vous cherchez un taxi? (Are you looking for a taxi?)
Miki: (deer-in-headlights stare)
Host Parents' Son's Wife: (nudges husband with elbow)
HPS: Vous êtes Miki?
Guy on street: De quel pays êtes-vous? (What country are you from?)
Miki: Des Etats-Unis. (The United States)
Guy on street: Non - de quel pays êtes-vous?
Miki: Des Etats-Unis.
Host Mom: (To this day, I wonder what she said.)
Miki: Oui
Host Mom: (laughs really hard) Tu a dis oui! (You said yes!)
Miki: Nous sommes fini! (We're finished!)
California friend: (in English) Don't say that! It means we're dead!
Miki: Oh. Nous avons fini! (We finished!)
And my personal favorite:
Miki: "Quel type de films aimez-vous?" (What kinds of movies do you like?)
Guy on Train: "Quel type de femmes j'aime?" (You're asking what kinds of women I like?)
Here are a few of the exchanges that might amuse you:
Host Parents' Son: (upon meeting me at the train station): Est-ce que vous cherchez un taxi? (Are you looking for a taxi?)
Miki: (deer-in-headlights stare)
Host Parents' Son's Wife: (nudges husband with elbow)
HPS: Vous êtes Miki?
Guy on street: De quel pays êtes-vous? (What country are you from?)
Miki: Des Etats-Unis. (The United States)
Guy on street: Non - de quel pays êtes-vous?
Miki: Des Etats-Unis.
Host Mom: (To this day, I wonder what she said.)
Miki: Oui
Host Mom: (laughs really hard) Tu a dis oui! (You said yes!)
Miki: Nous sommes fini! (We're finished!)
California friend: (in English) Don't say that! It means we're dead!
Miki: Oh. Nous avons fini! (We finished!)
And my personal favorite:
Miki: "Quel type de films aimez-vous?" (What kinds of movies do you like?)
Guy on Train: "Quel type de femmes j'aime?" (You're asking what kinds of women I like?)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Repas
- meal, because they're certainly different here than they are in the States.
Different types of food, I was certainly expecting. However, I didn't realized how structured dinner would be every night. This includes nights in which people have been working late and are tired. So without further ado, this is how the typical French dinner is eaten:
Aperitif (A drink of some kind before the meal. This can range from wine to juice.)
Appetizer (Some food to get you started.)
Main Course (I'm sure this doesn't need an explanation.)
Salad (If it wasn't served in one of the previous courses.)
Cheese (Every night!)
Dessert (Usually fruit or yogurt.)
Depending on the occasion, you can add or subtract courses to make it more or less fancy. On the first night when I was with my family, there were two appetizers not counting the bread basket and I made the mistake of getting full before the main course arrived. Also, dessert can become more sweet if there is a reason to celebrate, or a guest is over. For example, on my host parents' brother's anniversary, we had this homemade peach ice cream that was absolutely delicious.
Oh, and if you were ever told that French people eat slowly, that was a lie. The meals take a while because they're structured, but I am almost always the last to finish, which compels me to hurry up because the rest of them can't move onto the next course until I'm done. But then again, perhaps what makes me slow is that it takes me that much more concentration to participate in a conversation.
Different types of food, I was certainly expecting. However, I didn't realized how structured dinner would be every night. This includes nights in which people have been working late and are tired. So without further ado, this is how the typical French dinner is eaten:
Aperitif (A drink of some kind before the meal. This can range from wine to juice.)
Appetizer (Some food to get you started.)
Main Course (I'm sure this doesn't need an explanation.)
Salad (If it wasn't served in one of the previous courses.)
Cheese (Every night!)
Dessert (Usually fruit or yogurt.)
Depending on the occasion, you can add or subtract courses to make it more or less fancy. On the first night when I was with my family, there were two appetizers not counting the bread basket and I made the mistake of getting full before the main course arrived. Also, dessert can become more sweet if there is a reason to celebrate, or a guest is over. For example, on my host parents' brother's anniversary, we had this homemade peach ice cream that was absolutely delicious.
Oh, and if you were ever told that French people eat slowly, that was a lie. The meals take a while because they're structured, but I am almost always the last to finish, which compels me to hurry up because the rest of them can't move onto the next course until I'm done. But then again, perhaps what makes me slow is that it takes me that much more concentration to participate in a conversation.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sourire
- to smile, because I pretty much had a permanent one on my face the night I arrived in Paris.
Yes, that's right: Paris.
Eeeeee! Words can't describe how excited I was to actually visit the Paris for the first time. I mean, it's Paris! Like the real one! The actual city! The one you see featured in photographs, movies, and books! That Paris! So naturally, since I had only two days to explore all of Paris, I had to do as much as I could!
The first night as fancy dinner night. Right after meeting my friends at the train station (they'd arrived in Paris before me) I dropped my backpack off at the hotel, tossed on a dress, and ate creamy, cheesy pasta at a restaurant they'd found at Champs-Élysées. At one moment during dinner, the waiter told me I had good French... in English. I wasn't sure what to make of this specific instance of being Englished.
