Soccer? Yes, Please!

Well, not to quote Charlieissocoollike or anything, but I "have just had the almost imponderable joy of watching..." a professional soccer match!! Yesterday, at 12:30, Jean-Yves, two family friends and I took off for Rennes where we then watched the Rennes vs. Cours soccer match.

Let's just say it was amazing. This was my very first professional soccer match, and the fact that it was in France blew my mind! The pitch was giant...

And the game was quite a spectacle! Rennes won 3 to 0 in a landslide, and let's just say that the crowd was happy. By happy, I mean that the entire stadium did the wave! I also enjoyed what is the Fench equivalent of game day brats: the gallette saucisse. It's funny, while we Wisconsinites also partake in a meat+carbs food combo, the French version is just so elegant... Although, while I did relish the delectable treat, I must say I missed the toasted bun that comes with a good Cheesehead brat!

Decisions, Decisions

Yesterday (true to my word) I tried out some French Manga and I must say, this is probably one of the best decisions I've made in France! As I have previously mentioned, novels in French are much to difficult for me (plot lines, sarcasm, slang, French phrases, lots of words) and Manga really bridges the gap (aka it has explanatory pictures and fewer, simpler words). When I realized what a fantastic decision this was, and how much it helped me, I decided to write a post on my best - and worst - decisions abroad so far. This should be interesting...

Best Decisions

• Reading French Manga.
• Why: Easy reading level, with pictures to help me figure out tough words.
• Suggestions: I really love the series "Nana" right now. While the main character is a bit annoying, the storyline is easy to follow and though the language is simple I am still learning new words. I have not yet read "Drôles de Racailles" but I look forward to it!
• Reading French Graphic Novels.
• Why: Same reason as Manga! However, I have to admit French Graphic Novels are probably better for me than Manga, as they are written by French authors, not translated from Japanese to French.
• Suggestions: I absolutely loved the Graphic Novel "Le Goût du Chlore". It follows the few encounters of a ex-champion swimmer and a scholiosis-plagued existentialist. However, it was admittadly word light, so not much reading at all. I also started "Le Bleu est une Couleur Chaude", a very heavy book focusing on a young girl's untimely death. I picked it up thinking it was a light-hearted book about the color blue... Oops! Nevertheless, I found what I did read very touching (and comprehendable!) Finally, I just started a series called "Le Chat du Rabbin" which I find extremely fun! This series is about as fantasy as it gets. The main character is a talking cat (who gained the power of speech by eating a parrot - what?!) who lives as a pet of a Rabbi and his daughter. So far, all I know is that the cat wants a Bar-Mitzvah... It's hilarious, interesting, sassy and understandable!

• Reading the Newspaper
•  Why: To keep up with local, national and international events, duh! Not only does this keep me informed, it also gives me an insight into French journalsim (and yeilds me eligible for regular conversations!) In addition to this, reading the news helps my French. I had a very entertaining experience yesterday: while reading the newspaper, I stumbled upon what I had to believe was the best section of the paper ever! It was easy to read, had rational pictures and even political cartoons that I could understand! It was... The children's section. Whatever! I'll take a simplified summary of political events any day! Also, I really enjoy the games on the back...

