Rant: I might as well be in the united states.

This is the I-might-as-well-be-in-the-US-all-I-do-is-homework Rant.

I might as well be in the USA. Why? Because of the homework. I'm not experiencing France because I sit in my room doing homework whenever I'm not in school. I mean, I'm supposed to be experiencing France, learning about the culture, speaking to FRENCH people (not french-speaking American students who're in France!!!!), going to places in France (Tour Eiffel, Versailles, and I don't know what else--that's the point; going places I don't know about). Etc. Which is why it's so very frustrating to have to be doing homework instead.

I've gone on a few excursions with IAU, but it's with the group. Besides, there are only two more excursions planned.
I need to make more of an effort to connect with the FRENCHNESS!

Disappointing film experience

So, last night a few friends and I went to go see Taking Woodstock. The French translation of the title is Hotel Woodstock. Well, I was expecting it to be in French. It wasn't--which was really disappointing. It was in English with French subtitles. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the film itself was funny. I actually liked it. But the experience of being in France and watching a movie in English, especially when you're expecting it to BE in FRENCH, leaves something to be desired.

Ow.

So, last night in the middle of dinner my right foot started hurting. Not an ache from walking to much . Not pain from blisters. Not pain from the cat suddenly decideing to bite my toes (again). so I looked at the bottom of my foot and there was a nice fresh blue-purple-black bruise /bursted blood vessel right where my big toe meets my foot. Ow. And I have no idea how that happened, because it had been absolutely fine five minutes before when I was walking from my room to the kitchen.

Villeneuve

This past weekend was a special weekend in France where museums and monuments are free of charge. So on Sunday my Host Mom took me across the Rhone from Avignon to visit Villeneuve. We went to see La Chartreuse (a monestary) and Fort Saint-André(a fortress-abbey). It was beautiful and I really liked it. However, I forgot my camera, so no pictures. Sorry. I'll just have to go again! ;P (Of course, it won't be free next time.) La Chartreuse has gardens, a prison, several chapels, a wash-house, and rooms for the monks/priests. It was really cool to see everything. Well, after we saw the Fort Saint-André we walked down the hill to a bistro where Mme's friends were waiting to chat for a while. On the way down, we passed a woman with two kids. Mme told me that that was the Minister of Economics, Christine Lagarde. here's a link for a picture. So that was a cool experience. It was sort of like passing Obama in the street or something. Except French-style.

Excursion with IAU to Saintes Maries a la mer

Today (Saturday the 19th) we went to Saintes Maries a la Mer, a village on the Mediterranean Sea. I took pictures!!!! (of course). Most of them are of the church and me being silly in the sea.

Alex and Brian. On the bus at 8:30 a.m.

Laura and Chelsea

Jen and I. Don't I look so awake? haha.

Sign for the boring museum we went to.

Very old armoir that was the only thing of intrest in said museum.

Plack showing the date (1830) of the armoir. It's for a marriage.

See those dots on the water? Those are flamingos. Yup, you read that correctly. Flamingos. In France. How cool is that???!



The bells on the roof of Sts. Maries a la mer.

Close up of the bells

Most of the IAU students (18 out of 27--several people didn't go)

View of the people taking pictures of us IAU students.


Me on the Roof of Sts. Maries.


View of Sts. Maries from the roof of the Church of Sts. Maries.

Another view of the village.
Plack outside the church explaining that the church was made for Marie Sarah, Virgin Mary, and Mary of Magdalene when they (reputedly) sailed to France to escape. Saintes Maries a la Mer is where they landed.

The dimly lit interior of the church.

The Mediterranean Sea

Charles Eating Ice cream. (Dangerous Swimming! Not surveyed!)

Me and some of my friends (Charles, Jenny, Kate, Laura, and Chelsea) Meditating by the sea

Me rolling up my pant legs so they won't get wet from the waves. (There were people actually surfing! And swimming. But the water was too cold for me!)
The water is Cold!!!

Me being silly in the sea

I'm still silly.

And again. Me being silly in the sea. Fun fun.

Dragon I drew in the sand.

Excursion to Vaison Romain

Yesterday, (Friday the 18th) my Arch. class went to Arles to see the Roman ruins and hear about Roman things in that area. Here are some pictures of things.

Some Roman Dude. ;P


Me next to Some Roman Dude

The Ruins of a large house.

Classmates listening to Prof. Mignon (whose name, insistently means "Cute") talk about why the house was situated the way it was (to profit from the sun in winter and to still be shielded from rain and wind)

A water basin. Possibly a Bath! Hurray for baths. I wish I had a bathtub that big--I'd actually be able to fit in it. Actually this one, you could almost swim laps in! Imagine a bubble bath in that!

The ruins. And the modern Village of Vaison which surrounds them.

Modern house.


Look! Communal Latrines!


Here's a view of the whole Latrine room.

Stoves for the sweat room

Vaison. With a Middle-aged fortress on the hill in the background

Close up of the fortress (We didn't visit it because we haven't gotten to the Middle Ages yet. We're in Roman times.)

Map of the area. Gallo-Romain territory.

What the Roman house proably looked like before it was ruins.

Prof. Mignon talking about the bridge at Vaison and the ruins. Everything behind him (it's a wall at the museum) is his work. As soon as he mentioned that, everyone took pictures of it and him. I'd already taken mine. But apparently, no one else wanted to until they found out he was 'famous.'

Peacock Mosaic. Interesting fact: it has been restored. But the restoration was done in Roman times as well!

Statue of Some Roman Chick

Another Some Roman Dude.

Third some Roman Dude.

Fourth Some Roman Dude. Just kidding. This one is Ceasar.

Close up of Ceasar's Armor.

Roman coins.

Roman Pottery

Sideways Roman Pottery. ;P

Look, Bruce: Roman Glass shards! How would you have liked to find a privy with These???

More Roman Glass

Or a privy with these? (also, sorry about the glare)

How romans made roofs.

Another view of Vaison. This one from the Ampatheatre.

Top of the Ampatheatre
Seats and stairs.
View of bottom (I'm standing at the top.)


View of the top (I'm standing atht he bottom)