Last night, I went with Juliette and my host dad to see the musical FAME at the Comédie Théâtre in Paris. It was very entertaining! I couldn't compare it to a Broadway show (seeing as how I've never seen an actual B'way show) but it was pretty good! It's a good thing I saw the movie in English before the live version in French- it helped me follow along a lot easier. I still didn't catch everything, though, because there were several differences in the script that weren't part of the movie.

I feel like my spoken French is improving loads- especially after having spent so much time with my host sister and brothers. The other day, Yohan (Juliette's older brother, Samuel's younger) helped me bring my things from Luna Park to Laurent's apartment, where I stayed one night before moving to Arlette's mothers' apartment. He was very helpful and I hope he knows how grateful I was for his help. That day while we were waiting to meet up with Laurent, we went to Champs Elysées and walked up and down the strip, stopping at random boutiques here and there. We stopped at a Starbucks to treat ourselves to a Frappuccino before going to the Ciné to see yet another American film, Penelope. Very cute film. It was dubbed in French, so again I had to pay close attention to follow along, but well worth it.

Thursday- May 2nd
I'm leaving in thirteen days. I succeeded in moving the date up to May 15th at the steep price of $95 (the ticket price for the flight stayed the same, which is unfortunate because it would have been over $200 of a difference!) But either way, it's worth it because I'll be home in time for my little brother's birthday. He was happy to hear that. But now, since I'm quite pressed for money, I'll have to check out what events around here are cheap/free. Tonight there's a music festival on campus, and I was invited by Samuel. Should be interesting! Until then, i'm spending time on the balcony (with a beautiful view of Centre Ville) listening to music on my computer. I really enjoy the quiet here at Arlette's. Last weekend Yohan and his cousin, her boyfriend, and another guy all stayed over. It was pretty loud, sometimes a bit hard to fall asleep but the piano/guitar duets didn't last too long into the night.

Saturday- May 5th
Today is gorgeous. I'm laying on the grass by the Doubs. There are a bunch of people already here that had the exact same idea. I adore this spot- it's like a beach without the sand. It's nice to be able to take advantage of the sun for at least a few days (I heard it's not going to be as nice tomorrow :-/ ) (Post-France edit: I think I spent more time outside in Besac because it was the French thing to do! Also, it helped that I was so close to Centre Ville, and you didn't have to go far in any direction to have a beautiful view of the river, the Citadelle, et cetera.)

Today we went to the Louvre and checked out the Babylon exhibit, which was new and only going on for a short time. We spent about 3 hours there, then walked around Paris for a bit. We had drinks, ate Chinese and found a movie theatre close to the opera house we went to the other night. We saw "Deux Soeurs Pour un Roi", dubbed. *Mental note- see it in English to see what I missed!*

Academie Nationale de Musique

Sunday
I'm waiting for the shower key while Nikki looks for our friend Sarah downstairs. It looks a little cloudy and chilly outside today, but no matter- I'm going to a cafe after my shower to use the internet and find some show times for an opera today.
*ATTN* Future study abroad students- Don't forget to pack a power converter and adapter! I don't know how much they cost, because I was lucky and borrowed mine from a friend- but if you're going to be using your laptop or hair dryer or whatever that might have an American plug, you'll need a converter!

^Looking out of one of the windows of the Louvre

**later**
Juliette and I are now on the train, heading back to Besancon. I'm ready to be back in a semi-familiar area again, although Paris really was amazing. I truly appreciated all the things I got to do there (ballets, live theatre, spending time with Juliette, etc.) Yesterday was a blast. We went to a water park called AquaBoulevard, which wasn't too far from Arlette's mother's apartment. There, we spent 5 hours swinging from a rope into the pool, riding the waves on floats, sliding down enormous slides with and without floats, and relaxing in the jacuzzi. It was pretty nice outside these past few days in Paris. Today especially- I didn't even have to wear a coat! But maybe I owe that warmth to having dragged my luggage everywhere. That could be it. I didn't exactly pack "light" this time around. I think this was a learning experience for sure.

