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...