On the bright side

This city is really pretty perfect for me because the transportation system is so easy to use.  I have two bus stops on either end of my block and two tram stops both about 3 minutes walk from my apartment.  All of the bus stops have electronic signs that tell you when the next bus is coming and where it's going and you never have to wait more than 6 or 7 minutes for the next bus or tram.  Plus, because the tram is above ground, you can always follow the tracks in order to get where you need to be.

Class today was a little bit ridiculous.  Our teacher for this week is pretty snobby and is teaching us the weirdest most unnecessary things.  We're trying to figure out how to live here and talk with people and she was teaching us words for making wine and braising meat.  

After class we all went to a café/pub and hung out.  It's a good group of people--we all get along pretty well.  So now I'm home, killing time until my host parents come home and then we'll have dinner.  After that ... I guess I'm online for a few hours?  It's weird not having an actual schedule because it makes me feel like I can't make evening plans or something.  Tonight, I might go meet up with one of the other girls who lives nearby.  Otherwise, my brain is going to be fried from staring at the tv.

Number one complaint about being here

It's cold everywhere.  Cold inside, cold outside.  I never build up any body heat and then I end up shivering about half the day.  I know it's a silly thing to be complaining about ... and I guess it's a good sign because it means I don't have bigger, more dire problems.

I'm up early today (9 o'clock!) to go two hours of "class" in the morning and then two more in the afternoon.  It's not really class, though.  We (the eleven students in my program) are studying with a professor from CUEF (the international university here) so that we can remember our French before the placement test we will be taking on Friday.  It's strange, because there is no real penalty for doing poorly, we're not actually being graded (in fact, one could say there's a penalty for doing well because then you have a harder class), but I still get all nervous when I have to answer questions in class.  I've definitely found that speaking French outside a classroom setting is much easier than in the class.

I had my first dream in French last night ...

sort of.  The whole dream wasn't really in French.  I was eating in a cafeteria full of people and I was really concerned about something and clearly the only way to fix the problem was to lead the entire cafeteria in song--French camp songs.  I then proceeded to sing every single French camp song I could remember (which is a lot).  

In other news, I can upload pictures now.  This is the view of the main square and also the view from my hotel room the first night.  Notice the carousel in the middle!  and those spots aren't problems with the picture, they are decorative hanging things.

Grenoble: Home Sweet Home

I'm here!  After a very intimidating--but ultimately easy--journey, I made it to Grenoble.  Everyone keeps telling me that Grenoble is very small, but for me it seems huge.  The downtown (centre-ville) is about ten times the size of Oxford.  So many restaurants, cafés, and shops to explore!  Right now the "soldes" are going on, which is the month-2 month sale that goes on in France twice a year.  This means I'm going to get all my shopping in now and then I can be a properly layered, dark-clothed French girl.  

I'm living with a middle-aged couple, Geneviéve et Christien, in their apartment building about a 6 minute bus ride from centre-ville (this is much closer than most of the other students on my program).  They have a 22-year-old son, but he has his own apartment.  They have two cats, one is very fat and old and I have not yet seen it move, and the other is seven months old and curious and apparently cost a lot of money.  I'm very lucky to have internet at home because some of the students don't.  I also have a big bedroom with a double bed and my own bathroom (true luxury!)  The shower will take a serious adjustment though.  So, you go into the bathroom and there is a toilet, a sink, and a faucet with a shower head thing (one of those ones that's on a cord and doesn't attach to the wall).  So there's no shower curtain, or bathtub or anything to distinguish the shower from the rest of the bathroom.  Which means when I shower, I have to hide everything that isn't waterproof.  I'm sure I will forget about the toilet paper some day and drown it completely.  

My bedroom has two big beautiful windows with an incredible view of the mountains.  Grenoble is completely surrounded by mountains, so there is a wonderful view wherever you look.  The picture behind the title is part of a picture I took that shows the view from my bedroom.  I'll post more pictures of stuff as soon as I figure out how to make blogger upload my pictures (it's not working ... any suggestions?)

We had our first intensive French class this afternoon and tomorrow we have two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon of the same thing.  By the end of the week I'm sure I will be an expert.  À bientôt!