Coucou! In France this is a more casual greeting than bonjour and it is really fun to say. I haven’t written in this blog in awhile, so there are many things I would like to write about, but I think it would take me too long to do so. So I’ll write a little bit about many different things. Also, if there are not any pictures here now, I will add them in a bit. I don’t have wifi, so I have to use my host mom’s office to use a cable and connect to the internet, so I don’t go online and upload pictures very often (since uploading them takes a long time).
First off, congratulations Kristy on your wedding! I heard that it was beautiful. I am very happy for you and wish I could have been there. And I hope that all of you who went had a great time!
HOST FAMILY
I met my host family! They live about 20 minutes by tram from the city center (40 minutes walking) from the city center. Oh! It’s almost dinner right now and it smells very good in the house! Anyway, normally in the house there is my host dad, my host mom, my host sister Clementine, and my host brother Cyriaque. I hope that I spelled that correctly. They have three other children as well, but they are older and normally not at home. They were all here the first day I arrived though, and that day I was really nervous because they all talked very fast and I couldn’t understand very much at all. The three oldest kids are no longer here and I can understand better now though (and they are speaking a little bit slower too).
The family is very nice. I talk to my host mom the most. She is very welcoming and helped with various Nantes-activities, like applying for my public transportation card and showing me how to use the trams to get into town. She works from home, leads the neighborhood/community group in this area, is a great singer in a choir in Nantes, and also cooks delicious food. Oh! Dinner smells so good right now! I think we are going to eat in a little bit. I don’t know my host dad as much. He comes home from work around 7:30 most days and he is really nice and funny. He is also an expert at explaining the different types of cheese and wines to me, and really patient when I ask for his help with connecting my computer to wifi. He is also going to show me how to buy train tickets online tonight. (I will be going to La Ciagle in Paris next weekend to see a Ray LaMontagne concert, and I’m taking the train there. Last night I found a youth hostel to stay at that is only a few metro stops from the theater, so I’m excited). Cyriaque, the son, is about 12 years old I think. He is also really funny, and all throughout the dinner he plays tricks on everyone. He also likes to play video games and, in that way, reminds me of Conor a little. And Clementine is really nice. (I use the words nice and funny to describe people a lot). She is about 16 years old, and she studied in Canada for a bit last year, but she hasn’t spoken English with me yet. She tells many funny stories during dinner, and I can understand them most of the time.
MY ROOM
I have a really nice room. I’ll post pictures here. But I like it. It’s roomy and clean, with a comfy bed, and—best of all—I have my own sink, so I can brush my teeth and such in my room. I have a beautiful big window as well. Also, random note, in French houses, the toilet is separate from the shower and sink.
WEEKEND TRAVELS
I think I mentioned this in my last post, but all of the American students and I spent three and a half days traveling in Northwestern France last weekend. I was able to meet a lot of people and we visited many interesting places. My favorites were L’île aux Moines, a little island were we rented bicycled and biked around they island for about 6 hours. It was quaint and pretty, with seaweed-covered beaches, flower-lined small alleyways, and stores that sold Solero ice cream.
I also loved the village of Auray, a quaint town on the river that has cobblestone streets, Tudor-style houses, and pittoresque cafés. It was also where Benjamin Franklin spent much of his time, so there were many bars and cafés named after him. An oyster festival was taking place while we were there, and it was nice to see.
Sometime after L'île aux Moines and possibly before Auray, we visted Fortresse de Largoët, a large fortress that has one of the tallest towers in the area. The fortress is partly in ruins now, but it is gorgeous, covered in ivy, and contains several long, spiraling staircases. I took pictures, so I will put those up.
CLASSES AND ORIENTATION
I signed up for my classes today. I will be taking Topics in Advanced French Grammar, International Trade and Globalization, and French Writers and Foreign Nations at the study abroad center. Then I’ll take Sociology of Marginalized Groups, Comparative Sociology of Civilizations and Cultures, an African history course, and a geography course. I’m going to have to drop at least one of these classes because I will have too many credits right now, so I’m going to see which ones I like the most.
FOOD!
Every meal I’ve had here (expect this one ham/Dijon mustard lunch at the university cafeteria) has been amazing. I think some highlights have been mushroom, ham, and cheese crepes, an eggplant risotto my host dad made last night, barbequed salmon, and chicken sandwiches from sandwich stands. All the bread is delicious, and I love this one bread—pain de mie—that looks like a giant roll when you buy it. But, apparently, the French don’t find it that great because my host sister told me that it’s the poor person’s bread.
Tonight Dani, Olivia, and I are going to meet up with Florian (Flo), who grew up in Nantes but lived with us last year in the French house at Whitman. He is now back in Nantes and is studying to get his Masters. Well, he was last that I heard. His plans change often. After eating dinner with Olivia and her host family, we are all going to meet up. Dani, Olivia, and I are all really excited.
in France have been striking recently. At first it was the dairy farmers who, the weekend before my friends and I went to Mont St Michel, poured tons of milk over the mount. They have also gone into stores and handed out cheese and milk for free--all of this to protest the small amount of money that goes to dairy farmers when their products are sold, among other things. Then, last week, more farmers--including wheat, pig, and other farmers of all different products--protested all over France--in Paris, Normandie, and--among other cities--Nantes. Once again all the tram lines were cut. This time because hundreds of tractors were in the city streets and were blocking tram lines. Farmers were lighting 
among other things. I'm really excited! But, this is something I just thought of doing in the past hour or so, and I haven't thought through any of the logical/reasoning/planning/funding parts of it yet, so we'll see if this happens. But for now, I'm really excited about the possibility.