After dinner, we rushed to the Seine (the real Seine!) and caught the last boat tour, which took us up and down the river. The boat ride was fantastic - not only was exhilarating to see so many of Paris's attractions lit up at nighttime, but we could see many Parisians as well! Apparently that night was a holiday of sorts in France, so many Parisians young and old were out to party! Many of them were in groups next to the Seine (these were mainly the younger ones) and they waved and shouted greetings as we went by. They were all in such a celebratory mood, and I was so happy to be in Paris, that it was impossible not to be happy then.
The next morning, before we met the rest of the group, I was able to see a couple of buildings that made me happy, since they were very close to our youth hostel. One was Le café des 2 Moulins, which is famous for being the cafe in which Amelie was filmed. The other was the Moulin Rouge, from the film which shares its name.
Once we met up with the rest of the group, we went to the one place that absolutely everyone has to go: the Eiffel Tower. Even though I knew it was tall, I was taken aback by just how large the structure was. Of course, I got an even better appreciation of its size when I was climbing its stairs. I only made it to the second level, but I can now officially say I've seen the Eiffel Tower (the real one!) with my own eyes.
After the Eiffel Tower came the Louvre, another place which was much bigger than I'd expected. There was so much to see inside, that I didn't get to see it all even though I admired most of them only for a few seconds. I did get to see the Mona Lisa (the real one!), but I think my favorite pieces inside were this statue:
...and Napoleon's apartment.
After resting for a couple hours in a nearby park (we were pretty pooped by that point), we decided to get Vietnamese food for dinner. This led us to Paris's Chinatown, where we explored for a while before finally deciding which phở looked the best. The main difference I noticed between Paris's Chinatown and the Chinatowns I've visited in the States is that Paris's is much cleaner. I didn't take a picture here, I'm afraid, although I did see a drink I recognized and was amused to see French writing on it.
The next morning, we tried to see the Paris catacombs. Unfortunately they were closed, so we visited a nearby cemetery instead. I didn't know most of the people, but I did see a couple names I recognized - perhaps they will sound familiar to you as well.
Yes, that's right: Paris.
Eeeeee! Words can't describe how excited I was to actually visit the Paris for the first time. I mean, it's Paris! Like the real one! The actual city! The one you see featured in photographs, movies, and books! That Paris! So naturally, since I had only two days to explore all of Paris, I had to do as much as I could!
The first night as fancy dinner night. Right after meeting my friends at the train station (they'd arrived in Paris before me) I dropped my backpack off at the hotel, tossed on a dress, and ate creamy, cheesy pasta at a restaurant they'd found at Champs-Élysées. At one moment during dinner, the waiter told me I had good French... in English. I wasn't sure what to make of this specific instance of being Englished.
After dinner, we rushed to the Seine (the real Seine!) and caught the last boat tour, which took us up and down the river. The boat ride was fantastic - not only was exhilarating to see so many of Paris's attractions lit up at nighttime, but we could see many Parisians as well! Apparently that night was a holiday of sorts in France, so many Parisians young and old were out to party! Many of them were in groups next to the Seine (these were mainly the younger ones) and they waved and shouted greetings as we went by. They were all in such a celebratory mood, and I was so happy to be in Paris, that it was impossible not to be happy then.
The next morning, before we met the rest of the group, I was able to see a couple of buildings that made me happy, since they were very close to our youth hostel. One was Le café des 2 Moulins, which is famous for being the cafe in which Amelie was filmed. The other was the Moulin Rouge, from the film which shares its name.
Once we met up with the rest of the group, we went to the one place that absolutely everyone has to go: the Eiffel Tower. Even though I knew it was tall, I was taken aback by just how large the structure was. Of course, I got an even better appreciation of its size when I was climbing its stairs. I only made it to the second level, but I can now officially say I've seen the Eiffel Tower (the real one!) with my own eyes.
After the Eiffel Tower came the Louvre, another place which was much bigger than I'd expected. There was so much to see inside, that I didn't get to see it all even though I admired most of them only for a few seconds. I did get to see the Mona Lisa (the real one!), but I think my favorite pieces inside were this statue:
...and Napoleon's apartment.
After resting for a couple hours in a nearby park (we were pretty pooped by that point), we decided to get Vietnamese food for dinner. This led us to Paris's Chinatown, where we explored for a while before finally deciding which phở looked the best. The main difference I noticed between Paris's Chinatown and the Chinatowns I've visited in the States is that Paris's is much cleaner. I didn't take a picture here, I'm afraid, although I did see a drink I recognized and was amused to see French writing on it.
The next morning, we tried to see the Paris catacombs. Unfortunately they were closed, so we visited a nearby cemetery instead. I didn't know most of the people, but I did see a couple names I recognized - perhaps they will sound familiar to you as well.
Jean Paul Sartre
Simone de Beauvoir
In short, Paris was marvelous and wonderful and now that I have visited, I wish to return at least once (twice? three times?) in my life. Though I was only there for two short days, I feel I know enough to be able to say "Paris, je t'aime."
Friday, September 17, 2010
Vache
- cow, because the spotting of one never made me this excited until now.