• Making a Blog
• Why: This is fun! If you are thinking about studying abroad (or are about to begin) I highly recommend that you keep a blog. Not only does it convince you to recount your experiences (which makes them even more prevelent in your memory), it also is a great way to keep in contact with your home country - without staying too much in contact with your peeps back home (as facebook tends to do)
• Trying literally every food that is placed in front of me
• Why: Everything is delicious! Well, that's not true. Nearly everything is delicious! While this "try everything" attitude has messed a bit with my weight (screw that!) it has proven to be a very helpful disposition. Not only does openmindedness lead me to new discoveries (Such as cheese. Cheese is amazing!) help me connect my host family, friends and even strangers. Really, who wants to invite a picky eater to their house for dinner? No one. I found out very quickly that my willingness to taste (and subsequently devour) foreign foods was a big people skill.  As a result of my willingness to try new foods, family friends of the Girards are always inviting us over for dinner parties because 1) they know I won't snub their delicious dinners and 2) they get a kick out of seeing me discover wonderful new concoctions! My friends are also constantly showing me new delicacies. Who knew that being an omnivore would count as a social skill?!
• Being socially proactive
• Why: Being a "planner" in your friend group is very important. It's easy for us exchange students to become 'passive friends', the relationship equivalent of dead weight. You talk with them, you laugh, you have fun, you accept invitations, but you never extend invitations. This is very important to do, as it 1) let's your friends know you want to hang out with them, 2) it lets you hang out with friends and 3) it lets you choose the activity (which is important, as locals sometimes forget about localized activities that are foreign to you). For example, I recently asked my friends to come paintballing with me! Despite our school's close proximity to a paintballing range, my friends never would have thought to go because they are not the curious exchange student, I am!
• Going to the local library
• Why: Well, this is pretty self explanatory - you will find great books, meet neighbors and experience some more local flavor. Personally, I love my local library as it is inside a beautiful old building and harbors loads of wonderful, easy to read graphic novels.
• Taking solo walks
• Why: while this is a solitary activity (and should not be overindulged, lest you isolate yourself from your host family) it is a delicious experience to discover your town and, for me, the surrounding countryside. I personally have explored the nearby château, the local canal (and bike path), a beautiful nature path, and three different routes through the countryside.
• Finding a niche with my host family
• Why: This is pretty self explanatory! It's very important to find ways to bond with your host family. I personally bond with Odile over english, Jean-Yves over checkers and soccer, and Louise over horses (and tweenager things!)
• Clothing
• Why: Well, this is more of a what. The pieces of clothing I brought that I most use are...
• leather jacket (collarless)
• black knee high boots
• black ballerina flats
• long gold necklace
• short silver necklace

• Maximizing on my cultural differences
• Why: This may sound strange, especially as exchange students are always told to "blend with the local culture". Obviously, compatting with the local culture is very important to the study abroad experience. But one has to remember that being an individual is always recieved with enthusiasm. I personally have recieved a lot of positive attention from my peers due to my differences - some of these differences because I am American, some because of my own personality. For instance, being an athletic girl in my school is very rare. I was faster than all of the girls (and at least half of the boys) in my swimming class. I am also a bit of an oddity because I play soccer. Not a single girl in my school plays the sport! Finally, I really stand out in math. Yes, I am a math geek. And I am proud! Well, here in France my strength in math really stands out. In the USA, I am one year ahead in math, and thats not even taking into consideration the fact that the typical math class at my US school is 2 years ahead of the typical math class in Combourg. As one might guess, my math-geekiness takes on a whole new intensity here!

Worst Decisions

• Not being socially proactive earlier
• Why: While I am now taking the initiative to plan outings with my friends, for the first month or so I was not a "planner" and while this did not necessarily hurt my friendships, it definitely wasn't as fun as being socially proactive is!
• Eating so much bread
• Why: Yes, I know French bread is fabulous. Yes, I know I should take advantage of it. But come on you guys! I need to leave room for the delicious dinner, salad, cheese and desert. I simply don't have room for so much bread! Actually, I think this is a life lesson:

