Mais...c'est ton anniversaire aujourd'hui?!

Today started out as a crap day. We had to meet at la Maison du Tourisme at 8h15 to go to the Universite for our placement test, so I woke up at 6h45 to take a shower. Let us pause for a moment to discuss the whole shower situation. Sam and I have discovered pourquoi the French have a reputation for being hairy and smelly: it is IMPOSSIBLE to bathe without catching pneumonia. I cannot imagine what it will be like in the winter.

ANYWAYS, after taking a shower, I got ready to face the day, and it wasn't until 7h42 that I realized that I hadn't heard Sam go into the bathroom (we were planning on leaving at 7h50). I ran to her room and pounded on her door. She had woken up two minutes before. I thought I was having a hard time getting used to the black-out shutters, but compared to Sam, c'est rien! She took a shower faster than I thought humanly possible (especially in the European-style shower) and we were out the door at 8h52.

This morning we took our placement tests for the program. There were three portions of the test: written, oral comprehension and oral presentation (in interview format). This test determines what program level we are in. There are two: B1 and B2. If you are in B1, you take the mandatory language course, and then 3-4 electives in the CUEF (the International Center of the University) with other international students. If you are a little more advanced you can take 1 class in the FAC, with the French students. If you are in B2, you take the mandatory language course, 1-2 courses in the CUEF with other international students, and 2-3 classes in the FAC, with the French students. Taking courses with French students, in French, would be challenging, but very rewarding, I think. I hope I get into B2, but if not, I should still be able to graduate early, alors je n'inquiete pas.


After the test and more boring stuff at the Universite, some of the students from the program came to our house to eat my birthday cake that Sam and I never got around to eating yesterday. It was delicious!

When Christine came home from work and saw Sam and I in the living room, discussing the DVD collection with Claude (he loves movies), she cried, "Happy Birthday!" and she gave me a French hug. When I told her it was yesterday, she looked a little crest-fallen, but after a little reassuring she announced that we would drink the champagne anyway. And so it was that around 19h we were sitting at a table in the garden, sipping some very good champagne and eating something that can only be described as a hoity-toity trail mix.

And my family got me a gift! It was terribly nice of them, they really shouldn't have (I could not think of how to say this en francais, but I think my facial expression and my profusely repeated "merci"s got the meaning across). They got me a lovely eyeglasses case, which will be excellent for my sunglasses, and a little manicure set. It is magnifique.

Christine's mother came for dinner and champagne and tonight she is sleeping the guest bedroom on our floor. She is really nice and she talked with us a great deal. She and Christine took pictures of our petite fete. When I said my hair looked bad in the picture, Christine said that Americans always have nice hair and nice teeth, and they always look fabulous in pictures. She thinks this is because they all want to be movie stars.

The champagne was a little strong so Sam and I were more talkative than usual, which I think was a good thing. Of course Christine broke out the vintage wine (1993) for my birthday, but when they opened it, Christine's mom informed us that it was approximately 2 years past its prime, because it was more maroon than red. But everyone drank it anyways, and soon they were all laughing and chatting. I asked about a English class that Claude had taken and he said he learned a song, which he promptly started singing. It was "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean". Christine knew it as well, and so joined in. I thought things couldn't get any more hysterical, but since we were on the topic of English songs, they somehow jumped to "Roxanne" by the Police, and both started screeching "Roooooxxxxanne". Sam and I almost died from lack of oxygen.

Also: Claude loves Bob l'Eponge (Spongebob). Claude is sixty-five. Christine does not think that this is appropriate. She does, however, think that it is hysterical.

We had such a great dinner tonight, conversation-wise and food-wise. For those of you who are interested in le gastronomie francais, here is the menu:

Cantaloupe

Pork with Ratatouille and Wild Rice

Cheese Platter (mais, bien sur!)

Honey cake with Creme Anglaise

Tomorrow we find out the results of our placement test and then we go to all the possible electives. All week we will go to each elective offered for our level and then will be able to choose which ones we would like to take for the remainder of the semester. It should definitely be interesting. I can't believe that classes are finally starting. However, these are only the classes at the CUEF (the International Center). The French students do not start classes until the 15th. So if I am in B2, the majority of my classes will not start until then. Keep your fingers crossed!

Bonne nuit!

P.S. I apologize for all the errors I am making with my grammar and my awkward sentences. I know I'm writing some strange stuff, but I'm always posting when it's late at night and when I've been speaking French for hours. My brain is half-asleep and the half that is awake is half-thinking in French. Alors, I am writing with a quarter of my brain. It is not easy.