Salut!

Salut tout le monde ! Ca fait longtemps, oui ? I can’t believe that I’ve been here for ten days! On one hand, it seems like I left home just yesterday, but on the other hand, I feel like I’ve already been here for such a long time. Even though it was really hard adjusting to being completely immersed in the French language and culture, I feel so wonderful now and I have great faith and confidence that I am going to become very competent in speaking and understanding French while I’m here! It is really quite exciting. The weather has been absolutely beautiful; far better than in Michigan from what I hear. As I mentioned before, the first few days were filled with a trips to the supermarché, and also a trip to the centre-ville. Well, since then, I’ve been able to discover the city a bit more, and also visit some tourist attractions here! I walked to the centre-ville by myself a few days ago, and explored that part of the city. By the way, there is a ton of construction going on in Angers. I almost feel like there is more construction in Angers than in all of Michigan! Hopefully it will be done within a few months. The architecture and history is very rich in the city, and when you go downtown, you can just tell that history and traditions are balanced very well with modern styles and ways of life. While I was downtown, I bought a new French->English dictionary, the first Harry Potter book en Français, and also a few other little things. I figured that it would be a great idea to buy Harry Potter, because I’ve already read it in English, and reading it in French will enrich my vocabulary and also help me to see different grammar uses. As I walked up and down the streets of the centre-ville, I passed a few cathedrals, walked through the gardens of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, and took in as much as I could with the ways people interacted. While I was walking around downtown, at least three people asked me different things about the area, at which I could only reply “je ne sais pas.” While that may not seem like a big deal, I felt wonderful because the fact that they were asking me questions meant that I looked like I knew my way around the city and wasn’t a tourist! On Saturday, Yilan and I went to the marché. It was essentially a huge farmer’s market or open-air market. It was right in the centre-ville, and there were so many different booths set up, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was equivalent to the size of a Meijer back home! I bought some fruit, vegetables, and flowers, and the atmosphere was so energizing! I also should mention that the stereotype of French people involves berets, but I have only seen one man in France with a beret. Yilan, Béatrice, and I visited the Chateau Montgeoffrey on Sunday, and it was pretty interesting. The style was very classical, and even though I didn’t understand everything the guide was saying, I was able to get the sense of what was said. The gardens there were beautiful, and it felt so good to be in nature. I already feel so much better about speaking French in public and I can understand decently well what people say to me. I of course am most comfortable speaking and listening to Yilan and Béatrice, but overall I feel pretty comfortable right now. I am so excited to take my placement tests tomorrow and for school to start next Monday! It will be great to meet some other foreign students and to have some work to do. It’s been fantastic becoming acquainted to the city before jumping right into school, but I am ready to go back to school. And now, I must depart, for I am making pasta for dinner. C’est la vie en Angers, France!