Right, so if you remember from a couple weeks ago, I posted a picture of a colorful vache and said there was a bit of a story behind it. Well, here it is. When we, the UC students, explored downtown Bordeaux for the first time, we were amused to see a life-sized, artistically decorated vache right next to this gorgeous cathedral. This vache, in fact:
Then as we continued to explore Bordeaux, we saw another one... and another one. It turns out that Bordeaux was in the middle of hosting what is called the Cow Parade, which is an art/charity event that has happened in several cities since 1999. The idea behind the event is that they distribute these ginormous cows to local artists, the artists decorate the cows however they want, and the city displays the cows in public places for a few weeks before they are auctioned off to raise money for charity. Apparently they've raised a ton of money for charity this way, so it seems like a good, if eccentric, fundraiser.
However as newcomers to Bordeaux, we saw the vaches as a source of fun and entertainment. Since the vaches were in public places, they were clearly going to be in places that we were going to visit! Therefore, I made it my mission to take a picture of every vache that I saw, with the faint hope of getting all 60 before they were taken down. Well I didn't get all 60, but here are some of my favorites!
Right, so if you remember from a couple weeks ago, I posted a picture of a colorful vache and said there was a bit of a story behind it. Well, here it is. When we, the UC students, explored downtown Bordeaux for the first time, we were amused to see a life-sized, artistically decorated vache right next to this gorgeous cathedral. This vache, in fact:
Then as we continued to explore Bordeaux, we saw another one... and another one. It turns out that Bordeaux was in the middle of hosting what is called the Cow Parade, which is an art/charity event that has happened in several cities since 1999. The idea behind the event is that they distribute these ginormous cows to local artists, the artists decorate the cows however they want, and the city displays the cows in public places for a few weeks before they are auctioned off to raise money for charity. Apparently they've raised a ton of money for charity this way, so it seems like a good, if eccentric, fundraiser.
However as newcomers to Bordeaux, we saw the vaches as a source of fun and entertainment. Since the vaches were in public places, they were clearly going to be in places that we were going to visit! Therefore, I made it my mission to take a picture of every vache that I saw, with the faint hope of getting all 60 before they were taken down. Well I didn't get all 60, but here are some of my favorites!
Four Seasons Vache
(spring and winter are on the other side)
California Vache
Vache on stilts
And my absolute favorite...
Drowning Vache
I didn't manage to get all 60, but I'm pretty sure I have pictures of over thirty of these, and there were about five or so that I failed to get a picture of for some reason or another. All of them were creative and unique, so it was difficult to pick just four favorites! But if you want to my stash of vache pictures, just let me know. :)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Campagne
- countryside, because wow, it was beautiful.
But I don't need to talk about it, because a picture is worth a thousand words, right? So here's four thousand words worth of information that will sum up where I spent last weekend. Keep in mind that I'm not a very good photographer, so imagine what's in the pictures, only ten times prettier.
Gorgeous, right?
But I don't need to talk about it, because a picture is worth a thousand words, right? So here's four thousand words worth of information that will sum up where I spent last weekend. Keep in mind that I'm not a very good photographer, so imagine what's in the pictures, only ten times prettier.
Gorgeous, right?
Monday, September 13, 2010
Famille
- family, because the days of looking at the paper and wondering are over!
And since my days of wondering are over, yours will be too! My home stay family is super nice, a fact for which I am naturally very thankful. They're an older couple with three grown children, so they are used to living with people at about my age. Also, since they've hosted multiple foreign exchange students in the past, they are very good about speaking to me in only French, except to occasionally translate singular words.
I believe my host father speaks English, since he often supplies the English word for words I'm not sure about without the use of my dictionary, which I carry around everywhere. He has a garden in the country, and was quick to tell me which fruits and vegetables he grew himself. I don't blame him - they were really really tasty vegetables, especially the tomatoes.
My host mother is very artistically gifted - many of the porcelain cups and vases around the house were painted by her, and I often saw her embroidering a cloth which would later become the back of a cushioned wooden chair. All of them look professional, and I never would have guessed that they were done as a hobby had I not been told.
Both my host mother and father are very traditional, so I got to learn a lot about French etiquette. I think it amuses them that I often watch what they do first before I proceed at the dinner table. They definitely encourage my learning about the French language and culture, and they are both extremely nice and attentive. I think it's going to be a fun three months.
And since my days of wondering are over, yours will be too! My home stay family is super nice, a fact for which I am naturally very thankful. They're an older couple with three grown children, so they are used to living with people at about my age. Also, since they've hosted multiple foreign exchange students in the past, they are very good about speaking to me in only French, except to occasionally translate singular words.
I believe my host father speaks English, since he often supplies the English word for words I'm not sure about without the use of my dictionary, which I carry around everywhere. He has a garden in the country, and was quick to tell me which fruits and vegetables he grew himself. I don't blame him - they were really really tasty vegetables, especially the tomatoes.
My host mother is very artistically gifted - many of the porcelain cups and vases around the house were painted by her, and I often saw her embroidering a cloth which would later become the back of a cushioned wooden chair. All of them look professional, and I never would have guessed that they were done as a hobby had I not been told.
Both my host mother and father are very traditional, so I got to learn a lot about French etiquette. I think it amuses them that I often watch what they do first before I proceed at the dinner table. They definitely encourage my learning about the French language and culture, and they are both extremely nice and attentive. I think it's going to be a fun three months.
Bisou-Bisou
- that French kissy-kissy cheek thing. You know the one.
