I've been in Montpellier for a little over a week, so it's time for an update (this will be a long post). We arrived last Friday, moved into our apartments/homestays on Sunday, and were up at 7am on Monday for classes. To say the least, it's been a busy/stressful week. One of the French students who are basically hired to hang out with us this semester took Ella (my roomie) and me to our apartment. 40 minutes later, we still couldn't find the place. However, after asking several friendly French people, we arrived chez Madame de Lussigny.
From the outside, the house was lovely - in a quaint neighborhood a little outside of the city. But hey, it's cute, so no bigs, right? Wrong. We walked around the back of her house and up the stairs to the apartments. It was old, dirty, and just not at all what we were expecting. But we signed the lease, trying to hold back our tears. Most of my family and friends got the rundown of everything we didn't like about our living situation. Here's the cliff notes: everyone pays the same rate for apartments, and most are in the city center (a 5 min walk) and BEAUTIFUL (modern kitchens, marble counters, heated bedrooms, etc.). However, we had a 15 minute creepy walk to tram, 15 minute tram to city + a shitty apartment (non-functioning hotplates, curtains instead of bedroom doors, moldy rooms, and crummy dishes from 1960. So the first few days were extremely hard. Coupling that with homesickness, I cried a lot (so did Ella). We spoke with the program directors and eventually were moved to "L'Observatoire" - student apartments in the center of the city (for a pretty price). We live in studios across the hall from one another - equipped with a small kitcen area, bathroom, internet, a doorman, other students in our program, and laundry! It's a palace compared to our old digs. It does the job.
Okay so I was looking up flights back to the U.S. (before we moved into the building) - my homesickness was that bad! I honestly did not think it would get better. But thanks to my wonderful family and friends, I finally feel happy here. I mean, I'm in France, eating croissants andrinking wine everyday, it's ard not to love it.
Ella and I get along great! We share a lot of the same interests (music, cooking, eating). A lot of te other people on the program are fun as well - I'm getting to learn what "Minnesota Nice" means. I am sorry I haven't taken many pics - I took some of the crummy old apartment, and one after we moved. Here we are - happy to be re-adjusting and ready to go out!
Everyone in Montpellier is super friendly! I totally feel like Belle - I skip down the street with my book and baguette, and everyone says "Bonjour!" to me. Unlike in Paris, people actually let me (try) to speak French, and don't immediately speak to me in English when they realize I'm American. The pace here is slow and relaxed - shop owners often close their businesses between noon and 2 to grab an espresso or baguette.
Speaking of shopping, it's the season of "Soldes" in France (woah alliteration) - it's when EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE goes on sale. I am trying to resist, but I think this week I may give in and buy some booties. We attempted to shop in the Polygone (a hugeee mall in the center of town), but it was clazy - clazier tan Macy's in NYC at Christmas. Seriously (I know that's hard to believe, Megs).
As for classes, they are a little boring. I go to Universite Paul Valery, about a 30 min commute from my apartment. The architecture there reminds me of the Brady Bunch or someting. I'll post pictures later and you'll agree. I am taking phonetics (required), grammar (required), civilisation du sud, art history, gothic french lit, and either translation or American environmental history. Art history seems the most interesting - it takes place at Musee Fabre. Half of each class is lecture; the other half we explore the galleries and look at the artwork we just learned about.
I am desperately trying to arrange my schedule so I don't have class on Fridays, but it's not working out (you jinxed me, Allie!). But I only have each class once a week. 3 straight hours of grammar is not fun, but it's better than 1 hour thrice a week!
My winter break if approaching quickly! I am off from Feb 13 - Feb 22. I think some of us want to go to London & Paris (Johnny and Megan and others please join). I also have a 2-week break in April from the 3rd to the 19th (my 21st bday) for a couple of weeks? And then I will already be homeward bound. I hope it doesn't go by as fast as that made it seem. Well I must get back to reading about French cavemen!
Keep reading! I swear they won't always be this long. And I will post more pictures of the beautful city this week/weekend.
A bientot!
MG
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