A wonderful week finished off by an amazing trip to Paris :)

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I think that in just a few short days, I will have been in Angers for exactly one month. I must say that I feel as though I have just arrived. I am completely discombobulated by how quickly time passes. In a way, I wish time would just freeze so that I could stay here forever. Yet on the other hand, I have lots of dreams to go after... so I inevitably want to embrace the progression of time... Hmm... weird...

Well, last weekend I did my usually market trip/promenade through town on Saturday. And Sunday I did some work, read part of a novel I'm working on, and walked around town. However, to make my rather normal weekend absolutely exceptional, I was able to talk to Sra. McClam Sunday evening. That instantaneously made me one of the happiest people on the planet! I miss her so much, and she sounded great. So yeah, you could definitely say that was one of the best parts of my lazy Sunday afternoon.

This week at school was great. Classes were a bit more challenging, and the homework load a bit heavier. I had a quiz on Tuesday in my grammar class that I was super worried about. Well, before it I was confident...but during and after that quiz of grammatical torture, I started to panic! = But I am happy to report that I only missed one question out of twenty, thus making a 9.5/10. So no complaints there. And to make matters even more amazing, if we corrected the quiz and turned it back in (...let's just say that as a whole, the class didn't do so hot on that quiz!...), M. Langois said he'd give 1/2 credit for what we missed. So if I corrected it correctly, I'm looking at a 9.75/10 I suppose. But either way I'm quite content.

In my literature class, we had to have read Le Silence de la mer by this past Friday. Well, of course she gave us a surprise quiz over our reading. I had read the novel about two or so weeks ago over a weekend, so I was hoping I'd remember everything she wanted. And I actually think it went pretty well. So yeh... good week of quizzes.

For my language classes, we have oral, written, and listening tests (three of each) spread out over the semester. Well, our first oral exam is this Tuesday, but it is not at all a traditional test. First of all, we are in groups of three. Secondly, it's technically outside of class. My prof, M. Badeaud, gave each group a slip of paper with an object written on it; my group had a bike as our topic. Then, we were to make a 7-10 minute video related to the subject, taking whatever approach we wanted. Well, one of my group members, unfortunately, is pretty much nulle when it comes to riding a bike, so we decided to do our video on "What not to do when riding a bike in France." We worked on the script together all week and started filming it on Friday after classes. We have everything recorded so far but the conclusion, which we are doing tomorrow morning, and then we are to turn it in on Tuesday. I think the class is going to watch all of the "video tests" on Thursday or Friday during class... that'll be interesting! This project/test was SO fun to do, even though my group looked like a bunch of crazies all over campus, for we explained what not to do on a bike, and then OF COURSE acted it out 😊 Fun stuff!!

Next week I have a test in all of my classes except for Art History, though my art test is the week after that on the 11th. Ugh...I don't want to even think about all of the studying I need to do...

Yesterday, I went to Paris for the weekend with three other girls in the foyer. I got up around 6 to take a shower and get dressed, had breakfast quickly at 7:15, and headed off for the train station shortly after...for our train left at 8. Upon arriving at Montparnasse (one of the many SNCF train stations in Paris), we walked around and found a restaurant specializing in the cuisine of the region of Bretagne (which I just studied in my Socioculturelle class) to have lunch. I had the mille-feuille au blé noir, and for dessert, we all split a crepe with homemade chocolate sauce and bananas...which isn't really "breton" but whatever, can't ever go wrong with a chocolate and banana crepe! 😊 Next, we took the metro to the Museum of Modern Art to see an exposition of Giorgio de Chirico. It was amazing to say the least, and we spent over two hours looking at his work (there were SO many paintings!). For the rest of the afternoon we just walked around, took pictures, and enjoyed each others company in the fabulous city of Paris. Last summer I spent a lot of time in that city, and each day a lady named Catherine (who lives there) drove me from my friend's house to her apartment... thus to the middle of the city essentially. Anyways, she returned to Paris saturday afternoon after a trip to Mexico, and Sunday morning, we met up for coffee and to just catch up. I was so happy to see her! She hasn't changed a bit 😊

I am now back in Angers, trying to ingnore my pile of homework sitting on my desk beside me as a type and trying to imagine what wonderful experiences this coming week has in store for me. I really wish more CC students would study abroad, especially in Angers... I can feel how much this experience is truly changing me as a person each and every day. And so can the people around me. I just wish June 20th (the day I leave...) didn't even exist on the calendar!

