July 26th
Today was the final day of classes, which meant I had class for 4hrs today. History was from 9h-11h, and I could not tell you what happened in class. As soon as I sat down, I am became exhausted and could not pay attention to save my life. The professor asked each of us how we felt about going home, and of course I was the last person. I just said it was whatever because I did not want to get into it. The professor does not deserve to know my real thoughts because of his behavior to me. Other than that I believe the class wrapped up a few loose ends, and touched on the exam a tiny bit.
Architecture was from 11h-13h, and once again I did not pay attention. It mostly consisted of people asking questions and the professor answering the question. I think there were maybe six questions over the two hours. Honestly it was a waste of my time, so I proceeded to organize my suitcase in my head. I am so ready for my Emory professors that it is not funny.
Once I was done with classes for the day, I went to my favorite Kabob place to get a last meal. It was so good, if you ever end up in Avignon go to Istanbul Kabobs, multiple choices and their white sauce is amazing! From there I updated this thing, so you kids could know what I was up to during my final days here. When Brittany was done, we caught the bus home and headed to the local super market to buy Kinder Beuno!! I am bringing a six pack with me and it will be really tough not to eat them on the plane. Gotta love Kinder!
Soon enough it was dinner time, but no Plus Belle La Vie because a stupid sports championship is taking place. Go figure one of my last days here and no Plus Belle La Vie, which is not returning until next Monday. After dinner the packing process began because Grandma cleaned the rest of clothes, but this time she could not get her iron on them! I do not believe I ever mentioned this, but Grandma ironed every article of clothing I own including underwear. I have to say I packed my big suitcase, but not my carry-on. There are still some logistics to figure out. Overall, a slightly sad Monday in Avignon.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Day Thirty Nine
July 25th
Today was my first non lazy Sunday, which is a major accomplishment for me considering all the others, minus Paris, were super lazy. I managed to wake up around 9h15 to prepare for my day. I had a very small breakfast because I was going to meet Dawn for lunch and a play. As I was telling Grandma and Grandpa my plans, I told them I was going to walk to the Centre Ville to Place Pie and meet Dawn at noon. Grandpa said that he would drive me to Place Pie because they did not want me to walk, and I found it to be really nice considering they were gearing up for a lunch party for Grand-daughter. It was going to be a Paella party, because Grandpa was setting up Grandma's outdoor cooking area.
So, I get dropped off in Place Pie and wait a tiny bit for Dawn to appear, and from Place Pie we wandered around to find someplace to eat. My main part of my lunch was okay, but the desert total more than made up for it. It was kinda like a mini version of a molten chocolate cake. After lunch, we made our way towards the theater to pick up our tickets.
We were bummed that the theater did not have a student price, so we payed 17 euro, but it was totally worth it. The show we saw was titled Les Loupiotes de La Ville, which only had two guys in the same outfit, and two chairs on stage. It was sooo funny, and at first it was hard to tell if they were actually speaking French or some other crazy nonsense language. It was totally a nonsense language the majority of the time, unless it was a scene where they spoke heavily accented English. I want to see this show over and over again because it was fantastic. It had the same amount of excitement and fun as Les Cousins, but this was more Vaudeville based.
After the play, we ended up in a French candy store and bought a few items before retiring to the park by the Palais de Papes. We just chatted and enjoyed the glorious weather we were having, and actually ran into Amanda. Amanda then joined us for our chat before we all decided to head home around 5h30 (17h30). I just popped in Leslie and had a very nice walk home, where I relaxed before dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. It was totally worth it to be active on my last Sunday in Avignon.
Today was my first non lazy Sunday, which is a major accomplishment for me considering all the others, minus Paris, were super lazy. I managed to wake up around 9h15 to prepare for my day. I had a very small breakfast because I was going to meet Dawn for lunch and a play. As I was telling Grandma and Grandpa my plans, I told them I was going to walk to the Centre Ville to Place Pie and meet Dawn at noon. Grandpa said that he would drive me to Place Pie because they did not want me to walk, and I found it to be really nice considering they were gearing up for a lunch party for Grand-daughter. It was going to be a Paella party, because Grandpa was setting up Grandma's outdoor cooking area.
So, I get dropped off in Place Pie and wait a tiny bit for Dawn to appear, and from Place Pie we wandered around to find someplace to eat. My main part of my lunch was okay, but the desert total more than made up for it. It was kinda like a mini version of a molten chocolate cake. After lunch, we made our way towards the theater to pick up our tickets.
We were bummed that the theater did not have a student price, so we payed 17 euro, but it was totally worth it. The show we saw was titled Les Loupiotes de La Ville, which only had two guys in the same outfit, and two chairs on stage. It was sooo funny, and at first it was hard to tell if they were actually speaking French or some other crazy nonsense language. It was totally a nonsense language the majority of the time, unless it was a scene where they spoke heavily accented English. I want to see this show over and over again because it was fantastic. It had the same amount of excitement and fun as Les Cousins, but this was more Vaudeville based.
After the play, we ended up in a French candy store and bought a few items before retiring to the park by the Palais de Papes. We just chatted and enjoyed the glorious weather we were having, and actually ran into Amanda. Amanda then joined us for our chat before we all decided to head home around 5h30 (17h30). I just popped in Leslie and had a very nice walk home, where I relaxed before dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. It was totally worth it to be active on my last Sunday in Avignon.
Les Loupiotes, Extrait 3/3 - Ma-Tvideo France2
Des artistes aussi doués en mime que mauvais en pêche. © 2009 - PVO Audiovisuel Multimédia - Réalisateur : Christophe FRANCK - Décor : Yves VALENTE - Création lumière : Sébastien DEBANT - Ingénieur : Pierre BUISSON - Régisseur son : Philippe BLANCHETEAU - Interprètes : Kamel ISKER, Antoine GUIRAUD - Auteurs : Kamel ISKER, Antoine GUIRAUD - Musique : "Roméo et Juliette - Danse des chevaliers" de Serguei PROKOFIEV © 2001 Decca Music Group Limited ; "Clair de lune" de Claude DEBUSSY - Interprétée par Alain PLANÈS © 2006 Harmonia Mundi.
Des artistes aussi doués en mime que mauvais en pêche. © 2009 - PVO Audiovisuel Multimédia - Réalisateur : Christophe FRANCK - Décor : Yves VALENTE - Création lumière : Sébastien DEBANT - Ingénieur : Pierre BUISSON - Régisseur son : Philippe BLANCHETEAU - Interprètes : Kamel ISKER, Antoine GUIRAUD - Auteurs : Kamel ISKER, Antoine GUIRAUD - Musique : "Roméo et Juliette - Danse des chevaliers" de Serguei PROKOFIEV © 2001 Decca Music Group Limited ; "Clair de lune" de Claude DEBUSSY - Interprétée par Alain PLANÈS © 2006 Harmonia Mundi.
Day Thirty Eight
July 24th
I was a total cool kid and decided not to go to Nice because let's face it, 135 euros for a day and a half is not worth it. Earlier in the week I found out about a place called Vallon Pont D'Arc, and you could take a train to the city nearby. The train tickets were 9.50euro each direction for a TGV train, which is uber cheap, and then a less then 3euro bus ride.
So we leave Avignon at 7h55 and get to Montelimar at 8h25, and we look at the bus schedule and determine when the next bus is for Vallon Pont D'Arc. From there we cross a park and stumble upon their Saturday morning market, where we proceed to buy food for lunch. By the way, Chase and Amanda accompanied me on this trip. Then we head back to the train station, and ask a ticket guy from the train station when the next bus is and the price. He tells us all of this and then we proceed to wait. The bus arrives we try to get on, and we are told by the bus driver we need to buy our ticket at the train station. There is no way to buy a ticket at this point, and the next train is not until 5h (17h).
(Montelimar)
It is then decided we will just hang out in Montelimar until our train back to Avignon arrives. We had a pretty epic pic nic in the park, which lasted 3 hours, but it was so much fun. Each of us shared our fruit, bread, and whatever else we bought, and talked about so many things. I am truly jealous of Chase and Amanda because both of them will continue to be in France until December. If I was not going into my senior year, I would totally be staying in France until then, sadly I hopped upon the study abroad train a little late in the game.
(Kiwi skiing)
Eventually, we managed to make it to the Office of Tourism, and had a lovely conversation with the person who worked there. We also got to try Nougat, which Montelimar is famous for/ it is the European capital of Nougat. From the office of tourism, it was off to a Chateaux, which the worker said had panoramic views of the area. It was soooo pretty up there, and Le Mistrale was amazing as always. There was also an art exhibit in one of the buildings, which was also cool within itself. It seems to me the French are huge fans of installation art, and this guy mixed the concepts of nature and industry together.
(Tiny part of a larger strcuture)
Our final stop in Montelimar was a nougat shop/factory. I have never had this stuff before, and it has all of my favorite things in it: sugar, pistachios, almonds, and other stuff. Since we walked around the different areas of Montelimar, we saw some really random statues. My favorite was a Kiwi Bird that looked like he was skiing, and I really wanted to take it home with me. Another odd one, which we determined was either Lord Voldemort or a Dementor, was just randomly near a fountain. Eventually, we ended up back in the park for public nap time and relaxtion before catching the train back to Avignon.
(Nougat Rocks!!)
(Our train)
I was a total cool kid and decided not to go to Nice because let's face it, 135 euros for a day and a half is not worth it. Earlier in the week I found out about a place called Vallon Pont D'Arc, and you could take a train to the city nearby. The train tickets were 9.50euro each direction for a TGV train, which is uber cheap, and then a less then 3euro bus ride.
So we leave Avignon at 7h55 and get to Montelimar at 8h25, and we look at the bus schedule and determine when the next bus is for Vallon Pont D'Arc. From there we cross a park and stumble upon their Saturday morning market, where we proceed to buy food for lunch. By the way, Chase and Amanda accompanied me on this trip. Then we head back to the train station, and ask a ticket guy from the train station when the next bus is and the price. He tells us all of this and then we proceed to wait. The bus arrives we try to get on, and we are told by the bus driver we need to buy our ticket at the train station. There is no way to buy a ticket at this point, and the next train is not until 5h (17h).
(Montelimar)
It is then decided we will just hang out in Montelimar until our train back to Avignon arrives. We had a pretty epic pic nic in the park, which lasted 3 hours, but it was so much fun. Each of us shared our fruit, bread, and whatever else we bought, and talked about so many things. I am truly jealous of Chase and Amanda because both of them will continue to be in France until December. If I was not going into my senior year, I would totally be staying in France until then, sadly I hopped upon the study abroad train a little late in the game.
