Bonjour! Right now, it is Wednesday night, and I have been in Montpellier, France, since last Friday. The city is gorgeous, and I love the other students in my program! My apartment is also very close to the main square of the city, La Place de la Comedie, and the biggest shopping mall in the city, Le Polygone.

Classes started on Monday. I am taking Civilization of the South of France, Francophone Literature, Grammar and Methodology, Phonetics, Conversation, and Art History. The Art History class is going to take place in the Musee Fabre, a great art museum in the city. I can't wait until it gets going next week! My civilization class also is supposed to include some type of excursion. My other classes have been great so far, though are all instructed in French. I am finding that my comprehension skills are a lot better than my ability to speak back during conversation. I am hoping that I can become fluent during my time here! Hopefully the conversational class and instruction in grammar/phonetics will help.

It's been fun to cook meals in the apartment since it's the first time I'm living in my own place other than a dorm. I live very close to several grocery stores, which is very convenient. The French shop more frequently and buy in lower quantities than we do in the US, so I end up going to "Monoprix" or "Inno" (2 grocery stores near my apartment) a lot. Wine, spirits, and beer are all sold in the supermarket, and wine is SO CHEAP. You can get a decent bottle for only 2 or 3 euros! Baguettes and cheese are also very well-priced. A fantastic roll of goat cheese or a baguette only costs about 1 euro. Also, the drinking age in France is 16, so it's been a blast to check out the local night life. The French are very moderate people, so it's been easy to go out for a casual night. My friends and I really enjoyed a quiz night last night at "The Shakespeare" Pub. :-)

Another thing I have found interesting here is that the French are very eco-friendly. In stairwells and hallways, the lights always go out after a few minutes. There are light-up buttons you can press to re-illuminate the places when you need to use them. They must save a lot of energy that way. Apparently energy is much more expensive than in the US. (Can you tell I worked at a lighting systems company all summer!? :-) ) The heat is also kept at a minimum. We all wear our coats during class! It might be because they are not used to the cold weather streak we have been having over this past week. Apparently it's usually a lot warmer. Also, they do not readily give out bags at the supermarket or other stores. Many people re-use their bags, or bring plastic/fabric ones. All the cars are TINY, and the public transportation is great. I take the tram to the University Paul Valery for class. The hot/cold water fluctuates a lot too, which can make it difficult to take a comfortable shower. I think water must be expensive too? ;-)

All in all, it has already been a wonderful experience to be here. I love Montpellier!

A plus tard! ("Talk to you later!")



My room when I first got to my apartment :-)



Chateau d'eau, a beautiful monument that is right next to the aqueducts and looks onto a statue and Montpellier's replica of Paris' Arc de Triomph



Some of the girls and I on our first night with wine, baguettes, and cheese. The three French staples (minus coffee)!



A street right off La Place de la Comedie, the main square of the city. I live down the next street over to the left. It looks a lot like this.

Another beautiful building on la Place de la Comedie.

A giant, really old movie theatre in la Place de la Comedie.

I will upload more pictures soon :-)

A plus tard! ("Talk to you later!")