Well, I hope all is well, and I'll have more for you next week!
HM

Expressions:

1. Sur le point (de faire qqch) - About to (do something) ... as in about to do something right now...
Je suis sur le point d'aller chez Kristi. - I'm about to go to Kristi's house.

2. le bordel - mess/disorder
Comment est-ce que tu travailles parmi tout ce bordel ?! Il te faut le ranger illico !

3. Le toubib - doctor
« Le toubib avait noté son numéro de portable sur une ordonnance et noté : Je vous prescris un bon dîner, rappelez-moi ».

4. illico - tout de suite
« Elle lui demandera de partir illico ».

5. Débile - idiot(ic) … can be a noun or adjective
6. Abracadabrante - absurd, bizarre
7. Une engueulade - dispute
« Le rire énorme de cette femme, ce travail débile chez Touclean, les histoires abracadabrantes de Carine, les engueulades, les cigarettes échangées, la fatigue physique, leurs fous rires imbéciles et leurs méchantes humeurs quelquefois, tout cela l’aidait à vivre. L’aidait à vivre, oui ».

8. Amuser la galerie - to make everyone laugh
« Drôle de clown triste qui amusait la galerie, bégayait devant les vendeuses et lui serrait le cœur ».


Ok, so the first expression is just a handy dandy little phrase to stress the fact that you are about to do something any moment now. I use it quite a bit, and it can be quite useful! For example, say you see someone that you REALLY just don't feel like talking to at the moment. This lovely little phrase will allow you to leave by saying "Oh what do you know, I was just about to leave. We'll talk next time." Haha...no, that'd be mean! Don't do that. But yeah...I think you get the point.

All of the other words come from a novel I'm reading (Ensemble, C'est tout)... hence the quotation marks around the example sentences. Anyways, they are just a few "familiar French" words that are fun to throw around. With that said, "throw them around" with your friends, not your professor. The next time you are in Dr. Mann-Morlet's office, I certainly would not recommend saying "Tiens! Regardez ce bazar ! Dr. Mann-Morlet, votre bureau est complètement bordélique ! C’est débile de travailler comme ça !" (And this is just an example sentence, Dr. Mann-Morlet! I don't think your office is bordélique!!) Words and expressions of this register are used between friends, as well as between family members when at the house. If I were to go up to one of my professors today and say something this informal, I assure you his/her response will be less than gentille 😊 For example, my français familier professor got a little "flustered" last week when a student simply walked in and said "Salut Mme. Rival!" She wasn't at all mad, for she knew that this student wasn't intentionally overly informal with her. She just politely informed him that "Nous saluons à nos amis" and that it was "Bonjour, Mme. Rival"... I think the French language is extremely rich and beautiful, for it can be twisted and manipulated, creating so many registers and tones. However, you've got to be able to decipher when and to whom you can say certain phrases, and when and to whom it is absolutely interdit!

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Photos

On the way to Paris
On the train from Angers to Paris. Fun times :)

Sleepy lady
So early trains may be the cheapest, but Yui was sooooo tired!!

Paris Museum of Modern Art
The front of the museum is super modern, but the back had a more mythological feel.

Eiffel Tower
Right outside of the art musem, you have an amazing view of the eiffel tower from across the Seine.

Arc de Triomphe
(L-R) Mariko, Me, Yui: in front of the Arc de Triomphe

Balzac
A random statue of Balzac that we passed on the way to a cafe.