Adventures in France

It would be horrible of me to recount everything I have done for you. You wouldn't really care to read all of it and it would be terribly, terribly boring. I wanted to upload the pictures that I took, but it won't let me at the computer lab at the university. I'll try again at home. Contrary to my dad's belief, France is NOT a third-world country. They have all the modern conveniences that we enjoy here, like WiFi and television. I'll make this easier on the eyes and do a list of the thigns I have noticed thus far, and I'll keep this short until I can get a visual.

• The French are very weird about setting utensils back on the table, yet they have no problem just putting bread straight on the table and eating from there, even in restaurants.
• They keep doors shut at all times.
• They walk without swinging their shoulders, which is a really intimidating posture.
• Men are NOT shy about whistling and jeering at you in the street. Women either.
• Cheese is dessert and salad is for after the main course.

Most of the time I've been walking around the city and writing. A lot. I've been doing some reviews (I know, I know) and writing some really sloppy poetry that I destroy almost immediately after. My host family is very sweet, and speaks nothing but French to me. They are patient, though, and have to repeat themselves a lot. They have five kids, but they are all out of the house. The youngest is still in high school, but he goes to a boarding school about an hour away and comes home on the weekends. They have a friend of the family who lives with them while she's going to school, but she is extremely anti-social and apparently works a lot. You almost never see her going in and out of the house.

I love it here. It's very pretty and the people are much friendlier than I expected. Shows that it's too easy to buy into preconceived notions. I miss home a lot, though, but I sent out of my first round of postcards yesterday, and hope to hear back (hint hint).