(Kiwi skiing)
Eventually, we managed to make it to the Office of Tourism, and had a lovely conversation with the person who worked there. We also got to try Nougat, which Montelimar is famous for/ it is the European capital of Nougat. From the office of tourism, it was off to a Chateaux, which the worker said had panoramic views of the area. It was soooo pretty up there, and Le Mistrale was amazing as always. There was also an art exhibit in one of the buildings, which was also cool within itself. It seems to me the French are huge fans of installation art, and this guy mixed the concepts of nature and industry together.
(Tiny part of a larger strcuture)
Our final stop in Montelimar was a nougat shop/factory. I have never had this stuff before, and it has all of my favorite things in it: sugar, pistachios, almonds, and other stuff. Since we walked around the different areas of Montelimar, we saw some really random statues. My favorite was a Kiwi Bird that looked like he was skiing, and I really wanted to take it home with me. Another odd one, which we determined was either Lord Voldemort or a Dementor, was just randomly near a fountain. Eventually, we ended up back in the park for public nap time and relaxtion before catching the train back to Avignon.
(Nougat Rocks!!)
(Our train)
Day Thirty Seven
July 23rd
Today was a long day of local field trips. The first stop was Palais de Papes at around 9h, and it was a struggle to pay attention to my professor. Once we were actually in the Palais de Papes, it was really cool to see all the different rooms and areas. The combination of defense and detail was pretty neat, and I loved taking all kinds of photos. The Chapel had an art exhbit, which held some pretty interesting pieces, and the largest piece actually sits outside of the Palais de Papes. Unfortunately, we did not get to climb on the ramparts and have a bird's eye view of the area.
(The inner courtyard)
At 1h30 (13h30), it was time to catch a bus to Villenuve to visit Fort St. Andre. When I was last in Villenuve we just hiked up to one of the walls, but this time I got to go explore the inside for free. It amazes me what people throughout history have been able to build over the years. It was also a lot of funny walking on the ramparts and feeling like an old school soldier person. I loved being up there, and with the Le Mistrale being back the weather has been amazing.
(The Walls)
Once I was back in Avignon, I went to a few stores before heading home to take a massively long nap. I cannot handle the staying out late and getting up at 7 thing, it is just too difficult for me. It was then time for dinner, and finally more sleep. Fun filled day, yet very tiring.
(Chilling on the ramparts)
Today was a long day of local field trips. The first stop was Palais de Papes at around 9h, and it was a struggle to pay attention to my professor. Once we were actually in the Palais de Papes, it was really cool to see all the different rooms and areas. The combination of defense and detail was pretty neat, and I loved taking all kinds of photos. The Chapel had an art exhbit, which held some pretty interesting pieces, and the largest piece actually sits outside of the Palais de Papes. Unfortunately, we did not get to climb on the ramparts and have a bird's eye view of the area.
(The inner courtyard)
At 1h30 (13h30), it was time to catch a bus to Villenuve to visit Fort St. Andre. When I was last in Villenuve we just hiked up to one of the walls, but this time I got to go explore the inside for free. It amazes me what people throughout history have been able to build over the years. It was also a lot of funny walking on the ramparts and feeling like an old school soldier person. I loved being up there, and with the Le Mistrale being back the weather has been amazing.
(The Walls)
Once I was back in Avignon, I went to a few stores before heading home to take a massively long nap. I cannot handle the staying out late and getting up at 7 thing, it is just too difficult for me. It was then time for dinner, and finally more sleep. Fun filled day, yet very tiring.
(Chilling on the ramparts)
Day Thirty Six
July 22nd
One thing I can say is that I was definitely more prepared for the day, than yesterday. History was the same ole random videos and pictures combination. Architecture was the lecture on defense architecture, found on a number of churches and fortresses in southern France. I could not wait for tomorrow since we would be visiting two sites with said architecture.
I chilled for a bit in the upstairs library before deciding to try and catch a bus. Another opportunity to be by myself for awhile because there is only so much I can handle of a person whining about money and how fat they are. When I walked through the gate and up the drive, Grandpa and Grandma were nowhere to be seen. I found it to be a little refreshing, and took the opportunity to take pictures. I also was able to take pictures of 2/3 of the animals that live at my house. After that I pretty much relaxed until it was dinner time, I kinda took a tiny nap.
Dinner arrived and it was an odd bean and sausage dish, which I could not stomach. I was so glad when it was nectarine time, and soon after I had to get ready for the last Juicy Thursday in Avignon. Meet up with Emily, Kong, Maggie, Natalie, and Amanda at the Institute and made our way to Ile de Barthelasse, where Chase and Roman met us after they had dinner. It was time to pop the champagne bottles and celebrate the amazing times we have had on our trip so far. It was a lot of fun just hanging out in the grass, talking and laughing. The only downside was being out so late, but it was still a lot of fun.
The other form of excitement today was that it rained in the afternoon. I had not seen rain since I was in Paris, and it was absolutely wonderful! I even took pictures because I could not believe that it was raining!
One thing I can say is that I was definitely more prepared for the day, than yesterday. History was the same ole random videos and pictures combination. Architecture was the lecture on defense architecture, found on a number of churches and fortresses in southern France. I could not wait for tomorrow since we would be visiting two sites with said architecture.
I chilled for a bit in the upstairs library before deciding to try and catch a bus. Another opportunity to be by myself for awhile because there is only so much I can handle of a person whining about money and how fat they are. When I walked through the gate and up the drive, Grandpa and Grandma were nowhere to be seen. I found it to be a little refreshing, and took the opportunity to take pictures. I also was able to take pictures of 2/3 of the animals that live at my house. After that I pretty much relaxed until it was dinner time, I kinda took a tiny nap.
(The Turtle)
Dinner arrived and it was an odd bean and sausage dish, which I could not stomach. I was so glad when it was nectarine time, and soon after I had to get ready for the last Juicy Thursday in Avignon. Meet up with Emily, Kong, Maggie, Natalie, and Amanda at the Institute and made our way to Ile de Barthelasse, where Chase and Roman met us after they had dinner. It was time to pop the champagne bottles and celebrate the amazing times we have had on our trip so far. It was a lot of fun just hanging out in the grass, talking and laughing. The only downside was being out so late, but it was still a lot of fun.
The other form of excitement today was that it rained in the afternoon. I had not seen rain since I was in Paris, and it was absolutely wonderful! I even took pictures because I could not believe that it was raining!
(RAIN!!!!)
Day Thirty Five
July 21st (5 weeks)
Only two classes today, and I am thankful the history professor could not add another section just for fun. History consisted of people finishing the presentations, which were the last two groups. Neither of the presentations were spectacular, but it is whatever. After the presentations were finished, he asked us to describe France in one word. He wanted our word to be based off of our studies in his class, and our experience in the country. Of course I end up being the last person and I say I do not have a word, the professor then says the negative comment will not bother him. Thanks for that professor, you do not know anything about me. So ready for this class to be over!
Architecture consisted of a lot of note taking and day dreaming at the same time. So hard to concentrate for a 2hour lecture. The professor just talked about the gothique aspects of churches, and the major differences between them and roman style churches. It was pretty neat, yet at the same time I just wanted to eat some food.
It was very tough making it through both of my classes because of when I had gotten in last night. I goofed around at the institute for a little while after class, but went home by myself around 4 (16:00) which was fairly nice. I did not have to wait very long for a bus to arrive, and there was hardly anyone on the bus. I literally crawled into be when I reached home, and napped until it was time to set the table. I pretty much went back to sleep after dinner and it was amazing to catch up on sleep.
It is still hard to believe that I have been in Avignon for five weeks, and that I will be back in the states a week from now. On one hand I want to be back home and on the other I just want to stay here. I could definitely live the French lifestyle, it has treated me pretty well.
Only two classes today, and I am thankful the history professor could not add another section just for fun. History consisted of people finishing the presentations, which were the last two groups. Neither of the presentations were spectacular, but it is whatever. After the presentations were finished, he asked us to describe France in one word. He wanted our word to be based off of our studies in his class, and our experience in the country. Of course I end up being the last person and I say I do not have a word, the professor then says the negative comment will not bother him. Thanks for that professor, you do not know anything about me. So ready for this class to be over!
Architecture consisted of a lot of note taking and day dreaming at the same time. So hard to concentrate for a 2hour lecture. The professor just talked about the gothique aspects of churches, and the major differences between them and roman style churches. It was pretty neat, yet at the same time I just wanted to eat some food.
It was very tough making it through both of my classes because of when I had gotten in last night. I goofed around at the institute for a little while after class, but went home by myself around 4 (16:00) which was fairly nice. I did not have to wait very long for a bus to arrive, and there was hardly anyone on the bus. I literally crawled into be when I reached home, and napped until it was time to set the table. I pretty much went back to sleep after dinner and it was amazing to catch up on sleep.
It is still hard to believe that I have been in Avignon for five weeks, and that I will be back in the states a week from now. On one hand I want to be back home and on the other I just want to stay here. I could definitely live the French lifestyle, it has treated me pretty well.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Day Thirty Four
July 20th
Ugh another double dose of history, 9 and 4(16:00). Honestly, I am over this class because it has drastically changed from the very beginning. The morning class was a lecture/video watching class period. The second class of the day was the first groups presentation and my presentation on the EU. When we chose these topics, I picked the lucky theme which meant I did not have to work with anyone. Earlier in the afternoon, I put together a quick little PowerPoint and rocked my presentation. I even gave people simple answers, when the answers were actually complicated. It felt to have already studied the EU, and that my independent study focuses on it next semester. I better get a good grade or I will be pissed.
So in between my two classes of history, I did a little bit of shopping. I was supposed to go see a play with Dawn, but when we got to the theater we could not get tickets without a reservation. We ended up making reservations for the show on Sunday, and I cannot wait to see it. Instead, shopping commenced to buy a few stable shirts and tanks. I also proceeded to buy two sets of the pens I have been using since I have been here, and an awesome planner. The planner starts on August 20th and goes until early August next year, and it has a lot of space to make sure I am super organized for my senior year. It will also make pledge week planning easier as well.
Finally, I made it home after a long wait for the 1 bus and had dinner before going out with the group. We meet up by the carousel, watched some street performers before getting some treats. Some of us went to the Italian Gelato place, and the others went to our crepe place. So yummy! Finally, we ended up at Les Celestines to get a few drinks and to see Benoit.
Benoit has been our server since our first Thursday out five weeks ago, and earlier today Maggie did a Google search on Benoit. One of the things he first told us, when we met him, is that he was an ice dancing and placed in the Juniors World. He was also on the French Olympic Team, but right before the Olympics he messed up his knee. Anyways, Maggie did a search, found articles and videos of our server. We finally know his last name, and are even friends with him on facebook. He is probably are only french friend, minus Chase's host brother Roman. An interesting Tuesday to say the least.
