La Rhume

Wow, it's been a busy week!
Let's see, what have I done since I last posted...

Sunday Maia and I wanted to check out the Médiatheque but it was closed... as everything is on Sundays, except the Cinema! So we went and saw "slumdog millionaire". It was really good! Then we came back to my apartment and watched another movie because it's cheaper to watch them for free :)

Monday I went to go check out a rock climbing class but it was canceled so I met up with Maia and Yan at the cafeteria... not much to say about that, it's cafeteria food, only bread and cheese and quiche instead of... American food, but still mass processed and mushy. Then Yan and I went shopping! I got boots in case it rains (which it did once but doesn't look like it will again... great...) and some really cheap cute clothes! Right now it's Les Soldes (sales) so everything is on sale, except the new clothes for spring, but who needs that?

Tuesday was my first day of classes... what an interesting experience. My first class was Savoirs Culturels which is like learning about French customs and cultures. We talked about stereotypes about French people and what is true and why. That's two hours. Then right afterwards is language block, another two hours. The first day we just chose our classes then did some ridiculous listening activity that nobody else finished. Sam, a girl from the LC group, and I have all our classes together which is nice. Then we have a two hour break then 4 hours straight of options courses: Phonétiques (phonetics), Les Langues de la Rue (street language), Philosophie du Monde, and Philosophie de la France. All of the option courses are interesting.

Wednesday Sam came over and we recopied our notes and talked about classes. Then we had another language block which is semi-interesting/semi-boring because it's really easy stuff, but at least the class won't be too hard! We were going to check out Mouvements Litteraires (literary movements) but it was cancelled.

Thursday we went to Diversité Linguistique de la France (Linguistic Diversity in France) but our prof never showed up, probably because of the strike. Then we tried to find out information for taking a course at the faculté (the actual French university, not the international school that we go to) and the office was also closed because of the strike. Apparently there was a nationwide strike and a lot of public workers like teachers and transportation workers were on strike against vague things like education, the economic crisis, and Sarkozy. Unfortunately I didn't get to see any of the manifestations because I went to bed for the rest of the day besides our village project class. I had a really bad cold that is still bothering me so hopefully I get over it soon...

Friday I skipped my morning class to get rest because we went on an excursion! We met up with the Nancy group (another group of students from LC) and took a bus to Colmar. There we visited an old church with a famous organ, and the the Musée d'Unterlinden to see the Retable d'Issenheim, a famous religious painting. The museum was very cool, they had everything from old religious statues, to artifacts from the neanderthal period to modern paintings, I even saw two Picassos! We were able to wander around by ourselves for a while and then had a guide explain the Retable d'Issenheim. I really enjoyed hearing all the background and explanations about the paintings, I really wouldn't have appreciated it without that. Next we went to a museum of Eau de Vie, which is a special type of liquer. The man that owns this small museum showed us how it was made and explained the history of a bunch of different bottles of liquer, as well as the history of absinthe. Then we got to taste some Eau de Vie! It was very very strong and not something I'd want to drink again, but I also tried a liquer called Exotic Cranberry which was sweet and delicious :)
After all that we were starving and we headed off for dinner. We ate at a restaurant called L'Agneau d'Or (the Golden Lamb). It was definitely very french... first the waitress came around and poured us all wine... then 100 years later (really only half an hour maybe, but I was starving so everything took forever) she brought this whipped vegetable purée thing... it was good but only because I was starving. Then another 100 years later we got a salad with munster cheese biscuit things! (sorry everyone, I forgot all the real names for everything) That was DELICIOUS! but definitely not filling enough... next course, sorbet to cleanse the palate. Then we had the main course, guinea fowl with homemade noodles and vegetables. It was so good! Finally I was full :) For a while we were scared that the salad was all we were going to get because the menu was out of order plus we didn't really understand what it said, so we were very happy when she brought out big plates of meat and veggies. After the delicious main course we had chocolate tart with ice cream (I'm sure it was something more fancy than that but that's how it translates in my American mind) All in all it was a very fancy delicious meal, I just wish it didn't take so long! We were there for about three hours!

Today I slept till about 11:30 because I'm still feeling icky and cold-infested but the Nancy group was still in Strasbourg and I wanted to go hang out with some friends before they left. Sam brought over the notes I missed Thursday and Friday. Then Maia and I went shopping for some food for my birthday party Sunday night! (I hope I'm feeling better by then!) After we dropped the groceries off at the apartment we met up with Catherine and Alla at a huge shopping center and walked around. It was nice being in a warm building instead of out in the cold but by the end I was feeling tired and icky again. We dropped Catherine off at her hotel then Maia and I came back to my apartment and watched some TV.

I would make this more interesting and detailed but I've been tired and sick since Thursday so my brain isn't functioning at it's fullest capacity... Tomorrow I'm going to rest up before my birthday party in the evening and Monday I have a Rock Climbing class I hope I'm in full form to attend. Then back into the school week with 8 hours of class on Tuesday! As long as I can make it through the first four hours of culture and language block the rest of the day should be interesting. Oh! And I get to pick up a birthday package at the post office on Monday :) Hopefully a good Birthday week to look forward to if I'm not still sick with une rhume (a cold)!