We've arrived at our hotel! It's pretty small and it looks independently owned, which is nice. The owner (or relative, anyway) who works behind the desk is very nice and cheery. Even when some Italians came in and didn't speak barely a lick of French, he worked though talking to them. It really takes patience for that kind of thing! Fortunately we are right next door to a laundromat. This is perfect because it is high time I do a load of laundry. Our room is supposed to be ready in about 15 minutes, so I get a little down-time before putting my things away. Nikki is looking for a payphone to call her fiancé. I'm eager to get out and find a bike rental place, and explore the area a little bit. I still want to get a hold of my great Aunt Kay. I've called her twice this morning, but she didn't answer- I wonder if I have the right number? Somehow I need to get my friend Daphne's number, too- I'd love to get a coffee or something with her and meet her fiancé.
I guess Sarah and Andy or our friend Kazu are going to try and sneak in on Sunday and spend a night in our room- I don't know if that's going to work, though. They might just have to pay for their own room. It's a gorgeous day out right now and I am itching to get out there, but the owner is here now, talking to the concierge in rapid...Arabic? (I think).

Saturday
So, second night in hotel Luna Park. Our room is pretty small with only one double bed, so Nikki and I share it. There is an odd-looking non-flushing toilet (I forgot the word) i the corner of our room, with a sink next to it. This little area is separated by a shower curtain. It's a little odd, and we're on the fourth floor (without an elevator :-/) so we have to walk up and down (with the luggage, it was a bit of a pain). The toilet (the real one) and shower are both communal, and a little cramped. I guess this is was 20 Euro a night gets you for a hotel in Paris!
Yesterday after waiting an hour for the chambermaid to get our room ready, we left our stuff in our room and did some laundry at the laundromat next door. It was a little confusing at first, I don't often use public washing machines. There was a dried fruit market right next door to the laundromat, so I went in and got some dried bananas (a new favorite snack of mine. Try them!) I also bought a laundry bag with a sort of wannabe-Burberry plaid pattern for about 1 Euro 60. It will definitely help lighten my load when I head back to Besac. Later that night, we tried finding an opera to go to, but didn't know exactly the price for each one we found, so we decided to wing it. We took the metro to the "Opéra" stop and got off right in front of the Paris opera house. We looked for a few minutes at the schedule of shows at the entrance of the theatre when one of the ushers told us there was a "private invitation only" show tonight, but regardless he yanked two tickets out of his jacket pocket and let us through! Out of total surprise, we walked inside just as the last call for seats bell sounded. We climbed a few sets of stairs and chose a private booth on the side of the theatre. It turned out not being an opera, but a dance rehearsal for a local school of dance! It was a 3-part show with pointe dancers who seemed to all be aged around 12-25 years old. It was really enjoyable, and even better because it was free!

I've uploaded a short video of one of the guided castle tours before we left Tours. I think this castle is Blois- enjoy!

Thursday, April 11th 2008
So this morning I'll be getting an early start. My train doesn't leave until 12:09, so that gives me about 4 hours to get ready. Perfect! (side note- pain d'epices is very good! :D) I looked online last night, and it looks like one of the best deals for switching my ticket would be May 19th- which is about 530 Euro or something around there. Since there is a 200-Euro fee for changing the ticket, it should equal out to be about the same after the exchange. The cheaper ticket is for flying into Chicago, so that would mean I'd have to buy an Amtrak ticket from Chi-town to Detroit as well. And switch the train from besancon to Paris the day before my flight. I think it would be with the trouble if it means not spending an extra 10-days worth of money on food supplies that I could be saving instead for rent when I get back to K-zoo.

12:19 p.m.
So Nikki, Sarah, Andy and I are sitting here on the train, on our way to Paris from Tours. Nikki and I are going to our hotel (Luna Park) straight from the Gare Montparnasse. I looked up Aunt Kay's house this morning on Mapquest and tried calling her to see when I should visit, but no answer. I'll have to try again later.
I'm glad I have this "let's go France on a Budget" book- it is chock full of tips on everything a visitor can do in France without spending a lot of money, from dining out to ballets and operas to museums and cemeteries. Soon I'm going to write a schedule for my week and take as much advantage as I can of this beautiful country.
I just talked a bit to the others- they think I should just stay in Besac the extra 10 days and forget about changing my flight. It does make more sense- because the earlier flight has me flying into Chicago- so I'd essentially have to spend as much money on a train ticket to Detroit as I would be supporting myself in Besac. Okay, decision made. I'm going to stay. Maybe I'll also visit Dijon! I'll buy some mustard as a souvenir. Cheap and delish. (mental note- on next trip, bring a backpack- it's such a common-sense thing, but I forgot to pack one. It'd have been so much easier maneuvering around Tours and Paris with a lighter suitcase. I get nervous whenever people stand in front of our suitcases on this train. People literally just chill out on the floor right there and it drives me crazy!

