Tuesday 22 September

Just wanted to say hi real quick. Still trying to get technology on my side so I can put pictures up on this blog, but not quite there yet. Apologies!! Also I've written a couple of posts but I left my USB drive in Illinois. So there's going to be a time lag. ANYWAY...

My classes have started! I'm super busy... it's really fun. My Monday's, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are packed, and then thursday I have just one class and Friday is free! Some of the students are putting preasure on the teachers to change the Thursday class, I'm all for it. Then I can work Thursday and Friday all day, get my 15 hours in for the week, and still have the weekend off. Monday is going to be hard... my first class is at 8 am and the last one ends at 7:45 pm.

There's a lot to learn. I'm happy with the course offerings, the classes are very helpful. I would highly recommend this program to anyone wanting to improve their French; the professors definitely hold themselves to a high standard. After this semester I think I should be prepared to attend Modern French Litterature classes with other French students. As long as the departement chair gives me the thumbs up; I'm going to meet with them Thursday. If the music school dosn't work out maybe I could apply to the university for next year as a normal student. I have to keep a French journal for one of my classes, I'm totally stoaked!

I need to get a job though. Time to start thinking about that again, especially now that I have my scheduel and a better idea of what my work load is going to be like. It would be nice to find a job in France doing something that interests me, so I can stay here and earn money. I hope I get to stay here for a long time... Lyon is growing on me. I like it, it's urban but not crowded; it's got that city grit yet it's very calm, almost relaxing. The countryside and mountains are not far, it's easier to meet other French people because everyone is less stressed out. Paris is nice but Lyon has a rythum that's very "agreable", comme on dit en français.

I got to talk to my family on Skype, it was SO VERY WONDERFUL! It made me realise how much I miss you guys. And you all look so good! And you were drinking that delicious American coffee... aaaaah... Auntie Meg you're so crafty and cleaver! And Amanda with your awesome blog and terrific son... you both inspire me. AND I GOT TO SEE MY MOMMA, I LOVE MY MOM. You all make me miss garage sales... THAT's what America needs to export.

I think I'm going to be able to host a Thanksgiving, there are a couple of Americans in my classes. Most of them are in their late teens-early twenties. Being in my late twenties now (and proud of it sista!), I was a little daunted at first by the age gap. I got defensive for a second. Then I realised that EVERYONE around me is of that age, or almost everyone including my roommates, and that I better start getting used to it because this trend is only going to continue. And people are allright at that age! A little wet behind the ears, but cheary and optomistic and energetic as well. I think they're a little intimidated by me; I need to make myself accessible. In otherwords, I gave myself an attitude check. That being said, they do speak a lot of English when in the company of other Americans. I remember doing that in Paris, it was a fun experience and I did make alot of friends. But that's not what I came here to do this time. The solution to that is easy though: I speak in French. If they want to speak in French too, great. Sometimes it's hard for me to speak English, especially to joke, because I've gotten into the habit of using my French. I'm zoned in.

But I can take a break every now and then! Attitude check...

I'm off. Two last things. I woke up at 6:30 am today and thought about how it's 11:30 pm back home (no wonder I was so tired har har har). That and yesterday, after my super long awesome exhausting day, I went to the gorcery. I bought some 3 euro red wine, some meat, and made myself spagetti with smoked pork. It was victorious.