In France!

Hello Everyone!!! So here I am, all settled in to Rennes with my internet and phone ready to communicate finally!! Thanks to everyone for all the prayers and help over some frantic emails! I hope you are all well! I miss you all so much!! I have so much to share, so below I divided what I've been up to into some subcategories so that you don't have to read about the weather if all you care about is Paris or something -- So here goes!

The Plane:

The plane ride was suuuuuper long, or at least it seemed that way because I changed flights twice! Once in Chicago and once in Montreal. The fun fact that I forgot was the Canada is ANOTHER COUNTRY! I had to go through more customs at the airport in Canada then when I actually got to France 10 hours later! I slept a little during the flight and even practiced some French - but unfortunately the in-flight USB plug-in fried my Ipod and it hasn't rebooted yet, but I will keep trying. The flight was delayed an hour due to de-icing and my bags were seriously the very last off the carousel in France but God had my back the whole way because I made it just in time to meet up with my group in Paris before we took a bus ride to downtown where we stayed in a hostel for a few days to get to know eachother!

Paris!

Paris was really fun. And loud. And busy. It was so much fun taking outings to the Chatelet and the Hotel de Ville and various cafes around town! I made some really good friends and everyone in the program is super nice. We have four French student companions that help us around town and are really nice, but I think they're a bit overwhelmed by our loudness and un-proper-ness. But who knows? They are very nice and accompany us everywhere. They helped us navigate the Paris metro with lots of patience. After three days at a nice hostel in Paris, we were on to Rennes with a quick stop at Chartres (a really huge and magnificent medieval church outside Paris) where this very old and funny British man gave us a very specialized tour of the cathedral. And the best part was that it was in English!!

Rennes!

Rennes is wonderful! There is a metro that is only comprised of one line and can get you anywhere you want to go! I live right near the very last stop and it's about a thirty minute ride to school, but its totally worth it! I love it so much better than walking or bus riding in Madison! It goes so fast! The center of Rennes is BEAUTIFUL with old old medieval buildings and cathedrals. There are numerous malls and cafes and dance halls and so much to do! All the alleys and streets look like they came right out of a fairy tale! I haven't had nearly enough time to see it all, but from where I've traversed, it's just magnificent. Plus, the life style in general is much more laid back and calm than in Paris or the US.

Host Family!!

My host family is truly wonderful! It is comprised of two older parents with grown kids - the youngest being my age. They have three girls and the youngest goes to school in the south of France but is visiting at the moment for the week and is SUPER nice! A very VERY interesting thing about this house is that it is very bilingual! The mother...Mme Phelippe, is Peruvian, so she speaks fluent Spanish, as does her French-born husband. And though they usually speak French around me, this week they have friends from Puno, Peru  in town who speak only Spanish and a little tiny bit of English. So we have me trying to speak to them with words like "pollo" and "buenos noches" and them speaking to me with "you" and "I" and "like" and then the daughter understanding Spanish but not speaking any because she speaks only French and English and German and me trying to speak French with the Mother and Father and Daughter. Quel desastre!! It was so crazy. But I'm having lots of fun and actually learning some Spanish along the way! My mother and sister would be so proud! Now I wish I had listened to you better Morgan when you were teaching me Spanish!! But many of your words came in handy! They cook fabulous meals and last night I had my first Gallette which is like a traditional Bretagne crepe filled with sausage or cheese or egg or ham or all the above! I'm quite addicted to them! And all the fresh fruits and vegetables and yogurt too! But in general the food is very strong. That is to say - if it's creamy, its veeery creamy and if it's crunchy, its almost unchewable. But I'm getting used to it and my McDonalds cravings are lessening.

Weather

It's cold and wet. It's not like Madison freezing, but it is an unpleasant experience. Rather like an old stone church. It is always that cold, drafty moisture that clings to your hair and seeps under all your coats. But when the sun comes out, it's practically spring time! So I really can't wait for March and April!

I think that's about it....tomorrow I'll get some pictures up, but tonight it's late and I have my second day of pre-program intensive classes tomorrow! Boy oh boy are they hard - I think perhaps I'm in the wrong level, but hopefully once I register for my real courses, I can choose from a variety of levels!! I'll try to keep you all as updated as possible! I miss you all! Feel free to email me or facebook me any time and, if you give me some notice, we can plan a skype date or call or something!! Missing you all!

Love,
Ashley