I did my first one! It was with my program director (Joelle) and internally I was like 'YES this is so French!' Apparently when you bisou-bisou in Bordeaux, the cheeks touch, but the lips never touch the cheek. You still make a bit of a smoochy-sound, though. You learn new things every day, huh?
I did my first one! It was with my program director (Joelle) and internally I was like 'YES this is so French!' Apparently when you bisou-bisou in Bordeaux, the cheeks touch, but the lips never touch the cheek. You still make a bit of a smoochy-sound, though. You learn new things every day, huh?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Logement
- housing, because I just found out who my host stay family is!
No, I haven't actually met them yet, but the people running the EAP program gave us papers that each respective host stay family had filled out, stating their names, contact information, and a little information about their households. The entire room cheered when the time finally came to pass them out, and of course, all of us UC students immediately devoured the writing and tried to figure out the most we could out of what little was written.
The first hurdle to pass was actually not the language, but the handwriting. I was lucky enough to have a questionnaire which was mostly typed, but even I had trouble with the short note that was written on the bottom which (I think) ended up saying that I should pack a small bag for going to the pool this weekend. Others, though, had papers that were entirely written in messy handwriting, and we spent a lot of time squinting over those.
The second hurdle to pass was, predictably, the language. This part was actually pretty easy for the most part, since the questionnaire was simple and the vocabulary easy. One group of three pondered over the word "chasse" which was written under hobbies, wondering which of the many dictionary-definitions it meant. (Apparently I was right when I said 'hunting,' because it seems a more likely hobby than treasure hunting, snow plowing, or toilet flushing.)
After figuring out exactly what the papers said came trying to make the most of the information that was there. One friend had a paper that said 'chats' (cats) and wondered if they had two or fifty. Another friend who lived extremely close to campus actually went to walk surreptitiously by the place so she could see what it looked like. Most of us didn't go that far, but we did google-map the addresses, making due use of street view and comparing distances to the nearest tram stops. It's amusing to me how far we'll go to get this information, even though we'll find out in a few short days! It just goes to show, never underestimate the combined power of curiosity and the internet.
Oh, and for those of you that are curious, here is what I know: I will apparently be living with an older, non-smoking couple that doesn't have pets but does have Wifi. They like to go to the movies, play bridge, and take walks in their spare time, and would not have liked to harbor a vegetarian for four months. For more information, please ask after Friday.
No, I haven't actually met them yet, but the people running the EAP program gave us papers that each respective host stay family had filled out, stating their names, contact information, and a little information about their households. The entire room cheered when the time finally came to pass them out, and of course, all of us UC students immediately devoured the writing and tried to figure out the most we could out of what little was written.
The first hurdle to pass was actually not the language, but the handwriting. I was lucky enough to have a questionnaire which was mostly typed, but even I had trouble with the short note that was written on the bottom which (I think) ended up saying that I should pack a small bag for going to the pool this weekend. Others, though, had papers that were entirely written in messy handwriting, and we spent a lot of time squinting over those.
The second hurdle to pass was, predictably, the language. This part was actually pretty easy for the most part, since the questionnaire was simple and the vocabulary easy. One group of three pondered over the word "chasse" which was written under hobbies, wondering which of the many dictionary-definitions it meant. (Apparently I was right when I said 'hunting,' because it seems a more likely hobby than treasure hunting, snow plowing, or toilet flushing.)
After figuring out exactly what the papers said came trying to make the most of the information that was there. One friend had a paper that said 'chats' (cats) and wondered if they had two or fifty. Another friend who lived extremely close to campus actually went to walk surreptitiously by the place so she could see what it looked like. Most of us didn't go that far, but we did google-map the addresses, making due use of street view and comparing distances to the nearest tram stops. It's amusing to me how far we'll go to get this information, even though we'll find out in a few short days! It just goes to show, never underestimate the combined power of curiosity and the internet.
Oh, and for those of you that are curious, here is what I know: I will apparently be living with an older, non-smoking couple that doesn't have pets but does have Wifi. They like to go to the movies, play bridge, and take walks in their spare time, and would not have liked to harbor a vegetarian for four months. For more information, please ask after Friday.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Aujourd'hui
- today, because it was such a good day.
And just to reiterate, today was so nice. We went to the farmer's market, picked up some food, and all went to the park and ate it. Since there were a bunch of us, we had a lot of variety - different types of breads, cheeses, meats, and fruit. Many were things we love to eat, but spoil quickly, so it was a great chance for us to share our booty and take advantage of the types of food that ordinarily require a refrigerator. The day was beautiful, the company was good, and I think everyone should have at least one day like this.
And just to reiterate, today was so nice. We went to the farmer's market, picked up some food, and all went to the park and ate it. Since there were a bunch of us, we had a lot of variety - different types of breads, cheeses, meats, and fruit. Many were things we love to eat, but spoil quickly, so it was a great chance for us to share our booty and take advantage of the types of food that ordinarily require a refrigerator. The day was beautiful, the company was good, and I think everyone should have at least one day like this.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Dégustation
- tasting, because the word comes up surprisingly often, particularly when one is visiting France.
Ah, well it appears it's been a few days since I've last written, so I shall attempt to cover multiple events in one blitzkrieg of a post. I assure you - writing about multiple sojourns in one post is an example is an example of efficiency - it is in no way the product of my negligence of this blog.
