Le 101ieme jour: Il a une poussette./He has a stroller-pushchair.

Woke up this morning to beautiful fresh French "morning" air as I intentionally had left my window open overnight. It was a gorgeous way to wake up. Got ready for the day - in and out of the shower, etc. Went to eat breakfast and Michel had Woody sitting up on the table out on the patio and he was cutting/combing his hair! When he finished and Woody jumped off the table, he came in and explained to me that he'd been doing it for over 2 hours. While he was talking to me, Woody was going crazy...he wanted Michel to keep combing his fur! What a crazy dog indeed! :-)

Had my last Lit. class this morning where she went over our exam, how to prepare for it, etc. I don't anticipate any problems on this exam, as she basically gave us the questions that will be on the exam. I spent the rest of the day eating my lunch and working on my art history paper. With the recent arrival of beautiful weather (mid to high 70s), we'd been going up on the roof to hang out during lunch, and have little picnics. I didn't go up today because I was being a busy bee working on my paper, but the directrice discovered that there were students up there and she went up and told them it was not allowed and that they had to come down. Oh well!

At 4:30 I headed out with Jenn for our university class. We popped by Mme Deronne's office to talk to her about our assignment. Because we don't follow the same schedule as they do at the university, Jenn and I get a different final exam assignment. However, Mme Deronne wasn't in her office. We arrived to class about 10 minutes early. -- My rule of thumb since arriving in France has been as follows: If you don't know how you are supposed to act or what you are supposed to do in a particular situation, watch over French people and follow suit. -- This rule has served me quite well. For example, I'm pretty sure that you aren't supposed to enter the classroom before the professor has arrived. However, today seemed to be the exception, as many of the French students/people entered the room before Mme Deronne had gotten there. I don't know how the circumstances were different than other times that they've waited, but I followed suit.

We got our midterm exams back (we don't get to keep them, but we got to look at them). Jenn and I both received an 11/20. Before you freak out, that's actually a really good grade. To give you a frame of reference, Mme Deroone told the whole class that the french students received between an 8 and an 11. Granted, our grades are adjusted because we're not native french speakers, but still, that means we were on the same level as the native French speakers. -- Our directrice will adjust/translate our grade into an actual letter grade for our transcripts. --

Also, Mme Deronne gave us our "final paper" assignment. We have to pick an artist, talk about his works, give examples, put him in context, and talk about what he contributed to the "nature morte" style. It only has to be 3 to 4 pages! How fantastic is that!?!?

Claudie was in on the computer and Michel came in, telling her about he had combed/cut Woody's fur. He called in Woody and then had him hop up on the swivel chair, at which point Michel said, "Il a une poussette," thus inspiring the title of today's post.

Claudie showed me a forwarded email that one of her friends sent her about english-french translation and pronounciation. The following is an example:

• FRENCH: donne-moi de l'argent!
• ENGLISH: Give me some money!
• FRENCH pronunciation of ENGLISH: Guy vomit sous mon nez. (Guy [a male name] is vomiting under my nose.

There are others also, but I don't feel like typing/pasting them all in here. Then Michel and Claudie started explaining to me that these are similar to what they call "des exercices du theatre" literally, theater exercises, but more like speaking warm-ups. Then they started rattling off tongue twisters

Dinner was chicken (cut up like stir fry style in some kind of sauce/juice), ratatouille over rice. I don't care how many times she serves it, I love ratatouille!

After dinner, we watched The Outlaw: Josey Wales (L'hors loi: Josey Wales), a movie created and acted in by Clint Eastwood. Michel recorded it to bring down to Togo to show the people in the village. They are certainly all about there westerns here. Then we watched a short show about jazz/Harlem/New Orleans, and then watched the Breaking Point (Point Break) with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. It just made me want to watch Blue Crush.

Le 100ieme jour: Je ne sais pas comment te dire. / I don't know how to tell you.

Je ne sais pas comment te dire. / I don't know how to tell you. - a line out of a French Canadian song I have on my computer.


Je suis arrivée en Avignon il y a 99 jours. C'est incroyable!
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I arrived in Avignon 99 days ago. That's just unbelievable!

