C'est Vendredi!

Bonjour!

C'est Vendredi! Mon premier semaine de cours est termine! Ce matin.... ok ok I will speak English. I survived my first week of classes! I am taking Translation; French Grammar; Religion, Society and State in Modern France; International Marketing; and France and The United States in the Middle East from 1945 to today: Alliances and Discrepancies. Oh, and they are all taught in French! Except for my translation class which is at the Universite de Nantes with French students, my classes are at the IES center and the professors speak slowly because they know that they are teaching Americans. For the most part, I am able to understand them.

Well it is the weekend again and I'm not sure what I am going to do for the next few days... No one is really traveling yet because we want to get to know our way around Nantes! Tomorrow I am planning on going to buy books and maybe do a little shopping while the huge sales are still going on? :)

I know this has been a short blog and my life hasn't been too terribly interesting this week with all of my classes, so I will leave you with some more interesting things about the French:

*The parents and children up through high school still come home every day for 2 hours to have lunch together.
*Once everyone comes in for the evening, they are here to stay. No hectic schedules and meetings and sports practices, etc like in America. Unless of course, they are going over to a friends house for a "Soiree" which happens pretty often.
*Everytime you get on a bus or walk into a small shop in France, it is necessary to greet the bus driver or salesperson with "Bonjour Madame/Monsieur!"
*Speaking of greetings, you NEVER say just "Bonjour" to an adult. ALWAYS "Bonjour Mademoiselle/ Madame/Monsieur"- This is considered basic manners.

Au Revoir mes amies! A tout a l'heure!