Ugh another double dose of history, 9 and 4(16:00). Honestly, I am over this class because it has drastically changed from the very beginning. The morning class was a lecture/video watching class period. The second class of the day was the first groups presentation and my presentation on the EU. When we chose these topics, I picked the lucky theme which meant I did not have to work with anyone. Earlier in the afternoon, I put together a quick little PowerPoint and rocked my presentation. I even gave people simple answers, when the answers were actually complicated. It felt to have already studied the EU, and that my independent study focuses on it next semester. I better get a good grade or I will be pissed.
So in between my two classes of history, I did a little bit of shopping. I was supposed to go see a play with Dawn, but when we got to the theater we could not get tickets without a reservation. We ended up making reservations for the show on Sunday, and I cannot wait to see it. Instead, shopping commenced to buy a few stable shirts and tanks. I also proceeded to buy two sets of the pens I have been using since I have been here, and an awesome planner. The planner starts on August 20th and goes until early August next year, and it has a lot of space to make sure I am super organized for my senior year. It will also make pledge week planning easier as well.
Finally, I made it home after a long wait for the 1 bus and had dinner before going out with the group. We meet up by the carousel, watched some street performers before getting some treats. Some of us went to the Italian Gelato place, and the others went to our crepe place. So yummy! Finally, we ended up at Les Celestines to get a few drinks and to see Benoit.
Benoit has been our server since our first Thursday out five weeks ago, and earlier today Maggie did a Google search on Benoit. One of the things he first told us, when we met him, is that he was an ice dancing and placed in the Juniors World. He was also on the French Olympic Team, but right before the Olympics he messed up his knee. Anyways, Maggie did a search, found articles and videos of our server. We finally know his last name, and are even friends with him on facebook. He is probably are only french friend, minus Chase's host brother Roman. An interesting Tuesday to say the least.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Day Thirty Three
July 19th
Today was one of the most frustrating day of class, since I have been in Avignon. Last Thursday we watched a film, Battle of Algiers. This morning our professor asked us what we thought about the movie, and our feelings on it. Every person said how they sympathized with the Algerians, but did not agree with the methods they used against the French military. I am the last person to talk, and I say that I do not sympathize with either group in the present. Obviously struggles that are similar and are currently happening, I do side with the group who is being oppressed. I mentioned how the movie just demonstrated what happens in history, whenever change occurs.
If a country or a ruling power is not happy with an uprising for change, violence is always the answer. Any type of situation which has lead to a change, socially or politically, is violent more often than not. So, as I disagree with the class as a whole the subject of terrorism pops up. My professor asked if terrorist groups had a clear ideology or if it was just "let's bomb people!". Once again, I was the only person to say that "terrorists" do have clear ideologies and there is more to just bombing people. After that I was told I was wrong, and from that point I did not talk again in class. My professor is an asshole, end of story.
Since I was so riled from my class, I wrote to Rachael to tell her what happened in my class. Sitting in history made me realize how awesome of an education I am getting at Emory, from both Rachael and Dr.Saliba. It also makes me realize how Americans are so stuck in what the media defines terrorism as or anything along those lines. I am glad I am receiving an education where alternative thinking is praised, and not seen as being wrong.
Pretty much after that, my life consisted of just relaxing/preparing for my presentation for history. I also had a very much needed chat with Rachael, which made my day when the topic of pie came up and flying to France to deal with my asshole of a professor. Eventually I wound up in the park next to Palais de Papes, and finished up some homework. It was also amazing to relax in the shade and actually feel cool in the crazy heat.
(View from the Park)
At 7(19:00) I meet up with Brittany, so we could grab some food. Yesterday, her lady told her we needed to eat out on Sunday because we had eaten at home all week, but we told them it would be easier to eat today because we would already be in the city. We ate at the pasta place I went to two weeks ago. Still quite delicious, and I want to recreate the sauce I have eaten twice now. Finally, it was a semi-long walk home to rest and get ready for a double day of history.
Today was one of the most frustrating day of class, since I have been in Avignon. Last Thursday we watched a film, Battle of Algiers. This morning our professor asked us what we thought about the movie, and our feelings on it. Every person said how they sympathized with the Algerians, but did not agree with the methods they used against the French military. I am the last person to talk, and I say that I do not sympathize with either group in the present. Obviously struggles that are similar and are currently happening, I do side with the group who is being oppressed. I mentioned how the movie just demonstrated what happens in history, whenever change occurs.
If a country or a ruling power is not happy with an uprising for change, violence is always the answer. Any type of situation which has lead to a change, socially or politically, is violent more often than not. So, as I disagree with the class as a whole the subject of terrorism pops up. My professor asked if terrorist groups had a clear ideology or if it was just "let's bomb people!". Once again, I was the only person to say that "terrorists" do have clear ideologies and there is more to just bombing people. After that I was told I was wrong, and from that point I did not talk again in class. My professor is an asshole, end of story.
Since I was so riled from my class, I wrote to Rachael to tell her what happened in my class. Sitting in history made me realize how awesome of an education I am getting at Emory, from both Rachael and Dr.Saliba. It also makes me realize how Americans are so stuck in what the media defines terrorism as or anything along those lines. I am glad I am receiving an education where alternative thinking is praised, and not seen as being wrong.
Pretty much after that, my life consisted of just relaxing/preparing for my presentation for history. I also had a very much needed chat with Rachael, which made my day when the topic of pie came up and flying to France to deal with my asshole of a professor. Eventually I wound up in the park next to Palais de Papes, and finished up some homework. It was also amazing to relax in the shade and actually feel cool in the crazy heat.
(View from the Park)
At 7(19:00) I meet up with Brittany, so we could grab some food. Yesterday, her lady told her we needed to eat out on Sunday because we had eaten at home all week, but we told them it would be easier to eat today because we would already be in the city. We ate at the pasta place I went to two weeks ago. Still quite delicious, and I want to recreate the sauce I have eaten twice now. Finally, it was a semi-long walk home to rest and get ready for a double day of history.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Day Thirty Two
July 18th
Lazy Sunday number who knows what. Pretty much just worked on my history project and ate lunch/dinner with both families. My final fun of the day was watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in french. I enjoyed Draco Malfoy with a french voice, but Alan Rickman and a french voice not cool with me. Also, some of the pronunciations were pretty hilarious. Either way it was a nice relaxing day.
Lazy Sunday number who knows what. Pretty much just worked on my history project and ate lunch/dinner with both families. My final fun of the day was watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in french. I enjoyed Draco Malfoy with a french voice, but Alan Rickman and a french voice not cool with me. Also, some of the pronunciations were pretty hilarious. Either way it was a nice relaxing day.
Day Thirty One
July 17th
Hello Excursion Day!! Woke up massively early to meet the other kids at the train station for an excursion to Arles. We rode in a giant charter bus, compared to the tiny buses we have used previously. There was so much space that we did not know what to do with ourselves.
The first stop was at a history museum, and for some odd reason there were a lot of people just hanging out waiting for it to open. It was built on the area where the Roman Circus used to be, which I found to be pretty cool. Never knew how much have an obsession I had with the Romans until being in Southern France. There were some neat things within the museum, and a lot of tiny reconstructions of the important Roman buildings; like the Forum and Amphitheater. An art exhibit was also at the museum, but I only saw one of the art pieces. The only bad thing about the place was that I had to leave my purse in a random ass storage bin, and the peoples said they were not responsible if anything was stolen. Grrr
(Nifty art piece)
The second stop was at the Amphitheater, which was fucking awesome! I am amazed at Roman engineering and how these massive structures are still partially intact. This particular Amphitheater was built in the 1st century after Jesus, and the main structure still exists. The only major part missing is the 3rd level of seating, and the arena is still used today for bull fights and the like.
(Part of the Amphitheater)
We were granted a mini break, which lead a number of us to walk to the market and grab some grub. I had a sausage sandwich from a random vendor and it was quite tasty. Eventually found a pottery dealer and bought some things for peoples. We then proceeded to wander the streets checking out some of the local shops, until it was time to meet up for the 3rd stop of the trip.
(Inside a pastry/candy shop)
The 3rd stop was a pretty bad ass church, in the Place du Republic. The front door was sooooo cool, and I took a lot of pictures of it. The architecture was very detailed and probably only to be seen in Europe. The inside was massive, with a lot of stained glass windows that I took multiple pictures of.
(Bad ass door)
Finally we had the rest of the day to whatever, until catching one of the trains back to Avignon. By the time we got on the train I was so irritated that I only wanted to associate with Amanda, because the others girls were complaining. Anyways, I eventually ended up home and was ready to have some time to myself. Finally it was time for the dinner party at Brittany's people's house, which I did not end up in my room until 1am. It was just a long ass day. Kinda ready to be back home.
(Arles Train Station)
Hello Excursion Day!! Woke up massively early to meet the other kids at the train station for an excursion to Arles. We rode in a giant charter bus, compared to the tiny buses we have used previously. There was so much space that we did not know what to do with ourselves.
The first stop was at a history museum, and for some odd reason there were a lot of people just hanging out waiting for it to open. It was built on the area where the Roman Circus used to be, which I found to be pretty cool. Never knew how much have an obsession I had with the Romans until being in Southern France. There were some neat things within the museum, and a lot of tiny reconstructions of the important Roman buildings; like the Forum and Amphitheater. An art exhibit was also at the museum, but I only saw one of the art pieces. The only bad thing about the place was that I had to leave my purse in a random ass storage bin, and the peoples said they were not responsible if anything was stolen. Grrr
(Nifty art piece)
The second stop was at the Amphitheater, which was fucking awesome! I am amazed at Roman engineering and how these massive structures are still partially intact. This particular Amphitheater was built in the 1st century after Jesus, and the main structure still exists. The only major part missing is the 3rd level of seating, and the arena is still used today for bull fights and the like.
(Part of the Amphitheater)
We were granted a mini break, which lead a number of us to walk to the market and grab some grub. I had a sausage sandwich from a random vendor and it was quite tasty. Eventually found a pottery dealer and bought some things for peoples. We then proceeded to wander the streets checking out some of the local shops, until it was time to meet up for the 3rd stop of the trip.
(Inside a pastry/candy shop)
The 3rd stop was a pretty bad ass church, in the Place du Republic. The front door was sooooo cool, and I took a lot of pictures of it. The architecture was very detailed and probably only to be seen in Europe. The inside was massive, with a lot of stained glass windows that I took multiple pictures of.
(Bad ass door)
Finally we had the rest of the day to whatever, until catching one of the trains back to Avignon. By the time we got on the train I was so irritated that I only wanted to associate with Amanda, because the others girls were complaining. Anyways, I eventually ended up home and was ready to have some time to myself. Finally it was time for the dinner party at Brittany's people's house, which I did not end up in my room until 1am. It was just a long ass day. Kinda ready to be back home.
