Shop Shop Shop

First of all, let me say that the date on the last post is incorrect and it's really bothering me. I started the post as a draft on that day but I didn't post it until after my Chamonix trip which was last weekend (January 13 & 14).

Anyway, there was a shopping outing to Troyes yesterday. Alas, I was a tad disappointed. It was nice to go somewhere but I wasn't incredibly impressed with the malls. The first one had some really nice stores like Burberry and Ralph Lauren but even with the sales, it still wasn't really affordable. Then there was Armani which was expensive and undesirable. There were stores at both with really cheap stuff but I nothing that I really wanted to buy. There were tennis shoes at Lacoste that I really liked but there were 40 euros and I didn't need them. My only purchase of the day was a lavendar Lacoste bag which I actually bought at Samsonite. The pictures at right are from the top down: me on the bus on my way to Troyes, my iPod also on the bus and the bag I bought.

I have discovered that when my family asks me if I want to go for a walk on Sunday afternoons, that we're not going to walk around the block or anything. We drive for about 45 minutes before we actually walk. This afternoon, we went to where some Gaulois lived way back in B.C. and then to the source of the Lison river so another pretty waterfall.

No other real news. I am still in class. I had to give a little presentation Thursday which went okay I guess. It was on Teach for America (teachforamerica.org) but unfortunately I used enseigner (to teach) when I should have been using apprendre (to learn) so my teacher was confused at first. It's not really a big deal though because this 3 week intensive course isn't graded. However, our teachers get to pick some of our classes so it's a good idea to put forth effort.

Ciao!

Chamonix

This weekend, I went skiing in the French Alps. As you can see, it was incredibly beautiful but it was also incredibly warm for winter. We all wore tons of clothes Saturday, anticipating extreme cold, but the high was around 60 degrees. Sunday was a little cooler but still pretty warm. However, we all wore less layers and so we were pretty comfortable. All in all, it was a good trip although I'm not much of a skiier so I was ready to be done when the trip was over. Sunday morning was the most fun because the slope we went on was easy but interesting. Sunday afternoon was not fun for me because they had us go down this hill that was way too steep for me.

This Saturday I get to go to Troyes to do some shopping as France is in the midst of their month long sales. Hopefully we can get some good deals.

When I talked about my host family in the last post, I failed to mention Ji Yeon. She is a Korean student at the same school and lives with the same family. We are in the same class now which is nice. She is really, really nice. Every one of you would like her, I'm sure.

Class is going well, I suppose. Five hours a day is a little long, but I can't say that's it's really arduous. Thursday, I have to give a little five minute speech on any subject that would interest the class... a little too general if you ask me but I will think of something.

~Julianne

I like to move it, move it

Thursday night, I moved in with my host family. They are very nice. Things are going well but it is a little awkward living with people you don't really know and can't always adequately communicate with. I live in a nice two-story apartment. Bernard and Agnès are the parents. Their two oldest sons are married and live in other cities. The third son, Raphael, is 22 and is only home on the weekends. Then there is Clément, 18, and he lives here all the time. Their youngest child is Hombeline and she is 12. I help her with her English homework sometimes which makes me feel smart since it's a language that I can speak with little effort.

Today was our placement exam. There were 5 parts: writing, multiple choice (grammar, verb tenses, word choice, etc.), listening comprehension, reading comprehension and speaking. The test determined what niveau or level we are in for the three week intensive course which starts tomorrow. I was really pleased with my performance. All of the Nebraska students tested in Intermediate 2, 3 or Advancé. I am in Advancé which is especially good because our course starts at 9h30, not 8h30 like today.

Thank you for your comments! If I do not have your address, could you e-mail it to me so that I can send you a postcard sometime this semester? (I know I can find yours, Amy)
My e-mail address is julianne.harm@gmail.com or gohuskers8604@yahoo.com works too.

If you are in school, I hope that you are liking your classes and that is all going well for you.

~Julianne

P.S. One thing that Lincoln & Omaha totally have going for them is the smoke-free laws. I doubt the French would stand for that. Febreze is a must here.

Je suis en France!

How weird is it that I am sitting in a café/bar in France. It sure took a lot of work to get here. I didn't sleep the night before our flight since we left on New Year's at 6am. I slept some on the flight to Atlanta then I got to enjoy a long layover. The overseas flight was very long. I slept some but I would inevitably wake up so it wasn't that great. Then we got to Paris at 6am, Jan. 2nd, Paris time and had to wait for the others to fly in until about 10:30am. Then we got the pleasure of a 5 hour bus ride to Besançon. I naturally slept most of the time.


We started classes Wednesday, the day after we got here. However, we only have it for 3 hours each day this week. Monday we take a test which determines which level we place into. Then we start a more intensive language course Tuesday.

Evidently the Alps skiing trip is in a couple of weeks, then the shopping trip, then we all go to Paris at the end of January. Lots to do this month.

It's funny to see how the French people view Americans. Last night, some girls and I met these French guys and they were trying to compliment us but doing a very poor job. They said things like "You're not fat like most Americans" and "You're prettier than most Americans." Uh, thanks.

Hope all is going well with you and if you're in the mood send me an e-mail so I know what you're up to.

Love always,
Julianne