*** Never fill up on bread, no matter how good it is ***

• Packing crazy clothes
• Why: You must understand, when I was packing for France, I packed the most normal clothes I could find. However, coming from the crazy clothes capital of the world (and going to the worlds most fashionable country), it was inevitable that I would get the fashion a bit skewed... My most controversial item of clothing is a maroon and black striped crop top with a fake turtleneck and cut out shoulders. Seriously, it looks super cute on... But I haven't worn it once. A close second for "clothing I should not have brought" is my black maxi dress. But isn't that normal enough? Well, it turns out that the floor length gown is MUCH too fancy for school, and nearly every other occasion. Now, I must clarify, I am not changing my style due to peer pressure. If you know me, you would understand that the girl who wears a kimono and monster boots to school in the USA is not very likely to care about other people's clothes judgement. However, living in such a different clothing atomosphere naturally changes one's style sense. Being surrounded by a certain style has exposed me to a new way of dressing that I am naturally adopting.
• Zero-ing in on a friend group... Too early
• Why: You may remember me mentioning in one of my early posts how I shifted friends groups in order to stop being a "mute puppy-dog". Well, while this shift in camaraderie was necessary (and has greatly helped me) it did create some awkward acquaintances. I believe that I could have avoided this entire situation (a switch in association, awkward relationships) had I simply spent my first 2 weeks or so 'unattatched'. As a teenager in a foreign land, I automatically leeched onto the first group of friends that presented themselves to me. And while these people are wonderful, welcoming and interested in America, it just didn't work out. In the end, our interests just didn't match up. Had I spent my first 2 weeks in Combourg floating about the class, getting to know everyone, I would have quickly found that I belonged to another crowd.

My First Week Back!

After two weeks of solitude, I must say that this monday I was yearning to get back to school, and boy was my anticipation rewarded! My first week back was a wonderful week, and despite some *ahem* unfortunate occurences, I had a fabulous time! The first lovely event to take place was a shopping day in Rennes! Since Wednesdays are half days at our school, I invited my friends Alisa and Daniela to come with me into Rennes to visit our friend Renca who just moved to Rennes! Alisa, Daniela and Renca are also exchange students (that's how we met!) we don't have any classes together, so we thought we might like to get to know eachother better through a little shopping trip! Alisa is from Finland, Daniela from Mexico, and Renca from Slovakia and though they all speak English (I know, I feel like such a language failure compared to them!) we prefered to speak in French, though they did help me with some tricky vocabulary!

From the Right: Renca, Daniela and Alisa

We had a blast! While in Rennes, we got lunch at a local Kebab diner and then we took to the streets, ambling about into all of the stores and malls we could find! I personally scored a super cute high waisted skirt, earrings and a headband! Fun fact: Kebab's are quite different in France than in the USA. They are not in fact various food items impaled and grilled on a stick, they are toasted sandwhiches filled with tomatoes, lettuce and pork scraped off a giant cylinder of meat and served with fries. Yummmm...

Thank you for the pics, internet!

 

Another awesome thing that happened was a surprise outing with my friends! On Tuesday, Chloé, Margaux, Morganne, Pauline and I hopped off to the nearby Super U (grocery store) and bought a giant bag of chocolate chip madeleines and two giant packages of Twix and KitKats! We then settled down in an ajacent green area and played some candy-based games! Well, they weren't exactly games, we just quizzed eachother on our personalities, and rewarded ourselves with sweets... Whatever, it was delicious! One thing I found really funny was that we could just go buy madeleines at the grocery store! Madeleines are a type of fluffy, moist french pastry a kind of cross between a muffin and a cookie. They are beyond delicious, but in America if you want some madeleines, you have to bake them yourself! At Super U, not only were there bags of them for sale, but there were over 6 varieties! Plain, chocolate chip, jumbo, mini, jumbo chocolate chip etc. It was fabuous.

Something that really made my week was our new unit in math: limits. You may recall that in an earlier post I compared myself to Lindsay Lohann's character in Mean Girls (only obviously there are no mean girls in my friend group!) I'm a foreigner, quite adorably innocent (if I do say so myself), and comparatively very good at math (I'm about 2-3 years ahead of my classmates, since the cirriculum is different, they are learning concepts that I learned 3 years ago, but also some concepts that I am unfamiliar with). Well, the final piece of the puzzle just fell into place. Limits. I just can't wait to find my KDJFD and yell "the Limit does not exist!" at a Mathletes tournament. Unfortunately, there is no Mathletes team at Châteaubriand, so this might be difficult to bring about...