(Arles Train Station)
Day Thirty
July 16th
A very long day of class for me today. Archeology was split in half today, with lecture from 10 to 1(13:00) and a mini field trip from 2(14:00) to 4(16:00). The mini field trip consisted of walking around the city and talking about the middle age architecture. The two main sites were the Pont d'Avignon and the church with the shiny Jesus on top. Unfortunately, my camera died and I do not have any pictures of the Pont d'Avignon nor the shiny Jesus church. However, I have stolen two photos that I like that others took a picture of.
(Section of the Pont d'Avignon)
(Fresco in the church)
Once the tour was over, I stopped melting, it was time to catch a bus home. Grabbed the one bus and made it home rather quickly. Decided to catch some rays and swim before dinner time. After dinner I pretty much relaxed and update this thing. A pretty chill and hot day.
A very long day of class for me today. Archeology was split in half today, with lecture from 10 to 1(13:00) and a mini field trip from 2(14:00) to 4(16:00). The mini field trip consisted of walking around the city and talking about the middle age architecture. The two main sites were the Pont d'Avignon and the church with the shiny Jesus on top. Unfortunately, my camera died and I do not have any pictures of the Pont d'Avignon nor the shiny Jesus church. However, I have stolen two photos that I like that others took a picture of.
(Section of the Pont d'Avignon)
(Fresco in the church)
Once the tour was over, I stopped melting, it was time to catch a bus home. Grabbed the one bus and made it home rather quickly. Decided to catch some rays and swim before dinner time. After dinner I pretty much relaxed and update this thing. A pretty chill and hot day.
Day Twenty Nine
July 15th
So exhausted after the late night, and was not looking forward to having history at 9am. Once I arrived at the Institute, I just wanted to skip class and sleep the day away. I have no idea what actually happened in class because I ended up with a migraine, making it very hard to concentrate/pay attention. After class was done I made the executive decision to skip archeology because my head was killing me, and the medicine was kicking in. I ended up sleeping for 2h30, which was very nice and my migraine was almost completely gone.
Suddenly 2 (14:00) appeared and it was time to watch a movie for history. The movie was on the Algerian war, and it was two hours long. I honestly did not pay attention and just completed a doodle I began earlier in the week. My doodle is pretty sweet looking, and I cannot wait to color it once I am back in the States.
Finally, it was time to wait forever and a day for the bus. The 4 was not coming into town again, so we took the 1 home. The 1 bus actually takes us closer to our houses, which is pretty nice when it is super hot outside. I ended up napping until dinner, which once again was much needed.
After dinner it was a rush to get ready to go out with the group. Somehow we managed to meet Kong, Amanda, Maggie, Emily and Chase. It was decided to just get some crepes and walk to the Rhone. We ended up sitting on a dock, just talking and having a very relaxing night. I made it home before 1am which was amazing.
So exhausted after the late night, and was not looking forward to having history at 9am. Once I arrived at the Institute, I just wanted to skip class and sleep the day away. I have no idea what actually happened in class because I ended up with a migraine, making it very hard to concentrate/pay attention. After class was done I made the executive decision to skip archeology because my head was killing me, and the medicine was kicking in. I ended up sleeping for 2h30, which was very nice and my migraine was almost completely gone.
Suddenly 2 (14:00) appeared and it was time to watch a movie for history. The movie was on the Algerian war, and it was two hours long. I honestly did not pay attention and just completed a doodle I began earlier in the week. My doodle is pretty sweet looking, and I cannot wait to color it once I am back in the States.
(My Pretty Sweet Doodle)
Finally, it was time to wait forever and a day for the bus. The 4 was not coming into town again, so we took the 1 home. The 1 bus actually takes us closer to our houses, which is pretty nice when it is super hot outside. I ended up napping until dinner, which once again was much needed.
After dinner it was a rush to get ready to go out with the group. Somehow we managed to meet Kong, Amanda, Maggie, Emily and Chase. It was decided to just get some crepes and walk to the Rhone. We ended up sitting on a dock, just talking and having a very relaxing night. I made it home before 1am which was amazing.
Day Twenty Eight
July 14th (4 weeks)
Happy Bastile Day!! Today was La Fete Nationale in France, which meant no school!! It was pretty sweet not having classes today, and sleeping in past 7. The plan was to meet up with some kids around 11:30 at the Institute to go to a pool with everyone (by everyone I mean Kong, Amanda, Maggie, Emily and Brittany).
So I walk to the bus stop check the time for the next bus and chill. After waiting for 15mins, I began to walk into town because the bus was nowhere in sight, and it was not fun. It made me late meeting up with everyone, but I eventually made it. On my way to the Institute I saw the clowns from the play, and hoped to run into them again.
Once at the Institute it was determined we had to go the 10 euro pool. Before going to the pool we went to a cute restaurant that was cheap, yet good. While we walked to the restuarnt, I ran into my clown friends once again. They totally recognized me, and I got a picture with them!! I love my clown friends, and it makes me so happy they recognize me. We then proceeded to walk to the fancy pool, which is on Ile de Barthelasse (aka the island in the middle of the Rhone separating Villenuve/Avignon).
(Amanda and I with my clown friends)
Once inside the pool was huge! There were kind of a lot of people, yet since it was so big it did not actually seem crowded. Kong ended up not coming into the pool with us, so it was just the girls. We were there for about 3h30 and I had a lot of sun, which is aiding me in becoming darker. Afterwards, it was time to head home for dinner and to get ready for the evening festivities of Bastile Day.
Grandpa gave us a ride into the city, which was pretty sweet and meet up with the gang. We made our way through the massive amounts of people who were making their way to the Rhone to watch the fireworks. Magically we found a spot that could fit the six of us, and popped some bubbly. We shared four bottles of bubbly and a bottle of wine between the six of us, which made for a fun night. Before the fireworks began, there was the traditional dance on Pont d'Avignon and the song played in the background. When the dance was finished, the street lights were turned off and the fireworks began.
(Amanda and I)
The fireworks were not particularly different from those in the states, but it was still enjoyable. Once the fireworks were done, it was time to fit through a tiny door with multiple people to make our way to the Palais de Papes. Eventually we make our way to the Palais de Papes where there was a huge concert. The bands played a mixture of American and French songs, and it was so much fun dancing around without a care in the world. Finally, it was time to catch a taxi home. It was such an amazing night, on par with last Thursday!
(Favorite Kind)
(The white van with the light = Prostitute Van)
Happy Bastile Day!! Today was La Fete Nationale in France, which meant no school!! It was pretty sweet not having classes today, and sleeping in past 7. The plan was to meet up with some kids around 11:30 at the Institute to go to a pool with everyone (by everyone I mean Kong, Amanda, Maggie, Emily and Brittany).
So I walk to the bus stop check the time for the next bus and chill. After waiting for 15mins, I began to walk into town because the bus was nowhere in sight, and it was not fun. It made me late meeting up with everyone, but I eventually made it. On my way to the Institute I saw the clowns from the play, and hoped to run into them again.
Once at the Institute it was determined we had to go the 10 euro pool. Before going to the pool we went to a cute restaurant that was cheap, yet good. While we walked to the restuarnt, I ran into my clown friends once again. They totally recognized me, and I got a picture with them!! I love my clown friends, and it makes me so happy they recognize me. We then proceeded to walk to the fancy pool, which is on Ile de Barthelasse (aka the island in the middle of the Rhone separating Villenuve/Avignon).
(Amanda and I with my clown friends)
Grandpa gave us a ride into the city, which was pretty sweet and meet up with the gang. We made our way through the massive amounts of people who were making their way to the Rhone to watch the fireworks. Magically we found a spot that could fit the six of us, and popped some bubbly. We shared four bottles of bubbly and a bottle of wine between the six of us, which made for a fun night. Before the fireworks began, there was the traditional dance on Pont d'Avignon and the song played in the background. When the dance was finished, the street lights were turned off and the fireworks began.
(Amanda and I)
The fireworks were not particularly different from those in the states, but it was still enjoyable. Once the fireworks were done, it was time to fit through a tiny door with multiple people to make our way to the Palais de Papes. Eventually we make our way to the Palais de Papes where there was a huge concert. The bands played a mixture of American and French songs, and it was so much fun dancing around without a care in the world. Finally, it was time to catch a taxi home. It was such an amazing night, on par with last Thursday!
(Favorite Kind)
So excited! Finally got a picture of one Prostitute Van, just need one of multiple vans.
(The white van with the light = Prostitute Van)
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Day Twenty Seven
July 13th
Today I had two class periods of history, one at 9 and the other at 4 (16:00) like normal. I understand he added the extra class because of Bastile Day, but other classes are loosing the same amount of time. In between classes I worked on my project, which I later asked him to look at my outline to see if I needed to add anything.
Aside from working on my project, I ran some errands. While walking to the post office, I ran into the clowns from the play on Saturday. I had a very fun conversation with them before heading to the post office to acquire stamps and send off another set of postcards. On my way back to school I passed the clowns, who told a group of people that I was their American girlfriend. They made my day like no tomorrow, and I was excited to run into them.
Finally it was time to head home, and low and behold the 4 bus is not coming into town. The 4 bus is the one we take in and out of the city. We had to take another bus outside the city to wait for the 4 bus to go home. I waited an hour to get a bus home, which is very frustrating. I was so hot and stressed out by the time I made it home that I did not do very much else with my day.
Today I had two class periods of history, one at 9 and the other at 4 (16:00) like normal. I understand he added the extra class because of Bastile Day, but other classes are loosing the same amount of time. In between classes I worked on my project, which I later asked him to look at my outline to see if I needed to add anything.
Aside from working on my project, I ran some errands. While walking to the post office, I ran into the clowns from the play on Saturday. I had a very fun conversation with them before heading to the post office to acquire stamps and send off another set of postcards. On my way back to school I passed the clowns, who told a group of people that I was their American girlfriend. They made my day like no tomorrow, and I was excited to run into them.
Finally it was time to head home, and low and behold the 4 bus is not coming into town. The 4 bus is the one we take in and out of the city. We had to take another bus outside the city to wait for the 4 bus to go home. I waited an hour to get a bus home, which is very frustrating. I was so hot and stressed out by the time I made it home that I did not do very much else with my day.
Day Twenty Six
July 12th
My first order of business today was to leave multiple birthday messages for Jameson, and I said it eight million times more when I actually talked to him. He is soooooo old, just kidding.
After leaving a few messages, it was time for history class. Once again multiple videos and pictures to interpret. It bores me to death just looking at things, and I cannot pay attention whats so ever. I was learning things in this class before the videos emerged, and now I am just bored and do not feel like contributing to class. When I was done with class, I mostly relaxed and worked on my project for history. My project is to prepare a presentation on the construction of the EU, which I am beasting. Thank you Emory!
The bus was late again, and it is tiring waiting over thirty minutes for a bus to appear. Also, the heat makes waiting unbearable even in the shade. Once home I had a small conversation with Grandma and retired to my room until dinner. Pretty much a stereotypical Monday.
