April 28 2015

Finally glad to have my computer fixed! Now getting used to being back on an American keyboard after having adapted to French ones. It's crazy as the last week of classes, everything is coming to a close very quickly! After having been in France for eight months, it feels a little bit like graduation in a way. Last night, the students performed their theater piece in French and it was great to just attend as a spectator with my host family, a much better experience this time around. I discussed with Lindsay who had also been in the same theater class with me last semester how it's a bit nostalgic for both of us, especially since the play was catered toward the alumni who were attending.

This past week, I had to do two oral presentations, one for my French grammar class where there was a big audience of alumni and fellow students, and the other in front of only my small French Literature Theater class of four. I got really into explaining the plot of Victor Hugo's play, Hernani that when I told my professor afterward how much I had enjoyed the play, he replied, "That's not obvious."

This past weekend, I met up with Lise, a French student studying in Angers. I had met her on the train headed to Aix en Provence. She was nice to correct my French grammar homework and that began our conversation. We had lunch together in Angers (which is only a half an hour train ride from Nantes), visited the castle together, and met up with a few of her friends. Of course, being French I was surrounded by two smokers. I'm not a fan of the drinking, or smoking culture here, but it certainly makes for interesting conversation seeing a cigarette pack labeled in German and finding out two of Lise's friends are actually Austrian & bilingual.

 With Lise for an Angers weekend visit

I went again this semester on the IES trip to Clisson, which was even more wonderful because as I've said more times than I should, I love so much more this group of student's this semester. Everyone is so much nicer and there's way more harmony within the group, so I genuinely enjoy the student group trips. It was great trying muscadet again, a type of French white wine, which is very tasty! In general I had fun as a whole just goofing off with friends all day long!

 This is what happens when you lend a friend your phone, selfies galore! 

 Love this group: Amanda, Gail, Edward, & Chandra 

 Me & Kristine goofing off at Clisson's castle ruins 

Amanda & Edward 

 The Queen of Languages (Portuguese, English, & French) 

as we call Amanda has many admirers 

 Love the architecture of this church in Clisson 

Inside a French wine cave 

I am ready to come home, but of course, there are days where I have no desire to leave because of how I am attached to my life in Nantes and feeling at home in France. I miss my family very much, so really lots of mixed emotions right now, but there is a time for everything. It will be time to head home sooner than I know it.