Piqûres d'araignées
So... I got through my first week of school. It was a surprisingly eventful week. This isn't regular university, that doesn't start until October. It's a program called the PLP, which stands for Prepatory Language Program. Basically, it's a month long course in French that preps us for the year that is to come (you know, like grammar, verb tenses, etc.). First, we take a placement test, then we are separated into different classes according to our level of French knowledge. I tested into two levels from the top, because I gotta tell ya, I just wasn't feelin' that 2 hour long placement test.
First day of the PLP, I'm feeling a little bored with the subject matter, but not with the guy who's teaching it. His name is Monsieur Dufeu and he's totally adorable, in that whole dorky, cute professor sort of a way. Anyway, it became sort of a problem because I was focusing more on my visions of our first date, than I was on the stuff he was trying to teach. So, on Thursday, they did a reevaluation of our levels, and despite my best efforts to flirt my way into staying in his class, he said I should go up a level. So, now I'm in the level I should be, but my teacher is just a nice French lady. I have nothing against Madame Garcia, but she just isn't as cute! I'm glad my French skill level is so close to the top (it friggin' should be, with all those years with Desalvo...), but I must admit, I sure do miss Monsieur Dufeu...
Aside from school and daydreaming about French professors, I've been venturing out on "Students in Aix" excursions. Yesterday, we went to Cassis. A beautiful little town near Marseilles, that rests on the Mediterranean coast. We took two big tour buses to the beach and took pictures on the cliffside, had some ice cream, went swimming in the Mediterranean... I must say, the view was breathtaking. From the cliffside, the water is the most wonderful shade of cobalt blue, and it fades to bluegreen as you get closer to the beach. There is no sand, but perfect little round stones that are hard to walk on but beautiful to look at. When you swim in the water, though, you feel much more bouyant than usual. I'm told this is because of all the salt in the water. It was one of the most wonderful places I've ever been to, and I'll never forget it. I will try to attach some pictures if I can sometime, then you all will see what I'm talking about.
Funny thing about yesterday, though, is that I kind of beat myself up a bit. I must have hit my head on the tour bus, like, 4 times. Then, when we were swiming, I slipped on this slimey rock and cut my leg and threw out my back a bit. Then, when I came home, I had bruises all over! Not to mention, I got bit by a spider or something a few days before, and I had a huge red rash on my left hand and it looked like I had elephantitus. By the way, talking to French pharmacists is quite the adventure. Luckily, I knew certain important phrases like, "Maybe you could help me?" and "spider bite" and "Ow, my friggin' hand itches..."
First day of the PLP, I'm feeling a little bored with the subject matter, but not with the guy who's teaching it. His name is Monsieur Dufeu and he's totally adorable, in that whole dorky, cute professor sort of a way. Anyway, it became sort of a problem because I was focusing more on my visions of our first date, than I was on the stuff he was trying to teach. So, on Thursday, they did a reevaluation of our levels, and despite my best efforts to flirt my way into staying in his class, he said I should go up a level. So, now I'm in the level I should be, but my teacher is just a nice French lady. I have nothing against Madame Garcia, but she just isn't as cute! I'm glad my French skill level is so close to the top (it friggin' should be, with all those years with Desalvo...), but I must admit, I sure do miss Monsieur Dufeu...
Aside from school and daydreaming about French professors, I've been venturing out on "Students in Aix" excursions. Yesterday, we went to Cassis. A beautiful little town near Marseilles, that rests on the Mediterranean coast. We took two big tour buses to the beach and took pictures on the cliffside, had some ice cream, went swimming in the Mediterranean... I must say, the view was breathtaking. From the cliffside, the water is the most wonderful shade of cobalt blue, and it fades to bluegreen as you get closer to the beach. There is no sand, but perfect little round stones that are hard to walk on but beautiful to look at. When you swim in the water, though, you feel much more bouyant than usual. I'm told this is because of all the salt in the water. It was one of the most wonderful places I've ever been to, and I'll never forget it. I will try to attach some pictures if I can sometime, then you all will see what I'm talking about.
Funny thing about yesterday, though, is that I kind of beat myself up a bit. I must have hit my head on the tour bus, like, 4 times. Then, when we were swiming, I slipped on this slimey rock and cut my leg and threw out my back a bit. Then, when I came home, I had bruises all over! Not to mention, I got bit by a spider or something a few days before, and I had a huge red rash on my left hand and it looked like I had elephantitus. By the way, talking to French pharmacists is quite the adventure. Luckily, I knew certain important phrases like, "Maybe you could help me?" and "spider bite" and "Ow, my friggin' hand itches..."
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