My first order of business today was to leave multiple birthday messages for Jameson, and I said it eight million times more when I actually talked to him. He is soooooo old, just kidding.
After leaving a few messages, it was time for history class. Once again multiple videos and pictures to interpret. It bores me to death just looking at things, and I cannot pay attention whats so ever. I was learning things in this class before the videos emerged, and now I am just bored and do not feel like contributing to class. When I was done with class, I mostly relaxed and worked on my project for history. My project is to prepare a presentation on the construction of the EU, which I am beasting. Thank you Emory!
The bus was late again, and it is tiring waiting over thirty minutes for a bus to appear. Also, the heat makes waiting unbearable even in the shade. Once home I had a small conversation with Grandma and retired to my room until dinner. Pretty much a stereotypical Monday.
Day Twenty Five
July 11th
Another lazy Sunday, as it has been since I arrived. I woke up and ate breakfast, and two hours later we had lunch with the entire family. By entire family I mean Grandpa, Grandma, Son and Daughter in law. After lunch I just hung out in my room, napped a little and reemerged at 7 (19:00). I was promptly introduced to Grandpa's cousins, and had drinks. Soon it was 8 (20:00) and dinner was being placed on the table. It was the entire family plus Brittany, since she had just gotten back from Paris. Soon I was falling asleep to prepare for a week of classes.
Another lazy Sunday, as it has been since I arrived. I woke up and ate breakfast, and two hours later we had lunch with the entire family. By entire family I mean Grandpa, Grandma, Son and Daughter in law. After lunch I just hung out in my room, napped a little and reemerged at 7 (19:00). I was promptly introduced to Grandpa's cousins, and had drinks. Soon it was 8 (20:00) and dinner was being placed on the table. It was the entire family plus Brittany, since she had just gotten back from Paris. Soon I was falling asleep to prepare for a week of classes.
Day Twenty Four
July 10th
A wonderful Saturday for sleeping in beyond 8, and it was fantastic! Got ready for the day and took the bus into town to meet up with Kong, Chase, and Amanda. Arrived at the Institute a little before our meeting time and saw Dawn sitting on the steps.
A wonderful Saturday for sleeping in beyond 8, and it was fantastic! Got ready for the day and took the bus into town to meet up with Kong, Chase, and Amanda. Arrived at the Institute a little before our meeting time and saw Dawn sitting on the steps.
Conversation with Dawn
ME: Aren't you supposed to be in Marseilles?
Dawn: Yeah, but the ticket one way was 18 euro
ME: Wow, it was only 13 euro when I went
Dawn: Too expensive for one day, texted Kong to see what you guys were up to.
ME: Sweet, hopefully everyone arrives soon
ME: Aren't you supposed to be in Marseilles?
Dawn: Yeah, but the ticket one way was 18 euro
ME: Wow, it was only 13 euro when I went
Dawn: Too expensive for one day, texted Kong to see what you guys were up to.
ME: Sweet, hopefully everyone arrives soon
Apparently the prices have risen since I visited Marseilles my first weekend here, but it was cool she decided to go the cheaper route and chill with us today. Everyone was late, like usual, then the adventure began!
We grabbed some grub from a Kabob stand and ate in a park off of Rue de la Republic, and slowly made our way through the massive amounts of people on Rue de la Republic to get out of the city. Finally, we were able to catch a bus to Villenuve-lez-Avignon, which is on the other side of the Rhone from Avignon.
It was a lot more peaceful than Avignon, mostly because the Festival "OFF" is at night and not dispersed throughout the city, like the one in Avignon. I loved walking around and exploring free parts of the city, even came across a pretty sweet blue car. We also stopped in a partially free mu seam area, which was pretty neat as well.
(Pretty Sweet Car)
After stopping and buying massive amounts of water and a snack, we hiked our way up behind the castle situated just outside the walls of the city. There was a nice flat grassy area, which we plan to go back to with bottles of wine or champagne. We eventually made it to the walls of the castle and chilled in the shade. Once our lovely hike was over, Chase showed us the Festival "OFF" grounds and introduced us to his boss.
(Girls at the Walls)
We then decided to head back to Avignon to chill before going to a show at 8 (20:00). Ended up in the park next to the Palais de Papes, where everyone napped. It was very relaxing just laying in the shade without a care in the world for an hour or so. Around 7 (19:00) we decided it was time to try and get some dinner before the show began. Unfortunately we were only able to get drinks, so it was decided to eat after the show was over. We also asked for directions to the theater since none of us knew where it was located.
(Chase asleep with Kong being Kong)
It was time for the show, and it was awesome!! It was done by Les Cousins, which is a group of three clowns that put on various shows, except only two of them did this particular show. I was laughing so much, and I could understand all of the french!! It started off as the clowns preparing for their show, then performing it which included audience participation. Good way to end an awesome day!
I was kinda starving once the show was over, and we found a really cool pasta place. They had a menu section for the festival where you could get a salad or the tarte of the day, pasta of your choice, and a dessert all for 9 euros!! I originally ordered the tarte, but switched with Chase who ended up with the salad, I was quite content with the switch. My pasta was also very yummy, it was a sauce of spinach, peeled tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil. Mmmmmm! For dessert I ended up with Hazelnut ice-cream!! It was an amazing ending to an awesome day!
(Ferris wheel in the day time!)
We grabbed some grub from a Kabob stand and ate in a park off of Rue de la Republic, and slowly made our way through the massive amounts of people on Rue de la Republic to get out of the city. Finally, we were able to catch a bus to Villenuve-lez-Avignon, which is on the other side of the Rhone from Avignon.
It was a lot more peaceful than Avignon, mostly because the Festival "OFF" is at night and not dispersed throughout the city, like the one in Avignon. I loved walking around and exploring free parts of the city, even came across a pretty sweet blue car. We also stopped in a partially free mu seam area, which was pretty neat as well.
(Pretty Sweet Car)
After stopping and buying massive amounts of water and a snack, we hiked our way up behind the castle situated just outside the walls of the city. There was a nice flat grassy area, which we plan to go back to with bottles of wine or champagne. We eventually made it to the walls of the castle and chilled in the shade. Once our lovely hike was over, Chase showed us the Festival "OFF" grounds and introduced us to his boss.
(Girls at the Walls)
We then decided to head back to Avignon to chill before going to a show at 8 (20:00). Ended up in the park next to the Palais de Papes, where everyone napped. It was very relaxing just laying in the shade without a care in the world for an hour or so. Around 7 (19:00) we decided it was time to try and get some dinner before the show began. Unfortunately we were only able to get drinks, so it was decided to eat after the show was over. We also asked for directions to the theater since none of us knew where it was located.
(Chase asleep with Kong being Kong)
It was time for the show, and it was awesome!! It was done by Les Cousins, which is a group of three clowns that put on various shows, except only two of them did this particular show. I was laughing so much, and I could understand all of the french!! It started off as the clowns preparing for their show, then performing it which included audience participation. Good way to end an awesome day!
I was kinda starving once the show was over, and we found a really cool pasta place. They had a menu section for the festival where you could get a salad or the tarte of the day, pasta of your choice, and a dessert all for 9 euros!! I originally ordered the tarte, but switched with Chase who ended up with the salad, I was quite content with the switch. My pasta was also very yummy, it was a sauce of spinach, peeled tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil. Mmmmmm! For dessert I ended up with Hazelnut ice-cream!! It was an amazing ending to an awesome day!
(Ferris wheel in the day time!)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Day Twenty Three
July 9th
Today I had archeology for three hours, with a new professor, and took more notes than with the previous professor. We talked about how the architecture changed from roman influences into more middle age styles. This portion of the class will be mostly focuses on churches, but it's cool because we can go and actually see the architecture! It was nice to have a break after the first two hours, but three hours is still pretty brutal.
I have never been so excited for it to be 1 (13:00) in my entire life, except maybe when I got out early everyday my senior year of high school. I made some lunch, and headed home to catch up on some much needed sleep. Thursday was a very late night, and I slept from around 2:30 (14:30) until 7:30 (19:30). Gotta love napping in the middle of the afternoon.
When I woke up, I heard a lot of voices and decided to investigate. Grandpa, Grand-daughter, and her boyfriend were playing Boulle on the side of the house, while Grandma sat and watched. I proceeded to sit down and watch the festivities, and they even asked if I wanted to play. I declined because when we played in French Club, I failed epically. This later prompted a conversation with Jameson, since he loves to play it. Eventually, the son and his wife were also involved in the game, before the preparation for dinner began.
Dinner was awesome, even though I had to leave early to get to a play. It was homemade pizza made in a brick oven, which is situated in the driveway. How awesome is that? The pizza was really good, minus the olives. Every pizza in Provence has olives on it and I do not understand it, but to each his own. Soon it was time for me to leave and walk into town.
On another note not related to France, today marked a year and a half of Jameson and I being together. It blows my mind a little bit, but hey it is awesome in it's own right. It is even more awesome considering the majority of it has been long distance. Anyways, it is awesome and hopefully September magically appears!
Today I had archeology for three hours, with a new professor, and took more notes than with the previous professor. We talked about how the architecture changed from roman influences into more middle age styles. This portion of the class will be mostly focuses on churches, but it's cool because we can go and actually see the architecture! It was nice to have a break after the first two hours, but three hours is still pretty brutal.
I have never been so excited for it to be 1 (13:00) in my entire life, except maybe when I got out early everyday my senior year of high school. I made some lunch, and headed home to catch up on some much needed sleep. Thursday was a very late night, and I slept from around 2:30 (14:30) until 7:30 (19:30). Gotta love napping in the middle of the afternoon.
When I woke up, I heard a lot of voices and decided to investigate. Grandpa, Grand-daughter, and her boyfriend were playing Boulle on the side of the house, while Grandma sat and watched. I proceeded to sit down and watch the festivities, and they even asked if I wanted to play. I declined because when we played in French Club, I failed epically. This later prompted a conversation with Jameson, since he loves to play it. Eventually, the son and his wife were also involved in the game, before the preparation for dinner began.
Dinner was awesome, even though I had to leave early to get to a play. It was homemade pizza made in a brick oven, which is situated in the driveway. How awesome is that? The pizza was really good, minus the olives. Every pizza in Provence has olives on it and I do not understand it, but to each his own. Soon it was time for me to leave and walk into town.
(Grandpa with the oven)
I had a ticket to a play called Papperlapapp, and it was playing in the courtyard of the Papal Palace. I found my seat and realized that all of the students from the Institute were seperated into two groups. I only sat through 1h30 of the play because it did not make any sense, and it started to rain. I seriously kept saying WTF every ten seconds or so. Oh well, it was free! I meet with the others who left early, ended up at a restaurant, and eventually walked home.
