Mon magasin préféré n'est pas <<un magasin>> exactement, mais les grands marchés! Tous les matins, il y a deux marchés, juste sur mon chemin à l'école, de nourritures fraîches, des fruits et des légumes de la compagne. J'adore les brugnons blanches!! Ma camarade de maison me taquine que je ne choisi jamais une autre fruit, mais je pense qu'un mieux fruit n'existe pas.
I saw people peeing outside just twice, both on very small and dark side streets when my housemate and I were walking home late at night after going out (we weren't walking down the side streets, apparently it's a very bad idea, we have been warned! We just happened to look over and see them).
La cuisine n'est pas très étrange, comme je pensais. On mange beaucoup de tomates et raisins fraîches, de notre jardin. Ce soir, ma mère d'accueil a cuit une soupe des <<raviolis chinois>> (dumplings), des legumes (endives) avec du jambon et de la sauce au crème.
I'm getting tired and need to finish this blog before I go to bed! Sorry it took me so long to get these last two out.
I am taking four classes: French grammar, Provençale History (we get to go on excursions to ancient-ruin sites), French honors seminar (culture/literature/art), and French linguistics (it's very difficult). Plus, I am also doing an internship at a local bookstore for school credit!
I just started the internship Saturday, my boss is named Rita and very nice/funny. So far my job consists of me hanging out with her, and chatting casually with her friends who come in (she has a lot!). I have been there three days, and already two different authors have given me a copy of their books. We keep joking that by the end of the semester, I will have to buy a new suitcase to take home all the books I am likely to receive :) Today, we bonded over a mutual love of classic rock, particularly "Led Zepp" as she calls it, and I told her I didn't know of any French music, because they seem to only listen to American music here (it's kind of annoying actually :) ). She told me she would go home and make a list of musicians she thinks I would like.
I had kind of a hard weekend last week, I got very homesick and stayed home most of the weekend, leaving only once aside from going to the bookstore Saturday to relax with a book in the park. I downloaded and watched a lot of the BBC television show "Life" and became very jealous of my friend in South America (Buenos Aires) who just went whale watching, and my friend in Capetown, South Africa who got to go on a safari in Botswana. When I woke up to my first French rain (and apparently the first rain here in 4 months!) Monday morning, I felt calm and renewed and ready to explore what MY country has to offer...I am going to climb Mont St Victoire tomorrow, and I decided to stay in France for my fall break to do some exploring around here. I was having a difficult time because a lot of the students here are planning trips every weekend--Brussels, Croatia, Prague, Barcelona, Switzerland, London.... and although I have enough to do a lot of fun things, it was hard for me to come to terms with the fact that I can't do everything. But, I do have enough to see A LOT in France, and I made myself feel better by planning a trip to Lyon at the end of November, and a Paris getaway at the beginning of November. Even if I have to go by myself...I am a big girl! I came to a whole new continent by myself, I can handle visiting a city alone; plus I have my handy dandy pepper spray, courtesy of my boyfriend, and a rape whistle, courtesy of freshman orientation at DU...I hope I never have to use these but it makes me feel a lot better knowing that I have the option!