All right, so Thursday after class, all of the UC students were loaded onto two buses for our second excursion of the semester. First, we disembarked at a chateau which was surrounded on all sides by large expanses of vineyards. After listening to a talk on Bordelais wine, how it is made, and why it is unique from all the other wines of the world (as you likely already know, Bordeaux is VERY proud of its wine), we partook in a wine dégustation, or tasting. The wine I had here was the tastiest I've ever had, but that is probably because it was a dessert wine, and therefore the sweetest wine I've ever tasted. What can I say? I'm no connoisseur, and I like my sweet foods.
After we the dégustation, we visited the house of a French writer who is apparently quite well known in Bordeaux. I don't remember his name, but according to the tour guide, he wrote novels about his childhood in Bordeaux. His house was very elegant on the inside, and there weren't cloth railings to stop us from getting too close to their furniture, like there usually are in the United States.
Friday night, my UC friends and I decided to spend the evening the way many young Bordelais appear to do. After eating our dinner family-style, we took our beverages of choice and sat out at a grassy area overlooking the Garrone, the river running through Bordeaux. It was very pretty, very fun, and I kinda wish I had a guitar with me, so we could really be like the other groups that were sitting in the same area!
And since we've only been in Bordeaux for about a week and a half, we still had more of the city to explore the next morning. First we stopped by a farmers market, which was MUCH bigger than the one we saw last week. It was so fun to walk around, and the flower stands there were beautiful and fresh. I'm rather fond of flowers and plants, so I couldn't resist taking a picture.
After checking out this farmers market, we went to what we'd actually intended to be our destination - the flea market. The flea market was huge too, and was fun to explore. Just looking around, you could see why the French always dress nicely - even the flea market was full of cute clothes! I'm afraid I forgot to take a picture of the flea market, so here's a picture of something else I saw that day instead!
And there is a story behind this cow, but I shall tell it at a later date. :)
Ah, well it appears it's been a few days since I've last written, so I shall attempt to cover multiple events in one blitzkrieg of a post. I assure you - writing about multiple sojourns in one post is an example is an example of efficiency - it is in no way the product of my negligence of this blog.
All right, so Thursday after class, all of the UC students were loaded onto two buses for our second excursion of the semester. First, we disembarked at a chateau which was surrounded on all sides by large expanses of vineyards. After listening to a talk on Bordelais wine, how it is made, and why it is unique from all the other wines of the world (as you likely already know, Bordeaux is VERY proud of its wine), we partook in a wine dégustation, or tasting. The wine I had here was the tastiest I've ever had, but that is probably because it was a dessert wine, and therefore the sweetest wine I've ever tasted. What can I say? I'm no connoisseur, and I like my sweet foods.
After we the dégustation, we visited the house of a French writer who is apparently quite well known in Bordeaux. I don't remember his name, but according to the tour guide, he wrote novels about his childhood in Bordeaux. His house was very elegant on the inside, and there weren't cloth railings to stop us from getting too close to their furniture, like there usually are in the United States.
Friday night, my UC friends and I decided to spend the evening the way many young Bordelais appear to do. After eating our dinner family-style, we took our beverages of choice and sat out at a grassy area overlooking the Garrone, the river running through Bordeaux. It was very pretty, very fun, and I kinda wish I had a guitar with me, so we could really be like the other groups that were sitting in the same area!
And since we've only been in Bordeaux for about a week and a half, we still had more of the city to explore the next morning. First we stopped by a farmers market, which was MUCH bigger than the one we saw last week. It was so fun to walk around, and the flower stands there were beautiful and fresh. I'm rather fond of flowers and plants, so I couldn't resist taking a picture.
After checking out this farmers market, we went to what we'd actually intended to be our destination - the flea market. The flea market was huge too, and was fun to explore. Just looking around, you could see why the French always dress nicely - even the flea market was full of cute clothes! I'm afraid I forgot to take a picture of the flea market, so here's a picture of something else I saw that day instead!
And there is a story behind this cow, but I shall tell it at a later date. :)
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Ecole
- school, because it's started for me.
Well, not school-school, like classes at the university, but my UC Intensive Language Program began a few days ago. For all the people that told me I didn't need to review before I left, I have never been so glad that I didn't listen to you. I have so much to learn and get used to even though I practically have my grammar book memorized. I find listening particularly difficult, because someone says something for a moment, and then the information is gone. In class, we listen to recordings multiple times, but it's still much easier to understand once the transcription is passed out.
In other news, I think I found the largest grocery store I've ever been in. It's called Auchan, it's three stories high, and each floor is enormous. When I first walked in, my mind was blown by the sheer size of the place. Then I fell in love with the restaurant inside that sells ice cream cones for a euro. Seeing as the ice cream places around town averaged at about 2.50 Euros (yes, I checked prices when I walked around), I was extraordinarily pleased by this discovery.
Well, not school-school, like classes at the university, but my UC Intensive Language Program began a few days ago. For all the people that told me I didn't need to review before I left, I have never been so glad that I didn't listen to you. I have so much to learn and get used to even though I practically have my grammar book memorized. I find listening particularly difficult, because someone says something for a moment, and then the information is gone. In class, we listen to recordings multiple times, but it's still much easier to understand once the transcription is passed out.
