Anne took this picture of me outside the grocery store after buying my first bottle of wine. It seemed like a Kodak moment.
Well, this first picture may be a little misleading with the title I've given this post, but I'll explain it in a bit...We started classes last Friday. Normally, we won't have class on Fridays, but I think they just wanted us to get our feet wet without waiting until Monday. Anyway, I'm taking 2 classes, for 6 credits toward my French major. I have Advanced Grammar from 11-12:30 and then Impressionism and Post-Impressionism from 2:30-4. As you can see, it's a nice long lunch break, which I really like because it allows me to socialize with other students, to take my time eating, and to enjoy the lovely weather in the IES jardin (garden), which is very serene, as you can see from the pictures below.
So far, classes have been great. Both of my professors are wonderful and nice (which I can't say I've found to be true for several Parisians, so I'm considering myself lucky in this case). I'm learning A LOT, as well, which is definitely great. Our grammar professor doesn't only focus on grammar; we talk a lot about cultural differences, current events, politics...and well, everything. I'm also learning a lot of random conversational tidbits in that class, too. It's great. The only downside is that I get a lot of homework in this class...but I guess it's kind of necessary for drilling grammar rules. BUT, we have a fieldtrip coming up! We're going to see a play...
I really enjoy my art history class, as well. It's a very different format: pure lecture. She shows us slides and talks the entire time, which you might think I'd hate, but surprisingly, it's a good change of pace, and I always manage to stay alert (unlike certain people who always doze off) and get a lot from it. I think this class gives me a little bit of confidence because I can normally follow about 85% of what she's saying, and I know it's tough stuff...especially since it's a very specific vocabulary. So I'd say 85% comprehension in this class is pretty darn good...and of course, there is a lot of room for improvement, but I'm really interested in the subject, so I'm motivated to improve. So yay! I like my classes. The upside to this class is that we don't have regular homework. (Thank goodness, considering I get a lot in the grammar class, and this art class is a LOT to take in during the lectures, so it's pretty intellectually taxing...) Also, starting on Wednesday, we'll have a museum every week until the end of the program, so we'll get to SEE firsthand some of the works we've been talking about. What a wonderful thing. :-)
Okay, finally, to explain the 2nd picture at the top, this was taken last Friday night, the night of our 1st day of classes. Those are my friends, Anne (the redhead) and Judy. That night, we decided to have our first taste of cheap French wine. Anne's host mom was gone for a couple days...so we just hung out there (shhhh...). Also, this marked the evening of purchasing my first bottle of wine! (Yes, it's perfectly legal here, so stop gaping at me! Oh, and Anne documented that moment outside the grocery store, but I need to retrieve the picture from her...) Anyway, Anne and Judy were trying to open the first bottle with the Anne's wine key, but it wasn't working. Judy insisted that Anne just PULL on it, but I had a feeling that was not a good idea. So what was my solution? I pulled up a youtube video of "How to open a bottle of wine using a wine key". Yes, I'm kind of ashamed to admit it, but that's what I did, and we were all thankful because we learned how to do it properly and avoided making a mess. (And I'm not THAT ashamed because I'm used to a different type of wine key that my parents use...different from the one Anne has...so don't judge me!)
Anyway, on a final note, I have a fun fact about French wine. A good friend who is a French professor and here doing research this summer informed me that even the cheapest French wine (2 euros or less) is equivalent to a $20 bottle of wine in the U.S. How lovely. :-)
Paris, je t'aime...
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