as the weather gets colder, the french people get hotter

Bonjour mes amis. i can't believe how fast time is flying. it's actually insane. my last blog was on the 7th and it is now almost the end of October. quoi??!!
        So, it is officially Les Vacances! we get a week off of school (i'm not really sure why but i'm not questioning it). Most of my friends are off traveling to exotic places, but yours truly is staying put in Bordeaux grâce à poor planning and financial woes. But i aint complaining! It's nice to have a break from school, sleep in and just do nothing. Plus, I am going to tear up the town with or without my comrades.
     This past week I had my first exams in French school. they were pretty terrifying. I am kind of expecting my professors to say, 'you might as well go back to California'. But I think (hope) they understand our lack of comprehension when it comes to their university system, and maybe they will cut us some slack. However, this past week did motivate me to start trying harder and get my butt back in etudier mode.

Brrrrr!!!!!

     It's starting to get freezing cold!!!!! Bordeaux weather is a funny thing...when we first arrived, it switched between hot and muggy to random torrential rain storms. Now, it is just really really cold. I know I'm a spoiled California girl when it comes to weather, but my bones are chilled. I asked my mom to send some California sunshine along with my winter clothes she is preparing to send me. The worst thing is, my French friends say this is nothing. Just wait until January, they told us. I'm scared. i'm expecting to be waddling around like the kid from A Christmas Story, who is bundled up like a little marshmallow. Oh but of course the french pull off their winter style like fashion models, as per usual. Leave it to them to be able to battle 0 degree (ok,celsius) weather while looking like they stepped off a Vogue photo shoot. sigh.

Recent Adventures

    Oh so last weekend, Erika took us on a  lovely trip to her nephew's home in the countryside! He is a rich doctor who I want to marry. his house is amazing. it's on acres of grassy fields where cows graze and flowers grow (wow I am so poetic!) And the Dordogne river is just on the other side. it was one of the last days of warm, sunny weather, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch outside on his patio, listening to Elvis of course. it's my new goal to live there. see for yourself:

It was a great way to say good bye to the warm days of summer and welcome the chilly autumn and winter.

         My friends and I also checked out la Fête Foraine the other night. It's the carnival in Bordeaux! it was pretty cheesy like most fairs, but worth the experience. It was interesting to see how Americanized everything was. all the rides, attractions and food were printed in English with American-type pictures all over the place. i think it's something Americans don't realize until they have traveled outside the states, how wide-spread our culture is. Not only at the fair, but my french friends know everything there is to know about our music, tv shows, movies...everything. it's quite surprising.... interesting fact. But anyway, the fair was over priced and fun. we rode the ferris wheel (la grande roue) 

Oh my god, then I made a horrible mistake and went on a roller coaster that seemed harmless, but in reality was terrifying. THis thing spun around in circles for 10 minutes!!!!!!! super fast, with smoke blowing in your face, and the seat things spun wildly around. max and i almost died. there is a reason i don't do roller coasters....

ps, it was called sexy dance. ya i dont know. It was a fun experience all around though!

         Well, hot chocolate and movies in bed is calling. I am too scared to go outside and brace the cold so I'm spending the day safe inside my covers. Tonight, though, Todd and I are storming the city. watch out Bordeaux ; )

A bientot! love to all :)

   

Que sera, sera

I think it's time for an update! i've been neglecting my blog. so bonjour! Lots has been happening here in bordeaux-land. I am slowly starting to feel like I really live here. Before, I felt like a tourist, thinking that this amazing vacation must end soon, and I'd have to go back to reality. it's a trip knowing I have many more months ahead of me :)

The Opera
So we went to see an opera! At the Grand Théâtre! It was awe-inspiring being at such a magnificent and historical opera house. We saw Madame Butterfly, which turned out to be a very depressing story. And, we had not-the-best seats (and that's putting it nicely). basically we were in nose bleed land. i actually couldn't really see anything. But, it was really fun getting dressed up and being classy at the opera :)

(merci Sara pour les photos :) )

St. Emilion
Erika took Laura and I on a little day-trip to a town just outside Bordeaux, called St. Emilion. it was so cute! it reminded me of Carmel back in California, very quaint and charming, expensive. It's best known for its wineries and wine. we walked around and went into the cute little shops and wished we could afford anything. however we did splurge on delicious macarons, which actually originated in St. Emilion! i tried Nutella and Laura tried caramel. both amazing. afterward, we déjeunéd at one of Erika's favorite restaurants. then we went on a surprise tour of a chateau/ winery! i wasn't expecting it but it was quite exquisite. we also got to have a degustation (wine tasting) of some very fine wines. it was funny because laura and I downed our glasses, while the rest of the group delicately tasted, smelled and enjoyed the flavors of each wine. but then they spit it out into an urn-type thing! hey, I can appreciate wine, but if I'm tasting it I'm gonna swallow that! anyway, it was quite a long but adventurous day.

