Five senses is too many (January part 2)

24 days until I leave for San Diego, Lee's wedding, and Boston.




I'm discovering many things in Europe. I get to see many things, hear many languages, eat many great foods, and smell many... things. Oh so many things. I've decided that 5 senses is just too many in this country. I wish I could just turn one off when too many are being negatively stimulated. "I'm hearing and seeing gross things right now, so I'm going to give my poor little nose a break... Ooh, a boulangerie. You can wake up now nose."


January ended about as exciting as it began; we're just always doing something. After running around to many places, often the same places more than once, we finally finished our paperwork. Well, for now. Here's to waiting another five months for a chest x-ray that's somehow supposed to prove that we did or didn't already bring a contagious disease into the country..


We had two weeks to test out classes and decide which ones to stick with. I'm going to take Education issues and social inequalities, Institutions of the European Union, Public policies, and Political and cinematography transitions in Latin america (taught in Spanish), as well as the History and culture and French classes that foreign students take. Classes meet for two hours once a week but our two mandatory classes meet for two sessions each week. Makes for a nice empty Monday and almost empty Tuesday.


I had a productive couple days, but I couldn't really count them victorious if I didn't update the masses.


I went to IKEA yesterday and love what I did with the place. Found some nice cheap stuff, if I do say so myself. I've also done some other shopping, I'm sorry to say. Arriving to Europe during a semi annual sale at all the stores is some sort of cruel and unusual punishment. Had a relapse in clothes therapy but I think I'm ok now. Look out shoes and purses. In my defense, we walk a lot so my boots are getting pretty ravaged and won't last the semester; I better get some replacements while things are on sale, right? Yes, thank you.


School is about .75 miles away and the center of town is about 1.6, so we average a couple or so miles a day, especially when we were going into town almost every day to get more forms. We also have to walk home from the discos each Thursday, which always feels like a very, very long walk. I'm not sure why they don't run buses on the night when every youth goes out. Other than that, the buses are pretty awesome. Well, and the fact that I usually miss the second bus I take home from the church so I either wait half an hour or walk home. 


I'm at the church three times a week and sometimes I wish it were more. On Wednesdays, I go to PPP (pancakes and ping pong) and on Fridays, I go to Institute (a class for college-aged students at the church). There's usually dinner after Institute and we all just hang out and have a good time. I mostly listen but I try to speak a lot too. People are so good about correcting me in a way that makes me feel like I'm getting better and not like I'm really stupid, and they practice their English with me sometimes and ask that I correct them. Last Friday we played Loups garous or Werewolves, which I love playing and was really excited when I realized what it was. For those of you who don't know the game, it's amazing and here is a link to the rules: http://mediaplan.ovh.net/~objectif/loups-garous/base/index.htm.

And here's a picture of some of my new friends. They're all really great and I just love being with all of them. The food is usually pretty yummy and I try to be open to new things that don't look so yummy; usually that works out for me.

On Sundays, I've been going over the the Clements' (an American family) for dinner. They're just awesome and I've been inviting myself over to exchange French lessons for using their oven. Our first session is tomorrow, and I'm very excited. I made cookies the other Sunday so I'm going to try and plan a really great lesson to repay them. They've already been so nice to me, I'm not sure I ever will. And they have a kitten..

 

"Take some pictures of me with the kitten. People will know I'm happy here."

The weather here hasn't been too bad. It's pretty cold but it could be much worse. I have weather gadgets for Rennes, Boston, and San Diego and I'm usually happy looking at the Boston one, and very upset looking at the San Diego one. I'm not sure if I'm happy I don't have to put up with snow or not. I don't think I got quite enough of it this winter. Things are pretty here and I bet they would look pretty covered in snow, just for a week of few.

Silly humid Rennes, you think you can fool me into thinking this is snow.. Woke up to this frost one morning and thought it was pretty.

This is my new bedding. Super cheap but pretty cute and does the job.

Well I have an early class tomorrow so that'll have to do for now. Start nagging me to update more; it's good for me. I get to step back and realize how amazing this experience is already. 

I love you all and miss you a lot. I look forward to going home for Lee's wedding and stopping in Boston for a few days. It'll be sad to leave home again but I'm sure I'll make it back here.

A bientot,

Jennifer