In other news, I think I found the largest grocery store I've ever been in. It's called Auchan, it's three stories high, and each floor is enormous. When I first walked in, my mind was blown by the sheer size of the place. Then I fell in love with the restaurant inside that sells ice cream cones for a euro. Seeing as the ice cream places around town averaged at about 2.50 Euros (yes, I checked prices when I walked around), I was extraordinarily pleased by this discovery.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Le Lac
- the lake, because there's apparently only one worth mentioning around Bordeaux.
My UC friends and I decided to take advantage of our last day before classes by visiting parts of Bordeaux that we hadn't yet seen. I myself started the day early by taking a trip to the Bordeaux farmer's market first thing in the morning. The market was larger than I expected - a long double-row of stands selling food including fresh produce, rotisserie chickens, specially-made cheeses, oysters, and, of course, bottles of wine. After purchasing some fresh fruit, we found a stand selling seafood shishkababs, and couldn't resist getting them for lunch. Overall, the farmers market got the UC student stamp of approval, and we decided that we would return as a later date.
After finishing at the farmer's market, we collected a couple more friends and headed to a large park area that we found on the map. Being extremely fond of flowers, large trees, and grassy areas in general, it was instantly declared to be my new favorite spot. I mean, who wouldn't like a park that has its own waterfall?
We rested up for a while in the shade, then met up with even more friends to visit "Le Lac." And yes, I used those quotations marks purposefully, as that is how said body of water is labeled on the map. As in, apparently it has no name; it is simply "Le Lac." Anyways, this labeling was mentioned in many jokes as we walked all the way around said lac in an impromptu hike. It was a bit longer than I'd been planning to walk that day, but hey - it was good for me.
Not to mention, walking is always nicer when the scenery is pretty, no?
My UC friends and I decided to take advantage of our last day before classes by visiting parts of Bordeaux that we hadn't yet seen. I myself started the day early by taking a trip to the Bordeaux farmer's market first thing in the morning. The market was larger than I expected - a long double-row of stands selling food including fresh produce, rotisserie chickens, specially-made cheeses, oysters, and, of course, bottles of wine. After purchasing some fresh fruit, we found a stand selling seafood shishkababs, and couldn't resist getting them for lunch. Overall, the farmers market got the UC student stamp of approval, and we decided that we would return as a later date.
After finishing at the farmer's market, we collected a couple more friends and headed to a large park area that we found on the map. Being extremely fond of flowers, large trees, and grassy areas in general, it was instantly declared to be my new favorite spot. I mean, who wouldn't like a park that has its own waterfall?
We rested up for a while in the shade, then met up with even more friends to visit "Le Lac." And yes, I used those quotations marks purposefully, as that is how said body of water is labeled on the map. As in, apparently it has no name; it is simply "Le Lac." Anyways, this labeling was mentioned in many jokes as we walked all the way around said lac in an impromptu hike. It was a bit longer than I'd been planning to walk that day, but hey - it was good for me.
Not to mention, walking is always nicer when the scenery is pretty, no?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Huitres
- oysters, because I bet I know more about them than you now. At least the French ones.
Today was extremely eventful and fun, made even more exciting by the fact that I knew that my college friends have started school already. Sorry, I couldn't resist gloating a little bit, but remember this: in a couple weeks, we will both be attending university, but I'll be massively stressing out because I won't understand a word of what's being said in lecture, whereas my darling friends will be like psh this is easy. They can gloat then.
But my time to gush is now. Our program directors took us UC kids on a field trip to the surrounding area today so we could get a taste of some French culture. Literally. After sitting through an informational film and ambling through a museum on the topic, we were all presented with six shells, each filled with a (raw) oyster. I was a little apprehensive, since I'd only tasted oyster once before and had found it not to my liking. However this time, after a demonstration from a friend as to how one was supposed to eat and season an oyster, I actually enjoyed eating them. They're really pretty together on their plate, aren't they?
I also had my very first French pastry that meal also - a apple tart-thing that was flavored with wine and amazingness. I'm not explaining it very well, so I guess I'll just show you a picture.
After we'd finished lunch, we visited a massive sand dune. When we initially approached it, it looked like someone had just dumped a ginormous pile of sand in the middle of the forest. So we did the only logical thing and climbed the thing, which didn't seem so logical when we were only halfway up and our leg muscles were burning considering we were climbing a huge pile of sand. However, the view from the top was worth the climb. On one side, we could see the top of a pine forest, on the other, was a deep blue ocean, and overhead, a clear blue sky. I've never seen such beautiful beach scenery before in my life.
After we were finished on the sand dune, we drove to a beach, where many people went swimming. I abstained, but I did dip my feet in the water and collect seashells. I got a decent number of them, so if you want a French seashell, just hit me up, and I'll make sure one makes it home.
The day was fun, so it was sad to return to the dorm and remember how difficult it would be to scrounge up dinner. But I'm so glad I got this opportunity to experience France in such a relaxing way before school starts for me.
Today was extremely eventful and fun, made even more exciting by the fact that I knew that my college friends have started school already. Sorry, I couldn't resist gloating a little bit, but remember this: in a couple weeks, we will both be attending university, but I'll be massively stressing out because I won't understand a word of what's being said in lecture, whereas my darling friends will be like psh this is easy. They can gloat then.
