Last Semester Revisited

Today, we went to the Musee Fabre. By we, I mean the large group of American students who are doing the orientation with me. However, it seemed that a lot of people didn't show, which is too bad as they missed out on a very good time. The really good news: once I get my student ID card, I can go the the Musee Fabre for free!! I'm sure I'll be doing that every once in a while.

The first thing I have to say is that I felt like it was last spring semester at Buff State:

• The exhibit we had a guided tour of was of paintings of a man who painted Louis-Napoleon (aka Napoleon III) and his wife the Empress Eugenie. We discussed these people a lot in the Emile Zola class with Dr. Hovland. Kelly will never forget this.
• The painter (Alex Cabanel I think....the spelling might be wrong) had many beefs with Emile Zola. Zola was constantly criticizing his work. Kelly and I spent an ENTIRE semester discussing Emile Zola. No one in that class will forget....not even if they have amnesia!
• This same painter painted a representation of Phedre as she waits to die after hearing of Hippolyte's death. This is by far the most painful reminder of last semester. Kelly and I had to read Jean Racine's Phedre and hated every moment of it. Damn you Phedre! Damn you! The guide told us the story and I was like, "No!! NOOO!! I KNOW THIS STORY LIKE THE BACK OF MY HAND!!" But it was to no avail: she went on and on and brought back painful memories of sitting in the French Dept. conference room trying in vain to have a conversation about that stupid play!

So you see, Kelly, why only you could really understand what I went through today. Oh the horror! Never again!

On the bright side, I liked a lot of the paintings. There was one called Velleda or something close to that and it was beautiful. It's based on a myth about star-crossed lovers and is framed in an ivy design to signify eternal love. There was also another painting (but I think it was by someone else) depicting an Italian star-crossed lovers story about Francesca and Paolo or some variation of that, which I must find a version of online. It also was framed in ivy to signify eternal love. So beautiful! But I liked the first painting better - it was so beautiful!

After the Musee, me and some of the girls stopped at a snack stand for lunch. I got un sandwich Roma, which was ham, emmental cheese (its kind of like swiss cheese), and tomatoes toasted inside a baguette. It was really good - there was soooo much cheese!! And I had a coke to keep things American.>
It cut out a whole thing about not buying anything on our shopping outting today and how I'm not buying anything until I need it, like maybe a trench coat for fall but I don't know if I should get a black one which is more practical or a navy blue one that I saw and which I like because a girl in my International Relations class last semester (again, last semester revisited) and it was sooo cute!! I might have to go with the navy. I had to add that last sentence after I posted it wtf!! ugh!! Here's the rest of what I originally had to say: So let me know what you think! I'll honestly probably get that one. I already have two navy blue winter coats, I think I need to add to the collection! But dammit black would be so stylish!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found Pimkie. I will go there once the orientation ends, just for Kelly! I believe its here 2nd favorite store after Monoprix....

Tomorrow is Avignon. It should be fun, but we are leaving at 8am because it takes over an hour to get there by bus. Note to self: remember ipod!! Then I have a test on Monday, which I've studied for a little. It's so dumb: the profs know we have little excursions on the weekends and they still do this to us! So annoying! But I'll webcam Carl before anything because I miss him so much and we haven't been able to talk for 3 days!! Dumb work!!

So there are A LOT of stray dogs and cats. The cutest dog moment happened a week ago when 2 stray dogs got on the tram!! It was so cute!! They just followed eachother on, like they knew exactly what they were doing! The cutest cat moment was yesterday when I was waiting for Emily to pick figs off the fig tree outside our building. We looked up and saw a black kitten in the tree!! And then it crawled up higher and higher and I got a picture of it perched in the brances amongst the leaves!! So cute!! It's so hard not to steal on for myself - they are all over the dorm area (Cite Triolet). But if I got one, I'd have to buy all the cat essentials, which would be expensive and then I'd have to bring it home, and I don't know if Mocha would want to share me. I don't want to share Mocha. She's all mine. And don't forget it!

I should be going to bed, I guess. It's 3:40pm at home, which means its 9:40pm here, and I have to be out the door by 8am!! AAAHHHH!!!! I was so excited to sleep in til 8:30 today!! That's so sad!! Why won't they let me get any sleep around here! I swear, the first day without orientation, I'm staying in bed all day!!

I love you all,

send me something in the mail and I'll be sure to send some postcards maybe by next week!,

Love,

Heather