Waiting

It is 5:30 pm here and I am exhausted. What is that all about? These days are really kicking me in the butt. I leave the house at 8:30 and catch the bus to my class at 9, have class until 12, lunch, class for another hour, then take the metro to the university for a lecture/info session/class registration or something. I usually get home around 5:30 or 6. I haven't been in class this much during a day since high school. Also, I have found that being immersed in French is actually very exhausting. But, you know, that is what I signed up for.

Speaking of signing up for things, today we registered for classes. That was really stressful, but I think I made good choices. I decided against directly enrolling in a class at the university because it is more important to me to participate in the assistanat d'anglais internship. That being said, I will be taking 3 language courses, two civilization courses, a course on medieval and renaissance architecture, contemporary art history, and an advanced phonetics class called "l'analyse de la chaine parlée." Also I will be auditing the internship, but only because I'm not allowed to take that many credits. It will basically be like volunteer work.

I'm sure that was all very interesting for all of you.

Today some of us were talking about culture shock. Some people think it's kind of a joke, and others admit to experiencing it recently. Scottie was in on this conversation, but Scottie's version of "culture shock" is very different from mine. She is shocked to find that there are no water fountains anywhere, the doorknobs aren't normal, the toilets function differently, etc. I am shocked to find that I CAN'T COMMUNICATE PROPERLY WITH ANYONE. But I suppose it's different for everyone.

Today, for the first time since I have been in France, I was directly affected by one of the strikes that are currently in motion. (In case you didn't know, the French are known for going on strike all the time). Every day at lunch, we eat in the university cafeteria, but today the workers were on strike, so we wandered off in search of sandwiches. Fortunately for us, there is a bakery every ten steps. Literally.

I am starting to feel a little awkward around my host family. I just don't see them very often, I guess. I see them all at dinner, and then everyone holes up in their rooms. Sometimes I see my host mom in the morning before I leave. But the girls pretty much keep to themselves. I'll get used to it eventually, I guess.

Apologies for the lack of pictures recently. I have just been super busy all the time. I have hope for the weekend.