Monday II

Monday morning we got up early to shower and eat breakfast, and then hauled our bags downstairs. We hopped on a bus, which took us to the Fondation des Etats-Unis, where we will be staying when we return to Paris.


Sur l'autobus


La Fondation des Etats-Unis

We dropped off bags to store there and then got back on the bus, which took us to La Gare Montparnasse. We bought sandwiches and Vaune and I investigated the bathrooms. The public bathrooms in France are very interesting. Most of them require payment by coins, and the floors are always wet, because after you use them the whole thing automatically disinfects by spraying every surface with disinifectant. You have fifteen minutes in there. Exceed that, and you get sprayed.

We got on the train at noon and maneuvered all of our luggage into the tiny luggage area. We got on the train and had an uneventful train ride, except for some fits of laughter between Vaune and myself due to bad puns on the French word for « eavesdropper. »

At the Gare Angers – St. Laud, the director of CIDEF was waiting for us. and he guided us upstairs where our host families were waiting. Mine was a tiny old lady, who gave me enthusiastic French cheek kisses when I went up to her. We took a taxi back to her house.

She and her husband are retired vegetable growers, and they have this ancient house with a gorgeous garden. It’s beautiful, though very old, just like M et Mme Gilot. I came in and we sat and chatted. I like them. She is a bit of an overbearing grandmother, but he is the quintessential indulgent grandfather type who winks at me every time Madame is being a bit over the top. I love him.

There is another CIDEF student staying there. Her name is Claire. Actually, I can’t pronounce her name (Yee-Sul) and neither can Madame, so when she arrived a few days ago, Mme Gilot just wanted to call her « Marie. » But she thought Marie was too common a name, and her French name in her French class the year before had been Claire, so now she is Claire to us. I really like her. She is from South Korea. She speaks English and French, but is not excellent in either, so sometimes we have trouble communicating. We usually speak French, but since her comprehension is a lot better than her speaking, she tends to speak in Franglais, which I think is hilarious.

After I unpacked I just took a nap. I was stressed out and sad (missing people) and had nothing to do (M et Mme Gilot have heard of the internet but don’t know what it is – no joke) so I went to sleep. I don’t usually sleep during the day, but part of that is because I feel like I should be doing something else, and when there’s nothing else to do, it is easier for me to nap. So I napped, and then read, and then we had dinner. We started out with a salade aux haricots verts (green bean salad) which was green beans cooked with potato in butter and some sort if vinegar sauce, but it was chilled. I hate green beans but chilled with the sauce, they were actually really delicious. The green beans were fresh from the garden. And then we had pizza, but it was like gourmet pizza. It was amazing. In France they eat pizza with a knife and fork, which I am still getting used to. We had pudding for dessert and sat around and talked about politics.

After dinner Claire and I walked into town – about a ½ hour. We just looked around, and I sniped the bathroom code at the McDonald’s, so free public bathroom use for me! Claire asked me if I had a boyfriend, so I explained about Alexis. From what Claire said, I seem to have met the only person in all of South Korea who has no problem with gay people. She talked about this gay celebrity and how everyone hates him, and then she was like, « But I watched a movie about it, so it’s okay with me. » Totally nonchalant. I guess I lucked out.

Anyway, then I got back and typed up this account of my day in case I ever got to see the Internet again (luckily, here I am – I found it). I called Alexis on my French cell phone and it cost me 4 Euros and 60 Euro cents. Lame. Yesterday I bought an international Télécarte so I can call her from the pay phones without worrying so much about cost, but it’s sill an arm and a leg. I haven’t yet had a chance to write about Tuesday or today… I will try to keep up but it’s hard when my chances for internet are so few and far between!


My cute room




Adorable boudoir


A sign with guidelines for staying in a host family. Madame has added, "No boys in the room," "No open flames in the room," "No showers after 9:30 PM," and "No smoking in the house."


Their gorgeous garden