Right now, we’re on the 7:50 train to Tours for our 2-day trip. We’ll be visiting some well known castles later on. After Tours, we’ll be coming back to Paris and my friend Nikki and I will be staying in a hotel until her mom comes. Then I’ll be going to Arlette’s (host mom’s) mother’s place to hang out with Juliette (host sister) for the week. On Saturday, Juliette and I are taking the train back to Besancon. Then there will be four weeks left of classes at the CLA. When we get to the hotel, I’m going to look into changing my flight home a few weeks earlier to avoid having to worry about running out of money. When I bought the ticket home, I thought the 2 weeks would give me a bunch of time to travel and see France. It does- but money certainly helps experience the culture and the country to its fullest. I need to figure out plans for the rest of the vacation, and see what Juliette and I could do during our week in Paris.

~Tours, France~
Right now I write from the hotel Terminus in Tours. Quite the name for a hotel! It’s right next to the train station (very handy, seeing as how I didn’t exactly pack light, and get to drag all my heavy luggage everywhere with me!) We just got back from our last dinner together at a nice restaurant downtown Tours. Right now Keena, Brad and I are chilling in the hotel room, and i’m busily arranging my things for tomorrow. I’m excited to be going back to Paris, because there’s still a lot that I planned on doing that I haven’t tackled yet. Some things include:
-The Musée D’orsay
-Louvre
-Eiffel Tower
-Arc de Triomphe
-Sacre Coeur
-Notre Dame
-Meet up with Alexandros (Greek/French friend from Besancon)
-Try and get a hold of my friend from Michigan and great aunt who both live in Paris
And then, of course, there’s the dessert place Sarah was telling me about that seems fairly priced (15 Euro for a huge plate of tons of rich desserts for several people) but of course I forgot the name of the restaurant.
Also, I’d like to get a few more small souvenirs (I can’t forget about wine) and I plan on taking a bunch of pictures of the city as I go exploring.

These past few days, we visited chateaux (castles) in the Loire Valley- Amboise, Blois, Chambord, and Chenonceau. The entire week we’ve been eating very rich meals (several courses, France style) and plenty of wine to wash it down. Tomorrow our train leaves for Paris at 12:09, so I’ll probably wake up around 8:30, grab some breakfast (petit dejeuner), finish packing, and get all my stuff together.
This week has really been exceptional.

Chances are, in between classes and group meetings, you’re going to have a lot of free time in Besançon. Take advantage of this opportunity to buy souvenirs from the petite shops on the Grande Rue and Rue des Granges, or visit Arc et Senans and learn about the salt mines (about an hour’s drive from Besancon, so try and find a willing host parent to take you!), or swim in one of the two public pools Besançon offers (only 2-3 Euro for students per visit). Make sure you have a swimming cap, though- that’s something they won’t let you in without at the piscines in France. (You can buy one upon entering for a couple Euro as well). I spent many a day just walking around the city, by myself or with a few friends I met while there, taking pictures of the scenery and historical buildings (especially the Citadelle). The more photographs you end up with when you come back to America, the easier you’ll be able to remember those precious moments you spent at Bar de L’u with a demi-fraises, or in Place Granvelle sipping a petit cafe with your host sister, or even of the CLA. Because as much as you don’t want to wake up at 8 a.m. every two days to take that Littérature class, you’d do well to have some semblance of what it looked like to show everyone back home that round, silver building where you had your fondest moments of French education!