Erasmus Parties/ Partying in General
Oh mon dieu. we do a lot of partying here. the french know how to do it well! Erasmus, which is study abroad in Europe, organizes a lot of parties for all the foreigners here to get together and mix all of our different languages together into one drunken slur. Just kidding, but not really. they are always shit shows. On tuesday (yes like the middle of the week), there was one that we attended. as my friend Sara said, NEVER AGAIN! wednesday was living hell, I'll let you imagine why. we learned a valuable lesson:keep the partying to JVS. On a better note, our French friends invited us to their apartments for a real frenchy party. it was so fun! all their friends are so nice and friendly. it reminds me of our little kickbacks at Davis...but...everyone is speaking French.

School (La Fac)
So we're in our third or fourth week of school now. I still feel a little lost. like this :

And, it doesnt help that i have a horrible sense of direction, and half the time don't know where I am going. it's definitely one of the hardest things I've had to adjust to. It's like when I felt overwhelmed in my French classes at Davis, except every class I'm taking is like that. but, it's coming along. it definitely expands my comprehension and vocabulary. and we made a friend in our classes who is also very sweet and clues us in on what is going on. This semester I'm only taking litterature courses, so it gets a little monotonous. Hopefully by next semester I'll be able to take psych. i miss it! One of our professors loves California and is really excited there are Californians in his class. he always makes references to us/CA/ the states, and I think the other french students are getting a little tired of it. but it's nice to get a little reminder of home :)

Speaking of home, I do miss it. I'm not homesick necessarily, but from time to time things pop in my head and I'm like, awwwww if only I were back in CA.

Like Buddy:

And my mommy:

And Sol Food:

And my bed...and my friends...and other things. But, i am living in France so I really can't complain!

Well mes amis, i think that just about summarizes my last few weeks in francey france. i can't describe how much i love it. but i dont want to bore you :) so there you go! love to all.

Fairing les vendanges, l'université et autres choses!

Bonjour yall, wowowow I have beaucoup to say! Where to begin... I am still falling more in love with Bordeaux chaque jour. I'm currently sitting in my host house's lovely jardin, watching the chickens scurry around and soaking up the sunshine, before the cold weather begins. I've had some pretty crazy adventures lately, so I'll start from last weekend.

Vendanges!
So i had the amazing opportunity to "faire les vendanges", which means harvesting and cutting the grapes in a vineyard, to make wine. Erika, my french mom, has friends who own a chateau and winery... and every year, when the time comes to cut the grapes, she takes her foreigners to help out. There were about 40 people total, out in the fields cutting the grapes! it was an all day ordeal, and very tiring physical labor, but totally worth it. And they fed us a fabulous home cooked French meal at lunch time. im drooling just thinking about it! It lasted about 2 hours, and we ate and drank a ridiculous amount of delicious food and wine. Some of the bottles were over 20 years old, and cost 200 Euro! i didn't feel worthy of dining in this amazing chateau, but im so thankful i got to experience it. Here are some photos:

The wine cellar!

The gorgeous table setting for lunch

Amazing chateau

more tables

clippin the grapes!

this is taken from google, but this is basically what i was doing.

So basically it was the best thing ever. Afterwards, I was so tired after but we still went out of course :)

Going Out 

So partying here is a lot different than at home. people are very classy when they drink (for the most part). we usually go out to bars, and have discovered a few really cool ones... Our favorites are Houses of Parliament and Charles Dickens. Also, last night I went to a party for Erasmus students , which is the european equivalent of study abroad. i met lots of cool frenchies who hopefully want to be my friend. my goal is to have more real french friends though...its easier said than done, but hopefully with school it will be accomplished. which  leads me to:

Classes at Université de Bordeaux

Classes have officially started at Bordeaux 3. Im taking freshman level courses because that's the level I can handle,and I'm still kind of struggling haha. but they're pretty interesting and it's cool being among all French students! I'm taking a french literature class, phonetics, something called langue&stylistique and a Middle Ages history class. they're pretty interesting. 

On a somewhat unrelated note, all French people are gorgeous. It's like a law or something. When i walk around campus (or anywhere), I feel like an ugly American duckling!! Its a pretty big blow to my self confidence... But seriously,I feel like i go to a modeling school. everyone is always impeccably dressed, and there are just no unattractive people. i find myself staring at guys and girls and wondering how its possible for such beautiful people to be located in one place. just another amazing thing about la France.

Anyway, it's time to manger. Even though its Jeudi (the official start of the weekend), im keepin it low key tonight. more energy to go hard vendredi/samedi :)

Bisous! 

