Bonjour

    This week, I have pretty much gone to Rennes on the bus every day. There is so much to do there! I love looking at all the stores.....all the clothes and shoes are SOO much cuter than the ones at home (well, I am in France after all). Amazingly though, I haven't bought anything at all so far (except food) ;) I'm really trying to save money for the bus trips that I will have the opportunity to go on later in the year. 

   I was also invited this week to one of the family's friends' house for a very nice dinner. It was with a younger couple who work for Air France, and they have a 5-month old baby girl who is adorable! They were very nice and helped me a little with my French (they can both speak English). And they both love to cook....so, of course, the dinner was incredible! We had awesome appetizers (aperatifs) like little pastries with cheese and tomato, olives, bruschetta with eggplant dip, salami, nuts, shrimp, etc. And then we had the main course which was a very good meat from Argentina served with roasted carrots, potatoes, onions, and something else I have never tried (it was white and crunchy???) ;) And then the cheese course with baguettes....I do not know how I went so long without cheese...their cheeses are AMAZING here! We had four different kinds, and actually it was no big deal that I ate a lot because two of them were made from sheep and goat milk. :D (For those of you who don't know, I found out a little earlier this year that I have a sensitivity to dairy protein)  And now the best part....dark chocolate orange mousse....YUM. And then coffee and candy ;) And....I also got to experience the drinking part of the meal, because they wanted me to try everything. So I had two glasses of champagne (both different kinds), two of red wine (both different kinds), and one of white wine. But don't freak out Dad, because they were very small ;) I had to turn down the little shot of some kind of fancy whisky they wanted me to try at the end though, because I felt a little strange. I think next time I will stick with just one glass :P 

    Tomorrow I am spending the day with other Rotary students and French Rotex from Brittany...we are going to go swimming, have lunch together, and go over a bunch of information. Then on Tuesday I start school! I don't know what is going on today, but I think my host parents have to work on Saturdays too. I really don't see them much, because they are always working. The past two night they have come home at about 10:00 (and we don't eat dinner until like 10:45 or so) :P I get really hungry....it's very surprising, because, from what I could tell being with two different families so far, the French really don't   keep much food at all at home. There are no kinds of snacks or anything, or even fruit sitting around. They basically have orange juice, butter, and jars in the fridge, coffee and tea, and a couple lemons and cloves of garlic on the counter :P Yesterday I walked all over Rennes trying to find a grocery store to buy a couple snacks, and I finally found a tiny one. This host family is also a little different than the one I stayed with the first week because they don't come home for lunch...so I kind of have to forage around the house for something to eat....I ended up just eating in Rennes the first day, but there were a few leftovers the past couple of days, so I had that ;) When school starts though, I'll eat at the cantine. 

    There is a lot right now that I really miss from home....mostly I just want the comfort of familiar things, because everything so very different here. The hardest thing is not being able to really have a meaningful conversation or say what I'm wanting to because of the language difference. I know enough French to get my point across in most situations, but it is nowhere near the level of actually connecting with someone. So it's kind of lonely sometimes. But I know this is an awesome opportunity for me, and will be an incredible experience. 

<3 Claire :D