one woman

so. . .i just downloaded the new randy rogers album. "one woman" is probably the best song he's ever done. .ever. he wrote it for his wife, and it basically is the sweetest song in the WORLD, talking about how she is all he'll need. it's one of the few things that has made fidelity to one person seem appealing (because usually i think it's scary). i was pumped to download the album, because i'm in some major need of good ol texas country. france should really get into that genre. they would like it. haha.

speaking of music, austin city limits starts tomorrow. . and i'll miss it. but not to worry. . .i'm going to PARIS tomorrow afternoon.

real classes started this week, and they're sort of hard. all of the professors are really nice and energetic, and i think i'm going to learn A LOT this semester. suzanne knows a french girl named emily and we've been hanging out with her some. she's absolutely precious and she can answer any question we throw at her (from convenience store hours to french politics). she lived in britain for a year, so her english is amazing. my room smells funny today, because i'm addicted to camembert cheese. it's so delicious, but it smells a lot like grass.

kacie. . .if you read this, call your sister (this is a test to see if you read my blog).

love you all.

i'll post pics of paris on monday!!!!

la plage. . .and book clubs

i haven't posted in a few days, because classes started and i've been moderately busy. when i say busy, i mean that every day after class (which ends at noon), i've been eating out or going into town to do something fun. erica, courtney, suzanne, robert, and i went to abbaye aux hommes the other day to see where william the conquerer is buried. it's actually just his leg that's buried there, but it's such a pretty abbaye. after that, robert, suzanne, and i decided to ride the bus to the beach. there was hardly anyone there, and it was a little cold, but SO beautiful! it's amazing that in a 20 minute bus ride we can be on the beaches of normandy. public transportation is the best here. . .there is really no reason that anyone would need a car. the environmental conservation efforts here are really evident. for example, there are recycling bins everywhere and they do not give you free bags at the grocery store. the only option is to buy a reusable one. buying a huge, gas-guzzling SUV is also not an option here. less options=healthier earth=happier kylie.

the program (as far as classes go) is not really what i was expecting. apparently we are going to be studying a lot less literature than i'm used to/want to. i'm taking french pertaining to economics, as well as legal french. both could be helpful, especially if i end up in french prison (one of my greatest fears. ..as i have signed a lot of bank/social security documents that i'm pretty sure could somehow lead to a bad situation). anyway, to remedy the lack of literature situation, some of us decided to start a book club. our first book is an existentialist work of albert camus entitled l'etranger. we will read and discuss them in french. so far it is just americans, but i have faith that eventually it will be incredibly popular with many international members. haha.

i must go now. today is the booze cruise for the international students. it's time for me to get on the boat.

kylie

pictures that i couldn't add earlier

party at the port, delicious crepes, beautiful churches

this is love. it better last.

i'm finally getting used to the french way of life. it's way more laid back than i'm used to, but it's sooooo much fun. today is sunday, and nothing is open, so i decided to clean my room. see, i told y'all i'm trying to make a lifestyle change while in france :) last night was the party at the port. it was a lot like a fair, and there was some realllly good food. i had a sausage sandwich, fries, and a belgian waffle with nutella for dessert. so delicious. no matter how many calories i consume here, i walk them off just getting back to my dorm (or at least i hope i do). maybe i'm in the "france honeymoon stage", but staying here semi-long term is sounding like it could be fun, so i'm looking into teaching assistantships more closely.

i have a friend from baylor named rhea that i'm going to meet in paris in the next few weeks. she's living there for the semester. lindsay, a friend from amarillo, is further south in france, and we'll be meeting up also. i'm really excited about that.

suzanne and i were laughing at how accurate the french stereotypes really are. everyone does walk around holding baguettes, i've seen a few two-seater bicycles, and a lot of striped shirts. haha. there was even a guy wearing a beret yesterday at the port!

aside from this blog, i started working on a journal a couple of days ago. it's a journal that i'm keeping in french to help me practice my writing skills while at the same time documenting my trip.

everything here is so beautiful. some of the people are absolutely stunning!