Recent Aventures

Bonsoir mes amis. things are going swimmingly here in france, well for the most part. I still feel slightly slow when it comes to speaking the language. but ya know, what can I expect? I'm hoping my progress accelerates when school starts. Speaking of school, i'll start with that:

La Fac
So university is called 'la fac' here, which sounds dangerously close to what you're thinking. It is completely fou (crazy). As i mentioned before, nothing is organized in the least... but they keep telling us we'll figure our classes out one day, so I'm counting on that. My friend and I tried going to a psych class, and after encountering many problems such as finding the building and maneuvering through thousands of frenchies, there was a man there who announced there was no class. Like it was an obvious thing. So that went out the window... I think i will stick to French classes. I am also considering just dropping the whole taking-classes idea and becoming a free traveling gypsy woman. That's a joke...sort of. But, I have to say, the campus of the psych department is GORGEOUS. see for yourself:

It seriously looks like a museum, right?? Ahhh i love it. Anyway, French classes are supposed to start next week, so we'll see how that goes. For now I'm enjoying my free time this week and doing various activities during the day/night. Such as:

Recent Adventures
Last saturday, my friends and I experienced the boites, which are the night clubs that open at midnight and close at 7 am. It was absolute craziness. i redefined the meaning of 'dance the night away'... So much fun! they blasted house all night and everyone was feeding off each other's energy. However, people get crazy at those hours of the early morning. we saw some scary sights... I think i'll keep my boite-nights to a minimum. still worth it though :D

Monday was the beginning of classes, for both the foreign student program and some of the real French courses. as i explained, registration is a nightmare. i'll save a very long story by saying I spent 2 hours signing up for 1 class. After all these trials and tribulations, I've rewarded myself with retail therapy... too often perhaps. But i've familiarized myself very well with French fashion. my friend Sara and I know the stores too well now... but i must say, i'm looking more and more French every day! However, I still feel like i look like a dog compared to these gorgeous French people. seriously, it is hard to find one less-than-stunning frenchy here. my standard for attractiveness has infinitely increased. it's a good thing

That photo doesnt even do it justice. And tonight, Erika made ratatouille! And i mentioned the movie (one of my faves), not expecting her to know it, and she runs and gets the DVD from her living room IN FRENCH!!!!! i died. i am so happy here i cant even explain! oooo lala.

I have to mention my 2 favorite places that i've discovered so far: le Quai, and le Jardin Public. First of all, the quai is the area that runs along the river in downtown Bordeaux. it's one of my favorites because it encompasses so many different things. During the day, its a lovely, tranquil place to stroll, drink a cafe (or wine), read a book or just people watch. And at night, it turns into the center of night life. there are lots of bars around and its great to meet friends , and acquaint yourself with real frenchies! This morning i relaxed there just reading my book- Erika's daughter lent me 'Into the Wild' in French. Ive never read it in any language, and im doing my best to understand it. it takes me about 1 day per page, but thats ok!

Anyway, onto the Jardin Public- the public gardens. This place is absolutely marvelous. it's a giant park with a pond (river?) and tons of grassy areas, where you can eat, drink, hang out with friends, watch cute french guys play rugby, and do whatever. We have pic-niced there several times. its so awesome! today we took a nap there in the beautiful sunshine after a long day of museum-going.


Oh ya, so today's other activity was going to the Musee des Beaux-Arts. it was really cool and interesting! First, we were french noobs and went to the wrong museum. but we still saw a cool exhibit on the paintings of Moses, from the bible. Once we realized that wasnt the real museum, we found the right one and saw classic paintings from 17 and 18th century artists. They also featured Monet and Renoir. very cool! but very tiring too. french culture is pretty exhausting to take in.

well this is a very long bloggy post, so i'll wrap it up by saying that every day that I spend here, I love this city and country more and more. i am so content here, living with lovely Erika in her amazing home, going through the struggles of adjusting to another country and just living life. i cant wait to see what more adventures life holds. Oh one last thing- today's 1 year since grandpa passed away. so this post is really dedicated to him. love u gramps !!!!! <3 <3 <3 and love to all my homies in the BEST state,ca <3
Til next time- a bientot! :)

JVS baby!

So, it's the weekend again! Les jeunes ici say "jvs", which stands for Jeudi, Vendredi, Samedi- the weekend! Yay for jvs. I went out J and V, and it was pretty crazy. And today is S! The last few days have actually been awesome. We finally finished our "intense" language courses, which was such a lie. They were like the easiest thing of my life! I passed the test, so I can take real frenchy classes at Universite de Bordeaux. I would have felt really really stupide if I hadn't passed... but heureusement, J'ai reussi!
    So thursday, all the californians went out to a big group dinner at a nice restaurant called Les Provinces. Here is une photo:

