Monday was la fete de la musique so we bought wine, cheese, fresh baguettes and chocolate bars downtown and had a merry little time downtown. Not much to add about Monday....I had a case of the Mondays on Monday.
Today-Class. I don't know what we talked about really...grammar, yada yada. We have a test on Thursday I'm dreading for our final. Did some work on phonetics, I have trouble with the words Lulu and LouLou...can you hear the difference? I cannottt.
after class, we had a quick dessert with the rest of the usac group, i miss everyone. watched a quick slideshow and ate cake.
Anyways, today was the shopping day I've been waiting for...it wasnt as eventful as I'd hoped. We ate a quick fish stew (with mussels...you know...at the university cafeteria what up mac attack!), at le vague and scooted downtown. We went to a couple clothing shops and a grocery store and some other small shops. Overall, I bought more minutes for my phone, shampoo/conditioner, a wine opener (it's necessary), scotch tape so I can tape things when I pack them, a pair of French shorts like...they're big but comfy and I need one more bottom for myself b/c a pair of pants ripped anyway cool, two things I cant say cuz my mom reads this and they are the same and one is for herrrr, and then a ring. my mom said i should buy things that remind me of france and when i think of pau again, i will think of roses on the streets and palm trees so my ring has a rose on it :)
ate georgios- pistache and tiramisu, i'm allowed b/c it's one of my last days in pau and ill miss him! here's a subject to discuss: ice cream. I've tried real Italian gelato, georgios and I will probably try some at la place des vosges...how will i return to coldstone and dq? i must find a way...
not much other shopping luck, paris will be better and there will be nationwide clearance time from june 30th to august 2nd i think while im in paris soooo SALESSSS.
went then w/ bre to VIETNAMESE food, good lordy. my 1st time with this cuisine but i'm in loveee. we had crab/asparagus-flavored soup that had crab and shrimp in it, for my main course i had duck in a sauce of pineapple with onions and yellow noodles with some spices on them and dessert was a carmalized banana and a mango scoop of ice cream. we died, it was fantastic! i loveddd it. so glad we went! we also spoke to a french family/friends group next to us who laughed at my jokes and thought we were french for a while before they talked to us haha. they liked my accent, so that was nice to hear.
then i went home and took the isa placement exam which seriously was harder than any other french test ive taken...and it wasnt stressful during it...things could be multiple answers and grammar was gross and i understood the oral stuff but messed up a thing or two it just was so incredibly, incredibly discouraging when i know i am skilled in french. i don't suck, i do nottttt. meh. i skyped with some friends from home for a while after to cheer up but am still a bit down, b/c i know im getting the most out of my experience in france and spoken french is different from written but i am doing well and learning in class and etc. etc. i am trying.
anyway, tomorrow we wanted to go to a beach but plans fell through so we are going to a friends pool for the day, i hope it is sunnyyyy. her host family is actually her best friend from the usa's family so they're more easygoing. i am excited, i just need to relax, not worry. i need to remember that i am going to paris for my dreams to come true and see the things i could only hope to see, i'm not going for a grade i'm going for the experience, the immersion in the culture and to better develop my skills. indeed, i'm determined!
meanwhile, i got an email saying my host mom in paris cant meet me when i get to paris so i am going to the isa office for an hour or so before i can go to my homestay. buzzkill. bad news after bad news a little bit after an amazing, amazing day.
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