i'll be completely settled into my dorm as soon as i get a coffee pot up and running. until then, i'll be feeling a little groggy and caffeine deprived.

love you all. come visit me damn it!!

mcdonalds, mcdonalds, kentucky fried chicken, and a pizza hut

as you may have guessed by the title, we are running into A LOT of american culture. there is american music everywhere, and i've seen at least 10 guys with g-unit shirts on. haha. i think that all the girls i run around with are dressing very "french" but somehow we still stick out as american. one of the reasons is make-up. NO ONE here wears make-up, even though there is a huge sephora down the street (which i will be frequenting).

caen is so much fun, because there are a million little shops and restaurants, and i've never lived in a town this big. maybe it's not that big, but there are a lot streets just packed with shops, etc. you could spend days window shopping. i get my stipend from the university tomorrow and i wouldn't be surprised if i quite eating entirely just so i can buy more clothes and shoes :)

we semi-registered today. when we registered, they asked us for our father's occupation because he is the "chief of the household". we all thought this was a bit old-school.

i met 2 girls from A&M today that are really cool, and the three of us from baylor are hanging out with a girl from kentucky a lot. maybe we'll meet french people when classes actually start. . .which isn't for another week. i never realized how uptight i was until i came here where no one is uptight about anything. classes simply start when orientation is over. there are no specific dates, and it's like no one works here. people are constantly at cafes and walking around town. i plan on taking more pictures, but here are a couple of my room. since i'm living all alone this semester, i'm trying to implement a lifestyle change. i really want to work on keeping things tidy (we'll see how long that lasts)

SOMEONE comment on my posts or i will feel sad.

oooohhhh. . .forgot to mention that part of orientation is a cocktail party on a boat that sets out from the port in caen (which is gorgeous). there is also an all-night party at the port on sat/sun. should be amazing.

apparently french schools hate the internet

i thought it was the "super-highway" and SUPER IMPORTANT!!! . . .but there is NO internet anywhere in my dorm, and we can only use the internet on campus for 2 hrs a day. however, i'm going to get my own internet card for my computer on friday, so i can talk to people on skype and write more blog posts. i'm at mcdonald's using their wifi right now (and drinking espresso).

the important thing is that i'm here. i was really nervous about leaving, and i still feel like crying, but i'm doing ok. i have taken french for years, and i never thought it would feel so foreign. NO ONE speaks a word of english in the town i'm in. that would be fine if i only wanted to talk to people about literature or philosophy, but it's very hard for me to talk about cell phone plans and internet connections in french (you know, all the practical stuff). even the young people don't know english!!

there is american music EVERYWHERE. as i was struggling to order a drink the other day, jesse mccartney is playing in english in the background. what stupid irony. i meant to take a picture of our bathroom, and i will later. 1 toilet (without a seat) and 2 showers for a hall of 20 girls and guys. . .yuck. we all know i don't shower that often anyway ;)

as erica put this experience "this is ruining our lives". . .but i think we'll get past it all soon.

i typically don't like meeting new people, especially when i have a communication barrier, so my only new friends are a girl from louisiana and a girl from kentucky. they are very nice and southern and appreciate my cowboy boots.

i'll talk to y'all later (hopefully on skype on friday)

miss everyone.

departure week: packing and other atrocities

i have not one single thing in my suitcase and i leave for dallas on friday. not to worry. . .this sort of procrastination is expected of me. i still do not have my visa, and the whole application process has been one of the most stressful things i've ever been through.

however, as soon as i get on the plane (visa in hand, hopefully), i'll be more than excited to start this whole adventure. i created this blog so that i wouldn't have to send out lame mass emails that no one wants to read. i'll try not to write about anything boring. i do love to tell stories, and typically my stories are over-detailed, but i'll try to keep these posts "to-the-point".

i will most likely be writing a lot about food, some about school, a moderate amount about the people i meet, and a ton (i hope) about DELICIOUS wine. . .and some more about food.

can't wait to get there. i leave sunday the 7th. everyone should make plans NOW to come visit.

xoxo