Some students used their time to get involved with community activities, like Sunday mass. The picture above is the church located right in the heart of Place de la Revolution, right next to the Ginko office, Galéries Lafayette, Madigan’s pub, and Brioche Doree, among others. There are countless other churches throughout the city, like St. Jean (remember the church you passed on the way up to the Citadel that first week)? They have masses there, too! If church isn’t your thing, check out the University du Franche Comté’s music programs. I joined a choir while there, and it was not only fun but rewarding- I got to rehearse with 90% French university students, the other 10% American students from another University who chose to sing for their cultural activity. We sang songs not just in French, but in all sorts of languages, including english. This part was fun, as the other American students and I got to help with pronunciation as we sang Simon and Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair”. One of the other American students joined the theatre group, which performed with the choir at a final concert at the end of the school year. Not a performer? Talk to some other international students studying at the CLA and see what they’re up to- you can find out about Erasmus parties, night outings, and shopping trips as long as you ask around!

Where to go when you need your essentials is important for every traveler. If you're staying in Besak, you'll quickly learn the route to Monoprix, the "everything-in-one" store, where you can get a bottle of wine for two Euros or an umbrella (which you'll most certainly need if you've forgotten to pack one) or a new jar of Nutella, which, probably won't last very long if you're at all like me or my roommates. Peanut butter will cost you upwards of 4 Euros for a small jar (about half the size of your average American Jif jar) which gets expensive if you're an addict. Pack a few jars on the plane, and you'll be okay for the first few weeks. Do the same with Mac 'n Cheese, becuase you won't find it in stores.

The Galéries Lafayette is a large department store on Grande Rue, with three levels of everything from designer clothing to groceries, but bring a little bit more money if you go here, especially for food. There is also Intermarché, which is a convenient trek à pied if you live in the dorms, and it's relatively inexpensive. Last but not least is Casino. You'll find these throughout the city- Petit Casinos are located everywhere, but there is a Grande Casino a little further down on bus line 1 (Chateaufarine) and if you stay until the very last stop (which is close to a 40-minute bus ride, but maybe worth it to some) you'll find a Casino Géant, a few clothing stores, a Décathlon (sporting goods store where I bought a Yoga mat for 4 Euro and a Soccer ball for the same!), and a few restaurants. It's worth making the long trip at least once or twice, becuase you can find things in the Casino Géant you didn't even know existed in France. I, being a fan of dried fruit for its convenience and tast, became a fan of dried bananas, which they sell in packages that are perfect for carrying around in your backpack or purse when hiking or just lolly-gagging around town.

There is, however, nothing compared to the meals prepared by your host family. Take advantage of trying new things while you're in France (my host mom served my friends Foie Gras [goose liver] on crackers- not exactly an everyday thing here in the States!). Offer to cook at least once, so you can amaze them with your famous American recipes and dazzle them with your cooking skills (or lack thereof). I baked fresh bread for my host mom, and she adored it! Don't get me wrong, the fresh bread at the boulangeries cannot be beat, but don't hesitate to experiment in the kitchen while you're there, and give your host family a taste of the city you come from!

I didn't get the chance this time around to go to the Musée de la Résistance, the section of the fort that serves as a memoir during the Nazi reign. It's got plenty of pictures, texts, and original documents dating back to WWII. There are also paintings, drawings and sculptures made by those who were imprisoned in the camps. Those students who had gone to see this part of the Citadel, noted that it was hard to walk through, and made them feel sick. Understandable. I do plan on trying to see it next time I'm in Besancon.

The rest of the day on mont Saint Etienne was pleasant, despite the clouds. We each made a silent vow to come back before leaving France so we could see the rest of what we missed this time. We got back to Centre Ville with time to spare. Some of us spent the rest of the day shopping and walking around Grande Rue, while the rest went back to Hotel du Nord to go online and catch up with their e-mail.

Before Dr. Running-Johnson left for the States, we checked out la Musée de Beaux-Arts in Place de la Revolution. It was free admission, being a Sunday, so we took advantage of the less-than-perfect weather by checking out some of the sculptures and modern art.

We didn't stay for very long, however- it was our first week and we were still too excited to stay confined in one building for a long period of time. We'd later find out that this was just one of many rainy days in Besancon to come- so it was soon time to dig out the umbrellas and make a trip to Monoprix, the "everything" shop downtown where you could find groceries, clothing, and most importantly, umbrellas.
(to be cont'd)

~The Citadel~ pt. 1
The day we went to the Citadel (http://www.citadelle.com) was slightly chilly and cloudy- we had our winter coats on but were anxious to see the famous fort at the top of the hill that lit up the city at night with its blazing lights. It was a beautiful, breathtaking view from below- the mossy walls constructed under Vauban left us with countless questions about this ancient-feeling fort and its history.
We met up at the Hotel du Nord that morning, waiting on the cobblestone road for everyone to craw out of bed. We started the trek up the hill that first took us to the Cathedrale St. Jean, one of the older cathedrals that overlook the city. Dr. Running-Johnson took us inside the church, which was mostly empty (except for one man who seemed to be “un peu fou/a little crazy”- shouting things about God and muttering under his breath. This echoed throughout the walls of the cathedral and gave us a bit of a chill during out short visit). I made a silent vow to try and visit during one of the Sunday masses so I could experience at least one mass in French during my stay.