Today was my last Wednesday of classes. It's really bizarre/exciting/confusing to think about that. It's just crazy! I find it hard to believe. I can't even believe that I've been here almost 4 months. I recently emailed with the Dean of International Studies about the Fulbright Fellowship. I'm hoping to come back to France or somewhere in "le monde francophone" at some point after F&M.

As everyday passes, my mind is becoming more mélangé (mixed/jumbled). It's such a bittersweet ending. As my family was unable to come due to the Iceland volcano explosion (Life Lesson: Nature wins over man and there is not a thing you can do about it.), I am missing them especially because of my anticipation/excitement about them visiting. However, at the same time, I am sad to leave Claudie, Michel, and Woody, and the lifestyle to which I have become so accustomed to in France (fresh food, laid back "speed", direct-ness, being 'cultured', etc.). After being here for almost 4 months, it is hard to picture myself back in the States.

Today, I had Art History, History, and Poli Sci. Qu'est-ce qui s'est passée? Franchement, rien de tout. (What happened in my classes? Frankly, not too much.)

Came home after class, sat in my room with my window open, listening to the bells ring at the nearby church in Place St Didier, enjoying every minute of this life, this weather, and this tranquility. Tout de suite, everything will change. Je vous jure.

For dinner, we had an omelet to start and then last night's taboulé (which is "cracked wheat" - I actually think it's quinoa - with vegetables, served cold or hot, whichever you like) mixed with ratatouille. "Yum num num!" as Michel would say.

After that we watched on tv "Les racines et les ailes" (Roots and Wings), a show that talks about places around France. Tonight's was about preserving different historical monuments and getting young people involved in preserving the "patrimony" of France. The archaeologist part of me was freaking out because they weren't preserving the monuments, but instead restoring and rebuilding them. This freaked me out a little.

Then Claudie put on a performance she had recorded on the DVR called the Trial of Ceznac, based on a real historical event. However, it reminded me more of the show, "Edwin Drood" where you pick the ending. People were invited to text, call, or submit their votes of whether or not he was guilty.

À demain. ... oh wait, it is "demain"! :-)

Le 99ieme jour: Presque trois chiffres./Almost three digits!

Ce que me manquerai quand je retour aux Etats-Unis...

• la nourriture: les repas de Claudie, les baguettes, les fruits, les legumes, le vin, la glace italienne, le café,
  
• Il fait beau maintenant en Avignon (au moindre 70 degres F!)
• Qu'un bouteille de bon vin ne coute pas très cher.
• Ma famille d'accueil (Claudie, Michel, et Woody)

Je suis encore confondue...

• Pourquoi "Microsoft Word" n'a pas appris que j'écris en français?
• Les differences entre des phrases et des verbres comme Bonsoir/bonne nuit, si/oui, dormir/se coucher. Je croyais que je les ai compris, mais il y a quelques jours, j'ai constaté que je ne les ai pas compris, pas de tout!
  

Ce que je n'aime pas...

• Ma famille me manque
• Le Dunkin Donuts me manque
• Lady Gaga et Kesha
• les grèves! (qui se passe chaque printemps)

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Things I Will Miss when I return to the US

• The food: Claudie's meals, the baguettes, the fruits, the vegetables, the wine, the gelato, and the coffee
  
• It is already nice weather here in Avignon (at least 70 F)
• That a bottle of good vin doesn't cost a lot.
• My host family (Claudie, Michel, and Woody)
  

I am still confused...

• Why the Microsoft Word on my computer doesn't remember/hasn't learned that I am writing in French?
• The differences between some phrases and some verbs such as Bonsoir/bonne nuit, si/oui, dormir/se coucher. I had thought that I understood the differences, but a few days ago, I realized that I don't in fact understand the differences at all!

Things I don't like...

• I miss my family.
  
• I miss Dunkin Donuts.
• Lady Gaga and Kesha
• Strikes ! (which happen every spring apparently)

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Today it was beautiful weather again. I ate a banana, a kiwi, and strawberries for breakfast, sitting comfortably in the kitchen with the door to the patio wide open!

I only had one class today where we talked about this artist, Andy Goldsworthy, who does something called "Land art," basically making works of art in nature, using nature. It is really cool. He built this kind of conical egg shape "statue" out of rocks that got covered by the ocean and when the tide went back out it was still there.
That was my only class. Then I made myself lunch and went up on the roof for a picnic of roquefort cheese, baguette, and salad.