But my time to gush is now. Our program directors took us UC kids on a field trip to the surrounding area today so we could get a taste of some French culture. Literally. After sitting through an informational film and ambling through a museum on the topic, we were all presented with six shells, each filled with a (raw) oyster. I was a little apprehensive, since I'd only tasted oyster once before and had found it not to my liking. However this time, after a demonstration from a friend as to how one was supposed to eat and season an oyster, I actually enjoyed eating them. They're really pretty together on their plate, aren't they?
I also had my very first French pastry that meal also - a apple tart-thing that was flavored with wine and amazingness. I'm not explaining it very well, so I guess I'll just show you a picture.
After we'd finished lunch, we visited a massive sand dune. When we initially approached it, it looked like someone had just dumped a ginormous pile of sand in the middle of the forest. So we did the only logical thing and climbed the thing, which didn't seem so logical when we were only halfway up and our leg muscles were burning considering we were climbing a huge pile of sand. However, the view from the top was worth the climb. On one side, we could see the top of a pine forest, on the other, was a deep blue ocean, and overhead, a clear blue sky. I've never seen such beautiful beach scenery before in my life.
After we were finished on the sand dune, we drove to a beach, where many people went swimming. I abstained, but I did dip my feet in the water and collect seashells. I got a decent number of them, so if you want a French seashell, just hit me up, and I'll make sure one makes it home.
The day was fun, so it was sad to return to the dorm and remember how difficult it would be to scrounge up dinner. But I'm so glad I got this opportunity to experience France in such a relaxing way before school starts for me.
Croque-Madame
- a French dish which is a sort of grilled ham and cheese sandwich with an egg on top. It has the distinction of being French 1 vocabulary in many high schools.
I had one! Granted it was in an Irish pub, but I had one in France nonetheless!
I had one! Granted it was in an Irish pub, but I had one in France nonetheless!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Connexion
- connection, because I finally have my student account for that.
To be more specific, "connexion" tends to refer to "connextion Internet," which is exactly what it sounds like. After our UC meeting today, which was conducted entirely in (slow and clear) French, the program directors arranged for what we had all been wanting every since we arrived here. I'm really not exaggerating when I say that I felt as though the sun was shining on me and a chorus of angelic voices started singing when I heard that news. Of course, it didn't work immediately after we got back, so we left for our first official excursion in hopes that it would once we made it home for the evening.
The excursion was enjoyable and informative. The tour guide was a knowledgeable lady who showed us around the more famous and historically-important parts of Bordeaux. In a fashion that I particularly enjoyed, she said each part of her spiel both in English and slow French, so we could both practice our listening and actually learn about the city. One of the prettier buildings we saw was an enormous church that was actually built and added onto over several centuries. I've included a picture below, so you can see it too.
After our tour was over, a few friends and I decided to get on an important piece of business: getting cell phones. I'd looked up a little cell phone vocabulary before coming here, but it wasn't enough to prepare us for for figuring out different plans and such in French. The first plan was the hardest; the five of us would attempt to ask the salesperson a question in French, he would answer, then someone who understood would explain what was said to the rest of us. After thanking the nice salesman (I think he was just nice because all five of us wanted cell phones,) we ended up walking to three other cell phone stores before realizing that the cheapest ones were really the same price everywhere. So now I am an owner of a shiny new cell phone, so feel free to call me - receiving calls is free in France!
The day in the town was fun, so now here I am, on my internet which is finally working. Of course, it appears to only work outside, so I am currently sitting outside in the dark, avoiding the rain under an overhang, thanking my lucky stars that my laptop has a decent battery so I don't have to go inside and recharge all the time. The things I will do for some online time...
To be more specific, "connexion" tends to refer to "connextion Internet," which is exactly what it sounds like. After our UC meeting today, which was conducted entirely in (slow and clear) French, the program directors arranged for what we had all been wanting every since we arrived here. I'm really not exaggerating when I say that I felt as though the sun was shining on me and a chorus of angelic voices started singing when I heard that news. Of course, it didn't work immediately after we got back, so we left for our first official excursion in hopes that it would once we made it home for the evening.
The excursion was enjoyable and informative. The tour guide was a knowledgeable lady who showed us around the more famous and historically-important parts of Bordeaux. In a fashion that I particularly enjoyed, she said each part of her spiel both in English and slow French, so we could both practice our listening and actually learn about the city. One of the prettier buildings we saw was an enormous church that was actually built and added onto over several centuries. I've included a picture below, so you can see it too.
After our tour was over, a few friends and I decided to get on an important piece of business: getting cell phones. I'd looked up a little cell phone vocabulary before coming here, but it wasn't enough to prepare us for for figuring out different plans and such in French. The first plan was the hardest; the five of us would attempt to ask the salesperson a question in French, he would answer, then someone who understood would explain what was said to the rest of us. After thanking the nice salesman (I think he was just nice because all five of us wanted cell phones,) we ended up walking to three other cell phone stores before realizing that the cheapest ones were really the same price everywhere. So now I am an owner of a shiny new cell phone, so feel free to call me - receiving calls is free in France!