From there, it was about a 15-minute hike up some numerous steps, who didn’t care in the least how in shape we were. A few of us took them at a run (just to get it over with). At the top, we ended up just outside the fort but were captivated by its size. Walking around the outer gate, you could look down and see rams nesting or walking around. Once we went through and bought our tickets, we headed first for the zoo, or “Jardin Zoologique”. We took pictures immediately upon seeing the Asian lions, the Siberian tigers, and the numerous kinds of birds and apes. All in all, there were about 300 animals in the zoo. We got very close to come curious llamas who trotted around behind their fence, and had an amazing view behind the glass while watching the lionesses pace their territory.

Walking to almost any edge of the fort gives a breathtaking view of the city below. The citadel provided countless spots where one could simply sit and gaze across the land for hours on end. Some of the famous photos of Besancon were taken from atop this fort, a few of which we found in the calendars in our host families’ homes. The fresh air is priceless up atop the peak of the city, and it makes the cost of the ticket in completely worth every penny.

Two exams this morning- one more tomorrow. Phew! After that- Paris! I'm leaving Friday morning. I need to pack tomorrow. It looks like i'll be staying there for two weeks, because Arlette invited me to stay at her mother's with Juliette and hang out with her while there! Sounds like a ton of fun. I'm going to be taking a bunch of pictures- Paris is characteristic and so well-known, but I hope to capture some of the lesser-ventured areas of the city with my mom's camera.
I'm actually pretty tired and just found out I still have to go to my 8-a.m. class tomorrow morning (even though we probably won't be doing much because we just took the exam yesterday. Will write more soon.
7:58 a.m.
I just had my oral class, and now I'm waiting or 11:00 to roll around so I can talk to my oral teacher (Madame Perret) about my exposé. Tonight we have a dinner with Joe Reisch, the director of our stay in Paris. I'm hoping we'll go to another restaurant like the one before, where we had pizza in Centre Ville. That was a really nice dinner...I ended up getting "tartiflette" (it came in a bowl- potatoes, a wine sauce, & cheese) and a salad came before it. Of course we had wine before all this so by the time dessert came, I was already full! I had two tiny scoops of ice cream (pistachio & café) and after that we had coffee! I wish more restaurants in the US were like that one (and more affordable). Moreover, I'd die to have a crêperie right by my house! I don't know why people aren't rushing to build crêpe cafés in the US, like on college campuses and such. they'd make a ton of money.

(My train ride/arrival in Paris hadn't been recorded, but I did blog after the first few days of Paris. Here is the entry.)
We've covered a ton of ground here in the past couple days. We've been to the castle of Versaiiles, the Louvre, la Musée d'Orsay; we've had a boat ride on the Seine river, we went to dinner while being serenaded Opera music by Parisian Opera students, dined at fine restaurants with several-course meals, we've seen a classical music concert and last night, a ballet. Let's not forget the play "Le Misanthrope" by Molière. It was, of course, in French (which made it pretty hard to follow.) It was kind of like watching a French film without subtitles. The theatre was cramped, but old and beautiful. Kind of like all of Paris. Tons of stores seem like they've been there forever, and it's not like America where everyone has their own little personal bubble when they walk around anywhere. America is beautiful, but there is a unique, classic feel here that I've never experienced back home.

~Post-trip thoughts~
Never, ever had I experienced a week like I did in Paris during Spring Break '08. Joe took us all around, and thanks to his extensive familiarity of the city, he knew where the best restaurants were along with the best entertainment. It was such a significant part of our stay in France, that I took countless pictures and will continue to blog using the pictures as references to the activities we've done while in Paris. A bientôt!