Then, I returned home, opened the window in my room, charged up my computer for a little while during which time I recharged (aka, I took a half hour nap), then I went outside, sat on the patio, and did some homework.

Dinner was tarte, and some couscous like thing with a combo of vegetables - tomatoes, peppers, olives, and salad. Claudie and Michel decided to start composting after watching this movie about local solutions to global problems, apparently produced by the French equivalent of Michael Moore.

The volcano continues to cause problems and so does the strike. So clearly life as usual aka the status quo continues. :-)

Le 98ieme jour: La princesse et le pois./The princess and the pea.

Happy Monday! I had class bright and early today at 9am, normally I don't have class until 2pm, so this was quite a change. The class was meant to make up for a class meeting that was canceled last week. At like 11am, I felt as though it was already afternoon. There were only 5 students (in a class of I think 9). Two of the students were stuck in a nearby city where they had gone for a day trip yesterday, but due to the strike, had gotten stuck there. Messy business this strike, messy business indeed.

I bought some couscous last week, and I bought the smallest one available. However, according to the box, it will last for 8 servings. I think it will last more for me...probably the rest of my time here. (Wow, that's weird to say.) I do love it so much though, just add a pinch of salt, some pepper and some herb mix, and you're good to go!

Between classes, a friend and I went up on the roof of the Institute to chill and do homework. Well let's just say there was more "chillin'" and less "homework-ing," as you could have probably anticipated. It was beautiful weather today - high of prob 70 with no wind, just beautiful.

Had two more classes the rest of the day (my normal two classes for Mondays). Those were nothing special. The professors hadn't planned to speak about the exam until either Wednesday or next Monday. Our exams for those two classes are next Wednesday! Let me just say, professors have a different stance on exams here despite the fact that they still count for a lot, if not more than they do in the States.

I was having a minor freak out last night/this morning when I couldn't find my cell phone charger as I had only one battery bar left. After much frantic searching (rearranging, unpacking, etc.), I gave up. I was quite tired (as I had my 9am class). I gave one last look as I got into bed for a nap. I looked under my mattress because I usually charge my phone up by my bed. What do you know, it was under my bed, at the head of my bed by my pillow. I kind of felt like the princess and the pea.

-Woody heard a cat while he was out on the terrace and was looking all around.
-Dinner was fish and rice with mushrooms and zucchini. Claudie was upset because the fish had really shrunk in size when she cooked it.
-Watched the movie "La Traductrice" - a Russo-Swiss movie. So some parts of it had French subtitles for the Russian parts.

Le 97ieme jour: Nous avons fait un pique-nique!/We had a picnic!

Il faisait très beau aujourd'hui - si chaud avec beaucoup de soleil! :-)

D'abord, je suis allée aux Halles et j'ai acheté quelques légumes et des fruits - deux pommes, un nashi (poire-pomme qui vient de la Chine - http://www.only-cookware.com/blog/2007/11/28/the-delightful-delectable-nashi-pear/), et un poivron vert. Le nashi n'était pas si delicieux comme le site-web dit, mais j'aime essayer des nouvelles types de nourriture pendant ma sejour en France.

Après, je cherchais (et j'ai trouvé) le "free market" (comme Michel m'a dit) avec des vêtements, des chaussures, des livres, des tableaux, etc. en Place des Carmes. J'ai acheté deux journaux de l'époque de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale! Je n'ai payé qu'un euro pour les deux! Comme vous savez, j'adore l'histoire, donc, ça me plait beaucoup!

Puis, j'ai appelé Mirel et nous avons décidé de faire un pique-nique. Son hôte d'accueil nous a donné des verres (pour le vin, bien sûr!) et un nap (peut-être pour être semblable aux vrais français). Nous avons fais nôtre pique-nique en haut dans le jardin d'Avignon (près de la Palais des Papes).

Nous avons bien mangé, et après nous avons acheté/mangé du barbe à papa et après, du glace (j'ai choisi le parfum, "crème du marron," qui était très delicieuse!)

Puis, Mirel m'a montré des roue à eau (que j'ai voulu voir), mais la petite fleuve était très sale.