It was quite an experience. I tried duck! Not my favorite, but definitely worth the try. Afterward, some of us went back to my friend Laura's apartment to celebrate the end of our classes, and the beginning of the weekend. She lives in an adorable apartment with 2 frenchies, one of whom is actually my host mom's daughter! They have a rooftop terrace that looks over Bordeaux. it took my breath away! They invited over some friends of theirs, and it turned into an American/ Francais soiree. I met lots of interesting people, and could actually hold a conversation that wasn't just about where I was from! I feel like in just a few weeks, my french has vastly improved. it's a really cool feeling. And last night, a few of us went out on the Quai, which is the area that runs along the river. Lots of people hang out there, often with bottles of vin, and just chill and enjoy the beautiful view. i met lots of cool people !!! The only problem is the tram that I take to get home stops at 1, and once again I missed it, so i crashed at Laura's apartment. I have done the walk of shame more times than i'd like to admit here, wearing the same going-out outfit as the night before. Oh lala, c'est la vie!
    Today, I think i'm going to relax in Erica's beautiful backyard and maybe read some livres francais. Tonight we might go check out the discos, which are crazy clubs that open at midnight and close at 5 or 6 am. The french love to faire la fete! Then, some of our classes begin Monday. I'm excited to get into a school routine again... I still feel like I'm on vacation.
   A couple funny things I learned:
- 'Un oiseau rare' is an expression to mean a unique and cool person, but it literally means 'a rare bird'. I like that a lot.
- Meetings (especially concerning school) are conducted is a very different and often annoying way here. They put you in a hot stuffy room, talk about nothing really of importance and keep you for much longer than necessary. And in the end you come out with a piece of paper with info you could have read yourself. Sorry this sounds very complain-y. but it is a recurring theme here.
-Similarly, the registration system for classes is kind of an up-in-the-air ordeal. You basically show up the first day, see if the class interests you and if it is to your liking, you go ahead and sign up. Much different than our months of planning ahead in the states.
- My favorite french words so far are : pamplemousse (grapefruit), ronronnement (a cat's purr) (it's really fun to say) and shampooing, which is pronounced sham- pwan.
      Anyyywayyyys, every day is an adventure but this is just a summary of my recent ones. I miss everyone and my home so much but every day I feel  more at home here. Peace and love!!!!!

Quickie update

Bonjour bonjour! ahhh i am loving this beautiful place plus en plus every day :) we're all settling in finally, and things are a bit more calm. Erica's home (my french mama) is beyond amazing. i feel so at home here! i moved into my room and every morning i wake up to the chickens outside my window, and warm croissants and hot chocolate. j'adore la vie francaise! And, she makes hella good dinners too. Oh, and her 22 year old daughter just moved back home, and she is so so cool! so i have a friend! yayyy.

Hmm quoi d'autre... mes amis et moi have had several adventures exploring the town. it's a trip walking around, because here you have all these old, gorgeous buildings and streets, and then there's a mcdonald's just chillin right next to a thousand year old cathedral. such a dichotomy! but im obsessed with this european style. it makes me so critical of the states! there are a few amenities that i miss of course, like a stand-up shower. it is a hurdle i have to overcome every day to not flood the bathroom floor while i try to bathe. i'm starting to get the trick though! it's all about adjustment right?

It's dinner time so i have to cut it short! i keep thinking of things during the day that i want to post, but of course I can't remember anything. i need to jot them down.... Alors, a tout a l'heure mes amis :) bisous!

Moving day!

Bonjour mes amis!!!! i am happy to say that I'm currently out of the less-than-desirable dorms and into my amazingly wonderful french homestay house! There were some pretty serious problems with the area we were originally living in, so they moved everyone out into their respective homes. I'm living with a hilarious, kind, magnifique woman, who has welcomed me into her gorgeous home. I couldn't be happier! Right now, there's 9!!!!!! of us girls living here, but soon there will just be 2 (myself and my room mate). It's a lovely, quaint house, near the campus and not far from downtown. There are 3 resident chickens and a kitty named Tiger!!! It's so much fun having dinner each night, talking about our different experiences (en francais of course!)  My host mother is the most kind, caring woman. She has hosted 11 other exchange students before, but she said she can already tell that we are her favorite! it's really more than i could ask for. every meal she prepares is fresh, delicious and very french. Tonight I tried rabbit! it was delicious, but I couldn't help but think of the poor little rabbit who i was scarfing down : / Ive been mostly vegetarian here, and the food is formidable :))) Also, today was the first day I took the tram by myself, and it really hit me that I'm actually living here. C'est fou!!! (It's crazy!) As the year progresses, I know it will become second nature...but all I can think about now is that I've waited so long to live in this amazing country, and I am finally living out my dream.
      Our real classes start in a couple weeks, but for now us Californians are taking intense language courses to help us prepare. apparently the registration system is very disorganized, but we'll deal with it when the time comes. for now, we have to wake up très tot, donc je vais dormir! I miss everyone so much at home, but my life is already changing for the better here. Je suis tres heureuse, tous les temps :)
       A bientot!
          <3 <3 <3