Sunday
I've been enjoying the company lately of a few "gars" I've met since arriving: Alexandros, Adrien, and Samuel (who i've mentioned before). I really do have a blast hanging out with them, and it's going to be hard to say goodbye when the time comes in May. But i've got just over 3 months so I need to take every day for what t's worth and push it in the right direction. Being here has forced me to ponder what I'm going to do after I graduate. I need to start getting my name out there and looking for internships or the like. I do feel a little behind in that area, but again, I do have 1 year left before it really gets to be "crunch" time. I'll be 21 in 5 months. I feel like an invisible hand is pushing me to hurry up and accomplish something...but I don't know where I want to begin! One thing's for sure, it won't be Michigan- not with the way the economy is right now. Also after having experienced this beautiful weather in winter, I know I don't have to suffer the Michigan cold if I don't want to.

I start my "new" classes tomorrow, at 8 a.m.. I don't mind really, having to wake up early. At least my classes are usually done by 12:30 and I have the whole rest of the day to myself. I've been using the days running hrough centre ville, usually when the sun is at its peak. I'm going to start looking for new routes to take to avoid breathing the exhaust from all the cars downtown- there are some gorgeous walkways right down next to the Doubs river that I'm thinking of claiming as my new path.

Saturday
I just moved to Arlette's beautiful home at Fort du Bregille. I'm at the top of a very picturesque hill in a fairly large complex with 4 levels. My bedroom is on the first floor right next to the front door. I have a bathroom all to myself (yes!) The second floor is the living room, kitchen, laundry room, and patio (I'm sure when the weather gets a bit warmer I'll be spending ample time up there). One can see basically the entirety of Centre Ville, the CLA, and then some. I'm really appreciating the change in atmosphere! I did enjoy myself chez Francoise, but she was often at work or visiting her friends. I think this new place will be a very healthy change.

2/19/08
Today I went into Centre Ville and bought an a-do-rable tote bag from a store called "Petit Bateau" for my Aunt, and some other necessities for myself along with a book of proverbs from all over the world written in French. It's one of the cooler things I've ever bought myself, I think!
Tomorow, I'll be going with Gemma (my temporary roommate from Manchester who is only staying for a month at Francoise's) to dinner on the town with her and her blokes. She's experiencing the same thing I did when I first got here- the exhaustion from continuously speaking French. It really does drain you but I know it only gets easier.



2/21/08
I helped my friend Samuel with his english vocabulary today. I can't believe some of the work he's doing- the questions on politics that he has to answer & expand on in english are very advanced. He's a smart guy to be taking such difficult courses. I was having difficulty myself coming up with antonyms & synonyms for some of the words they gave him!
I move out of Francoise's house this Saturday. I'm actually looking forward to it a lot- I'll start cooking for myself, buying my groceries and whatnot. Also i'll probably take the bus to the CLA every day, because it's probably a good 40-45 minute walk from Fort de Bregille, where Arlette lives. It's not far at all from Centre Ville. I may look into getting a subscription for the Velocité bikes. They seem to work pretty well as I see many people using them on a daily basis... it's something to look into.

2/19/08- So I know i've probably mentioned before, but Besançon is beautiful and it will pain me when I have to leave. I am so grateful to be here in general, but especially because the weather is like Spring right now, and back home it's apparently freezing. What can you expect for Michigan weather, though...

Some of My Favorite Things (So far)
1. The steel drum tone in the airports and at the train station.
2. The Citadel lit up at night.
3. My beautiful walk on the way to the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée.
4. Centre Ville's proximity to both my house right now & Arlette's (The second host family I'll be living with starting March 1st).
5. Comté cheese, the ability to buy wine, Nutella, crêpes, fresh bread
6. The French accent :melts:
7. Hearing accordions. It just feels so appropriate.
8. Living right next to the Doubs river.

