A new semester begins!

Hello, Bonjour et Manaôna. The three languages of my home. How are you all? I miss you so much and keep thinking of all the fun things we have to do when I get back. (June/July) I'm really liking it here and wish i could stay longer, but that would be too long not seeing you all. Keep me posted on what you're all up to!!

And yes, a new semester has started. I've decided this semester to try to take the easiest load possible so i will be able to concentrate on soaking in the French/European life, this includes traveling. For my tests i only have one final paper to do and that's it so i should be able to accomplish my goals and still keep my home and abroad universities happy.

For classes last week I tried losts of history classes and a lit class. i didnt like the classes on Pre-history so i will find some other classes to replace those. I really liked my Cinéma class. We are going to read The War of the Worlds (see pic) and watch the new and old movies. Then i will write a paper comparing the three. It is a 1 credit class and the teacher, a newer one, said she would have me write a 10 pg paper. I let her know politely that that was too much-i have 2 credit classes that are asking me that much. I really liked my history of the middle ages class. The teacher talked super slow, which brought many moans and groans from the students. Sadly french students are really hard on teachers and many have break downs and have to deal with depression and all that. She did say a date once so slowly that you probably would have been able to write it down even if your were sleeping. But she is just trying to be nice because class notes mean everything here. they don't even assign books to read here for history. I think I'm going to thank her for speaking so slowly the next time i talk to her. That was day one- Eight hours straight.

Near my my uni-the tabacco factory. Tommarow marks the day that it is illegal to smoke in in closed places in france. No smoking at the tabacco facotory.

Day two was easier First teacher didn't show up for "ancient french/roman history." Roman history was with the teacher i liked who gave me a real written test last semester. Since i hope to be in Slovakia/Poland in June during finals, i will get to take an oral exam for that class in may. Might as well try it. The teacher in the next class was the opposite of the slow talker. She talked extremely fast, faster than Kathleen when she's really going. Usually i can just switch off really fast french. But her french was so clear-amazing for that velosity- so clear that i could easily pick it up. Honestly i was starting to get a head ache at the end of the class, 2hrs. next day, late for first class at.... noon, went to the wrong class the next time. Had to sneek out-not polite to leave in the middle of class like we are totally free to do at UM. Fry day i had a grammer class- we learned the wierdest rules of agreement. Go crazy French. Basically they just have random rules you have to apply when writing. To add an "e" or not, that is the question. I have a while to figure out my class schedule for sure.



I saw Harold the other day-time 3. He was in the same conditon as the first time i saw him.

The first week in Jan was the commencement of the church season Ephiphany and in France they have the tradition of eating an Ephiphany cake and whoever finds the little toy gets to wear the crown that goes with the cake. Fanja, host mom, won twice at church, Anthony at home, and Matilde and I at her place (she got the bigger one. :( )

I recently bought the first season of Alias and we have been watching it in english and french. very good. we will have to have alias parties at my place in missoula when i get back.

I also have made many book purchaces lately. See pic...

As you can see in these pics, i have started a euro coin collection. Each country gets to decorate one side/or 2 sometimes. there is also a 500 Malagasi Ariary. equivilant= $ .o7

Fact 1: One flash of a digital camera will stop an auditorium of 150 students.
Fact 2: Technically speaking information you get from your class can be seen as "intellectual property" encluding pictures. (He was surprised and amused)

The following is intelectual property of my history prof, so i give M. Cortieu of Aincient Art History the credit just incase.

Here is some stuff from la passé that i didnt put on here because i lost the list till recently.

It finally snowed here, but quickly melted. just like Missoula last winter.

I had to go to the Dr. for a check up so i could get my Carte de Sejour (temp. residency card). After the tests w/ the nurses i went to see the dr. He had me take off my shirt to check heart/breathing... and then he grabbed the little bit of belly fat that i have and said Oh hon hon, ah-tahn seeyun, too much may-O-naise and cola heh. And did you know that in a liter of coke there are 60 cubes of sugar? yes that's fact 3.


I got to go to the Gallo-Roman Museum near the ancient roman theater with a teacher as a guide. Museums are much better with an expert. We got to walk on a real roman tile decorated floor-which never happens. and i got to see a special setup of the ancient Gauls-people who lived in france at the time of rome. They were disguisting people constantly sacrificing people. I was disguisted.

We recently ran out of paper towels... That won't happen again.

France enters the "super-size me" culture, but a little over anxiously.