(The stage)
On another note not related to France, today marked a year and a half of Jameson and I being together. It blows my mind a little bit, but hey it is awesome in it's own right. It is even more awesome considering the majority of it has been long distance. Anyways, it is awesome and hopefully September magically appears!
(February 2010)
(July 2009)
(July 2009)Day Twenty Two
July 8th
Today was the day of mid-terms for my two classes. I began with my history mid-term at 9 and finished right before 10:30. I felt pretty good about it, and kicked arse on the second part. I had my archeology exam at 11 and finished that around 12:15. I got to write about what Romans did for fun and talk about the architecture of the places of fun. Thank you Latin classes!!
After lunch, I did a tiny bit more shopping to purchase a pair of black flats. Totally got a pair of flats for 8 euro, and am currently debating to by another pair before I leave. If I do decide to buy a second pair, I am thinking of getting them in gray. I was quite proud of myself for not going crazy in terms of the sale shopping.
(Dawn and I)
(Chase arm wrestling his host brother Roman)
(Everyone with Benoit and a French Cop)
Today was the day of mid-terms for my two classes. I began with my history mid-term at 9 and finished right before 10:30. I felt pretty good about it, and kicked arse on the second part. I had my archeology exam at 11 and finished that around 12:15. I got to write about what Romans did for fun and talk about the architecture of the places of fun. Thank you Latin classes!!
After lunch, I did a tiny bit more shopping to purchase a pair of black flats. Totally got a pair of flats for 8 euro, and am currently debating to by another pair before I leave. If I do decide to buy a second pair, I am thinking of getting them in gray. I was quite proud of myself for not going crazy in terms of the sale shopping.
Things Bought So Far
A Light Green Dress
2 Nighties
Black Flower Print Dress (50% off)
A Striped Cardigan (50% off)
A Red Striped T-shirt with A Bow (30% off)
A Blue Striped Racerback with A Bow (30% off)
Black Flats
Gifts/Postcards
A Light Green Dress
2 Nighties
Black Flower Print Dress (50% off)
A Striped Cardigan (50% off)
A Red Striped T-shirt with A Bow (30% off)
A Blue Striped Racerback with A Bow (30% off)
Black Flats
Gifts/Postcards
I am excited because this will all fit into my suitcase when I come back, and if I do purchase more clothes it will be simple t-shirts because a lot of places have them for 3 euros! Anyways, waited forever and a day for the bus to come, because the "IN" Festival kicked off yesterday. Lots of people promoting their shows and massive amounts of people taking up space in Avignon. Eventually made it home, where I had my after school chat/drink which lead to dinner.
Since the first Thursday of this program, a group of us have gone out to our favorite bar Les Celestines. Since it was Thursday, it was time to walk into the city to have a fun night out. Brittany and I met everyone in Place Pie (pronounced PEE), where we had a drink at one bar and essentially bar hopped across the city. It was so much fun and one of the best nights I have had so far!
Since the first Thursday of this program, a group of us have gone out to our favorite bar Les Celestines. Since it was Thursday, it was time to walk into the city to have a fun night out. Brittany and I met everyone in Place Pie (pronounced PEE), where we had a drink at one bar and essentially bar hopped across the city. It was so much fun and one of the best nights I have had so far!
(Dawn and I)
(Chase arm wrestling his host brother Roman)
(Everyone with Benoit and a French Cop)Day Twenty One
July 7th (3 weeks in Avignon)
Another day of classes, history and archeology back to back! History was more videos, which is making my like the class less and less; I also did not talk today. I then had archeology and it was our last class talking about the Roman period in France. Professor Mignon was really awesome, and he had handwriting that I could understand.
Once finished for the day, I wrote out three more postcards (hopefully you will have it soon) and planned to go shopping with some of the other girls because the major sales started in earnest. I bought a few things, which have been very practical to have while suffering from constant sun. Made it back to school 10 mins before 6 (18:00) and the door was locked! All of my school stuff and the package from my mom were upstairs in the library. I needed to get into the building because I needed to study for my two midterms, which were taking place the next day.
Emily, Maggie, Amanda, Brittany and I began to call the director to come open the door, and it was a disaster. The director eventually returned our call and told us she would come right away to open the door. I sat on the steps of the Institute for an hour, and then had to wait like crazy for a bus to arrive. Ended up arriving home right around 8 (20:00), and was so stressed and sweaty that I could care less about being productive. I kinda studied and eventually passed out. Such a stressful day!
Another day of classes, history and archeology back to back! History was more videos, which is making my like the class less and less; I also did not talk today. I then had archeology and it was our last class talking about the Roman period in France. Professor Mignon was really awesome, and he had handwriting that I could understand.
Once finished for the day, I wrote out three more postcards (hopefully you will have it soon) and planned to go shopping with some of the other girls because the major sales started in earnest. I bought a few things, which have been very practical to have while suffering from constant sun. Made it back to school 10 mins before 6 (18:00) and the door was locked! All of my school stuff and the package from my mom were upstairs in the library. I needed to get into the building because I needed to study for my two midterms, which were taking place the next day.
Emily, Maggie, Amanda, Brittany and I began to call the director to come open the door, and it was a disaster. The director eventually returned our call and told us she would come right away to open the door. I sat on the steps of the Institute for an hour, and then had to wait like crazy for a bus to arrive. Ended up arriving home right around 8 (20:00), and was so stressed and sweaty that I could care less about being productive. I kinda studied and eventually passed out. Such a stressful day!
Day Twenty
July 6th
Tuesdays are awesome because I just hung around until I had history at 4 (1600). I ended up talking quite a bit in history to make a point to my professor that I understood what was going on, and it was a zero video class. Really, how much can a person learn from watching videos? I was still a complete GRRRR face towards my professor.
I could not have been happier to leave school that day, except for the fact that the classroom is the only place I get to experience AC here in France. It has been in the lower to mid nineties aka thirties here. Sooooo hot, and the bums/normal french people smell awful. Though, the mistral began again, so the heat was not as bad.
The mistral made dinner quite the event, I honestly could not stop laughing. I still have not figured out why my host family feels it is okay to eat in the driveway when the wind is gusting like crazy. If something was not being held down, it was sure to float down the driveway. Grandpa kept losing his napkin and cussing every time it happened. I stopped it once, but that was only once out of one hundred times it blew off the table. Eventually, it was sleep time which was amazing!
Tuesdays are awesome because I just hung around until I had history at 4 (1600). I ended up talking quite a bit in history to make a point to my professor that I understood what was going on, and it was a zero video class. Really, how much can a person learn from watching videos? I was still a complete GRRRR face towards my professor.
I could not have been happier to leave school that day, except for the fact that the classroom is the only place I get to experience AC here in France. It has been in the lower to mid nineties aka thirties here. Sooooo hot, and the bums/normal french people smell awful. Though, the mistral began again, so the heat was not as bad.
The mistral made dinner quite the event, I honestly could not stop laughing. I still have not figured out why my host family feels it is okay to eat in the driveway when the wind is gusting like crazy. If something was not being held down, it was sure to float down the driveway. Grandpa kept losing his napkin and cussing every time it happened. I stopped it once, but that was only once out of one hundred times it blew off the table. Eventually, it was sleep time which was amazing!
Day Nineteen
July 5th
One class Monday strikes again! Same old viewing of videos and interpreting pictures, only so much going on. At the end of class the professor asked if he could speak to me. Oh goodie! To be honest I was surprised he had not asked to talk to me sooner, considering I do not really participate in class. Now it is talk with the professor time.
One class Monday strikes again! Same old viewing of videos and interpreting pictures, only so much going on. At the end of class the professor asked if he could speak to me. Oh goodie! To be honest I was surprised he had not asked to talk to me sooner, considering I do not really participate in class. Now it is talk with the professor time.
Prof: Do you understand what is going on?
ME: Yes
Prof: Why do you not talk?
ME: Other people say what I was going to say
Prof: Do you talk in your classes in the United States?
ME: Sometimes
Prof: Are you timid?
ME: No
ME: Yes
Prof: Why do you not talk?
ME: Other people say what I was going to say
Prof: Do you talk in your classes in the United States?
ME: Sometimes
Prof: Are you timid?
ME: No
I was so aggravated after that conversation, just because I do not contribute to a conversation does not mean I do not understand or I am afraid to talk. I like to sit, listen and make connections, and when a professor just shows videos and pictures there is only so much seven people can say without repeating another person. Reminds me of Mr. Bishop and APUSH, UGH!!!
After I was done with my talk, I went to the store to by lunch stuff for the week or so. I also bought stamps to send off the first set of postcards I had written (You Guys should have them by now). Got back to the school and checked to see if my package from my mom came. Not yet! Eventually, I began the long journey home mostly due to buses being late again! Once I was home I hungout with Grandma and Grandpa. Just a fairly normal Monday, minus my history professor being irritating.
After I was done with my talk, I went to the store to by lunch stuff for the week or so. I also bought stamps to send off the first set of postcards I had written (You Guys should have them by now). Got back to the school and checked to see if my package from my mom came. Not yet! Eventually, I began the long journey home mostly due to buses being late again! Once I was home I hungout with Grandma and Grandpa. Just a fairly normal Monday, minus my history professor being irritating.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Comming Soon
Crazy history project has taken over my life. Hopefully I will post sometime later tonight or tomorrow. Avignon is currently crazy with the sales, and the festival reeking havoc on the streets. <3
Monday, July 5, 2010
Day Eighteen
July 4th
Nothing really happened today, very normal occurrence on Sundays for me. Woke up to a lunch party, and left the lunch party early to do my history readings. Failed at the readings, because my allergies were awful and it was super hot. Ate dinner and pretty much went to bed. That is my Sunday, oh and listened to Wimbly on my computer.
Nothing really happened today, very normal occurrence on Sundays for me. Woke up to a lunch party, and left the lunch party early to do my history readings. Failed at the readings, because my allergies were awful and it was super hot. Ate dinner and pretty much went to bed. That is my Sunday, oh and listened to Wimbly on my computer.
Day Seventeen
July 3rd
The day to celebrate Independence day, while in France. I was excited about sleeping in because the only outing planed would not commence until 2:30(14:30). Around 10:30, Brittany and I headed to the supermarket around the corner to buy things for the Independence day celebration. After going to the market, I went home and wrote out some of the post cards I bought earlier in the week.
At one point, Grandma asked if I was going to eat lunch and I said no. A few minutes later Brittany comes over and says that Grandpa said I did not understand when they asked me eating. In all honesty I was not even thinking about food or what time it was. I told them I was not even thinking because I was so wrapped up in my writing. They understood, but it bothers me they took my not thinking as not understanding. Sorry, I am a bit of a space cadet when I focus on something.