9. Les Soldes!! :)
10. My cultural knowledge which has significantly increased!
11. Did I mention the beautiful language?
12. Our neighbor and his tendency to bring over loaves of dessert bread with Marzipan in the middle, mmm! (p.s.- He also has two hens that run freely in his front yard).
13. Sending postcards/getting letters!
14. Seeing the stars, uncovered by clouds.
15. Laughing at Tecktonik! (The techno-inspired dance style quite popular amongst the young French adults that involves planted feet and lots of arm movement).
16. Buying souvenirs for people.
17. Spending Euro in general.
18. Making unforgettable friendships

19. Bar de l'U, brasserie 1802 (where I spend most of my time & Euro thanks to free WiFi and Erasmus nights!)

-Madeleine Bien

Today my cousin Yvette sent me a lovely homemade card along with three relatively old pictures that I actually have with me (I've been so accumulated to using a digital camera that I don't have prints lying around as much anymore). I've been trying to take more pictures but I keep forgetting to take my camera out when I go out! Actually- it's my mom's camera, so I have to be more careful and watchful of it.



Yvette suggested in her card to write everything down that happens to me here so I can go back later and read about all my experiences. I know i'll want to read everything later on, so i'll definitely follow through with that! I'm beginning to run out of writing space in this journal, but not to worry- I know just where to buy a new one. There's a store in Centre Ville called "Forum" that has a bunch of books, CDs, DVDs, office supplies, and things like that. I bought 2 little notepads from there that I will use for writing down vocabulary words.



I need to remember to carry cash around with me- that, or more of these stores need to start accepting "cartes bancaires" (bank cards). With the help of my friend Katy I was able to open an account at BNP Paribas. I got a carte bleue, which is the card with a little microchip that is used at many locations throughout Besançon, and even Velocité (the bike service that lets you rent bikes to get around downtown). I actually had to wait a while for my money to transfer over to this account- something I wish I had known a little earlier before arriving. I was waiting on my refund check from the University, but all in all it took about 1 month for the funds to transfer over. Next time, I'm going to have the funds ready well before arriving! I still received my carte bleue even though my money hadn't yet been deposited in the account- and had begun to use it without having any funds in the account. luckily, it doesn't work the same way as it does in the States, where if you overdraw your account, you are fined. I just went in the negative after making a few purchases, and when my money was deposited, it all balanced out. Yay France!

~Post-trip thoughts~
The notepads I bought at Forum proved to be one of the best things to help me learn the language- that and constantly surrounding myself with French natives. I would keep the notepads in my purse and write down phrases or words I didn't recognize so I could look them up later in my dictionary.
*If you will be living with a host family, and you want to open a bank account, chances are you'll need their address and a recent utilities bill in their name (as well as other usual necessities like your passport, another form of I.D., etc.). My French wasn't as good as Katy's upon arrival, so if you can have someone come with you to avoid any confusion while trying to open your account!

-Madeleine Bien

1/14/2008
I had a pretty good day today. I'm realizing that I like my teacher a lot more than my first impression of her. I was kind of intimidated because she spoke super fast and looked real intense. However, after three days with her as our teacher for the Cours Intensif (The pre-semester "test" throughout the month of January we take to get placed into our respective levels), I have found that she's a super funny, exciting person! Au contraire, my other teacher speaks slower but talks a lot more and leaves less room for us to speak out as a class. My writing class is pretty slow, and lasts 2 hours.



2/15/2008
In the mediatheque
After the Cours Intensif, I was placed in some pretty slow classes (level B1 group 4). I was the only American in a class of about 15 students, most of them Asian. They are mostly from China, Korea, and Japan. I wanted to change up to B2 where I feel I would get more of a challenge, but the director said that changing my level would be impossible, and that I could only change the group I was in. I finally (after three weeks of trying to reach the director) was able to bump up to a higher group and felt a little more comfortable with the work level.

Yesterday, I went to an Italian restaurant with Keena, Nikki, Sarah, and Katie. We had a good dinner together on Saint Valentin (Valentine's Day). We each bought ourselves some chocolate to celebrate. I bought myself some red wine, too- only 2 Euro for Merlot! Not bad!
I'm happy to be moving on March 1st. My new host mom, Arlette, is super cool. I struck a good deal living with her. I'm going to help her 13-year old daughter with her English, and as a result I pay cheaper rent. I think it'll be a nice change from a house without kids! Also, with the apartment, I'll be able to cook for myself! Something I much prefer over dorm food. Arlette has two sons (one is 20, the other 18). He introduced me to three of his friends, who are all super fun (not to mention charming!)

