Hello all! Greetings here from the land of spotty internet connection. The wifi in our apartment has not been working well for the past few days, so I apologize for the gap in posts. It is amazing how much we all rely on the internet now, for so many different things. I mean, it is our primary connections to all of you lovely people, to travel plans, to homework, to financial planning...Lord help us all if the internet crashes entirely one day. We won't understand how to go back to the days where you had to wait to get information about things and talk to people.
Anyways, back to France. I'll try and do a quick update of life here, including some fun facts about French culture I am picking up.
School started this week and I had classes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Not bad, I know, except that three hour classes are brutal. Especially from 4-7 pm. I mean, 4 pm is usually when I hit my wall for the day anyways, and then you're hungry, and tired. But, you can also go to a gelato place when you get back to little old Antibes, so I guess that may make up for it. :)
FUN FACT: French people do in fact, smoke a ton. Since the classes are 3 hours long there is always a break in the middle, during which time there is a mass exodus to the courtyards to smoke. Instead of having anti-smoking ads everywhere, there are ads about eating healthy...including under signs advertising McDonald's. This is how the French stay so thin: smoke and eat fruit.
On Thursday I went to Nice with a few girls from our CEA program to do some shopping. I made a purchase rather larger than I meant to, but it also fell under one of my List items, so more to come on that later. That night Julia and I and a few other people went to a party at a French villa (umm...ya...even I can't believe that one all the way), and then to a club to dance the night away.
FUN FACT: The French party HARD. The party at the club we went to was hosted that night by the US equivalent of student government at SKEMA, and it started at 11 pm and went to 5 pm, which is how most parties are here. ALSO: there is no open bottle policy here. So you can drink wine in the street...our Limon Cello on the train...not to give specifics or anything.
On Friday, a few of us went to Vintmille, which is an Italian city that is an hour train ride away. I am so in love with trains now. The view everywhere is beautiful, and it is so peaceful. I mean, check out this view:
Friday evening we also all pitched in on dinner made at the apartment of one of the girls in the program. It was a delicious dinner and grand company. The people in our CEA program (all Americans) are really interesting, outgoing and generally amiable. I am almost learning as much about my own country as France because we are from all over. I am so excited to state hop in the US now.
FUN FACT: We also had a King's Cake that night, which is a tradition in France I believe based around the Epiphany, a Catholic holiday. For the entire month of January you can buy a King's Cake. You share it with friends, and whoever finds the tiny figurine baked inside gets to wear the crown. See below:
Saturday we went to another couple of towns in Italy (because I can just go to Italy for the weekend...I don't understand that yet either). One of the towns was really more of a fortified village - gorgeous and full of history. Some of the guys in our program played soccer with some of the local kids. Quite a lovely day.
I must head off now to eat and get ready for a day in Cannes! More to come on the List also, lots have been getting checked off.
Anyways, back to France. I'll try and do a quick update of life here, including some fun facts about French culture I am picking up.
School started this week and I had classes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Not bad, I know, except that three hour classes are brutal. Especially from 4-7 pm. I mean, 4 pm is usually when I hit my wall for the day anyways, and then you're hungry, and tired. But, you can also go to a gelato place when you get back to little old Antibes, so I guess that may make up for it. :)
FUN FACT: French people do in fact, smoke a ton. Since the classes are 3 hours long there is always a break in the middle, during which time there is a mass exodus to the courtyards to smoke. Instead of having anti-smoking ads everywhere, there are ads about eating healthy...including under signs advertising McDonald's. This is how the French stay so thin: smoke and eat fruit.
On Thursday I went to Nice with a few girls from our CEA program to do some shopping. I made a purchase rather larger than I meant to, but it also fell under one of my List items, so more to come on that later. That night Julia and I and a few other people went to a party at a French villa (umm...ya...even I can't believe that one all the way), and then to a club to dance the night away.
FUN FACT: The French party HARD. The party at the club we went to was hosted that night by the US equivalent of student government at SKEMA, and it started at 11 pm and went to 5 pm, which is how most parties are here. ALSO: there is no open bottle policy here. So you can drink wine in the street...our Limon Cello on the train...not to give specifics or anything.
On Friday, a few of us went to Vintmille, which is an Italian city that is an hour train ride away. I am so in love with trains now. The view everywhere is beautiful, and it is so peaceful. I mean, check out this view:
Friday evening we also all pitched in on dinner made at the apartment of one of the girls in the program. It was a delicious dinner and grand company. The people in our CEA program (all Americans) are really interesting, outgoing and generally amiable. I am almost learning as much about my own country as France because we are from all over. I am so excited to state hop in the US now.
FUN FACT: We also had a King's Cake that night, which is a tradition in France I believe based around the Epiphany, a Catholic holiday. For the entire month of January you can buy a King's Cake. You share it with friends, and whoever finds the tiny figurine baked inside gets to wear the crown. See below:
Saturday we went to another couple of towns in Italy (because I can just go to Italy for the weekend...I don't understand that yet either). One of the towns was really more of a fortified village - gorgeous and full of history. Some of the guys in our program played soccer with some of the local kids. Quite a lovely day.
I must head off now to eat and get ready for a day in Cannes! More to come on the List also, lots have been getting checked off.
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