 

Now we come to the not-so-fabulous part of my week, I got lice. Yes, it was awful. I have no idea how I got it, and I don't intend on going into the gory details with you, especially since I'm sure you want to skip this paragraph anyway. Luckily for me, I only had the little parasites for about 2-4 days before I successfully rid them from my poor scalp. And thought this experience pretty much sucked (no pun intende - heehee, lice suck blood... See what I did there? Again, not intended) it did have some surprisingly good outcomes. I know, it's pretty hard to believe that a case of lice has any good outcomes at all, but it's true. Since it is nearly impossible to check your own head for lice, Odile helped me out by picking through my hair every night to check on my progression on Mission: Kill those Nasty Buggers. Though it was not a pleasant business, I have to say it really brought us together. Nothing can create a motherly bond like a nice case of bloodsucking parasites!

This was essentially me for 4 days.

 

"I will kill you, lice, and your entire family too!"

Wow, that got very dark, very quick... I swear, I am a sane lice-hater!

I also learned a fun fact this week: French people don't all eat snails and frog legs! I have to say, I was legitimately surprised. Though I have not eaten frog's legs here (yet), it seems like a pretty logical plate to me, I mean, it's just a different kind of meat! Like chicken wings, or drumsticks. However, when my enlish teacher asked the class who had eaten frog legs, only 3 people raised their hands! My class was about 20 that day, so it was a notable minority. Next, she asked who had eaten snails, only 4 people raised their hands, and one of those 4 was me! I was especially surprised at this revelation because, not only had I just tried snails that past weekend (and enjoyed them), but my host family loves snails! In their family (and French tradition) snails or "escargot" are a Christmas treat, much as a Christmas ham is celebrated in America. So, it would turn out that another French stereotype is crushed. Bam. But hey, don't worry, there are still some famous beliefs about French culture that are true! Baguettes are a staple dietary element, black is always in style, and the food is delectable (even snails!).

Yesterday was the icing on the cake that was this magnificent week (BAM, you've just been metaphored). By the combined powers of the absence of my history teacher (she is in Louisiana with some students from my class. There are also students visiting Norway right now! Our numbers are dwindling...) and my kick-bottom school schedule, I found myself with only 3 hours of courses yesterday: Science, Science and English. While the first 2 free hours of the day I used to catch up with my favorite French magazine (Phosphore) and my current favorite band (Dawes), the last 2 hours of the day I spent on a spectacular journey with Chloé and Morganne (Margaux and Pauline left for Norway Friday morning!)

 As usual, our lovely activities were centered around food, chocolate topped biscuits and peach iced-tea to be exact. Once acquiring said snacks we progressed to enjoy a picnic by the lake that is situated 3 blocks from the school. It was a pretty simple outing (filled with talk of Harry Potter, AC DC and extreme sports - THAT'S RIGHT, WE'RE AWESOME) but for me, it represented my friendship with them.

Two weeks ago, I was fretful because I thought I didn't have any real friends here in France, but this little junket really proved to me that I do! It really is the little things that are the best because small hangouts like this are what make France feel like home for me. I'm just so happy that I have made connections like these, and I can't get over how much I enjoy being (as close as possible to) a regular student at Châteaubriand and not that strange foreign exchange student who can't talk. (Okay, that still happens sometimes, but now at least I can explain to my friends that some days I just seem to forget the language!)

During this outing, I think something clicked in my brain. Whereas usually my speech in French is slow and limited in content (not very funny, not whimsical or spontaneous) during this outing my French seemed to evolve. While talking about Harry Potter, I found myself able to speak my mind quicker and more easily. Maybe it was the liberating topic (let's be honest, most of us have more to say about Ron and Hermione's relationship than about our personal lives. Or maybe that's just me...) or maybe it was just being able to hang out in a small, comfortable group, but suddenly my French just... Stepped up? I really can't explain it. Maybe I stopped translating in my head. Maybe I finally learned how to deduce word meanings from context. I don't know what happened, but it was amazing. I hope that this revelation is permanent, and so far it has been. Ever since then, my French has come easier and my opinions have really shined through (oops, there goes the Bella filter!) I really hope that come Monday, my French will prove to have actually taken this step.