Besancon, France- January 9th, 12th, & 13th 2008

I got up early this morning. By the end of the day, I'm just exhausted because of all the walking we've done! Francoise's house is far from the bus route, so I have to walk to the Centre de Linguistique Appliquee (where we have our classes) on foot. I have a lot of congestion this morning, no idea why. "Les soldes" or the big sales start downtown today, I'm probably going to buy a new winter coat! I hope I can find one without spending too many Euros. Yesterday, my my check finally came in the mail- I've waited way too long to get it. Now, I'm waiting for my USB key to arrive, as well as the European cell phone she said she'd let me borrow. What a blessing to have family that's lived in Europe before!


January 12th, 7:07 p.m.
It was a long walk to the house after shopping with Chad, Katie, and Andy. Earlier today, the four of us met up at Pont Battant (the bridge leading to Centre Ville over the Doubs river). Katie, Chad, and Andy all bought phones to use here as I still wait for my aunt's to arrive in the mail. My uncle told me he sent his out today, so hopefully it'll arrive soon.



January 13th, 2:47 p.m.
Today was very slow. I got up at 8:45, took a shower, ate breakfast, and checked my e-mail. After, I couldn't do my homework because my attention span forbade me to do it. So, I had a very long walk- almost 4 hours by myself. I don't think the others are together now, they're probably at their respective host families. Something I've learned today: NOTHING at all is open on Sundays! It was so hard to find a map of Besancon because all the stores were closed. Maybe Sunday is just a "stay-home" day.

Day 2

Today (day 2) we visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and l'eglise St. Sulpice. I stopped at every magazine store possible looking for FUSAC, the French-USA-Connection magazine with classified ads so I can look for possible babysitting jobs. I would love a way to earn extra Euros while here so I can feel better about buying things I don't necessarily need.

7:28 p.m.- 1/06/08
I arrived at my host mom's (chez Francoise) an hour ago. She is so nice! Her house is beautiful and comfortable to boot. I was just at the Hotel du Nord with the other students when Francoise came and picked me up. She was the first person to come. We left in a hurry- it seemed like she was in a rush. I met one american student living with Francoise named Marta who comes from Boston, and another named Ashley from Nebraska. In a few minutes, we'll be eating!

(same day)
We just ate a big dinner: homemade soup, salad, bread and cheese with ham, and cake for the fete du roi (a French tradition in which families buy almond cakes or other flavors (ours had marzipan) and whoever gets the piece with the toy inside is the "king!") I just learned that we don't say "je suis pleine" when we don't want to eat anymore. We say instead "J'ai assez mangé". The former means one is with child. Good to know!

Arrival in Paris

Madeleine Bien
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
I am safe in France after a long 8-hour flight, and am sitting here with four of my peers who are staying in the Hotel St. Sebastian in Paris with me. I am exhausted and really want to nap but as it is only a quarter to four here, I can't mess up my sleep schedule! So i'm going to probably turn in early tonight. We haven't done any sightseeing yet as we literally were just able to rid ourselves of our heavy burdensome suitcases! In a bit, after we've all sent our e-mails, we're going to explore a bit more of this area and we're planning on meeting a friend at Notre Dame at 7 p.m.
We'll be in this hotel until Friday, when we'll take the TGV to Besancon and meet up our group leader. She's going to buy us dinner and we're going to talk about our first few experiences. I can already say that I was impressed with even the beggars who played the accordion on the RER as opposed to your usual street beggar on the streets of Detroit. I can associate accordions (as many do) with sounds of Paris and it was kind of a cheap welcome into the city.
I am craving a shower and some authentic, cheap French wine and cheeses, so I bid you goodbye for now and I promise I will write as often as the opportunity arises! More later!

~post-trip thoughts~
Had I a second chance to go back and pack my suitcases, I would have packed SO much lighter than I did! Hauling my suitcases up and down those metro station stairs was tiring- and I know i'm not the only one who thought so. Our arms were aching after all that running around. But hey- good way to burn some calories, n'est-ce pas?
I ended up going to bed that night at around 7 or 8- the others were too excited to sleep and ended up visiting le Sacre Coeur: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/paris-sacre-coeur.htm
Next time I go somewhere across the world, I won't spend as much time at my computer as I did. It was nice once and a while being able to talk to friends and family, but Facebook and such can really wait. In the big picture, you're only there for a short time- might as well explore what you can and make the most out of your trip!
-MB