The day in the town was fun, so now here I am, on my internet which is finally working. Of course, it appears to only work outside, so I am currently sitting outside in the dark, avoiding the rain under an overhang, thanking my lucky stars that my laptop has a decent battery so I don't have to go inside and recharge all the time. The things I will do for some online time...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Frites
- french fries, because the purchase of these allowed us to use McDonalds free WiFi, which in turn, is allowing me to finally post these blog entries.
And of course, French McDonalds is classy. Like it looks really chic in here - certain walls are covered in colorful designs in a tasteful way, and even the seats and tables look cute. It looks like an actual cafe, except there's no mistaking those golden arches. For the record, it seems that French McDonalds' fries taste the same as American McDonalds' fries. I'm not really sure if that is a good thing or not.
And of course, French McDonalds is classy. Like it looks really chic in here - certain walls are covered in colorful designs in a tasteful way, and even the seats and tables look cute. It looks like an actual cafe, except there's no mistaking those golden arches. For the record, it seems that French McDonalds' fries taste the same as American McDonalds' fries. I'm not really sure if that is a good thing or not.
Baguette
- that famous type of French bread, because that's what I'm eating right now.
Getting into France was massively exciting. I was lucky enough to run into three other people from my program at the airport, so not only did we get to split the cab fare (yay for saving euros!) but it also instantly banished my nervousness about the success rate of my reaching the university. After a few attempts to make awkward conversation with the cab driver in French (whose English was significantly better than our graceless French 4 conversational skills) we made it to the university without any trouble at all, and were soon released into the wild that is Bordeaux, France.
When I say "wild," I really don't mean wild at all. Bordeaux was, for lack of a better word, quaint. Or, as quaint as you can get when every building is 3-4 stories high. The city was eclectic - stately and modern at the same time. All of the architecture was clearly old, with its stone walls with graceful, curvy embellishments on the outer walls, but the shops and cafes on the ground floors clearly kept up with the times, blending the new with the old in an effect that was actually really charming. Though I was in a completely new country, I still saw some names I recognized - Sephora, Subway, and of course, McDonalds.
A few unpleasant surprises when it came to the dorming situation, though. First, we'll apparently have to fend for ourselves when it comes to food. However, to my knowledge, there are no restaurants/cafes/grocery stores within walking distance of the dorms. Also, we have no access to a refrigerator/microwave/pots/forks/two-sticks-that-could-possibly-pass-for-chopsticks, so we couldn't store or cook food even if we wanted to. I anticipate some interesting food improvisations in the near future (though I'm currently satisfied with my baguette and cheese!) Second, we have no access to internet in our dorms, so I don't know how I'm going to post this blog entry, or more importantly, let my ever-loving parents know that I have indeed made it to my destination with all my limbs (and travel papers) intact. Third, and my personal favorite, the toilets in our dorm don't have toilet seats. Yeeah...
Getting into France was massively exciting. I was lucky enough to run into three other people from my program at the airport, so not only did we get to split the cab fare (yay for saving euros!) but it also instantly banished my nervousness about the success rate of my reaching the university. After a few attempts to make awkward conversation with the cab driver in French (whose English was significantly better than our graceless French 4 conversational skills) we made it to the university without any trouble at all, and were soon released into the wild that is Bordeaux, France.
When I say "wild," I really don't mean wild at all. Bordeaux was, for lack of a better word, quaint. Or, as quaint as you can get when every building is 3-4 stories high. The city was eclectic - stately and modern at the same time. All of the architecture was clearly old, with its stone walls with graceful, curvy embellishments on the outer walls, but the shops and cafes on the ground floors clearly kept up with the times, blending the new with the old in an effect that was actually really charming. Though I was in a completely new country, I still saw some names I recognized - Sephora, Subway, and of course, McDonalds.
A few unpleasant surprises when it came to the dorming situation, though. First, we'll apparently have to fend for ourselves when it comes to food. However, to my knowledge, there are no restaurants/cafes/grocery stores within walking distance of the dorms. Also, we have no access to a refrigerator/microwave/pots/forks/two-sticks-that-could-possibly-pass-for-chopsticks, so we couldn't store or cook food even if we wanted to. I anticipate some interesting food improvisations in the near future (though I'm currently satisfied with my baguette and cheese!) Second, we have no access to internet in our dorms, so I don't know how I'm going to post this blog entry, or more importantly, let my ever-loving parents know that I have indeed made it to my destination with all my limbs (and travel papers) intact. Third, and my personal favorite, the toilets in our dorm don't have toilet seats. Yeeah...
Bateau
- boat, because I think that's the only mode of transportation I DIDN'T use.
A comprehensive list of the means by which I went from my house to my temporary university:
- car (parentals)
- train (Amtrak)
- subway (BART)
- airplane (from SFO)
- bus (National Express)
- shuttle (Best Western)
- airplane (from Gatwick)
- taxi (Jean-Marie, correct spelling not guaranteed)
- legs (Moi)
A comprehensive list of the means by which I went from my house to my temporary university:
- car (parentals)
- train (Amtrak)
- subway (BART)
- airplane (from SFO)
- bus (National Express)
- shuttle (Best Western)
- airplane (from Gatwick)
- taxi (Jean-Marie, correct spelling not guaranteed)
- legs (Moi)
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