When 1:45 (13:45) hit, Brittany and I hopped on the bus to head to our meeting spot. When we arrived at the bus station, no-one from the center could be seen. Eventually, Kong meet us outside and we walked in together. I thought someone from the Institute would be coming with us, but I was wrong. We hop on the bus with our treats and eventually make it to Carpentras. As soon as we get there, a guy named Steve greets us and tells us we are going on a tour of the city, and we can swim in the pool later. What!? Two days before we found out we had to bring something, and no one told us about swimming or the city tour.
(An Old Church in Town)
The tour of the city was not too bad, but I was still irritated that no one thought to mention this to us. There were a couple of different art shows going on in Carpentras, one of which was just hanging throughout the city. One art show was paintings done by an American housed in the back of a book/comic book store. I found the comic books a bit more interesting than the art exhibit. From there we ended up at another exhibit, this one of photographs done throughout the region. Some photos were done after certain photos taken in the 1900's. I really loved that exhibit, and even got a free book of some of the photos. Finally it was time to hop in cars and head outside the center of town (aka outside the walls).
(Cool Carousel)
End up at Steve's house, there is a mixture of American and French flags and a bunch of really random people. There was only one other American, who was staying in a town nearby working in a Bed and Breakfast. She was only in high school, and not very interesting at all. It was an interesting experience, and one I would rather not repeat. I did sit next to a very awesome French man, who completely understood me and knew about Norfolk. We ended the night singing songs and things along those lines. The various peoples ended up driving us home, which was an experience in it of itself.
(Part of the Painting Exhibit)
I would say it was an odd way to celebrate the 4th a day early.
The day to celebrate Independence day, while in France. I was excited about sleeping in because the only outing planed would not commence until 2:30(14:30). Around 10:30, Brittany and I headed to the supermarket around the corner to buy things for the Independence day celebration. After going to the market, I went home and wrote out some of the post cards I bought earlier in the week.
At one point, Grandma asked if I was going to eat lunch and I said no. A few minutes later Brittany comes over and says that Grandpa said I did not understand when they asked me eating. In all honesty I was not even thinking about food or what time it was. I told them I was not even thinking because I was so wrapped up in my writing. They understood, but it bothers me they took my not thinking as not understanding. Sorry, I am a bit of a space cadet when I focus on something.
When 1:45 (13:45) hit, Brittany and I hopped on the bus to head to our meeting spot. When we arrived at the bus station, no-one from the center could be seen. Eventually, Kong meet us outside and we walked in together. I thought someone from the Institute would be coming with us, but I was wrong. We hop on the bus with our treats and eventually make it to Carpentras. As soon as we get there, a guy named Steve greets us and tells us we are going on a tour of the city, and we can swim in the pool later. What!? Two days before we found out we had to bring something, and no one told us about swimming or the city tour.
(An Old Church in Town)
(Cool Carousel)
End up at Steve's house, there is a mixture of American and French flags and a bunch of really random people. There was only one other American, who was staying in a town nearby working in a Bed and Breakfast. She was only in high school, and not very interesting at all. It was an interesting experience, and one I would rather not repeat. I did sit next to a very awesome French man, who completely understood me and knew about Norfolk. We ended the night singing songs and things along those lines. The various peoples ended up driving us home, which was an experience in it of itself.
(Part of the Painting Exhibit)
I would say it was an odd way to celebrate the 4th a day early.
Day Sixteen
July 2nd
Field trip to Pont de Gard!! It is one of the remaining sections of the aqueduct of Nimes that is still in really good condition. It sucked having to get up really early, but it was well worth it. It was not even an hour outside of Avignon, but I still found it to be pretty neat. It was a fairly short trip compared to the other field trips, yet still enjoyable.
(A Portion of the 2nd tier, and 3rd tier)
Brittany and I went home, had a tiny conversation with our hosts families. We decided to tan/swim for a tiny bit of the afternoon. It was nice just to lay in the sun and not worry about anything. Around 6(18:00), I went back to my house to chill out/nap until dinner. Dinner was a normal affair, accompanied by Plus Belle La Vie at 8h10m (20h10m). After dinner I got ready to head to Les Celestines with Brittany and the others.
It was a very chill night at Les Celestines, where I got a tiny teapot of tea for only 2 euros. Normally I would order a beer that would cost 2E30 and not get even half as much as the tea. It was very relaxing, and we had all different kinds of conversations. Our server, Benoire, kept teasing us and making jokes. Finally ended up back home to sleep.
Field trip to Pont de Gard!! It is one of the remaining sections of the aqueduct of Nimes that is still in really good condition. It sucked having to get up really early, but it was well worth it. It was not even an hour outside of Avignon, but I still found it to be pretty neat. It was a fairly short trip compared to the other field trips, yet still enjoyable.
(Everyone walking towards Pont de Gard)
Our first stop of Pont de Gard itself, where standing on the banks of the river two girls gave presentations: Pont de Gard, and Aquecduct de Nimes. It is amazing that the Romans were able to construct such grand pieces using limestone and other materials. We walked beneath Pont de Gard and we walked to the top of it. After the lectures, we visited the museum at the site. It was a very modern museum, and had sections that were lighted by black light. So odd. After the museum it was time to go swimming in the river. The cold water was so refreshing after walking in the bright sun all morning. The only down side was all of the rocks that made up the bed of the river. My feet were killing me, but I guess it was worth it.
(Pont de Gard in it's entirety (what I could get on my camera))
Soon, it was back on the bus to Avignon. Once we got to town, the whole group went to a Tartine place. I had never had a Tartine before, and let me say the one I got was super yummy. I got a chicken Tartine, which was like chicken salad minus the mayo, with cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, and red peppers. All of this is on a toasted slice of bread, which is what makes it a Tartine. Tartines can come with either cold things on top or hot depending on which one a person orders. After lunch everyone parted ways because we were all drained from the sun.
(A Portion of the 2nd tier, and 3rd tier)
Brittany and I went home, had a tiny conversation with our hosts families. We decided to tan/swim for a tiny bit of the afternoon. It was nice just to lay in the sun and not worry about anything. Around 6(18:00), I went back to my house to chill out/nap until dinner. Dinner was a normal affair, accompanied by Plus Belle La Vie at 8h10m (20h10m). After dinner I got ready to head to Les Celestines with Brittany and the others.
It was a very chill night at Les Celestines, where I got a tiny teapot of tea for only 2 euros. Normally I would order a beer that would cost 2E30 and not get even half as much as the tea. It was very relaxing, and we had all different kinds of conversations. Our server, Benoire, kept teasing us and making jokes. Finally ended up back home to sleep.
Day Fifteen
July 1st
Another long morning of classes, where I proceed to struggle to pay attention. In history we looked at the presidential photos of each president, and analyzed them. It was ooohhh soooo much fun. In archeology we finished with Arles and began to talk about Orange, and the upcoming presentations.
I did a little bit of shopping after class. I ended up buying post cards, which I need more of, and some pjs. The ones I brought are too heavy for this ridiculously hot weather. Never have I missed AC so much in my life, my tiny fan is just not cutting it. I leave my shutters open, my windows open and my fan on, and there is no relief from the heat day or night.
After shopping and running errands, I had a video chat with Jameson. His mom came into his room and said,"She's up already?". It was totally 2:16 (14:16) and it made my day. I am glad I am not the only person who cannot figure time changes. It was fantastic! (ha ha ha)
Finally I was home and was super excited for 8 (20:00) to roll around. There were going to be 4 (5?) episodes of Plus Bella La Vie on the tv. I was super excited and it ended up being really crazy. A little background information on Plus Belle La Vie, it is a Soap Opera based in Marseilles in a neighborhood called Le Mestrial. There are a billion different story lines, as is typical in any soap opera, and I look forward to the show every week night. I have almost the entire storyline down, only after watching it for two weeks. The episodes were super crazy, and the main storyline was a bank hold up that had multiple story lines within it. Best Thursday so far!
Another long morning of classes, where I proceed to struggle to pay attention. In history we looked at the presidential photos of each president, and analyzed them. It was ooohhh soooo much fun. In archeology we finished with Arles and began to talk about Orange, and the upcoming presentations.
I did a little bit of shopping after class. I ended up buying post cards, which I need more of, and some pjs. The ones I brought are too heavy for this ridiculously hot weather. Never have I missed AC so much in my life, my tiny fan is just not cutting it. I leave my shutters open, my windows open and my fan on, and there is no relief from the heat day or night.
After shopping and running errands, I had a video chat with Jameson. His mom came into his room and said,"She's up already?". It was totally 2:16 (14:16) and it made my day. I am glad I am not the only person who cannot figure time changes. It was fantastic! (ha ha ha)
Finally I was home and was super excited for 8 (20:00) to roll around. There were going to be 4 (5?) episodes of Plus Bella La Vie on the tv. I was super excited and it ended up being really crazy. A little background information on Plus Belle La Vie, it is a Soap Opera based in Marseilles in a neighborhood called Le Mestrial. There are a billion different story lines, as is typical in any soap opera, and I look forward to the show every week night. I have almost the entire storyline down, only after watching it for two weeks. The episodes were super crazy, and the main storyline was a bank hold up that had multiple story lines within it. Best Thursday so far!
Day Fourteen
June 30th
Officially two weeks since I have been in Avignon! I feel like I have been here forever, but I have in terms of the country as a whole. Today was a long day of classes, 1hr30m for history and 2hr for archeology. We talked about the different presidents in history class, and which political party they were associated with. Archeology was dedicated to Arles, and the three key pieces in any Roman city: the Forum, the Theater, the Walls surrounding the city.
After I was done with classes for the day, I just hung out at the Institute. Eventually, a few of us went to a pastry shop and I got a creme doughnut. I have not had a doughnut since I have been here, and it was sooooo good. Though I do wish the creme was more like Pittman Creme Doughnuts, but I am in France and not everything can be the same. Soon afterward, I went home by myself again, and this time the bus was not super crowded.
Once home I hung out with Grandma/Grandpa and their Son/Daughter in Law. We talked about my day and why Brittany did not come home. I told them she had to talk to a professor and that she was also going to the doctor. Brittany's host family ended up asking me a lot of questions about my family, Emory, and life back home. It was a nice affair, minus Eric (the son) pronouncing things very oddly, and I could not understand him yet I could understand everyone else. Eric is a very frustrating/irritating man.
Soon it was time for dinner and Plus Belle La Vie. After dinner was over, I went to sleep because the heat/sun + my allergies being crazy = a very tired me. I also fit in a video chat with Jameson at some point, but I do not know if it was before or after dinner.
Officially two weeks since I have been in Avignon! I feel like I have been here forever, but I have in terms of the country as a whole. Today was a long day of classes, 1hr30m for history and 2hr for archeology. We talked about the different presidents in history class, and which political party they were associated with. Archeology was dedicated to Arles, and the three key pieces in any Roman city: the Forum, the Theater, the Walls surrounding the city.