In English:
It was a beautiful day today - so hot with lots of sunshine! :-)

First, I went to Les Halles and I bought some vegetables and fruit - two apples, a nashi (pear-apple that comes from China - http://www.only-cookware.com/blog/2007 / 11/28/the-delightful-delectable-nashi-pear /), and a green pepper. The Nashi was not as delicious as the web-site says, but I like trying new types of food while in France.

Then I looked (and found) the "free market" (as Michael called it) with clothes, shoes, books, pictures, etc.. in Place des Carmes. I bought two newspapers from around the time of the Second World War! I paid one euro for two! As you know, I love history, so, I am quite excited!

Then I called Mirel and we decided to have a picnic. Her host family gave us glasses (for wine, of course!) And a small blanket/table cloth (perhaps for us to seem similar to the real French). We had our own picnic up in the garden of Avignon (near the Palace of the Popes).

We ate well, and after that we bought / ate cotton candy and after the cotton candy, we got some ice cream (I chose the "creme de marron" flavor which was very delicious!) Then, Mirel showed me some water wheels that I had wanted to see, but the stream was quite dirty.
...
Dinner: pork, potatoes, and peas.
Dinner discussion: about the movie they went to see called "Local Solutions for Global Problems" which is a movie about agriculture/pesticides/industrialization and globalization problems.

*Sorry about the weird white highlighting behind some of the text. I don't know why it did that and therefore don't know how to change it.

Le 95ieme jour: Je ne peux pas chercher les mots./I can't find the words.

Current event - A volcano erupted in Iceland.
Effect - All flights canceled into most of Europe aka Charles de Gaulle Paris Airport closed.

Had class this morning.
Went to "the island" on the free ferry (which literally takes less than 4 minutes).
Enjoyed good company and wine on the island.
Went back "to the mainland".
Did some shopping.
Found a good gift for Claudie.
Went to a movie at Utopia (Huits Fois Debouts)
Claudie kept dinner for me.
Carpentras tomorrow.

Le 94ieme jour: J'écrit en français./I am writing in french.

Je vais écrire seulement quelques mots parce qu'il est très tard (ou très tôt, ça dépends sur votre point de vue!).

Aujourd'hui, j'ai eu deux cours - une séance de Science Po. et une séance de Littérature. La séance de Science Po. était pour rattraper une autre séance que le prof a annulé. Mais, hier, il a annulé la séance, donc nous devons rattraper une autre séance lundi matin de la semaine prochaine!

Après mes cours, j'essayais de commencer de réviser pour mes examens (parce que ce week-end, ma famille vient à la France, et je serai très occupée, je suis sûre.) Mais, je n'ai pas réussi en commençant mes études.

Donc, je suis partie de l'Institut Américain et je suis rentré chez moi. Maintenant, il y a des ouvriers qui s'installent (ça n'est pas la traduction, mais j'espère que vous pouvez comprendre ce que je veux dire) des carreaux sur la terrasse. J'ai commencé à faire ma valise (je sais, ça semble si en avance, mais...), et ça m'a rendu triste, donc j'ai arreté tout de suite.

Nous avons bien mangé ce soir - un pizza de fromage des chevres, une salade, et un artichaut (plus grand que d'habitude!).

Maintenant, je veux me coucher.
À demain.

En dessous, vous trouverez la traduction de la texte du français à anglais. J'ai utilisé l'Outil linguistique de Google et après je l'ai corrigé un peu.

Below, you will find the translation of my posting from french to english. I used google Language Tools and I corrected it a little afterwards.

"I'll write a few words because it is very late (or early, it depends on your point of view!).

Today I had two classes - one session of Poli Sci and one session of Literature. Today's Poli Sci class was to make up for another one that the teacher had canceled. But yesterday, he canceled class, so we have to make up another class session on Monday morning of next week!

After class, I tried to start reviewing for my exams (because this weekend my family is coming to France, and I will busy I'm sure.) However, I did not succeed in starting to study.

So, I left the Institute and I went back home. Currently, there are workers who are installing (this is not the translation, but I hope you can understand what I mean) tiles on the terrace. I started packing my suitcase (I know it seems so early, but ...), and it made me sad, so I stopped immediately.

We ate well tonight night - a goat cheese pizza, salad and an artichoke (larger than usual!).

Now I want to sleep.
See you tomorrow.