Also, I realized that the chocolate topped biscuits would be PERFECT to make s'mores!

You know what this means. S'mores party, with a Chubby Bunny contest!

Sidenote: Chloé and Margaux both love manga, especially this one series called "Drôles de Racailles" which translates loosely to "Weird Stories of Rebels". It features two groups of friends, nerds (hey, that's me!) and gangsters (also me, obviously) and the quaint little love triangles that pop up between them. I've never read manga before, but I'm thinking of trying out a few of these books, since French novels are proving a bit too difficult for me.

ALSO!
Superdy-Duperdy Fun Announcement!
I had my first dream in French this week! Now, it wasn't anything impressive (It lasted only about 10 seconds and featured someone asking me what my goal in France is) but I woke up and basically fist-pumped the whole day. But now come to think of it, I may have been fist-pumping because in my previous dream One Direction played at my birthday party... Whatever, I hold that the two dreams are about equal in magnitude.

More French Graffiti!!

A while ago (omg over 2 months ago!), I posted about how absolutely fabulous French Graffiti is, and I must say it has not ceased to amaze me. Over the past two weeks, I have compiled a small portfolio (yes, yes this is professional enough to count as a portfolio) of fun Graffiti I have seen lately! Hope you enjoy!

As I'm sure you can guess, "Consommes" means "consume".

I get the feeling this artist is a bit opinionated!

Though the message is a bit lost on me (I am not adequately informed on

French consumerism to form a valid opinion) but I absolutely love the stenciling of the face!)

I found these pieces along the path leading to the Ponte de Morlaix:

These I found on L'Île de Batz:

"Zombie Apocalypse!"

Some absolutely adorable graffiti Alisa, Daniela, Renca and I stumbled upon in Rennes:

"Souris à ton voisin" means "Smile at your neighbor" aww!

Admittadly, this is not French. This photo was actually taken in Italy,

but I thought this little guy deserved a place in the album!

A Tour of Brittany

While the first half of my spring vacation was occupied by the bewitching streets of Venice and my (not nearly as bewitching) mini-illness, my second week of vacation I spent on the road with the Girards! As a sweet little treat, we went for a 3 day mini-tour of Bretagne. Along the way, we saw many beautiful cities, breathtaking sights and, of course, delicious food. But I'll spare you the pain of viewing unattainable cuisine and only share the pictures of the sights!


Churches:

As a well-preserved region of France (it's full of medieval history), Bretagne has thousands of churches! During our travels, we visited at least 10 churches, all unique and awe-inspiring. Here are a few of my favorite ones.

 L'Église Plougrescant (L'Église Pinchée):

this church's steeple was misconstructed, and bent with the ages! It was very comical to behold, and Odile and I couldn't resist a mocking pose in the picture...

L'Église de Brélévenez:

Situated on a hill that contained 1 million steps (just kidding, I have no idea how many steps we climbed, but it sure felt like one million), this church was a true sight to behold. Though I was out of breath for most of our time within the church, it was a beautiful building, and the view from the top wasn't too bad either! 

 

While touring L'Église de Brélévenez Odile told me about how, in French culture, cemetaries are not seperate from churches (as they often are in the US). Instead, the deceased are buried in an expanding circle surrounding the church. Fun Fact!

 

L'Église de Batz:

Located on Batz island, this churches big claims to fame were it's intricate carvings hung on the inside. Unfortunately, it was too dark for me to take any photos of those. 

