My vie en general (2 posts in one night! GOOOO ME!)

Its been going REALLY good. There have been a few minor hiccups in the past couple weeks...there have been some crazy drama moments with everyone (like serious asthma attacks and illnesses back home and my family telling me they wouldn't be offended if I moved out a semester??), but all in all, France is great. Almost two months have gone by (a fact that I just realized today) and only about two months are left in the semester. I can't believe it.


Last weekend, we had an other excursion with CIEE to Cornouaille. This time there wasn't as much museum-y sight seeing things, it was just BEAUTIFUL! We were right by the ocean, our hostel even had a view of the ocean from the window. The city we stayed in was called Carcaneau, and it had a really cool walled city area on the water. It basically was an excuse to party with everyone in the program, which was fun. We all hung out by the water, and later Leah and I explored the walled city. Found some old canons and took a lot of pictures. It was great. The Pointe-du-Raz, the most western part of France, was hyper cool. I was just in shock with how pretty it was.

This past Tuesday, there was an event at Rennes II called Le Parrainage (which is like a mentorship) for French and international students to meet. I met a group of 3 French girls and 2 French guys who were all really nice. I tried to teach them some Christmas songs (they asked?) and they taught me some random phrases (like how to say "I'm buzzed" - Je suis pompette - in case you were wondering). It was nice to be able to speak in French to real French speakers for once (and not just random international students in class). Though, at times the conversation was WAYYYYY to fast between the Frenchies to follow. I got a couple numbers, made some facebook friends. Hopefully I'll see them again.


At the moment in Rennes, there is an accordion festival, called "Le Grand Soufflet" and every night there are free concerts. Last night, Larissa, Leah, and I went to one and it changed my views on accordions entirely. It was so cool. They played Chick Corea, some samba, Cindi Lauper's "Time After Time." You name it. I didn't realize you could play an accordion like that, I always just imagine Leiderhosen and weinerschnitzel.


Today, for our class de Francophonies, Leah and I had to interview someone who lives in France but comes from somewhere different. Leah's host mom works with a guy who is Portuguese...so parfait! Our interview went ok, but we were both kind of nervous (its for a grade), and of course, after we turned the recorder off he said the most interesting thing. Georges lived the first 20 years of his life in Portugal, and has lived 20 years in France. To the French, he's not really French. He can speak the language, and he knows the culture, but he's not un vrai Français. But, he says now, when he goes back home, the Portuguese don't consider him Portuguese either. He's adapted his ways, he doesn't speak the same Portuguese. He's in a sort of cultural purgatory. Doesn't quite fit in one place, no longer fits in the other. He also said that being in France brought things about Portugal that he didn't know before to his attention. In Portugal, he didn't know much about the folklore or the traditional music, but the distance made him more interested in his own culture. I'm really glad that my prof gave us the assignment! It was a good experience. And he complimented us on our French skills, always a plus!

Leah and I found a great coffee shop/book store that reminded me a lot of coffee shops back home, with a couch and photography for sale on the walls. It even came complete with French hipsters! Oh and homemade quiche. Quiche is always a plus in my book.


This weekend, I'm gonna faire du méga shopping with Larissa, Leah, and (hopefully) Agathe, my host sister. I've been amazed at how fashionable French people are. And it always looks effortless. Today at the coffeeshop, Leah and I did a lot of people watching. The game: "Guess how old the French kids are." The 12 year olds look about 20, no joke. They wear boots and heels and leggings and dresses, and all black, and dress about 45788929395 times better than me. I feel entirely inadequate. So, goal for demain, buy Frenchie clothes! I'm coming back to the US à la mode!