After I was done with classes for the day, I just hung out at the Institute. Eventually, a few of us went to a pastry shop and I got a creme doughnut. I have not had a doughnut since I have been here, and it was sooooo good. Though I do wish the creme was more like Pittman Creme Doughnuts, but I am in France and not everything can be the same. Soon afterward, I went home by myself again, and this time the bus was not super crowded.
Once home I hung out with Grandma/Grandpa and their Son/Daughter in Law. We talked about my day and why Brittany did not come home. I told them she had to talk to a professor and that she was also going to the doctor. Brittany's host family ended up asking me a lot of questions about my family, Emory, and life back home. It was a nice affair, minus Eric (the son) pronouncing things very oddly, and I could not understand him yet I could understand everyone else. Eric is a very frustrating/irritating man.
Soon it was time for dinner and Plus Belle La Vie. After dinner was over, I went to sleep because the heat/sun + my allergies being crazy = a very tired me. I also fit in a video chat with Jameson at some point, but I do not know if it was before or after dinner.
Day Thirteen
June 29th
I did not have class until 4(16:00) and ended up being very productive. I finished my history paper and homework before 2:30(14:30). I was honestly quite surprised that I got all of my work done, but people were in class so it was not too hard to accomplish. I was also able to update this thing, but alas my updates have stalled again.
Class finished at 6(18:00) and I made the slow trek home. The bus was very late, it was over 95 degrees, and I had a heavy bag. Once the bus did arrive, there was only standing room which slowly got worse as we made our way out of the city. This was also my first time going home by myself, which was not horrible. Brittany went on a run with Emily along the bank of the Rhone.
Eventually I made it home, which was a very nice. I hung out with Grandma and Grandpa, telling them about my day and all that jazz. Also told Grandpa the internet stopped working, so we re-set it and it worked again. After all of the normal routines, I went to my room and caught up on all the Wimbly action. I was really sad to find out my girl Kim Clijsters lost. :(
Dinner time came and so did Plus Belle La Vie. I still find it odd to watch the tv while eating dinner, but I guess it's very common here in France. While eating dessert, Brittany came running over because her computer officially died. She asked to use mine in order to finish her history paper. I was quite sad later that night because I could not video chat with people, but shit happens.
Just a semi-normal day in Avignon
I did not have class until 4(16:00) and ended up being very productive. I finished my history paper and homework before 2:30(14:30). I was honestly quite surprised that I got all of my work done, but people were in class so it was not too hard to accomplish. I was also able to update this thing, but alas my updates have stalled again.
Class finished at 6(18:00) and I made the slow trek home. The bus was very late, it was over 95 degrees, and I had a heavy bag. Once the bus did arrive, there was only standing room which slowly got worse as we made our way out of the city. This was also my first time going home by myself, which was not horrible. Brittany went on a run with Emily along the bank of the Rhone.
Eventually I made it home, which was a very nice. I hung out with Grandma and Grandpa, telling them about my day and all that jazz. Also told Grandpa the internet stopped working, so we re-set it and it worked again. After all of the normal routines, I went to my room and caught up on all the Wimbly action. I was really sad to find out my girl Kim Clijsters lost. :(
Dinner time came and so did Plus Belle La Vie. I still find it odd to watch the tv while eating dinner, but I guess it's very common here in France. While eating dessert, Brittany came running over because her computer officially died. She asked to use mine in order to finish her history paper. I was quite sad later that night because I could not video chat with people, but shit happens.
Just a semi-normal day in Avignon
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Day Twelve
June 28th
The second week of classes began at 9 with History class. We discussed the political structure of the III Republic, which was soon after the second world war. After two hours in that class, I was glad that I was done for the day. I goofed around and hung out with people until they had to go to classes in the afternoon. While they were in class, I worked on my history paper listening to Wimbly on the internet. I also enjoyed the phone call from my mom, which was an added work break.
Got home around 6:30 (18:30) and meet Andre's mom and host mom. It was really neat to watch/listen to Andre translate french and portuguese. It was slightly confusing at first, but I understood a majority of the french meaning my comprehension is getting a lot better. While he gave his family a tour of both houses, I talked to my hosts about my day and answered any questions they asked me. Eventually the mid evening gathering turned into an all out family dinner.
We had Paella for dinner, which was amazing!! The combination of rice, shrimp with heads, muscles, chicken legs, green peppers and red peppers was awesome. At this point, three different languages were floating across the table as the dinner continued well into the night. After the Paella, was the cheese course, and finally the ice cream course. The ice cream my host family has is kinda like ice cream cake but not. The first time I had it was Sunday, and it was a coffee one with toffee between the layers. This time there was caramel with coconut (so two kinds of ice creams together) and a chocolate one. Surprisingly enough the caramel/coconut one was pretty good, and the chocolate was very rich like a chocolate cake.
The second week of classes began at 9 with History class. We discussed the political structure of the III Republic, which was soon after the second world war. After two hours in that class, I was glad that I was done for the day. I goofed around and hung out with people until they had to go to classes in the afternoon. While they were in class, I worked on my history paper listening to Wimbly on the internet. I also enjoyed the phone call from my mom, which was an added work break.
Got home around 6:30 (18:30) and meet Andre's mom and host mom. It was really neat to watch/listen to Andre translate french and portuguese. It was slightly confusing at first, but I understood a majority of the french meaning my comprehension is getting a lot better. While he gave his family a tour of both houses, I talked to my hosts about my day and answered any questions they asked me. Eventually the mid evening gathering turned into an all out family dinner.
We had Paella for dinner, which was amazing!! The combination of rice, shrimp with heads, muscles, chicken legs, green peppers and red peppers was awesome. At this point, three different languages were floating across the table as the dinner continued well into the night. After the Paella, was the cheese course, and finally the ice cream course. The ice cream my host family has is kinda like ice cream cake but not. The first time I had it was Sunday, and it was a coffee one with toffee between the layers. This time there was caramel with coconut (so two kinds of ice creams together) and a chocolate one. Surprisingly enough the caramel/coconut one was pretty good, and the chocolate was very rich like a chocolate cake.
(Paella!!)
It was a very multi-language day!Day Eleven
June 27th
Another Sunday where I slept the majority of my day away. I feel like my sundays will be me catching up on all of the sleep I have missed starting on Thursday nights. I woke up around 11:30 and ate with the family around 1:30 (13:30). Tried to work on my history paper, ended up napping until 5ish (17:00). Obviously it was not a productive day for me. Later after dinner, one of their hold host kids came by. His name is Andre, from Brazil and is 17. He stayed with my family for 9 months, and went to London, Paris, and parts of Italy with his mom and god-mother after his 9 months were up. He was stopping by before he left to go back to Brazil, and would be bringing his mom and god mother to dinner Monday night. After all of that excitement, I had a baby video chat with Jameson and went to bed.
Another Sunday where I slept the majority of my day away. I feel like my sundays will be me catching up on all of the sleep I have missed starting on Thursday nights. I woke up around 11:30 and ate with the family around 1:30 (13:30). Tried to work on my history paper, ended up napping until 5ish (17:00). Obviously it was not a productive day for me. Later after dinner, one of their hold host kids came by. His name is Andre, from Brazil and is 17. He stayed with my family for 9 months, and went to London, Paris, and parts of Italy with his mom and god-mother after his 9 months were up. He was stopping by before he left to go back to Brazil, and would be bringing his mom and god mother to dinner Monday night. After all of that excitement, I had a baby video chat with Jameson and went to bed.
Day Ten
June 26th
Another early morning to catch a bus for another adventure in the area. Today was one of the excursions included with the program, and the other professor for my archeology class took us. We went to the area of Camurage, and specifically Saintes Maries de la Mer. This particular part of France is known for bulls, white horses, and pink flamingos. The bus actually had AC this time around, and the scenery was filled with lots of industrial aspects of the region plopped in the middle of beautiful fields.
As soon as we got closer, the drive reminded me of going to the Jersey Shore. Once we got off the bus, it was very much a sleepy beach town with a harbor filled with fishing boats, as well as pleasure boats. The harbor reminded me of Fort Monroe's tiny harbor of boats. We walked to the Church, called Saintes Maries de la Mer, and it was pretty neat on the inside. The church was once used as a fortress, and is still used as a normal church today. Above the main door to the church was a symbol, which was a combination of a cross, heart and anchor. Apparently, that is the symbol of the Camurage region.
(Faith, Charity, Hope)
We eventually ended up on the roof of the church and could see for miles. I loved feeling as if I was on top of the world. I also liked being able to see the whole town and the Mediterranean. Once we were done hanging out on the roof, the gang (aka the people I hang out with) grabbed some sandwiches and hit the beach. It was a gray sandy beach, and the water was very calm. The water was a bit cold, but after laying in the sun it was refreshing to get cooled down. Eventually, we left the beach and hit the town and sat down for a glass of Sangria (probably only place with Sangria around here). The walk through town eventually became a hunt for souvenirs, where I bought a necklace with the symbol on it, and discovered the symbol on different buildings and even in the roads.
Another early morning to catch a bus for another adventure in the area. Today was one of the excursions included with the program, and the other professor for my archeology class took us. We went to the area of Camurage, and specifically Saintes Maries de la Mer. This particular part of France is known for bulls, white horses, and pink flamingos. The bus actually had AC this time around, and the scenery was filled with lots of industrial aspects of the region plopped in the middle of beautiful fields.
As soon as we got closer, the drive reminded me of going to the Jersey Shore. Once we got off the bus, it was very much a sleepy beach town with a harbor filled with fishing boats, as well as pleasure boats. The harbor reminded me of Fort Monroe's tiny harbor of boats. We walked to the Church, called Saintes Maries de la Mer, and it was pretty neat on the inside. The church was once used as a fortress, and is still used as a normal church today. Above the main door to the church was a symbol, which was a combination of a cross, heart and anchor. Apparently, that is the symbol of the Camurage region.
(Faith, Charity, Hope)
We eventually ended up on the roof of the church and could see for miles. I loved feeling as if I was on top of the world. I also liked being able to see the whole town and the Mediterranean. Once we were done hanging out on the roof, the gang (aka the people I hang out with) grabbed some sandwiches and hit the beach. It was a gray sandy beach, and the water was very calm. The water was a bit cold, but after laying in the sun it was refreshing to get cooled down. Eventually, we left the beach and hit the town and sat down for a glass of Sangria (probably only place with Sangria around here). The walk through town eventually became a hunt for souvenirs, where I bought a necklace with the symbol on it, and discovered the symbol on different buildings and even in the roads.
(View from the roof)
Eventually, made it back home to Avignon completely exhausted only to turn around and get ready for a night out. The plan was to get all dressed up for the club, but we only made it as far as Les Celestines. In the end, it was another crazy fun filled day!
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