La Chapelle de la Vierge Couchée (The Chapel of the Sleeping Virgin):

This was without a doubt my favorite church (though technically it is a chapel). Quaint, warm, and colorful, this church had everything from beautiful carvings and candles to Pemberly-esque pathes in the woods surrounding it. Absolutely splendid.

 

The intricate antique carvings depicting the sleeping virgin.

 

There were approximately 10 model boats hanging from the ceiling,

no doubt expressing Bretagne's strong history with the adjacent English Channel and Bay of Biscay.

 

At the end of one of the snaking pathes that surrounded the chapel,
I found the most beautiful view of the shore!

 

Fun Parts of Churches:

One of the Churches in the city of Batz had a very unique ceiling. Vaulted and extremely stylized, it's crossbeams were striped green and white. When we asked someone about it's origins, we were told that many churches in Bretagne contain ceilings modeled after the undersides of boats! If you look, this ceiling is very nautical. the edges even have figure heads at the entrance!

There were so many different kinds of stained glass windows, all beautiful in their own way!

This window is supposedly abstract, but while we were there, there was a man with a high powered telescope contraption observing the window from a distance. When we asked him what he was doing, he said he was deciphering the figures hidden in the design. He even showed Odile a supposed person! I personally couldn't make it out, but the idea of hidden pictures was cool.

 

 

La Ponte de Morlaix: 

Aguillon (an awesome city we stayed in for a day):

La Maison de Castel Meur:
This house just happens to be situated between two giant boulders! It was bound to be a blast.

Quite a pose, if I do say so myself.

Le Parc de Sculptures Christian Gad:

Perros-Guirec:

Jean-Yves, photobombing my artsy picture like a pro!

This ancient lodgement is called a "poudrière", it's where armies would stow their cannons!

Une phare, or a lighthouse located just next to the Perros-Guirec rock formations

Creature Comforts:

Le Moulin Verte:

No, not Le Moulin Rouge! This was a restaurant in Aiguillon where
we indulged in some traditional galletes and crèpes. Yum!

This was just a random (go ahead, judge me for using the word random!) statue in Aiguillon. Notice how it's two figures kissing, but the relief creates the illusion of another figure between them? I laughed and said that it reminded me of Romeo and Juliet, and that I should go break them up. Odile quickly ran to "push them apart!" Aren't we such wonderful love-killers?

For both nights, we stayed in what are called "Chambres d'Autres" or "Chambres d'Hôtes" which are the French equivalent of B&B's. I must say, they were absolutely charming! The hosts were friendly and talkitive (and always interested in my journey from the US to France!) and the breakfasts, oh the breakfasts!

L'Île de Château de Taureau:

La Chaise des Prêtres:
This rock overlooks the water, and is called the "Priest's Chair" because of it's lovely peaceful view over the water. Luckily for us, the spot is open to the public, so we could try out the seating as well! I must say, it was a bit too tough on the tushy, but hey, I'm no goldilocks! 

L'Île de Batz:
Our last day on the road we visited a place called L'Île de Batz (located off the shore of the city Batz) It was quite a site! It reminded me vaguely of Washington Island in Door County, though a bit more wild.

To get to the island, we had to take a boat. And to take the boat, we had to cross a bridge!

Within the first hour or so, we stumbled upon the L'Île de Batz lighthouse which,

though closed to the public, was quite a sight!

The beaches on l'Île de Batz were chiefly rock beaches, and every once in a while we would pass a farm plot littered with giant rocks from the beach. When I asked Jean-Yves why the rocks were in such strange areas, he explained that the storms on the island are so strong that they can pick up these behemoth rocks and fling them about, often into the farms many meters away!

With so many stones at our disposal, it was only a matter of time before Jean-Yves and I broke out our mad rock-balancing skills. Though he eventually won the contest of highest tower, I still hold that my sculptures were more precarious, and thus more impressive.

Being the horse lover that she is, Louise quickly bonded with the angelic horse who we encounted on our walk back to the boat. He loved the attention!